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June 9, 2005
Are you math teachers sure you're trying hard enough...
Well, now really, let's think about this. I agree that this is ridiculously politically slanted in one direction. But if we're going to use "story problems," why shouldn't we demonstrate how useful math is in analyzing social and political matters?
And shouldn't teaching math have the end of preparing students to function competently as citizens, voters, and consumers of news media? I'm thinking of the issues raised in the very cool book "A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper."
UPDATE: More on teaching math here.
IN THE COMMENTS: Lots of actual right-wing math story problems!
51 comments:
- Barry Kearns said...
Oh, don't get me wrong... I'm not opposed to teaching the ability to apply mathematics to political or real-world examples. I am, however, fundamentally opposed to using math as a subject for indoctrinating students into a particular world-view. Story problems (that are supposed to be teaching children basic math facts) containing unnecessary political activism aren't a positive step in my opinion... and much less so when they throw out "facts" in the stroy problem formulation that are thinly-disguised activist opinions.
I'm a huge fan of John Allen Paulos, but my kids aren't forced to attend classes taught using the politically-charged examples and required to get the "right" answer framed through the lens of "social justice". John's work is largely targeted at adults, where political and social-justice issues are certainly fair game IMO. He suggests many useful ways of thinking about the world through the lens of mathematics... but that's the mirror image of what this book proposes.
Paulos uses math to look at the world in new ways. This book aims to start from a pre-disposed vision of a "right and just world", and use mathematics to indoctrinate that vision into students.
School children are a captive audience, and I'm not comfortable with the degree of political activism inherent in the "lesson plans" pointed to by this book.
Sure, make the material relevant and real-world, but do so without putting your personal political agenda all over it... that's what I'm trying to say.
- PaulNoonan said...
That's a great book, thank you for mentioning it. I had forgotten about it. In high school my calculus teacher assigned it in one of his advanced classes, and I think it permanently changed the way that I look at the news. I highly recommend it.
- Art said...
Given the endorsement blurb on the book's website by a UW Madison Professor, that giant sucking sound you just heard was another five million being pulled from the UW system budget.
- Kathleen B. said...
since when is social justice a "leftist agenda"? do conservatives not care about social justice?
and what was so awful about the point about the candy bar hypothetical vs. the sweatshop hypo? that made sense to me. Vektor blog didn't explain (just expected me to "get it" I guess?)
- Richard Fagin said...
Not to mention that one of the examples from the liked post shows that using math as a political indoctrination tool can lead to error in the actual use of math.
The relevant part of the liked post reads:
"But if police stop 612 African-American drivers and 423 whites, then there is a much stronger case.
The explanation lies in mathematics: In an area where only 30 percent of the drivers are black, it is virtually impossible for almost 60 percent of more than 1,000 people stopped randomly by the police to be black."
What is the error in the foregoing? It is the statement that the police randomly stop people. So, no, in the foregoing example, the "explanation" does not lie in the mathematics at all, but in the hypothesis used to explain the data. What is really wrong about statements like the foregoing is that there is no clear demarcation between the assumptions and the mathematical process used. In essence, the author starts with an answer (blacks are disproportionately and therefore wrongfully stopped by the police), and makes a statement about data in support without identifying what assumptions are needed to cause the analysis to support the answer.
Using a social justice basis to teach math is a fundamentally unsound idea, because social justice itself is entirely a subjective value judgement that is unique to every individual. Analyzed data can be used to support argument in favor of one's poitical position, but the underlying mathematical analysis itself, on the other hand, cannot be subjective. The math procedures used must be objective, concise and repeatble from user to user.
Just what the world needs - more high school graduates that "know" about racial profiling to a mathematical certainty, but who can't calculate how may appliances can be plugged into the same circuit before the breaker pops, or can't halve or double a printed recipe. As John Stossel says, "Gimme a break!"
- Mark said...
Kathleen, here are some alternate questions. See if you get it now.
Let's say 50% of U.S. voters are Democrats and 50% are Republican. If all Democrats have an IQ of 80 and all Republicans have an IQ of 120, what is the average IQ of voters.
Let's say 40% of Amnesty International donors are consumers of child porn, another 10% are rapists, and yet another 30% of AI donors are tax cheats. If all of these crimes are felonies, what percentage of AI donors are felons?
Or just change "Walmart" in the sweatshop example to "Ben & Jerry's"
- Bruce Hayden said...
Probably, none of the above for your last question - you don't know the overlap of child porn rapist who also cheat on their taxes. Yes, the way you phrased the question, the answer is probably 80%, but proper statistics would look at the overlap.
As to the driving while colored question, the additional context that is missing, besides the ratio of those driving by, is the demographic makeup of those, such as age, sex, along with race. Also, what would be quite interesting to me would be to control by race of the cop pulling them over.
Because the reality, seems to be that the ratio is not all that different if a cop of color pulls them over versus one of pallor. If accurate, does this mean that the cops of color are just as racist? Or just as smart?
- Bruce Hayden said...
The original article stems apparetly from Mike Rosen's radio show. Mike is a conservative talk show host on the 50,000 watt KOA station in Denver, and is popular enough that he bumps Rush from live to delayed broadcast - yet, apparently has no interest in going national.
Rosen has an uncanny knack of decomposing liberal orthodoxy. His use of logic to destroy his liberal callers is, frankly, almost scary. If only I could be as articulate and as logical, I would be happy with my lot in life.
- Charlie (Colorado) said...
"since when is social justice a "leftist agenda"?
It's not. But "social justice" as a term has been defined by the left to mean a leftist agenda.
Social justice to me means equal rights, including a universal right to bear arms and a universal flat-fee tax (not "flat tax" as in "flat rate", a flat fixed fee for service.)
Something tells me that's not what you mean.
- Jacob said...
This reminds me of a quote from Britain's classic sitcom Yes Minister:
Jim Hacker: "Math has become politicized: If it costs 5 billion pounds a year to maintain Britain's nuclear defences and 75 pounds a year to feed a starving African child, how many African children can be saved from starvation if the Ministry of Defence abandoned nuclear weapons?"
Sir Humphrey: "That's easy: none. They'd spend it all on conventional weapons."
- Bruce Hayden said...
I find this whole thing extremely troubling. First, they are using mathematics to indoctrinate impressionable children in ultra-left wing philosophy - at tax payer expense. Bad enough that they also do this with the "softer" classes.
Secondly, they are laying on the guilt, etc., that goes along with this, on kids who are much too young to worry about this sort of thing. There may be a time to acquint them with the social injustices in the world, but surely at least lower and middle school is much too early. Probably even high school. Now college...
Also, the point of mathematics training should not be to further indoctrination in a specific world view, but rather in, well, mathematical training.
The article mentions changing a story problem from a basic consumer question that the kids might be able to translate into their own lives into one on cheap exploitative foreign labor - which, of course, has no connection with their own lives. The proponent justifies this by noting that the original pushes consumerism. Well, guess what, kids are consumers long before they are advocates for social change.
- Bruce Hayden said...
Finally (for awhile), this article ties in somewhat to the article today in the WSJ by Milton Friedman on school vouchers. Dr. Friedman points out that he predicted the failures we are now seeing in public education 50 years ago when first suggesting vouchers.
The problem, at a basic level, is that public education is a public supported and enforced monopoly. The result is expected, though not pleasant (as we are seeing with this drive to redefine mathematics education).
Because it is a monopoly, there is not the feedback that you get with competition (which is why my daughter goes to private school). The type of feedback that is missing is that which is relatively immediate and that ties educational achievement to policy and resources.
Publically funded and mandated monopolies are worse than private monopolies because ultimately they acquire numerous conflicting goals that have no real connection with what most of us believe their mission should be.
So, we have public education tasked with taking care of disabled who should be otherwise taken care of. Taking care of disruptive kids who should again be elsewhere. Tasked with sex education and handing out condoms.
Adding to this all, public monopolies are inevitably taken over by those with the biggest stake. In the case of public utilities, this is the utility companies. In public education, this is the education establishment, most notably the teachers and their unions. Eventually, these public monopolies ultimately serve the ends of those who have naturally taken them over, instead of the ultimate consumers of their goods, as was originally envisioned. Thus, the security and renumeration of teachers inevitably take priority over the welfare of those the education establishment was supposed to help - the kids.
The problem is that this sort of thing is both predictable and nie inevitable. No matter how noble the original intentions, almost always, those who are most closely involved with a public monopoly capture it - as, they obviously have here.
- Mark said...
A question about kids buying a candy bar is so dull that it's just a math question with the background soon forgotten. A kid quizzed about racially-based cop stop statistics might wonder how the cops see a driver's race at night as they speed by. Or note as they ride with their folks that it's actually quite hard to discern race in another car any time of day unless the other car is close.
Does this lead to awkward questions of the teacher and eventual loss of the teacher's credibility? Is that really a good thing? Maybe it's better to stick with boring candy bars.
- Bruce Hayden said...
The answer to how cops tell race at night is by the cars they drive. A white tricked out Escalade with blacked out windows driving through the hood late at night is probably not being driven by a white middle aged executive and his (or her) spouse. But then, the white middle aged executive probably isn't going to engage in drive by's either.
So, probably better to term it Driving a Banger-mobile, rather than Driving While Black (or Hispanic, etc.)
Not that there isn't a real problem here. A couple of years ago in Denver, a young lawyer of color was complaining about how often he was pulled over driving his BMW. Seems that the cops saw a Black driving that car and thought drug dealer.
But I will still contend that a large percentage of the alleged pulling over of minorities is really good policing, concentrating on cars, for example, that are highly likely to belong to gang members.
Indeed, I find it humorous that they could think that they can trick out their cars as they do, without making themselves obvious.
- Sloanasaurus said...
"Social Justice" is a term used today that is synonomous with the old term Socialism. I would argue that it means more than traditional socialism in that today's "social justice" it includes a kind of "cultural socialism" as well as economic socialism. When people speak of social justice (especially those on the left) they mean cultural and social equality.
Cultural and social equality on its face sounds like a good thing? Unfortunately, it ultimately requires the complete suppression of freedom, a.k.a. totalitarianism, to accomplish.
- Kathleen B. said...
I kind-of think that the idea that sweatshop labor isn't connected to American kids' lives is the whole point.
And I do agree that the Wal-mart hypothetical was definitely wrong; it would only be ok (maybe) if the numbers were truly accruate, with a citation to prove it. Maybe even then it isn't worth the hassle.
As for your other "counter examples" Mark, I would hope your Amnesty one wouldn't go in since it is poorly written, and unsolvable. As for the IQ one, I guess if you feel like being concerned about sweatshop labor is consistent with calling Republicans morons, then that is you. how interesting really.
I guess my biggest problem is the idea that fair working conditions are some sort of "ultra-left wing, radicial idea" that we need to fear our kids being "indoctrinated" with. I guess the conservative movement really is as scary as I believed.
- Kathleen B. said...
"Cultural and social equality on its face sounds like a good thing? Unfortunately, it ultimately requires the complete suppression of freedom, a.k.a. totalitarianism, to accomplish."
that is the most depressing thing I have read in a long time. (granted I have been avoiding the news out of Iraq.)
- Kathleen B. said...
equal rights, including a universal right to bear arms and a universal flat-fee tax (not "flat tax" as in "flat rate", a flat fixed fee for service.)
fair enough. but do you include the right to drive home from work without getting stopped by the cops?
and sorry, I still don't understand what you mean by "Flat fixed fee" tax.
What is it about current gun control that is oppressing you (or others), and impinging on your equal rights?
- Kathy Herrmann said...
I agree with Barry Kearns. Using real-world examples to teach math benefits students.
There's nothing inherently political about mathemathics. What can become political, though, is how people use it to their ends. In a recent article on this subject, inspired by the trail that started with Ann's post, I wrote,
The beauty of math is that, when taught well, it helps children learn to engage in critical thought. The beauty of numbers, and why so many companies key into phrases like "show me the numbers" is because putting things into mathematical terms strips out the politics and anecdotal perceptions of people. At least it does when analytics approach a problem without a hidden agenda. And amazing things happen when you allow yourself to put thing into unagenda'd mathematical terms. One of those is that sometimes you discover what you thought you knew is not the case at all. Sometimes the numbers tell you a different story.
The key to gaining such numerical value, though, is that mathematics needs to be approached without an agenda. In contrast, when you step up to it with one, then you fall consciously or unconsciously fall into a trap of skewing the numbers.
The full post is at http://bigcatchronicles.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2005/6/9/924809.html
- Mark said...
I actually don't consider my questions appropriate for kids taking math. I wrote them that way as a simple, perhaps crude, aide for an adult to get some perspective.
I don't think anyone is against children being informed about sweatshops. They're against kids being lied to by lefty wankers in math class. That is the point.
Anyway, this will probably backfire. Smart kids will resent being brainwashed by their "math" teachers and become right-wingers. The dumb kids who bought it all will be the left's sloganeering braintrust.
- Mark said...
I've been working with physicists and engineers (lots of math) for 20 years. I'd say more than 90% of them are conservative or libertarian. (I hear the non-math disciplines such as Education are similarly lopsided but of the other polarity.)
What am I saying? Well, I just don't think math and lefty logic mix well, and they're going to get a big ass fight when it comes to educating kids in math.
- Sloanasaurus said...
"Cultural and social equality on its face sounds like a good thing? Unfortunately, it ultimately requires the complete suppression of freedom, a.k.a. totalitarianism, to accomplish."
I should have said cultural and economic equality. Yikes...get with it.
- Sean said...
It's important to remember that for most non-academics, "when I think back on all the c--- I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all." It doesn't much matter what nonsense the teacher is babbling, because most of us remember most of our teachers (even our law professors, sorry!), with bemused contempt. An exception, in my case, would Babette Barton, my tax professor, and Donald Kagan, my history professor, but not too many others.
- Drethelin said...
Teaching social justice etc. etc. is all well and good. BUT NOT IN MATH CLASS. The point of MATH CLASS is to teach you MATH. anything else is frippery.
- Mark said...
I put Ann's recommendation, "A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper" into my Amazon basket. So then up pops an Amazon recommendation for "How to Lie with Statistics." Hmmm.
Speaking of, a Blogger book review section would be nice, Ann. Lately, I've enjoyed a number of books recommended by the bloggers I read.
- Girish said...
Here's a question for you:
A 14 year old child in the Honduras can earn $1 a day by working in a Walmart "sweatshop" or 5 cents a day working as a prostitute or rag-picker. How many days would this child have to work as a prostitute or a rag-picker to earn the same amount as if she worked in the Walmart "sweatshop" for 5 days?
I don't mean to belittle your concern for the more unfortunate people in my country (India) and in other poor countries. But you sound like an obviously intelligent woman and your ideas and the ideas of other, undoubtedly well-meaning, people will result in the poor of this world staying in abject and degrading poverty.
I saw a store in NY a couple of months ago which proudly advertised "No sweatshop items here". What was there to be proud of? That you denied some person, living in conditions that you could not imagine, a modicum of dignity? That you denied them the ability to eat two meals a day instead of one?
I know it's impossible to convince people through comments to blog-posts - but, please, bring your intelligence to bear on this: maybe, there's another way to think about sweatshops?
- Jeff said...
Here are some math questions from a "right-ward" perspective.
The city has just imposed a hike in minimum wage from $5 to $8 an hour. A fast food store manager can not raise his prices because it would drive his customers to other restaurants outside the city. In order to remain in business (be profitable) he must fire 2 employees for every $1 hike in minimum wage. How many employees does he fire?
A poor family in Cleveland has a food and clothing budget of $300 a month. If a Walmart is built in the neighborhood and the family is able to save 13% on their purchase, how much money do they save by shopping at Walmart?
A recent study found that the three most common factors in determing whether a girl will become a poor woman where; 1) having a child out of wedlock, 2) getting married before 21 and 3) not getting a high school education. In a freshman high school class of 215 girls, these three factors happen to 45% of the girls, how many will likely grow up poor.
Man, this is easy. What a way to spread the idea that actions have consequences (as righties know and lefties don,t).
- Mr. I said...
As Althouse asks in the post, "why shouldn't we demonstrate how useful math is in analyzing social and political matters?" I just don't see the harm in bringing in real-world examples to engage students. If it gets the students involved and interested in math, then the example has done its job. One only needs to look at the comments on this blog to see how passionate people become with these inherently leftist or rightist math problems. And that is exactly the point -- if it works here imagine how it can work in the classroom! Kids today are so apathetic when it comes to learning, especially science and math, that these math problems should be an added welcome.
One last point: To all those who seem to have such a critical opinion of teachers teaching "leftist" agendas in their classrooms, if you are so concerned with it why don't you go teach? There is a large need for teachers in this country and your knowledge and balanced views would surely be appreciated. So, before you start to attack teachers for doing their job and looking for ways to engage today's subpar students, walk a mile in their shoes.
- Jeff said...
Sorry Ann to post some more "right-ward" math questions again, but this is too much fun.
