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› Monthly Columns › A View from the Kitchen
A View from the Kitchen
gcapsis December 6, 2019 Monthly Columns
By Isa Covo
Thanksgiving is over. I joined friends and family at the table, and it was nice. Of course, there was so much food, so much good food, so many leftovers, but that is expected—look at the number of recipes for how to use them!
Now to the next act: shopping for gifts. This year Hanukkah and Christmas fall at the same time, and practically everybody will be making lists. Alas, unless you know exactly what the giftee (is that a word?) wants, many of those gifts will be returned, stuck in a closet never to be seen again, or eventually end up at a thrift shop. The other, and very serious problem is packaging. When buying online there are the cardboard boxes, the plastic wraps, and then the fancy wrapping papers and ribbons. Bags and bags of them line the sidewalks in front of our houses following Christmas Day.
If you want to help the planet, use brown paper, that you can decorate yourself if you like, to wrap your gifts; and instead of ribbons, tie them with string.
The best and more lasting gifts are books, which satisfy all interests and tastes. As for children, books are better gifts than the cheap plastic toys they probably already have and which barely hold their attention for longer than a day or two.
I don't like buying books online unless I cannot find them anywhere else, which is rare. When I walk into a bookstore, especially the independently owned ones, there is such an unparalleled feeling of community. The customers linger at the displays, leafing through the books, smiling at each other, sometimes starting conversations.
There was a time when New York was awash in bookstores, almost all independent. Fourth Avenue, between Union Square and Astor Place, was the mecca, with its 48 small bookstores, earning the title "Booksellers Row." Unfortunately, by the 1960s, because of rising rents and perhaps the decline of readership, Bookseller's Row was no longer.
Of the stores at Booksellers Row, and after some changes of location, Strand is the only remaining one, located at 12th Street and Broadway. Strand opened its doors on Fourth Avenue in 1929, right in the middle of the Jazz Age and its famous writers. The owner was Benjamin Bass, who had immigrated from Lithuania at 17. After working around New York at various jobs, he rented a small space on 8th Street near Greene Street in 1927, a year before his son Frederick was born, and opened a bookstore he named Pelican Book Shop. The store did not thrive and he was forced out two years later.
With an investment of $600, half of it borrowed, he moved his store to a property owned by the heirs of Peter Stuyvesant and built on what had been Stuyvesant's farm. He renamed the store Strand. He saw his store as the place where booklovers like himself would congregate and converse, but he also found that in order to make a living he had to work hard. Strand stayed at the same location on Fourth Avenue until the building was demolished in 1957.
Bass's son Frederick started working at the store after school at age 13, and except for a couple of years of military service he worked there all his life. After he became manager in 1957, he expanded it to the entire ground floor, and in the 1970s took over the three floors above and added an antiquarian department next door. His Father died in 1978 at 72. Fred Bass's slogan was "18 miles of books," and indeed he needed the space as he gradually expanded the number of books from the original 70,000, already a large number, to around 2.5 million. Buying books became his passion. He bought entire libraries, books from critics, books from readers who needed money—anybody who wanted to sell their books.
Bass made other additions to the business in the form of book kiosks in three locations: on 5th Avenue and Grand Army Plaza; in the Flatiron District; and, during the summer months, at Times Square. In 1986, his daughter, Nancy Bass Wyden, joined him in the business and expanded it by adding merchandise such as book bags, t-shirts and more. She also had air conditioning installed, and an elevator, and streamlined the floors.
In 2017, Fred Bass retired, and Wyden, an elegant and charming woman and the mother of three, became the owner. In the tradition of her grandfather and her father, who died in 2018, at 89 she is committed and brings new ideas to the store where she has worked since she was 16.
Strand has a fantastic collection of children's books, and Story Time on weekends. In the antiquarian branch there are readings, book signings, and related events four hundred times a year. I'm glad I live within walking distance from Strand because I love to visit. When I have visitors from out of town I try to take them there, not only for the large choice of books but for the atmosphere. The staff is always very helpful, and is well-informed and passionate about books. And so were, and still are, all the members of the family that owns it.
If I'm in the area—even if I have only a short time—I cannot help looking though the carts for good bargains, where I am joined by other passersby. A few days ago I was at the children's section on the second floor and saw a man carrying several books to the checkout, not all of them for children. I remarked that it was satisfying buying books at a store. "There is no other way," he answered. And that's the tize our bookstores, because if we don't they'll become a chapter in the book of "Vanishing New York." So since it's cold outside, have some tasty soup, maybe a nice drink, wrap yourself in something warm, and enjoy a good book.
Ellen Stewart's Centennial
In & Out by Caroline Benveniste
Maggie B's Quick Clicks
West Village Original: John Gilman


