text:
Narrative Before Music, In Transit: #thisrocks Review on New Music Box
Narrative Before Music
on January 19, 2012
Fifth House Ensemble deserves credit for the careful preparation and forethought that went into the multimedia "#thisrocks" installment of their In Transit series. So much of the experience was tailored to mirror our contemporary reality—lives overflowing with Facebook updates, Tweets, and an intense quantity of media that competes for our attention at any given time. With two video screens, a writer, director, media consultant, voice over artist, and sound engineer involved with "#thisrocks"—all in addition the piano trio at the heart of the production—there were plenty of competing focal points created for the performance itself.
5th House Ensemble: Andrew Williams (violin); Herine Coetzee Koschak (cello); Adam Marks (piano)
The printed program took the form of a small deck of postcards wrapped in an "In Transit #thisrocks" paper band. One card detailed the three pieces featured on the program, one card featured the program notes, one card listed the players and producers of the event, and three cards were devoted to acknowledging the event's many sponsors.
During #thisrocks, storytelling and live music operated along parallel tracks as a larger commentary on the nature of music itself and its ability to provide an anchor during life's turbulent times. The fictional character of Miranda Rodriguez supplied the narrative thread—a young, aspiring concert cellist living in New York City as her early commitment and passion for playing cello (with the stated goal of sharing a stage with Yo-Yo Ma) is tested by a turbulent adolescence and an unsupportive home life.
The visual content projected onto two screens on either side of the stage was inventive, well-crafted, and easily visible to the audience. It consisted of a montage of social media updates, family photographs, written letters and emails, as well as spoken narration placed between the musical movements. Each element was carefully timed to give the eyes and ears every chance to follow the personalities and an unfolding narrative layered with the music. It was designed to keep the experience engaging at multiple levels.
The regular appearance of letters written to Yo-Yo Ma at various points along the young musician's life provide a sense of the role models and aspirations behind Rodriguez's drive to realize her dream. The story develops a powerful emotional arc that portrays music as something that literally saves the young woman's life as she makes the difficult transition toward an adulthood that fulfills her dreams. The style of storytelling allows for a great deal of tension to form from the exposure of deeply personal details. This is particularly the case as the account works its way through a dangerous period of teenage rebellion and the tragic loss of a close friend to a drug overdose that triggers in Rodriguez a renewed commitment to her music studies. The pacing, presentation, and writing were extremely effective at producing a resonant experience. The final movement of the evening was accompanied by live Tweets from the audience responding to what they had just seen. The end result was an aggressively updated, multimedia approach toward a chamber music experience. The live music served as more than a soundtrack to the story. It was more like the narrative was providing an independent track to accompany the music. The performance maintained the thematic consistency and tone of our technologically saturated world while also inviting a real-time glimpse into the perceptions of an audience that plays a participating role in the production.
5th House Ensemble: Andrew Williams (violin); Herine Coetzee Koschak (cello); Adam Marks (piano)
The music at the center of this experience consisted of three trios by three completely different generations of composers, brilliantly performed by Andrew Williams on violin, Herine Coetzee Koschak on cello, and Adam Marks on piano. The music was well-rehearsed and the players effectively negotiated several physically demanding movements while hardly breaking a sweat. They were a solid presence within a complicated presentation of fleeting parts.
Piano Trio no. 1 in d minor (1839) by Felix Mendelssohn provided a stylistic grounding in the Classical/Romantic music conservatory world of the protagonist. It is a beautiful piece that was beautifully executed by the trio. At the same time, it was the piece that felt most out of place within the swirling multimedia saturation that surrounded it. The initial experience of projected social media statements over the top of this music was jarring at the onset of the concert.
One piece that fit the modern sensibilities of juxtaposition like a glove was Nivea Hair Care Styling Mousse (1999) by contemporary Dutch composer Jacob TV. It is a churning, groove-heavy piece that acted as a welcome foil to the deeply sentimental qualities of the unfolding narrative.
David T. Little's Brooklyn Alloy (2003-2004) was the 21st-century contribution to the program. It is a fiercely aggressive, rhythmic piece with musical parts that lock together at unusual angles and junctions, with textures that move freely between wide variations of independence and synchronicity between the instrumental parts. The materials were nicely sequenced into an intricate yet deeply satisfying sound.
While the performances of these pieces were nearly flawless, the decision to shuffle the individual movements of all three works was difficult to reconcile. The first movement of the Mendelssohn was followed by the first movement of the Jacob TV, then a movement by Little and then into a mad scramble between three profoundly different works. While this emulated the "shuffle" function of personal music players and matched the ethos of the overall experience, I felt that the formal integrity of these individual works suffered as a result. It was odd to feel that one had the detailed experience of the movements of these works played live while not ever having the chance to grasp the compositional form that unfolds when heard un-shuffled.
The order of movements was not a "random" shuffle, however. The sequence was clearly restructured in the service of the narrative. To this end, the emotional arc of the story was well served—it was a compromise that gave the linear story the most impact. It is the kind of musical manipulation that we have come to accept in film, but as a live performance this manipulation felt a little heavy-handed and transparent. I suspect that the narrative would have been compromised had the sequential integrity of the music been left intact.
Fifth House Ensemble deserves enormous credit for making this kind of multimedia presentation incredibly appealing to a broad audience in a memorable way that opens ears to new music. I hope those same ears may one day become attuned to forms that defy the fragmentation of contemporary life and offer a reprieve from the everyday experience.


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General electricians and fire/life safety technicians working in the State of California who are not certified are doing so illegally, according to the California Apprenticeship Council (CAC), unless they submitted an application and fees ($175) to take the certification exam on or before December 30, 2005. Eligible individuals that did submit the application and fees before this cutoff date must take and pass the required exam before January 1, 2007.
As of May 2006, the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) estimates that 70,000 electricians are working in California, 49,000 applicants have been authorized to take the certification exam, but fewer than 31,000 have done so — and less than 24,000 have passed the exam and can legally work for a C-10 contractor under the Contractors' State License Board Rules and Regulations.
The law to establish California standards for electrician certification passed in 1999 and became effective in 2002. DAS officials say that the law allows no further deadline extensions. This law does not apply to those currently in training at one of 33 approved schools throughout the state or those enrolled in an approved apprenticeship program. Successful completion of a state-approved training program or a specified amount of on-the-job experience is required before an individual is eligible to take the certification exam.
To learn more about electrician certification or electrician trainee registration in California, visit www.dir.ca.gov.

subset: commoncrawl


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"We have learned that laptops float sometimes," one of the developers of small indie studio Hello Games Tweeted late today, breaking what appears to be the unfortunate news that the offices of one of 2013's most exciting indie studios have all but been ruined.
Happily, there are no reports of injuries, but the fate of the Joe Danger studio's next game, the in-development out-of-nowhere stunner No Man's Sky is unclear.
Here are the Tweets sent from the official account of the Guildford, England-based studio shortly before midnight their time:
Oh god. Water moves really quick. Hello Games has been totally flooded. Everything in the office has pretty much been lost :(
— Hello Games (@hellogames) December 24, 2013
A lifesize cardboard cut out of Joe Danger went floating past face down. Poor Joe. He's taking this the worst.
— Hello Games (@hellogames) December 24, 2013
Massive thanks to everyone who tried to help here today. We have learned that laptops float sometimes
— Hello Games (@hellogames) December 24, 2013
Leaving now and letting firemen to help real people (all the houses around us with kids and xmas) - rather than us drowning to save a hdd :)
— Hello Games (@hellogames) December 25, 2013
We've reached out to the folks at Hello to find out more about what happened. We're crossing our fingers that the game was backed up and not lost or set back in any major way. And, of course, we wish everyone at Hello the best in what is certainly a stressful time.


