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Eleven – A blog challenge to end 2013
There were way too many things that I went through in 2013. These way too many things – not necessarily time issues – have somehow gotten in the way of doing many things I thought I'd be doing throughout the year. Yet, there's always something that keeps calling you back to the things you like. This time it's a blog challenge that has drawn me back to the blog, which I've kept more active than it seems, but never really managed to get down to writing anything in its entirety. This will hopefully change after a short break in which I'll try my best to put my head back where it belongs. Before I start, I give you the rules of the challenge:
1. Acknowledge the blogger(s) who've tagged you
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself
3. Answer the 11 questions nominating blogger(s)
4. List 11 bloggers
5. Post 11 questions for the nominated bloggers you've chosen and let them know they've been tagged. don't nominate bloggers who nominated you.
I've been tagged by Leo Selivan, Juan Uribe, and Roseli Serra. Now, I've had the chance to meet Roseli in person this year, and she's just lovely! By the way, I loved the bolo de rolo, Roseli! I still haven't had the chance to meet Leo and Juan face to face, but I do believe we'll manage to do so any time in the future as there are yet many conferences to attend. One of the many benefits of being part of this online community is that there will always be someone you 'know' in any conference you decide to attend. Now, to keep it simple, allow me to get down to the challenge.
11 Random Facts About Me
- I am upset when people don't follow simple rules.
- I like cooking – but not from a recipe.
- My favourite pizza topping is cheese – plain and simple.
- My favourite desserts are chocolate mousse and cheesecake. I actually was befuddled the very first time I went to the Cheesecake factory and saw a chocolate mousse cheesecake as I couldn't believe that was possible.
- I have no fashion sense whatsoever. I once wore a bright yellow shirt, red bermudas and blue sneakers to the gym and found myself laughing at how weird I looked when I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
- I have never lived nor studied abroad. I learned English in Brazil, mostly because I started teaching English. I felt that I had to learn a lot more than I had learnt in my regular English course and ended up continuing my studies by myself.
- I once wanted to be a history teacher and I actually started studying history at university. My favourite part of history is the Middle Ages.
- I used played RPG and was a storyteller for both GURPS and Vampire: The Masquerade. I actually miss having the time to play RPG.
- I enjoy arguing for the sake of the argument. I think it's a good exercise for your brain.
- I've used computers from a very early age and I really like technology.
- I like learning about many different, unrelated things.
Leo's questions
1. What is your favourite level to teach?
I like teaching exam classes, mainly for the CAE and the CPE exams. However, I've learned to enjoy teaching all levels after a certain while. I guess this happens to all teachers after a certain while, right?!
2. If you had the time to blog about something other than education / ELT what would it be?
I've given this a lot of thought and one of the things that I've been planning to do is starting a blog about education in general, but written in Portuguese. My other thought is to write about things I witness daily, which would probably lend itself properly to the word BLOG. 🙂
3. What takes you longer: writing a blog post or inserting hyperlinks into it?
I guess it takes me longer to insert the hyperlinks. My reason for blogging is mainly reflecting on what I've read, and it's easy for me to get lost in my thoughts and simply forget to quote where the inspiration for that thought came from, or just adding a link for further reference. It takes me time and discipline to do so.
4. What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
I'm not exactly fond of trying exotic food. However, if you're not Brazilian, I guess eating chicken hearts may be considered weird for some cultures.
5. A phone call or text message? Why?
Hmmm… I prefer talking to people, but as I'm constantly in the classroom, a text message might make it easier for people to reach me.
6. Cats or dogs? (No need to explain why)
Dogs! I've had dogs ever since I was born…
7. If you were a fruit what would you be?
What kind of question is this?! LOL…. well, in Brazil, we do have the fruit women, so this is kind of an awkward question to answer as I can't think of a fruit without thinking of a funk song in which someone would be singing about me. I like fruit… and my favourite fruit is banana. That doesn't mean I'd be a banana if I were a fruit, does it?!
8. What kind of jokes do you like?
The silliest the better… or the complete opposite of that. I have a … peculiar sense of humour.
9. What's your favourite computer font?
Lately, I've been particularly keen on using Helvetica. I don't really know why.
10. What present would you like to receive for your next birthday? (that is if you celebrate birthdays)
This is a tough one for me as I never really know what I'd like to get for my birthday. Perhaps having the chance to meet most of my friends would be the ideal birthday for me. So, how about attending a conference and finally meeting most people from my PLN?
11. Why do you think almost every blogger in this chain challenge has asked a question about reality TV shows?
Oh, that easy! Teachers live a life that could easily be broadcast on live TV as one of the most successful reality TV shows in history. So we all secretly believe we're TV stars and would like to know if the other blogger follows out TV show.
Juan's questions
1. What would you do if you were not an educator?
Hmm… I think I'd be an astronomer, an architect or a psychologist.
2. How do you relax?
I like watching sitcoms and playing mind-numbing games.
3. Do you write a diary?
4. What is love?
… and baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more! (Haddaway) It's a 1993 song track!
5. What book are you reading now?
The Social Neuroscience of Education, by Louis Cozolino.
6. Do you have a pet?
Well, it's complicated… I haven't got any living with me, but the three dogs that my mum has are also mine, or at least I like to think so! 🙂
7. Do you collect anything?
I used to collect keychains a long time ago. I also have a collection of beer mugs and cachaças, but it's nothing exactly serious.
8. How do you have fun?
I like going out with my friends and chatting.
9. What can you cook?
I can cook anything that's in the fridge! And this is literally true. I do like cooking, and I really like experimenting with different food. so I can turn aubergines and zucchinis into something I like. 🙂
10. Do you exercise much?
Well, I haven't exercised at all these days, but I was once an athlete who practised more than 6 hours a day… One of the things I'd like to change next year is this – having the time and discipline to exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
11.How would you describe me?
Well, you strike me as someone who's truly passionate about life in general. You also seem to be someone who enjoys a good laugh and also some silly jokes. I think you're open to new ideas and you like taking place in discussions. Did I get any of these right?!
Roseli's questions
1. What's you favourite season ?
I like winter. However, I don't think that means I like it better than the other seasons.
2. Do you like celebrating your birthday with parties full of people?
Hmmm… I like celebrating my birthday with my friends and people who actually care about me. I think we know a lot of people who are just acquaintances or colleagues but we aren't particularly close too. As I like talking to people, I'd rather have fewer people in my birthday parties than lots of acquaintances.
3. Do you have any hobbies?
Believe it or not, writing this blog has become a hobby. One to which I hope I'll have the strength to return to next year.
4. What's the best place you've ever been to?
Gee… I really would like to go back to NY, Washington D.C., and Boston. However, if I think about the best memories I have, these tend to be created mostly by the people I'pm with than the place in itself. For instance, I really love going to Pirenópolis – but that's where I spent my honeymoon in… 🙂
5. What's the worst film you've ever watched? Why?
Gangs of New York…. I didn't like the plot, I guess.
6. What city in Brazil would you first like visiting? Why?
Right now, I guess I'd say Recife because there are many people I've met online who live there. Besides, the only time I went to Recife I was very little to remember anything.
7. Are you a good cook? What kind food do you cook best?
My friends usually say I can barbecue like no one else. I guess barbecue it is!
8. Do you have a favourite song? Why is it your favourite?
I really like music, so coming up with a favourite song is quite hard. I like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Dire Straits, Metallica, Led Zeppelin… but if I had to choose one song it's be Mr Jones, by the Counting Crows. I guess it's a song that makes me happy.
9. What was the best year in your school times? Why?
My senior year in high school was probably the best one. Hmmm… because we won the competition against the other groups?! 🙂 As I've studied in the same class from my second grade to my senior year in high school, it's hard to say which year was the best.
10. What do you consider to be the best thing about being and educator?
In a nutshell, having the chance to help other people in their quest to finding out who they truly are and teaching them about citizenship.
11. If you had three wishes for 2014 what would they be?
Hmmm… I don't think you're looking for answers from beauty pageant contests, right?! Let me think about down-to-earth wishes… re-learning how to relax a bit more, finding the balance between work and personal life, and meeting more people from my PLN.
