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Writer: Sarah Block, Marketing Director at The Moran Group
On Sunday, February 17, 1957, a visitor at Katie Jane Nursing Home in Warrenton, Missouri saw flames shooting out of a utility closet during religious services. One hundred and fifty-five people lived in the two and a half story nursing home at the time of the fire, but only eighty-five people survived the fire. It was determined that the facility had inadequate fire escapes, no sprinkler system, no alarm system, no evacuation plan, and some residents were locked inside their rooms. This fire helped pave the way for fire protection in assisted living facilities.
Beginning August 13, 2013, a fire sprinkler mandate will require all assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and senior living facilities to have fire sprinklers installed to protect residents from fire. People 65 and older are more than twice as likely to perish in a residential fire, and oftentimes, residents in assisted living facilities are immobile, adding a new level of difficulty in the event of a fire. For this reason, it is imperative for nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have a multi-tiered defensive fire protection plan.
What are the risks for non-ambulatory patients in a fire emergency?
From 2002 to 2005 2,810 structure fires ignited in nursing homes. This caused 16 civilian deaths, 130 injuries, and $6.6 million in direct property damage per year. Most fires began with a mattress, bedding material, electrical wiring, or cable insulation in the kitchen or bedroom. Bedroom fires were by far the most fatal. However, with automatic fire suppression, the death rate in a nursing home is lowered 94%. Immobile patients do not have a way to escape on their own. This is why fire sprinklers are a necessary part of any assisted living facility fire emergency plan.
How do you coordinate patients during a fire sprinkler installation?
There are several questions a facility will have when installing fire sprinklers in a nursing home with residents. How do you install in occupied rooms? How do contractors coordinate around planned activities?
When working with a qualified fire protection solution provider, the contractor will first have a meeting to learn the special needs of the facility.
• What are the scheduled events and activities?
• Are there any non-critical areas?
• Is the facility 100% occupied?
• Do you have any stylistic preferences?
Once this is complete, a custom bid can be created to accommodate all the needs of the nursing home. The bid would include a room block schedule and contingencies. Then, a final meeting with all pertinent facility staff should take place. Everyone from the property manager to the nursing staff should include their input to ensure the schedule works. Once the schedule has been finalized, the contractor will use the non-critical area for storage and begin installing. When it is time to install in an occupied room, the resident will already be scheduled in either an activity or scheduled to room with another patient. The installation will take 4-8 hours per room, so it will never effect sleeping arrangements. Because of the meticulously coordinated schedule, patients, both mobile and immobile, are occupied during the installation, so it never affects them adversely.
How do I help non-ambulatory patients during a fire emergency?
The NFPA recommends the "Defend in Place" tactic during nursing home fires. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities should incorporate the combination of fire resistant building construction, sprinkler systems, detection, alarm systems, horizontal movement, compartmentalization (instead of an open concept, each room has fire-resistant walls, a ceiling, and floor), and staff training to reduce the likelihood of having to evacuate immobile patients.
Evacuating patients is a last resort, but if it must be done, first attempt to relocate to another part of the building, also called horizontal relocation. If evacuating from the building is necessary, there are several options to evacuate immobile patients.
• Safety Sheets - safety sheets can be used on mattresses. They have straps that allow staff to strap the patient to the sheet and remove them from the building.
• Evacuation Chair - if the non-ambulatory patient can sit, they can be placed on an evacuation chair and be taken to the ground floor.
• Paraslyde - this utilizes a stretcher made of cardboard. It weighs about 7 pounds and can fit a patient inside a compartment, allowing a technician to slide the patient down the stairs.
• Mattresses - if nothing else is available, patients can be removed using their mattress.
Protecting residents from fire in a nursing home or assisted living facility should be a priority for staff and owners. With a combination of fire sprinklers, smart construction, and trained staff, patients can rest easy knowing they are safe.


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BPD Photo(s) of the Day/
Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief William Gross made several appearances this Saint Patrick's Day weekend. On Saturday, March 15, 2014, Chief Gross attended and participated in the Shamrock Shootout on Temple Street in West Roxbury. Approximately 700 kids participated in the annual neighborhood hockey event. Several other Boston Police officers coached and cheered on these children. Later that evening, Chief Gross also attended the St. Patrick's Day dinner at the Irish Social Club where they honored many first responders. On Sunday, March 16, 2014, the Chief supervised police patrols in South Boston at the St. Patrick's Day Parade (and even had time for a laugh with a fellow officer). Click on the above image to view more photos!

subset: commoncrawl


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Sarah Goodyear
Sarah Goodyear is a Brooklyn-based contributing writer to CityLab. She's written about cities for a variety of publications, including Grist and Streetsblog.
Martha Roskowski has been a bicycle advocate in the United States for some 20 years. It hasn't always been easy. These days, though, things are starting to feel different.
"In the past few years, we have seen a sea change," says Roskowski, who is heading up a two-year effort called the Green Lane Project (GLP) for the national advocacy group Bikes Belong. "Top city officials are now seeing bicycling as a really practical, rational part of the mobility picture." In other words, it's not just a bunch of "bike nuts" who see the benefits of building better bike lanes. Urban transportation officials, facing growing populations, automobile congestion, and strained transit systems, are increasingly looking to bicycles as part of an overall solution. "Cities are really leading this, even when the feds aren't," says Roskowski.
The GLP aims to foster this evolving mindset by helping six target cities to adopt high-quality bicycle infrastructure – bike lanes where people can ride with at least some protection from car traffic in the form of bollards, parked cars, raised pavement, or other separation. Often they are painted – that's right – green. GLP is educating city officials through travel and the exchange of information with peers around the world; identifying obstacles to implementation of better bike infrastructure; and gathering data to quantify the effect such lanes have on riding patterns and demographics. It will make its findings available to the general public as the project progresses.
Protected, separated bike lanes on urban streets are not an entirely new phenomenon in the United States. One of the oldest can be found in New York City on Ocean Parkway, where a dedicated bicycle facility was opened in 1894 in a ceremony attended by the members of some 60 "wheelman clubs."
But for the most part, such lanes are an innovation in the U.S., regarded with some skepticism by some longtime urban cyclists as well as the general public. By partnering with officials in Austin, San Francisco, Portland, Oregon, Chicago, Memphis, and Washington, D.C. – New York is serving as an advising city -- the GLP hopes to educate municipal planners and engineers, increase the visibility of such lanes, and make them part of a mainstream approach to designing urban streets.
The idea, says Roskowski, is to get cities to start building bike networks that provide a comfortable place to ride not just for what she calls "the 1 percent" – the fearless, physically fit, expert bike handlers who are willing to jockey for space with cars, trucks, and pedestrians. Green lanes are meant to serve a more cautious group, people who might want to ride to work, to socialize, or to do errands, but who are intimidated by pedaling through hectic urban traffic.
The GLP was envisioned as a relatively low-cost way to support cities that already "get it" to build more protected bike lanes, learn best practices from around the world, and quantify their progress. City transportation officials have traveled to the Netherlands, for instance, where the network of protected lanes is vast and people of all ages – 8 to 80 is the goal – are able to ride with a full expectation of comfort and safety.
Seeing that ideal in practice can be a little daunting, says Roskowski. She recalls how Chicago's transportation commissioner, Gabe Klein, reacted to his Dutch experience, at first feeling euphoric when he saw how great city biking can be, then plunging into depression when he remembered how many obstacles there are to bike networks in the U.S., and finally stabilizing somewhere in between.
Most participants are feeling energized by the challenge, says Roskowski. As part of the two-year program, the GLP is gathering data on how many new lanes are built in each city and how many people are out riding them. "I just went to give a talk in San Francisco and they wanted to know how their city is measuring up," says Roskowski. "Who is making the most progress? There is a real sense of competitiveness. They all want to be the best."
So far, New York added 11.3 miles of new green lanes in 2012, with Chicago installing 9.4 and San Francisco logging 5.5. That may have put S.F. in third place by one measure, but Roskowski reassured the Bay Area officials that they were doing great when you looked at their total roadway miles compared to the other cities.
Opening up bicycling to a larger population, Roskowski says, will mean a culture shift away from the often contentious identity politics that have characterized bicycle advocacy and policy for a generation. This isn't about messengers and Lycra-clad road riders anymore, says Roskowski.
"It's not that those cultures are going to go away," she says. "But how do you speed this progression from 'cyclist' being a weird subset of the population to having riding a bike being something you just do to get around?"
Roskowski admits that "green lanes" as they exist in the U.S. today are imperfect and incomplete. But she says that they represent an important step in the evolution of American streets as a place for all users. One Dutch official, she says, looked at a picture of an American green lane and told her, "That's what Amsterdam looked like in the 1970s."*
Maybe the biggest change, Roskowski says, is psychological. Now, when they look at streets, city planners in the U.S. are increasingly seeing something new, and the public is beginning to see it, too. "We're getting away from the assumption, 'That's car space and can't be used for anything else," she says. "It's space for people – in cars, on bikes, on transit, and on foot. It's public space."
* Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the decade.
Switching to EVs en masse could help bring down planet-killing carbon emissions. But Americans also need to drive less, right now.
With cheap flights and Airbnb at their fingertips, British travelers have branched out from the package beach vacations that were Thomas Cook's specialty.
Cities that require builders to provide off-street parking trigger more traffic, sprawl, and housing unaffordability. But we can break the vicious cycle.
From ancient Rome to modern Atlanta, the shape of cities has been defined by the technologies that allow commuters to get to work in about 30 minutes.
The transport app Whim is oft-cited as a model for the future of urban mobility. Two years post-launch, has it changed the way people move around Helsinki?