Recent studies have shown that deep sea oil rigs have become important and rich ocean life habitats. If each oil rig develops a 20-acre habit, how many oil rigs have to be installed to gain a square mile of habit, given that there are 660 acres in a square mile?
If 3 million illegal immigrants cross into the US from the Mexican border and if 0.01 % are Islamic terrorists, how many American lives are at risk if each terrorist can murder 1,000 people?
A turbine windmill farm the size of Kansas would create 3.3 Gigawatts of electricity. If the US needs 21 Gigawatts of electricity, how many states the size of Kansas would be needed to be converted to windmill farms to completely power the US?
Bonus questions:
1) If 10,000 family farms were destroyed in each state as a result of building these windmill farms and if each family had 4 people, how many people would be displaced?
2) If one windmill can decimate 200 birds a year and it takes 20,000,000,000 windmills to generate enough electricity for the US and there are 4 x10EE12 birds in the US, how long before all birds are gone?
- Ann Althouse said...
Jeff: Great! I'm trying to think up a problem, based on what Mr. I's point reminded me of. Something like: for each $1,000 a year under $100,000 that the city pays its teachers, it will find that it has hired 1% more left-leaning teachers than right-leaning teachers. How much will the city need to pay its teachers in order to hire a politically balanced teaching staff?
- Mr. I said...
Ann: Perfect!
- L. Ron Halfelven said...
I'm struck by the extent to which everyone, friend or foe, buys into the assumption that dumping these decontextualized numbers into students' laps equates to a training in "social justice". To believe that, you'd need to share the lefty teachers' belief that the numbers are self-interpreting-- or, more cynically, rely on the kids' belief (based on their own relatively sheltered existence) that their own standard of living is the norm, any deviation from which requires some sort of special explanation.
And, as usual, I'm amused by the way the lefty teachers rely on that norm at the same time they pretend to be challenging it. If we're supposed to avoid word problems about buying stuff because it takes consumerism for granted, why worry about how much sweeatshop workers make? If they made more, they'd just use it to buy stuff. Alienation! Hegemony!
Note that if we accept Mr. I's logic the need for more teachers will be especially acute-- we'll have to replace all the lefty teachers who are rushing off to Indonesia to set up factories that pay American wages.
- Bruce Hayden said...
Not sure where you are from, but at least here in Colorado, there are 640 acres to the square mile (1 section), not 660.
Learned this about 20 years ago when getting my broker's license. It turns out that it is much easier to remember acres per sq. mile than sq. feet per acred. Then, when you need the later, just square 5,280 and divide by 640 on your trusty 12-C. (amazingly, which HP is still selling).
The 640 acres per sq. mile makes computing a quarter or a quarter quarter section trivial - or should if you haven't spent your time in math piling on WallMart.
- Mr. I said...
Paul: I never said the lefty teachers would suddenly leave to ensure "social justice" in another country. It was a call to action for the righty teachers to get involved in teaching in this country since they don't like the current state of it. My point wasn't about "social justice" one way or the other. My point was that if the students get interested in math through the examples used (whether they buy into them or not) this is good. Please don't twist my words to support your convoluted argument.
- Jeff said...
My bad on the 640 acres to the mile. I am even a Geologist! Should have got another cup of coffee before I posted.
- james said...
Is anybody old enough to remember the old Soviet Union, and the way classes were required to find a tie-in to Marxism-Leninism in every subject?
- Bruce Hayden said...
Not sure your problem works, yet, as you really need a starting place. Maybe if you started with a specified mix at $100,000.
Mr. I,
The problem is that the numbers, as suggested, are not decontextualized, but rather politically misconceptialized.
- Mr. I said...
Bruce: But that was one of my points: Have more right leaning teachers and introduce a balance through more right leaning examples, more "politically conceptualized" lessons.
P.S. You make a very rythmic point.
- Bruce Hayden said...
One reason that the proposed method of teaching will probably not work as well as what is currently in use (regardless of how bad that is) is because the students are already consumers. They have to be in our society. The teacher proposing this is also a consumer - she just pretends that she is not.
So, teaching math through using consumer problems has two positive effects. First, the kids can relate the math better to their own lives, as these are the types of decisions that they do make already, and will continue to make throughout their lives. And, relatedly, it is useful.
Every other weekend, when I have my (almost 14 yr old) daughter, we go grocery shopping for food, and, more importantly, gum. Add to this that the grocery stores now advertise a lot of things x for $y.
So, we play a game. We won't buy anything that she wants until she has done the math. Which is better, 4 for $3 or 5 for $4? The former, obviously, until I point out that the second package has more sticks of gum.
The result is that she is getting quite adept at this sort of math, doing it almost as quickly as I do.
This has (IMHO) three benefit. First, it improves her math skills. Secondly, it turns her into a better consumer. And third, it prepares her just a little better for the SATs.
I do wonder what that teacher does in the grocery store. Does she really pick her products based on how much they pay their slave labor? Or does she try to stretch her paycheck just a little further by using the math she is supposed to be teaching to get the better deal?
- leeontheroad said...
Why is this a right-wing math question, Jeff:
"A turbine windmill farm the size of Kansas would create 3.3 Gigawatts of electricity. If the US needs 21 Gigawatts of electricity, how many states the size of Kansas would be needed to be converted to windmill farms to completely power the US?"
That seems like a straight-up hypothetical to me. If you mean to suggest that the answer would teach young children that wind power alone would not meet US energy needs, so be it. Meanwhile, I'm not sure the elft woudl argue that was a "bad thing." Parts of the left are opposed to turbines, because of the way "wind farms" can affect bird migration patterns; and no one seems to know if such a large-scale wind power project might affect weather patterns, either. In any case, better to get folks thinking quantitatively about choices than not, I'd say.
My own view is that teachers need to provide tools for decision-making and prompt students to make use of them. No group of teachers, right or left, has yet eliminated the viewpoint of the other side; and that's evidence to me that it's not been possible to do so in the U.S. A consensus here seems to be that the ranks of teachers are domninated by left-leaners. While I'm not sure that's true, even if it were, then the so-called ascendancy of the right would prove that these such teachers have not been able to brainwash students-- and that's assuming that leaning left teachers have tried to do so. I doubt that, actually; but it's an arguable point.
Speaking of arguable, I don't understand the railing here against the use of the word "hegemony." The left uses it as part of an argument about a "bad thing"; neocons use it in white papers as part of an arguemnt for a good thing. No side has been able to control the word's meaning or social valance.
- Bruce Hayden said...
Finally, I too have spent most of my working life working around engineers and scientists. For 15 years, I was a programmer, and then the last 15 as a patent attorney.
And I too have found that engineers and scientists tend to run more conservative or libertarian. It seems that EEs and Software Engineers tend to be more libertarian, while the older engineering disiplines more traditionally conservative.
For the most part though, it is not the religious conservatism that so annoys the left, but rather a more traditional type. However, I did find myself about 18 years ago in a situation where attending prayer breakfasts was politically expedient (and ultimately controversial, as the engineers involved worked for the federal govt.).
Partly, I suspect this all results from the typical dichotomy of feeling (on the left) versus thinking (on the right). Engineers and scientists are, for the most part, too rational to buy into politics by feel and good intentions. They tend to ask the obvious question, does it work?
- HaloJonesFan said...
>Why is this a right-wing math
> question...:
>"A turbine windmill farm the size
> of Kansas (etc. etc.)
Well, the sweat-shop labor question doesn't explicitly state that sweatshops are bad; that is left as an exercise for the student. Similarly, the wind-turbine relocation question doesn't state that such relocation would be bad; it leaves the conclusion of "wow, wind power would take up a lot of space, and make lots of people have to move!" entirely up to the student.
- Smilin' Jack said...
For left-wing teachers who want to impart the value of 'social justice,' here's a lesson plan: Everyone in the classroom (kids and teacher) puts all their assets in a pot (kids put in their allowances; teacher puts in house, car, bank balances, etc.) Then everyone gets a vote on how to divide it up. The kids will need to handle the math at this point, as the (formerly) left-wing teacher will be too busy screaming about his 'property rights.'
- Sam Chevre said...
My problem isn't really with the examples, but with this statement: "Teachers cannot easily do social justice mathematics teaching when using a rote, procedure-oriented mathematics curriculum." I'm an applied mathematician; math (and especially applied math) is a procedure-based discipline. You can do a lot of interesting analyses; you can use methodologies ranging from division to multi-stage regression; but learning math is a matter of learning to decide which procedure should be used, what numbers should be input, and consistently applying that procedure. If your math teaching (particularly in elementary school) is not procedure-oriented, your students won't have the skills to do math.
- gs said...
Sam Chevre, I agree. If the kids learn the basic procedures, they acquire the tools which give them a fighting chance against the various indoctrination efforts which will come their way.
I am currently less sympathetic to left-wing indoctrination than to right-wing indoctrination, but I'm disturbed by an emphasis on indoctrination whether or not I personally agree with the viewpoint being 'taught'. The assertion that the political dimension of anything has primacy teeters on the verge of totalitarianism. Afaic 'social justice mathematics' is a branch of 'proto-totalitarian mathematics'.
To the commenters who articulate the underlying structure of social-justice-mathematics 'problems': thank you for your efforts. Clarity is harder to create than ideological babble, and it can seem a waste of effort to try. In fact, it looks like clarity is the one thing that all the big players in the culture wars can agree to oppose.
- Kathleen B. said...
I don't think anyone is against children being informed about sweatshops. They're against kids being lied to by lefty wankers in math class.
but what part of anything I was saying involved "lying by lefty wankers"? To the contrary, that is my entire issue with some of the comments here (and the original blog), namely that "social justice" is equated with "lying by lefty wankers" and "indoctrination of our poor innocent helpless children". I can think of reasons why the "social justice math education" has flaws, and some others have been stated here. But overall, most people seemed to have said: this is bad because it is about "social justice" and that is what those crazy left wingers I hate though I don't know any care about. (for example, Jeff I was enjoying your post until the end. "the left doesn't understand that actions have consequences"!? come on.)
Finally, Girish - I appreciated your post very much. I guess my problem is: why is it a choice between child prostitution and a sweatshop? is that really the best we can do?
- Yevgeny Vilensky said...
In response to Mr. I's question of why more right-wingers won't become teachers...
My girlfriend, who is not a hardcore right-winger, but is probably what you would call a moderate Republican with libertarian tendencies teaches in New York City. She has to be a member of the union (or at least pay them union dues). And if she refuses to go to their union rallies, they threaten to put a comment into her personal file and prevent her from getting tenure. If she ever raises a conservative/libertarian point at faculty meetings, she's yelled at. So, please... don't tell me that right-wingers are exactly welcome in America's public schools.
In response to Kathleen B.:
Yes, I wish we could do better too. But politics is the art of the possible. No right winger says "Yeah, sweatshops, good! Bring more of them on! I want people to labor for minimal amounts of food all day! Woo hoo!" The point we're making is that people now who are fighting against sweatshops so hard have a naiive point of view that if sweatshops disappeared in Thailand and Macao, then all of a sudden, people will start having great lives. No, if you got rid of those sweatshops, those people's lives will get worse. Right now. Yes, I wish there were no sweatshops. No, I don't think that getting rid of them with one fell swoop will do much to improve things.
To all the rest of you. I am a grad student in math right now. And while I sympathize with the authors of the book when they critique the idea that math is taught as a disconnected set of rules that you must use, I must say that making it "relevant" is not nearly as important as learning the concepts.
The problem is that too many teachers today are too worried about making math "relevant" and so students engage in recipe mathematics where they are told to apply lots of different rules to get some end result, but don't know what they did or why they did it.
The main problem is that most teachers who teach mathematics in elementary and middle schools do not have degrees in mathematics, but rather in "education" or "elementary education." They do not know the context of mathematics and what it is about. Not until maybe my junior year of college, was I truly able to put everything I had previously learned in school into context. So, how can elementary school teachers know the context when many of them never even had basic introductory calculus?
- Barry Kearns said...
Kathleen B. wrote:
...my entire issue with some of the comments here (and the original blog), namely that "social justice" is equated with "lying by lefty wankers" and "indoctrination of our poor innocent helpless children".
I tend to not characterize children as either poor or helpless. Instead, I treat them as impressionable. My primary objection to all of this falderal is that someone is trying to use a mandatory attendance subject as a platform to try to impress their personal political agenda onto students.
That's wrong, not because it's coming from leftists... but because it's wholly inappropriate. It would be inappropriate if it were far right-wingers doing it too, and likewise with radical libertarians or anarchists. I don't send my daughters to school in order to have their teachers recruit them to a particular worldview. I send them to math classes to get a math education.
It's my job as a parent to teach my child social justice as I see it and a proper worldview as I see it, not as the teacher sees it.
My objection to the "social justice" aspect of this is that, in a public school setting, there will likely be an entire spectrum of political and social worldviews in the families of the students. Indoctrination by math teachers towards any specific personal philosophy they have is bound to conflict sharply with the parental teachings of a chunk of the student population.
That's not an area where I want math teachers to try to impose what they believe are "their superior philosophies". They should leave their politics at the door, and teach the subject matter.
...But overall, most people seemed to have said: this is bad because it is about "social justice" and that is what those crazy left wingers I hate though I don't know any care about.
No, the problem is that different people define "social justice" in different ways, yet these authors seem to operate from the premise that their particular definition (and the baggage that comes with it) is the "proper" outcome to inculcate into their students.
They are out of bounds, in my opinion. From reading the table of contents and introduction, I think it's pretty easy to conclude that the package-deal these authors want to push includes a significant number of far-left political talking points. Do you disagree?
Do you think politically-charged examples from anywhere on the political spectrum are appropriate to push onto students in non-optional classes, where parents don't get the choice to opt their students out?
Sure, I oppose this a bit more strongly because the positions being pushed are a long, long way from my own. But I'd be treating it exactly the same if I were a left-of-center parent facing a book teaching far-right teachers how to indoctrinate my daughters with their politically-charged worldview.
It's not indoctrination simply because it's leftist... and it's not leftist simply because it's indoctrination.
It's indoctrination because it's someone in a position of influence inappropriately imposing their own worldview where it doesn't belong. It's teachers going way, way too far into areas where they don't belong. In my opinion, that's a recipe for disaster no matter what your social and political views happen to be.
- Bruce Hayden said...
First, the short comment. Even in a private school, I was surprised this year that my daughter's middle school math teacher did not have a degree in mathematics. If nothing else, he didn't quite grasp our concerns. 4 of 5 boys in my family had degrees in math (2), physics (1), or engineering (1). Mother, in math, her father in engineering (as well as being an artillary officer) and his sister got a masters in 1924 from Columbia. My ex's family is little different.
So, math comes easy to her (or else!). We were concerned that the school didn't push as hard as some of the competition, esp. the best math students. So, she is probably not going to get calculus until her senior year, while if we switched schools, maybe junior year.
I suspect that this teacher has had at least some calculus. But probably not more, and maybe not even the entire series. And, no surprise, he doesn't quite get our concerns. Luckily, the high school teachers at that school do have math degrees.
- Bruce Hayden said...
Now for the longer post.
I am in the midst of rereading Hayek. Friedman in his (2nd) preface suggests that Hayek is even more timely, 60 years now since first publication.
I am in the middle of a chapter on communitarianism versus individualism. And in particular, how the former is used as the primary justification for socialism.
The basic problem is that we are not Germany of the 1920s or 1930s. There is no well defined collective consciousness here. And he points out that this is true in most situations. So, it is better to let everyone optimize their own priorities.
The way that this ties into this discussion is that public education is justified basically on two grounds: that society benefits by providing a basic education in an ever more technical and complex world; and by imparting common culture, ethos, etc. to our society.
In the first situation, obviously, the jump from public education to public schools is questionable - as was pointed out a day or two ago by Friedman in the WSJ. But this math teacher goes further, by substituting her definition of social consciousness and fairness for quality of education. In other words, she is essentially making the unilateral decision that raw math skills are not as important as being socially conscious (as she defines it). But that of course cuts against the first factor.
But it also cuts significantly against the second. Her social views are not those of the majority, and even if they were of the majority, they wouldn't be of the mass plurality. Plenty of people shop at WallMart for very good reasons. Plenty of us disagree with her politically.
So, instead of indoctrinating the students in a common culture, etc., which is one of the justifications for public education, she is proposing indoctrinating them in HER social views. So much for propogating a common view.
The good side of this entire debacle is that in the long run, this sort of teacher is going to work her and her friends out of jobs teaching in the public schools - because we, at least on the right, are now asking "why should there be public schools?" and asking the education establishment, such as her, to justify their existence.
- Hazy Dave said...
Bruce, reread Ann's Question:
...For each $1,000 a year under $100,000 that the city pays its teachers, it will find that it has hired 1% more left-leaning teachers than right-leaning teachers. How much will the city need to pay its teachers in order to hire a politically balanced teaching staff?
The answer is $100,000, of course, the level at which the city hires 0% more left-leaning teachers than right-leaning teachers.


