text:
Donald Trump and the new Red Scare
Noah Millman
Illustration by Lauren Hansen | Image courtesy Win McNamee/Getty Images
Donald Trump's opponents have been warning for months that his victory poses a threat to the integrity of American democracy. But the increasingly extreme and irresponsible rhetoric around the question of possible Russian attempts to influence the recent election demonstrate that his opponents do too.
Impartial observers should be able to agree on a few facts.
First of all, far from hiding his support for Russia, Donald Trump ran a campaign that explicitly called for a new relationship with our one-time Cold War rival. He questioned the continued relevance of NATO, mused about recognizing Russian claims to Crimea, and called for an alliance with Russia to fight ISIS in Syria. When questioned in one of the debates about Vice President-elect Mike Pence's more hawkish posture, he explicitly disavowed his own running mate's views. Americans could not plausibly have been better informed about his intentions to pursue a more pro-Russian foreign policy.
Moreover, Russia didn't hide that they favored a Trump victory. This preference was obvious from the way Russian news sources covered the campaign, but accusations that hackers connected to the Russian government provided emails from the DNC to WikiLeaks were also raised loudly during the campaign. In one of the debates, Hillary Clinton herself wondered whether Trump was Putin's "puppet." Once again, it is impossible to argue that Americans were not informed that Putin reciprocated Trump's overtures.
But Trump won anyway. A sufficient percentage of the American people either thought he had a point about changing our Russia policy, or thought the issue wasn't important enough to justify voting for his opponent.
Does that mean debate should end over the proper direction of America's policy towards Russia? Not at all. But a debate isn't what we're having right now.
Right now, major news outlets are suggesting that Trump is a Manchurian Candidate, or implying that Russia did not merely try to influence the election but "hacked" it, even urging that the Electoral College should reject him because his ties to Russia make him unfit for office. The overwhelming tenor of coverage doesn't merely assume that where there's smoke, there's fire, but that a pro-Russian policy itself constitutes smoke.
This is a problem because it empowers bad behavior by opponents in both parties. Republican hawks have lined up to denounce Trump's proposed change of direction — but rather than make the case against it, they use claims of Russian interference in the election to presumptively shut down the very idea of a more productive relationship. And Democratic opponents of Trump lean on those same allegations to suggest that Trump's election was itself illegitimate. Indeed, the Clinton campaign has gone so far as to join calls for the electors to be briefed on Russia's involvement before they vote on Dec. 19, presumably so that they can break faith with the voters in their states if they are sufficiently disturbed.
Both parties have an incentive, in other words, to fan the flames of anti-Russian sentiment, while neither benefits from open debate on Russian policy. Nor are we likely to get a proper investigation of possible conflicts of interest, which is the real matter of importance to Americans.
After all, Russia's alleged actions are entirely unsurprising and far from unprecedented. They are not only the kind of thing that Russia has done before, they are the kind of thing that we have done before — including in Russia's neighborhood. Russia's actions may well deserve a response — but the most important response would be to make cyber security a significantly higher priority. They certainly don't merit panic about Russian intentions, or about the fragility of American institutions.
By contrast, the opacity of Trump's financial relationships does remain a serious problem, and the possibility that he is personally subject to Russian "influence" because of financial liabilities held by Russian banks could taint any attempt to improve relations between our countries. And of course if the Trump campaign actually coordinated with Russia on dirty tricks, that would be a crime amply deserving investigation, and potentially impeachment.
But at this point, there is no evidence at all of that kind of wrongdoing. That ought to matter. And it ought to be possible to investigate the possibility of corruption or criminal collusion without indulging in scaremongering about the Russian threat. Indeed, advocates of a friendlier relationship with Russia should be the first to call for such scrutiny — because an opening to Russia will only be durable if the American people believe that it rests on a solid institutional foundation and genuine mutual interest.
Meanwhile, those arguing that Russia undermined the integrity of the American electoral system need to take a good look in the mirror. Nothing Russia did or didn't do can come close to the damage that will potentially be done by exaggerating the extent and impact of that influence, much less creating a constitutional crisis in response.
And if Democrats are serious about concerns about murky presidential ties to dubious foreign governments, they might want to think a little harder about the conflicts of the person they nominate next time. Or are some authoritarian petrostates less worrisome than others?
More Perspectives
Life lessons of the Trump presidency
Donald Trump, the great pretender
More from Noah Millman
Will the legislature fight back?
Political careers should rise and fall on the vaccine rollout
Lindsey Graham seemed very pleased with Biden's secretary of state nominee


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Shelly Bunnah and Michael Thornton with a photo of two-year-old Carter who died in May 2018, they say due to a misdiagnosis by a Chilliwack doctor. They presented a petition to MLA Laurie Throness asking to create a no-fault compensation system for medical errors. (Paul Henderson/ The Progress)
B.C. parents blame medical negligence in toddler's death
Petition to ask for medical errors to be tracked and no-fault compensation for victims
Oct. 29, 2019 2:56 p.m.
When Carter Thornton woke up on May 12, 2018, he was his regular, frisky little self.
His mother Shelly Bunnah says the two-year-old was alert and behaving as normal. She says Carter threw his bottle in the sink, before she went downstairs to use the washroom.
In just a few minutes she was back upstairs, and little Carter was gone.
"He was not breathing," she told The Progress. "I did CPR until the ambulance came. The next day he passed away at BC Children's Hospital."
Not only is the death of any child tragic. Carter's death was tragic and unexpected. But Shelly and her husband, Carter's father Michael Thornton, think it was preventable, and should not have been unexpected.
"There is medical negligence going on in our community and in our country, not just B.C., it's all over and it's about time something changes and people start talking about it," an emotional Bunnah said.
Carter had his first seizure on July 27, 2017. A local pediatrician said it was most likely epilepsy even though Carter had no history of the condition. Week and months passed before an electroencephalogram (EEG) was ordered despite protestations that Carter be given a CT scan.
When he finally had the EEG in March 2018, it turned up nothing, and the doctor finally agreed to order the CT scan at the end of April 2018. Bunnah said Carter was scheduled for the scan in June, but he died before it could be done.
But she also found out the doctor didn't order the EEG back in summer of 2017 when it should have been ordered. That wasn't done until February 2018, a delay she says cost her son his life because he didn't have epilepsy, he died of meningitis and encephalitis.
"Because of that time lapse, my son is gone, because his lack of compassion and love for my child," she said. "As a parent, you think they are going to care for them. If he would have put in the requisition in August 2017 we would have had results by November, a CT scan by January and they would have found all of this."
Bunnah visited Chilliwack-Kent Laurie Throness's office recently to hand him a petition to bring to the provincial Legislature to ask for two changes in the medical system: that medical errors and misdiagnoses be tracked; and that there be a no-fault compensation system created to help victims of medical errors.
"The third leading cause of death in Canada is medical negligence," Bunnah said. "It needs to stop happening."
Bunnah filed a complaint with the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons in January, and they expect a decision in a final report by the end of this year.
In the meantime, Bunnah has her petition, which is a copy of a petition created by retired nurse Teri McGrath in the Okanagan who is advocating for no-fault compensation for victims of medical errors.
"There's no-fault compensation with ICBC if you are in a car accident," McGrath said last month. "It doesn't matter who caused it. But if you are banged up, you get help. That's what we are looking for in the Canadian medical system."
• READ MORE: B.C. woman continues fight against preventable medical errors
Back in June, McGrath created an online petition to the federal government Parliament of Canada E-petition website, but a response said, in part, that healthcare is the responsibility of provinces and territories.
In her petition, McGrath takes particular aim at the millions of taxpayer dollars transferred yearly to the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA), the legal body that "engage[s] patients and families in lengthy, expensive hearings."
"The CMPA needs to go because they are this safety blanket," Bunnah said. "[Doctors] know they are not going to have to pay for their lawyer and they know damn well that 90 per cent of people abandon their cases because they can't afford it."
Throness accepted Bunnah's petition and he intends to consult with his colleagues to see who else has received them, so that maybe they can present them to the Legislature together.
"Shelley and her family have experienced an enormous tragedy that will affect them for the rest of their lives, and I will be pleased to present the petition on their behalf," Throness told The Progress. "Medical errors contribute to harm that Canadians suffer, and they must be reduced.
"The idea of a no-fault compensation system is worthy of further study, and I fully support the reporting of medical errors as a way of discovering patterns of behaviour that can be changed to avoid errors in the future."
When asked to comment on the case and the broader picture, an Ottawa-based CMPA spokesperson said he could not comment on specific cases and added that no-fault systems likely result in greatly reduced compensation for injured patients or significantly higher system costs.
"Canada's model is grounded in a tort-based compensation system, which is a relatively inexpensive program compared to other models around the world," according to Dr. Doug Bell, associate executive director and managing director for Safe Medical Care at the CMPA. "It also seeks to ensure that patients proven to have been injured as a result of negligent care receive appropriate compensation.
"The CMPA recognizes that every form of medical liability protection has areas for improvement and we believe every reasonable effort should be made to improve the current system before undertaking radical and, within the Canadian context, unproven change. To that end, we work with the provincial governments (including that in British Columbia), medical regulatory authorities and others to advocate for sensible system improvements."
– with a file from Robin Grant, Penticton Western News
Chemainus man charged after German shepherd found abandoned in woods, tied with cable
B.C. Ferries issues travel bans to aggressive, abusive passengers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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On 8th May 2006 at 07.00 p.m. in the audiovisual room of the Cultural Centre "Zámok" ("Castle") of the Ľublin city in Poland the film premiere The Portrait of Rusyn on the Art Background by director Vojciech Olejničák on Rusyn writer Michal Šmajda from Krásny Brod in the district of Medzilaborce in Slovakia shall took place.
On February 17th, 2006 in the Club cinema in Prešov, the new Slovak documentary feature film entitled INĚ SVETY (OTHER WORLDS) with the subtitle 'Made in Šariš' had its premiere. It was made in co-production of the Slovak company Artiléria and the Czech studio Mirage, financially supported by the Slovak Ministry of Culture, Czech Television, the Award of Tibor Vichta, the Literary Fund and the Eastern European Forum Jihlava. The director Marek Škop (born in 1974) comes from Prešov.
The premiere of the film was greatly appreciated not only by the Prešov audience, but also in Bratislava where the film premiered already on 15th February, 2006. Both cinemas where the film was shown were sold out and the viewers showed their appreciation of some scenes by a spontaneous applause. Especially the performances of Fedor Vico (a caricaturist from Prešov) and a well-known Rusyn and Šariš folklorist Ján Lazorík from Krivany. A part of this cinematic piece of work was filmed in the ruins of the Šariš castle where, at the beginning, the main protagonists of the film gather and express their views of the world, life, their nationality and missions in this part of Europe, which is an 'other world' from the point of view of mentality, social conditions, beliefs, folk customs and traditions, folklore and understanding of the meaning of life. The viewer can witness the stories of six significantly different people – Ján Lazorík, Fedor Vico, Katarína Hrehorčáková, Ignác Červeňák, Stanislav Čorej and Tono Triščík. Each of them represents not just their nationality but also the social and cultural surroundings they came from and belong to. The stories of the protagonists are very emotive and convincing. They represent our Rusyn nationality as well as Jewish and Romany. The late Rusyn painter Michal Čabala is mentioned in the film when, in a suggestive scene, a friend of his, Fedor Vico, comes to visit his grave in his birthplace in the village Čabiny. He is holding a bottle of beer and pours some on the grave saying he will share with him because he liked it while he was alive. The viewers can also see some scenes from the 7th World Congress of Rusyns, which took place in 2003 in Prešov, and the football team Karpatia trained by Fedor Vico and Peter Krajňák Jr.
Everybody who has seen the premiere of the film INÉ SVETY can say it is a very interesting cinematic piece of art and that finally such a documentary film has been made. Surely, it will help to promote the Rusyn nationality and make it more widely recognized by the Slovak public.