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Understanding Attitudes Towards Mathematics (ATM) using a Multi-modal model: An Exploratory Case Study with Secondary School Children in England
¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 1 Abstract
¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 1 This paper reports on a multi-modal exploratory case study within the realm of pragmatism to study the attitudes of 11 and 15 year old students regarding Mathematics. More than 200 secondary school children from the East Midlands, England, participated in this research. The aim of this research was to understand students' emotions, perceptions, beliefs and vision about Mathematics and to investigate the factors which influence their attitudes. This study employed a multi-modal research design to elicit data from the young learners by engaging and involving them through different media of communication. Four different kinds of data were collected namely aural or spoken data (audio recorded in focus group interviews), scale data (from Likert scale style items in the questionnaire) textual/written data (collected through open ended questions in the questionnaire), and visual data (in the form of pictures drawn by the participants). Since the favoured mode of expression varies from person to person, multiple modes of data collection can include a larger number of respondents by providing them the opportunity to orchestrate their perspective in their preferred mode of communication. This research suggests that gender and attainment level have a significant impact on attitudes towards Mathematics. Boys and high ability learners have a more positive attitude towards the subject as compared to girls and low ability students. Socio economic status and linguistic background also seem to influence ATM but the effect is statistically insignificant.
¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 Keywords: attitude, affect, cognition, gender, attainment
¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 Introduction
¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 Mathematics is taught as a core subject in school curricula all over the world because mathematical knowledge and skill is considered to be an essential tool not only for the economy to thrive but also for the society to flourish. However, students' aversion to Maths (National Numeracy, 2012) and deteriorating performance of young people in Maths at secondary level estimated through international standardised tests like PISA and TIMSS has become a cause of concern for teachers, educators and policy makers in the UK and other countries (OEDC, 2013). The purpose of this research was to get an insight into students' perceptions and to understand their attitudes towards Maths. The participants of this study were 11 and 15 year old secondary school children from a major city in the East Midlands, England, which is well known for its cultural and ethnic diversity. This study compared the attitudes towards Mathematics of children belonging to different age, gender, linguistic background, socio economic status and attainment level at school. This research also explored the role of teachers in shaping learners' attitudes towards Mathematics. This paper, however, will focus on the multi modal methodology of this research and will discuss the impact of age, gender, socio-economic status, linguistic background and attainment level on 'affect' and 'cognition' components of ATM using quantitative as well as qualitative data.
¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 2 This paper is presented in three main sections: the first part includes the introduction, the theoretical framework of the research and a brief review of relevant literature. The second section describes the multi-modal research design for this study and the final section reports on the findings of this study followed by discussion.
¶ 7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 1.1 Theoretical Framework for this Research
¶ 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 1 Attitude is defined as "a settled way of thinking or feeling about something" (Oxford Dictionary, 2016). It is also referred to as the "sum total of a man's inclinations and feelings, prejudice or bias, preconceived notions, ideas, fears, threats, and convictions about any specific topic" (Thurstone, 1928, p. 532). Attitudes are an integral component of human character, comprising of the proclivities and predispositions that guide an individuals' behaviour (Rubinstein, 1986). Attitudes can change and develop with time (Rubinstein, 1986) and can be evaluated as positive or negative (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). Attitudes are not overtly visible but can be inferred from observable and evaluative responses expressed as approval or disapproval, approach or avoidance and attraction or repulsion (Eagly & Chaiken, 1998).
¶ 9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0
¶ 10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 0
¶ 11 Leave a comment on paragraph 11 1 The construct "attitude" has been defined in a host of different ways such as uni-dimensional, bi-dimensional, multi-dimensional, making the term vague. For this research, a framework for ATM has been developed in the light of the different definitions. It is based on the multidimensional model taking affect, cognition and conative or behaviour aspects into account (as shown in Figure 1). Affect, for this research is supposed to encompass emotions, beliefs and vision of the subject. Emotions can be described as the feelings of enjoyment or pleasure in learning the subject or conversely finding it boring and dull. Beliefs are self-concepts of pupils as mathematical learners and their confidence in their mathematical abilities (Bandura, 1994, 1997) whereas vision is their perception about the subject. Cognitive component represents students' perceived usefulness of the subject in everyday life at present and its applicability for future life and career (Adelson & McCouch, 2011). Conative or behaviour component in itself is multi-faceted and therefore difficult to describe. It can pertain to learners' actions, commitment and performance in the class. The components of attitude are not mutually exclusive; they intersect and overlap and form clusters (Neuman, 2005). They have common attributes and they influence each other.
¶ 12 Leave a comment on paragraph 12 1 1.2 Factors influencing ATM
¶ 13 Leave a comment on paragraph 13 1 There are a multitude of personal, instructional and environmental factors that may influence ATM, but for this paper we will take into account the following five factors namely achievement, gender, age, socio economic status and linguistic background.
¶ 14 Leave a comment on paragraph 14 0 1.2.1 Achievement.
¶ 15 Leave a comment on paragraph 15 3 Research suggests a positive relationship between academic attainment and attitude towards Maths (Bramlett & Herron, 2009; Nicolaidou & Philippou, 2003; Papanastasiou, 2000; Ma & Kishor, 1997). Children's attitude towards Maths (ATM) develops over time and may affect their self-concept and behaviour in class. It is believed that students who enjoy Mathematics and have high self-concepts and self-esteem about their mathematical abilities pay more attention, participate actively in class and are more involved in the learning process. They are also more likely to persistently try hard without losing interest while confronting a challenge (e.g., Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997; Meyer et al., 1997; Pajares & Miller, 1994; Pintrich & Zusho, 2002; Stipek, 2002). A negative attitude towards the subject can impede learners' progress and affect their self-confidence and morale. Students' enjoyment (affect) while learning and their perceived usefulness of Mathematics (cognition) can influence their behaviour or conative aspect of attitude. Learners having positive emotions towards Maths show a higher level of commitment and increased capacity of exerting efforts which result in better achievement (Stipek, 2002). A case study conducted by Renninger and Hidi (2002) maintains that "a student with a well-developed interest for subject matter might be expected to have high achievement whereas a student with a less well-developed interest is less likely to experience high achievement" (p. 187). The IEA's Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS, 2011) also found widespread positive correlation between liking mathematics and mathematics achievement.
¶ 16 Leave a comment on paragraph 16 0 Achievement in Mathematics is also related to the rational thoughts (cognitive domain) of the learners and according to TIMSS (2011) 85 per cent 14 – 15 year old students internationally (belonging to 63 different countries) believe that maths is useful in their daily lives and in securing a good job in the future. The students who valued maths had the highest average achievement, followed by the ones who somewhat valued the subject. The students who did not consider Maths to be important (15% of the sample) were among the lowest achievers. This suggests that understanding the significance of the subject can motivate the students to strive harder and improve their learning (grades). Students' perceived value for Maths can influence their attitude towards the subject. If they understand the significance and application of Maths in their lives, they are inspired to study, practice and learn it (Pajares & Miller, 1994). There are many students who do not particularly enjoy mathematics and report a disliking for the subject (negative affect), nevertheless they still respect the utility and importance of Maths is their future lives and careers (Klinger, 2004). Another research also reports a strong relationship between participation/ achievement in Maths and learners' perception of the usefulness of the subject, both at present and in the future (Meyer & Koehler, 1990).
¶ 17 Leave a comment on paragraph 17 0 1.2.2 Gender and Age.
¶ 18 Leave a comment on paragraph 18 0 Another notable factor regarding ATM is gender. Maths is perceived to be a masculine and male dominated field (Ernest, 2004). Girls demonstrate lack of confidence in their mathematical abilities and feel reluctant to participate in class activities as compared to boys. In most countries, girls on average underperform as compared to boys in similar age groups and this gap in performance is wider among the highest achieving students (PISA, 2012). The same trends can be seen in UK as well. Boys exhibit a high level of self-concept regarding their mathematical abilities and consider themselves more able than girls (Ireson et al., 2001). Girls, on the other hand, have high levels of anxiety and significantly lower level of confidence in comparison to boys (Rogers, 2003). ATM also seems to be related to age. Research on primary school children suggests that ATM deteriorates with age (Dowker, Bennet & Smith, 2012) and by the age of nine children have made up their minds whether they like or dislike Maths (Bloom, 2008).
¶ 19 Leave a comment on paragraph 19 0 1.2.3 Socio Economic Status and Linguistic Background
¶ 20 Leave a comment on paragraph 20 0 The impact of socio economic status on students' performance (not on attitude to Maths) was examined by PISA (2012) and mixed trends were found. Pupils in some of the highest achieving countries in Maths come from socio economically deprived backgrounds; but their family status does not seem to obstruct their performance in the subject. In the UK, however, allowing for some variations in the different regions, socio economic status of a family can have a 10 to 20% impact on the academic achievement of 15 year old learners in Maths (National Numeracy, 2012). Children from economically disadvantaged families (measured on the basis of their eligibility for a free school meal) have a much smaller chance of achieving a good grade in Maths in the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exam (Warren & Paxton, 2013) as compared to the children who do not receive free school meals. However, the relation, (if any) between socio economic background and ATM has not been established.
¶ 21 Leave a comment on paragraph 21 0 Similarly the effect of linguistic background on ATM has not been explored. This research was based in a multicultural city where a sizeable proportion of the population belongs to ethnic minorities. This provided an opportunity to draw diversified samples and to compare the ATM of bi/multilingual children with those who speak English only.
¶ 22 Leave a comment on paragraph 22 1 Research Design
¶ 23 Leave a comment on paragraph 23 0 This research is a comparative case study within the realm of pragmatism designed to investigate "a set of multiple case studies of multiple research entities for the purpose of cross unit examination" (Berg, 2009, p.328). Thus participants of this research are compared in terms of age, attainment, gender and ethnic and socio-economic back ground to look for similarities and differences. This study adopts a mixed-method exploratory sequential approach and both qualitative and quantitative data collecting instruments are employed to address the research questions. The purpose of employing mixed method strategy is to gather complex and comprehensive information to better investigate and understand the case. Use of mixed methods also improves the reliability and authenticity of the research due to triangulation.
¶ 24 Leave a comment on paragraph 24 0 2.1 Sampling
¶ 25 Leave a comment on paragraph 25 0 Selecting the research participants to give representation to all different sub groups was a crucial aspect of this research. Thus an intricate multi-layered purposive sampling technique was used. The aim of purposive sampling is to study specific characteristics of interest in a population (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2007) and to explore the intricacies of the issue in a quick and simple manner. The purposive sampling strategy was employed to pick:
- ¶ 26 Leave a comment on paragraph 26 0
- Schools on the basis of FSM (free school meals), ESL (English as a second language) and average attainment in KS4 (Key Stage 4).
- Year and ability cohorts within schools to represent students from different age groups (pupils from year 7 & year 10) and attainment levels (high ability cohort and low ability cohort).
- Students from each age and ability group to represent both the genders.
¶ 27 Leave a comment on paragraph 27 0 2.1.1 Sampling Frame
¶ 28 Leave a comment on paragraph 28 2 There are 38 secondary schools in the city listed on the Department for Education website (DfE, 2014). The target population of this research was boys and girls of year 7 (beginning of KS3) and year 10 (beginning of KS4) between the age cohort 11 – 15 years. Thus to keep the sample fairly similar and practical all the middle schools (for 11 – 14 year old students only), high schools (for 14 – 18 year old students only), single sex schools, independent schools and special schools were eliminated. The remaining 13 schools and the percentage of their pupils speaking English as a second language, pupils eligible for free school meals and the KS4 results are shown in Table 1.
¶ 29 Leave a comment on paragraph 29 0
¶ 30 Leave a comment on paragraph 30 0
¶ 31 Leave a comment on paragraph 31 0
¶ 32 Leave a comment on paragraph 32 0
¶ 33 Leave a comment on paragraph 33 0
¶ 34 Leave a comment on paragraph 34 0 Data from Department for Education (DfE) website: http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/schools/performance/group.pl?qtype=LA&no=856&superview=sec
- ¶ 35 Leave a comment on paragraph 35 0
- FSM data provides the percentage of students eligible for a free school meal and is commonly used as an indicator of socio economic status of a family.
- ESL data shows the percentage of students speaking English as a second language.
- Average attainment in KS4 gives data on pupils attaining 5 A* – C in GCSE for the last 4 years in comparison to LAA (local authority average) and NA (national average).
¶ 36 Leave a comment on paragraph 36 0 These schools were then grouped according to their FSM and ESL percentages and attainment level (Table 2). The red colour in the ESL and FSM columns indicates that a high band of students in the school speak English as a second language and are eligible for free school meals (40% and above), yellow indicates a medium band (20% to 39% students) and green indicates a low band (below 20% students). In the attainment column red colour shows a high attainment level (mostly above LAA and NA), yellow shows a medium attainment level (above/below) and green shows a low attainment level (mostly below LAA and NA).
¶ 37 Leave a comment on paragraph 37 0
¶ 38 Leave a comment on paragraph 38 0
¶ 39 Leave a comment on paragraph 39 2
¶ 40 Leave a comment on paragraph 40 0
¶ 41 Leave a comment on paragraph 41 0
¶ 42 Leave a comment on paragraph 42 0 A quick look at the table shows a negative correlation between academic attainment and free schools meals. Schools with high ratio of pupils eligible for free school meals typically perform below the local authority average /national average in the GCSE exam. On the contrary, schools with high achievement in GCSE have low FSM ratio. This data suggests that academic attainment is related to socio economic background of the student. ESL ratio displays mixed trends and does not seem to be related to either FSM or school attainment.
¶ 43 Leave a comment on paragraph 43 0 2.1.2 Sample Selection.
¶ 44 Leave a comment on paragraph 44 0 A sample is "a small group of research participants or a subset from which a degree of generalization can be made" (Carey, 2011, p. 41). The sample for a research study has to be selected keeping in mind the time and resource constraints. For this project, it was planned to include three schools in the main study (and one in pilot study) in such a way that one school from each of the sub groups [low ESL, low attainment and high FSM group (top rows in the table), medium/high ESL, high attainment and medium/low FSM group (bottom rows) and high ESL, medium attainment and medium FSM (middle row)] could get representation. All the 13 schools were contacted one by one; however only two schools agreed to allow access to their students. These schools will now onwards be referred to as Cedar School [from the high ESL, medium attainment, medium FSM group (middle row in the table)] and Juniper School from the medium/high ESL, high attainment and medium/low FSM group (bottom row)]. Thus the perspective of the students from schools with low ESL, low attainment and high FSM could not be included in the research as no school from this group agreed to participate in the research study due to their other commitments. Within schools, individual students were handpicked by the Maths teachers/head of the department according to the selection criterion (mentioned in the sampling section) already negotiated with them.
¶ 45 Leave a comment on paragraph 45 0 2.2 Research instruments
¶ 46 Leave a comment on paragraph 46 0 For this study two types of research instruments were used.
- ¶ 47 Leave a comment on paragraph 47 0
- Focus Groups Interviews – to collect aural or spoken data which was audio recorded (n=4×4=16).
- Questionnaires (n=187) to gather:
- ¶ 48 Leave a comment on paragraph 48 0
- Scale data – from Likert scale style items
- Textual or written data – through open ended questions
- Visual data – in the form of pictures drawn by the participants
¶ 49 Leave a comment on paragraph 49 0 2.2.1 Focus Groups
¶ 50 Leave a comment on paragraph 50 0 Focus groups are small scale group discussions addressing a particular topic of interest or relevance to the group and the researcher with the aim to draw information about the "conscious, semi-conscious and unconscious psychological and socio cultural characteristics and processes" (Berg, 2009, p. 158). For this research, focus groups were considered to be the most suitable data collection tool for qualitative data because of a number of reasons. This was an exploratory mixed method sequential research and the data collected in focus groups, besides being used in its own worth, was used as a stimulus to develop questionnaire for the second part of the research. Focus groups are lively interview style discussions held in an informal atmosphere which encourages the respondents to speak openly and freely about attitudes, opinions and behaviours. These discussions allow the participants to explore and clarify their views, taking the research in new and sometimes unexpected directions (Kitzinger, 1995) and bringing to the fore issues that are important for them.
¶ 51 Leave a comment on paragraph 51 0 Focus group interview is an efficient technique of data collection as compared to individual interviews because more people can be included in a single session saving time and resources. Focus group interviews seek to generate qualitative data "by capitalising on the interaction that occurs within the group setting" (Sim & Snell, 1996, p. 189). The interviewees get the opportunity to hear other people's views which can stimulate their thinking and help them rethink and develop their opinion. Group discussion is also an effective quality control measure as the group members can challenge and curb extreme or false views and provide check and balance on each other (Patton, 2002).
¶ 52 Leave a comment on paragraph 52 1 The plan for conducting focus groups was discussed with the heads of the departments in the selected schools and dates and times were finalised. The maximum time allowed for each focus group was 30 minutes. In total four focus groups (involving 16 students) were arranged. The size of the focus group was kept small so that each student gets enough time to express his/her opinion. To give equal representation to both gender and ability, the schools were asked to allow one girl and one boy from the higher ability (HA) cohort and another pair from the low ability (LA) cohort to participate in the focus groups. Thus in each school two focus group discussions took place and from each school four pupils from year 7 and four pupils from year 10 participated. The focus groups were conducted within the school premises in a vacant classroom so the environment was familiar and comfortable for the students. The participants of the focus group were homogeneous in the sense that they belonged to the same age and year group. However, they were from different ability groups, gender and ethnic/linguistic backgrounds which could provide dissonance and add richness to the data. It's natural for group members to possess varying level of confidence, expression and vigour but the moderator needs to ensure that the 'thought leaders' (Henderson, 1995) do not dominate the proceedings and the 'less articulate voices' do not get suppressed. Nevertheless, the tendency of some weaker participants to acquiesce to the opinion of the more assertive ones remains. Asking the respondents to write down their thoughts beforehand can encourage them to disclose their views (Carey, 2001). For the same purpose, before the start of the focus group discussion a few written questions related to the topic were given to the participants individually to read through and note down their responses. These questions were also used as a starting point for discussion and as a tool to stimulate their thinking. Generally, the focus groups went well and helped in collecting useful qualitative data. Keeping in mind the fact that the total contact time allowed with the children was only 25 – 30 minutes for each focus group, after transcribing the proceedings of the focus groups which were audio recorded, data equivalent to 1100 – 1400 words was collected from each cohort.