text:
Framework: DE013 – de013_straight_ray
1 - Primary or Horizontal Divisions
1 - Secondary or Vertical Divisions
Part of series: DE013 Design Element 013 – Rays
Series Keywords: Radiate out from a center object, Shed light on something, Light dawning on an issue, Horizons of land and water
These ray designs can be used to complement the following concepts:
- Radiate out from a center object
- Shed light on something
- Light dawning on an issue
- Horizons of land and water.
Each download has three variations except for the circular straight rays and wave rays. The three variations include:
- Just the rays with no background
- Rays with a solid background
- Two sets of rays in two hues of the same color.
Choose the variation you'd like to use and delete the other two.
The rays can also be colored to any color you wish. The rays are grouped to make it easier to make the color changes. No line colors have been applied to the rays, but they can also accept line colors.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Kinetics Database Resources
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NIST Standard Reference Data Program
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The NIST Reference on Constants, Units, and Uncertainty
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Title: Atmospheric chemistry of CF3CF2H and CF3CF2CF2CF2H: Kinetics and products of gas-phase reactions with Cl atoms and OH radicals, infrared spectra, and formation of perfluorocarboxylic acids
Journal: Chem. Phys. Lett.
Volume: 473
Page(s): 251 - 256
Year: 2009
Reference type: Journal article
Squib: 2009YOU/HUR251-256
C2F5H + Cl → Products
View full bibliographic record.