text:
Jason Greenspan
The Round Midnight cocktail at Clay.
Activated Charcoal Cocktails: Welcome to the Dark Side
Whether they're promoting health or a special occasion, bartenders are achieving pitch-black cocktails with activated charcoal.
May 2018 Barney Wolf
When culinary folks talk about charcoal, it's typically in terms of a heating agent for barbecued and grilled food. Increasingly, however, mixologists and chefs are looking at one form of the substance—activated charcoal—to provide color, flavor, and texture to their menus.
How trendy is activated charcoal? An analysis by Upserve, a company that provides restaurant point-of-sale, payments, and analytics software, called the ingredient a rising star among menu trends, popping up in items from pancakes to cocktails.
"It was a pretty surprising finding for all of us," says Jesse Noyes, senior director of marketing at the Providence, Rhode Island-based company. "While charcoal has limited use, there is definitely something happening there."
What is activated charcoal?
Make no mistake: Activated charcoal is not the same as charcoal for grilling, though both are carbon products. The process is different, with activated charcoal typically made from products like coconut shells, bamboo, and wood that is oxidized by high heat. The resulting fine black powder is highly porous, making it a popular filtration agent in numerous industries. It also treats poisoning—just as traditional charcoal has done for ages—and is made into pills to treat various gastrointestinal ailments.
Activated charcoal has gained fans in part due to its claimed health benefits. Some detox and cleanse programs say the porous material absorbs a body's toxins and flushes them out through the digestive tract. Scientists have found charcoal's chemical-grabbing properties work in the gastro system within an hour after something is ingested. That has led some restaurants to warn guests not to consume food or beverages that have charcoal soon after taking their medications. Cindy's restaurant in Chicago notes that its Reanimator cocktail with activated charcoal may interfere with the absorption of medication, including, they specify, birth control. The menu follows this warning with a playful "#babymaker."
Although activated charcoal is an ingredient in a few food items, "by and large the majority of this is related to the cocktail menu, especially in a more upscale, relaxed environment," Noyes says.
Bartenders often use the material in a tiny quantity to provide drinks with a jet-black hue, as is the case with the Round Midnight cocktail at New York's Clay restaurant. The drink was created originally for New Year's Eve and was named in honor of the Thelonious Monk standard, which fits in with other cocktails at this Harlem bistro that are creatively titled after a jazz or blues song. It's still available for guests who ask.
Round Midnight is built with pear brandy, Monk's Secret liqueur, ginger, an IPA, smoked vanilla, and egg, all tinted with a small amount of activated charcoal. "I was going for the tuxedo look, and a more viscous cocktail," says Andrea Needell Matteliano, Clay's bar director.
Clay's cocktail program strives to avoid imitation ingredients, including coloring. "We are inspired by making drinks visually appealing without putting anything artificial in, so activated charcoal attracted me for that reason," Matteliano says. The charcoal can cause a drink to be chalky, "but if integrated properly can result in a velvety texture."
Bringing home a concept
A restaurant with charcoal in its name would be expected to cook with that fuel and also have some menu items with activated charcoal as an ingredient. Charcoal Venice in Los Angeles does both.
The cooking source was chosen first, and then came the restaurant's name, says Josiah Citrin, chef/owner. "At the same time, all these activated charcoal things were coming, so we decided to use them in a few items."
On the food side, activated charcoal is used in flatbread and to make black Hollandaise sauce. The cocktail with charcoal is the Midnight Margarita, which also has tequila and lime with smoked sea salt foam atop the black liquid and smoked sea salt on the rim.
"The charcoal provides a nice, slightly earthy, smoky flavor," Citrin says. "It is our most popular cocktail and is striking visually. People see it around the bar and want to order it."
The restaurant also makes ice cubes with activated charcoal that "bleed black" when put into some nonalcoholic beverages.
Special occasion cocktail
It's not just independent restaurants using activated charcoal in their cocktails, however. On Black Friday, the big post-Thanksgiving shopping day, TGI Fridays launched a black drink named for the day, adding a small bit of activated charcoal to its Ultimate Long Island Tea. Celebrating the shopping day makes sense for the Dallas-based chain, since it has stores in many American malls and shopping centers.
"We began testing ideas a couple months in advance," says Christopher Vary, senior director of public relations. Several didn't quite work, including a blackberry drink that came out purple, when the team came across activated charcoal that made the tea pitch black.
The testing was completed shortly before Black Friday, so there was no time to do much marketing on it. Working with a vendor, Fridays got its special version of the tea mix and instructions to bartenders at some 500 restaurants in time for the big day.
Vary says about 1,100 customers ordered the Black Friday cocktail, and he can do even better this year with time to market the drink. "It ties in so perfectly with the day," he says.
Bar Management


text:
namespace app { namespace Uno { namespace UX { struct FileSource; } } }
namespace app { namespace Uno { struct WeakReference__Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl; } }

namespace app {
namespace Uno {
namespace Collections {

struct KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl_;

struct KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl___uType : ::uStructType
{
};

KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl___uType* KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl___typeof();

void KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl____ObjInit(KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl_* __this, ::app::Uno::UX::FileSource* key, ::app::Uno::WeakReference__Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl* value);
::app::Uno::UX::FileSource* KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl___get_Key(KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl_* __this);
::app::Uno::WeakReference__Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl* KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl___get_Value(KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl_* __this);
KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl_ KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl___New_1(::uStatic* __this, ::app::Uno::UX::FileSource* key, ::app::Uno::WeakReference__Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl* value);

struct KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl_
{
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    void _ObjInit(::app::Uno::UX::FileSource* key, ::app::Uno::WeakReference__Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl* value) { KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl____ObjInit(this, key, value); }
    ::app::Uno::UX::FileSource* Key() { return KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl___get_Key(this); }
    ::app::Uno::WeakReference__Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl* Value() { return KeyValuePair__Uno_UX_FileSource__Uno_WeakReference_Fuse_Resources_FileImageSourceImpl___get_Value(this); }
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#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: "Installing From Source" Within Anaconda Environment What I would like to do:

*

*I am using macOS and Anaconda 2.

*I would like to install a Python package (specifically PyTorch) from source.

*I would like to install all the dependencies and the package itself within an Anaconda environment.

*I don't want this Anaconda environment to be the default/ root Anaconda environment, but an environment I particularly created for installing this package and its dependencies from source.

What I have done:
First, I created the environment as follows
conda create --name my_env python=3.5

Now, the instructions for installing PyTorch from source are as follows:
export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=[anaconda root directory]
conda install numpy pyyaml setuptools cmake cffi
git clone --recursive https://github.com/pytorch/pytorch
MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=10.9 CC=clang CXX=clang++ python setup.py install

Now, my questions are:

*

*Following this instructions, requires me to specify anaconda root directory for the CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH. What should that directory be given that I want everything set-up in my_env?