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4/5: Close to the Bone
12:21 pm 22 October 2014
A neighbour lent me this one with a stack of other books. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did - police procedural's are rarely my book of choice.
This is number eight in the series, so there are a lot of characters who you're expected to know. Despite that, they weren't overwhelming, and I didn't feel like I had to struggle to catch up. There are also a lot of open sub-plots, which I'm guessing means this isn't the last in the series.
What I didn't expect from this story was the fun vein of black humour running through it among the police work. It really lifted and carried the story.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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HomeNews listTechnologyWhat Is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a digital currency that was created in January 2009. It follows the ideas set out in a whitepaper by the mysterious and pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto.1 The identity of the person or persons who created the technology is still a mystery. Bitcoin offers the promise of lower transaction fees than traditional online payment mechanisms and, unlike government-issued currencies, it is operated by a decentralized authority.
Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency. There are no physical bitcoins, only balances kept on a public ledger that everyone has transparent access to. All bitcoin transactions are verified by a massive amount of computing power. Bitcoins are not issued or backed by any banks or governments, nor are individual bitcoins valuable as a commodity. Despite it not being legal tender, Bitcoin is very popular and has triggered the launch of hundreds of other cryptocurrencies, collectively referred to as altcoins. Bitcoin is commonly abbreviated as "BTC."https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.447.1_en.html#goog_536059075Volume 75% 1:57
Launched in 2009, bitcoin is the world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.
Unlike fiat currency, bitcoin is created, distributed, traded, and stored with the use of a decentralized ledger system, known as a blockchain.
Bitcoin's history as a store of value has been turbulent; the cryptocurrency skyrocketed up to roughly $20,000 per coin in 2017, but less than years later, it was trading for less than half of that.
As the earliest virtual currency to meet widespread popularity and success, bitcoin has inspired a host of other cryptocurrencies in its wake.
Understanding Bitcoin
The bitcoin system is a collection of computers (also referred to as "nodes" or "miners") that all run bitcoin's code and store its blockchain. Metaphorically, a blockchain can be thought of as a collection of blocks. In each block is a collection of transactions. Because all the computers running the blockchain has the same list of blocks and transactions, and can transparently see these new blocks being filled with new bitcoin transactions, no one can cheat the system.
Anyone, whether they run a bitcoin "node" or not, can see these transactions occurring live. In order to achieve a nefarious act, a bad actor would need to operate 51% of the computing power that makes up bitcoin. Bitcoin has around 12,000 nodes, as of January 2021, and this number is growing, making such an attack quite unlikely.2
But in the event that an attack was to happen, the bitcoin miners—the people who take part in the bitcoin network with their computer—would likely fork to a new blockchain making the effort the bad actor put forth to achieve the attack a waste.
Balances of bitcoin tokens are kept using public and private "keys," which are long strings of numbers and letters linked through the mathematical encryption algorithm that was used to create them. The public key (comparable to a bank account number) serves as the address which is published to the world and to which others may send bitcoins.
The private key (comparable to an ATM PIN) is meant to be a guarded secret and only used to authorize bitcoin transmissions. Bitcoin keys should not be confused with a bitcoin wallet, which is a physical or digital device that facilitates the trading of bitcoin and allows users to track ownership of coins. The term "wallet" is a bit misleading, as bitcoin's decentralized nature means that it is never stored "in" a wallet, but rather decentrally on a blockchain.
Peer-to-Peer Technology
Bitcoin is one of the first digital currencies to use peer-to-peer technology to facilitate instant payments. The independent individuals and companies who own the governing computing power and participate in the bitcoin network—bitcoin "miners"—are in charge of processing the transactions on the blockchain and are motivated by rewards (the release of new bitcoin) and transaction fees paid in bitcoin.
These miners can be thought of as the decentralized authority enforcing the credibility of the bitcoin network. New bitcoin is released to the miners at a fixed, but periodically declining rate. There are only 21 million bitcoin that can be mined in total. As of January 30, 2021, there are approximately 18,614,806 bitcoin in existence and 2,385,193 bitcoin left to be mined.3
In this way, bitcoin other cryptocurrencies operate differently from fiat currency; in centralized banking systems, currency is released at a rate matching the growth in goods; this system is intended to maintain price stability. A decentralized system, like bitcoin, sets the release rate ahead of time and according to an algorithm.
Bitcoin mining is the process by which bitcoins are released into circulation. Generally, mining requires the solving of computationally difficult puzzles in order to discover a new block, which is added to the blockchain.
Bitcoin mining adds and verifies transaction records across the network. For adding blocks to the blockchain, miners are rewarded with a few bitcoins; the reward is halved every 210,000 blocks. The block reward was 50 new bitcoins in 2009. On May 11th, 2020, the third halving occurred, bringing the reward for each block discovery down to 6.25 bitcoins.4
A variety of hardware can be used to mine bitcoin. However, some yield higher rewards than others. Certain computer chips, called Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), and more advanced processing units, like Graphic Processing Units (GPUs), can achieve more rewards. These elaborate mining processors are known as "mining rigs."
One bitcoin is divisible to eight decimal places (100 millionths of one bitcoin), and this smallest unit is referred to as a Satoshi.5 If necessary, and if the participating miners accept the change, bitcoin could eventually be made divisible to even more decimal places.
History of Bitcoin
The domain name bitcoin.org is registered. Today, at least, this domain is "WhoisGuard Protected," meaning the identity of the person who registered it is not public information.
A person or group using the name Satoshi Nakamoto makes an announcement on the Cryptography Mailing list at metzdowd.com: "I've been working on a new electronic cash system that's fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party. This now-famous whitepaper published on bitcoin.org, entitled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," would become the Magna Carta for how Bitcoin operates today.
The first Bitcoin block is mined, Block 0. This is also known as the "genesis block" and contains the text: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks," perhaps as proof that the block was mined on or after that date, and perhaps also as relevant political commentary.6
The first version of the bitcoin software is announced on the Cryptography Mailing list.
Block 1 is mined, and bitcoin mining commences in earnest.
Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto?
No one knows who invented bitcoin, or at least not conclusively. Satoshi Nakamoto is the name associated with the person or group of people who released the original bitcoin white paper in 2008 and worked on the original bitcoin software that was released in 2009. In the years since that time, many individuals have either claimed to be or have been suggested as the real-life people behind the pseudonym, but as of January 2021, the true identity (or identities) behind Satoshi remains obscured.7
Although it is tempting to believe the media's spin that Satoshi Nakamoto is a solitary, quixotic genius who created Bitcoin out of thin air, such innovations do not typically happen in a vacuum. All major scientific discoveries, no matter how original-seeming, were built on previously existing research.
There are precursors to bitcoin: Adam Back's Hashcash, invented in 1997,8 and subsequently Wei Dai's b-money, Nick Szabo's bit gold, and Hal Finney's Reusable Proof of Work. The bitcoin whitepaper itself cites Hashcash and b-money, as well as various other works spanning several research fields. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the individuals behind the other projects named above have been speculated to have also had a part in creating bitcoin.
There are a few possible motivations for bitcoin's inventor deciding to keep their identity secret. One is privacy: As bitcoin has gained in popularity—becoming something of a worldwide phenomenon—Satoshi Nakamoto would likely garner a lot of attention from the media and from governments.
Another reason could be the potential for bitcoin to cause a major disruption in the current banking and monetary systems. If bitcoin were to gain mass adoption, the system could surpass nations' sovereign fiat currencies. This threat to existing currency could motivate governments to want to take legal action against bitcoin's creator.
The other reason is safety. Looking at 2009 alone, 32,489 blocks were mined; at the reward rate of 50 bitcoin per block, the total payout in 2009 was 1,624,500 bitcoin. One may conclude that only Satoshi and perhaps a few other people were mining through 2009 and that they possess a majority of that stash of bitcoin.
Someone in possession of that much bitcoin could become a target of criminals, especially since bitcoins are less like stocks and more like cash, where the private keys needed to authorize spending could be printed out and literally kept under a mattress. While it's likely the inventor of bitcoin would take precautions to make any extortion-induced transfers traceable, remaining anonymous is a good way for Satoshi to limit exposure.
Bitcoin as a Form of Payment
Bitcoins can be accepted as a means of payment for products sold or services provided. Brick and mortar stores can display a sign saying "Bitcoin Accepted Here"; the transactions can be handled with the requisite hardware terminal or wallet address through QR codes and touch screen apps. An online business can easily accept bitcoins by adding this payment option to its other online payment options: credit cards, PayPal, etc.
Bitcoin Employment Opportunities
Those who are self-employed can get paid for a job related to bitcoin. There are a number of ways to achieve this, such as creating any internet service and adding your bitcoin wallet address to the site as a form of payment. There are also several websites and job boards that are dedicated to digital currencies:
Cryptogrind brings together work seekers and prospective employers through its website
Coinality features jobs—freelance, part-time and full-time—that offer payment in bitcoins, as well as other cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin and Litecoin
Jobs4Bitcoins, part of reddit.com
BitGigs
Bitwage offers a way to choose a percentage of your work paycheck to be converted into bitcoin and sent to your bitcoin address
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Investing in Bitcoins
There are many bitcoin supporters who believe that digital currency is the future. Many individuals who endorse bitcoin believe that it facilitates a much faster, low-fee payment system for transactions across the globe. Although it is not backed by any government or central bank, bitcoin can be exchanged for traditional currencies; in fact, its exchange rate against the dollar attracts potential investors and traders interested in currency plays. Indeed, one of the primary reasons for the growth of digital currencies like bitcoin is that they can act as an alternative to national fiat money and traditional commodities like gold.
In March 2014, the IRS stated that all virtual currencies, including bitcoins, would be taxed as property rather than currency. Gains or losses from bitcoins held as capital will be realized as capital gains or losses, while bitcoins held as inventory will incur ordinary gains or losses. The sale of bitcoins that you mined or purchased from another party, or the use of bitcoins to pay for goods or services, are examples of transactions that can be taxed.9
Like any other asset, the principle of buying low and selling high applies to bitcoins. The most popular way of amassing the currency is through buying on a bitcoin exchange, but there are many other ways to earn and own bitcoins.
Types of Risks Associated With Bitcoin Investing
Although Bitcoin was not designed as a normal equity investment (no shares have been issued), some speculative investors were drawn to the digital currency after it appreciated rapidly in May 2011 and again in November 2013. Thus, many people purchase bitcoin for its investment value rather than its ability to act as a medium of exchange.
However, the lack of guaranteed value and its digital nature means the purchase and use of bitcoins carries several inherent risks. Many investor alerts have been issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and other agencies.
The concept of a virtual currency is still novel and, compared to traditional investments, bitcoin doesn't have much of a long-term track record or history of credibility to back it. With their increasing popularity, bitcoins are becoming less experimental every day; still, after only a decade, all digital currencies still remain in a development phase. "It is pretty much the highest-risk, highest-return investment that you can possibly make," saysBarry Silbert, CEO of Digital Currency Group, which builds and invests in Bitcoin and blockchain companies.10
Investing money into bitcoin in any of its many guises is not for the risk-averse. Bitcoins are a rival to government currency and may be used for black market transactions, money laundering, illegal activities, or tax evasion. As a result, governments may seek to regulate, restrict, or ban the use and sale of bitcoins (and some already have). Others are coming up with various rules.
For example, in 2015, the New York State Department of Financial Services finalized regulations that would require companies dealing with the buy, sell, transfer, or storage of bitcoins to record the identity of customers, have a compliance officer, and maintain capital reserves. The transactions worth $10,000 or more will have to be recorded and reported.11
The lack of uniform regulations about bitcoins (and other virtual currency) raises questions over their longevity, liquidity, and universality.
Security Risk
Most individuals who own and use bitcoin have not acquired their tokens through mining operations. Rather, they buy and sell bitcoin and other digital currencies on any of a number of popular online markets, known as bitcoin exchanges.
Bitcoin exchanges are entirely digital and, as with any virtual system, are at risk from hackers, malware, and operational glitches. If a thief gains access to a bitcoin owner's computer hard drive and steals their private encryption key, they could transfer the stolen bitcoin to another account. (Users can prevent this only if bitcoins are stored on a computer that is not connected to the internet, or else by choosing to use a paper wallet—printing out the bitcoin private keys and addresses, and not keeping them on a computer at all.)
Hackers can also target bitcoin exchanges, gaining access to thousands of accounts and digital wallets where bitcoins are stored. One especially notorious hacking incident took place in 2014, when Mt. Gox, a bitcoin exchange in Japan, was forced to close down after millions of dollars worth of bitcoins were stolen.12
This is particularly problematic given that all Bitcoin transactions are permanent and irreversible. It's like dealing with cash: Any transaction carried out with bitcoins can only be reversed if the person who has received them refunds them. There is no third party or a payment processor, as in the case of a debit or credit card—hence, no source of protection or appeal if there is a problem.
Some investments are insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Normal bank accounts are insured through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to a certain amount depending on the jurisdiction.
Generally speaking, bitcoin exchanges and bitcoin accounts are not insured by any type of federal or government program. In 2019, prime dealer and trading platform SFOX announced it would be able to provide bitcoin investors with FDIC insurance, but only for the portion of transactions involving cash.13
Fraud Risk
While bitcoin uses private key encryption to verify owners and register transactions, fraudsters and scammers may attempt to sell false bitcoins. For instance, in July 2013, the SEC brought legal action against an operator of a bitcoin-related Ponzi scheme.14 There have also been documented cases of bitcoin price manipulation, another common form of fraud.
Like with any investment, bitcoin values can fluctuate. Indeed, the value of the currency has seen wild swings in price over its short existence. Subject to high volume buying and selling on exchanges, it has a high sensitivity to any newsworthy events. According to the CFPB, the price of bitcoins fell by 61% in a single day in 2013, while the one-day price drop record in 2014 was as big as 80%.15
If fewer people begin to accept bitcoin as a currency, these digital units may lose value and could become worthless. Indeed, there was speculation that the "bitcoin bubble" had burst when the price declined from its all-time high during the cryptocurrency rush in late 2017 and early 2018.
There is already plenty of competition, and although bitcoin has a huge lead over the hundreds of other digital currencies that have sprung up because of its brand recognition and venture capital money, a technological break-through in the form of a better virtual coin is always a threat.
In February of 2021, the price of Bitcoin reached a record at the time of $52,500.
Splits in the Cryptocurrency Community
In the years since Bitcoin launched, there have been numerous instances in which disagreements between factions of miners and developers prompted large-scale splits of the cryptocurrency community. In some of these cases, groups of Bitcoin users and miners have changed the protocol of the bitcoin network itself.
This process is known as "forking," and it usually results in the creation of a new type of bitcoin with a new name. This split can be a "hard fork," in which a new coin shares transaction history with bitcoin up until a decisive split point, at which point a new token is created. Examples of cryptocurrencies that have been created as a result of hard forks include bitcoin cash (created in August 2017), bitcoin gold (created in October 2017), and bitcoin SV (created in November 2017).
A "soft fork" is a change to protocol that is still compatible with the previous system rules. For example, bitcoin soft forks have increased the total size of blocks.
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Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto?Satoshi Nakamoto is the name used by the unknown creator of the protocol used in the bitcoin cryptocurrency. moreBitcoin Halving: What You Need to KnowHow Bitcoin's halving works and what it means for Bitcoin users. moreBitcoin Classic DefinitionA fork from Bitcoin Core that proposed increasing the size of blocks. moreEther (ETH)Ether is the cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network. All of the programs linked with the Ethereum network require computing power; Ether is the token that is used to pay for this power. moreCryptocurrencyA cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography and is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. moreBitcoin CashBitcoin cash is a cryptocurrency created in August 2017, arising from a fork of Bitcoin. more
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If you are at Disney's Magic Kingdom and are looking for a good Italian meal then Tony's Town Square Restaurant may be the place for you. Tony's Town Square restaurant is inspired by the romantic Italian trattoria where Lady and the Tramp share spaghetti and have their famous pasta kiss in the Disney classic animated film, Lady and the Tramp.
1 Where is Tony's Town Square Restaurant?
Where is Tony's Town Square Restaurant?
When you enter the Magic Kingdom Tony's Town Square Restaurant is located on the right-hand side inside of Town Square Theater. The restaurant is on the left once you enter. You will see a beautiful seating area with a TV playing Lady and the Tramp.
Tony's Town Square menu has a lot of traditional Italian dishes like lasagna, ravioli, pizza, and chicken parmesan.
The bread service is amazing! The bread is so flavorful and soft with a crisp crust. The bread is served with a seasoned Olive Oil dipping sauce.
We decided to have an appetizer and chose fried mozzarella. I was quite disappointed with these. They were $11. It was 3 pieces on top of creamy marinara sauce. Yes, they were delicious but they weren't $11 good.
One of the most popular dishes according to our server is the Italian Trio. It is a dish that serves Chicken Parmigiana, Fettucini Alfredo, and Spaghetti with Meatballs. The meatballs are made with a pork/beef mixture. The dish had a good amount of food. My husband loved the Chicken Parmigiana best.
I ordered the House-made Gnocchi Primavera. I did not order smartly and realized very quickly it was not something I would like. I did try it and I loved the pesto sauce and the gnocchi pasta. I thought that the dish would include seasonal vegetables on the side and not comprise the majority of the dish. I like vegetables, just don't like a lot of them cooked. Thankfully, even though it was my mistake I was able to switch my order.
I ended up ordering Fettucini Alfredo with chicken. The alfredo sauce was creamy and nice. The chicken was a little dry.
Overall, this was not my favorite dining experience.
I love getting character autographs. If you politely ask your server, they can take your autograph book and go out back and get their paw print autographs. You don't even need to eat at Tony's to get it, you can just go to the check-in desk and ask.
Tony's is especially popular around Valentine's Day, 4th of July, and during the Christmas season. While it is very important to get an advanced dining reservation if you can, this is one place where it is pretty easy to get a same day reservation.
On the sidewalk outside of the Town Square Theater in front of Tony's you will find a heart with Lady & the Tramp's footprints. Sometimes they might be hidden by parked strollers but just ask a Cast Member if you are having a hard time finding them.
Looking for more Magic Kingdom Dining options? Check out my favorite Magic Quick Service Dining Locations and my Chef Mickey's Review which is right next to the Magic Kingdom at the Contemporary Resort.
Have you ever ate at Tony's? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments below!
This is a great tip! It's been years since I've been to Magic Kingdom, so I'll have to hang on to this for the next time I'm visiting the park.