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Nation & World
Pakistani Taliban, with new leader, is back on the offensive
Eight months after Pakistan's newly appointed prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, suspended counterterrorist operations against Taliban militants and sought negotiations to end their six-year insurgency, the country has discovered that the militants exploited that time and space to reverse major losses they'd suffered over the years at the hands of the 150,000 Pakistani soldiers arrayed against them.
The Taliban's regeneration can be seen in a wave of murderous attacks on military and police targets in three major Pakistan cities and in the deterioration of security in Peshawar, the capital of the northern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders the country's restive tribal areas.
Peshawar had become relatively secure of attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, known as the TTP after its Urdu-language acronym. Now, however, the city's ring road is "completely under the control of the militants after dark," said Sen. Haji Adeel of the Awami National Party, an ethnic Pashtun nationalist party based in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Among the reasons for the TTP's re-infiltration of the city is the military's withdrawal, since June, from the strategic Tirah Valley of the Khyber tribal agency, which is immediately adjacent to Peshawar.
The military's taking of Tirah in a three-month assault last year was hailed as a major strategic victory because for the first time, the army had closed off a key conduit between the northern and southern tribal areas that the Pakistani Taliban previously had used to withdraw or reinforce forces in response to government counterterrorism operations.
It also severed the line of communications between the then TTP chief, Hakimullah Mehsud, and the 70-plus factions that make up the terrorist group.
The Taliban resurgence was also evidenced by back-to-back terrorist attacks in January on military and police personnel in Rawalpindi, the city adjacent to Islamabad that houses army headquarters. Those attacks demonstrated that the TTP had deployed terrorist squads at the army's front door, evading the military's powerful Inter Services Intelligence Directorate in the process.
The last time the Pakistani Taliban had mounted an operation in Rawalpindi was the October 2009 attack on the army's headquarters in retaliation for an army operation in the South Waziristan tribal agency. That assault began a campaign that included an attack on a mosque during Friday services that killed 40 army officers and their relatives. After that, military personnel no longer appeared in public dressed in uniform.
The military's response to the most recent Rawalpindi assault was also evidence of Taliban gains: it launched jet and helicopter gunship attacks on militant bases in Mir Ali in North Waziristan, where the TTP is based, and Tirah, which had been cleared once of Taliban. Obviously, it had been reoccupied during the eight months Sharif had sought, without success, to engage in peace talks.
The TTP also once again is active Balochistan province, fueling brutal attacks against the resident ethnic Hazara minority and Shiite Muslims, including pilgrims traveling to and from neighboring Iran.
More alarming, the Taliban also has launched a campaign in the southern port city of Karachi, a metropolis of more than 18 million people and the backbone of Pakistan's weak economy.
Since the mid-1980s, the city has been a victim of wide-scale politically driven violence between Karachi's majority community of mohajir, Urdu-speaking migrant Muslim families from India, and ethnic Pashtun and Baluch. But the Taliban has now moved into areas dominated by their fellow ethnic Pashtun, who typically live near the city's 22 road access points.
During 2013, attacks surged in Karachi against prominent members of the Shiite and Sunni sectarian communities opposed to the Taliban's stark interpretation of Islam. More than 2,500 people died there in 2013, making Karachi the most violent city in the world.
The deaths continued this month, with the Taliban murdering the city's top counterterrorism police officer, Chaudhry Aslam, and targeting police officers and supporting paramilitary units in a campaign that has instantly doubled Karachi's formidable daily death toll.
The resurgence of the Taliban coincided with the death Nov. 1 in a U.S. drone strike of Hakimullah Mehsud, the longtime TTP commander, and his replacement with Mullah Fazlullah, the man behind the Taliban's 2008-09 occupation of the Swat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – the only time the militants invaded and held a settled area of Pakistan. The TTP fought off two army assaults before being bested in a third.
Sharif and his ministers had sulked at the U.S. elimination of Mehsud and then agreed to give Fazlullah time to consolidate his leadership over the Taliban's many factions in hopes that when he sat down to talk, he would have greater political legitimacy.
Instead, Fazlullah used the time to plot the January campaign, earning the respect and admiration of his doubters. TTP insiders say the widespread nature of the Taliban's attacks across the country have made Fazlullah "the most powerful, most dangerous leader" the insurgents have ever had.
Special correspondent Amjad Hadayat contributed to this report.


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Arnhem1618Paper PadsbySpeedball
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Five generations of chemists in the Blockx family have been working since 1865 to perfect the Blockx Oil Colors. Today they are still ground on stone rollers and mixed with poppyseed or linseed oil, and no additives or fillers whatsoever.
Color Swatches created using heavy application/medium application/50% tint and were applied on acrylic primed canvas (7 oz) material.
Zinc White is the coolest white, and it has a cold, clean masstone and a slightly bluish tint. It has less hiding power and is more transparent than other whites. It dries slowly and is good for painting wet into wet and for glazing and scumbling. Zinc White is neither as opaque nor as heavy as Lead White, its covering power is not as good, and it takes much longer to dry. However, it does not blacken when exposed to sulfur in the air as Lead White does. It is very valuable for making tints with other colors. Unmixed Zinc White dries to a brittle and dry paint film that may crack over the years, so it is not good for frescoing. It is more transparent in acrylic form than Titanium White and is the most commonly used white with gouache. Chinese White is a version of Zinc White appropriate for opaque watercolor techniques.
Zinc White has great permanence and lightfastness.
Zinc White is moderately toxic if ingested and slightly toxic if inhaled.
Though historians are divided on who first isolated the element zinc, they agree that it was first suggested as a white pigment in 1782. Zinc White was accepted as a watercolor in 1834 and was called Chinese White due to the popularity of oriental porcelain in Europe at the time. Ten years later, a suitable oil form was produced. By the early 20th century, it had improved to the point where it was an acceptable alternative to Flake White.
Chinese White, French White, Permanent White, Silver White, Snow White, Zinc Oxide.
inorganic, cadmium
cadmium zinc sulfide
Cadmium Yellow is brilliant, dense, and opaque, with good tinting strength and very high hiding power. It is the artist's principal bright yellow and is available in light, medium, and dark shades. The deeper shades appear deep orange and have the greatest tinting strength. It is slow-drying in oil form and is used in both oil and watercolor form. It cannot be mixed with copper-based pigments. A clean Cadmium Orange is created when Cadmium Yellow is mixed with Cadmium Red. Hues vary by brand. Cadmium pigments have been partially replaced by azo pigments, which are similar in lightfastness to the cadmium colors, cheaper, and non-toxic.
Cadmium Yellow is usually available in a pure grade, or in a cadmium-barium mix. This mix has the same permanence with a lower tinting strength.
Cadmium Yellow is lightfast and permanent in most forms, but like most cadmium colors, it will fade in fresco or mural painting. The deeper shades are the most permanent. The pale varieties have been known to fade with exposure to sunlight in conditions where moisture is able to penetrate the binder.
Cadmium Yellow is a known human carcinogen. It can be hazardous if chronically inhaled or ingested.
Cadmiums get their names from the Latin word cadmia meaning zinc ore calamine, and the Greek word kadmeia, meaning Cadmean earth, first found near Thebes, the city founded by the Phoenician prince Cadmus. Metallic cadmium was discovered in 1817 by Friedrich Strohmeyer. Oil colors were first made from Cadmium Yellow pigments in 1819, replacing toxic Chrome (lead) Yellows. However, their production was delayed until 1840 due to the scarcity of cadmium metals. Landscape painters, such as Claude Monet, preferred Cadmium Yellow to the less expensive Chrome Yellow because of its higher chroma and greater purity of color.
Aurora Yellow, Cadmium Primrose Yellow, Cadmium Zinc Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Primrose Yellow. Deep Cadmium Yellow is sometimes called Orient Yellow.
chromium(III)-oxide dehydrate
Cr2O3 • 2 H2O or Cr2(OH3)
Viridian is the standard green and is stable, powerful, and cold with an emerald green undertone. It has a transparent hue, good tinting strength, a dark masstone that can be almost black at full strength, and a slow drying time in oil form. Viridian is commonly replaced by the darker, more saturated, and staining Phthalo Greens, but its properties make it a necessary part of the palette of an experienced landscape painter.
Viridian has excellent permanence, except in high-temperature work, and is highly valued as a glazing color.
Viridian is slightly toxic.
Viridian's name comes from the Latin viridis, meaning green. The process for manufacturing Viridian, or Transparent Oxide of Chromium, was patented by Guignet in Paris in 1859. However, it had actually been discovered by Pannetier and Binet in 1838. Viridian replaced Verdigris, which was reactive and unstable, and Emerald Green, which was a poisonous copper aceto-arsenite used as a rat poison in the sewers of Paris.
Emerald Chromium Oxide, Emeraude Green, French Veronese Green, Guignet's Green, Pannetier's Green, Permanent Green, Smaragd Green, Transparent Oxide of Chromium, Vert Emeraude. Casali's Green and Mittler's Green are varieties of Viridian. Viridian has historically been sold under the name Emerald Green, but they are currently considered to be and are marketed as two different pigments.
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First we have an over-reaching attempt to codify the Connecticut Supreme Court's Kerrigan decision legalizing gay marriage - Senate Bill 899 - and now we have a bizarre attack of First Amendment rights against the Roman Catholic Church in Connecticut - Senate Bill 1098.
I'm going to focus on Senate Bill 1098 -- "An Act Modifying Corporate Laws Relating to Certain Religious Institutions." The stated purpose of this bill is "to revise the corporate governance provisions applicable to the Roman Catholic Church and provide for the investigation of the misappropriation of funds by religious corporations." The real purpose of this bill is payback to the bishops and pastors of the Roman Catholic Church in Connecticut for opposing gay marriage.
Unfortunately, I think some well-intentioned, unhappy Catholics from Darien are being used as pawns by Senator McDonald and Representative Lawlor in a thinly-veiled attack on the Church.. . .
. . .Connecticut Catholics are outraged by the proposal and are likely to fill the halls of the State Capitol and the Legislative Office Building on Wednesday, March 11th for the Judiciary Committee's public hearing on the bill.
I suspect this public hearing will be more like a zoo with the tone of an inquisition. Chances are the topics for discussion on Wednesday will go far beyond the bill proposed. I fear that we'll be hearing all kinds of attacks on the bishops, pastors and priests of the Catholic Church.
I pray fervently that we can dispense with this brutal attack on the Roman Catholic Church very quickly. Catholics don't deserve this attack and the proponents of this bill will hopefully hear this message loud and clear.
The whole post is available here. He also suggests Catholics contact the Judiciary Committee.
Also, Kevin "Seamus" Hasson, President of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty weighs in on Raised Bill 1098:
"This bill is doubly unconstitutional. It would be unconstitutional under the First Amendment even if it applied to all churches. but the fact that it applies to only one church - the Catholic Church - makes it unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment besides. This is truly a monstrosity."


