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Facts About Cbd Oil for stress Revealed Facts About Cbd Oil for stress Revealed Krystal Galvan on April 27, 2018 I’ve in no way taken everything right before in my existence And that i have problems with stress and anxiety ALOT. I Detest the way in which I feel because it impacts many day by day points I want to do. When the Canadian survey failed to look at any unfavorable results of cannabis use among epilepsy individuals, animal research propose that different marijuana compounds could have unique outcomes. New scientific studies counsel CBD stress-relief items are already useful in treating a variety of indicators associated with stress, assisting to raise mood, positively impression actions, and lower psychological troubles in ailments together with social stress dysfunction and PTSD. The FDA has authorized investigation around the viability of CBD (Cannabidiol extracted from Cannabis Crops) for treatment of serious and pediatric epilepsy. This way will request you many issues associated with your check out about the matter. I feel CBD would beautifully assistance overcome serious epilepsy on ordinary grounds. Permitted clinics should begin attempting new solutions as It appears in recent times our standard regime medicine will most definitely fall short us. The results of CBD oil on your own brain’s receptors may also assist you to take care of suffering. Research have demonstrated that cannabis can supply some Rewards when taken after chemotherapy treatments. Janice West on March eight, 2018 Pleased to inform All people right here that this is my 3rd bottle of CBD Oil and it's manufactured a positive effect on my Anxiety. I choose it 2 times per day And that i’m carrying out incredibly properly with it. ? Aid me another person please I despise these seizures I haven't experienced a grand mall in a couple of year but have absence seizures usually I recognize that we might get him off the rest of Tegretol (which btw, tends to Cbd Oil for stress make him aggressive), but it will require time to determine dosing. I such as the patches because they very last 12 hours (while I give him half a patch at any given time -5mg- each four hours.) the patches also make sure that I am supplying him a dependable amount. I'm concerned about oils, smoking, vapor, etcetera in which you can’t Management the dosing. If your child (or you) is now intense or self injurious on seizure meds – check out healthcare cannabis it has transformed our full people life! Great to discover him smile once again also! As additional is uncovered regarding how CBD interacts Using the brain, cannabis might in the future be thought of a viable mainstream choice to anti-stress and anxiety prescription drugs. Don’t are convinced CBD is illegal wherever its just the THC that is in lots of sites, you may purchase CBD with small more than enough THC information in it to really make it lawful from numerous on line retailers, just google CBD oil on the market This is correctly great, nevertheless, because Though industrial hemp lacks the brain-altering THC compound, it is actually considerable with CBD. In almost any kind, hemp oil for anxiousness can be just as effective regarding medicinal therapy as other cannabis-based mostly oils for stress and anxiety — which is, when they are extracted and processed correctly. I’m sorry to hear that but I'd seriously take a look at fiddling with the dosage of CBD oil as well as explore the fact that THC calms the Mind neuroids down. You may also explore The reality that he might need a little bit extra no matter if his seizures take place. I know that it'd be tricky but play with the CBD and THC oils and try to avoid the drug that he is on now. ” Yet despite the researchers’ suggestions for “even further demo in non-institutionalized epileptics,” THC has not been examined on epileptic people considering the fact that then.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Reviews are in for Tamsin Greig's Jumpy at the Duke Of York's After a succesful run at the Royal Court, April de Angelis' Jumpy has notched up another West End transfer for the Royal Court's recent output, following on from Posh, Jerusalem and Enron. The show sees Green Wing and Episodes star Greig portraying 50 year old Hilary whose life is slowly falling apart at the seems as she deals with worries about her age, a sagging marriage, problems at work and an increasingly surly and troublesome teenage daughter. Also starring Smack The Pony's Doon Mackichan as her friend Frances, the comedy had its press night this Tuesday. The Financial Times' Griselda Murray Brown writes that although the comedy isn't perhaps as gritty as some of The Court's recent output, "Greig barely has to pour herself a glass of wine and the audience is tittering." She dubs Greig "superb" and complements her "perfectly pitched combination of nervy energy, self-doubt and steel". Dominic Cavendish of The Telegraph awards the play five stars calling it "the funniest new play the West End has seen in ages." He goes on to say "Tamsin Greig joins the forefront of our finest stage actresses, finding understated hilarity and pathos in the spectacle of a wife and mum on the verge of a breakdown. At times, her Hilary is an attractively bemused bystander to everything in the world, even herself; at others, her teary sense of desolation is almost unbearable to behold." He also praises Bel Powley's portrayal as Hilary's daughter Tilly and the "wonderful" Mackichan, summising that "it’s the women who rule the dramatic roost." The Guardian's Lyn Gardner muses that some of the play's darker and more melancholic themes are sometimes overshadowed by comedic elements but concedes that "the whole thing is glued together by a remarkable performance from Greig, who adroitly plays the role for laughs, but also movingly suggests a woman in mourning for her lost self." Writing for The Stage, Jeremy Austin complements both Greig and Mackichan but is particularly taken with Powley's take on troubled daughter Tilly. "De Angelis has placed perhaps her most frightening creation at the heart of this - Tilly, played by Bel Powley - Hilary’s terrifyingly angry teenage daughter. Powley sizzles with the rebellion of burgeoning adulthood tempered with the vulnerability of the child that still exists beneath the make-up and the bravado. It fuels the play, almost as much as the fears of every parent in the audience."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Real Ya-Ya Sisters Eagerly Await New Film Real Ya-Ya Sisters Eagerly Await New Film INDIAN RIVER, Mich. (Wireless Flash) The female bonding club depicted in the upcoming movie Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood isnt just a work of fiction. There are real Ya-Ya Sisterhoods around the U.S. filled with wild women who dress in feather boas and spend long hours gabbing and drinking Bloody Marys. One such group is The Princesses of Perpetual Laughter in Michigan, led by Mary Staley or, as shes known amongst her sisters, Princess Teensy. The 43-year-old secretary and her seven gal pals have met regularly for more than eight years, after being inspired by the book by Rebecca Wells. Teensy says her group is planning to go see the new film in high style on Friday (Jun. 7), arriving in a Rolls Royce and dressed up in sequinned tiaras and Mardi Gras beads.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Page tags Zori wants a spar and Hige agrees, although Hige uses the opportunity to test Zori in controlling his anger. Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places. "A Lesson in Patience" Training Yard, Konohagakure As the wind shiftly moves through out the white clouds, the warm breeze move throughout Zori's clothes. Zori woke up and sent a letter to Hige to meet him at the Training Grounds for a friendly Spar. Zori wanted to show Hige that despite Kyu's accident, He still is gonna spar regardless. Zori arrives at the Training Ground staring at the Dummy in front of him. "Heh, he hasnt made it yet i suppose." Zori waits for the Inuzuka. A spar, hmm? Well, Hige could understand that, as long as Zori didn't take it too far. Otherwise Hige's promise of sending him to the hospital would come into effect. Still, probably better for Zori to spar him than some of the others for now, until things settled down. The Inuzuka makes his way into the grounds and raises a hand in greeting to the crazy Genin while Konsho offers his own yip of greeting. "Hey Zori." Zori turns arounds with his back now turned away from the Training Dummy and his full attention on Hige. "Hey Hige." Zori waves back to him, and moves closer to reach out to pet Konsho. " I see you got my letter." Zori continues to pet Konsho till the pup was content. Konsho is never content when it comes to pets. He just sits there and soaks them up. "Yeah, I did. I see you aren't going to take a break from sparring. Guess it's best you do it with me then. Just remember not to take it too far or I'll fulfill my word to make you stay in the hospital." Hige grins at that and nods a bit. "Got it?" Zori nods as he stops petting Konsho. "Of course not, No pain no gain." He pauses for a moment then continues "I promise i wont go to far, hehe. You have my word." Zori quickly walks over to the Sparring ring. Focusing chakra as soon as he gets there. Standing in one place as he wait for Hige. "Alright want me to start or you?" Hige steps over to stand across from Zori and nods when Zori gives his word. "Alright." He says simply, then stops and puts his hands into his pockets. "You start. Let's see what you've got. Make it good." Hige grins again and then waits, just standing there with Konsho standing next to him. Not exactly a formidable sight, but dangerous nonetheless. Zori nods. "Alright then time for the show to begin then. Hehe" Zori grins. The wire up under his sleeves uncoils from his wrists dropping down to the ground. Zori dashes at Hige moveing his arms swiping left to right. The wires follow the movements slashing and slicing in the process at Hige's body. Hige nods again, then just…waits. When Zori comes at him and slashes with the wire Hige leans away, then takes a few small steps back to avoid the attacks. "Not too bad. I still think it would be good for you to work on some more elemental attacks and such." He says, stopping again with his hands still in his pockets and just waiting once more. Zori jumps back after missing Hige with his slashes from his wire. "Hmm.. maybe your right. Ill look more into it." Zori's wire then floats into the air off the ground, lashing themselfs at Hige in preparation to Trap him. Hige can only nod and watch as Zori lashes out again. The Inuzuka tries to shift his feet to stay out of range but doesn't move quite enough and the wire bites into his arm. "Hmm, pretty good." He says, then gives a little yank to loosen the wire before slipping his arm out. "You're getting better Zori. Maybe all that training really is paying off." Zori's wire bites Hige into his arm, once Hige slips his arm out of the wire. Blood can be seen from the little cut on the Inuzukas arm. Zori starts to recall the event between him, jade and kyu. Visualizating Kyu traped in his wire just before it collapsed on him, brought him excitement. Zori eyes widen as he grins evilishly. "Hehehehehe, Perhaps your right." Zori's attention turns back to Hige. It seems Zori's grin has gotten way bigger then it was a moment ago. "Lets Continue! now!" Zori dashes back at Hige slashing at him with his wire diagonaly at his body , laughing maniacally in the proccess. The shift in attitude causes Hige to frown slightly but for now he just continues to avoid the incoming blows. He doesn't say anything more for now, just simply waits and watches to see what happens. Semi-feral eyes are locked on the other boy as he slips away from the attacks and then just pauses to wait and see. Hige dodges Zoris attacks, Causing him to get even more furious. Zori front flips behind Hige lashing out the wire at him planning to wrap him up completely. Once done he would put his index and middle finger together and swiftly move them in a upward motion causing the wire to collapse. Zori continues to grin and laugh crazylike. "Pull yourself together Zori." Hige growls, reaching out to try and grab the other boy but instead having his hand get caught in the wire. When it bites into him his eyes narrow. "You will calm down NOW." It wasn't a question, or a suggestion. It was a flat out order, and one that he will make happen if he has to. Zori stops as he hears Hige words "Calm down now!".Zori starts to remeber the conversation him and Hige had the day before about learning self control. Zori's grin returns to normal as his eyes go from big back to small. Zori's wire retract back under his sleeves safely wraping around his wrists. "Alright, you win this spar." is said calmly out his mouth. His eyes are closed with his head tilted at the ground. Zori stands there quietly with no motion. Hige lets out a relieved sigh when Zori stops. He really didn't want to teach him by sending him to the hospital. This was better. The Inuzuka steps forward, reaching up to put a hand on Zori's shoulders, the uninjured hand of course. "It's not about winning Zori. It's about being better, testing yourself and others. Your wild ways aren't good, but they aren't bad. Save that for your enemies, not your friends." He feels like he's repeating what he'd been told not that long ago. In part because he was. "You alright?" Zori has calmed down fully now. As Hige puts his hand on Zori's shoulder, he smiles glancing up at Hige "Im ok, Its just battles seem to change my mood for some reason." Zori pauses then continues "Your right, its just that when i want to win, i gotta have it." "At the cost of really hurting your friends?" Hige asks curiously, letting his good hand drop and raising his still bleeding arm for Zori to see. "Is it really worth it just to say you've won? Cause winning doesn't get you any kind of prize. Sparring is supposed to be a test of skill and to see and help each other get better. It's not a tournament." Zori listens to Hige. Glancing at his bleeding arm, Zori sighs. "Thats true. Just like the day before you talked to me about self control." Zori pauses then continues "And look at me going crazy in battle like we never talked about it at all." Zori looks away from Hige's bleed arm back up to Hige. "Exactly." Hige agrees solemnly. "If you keep this up then you will only get in more trouble. Not only that but, like I said, I'll keep my promise to hospitalize you for as long as the person you put in there has to stay." He finally pulls out some bandaging and begins wrapping his arm. "So just work on keeping patient during spars. Let your anger and wild side show in a true battle. They'll be a lot more help there." Zori nods "Yeah im gonna work on it some more. I cant promise that it will be perfect but it will be better each time." Zori watches as Hige starts to bandage his own arm. "I am having thoughts about becoming a medic. Or atleast learning how to first aid." Zori says calmly. "Yeah, well, I'm far from perfect at controlling my own anger. But I've been working on it, and it's better. Can't really ask you to do more than I have right?" The Inuzuka grins up at Zori. Then, Hige snorts softly, "Medic stuff is hard. I'll leave that to Kenta. First aid is easy." He explains before glancing around and nodding to a bench. "Here, come with me. He goes to sit, still holding the bandaging in one hand. "Bandaging, some anti-bacteria ointment, and some coagulant are all you really need." He pulls those items out of his pouch with his good hand. "Here, see, for worser wounds you use the coagulant powder first. This isn't so bad though, so we'll just put some anti-bacteria stuff on it, then wrap it tightly to help stop the bleeding." As he speaks he shows what he's doing around part of his arm. When he's done he points to the stuff and then to the lower part of his arm for Zori to try. Zori laughs and reponds to Hige "Hehe you definatelty arent perfect at controling your anger. But i do admit you done came a long way and i say your doing way better" Zori grins with a bit of happyness.(is that possible i dont know) Zori nods and walks on over to the bench with Hige. Once they got there he then begins to show Zori the ropes behind "First Aid". Zori nods after he finishes showing him. After being asked to try to use First Aid, Zori grabs the anti bacteria cream and points the bottle at Hige's lower part of his arm. Zori accidently squeezes just about the whole tube on Higes arm. "Hehe oops, seems i am still agitated a bit." Zori grabs the bandages, and begins to wrap Hige's arm tight. It would seem Zori is wrapping Hige's arm tighter and tighter after each wrap around. Hige winces slightly as the all of the ointment is used. He'll…have to replace that. "Yeah, thanks. I prefer to try and stay out of trouble. I'll save up all my anger for when I really need it." Like when he shreds kidnappers into small bits. As the bandaging gets tighter and tighter his brows knit and he shakes his head, "Okay, okay, too tight. You're going to cut off the circulation to my hand." He says, trying to move his fingers and finding them not doing too well. "Should be tight enough to help stop the bleeding but not so tight that it's going to make my hand fall off." Zori nods in agreement with Hige "I should do the same, wanting to win when it really matters instead of getting in trouble for it." As Zori continues to wrap Hige's arm. Hige says somethign about him wrapping it up to tight. Zori immediately unwraps the bandages. "It seems im not fit to be a Medic, I got too much animosity in my blood for me to actually focus enough for it." Zori reaches out his hand with the roll of bandages in it, wanting to give it back to Hige. "Here youll have to bandange yourself, i cant do it" Zori frowns a bit. "I said it was too tight, I didn't say to give up. I don't see you as the type to give up so easily Zori." Hige says dryly, smirking at the other boy. "Maybe it'll be good for you to learn how to be a little more gentle. Might help with other things." Hige shrugs, but doesn't take the bandaging back. He just leaves his arm there for Zori to work on and stares at him expectantly. Zori scoffs at Hige comment. Zori drops the roll of bandages in Hige's lap. "I cant be gentle. I can only squeeze to death." Zori pauses and continues "Your better at handling things like this. So im gonna let you do it. I dont think this First Aid bussiness is for me." Hige rolls his eyes before he grabs up the bandaging. "You can be gentle and still squeeze to death. It's not one or the other, it's just knowing when you have to use one or the other." He says, motioning for Zori to come back over and take the bandaging. "So get your ass over here and figure it out. If you don't learn it from me you'll learn it from someone else. Pretty sure Daisuke requires all his shinobi to know it." Zori rolls his eyes "Alright endure it!" Zori snatches the roll of bandages from Hige's paws. Letting out a deep Sigh, Zori then begins to once again wrap up Hige arm. Starting from the lower end of the cut wrapping around all the way to the top of his arm. It seems Zori has wrapped his arm a bit more loose then before. "There done, hows that?" "Besides all the blood wasted while you complained it's much better." Hige teases the other boy lightly, smirking up at him. "See. You can be gentle if you want. And it didn't even kill you." The Inuzuka stands then and puts the rest of the stuff back away before looking around the training hard. "Heck, I even feel like I could do some training. I might shred up a practice dummy or two." Zori grins at Higes comment "Yeah thats not often though. But i did die a little on the inside." Zori then stands up watching Hige pack up the rest of his stuff. "I did enough training for right now. I really ought to go see Kyu and see how hes doing." Zori says calmly. Hige nods to Zori as he stretches out his uninjured arm, "Good idea. I was going to stop by later today and check on him. You go, make sure you get you apology in if he's awake." Hige reminds Zori before raising a hand to wave in farewell. With that done he turns to walk to a training dummy to get in a little work.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Post navigation Verandering “Verandering” is pretty much like ‘change’ in English. However when somebody asks you for ‘change’ for the parking meter, you will be asked for ‘wisselgeld’ or ‘kleingeld’. Of course you can offer the person real change, by suggesting a bicycle 😉 – “Hallo, met Lindsay, ik wil graag een verandering aanbrengen in de tekst, kun je even langskomen om het te bespreken?” (“Hi, this is Lindsay speaking, I would like to make a change in your text, can you drop by to discuss it?”) Example:– “Ik heb de broek aangepast in de winkel; ze zijn nu de lengte aan het aanpassen, en ik kan hem volgende week ophalen.”(“I tried the pants / pair of trousers on in the store; they will adjust the length, and I can pick them up next week.”) 3 thoughts on “Verandering” It could be a completely different etymological chain, but the (Ameri)English expression, “Variety is the spice of life” sounds a lot like “Verandering van spijs doet eten”. (Just sayin’.) Great post — and thank you.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Share this: Zach Zuckerman Zach Zuckerman is an English major on the film track and a Journalism minor. His journalism career began when he covered the Mets during the 2015 World Series as an independent study. An avid listener of podcasts, Zuckerman launched the radio journalism section of the Catalyst in the spring of 2016. The Catalyst on Twitter The Catalyst Newspaper The Catalyst is a weekly independent newspaper produced and managed exclusively by the students of Colorado College. Published for the benefit of the college community and the surrounding local area, the Catalyst aims to bring general interest and academic-oriented news, ideas, and opinions into greater collective view—to act as a catalyst for informed debate.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The Indie Music Review The Indie Music Review is an independent music reviewing organization dedicated to providing concise, quality reviews for independent bands and musicians. For more, visit www.indiemusicreview.org Also, check out www.indiemusictools.blogspot.com for daily updates on great tools for the independent musician. Friday, May 6, 2011 Not only does this two-man band have the last good remaining band name in the U.S., they create some really interesting fusion/jazz/somewhat experimental music. The songs, which are a mixture of keyboard and percussion, can be found on their album (Also called "The Odd Get Even") at http://www.theoddgeteven.com/ Tuesday, April 26, 2011 As a pop/rap singer, Tenaj was a bit of a rap pioneer in her native Switzeland. She now resides and performes in Los Angeles, not only as a musician, but also as a prominent model. Her new single, "Special Queen" can be found at www.tenaj.us This is a refreshingly unique sounding hip-hop band from the great hip-hop state of ... Iowa. Their songs are a nice break from the cookie cutter music found in more traditional hip-hop areas, and with song titles like "Spongebob Ready," how can you not check them out? bigbangxl.webs.com Donna Loren is a singer, songwriter, and recording artist who was popularly known in the 1960s as the “Dr. Pepper Girl,” and was prominent as a singer and actress in several popular television and radio shows of the time.Throughout her early years, starting at the age of six, she performed in a variety of venues, ranging from radio commercials to television shows such as The Mickey Mouse Club.Her family was very involved in her career and brought her to auditions and radio shows around the country.In 1963, her “big break” finally came, and she was offered a position as a singing spokesperson for Dr. Pepper.Her position with the company gave her national exposure and soon led to even greater opportunities.She performed in ABC-TV’s Shindig, was prolific in the famed Beach Party movies, and made regular appearances on TV shows such as Batman, Dr. Kildare, and The Monkees.She also released her own album, which was named for one of Beach Party movies, “Beach Blanket Bingo.” Donna Loren retired from the music industry in 1968 to raise a family.She came back for a short time in the 1980s, then again left show business, this time to run a fashion business called ADASA Hawaii.She once again began writing music again in 2009, and has since recorded a new album, "Love It Away" and is writing her autobiography. The Indie Music Review recently interviewed Donna Loren, who is now preparing a series of live performances. IMR:You began your music career at a very early age, performing regularly and singing in radio commercials as a child.What was this experience like for someone so young? Loren:First of all, thank you for the questions; it’s really good to talk with you and your viewers.I was a really tiny little girl, and it was a unique situation.I loved to sing when I was really tiny, and it was sort of like my comfort, and it became a family business.My father was a GI and an artist, but he didn’t make a lot of money, so my parents decided at a very early age that I could sing maybe well enough to earn money for the family.So when I began singing for a living, it was based on a family decision.So there was a lot of pressure on me, to be totally honest.I could do something I loved to do, but with the weight of responsibility on me. IMR:Do you think that pressure was helpful in the long run? Loren:Well, that’s an excellent question.I’m in my 60s now, and it’s been a long, long time.I was married, had three children, divorced, and on to a second marriage.I am writing a book (about it) now.There were many, many years of chaotic feelings about taking on responsibility.And I totally realize it’s not just children in show business, it spans the whole realm of any child raised in a situation where too much is flung on their shoulders.It can take its toll, and it’s very, very rare that you can find a well adjusted adult in a person that started out really young and had to basically go in to survival mode. IMR:Throughout your career, you ventured far outside the box, and performed in a wide variety of venues, including acting in movies, recording commercials, and acting as a spokesperson for different brands.How did you become involved in such a wide variety of media? Loren:To tell you the truth, I had no idea that everything I was doing then would have the lasting effect it has had.I loved to sing, and I went on constant auditions.I did have an agent, and because it was a family business, my father became my manager, even though he had a full time job.It was a family effort and I was constantly going to auditions and picking up work along the way, until I was 16.I was also recording and doing like, the whole California scene.I was doing all the radio hotspots, like KFWB in Los Angeles and KYA in San Francisco, and everything in between.I would get in the station wagon with the family and drive to Bakersfield and Fresno and Modesto and, you know, Sacramento and participate with DJs and do what they used to call “Record hops,” local TV shows that promoted your music.Along the way, I would meet Sonny and Cher doing the same stuff.Then my family got this call from my agent that Dr. Pepper was looking for a spokesperson for their newest ad campaign, and before I knew it, I was flying to Chicago for a screen test, and it was just one of those fluky things that gave me a seven year contract, which is really uncommon, to be locked in and have a sense of security. It worked out really well for my family, because then my father could stop working and go with me full time.Then one thing just led to another, and this wonderful opportunity of Shindig came along, which was kind of like the highlight of my life, because I was literally a senior in high school.I had to leave high school to work for Dr. Pepper full time, and I was enrolled in a professional school, which I rarely attended.I just sort of flailed through that (laughs) so pretty much whatever I’ve learned, I’ve learned on my own.Anyway, it was just like one thing led to another, the audition for Batman, and then the audition for the Monkees, and then the Beach Party movies I had no idea would sustain for all these decades. IMR: This Versatility seems to have worked very well for you.Do you think that is still important for musicians today? Loren:I would say, you have to do what your heart tells you, especially now more than ever.Whatever the strength of you own convictions, that’s what you have to be all about.If someone has the good fortune of doing music and something else, hey, go for it.Whatever it is, express yourself, and make your life worthwhile every day.Even if there are so called compromises, like, why am I doing this, I want to be doing something else.Be clear about where you are putting your energy and where you’re putting your faith. IMR: The music industry has been changing rapidly over the past few years, with the prominence of illegal downloads and the internet in general.Do you think it will still be possible for independent musicians to make a living in the future? Loren:Absolutely, I see musicians coming out of the woodwork.If music isn’t the answer right now on this planet, I don’t know what is.It is a common language and always has been.I know it has been getting more and more difficult, but I also believe this is the time for entrepreneurship, and it’s the time for innovation, and the internet is providing something that makes that possible if you apply yourself.You really have to search down to your core to find where you can take this, and then you just work at it, every single day.If it’s your passion, you just have to do it.I’m being very idealistic, but I think of groups like Radiohead saying we’re going to be non-conformist then of course, Justin Bieber,using the internet, that’s what it’s for.It’s the common language, it’s accessible, and it’s liberating.So you just have to dig deep, and do as your heart tells you, and the rewards can come, if that’s your chosen path.I do believe it’s possible, but as always, it takes a lot of work. IMR:After years of raising a family and running a business, you returned to the music scene.What made you decide to come back? Loren:Well, I’ve been carrying my piano, which is an old 1877 Steinway that I’ve had for many many years, and wherever I go, I’ve managed to take it with me.In 2008, some songs started coming to me after many years of a dry spell.So I accumulated about 8 or 10 original songs, and one thing led to another.I met this guy where I was living in Hawaii, about 10 miles away from me who has his own studio and record label.He’s a classical guitarist that ended up moving to Hawaii because he loved to surf, then went to the University of Hawaii, became a classical guitar professor, met some other musicians, and now 30 years later he’s got a phenomenal roster of Hawaiian artists.He let me rent studio time and helped me get my songs in a form where I could work with them.His name is Charles Brotmanand he ended up winning a Grammy, so I felt like I was in really good company.Then I was staying with my daughter Katie in Los Angeles and met a guy in Silver Lake who had a home studio, his name is Maurice Gainen.So between Charles in Hawaii and Maurice in Silver Lake, I managed to document the songs I was writing, and a few standards and rock classics to fill in the gaps, and the story I wanted to tell, and in about 3 or 4 months, I think it was, I was ready to release the second album of my career.I made one album, Beach Blanket Bingo, in 1965, and then in 2010, I released my second album (Love It Away). IMR:What advice would you offer to aspiring musicians? Loren:I think networking, finding the people you vibe with, playing with them, getting as much experience as you can, and connecting to people is so vital.You get that feedback.It seems like today, it’s really going back to that old way, not even like in rock and roll, but like when you were a traveling musician, you go as far as you can to connect with people on whatever level you can.And, if you’re in your own little town, and you have a venue, or several venues that you can keep as your places to stretch and to connect, that’s really vital.And then of course, you never know who you’re going to connect with.Lots and lots of artists are playing smaller venues, and that’s what I’m doing.I’m going to be doing my first performance in a place that only holds 49 people on May 5th in North Hollywood, Ca. There will be a live webcast for those that can't make it (http://kulakswoodshed.com/webcast ). To find more on Donna Loren, visit her fan site, www.donnaloren.net, or check out her pages at www.facebook.com/DonnaLoren and www.myspace.com/donnalorenmusic Thursday, April 21, 2011 Aaron Acosta is an independent composer based in Canada with an ear for experimental music. His latest CD, "Deep Field," is an interesting blend of electronic and acoustic music with combinations of varying dynamic levels, rhythms, and some unique minimalist ideas. To find out more about Aaron Acosta, visit www.aaronacosta.com This Scottish alternative rock band in a good listen, although they might just lead the listener to bipolar disorder. Their soon to be released album, "Indecency of the Few" ranges from dark and even brooding to high energy, foot stomping rock. Check them out at www.dayofdays.co.uk About Me The Indie Music Review is the foremost international independent music reviewer dedicated to providing quality reviews of independent bands and musicians. For more information or to get your band reviewed, please visit www.indiemusicreview.org	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Syria opposition praises France's anti-Assad stance PARIS, FRANCE- Syria's exiled opposition praised France on Sunday for maintaining its "exemplary" opposition to President Bashar al-Assad after a group of French lawmakers made a controversial visit to Damascus this week. "The position of France has always been exemplary, and your country has consistently held to the side of the Syrian people against any attempt to rehabilitate the regime in Damascus under false protenses," the group's leader, Khaled Khoja, wrote in a letter to the French government. His letter followed an unofficial trip by French lawmakers to the Syrian capital last week, during which they met with Assad and other senior officials. The trip reignited debate in Europe over whether it was time to rebuild diplomatic ties with the Syrian regime in order to counter the greater threat from jihadist groups such as the Islamic State. Khoja, who is due to meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris on Thursday, said such a policy would back-fire. "Those who argue they should cooperate with the Syrian regime to fight terrorism will only find the phenomenon worsening," he wrote in the letter, addressed to Hollande, Prime Minister Manuel Valls, and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. "The National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces warmly welcomes the firm position expressed by France regarding the cause of the Syrian people and its aspiration to form a civil democratic state. "This aspiration absolutely requires the departure of the dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad," the letter said. The lawmakers' visit was strongly condemned by Hollande and Valls, who described Assad as a "dictator" and "a butcher". According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, the conflict in Syria, which started as a pro-democracy uprising seeking Assad's ouster in March 2011 and morphed into a full-blown war, has left more than 200,000 people dead. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Narnia author Lewis to be honored at Poets' Corner LONDON (Reuters) - “Chronicles of Narnia” creator C.S. Lewis will be honored next year with a memorial stone in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey in central London, the abbey said on Thursday. Westminster Abbey is shrouded in early morning sunlight in central London April 22, 2011. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty The novelist, poet, essayist and literary critic will join the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy who are either buried or commemorated in the famous location. The memorial will be dedicated at a special service to be held on November 22, 2013, the 50th anniversary of Lewis’s death at the age of 64. He was buried in Oxford. Vernon White, Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey, called Lewis “an extraordinarily imaginative and rigorous thinker and writer who was able to convey the Christian faith in a way that made it both credible and attractive to a wide range of people. “He has had an enduring and growing influence in our national life,” White added. Lewis is best known for his Narnia children’s fantasy series about the adventures of a group of children who stumble across a magical world where they encounter the talking lion Aslan and the evil White Witch among others. The most famous was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” published in 1950, and the seven-book series as a whole has sold over 100 million copies and been adapted for radio, television, stage and film. Lewis’s other works include “The Screwtape Letters”, and Westminster Abbey described his “Mere Christianity” as “a classic of Christian apologetics, seeking to explain the fundamental Christian teachings to a general audience.” Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898 and won a scholarship to study at Oxford University in 1916. In 1917 he was commissioned as an officer and fought on the frontline during World War One where he was wounded in 1918. Lewis returned to Oxford where he taught English and was a close friend of “The Lord of the Rings” author J.R.R. Tolkien. He married late in life and his relationship with American Joy Gresham was captured in Richard Attenborough’s award-winning film “Shadowlands”. Lewis died on the same day that U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Women strive for equal play Olympics: The Games are expected to launch numerous American careers, and be a catalyst for women's progress in other countries. July 17, 1996\|By Don Markus \| Don Markus,SUN STAFF ATLANTA -- As with most female athletes of her generation, Nancy Lieberman-Cline didn't think much about being part of a cause while she was competing. As a high school senior and the youngest player, male or female, ever to play basketball for the United States in the Olympic Games, she was too busy helping her team win a silver medal in Montreal 20 years ago. But now Lieberman-Cline thinks about it a lot. "You never know what impact you're going to have," Lieberman-Cline said. "But you see it now because of the money being directed into women's sports. I'm thrilled to have been a part of it." What Lieberman-Cline was a part of could be considered the ultimate grass-roots sports program. It began in 1972, when a piece of legislation called Title IX changed the athletic landscape of this country forever with a mandate for females to get the same opportunity as males in amateur sports. The byproduct of that landmark event will be in evidence over the next three weeks as the 1996 Olympic Games are played out in Atlanta. The numbers are staggering: When the opening ceremonies are held at Olympic Stadium on Friday night, female athletes will gather in force as never before in the first century of this quadrennial competition. Of the estimated 10,800 athletes expected to compete, 3,800 will be women. The figure is even more impressive when you consider that several Muslim countries still don't allow women to compete in sports events where men are present. This has been called the Women's Olympics, in particular for American women, who make up 43 percent of a delegation totaling 675 athletes. Aside from the anticipation surrounding the performances in individual sports such as swimming and track and field, team sports such as softball and soccer have been added to the Olympic schedule. There are also more female coaches than ever before, including two, Martha Karolyi and Mary Lee Tracy, coaching the U.S. women's gymnastics team for the first time in history. And, for the first time, the U.S. women's basketball team is made up almost exclusively of players who have been together for nearly a year while each is being paid $50,000 a year by USA Basketball, the sport's governing body. It's barely a fraction of what their male counterparts on this year's Dream Team earn in the NBA, but the message speaks volumes about the potential. "If you're a little girl watching the Olympics, this could be your job one day," said Lieberman-Cline, who, at age 38 and the mother of a 2-year-old son, is contemplating a comeback in the new, NBA-sponsored women's professional league starting this fall. The Olympics has become a lucrative profession for many, from sprinter Gwen Torrence to beach volleyball player Holly McPeak. It could become a profession for others, particularly if the proposed U.S. leagues in soccer, softball and basketball get off the ground. Atlanta also could be the catalyst for countries still lagging behind to follow the standard set by the United States and other nations with progressive attitudes toward women's sports. Not that it has been easy, or that the struggle is over -- even in America. When the modern Olympic Games were first held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, no women were allowed to compete. After six women collapsed while running the 800 meters at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, the race was abandoned. It wasn't until the 1960 Olympics in Rome that women were allowed to run a distance longer than 200 meters. In 1984, the first women's marathon was held. This year, for the first time, women will run 5,000 meters. "You plant the seed 25 years ago and this is what grows," said former Olympic swimming champion Donna de Varona, who competed in the 1960 Olympics and won two gold medals at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo. What has also grown along with the number of female Olympians are organizations championing their cause. De Varona, along with tennis star Billie Jean King, founded the Women's Sports Foundation in 1974. Four years ago, Atlanta Plus was formed by three European women after they watched the opening ceremonies in Barcelona and were dismayed to see 35 countries without any female competitors. Pointing out that the International Olympic Committee's charter is supposed to exclude any country that practices discrimination for gender or race, French human rights lawyer Linda Weil-Curiel recently told the Independent Newspaper of London, "We are saying that countries who exclude themselves from the Olympic Charter exclude themselves from the Olympic movement, and it is for the IOC to be strong enough to say so."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
If Mario and Nadia Spina are familiar names, you've been eating in Broward County a very long time. Back in 1985, the then-19-year-old Mario Spina opened Big Apple in Pompano Beach. It was a pizzeria that morphed, over its 22-year run, into a family-friendly trattoria. The Spinas also went on to open and sell Mediterraneo Cafe and Grill in Pompano. In July, they shuttered their Mario Ristorante Italiano in Coconut Creek. That's because they accidentally came upon the space now occupied by Sunset Catch. A chance meeting with the owner of the Sands Harbor Marina led them to a tour of an eerily abandoned restaurant that had been closed for seven years. "When I opened the door, it was like the Titanic," Mario Spina says. "They were using it for storage." But for this Sicily-born chef, the view of the Intracoastal from the second floor terrace was all he needed. Who wouldn't want a restaurant with a view of the Intracoastal? He gutted the space — this chef knows how to swing a hammer — and transformed the wreck into a 220-seat restaurant that borrows heavily from schlocky nightclub design. Textured white walls and the white- and blue-tiled bar reflect the ever-changing LED lighting system. The first floor of the building houses a dive shop, but as you ascend to the second floor by elevator, the view that sold the Spinas sells you. There are 110 seats inside, as well as a private room for 40 people. The Sunset Catch menu is a hybrid of seafood and Italian. We started, for instance, with wonderful beef carpaccio ($13), drizzled with balsamic fig glaze and topped with Parm-Reg and a bit of arugula. Chopped heirloom tomatoes and garlic top bread slices in the bruschetta basket ($6). Octopus-and-conch ceviche ($12) gets its kick from lemon, and its colorful presentation from diced red pepper and minced scallion. The ceviche is a hit. Less successful were two dishes that would be more suited to a bar menu than to Sunset Catch. Crab bites ($9) are orbs of deep-fried crab meat served with honey-mustard sauce. Coconut shrimp ($12) are deep-fried after being encrusted with finely shredded coconut. They're served with sweet Thai chili sauce. I don't know. Maybe diners expect this kind of stuff when they have a water view. There's lots of lobster (market price) on the menu, given, I suppose, to its current low price. You can have whole steamed lobster, fra diavolo lobster over linguine or even a lobster BLT sandwich ($16), with maple-cured bacon, iceberg lettuce and tomatoes on a sweet roll. Branzino ($24) is butterflied, deboned and then pan-seared in a light scampi sauce. It's served over broccoli rabe. Every day brings a different cut of meat, but grilled lamb chops ($26) are always on the menu. The tender double-cut rack is served with rosemary-aged-port-wine-reduction sauce and two sides. Sides include fried zucchini with marinara, broccoli rabe, baby bella mushrooms Marsala and truffle-oil fries. They can also be ordered a la carte ($4-$8). The dining room and the wait staff — who wear khaki pants, polo shirts and deck shoes — are overseen by Nadia Spina, who surveys the dining room and checks in with tables. Service is solid, although some staff members clearly have more experience than others. The Spinas' partner in Sunset Catch is retired physician Walter Severyn — a.k.a. the Wine Doctor — who has put together an approachable and well-priced small wine list. For dessert ($7), chef Spina imports frozen limoncellos that arrive from Italy in their own flutes. The chef makes the creamy tiramisu and the hard-to-find sfogliatelle, small, shell-shaped, flaky, pastry filled with vanilla custard. If you can't decide between Italian and seafood, you might consider Sunset Catch.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Your favorite pen deserves better than the bottom of your satchel, which is why Leuchtturm has come up with their Pen and Pencil Loop. This simple loop can be attached easily to an...View full details››	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Pics Ghana Gap year Ghana Ghana is one of the most popular gap year destinations in Africa, and little wonder. Along with a varied landscape, it’s a settled country with a stable democracy, and one that’s keen to modernise. You’ll find an intriguing mix of traditional West African and old colonial, all updated with a busy modern twist. This gives it a unique character, exemplified by the brightly coloured traditional clothing seen alongside Western suits in the cities. Adventure travel Ghana Because Ghana is near the equator, it offers an amazing array of terrains to explore whikle you travel. You can find adventure in deep tropical forests, where the wildlife includes everything from the fearsome forest elephant to darting colobus monkeys, or relax on the miles of gorgeous beaches, where an alternative surf scene comes with the hot climate you need to enjoy it properly. Student travel Ghana Safe, friendly and rapidly modernising, Ghana is a great place for students to travel. As well as the outdoor activity, it has a rich history, including a dark past as one of the points in the triangular slave trade, which can be explored at Cape Coast, the centre of the trade. There’s a thriving music scene here too, particularly in the capital, Accra, where old-school hi-life mixes with hip hop and Afro reggae to make hip-life. Volunteer work Ghana Going to Ghana as a student volunteer is a great way to make a contribution to a developing country, and you’ll see real results even on a short visit. You can care for children in orphanages, help out with volunteer work on healthcare projects or teach in local schools. 8 Trips Spend three fun filled weeks in one of Africa’s friendliest countries whilst experiencing its rich and diverse culture and unique landscapes from lush jungles, long sandy beaches and refreshing waterfalls, to historic forts, bustling markets and natural savannah for safari. This medical work experience internship is ideal if you are considering studying medicine at university, or are currently training in the medical field as part of your elective. Students from around the world join our internship programme, which is designed specifically to give unparalleled experience working in some of Ghana’s top hospitals and clinics, and valuable insight into the medical services that exist in Africa and the issues they face. An exciting and thoroughly rewarding experience awaits you when you decide to become a childcare volunteer in Ghana. Like many countries in the developing world, Ghana has a large number of abandoned children across the country, many of whom, for a variety of reasons have been left to fend for themselves. Our Journalism and Media internship placement is designed and tailored for students and graduates who are seeking or already have experience in the media and journalism industry. Both aspiring media students and professionals are warmly welcomed and the placements will be tailored to suit your level of expertise and experience. Over the past few years Rugby has been introduced into the Ghanan sports scene, and with great success too! However we want to spread the Rugby love out to more young people of Ghana, and our project gives the children a place to enjoy and play the sport. It's a great way to build team working skills!	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
CAKE BROWSER FEATURES, BENEFITS, DRAWBACKS Cake browser is the new browser in town freaking out Chrome, Safari, UC and trust me they all are freaking out badly seeing the trending app browser named after Cake. Yes, Cake, Cake browser is a fresh and new app produced by the startup company Cake found in 2016. The cake has recently announced that they have raised about $5 million dollars for the efforts from Peak Ventures, Pelion Ventures, and Kickstart Seed Fund. The working of the browser is pretty unique comparing to the other browsers. As soon as you search anything, the browser will show the first result instead of a long list and if you want to see the next result, all you have to do is to swipe right. The other top results will be cached by the browser so that you don’t have to waste time in loading the other if the first doesn’t satisfy you. It also lets the user choose their preferred search engines, from Google, Yahoo, Yandex, and Bing. The US developers have made the app for Android and iOS both. It can run only on mobile phone, not on desktop You can set the source the categories like limiting the search to images, shopping, videos, and news by changing the settings. It comes with Inbuilt ad-blocker, Private browsing Bookmarks Multi-tabs. It comes with a little drawback which I will feel that in other browsers we get to see some preview and read it, if we find it according to our need then we can open it and read the full article but here the whole article is displayed beforehand. Hurry and download this cool app for free and let us know in the comment box whether this cake is sweet or not. Jaya, a writer keen interested in knowing about Science, Space, Environment and other Science fiction news. Jaya completed her graduation a year ago and is now serving science news readers at Uptobrain.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Fri. 2/22/13 10:40am jlowe: Last night I had a dream that I was stalked then attacked by a bear...never had a bear attack dream...then I turn on your show and "Bear Attack" by search party is playing...you have a new fan my friend... Fri. 2/22/13 10:41am DCE: I'd be pretty damn careful about hiking in the next few days, jlowe Fri. 2/22/13 11:52am Scott McDowell: By the way, I have that LaMonte Young LP sitting here, but couldn't fit it in today....... Fri. 2/22/13 11:54am irban: Thanks for the great show - very nice on a sick day. Fri. 2/22/13 11:54am dk: oooh, yeah, can't wait to hear that get played. both of the dodgy ones that have come out lately are completely amazing, but i think the one with him and miriam is best. Fri. 2/22/13 11:56am dk: but both of them are pretty much things where you have to listen straight through to at least one side, and the latest one is a raga split across both sides. it would've sucked to give up any of the amazing stuff in this playlist even for that much goodness.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Search Farey Arden Farey, FIDSA A Personal Remberance I first met Arden in 1970 when I interviewed for an industrial design “dream” job at Ampex Corporation in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The dream part of the job actually turned out to be Arden himself. Conventional wisdom held that design managers usually were not the best designers and were sometimes even part of the problem. Much to my surprise, Arden was definitely the exception to the rule. As I got to know him, I believed that our group was on the cutting edge of consumer electronics design with a leader who knew how to make it happen. He just seemed to know when to push, when to manage, and when to coach, and he did it with the quiet confidence of a true winner. In the midst of all this design euphoria, Arden told us that he had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I knew it was serious but the thing that I remember most was Arden’s attitude about it. I can’t really describe it except to say it was inspirational. Shortly after that, we all got bad news. Ampex Corporation had a financially disastrous year and our young division was being closed. Arden was transferred to Ampex corporate headquarters in Redwood City, California. His MS was rapidly progressing but hadn’t affected his positive outlook. Arden continued to actively promote good design, but he also began to think about the role of design with a more holistic vision, one that considered design’s impact on the planet’s ecosystem. In a time when most designers were myopically self-serving their own narrow interests, Arden was thinking in much broader terms. Following this thinking into action, in the late ‘70s he formed a Task Force to redefine the IDSA Code of Ethics to promote industrial design’s global ethical responsibilities. The proposed Code of Ethics was unanimously adopted by the Board of Directors. Arden presented his vision at Thrival (Thrive + Survive), the 1978 IDSA National Conference in Monterey, California. Copyright Information: I own or have obtained the rights to the image(s) included with this article and grant industrialdesignhistory.com the right to post it(them) on its website and make use of it(them) in print media with proper attribution.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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My name is Carter LaCorte and I am a 5th grader from Long Island, NY. I started this blog so I could write articles about the NHL and MLB. My favorite teams are the New York Yankees and the New York Islanders. Tuesday, February 28, 2017 NHL trade review: Habs trade Desharnais to Oilers The Edmonton Oilers have acquired center David Desharnais from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Brandon Davidson. Let's get into details. The Oilers have been rebuilding for about a decade. They had first overall picks many times but didn't win really big ever. But finally, the Oilers drafted center Connor McDavid with the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft, and McDavid is already a top player in the league. Now the Oilers are playoff contenders. They sit 3rd in the Pacific division with 74 points (a record of 33-22-8). Adding center depth in Desharnais can help them if they make the playoffs. They have defensive depth, and Davidson was probably going to be taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL expansion draft, so trading him rules that out. Desharnais, 30, has 10 points (4 goals and 6 assists) in 31 games this season. He has 250 points (79 goals and 171 assists) in 435 career NHL games, all with the Habs. The Habs are looking to beef up a weak defensive core. They have all-star Shea Weber, but the rest isn't that good. GM Marc Bergervin acquired defenseman Jordie Benn Monday, and is probably going to make more moves at the trade deadline. Getting Davidson gives them defensive depth, which is good. Davidson, 25, has 1 point (an assist) in 28 games this season, all in the NHL. He has 13 points (5 goals and 8 assists) in 91 career NHL games.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Update Episode Out on the Roof Synopsis One of Charlies friends is arrested and Charlie arranges to have Jerry handle the case, but then is put in front of Charlies boss, Judge Kessler. Michelle calls Jerry in to intercede on one of Bobbis cases.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
How to Buy Speedo Practice Swimsuit Buying a Speedo practice swimsuit means you have high quality practice swimwear that differs from your performance gear. Swimmers know that the suit matters, but the suit How to Buy Speedo Practice Swimsuit should be different for practice than it is for competing in a meet. Swimsuits for practice differ from competitive swimsuits in minor areas, but are still designed for performance. 1. Multiple practice swimsuits are the norm. Because you or your child regularly swim during the week, multiple practice swimsuits are required. Anywhere from 2-4 suits are required, depending on how many practices you or your child have per week. Practice suits are durable enough to be worn many times and rinsed thoroughly between each wear. 2. Know the differences in fabric. Typically practice swimwear is comprised of polyester and Lycra, just like competitive swimsuits. Sometimes practice suits are made of nylon for increased durability. Most Speedo practice swimsuits are made of polyester and Lycra to mimic the same feel and fit that swimmers are used to competing in. The fit of a practice Speedo swimsuit may be slightly looser or relaxed than a competitive swimsuit. This creates less constriction when practicing. 3. Care for your Speedo practice swimsuit properly. Suits should have about 24 hours to rest between wears. Chlorine water puts a lot of wear and tear on a practice swimsuit. Polyester, Lycra and Spandex blends are essentially memory yarns that need time to “snap back” into place after a swim. Let practice swimsuits air dry, but never in the sun light. Rinse the practice swimsuit and place it in the bathroom to drip dry. Sun light can damage a suit’s colors with fading and heat can break down the fibers and elasticity in your swimsuit. Because of this, you also want to avoid drying the swimsuit in the dryer. 4. Reach for quality name brands like Speedo. There’s a reason brands like Speedo have become synonymous with competitive swimming. Speedo deliver the quality you need from swimsuits that are worn repeatedly for practice or competition meets. Speedo swimwear is treated with chlorine resistance for durability and minimal fading even with consistent use. Wearing a Speedo practice swimsuit means wearing quality swimwear that will stand up to the most intense practices. Speedo swimsuits are well-known for a reason in both the practice and competitive realms. For both men and women, boys and girls, Speedo swimsuits offers high quality swimwear meant for swimmers who take the sport seriously.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Sunday, December 24, 2006 Saving Master Apoc: Part 5 (Becca) Tatooine and I were standing in front of, I don’t know, like a portcullis or something. We were geared up to fight for information. I wasn’t worried. Back on Earth we had these things called Malls, and these Malls were a festival of bad smells, and people, all rushing and caring very little about if you live or die. Sometimes you would fight them to get these, I don’t know, these anything. It got really, really bad around Christmas time… People would hit you with purses and other things to get you away from them and their items. When our Big Gatey thing rose, Tatooine and I walked out. We were alone. The gate on the other side opened. Gamorians, big Orcish looking things came running out. Their leader came at me directly. And Tatooine jumped in front of me. I didn’t understand why he was doing that, but it wasn’t like the Gamorian was going to get to me, I looked into his eyes, and he looked into mine, and I implanted a thought. All of his allies were us, and we were his only allies. I don’t know, I’ve seen a lot of things, but him running at me, stopping, then cutting into his friend with a vibro axe, and then this dog pile of Gamorians all fighting each other with vibro axes was probably on the top of my yuck list. Tatooine smiled and leapt up and down, “He’ll tell us about Mommy now! He’ll tell us about Mommy!” “You have two more rounds!” I heard over a loud speaker, “That is, if you survive this one.” I looked down at Tatooine and I am sure we both looked the same way. That’s when the gate opened, and a huge bug looking thing came out. I don’t know what it was, but it was ugly. I don’t know, but I haven’t wanted to kill a bug and been as scared of a bug this bad since I was working with the Men in Black on Earth. Flashback “Hey Bee,” I held my cricket gun a little unsteady looking at the mass of bug in front of us. “I don’t know Jay.” “Shoot the bug!” “But Kay is in it.” “Shoot the bug!” I held the cricket unsteadily and I aimed at it, then closed my eyes and shot. I hit the UFO it was trying to get on. “Shoot the bug! The Bug!” I aimed again and closed my eyes, and I heard metallic grinding. “Not the Ship Bee! The Bug!” “You shoot the bug!” “No, Shoot the bug!” Meanwhile, the Bug leapt down and was standing face to face with me, and I heard a sound like a charging battery or something, and then the bug exploded, and I got covered in bug guts. “I quit!” I said while my whole body shook in frustration. End Flashback Tatooine and I stared at the large buggy thing. I withdrew both of my blasters. Tatooine reflexively moved behind me. I began to fire at it. Blast after blast. Unrelenting. The creature just stood there as the blasts reflected off of it. And there was no mind controlling this thing. “Tatooine,” I said calmly, “I don’t know what I am going to do, but distract it. You know the game we place sometimes, when I have you walk up to a cute guy and ask him those questions?” “Yes Auntie Becca.” “Okay, I need you to go do that with it, but run, I won’t let it hurt you. I promise.” So Tatooine ran up, and did what he did best. I ran to the pile of gross bloody Gamorians and I reached in, and found a vibro axe. I chased after the big buggy thing, and when I got to its back leg I swung the axe, blindly. I missed of course, I don’t know. I just don’t like hurting things. I swung again, and the bug’s leg was cut in two and it started to lose its balance. I cut the other back leg, and it fell to the ground. It used its front claws to try and get at Tatooine. I jumped on its back, and ran up to what looked like its head. I cut into it, and it dropped limp. I fell off of it and landed in the dirt with a thud, and it kicked dust up all around me. Tatooine ran over to me and licked my face, just missing my eyes with his electro-horns. Star Wars and all related characters are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. This site is intended as a parody. As such, use of copyrighted and trademarked images is allowed under Fair Use. Erifia Apoc, Becca the Magnificant and Tatooine the Tauntaun, are all characters made by the author, using some Lucasfilm Ltd. Ideas.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Slashdot videos: Now with more Slashdot! View Discuss Share We've improved Slashdot's video section; now you can view our video interviews, product close-ups and site visits with all the usual Slashdot options to comment, share, etc. No more walled garden! It's a work in progress -- we hope you'll check it out (Learn more about the recent updates). eldavojohn (898314) writes "The ACLU has recently identified Network Neutrality a key free speech issue and said in a lengthy PDF report: 'Freedom of expression isn't worth much if the forums where people actually make use of it are not themselves free. And the Internet is without doubt the primary place where Americans exercise their right to free expression. It's a newspaper, an entertainment medium, a reference work, a therapist's office, a soapbox, a debating stand. It is the closest thing ever invented to a true "free market" of ideas.' The report then goes on to argue that ISPs have incentive and capability of interfering with internet traffic. And not only that but the argument that it is only 'theoretical' are bogus given they list ten high profile cases of it actually happening. If the ACLU can successfully argue that Net Neutrality is a First Amendment Issue then it might not matter what businesses (who fall on either side of the issue) want the government to do."Link to Original Source	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Our Story Our Mission National reach with local impact. The mission of the MBA Opens Doors Foundation is to help vulnerable families with critically ill or injured children stay in their homes while a child is in treatment. Our Vision Supporting families across America. Our vision is a world where families with sick children receive mortgage or rental payment assistance while a child is in treatment, allowing parents and guardians to focus on the medical needs of a child rather than on a home in jeopardy. About The Foundation Committed to helping families around the country stay in their homes while a child is being treated for a critical illness or injury, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) established the MBA Opens Doors Foundation (Opens Doors) to help families in need meet their mortgage and rental obligations. Under the leadership of David and Mary Stevens and Dan Arrigoni and launched in October 2011 with $50,000 in seed funding from the MBA, Opens Doors established the Home Grant Program. The program provides mortgage and rental payment assistance to families with critically ill or injured children, allowing parents and guardians to be by a child’s side during treatment. In early 2012, the Foundation was granted 501(c)(3) status and began disbursing grants to families in need. By the end of that year, 37 grants were made to families through a relationship with Children’s National Medical System in Washington, DC. The relationship connected Opens Doors with social workers at the hospital who work directly with families in need, facilitating an application process that allowed a small but committed Opens Doors Board of Directors to review and award the Foundation’s grants. Since its founding, MBA, has generously provided support that covers the Foundation’s administrative expenses so that every dollar donated goes directly to supporting families in need. "Thank you so much for taking care of our mortgage payment for the month of July. We can't express enough how truly grateful we are for this grant opportunity during this difficult time. After 37 days in the hospital, Brynn is finally home and is doing well. Again, thank you for this kind gesture. Organizations such as MBA Opens Doors are such a blessing for families such as ours."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Pages Wednesday, July 26, 2017 Fear "The Lord, Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm." (Exodus 14:14)It's funny how fear can creep in at the most unexpected time. I'm not talking about a fear of spiders, mice or velour pants. I'm talking about disturbances that throw off your balance.I have a fear of confrontation. Isn't that silly?A woman over the age of (ahem) 40ish, afraid of heated conversations. And fights. And disappointments. One who would rather NOT tell a good friend that they have been hurt, and instead, pretend it never happened. Sometimes the confrontations are childish, like, not liking what someone said about you. Or maybe it's even more silly, like when you really don't want to talk to the phone company about cancelling their services. But sometimes they feel so much more monstrous. Like when someone takes you to court and they want you to acquiese. Or your character is being defamed, and your friends are believing it.What then?I love how GOD's Word always pops up at the most perfect time. Always. I love how His Word is filled with examples of awful confrontations, including being hunted as a dog, so that you can be assured that He is there. No matter what.Moses was chased by his enemies, while he was supposed to lead people to safety. Can you even imagine the stress? But GOD was there, wasn't He? Fed them, watered them, parted the Red Sea.Noah had to build an ark amongst scourners and friends turning against him. And then he had to watch them all die. I'm sure he felt something, then. GOD was there, too. We have the glorious rainbow to remind us.David was one of GOD's chosen and yet his friend, hunted him to kill him. David had to hide in mountains, sleeping on rocks, but not sleeping because what if he didn't hear someone come in? GOD was there.Poor Mary had to deal with wondering whether or not Joseph would believe her, when she said that GOD chose her pregnancy and it wasn't another man. I'm sure she didn't sleep well, either. Imagine the worry, but also the joy of knowing you were chosen."Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is in the LORD." (Jer 17:7)It is so easy to forget that we have the greatest Warrior on our side. That He will take care of us. Sometimes it's easier saying the words, then believing them. But they're true.So. Be brave, friend. "GOD'S got your back." 2 comments: Jenn, thank you for your encouragement today. I experienced such fear only yesterday due to an impending medical appointment. Fortunately, I had my Wednesday night prayer mtg to attend and it came just at the right time. I was able to surrender the fear and receive the Lord's supernatural peace. It was wonderful to feel the Lord's presence so near. And now having had the appointment and all was good ... I realise there was need to fear.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Renters Insurance Renters who don’t purchase renters insurance could be committing a major financial error. While the insurance policies of property owners and landowners cover the structure, such as the condominium or home that renters occupy, they don’t cover the personal property of renters. Uninsured renters put their electronics, collectibles, clothing, furniture, and decor in danger. The average renters policy protects against harm to their personal property by fire, smoke or water damage due to drainage issues and air conditioning problems. They additionally give insurance holders cash if their belongings are stolen. Taking photographs or making a video showing the items in the living space is the ideal way to take stock of what you own. This documentation is additionally useful to renters in choosing what amount of insurance they require when purchasing a plan. Insurance providers will require a list of belongings lost, damaged or stolen before they issue payment for a claim. All renters insurance policies also offer liability coverage. If someone is harmed in the tenant’s space, the insurance company pays medical expenses, etc. On the off chance that the living space the tenant lives in becomes unlivable, the coverage will also normally cover the lodging and food costs. One important choice is between the actual value or the replacement cost of the belongings. The primary type of coverage pays value based on what the belonging is worth now, which can be much less than the replacement cost. Replacement cost coverage pays the expense of purchasing new items without deducting anything for devaluation. Life delivers many unexpected twists and turns. If you are a renter, it’s essential to consider renters insurance. It can make the difference between incurring significant debt and the peace of mind of having your belongings financially protected, come what may.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Ask Microsoft's Security VP An extremely interesting read, Slashdot has sent questions over to the Microsoft Security VP Mike Nash, who agreed to answer them with no PR scrubbing. A ton of information is in the response, which is a fairly long read. As you may have guessed, so of the information is good news and others is not. It's clear that the original Microsoft security push in 2002 was nothing but lip service. It's also clear that, while security clearly has a much higher priority now, some within Microsoft are stilling ignoring that and just don't get it. An anonymous Microsoftie points out a specific example in one of the questions. The article also gives you a little appreciation for just how large Microsoft is. The shear number of initiatives, acronyms, procedures and policies in place is astounding. It's no wonder it's taking so long to turn the security train around. Old habits die hard and business pressures are currently clearly very high at Microsoft. Given the option of not getting a product shipped on time or shipping it on time with security flaws, I think most Microsoft teams are still choosing the latter. It is fantastic to see someone this high up at Microsoft speaking directly to users though and there is a ton from the Q/A that I didn't cover here….so I recommend you read the full article. –jeremyMicrosoft, security, Trustworthy Computing Initiative, Mike Nash	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Serenity, Beauty and Location meet at 636 Wrights Road, in Princeton B.C. On offer for the first time in 40 years. This gorgeous 1,111 acres ranch has 4 titles with a year around creek running through it. The property has 2 homes and 2 yard sites only 5 kms from Princeton. A great private, pristine setting along the banks of Bromley Creek, with 120 acres irrigated alfalfa/grass hayfields, a mix of open grazing along with mature stands of timber and natural open sub irrigated meadows. The property is fenced and cross fenced for easy movement of livestock. The ranch has a perfect location being ½ km off HWY 3, 2 hours west to Chilliwack Just over 3 hours to downtown Vancouver and 2 hours to the international airport in Kelowna. The ranch comes with much history as you can find an old homesite at the end of the meadows on the north end of the 800 acres. There are two homes on the ranch, one being a 20 year old 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom home perched up and nestled into the hill behind with a very nice architectural design. The second home is an old time ranch home, 3 bedroom , 2 bathroom with a great yard site beside one of the beautiful hayfields. The ranch has an older hop roof barn for cattle handling, and a second serviced yard site. This ranch would suit a mix of a farming operation, a cow calf operation, a great spot to build your dream private ranch retreat or just a great addition to a real estate holding portfolio. For more information or to set up a viewing please call Tim Terepocki 250 280 7653 Princeton centres on seven blocks of businesses along Bridge Street and five blocks on Vermilion Avenue; there are also businesses along British Columbia Highway 3.[7] Historically, the area’s main industry has been mining—copper, gold, coal, and some platinum—The town’s biggest employers are Copper Mountain Mine and a sawmill owned by Weyerhaeuser, along with a few smaller timber companies, such as Princeton Wood Preservers and Princeton Post and Rail.[8][5][4 Before European contact, the land around today’s Princeton was known among First Nations people as a source of red ochre. Beginning no later than 1846, fur traders, settlers, and miners established trails connecting what was then known as Vermilion Forks to the Pacific Coast of British Columbia. John Fall Allison became, in 1858, the first permanent settler of European ancestry.[4] To this day, the site of his home functions locally as a kilometre zero, with creeks east of Princeton having names like “Five Mile” based on their distance from that location.[7] The town he founded was renamed “Prince Town” (later corrupted to “Princeton”) to honour an 1860 visit to eastern Canada by Prince Edward (later King Edward VII).[4] Until 1961, Princeton was home to a brewery, the Princeton Brewing Company. Until the 1940s, the brewery kept its beer cool in the Vermilion Cave. The cave, which held up to 20 railway cars at a time, was largely demolished to make way for the Hope-Princeton Highway, part of the Crowsnest Highway (British Columbia Highway 3).[9] Princeton joined the Canadian Board of Trade (later Chamber of Commerce) in 1913, and was incorporated as a village in 1951, and as a town in 1978.[7] Beginning in the 1980s, Princeton began to revitalize its downtown, a plan that included red brick sidewalks and new streetlights. In the 1990s, they adopted a “heritage” theme, with many businesses converting their exteriors to match architectural styles from roughly a century earlier.[5] Further landscaping of the town centre continues as of 2008.[7] The historic Princeton Hotel on Bridge Street, having been in operation since 1912, burned to ground on April 8, 2006. The name Vermilion Forks survives in the name of Vermilion Forks Indian Reserve No. 1, which is immediately adjacent to the town of Princeton, to the east, and is one of the reserves of the Upper Similkameen Indian Band, whose head offices are in Hedley.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
This afternoon, after lunch, I was craving for some Shahi Tukda, and then I sat and looked at random pictures on Google, and that made the craving soooo strong, I wanted some immediately. But to make the rabdi, it takes a lot of time, and I didn’t want to work so long for it. I’ve used brown bread, pan-fried instead of deep-fry, condensed milk instead of rabdi and reduced the amount of sugar used. So here’s presenting a super quick Shahi Tukda, with some slight modifications to make it as healthy, tasty, and as quickly as possible. I happened to read a lotttt, about the benefits of fenugreek, especially about how it helps slow down the rate of sugar and carbohydrate absorption into blood, thereby being of service to people like me who gorge on carbs and desserts 24*7. Chicken being one of our lunching-regulars, I thought of the ‘chicken + methi’ duo. The combination of ‘methi’ and chicken is absolutely exquisite, resulting in a beautiful unique flavor, very different when compared to the other varieties you may have tried. This recipe is an adaptation of the recipe by VahChef, and its so simple, this dish is going to be one of the most loved at your place. Cutlets make a classic Indian snack. Mom used to make them when I was in school and I remember finishing all of it in one go. I absolutely love tuna and adding potato to it just takes it to another level. Step 2: In a non-stick pan, heat some oil (4 tbsp ). Toss in the onions and saute until translucent. Mix in the ginger-garlic paste, tuna, and all the spices. Add salt according to taste. Heat until the flavors infuse well. Step 3: Form balls and flatten them to make the desired shape. Step 4: Dip each one in the egg mixture and then coat well with breadcrumbs. I happen to love anything with purple cabbage (also known as red cabbage), and I just couldn’t wait to try my very own version of a salad with my favorite purple cabbage in it, and with the ingredients I had in hand. 😀 Back home in Kerala, tapioca is one of the most loved snacks. In the olden days, it used to be grown in most homes, so they would just pluck and prepare, whenever they want. I guess it’s that love for tapioca, that my parents have. When they hear tapioca, or ‘kappa’, they just jump with joy like they’ve found their long lost love. 😛 One of the ways tapioca can be enjoyed is with a nice and tangy chutney.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Report: F.B.I. Has Doubled Counterterrorism Forces Jeff Stein: Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine reported that in fiscal 2009 "the F.B.I. used 26 percent of its field agents to address counterterrorism matters, while using 51 percent to address criminal matters."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Apple’s New iPad Faces One More Problem, This Time It’s 3G Connection For most Apple fans, the iPad 3 is a dream come true. And with amazing features like retina display, high definition video recording capabilities, built-in 5 megapixel camera, and the feature rich iOS 5 system, it’s easy to see why so many people love it. Unfortunately, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) latest incarnation has hit a sour note with a few glitches in the system and that is off-putting for many iPad 3 users who wind up sharing their frustrations on the Apple support communities. The most notable problem is with the 3G connection. Some people have reported that the LTE edition tends to lose the 3G connection and then you will have to reset to get connected again. Its a problem that concerns users from all over the world, but its a problem that primarily concerns those outside the U.S. and in other counties like the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Singapore, and Australia. One of the community members suggested the culprit could be a glitch with iOS 5.1 or the tablet’s Qualcomm chipset. Some of the other users said that they tried everything from resetting to replacing the sim card but nothing seems to solve the issue. Many of the users also think that the glitch is unique to iPad 3 and that they have not had any similar issues with previous versions. Another user complained that although their iPad 3 works fine when they are at home, it doesn’t work when they are at extended coverage. For the sake of Apple’s future, let’s hope they can find a solution quick. I will admit that it’s a little odd that their newest iPad has such a problematic glitch but I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. Perhaps they should have done a little more beta testing on the tablet before releasing it. Let’s just hope that they will have this glitch fixed before they roll out the iPad 4.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Categories Toledo Mochila The Toledo mochila has a intricate design that will add a pop to any outfit. Hand crafted in Colombia this bag makes the ultimate fall statement. We love to pair back to our favorite sweater and jeans look for the ultimate cool girl daytime outfit.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
By seeking to understand the reason and purpose behind an affair, both the betrayed and the betrayer can approach healing — and even redemption — with insight and wisdom. And that’s true regardless of whether or not they stay together. How infidelity changes you depends not only on who you and your spouse are heading into the affair, but who you are committed to becoming once the affair is exposed. No matter what circumstances led to the affair, no one in its wake will be left unscathed. Yes, that goes for the cheater, too. Again, there are always reasons — not excuses — and a purpose behind the unfaithful spouse’s choice to stray. But “once a cheater always a cheater” doesn’t have to be part of the aftermath. If you have been betrayed by your spouse, you can probably imagine how infidelity changes you. You may already be living it. If you are the betrayer, you may not have thought about the impact on your spouse and family. And you may not have even considered the lasting effects on your own life. The effects of infidelity run the gamut from emotional to physical to neurological. The agony isn’t just in your head; it’s in your body. Let’s first look at how infidelity changes you if you were betrayed. Your self-esteem and self-worth are shattered. You wonder why you weren’t “good enough”...and why someone else was “better.” Because your self-esteem is destroyed, you start looking for ways that you caused your spouse to stray. Surely it must have been something you did (or didn’t do). You feel stupid...and wonder how you didn’t see the affair. Trust is never quite the same again. The affair is always in the back of your mind. And even if you stay together, trust isn’t as unencumbered and naturally given as it once was. You’re afraid to love again. The prospect of either falling in love again with someone else or staying with your spouse is frightening. You never want to give your power to someone again. Because you become afraid to let your guard down, the world becomes a less happy and promising place in which to live. Holding onto the notion of love is a challenge because you now associate it with unbearable pain. Your brain takes a beating. Neuroscience has shown that the rejection from infidelity has both short- and long-term consequences to brain chemistry. Because love is actually as addictive to the brain as cocaine, being cut off by the dagger of infidelity impacts the addictive neural pathways in similar ways. You physically hurt. Referring to the same neuroscience, breakups and betrayals activate parts of the brain that respond to physical discomfort. The emotional experience becomes integrated into the physical experience, and you hurt...everywhere. You can’t stop obsessing. Women are especially prone to rumination, constantly replaying all the possible causes, scenarios and consequences of the affair. They are also more inclined than men to feel somehow responsible for a spouse’s infidelity. Your eyes are opened. Despite how infidelity changes you negatively, it also affords you clarity after the shock and anger are mitigated. You begin to see what you may have ignored, and learn how you make choices in mates. This allows you to make better choices if and when the time comes to trust again. Now let’s look at effects of infidelity on the spouse who is the betrayer. Humiliation. At some point, most, if not all of the people in your life catch on to what is happening. You have failed to protect and defend the very values you swore to honor, and everyone knows. Even people who don’t know you seem to know. And God forbid the news hits social media. Your spouse has permanent ammunition against you. No matter your reasons for straying or your efforts toward penance, you will always be “the one who cheated.” Your spouse may use that sin as a dumping ground for everything involving blame, anger, judgment and abuse. Your children may blame you. Children will not know how to properly process their fears and sense of loss without professional help, especially if they know something damning about one or both parents. Even as adults, they may reach back and blame you for their own choices or unfulfilled lives. You can’t trust others to be loyal to you. As you try to balance your ability to cheat on your spouse against what you know to be a personal core of goodness, you have to face the irony. If you are capable of doing something so unthinkable, what’s to keep someone else from doing the same to you? Everything you do is questioned. You know you can’t blame your spouse for not trusting you, but you also can’t live forever under a microscope. Short of having a spouse-appointed chaperone, you will always have the company of “who, what, where, when and why.” If you and your spouse decide to work on your marriage, you will have to be painfully, humbly transparent while your spouse inches toward a new kind of trust. And that means answering a lot of questions. You lose credibility. You may do a lot of soul-searching to answer for your infidelity and take responsibility for it; but there will always be those who resort to the “once a cheater always a cheater” conclusion. Your confidence may get a boost. During the affair, that is. After all, neuroscience reminds us that people who are addicted are seeking a dopamine rush. And settling into a long marriage isn’t known for those feel-good jolts. An affair, on the other hand, can reawaken the confidence that comes from a dopamine rush. As with an addiction, however, that confidence can easily come crashing down in a pile of guilt. And that guilt can play a huge role in your attitudes and behaviors going forward. That’s not to say, obviously, that infidelity is a viable consideration for marital improvement and personal growth. But recognizing the many ways that infidelity can change you can help both spouses in the painful aftermath of an affair. And, hopefully, having the awareness up front will take the consideration of infidelity off the table altogether.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
La Chaise Au Plafond \| Lesquin The creperie La Chaise Au Plafond, located in the arts district next to the cultural center Dany Boon in Lesquin, welcomes you in a modern and bright. Tasty pancakes and pancakes, as well as PEDONE salads or homemade ice creams will delight your taste buds. At the Ceiling Chair, our cakes and pancakes are made with flour from Waast mills in Mons-en-Pévèle, butter made from opal rib and French milk, all cooked on site to offer you the taste inimitable from home. All our ciders, made by ciders in the respect of the tradition, come from Norman or Breton producers.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