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Our Nuclear Self-Help Plan by Kundali Dasa
Oct 1, 1986 | Kundali Dasa, The Vedic Observer, Volume-21 Number-10
My wife doesn't approve of my writing this, but I'm doing it anyway. It shows you how differently two Hare Krsna devotees can view the same situation.
The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) recently announced a change in its nuclear war emergency plan. The new plan is to build six hundred nuclear bomb shelters across the U.S. between 1988 and 1992, at a cost of 1.5 billion dollars, for the exclusive use of local, state, and federal officials in case of a nuclear war. As a result, you can expect to see a lot of new aspirants for government positions over the next few years.
The old plan called for civilians living near likely nuclear targets to evacuate in orderly fashion along specified routes to safe sites designated by FEMA officials, in half an hour, the amount of time we'll have before the first bombs hit. Logistical difficulties abounded. Can you imagine the orderly evacuation of a city of one million in half an hour? What to speak of New York City's ten million plus?
The new plan is much more practical. Should a nuclear war happen, government officials on all levels will have six hundred shelters to hide in, while the rest of the nation relies on, in FEMA's words, "self-help."
Sensitive to reproof from people who say Hare Krsna devotees hold a morbid, negative outlook, I tried to see some positive aspects of the new plan. I found a few.
For example, certainly a nuclear shoot-out would amount to the biggest national emergency of all time. You wouldn't really expect our leaders to scatter all over the countryside at such a critical time, would you? Under the new plan our leaders can convene and carry out their official functions with hardly any interruption. And after the war, with hale and hearty local, state, and federal officials present, well have considerably less chance of a breakdown in civic decorum, an important consideration after a pitched nuclear battle, when a limited supply of breathable air, drinkable water, and other vital commodities may bring out the worst in people. Imagine the bedlam if we didn't have enough coats to go around for the nuclear winter. To have our elected leaders handle these difficult situations would, no doubt, be a welcome relief.
Now here's the part my wife didn't want me to include: her reaction to my positive outlook. When I told her about my seeing some positive things in the new plan and how I was trying to appreciate its good points, she didn't think I was at all funny.
"I'm not trying to be funny," I said plaintively. "I'm trying to break out of the stigmatized view that Hare Krsna devotees are too negative. Let's see the positive side for a change."
She wasn't interested. "It seems 'self-help' is 1986 Orwellian newspeak for 'every man for himself,'" she blurted, her face flushed with indignation. "What about my son?" (It'll be years before he's old enough for a government post.)
"Well, I can always get a job with the government," I offered, trying to ease the tension.
"What kind of decent job can a Hare Krsna monk get in government?"
"Some say there are no decent jobs in government, but I could look into it. There must be something I can do."
"Don't bother," she sighed wearily. "I think the best we can do in this mad world is pray to Krsna to kindly protect us."
"You have a point there," I agreed. "We shouldn't be in any anxiety: Krsna is our shelter. The people at FEMA don't know it, but He is actually our only shelter from nukes or any other form death may take."


Trevor Noah began hosting the show in September 2015. And I don't know what to say, except that I think he's very good. The show remains topically very similar to the Jon Stewart years.
...And there have been lots of other people whom I don't remember as well (if at all). But they're all good.


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Q: How can a cable tester verify correct shielding/twisting of wires? Background: The company I work for makes a variety of special-purpose cable assemblies to go with equipment we make.  The people who build these cables aren't doing a 100% reliable job, and nobody really likes sitting there with a multimeter testing them, so I've been asked to make some cable test fixtures to streamline the process of getting these items verified and shipped out the door.
Ok, no problem - for our simplest cables, a power source and a LED or two will make an adequate tester.  For somewhat fancier cables, I'm fond of making fixtures that are basically just connectors, a bunch of resistors, and two terminals - if the cable is correctly wired, all of the resistors are in series with the terminals, which can be verified with a single multimeter reading.  And for the fanciest ones (like this assembly with 30 pins spread over 5 different connectors), I'm working on microcontroller-based testers with a text LCD to indicate exactly what's wrong with the cable.
However, all of the above is merely verifying electrical continuity, which is hardly the only requirement for a "correct" cable.  I have two specific areas of concern (which I believe are closely related enough to belong in a single question) that I am looking for suggestions on how to incorporate into a tester:

*

*Some of our cables incorporate one or more shielded wires.  I would like to verify that these have been used correctly - that nobody has swapped the conductor and shield at both ends of the cable, for example.