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Jeff Berkes Photography
A meteor streaks through starry skies in a picture captured by photographer Jeff Berkes on Sunday from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in southern Maryland. Check out Berkes' Facebook page for more.
Like a spring flower, the annual Lyrid meteor shower is about to blossom in the night sky, and you've got several days to catch sight of the bloom as it grows.
"Meteor season is back!" photographer Jeff Berkes exulted in an email.
Although it's not the year's best shooting-star display, the Lyrids serve as a harbinger of spring and warmer days for skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere. At its peak, on the night of April 21-22, the meteors should flash every three to six minutes or so. But that's the expected rate under ideal conditions: clear skies, far from city lights, with no sources of glare in the sky.
Unfortunately, there'll be one big source of glare this time around: the moon, which will be nearing its full phase on the best night. That would be an argument for getting out a couple of hours before dawn sometime in the days ahead, to catch the early meteors in darker skies. That's how Berkes captured his primo image of a meteor streak against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
"I had been traveling for days while sleeping out of my car as I continue my dark sky projects," the Pennsylvania-based photographer wrote. "I drove over 1,000 miles in three days, visited several states, and came home with over 3,000 pictures in addition to some time-lapse work. After spending two days in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I decided to move north to have a chance at viewing the northern lights Saturday night into Sunday morning. While I waited for the polar activity to pick up, I set up a couple of cameras up in different locations. I ended up capturing this meteor before I drove to a fourth location around 4 a.m. The best part is watching a meteor fall right through the middle of your frame. It was a beautiful way to end the trip, and a good sign that the Lyrids are coming!"
Like other meteor showers, the Lyrids are sparked by the cosmic debris left behind by a comet. In this case, the debris comes from Comet Thatcher, which comes around every 415 years. Every April, when our planet passes through the trail of bits left behind by the comet, some of those bits zoom through Earth's upper atmosphere and ionize the air. That's what creates the meteor streaks. The Lyrids are so named because the streaks appear to emanate from a point in the constellation Lyra.
Don't expect to see fireworks: "Rates this early in the activity curve would be low, less than one per hour no matter your location," Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society says on the MeteorObs mailing list. But if you're lucky, you could spot a fireball like the one that skywatcher Salvador Aguirre reported from Mexico. If you do get snapshots of meteors blooming, feel free to share it with us via our FirstPerson photo-upload page. We'll pass along more pictures as the Lyrids blossom.
More about meteors:
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.


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|FreeBSD General Other questions regarding FreeBSD which do not fit in any of the categories below.
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Can you mount logical ntfs partitions?
Hi all
I am now the proud owner of the box with FreeBSD 8, KDE4, Nvidia-driver, updated system and ports, and even got my sound working after tweaking with sysctl.
I am gradually trying to do a little bit more, on my todo list are:
- Getting printing to work ()
- Install flash (youtube)
- Install openoffice3 (no package available, so I'll wait until I have a week of spare time for my PC to build it from source ).
However, currently I am trying to get my NTFS-drives to automatically mount at boot time.
I found this thread:
And was planning to go according to these instructions. I went into sysinstall/configure/fdisk to explore the layout of the windows HDD (dedicated). It seems sysinstall doesn't recognize the logical partitions within the extended partition (windows terminology) although they are there (at least 4 of them).
Am I correct that I can not mount the logical partitions from XP under FreeBSD Because I am googling and goofling and goobling () but I can not seem to find an answer.
If it isn't possible that would be a giant pain in the a**, since then I would have to move a couple of hundred gigabytes off these partitions to external disks in order to be able to repartition the disk
Thank you for any help again,
Your soon to be FreeBSD-guru
Yes, you can use logical partitions.
IIRC device numbering starts with s5 (i.e. /dev/ad0s5). What devices do you see in /dev/? (Post output of ls /dev/ad*)
Do you want read-only access (Included in FreeBSD) or read-write access provided by ntfs-3g and/or ntfsprogs?
For normal read access a standard fstab entry with type ntfs should work.
UNIX was not designed to stop you from doing stupid things, because that would also stop you from doing clever things.
(I am still into food )
Can you imagine I have spent at least 60 minutes to google/doogle/froogle/loogle/woogle-whatever to find out how my XP-disks are seen from FreeBSD, to finally end up with sysinstall (an article by Dru), and now you post something as usefull as ls /dev/ad*?
Happy are the ignorant such as me
Thanks, that command shows it very clearly, so I should be able to get the stuff working now. I think I would prefer to have r/w since knowing me I am sure I will mess up this installation sooner or later, and being able to copy what I have gathered on FreeBSD to my ntfs-disks (for example the backup of config files as you have tought me) would come in handy.
So I guess I will try to mess up my box by trying to use the ntfs-3g stuff from the link I mentioned above.
Thanks again (!)
(The day will come that I will show up at your office in EHV with a box of good beer ).
ls /dev/ad* gives:
/dev/ad10 /dev/ad10s1a /dev/ad10s1d /dev/ad10s1f /dev/ad6s1 /dev/ad6s5 /dev/ad6s7 /dev/ad10s1 /dev/ad10s1b /dev/ad10s1e /dev/ad6 /dev/ad6s2 /dev/ad6s6 /dev/ad6s8
/dev/ad10s1* are for FreeBSD; /dev/ad6s1 and /dev/ad6s2 must be primary NTFS partition or something; /dev/ad6s5 to /dev/ad6s8 are your logical partitions.
Even though many people use the fusefs NTFS implementation successfully, many have also experienced problems. I personally wouldn't trust anything but Windows to write on an NTFS partition. I'd use FreeBSD's ntfs module to access the partition as read-only. All it takes is a line such as /dev/ad6s5 /mnt/XYZ ntfs ro 0 0 in /etc/fstab, then you create the mount-point (mkdir /mnt/XYZ) and mount the partition (mount /mnt/XYZ). Of course you need the ntfs module loaded (kldload ntfs), or you can simply reboot and have the system load the module and mount the partition.
You can always backup your FreeBSD home directory and system settings on a FAT32 local partition or USB pendrive.
May the source be with you!
I almost forgot...
Flash will probably work with Firefox and the GNU/Linux layer. If you only need to download videos from YouTube, you can use the excellent www/youtube_dl port (a simple Python script). Most similar websites have "online downloaders" (e.g. Vimeo).
As for OOo, there are packages available.
May the source be with you!
I decided your reasoning about the dangers of having anything else than Windows write on ntfs makes sense, so I decided to go with your recommendation.
That didn't exactly work out
I created /mnt/xp1, xp2, xp3 and xp4, and added this to /etc/fstab:
/dev/ad6s5 /mnt/xp1 ntfs ro 0 0 /dev/ad6s6 /mnt/xp2 ntfs ro 0 0 /dev/ad6s7 /mnt/xp3 ntfs ro 0 0 /dev/ad6s8 /mnt/xp4 ntfs ro 0 0
Which gave me during the intial startup:
Mounting /etc/fstab filesystems failed, startup aborted. ERROR: ABORTING BOOT (sending SIGTERM to parent)! /bin/sh on /etc/rc terminated abnormally, going to single user mode
(No, seriously, if I hadn't learned about mount -u / and mount -a before I would have done that since in single user mode there is no way you can edit /etc/fstab if you don't first do that - at least I learned something ).
So I am wondering if there is something else I need to customize somewhere else in order to make the boot go right, or
I will start investigating this, but thanks again for your help; I really do appreciate it (!)
As to the Flash: I wouldn't want to download clips but just watch them as they pass on news I read. Actually, I am still rather confused as to 'linux emulation layer' versus 'linuxulator' () and stuff like that. I need to find me a 'dumb' step by step guide that simply works, as I have read so many threads about installing Flash and for some reason most of the people complain that it doesn't work. As a noob coming from Windows, this is all very complex for me (and even without coming from Windows it is complex ).
As to the printer: luckily I don't have a cheap inktjet printer, I decided to stay with the old and proven HP Laserjets from previous generations, the ones that even have a normal LPT-port (I upgraded my HP Laserjet 6P to include more memory and refused to buy these cheap throwaway inktjet printers with an USB connection that ask you to drop EUR 30 every 500 pages). Come to speak about this: during boot, FreeBSD complains about ppc0 no parellel printer port found whereas under XP everything works normally. Food for another rainy day and too much free time on my hand
As to openoffice: I will send you a PM in order not to make this post too long
So I have all these settings in fstab I made earlier commented out (#), now I am downloading a pdf, it asks me where to save, I browse around and to my surprise all my ntfs-drives have been mounted already (), and come to think of it, they have been mounted even before I tried the entries in fstab (I just didn't realize it as for example, in my /home/ I have a folder 'Downloads' and under XP I also have a partition 'Downloads'. So I saw 'Downloads' but didn't realize this wasn't the one in my /home/ but instead an XP-partition.
FreeBSD 8.0 automatically mounts ntfs-partitions
No it does not. KDE is most likely responsible. It's possible the fstab entries were not working because the devices were already mounted. And automounting (through HAL) is incompatible with fstab entries AFAIK.
May the source be with you!
So how come then that I still have these disks mounted (except for 1 FAT32 partition of 1 GB ???)? Which part of KDE does this? I looked in the control center but I can't seem to find anything relating to automounting?
This is my fstab:
# Device Mountpoint FStype Options Dump Pass# /dev/ad10s1b none swap sw 0 0 /dev/ad10s1a / ufs rw 1 1 /dev/ad10s1e /tmp ufs rw 2 2 /dev/ad10s1f /usr ufs rw 2 2 /dev/ad10s1d /var ufs rw 2 2 #/dev/acd0 /cdrom cd9660 ro,noauto 0 0 #/dev/ad6s5 /mnt/xp1 ntfs ro 0 0 #/dev/ad6s6 /mnt/xp2 ntfs ro 0 0 #/dev/ad6s7 /mnt/xp3 ntfs ro 0 0 #/dev/ad6s8 /mnt/xp4 ntfs ro 0 0 linproc /usr/compat/linux/proc linprocfs rw 0 0
Well, most probably KDE does this indirectly through HAL. I can't give you a more precise reply since I've never used KDE.
AFAIK automounting cannot be configured/disabled in kcontrol.
You can always try to disable and shutdown KDM and HAL, log out of KDE, and try manual mounting again.
May the source be with you!
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Every time we get a voice mail we are curious to find out who it is from. Today we received one from Robin Stevenson, a children's author from Victoria. Listen to what she had to say to us.
"Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. It is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace that is right for each individual child. Earlier is not better" Magda Gerber
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Wednesday, 23 January 2013
A Published Children's Author Read Our Tweets
Posted by Ms. L and Division 15 at 21:27
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We have SQL Server 2005. Our main table is the archive table which has nearly 200 million rows in it. There are 2000 clients that connect a service so the service writes the information to the archive. We have also another service which gets the clients information from archive as batches and calculate some another information for each row and rewrite them as batches again.
On the webhand-side we have 100-200 users online at a time and most of the queries depends on archive table. I built all possible indexes on archive and I'm using .NET Framework 3.5. I am connecting the database with standard connection string.
The problem is when a user request for one day long report it returns in 10-15 seconds for 50 rows. The one month long reports take more time like 2-3 min for 5k-6k rows. I am not a DBA but we don't have one so i am expected to tackle this problem. Can you make any suggestions for my problem?