I haven't seen a post in a long time. Is it e's growing up taking up all your time, a new addition to the family, or is there something more at play here. Well, we go back a long way dear. Every time, I've come here, I've seen a slice of life. Smiling. And have admired your keen take on little yet beautiful facets of life. If there was a personal definition of classy, for me its you. ABG, hello, hello! Thanks so much for the sweet comment. Yes, busy with a new baby lately! Good guess! I really have been trying to get back to a daily routine like old times, especially with taking photos with the camera instead of the phone. in the header About Me I am a writer and researcher specializing in retail and travel, who loves to travel, be creative, take photographs, read and solve puzzles, in essence a curious mind. I live in Dubai with my husband and baby girl, who is the absolute joy of our lives.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Padraic Colum (18811972). The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived before Achilles. 1921. Part II. The Return to Greece Chapter VI. In the Land of the Phæacians WEARIED were the heroes now. They would have fain gone upon the island of Circe to rest there away from the oars and the sound of the sea. But the wisest of them, looking upon the beasts that were men transformed, held the Argo far off the shore. Then Jason and Medea came aboard, and with heavy hearts and wearied arms they turned to the open sea again. No longer had they such high hearts as when they drove the Argo between the Clashers and into the Sea of Pontus. Now their heads drooped as they went on, and they sang such songs as slaves sing in their hopeless labor. Orpheus grew fearful for them now. For Orpheus knew that they were drawing toward a danger. There was no other way for them, he knew, but past the Island Anthemssa in the Tyrrhenian Sea where the Sirens were. Once they had been nymphs and had tended Persephone before she was carried off by Aidoneus to be his queen in the Underworld. Kind they had been, but now they were changed, and they cared only for the destruction of men. All set around with rocks was the island where they were. As the Argo came near, the Sirens, ever on the watch to draw mariners to their destruction, saw them and came to the rocks and sang to them, holding each others hands. They sang all together their lulling song. That song made the wearied voyagers long to let their oars go with the waves, and drift, drift to where the Sirens were. Bending down to them the Sirens, with soft hands and white arms, would lift them to soft resting places. Then each of the Sirens sang a clear, piercing song that called to each of the voyagers. Each man thought that his own name was in that song. O how well it is that you have come near, each one sang, how well it is that you have come near where I have awaited you, having all delight prepared for you! Orpheus took up his lyre as the Sirens began to sing. He sang to the heroes of their own toils. He sang of them, how, gaunt and weary as they were, they were yet men, men who were the strength of Greece, men who had been fostered by the love and hope of their country. They were the winners of the Golden Fleece and their story would be told forever. And for the fame that they had won men would forego all rest and all delight. Why should they not toil, they who were born for great labors and to face dangers that other men might not face? Soon hands would be stretched out to themthe welcoming hands of the men and women of their own land. So Orpheus sang, and his voice and the music of his lyre prevailed above the Sirens voices. Men dropped their oars, but other men remained at their benches, and pulled steadily, if wearily, on. Only one of the Argonauts, Butes, a youth of Iolcus, threw himself into the water and swam toward the rocks from which the Sirens sang. But an anguish that nearly parted their spirits from their bodies was upon them as they went wearily on. Toward the end of the day they beheld another islandan island that seemed very fair; they longed to land and rest themselves there and eat the fruits of the island. But Orpheus would not have them land. The island, he said, was Thrinacia. Upon that island the Cattle of the Sun pastured, and if one of the cattle perished through them their return home might not be won. They heard the lowing of the cattle through the mist, and a deep longing for the sight of their own fields, with a white house near, and flocks and herds at pasture, came over the heroes. They came near the Island of Thrinacia, and they saw the Cattle of the Sun feeding by the meadow streams; not one of them was black; all were white as milk, and the horns upon their heads were golden. They saw the two nymphs who herded the kinePhæthusa and Lampetia, one with a staff of silver and the other with a staff of gold. Driven by the breeze that came over the Thrinacian Sea the Argonauts came to the land of the Phæacians. It was a good land as they saw when they drew near; a land of orchards and fresh pastures, with a white and sun-lit city upon the height. Their spirits came back to them as they drew into the harbor; they made fast the hawsers, and they went upon the ways of the city. And then they saw everywhere around them the dark faces of Colchian soldiers. These were the men of King Æetes, and they had come overland to the Phæacian city, hoping to cut off the Argonauts. Jason, when he saw the soldiers, shouted to those who had been left on the Argo, and they drew out of the harbor, fearful lest the Colchians should grapple with the ship and wrest from them the Fleece of Gold. Then Jason made an encampment upon the shore, and the captain of the Colchians went here and there, gathering together his men. Medea left Jasons side and hastened through the city. To the palace of Alcinous, king of the Phæacians, she went. Within the palace she found Arete, the queen. And Arete was sitting by her hearth, spinning golden and silver threads. Arete was young at that time, as young as Medea, and as yet no child had been born to her. But she had the clear eyes of one who understands, and who knows how to order things well. Stately, too, was Arete, for she had been reared in the house of a great king. Medea came to her, and fell upon her knees before her, and told her how she had fled from the house of her father, King Æetes. She told Arete, too, how she had helped Jason to win the Golden Fleece, and she told her how through her her brother had been led to his death. As she told this part of her story she wept and prayed at the knees of the queen. Arete was greatly moved by Medeas tears and prayers. She went to Alcinous in his garden, and she begged of him to save the Argonauts from the great force of the Colchians that had come to cut them off. The Golden Fleece, said Arete, has been won by the tasks that Jason performed. If the Colchians should take Medea, it would be to bring her back to Aea and to a bitter doom. And the maiden, said the queen, has broken my heart by her prayers and tears. King Alcinous said: Æetes is strong, and although his kingdom is far from ours, he can bring war upon us. But still Arete pleaded with him to protect Medea from the Colchians. Alcinous went within; he raised up Medea from where she crouched on the floor of the palace, and he promised her that the Argonauts would be protected in his city. Then the king mounted his chariot; Medea went with him, and they came down to the seashore where the heroes had made their encampment. The Argonauts and the Colchians were drawn up against each other, and the Colchians far out-numbered the wearied heroes. Alcinous drove his chariot between the two armies. The Colchians prayed him to have the strangers make surrender to them. But the king drove his chariot to where the heroes stood, and he took the hand of each, and received them as his guests. Then the Colchians knew that they might not make war upon the heroes. They drew off. The next day they marched away. It was a rich land that they had come to. Once Aristæus dwelt there, the king who discovered how to make bees store up their honey for men and how to make the good olive grow. Macris, his daughter, tended Dionysus, the son of Zeus, when Hermes brought him of the flame, and moistened his lips with honey. She tended him in a cave in the Phæacian land, and ever afterward the Phæacians were blessed with all good things. Now as the heroes marched to the palace of King Alcinous the people came to meet them, bringing them sheep and calves and jars of wine and honey. The women brought them fresh garments; to Medea they gave fine linen and golden ornaments. Amongst the Phæacians who loved music and games and the telling of stories the heroes stayed for long. There were dances, and to the Phæacians who honored him as a god, Orpheus played upon his lyre. And every day, for the seven days that they stayed amongst them, the Phæacians brought rich presents to the heroes. And Medea, looking into the clear eyes of Queen Arete, knew that she was the woman of whom Circe had prophesied, the woman who knew nothing of enchantments, but who had much human wisdom. She was to ask of her what she was to do in her life and what she was to leave undone. And what this woman told her Medea was to regard. Arete told her that she was to forget all the witcheries and enchantments that she knew, and that she was never to practice against the life of any one. This she told Medea upon the shore, before Jason lifted her aboard the Argo.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
wildness, wonder, and the spirit of place Tag Archives: Phoenix I am back, pre-dawn, scrambling up a hot jumble of granite boulders. Burning my hands, then knees, all to investigate scat, what appears to be a busted lamp someone discarded, a broken mano, a dead ground squirrel. At 8am, it is already 98 degrees with high humidity, but I come here for the silence and solitude, like they can somehow relieve the heat. At least I will enjoy the quiet. A few minutes pass in this surreal repose until a hiker comes my way. Shit. There is still noise from the road, the distant hum of highways. The hiker warns me that there is an old guy and some younger women having sex down below the boulders, in the parking lot. We give each other a knowing nod of what’s going on. This sanctuary, it seems, keeps secrets. The heat drives out most people, but oh…there are the solitude seekers who come in all forms, some to praise the miserable indifference of a July morning among baked rock, and others to find a place to hide their lives from view. Watched I – A. Sato Whatever the situation, I am disturbed, and angry, and ultimately sad. Why here? Why this morning of all mornings? The hiker assured me that he phoned the police and took photos of the guy’s license plate. None of this will change much, but I appreciate his concern. “Men come and go, cities rise and fall, whole civilizations appear and disappear – the earth remains, slightly modified. The earth remains, and the heartbreaking beauty where there are no hearts to break….I sometimes choose to think, no doubt perversely, that man is a dream, thought an illusion, and only rock is real. Rock and sun.” I pray his sentiment was right when he also longed for man to be an illusion and rock, and I would add all other forms of life, to be the only thing that is real. The only thing that lasts. Cradled – A. Sato The desert keeps her secrets. But after the rain it is easier to understand her – hedgehogs burst their tiny strawberry blooms. A gray fox meanders the wash where dragonflies dance above muddy tinajas. Nothing is subtle after the rain. I follow the delicate tracks of javelinas while fighting off mosquitoes that make a feast of this convenient, warm-blooded host. Scanning the ground, I find a bit of rabbit fur caught in cholla spines. I imagine some plump coyote, lounging somewhere nearby, smiling his sanguine smile with full belly. Making my way to a clear patch among the cholla, I wait for the welcomed sort of morning traffic: a troop of chatty Gambel’s quail scatter from beneath an ironwood. A mockingbird sings his patchwork morning song. Behind a small clump of brittlebush, two long ears rise. I wonder if it was his friend who became coyote’s supper. Carefully, the rabbit emerges, sniffing the air. I have a fondness for rabbits. Their fear is understandable and relatable. Our vulnerability to life is sometimes less palpable, but nonetheless just as real. Coyote deserves our understanding, too. Feed or be someone’s food…eventually. Too often we want to align with rabbit, all of our fears protecting us from responsibility. Sometimes we want to align with coyote, never allowing gentleness to expose us to the inevitable. Flesh – A. Sato The truth is that both coyote and rabbit embody life, all that life entails, all that is necessary. The sun burns my neck and distorts my view of the world. Or maybe this is exactly how it should appear. Rabbit makes his way back to his den, belly full from the morning’s good measure of work. As I reach the parking lot, there is no trace of the man or his Mercedes, or the young woman. The distant traffic continues to hum. “Therefore, the places in which we have experienced day dreaming reconstitute themselves in a new daydream, and it is because our memories of former dwelling-places are relived as day-dreams these dwelling-places of the past remain in us for all the time.” ― Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space When I was a young girl, I used to spend many hours sitting on my grandparents’ porch, gazing at the wide field across the road. The field seemed enormous then – and frighteningly as vast as space itself. I remember a distinct sense of loneliness as I looked across that empty space and watched the sun descend. At the same time, just under the loneliness, a sense of hope, of fullness. It’s been 6 years since I have been back. The old house is now in the possession of another family. Things, as they do when we age, seem smaller, more contained. The last time I was there we said goodbye to my grandfather and buried him on the edge of yet another field, familiar as home since the bones of many family members rest there, too. Before returning to the desert, I sat at the edge of that field, among violets and freshly mowed grass, and breathed in the enormity again, the space that made me feel so small against it. I was born a child of the woods. Open space, more than the darkness of dense pine stands and overgrown creek beds, seemed to contain the elements of childhood fear: exposure, vulnerability, and enormity. In the woods I was never alone. I was surrounded by brother trees and sister animals – deer, feral dogs, squirrels, cows. In their life was a recognition of my own. But something happened. I grew to love vastness. Creosote Hills, A. Sato Throughout my adult life, my choices have always led me to the assurance of fields, prairies, deserts – perhaps to finally embrace the price of life, complete vulnerability to it. As I now gaze across another vast terrain – one of thorn and rock – I still seek that fullness, that hope I felt as a girl on my grandparents’ porch. To meet the emptiness feels like surrendering to something more powerful than my hemmed in perception and fears. No matter where I am, the edge of a verdant field or beneath a burning sun on blackened rock, there is always space – and in this space, possibilities beyond the imaginings of a girl and the regrets of a woman. If happiness is the absence of suffering, then the end of summer here in Phoenix means I am a slap happy fool. The mornings are now in the high 60s-70 degree range. The birds are back to joyous morning arias. The oleander outside my window is heavy with white blossoms. And, here I am with all of my desert topographic maps spread across the floor, finally feeling like sweaty is no longer my daily adjective. There are plans on the horizon to trek across some formidable volcanic landscapes, to befriend a few places unknown. I look forward to getting into solo backpacking and hiking again – both a tinge unnerving and blissfully unblemished by “company”. Somewhere out there – A. Sato I’ll admit to being a curmudgeon. I find it harder these days to find consistent company I enjoy when I am outdoors – and forget about hiking groups. Of course, being alone comes with its risks – a twisted ankle, a wacko on the trail, being dragged off by the Mogollon Monster (now, that would be a story). Still, I have made it this far, and there are precautions I always take. But, when I am alone I notice things – things I might not notice otherwise. I am more aware, more alive in my senses. I’ve learned to be content with my isolation, so that when I can share my time with others, it feels right, not forced. I look forward to sharing some of these magical observations this winter. Along with planning upcoming desert adventures, I have revived my voluntary simplicity group here in the Valley of the Sun. I’ve done this for a few reasons – first, I like idea-sharing, especially when it comes to cheap/free resources – and second, I need to be motivated on order to make next spring’s plans come to fruition. Really, next spring is a carry-over from last spring’s dead-in-the-water plan to get out of Phoenix by way of some type of off-grid or nomadic lifestyle. This entails quite a bit of planning and the purchase of a truck. Ideally, I would like to find a group of other off-grid, low impact types to form a resource-sharing community of sorts. Knowing others who share my approach to living is important. And, I recognize this and grapple with being a contrary isolationist (see above) versus someone who longs for a community and family. I also have accepted that I need some initial seed money. I mean, I could go live in a cave somewhere (and, I could – see below), but that wouldn’t allow me to participate in a land purchase, buy building materials, take care of my furry companions who count on me for food, vet care, etc., and gather together the resources to get out of here and reestablish elsewhere. Despite being fascinated with those who choose a cash-free existence, I also acknowledge that supreme sacrifice as being counterproductive to my objectives and responsibilities. I recognize some cash flow is necessary and also will help get me to the point of greater self-sufficiency. So, I need to look at this time in Phoenix as an incubation period. My options are to go back to corporate marketing (stabs self in neck) or I could split time between maintaining my freelancing workload and adding PT nonprofit hours. The quandary I have been pondering is how to do what I would like to do as cheaply as possible while continuing to freelance and wander around (what I love). I have lived on $12-15K before and without trying all that hard (I am my Depression era grandparents’ granddaughter, for sure). Looking at my low impact life plans, I can see where my $ is going: * Higher cost of living in a downtown urban center * Convenience foods/specialty foods * Entertainment/eating out * Healthcare/insurance for self, cat, and dog * Car maintenance and gas (no car payment, but an old car needs lots of TLC) Given there is room for cost reduction in each of these, I’m hoping to get a solid group of low impact-minded individuals together to share those important ideas and resources, and perhaps even do a little bit of bartering. Imagination is free – a child’s offering to the forest fey All of this is to say, The Wild Muse will be a place where I will share my experiences going as low impact, off-grid, and feral-girl as possible, along with stories of my usual shenanigans in the wild. If you are interested in tagging along for the ride, follow my blog or bookmark for future tales of joy and foibles. It’s 6:55 a.m. and the first light of morning appears above the familiar hills and peaks of the South Mountains in Phoenix, Arizona. I have hiked into the western edge of the San Juan Valley, currently closed off to bike and car travel and thus creating a secret spot, an oasis of quiet for now. Many wild species have taken advantage of this unusual pause in humanity. Javelina run across the pavement, shitting on roads and under ramadas. Coyotes yawn, unmotivated, along rock walls. From a granite boulder, I watch the light fall across a cluster of cholla and brittlebush whose blue-gray leaves are the color of calm to me, if color could be assigned to a state of mind. Six coyotes take their places along the opposite ridge, watching me as I watch them. Together we listen to the old morning song of a grandfather Great Horned… all owls seeming ancient, a forgotten species of gnarled bone and pale-faced time. Ocotillo – A. Sato Looking at the Sierra Estrellas, I consider my place here, or rather my lack of place. As the city swells itself into a greater beast, highways dig their tracks where stands of mesquite and creosote fall. We make way for more neighborhoods to plop their massive girth atop old habitat. The mountains, oh the mountains, wait patiently for human time to tumble, our animal selves to collapse and with it, all of our concepts and ideas. Is this the mountains’ dream, or is it just the dream of a tired misanthrope? Cloud Hill – A. Sato Coming here, I am a stranger. By saying home, do I make it so? Many people would say yes, but I have my doubts. I grew up among tulip trees and farms, verdant hills of hay and soybean, ponds and cattle. I slept beneath the field’s wide skies and woke with dew on my sleeping bag. I rested with the song of whippoorwill and cricket. I never had to long for the smell of rain, the touch of moisture. I spoke to deer. I sang to yarrow. I wandered the woods, consumed with its treasures. Given that watery upbringing, it might strike you as odd that I am now not only infatuated with the Sonoran desert, I am distinctly and inseparably tied to this arid place. The rain I follow in small hollows of granite, fleshed into pockets against long washes, is water enough. These tinajas, now known to me as intimately as the smooth flesh of deer—the food of my people, the bane of every Midwestern driver. I rest here, against the cool stone, as the heat of the morning warms my skin. The desert and I had an awkward introduction. I rambled with the shopping cart wheels and asphalt of my first desert home, where my family spent a short year bargaining with the devils of pipelines and job-promise. My Las Vegas childhood… holding the prize of stuffed toys tight while the adults swam in their longed for loot and oppression. When I think back on this time, I remember metal screen doors and blinding aqua pools with too much chlorine and chipping paint. Is this also my origin? Or can I claim a desert that has no history for me? Search Light – A. Sato I have friends who can trace their ancestry here for centuries—before the settlers, before the promise and betrayal. I look out upon these foothills as the city spreads, filling everything with its plastic and concrete. Can I make peace with my body here—like the manicured palms, the asphalt, the ever-encroaching unrest that stitches the hymns of us together? Animals of great distance—how I love their propensity for movement. We, too, are a moving species and our stories of creation, in turn, create us—give us place to our wandering, order to chaos. We may fall from the sky or sprout from the ground or be born in the image of… but in the end we are animals of movement. No matter how much our minds long to connect us to place, we have—at some point in time—been the wanderer, the interloper, the dreaded other. Many wanderers and scientists, story tellers and poets tread lightly on the topic of home. Untethered and centuries away from place, there remains an ache to find home, and so the sweeping topography of earth becomes that destination. The problem therein is the problem of the wandering animal—the humanity that propels us across the next geographic barrier, the next country, the new. When I was a girl, my family was too poor to own anything, but the countryside itself was ours, a place of unbridled adventure—a challenge to not be caught between one man’s field and the next. We swam in ponds owned by farmers, slept in the shadows of stone quarries, ventured beyond the boundaries of national forests, and walked the deer paths of unintentional wildlife preserves. Places we call ours, places we call theirs. Among other animals, these fables matter little. Cholla Morning – A. Sato When I was a girl, I longed to be a woman of movement. I wanted to continue to climb over fences, to follow the call of the spellbound hawk, the night-silent owl, the mouse who made his bed wherever he desired. My mythology is not to be replicated here. I have no claims to make, no flags to plant. Being in the desert is the closest I have come to feeling at home. A child of coal mines and forgotten lineage, I can only hope to know the stories, my place among these stones. Last night, on my way across the concrete sprawl of Central Phoenix, I encountered a scene straight out of some 1940s dystopic novel. The sky lit into an orange-black mass where funnels of smoke formed and people wandered around bus stops in 115 degrees, waiting for the bus… maybe just waiting. Sirens and helicopters stabbed at any kind of silence and bled into white noise. The streets were dirty. It was a mess. I watched the slow motion surrealism at the intersection in my jeep – now without air conditioning – waiting (and sweating) for the light to change and I could once again be moving through. For someone who loves being in the stillness and retreat of nature, this scene is jarring. It occurred to me, in the cacophony and chaos, that there are very few of us who are willing and able to leave the noise and crowds for an experience to know ourselves without familiar surroundings and many distractions. Babies scream. Dogs are left in backyards to bark through day and night. Traffic hums. The heat here even seems to make some kind of sound – the exhaustion of overworked air conditioners, the muted phone conversations of people hermetically sealed in their air-conditioned sedans. The noise is almost like a cover for a deepen truth none of us are willing to face. Could it be we have lost our innate senses? Have we stopped listening to the wind? Do we know what our skin feels like in July or how certain places contain intense magic and mystery? Do we run from intuition? At the office, fear dominates. We fear not getting enough or getting more than we can handle. We fear getting laid off – the next best employee scooping our promotion. This fear stays tantamount to our misery. It has its own sound: in rumbling, upset guts, in whispered gossip, in our hearts constricting under high blood pressure and lethargy-borne diseases. At home, we talk on phones at imaginary connections. When not on our phones, we blast TVs from two rooms away, play music… distract ourselves online. Then we drop into bed with the weight of insomnia and too few hours of sleep to hit the repeat button the next day. In love, we seek the tide of desire. We escape into the flower-blood romance – the pulsating glow of sighs and cars. We sell ourselves to marriage, to encounters, to sexual fears so spoiled in their claustrophobic expressions we do not even begin to know them. “What do you want…really,” I ask. Inside, I turn answers of my own around some imaginary playground where children, the children I – maybe – someday – want – sing their child songs. I turn lovers into fables. I make myths of men – their diamond promises and vampire kiss. In the heart of Phoenix, I believe I am always leaving on one of the planes flying in and out of here. Outside, the lights of the city blot out the star-scape. I wish for one night of darkness. I watch my neighbors walk their dogs. It is late and the desperate voices talk over dinner… hushed, wondering….	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Although Zee has been working out of Belly’s BØTA House (Beware of the ANMLS) studio in Toronto, “Collins Av” was recorded during one of Zee’s recent trips to Miami. Check it out below and stay tuned for the video coming soon. Follow Zee on Twitter @JuliusZeezer. The views of our contributors are their own, and not necessarily those of Boi-1da.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
This is a public service announcement! Get in the pictures with your kiddos and often. Things happen, life happens. Your kids are changing every single day. Today, my 4-year-old unbuckled his own seat belt and got himself out of the truck and closed the door. He says,... I blinked and suddenly my kid turned 4! He’s coloring in the lines, writing his name, and even doing (very simple) math problems. He is also one handsome fella! He knows how to work it too. He’ll smile at me and tilt his little head to the side at just...	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
To take full advantage of all features you need to login or register. Registration is completely free and takes only a few seconds. PHP (SSA:2005-242-02) New PHP packages are available for Slackware 8.1, 9.0, 9.1, 10.0, 10.1, and -current to fix security issues. PHP has been relinked with the shared PCRE library to fix an overflow issue with PHP's builtin PRCE code, and PEAR::XMLRPC has been upgraded to version 1.4.0 which eliminates the eval() function. The eval() function is believed to be insecure as implemented, and would be difficult to secure. Note that these new packages now require that the PCRE package be installed, so be sure to get the new package from the patches/packages/directory if you don't already have it. A new version of this (6.3) was also issued today, so be sure that is the one you install. More details about these issues may be found in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database: Here are the details from the Slackware 10.1 ChangeLog:+--------------------------+patches/packages/php-4.3.11-i486-3.tgz: Relinked with the system PCRE library, as the builtin library has a buffer overflow that could be triggered by the processing of a specially crafted regular expression. Note that this change requires the pcre package to be installed. For more information, see:http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2005-2491 (* Security fix ) Upgraded PEAR::XMLRPC to version 1.4.0, which eliminates the use of the insecure eval() function. For more information, see:http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2005-2498 ( Security fix *)+--------------------------+	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The Four Winns Express Cruisers are highly regarded for their workmanship, style, accommodations and a strong responsive ride. "Tiller Gale" is a prime example of well maintained Express Cruiser with spacious seating and berthing areas, an extended swim platform, a fully instrumented helm station with GPS, a complete galley, carpet, full camper package and finely detailed "creature comforts" such as Air Conditioning throughout. This Express has been had her outdrive serviced and her engine serviced and upgraded with new parts when needed. Her bottom and zincs are serviced monthly. She has low (215) hours and is ready and waiting to give a new owner more years of pleasure and adventure on the water. Tankage Fuel: 85 Gals. Water: 21 Gals. Holding: 21 Gals. Accommodations and Salon The tastefully designed cabin with high grade fabrics throughout has a port and starboard bench seat arrangement with storage compartments under both seats and the "V" portion forward. This area is served by a removable 47" X 25" table. With the table removed a filler cushion is inserted to provide a 7' long "V" berth with long storage shelving above, two curtained opening ports and a 29" wide oval mirror at the head of the berth. There is a white opaque 19" round overhead hatch. Headroom in the cabin is 6'1" Helm and Cockpit Entry to the cabin is via a white translucent plastic cabin door and sliding top. There is a secondary screened door that can be used when the main door is stored in the open position. Next to the door are three molded fiberglass steps up to the opening windshield allowing access to the foredeck of the boat. There is a 54" wide helm bench seat with two storage compartments underneath. Aft of the helm is the optional cockpit seating arrangement including: 57" Bench seat directly behind the helm seat; 21" side filler seat and removable 51" wide transom bench seat. This "U" shaped arrangement is served by a 28" Starboard oval shaped table. Access to the engine compartment is in this area. Outside the transom area is a 31" X 19" stern storage locker above the swim platform and next to the storage locker is a Hot & Cold freshwater shower and freshwater inlet. Galley Located on the port side as you enter the boat, two steps down from the bridge there are two above the counter cabinets, one under counter drawer and one under counter storage compartment, a 14" X 13" X 15" molded sink ans single burner Kenyon alcohol/electric stove with black opaque plastic cover. GoldStar microwave Norcold dual voltage under counter refrigerator Six gallon water heater Pressure water system 12 volt accessory plug 110 volt outlet Electronics Cruisaire 5,000 BTU reverse cycle air conditioner GPS VHF Radio 12 volt accessory plug at helm Hummingbird depth sounder Danforth 4" compass with hood Sony CD stereo with Sony speakers Guest battery switch and two new (11/09)batteries 30 amp shore power Shore power cord, kept in small portside gunnel compartment Deck and Hull Whale hot & cold transom freshwater shower Transom freshwater inlet Stainless steel anchor pulpit Fortress FX-11 anchor Blue bimini "Four Winns" monogramed bimini boot Exterior removable carpet Interior carpet Additional Equipment Bait Tank designed to keep bait alive for prolonged time periods is mounted on the Swim Step Four step aluminum coated fold-over hidden boarding ladder with rubber steppads 14" Leather wrapped tilt steering wheel Helm fire extringuisher Attwood V1250 bilge pump Kidde fire watch automatic fire extinguishing system Aluminum trim tabs CO2 cabin detector. Located in San Diego California. 19' Four Winns runabout ski boat with wakeboard tower that is in excellent condition. I am the second owner of this boat that has always been stored in the garage under a custom made cover. It only 320 hours of use and is in almost new condition. Please only contact me if you will be coming to see the boat and are serious about buy a good boat. Text me at (619) 664-9822.. Located in Vista California. 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista Cruiser, 32 feet ( LOA: 35'), Private owner sale perfect all around express boat. Original owner (nearly, she was traded in during her 1st season). Excellent condition, both visually and mechanically. She is powered by twin Volvo Penta 5.7L GSi engines (only 286 hrs.) along with Volvo Penta Duoprop drives w - SS props (280 HP each) which means shes fast (top speed 40 MPH, cruise at 30 MPH), but economical. Cabin is in near new condition and cockpit area is equally well maintained (all seating areas are bright white and free of marks or tears). Vessel comes with nearly all factory options including upgraded Captains (navy blue) interior, Raymarine navigation package (radar - plotter - gps), and two sets of covers (camper back style full enclosures and additional winter - mooring cover). Eisenglass was updated in 2011 and she has new bow pads for lounging, new cockpit carpet, new salon carpet and new 19" flat screen TV with combo DVD. All service - maintenance has been professionally performed yearly (records available) and she is detailed twice each season. Boat has recently been launched following a full spring commission. Serious purchasers are STRONGLY encouraged to view - inspect the boat (seeing is believing see how well she has been cared for). Please call or e-mail to schedule appointments. Boat is located in Monmouth Beach, NJ. Additional boat details, including full specs can be found at www.fourwinns.com - past product - catalogs. View the 2001 model year, 328 Vista Cruiser. Boat is priced thousands below comparable vessels.. Located in Monmouth Beach New Jersey. 2002 24 foot Four Winns Horizon. Boat looks runs mint. Merc Cruiser 350 EFI, good fuel milage. outdrive is a Bravo 3 merc duo prop, great for getting skiers out of the water quick. Boat has enclosed head, bimini top, tilt steering, trim tabs. always maintained by Quirks Marina, Pittsfield MA. Fresh water only, trailered most of its life. We are the second owners. Boat comes with matching four winns trailer with electric hydraulic disk brakes. call with any questions 413-446-1930. Located in Pittsfield Massachusetts. Its been a long winter Why not enjoy your summer on the lake! Great fun sports boat 3.0 liter 135 HP engine, 16'6", comes with life preservers, all canvas covers, AM FM CD stereo system, seats seven, carpets are removable for easy washing, swim ladder, trailer, good condition. Ready to go in the water!. Located in New Fairfield Connecticut. bt00149 - This a great looking cruiser with every option, the Four Winns 268 Vista keeps a handsome profile with the high freeboard required by boats of this type to gain interior headroom (6?3?). She is a feature-rich, competitively priced family cruiser with an extended swim platform, an attractive mid-cabin interior and a comfortable cockpit, that packs a big-boat interior into a trailerable 28-footer. She is built on a solid fiberglass deep-V hull, which gives the 268 added stability in rough conditions. The roomy cockpit of the 268 has more seating than many 26-footers because of a huge U-shaped aft settee that, with filler, converts into a sun lounge. Visibility from the helm is very good, and a walk-through windshield with molded steps next to the helm provides easy access to the foredeck (with sun pads). The interior, which is very upscale and well furnished, comes with Corian counters, premium fabrics, a V-berth, full galley, dinette table and a private head with a shower. Highlights include a transom storage locker, shore power, a removable cooler, and a tilt steering wheel. Additional features include, radar arch, GPS, Fishfinder a 5-kw Kohler generator (144-hours), Vacuflush head system, a remote spotlight and many other extras. Our boat has a single 5.7 GXI-E-DP 320-hp Volvo fuel injected engine (only 140-hours), also features a Volvo duel ssteel prop stern drive that will cruise this vessel in the mid 20 s and top out at 40 miles per hour and makes maneuvering a breeze. She is loaded with equipment including air conditioning/heat, automatic anchor windlass, CD player/stereo, flat panel DVD, two sets of full canvas, trim tabs and many other options. This boat is ready for cruising or weekend getaways, so please give us a call for more details or an appointment to view her. For more information about this listing please call Mike at 678-923-4457.. Located in Gainesville Georgia. This 2004 Four Winns 298 Vista is fully loaded and one of the best customized models we've seen. Starting with the classy styling of the two tone navy - white gel-coated hull, white boot stripe and green bottom paint, along with the faux teak swim platform, this vessel is sure to catch peoples eyes when entering the harbor. Powered by Twin Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi - DuoProp 270 hp engines with under 160 hrs on each! Outfitted with optional 5kw Kohler generator, fresh water engine flush input,cockpit icemaker and more. Along with reverse cycle air con - heat and the camper canvas package for the cockpit, this is a 3 season boat. Come view today and see why the 298 Vista is one of Four Winns most popular models ever. Exterior boat photos are of actual boat. Interior and cockpit photos are from manufacturer provided images but give accurate portrayal of layout and color schemes. This was done due to boat being covered and in winter storage mode at time of listing.. Located in Jamestown Rhode Island. Mint Condition,very low miles on the boat, only usded two or three days per summer to do water sports with kids, Open Bow, bench seats, cap. 8, stereo system with satelite radio,trailer with removable tongue. Great for fishing and water sports. All factory mourning covers in perfect shape, Garmin GPS and sounder model # 498 ready for water sports.Bimini top, New spare tire.. Located in NEW HYDE PARK New York. Please contact the owner Gary @ 518-424-7170 or gdschirnhofer(at)aol(dot)com. 2004 Four Winns 378 Vista with Volvo Penta Motors. 376 Operating hours on engines. Fresh water boat kept on the Sacandaga Lake, NY since new. Has a large cockpit that will entertain your family and friends without feeling crowded and has enough refrigerator space to keep all your food and drinks nice and cool. Will sleep 6 comfortably and has a full galley and head with separate shower. Three (3) flat screens TV's, one in the main cabin; one in forward berth; and one in cockpit. Also included is a full camper canvas and cockpit mooring cover. This is a one owner boat that has been properly maintained. Hardtop Windlass GPS 7.5KW Generator, Air Conditioning with Heat. Refrigerators and Ice Maker. Two (2) 150 gallon fuel tanks; a 70 gallon water tank and a 45 gallon holding tank. Please call Gary at 518-424-7170 for more information. Will consider trade.. Located in Sacandaga Lake New York. Four Winns 328 Vista 2004 For Sale in Dallas, TX - Motivated To Sell! From her sleek styling, abundant creature comforts, and cruising characteristics, the Four Winns 328 Vista is the perfect blend between performance and on the water relaxation. Her beamy 11' 9" modified-vee hull givers her a "big-boat" feel and generous living space for a boat her size. Powered by twin Volvo Penta 5.7L GI engines with only 200 hours she delivers 560 hp enabling her to come up on plane quickly and get you clipping along at speeds of over 40 mph. Her performance capabilities can only be matched by her equally impressive interior, with enough seating for 10 adults and overnight accommodations for 6, she is the perfect vessel to entertain the entire crew all weekend long! Stepping aboard "High Five" from her expansive swim platform with stow-able swim ladder and transom locker, you'll first be drawn to her plush U-shaped lounge seating area to aft complete with removable table, wet bar with sink, ice-maker, and ample storage. Moving forward she has a double settee to port which offers a great perspective of the action at the helm! Her large captains bench seat offers plenty of room for both the Captain and their companion. Complete with bolster seating, tilt steering column, racing inspired gauges, and quick ergonomic access to all on board systems the Four Winns 328 Vista is just as much a performance powerboat as she is a luxurious pleasure cruiser! Below deck her spacious cabin offers a large lounge seat amidship to starboard with a removable dinette table which quickly converts to a double berth, a seating area and double berth aft, and a generous v-berth complete with an entertainment center, and privacy curtain. Her underway galley has every amenity you'll need including, refrigerator, galley sink, double stove-top, microwave, coffee maker, and lots of cabinet space. Amidship to port is the head complete with electric toilet, sink, stand-up shower, and toiletry cabinets. "High Five" has been gently used and carefully maintained, with only 173 hours on her Kohler 5KW generator and only a fraction of the hours of similar vessels of her vintage! She is ready for endless weekend cruises and countless more seasons! Put yourself behind the helm of this incredible, remarkably clean, and well appointed cruiser by contacting the listing broker today!. Located in Dallas Texas. Very clean 205 Sundowner with extended swim platform. AM/FM/CD/Sirius sat radio, marine radio, full camper canvas and mooring cover, trailer, fresh water supply with aft shower and sink/ cutting board. This boat is good on gas and with the large swim platform is fun to swim and ski from. Boat is kept on trailer when not used. This is a cuddy with porta potti and will sleep four.. Located in Traverse City Michigan. Please contact the owner Gary @ 518-424-7170 or gdschirnhofer(at)aol(dot)com. 2004 Four Winns 378 Vista with Volvo Penta Motors. 376 Operating hours on engines. Fresh water boat kept on the Sacandaga Lake, NY since new. Has a large cockpit that will entertain your family and friends without feeling crowded and has enough refrigerator space to keep all your food and drinks nice and cool. Will sleep 6 comfortably and has a full galley and head with separate shower. Three (3) flat screens TV's, one in the main cabin; one in forward berth; and one in cockpit. Also included is a full camper canvas and cockpit mooring cover. This is a one owner boat that has been properly maintained. Hardtop Windlass GPS 7.5KW Generator, Air Conditioning with Heat. Refrigerators and Ice Maker. Two (2) 150 gallon fuel tanks; a 70 gallon water tank and a 45 gallon holding tank. Please call Gary at 518-424-7170 for more information. Will consider trade.. Located in Sacandaga Lake New York.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Research Study: The Effectiveness of TV RTE Media Sales study RTÉ Television Sales commissioned a qualitative research study with Behaviour & Attitudes using an initial preparatory media consumption diary exercise to gauge consumer insights into the perceived strengths of TV as an Advertising Medium.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Though many, many photos taken on were shared using Instagram, the sheer scale of the demonstration was not easy to comprehend on the ground. However, Instagrammer Phil M was inside a nearby highrise building, and was able to snap some images showing the crowds. One of his photos, captioned “That’s a lot of people,” showed some of the masses gathering ahead of the march’s commencement. The photo received 113 likes on Instagram, though it saw more attention on Twitter and Facebook. It was tweeted more than 1,800 times and had almost 5,000 Facebook likes by midday Wednesday. The river of red coursed through Montreal, and it was thanks to Instagram that we saw it more as a massive delta than a stream.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Tuberculosis is a worldwide epidemic disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis , with an estimated one-third of the human population currently affected. Treatment of this disease with aminoglycoside antibiotics has become less effective owing to antibiotic resistance. Recent determination of the crystal structure of the M. tuberculosis Rv3168 protein suggests a structure similar to that of Enterococcus faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa, and that this protein may be an aminoglycoside phosphotransferase. To determine whether Rv3168 confers antibiotic resistance against kanamycin, we performed dose-response antibiotic resistance experiments using kanamycin. Expression of the Rv3168 protein in Escherichia coli conferred antibiotic resistance against 100 μM kanamycin, a concentration that effected cell growth arrest in the parental E. coli strain and an E. coli strain expressing the Rv3168 D249A mutant, in which the catalytic Asp249 residue was mutated to alanine. Furthermore, we detected phosphotransferase activity of Rv3168 against kanamycin as a substrate. Moreover, docking simulation of kanamycin into the Rv3168 structure suggests that kanamycin fits well into the substrate binding pocket of the protein, and that the phosphorylation-hydroxyl-group of kanamycin was located at a position similar to that in E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa. On the basis of these results, we suggest that the Rv3168 mediates kanamycin resistance in M. tuberculosis , likely through phosphotransferase targeting of kanamycin. Tuberculosis is a worldwide epidemic disease, and it has been estimated that up to one-third of the human population harbors Mycobacteriumtuberculosis, the causative agent of the disease [13]. Although a combination of several antibiotics is normally used for the treatment of tuberculosis, complete cure of tuberculosis is made difficult by the existence of mutant strains and the acquisition of antibiotic resistance. Among the antibiotics used for treating tuberculosis, aminoglycosides are a class of broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds that contain an amino-modified sugar [17]. Aminoglycosides have an affinity for decoding the aminoacyl site of 16S rRNA in the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit, thereby effecting the dissociation of aminoacyltRNA from the 30S subunit, resulting in protein miscoding and loss of bacterial cell wall integrity [6,9]. It has been shown that the major mechanism of bacterial resistance to aminoglycosides is based on the chemical modification of the antibiotic by bacterial enzymes [16]. Enzymes that modify aminoglycosides form a large and diverse group that is classified into three general classes, depending on the chemical group of the antibiotic that is modified; namely, ATP-dependent phosphotransferases (APH), ATPdependent adenylyltransferases (ANT), and acetyl CoAdependent acetyltransferases (AAC). Studies have shown several structures of the APH enzymes, including APH (3’)-IIIa [1,3,5], APH (3’)-IIa [10], APH (2’’)-IIa [11], APH (2’’)-IVa [14], and APH (9’)-Ia [4]. Recent studies on the genome sequence of M. tuberculosis have suggested candidate genes responsible for the acquisition of aminoglycoside resistance [12,16], and we have previously reported the crystal structure of Rv3168, a putative aminoglycoside phosphotransferase [7]. Although lacking significant amino acid sequence similarity, the overall structure of Rv3168 was similar to that of E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa, which is a characterized aminoglycoside phosphotransferase. Moreover, the structure of the ATPbound form of Rv3168 implied an ATP-binding mode similar to that of E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa. Together with the existence of a large negatively charged substrate-binding pocket located near the ATP-binding pocket of Rv3168, these data collectively suggest that Rv3168 is a candidate phosphotransferase that confers aminoglycoside antibiotic resistance in M. tuberculosis[7]. Here, we report that an E. coli strain in which the Rv3168 expression is induced exhibits resistance to a concentration of kanamycin that is lethal to strains in which the Rv3168 is not induced. Moreover, Rv3168 protein has phosphotransferase activity against kanamycin as a substrate. Finally, docking simulation of kanamycin into the Rv3168 structure suggests a possible binding of the kanamycin substrate and the enzyme. Materials and Methods - Antibiotic Resistance Test The Rv3168 coding gene (Gene ID: 888778) was cloned into pPROEX HTa (Life Technology), and the resulting plasmid pPROEX HTa:Rv3168 was transformed into the E. coli BL21(DE3) strain. The strain was grown overnight and the culture, to the final concentration of 1%, was inoculated into 1 L of LB broth liquid medium containing ampicillin at 37℃. When the OD600 reached at 0.4, the Rv3186 protein was induced by adding 1 mM IPTG. At 30 min after the induction, various concentrations of kanamycin (0, 50, 100, and 200 μM) were added to the culture, and the cell growth was measured spectrophotometrically at A600. For control experiments, cells without IPTG induction were grown, and their growth rates were measured. The viable cell growth was measured by plating the aliquots of the cell culture as well. The cell growth of the E. coli strains transformed with the pPROEX HTa empty vector and the pPROEX HTa:Rv3168D249A were measured with the same method as described above, under 100 μM kanamycin. - Preparation of Rv3168 Proteins For the preparation of the Rv3168D249A mutant protein, a sitedirected mutagenesis method was applied using the pPROEX HTa:Rv3168 plasmid as a template. The primers 5’-GTTGCTGTGGGGGGCCGCGCGGGTGGGCA-3’ and 5’-TGCCCACCCGCGCGGCCCCCCACAGCAAC-3’ were used for the polymerase chain reaction. The recombinant wild-type Rv3168 and Rv3168D249A mutant proteins were prepared by following a previously reported procedure [8]. Briefly, the IPTG-induced cell culture was harvested by centrifugation at 5,000 ×g at 277 K. The cell pellet was resuspended in ice-cold buffer A (50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 5 mM β-mercaptoethanol) and disrupted by ultrasonication. The cell debris was removed by centrifugation at 11,000 ×g for 1 h, and lysate was bound to Ni-NTA agarose (Qiagen). After washing with buffer A containing 10 mM imidazole, the bound proteins were eluted with 300 mM imidazole in buffer A. The 6× His-tag was released from the Rv3168 proteins by incubating with rTEV protease (Gibco). A trace amount of contamination was removed by applying HiTrap Q ion exchange and Superdex75 size exclusion chromatography. - Phosphotransferase Activity Assay For the phosphotransferase activity assay, the reaction mixture, containing 10 μl of 40 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 2.5 mM MgCl2, 5 mM ATP, 25 mM kanamycin, and 50 μM Rv3168 protein, was incubated overnight at room temperature, and 1 μl aliquot of the reaction mixture was spotted onto a cellulose-F TLC plate (Merck). For the controls, the ATP and ADP molecules and the reaction mixture without the protein were spotted as well. Ascending TLC was performed with a buffer containing saturated ammonium sulfate, 3M sodium acetate, and isopropanol (80/6/2) in the closed chamber for 3 h. The hydrolysis of ATP was monitored by visualizing nucleotides under UV light. - Docking Simulation The docking simulations of a kanamycin molecule to the Rv3168 structure was performed using the Autodock Vina program [15]. As a template, the crystal structure of Rv3168 in complex with Mg2+ and ATP was used (PDB code 3ATT). The water, acetate, calcium, and glycerol molecules were removed from the crystal structure of Rv3168 and hydrogen atoms were added in accordance with only polar atoms. The structure of kanamycin was obtained from PDBeChem [2] and was prepared as pdbqt files. For the precise docking simulation, the substrate binding site of the Rv3168 structure was defined using Autodocking tools software. The simulation results were checked using the PyMOL software. Results and Dicussion - Kanamycin Resistance of Rv3168-Expressing E. coli We previously reported the crystal structure of Rv3168 protein, a putative aminoglycoside phosphotransferase in M. tuberculosis. Based on the structural comparison of M. tuberculosis Rv3168 with Enterococcus faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa, a characterized aminoglycoside phosphotransferase that confers aminoglycoside resistance in this strain, we speculated that Rv3168 was a candidate phosphotransferase family enzyme conferring aminoglycoside resistance to M. tuberculosis. We first determined whether Rv3168 confers the antibiotic resistance effect when expressed in E. coli. A pPROEX HTa vector harboring an inducible Rv3168 gene was transformed into an E. coli strain, which was then treated using various concentrations of kanamycin. The Rv3168-expressing E. coli exhibited resistance to 100 μM of kanamycin (Figs. 1A- 1D), a concentration which effected growth arrest in the E. coli strains in which Rv3168 was not expressed and in strains harboring an empty pPROEX HTa vector (Figs.1A- 1D). The growth rate of the Rv3168-expressing E. coli was dramatically decreased at kanamycin concentrations in excess of 200 μM (Fig. 1E). Kanamycin resistance of the E. coli strain expressing the Rv3168 protein. For the measurement of the antibiotic resistance activity of Rv3168 against kanamycin, the Rv3168 coding gene was cloned into the pPROEX HTa vector, and the resulting plasmid was transformed into E. coli strain BL21(DE3). The cell growth under various concentrations of kanamycin was measured spectrophotometrically at A600. Each experiment was performed with and without IPTG induction, and presented with open and closed circles, respectively. pEX is an abbreviation of a pPROEX HTa vector. (A) The cell growth of the E. coli strain harboring pEX:Rv3168 without kanamycin. (B) The cell growth of the E. coli strain harboring an empty pEX vector under 100 μM kanamycin. (C-E) The cell growth of the E. coli strain harboring pEX:Rv3168 under 50, 100, and 200 μM kanamycin, respectively. (F) The cell growth of the E. coli strain harboring pEX:Rv3168D249A under 100 μM kanamycin. Viable cell measurements of the kanamycin resistance effect of Rv3168. The aliquots of each cell culture presented in Fig. 1 were collected after 90 min of the induction, and spread on the LBAMP plates. The plates were incubated at 37℃ for overnight. (A) The cell growth of the E. coli strain harboring pEX:Rv3168 without kanamycin. (B) The cell growth of the E. coli strain harboring an empty pEX vector under 100 μM kanamycin. (C-E) The cell growth of the E. coli strain harboring pEX:Rv3168 under 50, 100, and 200 μM kanamycin, respectively. (F) The cell growth of the E. coli strain harboring pEX:Rv3168D249A under 100 μM kanamycin. Structural comparison of M. tuberculosis Rv3168 with E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa suggested that both enzyme catalysis is mediated by aspartic acid residues in M. tuberculosis Rv3168 (Asp249) and E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa (Asp190). We next performed the kanamycin resistance test by using an E. coli strain harboring an Rv3168D249A mutant, in which the catalytic aspartic acid residue was mutated to alanine. Loss of Asp249 resulted in a cell growth rate, in 100 μM of kanamycin, comparable to an E. coli strain harboring an empty vector, confirming that Rv3168 mediates kanamycin resistance (Fig. 1F). To confirm the kanamycin resistance activity of Rv3168, we collected aliquots of each of the above cultures, and spread them on LB solid medium with ampicillin. The viable cell growth showed marked results with the same tendency as those observed using spectrophotometric cell growth measurement (Fig. 2). The E. coli strain expressing Rv3168 showed high cell growth in the presence of 100 μM kanamycin, whereas no significant cell growth was observed for strains in which Rv3168 expression was not induced (Figs. 2A-2D). Moreover, the viable cell count of the E. coli strain expressing Rv3168 was markedly decreased by the addition of 200 μM kanamycin (Fig. 2E). As anticipated, the E. coli strain expressing the Rv3168D249A mutant had low viability in 100 μM kanamycin (Fig. 2F). Based on these spectrophotometric and viable cell growth measurements, we concluded that Rv3168 confers antibiotic resistance at low concentrations of kanamycin. - Phosphotransferase Activity of Rv3168 To determine whether the kanamycin resistance was mediated by possible phosphotransferase activity of the Rv3168 protein, we performed a phosphotransferase activity assay by using the recombinant Rv3168 protein. When the reaction mixture containing 5 mM ATP, 50 mM kanamycin, and 50 μM of Rv3168 was incubated for 20 min, and spotted on a TLC plate, no significant phosphotransferase activity was detected (Fig. 3). Increasing the time to overnight, however, resulted in detectable ATP hydrolysis, indicating that the recombinant Rv3168 protein has very low phosphotransferase activity (Fig. 3). Moreover, ATP hydrolysis was undetectable in a reaction mixture containing the Rv3168D249A mutant protein instead of the wild-type Rv3168 protein (Fig. 3). These results indicate that the Rv3168 protein has kanamycin phosphotransferase activity, which may confer kanamycin resistance to M. tuberculosis. The low kanamycin phosphotransferase activity of the Rv3168 protein is consistent with the results showing that the Rv3168 protein conferred antibiotic resistance only in low concentrations of kanamycin. The low phosphotransferase activity and mild antibiotic resistance effect of Rv3168 in E. coli are conceivably attributable to the fact that the protein originates from the wild-type M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain, which does not show a strong antibiotic resistance to aminoglycosides. In general, mutations in the target proteins of antibiotics confer antibiotic resistance to the organism, as previously shown in the wild-type M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv, which acquired aminoglycoside resistance through mutations in the 30S ribosomal subunit. We speculated that mutations in the Rv3168 protein might increase its aminoglycoside phosphotransferase activity, thereby conferring greater aminoglycoside resistance to M. tuberculosis. With this in mind, the examination of Rv3168-coding sequences in aminoglycoside-resistant M. tuberculosis strains may shed light on whether specific mutations, if any, play a role in conferring resistance. Phosphotransferase activity of Rv3168. As standard nucleotides, the ATP and ADP molecules are spotted, and labeled on the left side of the figure. The contents of each reaction mixture are shown at the bottom of the figure with“+” and “-” for representing addition and no addition, respectively. W/T and D249A indicate wild-type and D249A mutant proteins of Rv3168, respectively. Time indicates reaction time, and O/N is an abbreviation of overnight. - Kanamycin Binding Simulation The previously reported crystal structure of Rv3168 showed that the highly charged large substrate binding pocket can accommodate a charged aminoglycoside substrate, and that Gly248, Asp249, Asn254, and Asp267 form an xxDxxxxNx kinase motif that is located in the tunnel connecting the ATP and substrate-binding pockets. We next modeled the complex structure of Rv3168 bound to kanamycin to identify the substrate binding mode of the protein. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain the complex structure owing to the blocking of the substratebinding entrance by a neighboring molecule of the P212121 crystal packing, thereby preventing the entry of a kanamycin molecule. We then performed autodocking simulation of a kanamycin molecule by using the ATP-bound form of the Rv3168 structure (PDB code 3ATT). In the simulated Rv3168- kanamycin complex structure, a kanamycin molecule was observed to fit well in the substrate-binding pocket (Fig. 4A). The charged kanamycin substrate appeared to be stabilized by the charged residues, including Asp50, Thr52, Glu57, Asp249, Arg251, Glu269, Thr344, Arg347, Arg348, and Glu353. The overall orientation of bound kanamycin in Rv3168 was distinct from that in E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa, whereas the orientation and the binding mode of ATP were almost identical (Fig. 4A). Interestingly, when the simulated structure of the Rv3168-kanamycin complex was superimposed onto that of the kanamycin-bound E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa, the phosphorylation-hydroxyl groups of kanamycin of the two proteins were observed to be located at the same positions (Fig. 4B). Moreover, the phosphorylation-hydroxyl group of kanamycin in Rv3168 is proximal to the catalytic Asp249 residue ~3.2 Å, which is comparable to that observed in the kanamycin-bound form of E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa (Fig. 4B). These observations suggest that kanamycin is a natural substrate for Rv3168, which functions as a kanamycin phosphotransferase with a reaction mechanism similar to that of E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa. Docking simulation of a kanamycin molecule to the Rv3168 structure. Docking simulation of a kanamycin molecule into the ATP-bound form of the Rv3168 structure was performed using the Autodock Vina program. (A) Comparison of kanamycin binding to Rv3168 (top) and E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa (bottom). The proteins are presented as electrostatic potential models. The bound kanamycin and ATP molecules are shown as stick models with cyan and yellow colors, respectively, and labeled. (B) Positions of bound kanamycin molecules. The simulated kanamycin-bound form of Rv3168 was superposed with the kanamycin-bound form of E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa. The catalytic Asp residues, the bound magnesium atoms, and kanamycin molecules of M. tuberculosis Rv3168 are shown with cyan color and indicated as “Rv”. Those of E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa are shown with green color and indicated as “Ef”. The phosphorylationhydroxyl atoms of Rv3168 and E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa are indicated by dotted circles with cyan and green colors, respectively. The distances between the catalytic Asp residue and the phosphorylation-hydroxyl atom of Rv3168 and E. faecalis APH(3’)-IIIa are shown with cyan and green colors, respectively. We also performed the antibiotic resistance test of Rv3168 against other aminoglycoside antibiotics such as neomycin and streptomycin, resulting in no significant resistance effect, and the protein exhibited no detectable phosphotransferase activity with these antibiotics as well (data not shown). Taken together, we suggest that Rv3168 does not have broad aminoglycoside substrate specificity, but rather the resistance is limited to kanamycin. In future studies, we recommend the detailed examination of this protein. Acknowledgements This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Government (MEST) (NRF-2009-C1AAA001-2009-0093483) and by a Korea Research Foundation grant funded by the Korean Government (MEST; 2010-0021927), and also funded by a part of the project titled “Gyeongbuk Sea Grant Program” funded by the MLTM, Korea.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Creepy Stories and Theories About the Black Knight Satellite Black Knight satellite conspiracy theories are so juicy you wanna believe them. From ancient civilizations to alien technology, the source material is too good to be denied. Nikola Tesla is even involved. Everything connected to Tesla is too good to be true, including David Bowie’s portrayal of him in Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige. Wait, and didn’t Nolan also direct The Dark Knight? Doesn’t that sound a lot like Black Knight? There’s another conspiracy for you right there. It Was Discovered by Nikola Tesla In 1901, Tesla published an article in Collier’s Weekly detailing his experiments with electrical currents. He claims he experienced unexplained disturbances in electrical signals, and concludes that the source may have been extraterrestrials trying to communicate. He wrote, “It was some time afterward when the thought flashed upon my mind that the disturbances I had observed might be due to an intelligent control. Although I could not decipher their meaning, it was impossible for me to think of them as having been entirely accidental. The feeling is constantly growing on me that I had been the first to hear the greeting of one planet to another.” A Norwegian Engineer Heard Its Signal Transmissions In 1927, amateur Norwegian radio operator Jørgen Hals discovered long delayed echoes (LDEs), which are echoes of short-wave transmissions. He couldn’t figure out what was causing the LDEs, and neither could anyone else; scientists still don’t know what causes them. One theory is that these echoes were the same signals Tesla heard—and they were coming from intelligent beings in space. It Could Be a Bracewell Probe Tesla and Hals both heard radio signals they attributed to intelligent beings from space, but in 1960, Ronald Bracewell took things a step further by publishing a theory on how other life forms might try to communicate with us. According to Bracewell, they would fill a probe or satellite with all the information they wanted to communicate and launch it into space. The probe would then seek civilizations capable of interpreting its messages. Such a probe is necessary because it can travel great distances, and would need to get close to whichever planet it was trying to communicate with in order to transmit its messages. Were the transmissions Tesla and Hals heard coming from such a satellite? It Was First Sighted in 1954 In 1954, reports emerged that Dr. Lincoln LaPaz of the University of New Mexico spotted two satellites orbiting the Earth. LaPaz denied the claims, but it’s possible the government was trying to cover up the sighting. There Was a Second Witness Clyde Tombaugh, famed astronomer who discovered Pluto, was at UNM with Lincoln LaPaz during the supposed Black Satellite sighting. Tombaugh and LaPaz were doing secret research for the military on the existence of alien satellites and the origins of other unexplained phenomena. Tombaugh also denied the satellite reports, but in a much more cryptic manner than his colleague. A Famed UFOlogist Backed the “Two Satellites” Theory DAYTON, Ohio — Sputnik I exhibit in the Missile & Space Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo) The first satellite released into space, Sputnik 1, was launched by Russia in October 1957. In 1954, three years before Sputnik, retired Marine Corps Major Donald Keyhoe claimed that two satellites were orbiting Earth, and that Secretary of the Air Force Harold Talbott had personally seen one of them. Talbott denied the claims. Keyhoe was a UFO expert who wrote several nonfiction books on the subject and was taken quite seriously as a journalist. A Sighting in 1960 Was Covered Up In February 1960, several magazines and newspapers reported on a mysterious satellite detected by the US military. No one knew where it came from. In March 1960, Time magazine claimed that the object was a retrorocket from a Discoverer satellite. See, when a satellite returns to Earth, it fires a retrorocket to slow its descent; the retrorocket has a parachute, and is supposed to be picked up by scout planes as it falls. According to Time, when this particular Discoverer launched its retrorocket in August 1959, it disappeared, and no one noticed it orbiting for five months, even though the Department of Defense (DOD) employed people whose sole responsibility was monitoring objects in space. These DOD employees used a radar detector dubbed “Dark Fence” to help alert them to objects orbiting over the US. Here’s how Time explained the blunder: “Instead of slowing the recovery capsule and bringing it down, the rocket’s thrust had increased the capsule’s speed and put it in a different and higher orbit, where it circled for five months before the still-inexperienced Dark Fence watchers noticed it. With this experience behind them. the space watchers could be expected to do better the next time a silent, unknown satellite starts criss-crossing the sky.” With that stellar explanation, it’s no wonder some people believe Time’s story was a cover-up. Did Astronaut Gordon Cooper See It? Some claim that, in 1963, astronaut Gordon Cooper saw a UFO cut across the sky while on the Mercury 9 space flight over Perth, Australia. Reports indicate the object was also seen on the radar at Muchea Tracking Station, outside Perth. Cooper has explicitly denied these claims, but others are convinced he was coerced into silence. It Comes From Epsilon Boötis In 1974, Scottish astronomy writer Duncan Lunan purported to have decoded the LDEs Jørgen Hals heard in the ’20s. Lunan claimed they were a map of star system Epsilon Boötis. Could the message have come from aliens on a planet in the Epsilon Boötis system? It’s More Than 13,000 Years Old Photo: Public Domain/ There’s only one problem with Duncan Lunan’s decoded map theory: Arcturus, a bright star from the Boötes constellation, where the Epsilon Boötis system is located, was in the wrong place when checked against star charts. Lunan did some research and discovered that Arcturus had once been located where the map claimed it was—13,000 years ago. This means the probe must have been launched more than 13,000 years ago, when Arcturus was still in that position. The Endeavor Captured a Picture of It in 1998 On a 1998 mission, the Endeavor space shuttle captured a picture of something floating outside the craft. NASA wrote it off as a lost thermal blanket, but others contend it seems too rigid to be a blanket. It Has Visited Earth In August 2015, footage emerged from Jacksonville, FL showing a mysterious object hovering in the sky. It looked suspiciously like the object in the photo from the Endeavor, and some claim that it’s the Black Knight satellite. Pepsi Made a Movie Blaming the Government for Covering Up Knowledge of the Black Knight (WTF?) In 2015, Pepsi released a short film entitled Black Knight Decoded. The story follows characters played by David Oyelowo and Freida Pinto as they decode transmissions from the Black Knight satellite and release them to the world. Throughout the short, the government tries desperately to shut the operation down. Does the government actually know something about the Black Knight? Maybe, but take this evidence with a grain of salt: it was written and produced by noted liar James Frey. Also, it’s basically just an extended music video for an Usher song. And was made by Pepsi. It Was Spotted Near the International Space Station In January 2016, footage from the International Space Station (ISS) showed an object that looks suspiciously like the Black Knight satellite floating nearby. NASA provided no explanation for the mystery object. Is is Sandra Bullock? Did they leave her up there after shooting Gravity? Or could it be the Black Knight satellite? Philip K. Dick Was Contacted by It Philip K Dick, author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which was adapted into Blade Runner, kept a journal, in which he documented his experiences with an extraterrestrial being. Parts of this journal were published in a collection called The Exegesis, which included detailed passages about recurring hallucinations Dick experienced. These visions involved an entity he called the Vast Active Living Intelligence System (VALIS). Dick claimed VALIS was a satellite, the sole purpose of which was to act as a communication tool between humans and extraterrestrial beings. Sound familiar? One Thing We Don’t Know No one has been able to pinpoint when these sighting and stories started to coalesce into the Black Knight satellite theory; similarly, no one knows where the name “Black Knight” came from. Some speculate it was taken from a British rocket, but it’s never been proven.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
I am approaching the 8 month mark. I just last week had my 7 month exam. I had severe dry eyes thru the winter months Astigmatism and blurred vision/ghosting in my left mostly. I posted in here and asked Glenn questions and he kept saying as my doctor said, sound like the dry eyes are causing the vision problems. I was always concerned about needing and enhancement, or waiting it out. I got comfort in reading the posts in here and related well to some of stories. Fortunately, my vision has been always improving slightly. They say it is a six month process, but in my case I think it is longer. I have actually noticed more improvement over the last 2 months (7&8), then I have in the 3 months prior. My doctor said my vision was 20/25 in each eye. He said, like he has at each visit and post op, that my flaps and my eyes look terrific. He is a top surgeon and I value what he says. I spoke to him about putting my on Restassis, which he did. He said for me to come back in about 3 months to look again. I am glad that I have been patient, I feel that I probably don’t need an enhancement. I'm glad that I did not Panic and do something stupid. I have noticed over the last month that when I wake up, my vision for the first hour is pretty dam good (better than pre op with glasses). After one hour I feel the moisture leaving my eye and my vision slipping. I am hopeful that the restassis can finish my recovery and make me see perfect. Looking back I think I always had some dry eye issues as to why I could not see well even with glasses. I can’t tell for sure because my hindsight is only 20/25. I'm with ya . I don't know how all these enhancments are done so soon if it takes some 6+ months to heal. Especially older patients. On one hand my Doctor tells me how some people come in after 1 week with perfect vision, and then he tells me I have 50+ year old eyes (meaning it's gonna take time) I am curious what was you prescription before correction, and what is it now, or how much has it changed in (say the last 6 months) Has the numbers changed or just your QUALITY of vision that changed. I asked my Doc for Restasis because I have read online, it helps the healing process , but ole Doc says I don't need it and if he was me he would not put anything in his eyes he didn't need. So I didn't push it. By the way I'm 6 months post op...vision is preety good, except at night because of blended vision (mono) , but a -1.00 over the undercorrected eye takes it to really good. Bob Hi, Both your comments are similar to my experience also. I have 41 year old eyes. My pre op was -5 in the left and -4.75 in the right. My doctor tells me my combined vision now is 20/20 and I am about 20/25 or 30 in each individual eye with a very slight astigmatism in each. My overall vision is good, but I have ghosting/double vision in the left eye. However, every time I go back to the doctor he says, it will just take time. That I have stubborn type A eyes and they are overfocusing. Each reading he's taken has improved. He has put in temporary plugs that dissolve every ~ 6 weeks and has me come back to check. He says the dryness continues to improve and that by 6 months my tear production should be close to what it was pre surgery (I'm 4 months in now). I continue to be concerned about the double vision as it impacts the overall clarity of how I see far away. For example, I can see people clearly, but when they are beyond say 15 ft, the have like a head and a 1/2. Makes going to plays and sporting events not so pleasant, but he doesn't want to give me glasses for those, because he feels it will interfere with my focusing and brain adjustment. Guess the story is the same, e.g. give it more time. And, he definitely has not entertained enhancement yet. Its just frustrating when you think (and honestly, outside these boards everyone I talk to who has had it says) that you are going to wake up and see wonderfully. Not the case here. I chose not to do PRK because of the healing time, yet here I am in the situation where its taken me just as long, now it looks like longer, with LASIK with the associated flap risks I could have avoided. The one bright light, as you mentioned, is that my flaps are healing wonderfully and I continue to see very incremental improvement. Mr.UnPerfect wrote:I'm with ya . I don't know how all these enhancments are done so soon if it takes some 6+ months to heal. Especially older patients. On one hand my Doctor tells me how some people come in after 1 week with perfect vision, and then he tells me I have 50+ year old eyes (meaning it's gonna take time) I am curious what was you prescription before correction, and what is it now, or how much has it changed in (say the last 6 months) Has the numbers changed or just your QUALITY of vision that changed. I asked my Doc for Restasis because I have read online, it helps the healing process , but ole Doc says I don't need it and if he was me he would not put anything in his eyes he didn't need. So I didn't push it. By the way I'm 6 months post op...vision is preety good, except at night because of blended vision (mono) , but a -1.00 over the undercorrected eye takes it to really good. Bob I don't actaully know what my prescription was before and now. I never asked. I am 43. My quality of vision has changed a lot since my surgery. Post op and the weeks to follow my vision was not to clear and would vary day to day. As I drove the Speed limit signs would and appear doubled on top of the other and when I got closer would merge back at about 25 yards. Now that is gone away. After my surgery even though I could not read normal print on TV, I could see the lines that made up the images. I think that was the over correction, but now I am seeing the print pretty good and I can't the lines anymore. My eyes were extremely dry during the 3 to 5 month period were as I had to use drops every 5 minutes. At the 5 month mark that improved (it now turned spring and the heat is shut off). I feel my eyes are dry more now that I am in AC at work. noodles wrote:Hi,I continue to be concerned about the double vision as it impacts the overall clarity of how I see far away. For example, I can see people clearly, but when they are beyond say 15 ft, the have like a head and a 1/2. The one bright light, as you mentioned, is that my flaps are healing wonderfully and I continue to see very incremental improvement. My doctor said after surgery, the following day, 3 month and 7 months, that my flaps are perfect. I do believe him because I experienced not one tiny bit of discomfort. No burning, no feeling of something in my eye, no nothing post op. My eyes felt the same as they did when I walkin in. My eye sockets were a little irritated from the tool that keeps the eye open. As you mention. My sight beyond 15 feet was no good either, but I am still seeing improvement in that area. So I would say to keep watching and waiting. I kind of feel that it's not time for an enhancement until all improvement stops. [quote="FLOPGUY"]I have noticed over the last month that when I wake up, my vision for the first hour is pretty dam good (better than pre op with glasses). After one hour I feel the moisture leaving my eye and my vision slipping. Once your vision "slips" after the first hour, does it remain in this blurry state for the rest of the day? I am 2 years post Lasik with an extremely MILD prescription (+0.25 -0.5 x12), I too wake up and for the first hour have superb vision. After the first hour the vision in my right eye goes double and I am un able to read a book or a road sign. Thus after the first hour I am confined to glasses (which do not fully address the situation). The doctor cannot see anything wrong! My advice to people thinking of having Lasik is stay away - I am one of many that are left with complications that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. I wish you the best and advice you not to be persuaded to have any "enhancements". Rich: How many enhancements did you have? Were they with the original surgeon? Was it just one eye or both at the same time? Did you get second opinions from others? I think I read you are in another country, so it I'm not sure if it is more difficult than here in the states and if there is a good talent pool to pick from. Have you considered seeing someone here in the states or emailing them and then mailing them your information? There are a few in different states that seem to be the most experienced and may be able to give you some more information. One is certified on this site. Well, their obviously IS something wrong, so you need to see a different doctor. Even if that means traveling out of the country. I too am weary of recommending Lasik to anyone and certaily wouldn't encourage anyone to do it. However, I don't think it's wise for you to discourage people because you had a bad outcome, and mostly likely had a bad doctor. Which is why you're having problems in the first place. What I do rather then recommend the surgery, I recommend people do tons and tons of research about it and find the absolute best Lasik surgeons. Only then should they make THERE OWN decision. richbron wrote:Once your vision "slips" after the first hour, does it remain in this blurry state for the rest of the day? My vision remains blurry, but I do start to see a pick up in vision again in the evening. My vision is still improving and I can still progress so I am not too worried yet (now a couple days shy of 8 months). I have noticed a huge decrease in things like street signs be doubled. I am still optimistic because in my trouble eye I can still physically feel that it is dry as my symtoms are at its worst. In the morning when I get up my tear flow is very good. That is why I am really hoping that the restassis will help. JPD wrote:I too am weary of recommending Lasik to anyone and certaily wouldn't encourage anyone to do it. However, I don't think it's wise for you to discourage people because you had a bad outcome, and mostly likely had a bad doctor. Which is why you're having problems in the first place. I would not say my Dr was "bad" - he is internationally renowned. Patients heal and respond to Lasik differently. The symptoims I am left are enough for me to share my experience (and then as you say let people make up their own mind). I had Lasik and although I have very little prescription have DOUBLE vision in my right eye and night blindness (glare, halo and starbursts) so badly that I can no longer drive at night. Even though I wear glasses ALL the time, these do not fully correct me as my astigmatism axis CHANGES throughout the day - starts at about 40 degrees and by the late afternoon its 65 degrees. If you have/had astigmatism you will know that this will have a huge effect on quality of vision. Oh and I can no longer wear contacts - another myth about post Lasik that you can simply wear soft disposables post surgery .... I am not alone in my suffering and appreciate that I had an 'elective'procedure. All I am doing is sharing my expereince - this has nothing to do with the skill of the Dr - believe me he is regarded as one of the best internationally. I am just letting people know that poor results are possible that ruin lives. I hope that my experience will help people - if I had my time again, I would NEVER have undergone Lasik, its just not worth it. JPD wrote:What I do rather then recommend the surgery, I recommend people do tons and tons of research about it and find the absolute best Lasik surgeons. Only then should they make THERE OWN decision.. I absolutely agree with you - I know I did NOT do enough research. The vast majority of people do have a great outcome, I was driven to have surgery based on the great outcomes I read about. People should also research the sites that highlight the DISASTER outcomes as part of their research. Doctors do not tell you about the possibility of inducing Higher Order Aberrations which CANNOT be corrected with regular glasses/contacts. I never recommend any surgery to anybody. I always say to people do your diligence. Life has a built in element of risk in everything we eat or do. If you put a spoonful of peanutbutter in everyone on the earths mouth, you would have 10's of thounds of people dropping dead in minutes. To people I say: make sure you are a good canidate, go to couple places that offer a free consultation and see if that say you are a good canidate. Try to talk to people who have had it done and see if they like how they were handled. Listen and ask question to the doctor and see if he is truly listening to you in the begining. Then Study, Study, Study.... It's one thing to fall short on one's vision from this thing, but to get side effects that are not correctable with contacts or glasses is not good. I got tired of hearing, your just sensitive from my original docs, so I continued up the industry until I found professional knowledgeable docs who could answer what was going on and did so fairly quickly in comparison. I do believe that only certain surgeons, say the top 200 or so should be doing this procedure. That way it is controlled and being performed by the most competent and skillful surgeons. Unfortunately, it's a growth industry that has allowed too many unskilled surgeons at the expense of some patients. This is an excellent site and should be on all consent forms. That way people truly have a centralized site that has an enormous amount of information and can make a knowledgeable decision without trying to piecemeal info from various sites that aren't as good. I do believe that there are reasons behind most of these bad/mediocore outcomes that can be answered, but unfortunately one needs to have lots of time, money and courage to figure it out - along with this website. Richbron there is an excellent doctor in the states here in the midwest (Kansas) and part of this site that is worth contacting if you haven't already. He seems to be the most or one of the most experienced in treating post lasik issues. I believe he does lots of research in addition to have done lots of procedures. No guarantees, but you might as well look into another top opinion. - Hang in there things have a way of turning around sooner or later. I had Lasik and then had an astigmatic Keratotomy (2 incisions per eye) DryEye wrote:Were they with the original surgeon? Yes DryEye wrote:Was it just one eye or both at the same time? Both eyes DryEye wrote:Did you get second opinions from others? Pre Lasik I had 3 different consultations with the three top local guys DryEye wrote:Have you considered seeing someone here in the states or emailing them and then mailing them your information? Yes I have and will try do it next year - my wife is having our 2nd child nexy week so travel is going to be difficult for the next few of months. I enjoy reading your quotes as I feel we have had similar experiences with our results. Having your time again, would you go through it again? Are you currently wearing contacts or glasses? I rememeber reading (I think) that you too were left with Higher Order Aberrations. Does this impact on the quality of your vision, if so what treatment does your surgeon sgeest. (what are the HOA numbers?) Richbron I only had one procedure 13 months ago - VISX customvue I developed microstriae, dry eyes, have some HOA's, left over astigmatism along with some visual things that never occurred before lasik They say my HOA's aren't that high, but I do have starbursting around some car headlights (some more than others) and I see at times 1 1/2 green stop lights and some things on my computer screens don't look the same. In general, I do not see as well (some things I do) as I used to in my contacts and glasses and still use far too many drops to see better. I have seen a few other surgeons along with a corneal specialist. I did find a top refractive surgeon and may eventually do an enhancement with him once my schedule clears up. My thinking was and is if I am going to do this again it has to be with a top experienced surgeon something I and everyone should have done the first time around. I don't wear contacts (said they won't help, but may try one anyway) and I have trial glasses, which help my right eye see better, but smear the stoplights and some lights (LCD's, etc.) more. It wasn't the 20 minute miracle or even day miracle that everyone I know got. You seem to have it the hardest from what i have read on this board. Definitely, contact some of these other docs even it is via email just to get their opinions.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Covers the Legislature, as well as local politics and policy and the activities of Nevada's congressional delegation. His column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday in Opinion. He also writes the daily blog, "Slash Politics," found at slashpolitics.com. You can’t quite call him “Senator Feelgood,” but you can count Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid among the supporters of medical marijuana. Reid last week said in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun that he wasn’t always a supporter of marijuana as a palliative for the sick, but he’s changed his mind. “If you’d asked me this question a dozen years ago, it would have been easy to answer — I would have said no, because [marijuana] leads to other stuff,” Reid said, according to the Sun’s Karoun Demirjian. “But I can’t say that anymore.” “I think we need to take a real close look at this,” Reid went on. “I think that there’s some medical reasons for marijuana.” Actually, senator, we did ask you a dozen years ago. In fact, we asked everybody. After years of legislative indifference, activists put an initiative to amend the state constitution on the 1998 and 2000 ballots. It passed easily, 65 percent to 35 percent the second time around. But that was followed by more than a decade of further legislative indifference, a dark time during which people could get prescriptions for marijuana but could not legally buy the drug. They could grow their own, if they were willing to break the law to buy seeds or plants. That ridiculous scheme was ended during the 2013 Legislature, when lawmakers led by state Sens. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, and Mark Hutchison, R-Las Vegas, passed a bill to establish medical marijuana dispensaries in Nevada. If Reid really does think the state needs to take “a real close look at this,” he should call his friends on the Henderson City Council, which along with the city of Las Vegas has passed a moratorium on issuing licenses to dispensaries while the state works out regulations. The law gives local governments the ability to opt out of having any dispensaries in their city limits. Reid may still harbor doubts about marijuana, however, inasmuch as he said he doesn’t favor outright legalization, the way it’s been done in Colorado and Washington state. But he said his personal experience led him to soften his stance on medical uses for marijuana. He said the ailing son of an unidentified Las Vegas official used the drug to good effect. “He was so skinny and doing so poorly and somebody told him and his mom, you know, you should smoke some marijuana, because one of the side effects is … you get the munchies, you get extremely hungry,” Reid said. “He tried it and sure enough, he was able to eat for the first time, he got hungry. So I thought, you know there might be some medical reasons for taking another look at this.” Like the apostle Thomas, who believed in the risen Christ only after he’d seen with his own eyes, there are those who will not believe in the healing power of marijuana until they know somebody who’s personally been helped by it. That’s a perfectly legitimate reason to change one’s mind. But blessed are those who, even without that experience, believe that sick people should be allowed to use a drug prescribed by a physician without interference from the state. Speaking of, Reid said he didn’t think it was very smart to keep arresting and prosecuting people just for smoking dope. “I guarantee you one thing,” Reid said. “We waste a lot of time and law enforcement going after these guys that are smoking marijuana.” Indeed, if only we knew somebody who could do something about that! Somebody with influence in the Congress, who could maybe write a bill or something that would remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substances (which also includes LSD, PCP, fentanyl and powerful club drugs). If only we knew somebody like that, huh? Oh, wait … Steve Sebelius is a Review-Journal political columnist and author of the daily blog SlashPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter (@SteveSebelius) or reach him at 702-387-5276 or [email protected].	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Aww, little Bindi Irwin is all grown up. And she’s celebrating her latest good news as the first contestant to be announced in the upcoming 21st season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars! Bindi joked in a retweet today from an interview with Good Morning America, “I’m more afraid of the judges than I am of Crocs!” Daughter of the late Steve Irwin, best known as television’s Crocodile Hunter, Bindi is no stranger to the spotlight. After Steve tragically died from a stingray barb in 2006, Bindi (then only 8-years old) delivered a heartfelt public eulogy to a TV audience of more than 300 million viewers, going on in later years to star in My Daddy the Crocodile Hunter as well as various fitness and music DVDs. CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR MORE! Bindi tells PEOPLE that she’s “absolutely thrilled” to be a part of the new season of DWTS, adding, “I think that it is going to be a truly unbelievable new experience. I can’t wait to see what is to come.” In a recent interview with Fox News, Bindi shared her ongoing love and admiration for her father, citing, “Dad is and always will be my living, breathing superhero.” She also revealed that she’s currently got “someone special” in her life, 18-year-old professional wakeboarder Chandler Powell. “Life is wonderful at the moment,” shared Bindi. As the first to be announced this season, Bindi must be flying pretty high right now. No news on other contestants for DWTS season 21 yet, but I’m betting more news will be coming our way very soon! TELL US: WHO DO YOU HOPE TO SEE ON DWTS FOR SEASON 21? ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE BINDI AS A CONTESTANT?	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The book contains four chapters: Chapter 1 explains what is computer graphics all about. Chapter 2 introduces the general hardware and software concept behind computer graphics, and presents a profile of products available at the time. Chapter 3 introduces the graphic features of the Apple II computer: plotting simple equations, drawing lines and vectors, creation of simple geometric shapes as well as gaming figures, shape shifting, random art work, detailed drawing and the use of digitizing tables and moving figure animation	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Tag Archives: legends Post navigation Something happens to me once the clock strikes 12 on 25th December. Maybe it’s a response to the sugar rush that comes from stealing the kids’ selection boxes, but my thoughts turn away from those Christmas lights to the darker side of local history. Ooops I always take my ghost stories and legends with a decent pinch of salt and if they’re served with a measure of good humour too, so much the better. As such, I was delighted to discover a story in the Lichfield Mercury from Friday 2nd September 1932, called ‘The Haunted Secret Passage of Lilleshall’. In what sounds like my ideal night out, a group of archaeologists and diviners congregated in a candle lit vault next to the so-called dungeon at Lilleshall Abbey. As they waited to hear if diggers had located an underground tunnel, ‘the sounds of the shovels and picks ‘awoke eerie echoes in the leper’s cell above’. The reason for the gathering, according to the BBC’s Domesday Reloaded site, was that in 1928 a caretaker and his family had moved into a cottage on the site and heard ghostly moaning from beneath the Abbey. At first, they attributed the sounds to the men working at Lilleshall Colliery. However, when it was discovered that the mine didn’t extend as far as the Abbey, and the son reported seeing a shadowy figure and the sounds of the pages of a book being turned, they began to suspect a more unearthly cause. A £50 prize was promised by the estate agent to anyone who could locate the subterranean passage the noises were believed to be coming from and people began turning up to try and solve the mystery in a variety of idiosyncratic ways. These included a man with a hazel twig he manipulated between his fingers, a white bearded professor, who refused to communicate with anyone and ‘went around the ruins with a little toffee hammer, sounding the ground at various places’ and an old tutor of the Duke of Sutherland, whose family owned the Abbey until 1917, who was relying on his memory to tell him where the entrance to the tunnel was. The ruins of Lilleshall Abbey A psychic dental surgeon from Birmingham agreed to spend a night in the dungeon. Surely if anyone was going to find an old cavity, it would be him? However, as dawn broke the following morning, he was nowhere to be found, having fled in terror. Two young men who spent the night in one of the old Abbey cells reported ghostly footsteps and ‘a monk with a high-pitched voice saying prayers in a foreign language’. Although to be honest, that could just have been the frit Brummie dentist running away. Lilleshall Abbey The shenanigans also involved a Mr Noel Buxton, a member of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, who declared he was prepared to stay on-site until the tunnel was found. I didn’t see him when I visited with friends last summer, so perhaps that means it was… The reports at the time are ambiguous – in the Birmingham Gazette on Friday 26th August 1932 it was reported that in a vault next to a dungeon, a diviner received a violent shock which led to the discovery of an underground passage. However, the estate agent said it had not yet been decided whether or not it was the tunnel they were looking for. Diviner: OMG I did it! I found an underground tunnel! Estate Agent: Yes…but is it the right underground tunnel? Diviner: Yes. It is a tunnel and it is underground. Now give me my £50. Estate Agent: Yes but if it was the right tunnel it would have ghostly monks in and as you can see, this one is phantom friar free. Sorry old chap, better luck next time. Um, please put the stick down… So, whilst the competition and the talk of haunted dungeons were a clever bit of marketing to attract tourism, it’s fair to say that the notion of a underground tunnel at Lilleshall was not entirely without foundation. As well as the diviner’s discovery, in June 1886, in Eddowes’s Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales, a correspondent writes that his mother, then aged 75, visited the Abbey as a girl and remembered stories of an underground passage said to run from the Abbey to Longford Church, or Longford Hall, and that once a heavy cart passing over Longford Fields broke into it, but ‘it was not explored on account of the air in it being so foul’. Was this the same tunnel that tuned up in the 1930s? Lilleshall Abbey I am genuinely fascinated by the idea of secret tunnels and subterranean passages because everyone else is so fascinated by them! As we’ve discussed before on the blog, Lichfield is apparently riddled with them (as is pretty much every city, town and village in the country) if the stories are to be believed. And that’s the £50 question – are they? Notes Fascinating article here from November 2017 about how ten out of twelve water companies in the UK use water dowsing to find leaks and pipes https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/21/uk-water-firms-admit-using-divining-rods-to-find-leaks-and-pipes I am available for secret tunnel hunting – you do not have to pay me £50 and I can supply my own toffee hammer too. Borrowcop Hill is a place that doesn’t want to give up its secrets easily. What interests me about places like this is how gaps in our knowledge create a space where legends and folklore can grow unchecked. It’s not just a hill with a nice view. It’s the burial place of kings and martyrs, the site of Lichfield Castle. Stand at the summit and you’re standing at the highest point in Lichfield. Beacons have been lit here certainly for celebrations, possibly as warnings. The grammar school moved here from St John Street in 1903 and in 1971, merged with the adjacent Kings Hill secondary modern school to form the current King Edward VI School. Interesting how the folklore was even referenced in the school name here. Another school on the site, the just as evocatively named Saxon Hill, was opened in 1979. At last year’s Lichfield Discovered talk by Peter Young on Philip Larkin’s connections to the city, he told us that that whilst staying with relatives at Cherry Orchard in 1940, Larkin had written three poems. Only one, ‘Out in the Lane’, was published but all three were inspired by his temporary surroundings. Peter believes the arched field of ‘Christmas 1940’ refers to Borrowcop Hill. I’ve reproduced it here from a folio collated by The Philip Larkin Society for their celebration of his birthday in August 2001. I hope they don’t mind, but I can’t find it anywhere else! The name ‘Borrowcop’ does hint that there was once something here. Its earliest written forms, Burwey or Burwhay, feature the Old English element ‘burh’, suggesting a fortified place (1). Whilst there are vague reports of Erasmus Darwin recovering bits of burnt bone from somewhere up here, according to the Heritage Environment Report, ‘more recent excavations have so far failed to recover any evidence for human activity’. Well, I went up there on Sunday and I found this: And this: “The bubbles up your nose, spill on your summer clothes” And this: Plenty of human activity in what Five Spires Live , the Lichfield satirist who also doesn’t give up his secrets easily, yesterday described as “… the perfect setting for bit of Larkin”. See, as much as I like legends, I also like the real. I like layers of history that celebrate everything a place is and not just what we want it to be. The way our own memories of a place form our own folklores. The title for this post is one I’ve appropriated from one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands. It’s summer nights, it’s cheap cider (or ‘energy and guava’, if you’d rather), it’s messing about with your mates in a space maintained by the council because you’ve nowhere else to go. It’s perfect. Borrowcop or not, we’ve all been there. And like it or not, that’s as much a part of history as those kings and castles are. 1) A Survey and Analysis of the Place-Names of Staffordshire’ by David Horovitz, https://lichfieldlore.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/397633_vol1.pdf According to Pevsner, the Church of St Lawrence features some of the most exciting Norman work in the county. Here be dragons and other fantastical creatures, Saxon and Scandinavian influences, a green man and other ancient faces. There are no wolves though. Norman arch, Gnosall church Carving at Gnosall Possible Saxon stonework, Gnosall Legend has it that the last wolf in Staffordshire was killed here in Gnosall in a pit near Brough Hall and that the effigy in the Lady Chapel is that of its slayer, Baron Brough As much as I wish it were true, there is no evidence for this tale and no reason to believe the Baron ever even existed outside of Gnosall mythology. Several other names have been linked with the alabaster knight over the years, but his true identity remains unknown. Whilst such personal details are lacking, there is physical detail here in abundance, from the broken angel and the helmet at his head, to the lion at his now missing feet and experts have used these features to date the monument to the early fifteenth century. In recent years, the knight has been joined by the church’s only other effigy, taken from the recess on the opposite side of the church known as the Easter Sepulchre. Two effigies at Gnosall church Defaced – the unknown knight of Gnosall Even less is know about this second effigy, but due to its diminutive stature, it is often described as depicting a child. However, after visiting the church, words that I’d read in a paper by Dr Sophie Oosterwijk in relation to the famous Stanley Boy monument at Elford came back into my mind – “A small-sized tomb may deceive the beholder into thinking that it must commemorate a child, but there may be other explanations”. One of Dr Oosterwijk’s other explanations is that these tiny tombs may represent heart burials. It’s not only the size of the effigy that’s convinced me that someone left their heart here in Gnosall, but also the position of his or her hand over the chest, a feature it has in common with another example thought to be a fourteenth century heart burial at Coberley in Gloucestershire. Effigy possibly depicting a heart burial at Gnosall Despite the abundance of surviving Romanesque architecture here, the church is missing its original font. However, at nearby Bradley. and Church Eaton there are examples which date to the twelfth century and recall some of the patterns and themes found at Gnosall, perhaps giving us an idea of what the Norman font at St Lawrence may have looked like. Interestingly, the broken Church Eaton font was reinstated at St Editha’s after apparently being found buried in a garden, and so it’s possible that Gnosall’s is out there somewhere, awaiting discovery under someone’s lawn. One of Gnosall’s most intriguing features can be found outside, high on the south side of the church where stonemasons (we assume) who extended the tower in the mid fifteenth century have carved a large chalice into the stonework alongside the belfry window. South face of the church tower at Gnosall Chalice carving on Gnosall church tower (photo by Kenneth Ingram) Less mysterious in origin, but still of interest, are the grooves along the wall, said to have been created by the sharpening of arrows when the grounds were used for archery practice. Arrow grooves at Gnosall Church There is also a rumour that this wall of the church bears the scars of target practice during the Civil War (Rodwell: 223). What we do know for certain about the church of St Lawrence and the civil war is that there are two soldiers buried here. The parish register records that on 1st October 1642, a tall young man known as John Bayne (or Bayle), ‘one of the King’s souldiers’, was buried here and that on 25th March 1643, David James, another of ‘the King’s souldiers’, was laid to rest. The date of the second may be especially significant, coming less than a week after the Battle of Hopton Heath, fought just ten miles away. Amidst the other burials and baptisms of the parish register, an interesting entry appears on an otherwise blank page. At some time between 20th March 1684 and 19th April 1685, an ‘unlettered’ hand has written the following: Fere god and honour the KingHonor your parents at all timesWimins tongues air like [unfinished] Whether the writer of the verse was interrupted or simply ran out of inspiration is unknown, but we are left to draw our own conclusions on the nature of ‘wimins tongues’. However, when it comes to singing the praises of this incredible building, I shall not be holding mine. See it for yourself on the weekend of 4th/5th July 2015, when the Church of St Lawrence, including the tower, will be open for tours as part of the G-Fest celebrations held in the village each year. Now that is exciting. Tombstone in the graveyard at the Church of St Lawrence, Gnosall With thanks to Norman and Sheila Hailes, for their tour and invaluable knowledge of the church, and to Kathleen Ingram and Cllr Kenneth Ingram and the other residents of Gnosall, for showing us around not once, but twice! I’ve written previously about how the appearance (and apparently, the actual location!) of St Chad’s well has changed over the years here, but I’ve recently found some contemporary accounts of the well’s previous incarnation – a ‘vertical tube built of engineering bricks, covered with a kind of gloomy sentry-box of stone’, which had apparently become so neglected in the 1940s that only a few inches of stagnant water covered in a green scum remained in the bottom of the pool. (1) In November 1946, the Bishop of Stafford lamented that the well had once been a place of great pilgrimage but had fallen into a state of neglect and considerable disrepair and in April 1948, E Sutton, a former caretaker of the well, described it as having degenerated into a wishing well. A few weeks later, Mr Sutton submitted a further letter to the Mercury, advising, ‘I have again visited the site and found it in a worse state than on my visit there last Autumn. Then boards covered the Well. These are now removed and the Well is full of rubbish, among brick-bats and wood being a worn out coal bag! I noticed too, among the bricks and stonework lying around in wild confusion the ancient ‘St Chad’s Stone’, which the historian Leland, writing of his visit to the Well some four hundred years ago, states was then believed to be the very stone upon St Chad stood in the icy water as an act of penance, it then being the bottom of the Well. When the small building was erected over the Well in Stuart times, this stone was incorporated into the building, no doubt in order to preserve it. Many hundreds of hands have been placed upon it, mostly with reverence, since. It now lies among the rubbish, one corner broken. A fitting symbol of the ideals of 1948!’ (2) St Chad’s Well today Saint Chad’s Well c.1915. Taken from Wikipedia I’m intrigued by this reference to ‘the ancient St Chad’s stone’. When James Rawson described the site prior to his restoration in the 1830s, he noted that, ‘the well-basin had become filled up with mud and filth; and on top of this impurity a stone had been placed, which was described as the identical stone on which Saint Chad used to kneel and pray!’. Despite Rawson’s apparent scepticism about these claims, was he somehow persuaded to use this stone in his new well structure, thereby perpetuating the myth? I’d love to see what went on in those discussions and I’d really like to know what happened to this legendary stone. St Chad may not have been anywhere near it, but the fact that people believed he had should have made it worth saving for posterity’s sake. Water in the well Unfortunately for Mr Sutton, the restoration of the well did not put a stop to people using St Chad’s Well for wishes, as evidenced by the layer of coins that still glint beneath the water, tossed in at some point over the last half century or so. It’s often suggested that this is the continuation of a ritual that our ancestors were carrying out a long, long time before St Chad arrived in Lichfield. Some things change. Some stay the same. (2) A little off topic, but it’s amusing to see that it’s not just nowadays that letters appear in the Lichfield Mercury suggesting that society is going to hell in a handcart. Once again, some things stay the same… Recently, I’ve spent more time in churches than ever before in my life (with the possible exception of the Summer of 2004, when I went to so many weddings that I was able to recite 1 Corinthians 13 off by heart). When I was younger, history for me was all about the castles. Churches were boring. The only remotely interesting thing about them was that, with their crenellations, some of them looked a bit like castles. Now I know that they can tell stories just as good as any castle, but you just need to know where to look. Before even stepping inside All Saints in Kings Bromley, there are plenty of interesting tales. ‘Lady Godiva’s’ cross in the churchyard, originally dates back to the 14th century, but was restored in 1897. I was delighted but intrigued to see a reference to one of my childhood heroines here. The story I knew as a little girl was that Godiva pleaded with her husband Leofric, Earl of Mercia, to reduce the taxes he imposed on the people of Coventry. Leofric tried calling her bluff by saying he would do so, if she rode through the marketplace in the buff. Unfortunately for him, his wife not only had compassion, but also really, really long hair which according to Roger of Wendover who first recorded the story, ‘covered the whole of her body like a veil’, as she climbed onto her horse and successfully carried out her legendary protest. The connection with Kings Bromley is that Godiva and Leofric had a summer residence or hunting lodge here, where Leofric died in 1057 and may well have been involved with an earlier church which could have stood on this site. Unlike others I’ve seen recently, I’m pleased to say the church itself hasn’t been fully restored by those pesky Victorians, but has a range of architectural styles and features dating back to at least the eleventh century, but possibly even earlier than that – the HER description says that this is an Anglo-Saxon wall, and somewhere within it there is possibly even a Romano-British brick. On a buttress near to this ancient wall is a medieval scratch dial which, with the assistance of the sun, would once have helped the priest be on time for mass. On the buttress in-between the porch and the sixteenth century tower there is another carving, but unlike the scratch dial, no-one is quite sure of its significance. The daisy wheel carving is described as a mason’s mark in the churches information sheet. Although this is the first I’ve seen, this symbol regularly crops up on old buildings, especially churches. Whilst some believe these carvings have a practical function, others believe they were carved for good luck or protection against evil spirits. On a bit of a tangent, on the subject of childhood and daisies and folklore, I did wonder about some of the little rituals surrounding these flowers that we unthinkingly carried out as kids. The name is thought to come from the old English ‘Daes Eage’ meaning ‘day’s eye’, and refers to the way the flower opens and closes with sunlight. I’ve read that wearing daisy chains was thought to protect you from being abducted by fairies (must work, I’m still here!) and that one of its folk names is ‘Measure of Love’, from the game where you pull off the petals one by one, chanting, ‘He loves me, he loves me not’. Apparently, there is another less risky version of this game in which you chant, ‘He loves me, he loves me lots’. If only someone had told me this at the time, I wouldn’t have had to cheat so much. Anyway, as it says in those half remembered lines from Corinthians, I’ve put away childish things. Well, most of them anyway…. A beautiful ruin dating back in part to the twelfth century, with the base of a medieval weeping cross and the shrouded effigies of two sisters in the churchyard, the remains of the old church of St Augustine in Rugeley are a real treat. Old tower, new tower, power tower The chancel dates back to the 12thc With the population of Rugeley rising in the early nineteenth century (in 1801 there were 2,030 inhabitants; by 1821 the population had risen to 2,667 inhabitants, many of whom were employed in the manufacture of felts and hats), the old church was outgrown and a new one was built on land opposite. The ‘new’ church of St Augustine Consecrated on 21 January 1823, the new St Augustine’s was built on land belonging to Viscount Anson, the cost met from a variety of sources. According to some, stone from the nave of the old church was sold off to raise funds, leaving just an arcade of arches to connect the fourteenth century tower with the old chancel. I understand that in the 1970s the church yard was landscaped (or possibly vandalised, depending on how you look at it), and the gravestones which once surrounded the church (as shown in a photograph from the 1860s here on Staffordshire Pasttrack) were broken up and used to pave what was once the nave and north aisle, creating a mosaic of carved names and epitaphs belonging to the old inhabitants of Rugeley. The outline of the roof line traced by weather onto the tower Others have carved their own names into the stone of the tower where bells once rang, but doves and (slightly less romantically) pigeons now coo. How did H Parsons carve his name so neatly? As already mentioned, one tomb that does remain in the churchyard itself is that of two women, Elizabeth Cuting who died in 1695 and her sister Emma Hollinhurst who passed away a year later. Effigies of the sisters tied into their burial shrouds are carved on top of the tomb. An information board nearby tells how this unusual monument gave rise to a local legend that that the women had been buried alive in sacks by Oliver Cromwell, despite Cromwell dying in 1658. Full marks for imagination but, if you are going to make up a story that you want people to believe, you should probably check your dates first. The board also directs you to the remains of a fourteenth century cross, with a recess in one of the corners suggesting that it was a ‘weeping cross’ where penitents would once come to kneel in prayer. As nosey as ever, I wanted to see inside as well as out and so I peeked through a a dirty window into the old chancel, and spotted some interesting looking stonework and signs that it still seems to be being used in some capacity. I believe that at one time it was used a Sunday school and also a classroom for the now demolished Rugeley Grammar school which once stood next to the churchyard, where the Chancel Primary school now is. Incidentally, the school has the possibly the loveliest school library I’ve ever seen, in the form of its new Discovery Deck narrowboat, built in 2013 by Nick Thorpe in Hixon and painted over the Christmas holidays by staff and parents. Unsuprisingly for a town with a canal running through it, this wasn’t the only narrowboat we saw. As we crossed back over the Trent and Mersey one was passing another of Rugeley’s ruins – an old canalside mill dating back to 1863. It seems that this part of the town’s industrial past may become apartments in the future and why not? Living in an old mill, alongside a canal, in a charming old town with the Staffordshire countryside on your doorstep? I can think of worse places to live… I had to pop into Wolverhampton today. I knew from my search for an ancient cross in Lichfield a couple of years back that there was a Saxon cross shaft here and went to find it. Unlike the Lichfield cross, I didn’t have to try too hard – it’s huge! Its size, and also the fact that it is made from sandstone not found in Wolverhampton, has led some archaeology types to suggest that it is probably a reused Roman column, possibly from Wroxeter or even just up the road in Wall. The elements and pollution have not treated the shaft kindly but its still clear that this was an incredible piece of craftmanship – the Black Country History website describes it as, ‘one of the finest cross shafts in the Midlands’. The carvings of acanthus leaves which decorate the shaft alongside those of birds and beasts have given archaeologists some problems when trying to establish a date as they suggest different periods. The plaque accompanying the shaft in the churchyard has decided to go with the earlier date of the ninth century, whilst others believe late tenth century is more accurate. On the way out of the churchyard I noticed another stone with a good back story. Known as the Bargain Stone, its said to be where the good (and probably not so good) folk of Wolverhampton would agree sales and make deals by shaking hands through the hole. The nearby plaque suggests it is an old gargoyle and the hole is what remains of its mouth. Talking of hands, why didn’t it occur to me to put my hands over the railings to take a better photo? As if ancient crosses and stones weren’t enough of a treat, we also found Holden’s Brewery’s Great Western near to the train station. This is a proper pub – cobs on the bar, Holden’s Golden Glow (amongst other delights) on tap and really friendly staff. Although we were tempted to sit outside in the sun, the interior was so quirky and there was such a nice atmosphere, we sat inside. Wished I’d got the train. Definitely not driving next time. The great Great Western We walked off our pork baps with a little bit of a wander around the city streets. This building caught my eye, not only because it has no floors, meaning you can see down into the cellar, but also because of the handwritten sign someone had stuck to the window. I’m not sure a traffic warden would be the person I’d turn to in a trapped bird scenario but maybe they do things differently in Wolverhampton. Another perplexing sign is the one suggesting that the half timbered building on the junction of Victoria St and St John’s Lane was built in AD1300. It wasn’t and no-one knows the reason behind the claim – the best suggestions anyone has seems to be that it was some kind of joke to emphasise that it was a really, really old building! It more likely dates back to the seventeenth century when it was once an inn known as The Hand. These days its home to Wolverhampton Books & Collectables, where you can buy anything from an ancient tome on the history of Staffordshire to a souvenir 1950s Wolverhampton Wanderers hankerchief (which you may, or may not, wish to blow your nose on, depending on your allegiances…). We took the scenic route back to Lichfield (not through choice but because I went the wrong way on the ring road), passing through Wednesfield, Sneyd, the intriguingly named New Invention and Brownhills before stopping off at Waitrose for a couple bottles of Golden Glow.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
One Canadians view at make up and beauty. Product reviews, tutorials, hauls and deals. Wednesday, June 16, 2010 FOTD - OCC Lips I'm a sucker for peachy, coral lip colour! I wear it almost as much as a bright red! At IMATS Vancouver this year I picked up a couple of hot items, one of those items was a couple of the OCC Lip Tars. I picked up 4, they were only $10 at the booth, and worth every penny!! I used Grandma and Hush this past Monday. Now the picture looks a little juicy, that's not at all from the Lip Tars, they dry very matte. I used MAC Lip Pencil in Mouth Off Then OCC Lip Tar in Grandma on the outer corners and blended in OCC Lip Tar in Hush in the middle Then I topped it off with Estee Lauder Lip Gloss in the peachy colour from the Michael Korres collection a while back. I don't remember the colour, this gloss lives in my purse and the label fell off a while back. These Lip Tars are super hyper mega ultimate pigmented (and that doesn't even cover how pigmented these are). I used less than a drop of each colour and there was still enough left on my brush to do another set of lips. The only thing I'm not a big fan of is the lack of staying power if you put a gloss over top. I went to work and an hour later grabbed a coffee from Starbucks. All over that classic white lid was my lip colour. :( All products were purchased by me with my own money. All opinions are mine, and mine alone, with no outside influences.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
ul.nav ul.sub li { clear: left; /* must clear any immediately preceding LI.has-sub / } ul.nav ul.sub li.has-sub { float: left; _display: inline; _clear: none; / (5) don't clear any immediately preceding LI.has-sub in IE6 since clearing is not necessary anyway in this browser, * and doing so on an LI.has-sub causes breakage when there are at least two consecutive submenu items both with subsubmenus; * however, we keep the clear on other LIs to work around another bug in which, whenever the first item of a submenu is an * li.has-sub with clear:none and the second item is a normal LI, a one-item-high vertical gap appears before normal LI * unless it has clear:left / margin-top: -10000px; / (1) set offscreen distance / height: 25px; / height of child A... / height: 10025px; / (3) ...which IE6 expands by 10000 to enclose its child A / } /HEIGHT/ .nav { height:1.563em;/you could remove this and clear the float differently, but to me this makes the most sense/ } .nav a { padding:.2em 0;/apply padding to links, to vertically center them, be careful with horizontal padding in IE5, correct width must be maintained/ } .nav a.main { height:1.563em;/needs to be the same as the persistent background trick and so that the sublevels are properly aligned/ line-height:1.563em;/not really necessary, but in this specific case it vertically centers the main link text/ overflow:hidden;/making it more bulletproof/ padding:0;/remove the padding that was applied above/ } .nav ul { padding-top:1.563em;/persistent background trick/ margin-top:-1.563em;/persistent background trick/ } .nav ul ul { position:relative;/so that it can be moved top/left/ top:-1.563em;/this is the sole reason why the main links must have a fixed height/ } /WIDTH (!IMPORTANT)/ /change each width value below, else the dropdown will stop working (:hover will still work in modern browsers because of the opera fix)/ /set the link width here/ .nav .link, .nav a { width:9em;/same as width/ } .nav ul li { /force ie8 to float-drop/ max-width:9em;/same as width/ } /set the sublink left shift width here (same as width)/ .nav ul ul { /move the sublinks to the side, so they dont overlap/ left:9em;/same as width/ } .nav li.reversed ul {/reverse the direction of sublinks for the last dropdown/ left:auto; right:9em;/same as width/ } /add the negative value of "width - 1px" here (because css can't do math)/ /or (width - 0.063em) where 0.063em is 1px on 16px base size/ .nav a { /makes the links very thin, so that the sublinks can hide inside the main link/ margin-right:-8.937em;/make this width - 1px//or width - 0.063em/ } /Dropper Dropdown/ /supports up to 4 sub-levels in IE5-7, more can be added/ /modern browsers already support any amount of sublevels/ /made by Timo Huovinen/ How it works: Same as the simplified dropdown but i have nested the dropdowns, now any link hovered withing the dropdown expands, causing a float drop for every level Info: This dropdown was created because of my hate of javascript based dropdowns. This dropdown serves to proove that it is indeed possible to create a true css only dropdown. It took about a month to make the dropdown (from idea to reality), and a week to simplify it with the help of Paul and another week to make it multilevel. And another several months to reach it's current state. It was also featured as a quiz on Paul's CSS quizzes on Sitepoint (my forum's alias is YuriKolovsky). Terms of use: The software referenced within this license is distributed free of charge and free from any warranty. It may be used freely for any purpose whatsoever. The author created and released this work because he is genuinely a Nice Person! The author sincerely hopes that end users enjoy and appreciate the hard work that went into creating it, and would appreciate being referenced in future modifications of the code since it was based on the author’s original concept and work. Users are nonetheless encouraged to provide reciprocity whenever possible as it provides positive reinforcement and encouragement to the author. Furthermore, the minimum reciprocation I ask is to leave a ‘thank you’ comment in the area below: I really like your more "easily customizable" version, it's much more neatly organized. I have two questions about it, however -- and I apologize in advance if the questions are elementary in nature. First, I would like the "Main" link at the top to be a certain color in the hover state (say blue, for instance), and for it to stay that color when I scroll down through the submenu's (which should stay a different color from the "Main" link at the top). I should add that I'd like the Main link to have a clear background when it's not being used. I was able to acheive this in Anton's version, but I'm having trouble duplicating this effect in yours. Do you have any advice on how to make this possible? Also, the second question may be a bit more obvious to some -- but I'd like to know how to make the #navigation div flush with the top of the screen, without any space in between. Hope this isn't too many questions. Thanks again for all your wonderful help. if you want the navigation to stick to the top, then you need to remove the margins and paddings from the css body element i suggest using a css reset [google it] or just this css {margin:0; padding:0;} i also found a different version of anton p's version, that i will post shortly, where he claims the bug is not present, the fixed version is a direct simplification of my version, while the broken version is a version of another persons version of my version. hope that makes it clearer :P	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Armed robbery suspects sought in Rolling Hills incident LOWER POTTSGROVE — Police are investigating a robbery in which two men reportedly pointed handguns at their victims before stealing two cell phones Sunday. Four people were inside a residence at Rolling Hills Apartments when the two robbers entered and pointed silver and dark colored semi-automatic handguns at them around 6:25 p.m., according to Lower Pottsgrove Police. The men asked for money from the victims but settled for the cell phones when they found out the victims had no money on them, police said. The suspects then fled on foot toward the front of the apartment complex, the same way they approached the apartments. After a K-9 unit from the Limerick Police searched the area, the suspects were not found and there was no conclusive direction of travel on their escape. No one was injured in the incident, according to the Lower Pottsgrove Police. Both suspects are described by police as being clean-shaven black males in their 20s. The first suspect reportedly was light-skinned, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, tan or camouflage pants, a knit hat and Timberland boots. The second suspect was reportedly dark-skinned and wearing dark-colored clothing. The Lower Pottsgrove Police and Limerick Police were assisted on scene by the New Hanover, Douglass (Montgomery) and Pottstown police. Anyone with information on the incident or the suspects’ identities is asked to contact Officer Dan Kienle or Detective Joe Campbell with the Lower Pottsgrove Police at 610-323-1508. An anonymous tip may be left at the Lower Pottsgrove Police’s tip line at 610-323-1130.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Fresh off one of their worst games in recent memory, Central Michigan will get a chance to rebound against…Virginia Tech. Not exactly the opponent a MAC team is looking for coming off a flat performance, but the Chippewas matchup against the Hokies should be a good indicator of where CMU currently...[details]	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Keyondra Lockett Keyondra Lockett From Keyondra Lockett Keyondra Lockett For Fans Of Connect From Keyondra Lockett Keyondra Lockett, a member of Stellar Nominated Gospel Group Zie'l, presents her music with a jazzy, soulful, gospel mix. Currently her renditions of Faith Evans "Again" and Elle Varners "Refill",featured on the mixtape Soul Couture are being played nation wide by radio and internet stations. She looks forward to continuing a successful gospel career magnifying His utmost. Soul Couture available NOW!!!!!!!	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
XBMC: Perfect Home Media Server. Intro & Hardware Since I’ve recently made the move from Mac OSX to Linux, I’ve been toying with the idea of swapping my standard (and expensive) cable TV for something slightly more suitable… I’ve used XBMC (xbox media center, which nowadays has nothing to do with xbox) for a while on other systems and with some config, I reckon it could make a good TV. I had some old hardware laying around, a HP xw4400, Dual Core Duo Intel CPU, 4GiB RAM, new DVD drive and new 1TiB HDD and the standard 300ish GiB HDD, I slapped a cheap £30 graphics card in there so it can handle HD well and a gigabit NIC, wired of course. I ran an Ethernet from my AirPort Extreme router to the TV with the HP computer (connected by HDMI) and started on the software… Software and Server After toying with #! (crunchbang 10 – also see my Skype hack) and realising, although it is an amazing OS, it’s certainly not up to scratch for an everyday-telly. I found that XBMC had it’s own Ubuntu based OS called XBMCbuntu 12, and as it is based on Ubuntu it’s very stable and versatile. After installing, it turns out, it’s based on the LXDE Ubuntu (the new-ish lightweight desktop edition) with some custom settings and skins. (there is very little online documentation for the XBMCbuntu OS) By default, if memory serves me correctly, XBMCbuntu OS when first installed tries to boot directly into the plain XBMC session, which is not quite what I’m after as even though XBMC App is very good at what it does, it cannot replace the Desktop Environment for running other programs (such as Firefox) or managing files quite yet. XBMCbuntu OS will always use the last used session when automatically logging in so we only need to change the session once to have our TV boot into a Desktop Environment every time – then we can manually start XBMC App by clicking the desktop icon or setting it to autostart, we can always get back to the DE underneath by closing XBMC App by clicking the ‘power’ icon in the bottom-left of the default XBMC App skin and choosing “Exit”. To change the session, simply logout. From the LXDE session (aka XBMCbuntu), just go to Menu > Logout From XBMC session, go to the ‘Power’ button on the bottom-left of the default XBMC App skin and choose ‘Exit’. Once logged out, go to the dropdown box and choose which session you would like to use, in my case, XBMCbuntu (LXDE). Config Note: I had a problem with the text being massive or really small, I can’t quite remember – but to fix it, all you need to do is manually change the xorg.conf DPI settings – there is loads on Google about this… Setting up extra internal HDD Next I needed to setup the new internal 1TB HDD which will store all the movies and TV Shows for XBMC App. (mine was already formatted to ext4, you can always install gparted via synaptic if yours needs formatting, I recommend using ext3 or ext4). To easily setup a HDD, use MountManager which can be installed via synaptic and have it mount the HDD to “/mnt/1TB” or something similar, later you can then get XBMC App to look in there for the movies and TV shows. Installing Other Software First things first, to make package/software installing easy and not all via the terminal, install Synaptic Package Manager, by entering this in a Terminal (Menu > System Tools > XTerm): sudo apt-get install synaptic Now we wont need to constantly use the terminal to install software, which is nice when your using a primarily GUI orientated environment for a TV. File Management and Useful Programs By default XBMCbuntu OS comes with PCManFM a lightweight file manager, I much prefer Thunar and Thunar’s Bulk Renaming facility can come in handy for renaming lots of TV Shows. I also installed Firefox over the default Chromium, Xarchiver for unpacking rar/zip/tar files, leafpad or geany for editing config files and Transmission bit-torrent client for downloading all my Linux based OS’s, see my Transmission post for info about optimising. Netflix Check out my installing Netflix on Ubuntu or XBMCbuntu post. (soon to come) HID – Remote Control One of the major issues with replacing your TV with a media server like this is the lack of a remote control. Now, I do have a wireless keyboard and mouse but they can be quite inconvenient when watching TV from the sofa. I would much prefer to use my iPhone/iPad/other computer to control the TV. While using XBMC App, you can use one of the many iOS apps such as Constellation(my fav – just turn the phone sideways to see the remote) which can operate XBMC out-of-the-box, without any additional software. However, if you want to operate the Desktop Environment without using the keyboard and mouse, the best way is to use VNC, IMHO. When at another computer you can use a VNC client as usual. When on the sofa, you can use HippoRemote, for iOS – which basically turns your iPhone into a laptop-trackpad-style mouse. (I highly recommend) Auto-Starting Programs You might want to automatically start some programs with your LXDE (XBMCbuntu session), such as: Transmission (minimised to try – see my custom shortcut) VNC Server or even XBMC App its self. Luckily with LXDE, this is easy. You only need to add a desktop shortcut to a particular folder. To make your own desktop shortcuts (e.g. for a custom VNC server bash sript) you need to make a text file called “whatever.desktop” containing these lines: Or you can just right click on a menu item and click “Add to Desktop” and copy the shortcut from the desktop. When you’ve got the shortcuts for the programs you’d like to autostart, simply copy them into the folder: /home/USER/.config/autostart/ Where “USER” is replaced with your username also remember that folders starting with a dot are hidden. If the autostart folder doesn’t exist, just create it. Custom Programs Above I mentioned a few custom shortcuts that I use to load YouTube TV (a little known service from youtube which can be accessed from [https://youtube.com/tv/]) and my VNC server bash script. VNC Server – after you install x11vnc(a rather good VNC server), you can have it autostart by using a shortcut in the “~/.config/autostart/” folder pointing to this bash script: #!/bin/bash /usr/bin/x11vnc -display :0 -forever -bg If your using the shortcuts I made and offered up for download above, just copy this code into and text editor like leafpad and save to “/home/USER/Programs/vnc-server-0.sh” and don’t forget to edit the username in my downloadable shortcuts! (to allow the .sh file to run, you need to make it executable by right-clicking it and going to Properties > Permissions and ticking “Allow this file to run as a program”) or use the code in the download above. File Transfer and SSH SSH comes installed by default in XBMCbuntu OS, so you might want to secure that by following my posts about SSH Basics and Safer SSH.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Objects This will print 'textmore text'. But if I do a similar thing with a String object, the value doesn't change. For example : s will still print out surrounded by spaces. I'm assuming that the reason for this is the same reason that makes any other object equal to sb change at the same time that you change sb. Whereas, changing the value of s will not change the value of any object that was set equal to it. Thanks! Ok Jessica ... it seems quite interesting and confusing..Yes Strings are immutable..and I was thnking if this is the case than perhaps in case1: ****** String x = " test "; x = x.trim(); System.out.println(x); will print the test without spaces...what I am assuming that : 1. in first step it is acually doing String x = new String(" test "); 2. In second step it reassigning the value ..that is Ok as in immutable I can't change but reassign the things. 3. And in third step my Sytem print is printing the trimmed value. But in second case: case2: *** String x = " test "; System.out.println(x.trim()); why it is trimming the value? I am not reassinging and if it is immutable than it can't altered this? One of collegue has an idea that when you do System println it actually works in Stringbuffer in background and converts back to String using toString() method... is it so? if not how the JVM is alterring the value? regards, Arun pascal betz Ranch Hand Posts: 547 posted 14 years ago hi in your second case your printing the return value of the trim() method which is of type String. so String x = " * " creates a String, and x.trim() returns a copy of this string with whitespaces ommitted. in your println statement you do not assign the return value (you cannot access it outside of the println statement). here is what javadoc says: Returns: A copy of this string with leading and trailing white space removed, or this string if it has no leading or trailing white space. p	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Ground Zero is a Rock 'N Roll club that has hosted such artists as: Incubus, Hank III, White Chapel, Lamb Of God, Bullet For My Valentine, Slayer, Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, Megadeth, and ICP just to name a few. Open to any genre and everyone is welcome.Cash bar, cheapest drinks, and a lot of history.Over 20 years of history and counting... The Upstate's home for music lovers... Hours: Hours vary depending on the show, so be sure to check out our Calendar on our facebook https://www.facebook.com/groundzeroSC/	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Popular content It’s mid-summer and there’s no end in sight for the travelers heading to Smith Mountain Lake. At the SML Visitor Center located at Bridgewater Plaza, our staff and volunteers have the unique opportunity to speak with everyone who enters our doors. A larger than usual number are first-time visitors and many have expressed their joy in discovering Smith Mountain Lake. In fact, they LOVE this region. There seems to be an up-tick in the number and severity of incidents around the lake over the past several weeks. Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire Rescue reports: * We have had two drownings at the lake this year. * Two 14 year old children were very seriously injured while operating jet skis in Hatcher Creek. The skis collided with each other at speed resulting in the injuries. North Korea has upped its level of threats against the United States. As of this writing, senior North Korean officials have threatened to simultaneously launch four ballistic missiles toward Guam sometime in the second half of this month. The missiles are to pass over Japan and land in the ocean near Guam. When liberals first pointed out that American racists were now known as “the alt right,” and calling themselves “white nationalists,” conservatives said, huh, what? We’ve never even heard of that, they claimed. Well, after last week’s tragic events in Charlottesville, they know about it now, don’t they? Or will they continue to bury their heads in the sand, and act as though Donald Trump wasn’t largely elected by racists, the “angry whites” we’ve heard so much about. Four family stories of endurance begin in the Ohio wilderness of 1798. A bone-chilling wind whipped through the forest, the howling harbinger of a driving snowstorm. John Hosbrook had run into a blizzard on his homeward hike from the fort where he had replenished his family’s salt supply. That family and a warm cabin awaited him—if only he could get there. Toilets at Liberty High School’s (LHS) new baseball field were a major part of a presentation on the Liberty Middle School construction project. The project includes building a competition gym for the high school and the new gym is displacing the high school’s baseball field. A new high school baseball field is being built on a portion of the land purchased for the middle school. As the new school year begins, I’d like to make our community aware of a wonderfully meaningful experience that has been in our area for several years: The Big Brothers Big Sisters Site-Based Mentor Program. It is designed to pair a caring adult with a child in need of extra support. They meet once weekly at school for about an hour during the child’s lunch/recess time. Matt Uselton, Liberty’s new head golf coach, stepped into an unfamiliar role... or rather, sport, in June 2017. The English teacher has been coaching since the early 2000s, but is tackling the challenge of coaching his third different sport. Uselton’s athletic coaching career began at William Byrd in 2005 with boys varsity tennis. He also assisted with Byrd’s JV girls soccer team for a season. He then moved into Bedford County where he assisted Staunton River’s boys soccer team with former Liberty teacher, Kris McCoy.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Impact : guidelines for North Carolina media and technology programs IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education \| Department of Public Instruction Instructional Technology Division AUGUST 2005 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION In compliance with federal law, NC Public Schools administers all state-operated educational programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to: Dr. Elsie C. Leak, Associate Superintendent : : Office of Curriculum and School Reform Services 6307 Mail Service Center :: Raleigh, NC 27699-6307 :: Telephone 919-807-3761 :: Fax 919-807-3767 Visit us on the Web:: www.ncpublicschools.org HOWARD N. LEE Chairman : : Raleigh JANE P. NORWOOD Vice Chair : : Charlotte KATHY A. TAFT Greenville MICHELLE HOWARD-VITAL Wilmington EDGAR D. MURPHY Durham SHIRLEY E. HARRIS * Troy MELISSA E. BARTLETT * Mooresville ROBERT “TOM” SPEED Boone WAYNE MCDEVITT Asheville JOHN TATE III Charlotte BEVERLY PERDUE Lieutenant Governor :: New Bern RICHARD MOORE State Treasurer : : Kittrell * not yet confirmed May 25, 2005 NORTH CAROLINA MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS: It is with great pleasure that I commend to you the revised IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs. The acknowledgement of the equal importance of both the school library media and the instructional technology programs in teaching and learning is the premise of these guidelines. We know that school library media and instructional technology programs are the foundation of a 21st Century education. The access to information that these programs afford makes the difference between the textbook-bound classroom of the past and the far-reaching, resource-based curriculum of today and tomorrow. Research tells us that instructional technology, used appropriately, results in higher test scores. It is remarkably effective in sparking student interest, increasing motivation, and raising self-esteem, thus positively impacting student achievement. Research also tells us that a school library media center that provides up-to-date, accurate, and attractive resources managed by a professional school library media coordinator who collaborates with teachers to augment and enhance classroom instruction also results in increased test scores, especially in reading. IMPACT reflects both the reality of this research and the commitment to assuring that every teacher and student has the academic and personal advantage of access to these high quality programs. No North Carolina citizen can be left behind! Implementing the IMPACT Guidelines in your school assures that our youngest citizens, their parents, and their teachers will have the skills necessary to enter the 21st Century world of work and civic responsibility. The school library media and instructional technology program and the resources it promotes are central to the success of North Carolina’s ABCs of Public Education and to Governor Easley’s 21st Century Learning Skills priority--in fact, to all school reform initiatives throughout the state. IMPACT and the excellence it fosters are a part of the vision and accountability necessary to produce schools that are First in America. Howard N. Lee, Chairman, Start Board of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We welcome the opportunity to express appreciation to the following workgroup participants who contributed their time, enthusiasm, and expertise in the development of this document. LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES Beaufort County Patricia Morris Carteret County Janet McLendon Catawba County Judith Ray Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Hennie Driggers Chapel Hill-Carrboro Mary Gray Leonard Chatham County Kimberly M. Johnson Davidson County Karen Perry Gaston County Vivien R. Timmons Granville County Dasie Roberts Harnett County Tammy Genthe Haywood County L. Kinney Iredell-Statesville Barb Thorson Lenoir County Julie Lee Orange County Sonya Terry NW RESA Karen Lowe Perquimans County Victor Eure Perquimans County Melissa Fields Perquimans County Cynthia Stallings Pitt County Kerry Mebane Rockingham County Martha Carroll Rockingham County Donna Edrington Transylvania County Carrie H. Kirby Wake County Rusty Taylor Watauga County Shannon Carrol Wilkes County Jaye Ellen Parks Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Jackie Pierson Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Jo Sapp INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Appalachian State University Robert Sanders, PhD East Carolina University Diane D. Kester, PhD University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evelyn Daniel, PhD University of North Carolina at Greensboro Nona Pryor NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Frances Bryant Bradburn John Brim Glen Buck Karen Creech Mary Lou Daily Acacia Dixon Janice Dunning Zena Harvley-Felder Benny Hendrix Melanie Honeycutt Ouida Myers Campbell Price Donna Sawyer Gerry Solomon Dan Sparlin Wynn Smith Annemarie Timmerman FOREWORD Welcome to the revised edition of IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs! IMPACT continues to be a part of the overall vision of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. It recognizes that an effective school library media and technology program is the infrastructure that supports both teaching and learning. This program is the key to making education relevant to a knowledge-based society and its economy. IMPACT is aligned to Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, the national standards for media and technology programs, the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards, and a growing body of school library media and instructional technology research. Also reflecting the recommendations of the 2005-2009 North Carolina Educational Technology Plan, IMPACT acknowledges the importance of staffing each school in North Carolina with both a school library media coordinator and a technology facilitator. It also reflects a commitment to provide a roadmap for an integrated media and technology program once these positions are in place. It offers assessment instruments to assist in the evaluation of the media and technology program designed to move us toward the State Board of Education goals of rigor, relevance, and relationships, the foundation of a 21st Century educational and economic environment. The revision of IMPACT reflects the reality that the media and technology program and its resources are not static. In fact, they are constantly evolving, mandating on-going update and revision. Thus, while there is a one-time print edition of this document, it is also a Web-based publication <www.ncwiseowl.org/impact.htm>. The online version of IMPACT will be updated regularly, new resources created, further links added. It will always be a work in progress. IMPACT is also a publication for many audiences. Media and technology personnel can no longer publish a document simply for themselves. IMPACT for Administrators and <http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/Admin/AdminImpact.htm> IMPACT for Classroom Teachers <http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/impact/> are targeted at those whom our program directly affects: students, teachers, administrators, parents, and the community. Also available are videos that allow everyone to see and expand their understanding of how an IMPACT Model School functions on a day-to-day basis. <http://video.dpi.state.nc.us/eforums/impact_videos/> Only when everyone concerned with the education of our children understands the integral part that the media and technology program plays in high student achievement will the commitment to fund these resources be made. Thus, it is imperative that we use IMPACT to inform all citizens in North Carolina of the importance of our role in education. Media and technology professionals live in exciting times. The public is beginning to understand the link between our programs and services and a high quality education. We dare not squander this opportunity. IMPACT is a tool that will help media and technology personnel at both the state and local levels work together to plan and build effective, comprehensive teaching and learning environments for the 21st Century. We look forward to the challenge! Frances Bryant Bradburn, Director Division of Instructional Technology TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL: A HOW-TO GUIDE ..................................................5 PHASE 1: Building Support ....................................................................................5 PHASE 2: Readiness Assessment ............................................................................6 PHASE 3: Setting the Stage for Successful Collaboration ..........................................6 PHASE 4: Formal Collaboration ...............................................................................7 PHASE 5: Beyond the Classroom .............................................................................7 On-going: Evaluation ...............................................................................................8 DEALING WITH THE CHANGE THAT THE IMPACT MODEL WILL BRING ...............................9 Using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to Move Teachers Forward in the IMPACT Model .................................................................................9 What Teachers Must Be Willing to Do .....................................................................11 THE TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR SCENARIO ....................................................................13 SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA COORDINATOR SCENARIO .......................................................15 WORKS CITED ...............................................................................................................17 TABLE OF CONTENTS i TEACHING AND LEARNING VISION ..........................................................................................................................19 COLLABORATION ...........................................................................................................19 INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS ............................................20 ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN THE TEACHING/ LEARNING PROCESS .....................................................................................................22 COLLABORATION FOR ASSESSMENT, RESEARCH, AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT ..............23 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT .....................................................................................24 Professional Development for Media and Technology Professionals ............................25 Assessing Professional Development .......................................................................25 Planning High Quality Professional Development .....................................................25 Ensuring High Quality Professional Development .....................................................26 The National Staff Development Council Standards .................................................27 North Carolina Professional Development Standards ................................................27 COLLABORATION THROUGH FLEXIBLE ACCESS ..............................................................31 FLEXIBLE ACCESS LOOKS LIKE THIS ..............................................................................33 COLLABORATING TO ACHIEVE INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS ...................................................33 LEADERSHIP AND THE CHANGE PROCESS .....................................................................34 MAKING FLEXIBLE ACCESS AND COLLABORATION WORK ...............................................34 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS .....................................36 IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING SESSIONS ................................38 ADVOCACY: COMMUNICATING FLEXIBLE ACCESS AND COLLABORATION .........................40 READING AND LITERACY ...............................................................................................41 COLLABORATION: MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY, READING, AND LITERACY ..........................42 READING PROGRAMS OR READING? ..............................................................................45 WORKS CITED ...............................................................................................................47 ii IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs INFORMATION ACCESS AND DELIVERY INFORMATION ACCESS AND DELIVERY: THE HEART OF EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS ..............53 RESOURCES, NEEDS, AND CHOICES ..............................................................................54 MAKING RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ................................................................................55 The Role of Media and Technology Professionals .....................................................55 Vital Components for Resource Access and Delivery .................................................55 PLANNING AND DESIGNING FACILITIES FOR LEARNING .................................................58 People and Responsibilities ...................................................................................58 Overall Facility Design: Basic Considerations ...........................................................60 Important Elements of Good Design .......................................................................61 Access .................................................................................................................62 Location ..............................................................................................................62 Exceptional Children Facilities ...............................................................................63 Aesthetics and Atmosphere ...................................................................................64 Ergonomics ..........................................................................................................64 Mechanics and Engineering ...................................................................................65 Safety ..................................................................................................................66 Security ...............................................................................................................66 Design Considerations for Spaces within the Facility ................................................67 Designing for Growth and Development ...................................................................68 Designing for the Infusion of Technology .................................................................68 Designing for Expanded Hours and Use ..................................................................68 Designing for Flexible Use .....................................................................................68 DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................69 Details Matter ......................................................................................................69 Four Preliminary Steps ..........................................................................................69 Components of Educational Specifications ..............................................................71 EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SCHOOL AND MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY SPACES ..........72 Classrooms ...........................................................................................................73 Flexibly Accessed Computer Labs .........................................................................75 Distance Learning via the N.C. Information Highway ...............................................76 Staff Offices ........................................................................................................77 Technology Administration and Planning .................................................................78 Conference Areas .................................................................................................79 Workrooms ..........................................................................................................80 Auditoriums, Cafeterias, and Gymnasiums .............................................................81 TABLE OF CONTENTS iii EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER ..................82 Visualizing Use of Space ......................................................................................82 Some Key Design Questions .................................................................................82 Charts of Recommendations .................................................................................82 Minimum Square Footage .....................................................................................83 Large Group Instruction .......................................................................................85 Reference ...........................................................................................................86 Story Sharing ......................................................................................................87 Independent Work Areas .......................................................................................88 Small Group Activity ............................................................................................88 Informal Reading .................................................................................................89 Production ..........................................................................................................90 Periodical Storage ................................................................................................91 Administration and Planning .................................................................................92 Circulation ..........................................................................................................93 Automated Catalog ..............................................................................................94 Professional Area .................................................................................................95 Parent Resource Area ...........................................................................................96 Workroom ...........................................................................................................97 Display and Exhibit ..............................................................................................98 Secure Equipment Storage, Distribution, and Maintenance .....................................98 EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR FURNITURE, SHELVING, AND BUILT-INS ................99 General Considerations .........................................................................................99 Guidelines for Shelving .......................................................................................100 Maximum Heights for Different Types of Furniture and Shelving .............................101 More Helpful Tips about Furniture and Shelving ...................................................102 GENERAL TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INSTRUCTION .....................................104 Network Server, Head-end Area ...........................................................................104 Video Wiring Closet Area ......................................................................................104 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................105 iv IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION PLANNING THE PROGRAM ............................................................................................107 Why Plan? ..........................................................................................................107 Vision: the Key to Success ..................................................................................108 Short-term and Long-term Planning .....................................................................108 BEING THE CHANGE AGENT .........................................................................................109 Advocating for the Program ..................................................................................110 MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITIES ...............................................................................................116 BUDGETING FOR THE PROGRAM ..................................................................................118 Some Facts about Budget and Funding ................................................................118 Developing an Effective Budget ...........................................................................118 Primary Sources of Funding ................................................................................121 Other Sources of Funding ...................................................................................121 Writing Budget Proposals ....................................................................................122 POLICY ........................................................................................................................123 Policy and Procedure Defined ...............................................................................123 Creating Policy and Procedure Manuals .................................................................125 Components of a Policy Document ........................................................................126 Components of a Procedure Document .................................................................127 Policy, Procedures, and Guidelines Implementation Chart .......................................128 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................129 Vision .................................................................................................................129 Role of the MTAC in Collection Development .........................................................129 Role of the School Library Media Coordinator ........................................................130 Role of the Technology Facilitator .........................................................................130 Assessing the Collection ......................................................................................131 Assessing the Collection: Methods ........................................................................132 Assessing the Collection: Collection Mapping .........................................................133 Assessing the Collection: Resource Alignment ........................................................135 Assessing the Collection: Systematic Random Sampling .........................................136 Automated Assessments ......................................................................................137 Weeding the Collection ........................................................................................139 Guide to Weeding the Collection ...........................................................................141 Collecting Data ...................................................................................................143 The Non-print Collection ......................................................................................143 Writing a Collection Development Plan ..................................................................147 Developing a Budget ...........................................................................................148 TABLE OF CONTENTS v Selecting Resources ............................................................................................149 Some Guiding Questions for Selecting Resources ...................................................149 Selecting Equipment, Hardware, and Infrastructure ................................................151 Conducting an Inventory ......................................................................................152 What is inventory? ...............................................................................................152 Why inventory? ....................................................................................................152 Guidelines for Scheduling Inventory ......................................................................152 School Equipment Inventory .................................................................................152 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................153 SYSTEM-LEVEL GUIDELINES SYSTEM-LEVEL LEADERSHIP ........................................................................................157 TEACHING AND LEARNING ...........................................................................................159 Collaborating to Achieve Goals ............................................................................159 Being Involved with the Curriculum .....................................................................159 Providing Professional Development .....................................................................160 Planning, Research, and Development .................................................................160 INFORMATION ACCESS AND DELIVERY .........................................................................161 Establishing Infrastructure and Connectivity .........................................................161 Standardizing Resources and Equipment ..............................................................161 Planning for New and Renovated Facilities ...........................................................162 Ensuring Equity .................................................................................................162 Managing Resources ...........................................................................................162 PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION .......................................................................................163 Strengthening Communication and Public Relations ..............................................163 Establishing Policies and Procedures ...................................................................163 Recruiting, Selecting, and Retaining Personnel .....................................................164 Attending to Budget Basics .................................................................................164 Developing Collections ........................................................................................165 Evaluating Programs ...........................................................................................165 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................166 vi IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs RESEARCH AND EVALUATION COMPELLING DATA FROM CURRENT RESEARCH ...........................................................167 RESEARCH ...................................................................................................................172 Scientifically Based Research ...............................................................................173 Action Research ..................................................................................................174 Data-Driven Decision Making in the Media and Technology Program ........................175 Measuring the Media and Technology Program .......................................................175 Using School Data for Program Decisions ..............................................................175 EVALUATION ................................................................................................................176 HOW TO EVALUATE PROGRAMS ....................................................................................177 Guidelines for Evaluation .....................................................................................178 USING OUTPUT MEASURES FOR EVALUATION ...............................................................179 REFERENCE CHART: MEASURES AND WHAT THEY SUPPORT .........................................183 RESEARCH AND EVALUATION MODELS ..........................................................................184 Comprehensive Program Evaluation Model .............................................................184 Technology Focused Evaluation Models .................................................................185 PROGRAM EVALUATION RUBRICS .................................................................................186 Media and Technology Program Evaluation Rubrics ................................................187 System-Level Leadership and Support Evaluation Rubrics .......................................197 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................205 TABLE OF CONTENTS vii APPENDICES APPENDICES TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................207 AMTR Guidelines ................................................................................................209 Collaborative Planning Session Rubric ...................................................................213 How to Talk to a Principal ....................................................................................217 Guidelines for Baseline Information in Media and Technology Policies .....................219 Suggested Guidelines for the Reconsideration of Instructional Materials – Sample Policy .....................................................................................................239 Job Descriptions ..................................................................................................245 Media and Technology Advisory Committee ............................................................265 One-to-One Computing ........................................................................................269 Media Coordinator Performance Appraisal Instrument .............................................271 Technology Facilitator Performance Appraisal Instrument ........................................275 Sample Schedules – Media and Technology ...........................................................279 School Library Media Coordinator without a Technology Facilitator ...........................287 Wireless Local Area Network ................................................................................289 GLOSSARY GLOSSARY ..................................................................................................................293 BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY ...........................................................................................................303 viii IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION 1 INTRODUCTION “TECHNOLOGY IGNITES OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING, ENGAGES TODAY’S STUDENTS AS ACTIVE LEARNERS AND PARTICIPANTS IN DECISION-MAKING ON THEIR OWN EDUCATIONAL FUTURES AND PREPARES OUR NATION FOR THE DEMANDS OF A GLOBAL SOCIETY IN THE 21ST CENTURY.” Toward A New Golden Age In American Education: How the Internet, the Law, and Today’s Students are Revolutionizing Expectation, National Education Technology Plan 2004, U.S. Department of Education, <http://www.nationaledtechplan.org/default.asp> “THE CHALLENGE FACING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS IS THE EMPOWERMENT OF ALL CHILDREN TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY IN THEIR FUTURE, A FUTURE MARKED INCREASINGLY WITH CHANGE, INFORMATION GROWTH, AND EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES. TECHNOLOGY IS A POWERFUL TOOL WITH ENORMOUS POTENTIAL FOR PAVING HIGH-SPEED HIGHWAYS, [MOVING THEM] FROM OUTDATED EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS TO SYSTEMS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL, TO BETTER SERVE THE NEEDS OF 21ST CENTURY WORK COMMUNICATIONS, LEARNING, AND LIFE.” National Educational Technology Standards for Students, Connecting Curriculum and Technology, International Society for Technology in Education, 2000. 2 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs “INFORMATION LITERACY--THE ABILITY TO FIND AND USE INFORMATION-- IS THE KEYSTONE OF LIFELONG LEARNING. CREATING A FOUNDATION FOR LIFELONG LEARNING IS AT THE HEART OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM. JUST AS THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER HAS MOVED FAR BEYOND A ROOM WITH BOOKS TO BECOME AN ACTIVE, TECHNOLOGY-RICH LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WITH AN ARRAY OF INFORMATION RESOURCES, THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST TODAY FOCUSES ON THE PROCESS OF LEARNING RATHER THAN DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION. THE LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM COMBINES EFFECTIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES WITH INFORMATION ACCESS SKILLS. INFORMATION AVAILABILITY WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTINUE TO MUSHROOM INTO THE NEXT CENTURY, WHICH WILL MAKE A STRONG SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM EVEN MORE ESSENTIAL TO HELP ITS USERS ACQUIRE THE SKILLS THEY WILL NEED TO HARNESS AND USE INFORMATION FOR A PRODUCTIVE AND FULFILLING LIFE.” Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, American Library Association, Chicago, 1998. Through the State Board of Education’s Strategic Plan for Excellent Schools, every child has the opportunity to achieve at his or her highest potential in the fast-paced, ever-changing environment of the 21st century. The rapid advance of technology requires that all educators continually upgrade their skills, knowledge bases, and perspectives. Media and technology programs are an integral part of education. Collaboration is the key. Teachers and media and technology personnel collaborate to create a 21st century learning environment in which student learning is the focus. Students simultaneously collaborate with each other and their teachers to learn how to solve problems, complete real world tasks, and take charge of their own progress. The added value of this collaborative, media and technology-enhanced environment is thoughtful planning, differentiated instruction, and smaller class size. IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs, released in 2000, provided guidelines for school library media coordinators and technology facilitators in North Carolina. The 2005 revision of the document updates information in the original, continues to reflect national, state, and professional standards, and adds a step-by-step guide to becoming an IMPACT school. It also provides recommendations for programs, personnel, budgets, policies, resources, and facilities that will guide media and technology programs as they support a resource-rich, technology-rich learning environment. IMPACT will help meet the information and technology challenge facing North Carolina schools in the new millennium. As a result, media and technology programs will: IMPACT TEACHING, IMPACT LEARNING, IMPACT MOTIVATION, AND IMPACT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. INTRODUCTION 3 4 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL A How-to Guide Dealing with the Change that the IMPACT Model Will Bring The Technology Facilitator Scenario School Library Media Coordinator Scenario Works Cited IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL: A HOW-TO GUIDE Educators in schools interested in implementing the IMPACT Model always ask, “What is the best way to begin?” While one school might decide to implement all portions of the model simultaneously--hiring all the staff, implementing flexible access, and initiating monthly grade-level collaborative planning sessions, others prefer a phased-in model to help staff prepare for the change in school culture that will ensue. The following guide offers strategies for implementing the IMPACT Model regardless of the timeline that a school adopts. Please be aware, however, that all change is difficult. Moving quickly and resolutely toward a new program may be less painful than a drawn-out implementation. PHASE 1: Building Support The first step in implementing the IMPACT Model is creating an awareness of the benefits of the model to students and teachers. Administrative support is critical to implementing the model. The principal should be an instructional leader who participates fully in the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC). Teachers and all stakeholders should be represented on the MTAC. Research on the benefits of flexible scheduling can be shared with the MTAC whose members will serve as advocates for the IMPACT Model within the school and community. Parents and community members should be represented on the MTAC. The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator should be active participants in the School Improvement Team, ensuring that information and technology skills are addressed within the school improvement plan. A school wide planning retreat focusing on change, flexibility, and collaboration provides the opportunity to share research on the IMPACT Model and address initial concerns among the total staff. The MTAC should communicate with educators in other schools in North Carolina that have successfully implemented the IMPACT Model and learn from their experiences. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 5 PHASE 2: Readiness Assessment The second step in implementing the IMPACT Model is determining the readiness of your school for successful implementation. Consider the following needs as you design this assessment: The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator, in collaboration with the system-level technology director and system-level media director, should review IMPACT guidelines and North Carolina Educational Technology Plan recommendations for determining additional personnel. The media coordinator and technology facilitator should conduct a needs assessment for staff to determine their readiness to utilize technology and information in a collaborative environment. This assessment may include technology application skills, technology integration skills, flexible scheduling utilization, understanding of collaborative teaching and learning, and how to ask open-ended questions. Content area curriculum mapping/pacing guides should be reviewed and updated for alignment to the Standard Course Of Study, relevance to current classroom practice, and consistency across grade levels and subject areas. The infrastructure should be evaluated for adequacy according to the standards described in the North Carolina Educational Technology Plan. Hardware access and software resources should be evaluated for adequacy and age appropriateness according to North Carolina Educational Technology Plan standards. The media collection should be evaluated through a collection analysis that maps resources to the curriculum. A long-term collection development plan should be created based on the collection analysis. The collection should balance print and nonprint resources. The media center schedule should be evaluated for its capacity to provide point-of- need resources and services to students and staff. The master schedule should be reviewed for options to create flexible access to media and technology facilities and personnel. The existing budget should be evaluated for the capacity to fund needs identified in the readiness assessment. All potential external and internal sources of funding should be identified in consultation with the system-level technology director, the system-level media director, and the principal. The MTAC should conduct a benchmark assessment of the media and technology program using IMPACT rubrics. PHASE 3: Setting the Stage for Successful Collaboration The next step in implementing the IMPACT Model is to create a foundation for collaborative planning that addresses needs identified in the readiness assessment. The principal will attempt to meet personnel needs through re-assignment of existing staff and recommendations to the superintendent for hiring additional staff. With the support of the MTAC, the principal should articulate school-wide expectations for collaboration. This may include a master planning calendar based on curriculum mapping/pacing guides. The principal will develop a schedule to provide flexible access to the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator and facilities. The media coordinator and technology facilitator will acquire print and non-print resources based on the collection development plan. 6 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs The media coordinator and technology facilitator will acquire adequate hardware/ software according to the recommendations of the North Carolina Educational Technology Plan and the MTAC committee. These acquisitions should include adaptive technologies for students with special needs. The media coordinator and technology facilitator will offer professional development on best practices in using technology and media resources to support student achievement. The system-level technology director will upgrade building infrastructure to meet North Carolina Educational Technology Plan standards. The media coordinator and technology facilitator, with the principal and teachers, will analyze student data to identify school-wide student needs. As members of the School Improvement Team, the media coordinator and technology facilitator will identify goals for technology/information skills integration in the School Improvement Plan. The media coordinator and technology facilitator, with input from the MTAC, will redesign the media center and classrooms to accommodate differentiation of instructional activities with technology and flexible grouping. PHASE 4: Formal Collaboration The ultimate step in implementing the IMPACT model is creating collaborative planning times. Using this time, the school library media coordinator, technology facilitator, and classroom teachers collaboratively will: Plan together to create and evaluate multidisciplinary units of instruction integrating technology/information skills across the curriculum; Design differentiated instructional activities to meet individual student needs; Identify regular common planning time for team collaboration by grade level and subject; Assess student products emerging from collaboratively planned units of instruction (New assessment tools and rubrics should be created as needed.); Celebrate student achievement and recognize teachers for their successes; Evaluate the outcomes of common planning times using a variety of methods such as surveys, reflections, and plus/delta charts. PHASE 5: Beyond the Classroom Collaborative planning will expand the opportunities for integrating resources beyond the classroom. The increased use of media and technology resources in instruction makes it important to expand access to these resources beyond the traditional school day and the traditional school community. The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator will identify and integrate outside resources into collaborative units of instruction. These resources may include local, state, and national educational resources including print, digital, and human resources. The media coordinator and technology facilitator will work with partners to provide after school programs for children, parents, and community members. (For example, Computer Camps, Computer Clubs, Book Clubs, technology training for adults, family technology and reading nights.) The media center and technology facilities may be opened extended hours and staffed by educators who have negotiated flexible hours with the administration, by separately hired staff, and/or by volunteers. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 7 ON-GOING: Evaluation Implementation of the IMPACT Model may be evaluated by the MTAC using the following guided reflection questions. What impact does a supportive environment have on media and technology access and use? What impact do media, technology, and collaboration have on the total school program? What impact does communication have on the total school program? What impact do research-based practices in technology, literacy, and information skills have on student learning? Does integration of technology/information skills throughout the curriculum enhance student learning? What areas of the curriculum can most effectively be enhanced with technology/ information skills? Does the use of technology as a learning tool improve student achievement? To what extent is data used in making decisions about hardware/software allocations and selection of media resources? To what extent are technology and media resources accessible to all students? To what extent are technical support personnel provided and technical support procedures implemented? To what extent are technology and media resources accessible during and beyond the school day? To what extent has the school established and maintained an effective communications system? To what extent does the school support and promote collaboration? To what extent are procedures used to monitor, evaluate, and review progress of technology initiatives? To what extent is effective professional development provided? To what extent are student/curricular needs being fulfilled by identified media and technology resources? ORIENTATION FOR NEW STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS: The school must recruit and hire teachers who are receptive to the IMPACT Model. The MTAC will provide orientation for new staff and administrators to the IMPACT Model. 8 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs DEALING WITH THE CHANGE THAT THE IMPACT MODEL WILL BRING “THE CONVICTION THAT LEARNING GOALS SHOULD BE FIXED AND TIME A FLEXIBLE RESOURCE OPENS UP PROFOUND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE.” (United States. Department of Education. “Prisoners of Time.”) USING THE CONCERNS-BASED ADOPTION MODEL (CBAM) TO MOVE TEACHERS FORWARD IN THE IMPACT MODEL In order for the IMPACT Model to work in a school, it must have the support and under-standing of classroom teachers. Teachers must understand the changes that will occur in their classrooms and in their teaching as a result of this model. The administrative and media and technology staff must support and nurture teachers through this change. Supporting and nurturing means addressing teachers as individuals and understanding their concerns about the changes they are or will be experiencing. According to the CBAM model of change, individuals involved in change can be identified as one of the following: INNOVATOR: Approximately 8% or any group can be considered innovators. These individuals are eager to try new ideas, are open to change, and are willing to take risks. LEADER: Approximately 17% of any group can be considered leaders. These individuals are open to change, but more thoughtful about getting involved. EARLY MAJORITY: Approximately 29% of any group can be considered as the early majority. These individuals are cautious and deliberate about deciding to adopt an innovation. LATE MAJORITY: Approximately 29% of any group can be considered as the late majority. These individuals can skeptical of adopting new ideas and are “set in their ways.” RESISTER: Approximately 17% of any group can be considered resisters. These individuals are suspicious and generally opposed to new ideas. (Hord, S., et al, 1998.) It is important to recognize that these identifiers are not meant to be negative or positive, but rather they allow a change facilitator to recognize what is needed to move an individual through the change process. For the IMPACT Model, this means being able to recognize how a teacher approaches a change to classroom practice and working with each individual to better utilize the model. Once the school library media coordinator, technology facilitator, and/or administrator have identified each teacher’s adopter level, they should identify Stages of Concern. The Stages of Concern help to identify how a person feels and thinks about a given initiative. In the implementation of the IMPACT Model, teachers will move through the stages as they become more comfortable with the collaborative process and the IMPACT culture. ” IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 9 “CHANGE: is a PROCESS, not an event is made by INDIVIDUALS first, then institutions is a highly PERSONAL experience entails DEVELOPMENTAL growth in feelings and skills (Hord, S., et al, 1998.) STAGES OF CONCERN 0. AWARENESS: The individual either isn’t aware of the change being proposed or doesn’t want to learn it. 1. INFORMATIONAL: The individual has heard of the program, but needs more information. 2. PERSONAL: The individual’s main concern is how this program will affect them on a personal level. 3. MANAGEMENT: The individual’s main concern is about the management, scheduling, etc., of a specific program. 4. CONSEQUENCE: The individual’s primary concern is how the program will affect students or how they can make the program work for their students. 5. COLLABORATION: The individual’s primary concern is how to make the program work better by actively working on it with colleagues. 6. REFOCUSING: The individual’s primary concern is seeking out a new and better change to implement. When the media coordinator, technology facilitator, and/or administrator have identified each teacher’s Stage of Concern, they can more easily communicate the needs of both the teacher and the program. Teachers in the early stages of concern will need more one-on-one assistance and encouragement than those in the later stages. 10 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs WHAT TEACHERS MUST BE WILLING TO DO When teachers understand that a change will take place, they will need to be completely aware of what implementing the IMPACT Model will mean to their classroom and their teaching practice. TEACHERS MUST BE WILLING TO: BE FLEXIBLE Take risks Try new things Step out of the box ASSESS STUDENT NEEDS Analyze test scores Understand individual learning styles Survey individual interests INITIATE COLLABORATION Brainstorm ways the collaboration process can work for them and their students Share ideas with school library media coordinator/technology facilitator and other teachers Begin the collaboration process Evaluate project successes FAIL Technology doesn’t always work Students don’t always work well collaboratively The “best” lesson plan doesn’t always work out the way you planned ASK FOR HELP Students Teachers School library media coordinator Technology facilitator CELEBRATE SUCCESSES Tell other teachers what is working well Share with school library media coordinator and technology facilitator Share with other schools Share at conferences USE: Web sites, bulletin boards, newsletters, displays, sharing lessons, press releases, system-level collaboration fairs, school-wide activities (Poetry Day, Technology Night), etc. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 11 CHANGE ROLES Move from being the “sage on the stage” or “guide on the side” to the “mentor in the center” Facilitate the learning process Allow students to begin taking responsibility for their own learning Become a team member Become a life-long learner 12 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs THE TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR SCENARIO “THE IMPORTANT ISSUE IN EFFECTIVENESS FOR LEARNING IS NOT THE SOPHISTICATION OF THE TECHNOLOGIES, BUT THE WAYS IN WHICH THEIR CAPABILITIES AID AND MOTIVATE USERS” (Dede, C., 2001). Innovation Middle School is wired. Every classroom has three multimedia, Internet accessible computers, an LCD projector, a Digital Interactive Whiteboard, a DVD player, and curriculum appropriate hardware and software. Networked printers are located on every hall, and each grade, 6th, 7th, and 8th, has a mobile computer lab. For Mrs. Ray, the technology facilitator, a wired school means a very busy schedule. Mrs. Ray has worked at Innovation Middle School for many years. Through her experience and education, she has gained and applied many insights about technology and the job of teaching. Mrs. Ray knows that technology brings new resources into the classroom (Bajcsy, 2002). For instance, this is the first year that Mr. Price has participated in the Global Lab project with his eighth grade 1st period science class. Global Lab students around the world create environmental profiles of their school. Students measure parameters such as light intensity, carbon dioxide concentrations, air and soil temperature, and soil moisture, then compile their data and exchange it with other schools across the globe. Through the global lab project, Mr. Price’s students have information that has not been available to his students in previous years. With observations available from other students in diverse environments, his students make comparisons of their environmental profile with profiles of other environments to make hypotheses and observations. This morning Mrs. Ray works with Mr. Price and his students organizing the data from the various environments in a database. While Mrs. Ray works with students on creating a database, Mr. Price will work with students on organizing and synthesizing the information in appropriate searchable fields and records. Mrs. Ray also knows that with technology, teachers are able to develop new forms of instruction (Means, 2000). Last summer, the Innovation Middle School Social Studies team, developed lessons and an accompanying selection of online resources and software, of texts, photographs, audio and video content. This morning in Mrs. Foust’s second period social studies class, students are using the resources to create multimedia reports instead of the traditional written reports on Asian history and culture. The group assigned to explore the economy of China, uniquely explore the ties between the American economy and China’s economy and working conditions in their multimedia report titled Made in China. Students use photographs and voiceovers to explain the implications of importing products from China to the United States. This morning Mrs. Ray and Mrs. Powder, the school library media coordinator, are working with the students on their projects. Mrs. Powder is instructing students on how to correctly cite sources for multimedia and online resources. Mrs. Ray is helping students incorporate multime-dia sources into their presentations correctly. Mrs. Foust comments that using the multi-media resources gives greater content and depth to instruction and student assignments. Discussions with many teachers confirm something else Mrs. Ray already knows. Technology motivates student learning. Teachers suggest that technology motivates students, because it creates an environment that involves students more directly than traditional teaching tools (Schacter, 1999). Before Mrs. Ray heads to the sixth grade team weekly planning meeting, she stops by Mrs. Brown’s 8th grade language arts class. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 13 Since Mrs. Brown replaced journal writing on required reading assignments with Weblogs, her students’ writing has increased dramatically. Students are so involved in writing and reading Weblog entries that they all scramble to get on the computers before lunch. Because students are posting their responses online where every other student can read the entry, students are reading the young adult literature thoroughly and are posting more in-depth observations about what they are reading. Mrs. Brown is ecstatic. Not only are students more engaged in the literature, but they are also taking responsibility for their own learning. After lunch Mrs. Ray heads for Mr. Mulroney’s room. Technology has been extremely helpful in individualizing instruction for students, many of whom are served in excep-tional classrooms (Lou, 2001). While Mr. Mulroney believes that technology helps adapt instruction to student learning styles, he does not believe in isolated learning. In Mr. Mulroney’s class, students are learning about volcanoes together through a variety of activities. Mark and Adam are building a model volcano from everyday kitchen products. Mary is using simulation software to simulate a volcanic eruption by combining different gases with magma and rock. Linda and James are creating a Hyperstudio stack on Mount St. Helen’s in Washington. Mr. Mulroney asked Mrs. Ray to join the class this afternoon as students’ work on their different projects. As students are leaving school, Mrs. Ray is setting up for professional development. Mrs. Ray knows that effective use of instructional technology is dependent on the teacher (Grove, Strudler, and Odell, 2004). Teachers must be confident in applying technology when and where appropriate. To maintain their technology competency in a fast-paced environment, professional development has becomes a high priority for teachers. Today, Mrs. Ray is teaching sixth grade teachers about handhelds. Before Mrs. Ray leaves for the day, she checks the next day’s schedule. She notes that tomorrow Mrs. Caison, the music teacher, is using midi software in music appreciation class . . . For online video examples of technology facilitator scenarios visit the following Web site: <http://www.ncwiseowl.org/IT/TFPAI/TFPAI.htm> 14 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA COORDINATOR SCENARIO INFORMATION LITERACY IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESS IN WHICH THE LEARNER EVALUATES AND USES INFORMATION IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS FOR PERSONAL, SOCIAL, AND PROFESSIONAL PURSUITS (paraphrased from Abilock, 2004). It is 7:00 a.m. – just another day in the Innovation school media center. Students cluster in the foyer waiting for the library doors to open. The library is always used heavily before the school day begins. Some students will come to the media center to work on class assignments. Others will check out books. Teachers stop by to schedule a class in the media center for a project. At 8:00 a.m., the first bell rings and the media center empties while students flock to homeroom class. Mr. Reynold’s seventh grade math class is the first class of the day for Mrs. Wright, the school library media coordinator. Geometry is always a favorite part of the math curriculum in seventh grade because students never tire of constructing shapes and figures. Today, students are exploring an engineering geometric wonder of the world, domes. Mrs. Wright is excited today to share some of the books in the media center on the design and construction of structures. Some of Mrs. Wright’s favorites are Building Big by David Macaulay, Experiment! Spiderwebs to Skyscrapers: The Science of Structures by David Darling, and Eyewitness Books: Force & Motion by Peter Lafferty. After Mr. Reynold’s class leaves, Mrs. Wright checks on a couple of eighth grade boys who are investigating the various estuaries in North Carolina. Their assignment is to locate an estuary to visit on a field trip. Mrs. Rowland, the media assistant, helps the boys do a search on the Internet on estuaries in North Carolina. So far the boys have information on the Neuse River, the Albemarle, and the Pamlico River Estuary. Mrs. Wright directs the eighth grade boys to resources in the reference collection. Several books on North Carolina can aid their decision. Notably, The Nature of North Carolina’s Southern Coast: Barrier Islands, Coastal Waters and Wetlands by Dirk Frankenberg describes several estuaries of interest. The Lunchtime Book Club meets today. Students who join the club bring their lunch to the library and discuss a book that they are reading. Currently, they are reading The DoubleLife of Zoe Flynn by Janet Lee Carey about a girl who hides the fact from her classmates that her family lives in a van. Mrs. Wright has several book clubs to meet the varied interests of students. Her personal favorite is the sports heroes book club she jointly coordinates with Mr. Reynolds. When reading is connected to real-world contexts and personal interest students are more motivated to read (Ivey and Broaddus, 2001). After lunch Mrs. Wright meets with the sixth grade collaborative planning team for the afternoon. Each year the sixth grade teachers focus the instructional program around a central theme. This year the theme is cities. The team has already decided the theme for next year will be detectives. Today, they want to pinpoint resources and plan ideas for integrating the theme with the SCOS. Mrs. Wright is excited. The detective/mystery genre of young adult literature is always a favorite with middle grade students. Today she suggests to Mrs. Johnson, the language arts teacher, Wolf Rider by Avi and Getting Lincoln’s Goat by E. M. Goldman as literature for next year. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 15 Mrs. Wright also thinks the history detectives Web site (http://www.pbs.org/opb/ history detectives/index.html) will be the perfect fit for the social studies curriculum. During the planning meeting she shows this Web site to Mr. Carter, the sixth grade social studies teacher while Mr. Grady, the science teacher and Mr. Brown, the math teacher discuss some ideas for integrating math and science with a detective theme. Mrs. Wright has appreciated the insight that a theme-based approach has brought to the sixth grade teachers. The sixth grade teachers recognize that their role as the content specialist combined with the media specialist’s role as resource specialist has helped build a stronger, more dynamic instructional program (Russell, 2002). Theoretically, every unit of instruction in any subject curriculum has an opportunity for a problem- or inquiry-based learning component that requires data, information, and knowledge (Georges, 2004, p. 34). For Mrs. Wright, her role within the educational institution is clear. It is her responsibility to seize every opportunity, to provide her colleagues with instructional activities, and to create a collaborative atmosphere that fosters information literacy. For online video examples of school library media coordinator scenarios visit the following Web site: <http://www.ncwiseowl.org/IT/MCPAI/MCPAI.htm> 16 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs WORKS CITED Abilock, D. “Information Literacy from Prehistory to K-20: A New Definition.” Knowledge Quest 32.4 (2004): 9-11. Bajcsy, R. “Technology and Learning.” Visions 2020: Transforming Education and Training through Advanced Technologies. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002. Dede, C. “Vignettes about the future of Learning Technologies.” Visions 2020: Transforming Education and Training through Advanced Technologies. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002. Georges, F. “Information Literacy, Collaboration, and ‘Killer Apps’: New Challenges for Media Specialists.” Library Media Connection 23.2 (2004): 34-35. Grove, K., N. Strudler, and S. Odell. “Mentoring Toward Technology Use: Cooperating Teacher Practice in Supporting Student Teachers.” Journal of Research on Technology in Education 37 (2004): 85-109. Hord, S., W. Rutherford, L. Huling-Austin, and G. Hall. Taking Charge of Change. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1998. Ivey, G. and K. Broaddus. “Just Plain Reading: A Survey of What Makes Students Want to Read in Middle School Classrooms.” Reading Research Quarterly 3. 4 (2001): 350-377. Lou, Y., et al. “Small Group and Individual Learning with Technology: A Meta-Analysis.” Review of Educational Research 71. 3 (2001): 449-521. Means, B. “Accountability in Preparing Teachers to Use Technology.” 2000 State Educational Technology Conference Papers. Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers, 2000. Schacter, J. The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement: What the Most Current Research Has to Say. Milken Exchange on Education Technology, 1999 <http://www.milkenexchange.org >. United States. Department of Education. “Prisoners of Time.” National Education Commission on Time and Learning. Apr. 1994 <http://www.ed.gov/ZipDocs/PrisonersOfTime.zip>. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 17 18 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs TEACHING AND LEARNING Vision Collaboration Integration of Information and Technology Skills Access to Information Resources and Services Collaboration for Assessment, Research, and Student Achievement Professional Development Collaboration through Flexible Access Flexible Access Looks Like This Collaborating to Achieve Instructional Goals Leadership and the Change Process Making Flexible Access and Collaboration Work Roles and Responsibilities of Collaborative Partners Implementing Effective Collaborative Planning Sessions Advocacy: Communicating Flexible Access and Collaboration Reading and Literacy Collaboration: Media and Technology, Reading, and Literacy Reading Programs or Reading? TEACHING AND LEARNING VISION School library media and technology programs should focus on student achievement and involve the entire staff in collaboratively planning instructional programs that are authentic and engaging, enriched by high-quality resources, current technologies, and effective models of integration. A learner-centered approach to instruction focuses attention on media and technology programs as vital instructional forces that complement, support, and expand classroom learning. The ongoing assessment of media and technology programs is the responsibility of teachers and administrators working together with media and technology professionals. An effective media and technology program supports the teaching and learning community through data-driven collaboration, literacy, integration of technology and information skills with the total curriculum, resources, staff development, and assessment. COLLABORATION “CREATING THE CONTEXT OF A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE REQUIRES MORE THAN ENCOURAGING EDUCATORS TO WORK TOGETHER. THE TRADITION OF TEACHER ISOLATION IS TOO DEEP TO BE UPROOTED SIMPLY BY OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLEGIAL ENDEAVORS. COLLABORATION BY INVITATION NEVER WORKS. LEADERS WHO FUNCTION AS STAFF DEVELOPMENT LEADERS EMBED COLLABORATION IN THE STRUCTURE AND CULTURE OF THEIR SCHOOLS. TEACHERS’ WORK IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STAFF MEMBER IS A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF A COLLABORATIVE TEAM. CREATING AN APPROPRIATE STRUCTURE FOR TEACHER COLLABORATION IS VITALLY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO INSUFFICIENT. LEADERS MUST DO MORE THAN ORGANIZE TEACHER TEAMS AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. THEY MUST PROVIDE THE FOCUS, PARAMETERS, AND SUPPORT TO HELP TEAMS FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005). Collaboration should be evident in all areas of the school environment as well as at the system, regional, and state levels. Within the school, the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator work closely with teachers, administrators, students, and support personnel. All of these people must be involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional program integrated with media and technology. For more information refer to the section on Collaboration Through Flexible Access. TEACHING AND LEARNING 19 INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS “TODAY’S STUDENT LIVES AND LEARNS IN A WORLD THAT HAS BEEN RADICALLY ALTERED BY THE READY AVAILABILITY OF VAST STORES OF INFORMATION IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS. THE LEARNING PROCESS AND THE INFORMATION SEARCH PROCESS MIRROR EACH OTHER: STUDENTS ACTIVELY SEEK TO CONSTRUCT MEANING FROM THE SOURCES THEY ENCOUNTER AND TO CREATE PRODUCTS THAT SHAPE AND COMMUNICATE THAT MEANING EFFECTIVELY. DEVELOPING EXPERTISE IN ACCESSING, EVALUATING, AND USING INFORMATION IS IN FACT THE AUTHENTIC LEARNING THAT MODERN EDUCATION SEEKS TO PROMOTE” (NC Information Skills Curriculum Philosophy, 1999). The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator play an integral role in teaching students how to access, evaluate, and use information. They also support students in being able to choose the most appropriate tool for collecting information in multiple formats and then organizing, linking, evaluating, and through synthesis, discovering how to present the information. “An array of tools for acquiring information and for thinking and expression allows more students more ways to enter the learning enterprise successfully and to live productive lives in the global, digital, and information-based future they all face” (Philosophy: North Carolina Standard Course of Study, 2004). These skills are embedded throughout the Information and Computer/Technology Skills curricula and are essential to teaching and learning. It is vital that these skills are fully integrated across the curriculum. To integrate these skills seamlessly across the curriculum, the media coordinator and technology facilitator need to “provide strong and creative leadership in building and nurturing the culture of learning, both as a teacher and as an instructional partner” (AASL and AECT, 1998). As teachers, the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator will need to “use both traditional materials and innovative resources” (AASL and AECT, 1998) to provide meaningful instruction. This can be achieved through instruction in a full range of information concepts and strategies, so that students will have the skills needed to interact effectively with all information resources. A research process is one of the types of innovative resources that can be used whenever students are in a situation, academic or personal, that requires information to solve a problem, make a decision, or complete a task. A systematic research model such as the Big Six provides an information problem-solving process, and a set of skills that provide a strategy for effectively and efficiently meeting information needs. It is important to remember that the integration of information and computer/ technology skills across the curriculum does not take place in isolation, but occurs through collaborative planning. The involvement of media and technology professionals in all aspects of curriculum implementation is fundamental to collaboration. 20 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs BEING INVOLVED WITH THE CURRICULUM TO ACHIEVE INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS MEANS: Developing a thorough knowledge of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for all subject areas and grade levels within the school <http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum>; Working with teachers to integrate media and technology into instruction across all subject areas and grade levels (See scenarios for school library media coordinator and technology facilitator in Implementing the IMPACT Model); Serving on the School Improvement Team; Working on subject area and grade level teams and committees at the building, system, and state level; Taking leadership roles on the Media and Technology Advisory Committee; Analyzing the School Improvement Plan for areas of instructional focus; Reflecting the School Improvement Plan in instruction and in the acquisition of resources; Analyzing test data with teachers to improve instructional focus; Participating in grade level/departmental meetings; Recommending appropriate information and technology resources to support information and computer/technology skills, and critical thinking throughout the curriculum; Collaborating with teachers, staff, and other members of the learning community to integrate information literacy competencies throughout the teaching and learning process; Developing a deep understanding of the information and computer/technology skills for student learning and of the specific relationship between the skill and the curricular goals of the school and system (AASL and AECT, 1998); Developing and promoting specific plans for incorporating the information literacy standards for student learning into day-to-day curricular and instructional activities (AASL and AECT, 1998); Collaborating regularly with teachers and other members of the learning community to encourage students to become information literate, independent in their learning, and socially responsible in their use of information and information technology (AASL and AECT, 1998). RESEARCH MODEL RESOURCES THE BIG SIX OR THE SUPER THREE <www.big6.com> FLIP-IT <www.aliceinfo.org/FLIPit.html> FOLLETT’S INFORMATION SKILLS MODEL <www.sparkfactor.com/clients/follett/home.html> JAMIE MCKENZIE’S RESEARCH CYCLE <http://questioning.org/rcycle.html> TEACHING AND LEARNING 21 ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN THE TEACHING/LEARNING PROCESS The media and technology program provides intellectual and physical access to a full range of information and services for a community of learners and serves as a model for responsible and creative information use. The school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator collaborate with the school community to play an even more important role as the quantity of information continues to grow. They guide and promote a student-centered program; provide flexible and equitable access to information for learning; and use the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to help all students “construct meaning from the sources they encounter and to create products that shape and communicate that meaning effectively” (NC Information Skills Curriculum Philosophy, 1999). It is critical for students to have the ability to process and create understanding from all types of media in our exploding world of information. Real research and questioning can become lifelong tools to encourage independent thinking and to guide classroom inquiry at any time students are engaged in reading, viewing, or listening activities. ENSURING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO INFORMATION MEANS: Providing accurate, up-to-date, and developmentally appropriate print, non-print, and technology resources that meet the curriculum-related and data-driven needs of students and teachers; Providing meaningful instruction in the full range of information concepts and strategies that students need to interact effectively with all information resources; Supporting intellectual freedom and students’ right to read. Providing flexible access to media and technology resources, staff, and facilities throughout the day; Providing adequate staffing for the media center and computer labs before, during, and after school for use by students, teachers, and members of the community; Providing technologies (such as laptops, portable text devices, and digital cameras) for individual, small group, classroom, and offsite use; Purchasing software and assistive/adaptive hardware (such as speech synthesis software, voice input technologies, and touch screens) that provide access to all media and technology for students and teachers with special needs; Providing large screen monitors or data/video projection devices for whole class instruction. 22 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs ” ““FLEXIBLE, EQUITABLE, AND FAR-REACHING ACCESS . . . IS ESSENTIAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VIBRANT, ACTIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY” (AASL and AECT, 1998). COLLABORATION FOR ASSESSMENT, RESEARCH, AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Effective collaboration, clear instructional goals, the use of data, and continual feedback impact achievement in a powerful way. The school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator collaborate with teachers in the assessment of student performance in many ways. Grade-level or subject area teams of teachers, along with the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator, meet routinely to identify instructional strengths and weaknesses, analyze scores and other assessments, and develop strategies to address the instructional needs of students. This process is ongoing and involves continual examination of teaching practices and learning opportunities as a means of becoming more effective. In this context, assessment can be seen as part of the teaching and learning process as opposed to being a separate task. Collaboration to assess student learning should be evident in all areas of the school environment, with the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator working closely with teachers, administrators, students, and support personnel. All must be involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional program integrated with media and technology. School library media coordinators and technology facilitators are knowledgeable about research and best practices and skilled in applying the findings to a variety of situations. Media and technology programs can have a tremendous impact on student achievement if they follow the direction provided by research and best practice, and then apply it to ongoing assessment. In short, effective media and technology programs routinely consult the research, see where it fits and how it applies, and then study the effects so that necessary adjustments to the teaching and learning process can be made. REFLECTION Reflection is an important part of the educational process. Taking time to revisit daily practice by asking the following questions allows educators the opportunity to collaboratively and systematically assess teaching and learning practices, extract the best strategies, and make refinements that ultimately lead to higher student achievement. How did the use of technology influence student achievement and increase motivation? How many opportunities were offered for critical thinking and problem solving? Did students use technology to solve real-life problems? Did students engage in meaningful, relevant conversation? Did students learn with one another through collaborative work and group problem solving? Did students have time to form opinions, debate, persuade, discover new concepts, and make decisions? Did students exercise choice at any point in the activity? Did students engage in reflective debriefing and answer questions such as, “What happened?” “What made you think that?” “What would you change?” TEACHING AND LEARNING 23 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Quality professional development provides educators with the knowledge and skills to build powerful collaborative teams and provide the interpersonal support and synergy necessary for creatively addressing complex teaching and learning issues. According to the North Carolina Office of Professional Development, professional devel-opment leaders “must: 1. Provide time for collaboration in the school day and school year. 2. Identify critical questions to guide the work of collaborative teams. 3. Ask teams to create products as a result of their collaboration. 4. Insist that teams identify and pursue specific student achievement goals. 5. Provide teams with relevant data and information” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005). The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator play an important role in the planning and implementation of professional development that helps define and achieve standards of excellence to ensure the success of every student. Teachers need the skills, knowledge, time, and autonomy to decide what professional development they need. The media coordinator and technology facilitator must work with building- and system-level administrators to ensure that the professional development provided in their school is based on needs assessment and data collection. Media and technology personnel need to have an understanding of the school culture to build a learning community within the school that encourages continuous learning. Teachers should be rewarded for and encouraged to take risks, and be given the opportu-nity to learn and share together. Effective professional development experiences provide opportunities for teachers to build their knowledge and skills and broaden their teaching approaches, so they can create better learning opportunities for students. Media coordi-nators and technology facilitators acquire a school-wide perspective of professional devel-opment needs as they plan collaboratively with teachers. This school-wide perspective enables them to make decisions about appropriate data-driven professional development and to acquire the resources to design it. Media and technology professionals must encourage a data-driven process to determine what professional development to provide, implement their process, and evaluate its impact on student learning. This will ensure that teachers receive the quality professional development they need so that all students can be successful. In order to be effective, professional development must be assessed on a regular basis so that improvements can be made. This will help to guarantee a positive impact on teach-er effectiveness and student learning. Evaluation to determine the overall effectiveness of a professional development program must be built in during the initial planning stage. The collection of formative and summative assessment data should occur across the pro-fessional development program. Formative assessments are conducted throughout the professional development program, and summative evaluation occurs at the conclusion of the program. Summative evaluation “should be collected at three levels: educator prac-tices, organizational changes, and student outcomes” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005). 24 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS The school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator are aware of the need for appropriate professional development. They expect to continue learning throughout their teaching career and to be able to improve their practice significantly through a vari-ety of learning opportunities. Professional development must be provided for media and technology personnel through local, state, and national opportunities. Professional devel-opment not only benefits the individual in shaping his or her profession, but also helps to ensure that best practice is everyday practice and that the most effective approaches are used. ASSESSING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS MEANS: Using formal assessment tools to determine professional development needs. Prioritizing professional development opportunities based on needs assessment. Evaluating the effectiveness of professional development efforts at regular intervals. Using student test data in determining professional development. Effective professional development is based on theory, research, and proven practice. No Child Left Behind calls for professional development that: is sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused, is grounded on scientifically-based research, is aligned with state content standards and assessments, gives teachers of limited English proficient (LEP) students the knowledge and skills necessary to teach them, provides preparation in the appropriate use of curricula and assessments, instructs in methods of teaching children with special needs, is developed with extensive participation of teachers and principals, and is regularly evaluated for impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved student academic achievement (NSDC Standards for Staff Development, 2001). PLANNING HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEANS: Participating in regularly scheduled system-level, regional, and state meetings, and sharing information with school staff; Attending state, regional, and national conferences to report back on professional development initiatives and trends; Serving on professional development committees at the school and system levels. Involving principals, teachers, and paraprofessionals in the planning of professional development; Assessing needs of administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals for targeted professional development; Reflecting licensure requirements, ABC goals and objectives, and school improvement goals in the school professional development plan - <http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs/>; TEACHING AND LEARNING 25 Providing a variety of professional development including online opportunities that integrate media and technology into all curriculum areas; Aligning professional development to the North Carolina Professional Development Standards - <http://www.ncpublicschools.org/profdev/>; Aligning professional development to the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers - <http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_stands.html>; Using research-based models for professional development. ENSURING HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEANS: Planning professional development that is aligned with building- and system-level goals and promotes evaluation and follow-up. Reflecting current research on teaching and learning. Respecting and drawing from the knowledge and experience of teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals. Providing a variety of professional development opportunities (such as just-in-time, small-group, large-group, North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH), and online). Providing that professional development is relevant to the classroom setting and reflective of test data. Providing professional development that gives teachers the knowledge and skills necessary to work with all students. Providing time for professional development design, and implementation. Providing professional development for instructional leaders in data analysis, collective inquiry, and collaborative planning. Providing professional development that includes processes for formative and summative assessment. Creating an ongoing calendar of professional development opportunities tailored to meet assessed professional development needs. Providing time to learn, practice, and incorporate new skills into instruction. Providing resources to support teachers as they implement new strategies in their classrooms. Providing follow-up through re-teaching, one-on-one tutoring, troubleshooting, modeling, and other forms of support. Evaluating professional development efforts on a continuing basis to ensure they are meeting the needs of teachers and staff. Providing the opportunity for self-assessment of needs and interests by teachers prior to setting goals for professional growth. 26 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs THE NATIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL STANDARDS The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) issued standards for high quality professional development which state that professional development: should organize adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district; requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement; requires resources, including time, to support adult learning and collaboration; should use disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement; should use multiple sources of information to evaluate effectiveness; and should prepare educators to understand and teach all students. (NSDC Standards for Staff Development, 2001) NORTH CAROLINA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS Based on research by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), the North Carolina Professional Development Standards provide the vision and framework for making professional development more responsive to the learning needs of both educators and students. The standards propose that professional development “should contribute to measurable improvement in student achievement” and that higher student achievement is the goal. “Professional development that does not produce changes in practice, [the standards emphasize] does not support improved student performance; [furthermore] professional development must be powerful enough to result in changes in schools and practice that lead to higher student achievement and higher teacher performance” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005). “No Child Left Behind (NCLB) solidifies the presence of high-stakes accountability systems in our schools, and as we raise the expectations for students and teachers, we must provide high quality professional development [as it is essential for excellence in teaching and learning]” (Professional Development, 2005). The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) believes that one of the primary purposes of professional development is school improvement as measured by the success of every student. Success is evident through overall high student achievement (NSDC Standards for Staff Development, 2001). The North Carolina Professional Development Standards recommend that professional development efforts must closely align with school improvement plans and thrive within existing school operations and structures. This systems-thinking approach to planning can be guided by the following questions: What are our goals for our students? What must we (the adults) learn in order to help our students learn? What is the best design for the adult learning? What is in place in our school that we would need to change or strengthen in order to meet our learning goals and our student goals? How would we know if we were achieving our goals? (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005) TEACHING AND LEARNING 27 The North Carolina Professional Standards recommend that a well-designed professional development program will include “a clear and specific presentation of the theory supporting the new practices: modeling, demonstration, coaching, feedback, and practice. Questions to guide evaluation of program quality include: Is this model appropriate for the intended outcomes? Does the program design include inquiry into how learning can be improved? Which model of professional development was used to design this program?” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005) The North Carolina Professional Development Standards are organized according to the context/process/content schema: CONTEXT STANDARDS: address the organization, system, and culture in which the new learning will be implemented PROCESS STANDARDS: refer to the “how” of professional development describing the learning processes used in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills and addressing the use of data, evaluation and research. CONTENT STANDARDS: refer to the “what” of professional development. 28 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs NORTH CAROLINA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS CONTEXT STANDARDS LEARNING Professional development that improves the learning of all students organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district. LEADERSHIP: Professional development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement. RESOURCES: Professional development that improves the learning of all students requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration. PROCESS STANDARDS DATA-DRIVEN: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement. EVALUATION: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact. RESEARCH-BASED: Professional development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to apply research to decision making. DESIGN: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal. LEARNING: Professional development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge about human learning and change. COLLABORATION: Professional development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate. CONTENT STANDARDS EQUITY: Professional development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement. QUALITY TEACHING: Professional development that improves the learning of all students deepens educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately. FAMILY INVOLVEMENT: Professional development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately. (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005) TEACHING AND LEARNING 29 COMMUNITIES: RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING Data and Research <http://www.nsdc.org/library/research.cfm#tools> Designing Powerful Professional Development for Teachers, Administrators, and School Leaders <http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/profdev/guidelines/ncguidelines/guidetodesigning.pdf> How Teachers Learn Best <http://www.fno.org/mar01/howlearn.html> Is This School a Learning Organization – 10 Ways to Tell <http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/brandt241.cfm> Learning by the Numbers <http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_924> Professional Development Articles <http://www.fsc.follett.com/resources/professional_development.cfm> Professional Development IQ Test <http://www.nsdc.org/library/basics/profdevIQ.cfm> The Toolbelt: A Collection of Data-Driven Decision-Making Tools for Educators <http://www.ncrel.org/toolbelt/index.html> What Works in the Elementary School: Results-Based Staff Development <http://www.nsdc.org/connect/projects/resultsbased.cfm> What Works in the Middle: Results-Based Staff Development <http://www.nsdc.org/midbook/index.cfm> What Works in the High School: Results-Based Staff Development <http://www.nsdc.org/connect/projects/hswhatworks.pdf> 30 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs COLLABORATION THROUGH FLEXIBLE ACCESS “WHAT SETS COLLABORATION APART . . . IS THAT THE OUTCOME IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS.” (Bush, 2003) DEFINITION OF TERMS Flexible access enables students and teachers to use and circulate the resources of the media center and computer lab throughout the day and to have the services of the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator at point, time, and location of need. Collaboration is a process facilitated by flexible access. Collaboration within the IMPACT Model means that the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator work closely with teachers to plan, implement, and evaluate classroom lessons, units, and the overall instructional program. Preparing students to succeed in the 21st century is an enormous challenge that requires the combined efforts of all educators. Teachers need ongoing support for their instructional programs to meet the challenges of addressing individual student needs and learning styles. A key component of the research-based IMPACT Model is that the media and technology program plays a vital role in today’s schools by providing flexible access to relevant resources and flexible instruction based on collaborative planning. Flexible access and collaboration impact student achievement by using student data to design focused instructional strategies, allowing for differentiation of student learning, addressing multiple learning styles, allowing for timely individual intervention, and reducing class size. No Child Left Behind emphasizes the importance of implementing educational programs and practices proven effective in improving student learning and achievement through rigorous scientific research. A substantive body of scientifically-based research has documented the positive impact of flexible access and collaboration on student achievement (<http://www.lrs.org/impact.asp>). “A SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF RESEARCH SINCE 1990 SHOWS A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. THE RESEARCH STUDIES SHOW THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT— WHETHER SUCH ACHIEVEMENT IS MEASURED IN TERMS OF READING SCORES, LITERACY, OR LEARNING MORE GENERALLY. A SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAM THAT IS ADEQUATELY STAFFED, RESOURCED, AND FUNDED CAN LEAD TO HIGHER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT REGARDLESS OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC OR EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF THE COMMUNITY” (School Libraries Work!, 2004). Collaboration is sharing new ideas, strategies and resources to create dynamic and well-planned lessons that foster active learning. The involvement of media and technology professionals in all aspects of curriculum implementation is fundamental to the collaborative process. This is facilitated by flexible access to both the media center and the computer lab and to all their resources, as well as to the services of these professionals during common planning periods. TEACHING AND LEARNING 31 “HIGH-ACHIEVING SCHOOLS TEND TO HAVE MORE TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES. BAULE (1997) FOUND THAT SCHOOLS WITH EXEMPLARY TECHNOLOGY WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HIGH-QUALITY SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAMS. YETTER (1994) OBSERVED THAT THE LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS IN SUCCESSFUL RESOURCE-BASED LEARNING SCHOOLS HAD MODERN, SPACIOUS FACILITIES DESIGNED FOR FLEXIBLE USE AND ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY. GEHLKEN (1994) NOTED THAT ALL THREE BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS STUDIED HAD LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS WHICH WERE COMMITTED TO INCREASING STUDENT ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, AND WHICH HAD THE FLEXIBILITY AND ELECTRONIC CAPABILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHANGING NEEDS CREATED BY NEW TECHNOLOGIES” (Michigan State Government, 2003). The collaborative process begins with an integration phase, develops into cooperatively planned activities, and culminates with full collaborative units. Integration is the alignment of media and technology resources to support classroom topics and the instructional needs of students. Cooperative activities result when media and technology personnel design lessons independently in support of classroom objectives and instruction. Collaboration requires co-planning between teachers and media and technology personnel to create cross-curricular lessons and units that are jointly delivered and evaluated. Initially, media and technology professionals meet occasionally with classroom teachers to plan cooperatively. There may be a combination of fixed classes, as well as times for open access. At the next stage, media and technology professionals meet with teachers on a regular basis to plan learning experiences, and there are no fixed times for instruction in the media center or computer lab. At the highest level of implementation, formal units of instruction are collaboratively planned, implemented, and evaluated. Teachers and media and technology professionals meet routinely to analyze and use data and to determine instructional strategies and resources to improve teaching and learning. At this stage, media and technology professionals may also co-teach with classroom teachers. Once a collaborative environment is established, the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator will continue to work at the various levels to support classroom instruction as needs arise. With in-depth collaborative planning, teachers and media and technology professionals meet routinely to analyze and use data and to determine instructional strategies and resources to improve teaching and learning. “THE NATIONAL LIBRARY POWER PROJECT, INVOLVING 700 SCHOOLS IN 19 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, REQUIRED IMPLEMENTATION OF COOPERATIVE PLANNING AND TEACHING AND FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING OF THE LIBRARY. RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATED: MORE COLLABORATIVE WORK ENVIRONMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS FOCUSING ON INTERDISCIPLINARIY, INQUIRY- AND PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING; MORE FREQUENT VISITS TO THE LIBRARY AS A RESULT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING; MORE ENGAGING AND EDUCATIONALLY RICH LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS” (Research on Flexible Access to School Libraries, 2002). 32 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs FLEXIBLE ACCESS LOOKS LIKE THIS: Students and teachers move freely in and out of the school library media center and the computer lab for activities such as researching print and electronic resources for an assignment and creating a multimedia presentation. Students come to the media center all day long to check out books and other resources regardless of other activities taking place in the media center. Students move in and out of the computer lab throughout the day to use electronic resources. One grade level group of teachers is planning with the school library media coordinator and/or the technology facilitator for a new collaborative unit of instruction. Meanwhile, children, under the supervision of media or technology assistants, come from various classes to the media center to check out a book or read a magazine, or to use resources in the computer lab. Teachers check with the technology facilitator and school library media coordinator for available blocks of time to bring in their classes to begin work on a collaborative unit--or send a small group of students to work with the school library media coordinator and/or the technology facilitator A fourth grade class and their teacher enter the computer lab to work with the technology facilitator on the development of their North Carolina portfolios. Those same fourth graders may leave the computer lab periodically to find print resources in the media center to aid in the development of their portfolio. All students are working with the teacher, the school library media coordinator, and the technology facilitator to find resources and learn skills that will help them finish their assignment. While a class may stay in the computer lab or media center only twenty minutes during a curriculum-related activity, such as using a software application or participating in story time, other students may be in the computer lab and/or the media center for two or three hours, depending on the time allotted for an activity. COLLABORATING TO ACHIEVE INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS LOOKS LIKE THIS: SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA COORDINATORS AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITATORS: Develop strong instructional partnerships with classroom and special area teachers by working together to plan and implement instruction and to evaluate instructional outcomes; Use the best available models of instruction, collaboration, and cooperative learning; Ensure that instruction takes place in a student-centered, project-based environment; Plan projects and activities with teachers that are relevant to real-life problems and support the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students; Create small group activities with heterogeneous groupings to accomplish curriculum goals and objectives; Help teachers to address different learning styles by using high-quality resources in a variety of formats; Involve students with setting goals for learning; Work with teachers and students to create rubrics for project evaluation; TEACHING AND LEARNING 33 Create and share a file or database within the school of collaboratively developed lesson plans and related materials keyed to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study; Search for lesson plans and successful teaching models in other schools, at conferences, and in the professional literature; Participate actively in the planning and evaluation of local, regional, and state activities such as Battle of the Books, Multimedia Mania, technology fairs, Quiz Bowl, and the North Carolina Children’s Book Award. (See <http://video.dpi.state.nc.us/eforums/impact_videos/> ) “COLLABORATION AFFORDS GENERAL EDUCATORS, SPECIAL EDUCATORS, AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH REWARDING AND LONG LASTING SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS. ACCORDINGLY, MORE SCHOOL PERSONNEL RECOGNIZE THAT COLLABORATION FOSTERS A SENSE OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR EDUCATING HETEROGENEOUS GROUPS OF STUDENTS (FRIEND & COOK, 2000). FINALLY, THE GROWING EMPHASIS ON COLLABORATION STEMS FROM THE VERY NATURE OF SCHOOLS THEMSELVES-SETTINGS IN WHICH A RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND DEMANDS CAN BE ADDRESSED MORE APPROPRIATELY BY COLLABORATIVE OR TEAM APPROACHES THAN BY INDIVIDUAL, ISOLATED EFFORTS” (Gable, 2004). LEADERSHIP AND THE CHANGE PROCESS In order to implement flexible access and collaboration, school library media and tech-nology professionals need to understand their leadership roles as change agents and the change process, itself. Implementing flexible access and collaboration changes school climate, so ultimately, media and technology professionals are catalysts for school reform. When media and technology professionals assume leadership roles, they have the opportunity to facilitate discussions about how flexible access and collaboration can support teaching and learning and positively impact student achievement. At the same time, they build the capacity to implement change. Together, they should co-chair the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) and should have a voice within the School Leadership Team (SIT). Membership on the SIT can open the door for media and technology professionals to be involved in the master scheduling of the school, including decisions regarding planning time. WHAT MAKES FLEXIBLE ACCESS AND COLLABORATION WORK? Vision, informed leadership, flexible attitudes, and professional development, along with staffing, budget, resources, and common planning time are the pre-existing conditions essential to making flexible access and collaboration work in schools. “FLEXIBLE ACCESS TO MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL CAN MAKE AN IMMEDIATE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE USE AND INTEGRATION OF MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES WITH ADEQUATE STAFFING, RESOURCES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. THIS CHANGE CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY IF THESE CRITICAL ELEMENTS ARE IN PLACE. THE SINGLE MOST CRITICAL FACTOR AFFECTING THE EASE OF TRANSITION TO FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING APPEARS TO BE THE PREPARATION, EXPERIENCE AND ATTITUDE OF THE MEDIA COORDINATOR AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR” (Stallings, 2005). 34 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY STAFFING FOR FLEXIBLE ACCESS/COLLABORATION POSITION CERTIFIED CLASSIFIED ROLE IN FLEXIBLE ACCESS SCHOOL LIBRARY 076 MEDIA COORDINATOR TECHNOLOGY 079 OR FACILITATOR 077 FULL-TIME Yes MEDIA ASSISTANT* FULL-TIME Yes TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT* TECHNICIAN Yes * Appropriate media and technology assistant staffing supports collaboration by maintaining access to the media and technology resources and facilities while collaborative partners plan and conduct instructional activities. TEACHING AND LEARNING 35 Maximize access to all resources through effective management Provide resources to support the curriculum in a timely manner Provide instructional support at the point of need (small or large group) Co-Lead the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) Participate in the School Improvement Team (SIT) Maximize access to all technology resources through effective management Provide technology resources to support the curriculum in a timely manner Provide instructional technology support at the point of need (small or large group) Co-Lead the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) Participate in the School Improvement Team (SIT) Serve as liaison between the school and the system-level technology director Manage circulation of resources to provide access throughout the day. Provide clerical assistance for resources management Provide support for reference and research activities Manage technology resources to provide access throughout the day Troubleshoot minor technology problems to ensure access to resources throughout the day Maintain technology infrastructure, hardware, software Serve as liaison between the school and system-level technical support staff 36 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS The integration of school library media and technology programs with instruction is the joint responsibility of teachers, administrators, and media and technology professionals working together to accomplish objectives that support desired outcomes for students. COLLABORATING PARTNER RESPONSIBILITY CLASSROOM TEACHER Curriculum content Learning Styles Student interest Initiate collaboration Facilitate the learning process Share student data (IEP, AIG, and Testing data) Chair collaborative meetings SCHOOL LIBRARY Integrate information skills into the core curriculum MEDIA COORDINATOR Understand the total curriculum Share resources in a variety of formats Share instructional strategies Support small group instruction Support differentiated learning Advocate for a collaborative environment TECHNOLOGY Integrate technology skills into the core curriculum FACILITATOR Understand the total curriculum Share resources in a variety of formats Share instructional strategies Support small group instruction Support differentiated learning Advocate for a collaborative environment RESOURCE TEACHERS Integrate skills from their area of specialization with core curriculum content Support the necessary use of assistive technology resources Share student assessment data (IEP, AIG) ADMINISTRATORS Allocate time for the collaborative process to occur Provide financial support for acquisition of information resources Support flexible access of media and technology programs and resources Establish expectations for a collaborative environment Evaluate effectiveness of media and technology programs Support the leadership role of the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator MTAC Advocate for a collaborative environment (Media and Technology Participate in the selection of resources Advisory Committee) Prioritize budget needs Facilitate long term plans for the media and technology programs Evaluate effectiveness of media and technology programs SIT Advocate for a collaborative environment (School Improvement Team) Distribute media and technology resources appropriately Facilitate long term plans for media and technology programs Determine alignment of MTAC recommendations with the school improvement plan Successful implementation of flexible access and collaboration requires long-term planning. Development of the IMPACT Model, including flexible access to media and technology resources and instructional support, will take 3-5 years. It is important that the MTAC and the SIT have a shared vision for the learning process that incorporates the key components of the IMPACT Model: Technology-rich teaching and learning environment through flexible access Resource-rich teaching and learning environment through flexible access Collaboration among teachers and media and technology personnel facilitated through flexible access Strong administrative leadership and support Adequate budget TEACHING AND LEARNING 37 IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING SESSIONS Extended time is required for teachers to meet with the technology facilitator and school library media coordinator to analyze student test data, identify instructional objectives and appropriate strategies for individual needs, and determine outcomes and evaluation methods. Each grade-level or department team should have a 2-3 hour planning block every four to six weeks when all instructional partners can meet and plan together. TWO IDEAS FOR PROVIDING EXTENDED PLANNING TIME: Each team meets on a different morning or afternoon, and classes are covered by assistants from other classes (lending/borrowing approach); Several or all grade-level teams meet on the same day in rotation with classes covered by a team of substitutes who move around the building as the teams do their planning. Substitutes are paid from staff development funds. HOW DO YOU IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING SESSIONS? AS YOU PLAN TOGETHER: THE CONVERSATION Discuss curriculum goals and objectives Brainstorm possible activities and scientifically-based teaching strategies based on the analysis of student test scores and the identification of individual weaknesses and strengths Assign responsibilities for instruction Determine and review necessary resources Determine outcomes and how to evaluate Schedule time for instructional activities RULES OF THE ROAD Lead teacher or department head chairs the meeting Teachers talk about curriculum goals and ideas for instructional activities School library media coordinator and technology facilitator bring related resources and activity ideas TOOLS TO GUIDE THE PROCESS Curriculum maps/pacing guides IMPACT for Teachers Web site School-wide research process (Big6, FLIP it!, I-Search, etc.) Planning forms Collaboration Toolkit (see Appendix) 38 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs Strategies for long-term implementation of flexible access and collaboration should include: alignment of the goals of flexible access and collaboration with the school improvement plan facilitated collaborative planning sessions appropriate professional development prioritized budget needs development of a communication plan for internal and external stakesholders What interim strategies can be used in the first year of implementing flexible access? Implement flexible access for instruction in stages by grade-level (over no more than one year) Fixed circulation for primary during 1st semester; transition to flexible circulation 2nd semester Fixed instructional schedule for specified days/times; flexible access for other days/times Individual schools are encouraged to assess the needs of their students and staff and examine their school culture to determine what is needed to promote the IMPACT Model and flexible access such as: Self-checkout/in Access to the online catalog from any workstation User login procedures Process and procedures for communication Record keeping for collaboration with each teacher or grade-level/department team Space/workstation utilization for small group and individual use TEACHING AND LEARNING 39 ADVOCACY: COMMUNICATING WHAT FLEXIBLE ACCESS AND COLLABORATION MEAN The benefits of flexible access and collaborative planning to support instruction must be communicated to the education community. While many view flexible access as the loss of planning time for teachers, the benefits of flexible access to resources and media and technology personnel in schools far outweigh any perceived loss of planning time. When addressing administrators, teachers, parents and other members of the learning community, emphasize these benefits: FLEXIBLE ACCESS ENABLES access to media center and computer lab resources when they are needed to support, supplement, and enhance teaching and learning, thus impacting student achievement; the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator to plan with for instruction with teachers and staff; students to conduct in-depth research for information and resources, thus fostering independence and life-long learning; differentiated instruction in support of the goals and objectives of No Child Left Behind and the ABCs Plus of Public Education development of collaborative units of study culminating in student projects that require higher-order thinking skills based on real-world challenges; implementation of The Balanced Curriculum as recommended by the Instructional Services Division, NC DPI; teachable moment and just-in-time access to information and resources for students; integration of information and technology skills into all curriculum areas as defined by the NC Standard Course of Study; reduction of the student-teacher ratio; instruction to be delivered one-on-one, in small groups, or in whole-class settings in order to address a variety of learning styles. When advocating for flexible access, help administrators and teachers understand the high price of a fixed schedule both academically and financially. Base all arguments on the research that supports appropriate use of the school library media center and the computer lab to impact student achievement (<http://www.lrs.org/impact.asp>). Volunteer to help the principal brainstorm alternatives for coverage of teacher release time so that the media center and computer lab are outside the planning block. “IN A STUDENT-CENTERED LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM, LEARNING NEEDS TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER CLASS SCHEDULES, SCHOOL HOURS, STUDENT CATEGORIZATIONS, AND OTHER LOGISTICAL CONCERNS.” (AASL and AECT, 1998). 40 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs READING AND LITERACY WHAT ARE WE REALLY ALL ABOUT? Current emphases on student reading and writing, accompanied by testing mandates and both state and national legislation, have certainly placed literacy achievement at the forefront of what educators do. The vast array of definitions and terminology used by education professionals today to define their missions or areas of expertise is giving way to the recognition that all educators share both common ground and a common goal for students: to ensure that all develop the skills necessary to be effective lifelong users of ideas and information. Effective language and communication for the 21st century involves all of the various “literacies” noted above, including enabling skills such as reading, writing, and computing, as well as creative thinking and problem solving, interpersonal skills, negotiation, and teamwork. Literacy is literacy is literacy. Literacy is the business of the entire school and requires significant collaboration in order to create a climate and culture that clearly values literacy skills and stresses their importance. Schools must recognize that comprehension skills are not just the business of the reading teacher, that reading promotion is not just the job of the school library media program, and that Internet research strategies are not just the domain of the instructional technology facilitator. School library media coordinators and technology facilitators can provide leadership in reinforcing the “big picture” focus, simultaneously demonstrating how the various parts (such as independent reading, project-based authentic research, online strategies, reading motivation, etc.) fit together with classroom instruction into a greater whole through successful collaboration. Effective collaboration, however, requires effective communication, and too often, semantics interferes in our efforts to work together. “OUR CONCEPT OF LITERACY HAS BEEN BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT PRINT IS THE PRIMARY CARRIER OF INFORMATION IN OUR CULTURE AND THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS ARE THOSE THAT ENABLE STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN TEXT. THE NEW DEFINITION OF LITERACY IS BASED ON A DIFFERENT ASSUMPTION: THAT DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS RAPIDLY BECOMING A PRIMARY CARRIER OF INFORMATION AND THAT THE BROADER MEANS OF EXPRESSION THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY MAKES POSSIBLE ARE NOW CRITICAL FOR EDUCATION. TEXT LITERACY IS NECESSARY AND VALUABLE, BUT NO LONGER SUFFICIENT” (Meyer and Rose, 2000). Effective instructional technology and school library media programs recognize that “digital-age literacy” involves much more than basic skills in reading and writing. Both the school library media and instructional technology communities frequently express frustration that “their message” is not getting across with classroom teachers, administrators, or policy makers at the school board, state or federal levels. The news media fails to pay adequate attention to school libraries or instructional technology programs by focusing instead upon test scores and “why Johnny can’t read.” Media and technology professionals must recognize that public attention, and that of classroom teachers, administrators, and policy makers at the local, state, and national levels, is focused more upon such traditional concepts of reading and writing than upon “information literacy” or “instructional technology skills.” Likewise, others seem to ignore or focus less on research about the impact and effectiveness of strong instructional technology and school library media programs. School library media coordinators and technology facilitators must effectively learn the terminology, best practices, and research of the reading and literacy community, and then translate media and technology terminology, best practices, and research into “their” language and experience. TEACHING AND LEARNING 41 ” ““READING” - “LITERACY” - “INFORMATION LITERACY” - “INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SKILLS” - “MEDIA LITERACY” - “VISUAL LITERACY” - “CONTEMPORARY LITERACY” - “NEW LITERACIES” - “THINKING SKILLS” - “21ST CENTURY SKILLS” The following examples highlight this “translated” collaboration, in which school library media coordinators and/or technology facilitators use current research, models, and best practices in literacy instruction to develop strong media and technology programs. COLLABORATION: MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY, READING, AND LITERACY MODELED READING AND SHARED READING (as described in models for balanced literacy instruction – Routman, 1991; Fountas and Pinnell, 1996; Cooper, 2003) Reading aloud to students has long been a staple of school library media programs. Occasionally utilizing specific strategies and questioning techniques as a part of school library media read-aloud sessions reinforces the same kinds of explicit instruction that are used in scaffolded classroom instruction. Such strategies are thoroughly discussed in Read It Again!: Revisiting Shared Reading by Brenda Parkes (Stenhouse, 2000); Creating buddy or partner reading programs that regularly pair readers to read aloud to each other alternately; Developing collections of books on tape to help develop fluency in independent reading (Allen, 2000); Readers’ theater strategies, including adapting picture books with large amounts of dialogue into scripts or using web-based resources such as Aaron Shepard’s RT Page. READING-WRITING WORKSHOP MODEL “Internet Workshop: Making Time for Literacy” (Leu, 2000) provides a parallel management structure to be utilized in flexibly accessed technology/computer labs and/or school library media centers, and which could serve as a model for classroom teachers seeking to integrate technology seamlessly into their daily literacy activities. PRINT-RICH INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENTS AND BROAD CLASSROOM LIBRARY COLLECTIONS Existing classroom library collections can be broadened significantly by the addition of monthly-rotating “classroom collections” drawn from the school library media collection (Routman, 1991). Although school library media collections are organized by Dewey numbers, classroom libraries are frequently structured to be “browser-friendly” by organizing materials in a way that makes immediate sense to the student. Browsing bins or tubs of high-interest materials organized by genre or topic, author, etc. (such groupings need not be permanent) could rotate out as student interests change (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). RENEWED EMPHASIS ON COMPREHENSION OF NONFICTION AND EXPOSITORY TEXT In Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding (Stenhouse, 2000) and Nonfiction Matters: Reading, Writing, and Research in Grades 3-8 (Stenhouse, 1998), Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis provide multiple strategies that parallel those modeled and taught by school library media coordinators and technology facilitators when helping students with research projects. Literacy strategies common to classroom instruction such as KWL or other kinds of graphic organizers are useful for a variety of research activities. Reading strategies for traditional print and linear text and those used for hypertext on Web pages and Internet resources are remarkably similar, though some (e.g., skimming or scanning, using guided questions, text features, etc.) may deserve greater emphasis when reading text online (Schmar-Dobler, 2003). 