This has been a lot of fun, actually. Hopefully, it's also been the push I needed to resume blogging… but only after a short while as I'll be traveling to try to relax a bit after such a tough year. Way too many bloggers have been nominated and this means that it's actually quite hard to come up with 11 bloggers who haven't been nominated yet. Maybe I'll be faster on the next challenge so that this task of nominating others is easier. 🙂
Doing some thinking nominated for Best English Blog awards 2013
Doing Some Thinking has been nominated for Best English Blog Awards 2013 by the folks at Really Learn English. One of the most interesting parts of this award in particular is that, as Adam said in his post about his nomination, they were careful enough so as to interview each blogger and they have given you a chance to learn yet a bit more about those who write their texts. So, why don't you pay their website a visit, get to know all blogs running for the award – and they're all brilliant – and cast your vote?
Even though it's been a while since I last had the time to write, edit, revisit and reflect on the blog for absolute lack of time due to many changes I've been through in my professional life, this will soon change (fingers crossed) and there are plenty of things to write about. I hope to see you in the (very) near future.
Blog Repost: #ELTChat: the loss of eltchat.com – Plan B
If you haven't been involved in #ELTChat discussions on twitter for the past couple of years, you should know you've missed the chance to connect with fantastic like-minded educators who pursue PD and always strive to do best for their students. #ELTChat is a discussion held every Wednesday on Twitter, and even though I wasn't able to participate in the last discussions, we could always refer to the website that had been created as a repository for the discussions. This was only possible due to the hard work of all those who are involved in getting things up and running. If anyone here has been involved in any kind of endeavour, be it online or offline, you'll know how hard it is when things seem to fall apart – but they only seem. As someone who has benefitted a lot from #ELTChat, and someone who appreciates the work that's been put up by the team of moderators in ELTChat, I've decided to share what Marisa Constantinides has written on her blog here. This is not meant as a manifesto, but I believe those who keep looking for opportunities to keep growing professionally should know where they'll be able to find the new website for #ELTChat, and a couple of words by the moderators on the reasons for the change. I'm posting the post in its entirety, as it's been written on the original blog post, without adding nor deleting any word from it. Without further ado, here goes the repost from Marisa's blog:
#ELTchat: the loss of eltchat.com – Plan B
Blog post August 10, 2012
Like many great ideas, it didn't hit just one person but several.
And that is how #ELTchat was created.
The website to keep up the communication of its members, a base and repository of our ideas was one of the first things we all thought of creating – the wiki came later.
Andy Chaplin was keen to join the moderation team and help with podcasts and technical stuff; he was quick to buy eltchat.com and announced the good news to us after the fact.
A few months later, right after TESOL France 2011, he suddenly disappeared – some say for reasons of health.
We never found out for sure.
We never received a single word of response to our emails.
eltchat.com was and still is registered in his name.
And yesterday we lost it
On August 8 the domain expired and we have no way of taking over unless it goes up for sale again; it was very sad that Andy Chaplin did not find it appropriate to renew.
The news is really upsetting.
The work we have put in on this website cannot be told in a few simple words – but it has been a labour of love and we have got so much out of it that we have never regretted one single moment
We are pretty upset at the behaviour of this individual – disappointment is one big understatement.
But we trust that our community of #ELTchatters, our PLN for short, will again gather round the new domain which we have purchased – eltchat.org
It will take us a few days to put the website back on its feet
And all will be as it was before – all the posts in place all your thoughts and comments, all the polls and great summaries which got us on the shortlist of the ELTon Awards nominations
We will be back with a vengeance
We are not just a website – we did not get on the ELTon awards shortlist as just another website!!!
We are a great community of teachers and we have a Plan B!
See you all in September!!!
Marisa Constantinides – Shaun Wilden
Henrick Oprea
P.S. We would greatly appreciate it if any of you belonging to this great community of teachers, teacher educators, bloggers, #ELTchat followers, reposted this on your blog
If you decide to do this, please add your name to the post under ours.
These four walls…
This might come across as cliché to those of you who read this blog. I mean, one of the best things about blogs and twitter is that we are able to find people who are willing to share. This is the main advantage I can see in this "new" media. Many teachers do tell me that they can't see why they should be on twitter, or that there's no time to waste with it. I can even understand the time issue – I myself have been struggling with time this semester – and I do try my best to listen to and understand the reasons why people think this world of twitter and blogs is nothing but a fad and a waste of time. However, there's one thing I cannot put up with – people who can't listen to what others have to say. And it gets worse than that… but this is not a rant; a praise it is supposed to be. A praise to twitter, blogs and what it has got to offer to teachers.
This week, as I was teaching a lesson on approaches and methods in ELT to a group of post-graduation students, we finally got to the point of discussing The Lexical Approach and Dogme. This is the second time I teach this course, but it somehow feels different. A couple of years ago, when I first taught it, I wasn't that involved with twitter and blogs, and the fact that I've joined this group has made a difference in the discussions I hold with the students. Someone said that these two tools have leveled the play field in the world of ELT. It certainly helped me to go beyond the world of academics and authors that I used to read before. Thornbury, Harmer, Puchta, Nunan, Ur, Meddings, and Brown (to name but a few) are still required reading, if you ask me. However, there are just so many other great people out there who can now be heard regardless of a publishing contract that it's made our lives a lot easier. We can now read what Karenne Sylvester, Jason Renshaw, Shelly Terrell, Cecília Coelho, Willy Cardoso, Mike Harrison, David Warr, Dave Dodgson, Sabrina de Vita, Richard Whiteside, Sara Hannam, and many other people that know what they're saying and whose posts are consistently good, have got to say. Maybe they were already part of your readings, but I only started reading these people after joining twitterville. Those were the days when publishers and editors chose who we had to read. But it's done a lot more than merely allowing content to be spread and commented on.
On April 26, while I was talking to my students about Dogme and teaching unplugged, I couldn't help but remember some of the activities that had been shared online by some of the bloggers I read. Among these activities, I briefly demonstrated Jason's The Wandrous Whiteboard Challenge. Obviously, it generated some discussion in class and we started coming to some conclusions. "Oh, if only I could get Jason to participate in this class…" did cross my mind. However, as this was something that had sprung up out of a class discussion and I hadn't really planned to have such a long discussion about these activities. A whole bunch of coincidences happened at this point. First, I had already talked to my students about both #eltchat and #breltchat. Second, it was a student's birthday, and her friend had asked me if we could have a short break as she had bought a cake. During this short break, some of the students asked me again about twitter, and when I opened my tweetdeck, I saw that Jason had just tweeted something. I immediately tweeted him back, telling him that we were discussing one of his activities. Jason asked which activity we were discussing and this is what followed:
We ended up having a fantastic skype session, as Jason was really kind to make an impromptu appearance in our class. This was absolutely amazing, as students had the chance to ask questions to the person who actually had written the text. If I could get Luke and Scott to skype while we were discussing about Dogme, Richards and Rodgers to talk about approaches and methods, and Harmer to discuss CLT, my job would pretty much be to bring the computer to class and call them on skype. 🙂
The four walls of any classroom have been brought down. Those were the days when the teacher was supposed to be the only one who knew everything in class. We can now share the load – it's much easier to do what we preach. Get students to learn, not memorise. Get them to discuss points, to reflect. Invite other people to enrich the discussion. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to invite the person whose activity I was discussing at that very moment, and one whose knowledge I learned to respect. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The four walls around us no longer exist, but only as long as you don't want them to exist. If your co-workers are not willing to discuss ELT issues in a way that fosters growth, never mind. Twitter has become the largest staffroom ever. Oh, and everyone there is willing to share, learn, and discuss. I'm sure you can learn how to use it effectively, and, once you do, you won't regret it.
La Pasión Turca – Guest post by Fiona Mauchline
I don't think I'll ever cease to be blown away by twitter and what all the connections we can make there. Even though I can't put my finger on the exact moment I met Fiona Mauchline on twitter, I certainly remember the moment her thoughts called my attention. If I'm not mistaken, after one or two innocent tweets with another tweep, the discussion got momentum and, as it usually happens on twitter, a whole bunch of tweeps came onboard to join the discussion, and Fiona was one of these. At that very moment, I knew it would be a great chance for me to have a guest post here, as she was certainly making me do some thinking. She's also the author of two blogs, macappella and blood, sweat, and gazpacho. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her post, and I do hope you all enjoy it too – oh, and Fiona, I'll definitely have you back for part 2!! It was definitely worth the while! Now, without further ado, here it comes!!
La Pasión Turca
Holes in the Wall and Postman knocked twice.
At the recent ISTEK conference, Scott Thornbury gave a plenary session listing the six most significant influences on or sources of inspiration for his own professional development and direction. As is becoming the norm for these events, Twitter was a-flutter with tweets during the plenary, and while many merely passed on the birdsong, some chirped in less dulcit, more sceptical tones.