*Some of our cables incorporate an Ethernet data channel, using twisted-pair wiring.  I would like to verify that the correct pairs are twisted together.  This is a particularly subtle problem - split pairs are not likely to make the cable fail, it will just be slower than it should be due to packet retransmissions.

The microcontrollers I'm using for the fancier testers are PICs (that's what I have on hand, and am familiar with), which often include some number of channels of capacitance measurement (intended for touch switches).  That seems like it might be a useful feature here, although I'm not seeing how I could distinguish a center conductor from its shield that way.

A: You should find that the capacitance between two twisted pair cores is higher than the capacitance between random conductors of a multi-core cable.
For screened cables, the best option I can think of is a test rig. The cable could be laid into a slot next to a test wire. Measure the capacitance between each contact on the cable and the test wire.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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The company's first location, opened in 1976 under the Price Club name, was in a converted airplane hangar on Morena Boulevard in San Diego. Originally serving only small businesses, the company found it could achieve far greater buying clout by also serving a selected audience of non-business members. With that change, the growth of the warehouse club industry was off and running. In 1983, the first Costco warehouse location was opened in Seattle. Costco became the first company ever to grow from zero to $3 billion in sales in less than six years. When Costco and Price Club merged in 1993, the combined company, operating under the name PriceCostco, had 206 locations generating $16 billion in annual sales.
How Can You Save Using Costco Coupons?
We have several promo codes with a new offer every single day. You can combine the deals along with the already existing offers on Costco and drive prices lower than ever. You can also save using the Free Shipping Codes that will help you get your order delivered at your doorstep, free of cost. Also available, are warehouse special offers and instant savings offers on a wide variety of products. Simply enter the online code in the applicable box at the time of checkout; the discount amount will automatically be deducted and displayed on the screen.
Costco has three types of membership: Executive, Business, and Gold Star. Executive Members earn a 2% Annual Reward on most Costco purchases, and receive additional benefits on our member services. Costco will refund your membership fee in full at any time if you are dissatisfied. If you're not yet a member, you can add a membership to your cart and purchase online immediately for a nominal fee of $55 per annum. Executive membership is charged at $110. Costco members can also renew their memberships online and pay for their purchases and membership together.
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You can get rewarded with Cash Back on eligible everyday purchases with the TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express. Benefits include 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on gasoline at Costco, 2% Cash Back at U.S. restaurants, 2% Cash Back on eligible travel purchases and 1% cash Back on other purchases, including at Costco. All this at no annual fee with a Costco membership.
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On cereal crops, feeding damage is generally concentrated near field margins as the hatchlings are not very mobile. Their feeding damage includes leaf notching and stripping, but as they mature they can consume an entire plant. They can fly and move around easily in search of a wide variety of food sources (Hein; Campbell, 2004).
Eggs are white, yellow green, tan, or various shades of brown in color and are elongated, curved, and pod-liked. They are laid beneath the soil surface (also in non-crop areas including ditches, fence rows, and weedy areas) in compact clusters of 35-100 eggs that is covered by a frothy secretion. The froth bubbles, which protect the eggs from drying, are either white or brown, depending on the species, . The eggs will hatch in about 1-3 months, depending on the species and environmental conditions (Reissig; et. al., 1986: pp. 112-113).
The newly hatched nymph is white in color. After several hours of exposure to sunlight, it assumes its distinctive color and the markings of becoming an adult. Most nymphs immediately look for feeding sites and continue to feed on the same plants until they become adults. The nymphs have wing pads but they cannot fly. This is the reason why most of the damaged plants are concentrated and are found at the edges of the field. They will undergo 4-9 nymphal stages and become adults in about 2-7 months depending on the species and environmental conditions (Reissig; et. al., 1986: pp. 112-113).
Clear-winged grasshopper (Camnula pellucida) is yellowish to brownish in color with clear wings that are streaked with round brown spots. It has two stripes that start at the thorax and converge at the tip of the wings. It is about 2.1-3.2 cm long (Phillip, 2004).
Differential grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis) is brown to olive-green or yellow in color. The hind legs are marked with V-shaped-like black markings. It is about 2.5-3.2 cm long (Texas A&M University, 1999).
Elegant grasshopper (Zonocerus elegans) measures from 3-3.7 mm long and has a striking color pattern. Its body is boldly patterned in black, yellow, and orange. It has an olive-green saddle and a yellowish-green with red-blended elytra. When touched, it emits drops of a yellowish and foul odor fluid (Matthews, 1994: p. 393).
Hieroglyphus banian is dull-green or yellow- brown in color, without stripes. Its brown antennae have yellow rings. The enlarged pair of legs are green. It is about 2.7- 3.2 cm. long (Reissig; et. al., 1986: p. 113).
Migratory grasshopper (M. sanguinipes) is grayish to reddish-brown with a yellow abdomen. Its front wings have no stripes but have small and square black patches (Phillip, 2004).
Oxya japonica japonica is bright-green with a yellow-green stripe running from the head along the back. A large black-stripe runs along its side of the body. It is about 2.7- 3.2 cm. long (Reissig; et. al., 1986: p. 113).
Packard grasshopper (M. packardii) is gray to dark-yellow and has 2 light-colored stripes that extend from just behind the eyes to the posterior margin of the thorax. The forewings are uniformly gray and lack distinctive stripes. The last 2 segments of the hind legs are blue- green. It is approximately 2.7- 3.2 cm. long (Calpas; Johnson, 2003).
Redlegged grasshopper (M. femurrubrum) has a gray-green to yellow-brown body and a yellow abdomen. Its last segment of the hind leg is red, hence the name (Phillip, 2004).
Two-striped grasshopper (M. bivittatus) has two pale-stripes extending back from the eyes to the tip of the wings. It is about 4 cm long (Phillip, 2004).
Zonocerus variegatus is covered with black, yellow and orange patterns. It is about 3.5 cm long (Matthews, 1994: p. 393).


There's a good person in there, truly, there is. It's just that Patrick Carl has to exorcise a LOT of profane demons to get down to his genius.
None of that previous sentence was meant as a criticism. Rather, it sums up the journey of the hour that is known as Patrick Carl – Radicarlised.
Patrick has a self-deprecating stage style and is an Australian version of a cross between George Costanza from Seinfeld and Bottom from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. See, Patrick, you're not the only one who can make obscure references from the past!
Patrick spends of the first part of his show fishing around in the bottom drawer of his domestic life, bemoaning life after his 30th birthday and then giving his partner a thorough going through. And I mean, thorough. Right down to the smallest hair.
But where he stumbles into the territory of comedic greatness, is in the last part of his show in which he tackles the real issue of whether or not voting should have an upper age limit rather than just a lower age limit.
His downplayed but deeply disturbing analysis of what hordes of votes by 80+ year old voters have left as their legacy for the rest of us, particularly the Brexit vote, is distilled clearly and his solution is at once, perfect and hilarious.
Would love to see more radicarlised commentary of aspects of life outside the bedroom, we need it!
Approach this show with head down and ears back. It is in-your-face stand up and if you keep at it the climax will be worth it.


We believe that great inquiry-based teaching is an art form that has the power to inspire change (and that anyone can learn to do it).
We've spent decades working side-by-side with school leaders, teachers, corporate trainers, and non-profit instructors on establishing inquiry-based mindsets, approaches, and tools that inspire change, achieve results, and engage students of all ages at high levels. Small shifts in how we teach can and do yield huge results in how students learn!
We share inquiry-based instructional strategies by modeling them ourselves. We boil down the latest neuroscience and brain research to their most essential elements. We demonstrate for teachers what these elements look like in real classrooms and training sessions. We co-create and demonstrate lessons, offer real-time feedback inside staff rooms and classrooms, provide ready-to-implement inquiry-based design strategies, videos, tools, and templates.
Part workbook, part reflective journal, Experience Inquiry guides you through the 'inquiry five' strategies using 50 activities that are designed for individual reflection, small group PLCs and with students at all levels. Don't just read about inquiry, experience it!
Thank you! You can download the PDFs here.
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Watch how teachers implement each of the five inquiry strategies in their classrooms in this bestselling series of videos designed for teachers to watch and reflect on together. Videos are available for both primary grades and secondary teachers.
Come experience inquiry firsthand in one of our immersive workshops. During our workshops, you will practice, receive feedback, and reflect on your teaching and facilitation moves. Check out our upcoming schedule, grab a couple of colleagues and join us! Yes, we offer clock hours.
Working shoulder-to-shoulder with principals, teachers, and trainers is our bread & butter. We offer dynamic and hands-on workshops, real-time coaching, design thinking sessions, expert facilitation and inspiring keynotes. Our primary goal with every engagement is to foster connection and inspire action.