42 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs Literature-based instruction and literature studies, which have traditionally focused on novels and fiction, must include multiple forms of literacy. School library media coordinators should be booktalking, creating recommended booklists, and providing reading guidance for nonfiction. Scho Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections. IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education \| Department of Public Instruction Instructional Technology Division AUGUST 2005 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION In compliance with federal law, NC Public Schools administers all state-operated educational programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to: Dr. Elsie C. Leak, Associate Superintendent : : Office of Curriculum and School Reform Services 6307 Mail Service Center :: Raleigh, NC 27699-6307 :: Telephone 919-807-3761 :: Fax 919-807-3767 Visit us on the Web:: www.ncpublicschools.org HOWARD N. LEE Chairman : : Raleigh JANE P. NORWOOD Vice Chair : : Charlotte KATHY A. TAFT Greenville MICHELLE HOWARD-VITAL Wilmington EDGAR D. MURPHY Durham SHIRLEY E. HARRIS * Troy MELISSA E. BARTLETT * Mooresville ROBERT “TOM” SPEED Boone WAYNE MCDEVITT Asheville JOHN TATE III Charlotte BEVERLY PERDUE Lieutenant Governor :: New Bern RICHARD MOORE State Treasurer : : Kittrell * not yet confirmed May 25, 2005 NORTH CAROLINA MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS: It is with great pleasure that I commend to you the revised IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs. The acknowledgement of the equal importance of both the school library media and the instructional technology programs in teaching and learning is the premise of these guidelines. We know that school library media and instructional technology programs are the foundation of a 21st Century education. The access to information that these programs afford makes the difference between the textbook-bound classroom of the past and the far-reaching, resource-based curriculum of today and tomorrow. Research tells us that instructional technology, used appropriately, results in higher test scores. It is remarkably effective in sparking student interest, increasing motivation, and raising self-esteem, thus positively impacting student achievement. Research also tells us that a school library media center that provides up-to-date, accurate, and attractive resources managed by a professional school library media coordinator who collaborates with teachers to augment and enhance classroom instruction also results in increased test scores, especially in reading. IMPACT reflects both the reality of this research and the commitment to assuring that every teacher and student has the academic and personal advantage of access to these high quality programs. No North Carolina citizen can be left behind! Implementing the IMPACT Guidelines in your school assures that our youngest citizens, their parents, and their teachers will have the skills necessary to enter the 21st Century world of work and civic responsibility. The school library media and instructional technology program and the resources it promotes are central to the success of North Carolina’s ABCs of Public Education and to Governor Easley’s 21st Century Learning Skills priority--in fact, to all school reform initiatives throughout the state. IMPACT and the excellence it fosters are a part of the vision and accountability necessary to produce schools that are First in America. Howard N. Lee, Chairman, Start Board of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We welcome the opportunity to express appreciation to the following workgroup participants who contributed their time, enthusiasm, and expertise in the development of this document. LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES Beaufort County Patricia Morris Carteret County Janet McLendon Catawba County Judith Ray Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Hennie Driggers Chapel Hill-Carrboro Mary Gray Leonard Chatham County Kimberly M. Johnson Davidson County Karen Perry Gaston County Vivien R. Timmons Granville County Dasie Roberts Harnett County Tammy Genthe Haywood County L. Kinney Iredell-Statesville Barb Thorson Lenoir County Julie Lee Orange County Sonya Terry NW RESA Karen Lowe Perquimans County Victor Eure Perquimans County Melissa Fields Perquimans County Cynthia Stallings Pitt County Kerry Mebane Rockingham County Martha Carroll Rockingham County Donna Edrington Transylvania County Carrie H. Kirby Wake County Rusty Taylor Watauga County Shannon Carrol Wilkes County Jaye Ellen Parks Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Jackie Pierson Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Jo Sapp INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION Appalachian State University Robert Sanders, PhD East Carolina University Diane D. Kester, PhD University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evelyn Daniel, PhD University of North Carolina at Greensboro Nona Pryor NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Frances Bryant Bradburn John Brim Glen Buck Karen Creech Mary Lou Daily Acacia Dixon Janice Dunning Zena Harvley-Felder Benny Hendrix Melanie Honeycutt Ouida Myers Campbell Price Donna Sawyer Gerry Solomon Dan Sparlin Wynn Smith Annemarie Timmerman FOREWORD Welcome to the revised edition of IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs! IMPACT continues to be a part of the overall vision of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. It recognizes that an effective school library media and technology program is the infrastructure that supports both teaching and learning. This program is the key to making education relevant to a knowledge-based society and its economy. IMPACT is aligned to Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, the national standards for media and technology programs, the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards, and a growing body of school library media and instructional technology research. Also reflecting the recommendations of the 2005-2009 North Carolina Educational Technology Plan, IMPACT acknowledges the importance of staffing each school in North Carolina with both a school library media coordinator and a technology facilitator. It also reflects a commitment to provide a roadmap for an integrated media and technology program once these positions are in place. It offers assessment instruments to assist in the evaluation of the media and technology program designed to move us toward the State Board of Education goals of rigor, relevance, and relationships, the foundation of a 21st Century educational and economic environment. The revision of IMPACT reflects the reality that the media and technology program and its resources are not static. In fact, they are constantly evolving, mandating on-going update and revision. Thus, while there is a one-time print edition of this document, it is also a Web-based publication . The online version of IMPACT will be updated regularly, new resources created, further links added. It will always be a work in progress. IMPACT is also a publication for many audiences. Media and technology personnel can no longer publish a document simply for themselves. IMPACT for Administrators and IMPACT for Classroom Teachers are targeted at those whom our program directly affects: students, teachers, administrators, parents, and the community. Also available are videos that allow everyone to see and expand their understanding of how an IMPACT Model School functions on a day-to-day basis. Only when everyone concerned with the education of our children understands the integral part that the media and technology program plays in high student achievement will the commitment to fund these resources be made. Thus, it is imperative that we use IMPACT to inform all citizens in North Carolina of the importance of our role in education. Media and technology professionals live in exciting times. The public is beginning to understand the link between our programs and services and a high quality education. We dare not squander this opportunity. IMPACT is a tool that will help media and technology personnel at both the state and local levels work together to plan and build effective, comprehensive teaching and learning environments for the 21st Century. We look forward to the challenge! Frances Bryant Bradburn, Director Division of Instructional Technology TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL: A HOW-TO GUIDE ..................................................5 PHASE 1: Building Support ....................................................................................5 PHASE 2: Readiness Assessment ............................................................................6 PHASE 3: Setting the Stage for Successful Collaboration ..........................................6 PHASE 4: Formal Collaboration ...............................................................................7 PHASE 5: Beyond the Classroom .............................................................................7 On-going: Evaluation ...............................................................................................8 DEALING WITH THE CHANGE THAT THE IMPACT MODEL WILL BRING ...............................9 Using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to Move Teachers Forward in the IMPACT Model .................................................................................9 What Teachers Must Be Willing to Do .....................................................................11 THE TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR SCENARIO ....................................................................13 SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA COORDINATOR SCENARIO .......................................................15 WORKS CITED ...............................................................................................................17 TABLE OF CONTENTS i TEACHING AND LEARNING VISION ..........................................................................................................................19 COLLABORATION ...........................................................................................................19 INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS ............................................20 ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN THE TEACHING/ LEARNING PROCESS .....................................................................................................22 COLLABORATION FOR ASSESSMENT, RESEARCH, AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT ..............23 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT .....................................................................................24 Professional Development for Media and Technology Professionals ............................25 Assessing Professional Development .......................................................................25 Planning High Quality Professional Development .....................................................25 Ensuring High Quality Professional Development .....................................................26 The National Staff Development Council Standards .................................................27 North Carolina Professional Development Standards ................................................27 COLLABORATION THROUGH FLEXIBLE ACCESS ..............................................................31 FLEXIBLE ACCESS LOOKS LIKE THIS ..............................................................................33 COLLABORATING TO ACHIEVE INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS ...................................................33 LEADERSHIP AND THE CHANGE PROCESS .....................................................................34 MAKING FLEXIBLE ACCESS AND COLLABORATION WORK ...............................................34 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS .....................................36 IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING SESSIONS ................................38 ADVOCACY: COMMUNICATING FLEXIBLE ACCESS AND COLLABORATION .........................40 READING AND LITERACY ...............................................................................................41 COLLABORATION: MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY, READING, AND LITERACY ..........................42 READING PROGRAMS OR READING? ..............................................................................45 WORKS CITED ...............................................................................................................47 ii IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs INFORMATION ACCESS AND DELIVERY INFORMATION ACCESS AND DELIVERY: THE HEART OF EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS ..............53 RESOURCES, NEEDS, AND CHOICES ..............................................................................54 MAKING RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ................................................................................55 The Role of Media and Technology Professionals .....................................................55 Vital Components for Resource Access and Delivery .................................................55 PLANNING AND DESIGNING FACILITIES FOR LEARNING .................................................58 People and Responsibilities ...................................................................................58 Overall Facility Design: Basic Considerations ...........................................................60 Important Elements of Good Design .......................................................................61 Access .................................................................................................................62 Location ..............................................................................................................62 Exceptional Children Facilities ...............................................................................63 Aesthetics and Atmosphere ...................................................................................64 Ergonomics ..........................................................................................................64 Mechanics and Engineering ...................................................................................65 Safety ..................................................................................................................66 Security ...............................................................................................................66 Design Considerations for Spaces within the Facility ................................................67 Designing for Growth and Development ...................................................................68 Designing for the Infusion of Technology .................................................................68 Designing for Expanded Hours and Use ..................................................................68 Designing for Flexible Use .....................................................................................68 DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................69 Details Matter ......................................................................................................69 Four Preliminary Steps ..........................................................................................69 Components of Educational Specifications ..............................................................71 EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SCHOOL AND MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY SPACES ..........72 Classrooms ...........................................................................................................73 Flexibly Accessed Computer Labs .........................................................................75 Distance Learning via the N.C. Information Highway ...............................................76 Staff Offices ........................................................................................................77 Technology Administration and Planning .................................................................78 Conference Areas .................................................................................................79 Workrooms ..........................................................................................................80 Auditoriums, Cafeterias, and Gymnasiums .............................................................81 TABLE OF CONTENTS iii EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER ..................82 Visualizing Use of Space ......................................................................................82 Some Key Design Questions .................................................................................82 Charts of Recommendations .................................................................................82 Minimum Square Footage .....................................................................................83 Large Group Instruction .......................................................................................85 Reference ...........................................................................................................86 Story Sharing ......................................................................................................87 Independent Work Areas .......................................................................................88 Small Group Activity ............................................................................................88 Informal Reading .................................................................................................89 Production ..........................................................................................................90 Periodical Storage ................................................................................................91 Administration and Planning .................................................................................92 Circulation ..........................................................................................................93 Automated Catalog ..............................................................................................94 Professional Area .................................................................................................95 Parent Resource Area ...........................................................................................96 Workroom ...........................................................................................................97 Display and Exhibit ..............................................................................................98 Secure Equipment Storage, Distribution, and Maintenance .....................................98 EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR FURNITURE, SHELVING, AND BUILT-INS ................99 General Considerations .........................................................................................99 Guidelines for Shelving .......................................................................................100 Maximum Heights for Different Types of Furniture and Shelving .............................101 More Helpful Tips about Furniture and Shelving ...................................................102 GENERAL TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INSTRUCTION .....................................104 Network Server, Head-end Area ...........................................................................104 Video Wiring Closet Area ......................................................................................104 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................105 iv IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION PLANNING THE PROGRAM ............................................................................................107 Why Plan? ..........................................................................................................107 Vision: the Key to Success ..................................................................................108 Short-term and Long-term Planning .....................................................................108 BEING THE CHANGE AGENT .........................................................................................109 Advocating for the Program ..................................................................................110 MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITIES ...............................................................................................116 BUDGETING FOR THE PROGRAM ..................................................................................118 Some Facts about Budget and Funding ................................................................118 Developing an Effective Budget ...........................................................................118 Primary Sources of Funding ................................................................................121 Other Sources of Funding ...................................................................................121 Writing Budget Proposals ....................................................................................122 POLICY ........................................................................................................................123 Policy and Procedure Defined ...............................................................................123 Creating Policy and Procedure Manuals .................................................................125 Components of a Policy Document ........................................................................126 Components of a Procedure Document .................................................................127 Policy, Procedures, and Guidelines Implementation Chart .......................................128 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................129 Vision .................................................................................................................129 Role of the MTAC in Collection Development .........................................................129 Role of the School Library Media Coordinator ........................................................130 Role of the Technology Facilitator .........................................................................130 Assessing the Collection ......................................................................................131 Assessing the Collection: Methods ........................................................................132 Assessing the Collection: Collection Mapping .........................................................133 Assessing the Collection: Resource Alignment ........................................................135 Assessing the Collection: Systematic Random Sampling .........................................136 Automated Assessments ......................................................................................137 Weeding the Collection ........................................................................................139 Guide to Weeding the Collection ...........................................................................141 Collecting Data ...................................................................................................143 The Non-print Collection ......................................................................................143 Writing a Collection Development Plan ..................................................................147 Developing a Budget ...........................................................................................148 TABLE OF CONTENTS v Selecting Resources ............................................................................................149 Some Guiding Questions for Selecting Resources ...................................................149 Selecting Equipment, Hardware, and Infrastructure ................................................151 Conducting an Inventory ......................................................................................152 What is inventory? ...............................................................................................152 Why inventory? ....................................................................................................152 Guidelines for Scheduling Inventory ......................................................................152 School Equipment Inventory .................................................................................152 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................153 SYSTEM-LEVEL GUIDELINES SYSTEM-LEVEL LEADERSHIP ........................................................................................157 TEACHING AND LEARNING ...........................................................................................159 Collaborating to Achieve Goals ............................................................................159 Being Involved with the Curriculum .....................................................................159 Providing Professional Development .....................................................................160 Planning, Research, and Development .................................................................160 INFORMATION ACCESS AND DELIVERY .........................................................................161 Establishing Infrastructure and Connectivity .........................................................161 Standardizing Resources and Equipment ..............................................................161 Planning for New and Renovated Facilities ...........................................................162 Ensuring Equity .................................................................................................162 Managing Resources ...........................................................................................162 PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION .......................................................................................163 Strengthening Communication and Public Relations ..............................................163 Establishing Policies and Procedures ...................................................................163 Recruiting, Selecting, and Retaining Personnel .....................................................164 Attending to Budget Basics .................................................................................164 Developing Collections ........................................................................................165 Evaluating Programs ...........................................................................................165 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................166 vi IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs RESEARCH AND EVALUATION COMPELLING DATA FROM CURRENT RESEARCH ...........................................................167 RESEARCH ...................................................................................................................172 Scientifically Based Research ...............................................................................173 Action Research ..................................................................................................174 Data-Driven Decision Making in the Media and Technology Program ........................175 Measuring the Media and Technology Program .......................................................175 Using School Data for Program Decisions ..............................................................175 EVALUATION ................................................................................................................176 HOW TO EVALUATE PROGRAMS ....................................................................................177 Guidelines for Evaluation .....................................................................................178 USING OUTPUT MEASURES FOR EVALUATION ...............................................................179 REFERENCE CHART: MEASURES AND WHAT THEY SUPPORT .........................................183 RESEARCH AND EVALUATION MODELS ..........................................................................184 Comprehensive Program Evaluation Model .............................................................184 Technology Focused Evaluation Models .................................................................185 PROGRAM EVALUATION RUBRICS .................................................................................186 Media and Technology Program Evaluation Rubrics ................................................187 System-Level Leadership and Support Evaluation Rubrics .......................................197 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................205 TABLE OF CONTENTS vii APPENDICES APPENDICES TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................207 AMTR Guidelines ................................................................................................209 Collaborative Planning Session Rubric ...................................................................213 How to Talk to a Principal ....................................................................................217 Guidelines for Baseline Information in Media and Technology Policies .....................219 Suggested Guidelines for the Reconsideration of Instructional Materials – Sample Policy .....................................................................................................239 Job Descriptions ..................................................................................................245 Media and Technology Advisory Committee ............................................................265 One-to-One Computing ........................................................................................269 Media Coordinator Performance Appraisal Instrument .............................................271 Technology Facilitator Performance Appraisal Instrument ........................................275 Sample Schedules – Media and Technology ...........................................................279 School Library Media Coordinator without a Technology Facilitator ...........................287 Wireless Local Area Network ................................................................................289 GLOSSARY GLOSSARY ..................................................................................................................293 BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY ...........................................................................................................303 viii IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION 1 INTRODUCTION “TECHNOLOGY IGNITES OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING, ENGAGES TODAY’S STUDENTS AS ACTIVE LEARNERS AND PARTICIPANTS IN DECISION-MAKING ON THEIR OWN EDUCATIONAL FUTURES AND PREPARES OUR NATION FOR THE DEMANDS OF A GLOBAL SOCIETY IN THE 21ST CENTURY.” Toward A New Golden Age In American Education: How the Internet, the Law, and Today’s Students are Revolutionizing Expectation, National Education Technology Plan 2004, U.S. Department of Education, “THE CHALLENGE FACING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS IS THE EMPOWERMENT OF ALL CHILDREN TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY IN THEIR FUTURE, A FUTURE MARKED INCREASINGLY WITH CHANGE, INFORMATION GROWTH, AND EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES. TECHNOLOGY IS A POWERFUL TOOL WITH ENORMOUS POTENTIAL FOR PAVING HIGH-SPEED HIGHWAYS, [MOVING THEM] FROM OUTDATED EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS TO SYSTEMS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL, TO BETTER SERVE THE NEEDS OF 21ST CENTURY WORK COMMUNICATIONS, LEARNING, AND LIFE.” National Educational Technology Standards for Students, Connecting Curriculum and Technology, International Society for Technology in Education, 2000. 2 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs “INFORMATION LITERACY--THE ABILITY TO FIND AND USE INFORMATION-- IS THE KEYSTONE OF LIFELONG LEARNING. CREATING A FOUNDATION FOR LIFELONG LEARNING IS AT THE HEART OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM. JUST AS THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER HAS MOVED FAR BEYOND A ROOM WITH BOOKS TO BECOME AN ACTIVE, TECHNOLOGY-RICH LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WITH AN ARRAY OF INFORMATION RESOURCES, THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST TODAY FOCUSES ON THE PROCESS OF LEARNING RATHER THAN DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION. THE LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM COMBINES EFFECTIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES WITH INFORMATION ACCESS SKILLS. INFORMATION AVAILABILITY WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTINUE TO MUSHROOM INTO THE NEXT CENTURY, WHICH WILL MAKE A STRONG SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM EVEN MORE ESSENTIAL TO HELP ITS USERS ACQUIRE THE SKILLS THEY WILL NEED TO HARNESS AND USE INFORMATION FOR A PRODUCTIVE AND FULFILLING LIFE.” Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning, American Library Association, Chicago, 1998. Through the State Board of Education’s Strategic Plan for Excellent Schools, every child has the opportunity to achieve at his or her highest potential in the fast-paced, ever-changing environment of the 21st century. The rapid advance of technology requires that all educators continually upgrade their skills, knowledge bases, and perspectives. Media and technology programs are an integral part of education. Collaboration is the key. Teachers and media and technology personnel collaborate to create a 21st century learning environment in which student learning is the focus. Students simultaneously collaborate with each other and their teachers to learn how to solve problems, complete real world tasks, and take charge of their own progress. The added value of this collaborative, media and technology-enhanced environment is thoughtful planning, differentiated instruction, and smaller class size. IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs, released in 2000, provided guidelines for school library media coordinators and technology facilitators in North Carolina. The 2005 revision of the document updates information in the original, continues to reflect national, state, and professional standards, and adds a step-by-step guide to becoming an IMPACT school. It also provides recommendations for programs, personnel, budgets, policies, resources, and facilities that will guide media and technology programs as they support a resource-rich, technology-rich learning environment. IMPACT will help meet the information and technology challenge facing North Carolina schools in the new millennium. As a result, media and technology programs will: IMPACT TEACHING, IMPACT LEARNING, IMPACT MOTIVATION, AND IMPACT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. INTRODUCTION 3 4 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL A How-to Guide Dealing with the Change that the IMPACT Model Will Bring The Technology Facilitator Scenario School Library Media Coordinator Scenario Works Cited IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL: A HOW-TO GUIDE Educators in schools interested in implementing the IMPACT Model always ask, “What is the best way to begin?” While one school might decide to implement all portions of the model simultaneously--hiring all the staff, implementing flexible access, and initiating monthly grade-level collaborative planning sessions, others prefer a phased-in model to help staff prepare for the change in school culture that will ensue. The following guide offers strategies for implementing the IMPACT Model regardless of the timeline that a school adopts. Please be aware, however, that all change is difficult. Moving quickly and resolutely toward a new program may be less painful than a drawn-out implementation. PHASE 1: Building Support The first step in implementing the IMPACT Model is creating an awareness of the benefits of the model to students and teachers. Administrative support is critical to implementing the model. The principal should be an instructional leader who participates fully in the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC). Teachers and all stakeholders should be represented on the MTAC. Research on the benefits of flexible scheduling can be shared with the MTAC whose members will serve as advocates for the IMPACT Model within the school and community. Parents and community members should be represented on the MTAC. The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator should be active participants in the School Improvement Team, ensuring that information and technology skills are addressed within the school improvement plan. A school wide planning retreat focusing on change, flexibility, and collaboration provides the opportunity to share research on the IMPACT Model and address initial concerns among the total staff. The MTAC should communicate with educators in other schools in North Carolina that have successfully implemented the IMPACT Model and learn from their experiences. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 5 PHASE 2: Readiness Assessment The second step in implementing the IMPACT Model is determining the readiness of your school for successful implementation. Consider the following needs as you design this assessment: The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator, in collaboration with the system-level technology director and system-level media director, should review IMPACT guidelines and North Carolina Educational Technology Plan recommendations for determining additional personnel. The media coordinator and technology facilitator should conduct a needs assessment for staff to determine their readiness to utilize technology and information in a collaborative environment. This assessment may include technology application skills, technology integration skills, flexible scheduling utilization, understanding of collaborative teaching and learning, and how to ask open-ended questions. Content area curriculum mapping/pacing guides should be reviewed and updated for alignment to the Standard Course Of Study, relevance to current classroom practice, and consistency across grade levels and subject areas. The infrastructure should be evaluated for adequacy according to the standards described in the North Carolina Educational Technology Plan. Hardware access and software resources should be evaluated for adequacy and age appropriateness according to North Carolina Educational Technology Plan standards. The media collection should be evaluated through a collection analysis that maps resources to the curriculum. A long-term collection development plan should be created based on the collection analysis. The collection should balance print and nonprint resources. The media center schedule should be evaluated for its capacity to provide point-of- need resources and services to students and staff. The master schedule should be reviewed for options to create flexible access to media and technology facilities and personnel. The existing budget should be evaluated for the capacity to fund needs identified in the readiness assessment. All potential external and internal sources of funding should be identified in consultation with the system-level technology director, the system-level media director, and the principal. The MTAC should conduct a benchmark assessment of the media and technology program using IMPACT rubrics. PHASE 3: Setting the Stage for Successful Collaboration The next step in implementing the IMPACT Model is to create a foundation for collaborative planning that addresses needs identified in the readiness assessment. The principal will attempt to meet personnel needs through re-assignment of existing staff and recommendations to the superintendent for hiring additional staff. With the support of the MTAC, the principal should articulate school-wide expectations for collaboration. This may include a master planning calendar based on curriculum mapping/pacing guides. The principal will develop a schedule to provide flexible access to the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator and facilities. The media coordinator and technology facilitator will acquire print and non-print resources based on the collection development plan. 6 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs The media coordinator and technology facilitator will acquire adequate hardware/ software according to the recommendations of the North Carolina Educational Technology Plan and the MTAC committee. These acquisitions should include adaptive technologies for students with special needs. The media coordinator and technology facilitator will offer professional development on best practices in using technology and media resources to support student achievement. The system-level technology director will upgrade building infrastructure to meet North Carolina Educational Technology Plan standards. The media coordinator and technology facilitator, with the principal and teachers, will analyze student data to identify school-wide student needs. As members of the School Improvement Team, the media coordinator and technology facilitator will identify goals for technology/information skills integration in the School Improvement Plan. The media coordinator and technology facilitator, with input from the MTAC, will redesign the media center and classrooms to accommodate differentiation of instructional activities with technology and flexible grouping. PHASE 4: Formal Collaboration The ultimate step in implementing the IMPACT model is creating collaborative planning times. Using this time, the school library media coordinator, technology facilitator, and classroom teachers collaboratively will: Plan together to create and evaluate multidisciplinary units of instruction integrating technology/information skills across the curriculum; Design differentiated instructional activities to meet individual student needs; Identify regular common planning time for team collaboration by grade level and subject; Assess student products emerging from collaboratively planned units of instruction (New assessment tools and rubrics should be created as needed.); Celebrate student achievement and recognize teachers for their successes; Evaluate the outcomes of common planning times using a variety of methods such as surveys, reflections, and plus/delta charts. PHASE 5: Beyond the Classroom Collaborative planning will expand the opportunities for integrating resources beyond the classroom. The increased use of media and technology resources in instruction makes it important to expand access to these resources beyond the traditional school day and the traditional school community. The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator will identify and integrate outside resources into collaborative units of instruction. These resources may include local, state, and national educational resources including print, digital, and human resources. The media coordinator and technology facilitator will work with partners to provide after school programs for children, parents, and community members. (For example, Computer Camps, Computer Clubs, Book Clubs, technology training for adults, family technology and reading nights.) The media center and technology facilities may be opened extended hours and staffed by educators who have negotiated flexible hours with the administration, by separately hired staff, and/or by volunteers. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 7 ON-GOING: Evaluation Implementation of the IMPACT Model may be evaluated by the MTAC using the following guided reflection questions. What impact does a supportive environment have on media and technology access and use? What impact do media, technology, and collaboration have on the total school program? What impact does communication have on the total school program? What impact do research-based practices in technology, literacy, and information skills have on student learning? Does integration of technology/information skills throughout the curriculum enhance student learning? What areas of the curriculum can most effectively be enhanced with technology/ information skills? Does the use of technology as a learning tool improve student achievement? To what extent is data used in making decisions about hardware/software allocations and selection of media resources? To what extent are technology and media resources accessible to all students? To what extent are technical support personnel provided and technical support procedures implemented? To what extent are technology and media resources accessible during and beyond the school day? To what extent has the school established and maintained an effective communications system? To what extent does the school support and promote collaboration? To what extent are procedures used to monitor, evaluate, and review progress of technology initiatives? To what extent is effective professional development provided? To what extent are student/curricular needs being fulfilled by identified media and technology resources? ORIENTATION FOR NEW STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS: The school must recruit and hire teachers who are receptive to the IMPACT Model. The MTAC will provide orientation for new staff and administrators to the IMPACT Model. 8 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs DEALING WITH THE CHANGE THAT THE IMPACT MODEL WILL BRING “THE CONVICTION THAT LEARNING GOALS SHOULD BE FIXED AND TIME A FLEXIBLE RESOURCE OPENS UP PROFOUND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE.” (United States. Department of Education. “Prisoners of Time.”) USING THE CONCERNS-BASED ADOPTION MODEL (CBAM) TO MOVE TEACHERS FORWARD IN THE IMPACT MODEL In order for the IMPACT Model to work in a school, it must have the support and under-standing of classroom teachers. Teachers must understand the changes that will occur in their classrooms and in their teaching as a result of this model. The administrative and media and technology staff must support and nurture teachers through this change. Supporting and nurturing means addressing teachers as individuals and understanding their concerns about the changes they are or will be experiencing. According to the CBAM model of change, individuals involved in change can be identified as one of the following: INNOVATOR: Approximately 8% or any group can be considered innovators. These individuals are eager to try new ideas, are open to change, and are willing to take risks. LEADER: Approximately 17% of any group can be considered leaders. These individuals are open to change, but more thoughtful about getting involved. EARLY MAJORITY: Approximately 29% of any group can be considered as the early majority. These individuals are cautious and deliberate about deciding to adopt an innovation. LATE MAJORITY: Approximately 29% of any group can be considered as the late majority. These individuals can skeptical of adopting new ideas and are “set in their ways.” RESISTER: Approximately 17% of any group can be considered resisters. These individuals are suspicious and generally opposed to new ideas. (Hord, S., et al, 1998.) It is important to recognize that these identifiers are not meant to be negative or positive, but rather they allow a change facilitator to recognize what is needed to move an individual through the change process. For the IMPACT Model, this means being able to recognize how a teacher approaches a change to classroom practice and working with each individual to better utilize the model. Once the school library media coordinator, technology facilitator, and/or administrator have identified each teacher’s adopter level, they should identify Stages of Concern. The Stages of Concern help to identify how a person feels and thinks about a given initiative. In the implementation of the IMPACT Model, teachers will move through the stages as they become more comfortable with the collaborative process and the IMPACT culture. ” IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 9 “CHANGE: is a PROCESS, not an event is made by INDIVIDUALS first, then institutions is a highly PERSONAL experience entails DEVELOPMENTAL growth in feelings and skills (Hord, S., et al, 1998.) STAGES OF CONCERN 0. AWARENESS: The individual either isn’t aware of the change being proposed or doesn’t want to learn it. 1. INFORMATIONAL: The individual has heard of the program, but needs more information. 2. PERSONAL: The individual’s main concern is how this program will affect them on a personal level. 3. MANAGEMENT: The individual’s main concern is about the management, scheduling, etc., of a specific program. 4. CONSEQUENCE: The individual’s primary concern is how the program will affect students or how they can make the program work for their students. 5. COLLABORATION: The individual’s primary concern is how to make the program work better by actively working on it with colleagues. 6. REFOCUSING: The individual’s primary concern is seeking out a new and better change to implement. When the media coordinator, technology facilitator, and/or administrator have identified each teacher’s Stage of Concern, they can more easily communicate the needs of both the teacher and the program. Teachers in the early stages of concern will need more one-on-one assistance and encouragement than those in the later stages. 10 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs WHAT TEACHERS MUST BE WILLING TO DO When teachers understand that a change will take place, they will need to be completely aware of what implementing the IMPACT Model will mean to their classroom and their teaching practice. TEACHERS MUST BE WILLING TO: BE FLEXIBLE Take risks Try new things Step out of the box ASSESS STUDENT NEEDS Analyze test scores Understand individual learning styles Survey individual interests INITIATE COLLABORATION Brainstorm ways the collaboration process can work for them and their students Share ideas with school library media coordinator/technology facilitator and other teachers Begin the collaboration process Evaluate project successes FAIL Technology doesn’t always work Students don’t always work well collaboratively The “best” lesson plan doesn’t always work out the way you planned ASK FOR HELP Students Teachers School library media coordinator Technology facilitator CELEBRATE SUCCESSES Tell other teachers what is working well Share with school library media coordinator and technology facilitator Share with other schools Share at conferences USE: Web sites, bulletin boards, newsletters, displays, sharing lessons, press releases, system-level collaboration fairs, school-wide activities (Poetry Day, Technology Night), etc. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 11 CHANGE ROLES Move from being the “sage on the stage” or “guide on the side” to the “mentor in the center” Facilitate the learning process Allow students to begin taking responsibility for their own learning Become a team member Become a life-long learner 12 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs THE TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR SCENARIO “THE IMPORTANT ISSUE IN EFFECTIVENESS FOR LEARNING IS NOT THE SOPHISTICATION OF THE TECHNOLOGIES, BUT THE WAYS IN WHICH THEIR CAPABILITIES AID AND MOTIVATE USERS” (Dede, C., 2001). Innovation Middle School is wired. Every classroom has three multimedia, Internet accessible computers, an LCD projector, a Digital Interactive Whiteboard, a DVD player, and curriculum appropriate hardware and software. Networked printers are located on every hall, and each grade, 6th, 7th, and 8th, has a mobile computer lab. For Mrs. Ray, the technology facilitator, a wired school means a very busy schedule. Mrs. Ray has worked at Innovation Middle School for many years. Through her experience and education, she has gained and applied many insights about technology and the job of teaching. Mrs. Ray knows that technology brings new resources into the classroom (Bajcsy, 2002). For instance, this is the first year that Mr. Price has participated in the Global Lab project with his eighth grade 1st period science class. Global Lab students around the world create environmental profiles of their school. Students measure parameters such as light intensity, carbon dioxide concentrations, air and soil temperature, and soil moisture, then compile their data and exchange it with other schools across the globe. Through the global lab project, Mr. Price’s students have information that has not been available to his students in previous years. With observations available from other students in diverse environments, his students make comparisons of their environmental profile with profiles of other environments to make hypotheses and observations. This morning Mrs. Ray works with Mr. Price and his students organizing the data from the various environments in a database. While Mrs. Ray works with students on creating a database, Mr. Price will work with students on organizing and synthesizing the information in appropriate searchable fields and records. Mrs. Ray also knows that with technology, teachers are able to develop new forms of instruction (Means, 2000). Last summer, the Innovation Middle School Social Studies team, developed lessons and an accompanying selection of online resources and software, of texts, photographs, audio and video content. This morning in Mrs. Foust’s second period social studies class, students are using the resources to create multimedia reports instead of the traditional written reports on Asian history and culture. The group assigned to explore the economy of China, uniquely explore the ties between the American economy and China’s economy and working conditions in their multimedia report titled Made in China. Students use photographs and voiceovers to explain the implications of importing products from China to the United States. This morning Mrs. Ray and Mrs. Powder, the school library media coordinator, are working with the students on their projects. Mrs. Powder is instructing students on how to correctly cite sources for multimedia and online resources. Mrs. Ray is helping students incorporate multime-dia sources into their presentations correctly. Mrs. Foust comments that using the multi-media resources gives greater content and depth to instruction and student assignments. Discussions with many teachers confirm something else Mrs. Ray already knows. Technology motivates student learning. Teachers suggest that technology motivates students, because it creates an environment that involves students more directly than traditional teaching tools (Schacter, 1999). Before Mrs. Ray heads to the sixth grade team weekly planning meeting, she stops by Mrs. Brown’s 8th grade language arts class. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 13 Since Mrs. Brown replaced journal writing on required reading assignments with Weblogs, her students’ writing has increased dramatically. Students are so involved in writing and reading Weblog entries that they all scramble to get on the computers before lunch. Because students are posting their responses online where every other student can read the entry, students are reading the young adult literature thoroughly and are posting more in-depth observations about what they are reading. Mrs. Brown is ecstatic. Not only are students more engaged in the literature, but they are also taking responsibility for their own learning. After lunch Mrs. Ray heads for Mr. Mulroney’s room. Technology has been extremely helpful in individualizing instruction for students, many of whom are served in excep-tional classrooms (Lou, 2001). While Mr. Mulroney believes that technology helps adapt instruction to student learning styles, he does not believe in isolated learning. In Mr. Mulroney’s class, students are learning about volcanoes together through a variety of activities. Mark and Adam are building a model volcano from everyday kitchen products. Mary is using simulation software to simulate a volcanic eruption by combining different gases with magma and rock. Linda and James are creating a Hyperstudio stack on Mount St. Helen’s in Washington. Mr. Mulroney asked Mrs. Ray to join the class this afternoon as students’ work on their different projects. As students are leaving school, Mrs. Ray is setting up for professional development. Mrs. Ray knows that effective use of instructional technology is dependent on the teacher (Grove, Strudler, and Odell, 2004). Teachers must be confident in applying technology when and where appropriate. To maintain their technology competency in a fast-paced environment, professional development has becomes a high priority for teachers. Today, Mrs. Ray is teaching sixth grade teachers about handhelds. Before Mrs. Ray leaves for the day, she checks the next day’s schedule. She notes that tomorrow Mrs. Caison, the music teacher, is using midi software in music appreciation class . . . For online video examples of technology facilitator scenarios visit the following Web site: 14 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA COORDINATOR SCENARIO INFORMATION LITERACY IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESS IN WHICH THE LEARNER EVALUATES AND USES INFORMATION IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS FOR PERSONAL, SOCIAL, AND PROFESSIONAL PURSUITS (paraphrased from Abilock, 2004). It is 7:00 a.m. – just another day in the Innovation school media center. Students cluster in the foyer waiting for the library doors to open. The library is always used heavily before the school day begins. Some students will come to the media center to work on class assignments. Others will check out books. Teachers stop by to schedule a class in the media center for a project. At 8:00 a.m., the first bell rings and the media center empties while students flock to homeroom class. Mr. Reynold’s seventh grade math class is the first class of the day for Mrs. Wright, the school library media coordinator. Geometry is always a favorite part of the math curriculum in seventh grade because students never tire of constructing shapes and figures. Today, students are exploring an engineering geometric wonder of the world, domes. Mrs. Wright is excited today to share some of the books in the media center on the design and construction of structures. Some of Mrs. Wright’s favorites are Building Big by David Macaulay, Experiment! Spiderwebs to Skyscrapers: The Science of Structures by David Darling, and Eyewitness Books: Force & Motion by Peter Lafferty. After Mr. Reynold’s class leaves, Mrs. Wright checks on a couple of eighth grade boys who are investigating the various estuaries in North Carolina. Their assignment is to locate an estuary to visit on a field trip. Mrs. Rowland, the media assistant, helps the boys do a search on the Internet on estuaries in North Carolina. So far the boys have information on the Neuse River, the Albemarle, and the Pamlico River Estuary. Mrs. Wright directs the eighth grade boys to resources in the reference collection. Several books on North Carolina can aid their decision. Notably, The Nature of North Carolina’s Southern Coast: Barrier Islands, Coastal Waters and Wetlands by Dirk Frankenberg describes several estuaries of interest. The Lunchtime Book Club meets today. Students who join the club bring their lunch to the library and discuss a book that they are reading. Currently, they are reading The DoubleLife of Zoe Flynn by Janet Lee Carey about a girl who hides the fact from her classmates that her family lives in a van. Mrs. Wright has several book clubs to meet the varied interests of students. Her personal favorite is the sports heroes book club she jointly coordinates with Mr. Reynolds. When reading is connected to real-world contexts and personal interest students are more motivated to read (Ivey and Broaddus, 2001). After lunch Mrs. Wright meets with the sixth grade collaborative planning team for the afternoon. Each year the sixth grade teachers focus the instructional program around a central theme. This year the theme is cities. The team has already decided the theme for next year will be detectives. Today, they want to pinpoint resources and plan ideas for integrating the theme with the SCOS. Mrs. Wright is excited. The detective/mystery genre of young adult literature is always a favorite with middle grade students. Today she suggests to Mrs. Johnson, the language arts teacher, Wolf Rider by Avi and Getting Lincoln’s Goat by E. M. Goldman as literature for next year. IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 15 Mrs. Wright also thinks the history detectives Web site (http://www.pbs.org/opb/ history detectives/index.html) will be the perfect fit for the social studies curriculum. During the planning meeting she shows this Web site to Mr. Carter, the sixth grade social studies teacher while Mr. Grady, the science teacher and Mr. Brown, the math teacher discuss some ideas for integrating math and science with a detective theme. Mrs. Wright has appreciated the insight that a theme-based approach has brought to the sixth grade teachers. The sixth grade teachers recognize that their role as the content specialist combined with the media specialist’s role as resource specialist has helped build a stronger, more dynamic instructional program (Russell, 2002). Theoretically, every unit of instruction in any subject curriculum has an opportunity for a problem- or inquiry-based learning component that requires data, information, and knowledge (Georges, 2004, p. 34). For Mrs. Wright, her role within the educational institution is clear. It is her responsibility to seize every opportunity, to provide her colleagues with instructional activities, and to create a collaborative atmosphere that fosters information literacy. For online video examples of school library media coordinator scenarios visit the following Web site: 16 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs WORKS CITED Abilock, D. “Information Literacy from Prehistory to K-20: A New Definition.” Knowledge Quest 32.4 (2004): 9-11. Bajcsy, R. “Technology and Learning.” Visions 2020: Transforming Education and Training through Advanced Technologies. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002. Dede, C. “Vignettes about the future of Learning Technologies.” Visions 2020: Transforming Education and Training through Advanced Technologies. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002. Georges, F. “Information Literacy, Collaboration, and ‘Killer Apps’: New Challenges for Media Specialists.” Library Media Connection 23.2 (2004): 34-35. Grove, K., N. Strudler, and S. Odell. “Mentoring Toward Technology Use: Cooperating Teacher Practice in Supporting Student Teachers.” Journal of Research on Technology in Education 37 (2004): 85-109. Hord, S., W. Rutherford, L. Huling-Austin, and G. Hall. Taking Charge of Change. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1998. Ivey, G. and K. Broaddus. “Just Plain Reading: A Survey of What Makes Students Want to Read in Middle School Classrooms.” Reading Research Quarterly 3. 4 (2001): 350-377. Lou, Y., et al. “Small Group and Individual Learning with Technology: A Meta-Analysis.” Review of Educational Research 71. 3 (2001): 449-521. Means, B. “Accountability in Preparing Teachers to Use Technology.” 2000 State Educational Technology Conference Papers. Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers, 2000. Schacter, J. The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement: What the Most Current Research Has to Say. Milken Exchange on Education Technology, 1999 . United States. Department of Education. “Prisoners of Time.” National Education Commission on Time and Learning. Apr. 1994 . IMPLEMENTING THE IMPACT MODEL 17 18 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs TEACHING AND LEARNING Vision Collaboration Integration of Information and Technology Skills Access to Information Resources and Services Collaboration for Assessment, Research, and Student Achievement Professional Development Collaboration through Flexible Access Flexible Access Looks Like This Collaborating to Achieve Instructional Goals Leadership and the Change Process Making Flexible Access and Collaboration Work Roles and Responsibilities of Collaborative Partners Implementing Effective Collaborative Planning Sessions Advocacy: Communicating Flexible Access and Collaboration Reading and Literacy Collaboration: Media and Technology, Reading, and Literacy Reading Programs or Reading? TEACHING AND LEARNING VISION School library media and technology programs should focus on student achievement and involve the entire staff in collaboratively planning instructional programs that are authentic and engaging, enriched by high-quality resources, current technologies, and effective models of integration. A learner-centered approach to instruction focuses attention on media and technology programs as vital instructional forces that complement, support, and expand classroom learning. The ongoing assessment of media and technology programs is the responsibility of teachers and administrators working together with media and technology professionals. An effective media and technology program supports the teaching and learning community through data-driven collaboration, literacy, integration of technology and information skills with the total curriculum, resources, staff development, and assessment. COLLABORATION “CREATING THE CONTEXT OF A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE REQUIRES MORE THAN ENCOURAGING EDUCATORS TO WORK TOGETHER. THE TRADITION OF TEACHER ISOLATION IS TOO DEEP TO BE UPROOTED SIMPLY BY OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLEGIAL ENDEAVORS. COLLABORATION BY INVITATION NEVER WORKS. LEADERS WHO FUNCTION AS STAFF DEVELOPMENT LEADERS EMBED COLLABORATION IN THE STRUCTURE AND CULTURE OF THEIR SCHOOLS. TEACHERS’ WORK IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STAFF MEMBER IS A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF A COLLABORATIVE TEAM. CREATING AN APPROPRIATE STRUCTURE FOR TEACHER COLLABORATION IS VITALLY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO INSUFFICIENT. LEADERS MUST DO MORE THAN ORGANIZE TEACHER TEAMS AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. THEY MUST PROVIDE THE FOCUS, PARAMETERS, AND SUPPORT TO HELP TEAMS FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005). Collaboration should be evident in all areas of the school environment as well as at the system, regional, and state levels. Within the school, the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator work closely with teachers, administrators, students, and support personnel. All of these people must be involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional program integrated with media and technology. For more information refer to the section on Collaboration Through Flexible Access. TEACHING AND LEARNING 19 INTEGRATION OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS “TODAY’S STUDENT LIVES AND LEARNS IN A WORLD THAT HAS BEEN RADICALLY ALTERED BY THE READY AVAILABILITY OF VAST STORES OF INFORMATION IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS. THE LEARNING PROCESS AND THE INFORMATION SEARCH PROCESS MIRROR EACH OTHER: STUDENTS ACTIVELY SEEK TO CONSTRUCT MEANING FROM THE SOURCES THEY ENCOUNTER AND TO CREATE PRODUCTS THAT SHAPE AND COMMUNICATE THAT MEANING EFFECTIVELY. DEVELOPING EXPERTISE IN ACCESSING, EVALUATING, AND USING INFORMATION IS IN FACT THE AUTHENTIC LEARNING THAT MODERN EDUCATION SEEKS TO PROMOTE” (NC Information Skills Curriculum Philosophy, 1999). The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator play an integral role in teaching students how to access, evaluate, and use information. They also support students in being able to choose the most appropriate tool for collecting information in multiple formats and then organizing, linking, evaluating, and through synthesis, discovering how to present the information. “An array of tools for acquiring information and for thinking and expression allows more students more ways to enter the learning enterprise successfully and to live productive lives in the global, digital, and information-based future they all face” (Philosophy: North Carolina Standard Course of Study, 2004). These skills are embedded throughout the Information and Computer/Technology Skills curricula and are essential to teaching and learning. It is vital that these skills are fully integrated across the curriculum. To integrate these skills seamlessly across the curriculum, the media coordinator and technology facilitator need to “provide strong and creative leadership in building and nurturing the culture of learning, both as a teacher and as an instructional partner” (AASL and AECT, 1998). As teachers, the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator will need to “use both traditional materials and innovative resources” (AASL and AECT, 1998) to provide meaningful instruction. This can be achieved through instruction in a full range of information concepts and strategies, so that students will have the skills needed to interact effectively with all information resources. A research process is one of the types of innovative resources that can be used whenever students are in a situation, academic or personal, that requires information to solve a problem, make a decision, or complete a task. A systematic research model such as the Big Six provides an information problem-solving process, and a set of skills that provide a strategy for effectively and efficiently meeting information needs. It is important to remember that the integration of information and computer/ technology skills across the curriculum does not take place in isolation, but occurs through collaborative planning. The involvement of media and technology professionals in all aspects of curriculum implementation is fundamental to collaboration. 20 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs BEING INVOLVED WITH THE CURRICULUM TO ACHIEVE INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS MEANS: Developing a thorough knowledge of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for all subject areas and grade levels within the school ; Working with teachers to integrate media and technology into instruction across all subject areas and grade levels (See scenarios for school library media coordinator and technology facilitator in Implementing the IMPACT Model); Serving on the School Improvement Team; Working on subject area and grade level teams and committees at the building, system, and state level; Taking leadership roles on the Media and Technology Advisory Committee; Analyzing the School Improvement Plan for areas of instructional focus; Reflecting the School Improvement Plan in instruction and in the acquisition of resources; Analyzing test data with teachers to improve instructional focus; Participating in grade level/departmental meetings; Recommending appropriate information and technology resources to support information and computer/technology skills, and critical thinking throughout the curriculum; Collaborating with teachers, staff, and other members of the learning community to integrate information literacy competencies throughout the teaching and learning process; Developing a deep understanding of the information and computer/technology skills for student learning and of the specific relationship between the skill and the curricular goals of the school and system (AASL and AECT, 1998); Developing and promoting specific plans for incorporating the information literacy standards for student learning into day-to-day curricular and instructional activities (AASL and AECT, 1998); Collaborating regularly with teachers and other members of the learning community to encourage students to become information literate, independent in their learning, and socially responsible in their use of information and information technology (AASL and AECT, 1998). RESEARCH MODEL RESOURCES THE BIG SIX OR THE SUPER THREE FLIP-IT FOLLETT’S INFORMATION SKILLS MODEL JAMIE MCKENZIE’S RESEARCH CYCLE TEACHING AND LEARNING 21 ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN THE TEACHING/LEARNING PROCESS The media and technology program provides intellectual and physical access to a full range of information and services for a community of learners and serves as a model for responsible and creative information use. The school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator collaborate with the school community to play an even more important role as the quantity of information continues to grow. They guide and promote a student-centered program; provide flexible and equitable access to information for learning; and use the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to help all students “construct meaning from the sources they encounter and to create products that shape and communicate that meaning effectively” (NC Information Skills Curriculum Philosophy, 1999). It is critical for students to have the ability to process and create understanding from all types of media in our exploding world of information. Real research and questioning can become lifelong tools to encourage independent thinking and to guide classroom inquiry at any time students are engaged in reading, viewing, or listening activities. ENSURING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO INFORMATION MEANS: Providing accurate, up-to-date, and developmentally appropriate print, non-print, and technology resources that meet the curriculum-related and data-driven needs of students and teachers; Providing meaningful instruction in the full range of information concepts and strategies that students need to interact effectively with all information resources; Supporting intellectual freedom and students’ right to read. Providing flexible access to media and technology resources, staff, and facilities throughout the day; Providing adequate staffing for the media center and computer labs before, during, and after school for use by students, teachers, and members of the community; Providing technologies (such as laptops, portable text devices, and digital cameras) for individual, small group, classroom, and offsite use; Purchasing software and assistive/adaptive hardware (such as speech synthesis software, voice input technologies, and touch screens) that provide access to all media and technology for students and teachers with special needs; Providing large screen monitors or data/video projection devices for whole class instruction. 22 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs ” ““FLEXIBLE, EQUITABLE, AND FAR-REACHING ACCESS . . . IS ESSENTIAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VIBRANT, ACTIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY” (AASL and AECT, 1998). COLLABORATION FOR ASSESSMENT, RESEARCH, AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Effective collaboration, clear instructional goals, the use of data, and continual feedback impact achievement in a powerful way. The school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator collaborate with teachers in the assessment of student performance in many ways. Grade-level or subject area teams of teachers, along with the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator, meet routinely to identify instructional strengths and weaknesses, analyze scores and other assessments, and develop strategies to address the instructional needs of students. This process is ongoing and involves continual examination of teaching practices and learning opportunities as a means of becoming more effective. In this context, assessment can be seen as part of the teaching and learning process as opposed to being a separate task. Collaboration to assess student learning should be evident in all areas of the school environment, with the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator working closely with teachers, administrators, students, and support personnel. All must be involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional program integrated with media and technology. School library media coordinators and technology facilitators are knowledgeable about research and best practices and skilled in applying the findings to a variety of situations. Media and technology programs can have a tremendous impact on student achievement if they follow the direction provided by research and best practice, and then apply it to ongoing assessment. In short, effective media and technology programs routinely consult the research, see where it fits and how it applies, and then study the effects so that necessary adjustments to the teaching and learning process can be made. REFLECTION Reflection is an important part of the educational process. Taking time to revisit daily practice by asking the following questions allows educators the opportunity to collaboratively and systematically assess teaching and learning practices, extract the best strategies, and make refinements that ultimately lead to higher student achievement. How did the use of technology influence student achievement and increase motivation? How many opportunities were offered for critical thinking and problem solving? Did students use technology to solve real-life problems? Did students engage in meaningful, relevant conversation? Did students learn with one another through collaborative work and group problem solving? Did students have time to form opinions, debate, persuade, discover new concepts, and make decisions? Did students exercise choice at any point in the activity? Did students engage in reflective debriefing and answer questions such as, “What happened?” “What made you think that?” “What would you change?” TEACHING AND LEARNING 23 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Quality professional development provides educators with the knowledge and skills to build powerful collaborative teams and provide the interpersonal support and synergy necessary for creatively addressing complex teaching and learning issues. According to the North Carolina Office of Professional Development, professional devel-opment leaders “must: 1. Provide time for collaboration in the school day and school year. 2. Identify critical questions to guide the work of collaborative teams. 3. Ask teams to create products as a result of their collaboration. 4. Insist that teams identify and pursue specific student achievement goals. 5. Provide teams with relevant data and information” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005). The school library media coordinator and technology facilitator play an important role in the planning and implementation of professional development that helps define and achieve standards of excellence to ensure the success of every student. Teachers need the skills, knowledge, time, and autonomy to decide what professional development they need. The media coordinator and technology facilitator must work with building- and system-level administrators to ensure that the professional development provided in their school is based on needs assessment and data collection. Media and technology personnel need to have an understanding of the school culture to build a learning community within the school that encourages continuous learning. Teachers should be rewarded for and encouraged to take risks, and be given the opportu-nity to learn and share together. Effective professional development experiences provide opportunities for teachers to build their knowledge and skills and broaden their teaching approaches, so they can create better learning opportunities for students. Media coordi-nators and technology facilitators acquire a school-wide perspective of professional devel-opment needs as they plan collaboratively with teachers. This school-wide perspective enables them to make decisions about appropriate data-driven professional development and to acquire the resources to design it. Media and technology professionals must encourage a data-driven process to determine what professional development to provide, implement their process, and evaluate its impact on student learning. This will ensure that teachers receive the quality professional development they need so that all students can be successful. In order to be effective, professional development must be assessed on a regular basis so that improvements can be made. This will help to guarantee a positive impact on teach-er effectiveness and student learning. Evaluation to determine the overall effectiveness of a professional development program must be built in during the initial planning stage. The collection of formative and summative assessment data should occur across the pro-fessional development program. Formative assessments are conducted throughout the professional development program, and summative evaluation occurs at the conclusion of the program. Summative evaluation “should be collected at three levels: educator prac-tices, organizational changes, and student outcomes” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005). 24 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS The school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator are aware of the need for appropriate professional development. They expect to continue learning throughout their teaching career and to be able to improve their practice significantly through a vari-ety of learning opportunities. Professional development must be provided for media and technology personnel through local, state, and national opportunities. Professional devel-opment not only benefits the individual in shaping his or her profession, but also helps to ensure that best practice is everyday practice and that the most effective approaches are used. ASSESSING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS MEANS: Using formal assessment tools to determine professional development needs. Prioritizing professional development opportunities based on needs assessment. Evaluating the effectiveness of professional development efforts at regular intervals. Using student test data in determining professional development. Effective professional development is based on theory, research, and proven practice. No Child Left Behind calls for professional development that: is sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused, is grounded on scientifically-based research, is aligned with state content standards and assessments, gives teachers of limited English proficient (LEP) students the knowledge and skills necessary to teach them, provides preparation in the appropriate use of curricula and assessments, instructs in methods of teaching children with special needs, is developed with extensive participation of teachers and principals, and is regularly evaluated for impact on increased teacher effectiveness and improved student academic achievement (NSDC Standards for Staff Development, 2001). PLANNING HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEANS: Participating in regularly scheduled system-level, regional, and state meetings, and sharing information with school staff; Attending state, regional, and national conferences to report back on professional development initiatives and trends; Serving on professional development committees at the school and system levels. Involving principals, teachers, and paraprofessionals in the planning of professional development; Assessing needs of administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals for targeted professional development; Reflecting licensure requirements, ABC goals and objectives, and school improvement goals in the school professional development plan - ; TEACHING AND LEARNING 25 Providing a variety of professional development including online opportunities that integrate media and technology into all curriculum areas; Aligning professional development to the North Carolina Professional Development Standards - ; Aligning professional development to the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers - ; Using research-based models for professional development. ENSURING HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEANS: Planning professional development that is aligned with building- and system-level goals and promotes evaluation and follow-up. Reflecting current research on teaching and learning. Respecting and drawing from the knowledge and experience of teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals. Providing a variety of professional development opportunities (such as just-in-time, small-group, large-group, North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH), and online). Providing that professional development is relevant to the classroom setting and reflective of test data. Providing professional development that gives teachers the knowledge and skills necessary to work with all students. Providing time for professional development design, and implementation. Providing professional development for instructional leaders in data analysis, collective inquiry, and collaborative planning. Providing professional development that includes processes for formative and summative assessment. Creating an ongoing calendar of professional development opportunities tailored to meet assessed professional development needs. Providing time to learn, practice, and incorporate new skills into instruction. Providing resources to support teachers as they implement new strategies in their classrooms. Providing follow-up through re-teaching, one-on-one tutoring, troubleshooting, modeling, and other forms of support. Evaluating professional development efforts on a continuing basis to ensure they are meeting the needs of teachers and staff. Providing the opportunity for self-assessment of needs and interests by teachers prior to setting goals for professional growth. 26 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs THE NATIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL STANDARDS The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) issued standards for high quality professional development which state that professional development: should organize adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district; requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement; requires resources, including time, to support adult learning and collaboration; should use disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement; should use multiple sources of information to evaluate effectiveness; and should prepare educators to understand and teach all students. (NSDC Standards for Staff Development, 2001) NORTH CAROLINA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS Based on research by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), the North Carolina Professional Development Standards provide the vision and framework for making professional development more responsive to the learning needs of both educators and students. The standards propose that professional development “should contribute to measurable improvement in student achievement” and that higher student achievement is the goal. “Professional development that does not produce changes in practice, [the standards emphasize] does not support improved student performance; [furthermore] professional development must be powerful enough to result in changes in schools and practice that lead to higher student achievement and higher teacher performance” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005). “No Child Left Behind (NCLB) solidifies the presence of high-stakes accountability systems in our schools, and as we raise the expectations for students and teachers, we must provide high quality professional development [as it is essential for excellence in teaching and learning]” (Professional Development, 2005). The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) believes that one of the primary purposes of professional development is school improvement as measured by the success of every student. Success is evident through overall high student achievement (NSDC Standards for Staff Development, 2001). The North Carolina Professional Development Standards recommend that professional development efforts must closely align with school improvement plans and thrive within existing school operations and structures. This systems-thinking approach to planning can be guided by the following questions: What are our goals for our students? What must we (the adults) learn in order to help our students learn? What is the best design for the adult learning? What is in place in our school that we would need to change or strengthen in order to meet our learning goals and our student goals? How would we know if we were achieving our goals? (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005) TEACHING AND LEARNING 27 The North Carolina Professional Standards recommend that a well-designed professional development program will include “a clear and specific presentation of the theory supporting the new practices: modeling, demonstration, coaching, feedback, and practice. Questions to guide evaluation of program quality include: Is this model appropriate for the intended outcomes? Does the program design include inquiry into how learning can be improved? Which model of professional development was used to design this program?” (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005) The North Carolina Professional Development Standards are organized according to the context/process/content schema: CONTEXT STANDARDS: address the organization, system, and culture in which the new learning will be implemented PROCESS STANDARDS: refer to the “how” of professional development describing the learning processes used in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills and addressing the use of data, evaluation and research. CONTENT STANDARDS: refer to the “what” of professional development. 