Of course, a good plenary will always provoke anti as well as pro opinions – the worst thing that can happen to you in a talk is to provoke no opinions whatsoever – but as I read the tweets, I couldn't help but feel that some people were either simplifying to the extreme or slightly missing the point, in relation to two of the 'influences'. Since then, I have found myself pondering those tweets and what it was that made me feel uneasy, sense that those tweeting weren't looking closely enough. I have found myself pulling over into lay-bys to take notes and chewing my pen in coffee bars. This post is the result of those ponderings and, as such, is totally non-empirical, but if you don't mind that and a couple of spoilers, read on.
Part I: Holes in the Wall (of dissent)
In 1999, Professor Sugata Mitra, now of Newcastle University in the UK, carried out the first of a series of experiments he called the Hole in the Wall (HIW) experiments whereby he literally made a hole in a wall in a rundown urban district in New Delhi, India, and installed a kiosk containing a computer. He also installed hidden cameras nearby and waited and watched what happened. Local children crowded round to teach themselves to use the computer and the internet, with no external 'bothering' by teachers. Mitra called this Minimally Invasive Education (MIE). With the success of this initial experiment, other hole-in-the-wall computers were installed in India and, latterly, in Cambodia, and the results were similar. As a by-note, these experiments were also the original inspiration for the scriptwriter of Slumdog Millionaire… However… What Scott said he had drawn from these experiments was the fact that children – or learners – do actually have an innate desire to learn and will both absorb information and be motivated to learn if the circumstances are right. These experiments also favour learner-centred learning and put a huge question mark over the role of Teacher as generally perceived by The Establishment. In fact, they show that a teacher – or at least an adult Teacher is not always necessary.
But the tweets went out 'Ah but they worked because it was all about technology' 'It was using computers that made the experiments work' 'How curious that S Thornbury should be inspired by experiments showing that computers help education'. And this is where I beg to differ.
Professor Sugata Mitra works in Educational Technology, yes. That is his current field and he was using those experiments to find out if using computers and the internet is something that kids can learn for themselves. Rather like Chomsky might try to find out of we have grammar hard-wired into our brains. That was his 'agenda', if we can overlook the negative connotations of that phrase.
However, Sugata Mitra is not a Mr, he's not a research students or a Microsoft employee, he's a Professor, and a polymath at that. He has also worked in other scientific fields, and what brought about his interest in computer networks was his work on neural networks and cognitive science. By the time he carried out his HIW experiment, he had also being studying learning styles as well as learning devices for years. So it's fair to say that he probably based his experiments on rather more than a desire to find out/show how cool computers are in their ability to teach children to, um, use computers (NB not to teach them languages). And personally I think the conclusions that can be drawn from the experiments are multiple. The following are my own.
In terms of showing the virtues of technology per se, the bottom line is that the HIW experiments proved that use of computers and the internet is easily self-taught (backed up by the fact that even I've managed it) or semi-peer taught (peer-teaching was also highly influential in the children's success), which, in turn, suggests that overt teacher-led teaching of internet/computer use in schools is a waste of time as, given the right environment, kids will teach it to themselves. This should ideally result in an effect on school time-tabling… It also means that we can get on with our jobs as language teachers and have little responsibility, moral or otherwise, for teaching IT, which in turn means that doing IT (pun intended) or not doesn't much matter, as you aren't intrinsically smarter, more professional etc. either way. It simply indicates different teaching styles, different choices, different preferences, underlying characteristics of being human.
It also means that, despite what many of us 'older' (ie more aged) language teaching types may think, technology will only add a WOW factor to our teaching in areas where access to computer/internet use is rare; in other areas, children will be self-taught from an early age and furthermore will simply 'do IT' without much thought. Technology will not make a class memorable just because. We should only use technology in class where it's fully justified (and sometimes it is), not because we think it's 'gonna be cool'. T'ain't what you use, it's the way that you use it, to paraphrase an old jazz number. Common sense to many, unfathomable to a few.
However, on the other hand and nevertheless…
to my mind, Sugata Mitra's experiments showed a lot more than a couple of characteristics of technology. What the children were actually doing rather than what they were using is more significant in terms of implications to language learning. Without any reference to Mitra's conclusions, here are mine (largely drawn up while sitting in the car) with some implications as I see them.
The HIW experiments were about kinaesthetic-visual learning. Much teacher-fronted teaching is aimed at ears, which is pointless in a society where children find listening harder and harder. In many cases we actually need to sharpen students' listening skills before we can start. The HIW experiments were based on, essentially, hitting keys in a trial & error way, reading instructions on the screen and then clicking on the appropriate thing, watching other children using the computers, and working together. Children learn to use video consoles in the same way, so perhaps it's not news in the area of children-using-technology, but the kinaesthetic-visual combination is also behind the huge success of the scratch & sniff Geronimo Stilton books which have seen many 8-10 year-olds start reading for pleasure, expanding vocabulary and improving literacy. Not just black words on a white page, these books incorporate words written in a way that makes their meaning clear, and include scratch & sniff pages to appeal to/revolt the senses. The books are fun, and they work. So perhaps language teaching should pay even more attention to this combination, using more mechanical, visual, and sensory stimuli to enhance learning, and making the teacher's voice/presence less intrusive, more of another resource or back-up system on hand for support. Personally, I have worked a lot with this idea, particularly with under 8s and over 13s, with wonderful results, and others I know who have also worked with it say the same.
Secondly, what children in the HIW experiments were doing was a type of puzzle-solving, an activity which is intrinsically motivating (think of the popularity of Sudokus, crosswords, illusionists etc) and forms the basis of much of our learning in life. I noticed last December at our town's Christmas Market that the stall you could hardly get near was one selling wooden puzzles. In particular, boys and men would stand mesmerised trying to rebuild a town, release a bottle or fit all the pieces back together. At this 'hands on' stall, the concentration was total, the sense of satisfaction great and, I suspect, the sales figures impressive. So if problem-solving has such a pull, whether in middle-class Spain or less salubrious areas of New Delhi, why not incorporate more into language teaching? Yes, many ELT materials nowadays do (although the grammar box still refuses to relinquish its grip) and some teachers do, but there is still too little of it and too much spoon-feeding. Yes, educational software is good for problem-solving, but it is not unique.
Thirdly, as well as learning from the screen and from trial and error, the children learnt from each other. Peers replaced adult teachers. This has always been the case, for example when kids get together to kick a ball around or to build a kite/tree-house/den/go-cart. The implications here are clear – group/team work, peer-teaching/correction. Again, the teacher's role in the language classroom should be reviewed and this idea of group constructed knowledge embedded in teacher training not only for us CELTA/DELTA types but across the board.
Finally, the HIW experiments strike me as being somewhat rooted in behaviourism – as much of human learning is – in a 'get it wrong, it doesn't work; get it right, yippee' sort of way. So my final implication is that children should be allowed to get it wrong and not be penalised during the learning process, simply encouraged to try again until they get it right ('right' meaning 'get their message across, achieve communication' at early stages – polishing can come as they develop and become used to reworking, to trying again, rather than to being demotivated by red pen and numbers). Rewards should be as significant if not more so than penalties. A sense of 'you've won the key to the next stage' would replicate the computer experiment observations and what keeps kids on those pesky video games for hours 😉 This, of course, means reviewing how we deal with errors and feedback.
Now I've far outstayed my welcome, but there was another 'big idea' that got a volley of tweets and, indeed, is still causing ripples and waves, so I shall leave Part II of La Pasión Turca (dangerously called Postman (always) knocked twice) for another day…. if Henrick will have me back!
I live in Cáceres in Spain, a beautiful and inspiring sort of place to live, and I'm a teacher, trainer, writer. mother and life-enjoyer. Although I originally trained as a translator and interpreter, I've been in ELT since the late 80s and, as a person who trained when Headway was just out, I now tend to teach dogme and am co-moderator of the Dogme web group. I'm big into visualisation, sensory stimuli for the imagination, motivating even the 'grottiest' of teens, learner-generated materials and a heap of other things, many of which are not related to teaching, but I give workshops on the ones that are ELT related. I've also written coursebooks and other ELT materials.