¶ 53 Leave a comment on paragraph 53 0 Despite being an efficient tool of data collection, focus groups have some drawbacks which can be minimized by using a combination of data collecting instruments. Focus groups bring forth a more collective position of the group, where individual stance of each participant is not clearly distinguishable. They disclose the nature and scope of the contributors' views but do not inform about the strength and intensity of their opinion. Also, it's problematic to generalise data gathered through focus groups (Henderson, 1995).
¶ 54 Leave a comment on paragraph 54 0 2.2.2 Questionnaire
¶ 55 Leave a comment on paragraph 55 0 The second phase of the research consisted of questionnaires which were designed in consonance with the epistemological framework of the research and the stipulated research questions. The content of the questionnaire was developed after carefully reading available literature on attitudes regarding Maths, questionnaires previously used in research on measuring attitudes (e.g. Fennema-Sherman, 1976) and the data accumulated through focus group discussions. The questionnaire was paper based and was administered in four different cohorts in each school. It was an anonymous questionnaire and collected three kinds of data: Scale, textual and visual data.
¶ 56 Leave a comment on paragraph 56 0 22.214.171.124 Scale data
¶ 57 Leave a comment on paragraph 57 1 Likert scale and its modified forms are widely used as a rating scale to measure attitudes and opinions. Likert scales ascertain attitudes by presenting a list of statements and asking the respondents to rate them. They are ordinal scales used to gauge the likelihood, frequency, importance or opinion about a subject on a five or seven point scale, often ranging from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree' (Burns & Grove, 1997). For this research, Likert scale was adopted to prepare 12 Likert scale type questions for measuring the attitudes on a three point scale. The number of options on the scale was reduced to make the questionnaire simple to answer for the young participants of the research. Emoticons were also added on the three point scale, with a smiley face signifying agreement, a straight face indicating indecisiveness and a sad face denoting disagreement (Sun, 2009). The purpose was to elaborate the options pictorially for visual learners and to make the questionnaire look appealing. Although a high number of items on the Likert scale improve the reliability of the instrument in assessing attitudes, the number of items was kept low keeping in view the short concentration span of young learners and the limited time allowed to them for answering the questionnaire. Two terms with negative connotation were also included to test the alertness of respondents and to improve the reliability of the results. The questionnaire also included some factual questions to gather demographic data.
¶ 58 Leave a comment on paragraph 58 0 184.108.40.206 Textual and Visual data
¶ 59 Leave a comment on paragraph 59 0 The second part of the questionnaire was open ended and asked the learners to write a paragraph or draw a picture (Smith, 2011) about their perception of Maths and how it impacts their life under the title 'Maths and Me' (Adelson & McCoach, 2011; Di Martino & Zan, 2010). The idea was to provide an opportunity to the young learners to express their views about Maths in their own words or illustrations in the absence of peer judgement. Drawing is a much liked activity among children and provides an alternative medium of expression. It is a useful tool to elicit data from children and is considered to be relatively more reliable as compared to ''the deceptive world of words'' (Collier, 2001, p. 59) quoted in Denscombe, (2010). Nevertheless, drawings are quite difficult to interpret, therefore the participants were asked to label their images.
¶ 60 Leave a comment on paragraph 60 0 Data Analysis and Findings
¶ 61 Leave a comment on paragraph 61 0 Focus group data and textual data from questionnaires were analysed thematically. Quantitative data was analysed statistically using simple descriptive statistics and t-tests with the help of Excel and SPSS. To analyse visual data, a holistic approach was employed taking into account the content as well as the context of the image/drawing within the theoretical framework of the research. Each kind of data was analysed on its own as well as in combination with other forms of data to better understand the subject. Overall the different types of data complemented each other, however there were some variations.
¶ 62 Leave a comment on paragraph 62 1 Aural/spoken data from focus groups was transcribed and major themes were identified (attached as appendix 1). Broadly speaking, students from Juniper School (high attainment, low FSM) were more positive as compared to Cedar School (medium attainment, medium FSM). Participants of two out of four focus groups (one from year 7 and the other from year 10) had mixed opinions about Maths. Of the remaining two groups, Year 10 clearly showed negative affect but mixed cognition while Year 7 were positive for both components of attitudes. Overall pupils in year 7 expressed favourable attitudes and were more approving of the subject whereas pupils in year 10 showed aversion. This seems to indicate that the 'spoiling' of attitudes occurs between the age of 11 and 15 at KS3 level.
¶ 63 Leave a comment on paragraph 63 0 3.1 Statistical Analysis
¶ 64 Leave a comment on paragraph 64 0 3.1.1 Scale data
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The first part of the questionnaire consisted of Likert scale items with three options to choose from. To analyse the data each option was assigned a number such that agree = 1, indifferent = 2 and disagree = 3. The data was organised and questions about 'emotions', 'cognition' and behaviour were grouped together. The data was then entered into spread sheets for statistical analysis using SPSS software. The mean scores and standard deviation for affect and cognitive components of attitude were calculated. For this data, a mean value close to 1 indicates a positive attitude whereas a higher value approaching 3 suggests a negative trend.
The total number of students who filled in the questionnaire was 187. Out of them 89 were from Juniper School and 98 were from Cedar School (for detail on sample sizes please see appendix 2).
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¶ 72 Leave a comment on paragraph 72 0 The data shows some difference between the affective and cognitive components of attitudes. The cognition about the usefulness of Maths for all sub groups is much more positive than affect or emotions towards Maths (Figure 2). Similarly the value for standard deviation or dispersion of data around the mean for cognition is smaller which shows limited variation in students' opinion (Figure 3). This indicates that students understand the value of Maths even though they dislike it. Observing the sub groups, we can see that for Juniper school (low FSM), the mean values for affect (M=1.86) as well as cognition (M=1.30) are more positive as compared to Cedar School (medium FSM) with (M=2.0) and (M =1.41). In terms of gender, girls have a mean affect value of (M=2.19) which is quite high and indicate a tilt towards unfavourable emotional disposition. On the contrary, boys have a relatively positive attitude with a mean value of (M=1.76). Likewise, the cognitive component is positive for boys (M=1.26) than for girls (M=1.50). Between the two year groups, pupils of year 10 have a more positive affect (M= 1.88) as compared to year 7 (M=1.97) in contrast to data collected through focus groups; however the cognitive element of attitude for year 7 is better. Between attainment groups, we can see a sizeable difference in affect with a mean value of (M=1.75) for high ability and (M= 2.18) for low ability students. The difference in cognition is smaller though (1.27 & 1.49 respectively). Comparing the samples in terms of language, bi/multilingual students have more positive affect (M=1.81) than speakers of English only (M=2.17) however there is hardly any difference in cognition.
¶ 73 Leave a comment on paragraph 73 0 3.1.2 The t-test
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To assess whether the difference in attitudes among the various subsets was statistically significant, two sample t-tests were carried out. The t-test is a useful statistical method that compares the actual difference between the two means in relation to the variation or spread in data expressed as standard deviation. It is a robust tool and can be used even if the number of data item in the samples is different. For this study ten t-tests were conducted to assess whether there was any significant difference in the affect and cognitive component of attitudes between:
a. Juniper School (low FSM) and Cedar school (medium FSM)
b. 11 year olds (year 7) and 15 year olds (year 10)
c. Pupils who speak English only and bi/multilingual pupils
d. Girls and boys
e. High ability and low ability pupils
¶ 75 Leave a comment on paragraph 75 0 The null hypothesis was that the means of the samples are equal and there is no significant difference between the two samples against the alternative that the means of the samples are not equal and differ significantly. The tests were conducted at the confidence interval of α = 0.05.
¶ 76 Leave a comment on paragraph 76 0 The results indicate that the mean values in the first three samples i.e. Juniper/Cedar Schools, year 7/year 10 and English/multilingual pupils are equal with a 95% confidence level. Thus there is no significant difference in affect or cognitive component of attitude between these sub groups. However, the mean values in sample (d) girls/boys and sample (e) high ability/low ability learners are not equal. This implies that we are 95% confident that the difference in the mean attitudes (affect and cognition) between girls and boys (gender) and high ability and low ability (attainment) is statistically significant.
¶ 77 Leave a comment on paragraph 77 0 3.2 Textual Data
¶ 78 Leave a comment on paragraph 78 0 The qualitative data also supports these findings and shows similar trends. However, it's more revealing and enlightening. The high ability (HA) students (for instance, the Gifted & Talent cohort in Juniper School) exhibited a highly positive attitude towards Maths expressed as: "I love Maths", "I enjoy Maths" and "it's one of my favourite subjects." These students found Maths to be "intriguing and challenging" and felt "rewarded" after tackling and understanding the tasks. They considered themselves "good at Maths" and were confident of achieving a high score in exam. They have talked about the relevance of Maths in their future education and the profession they wish to pursue. They were enthusiastic to study Maths further and believed that it was important for their future careers and also in understanding how the world works. Many of the high ability students show a high level of motivation and commitment and their attitude is positive for affect, cognition and behaviour (measured in terms of academic achievement).
¶ 79 Leave a comment on paragraph 79 0 However, a few of the high ability students commented that lessons were typically based on textbook work and lacked creativity. There was more emphasis on practising the questions and striving to score a high grade than exploring and enjoying learning. According to a Year 10 high ability boy (Y10HA – B):
¶ 80 Leave a comment on paragraph 80 2 "I feel the way Maths is imposed on school life with constant repetitive exams and teachers only teaching you what Michael Gove wants while squeezing all the enjoyment out, makes people of my age swarm away from Maths like a flock of birds" [Y10HA – B]
¶ 81 Leave a comment on paragraph 81 0 Most of the low ability students (LA) show unfavourable emotions towards Maths. They find it boring and confusing. Their aversion to Maths is related to finding the subject difficult and not being able to grasp. But they do like it "if" and "when" they understand, make progress and get good marks in exam. Affect seems to be closely related to achieving a high score in exam. Despite their aversion to Maths, they appreciate the importance of the subject.
¶ 82 Leave a comment on paragraph 82 0 The data signifies that quite a few low ability students lack confidence in their abilities and have low self-esteem for themselves. They believe that some people are naturally good at Maths. They view competence in Maths as an in born talent which cannot be acquired. It leads them to think that it's impossible for them to progress and move to a higher grade and they feel dejected as evident in the following examples:
¶ 83 Leave a comment on paragraph 83 0 "I am never going to achieve a C or above and it's depressing" [Y7LA – B].
¶ 84 Leave a comment on paragraph 84 0 "No matter how hard I try I cannot get the correct grade" [Y10LA – G].
¶ 85 Leave a comment on paragraph 85 0 "I dread coming to the Maths lesson as I don't understand anything" [Y10LA – G].
¶ 86 Leave a comment on paragraph 86 0 "You need a good brain and memory for maths; something I am not good at" [Y7LA – G].
¶ 87 Leave a comment on paragraph 87 2 Girls, even in the high ability cohorts, appear to be apprehensive about the subject and are unsure of their abilities. They seem to be under a lot of pressure to perform well. The expectations from the high ability students are really high which stresses them out. Teachers expect the high ability students to understand everything quickly and "rush ahead" without ensuring whether they have grasped the topic. The pupils are reluctant to ask the teacher to explain again if they don't understand, in order to avoid the embarrassment of being labelled "thick and dumb in set 1" [Y7HA – G]. They feel as if they are imposters in the high ability cohort although they get good grades. "I don't think I should be in set 1… every time there is a test I wonder how I got that level" [Y7HA – G]. Boys, on the other hand are more optimistic, "I like Maths even though I am in the baddest set. I am really confident that I am going to move up sets so people don't say you are dumb" [Y7LA – B].
¶ 88 Leave a comment on paragraph 88 0 3.3 Visual Data
¶ 89 Leave a comment on paragraph 89 0 Visual data also demonstrates a favourable ATM among high ability students and boys as seen in the following images (for details on visual data see Syyeda, 2015). The first two images (figures 4 & 5) are drawn by students from the low ability groups (a girl and a boy) and the next two images (figures 6 & 7) are drawn by higher ability boys.
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¶ 95 Leave a comment on paragraph 95 0 Discussion
¶ 96 Leave a comment on paragraph 96 0 The findings of this research show mixed strands in attitudes towards mathematics in secondary school children in the East Midlands. A vast majority of learners have positive cognition towards the subject which indicates that they acknowledge its importance in their lives and future careers. However, a large number of students demonstrate aversion to the subject and have a negative emotional disposition towards Maths. The mean scores for cognition for all sub groups are more positive than affect with a smaller value for standard deviation. Although the components of attitudes affect (emotional disposition), cognition (belief about the importance and usefulness of the subject) and behaviour (in terms of academic achievement) are not mutually exclusive and overlap, they seem to be independent of each other. Pupils can have a combination of positive and negative attitudes at the same time. This research corroborates the findings of previous studies and shows that attitudes are strongly related to gender (e.g. Ernest, 2004; Mendick, Epstein, and Moreau, 2008) and attainment level (TIMSS, 2011). High ability learners and boys generally have positive attitudes towards Maths. However, it is not clear whether positive attitude towards Maths is the cause of high achievement, or results as an effect of high achievement. Low ability learners are desirous to learn Maths but have low self-concept which dampens their morale. They need constant motivation and reassurance to build up their confidence level. Girls, even in the high ability sets included in this research, lack faith in their capabilities and seem to be under the impact of imposter syndrome. They appear to be apprehensive about the subject and are unsure of performing well.
¶ 97 Leave a comment on paragraph 97 2 According to the quantitative analysis for this data set, ATM does not seem to be affected by the age of the learner. There is no significant difference in ATM between 11 year olds and 15 year olds. However, in focus groups, year 7 students demonstrated a more favourable attitude towards Mathematics as compared to year 10 students. Attitudes to Maths are also related to learners' socio economic status and linguistic background as seen in the differences in mean values of affect and cognition component of attitude. Children belonging to comparatively well off families are more positive towards learning Maths. Similarly the attitudes of bi/multilingual students are positive in comparison to those who speak English only. The differences in means, however, are statistically insignificant. Nevertheless, this area needs to be further explored as this research could not include students from low ESL and low FSM schools.
¶ 98 Leave a comment on paragraph 98 0 There are many limitations which could have affected the findings of this research. It was a small scale research conducted over a period of 3 months in the summer term. Because of limited time available and difficulty in getting access to schools, the data collection tools could not be piloted as initially planned. To address this limitation, each focus group interview session was critically analysed after completion and future sessions were modified and improved so that maximum data could be extracted. However, this caused some variation in data collected earlier and later. Similarly, the questionnaire could have been improved if piloted and a couple of factual questions could have been eliminated, allowing more time for the open ended part of the questionnaire which provided rich data. Finally, this research was a case study; therefore, the findings of this research cannot be generalized.
¶ 99 Leave a comment on paragraph 99 0
¶ 100 Leave a comment on paragraph 100 0 Acknowledgement: This paper is a part of my MA (International Education) dissertation which was supervised by Dr. Phil Wood, School of Education, University of Leicester.
¶ 101 Leave a comment on paragraph 101 0
¶ 102 Leave a comment on paragraph 102 0 References
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¶ 150 Leave a comment on paragraph 150 0 Appendix 1: Themes from Focus group data
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¶ 155 Leave a comment on paragraph 155 0 Appendix 2: Sample Sizes
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text:
Violation of a Family Law Court Order
Court orders in family law cases are final and binding. This means that both parties must abide by the stipulations set forth in the court order. Whether the court order pertains to child custody and visitation, spousal support, division of assets and property, or other family law or divorce matters, both parties must perform the necessary functions as regulated in the order. If your ex-spouse violates a court order by failing to perform the actions required in the order, or by performing actions not permitted in the order, he or she may be held in contempt of court.
In the state of Oklahoma, contempt of court is divided into 2 categories. The first category, known as direct contempt, occurs when someone willfully interferes with the judicial process in court. The second category, known as indirect contempt, occurs when a person disobeys or otherwise violates a court order outside of court. Violations of family law court orders fall under the second category, and are punishable as serious offenses.
Violations of family law court orders may involve:
Failing to provide payment for child support or alimony
Contacting a person even when a restraining order is in place
Refusing to give up a child for shared custody or visitation time
Failing to take a child for shared custody or visitation time
Other actions or inactions that go against court orders
How Can You Pursue a Legal Remedy If Your Ex-Spouse Is Violating a Court Order?
In the state of Oklahoma, you may file an Application for Contempt if your spouse has violated a family law court order. You must prove that a violation has actually taken place, and that the other party acted willfully and intentionally in violating the order. By doing this, you can to try to enforce the original court order and punish the defendant for his or her actions.
Once you file the Application for Contempt, an arraignment date will be set. At the arraignment, the accused party may plead either guilty or not guilty, and a trial date will be set. During the trial, both sides will present evidence in support of their arguments, and the court will make a decision regarding guilt and sentencing.
The defendant may claim that the accusation of violating the court order is false, and that the violation never actually occurred. Having evidence such as witness statements, cancelled checks, and other documentation is essential to prove the guilt of the defendant. However, you must show that the defendant acted with willful disobedience in violating the court order.
Those convicted of violating a family law court order may be subject to:
Jail time
Counseling or parenting classes
Future hearings to enforce the original order
Experienced Family Law Attorneys Serving Oklahoma City
At Mazaheri Law Firm, we provide knowledgeable legal service to clients in family law and divorce cases. We can discuss your situation and conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether or not a willful violation of a court order occurred. The family law system can be complicated and stressful. That is why our Oklahoma City family lawyers can guide you through the process. We can determine an effective legal strategy and tenaciously represent you in court as your pursue a favorable outcome.
Contact our firm today at 405-414-2222 for a consultation. We offer services in Spanish, Hindi, Farsi, and Malayalam for your convenience.