28 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs NORTH CAROLINA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS CONTEXT STANDARDS LEARNING Professional development that improves the learning of all students organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district. LEADERSHIP: Professional development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement. RESOURCES: Professional development that improves the learning of all students requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration. PROCESS STANDARDS DATA-DRIVEN: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement. EVALUATION: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact. RESEARCH-BASED: Professional development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to apply research to decision making. DESIGN: Professional development that improves the learning of all students uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal. LEARNING: Professional development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge about human learning and change. COLLABORATION: Professional development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate. CONTENT STANDARDS EQUITY: Professional development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement. QUALITY TEACHING: Professional development that improves the learning of all students deepens educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately. FAMILY INVOLVEMENT: Professional development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately. (“Designing Powerful Professional Development,” 2005) TEACHING AND LEARNING 29 COMMUNITIES: RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING Data and Research Designing Powerful Professional Development for Teachers, Administrators, and School Leaders How Teachers Learn Best Is This School a Learning Organization – 10 Ways to Tell Learning by the Numbers Professional Development Articles Professional Development IQ Test The Toolbelt: A Collection of Data-Driven Decision-Making Tools for Educators What Works in the Elementary School: Results-Based Staff Development What Works in the Middle: Results-Based Staff Development What Works in the High School: Results-Based Staff Development 30 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs COLLABORATION THROUGH FLEXIBLE ACCESS “WHAT SETS COLLABORATION APART . . . IS THAT THE OUTCOME IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS.” (Bush, 2003) DEFINITION OF TERMS Flexible access enables students and teachers to use and circulate the resources of the media center and computer lab throughout the day and to have the services of the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator at point, time, and location of need. Collaboration is a process facilitated by flexible access. Collaboration within the IMPACT Model means that the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator work closely with teachers to plan, implement, and evaluate classroom lessons, units, and the overall instructional program. Preparing students to succeed in the 21st century is an enormous challenge that requires the combined efforts of all educators. Teachers need ongoing support for their instructional programs to meet the challenges of addressing individual student needs and learning styles. A key component of the research-based IMPACT Model is that the media and technology program plays a vital role in today’s schools by providing flexible access to relevant resources and flexible instruction based on collaborative planning. Flexible access and collaboration impact student achievement by using student data to design focused instructional strategies, allowing for differentiation of student learning, addressing multiple learning styles, allowing for timely individual intervention, and reducing class size. No Child Left Behind emphasizes the importance of implementing educational programs and practices proven effective in improving student learning and achievement through rigorous scientific research. A substantive body of scientifically-based research has documented the positive impact of flexible access and collaboration on student achievement (). “A SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF RESEARCH SINCE 1990 SHOWS A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. THE RESEARCH STUDIES SHOW THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT— WHETHER SUCH ACHIEVEMENT IS MEASURED IN TERMS OF READING SCORES, LITERACY, OR LEARNING MORE GENERALLY. A SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAM THAT IS ADEQUATELY STAFFED, RESOURCED, AND FUNDED CAN LEAD TO HIGHER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT REGARDLESS OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC OR EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF THE COMMUNITY” (School Libraries Work!, 2004). Collaboration is sharing new ideas, strategies and resources to create dynamic and well-planned lessons that foster active learning. The involvement of media and technology professionals in all aspects of curriculum implementation is fundamental to the collaborative process. This is facilitated by flexible access to both the media center and the computer lab and to all their resources, as well as to the services of these professionals during common planning periods. TEACHING AND LEARNING 31 “HIGH-ACHIEVING SCHOOLS TEND TO HAVE MORE TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES. BAULE (1997) FOUND THAT SCHOOLS WITH EXEMPLARY TECHNOLOGY WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HIGH-QUALITY SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAMS. YETTER (1994) OBSERVED THAT THE LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS IN SUCCESSFUL RESOURCE-BASED LEARNING SCHOOLS HAD MODERN, SPACIOUS FACILITIES DESIGNED FOR FLEXIBLE USE AND ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY. GEHLKEN (1994) NOTED THAT ALL THREE BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS STUDIED HAD LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS WHICH WERE COMMITTED TO INCREASING STUDENT ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, AND WHICH HAD THE FLEXIBILITY AND ELECTRONIC CAPABILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHANGING NEEDS CREATED BY NEW TECHNOLOGIES” (Michigan State Government, 2003). The collaborative process begins with an integration phase, develops into cooperatively planned activities, and culminates with full collaborative units. Integration is the alignment of media and technology resources to support classroom topics and the instructional needs of students. Cooperative activities result when media and technology personnel design lessons independently in support of classroom objectives and instruction. Collaboration requires co-planning between teachers and media and technology personnel to create cross-curricular lessons and units that are jointly delivered and evaluated. Initially, media and technology professionals meet occasionally with classroom teachers to plan cooperatively. There may be a combination of fixed classes, as well as times for open access. At the next stage, media and technology professionals meet with teachers on a regular basis to plan learning experiences, and there are no fixed times for instruction in the media center or computer lab. At the highest level of implementation, formal units of instruction are collaboratively planned, implemented, and evaluated. Teachers and media and technology professionals meet routinely to analyze and use data and to determine instructional strategies and resources to improve teaching and learning. At this stage, media and technology professionals may also co-teach with classroom teachers. Once a collaborative environment is established, the school library media coordinator and technology facilitator will continue to work at the various levels to support classroom instruction as needs arise. With in-depth collaborative planning, teachers and media and technology professionals meet routinely to analyze and use data and to determine instructional strategies and resources to improve teaching and learning. “THE NATIONAL LIBRARY POWER PROJECT, INVOLVING 700 SCHOOLS IN 19 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, REQUIRED IMPLEMENTATION OF COOPERATIVE PLANNING AND TEACHING AND FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING OF THE LIBRARY. RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATED: MORE COLLABORATIVE WORK ENVIRONMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS FOCUSING ON INTERDISCIPLINARIY, INQUIRY- AND PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING; MORE FREQUENT VISITS TO THE LIBRARY AS A RESULT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING; MORE ENGAGING AND EDUCATIONALLY RICH LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS” (Research on Flexible Access to School Libraries, 2002). 32 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs FLEXIBLE ACCESS LOOKS LIKE THIS: Students and teachers move freely in and out of the school library media center and the computer lab for activities such as researching print and electronic resources for an assignment and creating a multimedia presentation. Students come to the media center all day long to check out books and other resources regardless of other activities taking place in the media center. Students move in and out of the computer lab throughout the day to use electronic resources. One grade level group of teachers is planning with the school library media coordinator and/or the technology facilitator for a new collaborative unit of instruction. Meanwhile, children, under the supervision of media or technology assistants, come from various classes to the media center to check out a book or read a magazine, or to use resources in the computer lab. Teachers check with the technology facilitator and school library media coordinator for available blocks of time to bring in their classes to begin work on a collaborative unit--or send a small group of students to work with the school library media coordinator and/or the technology facilitator A fourth grade class and their teacher enter the computer lab to work with the technology facilitator on the development of their North Carolina portfolios. Those same fourth graders may leave the computer lab periodically to find print resources in the media center to aid in the development of their portfolio. All students are working with the teacher, the school library media coordinator, and the technology facilitator to find resources and learn skills that will help them finish their assignment. While a class may stay in the computer lab or media center only twenty minutes during a curriculum-related activity, such as using a software application or participating in story time, other students may be in the computer lab and/or the media center for two or three hours, depending on the time allotted for an activity. COLLABORATING TO ACHIEVE INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS LOOKS LIKE THIS: SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA COORDINATORS AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITATORS: Develop strong instructional partnerships with classroom and special area teachers by working together to plan and implement instruction and to evaluate instructional outcomes; Use the best available models of instruction, collaboration, and cooperative learning; Ensure that instruction takes place in a student-centered, project-based environment; Plan projects and activities with teachers that are relevant to real-life problems and support the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students; Create small group activities with heterogeneous groupings to accomplish curriculum goals and objectives; Help teachers to address different learning styles by using high-quality resources in a variety of formats; Involve students with setting goals for learning; Work with teachers and students to create rubrics for project evaluation; TEACHING AND LEARNING 33 Create and share a file or database within the school of collaboratively developed lesson plans and related materials keyed to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study; Search for lesson plans and successful teaching models in other schools, at conferences, and in the professional literature; Participate actively in the planning and evaluation of local, regional, and state activities such as Battle of the Books, Multimedia Mania, technology fairs, Quiz Bowl, and the North Carolina Children’s Book Award. (See ) “COLLABORATION AFFORDS GENERAL EDUCATORS, SPECIAL EDUCATORS, AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH REWARDING AND LONG LASTING SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS. ACCORDINGLY, MORE SCHOOL PERSONNEL RECOGNIZE THAT COLLABORATION FOSTERS A SENSE OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR EDUCATING HETEROGENEOUS GROUPS OF STUDENTS (FRIEND & COOK, 2000). FINALLY, THE GROWING EMPHASIS ON COLLABORATION STEMS FROM THE VERY NATURE OF SCHOOLS THEMSELVES-SETTINGS IN WHICH A RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND DEMANDS CAN BE ADDRESSED MORE APPROPRIATELY BY COLLABORATIVE OR TEAM APPROACHES THAN BY INDIVIDUAL, ISOLATED EFFORTS” (Gable, 2004). LEADERSHIP AND THE CHANGE PROCESS In order to implement flexible access and collaboration, school library media and tech-nology professionals need to understand their leadership roles as change agents and the change process, itself. Implementing flexible access and collaboration changes school climate, so ultimately, media and technology professionals are catalysts for school reform. When media and technology professionals assume leadership roles, they have the opportunity to facilitate discussions about how flexible access and collaboration can support teaching and learning and positively impact student achievement. At the same time, they build the capacity to implement change. Together, they should co-chair the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) and should have a voice within the School Leadership Team (SIT). Membership on the SIT can open the door for media and technology professionals to be involved in the master scheduling of the school, including decisions regarding planning time. WHAT MAKES FLEXIBLE ACCESS AND COLLABORATION WORK? Vision, informed leadership, flexible attitudes, and professional development, along with staffing, budget, resources, and common planning time are the pre-existing conditions essential to making flexible access and collaboration work in schools. “FLEXIBLE ACCESS TO MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL CAN MAKE AN IMMEDIATE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE USE AND INTEGRATION OF MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES WITH ADEQUATE STAFFING, RESOURCES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. THIS CHANGE CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY IF THESE CRITICAL ELEMENTS ARE IN PLACE. THE SINGLE MOST CRITICAL FACTOR AFFECTING THE EASE OF TRANSITION TO FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING APPEARS TO BE THE PREPARATION, EXPERIENCE AND ATTITUDE OF THE MEDIA COORDINATOR AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR” (Stallings, 2005). 34 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY STAFFING FOR FLEXIBLE ACCESS/COLLABORATION POSITION CERTIFIED CLASSIFIED ROLE IN FLEXIBLE ACCESS SCHOOL LIBRARY 076 MEDIA COORDINATOR TECHNOLOGY 079 OR FACILITATOR 077 FULL-TIME Yes MEDIA ASSISTANT* FULL-TIME Yes TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT* TECHNICIAN Yes * Appropriate media and technology assistant staffing supports collaboration by maintaining access to the media and technology resources and facilities while collaborative partners plan and conduct instructional activities. TEACHING AND LEARNING 35 Maximize access to all resources through effective management Provide resources to support the curriculum in a timely manner Provide instructional support at the point of need (small or large group) Co-Lead the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) Participate in the School Improvement Team (SIT) Maximize access to all technology resources through effective management Provide technology resources to support the curriculum in a timely manner Provide instructional technology support at the point of need (small or large group) Co-Lead the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) Participate in the School Improvement Team (SIT) Serve as liaison between the school and the system-level technology director Manage circulation of resources to provide access throughout the day. Provide clerical assistance for resources management Provide support for reference and research activities Manage technology resources to provide access throughout the day Troubleshoot minor technology problems to ensure access to resources throughout the day Maintain technology infrastructure, hardware, software Serve as liaison between the school and system-level technical support staff 36 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS The integration of school library media and technology programs with instruction is the joint responsibility of teachers, administrators, and media and technology professionals working together to accomplish objectives that support desired outcomes for students. COLLABORATING PARTNER RESPONSIBILITY CLASSROOM TEACHER Curriculum content Learning Styles Student interest Initiate collaboration Facilitate the learning process Share student data (IEP, AIG, and Testing data) Chair collaborative meetings SCHOOL LIBRARY Integrate information skills into the core curriculum MEDIA COORDINATOR Understand the total curriculum Share resources in a variety of formats Share instructional strategies Support small group instruction Support differentiated learning Advocate for a collaborative environment TECHNOLOGY Integrate technology skills into the core curriculum FACILITATOR Understand the total curriculum Share resources in a variety of formats Share instructional strategies Support small group instruction Support differentiated learning Advocate for a collaborative environment RESOURCE TEACHERS Integrate skills from their area of specialization with core curriculum content Support the necessary use of assistive technology resources Share student assessment data (IEP, AIG) ADMINISTRATORS Allocate time for the collaborative process to occur Provide financial support for acquisition of information resources Support flexible access of media and technology programs and resources Establish expectations for a collaborative environment Evaluate effectiveness of media and technology programs Support the leadership role of the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator MTAC Advocate for a collaborative environment (Media and Technology Participate in the selection of resources Advisory Committee) Prioritize budget needs Facilitate long term plans for the media and technology programs Evaluate effectiveness of media and technology programs SIT Advocate for a collaborative environment (School Improvement Team) Distribute media and technology resources appropriately Facilitate long term plans for media and technology programs Determine alignment of MTAC recommendations with the school improvement plan Successful implementation of flexible access and collaboration requires long-term planning. Development of the IMPACT Model, including flexible access to media and technology resources and instructional support, will take 3-5 years. It is important that the MTAC and the SIT have a shared vision for the learning process that incorporates the key components of the IMPACT Model: Technology-rich teaching and learning environment through flexible access Resource-rich teaching and learning environment through flexible access Collaboration among teachers and media and technology personnel facilitated through flexible access Strong administrative leadership and support Adequate budget TEACHING AND LEARNING 37 IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING SESSIONS Extended time is required for teachers to meet with the technology facilitator and school library media coordinator to analyze student test data, identify instructional objectives and appropriate strategies for individual needs, and determine outcomes and evaluation methods. Each grade-level or department team should have a 2-3 hour planning block every four to six weeks when all instructional partners can meet and plan together. TWO IDEAS FOR PROVIDING EXTENDED PLANNING TIME: Each team meets on a different morning or afternoon, and classes are covered by assistants from other classes (lending/borrowing approach); Several or all grade-level teams meet on the same day in rotation with classes covered by a team of substitutes who move around the building as the teams do their planning. Substitutes are paid from staff development funds. HOW DO YOU IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING SESSIONS? AS YOU PLAN TOGETHER: THE CONVERSATION Discuss curriculum goals and objectives Brainstorm possible activities and scientifically-based teaching strategies based on the analysis of student test scores and the identification of individual weaknesses and strengths Assign responsibilities for instruction Determine and review necessary resources Determine outcomes and how to evaluate Schedule time for instructional activities RULES OF THE ROAD Lead teacher or department head chairs the meeting Teachers talk about curriculum goals and ideas for instructional activities School library media coordinator and technology facilitator bring related resources and activity ideas TOOLS TO GUIDE THE PROCESS Curriculum maps/pacing guides IMPACT for Teachers Web site School-wide research process (Big6, FLIP it!, I-Search, etc.) Planning forms Collaboration Toolkit (see Appendix) 38 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs Strategies for long-term implementation of flexible access and collaboration should include: alignment of the goals of flexible access and collaboration with the school improvement plan facilitated collaborative planning sessions appropriate professional development prioritized budget needs development of a communication plan for internal and external stakesholders What interim strategies can be used in the first year of implementing flexible access? Implement flexible access for instruction in stages by grade-level (over no more than one year) Fixed circulation for primary during 1st semester; transition to flexible circulation 2nd semester Fixed instructional schedule for specified days/times; flexible access for other days/times Individual schools are encouraged to assess the needs of their students and staff and examine their school culture to determine what is needed to promote the IMPACT Model and flexible access such as: Self-checkout/in Access to the online catalog from any workstation User login procedures Process and procedures for communication Record keeping for collaboration with each teacher or grade-level/department team Space/workstation utilization for small group and individual use TEACHING AND LEARNING 39 ADVOCACY: COMMUNICATING WHAT FLEXIBLE ACCESS AND COLLABORATION MEAN The benefits of flexible access and collaborative planning to support instruction must be communicated to the education community. While many view flexible access as the loss of planning time for teachers, the benefits of flexible access to resources and media and technology personnel in schools far outweigh any perceived loss of planning time. When addressing administrators, teachers, parents and other members of the learning community, emphasize these benefits: FLEXIBLE ACCESS ENABLES access to media center and computer lab resources when they are needed to support, supplement, and enhance teaching and learning, thus impacting student achievement; the school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator to plan with for instruction with teachers and staff; students to conduct in-depth research for information and resources, thus fostering independence and life-long learning; differentiated instruction in support of the goals and objectives of No Child Left Behind and the ABCs Plus of Public Education development of collaborative units of study culminating in student projects that require higher-order thinking skills based on real-world challenges; implementation of The Balanced Curriculum as recommended by the Instructional Services Division, NC DPI; teachable moment and just-in-time access to information and resources for students; integration of information and technology skills into all curriculum areas as defined by the NC Standard Course of Study; reduction of the student-teacher ratio; instruction to be delivered one-on-one, in small groups, or in whole-class settings in order to address a variety of learning styles. When advocating for flexible access, help administrators and teachers understand the high price of a fixed schedule both academically and financially. Base all arguments on the research that supports appropriate use of the school library media center and the computer lab to impact student achievement (). Volunteer to help the principal brainstorm alternatives for coverage of teacher release time so that the media center and computer lab are outside the planning block. “IN A STUDENT-CENTERED LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM, LEARNING NEEDS TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER CLASS SCHEDULES, SCHOOL HOURS, STUDENT CATEGORIZATIONS, AND OTHER LOGISTICAL CONCERNS.” (AASL and AECT, 1998). 40 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs READING AND LITERACY WHAT ARE WE REALLY ALL ABOUT? Current emphases on student reading and writing, accompanied by testing mandates and both state and national legislation, have certainly placed literacy achievement at the forefront of what educators do. The vast array of definitions and terminology used by education professionals today to define their missions or areas of expertise is giving way to the recognition that all educators share both common ground and a common goal for students: to ensure that all develop the skills necessary to be effective lifelong users of ideas and information. Effective language and communication for the 21st century involves all of the various “literacies” noted above, including enabling skills such as reading, writing, and computing, as well as creative thinking and problem solving, interpersonal skills, negotiation, and teamwork. Literacy is literacy is literacy. Literacy is the business of the entire school and requires significant collaboration in order to create a climate and culture that clearly values literacy skills and stresses their importance. Schools must recognize that comprehension skills are not just the business of the reading teacher, that reading promotion is not just the job of the school library media program, and that Internet research strategies are not just the domain of the instructional technology facilitator. School library media coordinators and technology facilitators can provide leadership in reinforcing the “big picture” focus, simultaneously demonstrating how the various parts (such as independent reading, project-based authentic research, online strategies, reading motivation, etc.) fit together with classroom instruction into a greater whole through successful collaboration. Effective collaboration, however, requires effective communication, and too often, semantics interferes in our efforts to work together. “OUR CONCEPT OF LITERACY HAS BEEN BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT PRINT IS THE PRIMARY CARRIER OF INFORMATION IN OUR CULTURE AND THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS ARE THOSE THAT ENABLE STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN TEXT. THE NEW DEFINITION OF LITERACY IS BASED ON A DIFFERENT ASSUMPTION: THAT DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS RAPIDLY BECOMING A PRIMARY CARRIER OF INFORMATION AND THAT THE BROADER MEANS OF EXPRESSION THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY MAKES POSSIBLE ARE NOW CRITICAL FOR EDUCATION. TEXT LITERACY IS NECESSARY AND VALUABLE, BUT NO LONGER SUFFICIENT” (Meyer and Rose, 2000). Effective instructional technology and school library media programs recognize that “digital-age literacy” involves much more than basic skills in reading and writing. Both the school library media and instructional technology communities frequently express frustration that “their message” is not getting across with classroom teachers, administrators, or policy makers at the school board, state or federal levels. The news media fails to pay adequate attention to school libraries or instructional technology programs by focusing instead upon test scores and “why Johnny can’t read.” Media and technology professionals must recognize that public attention, and that of classroom teachers, administrators, and policy makers at the local, state, and national levels, is focused more upon such traditional concepts of reading and writing than upon “information literacy” or “instructional technology skills.” Likewise, others seem to ignore or focus less on research about the impact and effectiveness of strong instructional technology and school library media programs. School library media coordinators and technology facilitators must effectively learn the terminology, best practices, and research of the reading and literacy community, and then translate media and technology terminology, best practices, and research into “their” language and experience. TEACHING AND LEARNING 41 ” ““READING” - “LITERACY” - “INFORMATION LITERACY” - “INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SKILLS” - “MEDIA LITERACY” - “VISUAL LITERACY” - “CONTEMPORARY LITERACY” - “NEW LITERACIES” - “THINKING SKILLS” - “21ST CENTURY SKILLS” The following examples highlight this “translated” collaboration, in which school library media coordinators and/or technology facilitators use current research, models, and best practices in literacy instruction to develop strong media and technology programs. COLLABORATION: MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY, READING, AND LITERACY MODELED READING AND SHARED READING (as described in models for balanced literacy instruction – Routman, 1991; Fountas and Pinnell, 1996; Cooper, 2003) Reading aloud to students has long been a staple of school library media programs. Occasionally utilizing specific strategies and questioning techniques as a part of school library media read-aloud sessions reinforces the same kinds of explicit instruction that are used in scaffolded classroom instruction. Such strategies are thoroughly discussed in Read It Again!: Revisiting Shared Reading by Brenda Parkes (Stenhouse, 2000); Creating buddy or partner reading programs that regularly pair readers to read aloud to each other alternately; Developing collections of books on tape to help develop fluency in independent reading (Allen, 2000); Readers’ theater strategies, including adapting picture books with large amounts of dialogue into scripts or using web-based resources such as Aaron Shepard’s RT Page. READING-WRITING WORKSHOP MODEL “Internet Workshop: Making Time for Literacy” (Leu, 2000) provides a parallel management structure to be utilized in flexibly accessed technology/computer labs and/or school library media centers, and which could serve as a model for classroom teachers seeking to integrate technology seamlessly into their daily literacy activities. PRINT-RICH INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENTS AND BROAD CLASSROOM LIBRARY COLLECTIONS Existing classroom library collections can be broadened significantly by the addition of monthly-rotating “classroom collections” drawn from the school library media collection (Routman, 1991). Although school library media collections are organized by Dewey numbers, classroom libraries are frequently structured to be “browser-friendly” by organizing materials in a way that makes immediate sense to the student. Browsing bins or tubs of high-interest materials organized by genre or topic, author, etc. (such groupings need not be permanent) could rotate out as student interests change (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). RENEWED EMPHASIS ON COMPREHENSION OF NONFICTION AND EXPOSITORY TEXT In Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding (Stenhouse, 2000) and Nonfiction Matters: Reading, Writing, and Research in Grades 3-8 (Stenhouse, 1998), Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis provide multiple strategies that parallel those modeled and taught by school library media coordinators and technology facilitators when helping students with research projects. Literacy strategies common to classroom instruction such as KWL or other kinds of graphic organizers are useful for a variety of research activities. Reading strategies for traditional print and linear text and those used for hypertext on Web pages and Internet resources are remarkably similar, though some (e.g., skimming or scanning, using guided questions, text features, etc.) may deserve greater emphasis when reading text online (Schmar-Dobler, 2003). 42 IMPACT: Guidelines for North Carolina Media and Technology Programs Literature-based instruction and literature studies, which have traditionally focused on novels and fiction, must include multiple forms of literacy. School library media coordinators should be booktalking, creating recommended booklists, and providing reading guidance for nonfiction. Scho	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Circadia 2014 Sauvignon Blanc This wine looked pretty exciting to me: neat graphics on the label, cool name, pretty color of the wine (pale greenish yellow). It’s flavors of green and yellow melon and yellow pear were pretty good, classic SB flavors, but they were very light. What was there was good, but there just wasn’t much of it. The fruit was a little more forward and acid the next day, but not enough to save it. Post navigation One thought on “Circadia 2014 Sauvignon Blanc” Finally opened this up. I like it. Don’t love it but for $5 what can you expect. It’s crisp but also a little perfumey without being cloying. I think I get pear. Anyway, if you’re like me and don’t like chardonnays and buttery whites you might find this serviceable.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Order before 3pm CST for Same Day Processing + Free Shipping on orders over $59.99 Learn More Free ground shipping applicable within the continental/contiguous U.S. for all orders more than $59.99. Cannot be combined with any coupon discounts or other promotional offers (i.e., glow necklaces priced 20 cents or below). Gender Age Group Brand PRICE LED Toys Our Party Toys create an amazing themed party environment. Hand out our light up favors and special accessories too! Our LED Light-Up party supplies are captivating products for every celebration. LED Light-Up products are exciting for all ages.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
here's a piece i worked on tonight in between soldering all those anagram letters (pic tomorrow). it is meant to go to the Country Living Fair with me, but i forgot and posted it on Facebook and might have some interested parties in it. so if you are interested you can email ([email protected]) me for the details. i won't be listing it on my website because of my intent on taking it to Ohio.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The pope emeritus reportedly disclosed God has planted the ‘absolute desire’ in his heart ‘to remain alone with him, secluded in prayer.’ VATICAN CITY — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has reportedly said that he retired from the papacy after a “mystical experience” and because “God told me to.” The news comes from an anonymous source who visited the former pope a week ago, according to the Zenit news agency. Asked why he resigned, the pope emeritus said, “God told me to,” but added that he had not received any kind of apparition or similar phenomenon. Rather, it was a “mystical experience” in which the Lord planted a seed of “absolute desire” in his heart “to remain alone with him, secluded in prayer.” According to the source, this mystical experience has lasted throughout these past months, increasing “more and more” his longing for a unique and direct relationship with the Lord. It has not been an “escape” from the world, he reportedly said, but a means of seeking “refuge in God and living in his love.” Share He also said that the more he sees of the “charisma” of his successor, Pope Francis, the more he realizes that his decision to resign the papacy was “the will of God.” Despite living a cloistered life in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens, Benedict XVI does occasionally receive visitors privately. A few weeks ago, a seminarian at the North American College was surprised to be invited to the pope emeritus’ quarters to have a private conversation. But during these meetings, Benedict XVI remains very prudent and typically discreet. He doesn’t reveal any secrets or say anything that may weigh on the new pontificate. He wishes to avoid declarations that could be thought of as “words said by the other pope,” Zenit reported. At most, he will express wonder at how the Holy Spirit is working through his successor or he will talk about how his decision to resign was the result of Divine inspiration. Although the source of last week’s meeting is anonymous, various Vatican officials have confirmed the veracity of his remarks. A senior Curial official also told the Register that he believes the source is "reliable" and that the account "completes" what Benedict XVI has said about his resignation on previous occasions. The news comes after Benedict XVI paid a three-hour visit to the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo on Sunday. During his brief trip, he prayed the Rosary, took a stroll in the Vatican Gardens and attended a small, private piano recital held in his honor. Pope Francis, who has chosen to stay in the Vatican to work, invited his predecessor to stay at Castel Gandolfo in his stead. Benedict reportedly turned down his offer in order to keep a low profile and to avoid drawing attention to himself when transferring to the papal villas. Edward Pentin is the Register’s Rome correspondent. He will be a frequent contributor to EWTN News Nightly, which makes its debut Sept. 3.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Panthers defeat visiting Jacket girls hockey Published November 21, 2011 at 8:09 am Spring Lake Park scored just over three minutes into the game and went on to defeat visiting Cambridge-Isanti-Mora-Pine City 3-1 in Nov. 19 girls hockey action. The Bluejackets, however, owned the shots-on-goal edge for the game, with Alex Nelson scoring the team’s lone goal in the third period. Coach Jeff McCann: “They came out of the gates fast and they were quick. They beat us to most of the loose pucks in the first period. We generated shots on goal, out shooting them 16-5 in the first period and 35-26 in the game but couldn’t find the back of the net. The girls worked hard, but we were just a step out of position and couldn’t get things to click.” The Bluejackets next travel to Holy Family Catholic in Victoria for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday, Nov. 22.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
When Google stops demanding I put my real name and photograph on the Internet, I might start to believe someone at Google gives a damn about my security and privacy. The "don't be evil" crap at Google was stomped into the ground on the day of their IPO. As long as rich people can use drones, either by paying for such programs or by ensuring that only government officials can use them (at their behest), they don't have to worry about poor people using them for their own needs instead of, say, using Google services to obtain information about their neighbors. You people are disingenuous ass-hats. Google doesn't invade your privacy. Don't want to use a google service? Don't use it! Don't want to be recorded in your backyard by a flying camera? Sure, don't sign up for...OH WAIT! It's not the same goddamned thing at all! malle-herbert:Ahem... Google tracks you all across the internet even if you have never used their services... never heard of google-analytics have you ? Google Analytics? What, you mean that tool that lets you analyze how customers are using your website in order to improve it? THAT thing? Oh yeah, that's evil. That's the thing that's functionally equivalent to observing patrons in your store? THAT Thing? No.. it's the part of google that is integrated into almost every frikki'n webpage on the net so it can track your every move...(google-analytics.com)Every website you ever visited...every page you looked at everything you clicked on etc... All this information is gathered and stored by google to build an 'anonymous' profile of you... Lexx:malle-herbert: Ahem... Google tracks you all across the internet even if you have never used their services... never heard of google-analytics have you ? Google Analytics? What, you mean that tool that lets you analyze how customers are using your website in order to improve it? THAT thing? Oh yeah, that's evil. That's the thing that's functionally equivalent to observing patrons in your store? THAT Thing? If by observing your patrons you mean follow them to the next store and the next and then home and for the rest of their lives after that. Yah, that thing. Disingenuous ass-hat, good ring to that one, the sort of thing that should be remembered in some way, some sort of marker that permanently affixes information to a particular individual. malle-herbert:No.. it's the part of google that is integrated into almost every frikki'n webpage on the net so it can track your every move...(google-analytics.com)Every website you ever visited...every page you looked at everything you clicked on etc... All this information is gathered and stored by google to build an 'anonymous' profile of you... Public place = no expectation of privacy. Drones can fly anywhere, and private use of them certainly won't have the same amount of individual oversight as lawmakers have to google's mapping project. Stop making goddamn false equivalencies, you jackasses. Google's CEO, who probably has to spend more hours of his life than ANYONE contemplating privacy issues & legislation, is freaked out at the idea that his neighbor can buy a $200 drone and fly it over his yard & monitor his family in their home. Yes, it's a legitimate concern. No, this is not the place to go on your mindless bashing. Public place = no expectation of privacy. Drones can fly anywhere, and private use of them certainly won't have the same amount of individual oversight as lawmakers have to google's mapping project. Stop making goddamn false equivalencies, you jackasses. Google's CEO, who probably has to spend more hours of his life than ANYONE contemplating privacy issues & legislation, is freaked out at the idea that his neighbor can buy a $200 drone and fly it over his yard & monitor his family in their home. Yes, it's a legitimate concern. No, this is not the place to go on your mindless bashing. Go home Mr Schmidt, you're drunk. Welcome to fark, I think it goes without saying that we're all of the same mind when it comes to these things, its just also fun to point out the irony of him leading the charge. This guy built an empire out of wiggling around privacy laws, pushing the boundaries of acceptable collection strategies and even delving into the beyond acceptable whenever they can get away with it (wardriving routers while mapping streets, etc etc). It kind of makes you wonder what his opinion would have been if following every single person around with such a drone was a viable business model for google instead. I believe that he is pushing the topic specifically because Google wants to use drones. He's right that there is very little regulation that applies to drones and (almost) none that applies specifically to drones. What he's trying to do is raise it as an issue (using scary stories) and thereby prompt some action on regulation. Why would he do that? Because he wants Google to be able to help shape that regulation via lobbying of all sorts.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Shailene Woodley in Insurgent review This may be the most challenging review I’ve ever written. For one thing, YA dystopia stories are not my bag. For another, I have neither read nor seen Divergent, so I’m walking into this franchise blind, as it were. And finally, Insurgent isn’t a real movie, so I’m not sure how to go about reviewing it. I’m tempted to just share my opinion on nachos because nachos have as much to do with Insurgent as Insurgent has to do with movies, which it to say—nothing. I can’t even go to town on it for being terrible because it isn’t terrible. It’s just boring. Though I haven’t read the books—save your breath, books aren’t relevant when discussing movies—nor seen the first movie, Insurgent does, at least, do a good job catching up the uninitiated. Not all franchise entries are good at that, but the screenwriting team of Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman, and Mark Bomback use a monologue by future overlord Jeanine (Kate Winslet) to recap the previous movie’s events, which director Robert Schwentke stages against the characters in action in the movie’s present timeline. The result is that the audience can quickly and easily make sense of the setup. It’s the best trick Insurgent has in its bag. It also helps that very little seems to have happened in the first movie that actually matters for this one. There’s an attempt at setting up a conspiracy plot pitting the plucky rebels against Jeanine and her team of evil Mac geniuses—why does the future always look like an Apple store?—but it’s quickly and easily solved via truth serum. Seriously—truth serum. Insurgent is just a series of conveniences advancing characters from one totally inconsequential plot point to the next totally inconsequential plot point. There are no stakes and every problem encountered is resolved through a convenient device. They might as well have called it MacGuffin: The Movie. The story revolves around Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her plucky rebel lover, Four (Theo James), as they try to take out Jeanine. In this particular dystopia, the supposed remains of humanity have been divided into five factions, one of which has lately been destroyed in Jeanine’s conspiracy. Divergent people, like Tris and Four, belong to more than one faction and that’s bad because fck you. There’s no real explanation for why Divergents are bad, except that their lack of order seems to offend control freak Jeanine. There are also the “Factionless”, those who belong nowhere, which is different from being Divergent because FCK YOU. (Factionless and Divergent are the same thing—if you don’t fit into one of the five predetermined groups you’re Factionless. Divergents, by virtue of NOT BELONGING, should also be Factionless.) There are two major issues with Insurgent: 1) No one is compelling, and 2) half the “movie” is a dream sequence. Let’s start with #1—Tris is a terrible protagonist. It isn’t just that she’s unlikeable—Shailene Woodley isn’t the kind of actress who can win us over in spite of that. Woodley is plenty talented, though she struggles with this material and often seems at a loss for what to do, but she isn’t really charming. She’s not the kind of actress who can just smile and make us love her character. Theo James fares no better with Four, and Ansel Elgort also fails to register as Tris’s jerk brother. Really, if it weren’t for Miles Teller popping up occasionally and lighting up the screen, Insurgent would be unwatchable. The second problem are those dream sequences. The crux of the conflict is that Jeanine needs a Divergent to pass “sims” of the five factions in order to unlock a special box—what the fck, how did this sht become a best seller?—and receive a message from the people who set up their five-faction system. Naturally, Tris is her ideal test subject, which means that about half of the movie is Tris in a simulation testing her emotions. The problem is that we know nothing happening has stakes, and we’re not invested enough in Tris as a character to care when she resolves an inner conflict. All of this “sim” stuff should have been a montage. And that’s the real issue with Insurgent—it’s a place holder. There’s not enough material here for a two-hour movie. Maybe if the focus had been more on the falling out between Tris and her brother—perhaps investigating how the faction system makes people afraid to embrace differences—or the reconciliation between Four and his long-lost mother, with the “sim” stuff relegated to a C-plot, it would have stood up better. But as it is, the filmmakers focus on Tris and her “sims”, resulting in the movie being a never-ending series of scenes in which Tris wakes up from a dream. That’s not compelling; that’s like the worst episode of Quantum Leap ever.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Getting 'Kinky': Nanoscale Atomic Interfaces Have Serious Flaws Below: Next story in Tech and gadgets Scientists have long believed that the strength of a material lies in the way it is structured at the molecular level. For example, shatter points and grain boundaries, found in substances like crystals and metals, are structural flaws in the way the compound's individual molecules or crystals hold themselves together. These flaws often become the site of fracturing, corrosion and weakness. Using nanoscopic tools, scientists have found a way to correct these types of defects by changing the way the individual molecules or crystals interface with each other to form a structure. The "perfect" means of structuring a crystal or metal, called a "coherent twin boundary," was discovered in 2004. Coherent twin boundaries were considered "perfect" because they appeared to be thin, perfectly flat planes of atoms. Forming these coherent twin boundaries at the nanoscale in materials like gold and copper makes them not only stronger, but also more malleable and durable. The metals were also shown to become more conductive as well, greatly increasing their effectiveness in electronic hardware applications. Using a high-resolution electronic microscope, researchers at the University of Vermont researchers examined coherent twin boundaries in a sample of copper and saw, to their surprise, that the bonds weren't straight at all — in fact, the bonds had small kinks and curves that made them look more like rickety stairs than straight lines. "We had no idea such defects existed. So much for the perfect twin boundary. We now call them defective twin boundaries," Frederic Sanzos, a University of Vermont engineer, said in a news release. With their jagged lines and arbitrary angles, the coherent twin boundaries in copper may not be as pretty to look at anymore, but that doesn't mean they don't work. In fact, the researchers found that the strength of the coherent twin boundary is actually because of these "flaws," not in spite of them. The discovery that the coherent twin boundaries in copper are "inherently defective" means that researchers will have to go back and re-examine coherent twin boundaries in other materials as well. It also opens up the question of why the so-called defects actually contribute to the material's strength. "There are all manner of defects in nature… The point of this paper is that some defects make a material stronger," Sansoz said.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Power Shift - Rampant City Gas Leaks Air Date: Week of January 13, 2012 stream/download this segment as an MP3 file The natural gas business is booming- sometimes with deadly results. Bruce Gellerman sniffs out the cracks in the nearly two million miles of pipeline that run under our cities, including leaks near the Massachusetts State House. Transcript GELLERMAN: 65 million American households use natural gas to heat and cook. And thanks to the mining technique known as hydraulic fracturing, supply is soaring and so is demand. The International Energy Agency says we’re on the verge of “the golden age of natural gas”, that promises to transform the world’s energy economy. It’s a bridge fuel to the future. But delivering on natural gas’s promise, and distributing trillions of cubic feet through a maze of millions of miles of pipelines is fraught with so many potential problems and real dangers that critics say: natural gas might be a bridge too far. [SOUND OF DOOR CLOSING, KEYS JINGLING] GELLERMAN: My investigation led me to natural gas sleuth Nathan Phillips. I followed him up a steep, secretive flight of stairs at Boston University. PHILLIPS: That’s right, that’s right. And so, in the back there, is what we call the urban metabolism meter or sensor. And so that kind of contraption there on that little mast is measuring the carbon dioxide level and the methane concentration as it passes by that meter. We call it the pulse of the city. It gives us information about where humans are and what they’re doing, where the natural systems and what they’re doing at any time of day. We’re measuring this 10 times a second, every minute, every hour, 24/7, 365 days a year. GELLERMAN: From this vantage point, using sophisticated instruments Professor Phillips takes the pulse of the city - precisely measuring urban metabolism: the emissions of greenhouse gases produced by the comings and goings of cars and trucks, the burning of fuels to power factories and utilities, heat homes and office buildings. In terms of global warming, molecule for molecule, methane is 21 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. It’s odorless, colorless, lighter than air - and combustible, which is why methane is so useful. It’s the major component of natural gas. [SOUND OF STREET BELOW] GELELRMAN: Below the streets of our nation’s cities snakes a massive network of natural gas pipelines - more than two million miles of low pressure pipes. But weather, water, and accidents all take their toll on these gas distribution pipes, creating problems that most of the time are out of sight and mind - but literally under our noses. [SMELLING THE AIR] GELLERMAN: Professor Nathan Philips stands on Boston’s Commonwealth Ave, not far from Fenway Park, and uses another sensitive measuring device to monitor for methane: his nose. [SMELLING THE AIR] GELLERMAN: Leaks in the gas distribution pipeline network costs billions of dollars a year in property damage, explosions kill people and methane contributes to climate change. In fact, critics say so much of the powerful greenhouse gas leaks into the atmosphere that, over the short term, natural gas may disrupt the climate more than oil or coal. PHILLIPS: About 9 months since I became aware of this problem, and ever since then I’ve started to, you know, keep a smell out for - well I guess you’d say leaks. GELLERMAN: And right there, in the street - by the curb - there’s the tell-tale smell. PHILLIPS: So mercaptan is the substance they put in natural gas so that if there is a leak people can smell that. And… PHILLIPS: Yes; Everyone I talk to… many people I talk to know about a leak, they say: ‘Oh there’s one just down the street from me.’ And really, we have a million anecdotes about leaks but when you put it all together and map it it’s pretty amazing how many leaks there are distributed over a city like Boston. GELLERMAN: And mapping Boston for leaks is just what Nathan Phillips did. He drove around the city with pipeline expert Bob Ackley. ACKLEY: Okay, we’re going to go right up Harvard street to Commonwealth Ave and we’ll go right up Commonwealth Ave to Kenmore Square. GELLERMAN: Bob Ackley is a former gas company leak investigator. Now he runs a consulting firm: Gas Safety USA – and on his truck is a sensitive Picarro methane tracking device similar to the one Professor Phillips uses at his rooftop lab. You’ve got two special pipes - nostrils I guess - on the front end of your SUV - here, what are those? ACKLEY: Well that draws in an air sample from ground level and tests it with my gas ionization unit so I’ll be able to drive down the street and detect gas and I also have one on the rear for my Picarro instrument that will actually document the methane readings on Google Earth. It tracks them and will place them via GPS point, so I can take a running sample from the ground and it will chart it right on Google Earth. PHILLIPS: Okay, we’re at Commonwealth and Gloucester…five point three …okay, lots of leaks here…two point two…. GELLERMAN: The natural background level of methane is two parts per million but as Ackley and Phillips drive around the area where I had smelled a leak, the digital readout jumps. [BEEPING SOUND] PHILLIPS: Two point seven…two point eight….oh, five point two….Okay, so there was a big spike that we just… 11 point one! So that’s over about five times the global background value! Back down to two point four, so very noisy in here - five point four…this is one of those, what we call an area of neglect. GELLERMAN: The team also drove around San Francisco mapping gas leaks. PHILLIPS: What we see are some clean streets and then streets that have been neglected - so leak, leak, leak as you drive through… it’s kind of a hodge podge. GELLERMAN: Some of the methane leaks Nathan Phillips and Bob Ackley detected measure 30 parts per million ---that’s 15 times the natural background level. But Ackley says even small leaks can quickly add up to a large volume. ACKLEY: Well, we’ve captured as much as, I think it is around, 600 cubic feet a day out of a leak…so, I mean, the average household use about 200 feet. So that would be three days of gas leaking out of one leak in one day. PHILLIPS: I was very surprised to see how many leaks there were. [STREET NOISE] GELLERMAN: One reason Professor Nathan Phillips was surprised is because Boston’s gas utility spent 71 million dollars making the system more efficient, but just last year - it’s estimated gas lost from leaks was worth more then 40 million dollars. PHILLIPS: I wasn’t expecting to see anything like what we saw. GELLERMAN: You’d expect that a gas company would want to fix their leaks because they’re losing gas, they’re losing money. PHILLIPS: Well, the costs of the leaks are not borne by the industry. They are borne by the rate payers, so you and I – to the extent that we are using gas, we’re bearing the costs of the inefficiencies in the system. GELLERMAN: How much…what kind of percentage…a guestimate of the gas that is going thru these pipes is leaking to the atmosphere? PHILLIPS: That’s a big unknown. So the industry is required to report what they call “lost and unaccounted gas” to the federal government. The amount of unaccounted and lost gas reported to the Energy Information Administration is all over the map. GELLERMAN: Neither the Pipeline Hazardous Safety Materials Administration - the federal agency in charge of gas pipes - nor National Grid - the largest natural gas utility in New England - would talk with me about gas leaks. But I did speak with Mark McDonald. He used to inspect leaks for National Grid and now heads the New England Gas Workers Association, which had to file a lawsuit to learn how many gas leaks were reported by Massachusetts utilities. MCDONALD: Right now it’s generally three-four percent of all gas in the distribution site is lost. GELLERMAN: You estimate there are 22 thousand gas leaks in Massachusetts? MCDONALD: That’s not an estimation, that’s exact. I have documentation from each gas company showing at least 22 thousand. Now that makes up 90 percent of the companies in Massachusetts. So that number is even higher. I would probably guess around 25 thousand - and there are many that haven’t even been detected, I’m sure. So it’s significant. It’s definitely significant. GELLERMAN: Most leaks are small – the size of pinholes - gas utilities rank them a three on a scale from one to three. Some are twos, they’re leaks to watch and schedule for repair, but a three can quickly turn into a two, and a two into a deadly one. It’s what happened in Philadelphia. [AUDIO FROM TV NEWS: With daylight a crater of clues from this explosion in a neighborhood where reported smelling gas… EXPLOSION... MAN: Boom…the corner store just went up…] GELLERMAN: One gas worker died, six were injured. That was in January 2011. And that September, it happened in Seattle … [AUDIO FROM TV NEWS: The couple went to the hospital with serious injuries after the natural gas explosion utterly wiped out their home. Investigators now believe the huge fireball may be linked to a tiny discovery. We have excavated the pipe and there is a small leak consistent with what we found.] [SOUNDS OF BOSTON STREETS] GELLERMAN: Homes within a five-mile radius were evacuated. Four other gas pipeline leaks were discovered. Less dramatic, but also deadly is the effect tiny gas leaks in the ground can have on nearby plants. Environmental professor Nathan Phillips says natural gas leaks disrupt the urban metabolism. PHILLIPS: What we know is bad for many trees is they need oxygen in the soil. GELLERMAN: Phillips says just like people need oxygen, so do the roots of plants. When natural gas leaks into the ground it displaces oxygen in the soil, and dries the earth. Trees near natural gas leaks can choke and die of thirst. PHILLIPS: The most active part of the root system are the fine roots, and those are the first to go – they’re delicate, but they’re the workhorses that bring in the nutrients, bring in the water. And if they starve and start dying you’re cutting off the supply system for the rest of the tree. ACKLEY: So it’s basically a killing of the roots. GELLERMAN: Gas leak investigator Bob Ackley says before the invention of gas detectors, inspectors located underground leaks by looking for damaged vegetation. He says it’s still a valuable clue. ACKLEY: And that’s what you look for in a vegetation survey is a tree that looks like it’s dying, a tree is dead and dying vegetation. And all the gas companies have it on their web site; a sign of a gas leak is dead and dying vegetation for no apparent reason. GELLERMAN: So, one tree, how much can one tree be worth? How do you put a value on a tree? ACKLEY: Well the arborists have a formula they call the trunk formula method whereby the go by the species, condition and location of the tree, and I’ll give you just give you a quick example - we have a tree over by LaSalle College in Newton that’s about a 50 inch beech tree---that I think we valued it at around 47 thousand dollars. GELLERMAN: That’s one tree. Take hundreds - or thousands of trees damaged by gas leaks and you talking: a lawsuit. Attorney Jan Schlictmann. SCHLICTMANN: The trees are telling us something. They are sending out, you know, a loud signal to us that if it’s killing them then it’s killing the quality and the health and the safety of life in the urban environment. GELLERMAN: Attorney Jan Schlictmann is best known for his environmental lawsuit chronicled in the book and movie “A Civil Action.” Now Schlictmann is suing gas utility National Grid, on behalf of five Massachusetts cities seeking compensation for the alleged damage gas leaks do to their trees. SCHLICTMANN: So it’s doing great damage to these old stately trees and then when they die, the double tragedy is, that often times, these wonderful trees are cut down, replaced with a sapling then the sapling doesn’t thrive and then eventually dies as well and you have this repetitive process with the cities and towns and land owners not being aware of the root cause of the problem. [SOUNDS OF THE STREET] EHRLICH: Hey Bruce come over here. This is just one of the leaks I can smell around the building. GELLERMAN: The building is the gold domed Massachusetts Statehouse. And sniffing out the leaks in the street behind it is Representative Lori Ehrlich. The Statehouse is the nation’s oldest - so are some of the underground gas pipes here, and they’re leaky. EHRLICH: We’re standing here on the corner of Hancock and Mount Vernon street and though I’m concerned about this leak there are many leaks around the building. But even more of concerned are the four stories residential dwellings that are right next to the leak that I’d be most concerned about. A leak next the the Massachusetts Statehouse is 8.3 ppm methane, four times the normal background level. (Photo: Nathan Phillips/ Boston University) GELLERMAN: This is iconic, this is Beacon Hill - it doesn’t get more plush and powerful - and yet we’ve got leaks right here? EHRLICH: Well, perhaps it’s a message to the legislators in the building that it’s time to pass some legislation addressing this issue. This is the second session that I’ve proposed four bills that deal directly with this issue, and the fact that we have a leak and many other leaks right outside the Statehouse, I think, just elevates it to a point where we need to do something about it before more people are killed, before property is damaged, before trees are killed and before we have a much bigger problem. GELLERMAN: Just a few months before this interview behind the Statehouse, two blocks away, gas leak explosions sent two manholes covers flying, and shattered windows. Representative Ehrlich’s bills would require that Massachusetts gas utilities fix all of 25 thousand leaks in their pipes within three years, and compensate cities and property owners for the damaged methane does to trees and plants. Tom Kiley is president of the Northeast Gas Association. KILEY: We oppose those bills for a variety of reasons. A lot of them, economics and a lot of it because we feel it’s truly unnecessary to do that. Ah clearly the safety of our customers, and the consumer and residences is paramount of the natural gas industries, but we feel the cost that would be added to this are unnecessary and wouldn’t achieve the goals that the people have, and gas companies do have aggressive programs to make repairs, to replace cast iron and bare steel mains and other programs. GELLERMAN: It can cost gas companies a million dollars a mile or more to replace leaking pipes, but it can take decades. And, critics say, in the meantime customers are paying for the leaked gas and the pipes are dangerous. Some of the pipes are 100 years old and made of cast iron. In the 1950’s utilities began replacing them with bare steel pipes, but gas corroded them, so they were replaced with coated steel pipes. Gas leak investigator Bob Ackerly says the problem is nationwide. ACKERLY: I’m traveling down to Washington DC this weekend. I’ve already been down there and done some spot checks, the problem is just as bad or worse with the rotting steel. So, wherever there’s cast iron and old steel in the ground, you’re going to have a problem. GELERMAN: Since the 1970’s utilities have been laying underground pipe made of polyethylene or plastic: it’s flexible, easy to handle and install, and it doesn’t corrode. But it does crack and unlike cast iron which can last a century, Mark McDonald of the New England Gas Workers Association says plastic is only good for about 45 years. MCDONALD: The companies believe it’s going to last forever. We’re already replacing it. The number one problem with polyethelyne, it has no resistance to damage, so the more plastic you put in the more problems you’re going to have with people digging around natural gas lines. It’s a major problem, it's going to get larger. The more plastic you put in the bigger that their problem is going to get. GELLERMAN: Accidents are the single biggest cause of pipeline damage - from backhoes and jack hammers used by road construction crews, and workers laying electric lines and cables. The message: dig safe - and sniff. ACKLEY: I’m at about three point four right at the leak I think it was up to six if I pull up a little bit. GELLERMAN: Leak expert Bob Ackley says if you smell something, say something, which is exactly what he does after measuring the leak behind the Massachusetts Statehouse. ACKLEY: I would grade this one if it were my house definitely a grade one leak. I mean, I’d want it repaired immediately. It’s a hazard - so I’m going to call the leak into National Grid now and just make sure everything is okay here. [PHONE BEEP] ACKLEY: Hi, Bob Ackley here, I just want to report a gas odor in Boston by the Statehouse… Living on Earth wants to hear from you! Donate to Living on Earth!Living on Earth is an independent media program and relies entirely on contributions from listeners and institutions supporting public service. Please donate now to preserve an independent environmental voice.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Olively Friday, April 15, 2016 Coachella is coming up quick so I felt like showing you guys a festival look! The #Lulusfestival section on Lulu's has so many cute boho pieces which are designed to be cute and yet keep you cool at the same time. I especially love this olive dress as it's super soft and also just the right length if I choose to wear flats. My heels are a little big on me so I'd recommend if you get these to go one size down. XOXO Wow, that is such a beautiful dress, I love the style of it and that it has slits at the side for even more movement ! So cute ! It sucks your heels were too big , that is so unfortunate :( You look stunning though !	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Episode 2: Great Power, Great Responsibility (1959-1977) Great Power, Great Responsibility (1959-1977) 16 watches Part 2 of 3. The flawed superheroes that emerged in the 1960s, and the socially relevant stories they often found themselves in, are recalled in this look at the years 1959-77. Also: the introduction of black superheroes, such as Black Panther in 1966 and Luke Cage in 1972. Part 2 of 3. The flawed superheroes that emerged in the 1960s, and the socially relevant stories they often found themselves in, are recalled in this look at the years 1959-77. Also: the introduction of black superheroes, such as Black Panther in 1966 and Luke Cage in 1972.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
According to Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump, two officers were investigating a burglary complaint Tuesday evening (Dec. 2) when a resident of a nearby apartment complex reported a drug deal inside of a parked Cadillac SUV. The officers were going to the SUV to ask questions when they observed the driver, 34-year-old Rumain Brisbon, get out of the car and appear to be removing something from the rear of the vehicle. He was allegedly ordered to show his hands, but according to the police, Brisbon put his hands into his waistband, and verbally challenged the cop, witnesses said. The unidentified officer, described as a “30-year-old, seven-year veteran” then drew his service weapon and demanded that Brisbon get on the ground but Brisbon instead took flight to a nearby apartment. His actions prompted a short foot chase and when the officer caught up with Brisbon, a struggled ensued. “During the struggle, Brisbon put his left hand in his pocket and the officer grabbed onto the suspect’s hand, while repeatedly telling the suspect to keep his hand in his pocket,” The Phoenix police spokesman said. ”The officer believed he felt the handle of a gun while holding the suspect’s hand in his pocket.” At that moment a woman opened her door apartment door and both the cop and victim fell inside, two children ages 9 and 2 were in there as well, in a back bedroom. According to the officer, he lost his grip on Brisbon’s hand and fired two shots, killing the man instantly. However, the weapon he assumed Brisbon had in his pocked was a pill bottle. An eye witness, Martin Rangel, recalls hearing the gun shots (“It was so loud, I heard the vibration through the floor,”) and when he looked out his window he “saw the cop running out, or like, walking out, and he was cussing, you know, he was screaming, ‘F-ck! F-ck!’ — like upset that he shot the guy.” The other person in the SUV, Brandon Dickerson, witnessed part of what occured and he says Brisbon was dropping food to his children at the apartment complex. He also says the officer never tried to talk to Brisbon and also denies his friend yelled at the officer. “Who’s going argue with police?” Dickerson said. “He had no death wish (Tuesday).”	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Clearing the Smoke – The Truth About Smoking Hookah YHAN Hookah Take Action Toolkit Most recently, the YHAN has been interested in the topic of hookah smoking. It has become an increasingly popular trend among young people, yet many are misinformed about its safety. To address this issue, we created a number of educational resources for our peers, and advocated for legislation changes to protect the public from second hand smoke exposure. This toolkit is a compilation of the educational resources we created, as well as the strategies we used to influence local bylaws. It is intended to help other individuals, groups, and organizations who are interested in taking action on hookah smoking through similar activities. The hookah infographic postcard contains eye-catching visuals and clear, concise information on the harmful effects of hookah smoking. Infographics are a wonderful way to convey information in a succinct, direct manner and due to its size and portability, it can easily be shared with the general public. To order print copies of the postcard, call Toronto Public Health at 416-338-7600. A True/False quiz is an effective and engaging way to address common misconceptions that people may have regarding hookah use and its harmful effects. It is an excellent resource to use at community events since it engages the public and serves as an interactive learning tool. To encourage participation, prizes could be made available. The Street Buzz video is a short montage of interviews with young people in downtown Toronto to explore their knowledge and opinions on hookah smoking. The video highlights a general lack of awareness about the harms of hookah smoking and can be used to show the need for more public education and policies to protect the public from second-hand hookah smoke exposure. The “Be Informed” Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a short video recreating the setting of a hookah lounge, to inform youth about the harms of hookah smoking and dealing with pressure from peers to engage in the practice. The “Be Informed” Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a short video recreating the setting of a hookah lounge, to inform youth about the harms of hookah smoking and dealing with pressure from peers to engage in the practice. What better way to get your messages out to the youth masses than through social media? We took advantage of the large following of the “Be Your Best Self” Facebook and Twitter (@bybsTO) accounts to communicate our key messages out about the harms of hookah smoking. Using engaging posts with pictures and unique hashtags such as “#Knowyoursmoke” and “#BeInformed”, we reached over 485 people with eight Facebook posts during our social media campaign! Below we have included a few sample Facebook posts and tweets that the group has created and used in the past. Instead of meeting friends at hookah lounge, why not spend a fun evening without the smoke at a board game café? Or why not check out other cool places like the mall or a Blue Jays game? There’s nothing better than hanging with friends and not having your hair or clothes smell like smoke! Sure, spending $15 at a hookah cafe may not sound like a lot, but why not save that precious cash and do something free?! Check out one of the city’s many FREE parks and beaches in the great outdoors! Ugarsay anecay agassebay (translation, sugar cane bagasse). Tired of decoding the ingredient list in pig latin on hookah packaging? It’s way easier to curl up to a good book or start a book club with your friends! Inhaling fruity flavours from hookah smoke only masks the harmful toxins that are present. You know what’s actually great to consume? Real fruits! Grab your friends and get out to a local farmers’ market! Lastly, no one wants to risk contracting infectious diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis and herpes. Rather than sharing a hookah mouthpiece or hose which may not be cleaned properly, why not share a hug? Sample Tweets Fact: Water in a hookah does not filter toxins from the smoke. #KnowYourSmoke #Beinformed Tobacco-free hookah? T.O. hookah bars have been found with high nicotine levels in the air #BeInformed #KnowYourSmoke We completed several activities with the goal of helping young people make informed decisions about hookah smoking, but we recognized that more could be done to limit a person’s exposure to second-hand hookah smoke in public spaces. To support this, we decided to make a deputation to the Toronto Board of Health. A deputation is a short presentation to a group of decision makers, communicating one’s position and recommendations on a particular topic, and they can lead to bylaw changes and even bylaws being created. The first step in our deputation process was recognizing that we could provide a unique perspective on the issue as young people interested in health, and that was therefore the position we should be speaking from. From there we engaged in research to better understand the context of the issue (i.e., rates of use among young people, cultural influences, harms associated with the practice and lack of awareness about the harms, what other communities had done to address the issue, etc.). We reviewed different resources like articles by topic experts and the official Board of Health report on hookah smoking. We then used the information we gathered to define the issue from our perspective, why we cared about it, and what actions we believed the Board of Health should take to address it. This was compiled into a presentation that would engage the board members, highlighting relevant facts, results of our informal research, and through discussing our own experiences with the issue. Check out the YouTube clip of a deputation members of YHAN made in June 2015.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Rate this: Imam Ibn Ul Jauzi Rh.A was a great scholar of his time, he had written around 150 books on different aspects of religious and worldly matters. Normally Ibn Ul Jauzi is famous as a scholar only, but he also wrote some books which have got a lot of humor in them. One of those humorous black and white is “من اخبار الحمقی والمغفلین” He writes in this book: An innocent man was going somewhere with his donkey. A man saw him and said to his friend: ” I will take away his donkey and i will not let him know of it “. His friend inquired: “How is it possible when the rope of donkey is in his hands?” Man replied: “keep waching” , and he stepped forward, took off the rope from the neck of the donkey, wore it around his own neck and said to his friend: “Take the donkey and go from here”. After some time , the donkey’s owner looked back and found no donkey but a man, he got amazed and asked: “where is the donkey”? Man: “i am the donkey” Owner: “Whatttttt??? How is it possible? Man: “actually i always used to disobey my mother, one day she said some bad words to me, and since then i am a donkey, and have been serving you, , but now my mother has uttered some good words for me and i have again become a human. ” Owner amazingly said, “ohh., i have been using you and you were a human?” Man: “Yes, exactly” Owner: “Okay then, go on your way” (and the man quickly went away) The donkey’s owner went to his house , and kept thinking for some days, at last he thought to buy a new donkey , so he reached a market to buy one. There he saw his first donkey, he stepped towards him, and as he reached almost near to the donkey , he said in his ear: “O DEVIL! HAVE YOU AGAIN DISOBEYED YOUR MUM?: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 * Keeeep smiling. Rate this: Al-jahiz is from one of the greatest scholars and writers of his time, he was born in Basarah, in the days when Basarah was a specified place for arabic studies . He loved reading, and was a book lover. As his father died when al jahiz was still quite young, so he used to sell bread and fish to make some earning. , and with that little earning he used to buy books and copies. Whenever he found some book, he would start it from the beginning and end it on the last page:) About literature and languages he wrote more than 300 books. Al-jahiz also liked to add funny material in his writings time to time. Jahiz has added some funny happenings regarding his own self in his book. He himself writes: “No one laughed at me more than the two ladies, one of them i saw in the market, she was so tall, i thought to have some fun with her . When she passed by me i said to her, “Will you please “come down” and join me in eating? (jahiz was eating something). The lady replied to me , “and will you please “come up”, so that you can see the world.? (as jahiz was of very small height).:) As far as the other lady is concerned , she came to me when i was standing at the door of my house, and said, “i need you, and i want you to please follow me”,, i started walking behind her , and we reached a goldsmith’s shop, she said to the shopkeeper, “Like him” and speedily went out . I asked the goldsmith about what she had said? He told me, “she had came to me with a pearl and ordered to carve Satan’s picture on that, i told her that madam i have never seen Satan (how can i make his picture?) so she has brought you here:) (as jahiz was quite ugly.)”	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Drive thru slated for Rte. 16 in Holliston A new drive-thru restaurant could soon pop up along Washington Street, halfway between Holliston and Milford. Laura Krantz/Daily News staff A new drive-thru restaurant could soon pop up along Washington Street, halfway between Holliston and Milford. Brian McCann, of Hill Companies, is planning a 4,600-square-foot one-story building with offices, stores and a drive-thru restaurant, likely a coffee shop. Engineers tonight will present the plans to the Conservation Commission, which must give the owner permission to build near wetlands on the lot. McCann on Monday couldn’t say which restaurant might be coming, or whether it will be a chain, because he said he is still negotiating with possible tenants. "With the soccer fields across the street we just think it makes perfect sense to have an eatery there," he said. The 3-acre lot is across the street from Weston Pond recreation area and JCL Automotive. "I think it can be a good thing," said JCL owner John Lovewell, who has worked there for more than 30 years. Lovewell said the soccer fields draw plenty of visitors on weekends. Plans for the new building call for 3,000 square feet of office space and 1,600 for the restaurant, which will seat 29. The development will have 30 parking spots, according to drawings submitted to the town planning department by Holliston’s GLM Engineering Consultants. Town Planner Karen Sherman on Monday pointed to a retaining wall on the map that will separate wetlands from the building’s parking lot. The lot also has an easement for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and is surrounded by several industrial properties. McCann said Hill Companies held the mortgage for the property under the previous owner, but it was foreclosed upon. It was originally zoned as residential property, he said, but has been changed to allow businesses. The project also needs Planning Board approval and engineers are scheduled to go before that group on Thursday. (Laura Krantz can be reached at 508-626-4429 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @laurakrantzmwdn.)	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
NL Central NL West Now Commenting On: Astros upgrade sound system with GilmanSound Email Print Press Release \| HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros have upgraded their audio system with the installation of GilmanSound to transform the quality of the fan experience at Minute Maid Park. The revolutionary new system, which will provide "concert quality" sound, will put the Astros' audio capabilities on par with any in professional sports. The GilmanSound system upgrade reshapes sound waves and distributes them evenly throughout the stadium. The programming allows the speaker arrays to work together instead of battling each other for space. The system also streamlines concert production by allowing bands to use the ballpark's audio system in a "plug and play" fashion, eliminating the need to transport large quantities of their own equipment to the venue. "We wanted to give our fans the highest quality audio experience," said Astros VP and General Manager of Building Operations Marcel Braithwaite. "We researched the best way to address the issue and GilmanSound provided the superior solution. Using our existing infrastructure and their advanced technology, there is now a noticeable difference in the sound at Minute Maid Park. The improvement has been described as 'listening to AM radio your whole life and then all of a sudden being introduced to FM.' The partnership between the Astros and GilmanSound has resulted in some of the best audio in baseball." "Installing GilmanSound in the Astros home at Minute Maid Park opened the opportunity to push the envelope of sound excellence and flexibility further," said Paul Gilman, founder and creator of Gilman Sound. "Marcel Braithwaite allowed us to transform the dynamics of a PA system design into an expansive sonic environment ready for multiple events and media exhibitions. We also called in our friends at Klipsch to fulfill a part of our design for even greater dynamics. We utilized the in-house system with the brilliant architecture of a retractable roof to add to the fan experience in a way never before achieved." "All I can say is WOW!" raved Roy Delgado, Klipsch's Commercial Product Engineer. "First listening to the sound that Paul had processed was amazing! I, like other people, have grown accustomed to 'stadium sound.' When he inserted his process, the sound just 'self-corrected' is the best way to explain. Then we added the sub, I knew we had given Paul what he was looking for as I saw his smile. Got to say, the combination of the Paul's processing and the subs just tugging at your gut makes Minute Maid Park sound so much more like a small space then stadium sound. Crisp mids, spacious, coherent and now a 'growl.' It is a totally different sound experience!" The audio upgrade was installed earlier this month, and the new and improved sound system will make its debut this weekend as the Astros take on the Yankees September 27-29 at Minute Maid Park.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Airbrush Eye Shadow Trio Description:WHAT IT IS: Airbrush Eye Shadow Trio, for use with the Luminess Air airbrush makeup system, helps you create dramatic looks in flawless airbrushed color. WHAT IT DOES: Achieve the most wow, flawless eyes with airbrush eye shadows. No other eye shadow will give a smoother, more blendable professional shadow! High-performance, long-lasting eye shadows with beautiful, prismatic light shimmers and flawless matte colors. The eye shadows blend great with shimmers and bronzers. Can create a sheer to intense color. INCLUDES: Arctic Pink Airbrush Eye Shadow; Size: 0.25 oz India Pink Airbrush Eye Shadow; Size: 0.25 oz Sheer Purple Airbrush Eye Shadow; Size: 0.25 oz Brand: Luminess Air If there is a slash-through price quoted for this item, please visit our FAQs for information on how the slash-through price was determined.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
TOP TNA STAR TELLS LOCKER ROOM HE IS DONE We've heard from multiple TNA talents that Bully Ray held a meeting with the roster working tonight's live event in Hagerstown, MD and informed them he wanted to personally tell them goodbye as he didn't expect to be back for the company. In asking around, Ray's contract is expiring and tonight's live event is the last show he is contracted to appear on. Based on what Ray told the locker room, obviously the two sides have not come to terms on a new deal. What is amazing about this is that Ray (along with his partner Devon) is scheduled to be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame at Bound for Glory this October. TNA also has one match left in a series of bouts Ray was heavily involved in at the last set of Impact Wrestling tapings, which means that if he departs, they will be left scrambling to end that series without him. Ray had been the central point of the company over the last several years, first with a heel run as the central figure behind Aces & Eights, which brought him his first TNA championship. After losing the title, Ray was transformed into a babyface pursuing Dixie Carter in order to put her through a table, which became the biggest moment of TNA's entire summer. That angle was something that Ray brought to and pitched to TNA management. Ray has been with TNA since 2005 following runs in the original ECW and WWE. During the TNA run he morphed from one half of Team 3D to a legitimate top singles star. Beyond wrestling, he was also working as an agent backstage. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more, right now for THREE DAYS free by clicking here! Third Party Advertising: We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our Web site. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements on this site and other sites about goods and services that may be of interest to you. In the course of serving advertisements to this site, our third-party advertiser may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
In psychotherapeutic counselling for couples, it quickly becomes obvious in which situations a couple becomes involved in their protective patterns, which can later lead to their divorce. These usually well learned behavior patterns have helped in childhood to secure one's own life. For a long time, it was unnoted that children not only develop their own protective patterns, but also copy the relationship behavior of their mother or father. These behaviors will later be brought into their own relationships. In many years of clinical experience, three reasons for the copied behavior have been discovered and named, which deal with the nature of attachment to the respective parent. In this lecture, we present these three reasons and show how resource management can be done in couple counselling and how a resolution of this topic with father or mother can be achieved. Biography: Dr. Sabine and Roland Bösel are psychotherapists and Imago-therapists in Vienna. They organize couple seminars and Imago workshops for couples, as well as the self-developed workshops "Generations in Dialogue" and "Siblings in Dialogue". They have been living together for more than 40 years and have three children. They are authors of the bestseller „Leih mir dein Ohr und ich schenk dir mein Herz“. [Lend me your ear and I give you my heart]. Their second book „Warum haben Eltern keinen Beipackzettel?“ [Why don’t parents have an instruction leaflet?] has also been published as a paperback titled „Warum bist du immer so?“[Why are you always like this?]. www.boesels.at	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
I started using Carbonite back in TBC, so when the original authors stopped developing Carbonite I was more than just a little screwed og lost. When Rythal picked it up in MoP, and decided to eventually publish his work on this amazing addon I was really really happy. No matter the reason for which he picked it up and now putting it down, those of us who's been using Carbonite should be more than just grateful. Ofc spending all his time on a "second job" is no fun. I'm sure most if not all of us, have tried something similar at least once in our life, and Rythal deserves to have a life that doesn't necessarily involve Carbonite. Enough said: Rythal: Thank you! To any devs reading these comments, you may just be fixing bugs here and there, but if it weren't for Rythal picking it up in MoP and you continuing fixing bugs, us Carbonite users would have had to find other addons that could do what Carbonite does, and it's like isn't out there. So to the devs too: Thank you. __________________Want to upload carbonite quest data? Then this is link you need:http://atk.github.io/Carbonite/scroll down the page and halfway there's a button for Browse. Follow the directions to [WoW]\WTF\Account\[Account]\SavedVariables directory and select the file named Carbonite.Quests (it's the LUA file) then upload the file.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Archives Based in Nairobi, Lucy Brewster is a workplace trainer and people-development consultant with copious experience of working for international firms. Lucy is also East Africa’s first, certified Lumina practitioner, having trained with Inemmo Leadership Development Solutions to use the coaching method. Here, she explains why psychometrics have such a powerful role to play in enhancing leadership and teamwork in East Africa’s rapidly evolving business landscape… Emotions have long been acknowledged as either the ladders we scale or the eggshells on which we walk in the workplace, and our success or failure with those tricky balancing acts exerts a huge, shaping influence on our personality and self-worth. However, emotions are too often relegated to the side-lines in everyday workplace discussions. At best, they are dismissed in the face of plain-old competence matters related to technical tasks. At worst, they are greeted almost with embarrassment, as if feelings shouldn’t be allowed to intrude on professional relationships and blur our focus on organisational goals. Thanks to the growth of technology, East Africa has become more connected to the wider world than ever. One organisation that has worked hard to encourage links between the region’s firms and those overseas is UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). Following the UK’s Brexit vote, and subsequent change of government, UKTI was absorbed into the new Department of International Trade (DIT), where it continues to support relationships between the British private sector and its foreign counterparts. Under the new banner of International Trade & Investment, the team will have much to do in the coming years to strengthen the UK’s global business ties, as the country adjusts to life outside the European Union. As a Kenya-based DIT trade officer,Njeri Mugois part of that effort – and is eager to ensure that the Department’s contacts and expertise will empower East African companies to fulfil their ambitions. Here, Njeri talks to Inemmo about the business climate in East Africa – and the valuable role that psychometrics can play in boosting leadership and talent in the region. Lumina Learning has placed itself at the forefront of workplace coaching through its innovative learning and development tools, with growing numbers of organisations introducing their staff to Lumina Spark and its various sister methods. Now, Lumina has delivered its coaching power right into the palm of your hand, with the recent release of the Splash App: a mobile-enabled version of Spark that aims to demystify psychometrics in the public eye and get more people to use them. To find out about how the app works, we spoke to its co-creator at Lumina: Splash evangelist Nikita Mikhailov. His excitement for the project is running high… In our previous Inemmo blog, we took a bird’s eye view of West Africa, where entrepreneurship is flourishing with dizzying speed and innovative firms and leaders are springing up at a rate that puts the UK’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ to shame. However, as the blog noted, West Africa must dig deep and harness the power of the most effective leadership-development experts and tools if it is to make the most of the opportunities it has given itself. As an entrepreneur and business-development manager with more than 27 years’ experience in marketing and corporate affairs,Annie Babah-Alargi– head of Ghana-based consultancy Customer Matters – is on the frontline of efforts to ensure that the region will modernise its business practices to maintain its momentum. In this guest blog, she tells us about where the region is falling short, and how it should improve to realise its incredible potential…	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