*Is it reasonable to create an extra environment for a package installed from source and its dependencies? Why would one do or not do it? My motivation is mainly fear that one day I  may screw my system up big time and hence want things to be cleanly separated.

If you can only answer one of the two questions, that is already greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A: I received this answer from the Anaconda Google discussion group and re-post it here in case anyone else is interested.

*

*It is the path to my_env.  If you created it with -n my_env and you haven't otherwise changed your envs dir, it'll be in <anaconda root>/envs/my_env

*Yes, this is definitely good practice.  The cleanest way to use conda is to install miniconda, not anaconda, and to install as little as possible into the root environment.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Luxury Holidays / Africa / Rwanda
One&Only Gorilla's Nest
One&Only Gorilla's Nest is among the premiere gorilla trekking lodges in Rwanda. This luxury escape will see you discovering the wonders of Volcanoes National Park in style.
Place yourself on the edge of gorilla trekking action, at the closest luxury lodge to Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, at the remarkable One&Only Gorilla's Nest, a boutique lodge that very much orientates around the region's unique wildlife. As such, a team of dedicated expert guides are always onsite to lead nature walks, treks and intrepid hikes in search of mountain and silverback gorillas, endangered golden monkeys, rare birds and native plant species too. With them, you'll venture through bamboo forests and along streams, up hills and deep into the jungle on the lookout for the national park's most famous residents, as well as admiring other natural wonders such as Crater Lake, Bisoke Volcano and the Musanze Cave.
Meanwhile One&Only Gorilla's Nest itself is a heavenly place to return to after each day of excursions. The small number of private lodges and suites are superbly adorned with a mix of contemporary furnishings, spacious balconies and luxe bathrooms, complimented by traditional African rugs and throws, artworks and ornaments. Then, with observation decks, a fine gourmet restaurant, signature spa, glistening swimming pool and sundeck, you really will be left wanting for absolutely nothing while staying at One&Only Gorilla's Nest, Rwanda.
Gym / Fitness Centre
1/12 - One&Only Gorilla's Nest 1
10/12 - One&Only Gorilla's Nest 10
The small number of suites and lodges at One&Only Gorilla's Nest all enjoy plenty of space, a range of equally scenic views, private terraces and luxe bathrooms – some featuring a deep-soak bathtub too, which can be heaven-sent after a day of trekking. Comforts then come in the form of king-size beds, flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi and espresso machines, while larger suites also enjoy a kitchen, lounge and dining area too.
A major draw of the Volcanoes National Park is the chance to go trekking in search of the region's famous mountain gorillas, and One&Only Gorilla's Nest is primed for just that. There are all kinds of hikes and guided nature walks available here to witness silverback and mountain gorillas in their natural habitat of course, though also the endangered golden monkey and other rare species found throughout the reserve. Some of the beautiful landscapes in this part of Rwanda also include the Buhanga Ecopark, Bisoke Volcano and Musanze Cave, though the list of walks and sights is long – not to mention the spa, swimming pool and wellness classes to be enjoyed back at the resort itself.
On top of the bar, restaurant and al fresco terraces at One&Only Gorilla's Nest you'll also find a gym and yoga studio, One&Only Spa, a swimming pool and additional plunge pool in the spa, plus everything you need for guided excursions around the Volcanoes National Park, Wi-Fi and a great concierge team too.


*Star Wars and all characters, names and related indicia are © 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. LEGO®, the LEGO logo, the Brick configuration, the Minifigure and LEGOLAND are trademarks of the LEGO® Group © 2014 The LEGO Group.


text:
Public Release: 8-Oct-2007
Nationwide independent Taser study results suggest devices are safe
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - A nationwide study examining the safety of Tasers® used by law enforcement agencies suggests the devices are safe, causing a low occurrence of serious injuries.
"This study is the first large, independent study of injuries associated with Tasers. It is the first injury epidemiology study to review every Taser deployment and to reliably assess the overall risk and severity of injuries in real world conditions," said William Bozeman, M.D., the lead investigator and an emergency medicine specialist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "The injury rate is low and most injuries appear to be minor. These results support the safety of the devices."
Bozeman will present the study results at the American College of Emergency Physicians' Research Forum in Seattle, Wash., Oct. 8. In a review of nearly 1,000 cases, 99.7 per cent of those subjected to a Taser had mild injuries, such as scrapes and bruises, or none at all. Only three subjects (0.3%) suffered injuries severe enough to need hospital admission. Two had head injuries suffered in falls after Taser use. A third subject was admitted to a hospital two days after arrest with a medical condition of unclear relationship to the Taser. Two subjects died, but autopsy reports indicate that neither death was related to the Taser. Earlier partial results involving 597 cases were published in the September issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine.
The independent prospective study was funded by the National Institute of Justice and included six law enforcement agencies across the United States. A tactical physician at each participating agency reviewed police and medical records after each successful application of a Taser. Injuries were identified and classified as mild, moderate, or severe and their relationship to the Taser was classified as direct, indirect, or uncertain.
Tasers are used by many police departments in the United States and are credited with decreasing police officer and suspect injuries and deaths due to police use of force. However, the devices have been surrounded with controversy.
"This is the largest independent study to date, and the first to detail the medical effects of Tasers under real-world conditions," said Bozeman. "With physician review of 100 percent of Taser uses, this study promises to give us the best information yet on the medical risks of these weapons."
Bozeman said results from previous studies were limited by the use of animal models and of healthy police volunteers in training settings, not criminal suspects in real-world conditions.
"The Taser is a weapon and it can clearly cause injuries and even deaths in some cases," Bozeman said. "The question is 'how likely is it to cause a significant injury" and whether that risk of injury outweighs the benefits it brings."
Co-researchers were J. Tripp Winslow, M.D., M.P.H.; Derrel Graham, M.D.; Brian Martin, M.D.; Joseph J. Heck, D.O.; all of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wake Forest University; Louisiana State University, Inova Fairfax Hospital (Va.), and University Medical Center (Nev.).
Media contact: Bonnie Davis, bdavis@wfubmc.edu, 336-716-4977; Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, or Shannon Koontz, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu, 336-716-4587.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university's School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,154 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report.
bdavis@wfubmc.edu
@wakehealth
http://www.wfubmc.edu
US Department of Justice
American College of Emergency Physician's Research Forum
CRITICAL CARE/EMERGENCY MEDICINE
LAW ENFORCEMENT/JURISPRUDENCE
SCIENCE/HEALTH AND THE LAW
SCIENCE/HEALTH/LAW
VIOLENCE/CRIMINALS


Te Whare Whau Hua Teenage Parent Centre embraces a kaupapa that supports young parents to pursue their education. Students are supported to achieve well by dedicated staff who work as a collaborative team. Staff are innovative and responsive to student needs and enact a holistic curriculum that promotes academic and pastoral success.
Te Whare Whai Hua Teenage Parent Centre is an attached unit of Lytton High School. There are currently 24 Ministry of Education funded TPUs operating across New Zealand. TPUs provide a flexible and supportive environment for teenagers who are parents or are about to become parents. Attendance at a TPU gives students an opportunity to continue their education and develop the best possible pathway for their future and the future of their children.
Te Whare Whai Hua Teenage Parent Centre is a spacious facility situated on site at Lytton High School and adjacent to an early learning service (ELS). It provides education for teenage parents from the wider Gisborne region, until they are 19 years of age. At the time of the ERO evaluation, the school roll was 21, comprising 18 Māori, one Pākehā and two Pacific learners. The teen parent centre is ideally located near the host school medical centre.
The board and teen parent centre manager have responded well to the findings from ERO's 2013 report. The introduction of digital portfolios has strengthened students' individual education plans. The students now have greater access to mainstream teaching, especially in the National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) Level 3. A full time teacher has the new role of 'Leader of Learning' to support effective practice.
Significant features of the centre include the continuation of a strong kaupapa and a collaborative team approach that utilises the strengths of all staff including the social worker and ELS staff.
Student achievement data is collated, analysed and reported to the board. Patterns emerging show that students working at NCEA Level 2 and 3 engage well, have good attendance and achieve well. Teachers have identified that students enrolling with no or little qualifications require extra support to engage in their learning and to set and achieve short and long term goals.
Destination information shows that those students who enrol for a short time can be difficult to track on leaving the centre. The manager, teachers and external agencies have implemented strategies to address this concern.
Students benefit from formal and informal discussions and workshops around health, sexuality education, parenting skills and life skills. Students report the benefits of these programmes in relation to their social, health and wellbeing development.
The manager effectively leads Te Whare Whai Hua. Very good routines are evident for the day to day management and organisation of the centre. Good safety procedures are in place and are in keeping with host school procedures.
Te Whare Whai Hua staff know the learners extremely well. The complementary roles of the manager, teaching staff, social worker and ELS staff ensure positive and respectful relationships occur between student and adults. Staff are very aware of the challenges teen parents face and work sensitively alongside students to support them throughout their time at the centre.
The centre's philosophy statement aims to promote positive parenting and life skills that awhi and assist young people in their endeavours to pursue their education, learning and development. Respectful and inclusive ways of working are part of the stated centre values and modelled by staff and students. Clear expectations are outlined to students on enrolment and reinforced throughout the school day by staff.
The centre is continuing to improve the quality of its achievement targets within the annual plan. Goals are developed and reviewed throughout the year. A specific goal for 2016 and 2017 includes the expansion of the kitchen area so that Hospitality courses can be provided.
Internal evaluation is becoming more formal. Teachers reflect on their practice and discuss and record this at staff meetings. Since the 2013 ERO review an in-depth evaluation was undertaken around the delivery of the curriculum. At the time of the ERO evaluation some staff had not been formally appraised. The host school understands this needs to be addressed.
Staff at the centre have undertaken professional learning development to up-skill in digital technologies and have attended career induction workshops. They appreciate the teen parent conferences held every two years.
Students value the holistic 'in-house' curriculum delivered by dedicated staff who have been innovative and responsive to student needs. Academic programmes are balanced with health, wellbeing and life skill courses. Low and high impact sport activities are an important part of the curriculum.
Students access learning programmes through Te Aho o Kura Pounamu, the Correspondence School (Te Kura) and the host school classes for academic courses. Health and wellbeing, parenting skills and life skills are delivered through external providers. The centre is supported by Te Kura's relationship coordinator who visits students during the year.
Individual education plans have been strengthened to provide students with long term goals and career pathways. The introduction of digital portfolios has enabled students to keep a comprehensive record of their goals, reflections, career pathways, achievements, pastoral support, work experience and other appropriate information.
The centre's kaupapa inspires the school manager and staff to work respectfully with students on a social and emotional level. They have a good understanding of how to support students' language, culture and identity.
Good processes are in place to welcome students to Te Whare Whai Hua and the ELS. Students are given time to transition their child into the ELS and to become familiar with centre kawa and expectations. Comprehensive health assessments are undertaken and a current action plan designed between the student and social worker.
Student needs are well met. Staff work to build student confidence and self-esteem in order for them to achieve across all areas. Improving student attendance and retention are goals identified for 2017. Staff are keen to look at ways to further motivate students to engage fully in their learning.
Staff at the teen parent centre have been pro-active in arranging work experience for their students. STAR courses allow students to pursue their interests and aspirations. Many local organisations attend the annual careers week so as to support students' vocational pathways. As yet there are no official GATEWAY placements offered through the host school.
The centre manager has long standing connections and good relationships with services in Gisborne. Students are well served by these networks.
Staff at the ELS form positive relationships with the student and child. They encourage the student to be aware of their child's learning development and suggest strategies to help with parenting skills. Students can upload their child's portfolio on a daily basis to view their learning development over time.
Very good relationships exist between Te Kura and Te Whara Whai Hua. Students report positively about the learning through Te Kura and like the flexibility the school provides for their learning.
There are good connections with the Wananga and Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT). Regular visits take place to enable students to experience a tertiary environment.
use student achievement information better to strengthen long term planning and inform future decisions.