Some thoughts on my blog as a word cloud
Coming back to the blogosphere after a rough beginning of year has been, well, tough! To be honest, ever since I joined the cause I knew it would be pretty much impossible for me to read every single post with all the care and attention they truly deserve, and despite all the learning that the experience has led me to, there are times when your life beyond the computer/Internet does not give you enough time to do the things you both enjoy and profit from. Anyone, I've read a couple of interesting posts recently, and decided to participate in David's mini-challenge. It consists of creating a word-cloud from your blog and then doing a brief analysis of it. I used wordle, and this is what I got:
Apparently, I've been writing a lot about students and language. The words writing and tests were also quite big on the cloud, maybe because I've written two recent posts on these topics. However, I guess I'll look at this from a different perspective and try to give meaning to the way the words appeared together, shall I?
The first thing I noticed was the position of the words L1, English, far, big, and things. When looking at this, I thought about the fact that, yes, learning a foreign does open doors (excuse me for the cliché), it's something I've been thinking about a lot recently. If Google and other companies are finally able to perfect online text and voice translators, why would anyone care to go through the hardships of learning a foreign language, say, in 15 years' time? I guess the answer is that learning other language apart from your L1 allows you to do far bigger things and accomplish a lot more by the simple fact that learning a foreign language, in my humble opinion, does broaden the mind.
The second bit that called my attention was this one on the right that puts the words grammar, reason, and testing together. First, I'm not against tests and I see a good reason for them in the language classroom. However, if the only reason for testing is grammar in some kind of an order, this is likely to fail flat and not allow for learning opportunities. Tests have got to allow for learning opportunities. Otherwise, we're just pretending to be testing learners, and they're just pretending they've learned the subject for the test. Assessment is a lot different from testing, and teaching is a lot bigger than both.
This was a rather interesting one and I guess pretty much all words are important, so I'll just talk about it instead of pointing out the words. I guess speaking too much is one of the first problems one faces as a language teacher. there are, of course, times when it's OK to forget about Teacher Talking Time (TTT) if you know what exactly you're doing and depending on your approach to language learning. It also seems acceptable, at least for certain levels, to speak a bit more. If you want to teach well, just don't forget you're not alone in the classroom and always remember to take your students into account.
Following the train of thought from the snapshot above, it's only clear to say what good teachers do, or at least should do: help learners. And if you're in teacher-training, you should get your teachers to help their learners, which will, in turn, change them into good teachers. Got it?! 🙂
This is also rather interesting. In spite of my personal interest in pronunciation, it's not just about having a pretty accent. Learning involves many different things, such as grammar, vocabulary, pragmatics, speaking, listening, and reading. Learning, however, also needs writing. It's not just about writing, obviously. Nevertheless, I truly believe that pronunciation is not the only thing that is neglected in out teaching (for many different reasons), but so is writing. Perhaps we could also look at it more carefully, huh?!
As a dogmeist, I couldn't leave aside the bit of the cloud that deals with conversation. In a way, if we give our students a chance to talk and really communicate, it might be a lot easier for them to learn the language. Nevertheless, teachers cannot lose sight of the fact that mere conversation isn't enough – learning has got to be the main point of the activities if we want our students to succeed and come across as independent users of the language.
This last bit I've chosen to analyse might be a note to myself. Even though I've been feeling like writing more often, perhaps my writing isn't exactly good. Has it actually gone bad? Has it ever been good? I mean, maybe it's time I started changing the focus of the blog and the posts, which might perhaps help me improve on my reflections on teaching and learning. Or, you know what, maybe the blog should keep on as it was conceived – a place where I can share my views, hear other people's voices on the matter, and finally be able to learn a tad more about what I was thinking. To be honest, I don't expect it to be good or bad, as long as it was worth your time reading up to this point. And if you happen to have the time to leave a comment, or go through some of the old posts of mine I linked to throughout the post, even better!
Cheers!! 😀
Care to join me?
Even though things have been a lot quieter than I wanted them to be, I've been doing lots of thinking lately. There are many posts yet to come in response to other blog posts I've read, and a couple of extra material on the way. This semester's been particularly busy as I've taken up some new responsibilities, and I'm still getting used to the new workload. It's all falling into place, and I hope I'll soon be able to resume my writing on the blog.
However, I'm writing this quick blog post as a call for collaboration. Last year I wrote a post asking for the same thing. A couple of teachers responded to it and we even started planning things, but it never took off. Regardless of this unsuccessful experience, I asked my students to create a wiki page on topics of their interest and, closer to the end of the year, I was joined by a teacher in Atlanta and we could actually put our students to work together. It was a wonderful experience for students, albeit short.
Nevertheless, it was enough to give me some practice and also to spot some problems that came up and think of strategies to solve them. This year, I again call for the collaboration of teachers interested in getting their EFL/ESL learners to collaborate with our class in Brazil. I'm trying to keep things simple, and they seem to be working all right. I'll also introduce new tools for students to work with as time goes by and more people join in. The idea is for learners to practise using English in an authentic and meaningful environment.
Our learners are from all different levels – A1 to B2 in the CEF, or beginners to upper-intermediate – and they have been told they are to work together to get their message across. Anyway, in case you are interested in joining, pay a visit to our wiki: http://crossculturalelt.wikispaces.com and send me an email (email@example.com) or a message on FaceBook.
Teachers who join are free to work in any way that suits his or her needs, be it for assessing students or simply giving them a chance to talk to people from different cultures. They may also choose to help me with the organisation of the wiki and the tasks or not – no need to worry about extra work on our already over-worked lives! 🙂
Once you join, I'll also ask you for the logo of your school to add to the main page.


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July 29th, 2014 by bsradmin
Bobby Bare, Jr. covered The Smiths' classic "What Difference Does It Make?" featuring some guitar solos from Cory Branan. We tried to get these guys to drop by Bloodshot HQ, but time was limited, so we just set up our gear at Schubas Tavern before their show and told Bobby and Cory to do their thing. Consider it an "Off-Site" edition of Live at BSHQ.

subset: commoncrawl


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`Black woman` judge to preside over Pistorius trial in March
Johannesburg: A woman judge has reportedly been appointed to hear the case of Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, who has been charged with the murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, which re-opens in early March.
Pistorius is set to go on trial on March 3 this year for the 2013 Valentine`s Day murder of Steenkamp and will also answer charges for discharging a firearm on two separate occasions before the model`s death.
According to a channel, a judiciary spokesperson said that High Court judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa, who was only the second black woman to be admitted to the bench during the apartheid era, would preside at the trial.
The report mentioned that the double-amputee `Blade Runner` shocked the world when he admitted shooting Steenkamp, although he denied murder and said that he shot her through a locked bathroom door in his upmarket Pretoria home because he thought she was an intruder.


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Texas Health Insurance Pool1-888-398-3927TDD 1-800-735-2989
Sample (Standard Plans I-IV) Effective 06/01/2013
Policy Sample
(High Deductible Health Plan
/HSA-Qualified Plan V)
Effective 06/01/2013
BCBSTX Medical Policy Guidelines
Page Links:
Insurance Company Info
About the Pool
The Y2014 Pool calendar year medical deductibles (except the HSAQ plan) will be
prorated. [Click
Here] for more information.
Health Pool Plan Benefits as of 03/01/2013[see Outline and Policy for specifics related to each benefit]
Plan III(Insured Pays)
Annual PPO Medical Maximum Out-of-Pocket Amounts
Plan VHDHP/HSA-Qualified
$1000 + $3000 = $4000 Annually
$2500 + $3000 = $5500 Annually
$5000+$3000=$8000 Annually
$7,500+$5,000=$12,500 Annually
$3,000 Annually
Annual Pharmacy Deductible/Copays
The Calendar Year Deductible, the Emergency Care Deductible, Physician Office Visit Copayments, and Charges for Outpatient Prescription Drugs DO NOT COUNT toward the Coinsurance Maximums.
After the insured pays the medical deductible for the policy, the policy pays the amount of Covered Expenses in excess of the Coinsurance Amount subject to policy limits. For Covered Expenses from a Preferred Provider, once you have paid your Coinsurance Maximum, the policy pays 100% of Covered Expenses from Preferred Providers for the rest of the Calendar Year. In no event will the policy pay more than the Lifetime Maximum for each Insured Person.
The deductible amount selected may not be changed to a lower amount after the Policy is issued. You may request to change to a higher deductible, if offered, but only one such change will be allowed in a calendar year. The change will be effective on the first of the month following the date your written request is received, or a later date if requested.