pivotallabs.com Archives - 28 June 2013, Friday In retail environments, effectively managing a product launch, an in-store promotion or the execution of a new service requires real-time information to drive actionable insights. The GoSpotCheck phone app makes it easy for retail field teams to report data collected on site in a high... It’s now even easier to collaborate with your teammates and keep the right people up to date. We’re very excited to announce Tracker story following and @mentioning! Get people’s attention with @mentions Ever wanted to include someone on epic comments or a story discussion, even if th... You’re a product owner, and you have an idea. In your mind, it’s pure, simple, and beautiful. You want to hold onto that idea, to nurture it, cherish it. Reality, however, has other plans. You’ve got investors. You’ve got a team of hungry developers and designers licking their lips. Y... Related: Whilst writing some Chef recipes for our project’s Continuous Integration server the other day, my pair and I came across a commit message to some third party code that claimed to make a routine re-entrant . We both realised that we didn’t clearly understand the difference between re-... Pivotal Labs is experiencing new levels of growth and we are looking for a motivated, hands-on Accounting Manager to oversee the day to day accounting activities. This individual will be responsible for all accounting functions, including the month end close, software and services inv... Related: If you’re a long time Pivotal Tracker user, you’ve probably noticed that for the last year or so, things have been fairly quiet, in terms of new features. That’s because we spent that time on a complete, but focused rewrite of the core of the Tracker web application, as well building ... When you get into the rhythm of pushing new features through the product development lifecycle, it can be addictive. Theoretically every new push brings more customer value, so why not keep going? Restated, when should you stop writing code and put your efforts elsewhere? If you assum... Related: On the Tracker team, I love hearing great stories about our users and the things they are able to accomplish using agile methodologies and collaboration. I’m also a woman in tech and have a keen interest in supporting other women as well as other diverse groups who work persistently t... The Cloud Foundry team is looking for a great technical writer to join us in creating an awesome user experience on our open source platform that transforms how the world deploys and scales software. You You love explaining how technology works. You believe that the word “technical” a... Related: Two tenets of Pivotal are continuous integration and coding if you’re in front of a computer. These goals can conflict when you’ve just wrapped up a story and are about to push to a staging environment – while your final tests and deploy are running, you can’t modify your Git working ... “Google search results are data viz,” said designer and coder Sarah Nahm who came to visit the Pivotal Labs design team for lunch in San Francisco. Sarah visited us with her colleague and friend Ian Johnson , creator of visualization environment, Tributary . Sarah, Ian work closely wi... “Rails is slow, but Rails tests are slower.” Rails may be slow, but I’m here tell you that it’s likely you have only yourself to blame for your slow test suite. I’ve seen some bad test suites in my day. I was once pulled onto a rescue project that had a total build time of over 24 hou... Continuing to play around with Ember.js I wanted to draw some charts. I’ve used flotcharts with great success in the past but since it’s just a jQuery plugin it is obviously unaware of ember’s amazing data binding capabilities. Flot requires you to pass in an array of datapoints every... RubyMine is great for launching focused rspec tests, but is a little trickier for launching Jasmine specs, but we have had it working on my current project using a shell script and RubyMine external tools . The script relies on using sed to parse the first line of your spec file, so t... Dan Podsedly manages Pivotal Tracker, Pivotal Labs’ award winning project management and collaboration software. Dan has been building large applications since the Smalltalk era, and has been a practitioner and coach of agile programming methods since the earliest days of Extreme Prog... No Driving on the Shoulder Graham Siener Tuesday, June 4, 2013 (it seemed appropriate to have a cheesy marketing image here) Keeping your Boss[es]’ Ideas in the Right Lane I’ve been talking with a lot of Product Managers making the transition to adopting agile methodologies. An intere... Over the last several projects, we have chosen to commit to the construction and maintenance of a live style guide as part of the development process. However, the reasons in each case have been varied, and I’d like to give a quick rundown of these cases with some benefits and pitfall... One of the issues to content with when considering versioning is often building APIs requires more thought up front that an agile developer might be used to. URIs, Data structure, meta-data and extensibility are important and would be best considered up front. Once those decisions hav... Related: We take collaboration seriously around here, as you may be aware. For developers, it’s pair up or go home. For designers, it’s not that easy. While there are some great models for design pairing , the practice isn’t widely adopted in the industry, and clients don’t always see the valu... Related: At Pivotal Labs, we spend most of the day pair programming. The typical setup is an Apple iMac with a keyboard and mouse for each developer. We’ve been using the 24″ iMacs for a while, usually with a second 17″ display off to the side. But all our new machines are 27″ iMacs, and those... A talk by Jacob Maine about collecting, analyzing and presenting very large amounts of data. Introduces the problems of big data, mentions some of the relevant technologies and gives a bit of advice about designing solutions. While working on AwesomeResource , I needed to implement functionality that would make the following test pass: it "creates readers and writers for any attributes passed in during initialization" do article_class = Class.new do include AwesomeResource end article = article_class.new("... Related: It is a time-honored tradition for Pivots to blog about their first few months at Pivotal. A typical day at Pivotal is strong work. It’s different from any previous job. It’s exhausting. After six weeks or so, however, the Pivots find their rhythm. I’m not going to write any more abou... Anyway, I am working in a little project with a friend and we decided to use ember on it. First thing we implemented was authentication. This is a very simple problem with several solutions. We want to use devise . A very simple one is to rely on the devise’s engine and just make it a... Related: This week I decided to clear out the cobwebs of my Ruby-trained brain and try a completely different language. Ruby and Rails have been my staples for over seven years, and I’m starting to tire of my patterns of thinking, and of the common problems found in large Rails applications. S... In the design world, a river runs between the consultants and in-house designers. I’ve worked at big start-ups, small start-ups, corporations, newspapers, non-profits and universities, and I have hired consultants myself. Having been on the other side, each job unique with its own cha... This post is pair-authored by David Friermor and Nina Mehta Traditionally, pairing has benefited both pivots and clients improving productivity and quality of output. We want to see if design pairing is a way to move creative, collaborative work forward. We define design pairing as wh... “I’ve been looking for a couple months for the right third-party tools, and couldn’t find them, so I decided to make my own.” said Brian Noah from eGood . We love and admire that initiative in our users, especially when they build something this cool. The app he had to build is called... Ensure consistent, professional and effective customer support Make customers feel good about getting in touch and using Tracker Investigate and respond to customer support tickets, community forum posts and tweets (in writing, as we’re not currently set up for phone support) Answer q...	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
County, school reps cite concerns, abstain, but city tax district expansion OK’d A resolution approving controversial revisions to Port Washington’s downtown tax incremental financing district that proponents say are key to development in the marina district was approved last week on a 3-0 vote of the Joint Review Board — but two key members of the board abstained from the vote. The abstentions came from Ozaukee County Treasurer Joshua Morrison and Port Washington-Saukville School Board Director of Business Services Jim Froemming. “This is a very hot-button issue,” Morrison said. “This has become quite a thing in Port Washington. Some of it has gotten quite ugly. “Financially it stands sound. The projects sound really, really good. But socially, it has struck a chord with a lot of people. I am the treasurer of Ozaukee County. I do have to answer to the people. My question is, do the people want it?” Froemming abstained from the vote at the direction of the School Board, which had voiced concerns about the city’s use of developer incentives and the value of the district to the school district. “It’s not a no vote,” he said. “It’s a need for greater information.” School board members last week expressed concern with the use of development incentives, with one board member describing them as akin to handouts for firms that reap profits from their projects. They also said the development envisioned with the TIF plan doesn’t bring school-aged children into the district. Ald. Doug Biggs, chairman of the Joint Review Board, agreed with Morrison’s statement that the marina district development has proven “divisive.” “There are very strong opinions on both sides, not just on the council level but at the citizen level,” Biggs said. But approval of the TIF amendments doesn’t automatically mean each of the proposed projects is approved, he added. Each project within the TIF boundaries is vetted individually and publicly, Biggs said, and in the process makes its way through multiple committees that have both elected and citizen members. “What this allows us to do is have options,” he said. “To not do it (approve the amendments) eliminates those options.” Eric Ryer, the citizen representative on the Joint Review Board, said that’s key. “I think it’s worth giving the options to the elected officials and let them sort it out,’ he said. Christy Cramer, the city’s TIF consultant, told the board that without the amendments, it’s unlikely that any major projects would move forward in the district. That’s because the district is essentially out of money, she said. The Joint Review Board’s vote was the last approval needed to finalize the amendments to the TIF district. Those changes included adding five lakefront-area properties to the district and as much as $7.65 million in developer incentives and $2.6 million for public infrastructure improvements. The Common Council signed off on the amendments last month. The amendments are expected to pay off by the time the TIF district, which was created in 2010, is dissolved in 2038. If the costs are paid off before that time, the district could be dissolved earlier — something officials said is likely. The city’s first TIF district was dissolved about seven years earlier than expected, they noted. The original TIF project plan forecast an increase in the tax base within the district at $10.9 million, Cramer said. The newly approved plan calls for an estimated $50 million increase — including a 20% increase in the city’s commercial tax base. When the district is closed out, she added, almost $1 million in new tax revenue will be distributed among the taxing districts. The projects envisioned under the revised TIF plan include residential and commercial projects on properties that include the NewPort Shores restaurant property, the city-owned car-trailer park and adjacent Victor’s Restaurant property, both on Washington Street. Developer incentives have already been used to create the Harbour Lights condominium complex at the corner of Franklin and Main streets and promised for the development of the Blues Factory entertainment complex on the north slip marina parking lot.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Azman's blog Thursday, April 3, 2008 We will be having Let Energize session starting next Wednesday.Let Enrgize is about exersicing,the whole school wil take part.It will be from 7.30am to 7.55am.Iam very excited about it I can exercise and lose weight.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The Mindful Carnivore (book, Tovar Cerulli) primary-image, l h4. From the publisher As a boy, Tovar Cerulli spent his summers fishing for trout and hunting bullfrogs. While still in high school, he began to experiment with vegetarianism. By the age of 20, he was a vegan. A decade later, in the face of declining health, he returned to omnivory, and within a few years, found himself headed into the woods, rifle in hand. In this deeply personal narrative, Cerulli explores our nutritional connections with the larger-than-human world. From a fateful encounter with a brook trout to a rekindled relationship with the only hunter in his family, he traces the evolution of his dietary philosophy. Contemplating vegetable gardens, farm fields, and deer woods with intellectual and emotional candor, he stalks both food and meaning. Cerulli’s tale brings nuance to conversations often dominated by black-and-white thinking. He sets contemporary debates in context by looking back over centuries of history, delving into our changing natural and cultural landscapes, and examining the shifting meanings of vegetarianism and hunting. In place of moral certainties, he offers questions. Can hunters and vegetarians be motivated by similar values and instincts? In this time of intensifying concern over ecological degradation and animal welfare, how do we make peace with the fact that, even in growing organic vegetables, life is sustained by death? At once compassionate and probing, The Mindful Carnivore invites us to reconsider what it means to eat.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Remember the promise SHR showed at Daytona the first time? Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:28 am The 14's 4th place finish in the UnlimitedThe 14's 6th place finish in Duel 1Tony's Nationwide race wi.The 10 winning the pole for the 500The 39 finishing with a top 5 in the 500The 10 with a top 10 in the 500. Hopefully the team can channel some of that success from the last time at Daytona into this week and have a good race. The 14 is 16th in points right nowThe 39 is 18th in pointsThe 10 is 27th in points(Stenhouse is 20th, hopefully Danica can turn it around and beat the other rookie by the end of the year) Re: Remember the promise SHR showed at Daytona the first tim Re: Remember the promise SHR showed at Daytona the first tim Tue Jul 02, 2013 7:54 pm Tonys won this Daytona race a lot, its the Daytona 500 he cant win. I don't expect the same results but curious to see how qualifying goes this time around but don't think itll be the same as other teams may have found speed where they lacked it in the 500 earlier. Re: Remember the promise SHR showed at Daytona the first tim Tue Jul 02, 2013 9:35 pm racer1 wrote:Tonys won this Daytona race a lot, its the Daytona 500 he cant win. I don't expect the same results but curious to see how qualifying goes this time around but don't think itll be the same as other teams may have found speed where they lacked it in the 500 earlier. Re: Remember the promise SHR showed at Daytona the first tim Thu Jul 04, 2013 3:48 pm Considering Tony's wreck early at the opener Daytona, this race has to be better then that for him anyway baring he stays out of trouble this time? Ok edited as watching the first practice doesn't look that fast this time around although Danica's speed within the group was 7th overall so OK but Tony and Ryan --what happened to them back in the 30's? Sure its only practice but if qualifying is rained out Tony and Ryan are going to be starting from nearly the back although with these plate races drivers do hang around the back so we'll see? Re: Remember the promise SHR showed at Daytona the first tim Re: Remember the promise SHR showed at Daytona the first tim Fri Jul 05, 2013 6:45 pm Danica once again top SHR qualifier at Daytona. Not sure what happened to Ryan farther back, but the race is a different story, to be determined tomorrow night? Hopefully the racing isn't boring as mentioned the first race was this yr, but with hotter temps I don't see much passing as the track will be slippery for sure until later in the race when everything gets crazy. This race is mostly about luck & survival not to get caught in a wreck or have other issues that takes you out early like tony last yr. Good Luck to SHR to survive everything till the end and be able to race for the win or at least a good top 5 or top 10 result?	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Abstract This research focused on metaphor used in 21 Album by Adele. The research was conducted by using qualitative research method. The data were collected from the song lyrics in 21 Album by Adele. The findings of the thesis showed that there were 55 occurrences of metaphor which classified into three types by eight types of metaphor. They were inactive metaphor (3), phenomenalistic metaphor (18), symbolism metaphor (34). The most dominant type of metaphor that used in 21 album is symbolism metaphor with 61.82%. It means that the songwriter used symbolism metaphor in 21 Album to create fictive though with wild imaginary of world and use it to make the reader and listener to be more imaginative.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The registered representative of LPL Financial that is associated with this site is registered to discuss and transact securities business in the following states: AL, CT, FL, GA, MA, NC, OH, SC, and VA. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside these states.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Kenya, 30 September 2011: Ali’s story: In drought-ravaged Kenya, education is the key to a brighter future By Rob McBride WAJIR, Kenya, 30 September 2011 – In a futile attempt to save the last of the goats, Ali Yusef Omar, 16, and one of his younger sisters had no other option but to feed the ravenous animals handfuls of shredded-up cardboard boxes they had scavenged from the local town. Kept in a make-shift pen made of thorn bushes, only three remain out of a herd that had once numbered two hundred. VIDEO: UNICEF reports on a Kenyan boy and his family, struggling to survive in drought-ravaged north eastern Kenya. Watch in RealPlayer With the pasture gone and no money for maize, it was the only thing they had to fill their stomachs. “Of course these goats are going to die,” said the boy with a resigned shrug of his shoulders. “You think they’re going to survive on boxes?” Burdened with the adult responsibility of providing for his mother and five half brothers and sisters, Ali was sent to town to attend high school, with the hope that it would lead to a job that could support his family. When the rains dwindled, however, so did his chances of remaining in school. Ali Yusef Omar, 16, and his family have been displaced by the severe drought in north eastern Kenya. Despite these devastating circumstances, he tries to keep up his studies because he dreams of finishing his education. A monumental challenge Here in Wajir, in the drought-ravaged north east of Kenya, Ali and his family live in a camp mostly populated by other displaced families like his own. Many have arrived in the last few months, in an attempt to escape the ravages of the emergency. Most of the men still tend to what remain of goat herds, while looking for food, work or both. “The living conditions are terrible for the people,” said a solemn Ali. “All we have is porridge to eat. I feel so bad about it. My family is hungry and there is nothing I can do.” Trying to get an education had already been a struggle – now it’s a monumental challenge. Sharing a simple hut made of branches and straw with the rest of the family, Ali is forced to do his homework by flashlight. Hope for the future Still, against the odds, he has been getting good grades - his last report card detailing all A’s and B’s. “The subjects I like best are science and math,” he explained. “Because, whatever you do, they will help you most to get a job.” With his family’s fortunes suffering along with the rest of this community’s, a job for Ali is their sole hope for the future, and one that is dependant on him staying in school. “For me, it’s good for me to do my hard work,” he said in broken English, one of the subjects he is striving hard to improve in. “To save them (the family) for future life to get educated is also important. I want to be an educated man.”	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
A Sensitive Electronic Nose A new type of electronic nose, based on ultra-fast gas chromatography, can perform analytical measurements of volatile organic vapors in near real-time with part-per-trillion sensitivity. This configuration allows results to be directly compared and validated with independent laboratory test results, saving environmental engineers time and money. How Does It Work? The zNose;® system uses helium gas, a capillary tube (gas chromatograph column) and a solid-state detector in one section and a heated sample inlet and pump on the other. A "loop" trap links the two sections and acts as a collector, or preconcentrator, when placed in the air section (sample position) and as an injector when placed in the helium section (inject position). The operation is a two-step process. The inlet and pump section samples ambient air (aroma) and existing organic vapors are preconcentrated on the trap. After sampling, the trap is switched into the helium section where the organic vapors are injected into the gas. The vapors pass through a capillary column at different velocities and thus, individual chemicals exit the column at characteristic times. A solid-detector identifies and quantifies the chemicals. An internal, high-speed gate array microprocessor records sensor data, which is transferred to a user interface or computer using a wireless connection. Calibration is accomplished using a single n-alkane vapor standard. A library of retention times of known chemicals indexed to the n-alkane response (Kovats indices) allows the machine to measure and identify compounds independently. The time derivative of the sensor spectrum yields the spectrum of column flux, commonly referred to as a chromatogram. Real World Applications This technology has been used in monitoring chemical odors at a foundry, in a river contaminated by a chemical spill of nitrobenzene and aniline, and at a municipal and gas utility site. Most foundry emissions come from two operations in the casting process: core making and sand handling. In the core making process, new sand is mixed with resins -- phenolic, phenolic-urethane, and others -- and cured to form resin-bound sand forms (cores). The cores are used to create the open spaces in the molds that result in the ability to make hollow castings. The resins generate odors during the core making, core curing, and metal casting processes. Using the electronic nose, operators measured chemical odors from within a commercial-scale foundry and around the adjacent community. A mixture of amines and phenolic were identified within the plant. Foundry odor chemistry can be seen in the chromatogram. The most prominent compound was phenol, varying in concentration between 40 ppbv and 5 ppmv. Amines, such as triethylamine, were detected at parts per million levels. Concentrations of phenolic compounds in the surrounding neighborhood ranged from 10 pptv to 250 pptv while amine concentrations ranged from 1 ppbv to 16 ppbv. Real-time odor measurements allow foundry operators to react quickly to changing emission levels and enable environmental regulators to quantitatively and objectively assess the impact of these odors in the community. Following an explosion at a petrochemical plant in northeastern China, operators monitored the concentrations of aniline and nitrobenzene in the Songhua River. The speed and economics of on-site measurements had direct financial benefits. Operators collected water samples from the river in vials and immediately measured headspace vapors with the electronic nose. The measurements were calibrated using headspace vapors from water standards. The minimum water concentration detection level was about 70 ppb for aniline and 3 ppb for nitrobenzene. The results also were in agreement with the reported Henry's constants for these compounds. Because the contamination plume was being carried by the river current, measurements needed to be performed quickly to track progress of the contamination. The plot of nitrobenzene concentration at a water intake near Harbin City illustrates the need for speed. Measurements had to be taken in realtime to accurately assess the size and extent of the contamination. One environmental priority for today's utility companies is to remediate soil that was contaminated by coal-fired power generators dating back to the mid-1800s. In this process, contaminated soil is excavated and removed to a remote location where hydrocarbons are removed, and the clean soil returned for use as landfill. As a result of onsite excavation, hydrocarbons from coal tars are released into the air. Some are toxic and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates their concentration. Other hydrocarbons give off noxious odors. Because of the negative impact of these emissions on the surrounding community, site managers often monitor volatile organic compounds and odors on-site and in realtime. With the electronic nose, a site manager measured soil gas samples from contaminated soil and quickly determined the odor signature. In total, 27 compounds were separated, however, the major hydrocarbons and their concentrations were benzene (9.5 ppm), toluene (5.7 ppm), m,p-xylene (12.6 ppm), naphthalene (17 ppm) and methyl-naphthalene (2.5 ppm). Although vapor concentrations in close proximity to contaminated soil (less than 1 foot) were in the parts-per-million range, odor concentrations at downwind locations near the site (approximately 200 feet from active excavation) were in the 10 ppb to 50 ppb range. Upwind odor concentrations were much lower, typically in the parts per trillion range. Replicate odor samples (30 second) taken at 80-second intervals showed considerable short term variability, for example 43-percent standard deviation for 35 samples. Morning levels of naphthalene were slightly below odor threshold levels (27 ppbv) while afternoon levels were substantially higher, typically 60 ppbv downwind adjacent to the site. Real-time monitoring of odors surrounding the site allowed the site managers to assess and respond quickly to minimize the impact on the surrounding community. This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2006 issue of Environmental Protection. About the Author Edward J. Staples, Ph.D., is the chief scientist and founder of Electronic Sensor Technology. He is the inventor of the zNose;®. For the past 15 years, he has led a team of scientists and engineers in the development of electronic nose technology addressing the need for quality control, environmental monitoring, security, and life science applications. Staples is a member of the American Chemical Society, Air Waste Management Association, International Food Technology Association, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He has served as an associate editor of the IEEE Transaction on Sonics and Ultrasonics. He can be contacted at (805) 480-1994.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Carcigenicate I've been programming on and off since I was 14, when I ran a multiplayer Moparscape server written in Java. At the time though, I didn't know what language I was using, and managed to reverse engineer existing code to learn how to create new things. It's 10 years later now, and I have a good number of languages under my belt. For personal projects, I work mainly with Clojure. I'm relearning Python and C though as I'm doing an ISS degree, and will need those languages for the course. I can be reached at [email protected] if you need any help that's beyond the scope of this site. I love a good puzzle. [My avatars are generated using a Mandelbrot Set Explorer I wrote in Clojure. See my GitHub!]	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Related Tags: Latest News HELENA, Mont. (CBS DC/AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena is dropping group health insurance plans for its 200 employees in parishes, schools and social services across western Montana, a spokesman for the diocese said. Instead, the diocese will help those workers find individual insurance coverage on the market, and compensate them within limits when they purchase their own plans, diocese spokesman Dan Bartleson said Wednesday. The diocese plans to make the change by January, he said. Across the nation, some religious groups and schools are dropping or have threatened to drop insurance coverage because they do not agree with the new health care law’s mandate to provide coverage for birth control. But in the case of the Helena diocese, the decision was strictly financial, Bartleson said. He said premiums were rising as the diocese tried to cover this year’s claims, and that costs would also increase because of the federal health overhaul. Continuing the existing policies would be untenable even without increases related to the Affordable Care Act, Bartleson said. The cost of care per employee is expensive for the diocese because of the number of elderly and retired clergy and other workers, Bartleson said. The diocese used more than 100 percent of its available benefits last year partly for that reason, he said. The diocese also is defending itself against multiple lawsuits filed by hundreds of plaintiffs who claim they were sexually abused as children by clergy stretching back to the 1940s. The lawsuits are in mediation with hopes of reaching a negotiated settlement, but the diocese’s insurers are challenging whether they should be responsible for paying the plaintiffs’ claims. The litigation has created uncertainty and caused the Helena diocese to be conservative in its financial planning. “That mediation is a major factor in the future of this diocese,” Bartleson said. “What we’re trying to do here is to make the best of the changes in the health care laws, while in the back of all our minds is this mediation.” The diocese’s plans will not be affected by President Barack Obama’s announcement Thursday that he intends to allow the continued sale of individual insurance plans that have been canceled because they don’t meet coverage standards under the new law, Bartleson said. Human-resource officials are counseling their employees on what individual plans are being offered in the market, including the new federal health exchange, and telling them the amount the diocese will compensate them for buying their own coverage. Bartleson did not disclose the cap the diocese will put on reimbursements, but said the goal is for them to have at least equivalent coverage of what they get now. “There is no guarantee of that, though. That is something that is going to have to shake out,” Bartleson said. It is difficult to gauge whether the diocese is unique in making these changes or whether it is happening elsewhere. Tim Augustine, legal counsel for insurer Catholic Mutual Group, declined to comment Thursday, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Montana’s other Roman Catholic diocese, the Great Falls-Billings diocese that covers the eastern part of the state, is considering its options on future employee health coverage, said the Rev. Jay Peterson, the diocese’s vicar general. State Insurance Commissioner Monica Lindeen’s spokeswoman, Jennifer McKee, said her office is not aware of any other group insurance cancellations in the state by employers with more than 50 employees. CBS News reports that 4.8 million Americans have lost their current policies due to the law.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Often Irreverent, Mostly Rational Blog for Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays. One Day, We'll Be Perfect. Sunday, June 12, 2011 You have to make a choice I know, I know.... I drop at least one of these posts every year. I'm running the risk of getting all shticky in here. But, y'know, fuck it.... if I'm going to be repetitive, this seems like the point in the season to do it. So here we go.... I'm of the opinion - the opinion - that if you're a fan of a team (let's say, for example, the Toronto Blue Jays), then you're a fan of a team Win or Lose. Win or fucking Lose. Now, I'm not here to give anybody shit. I'm not your dad. But whoever said this would be easy? You know what's easy? Being a fan of, say, today's Boston Red Sox. They are built to win now. They have the financial resources to build a winner and spend the cash to fill the holes as Theo sees fit. Ownership has set that precedent; need an arm? Go get one. Short a power bat to fill the 6 hole? Who's available (statement not question). So this is where the cynical fucks tell me to look at Rogers' balance sheet. Remind me of the resources that should be available then point to the stopgap options and roster fillers filling the major league bench. And this may surprise you, but I'll tell you that you're right. I'll also tell you to fucking get over it, because it is what it is and no amount of twitter bitching or otherwise is going to change any spending habits. Me? I take comfort in seeing that The Plan put forward has been unwavering - build internally, throw big money at the draft (all indications are, 2011's should cost.... a lot), develop a homegrown roster of stars, and strike at free agency when the time is right. Now is pretty clearly not yet that time. There have been setbacks - big ones with Travis Snider, Brett Cecil, and Kyle Drabek. Not all prospects will develop as hoped - whatever happened to the Adeiny Hechavarria hype machine? But that's what happens when you shoot for "ceiling" (as a scout might say). They aren't always going to hit. But seems to me the squawking was never louder than during the Ricciardi era where safe reliable talent and big money free agent signings where the method to roster construction. So take your pick. I know which route I prefer. Back to the statement up top - it's easy to be a fan of today's Boston Red Sox. But it will be entirely more satisfying to be a fan of tomorrow's Toronto Blue Jays. 69 comments: Yes, it's easy to be a Boston Red Sox fan NOW, but it sure wasn't at the beginning of the season. Last year wasn't all fun either as half of the Red Sox went down with injuries. (I still loved the team and all its "band-aid" players -- Nava, McDonald, Lowrie, Cash, etc., even though some are back in AAA for good.) Still, I get your point. And you're right -- it will be satisfying when the Blue Jays eventually win and win big. Jeff, I'm curious as to your methodology for giving AA a C- grade. He got Escobar for nothing, offloaded Vernon Wells' salary, and has been signing low-cost extensions with our core players (Bautista, Lind, etc). Some misses on the relief pitching side, but I think we're in great hands with him as GM. God, Toronto sports fans are such pushovers. A real city would be pissed with all these loser teams, but golly gee willickers we're just thrilled to have a GM that says, by gosh, that we'll be good in 2015. Dumping Wells' salary only does the team good if Rogers re-invests the money in the team. Sure, they used some for Bautista, but there was enough left over to pay for some form of veteran pitcher to help out the youngsters. Who's to say AA won't trade Bautista for some more precious prospects at the trade deadline? I'm not usually one to criticize commenters, but Paul.... come the fuck on, man. I know you're being facetious (hoping?), because the suggestion that AA might be inclined to listen to prospect offers for Bautista is just a little bit ridiculous. Who's to say Rogers isn't investing the Wells money in the team? Locking up JoBau + spending big in the draft (yes, remains to be seen....) is a pretty solid start, if you ask me. Ahhh the mythical contention date. Every year it keeps getting pushed up and all the hardcores are lining up to wash the GM's balls. Farrel hadn't even filled out a lineup card yet and this blog was ready to put him in the Hall of Fame. Now we are getting shit for actually giving a fuck about the embarrassment that was last weekend when all the proprietors of this blog were tweeting about the carnival sideshow that was Mcoy pitching. That was more embarrassing than the beating at the hands of the RedSox. You want to take the elitist high road TAO and tell people to stop bitching but it's okay for Drabek to act like a petulant fucking child without a word of admonishment from the fanboys. Give me a break. You want to take the elitist high road TAO and tell people to stop bitching but it's okay for Drabek to act like a petulant fucking child without a word of admonishment from the fanboys. Give me a break. Let's ignore that Kyle Drabek is still a kid himself for a second, but where has any of these so-called "fanboys" on this site suggest to implicitly follow this team with nary a complaint or justified criticism? Up to this point of the season, I've read countless number of snide articles and remarks about "The John Farrell Experience" being too reactionary and confusing. Yet, somehow, pre-season positive vibes about Farrell suggests that questioning him is forever impossible? That during the course of a 162 game season, since a faction of Blue Jays fans aren't flipping water coolers around spewing bile of liquid hate at animals who vaguely look like Paul Beeston due to a single weekend series, their views on this team are suddenly invalid and inaccurate? A team with much more baseball money and baseball talent at their disposal destroyed a team with less baseball financial might and less current talent. Funny how that works. That's why there's a difference between the measured response and the "draining all of Lake Ontario to douse the fire I set on High Park that spells 'Blue Jays LAYOFFS'" approach in the giving-a-fuckery spectrum. Yeah because calling yourself Dave C. on a blog is really putting yourself out there huh Dave? Yeah, let's all leave our social insurance numbers, home addresses, telephone numbers etc. just so Dave C. doesn't have to deal with, wait for it, anonymity on the internet. Rogers telling Jays fans that they'll spend the money when they get competitive is like me saying to my kids I'll stop at Walt Disney World if you see it from the 401. Eventually kids grow up and realize you've been bullshitting them for years. @Ack. You have obviously never worked for a company that is controlled by bean counters. If Rogers determined that they could make more money by trading Bautista than keeping him, they would do it in a heartbeat. Not saying it's likely, but definitely a possibility. If the Jays are 15 games out at the trade deadline and no one is watching on TV, anything is possible. If following this team, cheering for this team, causes you so much grief and consternation and you wake up every day hating the Jays and it's ruining baseball for you and making life miserable..... just fucking stop watching and get off Twitter and tune out. re: anon above, you're totally right, Jays fans are such pushovers. We should definitely be hard-nosed, passionate baseball fans like the ones that cheer for the Cubs or Mets. That'll really get ownership to spend money and bring in championships. As stated in the article, there is ZERO chance of Rogers spending enough money to compete salary-wise with the big boys. Like it or not, complain all you want, it's just a fact. Rogers owns the Bluejays, and every other entity in their empire for one reason and one reason only, to make money. That's not a bad thing. I have no problem with companies making money. We live in a free society and Rogers can make as much as they can. So our only hope as a Jays fan is to wait for a time where a bunch of prospects peak at the major league level at the same time, but before they demand too much money, in which case Rogers peels them off the payroll for the next wave of prospects. Not much to hope for us as fans I'd say, and I have every right to complain about it. You sound so high and mighty swearing at your readers and telling them they're not REAL fans if they don't drink the company Kool-aid. In reality, you just sound childish. Right Paul, because as the contract extensions given to Bautista, Romero, Lind - and even the recent "unsuccesful" spending on Hill and Rios show, Rogers won't pony up the dollars to keep homegrown players in the fold. And I guess being amongst the biggest spenders in the draft these last few years shows there's no commitment to spending to win either. You talk about me being a fanboy and drinking the company kool-aid or whatever, and that's your prerogative. But when did anyone get the idea by looking at the opening day roster the Jays would be contenders this season? Everyone was on board with the rebuild and acknowledged it would take, you know, more than one or two seasons to do properly.... until it actually does take more than one or two seasons, and people start losing it and stomping their feet about how they're sick of all the losing. That's not childish? Or at the very least, maybe just a little short-sighted? I'm sorry if you're offended. But I'm offended by everyone going off the rails when in reality, nothing should have changed with regards to expectations from opening day. And if you expected this club to see the post-season in 2011... well, I don't know what else to tell you. I love that this is happening. How convenient that it's right after Boston left town. All the cynics who can't wait to be the first off the bandwagon, calling out the fans for their naiveté...it's such an easy stance, and it's twice as dumb as people think. Here's the point: Competing is fucking HARD. And you don't do it by filling your roster with a bunch of mediocre $5 million players. What the Jays have done and are doing is creating a critical mass of prospects that are either going to allow them to trade for legitimate stars at the end of deals or develop those prospects into contributors in their first 5 seasons. Stomping our feet and demanding that Rogers go out and spend $140 million on the big league payroll is JUST FUCKING STUPID. BEYOND STUPID. Sure, Rogers could have gone out and shelled out big dollars to fill up the bullpen with Joaquin Benoit or Rafael Soriano...but how's that gambit working out? And you know why Boston is kicking ass and taking names? Because they are a smart team that has developed enough talent internally (Rat Faced Prick Pedroia, Jed Lowrie, Youk, Ellsbury, Lester, Bucholz, Papelbon) to field a great team and to trade for the pieces that they need to put themselves over the top (Rizzo and Casey Kelly for Adrian Gonzalez). Yes, they have money, but they spend it pretty wisely...And that's the whole point of the plan. Also: I think most of the smart Jays fans with whom I spoke before the season figured that this was a sub-.500 team this year, but a good team in the next few. To suddenly change direction because the team took an uncomfortable shit-kicking this weekend is reactionary. And multibillion dollar integrated corporations don't get to be that way by panicking when faced by adversity. Also Paul: Stating "It's a fact" doesn't actually make something a fact. It just reinforces your position in your own mind. If the revenues are there (and TV numbers have been good, as has the gate), then the payroll numbers will be there. They won't spend on spec. And do you understand how many years you actually get with young players before they can even start to demand too much money? Six years! Plenty of time to have two or three successive quality draft classes emerge into everyday players. And if all this seems like too much for you to withstand, go cheer for the Cardinals, or some other mid-revenue team in a chump division. We don't need you. Wow, go fuck ourselves, hey Tao? Yeah because the Jays have sooo many fans that snobby fucks like yourselves can simply just tell people to go away. Pretty embarassing when the Red Sox come to town and there's more of their fans in the stands at the RC than ours. Also, just for the record fuckface, I've been following this team since 1977. Just because you write some blog doesn't give you any monopoly as a fan of this team. If people are sick of 18+ years of mediocrity, then that is what it is. But when you write a piece pointing out how irrational and stupid everyone is and then get called on it, don't stomp around like a little fucking child in complete bewilderment. And I know all your little trained seals are going to be calling me every name under the sun but so be it. Here's what gets me: If we genuinely believe that the team will never get better, what's the point in being a fan? If you're a fan of the sport, surely you can find a team that's interested in competing. For me, the perspective of people like the Ack makes more sense: this team was meant as a long term venture, and we knew that- or should have known that- coming into this season. I watch the games, I cheer for the team to do well, but I watch it with the understanding that yes, it would be a building year. I certainly think some cynicism is warranted, given Rogers' handling of the team over the years. But I can't see how you can argue that there haven't been some good signs. Low costs extensions for the core, and a lot of money spent in the draft. The Jays' record hasn't been good with big money free agents. Do we really want to repeat Frank Thomas, BJ Ryan, and AJ Burnett? I don't. This homegrown focus seems to be sound so far. That doesn't mean it'll happen right away, or that it won't be difficult. If Rogers is a bean counter, they can see the value in AA's reasonable extensions relative to the market for a lot of those players he signed. Hopefully Toronto can support the Jays if/when they become a winner. I've been surprised by the amount of vitriol I've seen from Jays fans, and I imagine that's the perspective here. There's not a lot of sense getting angry, on one side or another. But calling for rational thinking when the team is struggling is almost always a good idea. Really classy guys. Very easy to swear at people through the safety of a web page. Try doing that face to face with someone and see what you get. I for one never thought that the team would be even close to contending this year or next. But the Jays have been touting we're two years away for the better part of 19 years, and even though rationally they are still another two or three years away at best, it still gets frustrating, and everyone has a right to complain. Solutions, I really don't see any. I'd like for the Jays to prove me wrong and actually field a proper contending team a few years from now, but history says that two years from now the jays will still be preaching that we're two years away. Short of stop watching and going, which would hit Rogers in the pocketbook indirectly, there's really no hope of doing much else but wait yet another "two more years". Paul isn't exactly wrong to believe that Rogers doesn't have a real committment to winning. I mean, they've only had an above-average major league payroll one year out of their entire ownership run (2008). And this isn't some small market like Kansas City or Oakland here. Really, Rogers has been saying that the money's coming for years, pushng back contention year after year. Some, rather understandably, have run out of patience. I have to say, though, that if they can sign most of their draft picks, that will be a good sign of things to come. It's not a matter of siding with Rogers that gets me, it's blind optimism, year after year, without any accountability. Pointing to the failed free agent acquistions of the Riccardi era isn't fair either, because there was no clear direction at that time. Draft, sandwich picks, trade all you want, at some point to contend in this division, or any division for that matter, you are going to have to supplement the prospects, draft pickets etc with proven major league talent and Rogers talks a good game when addressing this but history suggests otherwise. "Pointing to the failed free agent acquistions of the Riccardi era isn't fair either, because there was no clear direction at that time." And then... "... you are going to have to supplement the prospects, draft pickets etc with proven major league talent and Rogers talks a good game when addressing this but history suggests otherwise." If history suggested that Rogers was unwilling to spend on free agents (i.e. "talks a good game"), then we wouldn't have the failed free agent acquisitions of the Ricciardi period to point to. It seems to me that people in the organization, whether it's Rogers or people on the baseball side, have learned that neglecting to stock up, and STAY stocked up, on high-upside draft picks and prospects is a failed strategy and are changing it. Instead of putting the cart before the horse by signing big money free agents with no solid core in place, they look to be turning the order around. I don't see why a fanbase should somehow be more discouraged by that. I'd be discouraged if they were doing the same things they've always done, and expecting better results. Looking back at the last decade, the Jays' highest team salary was just under $100 million, putting them 12th highest that year. Currently, even with the long term deals of local talent, they are at $62.5 million, which ranks them 23rd. I personally don't see this as an either or proposal. Signing a couple of mid-range starting pitchers as free agents may not improve your win-loss record, but would give guys like Morrow and Drabek the time in the minors to learn how to pitch more effectively, if that's what the team deemed necessary. The way the Jays are set up now, there are very few other options to replace Morrow and/or Drabek if they wanted to give them time to mature down on the farm. Doesn't that kind of fly in the face of everyone's preferred philosophy though, Paul? Throwing dollars at mediocre mid-range arms? It seems everyone is in one of two camps....go with young players or spend BIG on all-star calibre players. Paying free agent dollars to lure the Kyle Lohses and Carl Pavanos of the baseball world means you're still not winning & remain in the dreaded "holding pattern" mode... and that would boil more blood than the comments above. I guess I have trouble understanding why a team would want to spend extra money on mid-range starting pitchers if it's not something they expect will improve their win-loss record. Don't forget that mid-range starters, the #3 or #4 types, aren't exactly growing on trees, and teams that DO expect to contend get a chance to sign them too. Here's an example: Probably the fourth-best starter in Milwaukee is Randy Wolf (arguably behind Gallardo, Marcum, Greinke). To get him, they had to shell out 3 years/$29.75M (2010-12), plus a 2013 club option, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. $10 million a year for a #4 starter, on a team that seriously expects to contend. Now, granted, Wolf would be closer to a #2 guy in Toronto, but if the team is not expecting to contend with the rest of the pieces they have, I just don't understand why the Blue Jays would want to commit almost $30 million over three years to have him. He'll be 36 by the time the contract is up, and Toronto probably would have had to spend more to get him there anyway. I suppose a team could go even cheaper and sign a guy like Brad Penny to be a 3 or 4-type starter, but even he's costing the Tigers $3 million this year. In either case, those guys cost real money, which is likely going to come at the expense of other priorities (like the draft). Meanwhile, Morrow and Drabek make less than $3 million between them. They're not dominating, but you have to hope from a player-development perspective that they're figuring out how to get big-league hitters out. The question is, is it worth another $10 million to your organization to have middle-of-the-pack place-filler starters on the big league club, while Morrow and/or Drabek pitch in the minors? And with no expectation that the extra $10 million will result in an appreciable increase in wins? Or I guess you could go out and sign Kevin Millwood to eat those innings for you. Me, I'd rather watch Kyle Drabek walk a few guys than be subjected to that. Getting the mid range pitchers would only be a good option if in fact the Jays management believed that the best option would be for a starter or two mature in the minors rather than on the major league team. Right now the jays kind of have all their eggs in one basket. They have no choice but to keep Morrow and Drabek in the majors, becuase they have nothing better. What you don't want is to screw up these two great arms by throwing them to the wolves too early. If that's what they really think is best for them, then who am I to say differently, but it would be nice to have that optioon. For the record, I would LOVE Prince Fielder at that price. And don't call me a fucking Leaves fan for it--I hate hockey. Fielder at first forming a monstrous 3-4 combo and Lind back to DH where he belongs. I also think we should go aggressively after Yu Darvish, although the record of Japanese pitchers is poor overall, he is half Turkish, a bigger dude, and more likely to be durable when he comes to the majors (which is why the Yankees are going to be all over him.) I get development. I want Lawrie, Cecil etc. up as soon as possible. Why I don't understand is why, if we all knew we'd be shit in 2011 (and we damn well are horrible), why not play ALL the kids all the time? And why not supplement this with a long-term contract for a young 1B just entering his prime? Do you really think any of our prospects are going to be as good as Fielder? Hell no! Rogers is a motherfucking BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY who has no problem squeezing every last penny out of poor and middle-class Canadians and yet we're not allowed to attack them and their bullshit spending policies as it pertains to the Jays? Fuck that corporate bullshit. They should spend, sell the team, or move them out of the city if we have to put up with another 5 years of crap to develop high school arms and pray we get lucky with Type B free agents. I fully believe that if they wanted Morrow or Drabek in the minors, they would be there. There are plenty of other cheap options in the system to eat innings. It wouldn't be pretty, but again, it's not like it matters a great deal. "There's been no discussion of sending Kyle to Triple-A or to suggest that what he’s dealing with, in his own maturity right now, is leading to that. So that needs to be squelched right now," Farrell said. Jun 12, 7:15 PM Um yea, that's the ticket. :) Let's hope Stewart is really ready for the big leagues, and just just the best of the worst options. What's baffling me right now is how there are a bunch of commenters totally flipping their shit over one weekend against Boston. The first time the Jays have been swept all year. Doesn't matter if you lose 35-6 or 3-0 over three games, it's three losses. A big loss is still just a loss. Three games, guys. THREE FUCKING GAMES. Let's have some perspective here. Grand scheme of things, this weekend isn't a whole lot. Obviously our supposedly brilliant GM is freaking out too, because he sent down Drabek after LYING repeatedly about how he would stay up no matter what (through his dopey manager). I can't wait to see what the corporate lackeys say about this one: "Drabek really was struggling, look at his xFIP and drTPOP." "AA is so smart and handsome, I can't wait to blow him again." "Stewart's secondary and thirdendary numbers are better than his ERA, I'm sure his terrible strike out rate will be mitigated by the geniuses we have running this team." Man, we really know how to fuck with all our young players: watch out Lawrie, you're next--you better not have a bad week or struggle is some stat category that no one understands, or else you're going to AAA for a few more years. (SNIDER, CECIL, LAWRIE, DRABEK, MORROW): fucked up development. What other team does this shit? This is exactly the scenario I mentioned earlier today. Somehow I can't see bringing upo a guy with a 4.50 ERA in AA as a valid replacement. The Jays are just tapped out of options. You can only "go with all prospects and wait a couple years" scenario if you have enough players to at least compete at the major league level, and if you don't, you may need to look elsewhere, bite the bullet and spend a few bucks. Switching Stewart for Drabek seems a little like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic to me. Gee, no more swearing at me. Maybe I AM making at least a bit of sense. Backpeddal much? Seriously, even if you want to go with waiting for the prospects to mature, you should really have them in a place where they will mature the best. Looking at our starting pitching in particular, can you honestly say some of these guys wouldn't be better off learning their trade in the minors? The Jays choices as of now seem to be which prospect can we hurt the least by bringing them up. Not the best scenario for either the present or the future. And to take it even one step further, the team really isn't doing too badly... 2 games under .500 in the toughest division in baseball is not terrible. If you are one of those who are complaining that "this team sucks", I really have to question what it was that you were expecting coming into this season. Seriously. Who was I talking to? Look above and see who swore at me. I still think the Jays would be better off on their two year plan if they let some starting pitching learn in the minors, and today's movement of Drabek only solidifies my beliefs. I think I made my case. You don't have to agree with my opinion on the Jays, but I have a right to have it. Seems like it's my way or the highway and fuck you for thinking differently on here.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Gordon Goodman Memorial Lecture 2019-09-05 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm University and Stockholm Environment Institute present the Gordon Goodman Memorial Lecture 2019 on 3 October with Sverker Sörlin, a Swedish historian of ideas and a professor in environmental history at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. New scientific model can predict moral and political development 2019-08-26 How come today’s conservatives are more liberal than yesterday’s liberals? Why has the public opinion in large parts of the world shifted so rapidly in favour of gay and lesbian rights, but been virtually unchanged on other contested issues such as abortion rights? A study from a Swedish team of researchers recently published in the social science journal Nature Human Behaviour answers several critical questions on how public opinion changes on moral issues. They have created a scientific model that can predict public opinion changes on moral issues. Switching on the Atlantic heat pump 2019-08-22 34 million years ago the warm ‘greenhouse climate’ of the dinosaur age ended and the colder ‘icehouse climate’ of today commenced. Antarctica glaciated first and geological data imply that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, the global ocean conveyor belt of heat and nutrients that today helps keep Europe warm, also started at this time. Why exactly, has remained a mystery. Contribution to research on Alzheimer’s disease 2019-08-20 Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. The disease currently lacks both prevention measures and cure. In a research project that has been awarded a grant from Bright Focus Foundation (BFF) the researchers will find out if there is a link between the disease and a specific liver-generated profile in the blood. Where do microplastics go in the world’s oceans? 2019-07-05 Two PhD students at Stockholm University have participated in a scientific cruise from Canada to Singapore to understand how microplastics behave in the water and in marine food webs. SU ninth in the world within Geography 2019-07-02 Geography at Stockholm University is ranked nine in the world. Environmental Sciences & Engineering and Atmospheric Science at Stockholm University are also among the top 25 in the world. University collaboration receives EU grant 2019-07-02 The university alliance CIVIS, consisting of Stockholm University and seven other European universities, is one of seventeen pilot projects selected for funding from the European Commission. Large research grant to develop green chemistry 2019-06-24 Financier Mistra and industry partners are investing SEK 100 million in the research program SAFECHEM, which aims to create a sustainable chemicals industry and reduce exposure to hazardous substances. En route to Greenland to drill the ice 2019-06-05 Professor Margareta Hansson is currently in Greenland to oversee the research work in an ice core project where drilling is being performed in a rapidly flowing ice stream. Polar expedition to shed light on Greenlandic glacier 2019-07-25 In august, a research expedition on icebreaker Oden departs for Ryder glacier. The expedition will investigate the connection between climate change and glaciers, but also how Greenland was colonised. New microscope finally in place 2019-05-20 After almost five years and major renovations in the Arrhenius Laboratory, the University’s new electron microscope is finally in place. Leiden Ranking 2019 2019-05-17 In the middle of May CWTS Leiden University presented the Leiden Ranking 2019. The ranking measures the scientific performance of more than 950 major universities worldwide. The extreme of rarity 2019-04-30 OKC researchers helped reveal the rarest nuclear reaction now known to mankind. To observe this ultra-rare process, XENON1T watched a tonne of ultra-pure liquid xenon for a year. The experiment was featured on the cover of the scientific journal 'Nature' Baltic Sea research in focus at Skansen 2019-04-23 The Skansen Baltic Sea Knowledge Centre, the Baltic Sea Science Centre, has been inaugurated by Crown Princess Victoria. Researchers at Stockholm University have a central role in this effort to raise awareness of challenges in the Baltic. Three researchers receive EU-funding from MSCA 2019-04-12 Three researchers at Stockholm University have been awarded funding within Marie Skłodowska Curie Individual Fellowships (MSCA-IF), which is the EU’s Research Mobility Program. The projects are in the fields of environmental science, astronomy and medieval history. Seven new Honorary Doctorates at Stockholm University 2019 2019-04-11 Stockholm University has chosen this year’s honorary doctors, all of whom have contributed in distinctive ways to the University’s activities in research and education. The new honorary doctors are Johan Eriksson, Eva Dahlman, Kajsa Öberg Lindsten, Axel van den Berg, Elizabeth Churchill, Nora Underwood and Frances Westley. Wallenberg Scholar grant awarded for analyzing biomolecule structures 2019-03-28 Xiaodong Zou, professor in Structural Chemistry at Stockholm University, is one of 22 Wallenberg Scholar grant receivers 2019. The researchers, among the most prominent in Sweden, are each awarded a 18 million SEK five year grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Oceans are major sources of highly fluorinated chemicals into the air 2019-03-26 Sea spray may be a major source of highly fluorinated chemicals to the atmosphere contradicting the view that oceans act only as sinks for these persistent pollutants, shows a new study by researchers from the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES) at Stockholm University published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. Royal visit at Arctic lecture 2019-03-13 Derek Muir, holder of the King Carl XVI Gustaf Visiting Professorship in Environmental Science at Stockholm University, gave his introductory lecture on March 13th. Researchers receive EU funding within MSCA 2019-02-11 Researchers at Stockholm University are awarded funding within Marie Skłodowska Curie (MSCA), which is the EU Research Mobility Program. The project is in the field of environmental science. How to get articles from Elsevier 2019-02-07 Information for researchers and students at Stockholm University on how to get articles from Elsevier after the cancelled agreement. Rain-repelling fluorochemicals in outdoor clothing are unnecessary 2019-01-31 Waterproof clothing using highly fluorinated chemicals are over-engineered for consumers, building in unnecessary repellency to oil and other stains, when only repellency to water is required. The researchers say effective alternatives, that are better for the environment, are readily available. "I'm so curious" says researcher Angela Adamo 2019-04-25 Meet Angela Adamo, a researcher at the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University, who shares her story about her journey from Italy to living in Stockholm and working at Stockholm University. New findings on respiratory supercomplexes 2019-01-02 A team from Stockholm University has determined the architecture of an assembly of respiratory chain complexes, revealing in near-atomic detail how energy conversion occurs and is organized. Insects of Sweden and Madagascar to be surveyed 2018-12-20 A research project was launched this autumn that will survey the insects of Sweden and Madagascar. The project is made possible thanks to a large number of volunteers who are helping to empty the insect traps. Royal Environmental Professor for Stockholm University 2018-12-20 For 2019/20, the board of the King Carl XVI Gustaf 50th Anniversary Fund for Science, Technology and the Environment has appointed Paul Anastas as the 24th holder of the King Carl XVI Gustaf Professorship in Environmental Science. Feedback on the implementation of Plan S 2018-12-29 Provide your feedback on the guide on how to implement Plan S, the EU initiative that aims towards 100% open access for all scientific publications that result from public funding. Research on marine protected areas receives contribution 2018-12-11 The Swedish Research Council has granted research project grants for development research for 2018. At Stockholm University, support is given for a research project concerning marine protected areas in Tanzania and Mexico. Three scientists are granted funds for sustainability and resilience 2018-12-11 The Swedish Research Council has decided on the applications to be awarded in the field of “Sustainability and resilience – tackling consequences of climate and environmental changes 2018”. Three researchers at Stockholm University can share more than 16 million SEK. Eight researchers at Stockholm University among the most cited 2018-12-05 In the end of November, the annual list “Highly Cited Researcher-2018” was published. World class researchers are selected for their exceptional research performance and significant influence. This year, eight researchers from Stockholm University are on the list. Funding to develop sustainable aviation fuel 2018-11-23 The project ”Aviation fuel from lignin” at the Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, has received 4,7 million SEK from Energimyndigheten, Swedish Energy Agency. Why is it good to sleep in on weekends? 2018-11-19 We asked Professor Torbjörn Åkerstedt of the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University on his recent study related to sleep duration and mortality. New inflammation inhibitor discovered 2018-11-19 A multidisciplinary team of researchers from four universities has developed an anti-inflammatory drug molecule with a new mechanism of action. EU funding to HERA-project 2018-10-05 The project ”Integrating Environment and Health Research: a Vision for the EU” (HERA), where Stockholm University is one of the partners, has been granted EU funding. Five major research grants to Stockholm University 2018-10-05 The projects span research into the creation of mitochondrial ribosomes – which can give new tools against certain types of cancer – to studying and learning more about the fundamental physical nature of dark matter and dark energy. Broad genetic variation on the Pontic-Caspian Steppe 2018-10-04 The genetic variation within the Scythian nomad group is so broad that it must be explained with the group assimilating people it came in contact with. This is shown in a new study on Bronze and Iron Age genetics of the Pontic-Caspian Steppe, situated in the Black Sea region. Inauguration and Conferment 2018 2019-02-07 Stockholm University has held its annual inauguration and conferment ceremony in the City Hall. New professors were installed and new doctors were conferred. In addition, seven jubilee doctors and nine honorary doctorates were conferred. Three researchers receive EU funding within MSCA 2018-09-26 Three researchers at Stockholm University are awarded funding within Marie Skłodowska Curie (MSCA), which is the EU Research Mobility Program. The projects are in the fields of biochemistry and biophysics, molecular life sciences and astronomy. The best way to measure air pollution 2018-09-11 How much nitrogen oxide or asphalt particles are there in the air at a certain location in Trelleborg, Sundsvall or Stockholm? This is something that is recorded by different measurement stations located in urban environments around Sweden. Get published in full Open Access free of charge 2018-09-03 All publications in pure open access journals is now free for researchers at Stockholm University and funded centrally through the library as part of efforts to support the transition to 100 percent Open Access. Viking Age research on the Swedish island of Birka 2018-08-16 The Black Earth Harbour is a Viking Age harbour on the Swedish island of Birka. We visited the island and interviewed researchers from Stockholm University's Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies on their work and findings. What causes the poor health of perch in the Baltic Sea? 2018-08-02 Why does the amount of perch decrease in the Baltic Sea? Could it be because of compounds naturally produced by algae and cyanobacteria? Could it also explain the poor health of several other species in the Baltic Sea? Another clue in the search for the missing ice age carbon 2018-08-02 For the very first time, researchers have estimated the amount of organic carbon stored within the permafrost of the Last Glacial Maximum. The trio of scientists from Stockholm University show that the permanently frozen ground around 21,000 years ago held less carbon than the same area today, a result which is in direct opposition to what has previously been assumed. Neutrinos in the ice indicate source of cosmic rays 2018-07-12 An international research team have identified a likely source for the high energy cosmic rays reaching Earth. The discovery was made with the aid of the IceCube Neutrino Telescope at the South Pole. Healthy food for a sustainable planet 2018-07-02 The plate of the future has more vegetables and nuts than today, as well as less meat. At least if we are to believe Line Gordon. She wants us all to eat more healthily and sustainably, but without lectures and unilateral solutions. Full speed ahead for the Institute of Latin American Studies 2018-07-02 Interest in the multifaceted and dynamic Latin American continent is increasing in both Europe and the USA, but most of all in China. “We have the wind in our sails,” says Andres Rivarola, associate professor and director of the Institute of Latin American Studies. Children of immigrants have smaller families than their parents 2018-07-02 The children of immigrants typically have smaller families than their parents’ generation, even when their parents’ generation had larger families than the UK norm. This is the result of a new study from Stockholm University published in International Migration Review. New Centre for Palaeogenetics 2018-06-25 A new agreement brings the research in palaeogenetics of Stockholm University and of the Swedish Museum of Natural History together in the new Centre for Palaeogenetics. Diet is the main source of halogenated flame retardants 2018-06-15 Dietary intake is the main route of exposure to halogenated flame retardants. That is one result from a research project that Joo Hui Tay at the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), presents in a recently defended doctoral thesis. Plastic degrading in the oceans release chemicals into the water 2018-06-12 Plastic debris accumulates in the environment and can cause physical harm to marine species. The degradation releases chemical compounds to the water and the compounds are dependent on the plastic polymer and the weathering condition of the plastic, shows a new doctoral thesis. EU funding for tool to help job seekers 2018-06-08 The Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) at Stockholm University has been granted EU funding to develop a system, SkillsMatch, that will help job seekers. The goal is to develop an EU-wide system where users get help adapting to the conditions of the labor market, focusing on non-cognitive abilities. Video: Expedition Arctic Ocean 2018 2018-06-01 The preparations for the expedition to the Arctic are in full progress. Watch and listen to the researchers packing and testing their equipment, and hear what they hope to achieve. Mission: To manage the cocktail effect 2018-05-25 What happens when we are exposed to many chemicals in a complex mix? As the Swedish government’s special investigator, Christina Rudén, Professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), will propose strategies for taking into account the cocktail effect in the chemicals legislation. Sweden cancels agreement with Elsevier 2018-05-18 The Swedish research institutes has cancelled the agreement with large publisher Elsevier due to inability to find an agreement on a sustainable price model at the transition to open science. Atmospheric research at the top 2018-05-18 A team of atmospheric scientists from the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES) is currently taking part in air measurements at the highest atmospheric research station in the world. A new puzzle piece to control the aging and age-related diseases 2018-05-16 A basic discovery of how the cellular functions are connected to control aging is presented in the journal Cell Metabolism. The study shows that an increasingly deteriorating communication between the cells' organelles is an important cause of aging. Honorary Doctorates 2018 2018-04-24 Stockholm University has chosen this year’s honorary doctors, all of whom have contributed in distinctive ways to the University’s activities in research and education. New publishing tools available 2018-04-17 To make writing and publishing of scientific texts in different formats easier, Stockholm University has licensed two publishing tools: APA Style Central and Overleaf. New study on powering the green plant 2018-04-09 Researchers from Stockholm University and SciLifeLab have successfully determined the structure of chlororibosomes providing novel insights into plant protein synthesis and a new perspective on the evolution of translation. The study is published in Nature Plants. Research on Latin America at Stockholm University 2018-04-09 Stockholm University conducts several research projects with a focus on Latin America. Here is a short film which presents our research on Latin America, including the Institute of Latin American Studies. Exposure to highly fluorinated chemicals peaks in early life 2018-03-28 Children are exposed to a wide range of highly fluorinated chemicals through multiple pathways including breastfeeding, air inhalation and dust ingestion. The exposure peaks in the first year of life, shows a new doctoral thesis. Publish Open Access - without APCs 2018-03-06 Researchers at Stockholm University can now get published in Open Access journals without paying article processing charges (APC), owing to new agreements with four international Open Access publishers. New book from Stockholm University unlatched in global Open access project 2018-02-21 Stockholm University has since the start 2014 supported the initiative Knowledge Unlatched, which unlocks research published at traditional publishing houses, and releases it as open access. In March, The triple bind of single-parents families, co-authored by Rense Nieuwenhuis, will be published. But it is already available as a free download. A different kind of fire 2018-02-16 Forest fires during drought periods rather than deforestation fires increasingly dominate Amazonian carbon emissions. Carl Cederström – the researcher who tried to optimise himself 2018-02-15 How can we become better people – better-looking, smarter, healthier, and more productive? Over the course of a year, researcher Carl Cederström explored various self-improvement strategies – using himself as the subject. This short film documents what Carl put himself through during that year – in order to optimise his life. A biological switch regulates the amounts of DNA building blocks 2018-02-02 The enzyme that produces DNA building blocks continues to amaze. The latest surprise is that the enzyme’s on/off switch is positioned at a completely novel site in some marine bacteria. Evolution has once again used an existing component in a new way. Swedish-Danish initiative on network collaboration on cryomic microscopy 2018-01-23 A new Swedish-Danish research alliance wants to advance understanding of how biological molecules look and behave. With support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, scientists at four universities in Sweden and Denmark will join forces to create a Nordic network in cryoelectron microscopy, whose developers were awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Hiding from a warmer climate in the forest 2018-01-11 Global warming threatens forest plants adapted to cooler temperatures. An international team of scientists from the universities of Stockholm, Marseille and Helsinki have unravelled where these species could survive within colder spots in the same forest. The findings can help to understand the effect of climate change on forest biodiversity and what we can do to protect it. Stockholm University professor participate in Nordic University Hubs 2018-01-02 A total of up to NOK 180 million in funding has been awarded to six hubs proposed in response to the call for proposals for NordForsk's new funding instrument, Nordic University Hubs. Stockholm University will participate in one consortium through Professor Belén Martín-Matute from the Department of Organic Chemistry. Early farming may have spread over Europe from Greece 2017-11-22 The Neolithization, when societies were restructured during the Stone age and people turned from hunting and gathering to farming, is probably the most important process in our history. For a century researchers were much guessing how the process happened, and only during the recent years have they been able to work out how the process occurred, with the help of DNA from ancient remains. Seagrass is a key fishing ground globally 2017-11-17 New research demonstrates that seagrass meadows are important fishing grounds all around the globe. The work highlights that there is an urgent need to start appreciating and understanding this role to be able to build more sustainable fisheries. A new study examines the global extent to which these underwater meadows support fishing activity. Generous people listen with their heart 2017-11-15 Some people like to share with others. Why is this so? New research shows that sometimes generosity goes hand in hand with “listening to your heart.” Research on Arctic permafrost is funded within Horizon 2020 2017-11-24 How does climate change affect the Arctic coastal environment? And how can the challenges be met by people who live there? These are some of the issues that will be investigated in the project Nunataryuk, which is being funded within the EU Horizon 2020 program. The stars that refuse to die 2017-11-13 In recent years, two new supernovas have been observed which don't act like supernovas usually do. New, more effective scanning telescopes are catching new behaviours. Study confirms thiamine deficiency behind eider population decline 2017-11-06 Lethal deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) is widespread among wildlife over large geographical areas in the Northern Hemisphere. Now, researchers from Stockholm University with colleagues from the Swedish National Veterinary Institute show that there is a direct link between thiamine deficiency and the population decline in the common eider in Sweden. Male mammoths more often died in natural traps 2017-11-03 Most wolly mammoths found are male. These new findings suggests inexperienced male mammoths more often travelled alone and got themselves killed by falling into natural traps. The Guanches originated from North Africa, shows DNA-study 2017-10-26 The aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands, commonly known as the Guanches, originated from North Africa. A team of international researchers led by Stockholm University, and including Liverpool John Moores University’s Dr Linus Girdland-Flink, has now confirmed this long-held hypothesis. The result has been achieved by sequencing ancient DNA extracted from the University of Edinburgh’s collection of skulls from Guanches who lived on Gran Canaria and Tenerife prior to the European conquest in the 15th century AD. The life of cells – live! 2017-10-05 Soon we will have a nearly complete picture of the cell’s molecular machinery. The issue now is understanding how protein molecules work together to create a microcosm that is stable and functions as well as it does. Thanks to a 20 million SEK (2.5 million USD) grant, Michael Oliveberg and his colleagues can search for the answer. Quest for the unknown elementary particle 2017-10-05 One of particle physics’ biggest unsolved mysteries is how the Higgs particle can be so light, which is at odds with the prevailing theories. Thanks to a 35.2 million SEK (4.34 million USD) grant, Sara Strandberg and her colleagues can go on the hunt for new particles that could explain the mass of the Higgs boson. Busy schedule for Honorary Doctor Thuram 2017-10-03 Lilian Thuram, French author and former football player spent a busy week in Stockholm in connection with receiving an Honorary Doctorate at Stockholm University. Inauguration and Conferment 2017 2018-03-20 The Stockholm City Hall was fully packed at Stockholm University's conferment ceremony of new doctors and new professors. The Vice-Chancellor highlighted the importance of the University's independent research and its importance to the surrounding society. Trend towards free access 2017-10-19 Financiers and researchers are demanding increased access to research data and publications, and this development has already come a long way. Researchers' Days: Effects of toxic boat paint/Large molecules in space 2017-09-27 Recent PhDs Maria Bighiu, Environmental Science, and Michael Gatchell, Physics, will give a double open lecture. The first part concerns how toxic paints on boats harm the environment. The second part concerns how some of the largest molecules in space are formed and evolve. The lecture is given as part of Researchers' Days 2017. Moderated by author Gabriella Ahlström. Climate Report presented in the UN 2017-09-19 It is possible to limit global warming to less than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, but only if the world takes fast action. This is the conclusion in a new report written by 33 leading climate scientists and climate advisors. The report “Well Under 2 Degrees Celsius. Fast Action Policies to Protect People and the Planet from Extreme Climate Change” was presented on September 18 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, during the United Nation’s Climate Week. Seven ERC-grants to Stockholm University 2017-08-28 Seven researchers at Stockholm University have been awarded the prestigious Starting Grant from the European Research Council. The funding ranges from 1.3 to almost 1.5 million euros each. Five of the scientists will continue their research at Stockholm University. Kebnekaise’s south peak still highest in Sweden 2017-08-24 The annual measurement by researchers from Stockholm University shows that Kebnekaise’s south peak is still the highest peak in Sweden. Climate change, however, will make the north peak the country’s highest point within a few years. Arctic subsea permafrost is thawing faster than thought 2017-06-27 The permafrost in the ocean bottom below the East Siberian Arctic Sea is thawing at a rate of 14 cm per year. That’s a lot faster than for permafrost on land and the process may eventually lead to increased global warming through increased release of methane according to a new study published by Nature Communications with Stockholm University scientists among the research team. New insights into the toxin behind tetanus 2017-06-26 Tetanus toxin is the neurotoxin that causes lockjaw. Many are vaccinated, but tetanus still kills tens of thousands of people per year worldwide. Researchers from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, led by Dr Pål Stenmark, have now uncovered the poison’s structure. For the first time, the way the poison is constructed has been revealed. Memory for stimulus sequences distinguishes humans from other animals 2017-06-21 Humans possess many cognitive abilities not seen in other animals, such as a full-blown language capacity as well as reasoning and planning abilities. Despite these differences, it has been difficult to identify specific mental capacities that distinguish humans from other animals. Now reserachers have discovered that humans have a much better memory to recognize and remember sequential information. Mapping the world sea floor 2017-06-19 By 2030, the entire sea floor will be charted. The Nippon Foundation intends to provide 18.5 million USD and Stockholm University is one of four research centres involved. Microscopes and collaboration will make the University a world leader 2017-06-19 One of the world’s most advanced electron microscopes will soon be located at Stockholm University. The collaborative project CEM4MAT will be launched in connection with this investment in order to make better use of available microscopes in the region and become a world leader in electron microscopy. Welcome to our Search Hub! 2017-09-28 The Search Hub, close to the information desk, offers you help with any questions you might have about searching information and registration for audio books and more. Breaking the cycle of poverty 2017-05-04 Development aid must incorporate culture and nature better in efforts to push communities out of poverty, researchers argue in a recent study. Fish cooperate for selfish reasons 2017-04-20 Why do animals help raise offspring that aren’t their own? A new study by an international team of researchers from Sweden, Canada and the UK shows that fish cooperate to raise another fish’s offspring to reduce their own risk of being eaten by a predator. Honorary Doctorates 2017 2018-04-20 Stockholm University has chosen this year’s honorary doctors, all of whom have contributed in distinctive ways to the University's activities in research and education. Barry creates smart environments 2017-03-31 How often do you look at your mobile phone and what do you use it for? These are questions that Barry Brown studies in order to created smarter technical solutions. Mobile technology that puts people first 2017-03-31 Pleasure, enjoyment and happiness – these have been the watchwords of Mobile Life, whose operations will now continue at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences. Research applied at home and on the catwalk 2017-03-31 The ability to “download” clothing from fashion shows directly to your computer or broadcast live via your mobile phone together with others – these are some of the results of Oskar Juhlin’s research at Mobile Life. ERC Grant for research on social media in China 2017-03-24 David Strömberg, Professor in Economics at Stockholm University, has received an ERC Advanced Grant for a project on the effects of the explosive growth of social media in China. ERC Grant for research on the planet’s resilience 2017-03-24 Johan Rockström, Professor of Environmental Science and Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant for his research project “Earth Resilience in the Anthropocene.” ERC Grant to detect the existence of axions 2017-03-24 Frank Wilczek, professor at the Department of Physics at Stockholm University, has been awarded the ERC Advanced Grant for the theoretical study of axions. Axions are hypothetical particles whose existence would solve the dark matter problem. Loop Spaces – a new way to solve old problems 2017-03-24 Kaj Börjeson will present his doctoral thesis in mathematics in 2017. Thanks to a grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, he will hold a postdoctoral position with Professor Nathalie Wahl, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Better epidemiology models thanks to grant 