text:
We don't have to dump Revis
-after next season we can cut Holmes and save some cap room
-after next season Revis is a free agent
-we could always trade Cro, if Revis comes back and is anything like the "shut down" Cb he was before the ACL.. THAT'S CRO'S ASS.
-How the hell else would we sell tickets next year? Sanchez back and Revis gone?
-I think Pats and Raiders fans should stfu
I would trade Tebow and a 3rd for Alex Smith and a 7th.
Tebow might just accept being a backup to Kaepernick if he is in a winning environment like San Francisco. They run the spread option in San Fran, so he should be fine there.
Sorry, we were talking about Revis, that game you play isn't going to work.
Fact is you don't have a f'in clue how any of the closer losses would have turned out with a healthy Revis suited up every week.
-stopped McCourty's 104-yard KO return.
-shut down Grownkowski who had 7 receptions for 78 yards a 2 TD's
-shut down Welker who had 6 recetions (4 for first downs to keep drives alive) for 66 yards.
Revis would have made no difference in that game whatsoever.
But keep thinking that CB's can win football games.
Alex Smith had a loaded offense in SF and lost his job to a friggin rookie because he couldn't hit a damn pass over 15 yards. Take that offensive talent and Jim Harbaugh away and Smith is simply a terrible football player.
Unless you get the guys from the construction industry to suggest to Revis that he signs with the Jets. What option do you have. You gave up that option when you gave up the franchise tag . fact
Again get this through your head Revis comes to training Camp and Jets didn't sign him or trade him he's gone in 2014. (another fact)
Btw Lets see what happens with Revis and whose scenario was more accurate.
Last edited by Raider9175; 02-05-2013 at 07:41 PM.
Not sure how much of a difference Revis would have made. Maybe in the first Pats game, I can see that argument. But it terms of the season as a whole, I think we are still below .500
We got blown out against PITT, SF, MIA, SEA, NE, BUF. He would not have made a difference in any of those games. Have to keep in mind that our offense gave us absolutely nothing in most of those games.
@bsmithers81: @CGROSS97 the 49ers have 14 draft picks this year. Not that many roster spots available. They will be wheeling and dealing their picks.