The NBA playoffs began over the weekend, in the opening game of the Clippers-Spurs series, LA star Chris Paul went off. He put up 32 points in 38 minutes to lead all scorers in the Clippers 107-92 win. Not bad for the smallest guy on the court (Paul is 6'0").
Be sure the pick up a copy of the May issue of Sports Illustrated Kids on newsstands starting May 2 — or subscribe today to get a copy mailed directly to you by May 4!


This Pecha Kucha presentation will summarize what we have learned from customers as an Atlassian Partner and from working together with other Partners. How to sell licenses? What is more attractive to which employees in what type of organizations? How can you deliver more value to your customers while improving your bottom line? How should Data Center best be offered and which paths are best for upselling?
This session is mainly for Partners, but customers may also be interested.


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NewsResidential Mortgages
Douglas Cochrane is set to retire as head of housing development at Lloyds Banking Group.
Cochrane, who has worked in the role since 1979, will start his transition period on 1 April as he helps to support a handover to a successor.
Esther Dijkstra, director of strategic partnerships, said: "It is with understandably mixed emotions that I've agreed a flexible basis for Douglas Cochrane, head of housing development to retire.
Lendex receives commitment from Lloyds Banking Group
"Douglas's transition will start on the 1 of April as he has kindly agreed to support a successor to complete a comprehensive handover and so he will work part-time until the summer.
"This transition reflects the value we place on the continuity of your partnership with Lloyds Banking Group and the contribution that our Housing Development team brings to the house building sector.
"Douglas has been with Lloyds Banking Group for over 40 years and his contributions to the house building market have been instrumental in making it a better industry for builders, mortgage lenders and the customer.
"His influence has reached far beyond Lloyds Banking Group and he will be missed across government, regulators, industry bodies, house builders and many others across our industry.
"On behalf of Lloyds Banking Group I would like to thank Douglas for all of his contributions.
"He plans to spend more time with his family."
Cochrane won the Lifetime Achievement award at the Scottish Mortgage Award's 2019.
The Society of Mortgage Professionals relaunches
Lloyds mortgage book rises


Since its inception in 1985, Make-A-Wish Mississippi has granted over 1,650 wishes. With the help of volunteers, or "wish granters" as they are called, children facing tough battles are able to receive their most heartfelt wish. It takes a special person to take on this responsibility. It takes people like Mona, Lauren and Megan. People filled with kindness, compassion and selflessness.
Mona not only serves as a wish granter, but she also works on the committee for the Annual Make-A-Wish Golf Tournament and sponsors the annual Evening of Wishes Gala. Furthermore, she has enlisted several others to become a part of the organization, others such as her twin daughters, Lauren and Megan. Mona instilled the importance of helping others in need into her daughters, and that is evident through their commitment to philanthropy. For the Enstroms, Make-A-Wish is a family affair.
Lauren and Megan grew up watching their mom volunteer for Make-A-Wish. When asked how long they had been volunteering, the two replied with "as long as we can remember." Lauren and Megan both became wish granters as soon as they moved back to Madison after college. Together Lauren and Megan have granted over fifteen wishes in just a few years and have recruited 7 additional wish granters for Make-A-Wish.
So why do they volunteer for Make-A-Wish? Besides following in their mother's footsteps, Lauren and Megan had two inspiring answers. "Granting the child's wish doesn't only impact the wish child; it impacts all of their loved ones. Sometimes it is overseen how much the child's family and friends have been through because of the child's illness. It's so nice to give these children and their families a sense of normalcy while enjoying their wish," said Lauren.
Mona, Lauren and Megan's dedication to helping kids get a wish is inspiring. Want to become a wish granter, too? Visit www.ms.wish.org for more information on how to get involved.
This story originally appeared in Madison County Magazine.