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HOUSTON -- Right now the Texans' Gary Kubiak has a 61-62 career record as a head coach. He is in his eighth season with Houston, having been hired in 2006.
Team owner Bob McNair has shown patience with Kubiak, who's had two 6-10 seasons -- his first year with the team and his fifth. Until this year, when the Texans embarked on a franchise-record losing streak that currently sits at nine, Kubiak had made steady improvement after the most recent 6-10 season.
This kind of patience doesn't exist anymore. It's been nearly two decades since the last example.
Thanks to Michael Bonzagni of ESPN Stats & Info for poring through the list of longest-tenured coaches for me. Of the 87 men who have at least eight years of experience as an NFL head coach, 24 have a career record under .500 -- including Kubiak.
Among those with at least eight years experience and a losing record, Kubiak is one of four who spent that whole time with one team. The other three all returned for a ninth year.
John McKay, whose Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14 in his first season, only coached the Bucs to three winning seasons. He had a losing record in his eighth year and went 6-10 in 1984, his final year coaching.
Bart Starr began coaching the Green Bay Packers in 1975 and went 4-10. He only coached two winning teams, one in the strike-shortened 1982 season. That was Starr's eighth season with the Packers and his team made the playoffs. After an 8-8 record in his ninth, he was fired.
Wayne Fontes had four winning seasons with the Detroit Lions from 1988-96. One came in 1995 when the Lions went 10-6 and made the playoffs but lost. Fontes led the Lions to the NFC Championship game in 1991, but his subpar seasons meant he was constantly on the hot seat.