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The Institute communicates its scientific and educational information in a number of ways. One major outlet is peer-reviewed publications and reports. Cary Institute staff regularly publish in the best-rated journals in their respective fields.
Export 1 results:Sort by: Author Title Type [ Year]
Filters: Author is Duhamel, J. [Clear All Filters]
Nitrogen transfer from sea to land via commercial fisheries", Nature Geoscience, vol. 1, p. 111-113, 2008., "


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Louies in the Bronx? Try the veal...best in the city. Makes a great last meal.
Why did you leave the last time and what changed on their end since?
Basically the bottom line - How much crap you can put up with is directly related to how much they pay you.
I have to hand it to my company - they've found that sweet spot with most of the employees...... Fvckers.
Every situation is different butmine worked out fine. Good luck and trust your instincts.
I need a job where I can make demands and someone wants me to be there enough that they give them to me.
Last edited by BushyTheBeaver; 01-17-2013 at 03:49 PM.


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Surgery means life or death, so it's scary to think that up to 30 percent of Medicare patients-- our parents-- experience avoidable complications after commonly scheduled surgeries according to Consumer Reports.
While St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Howell scored excellent in the report, McLaren Greater Lansing scored average, and Sparrow earned the lowest score possible--poor.
"Quality is never a destination, it's always part of the journey and we are continually reviewing what we are doing and comparing ourselves with the very best," said Brian Schroeder, Sparrow's Chief Medical Officer.
The scores are based off the percentage of Medicare patients 65 or older who stayed longer than expected or died after a surgery. The data comes from billing claims from 2009 through 2011 and compares nearly 2,500 hospitals throughout the country.
"Being fully transparent, there's a lot of areas Sparrow has to work on. We work daily trying to improve quality, but that being said we take pride in a lot of our rankings at Hospital Compare and the progress we've made," said John Berg, Sparrow's Executive Director of Strategic Market Development.
Hospital Compare is a government run healthcare comparison site. There's a link to it below. The folks at Sparrow believe the Consumer Report findings are flawed. The complete study is also linked below.
"It penalized hospitals with major trauma centers," said Berg. "We are a level one regional trauma center, we take care of some of the worst patients in Mid-Michigan and that's our role."
Consumer Reports hopes the report will motivate hospitals to improve care and increase transparency.
Sparrow isn't the only hospital to get a bad score. Some satellite campuses with big names like John Hopkins, and the Mayo Clinics also did poorly.
Out of the 10 largest hospitals in the state that see more than 27,000 patients a year, three others scored below average. The complete list is located at the bottom of this article.
We tried to conduct get an on-camera interview with McLaren, but no one was available for comment for this story.
"Patient safety and quality are the two things that Sparrow is most interested in," said Schroeder.
The Consumer Report suggests that electronic medical records will improve healthcare, which is one thing Sparrow representatives are quick to agree with. Sparrow has already made the switch to electronic medical records.
Consumer Reports says its is the best, most comprehensive study out there using existing data. That said, some experts say it doesn't account for external factors that might delay hospital stays, and therefore lower a hospital's score. The data is based on billing claims rather than from patient's clinical data.
The report says Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak has the worst ratings for knee replacement. It also gives St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, the lowest rating for coronary angioplasty, a procedure used to remove blockages in the arteries.
"Some hospitals do a much better job than others.
Teaching hospitals often fell short.
Urban and rural hospitals can and do excel.
Big-name hospitals don't always live up to their reputation when it comes to these Ratings.
Specialty hospitals tended to do better.
Hospital choice matters more for some procedures than for others."
Beaumont Hospitals - Royal Oak--POOR
Beaumont Hospitals - Troy -- EXCELLENT
Covenant Medical Center [Saginaw]-- GOOD
Henry Ford Hospital [Detroit]--GOOD
Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center - [Dearborn]--POOR
Sparrow Health System (include main campus and St. Lawrence campus) [Grand Rapids]--POOR
Spectrum Health (Butterworth, Blodgett and Helen DeVos Childrens)--GOOD
St John Hospital & Medical Center [Detroit]--FAIR
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital [Howell]--EXCELLENT
University of Michigan Hospitals & Health System (includes CS Mott Childrens) [Ann Arbor]-- GOOD


text:
Afternooon Game Ends Pretty Lame
4/28/10 ROCKIES vs D-BACKS Game 3
This was an afternoon game and the final game of a tied series.
I didn't pre-purchase tickets to this game. I'm off on Wednesdays and when I woke up I opened the curtains, looked outside and the sky was solid blue.
You get what you get with April baseball in Colorado. Evenings are cold and afternoons can be snowy, windy and raining all in one day. Today was warm, I didn't have a whole lot on my list of things to do so Krista said "go for it".
Going to a baseball game unplanned is a new concept to me. I usually know way in advance what games I'm going to and I like it that way. Today I left a half hour before the game started, parked for free, walked up to the empty Rockies ticket window, purchased a Rockpile ticket for four bucks and proceeded to enter Coors Field..
No backpack today, just my camera and my glove.
Inside I discovered the first pitch had just been tossed and it was game-on. I settled on the third base side two sections to the left of the netting behind home plate. Great place to take pictures.
No waiting in line, no standing for two full hours during batting practice. Just park, ticket, seat.
Don't get me wrong, I love my batting practice, this was a nice change.
Here's my Picture Show
Olivo scores.
First time I've personally seen Banner Jack this season.
Here's video of Tulo in the third inning with the bases loaded down 6-1.
There's one in every stadium I'm sure. I call this "Dancing Finger Guy"
Helton hits a double.
Then Helton slides into third..Yeah!
OK, technically it's right after the game, and it's not exactly inside Coors Field. It was however located on the property.
The game was tied in the 9th. In the 10th inning Kelly Johnson homered to center field to lead the D-Backs to a 12-11 win.
The only thing I hate worse than losing to the D-Backs at home is losing 2 out of 3 to the D-Backs at home.
On a much more pleasing note:
Here are pictures of my grandson Mason playing T-Ball.
He likes the Rockies but his local team is the Sacramento Rivercats.
I couldn't be more proud.."D" The Rockpile Ranter


text:
The American bar association: the president's address
n.p. - Law - 80 pages
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
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act provides act relating amendment American Bar Association appear applicants appointed authorized Bar Association Board of Examiners Board of Health California certificate charge child circuit Commissioners committed common carrier Connecticut constitution conviction created crime criminal declared deemed defendant diploma directed district divorce duty election employed employee employment entomologist established extrajudicial five fourteen governor guilty Hawaii hearing Horticulture Idaho Illinois imprisonment indictment injury issue Jersey Jersey provides judges judgment jury justice Kansas labor legislation legislature less license liquor Massachusetts matter ment Minnesota misdemeanor Missouri Montana Nevada North Carolina officer Oklahoma Optometry Oregon organized militia osteopathy party passed an act penalty Pennsylvania person or corporation petition practice prisoner probation profession prohibits punishable purpose railroad sell sheriff similar act sixteen South Dakota Supreme Court Tennessee territory therein thereof tion trial twelve unlawful Utah Virginia vote


text:
Latest update : 2013-02-05
Violence against gays in Russia, an attempt to apply "sharia law" in London, and more
This show is made up entirely of amateur images. We've seen time and time again how images captured by ordinary citizens then uploaded onto the Web can change history, or at least shift the balance of power. This week, we take a look back at some of those moments.
Story 1: Russia
We begin today with a young man who is brave to show his face. His name is Andrei Nasonov. He is openly gay, in a country - Russia - where that can be dangerous. There's a law making its way through the Russian parliament right now that will make it a crime to display "homosexual propaganda" such as kissing or holding hands. The law is backed by the Orthodox Church, and when Andrei and some of his comrades tried to demonstrate against it, they were met by a crowd of nationalist and religious thugs.
Story 2: United Kingdom
Next stop, London, for more religious intolerance, this time from young Muslims in the East End borough of Tower Hamlets. The borough has one of the highest populations of south Asians in Britain, mostly Muslims of Bangladeshi origin. Some of these young Muslims have posted videos online showing them hassling passers-by, telling them they're entering a "Muslim area" and should act according to sharia law.
Police have arrested two young men in connection with the videos, and have reinforced their presence in the area.
Story 3: World
Now for our weekly roundup of stories and images sent in by our Observers.
First stop Iran, and a grim machine - specially made to cut off fingers. It's well-known that theft is punishable by amputation in Iran, but it's rare for the authorities to draw attention to it. In this case one of Iran's official news agencies published photographs of the amputation machine. Our Observer Mahmoud follows human rights in Iran. He said he'd never seen such a device before, and wondered if its publication was a way of intimidating potential protesters ahead of the presidential election in June.
Now further north, to Azerbaijan. The country's oil wealth has made many people rich, but many more have stayed poor and tensions sometimes fray. That's what happened in the central city of Ismailli, when a young hotel owner crashed his Chevy Camaro sports car onto a sidewalk. No-one was injured, but there was an argument. A crowd gathered, and turned on the driver, torching his hotel and the luxury cars parked outside. Our Observer Rashad says they were angry because they believed the hotel owner was a relative of the governor. The next day several hundred people came out to call for the governor to resign, but he refused.
Last stop, a beach resort in Queensland, Australia covered in foam. It was kicked up by a passing tropical storm, Oswald, last month. The gusts of wind whipped the sea into foam that covered the beach, and found its way into the streets of the town itself


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Archaeologists have uncovered a significant treasure consisting of 200 bronze coins and various items of gold, silver and bronze jewellery, which were buried by citizens of a town under siege by the Roman army nearly 2,000 years ago.
Live Science reports the valuables were found beneath an ancient fortress in the Crimean settlement of Artezia, in modern day Ukraine.
Scientists think wealthy locals buried the treasure in an effort to hide it from the attacking Romans.
"It was obvious for the people that they were going to die shortly," wrote Nikolai Vinokurov, a professor at Moscow State Pedagogical University


text:
Herbed Beans and Carrots Recipe
3.5 1 5
Recommended: Our Most Delicious Carrot Recipes
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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- 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 3 medium carrots, julienned
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
- Place the beans and carrots in a microwave-safe 8-in. square dish. Add water. Cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Stir in the butter and seasonings. Yield: 4 servings.
Editor's Note: This recipe was tested in a 1,100-watt microwave.
Originally published as Herbed Beans and Carrots in Quick Cooking January/February 2006, p24
Reviews forHerbed Beans and Carrots
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Reviewed Mar. 2, 2011
"This was ok. However, if I make it again I will use the stovetop instead of the microwave. I didn't like the texture of the beans cooked this way, but the herb mixture was delicious."