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If you think about it, he really only had to saw his thumb off. The rest could have fit through pretty easily. Oh, Merle!
If he were really smart, he'd have made his hand as wide as possible and pulled it down as far as possible while the cuffs went on.
I was thinking they were doing something this weekend, but obviously that's not the full season by any means.
Loved the hat-guy (maybe my favorite character in the show) totally busting Shane locking down on Rick in the woods. (Why the sudden heel turn though? I was just starting to like him again)
He was tempted to eliminate the "problem" that was going to put everyone in danger.
Liking the new angle with the CDC guy too. (Wish they had done better with the microscope close-up though, that seemed really cheesy somehow) I wonder if his lament over the lack of fresh tissue samples to study will lead them to try and retrieve Jim's body at some point. Figured dude would be at least a little happy to see other survivors though, guess not so much.
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« back to Compare British Gas Electricity and Gas Prices supplier page
Compare British Gas Electricity and Gas Prices charges different rates depending on the region of the country that you live in. Please provide your postcode to view prices for this tariff as well as to compare all other tariffs in the market to see which one is the cheapest for you.
Note: any early termination fees shown may not apply after the contract has expired. Sometimes tariff data changes or becomes out of date when a tariff has been withdrawn. UKPower.co.uk cannot always guarantee the accuracy of the data displayed. Please report any errors to firstname.lastname@example.com.
British Gas is the UK's largest energy supplier, and serves around 11 million homes in Britain –nearly half the country's homes – as well as providing energy to around half a million UK businesses. Owned by parent company Centrica, British Gas also provides services such as boiler cover under their "Homecare" range. Known mainly as British Gas, they are also known as Scottish Gas in Scotland.