text:
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    <name>Account_Record_Type__c</name>
    <help>マッピングされている取引先レコードタイプの表示ラベル。</help>
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The 53 Commonwealth nations have adopted the Blue Charter on Ocean Governance, as the leaders' summit ended in London, Friday 20 April.
The Blue Charter maps out efforts to protect oceans and marine environments throughout the Commonwealth, from threats such as climate change, pollution and over-fishing.
Vanuatu and Fiji have put themselves forward to champion the charter's cause among the Pacific Island nations.
The Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said it means the leaders have agreed on a bold, co-ordinated push to protect the world's oceans.
"Their landmark decision to adopt a Commonwealth Blue Charter will affect one-third of the world's national coastal waters, helping to sustain livelihoods and eco-systems globally," she said.
Samoa said the charter is part of a welcome focus on issues that affect the Commonwealth's most vulnerable members - including the Pacific Island states.
The British Prime Minister Theresa May said the Commonwealth countries are also working to tackle the scourge of plastic pollution at sea.
Mrs May, who chairs the leaders' group, said Britain and Vanuatu were working together to launch the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance.
She said a series of commitments have already been made by the member states.
"Papua New Guinea has banned plastic bags, Belize will ban plastic bags forks and other single use items by 2019. New Zealand has announced a ban on microbeads which will come into effect in June."
"The Bahamas is planning to ban plastic bags this year and the UK has pledged to ban plastic straws, stirrers and plastic stemmed cotton buds," she said.
Mrs May added that the Bahamas was planning to ban plastic bags this year, and that the UK had pledged to ban plastic straws, stirrers and plastic stemmed cotton buds.
Vanuatu's government has already taken action to end access to plastic bags and placed limits on plastic drink bottles in the country.
Its Foreign Minister, Ralph Regenvanu, said Vanuatu was glad for the support it had have received from many other countries who want to join the Alliance.
"We are going to work closely with the United Kingdom, the other co-champion on the issue, to share knowledge, share experiences and try and build up the move to deal with marine litter across the whole world, particularly starting in the Commonwealth countries, of course," he said.
According to Mr Regenvanu, Vanuatu is about to undertake a study on all the uses of plastic in the country and how the material is disposed of.


MONDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) — Having babies close together may triple the risk of autism in the second child, new research suggests.
The highest risk was seen in babies conceived within a year of their older sibling. Babies conceived within 12 to 23 months and 24 to 35 months of their older sibling were also at a heightened risk of autism, although the risk was not as pronounced.
Researchers looked at birth records for about 660,000 second-born children born in California between 1992 and 2002. Autism diagnoses were confirmed using records from the California Department of Developmental Services.
Second-born children conceived within a year of the birth of the first-born children were more than three times as likely to have autism than children conceived more than three years apart.
In addition, babies conceived within 12 to 23 months had nearly twice the risk of having autism, while babies conceived between 24 and 35 months were 26 percent more likely to have autism, the investigators found.
"We think this is important research because the finding provides an important clue about what may possibly be modifiable risk factors for autism," said study author Keely Cheslack-Postava, a postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia University in New York City. "But because we don't know what it is about the inter-pregnancy interval that actually matters we can't at this point say that increasing space between pregnancies is necessarily advice that should be given."
Researchers saw a similar trend among subsequent children; closely spaced third-born children were also at heightened risk of autism.
The reason why closely spaced pregnancies may up the risk of autism isn't known, but it could have something to do with the mother's body not having enough time to recover completely from the prior pregnancy, said Andy Shih, vice president of scientific affairs for Autism Speaks.
"When you have a child so quickly after the first, the womb environment may not have sufficiently recovered to properly support a second pregnancy," Shih said.
The researchers said the first pregnancy may deplete critical nutrients such as folate and iron, and the mother may also be more stressed during the second pregnancy.
The findings are especially important because of the trend in women having babies closer together. Between 1995 and 2002, the proportion of births occurring within 24 months of a previous birth increased from 11 percent to 18 percent.
This could be due to more women delaying first pregnancies and feeling hurried to have their second child because of worries about declining fertility, the researchers noted.
At the same time, the incidence of autism has been rising. Closely spaced pregnancies could be one, but definitely not the only, factor driving that, Shih said.
In the study, researchers took into account maternal and paternal ages, parental education and other factors that could affect autism risk or how likely a child is to receive a diagnosis of autism.
Closely-spaced pregnancy does not allow for replentishment of vitamin D. Mom would also be low on vitamin D if twins, black, overweight, etc.


text:
Q: Reading forms authentication ticket w/firefox and chrome I have 3 application that need single sign on. These are the web config sections I am using for authentication, authorization and the machine key settings. All the settings are the same in all 3 web applications. It works perfectly in Internet Explorer, but doesn't work at all in Firefox or Chrome. Is there anything else I need to do to get this work with Firefox and Chrome?
<authentication mode="Forms">
  <forms loginUrl="~/login.aspx" timeout="2880" name="SSOCookie" path="/" requireSSL="false" slidingExpiration="true" cookieless="UseCookies" enableCrossAppRedirects="true"/>
</authentication>
<authorization>
  <deny users ="?"/>
  <!--allow users ="*"/-->
</authorization>
<machineKey
    validationKey="2C02F632ABC3B809F0662B06EED7E985345504D93BB2893C3C8106F48A273054D4C29EDD63F34CF3E19C76AA8FCF12C28AC127A9C5D6DEFC139800B302CADBDC"
    decryptionKey="D7367948DC5AA193408CADB000E580A0FCCD71D8412D28E9AC76455FA85DB766"
    validation="SHA1" decryption="AES"
    />

A: It appears you have to enable this in FireFox on each client

*

*Open Firefox and navigate to about:config

*Type "ntlm" in the filter field

*double click on network.automatic-ntlm-auth.trusted-uris

*enter a comma and space separated list of urls that you want NTLM to be enabled for

for more details check out http://sivel.net/2007/05/firefox-ntlm-sso/
it seems that Chrome does not support NTLM
http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/static.py?page=known_issues.cs
however, the user should be able to enter her credentials once and have them saved.