text:
Motorcycle Salvage King
Willie's Cycles has been working in the salvage industry since 1977. We specialize in selling quality used Motorcycle parts, and our staff offers quality and reliable parts you can count on. In addition, our friendly and professional staff is here to answer any questions you may have about our company or our services.
When you need a part, we have what you need at prices you can afford. At Willie's Cycles, our goal is to provide you with courteous, expedient, professional service of the highest caliber.
Browse our Web site for more information about Willie's Cycles. If you have any questions or would like to speak with a Willie's Cycles representative regarding our parts or services, please e-mail us at email@example.com or call us at 800-334-4045.
At Willie's Cycles, the customer always comes first.
Web-Master and Design by O'Dell's Programming Services firstname.lastname@example.com Decatur, Alabama


text:
WASHINGTON — Charities and nonprofit organizations are worried that new limits on tax deductions for high earners will hurt donations just as charitable giving is starting to rebound from the depths of the recession.
Experts doubt the new limits on deductions will have much impact on giving, but some major nonprofit organizations fear they are a sign that the charitable deduction is no longer sacrosanct on Capitol Hill, just as Congress is promising a broader effort later this year to overhaul the tax code.
The limits on deductions are part of the new tax law Congress passed on New Year's Day. They reduce the value of all itemized deductions for individuals making more than $250,000 and married couples making more than $300,000. Advocates are concerned the limits will reduce the tax incentive for people to make donations to charities and nonprofits such as religious institutions, colleges, and groups that help the poor.
''The charitable deduction incentive is different than any other deduction or credit in the tax code,'' said Sandra Swirski, executive director of the Alliance for Charitable Reform, which lobbies on behalf of donors and private foundations. That's because the deduction encourages people to give away income, while other deductions and credits encourage people to buy things they can then write off, she noted.
Charitable giving in the United States increased in 2010 and 2011, according to the latest data. But it has yet to return to pre-recession levels, according to data from the Giving USA Foundation and the Indiana University School of Philanthropy. Charitable giving by individuals, foundations, and corporations topped $298 billion in 2011. In 2007, it was $337 billion, in inflation-adjusted dollars.
The new tax provision reduces the amount of itemized deductions a taxpayer can claim by 3 cents for every dollar of income above the threshold. For example, if a married couple has an adjusted gross income of $400,000, that's $100,000 above the threshold, so the itemized deductions would be reduced by $3,000.
Itemized deductions cannot be reduced by more than 80 percent, under the provision.
In this example, if the couple had a total of $60,000 in itemized deductions, they could claim only $57,000. If they were in the 33 percent income tax bracket, the provision would increase their taxes by $990.
The provision is a revival of the ''Pease'' limitation, first enacted in 1990 but phased out in 2010. It is named after a deceased congressman, Representative Donald Pease, an Ohio Democrat who wrote the measure.
Specialists say there is no evidence that the limitation reduced charitable giving in the past, and no reason to think it will have much of an impact going forward.
Charitable giving steadily increased in the 1990s, when the economy flourished.
One analysis estimates that, on balance, charitable giving will increase slightly because of the new tax law. That's because high earners facing the increased tax rates have more incentive to seek deductions, and those deductions become more valuable.
The new law increases the top income tax rate from 35 percent to 39.6 percent on taxable income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for married couples. It also increases the top tax rate on long-term capital gains for taxpayers with incomes above those thresholds.
Both provisions increase incentives for people to make charitable donations, according to the analysis of the law by the Urban Institute Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy.
For example, if a married couple has a top income tax rate of 35 percent, a $1 deduction will lower their tax bill by 35 cents. If that same couple has a top tax rate of 39.6 percent, a $1 deduction will lower their tax bill by nearly 40 cents, making the deduction more valuable.
Similarly, the higher tax rate on capital gains increases the incentive to donate securities to charity as a way to avoid those taxes, said Eugene Steuerle, a fellow at the Urban Institute who worked on the analysis.
The Pease limitation should have a negligible impact on charitable giving because it is based on income, not on the amount of deductions, he said.
Nevertheless, nonprofits and charities are wary of any provision that could limit the charitable deduction.
''We just know that this change is definitely not going to be helpful,'' said Gloria Johnson-Cusack, executive director of Leadership 18, an alliance of CEOs of charities, non-profits, and faith-based organizations. ''We don't think now is the time to be experimenting with a policy that has the potential'' to reduce the incentive to donate.


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Related stories
"Kingston shooting suspect Devin A. Gray faces up to 15 years in prison," June 20, 2014
"Kingston shooting suspect Devin A. Gray indicted," June 18, 2014
"Kingston shooting suspect Devin Gray pleads not guilty; preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday," June 10, 2014
"Kingston shooting suspect Eric Harris claimed self-defense, detectives testify," June 6, 2014
"Kingston shooting victim arrested; police say he, too, fired shot," June 6, 2014
"Kingston shooting had more than one gunman, police official says," June 5, 2014
"Kingston attempted murder suspect Eric S. Harris has bail set at $100K," June 4, 2014
"Kingston man charged with attempted murder in city shooting," June 3, 2014
KINGSTON >> A month after a nearby shooting left one man wounded, a neighborhood watch group is being formed at an apartment complex off Flatbush Avenue.
The effort at Birchwood Village will be launched with a community barbecue from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday that will include food, booths, fire trucks, safety talks for children, face-painting and outdoor games.
The barbecue, billed as "It Takes Our Community," is being sponsored by Birchez Associates, the company that built the 80-unit affordable housing complex.
Steve Aaron, Birchez's founder and managing partner, said the event comes on the heels of recent meetings Birchwood Village residents had with city Police Chief Egidio Tinti and other officials — meetings that were held in the wake of a June 3 shooting outside the nearby Colonial Gardens and Stuyvesant Charter apartments, which are operated by the Kingston Housing Authority.
"Many of our residents were upset and were saying, 'What are we going to do about this?'" Aaron said. "What came about was (they said), 'We want to make a difference.'"
A press release about the barbecue said the residents "concluded that cooperation and coordination between city officials and city neighborhood watch programs would enhance community safety at Birchwood Village and public safety in the area in general."
"The community watch BBQ is a great follow-up to a meeting where residents were given information about making their neighborhood safer," Tinti said in the same press release. "Bringing neighbors together is a key component in every neighborhood watch program. The Kingston Police Department supports events like these that help us make Kingston safer."
Alderwoman Elisa Ball, in whose ward Birchwood Village is located, said the "safety and quality of life for the residents living in Ward 6 is a top priority for me."
"I am very happy there is going to be a community barbecue at Birchwood Village to address the concerns of residents," Ball said.
Two men — Devin A. Gray and Eric Harris — have been accused of shooting at each other in the June 3 incident.
Police have said Gray shot at Harris with a 9mm semi-automatic rifle but did not strike him and that Harris shot at Gray with a 12-gauge shotgun, striking him in the abdomen.
Harris, 24, of Kingston has been charged with attempted murder, criminal use of a firearm, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon. Gray, 20, of Port Ewen, has been indicted for reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
Harris was arrested the day of the incident. Gray was arrested June 5 in Albany, where he was hospitalized after being shot.
Several of the shots allegedly fired by Harris pierced the wall of an apartment at Stuyvesant Charter, but no one inside was hit.
• • •
Editor's note: This story was updated at 11:05 a.m. July 8 to correct the time at which the barbecue starts.


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|Back to Calendar » November 16, 2012 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
|Peace Lutheran Church
400 Franklin Street Southwest
Hutchinson,MN 55350
|✔ Add to Calendar Add to Google Calendar
|Community Events
Peace Lutheran Church (400 Franklin Street SW) of Hutchinson will host its monthly Matthew 14:16 Supper on Friday, November 16th, beginning at 5:00 PM. The event offers a free, warm, nourishing meal, to anyone in the community. Following the supper, they'll have their free family movie night, beginning at 6:30 PM. Come enjoy the movie as well as some free popcorn and lemonade.


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PAST the sword-bearers and guard of wooden wands, officers of the Bendigo City Freemason lodge recited age-old scriptures before being installed for a new term.
The usually secretive ceremony was open to the public at Saturday's official launch of the newly renovated Bendigo Masonic Centre.
Secret handshakes, symbolism and traditional rituals were part of the occasion as Freemasons Victoria's Grand Master Bob Jones installed Richmond Foster as Bendigo City Lodge master.
Mr Jones said having the previously unseen aspects of the ceremony open to the public was a way of sharing the Freemason rituals.
He said the organisation that had historically been shrouded in secrecy was evolving all the time to stay relevant and modern.
"We're proud to be able to share this glimpse at our traditions with the community," Mr Jones said.
"It's about adapting to modern times if we want to keep growing in the future."
Master-elect Mr Foster said the organisation was steeped in history but denied suggestions the Freemasons represented any type of secret society.
"Some people have weird conspiracies and ideas," he said.
"It's not a religion and it's not a cult, it could be a Lions or Rotary club.
"You get to do a lot of charity work and work in the community."
Mr Foster served in the Vietnam War before working in prisons, guarding the likes of "Chopper" Read and other notorious criminals at Pentridge Prison.
He said the organisation had helped him through difficult times.
"It gives you that support and friendship," Mr Foster said. "It's like a large family.
"I've loved every minute of being involved in it."
One of the youngest members of the Bendigo Lodge, Joshua Heritage, said the camaraderie was an important part of being involved in the Freemasons.
Mr Heritage, 27, is the fourth generation of his family to join as a Mason.
"It was something I wanted to do after pop passed away, to become a better person," he said. "It helps you with public speaking and self confidence."
He said most of his friends had no idea what was involved in the Freemasons and had only heard vague references in Dan Brown novels.
"They mainly just ask me what it's all about," Mr Heritage said. "Or they read about it in books or on the internet.
"A lot of that stuff online is made up as they go."
At the installation ceremony, members spoke of the charitable work the local lodge had done, including helping fund a men's shed and a drop-in centre.
Mr Foster said part of his role as master was to continue that work.
"We want to try and recruit more members, and assist where we can in the community," he said.
"It's about giving back."