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In our laughter therapy groups we encourage people to find five things to laugh at everyday, and especially to learn to laugh at themselves. When something embarrassing happens, instead of dying inside, wringing hands and staying red faced for days, we encourage people to think what a good story it will make later.
We have all survived some really funny embarrassing moments.
Some Of Our Embarrassing Stories
Beryl went off to Canberra for a health conference. Her first visit to Parliament House. She was very excited in her new suit, new hairdo, new shoes, and said she felt pretty good. As she walked down the corridor of parliament House, she was amazed at the friendliness of everyone she met. They all smiled at her. She said hello to them all and progressed jauntily on her way. Then she went past a doorway where a young woman stood staring at her. "What's your name", the young woman asked?
"Beryl" "I'll always remember you Beryl", the woman said. "Why?" asked Beryl, more impressed than ever. "Cause you've just walked the whole length of parliament house with your skirt tucked into your knickers".
My husband and I turned up to vote at our local voting centre on election day.
Chris went first and had his name crossed off the electoral role. I came next and announced heartily, I'm there, underneath my husband. The young man looked at me oddly, squirmed, avoiding eye contact, and I, trying to make things better, only made them worse with, …. Or on top of him, one or the other.
At one of our laughter therapy session a woman came along who had just arrived in the state. She was from Switzerland and her English was fairly good, despite a strong accent. She told us that when she first arrived in Australia, she lived in Adelaide. She joined a local community group and on her first day there was asked to tell them something about herself and her family. Her husband had been Mayor in the town they'd come from and she wanted the group to know that he was an important person. So in her limited English, she announced to all and sundry, "My husband is impotent". Suddenly she had everyone's attention. She went on, "Yes, he's a very impotent man". People looked at each other in disbelief and then looked away. Someone muttered, "that must be difficult for you". She went on, "… Oh no. It's nothing to do with me. He was impotent long before I met him. He's always been impotent".
She did not find out her mistake until one of the women said gently, I think you mean important dear. She almost died of embarrassment at the time but has laughed at it and herself since. I am not sure she has ever told her husband.
My sister and I were convent school girls. We were very naïve as teenagers.
I remember once going with her to a hardware shop, not long after leaving school, to buy a few things to fix some bookshelves.
"I'd like a screw", she announced to one of the two young men behind the counter.
They looked at each other with very strange looks on their faces. She went on, "I don't want a big one…." "What?" "…. No just a small one". I thought they'd explode. She didn't notice. "About this size", she said, showing with her finger and thumb. One went out the back and we heard shrieks of laughter. I remember the other one trying desperately to keep a straight face, hunting in the boxes.
Kathy's brother-in-law drives a truck. One evening he drove up behind her car and blasted the truck horn to say hello. A few days later she met him at a busy garage and in front of many people blurted, "…and in future stay away from me with that big horn of yours!"
Beverly told us a story of her honeymoon when the newlyweds were invited for supper by the owners of the guesthouse. She was feeling a bit self conscious about being on her honeymoon and them knowing. They were all sitting on the lounge watching a TV program featuring a giant octopus. "Oh", she exclaimed, "Look at all those testicles!" And then she died of embarrassment, knowing they would be thinking, well we know what's on her mind!
My aunt was skilled at making fishing flies for the state's top fishermen. My uncle was a fitter and turner. Their son came home from school one day with his first story. The class had been asked to write about their family. They were mortified to see that he had written : My mother ties flies while my father fits and turns.
Funny Pixie Outfit
I was asked to speak to a group of carers for the mentally ill about using humour for stress. I said I'd bring some props along with me and wear some funny clothes.
The night arrived and I didn't really feel like going anywhere. It was winter and cold and I was a bit off colour, but it had been arranged months before and I couldn't let them down.
So I dressed up warmly in blue wool trousers, big bright woolly ski jumper and coloured boots. I thought I looked pretty OK. I took along my red curly wig and yellow chicken feet in a plastic bag, to put on before I did my presentation.
So off I went.
It was quite a large gathering of carers, psych nurses, a psychiatrist and a couple of psychologists, and they greeted me warmly. The secretary introduced me immediately to the group, thanked me for coming and particularly for wearing my "funny pixie outfit". I was in my best clothes!
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
I couldn't then take out the stuff from the plastic bag and dress up because they already thought I was in costume. How embarrassing!
I laughed all the way home.
Two weeks before that we'd had a garage sale at home and I had finally decided it was time for an old precious favourite sheepskin jacket to go. Reluctantly I put it out. Along came a little teenybopper of about twelve and exclaimed, "Oh that's just what I want, how much is it?" She showed me two dollars. "You can have it for that", I said, glad that my beloved jacket was going to a good loving home. She tried it on and it looked wonderful. "Thanks", she said as she left, "… this'll be perfect We're having a special day at school on Friday and we have to wear something really daggy".
Laughter or Lust ?
At the health centre where I work we have acronyms for most of the groups, e.g. Overcoming Pain and Living (OPAL), Lungs Under Stress and Trauma (LUST), etc.
One afternoon a little old man arrived at the front desk. "I know I'm meant to be here today but I can't remember what for", he said.
"Well", said the receptionist, checking the board, "this afternoon there's two things – laughter or lust".
His little eyes did light up!
"Oh, Either of those will do", he chirped.
Turned out he had an appointment with the podiatrist to get his feet done.
Spread the Joy
It's good to leave nice little messages around for family members or friends.
Home made cards with funny messages. Like the one a friend's eight year daughter made for her father's birthday. She spent hours drawing and cutting out and pasting and colouring and the result was quite spectacular. But the best part was the message scrawled inside:
Happy Birthday Daddy / and May Your Days be Numbered.