"The motivation is an important leverage in the self-adjustment individual process, a driving force behind the entire psychic and human development." (Moldovan, pg. 203).
Student motivation is key in a pupil's educational success and accomplishments. As a future educator myself, I find that motivation and student engagement is crucial in not only my students' learning, but my own learning as well. Being able to present content material in such a way that students are engaged and willing to participate is important for you as a teacher to accomplish. More importantly, finding strategies and ways to go about motivating your students of all ability levels and backgrounds may be challenging but is extremely rewarding and fulfilling in the end. "Motivation comes from several different avenues including personal interest, acknowledgment, and achievement. Students with intrinsic motivation often are preferred by instructors; however, some students rely on extrinsic motivators. Instructors can use this knowledge and adapt their teaching style to encourage more intrinsic motivation. Instructors can increase motivation in students through interactive lessons, student self-evaluation, positive feedback, and encouragement." (Sedden, pg. 614). As discussed earlier, it is important for you as a teacher to be able to find the right types of motivation when it comes to your students. As many students vary in different learning styles and are engaged in the classroom setting by different and individualized instruction.
With students who need more of an extrinsic motivation, positive rewards are a huge part of this student's motivational success. Whether it is directly or indirectly from the teacher, this student learns much more in an environment in which he/she is praised and encouraged to do so (avoiding conflict/consequences). Teachers may use compliments and/or encouragement or rewards in which the student will receive to become more motivated and engaged in his/her learning environment. With intrinsic motivation, the student will simply learn based off his or her own interest in doing so.
As I plan to become a secondary physical education teacher, I feel as though extrinsic motivation will be used much more in my class than intrinsic because students at this level (especially in the P.E. setting) tend to lack motivation in being physically active and healthy. Providing positive feedback, reinforcing the importance of engagement/participation, and responding in a positive sense of voice to students, especially at the secondary level, can motivate students greatly in their success both inside and outside the classroom setting.
As discussed previously, motivating students of all ability levels may be challenging at times. In the physical education setting however, there are various ways in which motivating students can become almost impossible at times. Ways in which going about motivating students in a P.E. setting could be examples such as positive reinforcement, reward systems (i.e., free choice time, activities based off student enjoyment, student-teaching, etc.). "…it seems that feedback satisfying the need for competence fosters autonomous motivation that in turn positively predicts positive affect and intentions to participate in future-time activities." (Mouratidis, pg. 263). Simply stating, positive reinforcement is a huge motivator for students, more specifically in the physical education setting.
Need help as a teacher motivating students in the classroom setting? Student-centered learning! While physical education class slightly differs in motivating students from the classroom setting, there are many more specific classroom motivational strategies for students that educators may use in their teaching strategies. "Do-it-yourself, student-to-student teaching, project-based learning, and student-centered learning environments are some of the more encouraging programs. Also, the integration of technology into every subject and at all grade levels allows unprecedented levels and types of exciting collaboration and learner to learner connectivity." (Bogdan, pg. 1). Letting students become their very own 'innovators' provides for better success and accomplishment in the classroom. Students will not only become more motivated to learn and be engaged in the specific content area, but these students are able to become more knowledgeable and educated in their own type of learning environment. While today's technology is extremely crucial to many districts' education instructional strategies, technology also plays a major role in student motivation as well! "…computer assisted instruction allowed for more individualized instruction and provided opportunities for learner control, and rapid, non-judgmental feedback." (Stockwell, pg. 157). As this quote simply states, technology can greatly benefit the student in his/her very own learning environment.
Motivation and learning can be extremely challenging for some students. There are three theories however in which learners have a desire and motivation to process specific information. These theories include behaviorism, information processing, and the social cognitive theory, all three in which many educators use in their classrooms. The social cognitive theory I believe, is used much more than the other two for students to gain motivation in the classroom. "The Social Cognitive Theory extends the theory of Behaviorism, looking at the way the individual's environment couples with motivation and consequence. Considered in this theory are concepts such as environment, beliefs, personal characteristics, beliefs about one's capabilities, models, and self-regulations (Woolfolk, pg. 17). Students' beliefs about their individual capabilities and their environment around them can greatly impact their learning experience. Although as a teacher, there are so many ways in which you can positively impact a students' life by providing them a safe and happy environment in which they believe in themselves and their abilities as a student. Student motivation is the key to a successful and outstanding learner environment!
Stockwell, G. (2013). Technology and motivation in English-language teaching and learning. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 156-175.
Mouratidis, A., Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., & Sideridis, G. (2008). The motivating role of positive feedback in sport and physical education: Evidence for a motivational model. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 30(2), 240-268.
Moldovan, O. o. (2014). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to primary school children. Journal Plus Education / Educatia Plus, 10(1), 203-211.
"Effective teachers who establish positive relationships with their students appear to be a powerful force in those students' lives. Students who have problems seem to benefit the most from good teaching." (Woolfolk, pg. 8). While it is extremely important for teachers to establish individual relationships with their students in order to better understand each students' learning ability levels/needs, many more factors are crucial for good and effective teaching. Educators must create a positive and challenging learning environment for all students, commit to their own learning to develop a better teaching practice (be knowledgeable of their content material), collaborate with colleagues and other professionals in their content area to reach and teach students of all backgrounds, and incorporate technology into their teaching strategies to vary the delivery of information engaging students. Although these are only some aspects of effective teaching that educators of all content areas must integrate into their teaching, I have learned so much over the course of one class that has gave me a new outlook on how to become a great and successful teacher.
2. Teachers know how children grow.
The teacher understands how children with broad ranges of ability learn and provides instruction that supports their intellectual, social, and personal development.
3. Teachers understand that children learn differently.
The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities.
Learning about culture and diversity in this course this semester has really broaden my learning opportunities in understanding students of all different backgrounds (as mentioned previously). As a teacher, again, I feel as though it is extremely important to understand each student at an individual level and know where each student comes from. Whether it be their home life, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, or social diversity, being able to teach and provide each student with the same effective and successful teaching can and will benefit the student as well as you as a teacher.
Motivation and student success I believe is the most significant and beneficial material that I have learned this semester that will positively impact my future teaching. "If the locus is internal, the motivation is intrinsic; if the locus is external, the motivation is extrinsic. Most motivation has elements of both." (Woolfolk, pg. 480). From my beliefs and knowledge that I have learned this semester, I feel as though it is necessary as a teacher to provide various ways of motivation for each student if that student is not experiencing any motivation his/herself. It is your job as an educator to reach each students individual needs and teach them in ways in which will benefit that student in their future. Motivation and goal setting strategies for your students are significant in your pupils learning experiences!
After being new to 'blogging,' I have learned so much about the importance of having a professional online identity. Not only being able to express my personal ideas and beliefs to people who have the same interests as me, but learning from others and gaining knowledge on outside resources and professionals in the educational field has positively affected my online experience in the education field. I will continue my research in physical education and continue blogging, possibly finding a website/program directly impacting and reaching future educators in the physical education field. In today's society, technology and the online world is extremely important and referenced in schools all around. Being able to relate to my future students through the media can greatly benefit them as students as well as myself as a professional.
While it is important to understand that each student has a wide range of ability level in their academic learning, motivation, appropriate goals, assessment strategies, and various learning methods are all taken into consideration when providing instruction to all different types of students. "Motivation is usually defined as an internal state that arouses, directs, and maintains behavior." (Woolfolk, pg. 476). With that being said, motivation is crucial when influencing a positive and enjoyable learning environment from students with various cultures, backgrounds, and learning abilities. As a future educator, I feel as though influencing a students learning with motivation is key to student success. Social cognitive theories of motivation will be placed into my future classroom for many reasons. One being that it is important for students be able to value a goal of his/her liking and to appreciate the overall outcome of the desired result. As a teacher, being able to set high standards (although they will be achievable based of off the individual) and believing in your students is key to success and effective goal setting strategies.
On going assessment such as observation and flexible grouping of students is also crucial to successful teaching. Student-centered teaching approaches such as one-on-one work with students and trial and error work best when planning adequate teaching. "An increase in course grades or doing well on examinations are commonly used measures, but there are others such as student engagement, self-assessed learning, and other objective and subjective measures of learning." (Bradford, pg. 34). With student-centered learning, more and more student achievement and positive engagement is being statistically proven. Therefore, using this type of teaching in the classroom is necessary for a motivational, positive and influential goal setting, and an effective and successful classroom.
"The categories after Knowledge were presented as "skills and abilities," with the understanding that knowledge was the necessary precondition for putting these skills and abilities into practice." (Armstrong). Knowledge and comprehension are used in stage one to provide the student with a full and concise understanding of the sport education model of basketball. As listed in the model, students will understand and comprehend modified and authentic basketball play and continue onto applying these skills into a game of the sport with team mates (Stage 2 of the attached Backward Design). Again, while all students learn at various levels, taken into account were students views of learning and diversity (ability levels) and accommodations were taken into consideration such as modified games could be played if students felt the need to do so. Deciding what should go into a lesson or unit plan is important because as a teacher, you want the most successful learning outcome of your students. Making sure each detail is presented in your lessons is also important to sufficient organization which in turn will keep you knowledgeable and credible about your subject material.
The Backward Design I believe, is imperative to great teaching. By designing the unit that I did in physical education – Sport Education: Basketball, I felt as though the much detail and time taken into consideration when creating the framework really supported the goals in which I hope students are successful in. In the future, the Backward Design framework will be used throughout my teaching for a more efficient and successful teaching instruction.
As a future educator, planning to come across many differences among students such as culture, skills, ideas, norm differences are meant to happen. Identifying and planning for individual and cultural differences between students is essential when it comes to effective teaching. The ways in which you can take these differences and plan to incorporate them into your classroom and teaching is up to you as the teacher. However, it is extremely important for you to do so.
Poverty and school achievement today is a major issue in today's society. Many families are struggling to make ends meet and parents are having hard times giving their children a good education. "About 1 in 5 Americans under the age of 18 lives below the poverty level-$22,050 annual income for a family of four. That is 21% of all children in the United States." (Woolfolk, pg. 233). With that being said, it is important for future educators to plan in advance that all students in their classroom may not be raised in households that have parents who are able to give their children accurate school supplies or reliable transportation to school, or even a decent breakfast or lunch to take to school with them. It is important for you as the teacher to make sure that you take initiative so therefore your student can receive the up-most respect from you as their teacher and a successful educational career. "Most children learn to learn to compete and succeed in school, outside of the safe confines of their home and family."(Orthner, pg. 119).
As a future educator, it is important to be aware of each students home life and how it can affect their school achievement. It is your job and duty to be able to plan lessons successful enough for each individual students' needs.
Woolfolk, A. (2014). Educational psychology: Active learning edition. (12th Ed.). Pearson, Inc.
Orthner, D., Cook, P., Rose, R., & Randolph, K. (2002). Welfare reform, poverty, and children's performance in school: challenges for the school community. Children & Schools, 24(2), 105-121.
"Both the behaviorist and cognitivist offer important aspects to learning. When deciding which strategies to utilize, it is crucial to consider the level of knowledge of the learners and the cognitive processing demands. The nature of the learning task and proficiency level of the learners should both be considered when incorporating strategies." (Haberkorn). Behaviorist and cognitive perspectives are learning are crucial to effective and successful teaching, as Harberkorn stated. A student must remember what he or she understood during the lesson which is the cognitive aspect and then later be able to practice and apply the material later on which would be the behavioral perspective. Students who are able to do so in turn will gain much more out of the content and remember the material that is being taught much more efficiently. "It's all about meta-cognition, the ability to think about your own learning!" (Weber, PowerPoint, 2017).
There are few limitations however that reside in behavioral and cognitive learning perspective. While being able to understand the content that is being given to them, some students find it troubling to remember or recall exactly what it was that they learned. Ways to fix this would be giving students the abilities to try different ways to better remember material based on their needs. This would include things such as hands-on learning, using pictures or tables and charts to understand something in better detail, etc.
With behavioral learning, some students also may find it troubling to apply and practice material learned. Teachers can use other aspects of learning such social cognitive learning, taking charge of their own learning, and have students create and apply content to the best of their ability rather than applying it in a structured way.
I believe that the behavioral learning perspective play one of the key roles in regards to teachers instruction, peer interaction, and students. Being able to "…practice and apply new skills and understand the material, will make them more fluid and automatic – a permanent part of their repertoire." (Woolfolk, p. 469). I feel as though students who are able to practice what they have learned have a better opportunity to learn even more by learning from their mistakes and changing up the practice to search for the successful outcome.
As a student, I tend to fit more in the constructivist, social/situated category views of learning. I tend to be an active thinker and ask many questions until I get my desired answer/outcome. I also believe that I am an active social participator, engaging in class discussions that are interesting to me and/or in which I have many questions about. I believe that the more questions asked, the more that I myself as a student will learn along with my peers around me.
As a future educator, applying different views of learning into the classroom is crucial for optimal student success. While some students learn better by doing, some learn better simply by listening and viewing. This is important to keep in mind because each student have various abilities in the learning aspect of education. There are multiple paths of knowledge for all students. As a teacher, it is your job to create an environment suitable, knowledgeable, and successful for each one of them!
"People develop at different rates, development is relatively orderly, development takes place gradually." (Woolfolk, p. 36). Each one of these principles are key components of learner development. However, there are a few theorists (Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, and Bronfenbrenner) whose ideas and concepts of a child's learning development are similar in a sense yet different at the same time. Piaget's and Vygostky's beliefs and ideas on social and cognitive development will be discussed throughout this blog.
Piaget had four stages of cognitive development which were sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. He believed every child passes through each one of these stages throughout his/her lifetime. While each one of these stages relates to a child's understanding of learning development, children may or may not ever go through each one of these stages. As discussed in class, Dr. Weber has a young child at home in which she not only is in the preoperational stage but also in the concrete operational stage in her life. While Dr. Weber's daughter understands concepts of conservation (i.e. having the same amount of coins in both rows regardless of how spread out they are), she might not understand the concept of having the same amount of water in two glasses then taking that same amount of water and pouring it into a wider/taller glass.While some children do in fact go through each stage, some children learn better and/or excel or skip some stages of Piaget's theory of development based on their learning capabilities.
This is vital to understand when it comes to teaching because as a teacher, you are responsible for understanding each and everyone of your student's learning abilities in order to teach at an effective level for all students.
"We develop because we learn." (PowerPoint, 2017). Vygotsky believed that culture and the social processes are what affected a child's learning more greatly. He came up with the idea of the zone of proximal development in which is "the area between the child's current development level and the level of development that the child could achieve through adult guidance or collaboration with more capable peers." (Woolfolk, p. 67). This can impact a child's learning and well as the teachers instruction greatly. While having the child focus best on what he/she can accomplish individually then gradually assisting in ways in ways that will benefit the child's understanding is an important concept of successful teaching. Being aware of the different types of learning development that you have in your classroom is key in becoming an outstanding teacher.
As a future teacher, understanding different types of learner development and parenting styles and how social and cultural processes can impact a child's learning is vital to bring to the classroom. Each theory and idea discussed comes together to not only develop the child's learning development but to mold you into a better teacher. Having the knowledge that all students develop at different rates and that development is gradual will help you plan and create a learning environment specifically designed towards your students capabilities.
As a future teacher, being able to incorporate research into classroom learning is important when it comes to effective teaching. The purpose for research in education is to stimulate discussion in the classroom, challenge students' assumptions and opinions, reaffirm connections, and raise new questions about the topic at hand. Research can also make and confirm sound decisions about the education activities and experiences that will best serve your students individual needs.
While providing and collecting research in order to effectively and successfully engage students' learning, information literacy is also important when evaluating your students understanding of a subject as well as your teaching. Becoming a future educator, being able to incorporate information literacy into the classroom setting is essential for students' learning of all levels and various backgrounds. "As teacher educators who teach literacy methods courses, we emphasize the importance of high-quality literacy instruction that meets the needs of all students from many different backgrounds in today's classrooms." (Brock, 2007, pg. 18). By understanding this concept, students will be able to make informed educational decisions about the specific topic, incorporate knowledge from the information found into his/her work, and be able to assess and evaluate the information accurately and effectively.
Although being able to find and apply research in the classroom is significant for a students understanding of learning; sharing and applying the research found is just as, if not more, important to great teaching. "The importance of assigning homework as a tool for practice continues to be debated at many levels of education." (Young, 2016, pg. 1).
a time honored strategy for developing learning skills and reinforcing knowledge gained within the classroom." (2005, pg. 1).
While obesity and various diseases are more common in today's society, especially for the younger generation; and with technology playing the key role, being active and understanding how to stay healthy is major. Again, as many believe that physical education is not as important as core subjects such as math, English, science, reading, etc. research proves that by practicing homework in this subject can in turn practice positive, active behavior in a child's physical activity. "In yet another study, which looked at using homework in a PE class, researchers found that physical educators typically saw increases in physical activity levels outside of school hours when homework was assigned." (Burt, 2017, pg. 2).
Applying my knowledge on this topic and topics that I have recently learned about research and information literacy is essential to my future teaching and can benefit me greatly. I will be able to ensure that students understand the importance of not only homework, but how further research and studies can improve knowledge, the understanding, and mastery of a specific topic.
As research is the topic being discussed, I came across an interesting video by researcher Dr. John J. Ratey, MD and how he discusses exercise and physical activity. Not only is it good for a students' brain, but it can improve a students learning and knowledge in other core subjects. Thought it be a great end watch to sum up this blog!
Brock, C. H., Lapp, D., Flood, J., Fisher, D., & Keonghee Tao, H. (2007). Does homework matter?. Urban Education, 42(4), 349-372.
Young, N., Dollman, m., & Angel, N. F. (2016). Does homework really matter for college students in quantitatively-based courses?. Journal Of Learning In Higher Education, 12(1), 19-26.
Simplicio, J. C. (2005). Homework in the 21st century: The antiquated and ineffectual implementation of a time honored educational strategy. Education, 126(1), 138-142.
Burt, D. J. (2017). Using the TIPS method to implement homework in physical education. Strategies (08924562), 30(1), 43-46.
My name is Alexandra Karmis and I am working towards becoming a Physical Education teacher minor in Health Education. I would like to teach at the middle school level therefore I can also teach health classes as well.
I enjoy playing sports and being outside and am a huge fan of the Chicago Bulls! I love to travel and have been to Mexico and Jamaica and hope to continue to visit more places as I grow.
The reason I decided to become a physical education teacher was personally having a great P.E. teacher throughout my high school career. My teacher always made it important to ask each student how their day was going, what's new with them, just an overall great teacher who cared greatly about his students. He believed in each one of us and made sure that we knew that as well.
One day, I hope to make sure that each one of my students knows how important and special they are as an individual. Being a great teacher takes experience, and knowledge of the content you are teaching. Again, it is also important that a great teacher cares about the students learning and understanding of the material and takes time out of his or her day to make sure the student knows that you are there to help them.
The teaching clips that we had a chance to watch of the boring economics teacher and a clip from the Dead Poets Society really spoke to me. Not only did I have a math teacher that talked just like the economics teacher talked in the clip, I fell behind in math, and couldn't retain any information that my math teacher was teaching. However, I did have a teacher who reminded me of Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society and really wanted us as students to gain as much knowledge as we can. I thought that by having the students stand on the desk and "look at things in a different way" was a great little activity that you can do as a teacher to not only keep the students engaged and interested, but so that the students can actually be able to look at things from a different point of view and realize that everything isn't as it always see ms.
Theme: Blix by Sebastian Schmieg. Theme pack from WPMUDEV by Incsub.