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Terms and Conditions for Renee Gleason, Babierge Independent Trusted Partner
Rental Equipment Images
The pictures on this web site may or may not represent the actual item for rent. If you are choosing a specific rental item by the picture, we ask that you communicate that in the Special Requests part of the reservation form.
Minimum Day Rental
We have a minimum 3 day rental length, you may rent for only 1 or 2 days but you will be charged for 3.
Babierge requires full payment in order to finalize and secure a reservation. The Babierge Independent Trusted Partner is holding the equipment for you. No checks or cash accepted.
Service Area Limitation
Your reservation may be refunded within 24 hours if you select an area that is not serviced by the selected Babierge Independent Trusted Partner.
Invalid Inventory
Your order may be refunded within 24 hours if there is insufficient inventory. If you are making an order for today and the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner is unable to service your order, they will contact you as soon as possible and refund your order.
Delivery Location Contact (If Not You)
It is your responsibility to identify the appropriate contact person at the delivery address and give us their phone number. The Babierge Independent Trusted Partner will do their best to work with them if requested however, they cannot be held responsible if contact cannot be made.
Delivery and pickup times are established by telephone, text, or email with the contact person the day of the delivery and pickup date.
If no one is available to receive the equipment or allow pickup at the agreed time, there will be an attempt to reschedule and an additional delivery fee.
If the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner needs to return to a location for any reason that is not due to an error on the part of them, an additional fee will be applied to the reservation.
Delivery and Pickup Times
Babierge Independent Trusted Partner can usually make deliveries 7 days a week between 8am and 8pm. There is however, an inconvenience fee if they come before or after those times.
Outdoor Delivery or Pickup
Under certain circumstances, the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner is able to pickup and leave rental equipment outdoors but this is determined on a case by case basis with weather and safety in mind.
Airport Delivery and Pickup
If you want the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner to deliver and pickup the rented rental equipment to/from an airport, you will need to let them know your airline, flight number, and arrival or departure time so that they can follow the flights and times and be there at the appropriate times.
You may cancel your reservation up to 3 days before your scheduled delivery date to avoid any charges, other than the service fee charge, as detailed below. You may cancel your reservation up to 2 days before your scheduled delivery date but you will be charged 50% of your reservation total. You may cancel your reservation the day before or day of your scheduled delivery date but you will be charged 100% of your reservation total.
Exception: If you cancel your reservation for a rental that occurs during the period that includes the week before Christmas/Christmas, the week after Christmas, or within the Thanksgiving week/end, you will be charged 100% of your reservation total.
Please remember that the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner has held the rental equipment especially for you and in cases of cancellations we haven't had the opportunity to rent them out to another family.
Service Fee on Refunds and Cancellations
If a Trusted Partner cancels or removes a portion of your reservation for a reason of their own, we return the service fee to you.
If you cancel a reservation, the service fee is non-refundable.
If a you choose to remove a portion of your reservation (refund), the service fee is non-refundable.
Return of Item(s) After Delivery or Pickup
There will be no refunds after the items are delivered or picked up.
If you are unhappy with an item, the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner will do their best to replace it as soon as possible. If the dissatisfaction was not of their control then a re-delivery fee will apply.
Rental Extension
If you decide to extend your rental, you must notify the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner 24 hours prior to return date. Failure to do so will result in an additional $25.00 fee plus all additional rent for the extended period and will be charged to your credit card.
Failure to Return Equipment
If you fail to return equipment on rental end day, you agree to pay the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner the fair market value plus shipping costs for all of the rental equipment.
Replacements and Repair
You are fully responsible for the loss, theft or destruction of the rental equipment from ALL causes and agree to pay the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner the fair market value of the rental equipment in such event. In the event of damage and/or partial destruction from any cause whatever, you agree to pay them a reasonable cost of repair to said rental equipment.
Return Condition
The equipment must be returned reasonably clean otherwise a $15 per item cleaning fee will be charged. We have a no food and drink policy with the exception of a Highchair or Booster Seat.
Babierge Independent Trusted Partners charge $30 for vomit/excrement detailed cleanup and $50 for smoke removal. If they cannot remove the smoke smell, you will be responsible for the replacement cost of each item. There is a strict NO SMOKING policy around the gear, at all times.
Car Seats
Babierge Independent Trusted Partners will not install any car seat for you due to extreme liability reasons. They can provide instructions and can give you a list of certified agencies in town that can assist you.
Babierge Independent Trusted Partners will setup the crib for you but if it is is moved you will be responsible for any damage caused to the property.
In consideration of the Terms and Conditions between myself and the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner, I acknowledge and agree to the following terms:
I understand that certain risks of injury exist from the use or misuse of any baby or children item, including the potential risk of serious injury, disability or death from the use of such items.
I understand that the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner I am renting from is an independent provider and separate from Babierge and that your are releasing both parties from any liability.
I knowingly and freely assume all such risks above, both known and unknown and assume full responsibility for the use of the rented items.
I, for myself and on behalf of my heirs or anyone using these items, hereby release, hold harmless, and agree not to sue the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner or Babierge.
I further agree that this RELEASE OF LIABILITY shall be governed by the laws of the State of NV and any court related issues will be located in the Babierge Independent Trusted Partner's County.
Finally, I have read and understand this Terms and Conditions Contract and RELEASE OF LIABILITY and fully understand its terms.
I fully understand that I have given up substantial rights by signing it and I sign it freely and voluntarily without inducement.
When you submit a reservation, it is assumed that you have read to and agreed with these Terms and Conditions as well as the Release of Liability Agreement. A link to this copy will also be included with your reservation.
Babierge Trusted Partner
Renee Gleason, Babierge Independent Trusted Partner
Delivery, Setup & Pickup Fees
- - Zepher Cove $50 (USD)
- - South Lake Tahoe $50 (USD)
- - Fallon $50 (USD)
- - Dayton $50 (USD)
- - Sparks $25 (USD)
- - Truckee $30 (USD)
- - Virginia City $30 (USD)
- - Reno $20 (USD)
- - Reno/Tahoe International Airport $20 (USD)
- - Carson City $35 (USD)
- - Fernley $35 (USD)
- - Tahoe City (Lake Tahoe) $40 (USD)
- - Incline Village (Lake Tahoe) $35 (USD)
- - Gardnerville $50 (USD)
- - Mound House $45 (USD)
- - Minden/Genoa $40 (USD)
- - Resort at Squaw Creek, A Destination Hotel $40 (USD)
Extended Rental Discounts
- Daily rate for days 1-8
- Rental of 9-16 days: 10% off
- Rental of 17-24 days: 20% off
- Rental of 24+ days: 30% off


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The Guitar Hero series has already lived a bit past its expiration date, but the downloadable content train has finally come to an official end now that the April track pack is out. Activision community manager Dan Amrich noted on the PlayStation Blog, "With the release of April's downloadable Track Packs, Guitar Hero as a franchise goes on vacation until further notice." Amrich is also giving away a Guitar Hero time capsule with goodies from the series.
In the comments, Amrich notes to one user that the packs will still be available for download anytime, so fans who are extremely late to the party can still dive in and choose from all the assorted pieces of DLC thus far. We just won't see any new track packs hitting in the coming months.
After Activision's earnings report showed plans to scale back the music franchises, it seemed that DLC would end after February. Activision then claimed that continued support led to more planned packs, which they've made good on.
This means an end to Guitar Hero for the time being, but probably not forever. Recent comments from Activision VP of developer relations and acquisitions Dan Winters said that the series is only on hiatus. "We're just not making a new one for next year, that's all," he said.


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Im looking for a script that continously loads a file from a server, registeres the time it takes and displays it in a chart.
Users of this tool can detect the stablity of their ISP by leaving this script running.
It is a kind of counterpart to the smokeping tool, which is more serverside related, where this is client side.
It seems a quite simple task to do, so somebody must already have done something like this.


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Celebrity chef Shannon Bennett has spent up to $5 million to buy one of South Yarra's most famous Victorian mansions.
The Vue de Monde restaurateur and wife, actor Madeleine West, have splashed out on the luxurious Cromwell Road property "Barwon", following a well-worn trail of rich and famous who have crossed the Yarra to flasher digs.
In a bid to keep the deal quiet, the property was bought in Ms West's legal name, Melanie Ann Weston.
The previous owner bought the double-storey 1881 Victorian for $2.8 million in 2005, undertaking a renovation and modern extension that has given the house four bedrooms, two studies, cellar, pool and self-contained apartment in the pool house.
Listed in July last year with price expectations of $5 million-plus, the property passed in on a vendor bid of $5 million and has languished on the market ever since.
Agents Kay & Burton did not respond to a request for comment.
The couple's current home in Kensington sold over the weekend for a price believed to be $1.6 million to $1.7 million.
A meal at Bennett's legendary restaurant, which sits on the 55th floor of the Rialto Tower, runs from $150 per person for a 4-course ala carte menu to $250 per person for the gastronomes menu.
Bennett is the latest in a series of celebrity chefs – and Masterchef alumni – to upgrade in the last year.
George Calombaris moved from a $740,000 two-bedroom Victorian terrace in Fitzroy North to a $2.735 million 1930s-era house on Toorak's Grange Road.
Returning home after two years in Sydney, Gary Mehigan spent $3 million to buy a four-bedroom mansion in the prestigious Gascoigne Estate in Malvern East.
French chef Jacques Reymond is also believed to be the buyer of a $2 million modern home on Ormond in Elwood that recently changed hands.
firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @chrisvedelago


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On the advice of two friends, I wandered one day into Spicy Village, in Manhattan's Chinatown, a restaurant that politeness prevents me from describing as anything other than "modest." I stopped by a couple of years ago to have the not-at-all-bad $2 pork sandwich, a pile of sloppy-Joe-ish pork served on light, crisp bread baked by the proprietors — Wendy Lian and her husband, Ren Fu Li — but I rarely thought of it again.
This time, however, I ordered, as I'd been instructed by my friends, the No. 7, the Spicy Big Tray Chicken. It arrived on an aluminum tray (you eat it on a foam plate with a plastic fork or chopsticks), a mound of chicken nearly afloat in a bath of dark, spicy sauce that contained star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, chile, garlic, cilantro, a few mystery ingredients and . . . potatoes. This was like no other "Chinese" dish I'd had before.
Read the rest of this article, here.