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[See Outline and Policy for specifics related to each benefit]
The Pool has selected the BlueChoice� Network as the Pool's Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Although you may choose any medical provider or hospital, you will save money by using providers from the BlueChoice� Network.
If you choose a BlueChoice provider, the Policy will pay a greater coinsurance rate and the BlueChoice provider's rate will be based on the contract rate of the network. If you choose a Non- Preferred Provider, the Policy will pay a lower coinsurance rate and there is no coinsurance maximum. Also, Covered Expenses for a Non-Preferred Provider will be based on the Allowable Amount, which may be less than the provider's billed rate and which could result in a greater expense to you.
If you choose not to use a BlueChoice� provider, it is still beneficial to use a "ParPlan" provider. While not a network preferred provider, a ParPlan provider will not bill you for the difference between covered expenses and the provider's billed charges.
There are other advantages to using BlueChoice and ParPlan providers. They will handle the initial paperwork so you do not have to file claims. They may also precertify benefits for you, although it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that your services have been authorized by the Pool.
If there are no BlueChoice providers available to you, you must contact the Administrator's precertification referral department at its toll free number. Generally, a BlueChoice provider will be considered to be unavailable to you if you reside more than 30 miles from a BlueChoice provider. If there are no BlueChoice providers available to you and you contact the Administrator before obtaining services from a Non Preferred Provider, Covered Expenses for treatment or services by the Non Preferred Provider will be paid at the Preferred Provider coinsurance level.
If an Insured Person's Preferred Provider's arrangement with the Network, chosen by the Pool for this Policy, terminates and, at the time of such termination, the Insured Person has special circumstances, benefits for Covered Expenses received from that provider will be paid as if the Covered Expenses were received from a Preferred Provider until: in the case of an Insured Person who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, the end of nine months after the effective date of termination; in the case of an Insured Person who, at the time of termination, is past the 24th week of pregnancy, delivery of the child, immediate post-partum care and the follow-up checkup within the first six weeks after the delivery; or in all other special circumstances, the end of 90 days after the date of termination.
The BlueCard Program provides access to Preferred Providers of other Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plans outside Texas. If You incur expenses outside Texas through the BlueCard Program, You must pay the Preferred Provider Coinsurance amounts after satisfaction of the Deductible. Covered Expenses for a BlueCard program provider will be calculated using the lesser of the billed charges of the BlueCard provider or the negotiated rate the Administrator pays the local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plan.
Preexisting Condition Limitation
During the first 12 months following the effective date of coverage, the Policy will not pay benefits for any charges or expenses for a preexisting condition.
This waiting period will be reduced by the number of months the Insured was covered by creditable coverage in place during the 12 months before the
Pool policy effective date.
Insureds who enroll under the COBRA exception and did not exhaust continuation are subject to a minimum 6-month preexisting condition waiting period.
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Anthocyanin 5-70% Natural Wild Elderberry Extract
Anthocyanin 5-70% Natural Wild Elderberry Extract
Min.Order Quantity: 1 Kilogram/Kilograms
Supply Ability: 800 Kilogram/Kilograms per Month
Port: DaLian in China
Payment Terms: T/T,Western Union,MoneyGram,paypal
Appearance: Purple red powder
Odor: Characteristic
Sieve Analysis: 100 mesh
Assay: UV5% ~ 70%,HPLC5% ~ 70%
Heavy Metal: NMT 10PPM
Ash: NMT 5%
Loss on drying: NMT 5%
Total Plate Count: NMT 1000CFU/gm
E. Coil: Negative
Salmonella: Negative
Yeast & Mould: NMT 100CFU/gm
Storage: Store in cool & dry place; Keep away from strong light and high heat.
Shelf life: 36 months when properly stored
Package: Enterprise standard. Drums or cartons, 25kgs/drum(carton), 2.5kg/bag, double vacuum plastic packing (vacuum sealed foil bags) inside.
and we can package as customer's requirements.
Elderberry Extract
1. As medicine raw material: It can promote the healing of gastrointestinal ulcers; It can be used for acute and chronic hepatitis and hepatitis evocable hepatomegaly, hepatocirrhosis; promote the healing of liver function.
2.As foodstuff colorant: Widely used in cakes, beverage, candy, ice cream etc..
3. As chemical raw material for daily use: Widely used in many kinds of green medicine toothpastes and cosmetics.
HACCP Certificate, ISO9001 Certificate, Halal Certificate, CIQ Certificate, PONY Certificate and US FDA Certificate. And we are also 6-year Alibaba supplier. Now, we can do commodity inspection.


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Today I got it so right with my cooking, that I decided to share it with you! I made stuffed eggplants and they're probably amongst the easiest, healthiest, tastiest and cheapest things I've ever cooked! I used this recipe as a guideline, but mine were a bit different.
I started by halving the eggplant and scooping the flesh out, to leave two half skins.
I cooked the chopped eggplant flesh with some champignons that I had in the fridge until soft, then added a chopped onion and one clove of garlic. Seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.
When it was all a bit soft and mushed, I put the saucepan to the side and brought some tinned chopped tomatoes with some water and vegetable stock to a boil.
I added some uncooked bulgur (any lentils or rice or quinoa or equivalent would do, or nothing, if you'd rather) to the eggplant/mushroom mix and then mixed it with the tomato stock.
I filled the skins, adding some breadcrumbs, for the sake of a crust, and some ajvar, because I like the taste, and put it in the oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes.
Prepare yourselves for a foodgasm, guys. Just saying! Do attempt this at home!
After dinner I felt like something sweet and spontaneously made the easiest, tastiest, quickest cake, every Swede's quick sugar fix, the Kladdkaka (Mud Cake). Here follows an easy recipe, I've put in clammers how I altered it, don't be afraid of changing the ingredients and making it your own! Experiment more in the kitchen!
- 100 g Butter (I used Coconut Oil, which is not only healthier, but also makes it taste like coconut, added bonus!)
- 2 1⁄2 dl Sugar
- 2 Eggs (I did use eggs, but you can swap them some corn or potato starch, to make the cake vegan)
- 1 dl Flour (I used gluten free flour mix)
- 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder (I put 1/2 dl, because it's a chocolate cake, and I love chocolate.)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Sugar (I used Real Vanilla Powder, be careful not to use too much, it will make the taste bitter)
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Melt the butter (or coconut oil), the original recipe says to melt it in a saucepan, but I find the microwave works just as well. Add the sugar and the eggs, stirring, mix it well. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well and make sure everything is mixed. Pour the mix into a greased and breaded baking tin. Bake in the middle of the oven for ca 15 minutes. The cake should be hard and crisp around the sides and sticky in the middle. Let it cool before serving. It's traditionally served with whipped cream or ice-cream, but I enjoyed it pure.
Easy, quick and TASTY! Let me know if you tried it and how it turned out! 🙂
A x


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Jennifer Nettles and Kelly Clarkson 'Duets' Partners Revealed
'Duets,' the new reality singing competition series starring Sugarland vocalist Jennifer Nettles and semi-country singer Kelly Clarkson, debuts this coming Thursday (May 24) in a two-hour premiere. The premise of the show is that established vocalists will partner with neophytes for –you guessed it- a duet! Rather than be judges or mentors, the celebs are performing alongside the hopefuls. Ahead of the big bow at 8 PM ET, the singing partners of each mentor have been revealed by ABC.
Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's Kids Will Be 'Golden' Thanks to Love of Animals
Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, country's first couple who celebrated their first wedding anniversary last Monday (May 14), are big animal lovers. They incorporated their pets into their wedding ceremony and according to Shelton in a recent chat and photo spread in In Touch, they've rescued "at least 20 dogs, as well as cats and horses." The irony that the duo lives in a converted hunting lodge in Oklahoma, and the fact that they are avid hunters, is not lost on them, either. However, their dedication to domesticated critters does offer insight into how they will fare with kids.
Jake Owen Arrested in Florida
Lady Antebellum Perform 'Dancing Away With My Heart' on 'The View'
Check out Lady A's performance yesterday on The View.
George Jones Hospitalized
Legendary country singer George Jones has been admitted to the hospital. He is suffering from an upper respiratory infection.
Kenny Chesney Plans Debut At The ACM Awards
Kenny Chesney is planning to perform the first single from his brand new album on the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 1.
Man Drops $50K to Restore Ride to Look Like 'The A-Team' Van
Tag Majid has his priorities in order. The 40-year-old father of three spent nearly $50,000 and a year of his life restoring a beat up, 1985 GMC Vandura, turning it into his very own 'A-Team'-style ride. We love it when a plan comes together.