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This video features marimbist Daniel Berg performing his own piece entitled "December". It includes some great visual representations of the winter season. What are your favorite winter seasonal videos? Share them in the comments.
Daniel Berg teaches the marimba in the University College of Music in Gothenburg (Sweden). To download tracks from his latest recording "In a Landscape: Marimba Solo" click here.
Dave Gerhart
Dr. Dave Gerhart, Product Manager, Percussion for Yamaha Corporation of America and Lecturer of Percussion at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU, Long Beach, is a nationally recognized performer, composer, and educator. Dr. Gerhart, originally from Fairfield, California, holds a D.M.A. from the University of Southern California, M.M. in Percussion Performance and Instrumental Conducting and a B.M. in Music Education from California State University, Long Beach.
Latest posts by Dave Gerhart (see all)
- Keynote Address: "Being a "C" Student - 03/29/2019
- Marimba Solo: Caleidoscópio - 03/25/2019
- Percussion Education Reads 3/23/19 - 03/24/2019


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Nicole Richie sticks to her boho signature in first glimpse of her cut-price line for Macy's
06:51 GMT, 24 July 2012
It may still be a couple of months before Nicole Richie launches her upcoming collection for Macy's, but today, the retailer released an early glimpse of what the designs will look like.
A series of sketches show a typically bohemian aesthetic in keeping with the former reality star's Winter Kate fashion line.
Lightweight fabrics bearing her signature peacock print in shades of blue and green have been fashioned into both a dramatic floaty maxi and a flirty mini with long balloon sleeves.
Boho on a budget: A first glimpse at Nicole Richie's collection for Macy's reveals floaty, Seventies-inspired dresses in her signature peacock print, as well as high-waisted panelled leggings and a cropped sweater
There is also a more androgynous, monochrome look, which appears to be a loose-fit sweater with cropped sleeves with high-waisted, panelled leggings.
Fans of the star's designs are likely to be thrilled with the collection – not only for its similarity to Winter Kate, but also for the pocket-friendly price point.
The 24-30-piece line will cost from just $49, with the most expensive item ringing in at a reasonable $149.
Signature style: The former reality star has enjoyed huge success with her fashion career
Ms Richie says the range was inspired by music, and has been designed for the 'modern
women' and the ever changing roles they play in today's society.
'With each collection I do, it all starts with music,' she told WWD in May. 'Music is the driving force behind my inspiration…
'Women are wearing so many different hats these days. We are evolving. Not just working, but creating,' she continued.
'This collection has a strong mix of masculine and feminine: printed chiffon mixed with faux leathers. I focused on the details, from the zipper pulls to the buttons.'
Macy's chief marketing officer
Martine Reardon believes the star's limited-edition designs will sell out in under two weeks.
'Nicole is pretty savvy when it comes to the fashion business
and understanding consumers. She's a real fashion influencer,' she said.
got a very definitive look, very free style and bohemian chic, and our
collection will definitely pay homage to her style.'
Ms Richie, who is married to Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden and mother to their daughter Harlow, four, and son, Sparrow, nearly three, follows in some high-profile footsteps in collaborating with Macy's.
Past design partners include Karl Lagerfeld, Alberta Ferretti and Matthew Williamson, as well as Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa.
The Nicole Richie for Impulse Only At Macy's, as the collection is officially – and somewhat cumbersomely – named, will be sold online and in about 100 Macy's stores from mid-September.