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NCLB Update
NCLB: Stories of Success
Safety CD-ROM
Charter Grants
Words of Wisdom
Volunteer Service
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
NCLB Update (http://www.ed.gov/nclb/)
On Monday, January 8, the No Child Left Behind Act turns five years old! In celebration of this milestone, the Department is holding an anniversary event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (by invitation only). A variety of other forward-looking activities are also planned this month, leading up to the President's January 23 State of the Union address and the February 5 roll-out of the President's Fiscal Year 2008 budget request.
Education Week's eleventh-annual "Quality Counts" report introduces a new Chance for Success Index, which tracks state efforts to connect education from preschool through postsecondary education and training. This "perspective" on the importance of education throughout a person's lifetime is based on 13 indicators that note whether children get off to a good start, succeed in elementary and secondary school, and hit key educational and income benchmarks as adults. Strictly for K-12 education, the report also includes a new Achievement Index that ranks every state based on whether its students are significantly above or below the national average or are making progress on 15 indicators. Unlike years past, the 2007 report does not grade the states. For more information, please go to http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2007/01/04/. (Education Week is offering free access to "Quality Counts" until January 18.)
NCLB: Stories of Success
Speaking of anniversary events, the next "Education News Parents Can Use" broadcast (January 16, 8-9 p.m. ET) will spotlight examples of high-performing public schools that are meeting the goals of the law. Unique video stories capture these schools' classrooms in action and conversations with award-winning principals and experts about how assessment, accountability, parent options, and a belief that all children can learn is raising the bar as never before. Over the last five years, significant progress has been achieved nationwide: on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), nine-year-olds have made more progress in reading since 2001 than in the last 28 years combined; nine- and 13-year-olds earned the highest scores in the history of the test; and the achievement gap is narrowing, with the scores of black and Hispanic students at all-time highs. However, there is still considerable work to be done if all children are to be proficient in reading and math by 2014. The broadcast will tackle such critical questions as:
- Five years after being signed into law, how do we know that No Child Left Behind is working?
- How can the law be extended to high school and beyond, and why is this important to American competitiveness?
- What new ideas have strengthened No Child Left Behind over the years, such as growth model pilots, teacher incentives, and other initiatives?
For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/. (You can watch live and archived webcasts at http://www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/.)
Safety CD-ROM
Before the holidays, the Department and the Secret Service released another tool to improve school safety, an interactive CD-ROM titled "A Safe School and Threat Assessment Experience: Scenarios Exploring the Findings of the Safe School Initiative (SSI)." A quick recap: the SSI examined 37 incidents involving 41 school attacks that occurred between 1974 and 2000. The study found that school attacks are rarely impulsive. Rather, they are typically thought out and planned well in advance. Therefore, one of the key recommendations of the SSI was that schools form threat assessment teams to assist with identifying, assessing, and managing students who may pose a threat of targeted violence. It is for these threat assessment teams that the CD-ROM was developed. Through the use of two hypothetical school-based scenarios, teams may advance their skills in conducting a virtual threat assessment inquiry. The interactive format integrates the study findings, threat assessment processes, and implications for prevention. In addition, the CD-ROM contains research findings, full interviews with study authors and practitioners, and links to more resources. This month, copies will be distributed to law enforcement and school safety personnel across the U.S. Copies may also be ordered via http://www.edpubs.org/. For more information, please go to http://www.secretservice.gov/ntac_ssi.shtml.
Also: The Department's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) is offering two training sessions (February 21-23 in Philadelphia and May 9-11 in St. Louis) to provide school personnel with information and resources on emergency management. Emphasis will be placed on emergency management plan development and enhancement within the framework of the four phases of emergency management: prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. There is a registration fee to help defer costs. Travel and lodging assistance is available. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/
Charter Grants
Grant applications are now available for the Charter Schools Program, which seeks to increase public understanding of the charter school model and to expand the number of high-quality charter schools by providing some financial assistance for the planning, program design, initial implementation, and evaluation of charter schools. States are eligible to apply if they have a charter school law in place. If a state elects not to participate or does not have an application approved, charter schools from that state may apply directly to the Department. This year's competition includes a priority for secondary schools. Applications are due by February 16. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/programs/charter/.
Note: http://www.ed.gov/GrantApps/ lists all the competitions that are underway and provides links to electronic application packages, forms, and other basic information.
Words of Wisdom
On December 18, Secretary Spellings delivered the fall commencement address at Middle Tennessee State University. "Earning a college degree isn't easy," she noted. "All of you logged countless hours at the library, pulled your fair share of all-nighters, and probably consumed more caffeine than you'd care to remember.... In the process, you've turned what some might perceive as obstacles [one-quarter of MTSU's students are first-generation college students, and more than 85 percent are commuters] into opportunity and had the perseverance to remain committed to your goal." She encouraged the graduates to make the most of their education and find ways to give back to others: "These days, compassion, kindness, and humor are in just as much demand as PlayStation 3; you just don't see people fighting over them.... The impact of that choice [to serve] will not only improve the lives of others, it will enlarge and enrich yours as well." For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2006/12/12182006.html.
Also: A new First Look from the Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System 2005 data collection, with surveys on institutional characteristics for the 2005-06 academic year and student completions covering the period July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005. For more information, please go to http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007167.
Volunteer Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is encouraging Americans to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy on January 15 by making the holiday a day ON, versus a day off. This year marks the 21st observance of the King holiday. The observance became a national day of service in 1994, when Congress passed legislation to give the holiday even more significance. A new web site enables organizers to register projects in every state and the District of Columbia. That same web site has a host of ideas and resources, as well as photographs of previous King holiday activities. For more information, please go to http://www.mlkday.gov/.
Note: The King Day of Service is mid-way through National Mentoring Month, which emphasizes the importance of bringing caring adults into the lives of children who need guidance, support, and encouragement. For more information, please go to http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/
Quote to Note
"Our public schools are no better than we make them. They can provide a solid educational foundation for our children. They can provide a training ground for leadership development. They can offer an opportunity for expanded technical knowledge and cultural enrichment through continued education. They can become a center for community involvement. But the future our schools provide is, in large measure, dependent upon our involvement."
|President Gerald R. Ford (5/10/75)
Upcoming Events
Now in its fourth year, the National School and Business Partnerships Awards, created by the Council for Corporate and School Partnerships, recognize exemplary school-business partnerships that improve the academic, social, or physical well-being of students. Partnerships involving public schools and/or districts and businesses are eligible to apply. The Council will make six awards; those selected will get $10,000. Applications are due by January 30. For more information, please go to http://www.corpschoolpartners.org/award.shtml.
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Note: The following post is a guest post by Robert Miller, who is a 5th grade teacher at Port Orange Elementary in Port Orange, Florida. Robert Miller is an Apple Distinguished Educator, BrainPOP Advisor, and one of NSBA's 2009 "20 to Watch". Robert can be found on twitter @RobrtMiller and at his class website http://www.maxclassonline.net if you would like to contact him or see the cool things he is doing with his students to enhance their learning experience.
This year has been one where I found myself moving away from the static teacher showcase web page towards web applications leading my 5th grade students into a more interactive online experience that does not end at the two o'clock bell.
This past fall, I discovered Edmodo referenced on my Twitter feed and after reading the homepage and researching other teachers' usage, I knew immediately that Edmodo would be an anchor in my classroom's online experience. As it turns out, Edmodo is now our main aggregate for both classroom communication (both with me and with student peers) and the collaborative portal for works and projects.
Jeff asked me to share some of the ways my 5th graders and I use Edmodo in our classroom. I, too, have picked up many tips from other educators on the Edmodo Group available to all of us and I encourage you to continue or start to share your best practices!
- Many Language Arts programs are using Literature Circles… Have you ever thought about creating an online component? Although I believe the face-to-face discussion is the most exciting way to share a great book, some students just cannot wait until the next day and often they share a few thoughts the night before in their private Edmodo Lit Circle Group… Each group-of-four loves to have their own private room!
- Here's one that I gleaned from the Edmodo Group: Create a "Recess" Group that will draw in your less-than-motivated students. This is a room that they can do their "chat posts." My students and I have set prior parameters for such a group and I have found that some will log in for the Recess Group but stay for my actual content and peer collaboration.
- My class webpage has a sidebar of web application links to which my students can jump (VoiceThread, Animoto, GoogleDocs, GlogsterEDU, Pixton Comics, etc.). Edmodo allows for each some sort of embedding or linking to a student project or showcase. Students can chose to share their projects/assignments and collaborate with classmates to make them better in one location… I love it!
- I am teaching my students proper digital netiquette by making myself accessible in the evenings with Direct Messaging. We discuss what is important to interrupt me after school and what can wait until the next day. If a student has a burning or important query/issue, that student may "DM" me knowing that I am going to receive a text message immediately of their post. They can expect a response soon thereafter. This function has solved delays, deadlines, and parental questions and alleviates disruption and the flow/progress of the next morning's routine. Students who DM me with frivolous or irresponsible questions ("Mr. Miller, what page was the math HW?") are addressed personally in the morning.
Maybe you too, see the endless possibilities of Edmodo in your classroom. Might any of you be partaking in classroom-to-classroom/school-to-school groups (something I and another distant teacher are exploring)? Are any of you finding the Edmodo Assignment Post/Gradebook a time saver? (Support Comments lead us to believe that Gradebook is going to be further improved in future updates). I hope that you are finding Edmodo as an enriching web 2.0 resource as I do and I look forward to reading and implementing your shared classroom ideas.
As I tell my students, "Great idea! Want to share? Go Edmodo!"
Note: We just wanted to thank Robert for taking the time out of his busy schedule to share his experience with Edmodo. We are also looking for others to share their experience's with Edmodo. Feel free to contact us and share your experience.
3 comments. Leave new
[…] Apple Distinguished Educator's Experience with Edmodo "Integrating Technology with Edmodo" – Howard Chan Using Edmodo in the Classroom – Mary Lou Cerullo Secure Social networking for the classroom using Edmodo […]
wow! brilliant ideas..i am teaching a 5th grade class too and just been exploring edmodo to use in class once school reopens in 2 weeks time .excited .
I am a high school teacher just starting to introduce Edmodo to my classes and I am excited about the possibilities. I have read only positive ideas and feedback about this site.
I would like to know more about the Robert's recess group such as how did he create it? What were the guidelines such as the chat posts? I have several students that would fit this group.


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Page View
Arrowsmith, Henry William / The house decorator and painter's guide; containing a series of designs for decorating apartments, suited to the various styles of architecture
Plate XXIII-XXIV ["Elizabethan style"], pp. 48-[Plate XXIV] ff.
Page [Plate XXIII]
This material may be protected by copyright law (e.g., Title 17, US Code).| For information on re-use, see http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright


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Contemporary 2025 two outlet digital shower pack with LED colour changing lights, processor unit, 8" square shower head, wall mounting arm, remote control and bath filler with waste (high pressure systems).
€944.19 inc VAT & Delivery
€767.63 excluding VAT
RRP: €1,488 Save: €543.50
Product Code: BB-CK4SQ-R
The new Digital Showers collection from Bathroom Brands is the latest innovation using precise temperature technology and beautiful high quality design. With this selection of premium shower products you are able to create a showering experience individual to you and your home. The precise temperature control means that the water temperature stays exactly the same throughout your shower. For safety there is an automatic shut off which means if there is a problem with your water supply the shower will shut off immediately. Colour changing controls not only look good but indicate when your shower is heating up or cooling down. Bathroom Brands supply the highest quality materials while using the finest manufacturing techniques, they offer a wide range of styles from classic bathrooms to elegant modern bathrooms, blending style, quality and function with beautiful designs and the chance to have the best in smart bathroom functionality.
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Deva vision concealed thermost...€524.10


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Prime Time amounts vary based on the number of drivers available compared to the number of ride requests.
Skip to:
About Prime Time
When demand for rides is higher than the number of available drivers on the road, passengers may pay an extra percentage on top of the base ride amount. For example, a ride that is $6 without Prime Time, costs the passenger $9 when 50% Prime Time is added.
Prime Time only adds a percentage to the ride subtotal, which is calculated before the Service Fee, taxes and airport fees, or other additional amounts. For Shared rides, Prime Time is calculated based on the first passenger that a driver accepts in a chain.
How to see Prime Time
Before a ride: you can view Prime Time on the Heat Map in the Lyft Driver app. If a ride has a pickup location in a pink square, then Prime Time will be applied. Note: Prime Time is based on a ride's pickup location, not the location of the driver during ride request.
When you receive a ride request: you can view Prime Time on the 'Accept Screen' for each ride.
End of ride: verification of Prime Time for the ride will be displayed immediately. This amount will also show in the 'Ride History' tab of the Lyft Driver app for you to look back on any time.
You may also see a banner on your app with a range of Prime Time in effect in your area. This banner will give you an idea of what some passengers near you are paying in Prime Time, but doesn't represent a guarantee of Prime Time.
Guaranteed Prime Time
Guaranteed Prime Time is a way for drivers to boost earnings while providing rides for passengers during the busiest times.
For major holidays, promotions, or events in certain markets, drivers may be notified about guaranteed Prime Time as a text message, email, or in the app. During guaranteed Prime Time, rides include Prime Time earnings at or above the promotional amount.
Heat Maps
Heat Maps let you see where you may be needed most. Prime Time fluctuates rapidly, so if you don't see the Heat Map, don't worry!
Prime Time is calculated using the location of passengers when they make a ride request. That means even if you're waiting in a shaded area, ride requests you receive may not include Prime Time.