Humanity has known Earth is round for a few millenia, and I've been meaning to show more methods that prove the world is not flat. I've had a few ideas on how to do that, but recently got an interesting incentive, when Phil Plait, The Bad Astronomer, wrote about a recently published BBC article about "The Flat Earth" society.
Phil claims it's ridiculous to even bother rebutting the Flat Earth Society—and I tend to agree. But the history of our species' intellectual pursuit is important and interesting. You don't need to denounce all science and knowledge and believe in a kooky conspiracy theory to enjoy some historical factoids about humanity's quest for space.
But—you say—ships do not submerge and rise up again as they approach our view (except in Pirates of the Caribbean, but we are hereby assuming that was a fictitious movie series). The reason ships appear as if they "emerge from the waves" is because the world is not flat: its round.
Imagine an ant walking along the surface of an orange, into your field of view. If you look at the orange "head on", you will see the ant's body slowly rising up from the "horizon" because of the curvature of the orange. If you would do that experiment with the ant approaching along a long road rather than a round object, the effect would change: The ant would slowly "materialize" into view (depending on how sharp your vision is).
A flat planet (ours or any other planet) would be such an incredible observation that it would pretty much go against everything we know about how planets form and behave. It would not only change everything we know about planet formation, but also about star formation (our sun would have to behave quite differently to accommodate the flat-earth theory) and what we know of speeds and movements in space (like planets' orbits and the effects of gravity). In short, we don't just suspect that our planet is spherical. We know it.
Here's an interesting fact about mass: It attracts things to it. The force of attraction (gravity) between two objects depends on their mass and the distance between them. Simply said, gravity will pull toward the center of mass of the objects. To find the center of mass, you have to examine the object.
Consider a sphere. Since a sphere has a consistent shape, no matter where on it you stand, you have exactly the same amount of sphere under you. (Imagine an ant walking around on a crystal ball. From the insect's point of view, the only indication of movement would be the fact the ant is moving its feet—the shape of the surface would not change at all.) A sphere's center of mass is in the center of the sphere, which means gravity will pull anything on the surface of the sphere straight down toward the center of the sphere. This will occur no matter where on the surface the object is located.
Consider a flat plane. The center of mass of a flat plane is in its center, so the force of gravity will pull anything on the surface toward the middle of the plane. That means that if you stand on the edge of the plane, gravity will be pulling you sideways toward the plane's middle, not straight down like you usually experience when you stand on Earth.


Equally spacing text boxes vertically?
I have 5 text boxes (1 word each), randomly placed horizontally in my document (design). Is there a way to space them equally apart vertically, without having to do it manually? Or is there a way to do that without using text boxes?
Is it possible to save a file as a .png? I don't see any option besides .affpub.
Showing layers of a re-opened file.
When opening a saved file, how do I display all the original layers again? On the one layer, after the layer title, it says (embedded documents), but I don't see how to open them.


This easy overnight ham and veggie breakfast casserole recipe is the perfect solution to entertaining for breakfast or brunch, without having to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen the morning of. It's also a great recipe for church potlucks!
Oh friends. This is the easy breakfast casserole you've been waiting for. It is so PACKED with vegetables and herbs that each bite is different and exciting. It's one of those kitchen sink recipes, where you can use anything and everything you can get your hands on. Well in this case it's more like a kitchen garden recipe, because I used almost every single vegetable and herb that I have ever grown in the garden outside my kitchen window.
I love breakfast casseroles. In fact I love them so much that just 7 hours after giving birth to my daughter Larkin, I showed up at my Mops group at church because I was hungry and wanted breakfast casseroles. Yes everyone thought I was crazy, and no, I didn't care.
But I really love vegetable breakfast casseroles. I don't want my breakfast casseroles to be too heavy or weighted down with lots of carbs. Some bread and potatoes or hash browns is good, but there can be too much of a good thing, and having attended a lifetime of church brunches, I have definitely eaten my share of those. But mix a moderate amount of potatoes with healthy, colorful vegetables? I am all over that baby!
Then there's the cheese. You know what I mean, the casseroles drowning in ooey gooey cheese, shimmering with the oily film of dairy fat deliciousness. Those have their time and place, and I will happily devour way more of them then I ever should. BUT, I can't do dairy protein right now because my sweet breastfeeding baby can't digest it. Fortunately I can do goat cheese, and I can do heavy cream (which doesn't contain protein). So I do! But both are optional if you can't handle lactose or eating dairy free for other reasons.
Oh, and if you are a breastfeeding mama, this casserole is an amazing meal for you! Not only is it easy to make , but if you make it just for your family, the leftovers will keep in the fridge for a week and you can easily eat a wedge of cold casserole in one hand while nursing your baby. I eat it like a piece of pizza during the morning nursing session. I love breastfeeding recipes!
This casserole is easy to make and it's easy to adapt. I used every vegetable and herb I happened to have available in my garden and fridge. I've tried it with sausage, I've tried it with ham, I've tried it with bacon, and even with no meat at all. It's all good, and no one will know you didn't follow the recipe exactly. Because recipes are meant to be guidelines. I believe it to be true and so it is.
What most people love about this recipe is that it can be prepared the night before. Cook your meat (or chop it if you bought precooked ham or bacon), chop your veggies, whisk your eggs. Toss everything in a greased casserole dish and stick it in the fridge. The next morning you just pop it in the oven an hour before breakfast, AND YOU'RE DONE! That's right. Your cooking that morning is no harder than remembering to turn the oven on and set a timer.
That's really helpful when you have a baby and a toddler and you aren't sure if you'll even be dressed by the time your guests arrive.
Speaking of life with baby and toddler…we served this on Mother's Day when we had both of our families come over for brunch before heading to church to have our baby girl Larkin dedicated. Since we had 13 people and I needed to be presentable to go onstage at church, I knew I could not be cooking that morning. So I made this with an build your own oatmeal bar (in the crockpot, also overnight, oh yeah!) and had someone bring bacon and someone bring fruit. Nice, easy, and a big hit. This casserole was GONE!
A baby dedication, at least as our church does it, is simply going up in front of the church and saying that we are committed to raising our child to love Jesus, and then the people of the church say that they will do all that they can to help us in raising our children. It's pretty beautiful and special, and we really saw it played out in the life of our son Corban when I came down with postpartum depression and the people of the church came around us to care for him during the times that I was unable to.
So…beautiful…special…unless you're a two year old boy who was told you get to go up on the stage where the drums and piano are but not told that you are supposed to just stand there quietly while pastors do boring things like talk and pray. It was pretty hilarious, as you can see.
We got quite the workout, but everyone in the church definitely saw why parents of young kids can use help and support!
We truly love our church family, and it was a pretty wonderful morning, especially with my best friend Kendra's son getting dedicated along with Larkin.
So give this casserole a try and know that you really can't mess it up by swapping ingredients. The important things are to make sure that if you use a potato (or 4 small red ones) it's already baked, to keep your veggies chopped small or sliced thinly so they cook evenly, and to get the casserole dish more than half full of filling ingredients before adding the 18 eggs. I should also mention that if a recipe ingredient says chopped or sliced without a comma (1/4 cup chopped herbs) then you measure it chopped. If it says chopped or sliced after a comma (2 cups raw spinach, chopped) that means you measure it and then chop it.
This casserole is packed with garden veggies, full of flavor and protein, but has no dairy protein which makes it a hit for breastfeeding moms. It's also very easy to substitute ingredients depending on what veggies or meat you have on hand.
Use the olive oil to grease 9x14 inch casserole dish.
Put the chopped potato, asparagus, ham, spinach, bell pepper, green onions, tomatoes, herbs, and goat cheese into the casserole dish and carefully toss so everything is distributed evenly.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, salt, and pepper.
Pour over the ingredients in the casserole dish.
At this point you can cover the casserole and refrigerate overnight, or cook it.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for about one hour, until golden and firm.
Approximate cost/serving: This is one of those recipes that is money saving because it keeps food from going to waste. Use up the leftover ham you roasted the other day, or the remnants of your veggie drawer. And eggs are cheap! I don't actually have a cost per serving for this because it was using up ingredients I had or got on sale, but it's a good deal if it's preventing waste!
Gluten free: Yes it is!
That looks delicious. 🙂 I'm always on the lookout for healthy and protein packed breakfasts that I can grab and take on my way to work. This looks like it would be great for that. Also, the picture above Mothers Day Brunch is so pretty! I love how it's all laid out and all the colors. Beautiful flowers.
Aww thank you so much Zoe! Yes I love how easy this is to eat on the go.
Loved the breakfast casserole recipe, thank you!
You're so welcome Cynthia, thanks for letting me know!
Hi Sarah, so sorry for the SUPER late reply. I'm sure by now you've already figured things out. But for anyone else wondering the same thing, it was totally trial and error. Because sheep's cheese, goat's milk, etc. didn't bother them, I knew it wasn't lactose. That meant I just needed to watch the amount of dairy protein I was getting. A big issue with this is that a lot of products have hidden dairy protein through added whey. So you might be getting some without even realizing it. Not to worry though, this recipe is still wonderful without the heavy cream. Hope you and your littles are doing well!


Dana's ex tries to win her back in the Season 1 finale.
Peter finds out Dana is still friends with all of her exes.
Peter doesn't invite Dana to Thanksgiving because he is embarrassed by his family.
Dana replaces Peter as her date to a wedding.
An impending storm caps off a tough week for Dana.
Dana reveals an embarrassing hobby to Peter.
Dana and Peter have a disagreement about "Love Actually."
Dana searches for a date to a dinner party hosted by Amy.
Dana runs into Peter while he's on a date with another woman.
A New York City native is set up with a small-town woman in the opener of this series examining the thoughts of a young couple as they begin their relationship.


Don't let expensive, hard-to-find ammo keep you from enjoying your AR-15. Convert it to shoot plentiful and affordable .22 LR rimfire rounds for plinking and practice. This kit changes any .223/5.56 NATO AR-15 to .22 caliber in minutes. No tools needed. Includes bolt and a 25-round magazine.