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The Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
In joyful obedience to the call of Christ, and in solidarity with churches and our other partners in the Middle East, this network covenants to engage, consolidate, nourish, and channel the energy in the Presbyterian Church (USA) toward the goal of a just peace in Israel /Palestine by facilitating education, promoting partnerships, and coordinating advocacy. Our network speaks TO the Church not FOR the Church.
Established by action of the 2004 General Assembly, the Israel/Palestine Mission Network encourages congregations and presbytery mission committees, task groups and other entities, toward specific mission goals that will create currents of wider and deeper involvement with Israel/Palestine. Though our mandate establishes a Palestine Mission Network to advocate for Palestinian rights, we believe our efforts are in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians and for this reason, have included both peoples in the name of our network. Additionally, Israel (under 1967 borders) is home to over a million Palestinians who we also advocate for.
As our mandate calls for, we seek to demonstrate solidarity, educate about the facts on the ground, and change the conditions that erode the humanity of both Israelis and Palestinians, especially those who are living under occupation in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
We work in close cooperation with ecumenical partners and with the Office for the Middle East, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, the Presbyterian Washington Office, the Presbyterian UN Office and with other appropriate entities of the General Assembly and General Assembly Mission Council.
The Israel/Palestine Mission Network is an opportunity for Presbyterians throughout the country and at all levels of the church to coordinate ongoing efforts and discover new ones. Ultimately, we aim to support our church partners in Palestine to:
Strengthen Christian social institutions
Create jobs and promote economic development
Maintain schools and hospitals
Enable affordable and safe housing for Palestine
We unite our efforts through this Network, praying for the Holy Spirit's bold guidance in our work for peace and justice. Please continue to view our web site, learn more about our activities, and how you might get involved.
IPMN, The first 10 years - a report documenting the first 10 years of IPMN's work.


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What a concept, for every piece of jewelry sold 10 trees will be planted – I like it!
If you are wondering what I am talking about, well, let me tell you; Derek Andrew, a boutique in Bellevue, is having a trunk show called Love Heals. According to the flyer for every piece of Love Heals Bohemian Jewelry 10 trees will be planted. I took the liberty to investigate as it got my attention.
I'm not familiar with Love Heals jewelry so I looked it up (thank you Google) and it appears to be "hand-crafted by American workers in Ojai California". Plus, their site also gave more information on the planting of trees. Their website claims that they "will offset over 500 million pounds of carbon over the next 40 years."
This seems to be a clever selling tool if you ask me. What are your thoughts?
Check out the Love Heals flyer for the trunk show information.