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Mug better late than never Despite claims by most travel mug manufacturers of a spill-proof experience for drivers, these assertions often prove false. This may be due to user error on our part or shoddy manufacturing in the travel mug industry, but it was not until recently experiencing the Contigo Autoseal West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug that we first understood the bliss of drinking coffee while on the road without fear of spill and stain reprisal. To be clear, this product is not new. But our discovery was such a revelation that we cannot restrain from sharing with all. The mug features patented technology — the Autoseal button — which is pressed when sipping and automatically seals the cup between sips. Vacuum insulation keeps hot drinks warm for up to four hours and cold drinks cold for up to 12 hours. It's won numerous awards for its technical proficiency, and although these accolades are not new, this is as advanced as it gets in the travel mug sector — which may not seem important until your cheap mug spills coffee on you before a big meeting. $21; visit gocontigo.com.
The bigger screen cometh Though Alpine Electronics does not share the same consumer consciousness with Sony, JVC and others, the company has consistently maintained a high level of innovation, being among the first to adopt iPod connectivity, Bluetooth and a host of other features that are now deemed standard. With the new INE-Z928HD Navigation Receiver, Alpine plays market leader once more, introducing the first-ever eight-inch double-DIN in-dash touchscreen stereo. The unit features navigation data for North America, Bluetooth capability, nine-band parametric equalizer with time correction capability offering customization for audiophiles and smartphone connectivity including Pandora Internet Radio control. Alpine also sells a kit called Perfect F.I.T., which helps to make the Z928HD slip easily into a host of vehicle dashes. But the big proposition is the new big screen. This is a high-end system and the price tag definitely reflects all of its features and the big screen. By loading an extra inch of touchscreen space over its competitors, Alpine has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging for stereo supremacy. The company better benefit quickly, because other manufacturers will copy the screen size fast. $1,500; visit alpine.com.


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DALLAS – Salisbury University seniors Ross Flanigan, Dan Griffin, Jeremy Harrissmith and Gaven Parker have been named to the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame's Hampshire Honor Society, the organization announced on Thursday.
Student-athletes from all divisions of college football who maintain a 3.2 cumulative GPA or better are eligible for recognition. A total of 703 players from 259 institutions received the honor in the seventh year of the program, which began in 2007.
Flanigan, a slot from Mount Airy, Md., was a four-year letterwinner and senior captain with a 3.8 GPA in conflict analysis and dispute resolution with a minor in health. Flanigan, who finished with 1,402 yards rushing and 18 total touchdowns in 30 career games, was a two-time member of the Empire 8 President's List as well as a two-time selection to the ACFC All-Academic Team.
Griffin, Salisbury's starting quarterback for three years, a two-year captain, and arguably one of its top players in program history, is the Sea Gulls' all-time scoring leader with 276 points. He also finished fifth all-time in yards passing (2,617) and eighth in yards rushing (2,642). Griffin, a physical education major with a 3.44 GPA from Jarettsville, Md., is a two-time Empire 8 President's List honoree and was named to the 2010 ACFC All-Academic Team.
Harrissmith, the starting left guard in 2012, is a four-year letterwinner and finance major with a 3.52 GPA. He was named Capital One Academic All-District as a senior and appeared in 14 career games. Harrismith, a Cheritan, Va., was an All-Empire 8 honorable mention selection, as well.
Parker, the starting right tackle from Laurel, Del., is an elementary education major and athletic coaching minor with a 3.34 GPA. He appeared in 36 career games and was a two-time member of the Empire 8 President's List and a 2010 ACFC All-Academic Team selection.
Salisbury was 9-3 in 2012, advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The Sea Gulls kickoff the 2013 season on Sept. 7, hosting Christopher Newport University at 6 p.m.
Click here for the full 2013 Hampshire Honor Society.


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September 2008
G.W. Carver Magnet High School for Engineering, Applied Technology, And the Arts
|Selected Characteristics of Magnet School and Host Districta
|Magnet School: G.W. Carver Magnet High School
|Host District: Aldine Independent School District, Houston
|Year Established as Magnet
|Population Typeb
|Suburb; Large
|Engineering, performing arts, and visual arts
|111 square miles
|MSAPc Funded
|938 students
|16,748 magnet out of 58,596 students
|Student Ethnicity
|37% Hispanic
53% African-American
7% White
2% Asian American
|Student Ethnicity
(grades K–12)
|62% Hispanic
31% African-American
4% White
2% Asian American
|Special Education
|Special Educationd
|Free or Reduced-price Lunch
|Free or Reduced-price Lunchb
|English Language Learners
|< 1%
|English Language Learnersb
a Source: Texas Education Agency, 2006–07 Campus Performance, Academic Excellence Indicator System, http://www.tea.state.tx.us
b Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics' Common Core of Data for the school year 2005–06, http://www.nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch
c U.S. Department of Education's Magnet Schools Assistance program
In the main hallway of Carver High, students warm up for a dress rehearsal of the fall semester musical, an original production that includes a trampoline act, rope climbing, ballet pointe work, tap, and hip-hop routines. Over in the school's engineering wing, a student-led broadcast crew in the TV production lab handles the technical problems of putting on a news show, the daily morning broadcast that is piped through the Internet to all classrooms. Across the hall, students work in groups at computers to design and produce a plastic ruler that accurately measures both in 1/16-inch and one-millimeter increments. Their teacher has challenged them to use the fewest possible steps on the computer-aided design (CAD) software. These examples illustrate the rigor and project-based nature of Carver's innovative curriculum, which features three houses, or magnet strands: Engineering (including Applied Technology), Performing Arts, and Visual Arts.
Located in Acres Homes, a well-established, historically African-American community in northwest Houston, Carver is part of the Aldine Independent School District (AISD). Like all of Aldine's magnet schools, Carver has no selective admissions, and students are selected by a random lottery process. Created in response to a mid-1990s court desegregation order, Carver High was one of the first four magnet schools in Aldine. Establishing Carver as the district's pioneer magnet high school signaled a commitment to reducing minority-group isolation. The intent was to attract students from the entire 111-square-mile system while providing the local African-American community with a strong academic school option. Carver's engineering, performing arts, and visual arts magnet strands were favored by the community. For many families, the engineering theme was a way to provide their children with marketable skills for Houston's job market in the oil and gas industries. The performing and visual arts were also popular concepts among families, with two of Aldine's elementary magnet sites adopting this focus as well. Combining the three themes at the high school level was an intentional strategy for balancing different academic interests and attracting a larger number of applicants to Aldine's west side.
District staff devised a feeder system in which elementary and middle school magnets developed themes and programs aligned with Carver's. Students from the district's feeders are guaranteed placement in the continuing magnet school within the strand as long as they sign intent-to-return letters each year. Carver has gained a local reputation as the most popular, successfully integrated, and high-performing high school in Aldine.
Mission and Curriculum
Carver's mission is to provide students with the rigorous academic foundation and individualized support that enables them to develop their talents and interests in one of the magnet program's three houses or specialty areas. The small-group, intensive, project-based learning that occurs in these specialty areas nurtures a small school atmosphere that helps staff meet Carver's mission. The houses have created strong academic programs that stand alone, but staff at Carver also work across the houses to promote content integration whenever possible.
The House of Engineering is guided by the framework of Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a program sponsored by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Its hands-on, project-based curriculum requires students to work in teams to solve real-world problems in ways that simulate global industry standards. The tasks and feedback for these assignments are authentic. One team of Carver students took on a public safety issue when Harris County's new light-rail system resulted in numerous incidents of trains hitting pedestrians. The students invented pop-up warning lights for pedestrians, a solution the county's public transit agency known as METRO liked and eventually adopted. Carver's engineering curriculum closely aligns with state and local standards for mathematics and science, emphasizing physics.
In the House of Performing Arts, students are coached in aspects of problem solving, exploration, and mastery of performance technique so that they may continue training at the college level or join a performing company upon graduation. The program-including vocal, piano, guitar, orchestra, theater, and dance-requires students to gain broad exposure to a variety of genres. For example, a guitar player may pursue a personal interest in rock music, but also must learn to sight-read and play classical guitar. Emphasis is placed on individual growth as measured through frequent performance opportunities. Students receive immediate feedback on their technique, participation, enthusiasm, and ability to work collaboratively.
Students in the House of Visual Arts are guided by master teachers who provide studio experience in areas of design, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and electronic media. As they rotate through the different areas, students build personal portfolios that reflect qualifying entry work for college-level arts programs. The curriculum is anchored by real-world connections: field trips to museums, galleries, and art schools; opportunities for student work to be exhibited in professional venues; guest artists and speakers from art colleges around the nation.
At Carver, as in most real-world workplaces and colleges, there are no bells signaling the beginning and end of classes. Students travel from class to class listening to classical music through the Visual Bell Alert System that promotes a positive school climate with an air of professionalism and independence.
Ensuring Student Success
A key aspect of Carver's success is the careful planning and support provided by the district's magnet office. Administrators were forward thinking in developing vertical strands for magnet students to continue their course of study throughout the Aldine system, eventually feeding into Carver High and Eisenhower High (for its International Baccalaureate program). Currently, Carver's ninth-grade class is made up of 249 students, 224 of whom have come up directly through Aldine's feeder middle schools, Drew Academy and Grantham Academy. The vertical strands are working to keep students in integrated and high-performing schools throughout their careers. As Melinda Stapley, Aldine's director of magnet schools, says, "Data show that once they're in [the magnet program], they stay." And in a district with an average mobility rate of 80 percent, the dedicated magnet program is an important strategy for keeping more consistent school communities that are tied to student success.
Carver's principal, Ken Hodgkinson, believes that the school's magnet themes provide the necessary hook that helps staff support students of all backgrounds to meet challenging academic standards. "The kids really love this school," he says. "They love the programs, and so they buy into the education we provide." Carver staff leverage this desire to motivate, engage, and push students to meet success in the classroom: "We make sure that if they want to be here, they are not going to be left behind."
Students are well aware of the don't-pass-don't-perform policy that requires a minimum of 70 in every class. "If some of our members aren't passing, then we can't get on that stage," says one senior. "And for us performers, getting up on stage is what we live for, so then we tell ourselves, 'Okay, we have to get our act together.'" "We have a lot more freedom than students in other schools," says one student. "Students here are treated like adults."
In the classroom, teachers regularly provide tutorials before and after school, and give out their phone numbers so that students can get help on assignments from home. Resource teachers are used strategically in classrooms to support students with various skill levels to access course content. An individualized, self-paced, computer-assisted credit recovery program also is provided to students who have not mastered course materials. Throughout the school year, students identified as needing additional support are assigned to mandatory after-school tutoring, with a computerized system providing last period teachers with the list of students to remind them to attend the tutoring session. Parents agree that these supports provide a strong safety net for Carver students. As one mother told her daughter, "There is no reason you can't succeed here. You have no excuse not to be successful."
Building School Capacity
Ken Hodgkinson, Carver Magnet's fourth principal, is a product of Aldine's home-grown school leadership program; the district has focused recruitment efforts to attract educators from all over the country and then nurtures school leaders from a talented staff with a broad range of experience. Hodgkinson, who had worked as both an assistant principal and principal at one of Aldine's magnet feeder schools, also spent 13 years managing Fortune 500 companies and brought a wealth of business experience to designing systems for improving staff communication. "I work for everybody," says Hodgkinson, "and I try to challenge everyone to be on the cutting edge. I try to create excitement by holding a vision of where we want to go with the program. And then I try to remove the barriers for staff so that they can actually succeed."
A key ingredient for building a successful staff culture, he believes, is creating an infrastructure for communication across teams and throughout the building. He created an intranet for Carver staff, centralizing important information, such as a shared academic calendar, discipline referrals, and discussion groups. The idea is to develop a paperless environment where staff can access information online when they need it, streamlining communication and information flow to support more effective actions.
Hodgkinson's goal is to integrate more of the specialized houses' project-based curricula into core courses, where he believes some teachers rely too much on lecture as a method of instruction. He points to the successes with cooperative learning and the emphasis on critical-thinking skills that he sees throughout the school as a way to ensure more consistent application of such practices. A parallel goal is to increase the number of Advanced Placement (AP) courses at Carver, with the hope that by 2010, all students are taking at least one AP course. As the school moves towards increasing the rigor while still holding to a no-admissions requirement policy, the next step naturally is tied to supporting all students to access college-level courses.
Achievement and Outcomes
Today, Aldine is recognized for its exemplary magnet schools program, hosting district leaders from all over the country who are looking to implement or expand similar programs. In 2007, Carver was selected as one of the nation's top high schools by U.S. News and World Report, and in 2005, its engineering team won second place in an international competition sponsored by NASA, after beating out teams from highly selective private schools to win the United States championship.
Carver has shown consistently high performance on standardized tests, outperforming average district and state scores while serving similar demographic populations. Table 3 shows that the percentages of 11th-grade Carver students who passed the standard on the 2007 state reading and mathematics assessments were higher than those of students districtwide and statewide.
Table 3. Percentages of 11th-Grade Students Who Passed the 2007 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Test in Reading and Mathematics at G.W. Carver Magnet High School as Compared to the District and the State
|Aldine Independent
School District
|State of Texas
|Reading/English Language Arts
Source: Texas Education Agency, 2006-07 Campus Performance, Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS), http://www.tea.state.tx.us