2017-03-24 Frank Ball, professor at the University of Nottingham, UK, will be a visiting professor at the Department of Mathematics, Stockholm University thanks to a grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Three ERC Advanced Grants to Stockholm University 2017-03-24 Frank Wilczek, professor at the Department of Physics and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Johan Rockström, Professor of Environmental Science and Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre and David Strömberg at the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES). These three professors at Stockholm University will receive prestigious ERC Advanced Grants. VR Grant for research on gravitational waves 2017-03-23 Ariel Goobar, Department of Physics, has been awarded the new Research Environment Grant from the Swedish Research Council. It’s a six year grant of around 2.4 million USD for a project on gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation. Your sense of smell can predict risk of death 2017-03-22 A decreased sense of smell is correlated with an increased risk of death, a new psychology study from Stockholm University shows. The connection is independent from other health variables like age, gender and dementia. Researchers at Stockholm University have high mobility and impact 2017-03-10 A report sponsored by the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education has found that researchers at Stockholm University are highly mobile – researching and publishing internationally and nationally to produce highly cited, impactful research. Promising young neurolinguistic researcher wins prize 2017-03-08 Julia Uddén is one of two researchers to win this year’s L’Oréal-Unesco ‘For Women in Science’ Prize. Her research in language and psychology focuses on why some people are better at communicating than others. Baltic Sea Future moves forward 2017-03-10 The congress Baltic Sea Future has gathered people from all over the Baltic region to share thoughts and ideas, experiences and solutions. When counting isn’t enough – creating a more equal society 2017-02-24 The profile area Normativity, Law & Ethics analyses inequalities in society and the ethical considerations, laws and policies that work to perpetuate or alleviate them. Dr Eva Wittbom talks about her research on how the ideals of equality are translated into practice. High levels of chemicals found in indoor cats 2017-02-24 A study from Stockholm University has now established what was previously suspected, that the high levels of brominated flame retardants measured in cats are from the dust in our homes. Data Management in the Life Sciences 2017-03-06 Niclas Jareborg will talk about ongoing efforts by national and European infrastructures that aim to facilitate proper data management and Open Access movement for Life Science research data. Professor at a record-young age 2017-02-11 Professor Ilona Riipinen at the Department Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), is the youngest person appointed to a professorship at Stockholm University in the 21st century. Why malaria mosquitoes like people with malaria 2017-02-09 Malaria mosquitoes prefer to feed – and feed more – on blood from people infected with malaria. Researchers from Stockholm University among others have discovered why. The findings can lead to new ways to fight malaria without using poisonous chemicals. Stockholm University hosts international meeting on research collaboration 2017-01-31 Stockholm University will host the Stockholm Excellence Seminar with participants from Republic of Korea, Singapore, China, Indonesia and Brazil on 14 February. The seminar is the final activity in a two year project for research collaboration between researchers in Sweden and these five countries. The paradox of migration – links, loss and belonging 2017-01-26 Migrants of all types employ different strategies - adapting to their new environment and adapting their environments to themselves. Profs Annika Rabo, Erik Olsson and Bengt Karlsson discuss education, welfare and policy making. Major Viking Age manor discovered at Birka 2017-01-19 For centuries it has been speculated where the manor of the royal bailiff of Birka, Herigar, might have been located. New geophysical results provide evidence of its location at Korshamn, outside the town rampart of the Viking Age proto-town Birka in Sweden. The results will be published in the international scientific journal Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt. Challenges in adding up the sources of methane 2017-01-18 The greenhouse gas methane has many natural sources, and understanding how large each of those sources are remains an unfinished task. This is important when trying to predict future methane emissions and global warming. A new study from researchers at Stockholm University shows how double-counting of methane sources, particularly wetlands and lakes, might be occurring in research. The study has been published in Geophysical Research Letters. Contextualising art – physical artefacts and immaterial legacies 2017-01-17 Making meaning out of what we experience is central to being human, and the interpretation of works of art (both scholarly and not) can reveal surprising, multi-valent insights. Profs Peter Gillgren and Anders Andrén explore issues of Cultural Heritage, Historical Artefacts and Processes. Expression, mutation and adaptation – genetics beyond DNA 2017-01-13 While understanding DNA and chromosomes is essential to genetics, how genes are actually expressed is just as important. Profs Neus Visa and Mattias Mannervik discuss their research into the protein complexes that regulate DNA and RNA and the future of epigenetics. Understanding the climate one tree, bog and bird at a time 2017-01-04 The changing climate is one of our most pressing problems, and innovative approaches are crucial to our continued survival. Drs Britta Sannel, Ilona Riipinen, and Henrik Österblom all discuss the power of one organism to change our view of the world. Thiamine deficiency in wildlife more widespread than previously thought 2017-01-02 Deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamine) in wildlife was previously described as a problem among certain species within relatively limited geographical areas. Now, researchers at ACES, together with colleagues from several other research institutions in Europe and North America, show that thiamine deficiency is far more widespread than previously thought. Today’s particle physics, tomorrow’s technology 2016-12-22 Astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics ask the “big questions” at both the subatomic and galactic levels. In videos, Drs Sara Strandberg and Jan Conrad describe their research questions, demonstrate their processes using models, and reveal how breakthroughs in physics have led to major technological revolutions. Spectacular supernova was spinning black hole 2016-12-19 The supernova ASSASN15lh drew headlines earlier this year as the brightest supernova ever, but scientists have found it difficult to explain the fenomenon. In an article in Nature Astronomy researchers from Stockholm University, among other universities, are launching a theory that it is in fact a star that has ended up too close to a supermassive black hole and been torn apart by gravity. Stockholm University Researchers in the Antarctic 2016-12-16 The research project MAGIC-DML aims to study the changes in the ice sheets covering Queen Maud Land in Antarctica. The goal is to create a detailed history of the ice cover, focusing on how its thickness and surface area has varied over time. The international collaboration includes researchers from Stockholm University. Martin Högbom receives ERC Consolidator Grant 2016-12-16 Martin Högbom at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, has been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant. He and his team will study how proteins use metals to achieve complex chemical reactions. The aim of the research is to better understand the chemical reactions that among other things are important for the conversion to green industrial processes and green energy systems. Study sheds new light into the link between thawing permafrost and climate change 2016-12-02 A new study by researchers at Stockholm University shows how large-scale thawing of Arctic permafrost released huge amounts of carbon at the end of the last Ice Age. Frozen carbon reservoirs in the Arctic are currently being released again, which threatens to accelerate climate warming. The results were published in the journal Nature Communications. Learning makes animals intelligent 2016-11-30 The fact that animals can use tools, have self-control and certain expectations of life can be explained with the help of a new learning model for animal behaviour. Researchers at Stockholm University and Brooklyn College have combined knowledge from the fields of artificial intelligence, ethology and the psychology of learning to solve several problems concerning the behaviour and intelligence of animals. The Nobel laureate who got hooked on Stockholm 2018-09-20 Childhood interest in mathematics and technology took Frank Wilczek all the way to a Nobel Prize. Now he will spend a large fraction of his time in Sweden where he is trying to crack the secret of dark matter. Amid rapid change, major Arctic study highlights need to prepare for surprises 2016-11-25 The Arctic Resilience Report, published today, is the first comprehensive assessment of ecosystems and societies in the region. It identifies 19 “tipping points” in natural systems that could radically reshape the Arctic in the coming century, and calls for urgent cooperation to build local communities’ resilience and capacity to adapt to rapid and widespread change. One hormone to rule them all 2016-11-02 Identifying stress hormones in insects can be a step towards environmentally friendly pesticides. Researchers from Stockholm University have discovered that one hormone coordinates the responses to stress in fruit flies. Their study is recently published in the Royal Society journal Open Biology. Fashion research in focus at Stockholm University 2016-10-28 Luxury and sustainability in the clothing industry were two of the topics on the agenda when the Global Fashion Conference was organized at Stockholm University 20-21 October, where representatives from the academia and the industry met to discuss future challenges within the fashion industry worldwide. Drought-tolerant species thrive despite returning rains in the Sahel 2016-10-19 Following the devastating droughts in the Sahel region south of the Sahara desert, vegetation has now recovered. What surprises the researchers is that although it is now raining more and has become greener, it is particularly the more drought resistant species that thrive. The conclusion is that not only rain but also agriculture and human utilization of trees, bushes and land affect the plants recovering. New research vessel to help reduce Baltic Sea pollution 2016-10-18 Researchers are celebrating the inauguration of Stockholm University’s new research vessel Electra af Askö. Packed with high-tech equipment, it will give a more complete picture of pollution in the Baltic Sea. Major projects funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation 2016-10-06 Making plentiful-but-dangerous chemicals easier, better and safer to use. Making new tools to understand how the sun’s magnetic field heats its chromosphere. Solving the energy crisis with X-ray lasers. Developing a better way of measuring the climate. These are the projects at Stockholm University that have received funding from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Ancient DNA reveals the peopling of the Soutwest Pacific 2016-10-04 More than 3,000 years ago, a group of people set out from the Solomon Island chain in the southwestern edge of the Pacific Ocean and steered their outrigger canoes toward the horizon, with no land as far as their eyes could see. These people and their descendants were to be the first to cross more than 350 kilometer stretches of open ocean into a region known as Remote Oceania. Now, DNA sequences are for the first time telling us more about the ancestral origins of these people, and their genetic legacy that lives on in Pacific Islanders today. Meeting place for environmental law 2016-10-04 When the Stockholm Environmental Law and Policy Centre was established in 2004, the aim was to create meeting places for researchers and professionals working with issues relating to environmental law. The Centre wanted to disseminate its research results and highlight the relevance of research on environmental law. Furthermore, it aimed to create a platform for inviting researchers from other universities. Climate change is studied from a wide perspective 2016-10-03 What happens to water and soil conditions, ecology and biodiversity when the temperature rises? And how are species of plants and animals affected? Researchers at the interdisciplinary research programme Ekoklim at Stockholm University are looking for answers to these questions. Alexey Amunts receives the 2016 Lennart Nilsson Award 2016-09-29 For his pioneering work in the current “resolution revolution,” Alexey Amunts has received this year’s Lennart Nilsson Award. He is a researcher in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Stockholm University and head researcher at the Cryo-EM Laboratory at SciLifeLab. ERC Starting Grant to Abraham Mendoza 2016-08-29 Abraham Mendoza at the Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant of up to 1.5 million euro over five years. His research project will seek ways to accelerate the transformation of simple materials into tailor-made complex molecules. Uncovering the sources of the Himalayan glacier melt 2016-08-29 A Swedish-Chinese study has determined the source of the soot particulates which are causing the Himalaya-Tibet glaciers to melt, according to an article in Nature Communications. The researchers can not only determine the causes of the soot, e.g. wood burning or fossil fuels, but also its geographical origin. Dark matter comes closer to the light 2016-09-02 Dark matter – what it is, what it does, what it’s made of – is one of the most fascinating and hotly contested subjects in astrophysics today. A team from the Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics at Stockholm University, headed by Manuel Meyer, has come one step closer to cracking the code. Working with the Fermi Telescope, they investigated whether a widely held assumption about dark matter might be 180 degrees wrong. Pine oldest living known inhabitant in Europe 2016-08-19 A Bosnian pine (Pinus heldreichii) growing in the highlands of northern Greece has been dendrocronologically dated to be more than 1075 years old. This makes it currently the oldest known living tree in Europe. Thin tropical clouds cool the climate 2016-08-17 Thin clouds at about 5 km altitude are more ubiquitous in the tropics than previously thought and they have a cooling effect on climate. This is shown in a recent study by researchers from Stockholm University and the University of Miami published in Nature Communications. Hunter-Gatherers Experimented with Farming in Turkey before Migrating to Europe 2016-08-04 Clusters of hunter-gatherers spent much of the late Stone Age working out the basics of farming in what is now Turkey before taking this knowledge to Europe. In an analysis of ancient genomes in Current Biology, researchers at Stockholm University and Uppsala University in Sweden and Middle East Technical University in Turkey report that at least two waves of early European settlers belonged to the same gene pool as farmers in Central Turkey. New theory of the genetics of kin cooperation in microorganisms 2016-06-28 Microbes such as bacteria and fungi cooperate and help their relatives. Researchers can now answer questions about how they cooperate and what role genetics play. This new theory could be crucial to understand the development of new genetic variants of microbes. Airplanes make clouds brighter 2016-06-23 Clouds may have a net warming or cooling effect on climate, depending on their thickness and altitude. Artificially formed clouds called contrails form due to aircraft effluent. In a cloudless sky, contrails are thought to have minimal effect on climate. But what happens when the sky is already cloudy? Moving to Sweden as a researcher 2019-04-25 Recent arrivals from three continents and four different fields talk about collegiality and research environment at Stockholm University Research seminar in Brazil 2016-06-03 The fifth seminar for the Swedish Academic Collaboration Forum, SACF, was held in Brazil in the middle of May. The project will conclude in February 2017 with a conference in Stockholm that will include the representatives from the five participating countries. New light into our climate’s cloudier past 2016-05-26 In two new papers published in Nature, researchers from Stockholm University along with colleagues from Europe and the USA, imply that the baseline pristine pre-industrial climate may have been cloudier than presently thought. New results from the CLOUD experiment at CERN, Switzerland, shows that organic vapours emitted by trees produce abundant aerosol particles in the atmosphere in the absence of sulphuric acid. Need for international convention on data surveillance 2016-05-24 The personal data of EU citizens is insufficiently protected by US law from being data mined within the context of American national intelligence programs. This is the conclusion of a dissertation from the Faculty of Law at Stockholm University. Environmental toxins accumulate in wild animals in China 2016-05-11 Many animal species in southern China carry high levels of organohalogen contaminants. Most common is DDT, which has been banned for a long time in many parts of the world. New types of PCBs as well as polychlorinated carbon compounds and chloroparaffins were also found. Swedish delegation to Brazil 2016-05-04 Brazil is the next stop for the Swedish Academic Collaboration Forum project which aims to promote research collaborations between researchers in the host country and six universities in Sweden. A delegation from Stockholm University of 13, led by Pro Vice-Chancellor Hans Adolfsson, will participate in the next seminar 16-20 May in Brasil. Youngest Ph.D wants to understand the mathematics of non-experts 2018-04-09 Whether mathematics is real, or a story we agreed upon, has long been debated by philosophers. A new dissertation from Stockholm University shows that philosophers failed to include non-experts in the theories. Stefan Buijsman recently defended his thesis in philosophy of mathematics, as Sweden's youngest Ph.D ever. Virtual spiders treat phobias 2016-04-14 Crawling spiders with hairy legs are scary to many people. Despite the fact that we do not have any dangerous spiders in Sweden, this is the most common animal phobia. When the phobia becomes so strong that it affects your daily life, it may be time to seek help. Jenny White – new professor of Turkish Studies 2016-04-11 New professor at the Institute for Turkish Studies (SUITS) at the Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies is Jenny White, currently Professor of Antropology at Boston University. Jenny White was Distinguished Visiting Professor at SUITS during the academic year 2013–2014. Grant for research on markets and economic development 2016-04-08 The foundation Ragnar Söderbergs Stiftelse funds three projects in economics with an amount of more than 6 million Swedish kronor each. Stockholm University has received one of those grants for the project “Market Integration and Economic Development”. Large variations in precipitation over the past millennium 2016-04-06 According to a new study in Nature, the Northern Hemisphere has experienced considerably larger variations in precipitation during the past twelve centuries than in the twentieth century. Researchers from Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland have found that climate models overestimated the increase in wet and dry extremes as temperatures increased during the twentieth century. The new results will enable us to improve the accuracy of climate models and to better predict future precipitation changes. Large grants to research projects on thawing permafrost and social economy 2016-04-05 Two researchers from Stockholm University have received grants from the European Research Council, ERC Advanced Grant, to fund their respective research projects. Örjan Gustafsson, professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, for his study of the effect of thawing permafrost on climate and Torsten Persson, professor at the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES), for his study on how individual and social motives interact in driving individual decisions. Indonesia seminar with workshops on land-use change and civil society 2016-04-01 Five researchers from Stockholm University participated in the Indonesia – Sweden Excellence Seminar held 14 – 17 March in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The seminar is a part of the project Swedish Academic Collaboration Forum shared by six Swedish universities and funded by STINT. The legend of Erik the Saint may be true 2016-03-18 Erik the Holy may well have been killed in the way the legend says. Archaeologists at Stockholm University has contributed with important clues about the injuries found on the skeleton, and about diet habits and migration patterns of the individual whose remains have been examined. Euraxess 2018-03-20 Stockholm University has an agreement with the European research network EURAXESS. Stockholm University swabs the Tube 2018-03-28 Researchers at Stockholm University are mapping microorganisms in the Stockholm metro as part of a project called MetaSUB, which covers 47 cities around the world. European clean air policies unmask Arctic warming by greenhouse gases 2016-03-14 The drastic cut in sulfate particle emissions in Europe partly explains the amplified Arctic warming since the 1980s, shows a new study published in Nature Geoscience. The team, which consists of scientists from Stockholm University and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, say that their surprising finding highlights an even more urgent need for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate Arctic climate change. Brave new digital world 2016-02-17 Digital images have become a central part of contemporary perceptions of reality, Lisa Ehlin shows in her doctoral thesis. eGovlab develops online democracy 2016-02-16 eGovlab in Kista develops technology and smart processes for improving communication between citizens and public authorities. Starting at the beginning of next year, the EU project e-Skills Match will also be coordinated from here. Research collaboration with Indonesia 2016-02-15 Researchers from Stockholm University, among other Swedish universities, will have the opportunity to discuss possible collaborations with colleagues in Indonesia at the next Swedish Academic Collaboration Forum in Yogyakarta. Inventing new ways to produce proteins 2016-02-12 Hundreds of hours of work with instruments during Eric Johnston’s postdoc in New York gave birth to an idea of how proteins could be produced more efficiently. Now he is back at Stockholm University, has built up a new research branch in organic chemistry, and is hoping for his patent application to be approved soon. Kilometre-thick ice covered the Arctic Ocean 140 000 years ago 2016-02-12 For the first time, researchers at Stockholm University, in collaboration with researchers in Gothenburg, United States and Russia, have been able to show that the Arctic Ocean was covered by a one kilometre thick layer of ice during glacial periods. The discovery provides, among other things, an insight into the stability of floating glacier ice of a type now mainly found around the Antarctic. New Nordic Centre of Excellence focusing on Arctic mining communities 2016-01-22 A Nordic Centre of Excellence funded by NordForsk will build an interdisciplinary research environment to provide new thinking about sustainable development, especially in the context of Arctic mining. The new centre is led by KTH Royal Institute of Technology in collaboration with Stockholm University and Stockholm Environment Institute. Children in joint physical care have better health than children living with one parent 2016-01-21 In Sweden one in ten school children live in joint physical custody, that is, they move between their parents. The trend suggests that it will be even more common in the future. How do kids who move between their parents actually feel? A recently completed research project shows that they are fine compared to children living alone with one parent. Stalagmites from Greek caves provide new climate information 2016-01-15 In order to understand how future climate change could influence human society, we first need to look back in time to how past societies responded to climate change. A new dissertation from the Department of Physical Geography looks at stalagmites from caves where people lived over 5000 years ago to find new pieces of this puzzle. We eat better than kings of old 2016-01-11 Cooking is becoming more and more complex. The food you consume on a daily basis is more advanced than what kings used to eat, according to new research from Stockholm University. Large methane emissions from northern lakes 2016-01-07 Climate-sensitive regions in the north are home to most of the world’s lakes. New research shows that these northern freshwaters are critical emitters of methane. The first European farmers are traced back to Anatolia 2016-01-11 When farming spread throughout Europe some 8000 years ago, Anatolia functioned as a hub, spreading genes and the new ideas westward. An international study coordinated from Stockholm and based on DNA from Anatolian remains indicates the importance of the role Anatolia played, and also in attracting attention both from the east and the west. Who were the first Vikings? 2016-01-07 A new research project will find out more about the first Vikings. The project has received 50 million SEK in research grants from the Swedish Research Council. Online response could prevent suicide 2015-12-28 Suicidal persons often share their thoughts and plans online. A new study pubished in The British Journal of Psychiatry shows that the response they get is important. Swedish researchers reveal security hole 2015-12-18 Quantum cryptography is considered a fully secure encryption method, but researchers from Stockholm University and Linköping University have discovered that this is not always the case. The results of their research have been published in Science Advances. Unique text discovered in language research programme 2015-12-15 Only a few researchers in the past hundred years have discovered new texts written by the church father Augustine. Last winter, Brian Møller Jensen became the latest one. He is involved in Ars edendi, a philological research programme at the Department of Romance Studies and Classics. Major investment in brain research 2015-12-15 Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre will provide equipment for research on brain imaging in humans and animals. The research will cover linguistic and behavioural fields and be a multidisciplinary meeting place. Ocean toxicity hampered the rapid evolution of complex life 2015-12-04 By examining rocks at the bottom of ancient oceans, an international group of researchers have revealed that arsenic concentrations in the oceans have varied greatly over time. But also that in the very early oceans, arsenic co-varied with the rise of atmospheric oxygen and coincided with the coming and going of global glaciations. New study raises the global human freshwater footprint 2015-12-04 Dams and irrigation raise the global human consumption of freshwater to a much higher level than previously thought, according to research from Stockholm University. The results are published in the scientific journal Science. Ilona Riipinen: How are particles removed from the air and atmosphere? 2015-12-03 The amount of particles in the atmosphere is decisive for both our health and the Earth’s climate. Researchers have spent a great deal of time investigating what causes the emission of particles, but knowledge about how they leave the atmosphere is not as advanced. Ilona Riipinen, researcher at Stockholm University and new Wallenberg Academy Fellow, will now study how clouds and rain, for example, contribute to cleaner air. Fataneh Farahani: What are the limits and terms for hospitality? 2015-12-03 The refugee crisis is one of the most significant civil rights issues of our time. Fataneh Farahani, researcher at Stockholm University and new Wallenberg Academy Fellow, will compare the work with asylum seekers and migrants, and investigate what shapes hospitality in three multicultural cities: London, Stockholm and Sydney. Emil Bergholtz: Mathematics that may lead the way to quantum computers 2015-12-03 If researchers succeed in building quantum computers, today’s computers will appear as hopelessly old fashioned as typewriters do now. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Emil Bergholtz is developing mathematical theories that may guide the development of a particular form of quantum matter, which has special properties that researchers believe may be a platform for quantum computers. New camera can measure methane 2015-12-01 A camera so advanced that it can photograph and film methane in the air around us is now presented by researchers Stockholm University and Linköping University. It can be an important part of the efforts to measure and monitor greenhouse gases. A study was recently published in Nature Climate Change. In the future you will pay extra for an offline bed 2015-11-13 What happens in the near future if the technical development continues in the present way? This question has been investigated by the research project Consumer-facing Internet of Things at the Stockholm University Mobile Life Centre. The result is a report – and a design fiction Ikea catalogue. New behavior of gases in metal-organic frameworks observed 2015-11-11 Metal-organic frameworks are materials useful for capturing and storing gas. An international team, led by scientists from Stockholm University and University of California, Berkeley, have been able to show how gases organize in the material, a completely new finding and important for further development. The result was recently published in the scientific journal Nature. Toxins remain in your clothes 2015-10-23 Thousands of chemicals are used in clothes manufacturing. Researchers at Stockholm University have examined if there are chemicals in the clothes we buy as well. New crystal captures carbon from humid gas 2015-10-16 A new material with micropores might be a way to fight climate change. Scientists have created crystals that capture carbon dioxide much more efficiently than previously known materials, even in the presence of water. The research was recently published in a report in the scientific journal Science. Researchers want to find what is uniquely human 2015-10-14 Why did humanity turn out so different from other animals? What is uniquely human? These are some of the questions that an interdisciplinary research team from Stockholm University has been awarded a SEK 22 million grant to attempt to answer. Quantum physics to ensure secure communication 2015-10-14 Mohamed Bourennane, researcher at Stockholm University, wants to develop a completely secure way to transfer information while learning more about the basics of quantum physics. In order to do this, the research team has now been awarded a grant of about SEK 34 million. Nobel Prize puts focus on the Antarctic ice 2015-10-08 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2015 to Takaaki Kajita, Super-Kamiokande Collaboration, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan and Arthur B. McDonald, Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Collaboration, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada for “for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass. Breakthrough in understanding sugar uptake 2015-09-30 Researchers from Stockholm University, in international collaboration with UK and Japan, has reached a breakthrough in understanding how fructose is transported into our cells. This could be a potential benefit for the development of novel treatments against some forms of cancer, obesity and diabetes. The results are published as an article in the scientific journal Nature. Scientists on the way to Petermann glacier 2015-07-20 On July 27, Swedish polar scientists set off to Greenland to meet the icebreaker Oden in Thule. The mission this time is to examine the Petermann Glacier in north-western Greenland. Global freshwater consumption crossing its planetary boundary 2015-07-06 Planetary boundaries have been proposed to describe a safe operating space of humanity. Human consumption of freshwater is the used control variable for a freshwater planetary boundary. Research from Stockholm University is now showing that global freshwater consumption has already pushed beyond its boundary. The article is published in Science. Environmental award to research observatory NEO 2015-06-10 Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO), a research observatory at Stockholm University has been awarded the "Ecopolis Award 2015 for Environmental Projects" for its research on climate change in the Mediterranean region. Elephant movement patterns mapped 2015-06-03 The elephant’s movement pattern has, for the first time, been studied with GPS tags in a previously unexplored area in western Tanzania. A thesis from Stockholm University shows that elephants move in the vicinity of the roads that park guard’s use, and avoid the areas where there is a greater risk of poaching. Neurotoxin found in commercial seafood 2015-06-03 Popular commercial seafood purchased from Swedish supermarkets at the Stockholm region contains Beta-Methylamino-L-Alanine (BMAA), shows a doctoral thesis from Stockholm University. BMAA is a naturally-occurring amino acid with a possible link to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is the first screening study to measure BMAA in commercial seafood from metropolitan markets. Greek research station NEO agreement renewed 2015-05-22 The Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO), a cooperation between Stockholm University, the Academy of Athens and TEMES S.A., dedicated to research and education on climate and environment of the Mediterranean region, recently renewed its agreement to enable continued research collaboration. Prehistoric DNA reveals dog origin 2018-03-28 Man's best friend, the dog, may have been around far longer than we thought. A new study shows that the dog's predecessor was separated from the wolf already sometime between 27 000 and 40 000 years ago. Exploding star shocks its neighbor 2015-05-21 To quickly discover exploding stars opens new windows to study their nature. An early glimpse of ultraviolet light revealed a shocked neighboring star. High biodiversity gives healthy seagrass beds 2015-05-20 Loss of algal-feeding invertebrates have surprisingly large effects on health of valuable seagrass meadows. These are the new results from a unique set of coordinated experiments. Viking dragon head found at Birka 2018-03-28 Archaeologists from Stockholm University and Germany made an unexpected discovery last week when they were digging in the port of the Viking town of Birka, on Björkö in Lake Mälaren. Ecosystem management that ignores “taboo tradeoffs” is likely to fail 2015-05-19 A new approach to reveal “taboo” and “tragic” tradeoffs may protect marginalized people and improve conservation success. This is shown by a team of researchers from Kenya, the UK, Sweden and Canada in an article in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”. Stain- and waterproof clothing are harmful 2015-05-18 The Madrid Statement documents the scientific consensus on the potential for harm of highly fluorinated chemicals being used in stain- and waterproof clothing. Two hundred scientists from 38 countries, including several researchers from Department of Applied Environmental Science (ACES), Stockholm University have signed the Madrid Statement. In the document the scientists outline a roadmap to prevent further damage. A big brain helps against predators 2015-05-15 Having a big brain may provide survival benefits, at least if you are a female guppy. A unique new study published in the journal Ecology Letters shows that guppy females with large brains are less likely to be eaten than females with smaller brains. Joint physical custody less problematic than sole custody 2015-04-29 A new study on children’s living situation after a divorce has received international media attention. The study was recently profiled in the magazine Time. Joint custody seems to be less problematic than sole custody, the findings suggest. Woolly mammoth genomes mapped 2018-03-28 Before the world's last woolly mammoth took its final breath, the iconic animals had already suffered from a considerable loss of genetic diversity. These findings were made in the first ever publication of the full DNA sequence of the extinct animal by an international team of scientists from Stockholm University, the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Harvard Medical School among others. Northern lakes’ history can predict future methane emissions 2015-03-26 More and more methane gas is being released from northern lakes in Sweden. Now, a link has been found between methane bubbling and total summer sunshine. This new research result from Stockholm University enables improved predictions of future methane emissions. New findings from DNA traces the emergence of languages 2015-03-13 Christos Economou, a PhD student at the Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies at Stockholm University is one of the researchers who participated in the international research team that did the study. Leading climate Professor: Sweden is a model 2015-02-17 Emissions of carbon must be reduced and in this, Sweden can be a model. This was the message when climate Professor Raymond Pierrehumbert held a public lecture in the presence of King Carl XVI Gustaf. New findings on animal memory 2015-02-06 A new study shows that all animals have equally bad short term memory. The only species that stands out is man. Climate Professor aiming for zero emissions 2015-02-03 Chance took Ray Pierrehumbert to Stockholm where he fell for the city - and Sweden. On the King's environmental professorship, he now works on to illuminate the complex systems that explain the earth's climate and to get decision makers to switch to a fossil free society. Chemistry researcher awarded large scholarship 2015-01-29 The 2015 Alf de Ruvo scholarship worth SEK 500 000 has been awarded to Dr. Andreas Fall at the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University. Andreas Fall is given the scholarship for his comprehensive mapping of colloid chemistry interactions in nanocellulose systems. The research may contribute to the development of entirely new materials. The Wellness Syndrome 2015-01-29 Are you obsessed with maximising your individual health and happiness? According to researchers a new phenomenon is emerging which they call the wellness syndrome - an obsession with health that is often counter-productive. First major analysis of Human Protein Atlas is published in Science 2015-01-23 A research article published in Science on 23 January presents the first major analysis based on the Human Protein Atlas, including a detailed picture of the proteins that are linked to cancer. Professor Gunnar von Heijne at Stockholm University is one of the co-authors of the article. Grant for recruiting Nobel Prize Laureate 2015-01-19 The Swedish Research Council has decided on grants for recruitments of international outstanding researchers, out of which the Department of Physics at Stockholm University has received a contribution to recruit Professor Frank Wilczek who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2004. Biodiversity threatened by twentieth century land-use change 2015-01-19 The magnitude of rural landscape change has been more dramatic than previously thought. A new large-scale study by researchers at Stockholm University shows that 96% of species-rich grassland has disappeared during the last 100 years, with serious consequences for plant biodiversity. Four of nine planetary boundaries now crossed 2015-01-16 Four of nine planetary boundaries have now been crossed as a result of human activity, says an international team of 18 researchers with representatives from Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University in the journal Science, published 16 January. Crossing the boundaries could have serious consequences, both in the present and the future. How to make China's aquaculture more sustainable 2015-01-09 Stockholm Resilience Centre researchers have written an article in the latest issue of Science on how China's aquaculture can tip the balance in world fish supplies and what can be done about it. At absolute zero – studies of a different world 2014-12-22 Materials change their properties at extremely low temperatures; they stop following the traditional laws of physics and, instead, quantum mechanics takes over. As a Wallenberg Academy Fellow, Jonas Larson will use theoretical methods to study the different and exciting phenomena that occur close to absolute zero. EMCDDA award 2014 goes to ALICE RAP paper 2015-01-16 The visiting research fellows Ludwig Kraus and Robin Room at Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD), along with ten other European scientists working in the EC-funded ALICE RAP project were awarded a prestigious EMCDDA 2014 Scientific Paper Prize. Major Viking Hall Identified in Sweden 2014-12-08 A Viking feasting hall measuring almost 50 metres in length has been identified near Vadstena in Sweden. Archaeologists from Stockholm University and Umeå University used ground-penetrating radar, a non-invasive geophysical method, to locate and map the house foundation. Large grant to research on the sense of smell 2014-10-29 The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation has decided to award nearly SEK 300 million to research in the humanities and social sciences. A total of 67 projects, including three major research programmes, have been granted funding. Large grant awarded for new method of protein structure determination 2014-10-24 Increased knowledge of how cells produce proteins, and the three-dimensional structure of these proteins, is of great importance to both basic research in biology and the development of medicine. Professor Gunnar von Heijne at Stockholm University has been granted a total sum of SEK 66 million for a new protein structure determination laboratory. In addition, he has been awarded a continuation grant for Wallenberg Advanced Bioinformatics Infrastructure (WABI) at SciLifeLab. Hand blenders used for cooking can emit persistent chemicals 2014-10-28 Eight out of twelve tested models of hand blenders are leaking chlorinated paraffins when used according to the suppliers’ instructions. This is revealed in a report from Stockholm University where researchers analyzed a selection of hand blenders which are available on the Swedish market. Two researchers comment the Nobel Prize in Literature 2014 2018-04-09 On October 10, it was announced that the French writer Patrick Modiano is awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Literature. Two researchers at Stockholm University comment on the election and talk about their research on Modiano. Center for Toxicological Sciences, Swetox, inaugurated 2014-10-08 This Tuesday Swetox, Center for Toxicological Sciences, was inaugurated at Astra Zeneca's former premises in Södertälje. This collaboration between eleven Swedish universities will conduct innovative interdisciplinary basic research, applied research and other business services and even coordinate programs at the masters and doctoral level, including graduate school. Both precipitation and temperature control land carbon cycling 2014-10-03 Precipitation is at least as important as temperature in determining the turnover time of carbon, states a new report published in Nature. The report also establishes that overall more carbon than what was previously thought is stored in land ecosystems – especially in soil. Polar research expedition goes ashore 2014-10-06 The international research expedition SWERUS-C3 that has been in the Arctic Ocean is now coming ashore after about 100 days at sea. The exciting process to evaluate all data will now take over. - The material will be able to provide new perspectives on the Arctic sea ice development history and gas hydrates stability along the Arctic continental shelves, says Martin Jakobsson, Professor at Stockholm University. Linnaeus environments at the highest international level 2014-09-24 The Swedish Research Council and Formas have conducted a midterm evaluation of the 20 Linnaeus environments that were granted funding in 2008. Two research environments at Stockholm University received Linnaeus grants in 2008: the Linnaeus Centre on Social Policy and Family Dynamics in Europe – Stockholm University (SPaDE) and the Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics – Stockholm University (OKC). Both have now been evaluated and given excellent ratings. Mothers with intellectual disabilities can have children with secure attachment 2014-09-23 In the first scientific study worldwide on attachment among children of mothers with mild intellectual disabilities (ID), researchers at Stockholm and Uppsala University report that a substantial proportion of these children harbor secure attachment representations and that only a small minority have disorganized attachment representations. Watch the Polar researcher elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2014-09-17 Professor Örjan Gustafsson has recently been elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. A few weeks ago he returned home from the first leg of the Polar research expedition Swerus-C3. On September 18 you can watch him live on the academic talkshow Crosstalks, talking about his research. Kebnekaise south peak is melting at record speed 2014-08-28 Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in Sweden. Now there is only 70 centimeters difference between the South and North peaks. The South peak measured to 2097.5 meters above sea level at this year’s annual measurement of the peaks, performed at the end of each summer season by Stockholm University research station Tarfala. Stockholm University recruits top researcher 2014-08-25 The Swedish Research Council has decided on a research grant to Stockholm University for Professor John Wettlaufer, to do research at Stockholm University and Nordita, the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics. Half time for the Polar expedition SWERUS-C3 2014-08-19 The first leg of the International Polar research expedition SWERUS-C3 is approaching its end. In the beginning of next week, the expedition is expected in Barrow, Alaska to change researchers and crew. New international study into the link between human activities and cloud formation 2014-08-06 This summer the Cloud and Aerosol Experiment Åre (CAESAR) was launched which aims to better understand the influence of human activities on the composition of the air and microphysical properties of clouds. The project is a collaboration between Departement of Applied Environmental Science (ITM) at Stockholm University, the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland. University researcher won competition in protein structure prediction 2014-07-18 A research group at SciLifeLab, led by Jens Carlsson at Stockholm University, has won a worldwide competition (GPCR DOCK 2013) to predict the three-dimensional structure of a G protein-coupled receptor using computer modeling. Their results are published in two articles in the scientific journal Structure. SWERUS-C3 scientists begin methane measurements in outer Laptev Sea 2014-07-18 After nine days in transit, the Arctic expedition SWERUS-C3 has reached the first sampling station located in the Nansen Basin-Laptev Sea. The researchers focus on measuring methane emissions in the outer Laptev Sea. Areas where methane is “bubbling up” from the seabed will be studied in detail to understand how this system functions today. SWERUS-C3 en route to the Arctic Ocean: the final hours before cast-off 2014-07-15 After four years of intensive preparations, SWERUS-C3, a polar expedition to the East Siberian Arctic Ocean and its adjacent continental slope, finally kicked off on 5 July from Tromsø, Norway. Under a beating sun spirits were running high and a surge of excitement was taking hold of researchers and crew on board the icebreaker Oden. Top recruitment in Theoretical Physics 2014-07-07 Another top recruitment has been secured by Stockholm University with a grant from the Swedish Research Council's program for international recruitment of leading researchers. Small crustaceans help us assess the effects of pollution and oxygen deficiency in the Baltic sea 2014-06-18 Two of the most pressing environmental problems in the Baltic Sea are pollution and oxygen deficiency. Despite this, our knowledge about how this affects the animals living in the sea is limited. To test the single and combined effects of polluted sediment and oxygen deficiency on benthic organisms small crustaceans (Monoporeia affinis) from the Baltic Sea were studied in experiments. These crustaceans were demonstrated to have a defence mechanism against the cellular damage that changes in water oxygen concentrations can induce. Exposure to polluted sediment was also shown to activate these defence mechanisms. Population Modeling: a “new era” in environmental protection? 2014-06-03 Models that can project the effects of contaminants on populations of organisms may help fulfill goals set for environmental risk assessment, shows a new PhD thesis from Stockholm University. These findings could help improve the way we assess the hazards that contaminants may pose to the environment. Genomic Diversity and Admixture differs for Stone-Age Scandinavian Foragers and Farmers 2014-04-30 An international team led by researchers at Uppsala University and Stockholm University reports a breakthrough on understanding the demographic history of Stone-Age humans. A genomic analysis of eleven Stone-Age human remains from Scandinavia revealed that expanding Stone-age farmers assimilated local hunter-gatherers and that the hunter-gatherers were historically in lower numbers than the farmers. The study is published, ahead of print, in the journal Science. Honorary doctorates 2014 2014-04-15 Stockholm University has now chosen this year’s honorary doctors, all of whom have contributed in distinctive ways to the University's activities in research and education. Prominent names include Eleanor Sharpston, Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the renowned French philosopher Francois Recanati. Within the humanities, in addition to Recanati, recipients of this year’s honorary doctorates include Elaine Aston and Patricia K. Kuhl; in the social sciences: Sandra Wallman and Marie-Laure Djelic; and in the natural sciences: Maria João Ramos, Lynne B. McCusker, Walter Neupert and Thomas Rossby. Poor mimics can succeed as long as they mimic the right trait 2014-04-10 There are both perfect and imperfect mimics in nature. An imperfect mimic might have a different body shape, size or colour pattern arrangement compared to the species it mimics. Researchers have long been puzzled by the way poor mimicry can still be effective in fooling predators not to attack. In the journal Current Biology, researchers from Stockholm University now present a novel solution to the question of imperfect mimicry. Deer droppings good for biodiversity 2014-04-08 By collecting deer droppings, and then growing the seeds found within, researchers from Stockholm University have been able to see how deer spread different types of plants. Updated map of ocean floors 2014-04-03 A new version of the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) is now available. This is the third version, and once again, researchers at the Department of Geological Sciences at Stockholm University have played a prominent role. New concept for the treatment of cancer 2014-04-03 A team of researchers from five Swedish universities have identified a new way of treating cancer. The concept is presented in the journal Nature and is based on inhibiting a specific enzyme called MTH1, which cancer cells, unlike normal cells, require for survival. The research group at Stockholm University has determined the structure of MTH1 and made detailed structural studies important for the development of efficient inhibitors targeting MTH1. Mats Nilsson appointed Site Director at SciLifeLab in Stockholm 2014-04-02 Mats Nilsson, professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Stockholm University, has been appointed Site Director for SciLifeLab in Stockholm. The decision was made by the Vice-Chancellors of Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University. Mats commenced his duties at SciLifeLab from 1 April. Large-scale investment in study of inaccessible marine areas 2014-04-03 A national infrastructure for studying hard conditions in the ocean is now being created with support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. University of Gothenburg, Chalmers and Stockholm University are behind the consortium MUST, Mobile Underwater System Tools, now assigned to SEK 38 million. Wallenberg funding to mathematics researchers 2014-03-31 In order for Sweden to regain an international, cutting edge position in mathematics, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, in cooperation with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, is supporting prominent researchers in mathematics. Two researchers now receiving research funding are Per Alexandersson at Stockholm University and Christiane Tretter who is at present Professor at the University of Bern, Switzerland and soon to be visiting Professor at Stockholm University. New centre for the ethics of war and peace 2014-03-26 Why do different ethical rules apply in war and peace? A new centre has been established at the University seeking to explore the reasons for these differences. Johan Kuylenstierna Sweden’s top environmental influencer 2014-03-26 Two scientists at Stockholm University have been named as the top two environmental influencers in Sweden, according to the Swedish magazine Miljöaktuellt, "Environment News". The top influencer is Johan Kuylenstierna, Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute and Adjunct Professor at Stockholm University. The number two influenser is Johan Rockström, Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre and Professor of Environmental Science at Stockholm University. Supernova explosion provides clues into expansion of cosmos 2014-03-21 Observations of the supernova SN2014J, which exploded on January 14, provide important clues into the nature of these explosions, as well as the accelerated expansion of the cosmos. The observations have been made by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) team and led by Ariel Goobar from the Oskar Klein Centre at Stockholm University. New study shows connection between olfactory impairment and later dementia 2014-02-27 A unique new study shows a connection between olfactory impairment and later dementia. Self-reported olfactory impairment and/or an inability to identify odors can be an early sign of dementia conversion within the next ten years. The study is the first of its kind to follow people from healthy ageing to dementia, focusing on olfactory impairment. University receives 125 million SEK to recruit top researcher 2014-03-31 Stockholm University has received 125 million SEK from the Swedish Research Council as part of their programme to recruit distinguished researchers. The funding will be used to appoint Anders Nilsson, currently at Stanford University, to join Stockholm University, and will be spread out during a ten-year period. Swedish researchers in physics breakthrough 2013-12-17 Swedish researchers from Stockholm University and Uppsala University have played a significant role in the IceCube research project, dubbed by Physics World as the “breakthrough of the year”. Scientists have made the first observation of cosmic neutrinos, thereby opening “a new window on the universe”. Detailed cancer diagnostics with new analysis method 2013-12-03 New cancer treatments require good prior characterization of the tumour. Today, molecular diagnostics is time-consuming work, and important knowledge is still lacking when it comes to how drugs should best be used for individual patients. Scientists at the Science for Life Laboratory in Uppsala and Stockholm have now developed a new technique for discovering mutations in cancer tissues. The study is now published in Oncotarget. Physics Nobel Laureates François Englert and Peter Higgs visit Albanova 2013-12-10 On December 7, this year’s Nobel Laureates in Physics, Prof. Peter Higgs and Prof. François Englert, visited AlbaNova for a reception and panel discussion. The panel discussion, which took place in the Oskar Klein auditorium at Alba Nova University Center. focused on the importance of the new boson and its discovery. Methane bubbling from thawed subsea permafrost in Arctic Siberia 2013-12-02 In this week’s issue of Nature Geoscience, a Russian-US-Swedish study show extensive release of the powerful greenhouse gas methane from the East Siberian Arctic Seas, a shallow coastal ocean covering an area equivalent to four times the area of Sweden. Cosmic flash highlights flaws in theories about our Universe 2013-11-22 An international team of researchers, including members from Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University, has observed one of the most powerful cosmic explosions yet measured. The results are difficult to explain with any existing model, showing that we have a long way to go before understanding the most extreme events in our Universe. The findings are published in two articles in this week's edition of the journal Science. Sweden-China environmental collaboration awarded SEK 24 million 2013-11-21 Professor Åke Bergman, of the Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, has been awarded a Swedish Research Council framework grant of SEK 24,078,000 for a Sino-Swedish project on environmental monitoring and chemical analysis of environmental contaminants in the Yangtze River Delta region. PFAA levels in Swedish otters on the rise 2013-11-14 Concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids, or PFAAs, in the liver of otters from Sweden have steadily been increasing over the last 40 years despite the reduction in PFAA emissions, shows a new study published in the journalEnvironmental Science & Technology this week. The upward trend is of "great concern for the Scandinavian otter populations," write scientists from ITM and colleagues from the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Large grant to Stockholm University for supernova research 2013-11-05 Stockholm University has received a large grant for supernova research. A research team led by Professor Jesper Sollerman from the Department of Astronomy has received SEK 33 million from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation to study supernova explosions. Archaeology that elicits stories from coin treasures 2013-11-05 Many people find old coins fascinating. To Nanouschka Myrberg Burström, they are also a window to our ancestors’ ways of socialising and thinking. The coins can reveal political and cultural processes, human traditions, or the fate of certain families. Prehistoric population patterns subject of new research project 2013-10-28 Researchers from Stockholm University and Uppsala University are to undertake a six-year interdisciplinary research project investigating prehistoric population patterns using genetic data from 400 prehistoric individuals. Last week it was revealed that the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond has awarded SEK 35.4 million for the research programme, "Atlas of prehistoric human genome in Sweden ". A new take on efficient delivery in regenerative medicine 2013-10-23 An international research group has successfully tested the use of a new type of porous material for the efficient delivery of key molecules to transplanted cells derived from stem cells. These results can lead to improvements in the way stem cell-based neurodegenerative diseases are treated. The brightest explosions in the Universe 2013-10-21 A paper published in Nature today, led by scientists at Queen’s University, and with co-authors from the Oskar Klein centre at Stockholm University, sheds new light on the brightest supernovae yet discovered in the Universe. The article proposes that these enigmatic explosions could well be powered by neutron stars with gigantic magnetic fields that spin hundreds of times a second, rather than the previously held view of pair-instability catastrophes. Physics Prize: Stockholm University researchers active at CERN 2013-10-08 François Englert and Peter W. Higgs are jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2013 for the theory of how particles acquire mass. Both took part in this summer's major physics conference at Stockholm University's Aula Magna. Several researchers at the University are also active in the work of the CERN laboratory which confirmed the existence of the Higgs particle. The battle for Sweden's highest peak 2013-09-16 Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest peak, has now reached its lowest level since measurements began in 1902. This result was discovered during the traditional measurement of Kebnekaise, carried out at the end of each summer season at Tarfala, Stockholm University's research centre. The south peak was measured at 2,099 metres above sea level; just 2.7 metres now separates the south peak from the north peak, which measures 2,096.3 metres. New app to live toxic free 2013-09-13 Researchers at ITM have developed an app to inform and guide consumers through the maze of hazardous chemicals in popular consumer products. New insights into the Arctic permafrost carbon complexities 2013-08-29 Permafrost thawing and the release of carbon stored in it can generate greenhouse gases that, in turn, reinforce global warming. However, the extent of this reinforcing effect has been heatedly debated over the years. This week, in an article published as a Correspondence in Nature Geoscience, scientists from Stockholm University and Utrecht University highlight the need to broaden our perspective on the climate feedback potential of thawing Arctic permafrost. They particularly stress the role of the interplay between large-scale carbon- and water cycles in the Arctic permafrost carbon feedback. Kebnekaise record low 2013-08-13 In early August this year the south peak of Kebnekaise was measured from the Tarfala valley. Results show that the south peak is at its lowest yet recorded height, in a series of measurements dating back to 1968, as well as a number of previous surveys beginning in 1947. Researchers constrain the sources air pollution from China 2013-08-08 Particulate air pollution from incomplete combustion is affecting climate over East Asia more than carbon dioxide and cause premature deaths of over half a million annually in China alone, yet its sources have been poorly understood. New method reads the genetic code directly in tumour tissue 2013-07-15 Accurate diagnostic tests are crucial when choosing the right treatment regime for cancer patients. This is why scientists from Stockholm University and Uppsala University continuously work on improving methods for analysing cancer tissues. For the first time, it is now possible to read the genetic code of individual cancer cells in their original location in the tissue. The results are published in Nature Methods. Research communication needed for the Baltic Sea 2013-07-08 Increased information regarding what research says about the state of the Baltic Sea is crucial for politicians in order to take the decisions needed to save the Baltic Sea. That was the key message at a seminar organized by the Baltic Sea Centre at Stockholm University during Almedalsveckan. Inefficient EU securities market facing a crossroads 2013-07-03 Compared with the US, the securities market in the EU is less economically efficient. This is because the regulatory system and the technical infrastructure for securities transactions differ between the two trade areas. Thomas Ordeberg has established this in a new doctoral dissertation from the Faculty of Law, Stockholm University. In the dissertation he also gives an account of what options the EU has available to make its securities market more efficient. Thomas Ordeberg is desk officer at the Ministry of Finance. A Midsummer Day’s treat: Saharan dust over Stockholm 2013-06-28 On 21 June, while Sweden was swept away by the festivities of Midsummer Day, the optical remote sensing instrument known as LIDAR on the roof of the Arrhenius Laboratory heralded the arrival of strange visitors, the likes of whom scientist are not used to see roaming the skies of Stockholm: mineral dust from, none other than, the Sahara Desert. Being well received in care speeds up healing process 2013-06-06 A placebo can activate a number of biological mechanisms in the same way that medicine can, which is why we are now beginning to understand why a placebo can heal and alleviate symptoms. Psychosocial factors, such as words or how a person is received, can help to heal or bring relief. These findings are being presented by the Italian researcher Fabrizio Benedetti, who is the keynote speaker at the PNIRS 20th Scientific Meeting in Stockholm on Thursday, June 6. Carbon dioxide passes symbolic milestone 2013-06-05 Readings taken by Stockholm University scientists at the Zeppelin Observatory near Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, revealed that global carbon dioxide (CO2) levels topped symbolically important milestone for five consecutive months since the beginning of 2013. Unravelling the mystery of dead elk in southern Sweden 2013-05-31 Numerous dead elk (moose, in North America) keep cropping up in southern Sweden. Researchers at Stockholm University launched a new study into this worrying trend and hint towards thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency syndrome as a likely culprit. Human cultural capacities are older than 170,000 years 2013-05-08 Researchers at Stockholm University have used methodology from evolutionary biology together with observations from genetics, paleoanthropology, archaeology and linguistics to determine that human capacities for culture must be more than 170,000 years old. Rune stone rediscovered after 300 years 2013-04-26 A nearly 1,000 year-old rune stone has been rediscovered at Bogesunds brygga west of Vaxholm. The rune stone was found during an excursion which was part of a course in landscape archeology at Stockholm University. Swedish study suggests reduced risk of dementia 2013-04-19 A new Swedish study published in the journal Neurology shows that the risk of developing dementia may have declined over the past 20 years, in direct contrast to what many previously assumed. The result is based on data from SNAC-K, an ongoing study on aging and health that started in 1987. Scent of a woman - not that feminine 2013-04-18 In stores, most perfumes are categorized as either feminine or masculine, but a new dissertation from Stockholm University shows that many perfumes are perceived as "unisex", and that these are the scents preferred by most people. New map of the sea floor around Antarctica 2013-04-11 A new digital bathymetric model and map of the sea surrounding the Antarctic continent has been completed within the project "The International bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO)". The map, bathymetric model and the underlying database is a result of a collaboration between 30 institutions from 15 different nations. Dirty dishes show Ice Age hunters’ taste for fish 2013-04-11 Hunters and gatherers who lived during the Ice Age made pottery vessels for cooking fish, according to a new international study, published today in Nature. Researchers have analysed food residues found in pottery vessels, up to 15,000 years old. This has resulted in the hitherto oldest direct evidence of prehistoric vessel use. Democratic Revolutions: Patience Pays 2013-03-20 Before the 20th century, the path to democracy was more than half a century long. Today, the process can be very rapid. However, democracies with lengthy transitions survive longer. This is shown in a scientific paper in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, where researchers at Stockholm University have analysed all the transitions between autocracy and democracy that have ever taken place. X-ray laser reveals chemical reaction 2013-03-18 What happens when a chemical bond is broken? That question was recently answered with the help of a so-called free electron x-ray laser, which makes it possible to follow in real time how bonds in a molecule are changed and broken. The study, published in Science, found, among other things, evidence of a much-discussed intermediate state before molecules bind to or leave a metal surface. The possibility of monitoring at the molecular level how the electronic structure changes during a chemical reaction creates entirely new opportunities for investigating and understanding key chemical processes in detail. Newfound signal may shed light on dark matter 2013-02-22 At the Oskar Klein Centre at Stockholm University, researchers are working intensively to examine data from a signal with light particles from space that may provide answers to some of the mysteries of dark matter. New research vessel in the Baltic Sea 2013-02-04 The Erling-Persson Family Foundation has given a grant of SEK 30 million to Stockholm University to build a new ice-going research vessel. The vessel will be stationed at Stockholm University’s marine field station, the Askö Laboratory, located in the archipelago of Trosa. A warmer Greenland 2013-01-24 A new study provides surprising details on changes in the Earth’s climate during the Eemian interglacial period, more than 100,000 years ago. Stress makes exhausted women over-sensitive to sounds 2013-01-14 Women suffering from stress-related exhaustion exhibit hypersensitivity to sounds when exposed to stress. In some cases, a sound level corresponding to a normal conversation can be perceived as painful. This according to a study from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University’s Stress Research Institute which tested sensitivity to sounds immediately after a few minutes’ artificially induced stress. Accommodation for visiting researchers 2018-05-25 Stockholm University lets and manages a number of furnished rooms and flats owned by other landlords in Stockholm. These are available to foreign researchers with a doctoral degree and doctoral candidates at Stockholm University. 10 new honorary doctors for 2011 2011-10-24 Honorary degrees were awarded to 10 outstanding individuals on Friday 30 September 2011, during the inauguration and graduation ceremony that took place in the beautiful surroundings of Stockholm City Hall.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Walk on Air Killing time one evening while waiting to pick my son up from church camp, I popped into an Ulta in the mall, just to browse and putz around. I saw lots of fun nail polishes (although that’s for another day),… Continue Reading → Perfume Love for Everyone! Like this: Sometimes it’s nice to find a little gem on department store shelves. And so ever since Kate Spade launched her eponymous fragrance back in 2002, much loved and now mourned by many of us, I make a point of trying… Continue Reading → Frederic Malle Promise is the latest release from the line. Inspired by the Middle East market, like Night, but without that high of a price tag, it has notes of rose, apple, rose, pink pepper, rose, clove, rose, patchouli, rose,… Continue Reading →... It’s iris day! Three new iris releases or releasing soon – Atelier des Ors Iris Fauve, Coolife Le Sixième and Armani/Prive Iris Celadon. Can there be any better day on the face of the earth than when three great iris perfumes… Continue Reading →... Hey, it’s February! That thing on the left, Cora, has had me a little busy the last week. Yes, that is a bee sweater. She just had a bath and needed to be warmed! I had planned to review that… Continue Reading →... Frederic Malle perfume has been around since slightly before 2000. Founded on a philosophy of giving the perfumer a very broad idea of what they wanted, then letting the perfume create it. Then, the almost always unseen, unknown perfumer got… Continue Reading →... Serge Lutens perfume has long been one of my favorite niche house perfumes. Since they are one of the few that have been around a long time not yet sold to LVMH or Estee Lauder (yeah, I know Shiseido owns them,… Continue Reading →... Finding the best niche perfume lines is tough if you aren’t following all the perfume blogs or Facebook fragrance groups. The mainstream perfume industry has no problem making sure you know about their newest flanker – they spend millions (billions?)… Continue Reading →... Frederic Malle Cologne Indelebile and its soaring sunshiny scent reminds me of some other orange blossom perfume, but which one? I scurried over to my oversized Orange Blossom Perfume post to get some ideas. L’Artisan Seville is gorgeous and a little naughty,… Continue Reading →... We happily arrive at my favorite – iris perfume. Now, the thing you have to understand about Iris Perfume or What the Underpants are Hiding, they can’t capture the bloom’s smell except through headspace technology, and even that is pretty… Continue Reading →... Many, many years ago, when I first was paying attention to notes in perfume and had some awareness of lily of the valley as a note, my immediate hatred cemented. I used to call it Satan’s Flower. My, how things… Continue Reading →... How do I Find a New Perfume? … is one of the most common questions I hear over and over, phrased in a thousand different ways. It can vary from – “I used to wear Giorgio, but it smells like Mule… Continue Reading →...	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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Find Your Courses Each course is a unique mix of many different ingredients — from the subjects covered, to the student body, to the end career it leads to. You can use these points as a checklist of things that you need to find out about courses of interest. OnRoad OffRoad Pty Ltd Statement Campus Mid Year Intake? Study Mode Entry Requirements Glenorchy No Full-time internal No minimum education Course Description This unit is part of the Transport and Logistics Training Package. It provides participants with the skills and knowledge required to operate a mobile crane of greater than 3 tonnes capacity that incorporates a boom or jib which includes articulated-type mobile cranes and locomotive cranes, but does not include vehicle tow trucks for licensing purposes. Subjects you can Study About OnRoad OffRoad Pty Ltd Established in 1998, OnRoad OffRoad Pty Ltd is a Registered Training Organisation. It offers training and assessment in a range of areas, including vehicle training, security operations and information technology. Courses may be held at the OnRoad OffRoad premises or at the client's site. RTO code: 60071	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
'What if doing things more “efficiently”, in a superficial sense, results in doing them worse?' Illustration: Mick Brownfield for the Guardian I hereby announce the formation of an international campaign to eliminate all future uses of the phrase, "Work smarter, not harder." It's a mission I'm undertaking with some regret, since the idea behind that annoying slogan is fundamentally a decent one: in our overworked era, who wouldn't be in favour of finding ways to get the same amount done in fewer hours, freeing up time to relax, socialise or nurture the soul? Besides, this column has championed many such techniques in the past. But "Work smarter, not harder" has reached pandemic proportions. It's everywhere in business books and blogposts; it's been recommended as the solution to the problems facing everyone from doctors to police officers. And it's infected domains beyond work: there are books on studying smarter, not harder, on working out smarter, not harder, on cleaning, seducing women, grooming your pet, gardening, even reading the Bible smarter, not harder. Not all at once, obviously, though if you could figure out a way to do that, nobody could fault you for inefficiency. There's a clue to the problem in that slick and showy word "smart". As the cyber-sceptic Evgeny Morozov pointed out this month, in an article at edge.org, Silicon Valley loves nothing more than proposing "smart" solutions to problems such as crime, voter apathy or climate change. Yet the word blurs a crucial distinction: a smart solution may be ingenious, but it doesn't follow that implementing it will necessarily be for the best. We can persuade people to vote, some techno-reformers argue, using clever incentives, such as shopping discounts or video game-style prizes. But should we, if it risks coarsening democracy, eroding the role of argument and deliberation in persuading people to vote? The answer may be "yes", of course. But Morozov's point is that we fail to ask such questions in the first place. When it comes to "working smarter", the same kind of problem arises: what if doing things more "efficiently", in a superficial sense, results in doing them worse? There's evidence to suggest that we need to daydream; perhaps we also need those moments of afternoon lassitude and aimless conversations by the office microwave. Creative work, especially, depends on a kind of inefficiency. Inevitably, the scandal and schadenfreude surrounding Jonah Lehrer's book Imagine has all but drowned out its fundamental insight, but it's a good one: creative breakthroughs depend on being stumped and feeling frustrated. Make the path to them too smooth, and you get lower-quality breakthroughs. The other, more pressing hazard concerns what you'll do with all the time you free up by working smarter: the chances are you – or your boss – will simply fill it with more work. This is the problem with most "smarter, not harder" advice: it's great on the working-more-efficiently part, but it assumes that working less hard will follow automatically. In reality, it won't. So what's the answer? On one level, it's a question of techniques: scheduling specific social activities starting soon after work, say, to ensure your increased efficiency pays off in increased leisure. But on another level, the demand for ever more output is structural, built into our jobs and the economy. Clever techniques alone won't change that. And so the danger is that we just work smarter and harder. And harder, and harder, until we've no time left for seducing Bible-reading gardeners at all. This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. The links are powered by Skimlinks. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that Skimlinks cookies will be set. More information.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Devils And The Brothers Karamazov Essay Research Devils And The Brothers Karamazov Essay, Research Paper In “On Dreams,” Freud asserted that feelings of guilt, if repressed from consciousness,inevitably surface in unconscious symptoms, such as nightmares or madness. Although aperson may repress his conscience, the guilt is merely displaced to another part of themind, and eventually, this repressed matter must return. Devils And The Brothers Karamazov Essay, Research Paper In “On Dreams,” Freud asserted that feelings of guilt, if repressed from consciousness,inevitably surface in unconscious symptoms, such as nightmares or madness. Although aperson may repress his conscience, the guilt is merely displaced to another part of themind, and eventually, this repressed matter must return. In the works of Dostoevsky, acharacter’s guilt often manifests itself in dreams by presenting the character’s purelydevilish self or his worst fears. Not only does the character himself assume in dreams atotally fiendish nature, but the beings he encounters do also. Whether the devil appearsliterally, as in Ivan Karamazov’s case, or in the likeness of the character’s victim, as in thecase Stavrogin, the mere fact of the devil’s emergence reveals that the character has failedto elude guilt, a human universal, despite what he thinks or says consciously. In that thecharacter himself is responsible for his nightmare, in that he is incapable of escaping theguilt that plagues him, the character constitutes his own devil. Because he is human, hesuffers guilt, and hence, cannot get away with his crime. He is not as good at being bad ashe believes. We will therefore have a close examinition of the crimes, the dreams, and thedevils of Stavrogin, and Ivan Karamazov to understand these depictions of pride and guilt. It is important when discussing a dream in a novel to distinguish between theliterary and psychological implications of the dream. The dream is obviously thefunctional product of the author’s imagination, and hence, must serve a definite purpose inthe work. If examined legitimately, however, as a dream of an actual, non-fictional person,the dream bears psychological importance and reveals something about the dreamer’sunconscious. In interpreting the dreams in Dostoevsky’s novels, we can assumesignificance in every detail, but only in light of the fact that Dostoevsky, as author, createdthese dreams for a purpose, both literary and psychological. These dreams are not actualproducts of the unconscious, but, on the other hand, deliberate, conscious attempts to fillout a certain character’s psychology. With a belief that he can transcend human mediocrity and maintain himself on aplane with the divine, in Devils, Stavrogin believes he can heartlessly rape a young girl andthen virtually arrange her suicide without personal consequence. Stavrogin seems toconveniently “forget” his humanity, assuming in his arrogant hubris that he can transcendhis mortal self through his own will and action. But his guilt, emerging from hisunconscious to disturb his dreams, reminds Stavrogin, of his indisputably human nature. Inhis confession to Tikhon, Stavrogin describes the dream that continuously haunts him: I saw before me (Oh, not in reality! If only it had been real!), I saw Matryosha,emaciated, with feverish eyes, exactly as she was when she stood at my doorshaking her head and raising her tiny little fist at me. Nothing had ever tortured meso! The pitiful despair of a helpless ten-year-old child with its undeveloped mindthreatening me . . .but blaming only herself, of course. Nothing like this had everhappened to me before. I sat there until nightfall, without moving, forgetting thetime. Is this what’s called remorse or repentance? . . . Perhaps it’s not therecollection of the act that I find so loathsome even now. Perhaps even now thatrecollection contains something that appeals to my passions. No–what I findintolerable is solely this image, namely, her in the doorway . . . That’s what I can’tstand because that’s what I’ve been seeing ever since, almost every day. It doesn’tcome of its own accord; I summon it and can’t help doing so, although I can’t livewith it (Devils,472). Matryosha, the ten-year-old whom Stavrogin raped and allowed to die, now invades herrapist’s dreams to show Stavrogin that he is not above his humanity. Stavrogin may havebeen able to repress his guilt, but he can never escape it. The guilt gathers new energyfrom the energy employed in its repression, and manifests itself in unconscious symptoms. The dreams of Stavrogin are marked by the appearance of their now-vindictivevictim, is symptomatic of the repression of his guilt. Like the victim herself now returning,in dreams, as more powerful, threatening figures, the guilt which the victim symbolizeemerges from the unconscious to likewise haunts the criminal. Stavrogin, however,effectively haunts himself, since his guilt is his human nature reminding him that he hasdone wrong, and the images, devilish themselves, are actually products of his unconsciousmind, which, it is essential to remember, is a product of Dostoevsky’s mind. Hence, thevictim may appear to be the real devil in these dreams, but when examined in light ofFreud’s theories of dream and repression, it can be found that Stavrogin is unconsciouslyresponsible for these devils, and hence, is the real devil himself. What motivates Stavrogin to commit such a random, heartless crime? Stavroginmakes a point of testing the limits of acceptable behavior, of acting randomly to see whatpeople will do. Despite the opinion of many characters in the book, he is not insane,according to the last sentence of the book. Shatov questions him: “Is it true that youclaimed not to see any aesthetic difference between a voluptuous, bestial prank and a heroic feat, even the sacrifice of one’s own life for the benefit of humanity? Is it true thatin both extremes you found identical beauty and equal enjoyment?” (Devils, II, 7, 268).Shatov hones in on Stavrogin’s pretentious disrespect for boundaries, and his drive tosurpass them, and in fact a trait he shares with most of humanity, the very trait that allowsand encourages him to rape Matryosha. Stavrogin’s pride, which allows him to assume thathe can rape without guilt, that he can surpass human nature, is also obvious in hisinfluence on Kirillov and Shatov. Stavrogin crosses boundaries not only by incorrectlyassuming that such transcendence is attainable for humans, but also by fostering in hisdisciples conflicting ideals. He teaches both to go beyond the restrictions of time anddeath, but only along different paths: Kirillov should seek to abolish God, but Shatovshould pursue God. Pride allows and motivates Stavrogin to believe that he can transcendhis mortality in his quest of the divine, but his dreams remind him that he cannot. Thispursuit of godly power, in the end, only highlights his human restrictions. As a result ofhis pride and the associated will to transcend human nature and gain power, each commitsa crime without considering consequence. Therefore, he represses this guilt, whicheventually emerges from the unconscious in the form of devil-ridden dreams. Exaggerated pride inspires Ivan Karamazov to commit a crime of sorts as well.Motivated by his intellectual pride, Ivan trespasses on divine territory with his extravagant,athiestic theories, arrogantly assuming knowledge of the cosmos and superiority overgodly forces. In Part One, conscious, of course, of his own athiesm, he smugly asserts,”[E]very earthly State should be, in the end, completely transformed into the Church andshould become nothing else but a Church” (Brothers Karamazov, 53). Also, “There is novirtue if there is no immortality” (Brothers Karamazov 60), and hence, “everything islawful.” He toys with people’s minds by broaching these grandiose theories on the”correct” order of Church and state, faith, and immortality, for he himself does not evenbelieve in God. It is this pride that then encourages this murder. Unlike Stavrogin, Ivan’s “crime” isnot literal or definite, like murder or rape. He has committed a crime only in that hethinks he has committed a crime; in other words, he did not literally murder his father,but, with Smerdyakov’s encouragement, Ivan comes to believe that he effected the death ofhis father by silently wishing for it and by preaching his lofty, nihilistic ideas. In their thirdmeeting, Smerdyakov accuses Ivan, “You murdered him; you are the real murderer, I wasonly your instrument, your faithful servant Licharda, and it was following your words Idid it” (Brothers Karamazov, 590). Whether consciously or not, Ivan believes that heparticipated in his father’s death. Thus, he might as well have actually murdered Fyodor,for he experiences the same guilt, the same psychological trauma. Although Ivan tries to persuade himself that he is not to blame, his true feelings ofguilt are evident in his dream encounter with the “devil.” Ivan has repressed his guiltyfeelings in hopes of avoiding them. He has displaced his guilt by divorcing his “good” self,the self that maintains his innocence, from his “bad” self, the devil self, the dark, doubtingalter-ego who supports Smerdyakov’s claim that Ivan, in fact, is to blame for his father’sdeath. When faced with the devil, Ivan accordingly cries out, “You are the incarnation ofmyself, but only of one side of me . . . of my thoughts and feelings, but only the nastiestand stupidest of them” (Brothers Karamazov, 604). He has repressed or denied his guilt,but only temporarily and only from his consciousness. His guilt lives on within hisunconscious, symbolized by the devil. Just as the dreams of Stavrogin reveal hisundeniable, unconscious belief in his own guilt, Ivan’s encounter with his own devil in hisdream, and his admission that this devil is in fact a part of himself, reveals that his guiltremains, despite his attempts to deny or repress it. The intellectual, urbane devil of Ivan’s dreams preys on his insecurities, forcing himto question and defend his innocence. Emerging from Ivan’s subconscious and manifestinghimself in a hallucination, the devil is both external and internal, physical andpsychological. He is a physical embodiment of Ivan’s deepest fears, yet he exists withinIvan himself. Stavrogin likewise encounters a devils dual in nature and function; indreams, each character continuously faces not only his own devilish self, himself as ahardened criminal in the act of commiting his crime, but also his victim, reborn as a sort ofdevil in dreams to psychologically punish the murderer. Ultimately, each character is hisown devil; the pride that permitted him to commit such a godly action has fathered theguilt that now plagues his unconscious. Guilt is a universal throughout humankind, andmerely completes the psychological equation originating with excessive pride: if one daresto assume that he can transcend his humanity and enter the divine sphere, and commits acrime accordingly, guilt, emerging unconsciously in dreams, will eventually remind him ofhis human roots. Bibliography Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Trans. Constance Garnett. Ed. Ralph E.Matlaw. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1976. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Devils. Trans. and Ed. Michael R. Katz. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1992.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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