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A 16-year-old Bartow High School student was arrested Monday on allegations she detonated a bottle of explosive materials on the school grounds.
BARTOW | A 16-year-old Bartow High School student was arrested Monday on allegations she detonated a bottle of explosive materials on the school grounds.
No one was hurt in the morning explosion, nor was school property damaged, said Principal Ron Pritchard.
Kiera Roslyn Wilmot, of 1370 N. Wilson Ave., Apt. 505, was charged with making, possessing or discharging a destructive device and with possessing or discharging weapons on school grounds. Both charges are felonies.
The girl told authorities she was conducting a science experiment, according to Bartow police, but science teachers at the school said they knew nothing about it. She also said she thought the materials would produce only smoke, not an explosion, police said.
Pritchard said he was standing nearby when the student left the drink bottle behind the cafeteria, near the lake on the school's east side.
"It was next to the gazebo by the lake," he said. "I wasn't standing too far away when it happened. I just heard the pop, and I turned around. I thought it was a firecracker at first."
Household materials were used to create the explosion, said Bartow police Lt. Gary McLin. He declined to say what those materials were, but said the information is available through the Internet.
Pritchard said the girl didn't leave the area after the bottle exploded.
"She left it on the ground, and she stayed there," he said. "We went over to where she was. She saw that we saw her, so she didn't take off."
He said she was taken to the school's office, where police took her into custody.
The explosion occurred about 7 a.m., about the time classes started.
"There weren't a lot of kids there," Pritchard said. "There were maybe half a dozen kids in the area where she was, and nobody was hurt by it."
Wilmot was transported to the county's Juvenile Assessment Center in Bartow following her arrest.


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Species 10026 was the designation for a species that was assimilated by the Borg in 2375. Their civilization's homeworld had 392,000 individuals and advanced spacecraft. The inhabitants of that world sent their vessels to intercept the Borg when they began assimilation. At first Species 10026 used a modulating phaser pulse to successfully damage the Borg attackers. With Seven of Nine's help, the Borg Queen triaxilated the Borg ship's shield geometry to absorb the pulses, thus ending the chances of a defense for the species.
Witnessed by former Borg drone Seven of Nine, the entire species was assimilated by drones from two Borg cubes. With Seven's help, one ship with four individuals (including one partially-assimilated individual) escaped the devastation, but was noticed by the Borg Queen. It was caught in a tractor beam, but was eventually released after Seven pleaded with the Queen. (VOY: "Dark Frontier")


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Mikhail (Facebook profile)
Moscow, Russia (🗺 map view)
29 years old
Share your earnings with QuickAppNinja:
How much money have you made so far with QuickAppNinja?
How much are you making monthly at the moment?
October 307$, November approximately 1000$.
How many games – and what type of games – have you created so far?
30 more, guess the pictures\tiles
How much time on average did you spend creating each game?
1 day for 175-unique-level game
How long have you been with QuickAppNinja?
Almost 6 months
What you plan to do with your money? How you plan to spend it?
Buy presents for friends
Please tell us about yourself:
What is your background?
Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, economics, KVN
What type of work do you do?
What are your hobbies, interests and passions?
Football, movies, humor, quests, business education
>> Make Money Like Mikhail, Join QuickAppNinja Now for FREE! <<
Your experience with the QuickAppNinja service:
How did you get into the Android game app business?
Thanks to QAN
How did you discover QuickAppNinja?
Saw logo in another app
Did you have any concerns?
Yes, about google privacy policy – don't understand it clearly; about demand on my apps – don't understand the triggers, why some apps become popular, others are dead;
How did you come up with your game ideas on QuickAppNinja? Where do you get your game ideas from?
Trying to guess the most popular key-words in Google Play
Do you make any app store optimization (ASO) on Google Play?
How do you promote your games? Have you spent any money on marketing?
In your opinion, what is the reason for your success through using QuickAppNinja?
Luck 🙂
What are your future plans with QuickAppNinja?
Will create some new games when have time.
Advice to readers:
Try to guess most popular key-words in Google Play for the name of your App.


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Berea candle maker laying off 99
Light House Home Products, which manufactures candles in Berea, has told the state government it plans to lay off 99 employees shortly, though it's possible the majority of them will be recalled in several months.
The move is related to the sale of the Light House Home Products line by the manufacturer's parent company, according to notification documents required to be filed with the government in advance of mass layoffs.
Plant executive Roger Creery wrote that the company had hoped to avoid selling the product line, which had been experiencing "low profitability."
"Ultimately, those options were unsuccessful," he wrote, noting a deal was reached on March 27 to sell the product line. "This sale will, at least in the short term, substantially decrease production and result in a significant layoff of employees."
Creery did not return multiple messages left to discuss the layoffs.
The company has already laid off 70 employees, including 47 candle team processors, according to the documents filed with the state. The company expects to lay off an additional 29 employees beginning April 27.
Creery noted that the company expects "the majority of all laid off employees will be recalled to work within six months."


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Disclaimers: None of the characters herein belong to me - seriously. Birds of Prey: Tollin/Robbins Production, The WB, created by Laeta Kalogridis AND DC Comics; Facts of Life: TAT/Embassy Television, NBC, created by Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon; Law & Order (all): NBC-Universal/Wolf Productions, NBC, created by Dick Wolf; Nikki and Nora: UPN Network (Pilot), created by Nancylee Myatt; Popular: Murphy/Matthews Production, The WB, created by Ryan Murphy and Gina Matthews; Stargate: Sony Pictures Television,Showtime/SciFi, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner; Wonder Woman: Warner Brothers Productions, ABC/CBS, created by William Moulton Marston AND DC Comics; Voyager: Paramount Television, UPN, created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor; XWP: Pacific Renaissance Pictures Ltd/Universal, syndication, created by John Schulian, Rob Tapert and RJ Stewart.
However I can honestly say that story is all mine, so.... If you're still reading my stuff at this point, you pretty well know what you're getting into. If you don't have an open mind, why exactly are you still reading? However, if you do read it and you find something you think needs disclaiming, you are still more than welcome to let me know. It won't change anything, but it may make you feel better. Ugliness will earn you a smack to the back o your head.
Author's Notes: This was written because Phil asked. All errors belong strictly to me. If you liked A Diva's Demise, you might enjoy this as well as I've included a few of the fandoms (but definitely not all!) that appeared in that story. If multi-fandoms aren't your thing, you might want to give this a miss. This is another story that could eventually become a full-length novel if I let it - however, it's not going to happen today or any time soon. The Storyteller's Cardinal Rule is in effect.


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Nine Days of We
In this wonderful short interview, Avram Infeld lays out a vision for understanding Yom Ha'atzmaut as part of a process that begins on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, 9 days before Yom Ha'atzmaut.
With this inspiring vision in mind, we offer a variety of programming that might be appropriate for this period in the Jewish calendar.
The Nine Days
Shay Charka perfectly illustrates the nine-day emotional roller-coaster from Holocaust Day (Yom HaShoah) thru Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron), to Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut).
Telling the Story: The Four Genres of Zionist History
This lesson explores the nature of historical narrative: the ways in which we interpret historical events. We will learn a four-genre model of literary style, and use this model to look at the key events from Zionist history through 4 different different prisms. To Full Post
This activity uses experiential problem-solving to explore how governments and societies organize. By playing out how to set up a community on a desert island, the students will begin to understand the founding of the State of Israel. To Full Post
Yom Hazikaron: Degrees of Separation
This lesson focuses on the challenge of marking Yom HaZikaron (Israel Remembrance Day) for North American Jewry. We explore the notion of commemorating in the wider American context, and expand on this to discuss Israel's Remembrance Day, and what it means to commemorate from a distance. To Full Post
This activity explores the notion of "home" and employs artistic technique to make the topic personal and relevant to the students. The activity seeks to discuss the sacrifices and choices one makes when deciding where and why to set up a home, and what the ramifications of this prioritization are for you and those around you. To Full Post
Make Your Own Israeli Music Video
Celebrating Israeli Culture and Expression (Pride):
We believe that one of the most beautiful expressions of להיות עם חופשי בארצנו (To be a Free People in Our Land) is the flourishing of Jewish culture and art that has come as a natural progression from the Jewish people building a thriving society in their ancestral homeland. To Full Post
Supreme Court: Challenges of Jewish Sovereignty in Israel
Flexing Ethical Muscles
"Taking power and the costs of power…have become central concerns of the Jewish people… Ethical muscles not flexed for centuries are now used; sometimes they are stiff and sore…" – Rabbi I. Greenberg
This lesson explores the great responsibility that comes with having power and decision-making ability. The lesson uses two legal judgments made by Israel's Supreme Court to expose the students to the complex nature of this responsibility. To Full Post
Will the Real Zionist Please Stand Up?