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I'm very picky about salads. Each night I usually make a salad with dinner. I don't use iceberg...I don't even buy it - to me, it's a waste of an opportunity to use a better type of "green" - one that has vitamins and nutritional value. I believe that ordering a salad out is a tell-tale sign of the quality of a restaurant. My favorite places have beautiful (green) salads (even awesome side salads)! Putting thought into a great side salad definitely shows that the rest of the dishes are probably also well-thought out and full of quality ingredients too!
At home, I like to use romaine and spinach (organic), with shredded carrots, sunflower seeds, and other "yummies." I am also not much for salad "recipes" (unless it's a chicken salad). I don't usually have a salad as my meal either ... call me crazy, but I feel like a need more substance for something to qualify as a meal. Yeah, yeah I know that some salads can be very substantial, but I've never really looked forward to eating just a salad. Until now.... I still don't eat just a salad, but I DO look forward to making and eating this salad! I love the ingredients, the nuts make it semi-hearty, and the dressing is delish!
My mom gave me this recipe. I swear she told me long ago that she got it from someone at her church, but when I just asked, she told me that she thought she found it in a cookbook, but can't remember which one.... the point is - it's not our recipe, per se, but we have proudly "adopted" it. Try it and you will love it! Trust this picky salad-eater. Best dishes and yummy dreams!
Spinach Salad with a Spicy-Sweet Dressing
Baby spinach, washed and dried
Romaine, washed and torn
Dried Cranberries
Raw, or lightly salted cashews
Sunflower seeds
Apples, cut into bite-sized pieces
(All amounts as desired)
1/4 c. canola oil
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, or 1 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper, or red pepper sauce
Shake the dressing in a container and pour immediately.
With sweet and sour chicken added!


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The Walking Dead season 2 finale has aired and our favorite group of survivors are now on to their next adventure. Since October is such a long time to wait for the next season of The Walking Dead, why not find out what's in for season 3 now.
Following the shocking finale that brought about – among other things – the introduction of Michonne (Danai Gurira – who was NOT the actress in the shadowy cloak), as well as the reveal of next season's setting: the prison. Now, fans are wondering what's in store for Rick and Co. next season.
With David Morrissey signing up to play the Governor and Michael Rooker confirming that Merle will be returning, it's time to turn to executive producer Robert Kirkman for some answers.
Speaking with TV Line, Kirkman talked about some of the things fans can expect to see in The Walking Dead season 3:
About 'The Walking Dead' season 3:
What I really like about the transition from Season 2 to Season 3 as opposed to Season 1 to Season 2 transition is that when we were moving into Season 2 there were so many unknowns. All of the questions were, "Are we going to see the farm? Are they going to follow the comic?" And now that we're moving into Season 3, we've seen Michonne. We've seen the prison. We know that that the Governor has been cast. So the fans really have a clear indication of what kind of things to expect in the third season and where we're going and some of the stories that we may be telling if they're familiar with the comic book series.
Our third season is definitely going to be our best season yet. I'm really excited to get into it. It's actually hard for me to do interviews about Season 2 because I'm like, "Oh my God, Season 3 blows this stuff out of the water. You just wait." We've been working on Season 3 for a few months now. We're wrapping up the first half and we've got everything nailed down. I can't wait for people to see it.
There are still some surprises around the corner. We wouldn't be revealing so much in our final episode of Season 2 if we didn't have so much more to reveal in the marketing for Season 3 and also in the episodes when the season begins. There are a lot of surprises around the corner.
About Rick:
He's forced into this leadership role and, at the end of the episode, we see that he is taking this on and it is affecting him. And he's growing darker. And he is saying, "Hey, you want me to be the leader? That's fine. I'm going to be the leader. You don't like it? Fend for yourself. Let's see how you do." He's growing harsher in this world. And the series is always going to be about whether or not he can retain his humanity, or whether or not he is going to become some kind of hardened monster that really exists only to provide survival for him and his family.
About Michonne:
The original plan was to hold her for Season 3 and introduce her then.
…as far as her relationship with Andrea goes, she cut the head off of a zombie. She could easily stab Andrea next in the first minutes of Season 3, so who knows what that relationship will be like?
She will be very similar to her comic-book counterpart. Most of the characters as they've been translated into TV are pretty much exactly the same character. Andrea is Andrea, Rick is Rick and Michonne is going to be Michonne. Now, the stories that we're going to tell with her are going to be somewhat different at times.
But the fans have expectations for Michonne, and I can say with full knowledge that their expectations are going to be met. They need not worry.
About Andrea:
She is for all intents and purposes in the most danger out of anyone in the group by the end of the episode. And we're going to be exploring that a little bit more in the third season. But really just putting her in the pressure-cooker situation and seeing how she fares and how she's going to do and how she's going to survive is going to be interesting thing to follow in the third season. We have some really cool stuff planned for Andrea.
About Hershel and the Greene family:
Hershel was very connected to the farm, and losing the farm and losing these people at the same time is going to mean a lot for him — as well as Maggie and Beth — in Season 3.
Who will die next:
One of the things that's always been important to me with the Walking Dead comic book series is that you always be willing to get rid of every character at any moment if it serves the story. I've always tried not to grow any kind of attachment to any character. And also, there have been times where I've had big arcs plotted out for [someone] but at the moment it seemed like the right thing to do to completely get rid of the character. And now that we're getting further and further into the show, and we're able to tell the stories [with] high stakes, pretty much everything is on the table when we sit there in the writers room. There's some pretty terrifying, crazy things discussed. And every character, at some point, we've talked about, "Now? Later? When are we going to do this?"