She's the consummate storyteller, a singer-songwriter who is equal parts observer and autobiographer. Sara Groves has been sharing her heart and baring her soul through her music for 15 years. The Collection celebrates her career thus far, culling the best and brightest from her 10 studio albums. The two-disc set includes 23 songs from her previous album history as well as four new tracks.
Of course, it's no easy feat narrowing down her esteemed catalog. From the first strains of her 1998 debut, Past the Wishing, to the confessional Fireflies & Songs and the award-winning Add to the Beauty, there are mini-masterpieces everywhere. Tracks like "You Cannot Lose My Love," "All Right Here" and "Roll to the Middle" testify to her gift as a poet, whether she's talking about parenthood, the difficulties of marriage or the loves and losses that shape who we are. It's no wonder she's garnered three Dove Award nods, been named CCM's Artist of the Year and last year, Christianity Today named her one of their women to watch.
Groves is able to explore universal issues and beyond-the-basic spiritual truths in a way few others can. Her sound ranges from stripped down singer-songwriter fare to thoughtful pop tunes and piano-driven ballads, but her music always has its heart in helping us figure out who we are meant to be and the intersection of faith and life.


The best axe for splitting wood needs to be sharp, because sharp things will cut better. In order for an axe to be able to cut wood efficiently, the area that needs to be cut should be selected at the beginning. A wood splitting axe is great for cutting tree trunks, which can range for various things. A wood axe is so efficient that most people consider it to be a survival tool. Today there are a variety of different types of axes that you can get on the market, created for different purposes, and by different manufacturers. The best wood axe would have to be the Estwing E45A Campers Axe Metal Handle. This is one of the best axe brands that are out there.
It has a 4.5 star rating and the axe is great for farm use, hunting, camping and other stuff. It has a steel head which makes it quite reliable for splitting logs.
It has a bonded and molded shock reduction grip which will help to reduce shock from swings by 70%, which means that this grip will never come off. This is something that Estwing hammers claim through all of their products. Moreover, the axe has a 4 inch cutting edge that will make faster and deeper cuts which means easier chopping for you.
It comes with a printed leather sheath, which really makes it stand out from all of the other rivals. Even though it is perfect for camping the Estwing E45A Campers Axe Metal Handle doesn't sacrifice any of its toughness when it comes to cutting and chopping small and even medium sized wood and branches. This axe is perfect for splitting wood because it has a unique design that will protect the eyes of the user from any flying particles or dust, and even though wearing goggles is a smart way to go, but lets face it, sometimes we just forget or don't have them handy or think we'll only be a minute anyway.
The Estwing E45A Campers Axe Metal Handle weighs around 5 pounds and is 26 inches long and is best when it comes to splitting maul for those who have owned this axe for a long time. Throughout the year, this particular tool has done all sorts of jobs including trimming trees, driving stakes, splitting wood and felling wood.
This is absolutely the best axe for many people considering that it is all one piece and has a forged, solid construction which eliminates loose heads. To add more comfort Estwing added a nylon vinyl deep cushioned grip that has been bonded to the steel.
Basically, having an axe is one essential tool for most homeowners, especially for those who are outdoor enthusiasts. Getting the best axe means that you will always be ready for chopping wood, making kindling, or clearing brush for a trail. The Estwing E45A Campers Axe Metal Handle is one of those axes and it will always be that way in my book. The bonus is the price. The reason some don't like this particular axe is the aesthetics. Many people prefer a traditional looking axe such as the Husqvarna axe. However, I don't rate either of them as the best camp axe, I rate the Fiskars X15 higher. Check out my Fiskars X15 review.