Carrie Underwood Shows Naughty and Nice Sides in New 'Good Girl' Video
There's two sides to every story and to country superstar Carrie Underwood. In the video for her brand new single 'Good Girl,' Underwood plays the role of the good, wholesome girl as well as that of the rebel. The one thing that unites the two sides of her personality and the parts she plays? A deep, unwavering love of gorgeous, dangerously high and infinitely stylish heels. What gal doesn't love a pair of fab shoes?
Miranda Lambert Wants Bacardi Tour Sponsorship
Are the powers-that-be at Bacardi listening? Miranda Lambert wants to talk to you. So does her husband, Blake Shelton.
Miranda Lambert Spills About Playing Advisor to Blake Shelton's 'The Voice' Team
Miranda Lambert has a more active role on this season of 'The Voice.' While she supported her husband, coach Blake Shelton, last season and performed with his finalist Dia Frampton on air, this season, she's more deeply involved as an advisor to Shelton's team.
Davy Jones Dead at 66: Trace Adkins and Chuck Wicks Share Fond Memories
Former Monkees singer Davy Jones died of a heart attack today (Feb. 29) at the age of 66. Though Jones was a pop icon, memorizing kids of the '60s with his television series band, even country stars were affected by the loss and shared fond memories of the singer and the show via Twitter. It just goes to show that music is a universal language, regardless of genre.
Dierks Bentley Logs Millionth Mile After Canadian Tour
Dierks Bentley is a member of the million mile club. The singer just wrapped the Canadian leg of his 2012 Country & Cold Cans Tour in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Thursday, Feb. 23. Upon crossing the border to re-enter his home (or is that 'Home?') country of the U.S., "Old Goldie," his tour bus, logged its millionth mile.


text:
$36.12 donated in past month
IMC Network
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay FeatureRelated Categories: Santa Cruz Indymedia | Environment & Forest Defense
San Benito Supervisors to Consider Enacting "Protect Our Water" Initiative
On Tuesday, May 6, the future of fracking and extreme extraction in the ag-heavy county of San Benito will temporarily be in the hands of its elected leaders. Since the "Protect Our Water" Initiative qualified for the ballot earlier this week, county supervisors must consider the grassroots anti-fracking measure at their meeting, on the agenda for 1:30 pm. The public is urged to attend.
The supervisors can do one of three things: 1) Adopt the initiative and make it law, which can only be reversed by a vote of the people; 2) Order all affected departments to complete fiscal impact reports within 30 days; and 3) Order the initiative be put on the November ballot. The second option is the most likely scenario.
Since the San Benito County Board of Supervisors revised their "Gas & Oil Ordinance" last summer, oil companies have requested permits for several new wells. This ordinance gives drillers bargain-basement prices to drill at will in a bucolic county where good ground water is scarce for local ranches, farms and vineyards.
The "Protect Our Water and Health: Ban Fracking" Initiative was organized by a local group of county residents called San Benito Rising. This volunteer group launched this initiative because they believe that the people in their county should have a voice in whether to allow heavy industrial activities like oil and gas drilling to endanger their water supply.
"Now the ball is in the supervisors' hands," said Andy Hsia-Coron, one of the spokespersons for San Benito Rising. "They can act courageously and vote for the initiative or succumb to the intimidating tactics of the oil and gas industry."
Recently, attorneys representing the state gas and oil industry sent a threatening letter to the supervisors warning them against the anti-fracking initiative, promising to thwart the will of the people in the courts. Historically, local officials in fiscally challenged jurisdictions are often cowed by threats of legal actions from large corporations.
Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, the attorneys representing San Benito Rising, dispute the legal reasoning of the industry letter and believe the initiative is both lawful and defensible.
Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is a technique used by oil and gas companies to break open hard rock in order to access deeply-buried petroleum deposits. The process generates massive amounts of "produced" wastewater that contains known carcinogens including benzene, toluene, naphthalene and acrylamide. Other high intensity petroleum extraction methods like cyclic steam injection also generate huge amounts of wastewater, which can contain heavy metals and radioactive substances. This wastewater is injected underground or stored in evaporation ponds, which can leak.
If the measure passes, San Benito will be one of California's first counties to ban high intensity petroleum operations (fracking, cyclic steam injection, acid matrix stimulation and acid fracking) in a "frontline county," where drillers have already started to tap into the oil and gas hidden in the depths of the Monterey Shale and other formations.
San Benito Rising


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Liwa wants to know if its possible to read e-mail messages without an Internet connection. Continue reading
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text:
- Akademik Sergey Vavilov
- Research Ship
- 92 Capacity
- 11 Days
View Departure>
- Price from
- $999,999,999
- I'm Interested
Summary : Experience the majestic beauty of the Antarctic Peninsula and the rich, storied history of the Falkland Islands. Begin your adventure in this wild, windswept landscape and home to an abundance of unique wildlife in an expedition that combines your Falklands visit with an in-depth exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula. Round out your journey with an exploration of the South Shetland Islands. Experience the highlights of Antarctica—enjoy walks ashore with naturalist guides, visit historic huts, view spectacular icebergs while zodiac cruising, and witness an awe-inspiring abundance of wildlife.
Activities : Birding, Camping, Hiking, Kayaking, Photography
Ask about our Pay More Now and Save plan. Conditions apply. Please contact ExpeditionTrips for details.
Prices from
$999,999,999 to $0
Your journey commences this morning in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas. Meet at the airport and fly on the scheduled service to Stanley in the Falkland Islands. After a short 90-minute flight, arrive in Stanley where you will be met on arrival and transferred to the pier, embarking your expedition ship, Akademik Sergey Vavilov. After settling in to your cabin and exploring the ship, meet your expedition team and fellow passengers. Excitement is in the air as you enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner and cast off, bound for Antarctica—and the adventure of a lifetime.
Cruise down the coast of the Falklands and you approach Sea Lion Island, note the very barren and windswept landscape, exposed to the sometimes wild weather that originates in the Drake Passage. Launch zodiacs and go ashore to view the remarkable wildlife colonies found here. Three species of penguin including gentoo, magellanic and rockhopper exist in the vicinity. Southern elephant seals and South American sea lions are found hauled out on the beaches. Once ashore, look for king cormorants and striated caracaras. Weather permitting, you may have time to visit neighboring Bleaker Island, another settlement on the exposed southeastern coast of the Falklands. In the evening, push out into the Scotia Sea, charting a course for the frozen continent.
The days at sea are never dull. Much time is spent on the bridge or outer decks, scanning the horizon in search of whales and other marine mammals. A profusion of seabirds delight you as they wheel and spin around the ship. Spend plenty of time with your onboard polar experts as they share their passion and information on the wonders of the South Atlantic Ocean and Antarctic eco-systems. The history of early polar exploration is a popular theme. Perhaps you will pick up some valuable tips from the onboard photographic guide, learning about image composition, the subtle and soft polar light and all the basics of good camera craft. You will also learn about Polar conservation—a theme particularly close to the hearts of your expedition guides and crew.
The dramatic ice cliffs of Elephant Island come into view marking your arrival at the fabled Point Wild on the north coast of this remote outcrop. It is here that Shackleton and his men were encamped under their upturned life boats after their ship, the HMS Endurance, sank in the deep Weddell Sea in 1915. Shore landings at Point Wild are notoriously tricky due to the surging ocean currents and pounding surf on the rocky beach. If conditions are right, you will attempt a landing. This is a thrilling location and a major highlight for history buffs.
Leaving Elephant Island behind, enter the broad expanse of the Bransfield Strait which separates the South Shetland Islands from the Antarctic Peninsula. The magnificent snowy peaks of continental Antarctica are laid out before you. Even your experienced expedition staff, some with more than 100 journeys south, will take a moment to pause and reflect on the immense power of Antarctica. Take a deep breath—you have arrived.
The waterways of the Antarctic Peninsula are home to deep bays, pristine coves, inlets and numerous small islands. The landscape features heavily glaciated mountains permanently covered in ice and snow. Rocky outcrops are home to gentoo, adelie and chinstrap penguin rookeries and the waters are rich in marine life. Visitors frequently encounter seals, including the powerful leopard seal, often found relaxing on an ice floe. Curious humpback whales and the smaller minke whales are found in sizable numbers feeding on the rich krill blooms. Sightings of orca are not uncommon.