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[It's so quiet and damp and dark around here. Why not hit publish on something that's been sitting in the draft folder for nearly a year. You miss this stuff, right?]
Last month I left my beautiful, charming, and wholesome friends in Iowa to move in with my sister in Michigan while I get my ducks in a row. My ducks have been acting up. One of my final acts before packing up was to kick back with two of my favorites for margaritas and Camera Obscura. It did not take long for me to lock onto the guitarist with his matte balding head + general broadness. It's my most basic formula. Then he used a microphone to reveal his Scottish brogue and I got so excited I punched Jason (of the socks). His name is Kenny. Let's look at his profile on the band's site.
I am charmed by his current favorite animals and now I've been reading AE Housman all morning [Kenny has since swapped AE Housman for a sexy poem about strawberries]. Here's one that should set you in the right mood for Monday. Make sure you read it in a Scottish voice.
Yonder see the morning blink:
The sun is up, and up must I,
To wash and dress and eat and drink
And look at things and talk and think
And work, and God knows why.
Oh often have I washed and dressed
And what's to show for all my pain?
Let me lie abed and rest:
Ten thousand times I've done my best
And all's to do again.
Roll over! Stay home! Sunday up with Hitchcock instead. [Sunday up. A typo or a new phrase I was trying out?]
And now the hat. Remember?
While wearing this hat, I have received compliments such as "That hat is so lumpy!" Totally worth $4. I edited the picture to look like binocular vision because the picture was taken before a run and Meg and I have been listening to an audiobook I scored mid-roadtrip for $2 in which ladies spurn their lovers' early-morning advances to go running and then the ladies get brutally raped AND lose an eye. So that's been on my mind. Binocular plotting.


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For all the sports fans who have written the National Basketball Association off in the decade since Michael Jordan abdicated his throne with the Chicago Bulls, Chris Ballard has a bit of advice: Take a closer look.
Fans and media routinely dismiss the NBA as a league filled with monster egos, lazy fundamentals, powerless coaches, and selfish players obsessed with scoring "SportsCenter"-worthy dunks at the expense of making a crisp pass or fighting for a key rebound. All of which is true, but only to a degree.
Ballard covers pro basketball for Sports Illustrated, and he has studied the game for its attributes as well as its faults. In The Art of a Beautiful Game, he makes a compelling case for professionalism and attention to detail within the NBA. And he does it in the best way, by showing us rather than telling us. From profiles of megastars such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to the secrets of ace rebounders, sharpshooters, and even an NBA trainer, Ballard makes the routine aspects of basketball come to life in interesting ways.
His technique is reminiscent of Michael Lewis or Malcolm Gladwell in that Ballard never accepts conventional wisdom without doing his homework first. A great example that will shock all but the most hard-core NBA fans is the notion of shooting frequency and accuracy. Ask an average sports fan whether today's pros shoot more than their predecessors and it's all but guaranteed the answer will be an unequivocal yes, followed by carping about how selfish contemporary players have become.
There is just one small problem with this scenario: It's dead wrong.
During the 1960-61 season, for example, NBA teams shot a collective 41.5 percent – and did so without the temptation of a 3-point line. Last season, the NBA average was 45.9 percent with a 3-point line. And, yes, more shots were attempted per game then rather than today. Even if the argument is made that the percentage was lower in 1960 because more shots were attempted, remember the lack of a 3-point shot – a temptress for lower-percentage shooting.
Throughout his NBA travels, Ballard uses the insight of players as the jumping-off point for exploring a certain aspect of the game. For rebounds and shot-blocking, it's Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who battles the temptation to focus more on scoring at the expense of his defensive technique, embodying the NBA's dilemma and perception at once.
Ballard turns to Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets for perspective on life as a defensive stopper, a demanding, unsung role requiring endless preparation and study — and noticed only when things go wrong. Guard the best player every night, work hard, see yourself on ESPN highlights – not for making a key stop – but only when Kobe or LeBron lights you up for 40 big ones.
Even devout NBA followers are unlikely to be familiar with trainer Idan Ravin, who, despite never having played beyond high school or coached beyond junior high, ranks among the league's most influential figures. His client list reads like an all-star roster, including Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Gilbert Arenas. Despite no formal role as a trainer, Ravin has become the go-to guy for players looking for an edge, conjuring up idiosyncratic drills and regimens that his players swear (and sweat) by.
As Ballard and Ravin discuss techniques and clients, it becomes clear how adept Ravin is at reading players' body language and motivations. Unlike coaches, who tend to issue orders, Ravin establishes a rapport with his players by speaking in their language and building from there.
He hectors Paul, the New Orleans Hornets star, telling him others are working harder and not-so-subtly implying Paul must do the same to keep pace. With the Washington Wizards' Arenas, it's positive reinforcement, followed by a gentle push to brush up on this or that skill. And when he works with Denver Nuggets scorer Anthony, the "why" matters as much as the "what." Those examples illustrate why Ravin has become known as "The Hoops Whisperer."
Ballard, who played small-time college basketball, throws himself into the fray with great success. To unravel the mystery of sharpshooting, he turns to a 3-point shootout with Steve Kerr, a current team executive five years removed from his NBA career. Later, he participates in a summer basketball academy run by a top sports agency to get an idea of what pro prospects and stars do during the off-season to hone their game. Grueling workouts and specialized coaching demonstrate that "summer has become the season when careers are shaped," Ballard notes in an observation that many will find surprising in light of the league's run-and-gun image.
He turns to Nick Anderson, infamous for missing four free throws during the final 10.5 seconds of an NBA finals game in 1995 to cost the Orlando Magic a victory, for perspective (or lack thereof) on the loneliness of life at the charity stripe. For point guard play, the unlikely future MVP Steve Nash offers lessons in selfish selflessness.
Better still, Ballard skirts the typical sportswriter banalities ("How does it feel to win a scoring title?" "Is this your favorite championship?") and, in doing so, coaxes players into discussing things they actually care about. Thus, Kobe Bryant's killer instinct comes to life as he discusses his high school ritual of playing one-on-one with a teammate after practice. Bryant would often score 80 straight baskets before surrendering one to his opponent. Flash forward to the present and Bryant still believes he did the right thing, that to allow even a stray basket or two out of mercy would have weakened his game.
In a look at rebounding, the author digs out this nugget on Dennis Rodman: He used to study how his teammates and others missed, bettering his chances to grab the rebound, a bit of unconventional behavior far more intriguing than the color of his hair or his infatuation with Madonna.
Such surprises and insights fill the pages of this concise, insightful look at the NBA. If nothing else, this must be said about Chris Ballard: He's got game.
Erik Spanberg is a freelance writer in Charlotte, N.C.


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Jason Aldean will be joined by Florida Georgia Line and Tyler Farr when he kicks off his Burn It Down tour on May 1 in Roanoke, Va. Other specific dates were not revealed when he announced the tour Thursday (Jan. 9) on ABC's Good Morning America, but he will be performing at several Major League Baseball stadiums.
The stadium concerts will include Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The tour will visit approximately 50 cities through the end of the year.
Aldean sold more than 1.5 million tickets during his 2013 Night Train tour, including sellouts at the University of Georgia's Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., Wrigley Field in Chicago and a two-night stand at Fenway Park in Boston.
As previously announced, Aldean will get some additional headlining time at stadiums this year during two major festivals. He'll appear May 25 at the Bayou Country Superfest at Tiger Stadium on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, La., and on June 14 at the Florida Country Superfest at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The Florida stadium is the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Aldean acknowledges a love of baseball stadiums.
"It's no secret that I grew up dreaming of playing baseball stadiums," he said. "I thought it would be as a first baseman, but playing them as a musician is just as sweet. We're going to crank this thing up to 11, bring along our buddies Florida Georgia Line and Tyler Farr and put on the biggest and best show we can. My goal is that when the last song is over and you're walking back to the parking lot, you're already on your phone searching to find the next show."
The Burn It Down tour will include stops in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and several cities in Canada.
Additional information about specific dates and ticket sales will be available in the coming weeks on Aldean's official website.