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Anyone who believes he has a chance to win the job back is fooling themselves.
This guy is a genius. How come no one has thought of this tactic before?
Anyone who believes he has a chance to win the job back is fooling themselves.
[QUOTE=sec.101row23;4892586]Wouldnt it be better to give Geno as much playing time as possible so you have a better idea of his abilities? Why use a first round pick on a QB in 2014 if you do not have to? If Geno shows the ability that many believe he has, it would be much wiser to use next years first on a true play maker. Geno wasnt a 5th round pick, he was taken in second round.
Once the season starts the back up QBs get very little reps in practice, so its not like Geno is going to be given all this opportunity to improve if he is on the bench. Watching from the sidelines is nothing more than watching game tape. Players learn from playing.[/QUOTE]
Not always. And sticking rookies in right away isn't always a success. Often it can be detrimental to a player's growth. There's no way to determine if it helps or hurts a QB to start as a rookie. But most of us can agree that starting Sanchez as a rookie didn't really create long-term success. It's very much a case-by-case basis.
You claim to want to keep an open mind, letting Geno learn as a backup and definitely draft another QB next year if a "real" franchise QB is available. But how do you even know what we have in Geno yet? So what if the QB class was thought to be terrible, he could prove to be exactly what we need (or more...or less), so long as he earns the job and we let him play.
I disagree that, regardless, he needs to "sit and learn" just because he's a rookie. He'll sit and learn if Sanchez or Garrard wins the job instead. Smith should be given an equal shot to win the job, and he plays the best of the three, by all means he should start day one. And my admittedly cursory glance at past drafts didn't show that to be a recent or rare trend at all.
And wait for someone to whine that it means they didn't love Geno otherwise they would have taken him at 13. That he isn't all that.
Joe Montana attempted 515 passes in his college career (tom Brady 665 in his college career/Troy Aikman attemped 695 in his college career).
Geno Smith attempted 518 passes LAST YEAR alone and 1465 in his college career. Not suggesting that Geno is in their league, but he is more prepared to start right away than you might think.
Most QBs played because of the financial burden a high priced, high pick QB commanded. So teams had little choice but to write off a season or more while their highly paid QB learned on the fly.
Equal shots are never going to happen based on competition, theres almost no way that a rookie will outplay the vet in camp. He shouldn't be able to. But the starter is picked for more than just who outplayed who.
The Seahawks loved Russell Wilson but didn't trade up to the 1st overall pick to take him. The niners liked Kaepernick and waiting until the second round to take him.
Just because you like a specific QB doesn't mean that you MUST take him with the first pick you have in the draft.
Tom Brady drafted in the sixth round
Brady waited until his second season to start, learning behind a competent veteran in Bledsoe
As Smith should be allowed to do behind the competent David Garrard
Having him backup incompetent the incompetent buttfumbling turnover machine would be the only mistake that the Jets could make and hopefully Idzik will solve that problem by booting #6 out the door in June
I continue to disagree with the implied counter-argument being made that Smith should start no matter how it plays out in camp, and that we cannot even consider drafting a QB in 2014 because we "already have Smith".
Already I can see some portions of the fanbase engaging in the typical "QB Cult of Personality" regarding Smith. Happened with Pennington, happened with Sanchez, happened with Tebow. Some are already seemingly hoisting every dissapointment of the past 40+ years on Smiths back, and de facto proclaiming him our savior and day 1 starter for life.....a few weeks after he was drafted, and without seeing him throw a single pass.
Respectfully, I would suggest that is a misguided position to take. I side with our GM's public position, competition is best. Best player plays. If a better player is available, we get him. This isn't about Smith (or Sanchez), it's about building a winning franchise.
We agree there. I am all for Smith starting if he wins the job and is the best QB in camp or even if he is slightly behind Garrad/Sanchez but is progressing. Part of why I want him to start is to see what we have BEFORE next years draft. The more we see of Geno this year the more we know if we are going to need to draft a QB next year.
GS3 will be the day 1 starter and every sunday we will bare witness to a Genocide
talk about a knee jerk article.
Glad to here Geno looks good but after a two day ROOKIE mini-camp, he's ready to be the starter? Atleast wait until the veterans show up


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Radford recognized among nation's "Best Bang for the Buck" universities
Radford University has been recognized as a "Best Bang for the Buck" institution by Washington Monthly magazine.
In the September-October edition, RU was ranked 15th of 152 U.S. universities categorized as master's institutions and 44th of the 349 top-ranked colleges and universities in all categories. Radford University was the highest ranked Virginia university in both categories.
Washington Monthly evaluated 1,572 colleges and universities across the United States in determining its rankings. "We created our 'Best Bang for the Buck' ranking - our exclusive list of the colleges in America that do the best job of helping…students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. And it is a pretty exclusive list. Only 349 made the cut as best-bang-for-the-buck schools," wrote Robert Kelchen for Washington Monthly. Kelchen is an assistant professor of higher education in the Department of Education Leadership, Management and Policy at Seton Hall University.
"We are again honored that Radford University has been nationally recognized for offering a high quality education to our students that is also within reach financially," said President Penelope W. Kyle. "Students have many choices regarding which university is best suited for them. This ranking helps them and their families make informed decisions. It validates that RU is an excellent institution, offering one of the best values in the nation, as well as recognizes the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff who are so committed to our students."
According to Washington Monthly, its specific combination of ranking criteria produces a list that spotlights schools not routinely recognized on other national college rankings.


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2 pole circuit breaker is neoteric in structure, reliable and excellent in performance. The frame and parts of this circuit breaker adopt high fire-resistant and shockproof plastic, this circuit breaker is mainly used in 2 pole, 400V circuit for overload and short-circuit protection as well as for infrequent on-and-off switching electric equipment and lighting circuit in normal case.
- Pole Number: 2P
- Max Current: 20A
- Rated Voltage: 400V
- Breaking Capacity: 4KA
- Limit of ambient air temperature: -5~40℃
- Installation site: (altitude) not more than 2000M
- Generally vertical installation
- The installation should be no obvious shock and vibration
- Size (L x W x T): Approx. 2.8 x 2.6 x 1.4 inch /7.2 x 6.5 x 3.5cm
- Material: Plastic and metal
- Color: Pale grey
Package Includes:
- 1 x Circuit Breaker


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As Michele Aavang and her husband, Gary, prepare for the upcoming planting season by repairing fences and equipment, they want to know how the farming system will operate beyond the next few months.
"It's hard to make plans for the future when you don't know what the rules are going to be," Michele Aavang said.
Congress is in the process of considering a new farm bill.
Aavang, the president of the McHenry County Farm Bureau board, hopes for one with a long life span. The farm bill passed in 2008 applied for five years. Congress then extended it for nine months, making it hard for farmers to plan ahead, she said.
"As a whole, farmers ... are more than willing to take our share of the budget cuts," Aavang said. "We all recognize the federal budget needs to be cut in all areas."
Aavang, who grows grain, soybeans, wheat and corn, and raises cattle, said five years is customary and is what most farmers expect.
"Perhaps a farmer might be considering an expansion," said Aavang, of Woodstock. "How do you make a decision? What are the basic ground rules? There are a lot of unknowns."
She said she hopes there is a safety net included in the bill, and farmers could give up things such as direct payments.
A safety net would help protect against a drought like last year's, Aavang said. The safety net would be crop insurance that farmers can buy to make sure they have revenue coming in.
"What we went through last year proved that it works," Aavang said. "The federal government didn't have to bail us out."
Crop insurance is based on the history of the yield, or a county average, and what a farmer buys is based on his risk tolerance and what he can afford.
"We still may go backward, but it will keep you in the game so you can farm again in the following year," Aavang said.
Dan Volkers, manager of the McHenry County Farm Bureau, agreed that crop insurance is important for farmers.
It helps cover the cost of operating and allows farmers "to pay their bills and move on to the next year and try again," Volkers said.
Volkers said specialty growers also would like to see assistance in becoming organically certified. The certification process can take many years as farmers stop using chemicals. There also are added costs to get to that level, as well as losses in crop yields, Volkers said.
Volkers added that farmers want to see conservation programs, which help with protecting land from soil erosion, continue.
"When budgets get tight, it's one of the areas that get looked at pretty hard," Volkers said.
Volkers added that food and nutrition programs to help poor people make up a large portion of the farm bill. The USDA's 2013 budget is $155 billion. Of that, $110.5 billion goes toward non-agriculture and social programs.
Bruce Meier of Hebron, who grows corn, soybeans and winter wheat, said he would like to see crop insurance be a main priority.
"We were enjoying fairly good prices for grain, but on the flip side, our costs have increased," Meier said.
He said fuel and seed prices have gone up.
He added that changing weather conditions can play havoc with crops. Last year's drought required him to put in a crop insurance claim, for only the second time in the 12 years he has been farming. His farm had low yields.
In 2009, Meier had to put in his first claim because a cool summer prevented crops from reaching full maturity.
Meier said lenders and landlords want farmers to have crop insurance.
"We pay into that every year," Meier said. "It isn't a money-making venture."Area farmers want security in Farm BillMcHenry County Farmers handle new farming bill


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While it is still too early to know how the outcome of the current US "default" crisis, tourism professionals would do well to pay careful attention and to analyze the numbers not by headlines or emotions but with cool heads. Despite the fact that the US default crisis may or may not be solved, the fallout from it and the potential credit rating decline will have a major impact on tourism. Here are just a few ways that this ongoing and worldwide crisis will touch people throughout the tourism and travel industry and what tourism professionals may want to consider.
Scooped by
Wendy Forbes
onto Tourism Social Media


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The All Stars will be announced tonight.
Will Votto make at at first? He should.
Will Phillips make at second? He might.
Will Choo, Bruce, Latos, or Chapman make it?
I think those are the six candidates on the Reds. Phillips' numbers have declined, Matt Carpenter could edge him out. Would expect Votto to be safe. Don't see Mike Leake making it, possible I guess.
Should be of some interest.