short video HIGHLY ENDORSing THE SERVICES OF ONE STOP SERVICE CENTER CO., LTD. we got his house back, we put it in a new company without risk of thai nominees and our client is as happy as can be!
One Stop,Legal SErvice uses the best lawyers in bangkok and Pattaya to win court cases. our mediators and paralegals can solve many problems, including opening legal thai companies, registering a marriage to a thai, divorces and getting assets back from thai girlfriends for our clients.
Drew Noyes Managing Director of One Stop Legal Service Pattaya Lawyers.
American drew noyes has managed the thai law firm now called one stop legal service since 1998.
international Investor highly endorses the services of one stop service center co., ltd.
This is some of the legal team of One Stop Legal Services Division at Shenanigan's restaurant in Jomtien celebrating a victory for our client from the United Kingdom. One Stop uses registered Thai attorneys when needed. We also have Mediators, Consultants, Investigators and Paralegals who att speak English and Thai languages.
Major English Language Websites About Lawyers in Pattaya Thailand and Legal Services for Divorce, Marriage, Property Transactions, Operating Businesses in Thailand and More.
CLICK THE VIDEO TO VIEW A SHORT VIDEO OF A CLIENT from the uk explains how WE got his house back FROM HIS THAI GIRLFRIEND FOR HIM after the love waS GONE.
Our sincerest gratitude to UpMedio Design for their amazing service and for the immaculate redesign of our office.


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Q: How to run PowerShell as a administrator programmatically? I want to run the PowerShell script through ossec in which I want to used Set-Acl command which required administrator privileges. So I want this script run as a administrator programatically.
I used this tag:
Start-Process PowerShell -Verb RunAs

but it asks for user response. so is there another solution to solve this problem?


text:
Selection: Michalis Katsigeras
April 11, 2005 11.04.2005 • 08:00
CHURCH AND CYPRUS: The Panhellenic Committee for Union with Cyprus, chaired by Archbishop Spyridon of Athens, has issued the following communique: «(…) The people of Greece, recalling the repeated official and unofficial British exhortations which, during the recent foreign occupation, came from British lips urging people to rise up against the foreign yoke, have this to say. Should we believe that the foreign yoke should be thrown off when imposed by others, but when imposed by our allies, not only should it be tolerated unprotestingly, but that expressions of peaceful opposition against it should be called «malicious acts» committed by a group of «criminals,» as the British colonial secretary recently characterized the latest demonstrations in Cyprus? However, if we believe that this is true, then the Greek people must necessarily draw the conclusion that only a few years ago its allies were driven to actions committed by the «malicious» and which would include them in the category of «criminals.» (…) «The Greek people are at the side of the Cypriot patriots struggling for freedom.»
Letter from Mystras
More deregulation
Diplomatic impetus
Ministerial workout
Political tug-of-war


It seems like just yesterday when I traveled up the North Shore to create engagement memories with Sarah and Landon. After a heart-felt first look at the Dellwood Country Club, my trusty sidekick, Jeff Dose, and I joined the wedding party and made our way out onto a friend's island to take in the lake life. As family poured in for this event it was obvious how loved Sarah and Landon were by so many. Every detail was accounted for and you could tell Sarah sunk her whole heart in to making the night extra special for each and every guest. As the sun ducked away, sparklers sent them off on their next adventure, Hawaii. Happy honeymoon you two!


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Home Cultural - Κριτική Καλών Τεχνών I'm Not Running – Review of David Hare Play at National Theatre
I'm Not Running – Review of David Hare Play at National Theatre
Greek Press
I'm Not Running is the title of David Hare's new play as well as the first message delivered in the opening scene where a PR man announces to the press that Pauline Gibson has no intention of being a candidate.
David Hare, the doyen of British political playwrights, weaves the personal lives of Pauline, a surgeon, and her one-time lover, lawyer Jack Gould, around the issue of the closure of a small hospital and the leadership of England's Labour Party. A bit of sex, soaring political ambitions and a basketful of social issues are brought together to provide some good theatre
The lives of the two protagonists are examined from 1996 to today in non-chronological order. Pauline (Siân Brooke) and Jack (Alex Hassell) come from different ends of the social spectrum. He is the son of a brilliant star of the Labour Party, privileged, intelligent, self-assured, raised with all the befits of wealth and very ambitious.
She is the child of a poor, dysfunctional and violent family but is intelligent and ambitious, and becomes a surgeon. The event that catapults Pauline into public view is her opposition to the planned closure of a small hospital. Jack who is a member of parliament is in favour and in fact he has had a hand in setting the government policy to close small hospitals and replace them with large health centres that are more efficient.
Pauline takes on the fight to save the hospital and in effect the National Health Service and is supremely successful. As a result, she is elected to parliament as an independent.
The sexual tryst that Jack and Pauline had while students is put on the back burner so to speak, but the stove is not entirely turned off. Hare brings in issues of national health, equality of the sexes, the problems immigrants face and politics in general.
Meredith Ikeji (Amanda Okafor), the child of black immigrants who has graduated from Oxford University has faced discrimination. Nerena (Brigid Zengeni) is a black surgeon who cares for patients but is politically inept. Pauline's mother Blaise (Liza Sadovy) is an abused wife and an alcoholic dying of cancer.
Joshua McGuire as Sandy Mynott, Pauline's PR man, is a highly sympathetic character doing the impossible job of speaking for an ambitious politician.
Everything leads to the climactic fight for the leadership of the Labour Party. Jack, a cookie-cutter candidate, has all the attributes to make him a sure winner. He knows the party from the inside, he has a perfect wife and an impeccable record if you ignore a couple of indiscretions.
Pauline was elected as a one-issue candidate, she is an independent MP and not even a member of the Party. How can she compete with Jack?
Jack and Pauline are very much alike despite surface differences and as such I did not find them fully developed characters. The other characters were not given enough scope apart from Sandy.
Director Neil Armfield and designer Ralph Myers use an empty stage for the press scenes and a room on the revolving stage for the interior scenes. There is generous use of projections where we see the main characters on large screens befitting their ambitions, I suppose.
I am not sure if more intimate knowledge of British politics, especially the state of the Labour Party may have added more depth to my appreciation of the play.
In any event, the final confrontation between Pauline and Jack is, of course, over principles, personalities and the fate of the Labour Party and the country.
The last words of the play will take you back to the opening scene and the title of the play.
I'm Not Running by David Hare continues on the Lyttleton stage of the National Theatre, South Bank, London, England.
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Nothing is more annoying than creating that extra style sheet and pieces of code to make your site "viewable" in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6. If you still happen to use IE6 you will see a small notice on the top of this page inviting you to visit savethedevelopers.org and upgrade your browser.
Say no to IE 6! Our current campaign focuses on assisting users in upgrading their Internet Explorer 6 web browser. This campaign will result in former IE 6 users having a more enjoyable experience on the web while (hopefully) creating a less stressful and complicated environment for web developers by hastening the retirement of an outdated browser.


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05.31.2017 | Places, Wild Life
This tiny songbird treks cross-hemisphere over deserts, oceans, and mountain ranges in one of the animal kingdom's most impressive migrations.
Photograph by Ben Hall
Standing practically immersed in a resplendent field of heather just west of Sheffield, England, a northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) looks right at home. But home is a transient concept for this tiny songbird. Breeding across a vast swath of the northern hemisphere and wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, the species spends almost as much time on the go as it does in any one place.
The benefits of migration are clear. While winter rages in the northern hemisphere, wheatears take advantage of the milder climate and food resources they find in eastern Africa. But these benefits come at a cost, putting some individuals nearly 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles) from where they will eventually breed. Describing their journey by distance alone hardly does it justice. Standing between the birds and their breeding territories—and would-be mates—is the Sahara Desert, the Mediterranean, the Alps and Pyrenees, and, for some, the North Sea—not to mention countless roads, power lines, and battlefields along the way.
Yet the birds make this transit, year after year, as if programmed to do so. In a study published in 2012, scientists from the Institute of Avian Research in Germany placed geolocator tags on breeding individuals—some in Alaska and some in the eastern Canadian Arctic. They discovered that wheatears follow very different migratory paths depending on where they breed—and quite likely, where they themselves once hatched.
Birds that bred in Alaska took the longest route to and from Africa, traveling overland through Asia and Eastern Europe and across the Middle East—a three-month trip that lasted almost as long as their winter layover. Birds that bred in eastern Canada had much less ground to cover, but faced an equally daunting task. Their route included a 3,500-kilometer (2,200-mile) trans-Atlantic flight with the possibility of only a single pit stop on Greenland's southern tip. In subsequent studies, the researchers found that nestling wheatears are instinctually inclined to move east or west depending on where they hatch—prepared from day one to follow the route their parents and countless previous generations have flown before them.
Peak District National Park, United Kingdom
Ben Hall is one of Britain's foremost professional wildlife photographers. He has won numerous international awards and runs photography workshops in the UK and overseas. He resides in Cheshire, at the edge of the Peak District National Park.
Ben Hall Photography
Adaptation Africa Bird England Migration Places Wheatear Wild Life
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