Bondi ice skating rink right by the beach!
Sydney "Winter Festival" Ice Skating at Bondi Beach and more!!!
Ice Skating at Bondi Beach! Join the Winter Festival in Sydney!!!
Every year down at Bondi Beach you can join in with the fun and try ice skating outdoors in hot Australia!
Bondi Beach ice skating rink by the sea!
Ice skating at Bondi Beach July 2014! Only a few days left before it ends!
Ice Skating Bondi Beach – ends soon!
Anybody who hasn't been ice skating down at Bondi Beach best get their skates on as it will soon end on the 17th of July!
You would like to experience winter in Sydney, but can't find any ice in Sydney? Why not have a go down to the ice skating-rink right in front of the world famous Beach which begins with the letter 'B'! If you have been celebrating Germany's victory in the world cup, then you can also get some traditional German sweet hot wine while skating at the open air ice rink. The official start for the Winter Festival is the 29th of June and it runs until the 17th of July.
If you would like to get to Sydney to enjoy the Winter Festival then Travelwheels Campervan Hire Sydney offers cheap campervan hire deals starting from Sydney. July is a great time to hear north and go to Cairns.
Here are a couple of useful links for when the next Bondi Ice Skating Festival is on, and check out Bondi Winter Magic link.
Have a nice week and we hope to hear from you soon!!!
If you are looking for good value for money campervan hire in Australia, then check out Travelwheels Campervan Hire Sydney. We have a range of 5 different types of campervan for rent and all at good prices as well! We will do our very best to give you the lowest prices for Sydney to Sydney Campervan Hire! We will match all our competitor quotes for Sydney to Sydney Campervan Hire! All you have to do is enter your dates below and then click on the search button! You will automatically get the lowest price for your route.


text:
static int printlog, shortlog;
static char *logfile;
static int slow_realloc, free_refed;

static void parse_options(void)
{
  char *opts = getenv("HEAPSAFE"), *token;

  /*  Special case SPEC runs to avoid polluting stderr */
  if (getenv("SPEC"))
    logfile = "/dev/tty";

  while ((token = strtok(opts, " ")))
    {
      opts = NULL;

      if (!strcmp(token, "log"))
	printlog = 1;
      else if (!strcmp(token, "shortlog"))
	printlog = shortlog = 1;
      else if (!strncmp(token, "logfile=", 8))
	logfile = token + 8;
      else if (!strcmp(token, "slow_realloc"))
	slow_realloc = 1;
      else if (!strcmp(token, "forcefree"))
	free_refed = 1;
    }
}


Need to get your permit? Not sure what to study?
Parents: your teen is safe with us!
Many people feel that law enforcement would make effective instructors. Experience has taught us that this is not true. We have had law enforcement work for us previously, and students do not respond well to it. Most students feel very intimidated by law enforcement (or ex law enforcement), and do not absorb the information being given to them. We have found that friendly, caring instructors produce the best results.
Yes, we pick up and drop off FREE! Unlike other driving schools, the travel time to and from the student is not deducted from the student's drive time. For all behind the wheel driving lessons, we offer a free pick up and drop off service.
We hold classes in Rock Hill every other Saturday, so you never have to wait long for a class. All classes are held on Saturday, in one 8 hour session from 8:30am until 5:30pm. Beccause we don't split our classes into multiple sessions, you only need to bring the student to us once.
Our driving school is the largest in the state. We have more vehicles, more classes, and more instructors than any other driving school in South Carolina. This also means that we can complete your lessons faster than any other driving school.
We break our payments into three parts so that you pay for each portion of the program as you complete it. We realize that $299 is a lot to have at one time, so this makes our program much more affordable.
Our teen driver education program consists of 8 hours of classroom training and 6 hours of behind the wheel driving lessons with a qualified instructor, as well as an insurance discount certificate that will be valid until the student turns 25.
Skills testing ("the road test") is administered in the Rock Hill area to any student who has never before held a driver's license. Applicants do not have to complete training with our school in order to take the road test with us. We can test anyone who has never been licensed before, regardless of whether or not they complete training with us.
The cost of our road test administration is $40.00.
We offer adult training at a cost of $50.00 per hour. For adults, we do not offer classroom training, and all behind the wheel driving lessons are done in sessions of three hours each.
Simply put – our driving school offers the best program, at the best price, in the state of South Carolina.
The response from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive!
There's a reason our students and their parents are so happy with us – we are the largest and best driving school in the state, and we will remain the largest and the best!
Classes are held in the conference room of the Rock Hill Comfort Suites, located at 1323 Old Springdale Rd. Rock Hill, SC 29730, from 8:30am until 5:30pm.
To register for a class, simply arrive the morning of the class and we will complete all registration in person. You do not need to register ahead of time for a class – we will accommodate everyone who arrives between 8:00am and 8:15am for registration.
Payment is due the morning of the class in the amount of $179.00. After the class is complete, you will pay $60.00 at each of the two 3-hour behind the wheel driving sessions.
Once the eight hour classroom session is complete, the student will meet their driving instructor to schedule the driving lessons.


text:
Tower School is an independent day school serving children in Pre-K through grade 8. Most often, job openings are posted on our website in the spring for the following fall, but applicants are invited to contact us at any time. Resumes and cover letter should be sent to Kristen Baldacci, Executive Assistant to the Head of School.
Kristen Baldacci
Development Associate
School Nurse at Tower School
Tower School currently seeks qualified applicants for the position of school nurse. This full-time, school-year position reports directly to the Head of School. Using best practices, the nurse will identify students with health problems and provide comprehensive nursing care.
Recommends exclusion and monitors readmission for students and faculty with infectious or communicable diseases and collaborates with the Board of Health as needed.
Makes appropriate referrals on health problems observed in students and consults school physician when needed.
Collaborates with mental health staff related to students with social or emotional difficulties.
Serves as educational resource for students, families, and faculty.
Assists in the development and facilitation of the school's wellness program
Identifies health and safety hazards in the school and communicates with administration and the maintenance staff.
Demonstrates knowledge of safe and proper medication administration in accordance with state guidelines and school policy.
Communicates with families and faculty about school health policies and ensures compliance with these policies.
Assists with maintenance of accurate health records on each student. Ensures that all students comply with immunization laws.
Exercises discretion and confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA standards. Handles confidential information ethically and professionally.
Assists with collecting statistical information to meet reporting requirements.
Provides emergency care in cases of injury or sudden illness, initiating emergency response when needed. Participates in professional development programs.
Encourages and assists teachers to help students develop good health habits.
Provides a healthful organic snack to all students.
Assists with management of school health, materials and supplies.
Provides CPR/ AED training for all faculty and coaches.
Promotes inclusion practices to create a safe, welcome environment for students, families, and faculty, particularly around cultural medical practices and issues of gender and sexual identity.
Bachelor of Nursing required
3-5 years experience preferred
School experience a plus
Please forward application materials to
Kristen Baldacci, Executive Assistant to the Head of School, at kristen.baldacci@towerschool.org
Tower School seeks a motivated, collaborative, and flexible Development Associate to join its faculty. The ideal candidate will have a strong work ethic, exceptional attention to detail, and demonstrated ability with seeing a project or task from conception to completion. The Development Associate will need to embrace the school's mission and culture in order to be an effective member of its close-knit and proud community. He/she must exhibit professionalism, good judgement, and discretion while serving as an excellent representative of the school. He/she will works closely with the Director of Development, parent volunteers, and faculty.
Gift and Data Management
Gift Processing
Enter all gifts into Veracross, Tower's development database.
Produce cash receipt journals for the Business Office.
Manage acknowledgement process including preparing and mailing tax receipts and thank you letters.
Coordinate with the Business Office on a monthly gifts/accounting reconciliation.
Manage the Matching Gift program.
Create monthly Annual Fund Dashboard reports.
Create solicitation reports for volunteers ahead of monthly meetings.
Ensure solicitation materials are ready in time for launch, i.e. brochures, giving envelopes, letterhead.
Coordinate mail merge and mailings (in-house and with mail house) for all outgoing letters including solicitations, general updates, stewardship letters, and so on.
Collaborate with the Director of Development in planning and executing major development events such as the Auction, Golf Tournament, Grandparents Day and donor recognition events; as well as other special events such as parent receptions, special assemblies, and more.
Constituent Relations
Tower School Parents Association (TSPA)
Support the work of the TSPA including event coordination and program support.
Work with students, parents and alumni volunteers to collect and maintain alumni contact information.
Plan events for young alumni.
Assist in collecting alumni news to be shared via social media and newsletters.
Coordinate alumni gifts.
Key Interfaces
Reports to the Director of Development.
Works collaboratively with the Business Office, Front Office and Head of School's Office.
Be a visible and active member of the school community by participating in shared duties, attending events, and engaging in student-faculty programs.
Ability to handle multiple assignments and meet deadlines.
Ability to work collaboratively and independently.
Must possess exceptionally strong writing, speaking and interpersonal skills.
Computer skills essential; familiarity with fundraising software a plus.
Bachelor's degree required.
This is a full-time year-round position requiring some evening and weekend work.
To apply please send a cover letter and resume to Jessie Achterhof, Director of Development.
Tower School does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, disability, sexual orientation, nationality or ethnicity in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
We invite you to learn more about our school, faculty, culture and community through our website. Consider the following pages as a place to begin.
Moving to MarbleheaD?