Enjoy several days of exploration, with the activity program in full swing, allowing guests to choose how their adventure unfolds. Popular activities include guided hikes on shore and visits to wildlife colonies with expert naturalist guides, while the historic huts and science stations provide a fascinating glimpse into the past and the present. Zodiac cruising among the ice is a memorable activity and sea kayakers may range several miles from the ship. Your photography guide will be on hand to help you with your camera handling, image composition and the peculiar light found in Antarctica.
Planned excursions could include Cierva Cove, Danco Island, or a cruise through the Errera Channel to visit the penguin rookeries at Cuverville Island. Wilhelmina Bay is another favorite location and one where travelers frequently encounter playful humpback whales. Paradise Bay is a particular highlight and offers an excellent hiking route providing stunning 360 degree views.
After several busy days of exploration, head north across the Bransfield Strait, bound for the South Shetland Islands. The adventure is not over and, if the weather conditions allow, sail the ship into the flooded volcanic caldera at Deception Island. This is a very dramatic landscape and home to several penguin rookeries along the black sand beaches. History is all around as you explore the old whaling station, with the rusted old boilers and dilapidated wooden structures. At the far end of the beach is an old aircraft hangar. This is where Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins made the very first flight in Antarctica in 1928. There is an outstanding hike here, high up onto the rim of the crater.
On a sunny day, cruising along the coast of Livingston Island is a memorable experience. There are several other landing sites in the vicinity including Half Moon Island, and the broad pebbly beach at Yankee Harbor, where visitors often encounter Weddell seals sunning themselves. This is a great spot for a hike or a zodiac cruise. Tonight, enjoy a special dinner attended by the Captain of the ship.
This morning, anchor off King George Island. Say goodbye to your crew and transfer ashore by zodiac. Time permitting, explore the surrounding area. There are several important research bases here including Chile's Frei Station and Bellingshausen Station. Transfer to the airstrip for the two-hour flight to Punta Arenas in southern Chile. It will be possible to connect to flights through to Santiago or other destinations in Chile. Otherwise enjoy a night in this delightful city, or venture further afield to explore the highlights of Patagonia.
The above itinerary is a guide only, as the exact program depends on weather and ice conditions and the wildlife you encounter. Flexibility is the key to the success of this expedition.
Mandatory Insurance:
All guests are required to have comprehensive travel insurance which must cover accidents, injury, illness and death, medical expenses, including any related to pre-existing medical conditions, emergency repatriation (including helicopter) and personal liability. ExpeditionTrips strongly recommends at least $200,000 Emergency Medical/Evacuation coverage for Antarctic trips which includes coverage for cancellation, trip disruption, baggage and personal property. ExpeditionTrips can assist you with this. You must carry proof of insurance with you and produce it if requested by expedition staff. The expedition team reserves the right to cancel or suspend your participation on a trip or in certain activities that comprise part of a trip, at any time, including after the commencement of your tour, with no right of refund, if you are unable to provide proof of insurance when requested.
Sea Kayaking Option: $795 per person
Pre-booked option for up to 16 guests. If you have experience sea kayaking and are interested in doing this activity during the expedition, you will need to book this option prior to departure from home. You cannot book this activity once onboard. There is a separate document for sea kayakers that you will need to review beforehand. Provided equipment includes full Gore-Tex drysuits, kayak specific PFD's, neoprene booties, a waterproof deck bag, pogies and many other vital paddling accessories.
Enhanced Photography Program: No additional supplement
Select departures host an enhanced photography program, where in addition to the photographer in residence, a professional photographer will serve as one of the expedition guides. This expands the opportunities and bandwidth for those passengers looking to learn more and get more out of their images. Also available is an onboard multimedia download studio with computers, cables, and hard-drives for back-up storage and for creating DVDs of your images.
Hiking Excursions: No additional supplement
No pre-booking required. Trekking poles are available onboard for passenger use and instep crampons will be provided if necessary to improve traction on slick surfaces. Sturdy hiking books and warm hiking socks are needed to join this activity. Hikes will be 2-3 hours in duration and will involve negotiating challenging terrain without the assistance of trails. Antarctica hiking rewards with images of snow, ice, mountains, and glaciers.
Camping Option: No additional supplement. (Possibly available on select departures. Contact ExpeditionTrips for details)
No pre-booking required. If conditions are suitable and you choose to camp on the continent, all the required gear, such as bivy sacs and sleeping bags, will be provided. This excursion is managed with strict environmental regulations. A portable outhouse tent is used and absolutely everything is transported back to the ship afterwards.
Photography: No additional supplement.
An onboard photographer is available to work with you throughout the voyage to help you improve your photography and encourage you to look at scenes or events in a different way in order to capture them digitally. Also available is an onboard multimedia download studio with computers, cables, and hard-drives for back-up storage and for creating DVDs of your images.
Accommodation aboard the ship; return flights Punta Arenas to Stanley / King George Island to Punta Arenas; all meals during the voyage prepared by onboard professional chefs; afternoon tea with fresh snacks each afternoon; coffee, tea, hot chocolate throughout the day; all Zodiac excursions; extensive program of relevant educational presentations; advice from experienced team of naturalists; foul weather gear set (pants/jacket/wellington boots OR waterproof backpack/waterproof binoculars/wellington boots); use of multimedia station; welcome reception; welcome dinner; farewell dinner hosted by Captain; 'Memory Book' (log book chronicling your trip, includes photos); onboard medical officer; pre-departure information; hairdryers available on request at no charge; group transfers from airport to ship in Port Stanley and from ship to airport in King George Island.
Not Included:
All airfare (except where explicitly stated above); visa and passport fees; airport departure taxes; pre-cruise or post-cruise meals, transfers, and hotel accommodation; personal laundry charges; postage; telephone calls; drinks; medical expenses; trip interruption and cancellation insurance; travel medical insurance including medical evacuation (required); gratuities to staff and crew; private fitness sessions; massage therapy; fee for optional programs.
PHOTOS: © Adam Riley; © C Lawton
Would you like to learn more about this trip or request availability?


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The Federal Work Study program is designed to help undergraduate students with financial need meet educational expenses through meaningful employment. The Office of Student Financial Services lists these part-time positions to help students find part-time employment positions on or off campus (at an approved community service site). The positions can range from clerical work to housekeeping. Students are paid at least the current federal minimum wage for hours worked. The amount a student is awarded depends on their financial need and the school's funding level. The amount a student earns cannot exceed their total Federal Work Study award.
To apply for any of these positions, you must be a current Missouri Baptist University student and have a completed Financial Aid file.
To be considered for a job, you may click Apply for a Job and you will be directed to a short job application. Please remember the code of the job in which you are interested, as you will be asked for this code in the application.
All job applications received with no job code will be discarded!


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Based upon my own first hand experiences riding motorcycles, I can say without a doubt that Loud Pipes do save lives! I have been in many situations, particularly when I am splitting lanes, where revving my engine and making noise got cagers to notice me and make way.
I have been in other situations on streets and on the freeways where cagers have had their windows rolled up, talking on a cell phone, and it appeared to me that they would switch into my lane. Again, revving the engine and making noise got them to notice that I was there.
The key to not getting hit by a cager while riding your motorcycle is to be seen by the cager. In some circumstances you have to force them to see and hear you.
The reason I am putting this article in the Biker Laws section of my Blog is simple. The law as it currently stands, prohibits you from modifying the stock exhaust system of your bike and creates a maximum decibel (noise level) at which your motorcycle can run in most States. Some cities even have their own noise ordinances.
I recently read an article where some cager was bashing bikers with loud pipes, and that loud pipes are a nuisance. The problem is that most motorcycle accidents are caused by cagers who fail to see motorcyclist. Loud Pipes will definitely get the cagers attention.
With that being said the choice is up to you. As a lawyer I cannot ever advocate not following the law. However in this particular instance having loud pipes may save your life. You need to check your own local laws to determine what you can and cannot do with respect to after market pipes and maximum noise levels.
There are no laws that I am aware of that prohibit you from installing an air horn of the type that are on Big Rig Trucks! This may be a viable alternative to loud pipes. If you see a cager who is not paying attention and that may hit you, blast your air horn! That will get their attention.
It's all about being legal on your motorcycle and being safe.
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. , Copyright 2006


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October 30, 2012,
Hooker said it aims to strengthen its Internet and mobile marketing and realign its corporate reporting structure with the moves.