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package jme3dae.utilities;

import com.jme3.math.Matrix4f;

import java.util.Scanner;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;

import jme3dae.transformers.ValueTransformer;
import jme3dae.transformers.ValueTransformer.TransformedValue;

/**
 * Transforms a string in a Matrix4f
 *
 * @author pgi
 */
public class MatrixTransformer implements ValueTransformer<String, Matrix4f> {

  /**
   * Instance initializer
   *
   * @return a new MatrixTransformer
   */
  public static MatrixTransformer create() {
    return new MatrixTransformer();
  }

  private MatrixTransformer() {
  }

  /**
   * Transforms a string in a Matrix3f. The string is read as a sequence of
   * space separated float values. The first float is the m00 component, the
   * second one the m01, then m02, m03, m10, m11 and so on.
   *
   * @param value the string to transform
   * @return a  matrix4f or an undefined value if the parsing fails.
   */
  public TransformedValue<Matrix4f> transform(String value) {
    Matrix4f m = null;
    if (value != null && (value.length() != 0)) {
      m = new Matrix4f();
      //float[] v = getMatrixElements(value);
      float[] v = FloatListTransformer.create().transform(value).get();
      m.m00 = v[0];
      m.m01 = v[1];
      m.m02 = v[2];
      m.m03 = v[3];
      m.m10 = v[4];
      m.m11 = v[5];
      m.m12 = v[6];
      m.m13 = v[7];
      m.m20 = v[8];
      m.m21 = v[9];
      m.m22 = v[10];
      m.m23 = v[11];
      m.m30 = v[12];
      m.m31 = v[13];
      m.m32 = v[14];
      m.m33 = v[15];
    }
    return TransformedValue.create(m);
  }

  private float[] getMatrixElements(String value) {
    float[] values = new float[16];
    Scanner in = new Scanner(value);
    int i = 0;
    while (in.hasNextFloat()) {
      if (i == 16) {
        Todo.task("This matrix has more than 16 elements...");
        break;
      }
      values[i] = in.nextFloat();
      i++;
    }
    return values;
  }
}


A clean horse in less than 5 minutes!
Bathe your horses and other animals naturally and quickly with this product.
You'll see amazing results when you spray on this concentrated natural shampoo. In approximately 5minutes, dirt loosens and is ready to be rinsed away-without scrubbing!
Without the influence of salt or abrasives, your animals' skin will be smooth and flake-free. Plus, well-cleaned skin won't attract mites or foster fungus.
Just 2 ounces bathes an entire large animal! With eZall, you get value for your grooming dollar, not expensive fillers and fragrances.


text:
ABC Announces Pairings For Dancing With The Stars
ABC announces the professional dancer pairings for the all new cast of "Dancing with the Stars." In alphabetical order, the 16 stars — with their professional partners — making their ballroom dancing debut are:
AARON CARTER, pop star, teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her seventh season.
NATALIE COUGHLIN, Olympic champion swimmer, teams with Season 1 champion ALEC MAZO, who returns for his fifth season.
MARK DACASCOS, "Iron Chef" star, joins LACEY SCHWIMMER, who returns for her third season.
TOM DELAY, former House Majority Leader, teams up with two-time champion CHERYL BURKE, who returns for her eighth season.
MACY GRAY, Grammy Award winner, teams with JONATHAN ROBERTS, who returns for his seventh season.
ASHLEY HAMILTON, actor and comedian, teams with EDYTA SLIWINSKA, who is the only pro to compete in all nine seasons of "Dancing with the Stars."
MELISSA JOAN HART, actress, teams up with reigning two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champ MARK BALLAS, who returns for his fifth season.
KATHY IRELAND, entrepreneur and model, teams with TONY DOVOLANI, who returns for his eighth season.
MICHAEL IRVIN, NFL Hall of Famer, teams with Season 8's Professional Dancer Competition winner ANNA DEMIDOVA, who makes her debut.
JOANNA KRUPA, model, teams with Season 7 champ DEREK HOUGH, who returns for his fifth season.
CHUCK LIDDELL, Ultimate Fighting Champion, teams with ANNA TREBUNSKAYA, who returns for her fourth season.
DEBI MAZAR, actress, teams with MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, who returns for his seventh season.
MYA, award winning singer, teams with DMITRY CHAPLIN, who returns for his second season.
TBS Orders One-Hour Drama OBLITERATED Straight To Series
KELLY OSBOURNE, reality star, teams up with LOUIS VAN AMSTEL, who returns for his fifth season.
DONNY OSMOND, showbiz legend, is paired with KYM JOHNSON, who returns for her seventh season.
LOUIE VITO, professional snowboarder, joins CHELSIE HIGHTOWER, who returns for her second season.
With the biggest season yet, "Dancing with the Stars" Season 9 kicks off on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) when eight teams strut their stuff, while the other eight teams will show off their moves on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET). On a special night and time, two couples will learn their fate and be sent home, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET).
Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday and Tuesday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T subscribers may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (standard text message rates apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.
Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Samantha Harris ("The Insider") the celebrities will perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
Seat42F August 24, 2009
MTV Developing US Version Of Skins
Second Season Of Star Wars The Clone Wars Set To Premiere Friday October 2nd


The Clay Art Studio & Leadlight Expressions are offering some exciting and creative workshops over the July School Holidays - suitable for both children and adults.
The first week (July 7-10) will be Ceramic Painting - a huge range of ceramic (pottery) bases are available to paint , prices range from $11-$30, you choose. The studio will galze and fire your masterpiece to a dishwasher and weatherproof standard and then return it to you within a week. With a selection of practical dinnerware, wall hangings, trinket and money boxes, there's something for everyone! Adult supervision is required for children under 12yrs.
Tuesday, July 14: Fused Glass Jewellery - design your own dichroic glass pendant and earring set. $40 per set. Suitable for ages 10yrs+.
Thursday, July 16 morning session: Mosaic a Critter - in this workshop you get to create a mosaic, selecting from a range of pre-shaped base boards and flies. Designs include snakes, pukeko, seahorse, butterfly, hears, gecko, dolphin, fish, kiwi, koru circle, guitars and more. $49/critter - adult supervision required for children under 12yrs.
Thursday, July 16 afternoon session: Soap Making - Discover the art of using a soap base you can colour, mound into all sorts of fabulous soaps and add fragrance to. The base is 100% pure natural glycerine soap, hypoallergenic, biodegradable and not tested on animals. $45pp including all materials - prebooking and $20 deposit required - adult supervision not required for 9yrs and older.


According to statistics, Low Back Pain has a lifetime prevalence of 65% to 80% . With a prevalence so high, there is a good chance you will experience low back pain at some point in your life. Perhaps you have in the past, or you have some low back pain right now. When it comes to the proper treatment, how do you know what is right for you? Chances are, you've probably seen a physician, possibly received some medications, maybe even an x ray and MRI, and perhaps your physician has recommended you try a course of Physical Therapy. At North Jersey Physical Therapy, we have a unique approach to the treatment of your low back pain.
Now that it is understood that your MRI findings might not even be showing the true root cause of your pain, you may be asking yourself, what is causing my low back pain? At North Jersey Physical Therapy we look at how your body moves, we look for compensatory patterns that may have become long term strategies due to muscle inhibition elsewhere, leading to wear and tear in certain areas which eventually leads to pain. Often, the site of the pain is not the same as the cause of the pain. For example, your pain may be in your low back, but the reason it hurts at that segment is because your body is moving too much from that same segment because something else isn't moving well enough, or certain muscles have become inhibited, or you are overusing muscles that aren't designed to be used in such a way. You are beating up that one section of your back because something, somewhere else, isn't doing its job.
The physical therapists at North Jersey Physical Therapy will give you a comprehensive initial evaluation, go over their findings and share with you their physical therapy diagnosis, assessment, and treatment plan to address the root cause of your low back pain. They will design a home program to reinforce new movement strategies that will help improve carryover between treatment sessions and promote progress. Call today to improve the way you move!
2 Boden SD et al. "Abnoral magnetic resonance scans of the lumbar spine in asymptomatic subjects. A prospective investigation." J Bone Joint Surg. Am. 1990 Mar; 72(3):403-8.


Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a project initiated by the EU. It aims at helping new entrepreneurs to acquire relevant skills for managing a small or medium sized enterprise by spending time in an enterprise in another EU country.
The general objective of Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is to facilitate exchanges of experience, learning and networking for new EU entrepreneurs by means of working with an experienced entrepreneur in another EU country.
The IOs facilitate contacts between accepted NEs and HEs and seek to make matches. Interested NEs and HEs can also search the programme's database for appropriate partners and make suggestions to the IO that they have chosen.
The parties involved (NE, HE, IOs responsible) reach agreement on the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs commitment, business/work/learning plan, tasks, responsibilities, financial conditions, legal implications, etc. and sign the necessary agreements. The Commission gives the final approval of the match. NEs and HEs participate in preparatory activities organised by the IOs responsible.
NEs and HEs complete the stay abroad in accordance with their needs in one or more phases and report on them. The IOs responsible monitor the value of the activity and evaluate the results.
costs of the stay that exceed the EU's grant.
Host entrepreneurs are successful and experienced entrepreneurs (ideally owners of a micro or small enterprise) or persons directly involved in entrepreneurship at SME board level, applying the EU definition of micro, small or medium sized enterprise HEs want to share their entrepreneurial experience and to benefit from the concrete contribution which an NE from another country will make to their business. HEs must be committed to work with the NE towards developing his/her entrepreneurial skills and know how.


When it launched in 1909, Chivas Regal was the world's first luxury whisky. This 25 year old luxury blend, created for the sophisticated tastes of New York's high society, swiftly gained an international following. However fate intervened, in the forms of World War 1 and the prohibition era. Chivas Regal 25 year old disappeared from view, becoming a highly sought after collector's item.
Nearly a century later, Chivas Regal 25 year old has returned. Blended in the style of the original 1909 masterpiece, Chivas Regal 25 year old is carefully crafted by Master Blender Colin Scott, who has employed the same traditions and techniques used by his predecessor, the legendary Charles Howard.
Strathisla distillery is the spiritual home of Chivas Regal. Built in 1786 on the banks of the river Isla, it is the oldest and one of the most picturesque distilleries in the highlands of Scotland. Chivas Brothers purchased Strathisla in 1950 to safeguard this special Speyside malt for Chivas Regal.


Chandler demo in progress, November, '08 -a song of eternal male hope, longing, and confusion, as our hero goes overboard fantasizing about a phone machine message... will probably either add stuff to this version (for instance, right now there's hole for a solo -knock yourself out!), and/or do it over with actual other musicians... meanwhile, knew you'd want to hear it right away.
I'll never forget what she told me.


text:
GradeSlam
Why Orange County, California, is Ready for the Future of Education.
Known by most for its picturesque vistas, California's Orange County is beginning to develop an impressive reputation for its public school districts that are setting themselves apart as global leaders. With the educational landscape constantly evolving, it's crucial that these community dependent institutions stay at the forefront of progress to allow students to succeed both now, and for the rest of their lives.
Over the past few months, we had a chance to sit down with some top administrators from a number of different Orange County school districts and spoke, often for hours, about the mindsets and initiatives that make their districts successful.
We heard countless ideas, anecdotes and everything in between, but we have done our best to boil it down to three key rules for success. These "rules", mentioned by all of the admins seem to be key ingredients in the secret sauce that these public school districts are cooking up and certainly gave us a window into Why Orange County, California, Is Ready For the Future of Education.
Rule #1: Always Be Preparing Students for the Future:
In our information-rich society, it's becoming widely understood that fact retention is no longer as vital a part of students' learning. With so much information constantly at their fingertips, such instruction feels obsolete to students, and according to the folks sitting at the top of leading OC districts, they are not wrong to be feeling this way.
While we may not necessarily know what careers will be prevalent for these students throughout their adult lives, the ways in which we are preparing them is certainly shifting. It has become clear that there is far more benefit to offering instruction revolving around creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration rather than simply asking pupils to memorize dates and names.
Someone who knows this first hand is Norma Martinez, the Superintendent of Centralia Elementary School District, who is a big believer in investing in education as a way to open pathways and opportunities for members of society. Martinez also believes that we are currently living and working in a historically exciting time for education, a time where we are in charge of changing the true definition of what education really means. Not a small task, but one that Martinez and her team at Centralia are willing to work on. Martinez spoke about how she and Centralia ESD aim to prepare students, saying:
"How do we prepare them for jobs that we don't know will be in the future, right? So it's about teaching kids those soft skills like fluidity, resilience, adaptability. Of course, we're going to teach you how to read, how to write, how to do that basic math. But how do you teach kids to be resourceful so that they can get to that next level?"
Anne Silavs, Superintendent of Cypress School District
Just a few sunshine filled miles down the road, Anne Silavs, Superintendent of Cypress School District, shares similar sentiments and goals for her district. A proud district leader and community member, Silavs understands that education must be so much more than memorization and regurgitation and must teach everyone to be creative, critical thinkers. She shared some insights on her pedagogical philosophy here:
"To me, what's really important is to teach [students] the skills necessary to be able to go into an uncertain environment and use their critical thinking and communication skills. It's important to focus on the "soft skills", that in reality are the critical skills we actually need, like the capacity to work collaboratively and use active listening."
For Silavs, Martinez and many others, it is clear that there is growing emphasis on truly preparing students for their futures - whatever those may end up looking like.
Rule #2: Always Be Supporting Equitable Learning:
Supporting students is both about making sure that motivated students can thrive, as well as helping less naturally involved students find things they care about and can grab onto as their own connection to their education. When we had a chance to sit down with Grant Litfin, Assistant Superintendent at Tustin Unified School District, a key point that he spoke about was providing the tools for students to take ownership of their learning, including making sure that all students have access to basic educational resources that many of us take for granted. For Liftin and his team at TUSD, the notion of equity and access is behind every decision they make and he believes that this is the way that it needs to be if we, as a society, are going to evolve.
Students are intelligent and intuitive, by providing them with a variety of tools and supports these districts are investing in their students' opportunity to personalize their education to their passions, and excel at them. Litfin spoke about some of the initiatives he and his team currently have in the place to further educational equity and access at Tustin USD:
Grant Litfin, Assistant Superintendent at Tustin Unified School District
"One of the saddest things to see is to watch kids who are so hungry to change their opportunities in life that they are willing to sit in the pitch black in a middle school campus at 11:30 PM, just so they can do their homework. We are excited to be using our Measure S Tech Bond to further equity at the district by giving all kids access to a cutting edge device for school and personal use. We are also exploring several ways to leverage our network infrastructure and devices so that students can access our school's network at home. All of these efforts are aimed at closing homework and achievement gaps. "
Superintendent of Fullerton School District, Robert Pletka, also spoke on the importance of supporting different given levels of opportunities and resources. For Pletka, it is the responsibility of schools and districts to provide students with tools (both tangible and non tangible) that allow them to access as many learning opportunities as possible.
Pletka is one of the people behind the iPad program at the district, but for him, these tablets represent more than a cool device, they represent opportunity and a more level playing field. Pletka said the following to us:
"Every single fifth to eighth grader receive an iPad that they not only use in school, but they can take home. That's an important piece if we talk about kids strengths. So if you love filmmaking there might not be an opportunity in a given day to do that. But if we arm you with an iPad, and software and camera, now you can go home and you can continue learning."
Pletka and Litfin are not alone, as the importance of considering equity and access is growing quickly in the public education system across North America.
Rule #3 Always Be Supporting Educators:
In recent years, more and more teachers than ever are burning out, especially those early in their careers. Of course, this is partially to do with workload; the late nights of marking, staying late to help a struggling student, or even helping with a club that needs a teacher. But the administrators we spoke to made it clear, while teachers need tools to help with their workload, one of the best ways to support teachers is to listen to and empower them. Making teacher input and collaboration a priority goes a long way in strengthening a district as you begin to build a community where each and every person feels a sense of ownership towards the collective whole.
Sylvia Kaufman, Assistant Superintendent of Fullerton Joint Union High SD, has worked at every level of her district and understands that no part of the system works as a standalone. Kaufman relies on her experience as a classroom educator, attendance specialist and administrator when designing plans for the district at the highest level. She described to us the importance of considering "teacher buy-in" when looking at new tools and initiatives and for her, it all comes down to trust and ownership:
"When considering new tools I really believe in relying on the expertise of our teachers. Yeah, they know best. They're the ones that need to feel ownership, if they do then this is what's going to work. They're right there at the forefront, they know what's happening."
Cassie Parham, Assistant Superintendent of Irvine Unified School District, shared similar feelings about ensuring that educators within the district feel supported and represented. For Parham, educational equity is not a concept solely for the students, but for the entire district community:
"For Irvine, equity starts with Professional Learning Communities. It is a proven vehicle for ensuring high-quality instruction for students. We have to do everything we can to create the time for teachers to be able to collaborate, and we have to create the mechanisms to give them the data that they need. We need to give them the flexibility to shift lessons and move the curriculum around."
Cassie Parham, Assistant Superintendent of Irvine Unified School District
This type of thinking at the highest levels of the district have no doubt had a positive impact on the entire community at Irvine Unified School District. From our conversations with Parham, to our visits into the classrooms at the district, there is a palpable sentiment of inspiration and positivity. Parham explained to us that this comes from a commitment to adaptable and respectful leadership where the team making the "big decisions" always considers the ripple effects of what they are doing. From our visits, the results are clear.
Going Forward:
Being a progressive and effective district is easier said than done. But by emphasizing the need to prepare students for the future, support active learning, and support teachers, any educational institution can move towards a better environment for their students.
At GradeSlam we have also internalized these ideas in order to be the best resource we can be. Our educators work through a Socratic teaching method, meaning students are being helped to truly understand a problem and use critical thinking to work through it, rather than memorizing one specific pathway that their teacher prefers. Support for students has always been a focus for us, we have seen that we can be a useful tool for levelling the playing field in academic support, as well as providing an amount of support for eager students that a teacher often cannot. Lastly, we make sure to get feedback from teachers at our partner schools as they interact with these students every day, in fact, our essay review function was developed through the direct input of teachers.
Building a better educational experience for tomorrow's students is hard work, but we are excited to be a part of it. We hope you are too.
For More Information, Contact :
Jacob Geller, Director of Partnerships
Jacob@gradeslam.org
GradeSlam Launches Online Office Hours
Introducing Office Hours by GradeSlam. Teachers can set online office hours where students can log on and chat instantly with their teachers. Teachers can open the office hours up to all students, or restrict it to specific classes.
GradeSlam Awarded the "Best Tutoring and Test Prep Tool" for the Second Year in a Row
GradeSlam is proud to have been recognized as the Best Tutoring and Test Prep Tool for the second year in a row.