Albanese, who most recently was a senior executive with retail software provider MicroD, has been named vice president of corporate marketing. Delgatti has been named executive vice president of corporate sales.
He also will continue in his current role as president of Hooker upholstery.
Both report to Alan Cole, president of Hooker Furniture.
Albanese will lead integration of marketing at Hooker, Bradington-Young and Sam Moore. Kim Shaver, vice president of marketing communications, will report to Albanese.
Albanese has extensive experience with Internet marketing and ecommerce. Before joining MicroD, he w
Albanese's understanding of the traditional furniture business and Internet and mobile marking should help the company and its retailers better engage young consumers, the company said in a press release.
Albanese will be based in Martinsville.
Delgatti's move comes as Hooker realigns parts of its corporate reporting structure. He is now responsible for sales management of Hooker case goods, Bradington-Young/Seven Seas and Sam Moore.
Reporting to Delgatti are Ray Harm, senior vice president of sales for Hooker case goods; Craig Young, senior vice president of sales for Bradington-Young/Seven Seas; and Frank Richardson, vice president of sales for Sam Moore.
Delgatti joined Hooker in 2009 as executive vice president of sales and marketing for Bradington-Young and was later promoted to executive vice president - then president - of Hooker upholstery.
Cole said Delgatti has "successfully expanded Sam Moore's line to include sofas and sectionals and has helped to nearly double sales in the Seven Seas leather division."
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YOW! 2012: Peter Moskovits - HTML5, WebSockets, and Modern Web Programming
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How far has the South African big-wave community come? All you needed to do was look at the podium atop the Nauticat at this year's Red Bull Big Wave Africa. There's third place, the fearless Capetonian Chris Bertish, beaming and laughing at the giddiness of it all. Second place Andrew Marr, carpenter by trade and big-wave surfer by nature – out of his mind about his day's performance and the crowd's recognition of it. And, of course, the elder statesman and spokesman for SA heavywatermen, John Whittle, graciously accepting the mic and the {{{100}}},000 Rand (about 15 grand) first-place check after his near flawless final in ragged, below-the-threshold Dungeons. "When Twiggy won Maverick's," said Whittle. "It was a win for all of us. We do things together here – it's all about learning from one another and lifting each other up."
You might say that about this entire group of BWA invitees who, when the models call, always find a way to drop everything and unite.
It started with an email 10 days ago. "Hey guys," it said. "heads up for the 26th and 27th. You know how unpredictable the models can be, but it's looking SOLID." Emails like this continued, with updates every 24 then 12 hours. "It's breaking apart just like every other storm this year." "Wait! No, it's actually STRENGTHENING." When the final electronic missive zapped through cyberspace last Saturday, giving the 2006 Red Bull Big Wave Africa an official "amber alert," that's when things really kicked into gear.
Ross Clarke-Jones and Paul Paterson bailed France for a dig at the eerie Hout Bay righthander. Carlos Burle disrupted his downtime in Brazil. Grant Washburn escaped a family reunion in New Jersey, while Jamie {{{Sterling}}} had to buy a business class ticket from Chile and arrive this morning at 9 a.m., just before the start of his heat. And, of course, the nine South Africans cleared their schedules and waited for the party to come to them.
Because when a contest like this actually happens, it's not just an event; it's a full-on big-wave bonding session.
You could just see it in the Hout Bay Harbor parking lot this morning. Big, genuine hugs and smiles. Gun comparions. Latest big-wave adventure story-swaps and, after getting the 7:30 a.m. nod from legendary event director Jonathan Paarman and head judge Gary Linden, nervous excitement that Red Bull would be holding its first event at the break in three years. "It's about 10 to 12 and clean, boys," he said, "but it should be picking up through the day."
Turns out most were a wee bit disappointed with the conditions. Inconsistency and a haphazardly pulsing swell plagued most of the event, with a stiff side/offshore wind increasing throughout the final. During its worst moments today, Dungeons looked like a half-baked Sunset Beach, barely big enough to break on the main reef and disappearing into that notoriously sharky deepwater abyss as soon as it appeared. The down periods certainly did a number on some of the favorites, causing guys like Grant "Twiggy" Baker, Greg Long and Paul Paterson to scratch their heads after first-round dismissals. "You can have the best forecasting, the best crew," said Paarman, who still made the right call in running the event. "but it doesn't matter. Mother Nature still has the final word. Especially in Cape Town."


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Bryan Fischer's reaction to the shootings at Ft. Hood was to claim that if only the shooter had been taught the 10 Commandments in school he wouldn't have done it. Right, because post-war PTSD is totally prevented that way. As Jon Stewart once said: If you think putting up the 10 Commandments in schools will make them behave better, you probably also think that "employees must wash hands" sign in the restaurant bathroom is keeping the urine out of your cheeseburger.
Fischer: Teaching 10Cs in School Would Have Stopped Ft. Hood Shooting
Related posts from Dispatches From the Culture Wars:
After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.
- sugarfrosted
Fun fact: The Ten Commandments are taught in school because it's kind of important to three major world religions. Plus that wouldn't have helped with the first Fort Hood shooter, since Islam does teach the 10 commandments as well.
- lordshipmayhem
Maybe they should start by teaching the 10 Commandments in church.
- steve78b
Are the 10cs supposed to be the cure-all for everything?
If so, which version? The standard one that everyone spouts that Moses threw down and broke and therefore the Israelites never saw – or – the one in Exodus 34 that ends with "…not boil a kid in its mothers milk..". The version that says "..these are the ten commandments.."
I wish the religiots would decide. And re-write their bibles to eliminate the one that was not given to Israel.
Besides, most of the mass shooters probably read the 10cs and probably went to sunday school.
You don't get many atheists shooting folks right and left.
Steve in OK. ….. not shooting anyone…….Why is this Fischer guy not locked up in a rubber room?
- dingojack
Just lucky they were teaching people about the 10C in the Medieval Period otherwise nice Christian folks might have gone to the Holy Land to slaughter it's inhabitants or something — Whew close call!
- busterggi
Actually the "employees must wash hands" sign do help some in lowering the level of contamination in food but that's because they actually pertain to something happening right then & there.
Of course no one in the US except fundies has ever heard of Je-zus or the 10 Commandments, its not as if there have been movies of tv shows or books of comics or radio shows or….that mention them.
- eric
So, a man who makes his living doing television shows on the sabbath is telling people to obey the 10Cs.
- U Frood
But the "employees must wash hands" signs don't appear alongside another sign telling you how you MUST add poo to the foods of employees of other restaurants.
The 10 commandments' relevant rule "Thou shalt not kill" appears in a book where God metes out his divine retribution against his followers when they don't kill the proper people well enough.
- dingojack
Answer me this Bryan – Would have teaching the 10Cs in schools prevented those students, once they had grown up, from voting for Glenn Grothman?*
* "This year, Grothman has pushed to undo a state law that requires businesses to give their employees at least one day off a week." [See Exodus 20:8-11 for god's position on Glenn's bill].
- Pierce R. Butler
Presumably BF refers to the line usually translated as "Thou shalt not kill."
The people who take that part seriously tend not to join the Army.
- sinned34
"Thou shalt not kill". Two chapters later in that same book, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
Consistency, thy name is Yahweh. No wonder so many Christians are liars and hypocrites: they're just following the example of their deity.
- robertfaber
Well obviously, "Thou shalt not kill" should be amended to "Thou shalt not kill unless you believe it's totally justified." It's how they've been operating all along, anyway.
- sugarfrosted
@9 @10 Eh, the actually meaning of "kill" is closer to murder+manslaughter in that passage. So that's not really a good point. Granted this is moot since it would have done fuck all to stop it either way.
- sugarfrosted
*actual. German and Yiddish kind of shredded my English.
- sugarfrosted
@12 Sorry for the triple post, but I wanted to add an errata. If he finds the English translations inerrant then @10 does have a point, so… *shrugs.*
- dingojack
If he finds the English translations inerrant…. he's gonna have a diet of sand, pretty much.
- vmanis1
There is a crazy idea floating around that the Bible was written, not by God, but by human beings who imperfectly recorded thoughts that they attributed to God, that many of these accounts were edited by imperfect humans, translated by other imperfect humans, into the document we see today, in a process not unlike a perverse mixture of the game `Telephone' (aka `Gossip') and Rashomon. If this crazy idea were true, you would have a book where foul depravities live close to profound insights. If this crazy theory were true, the `God' who appears in it would appear completely contradictory.
I have argued here before that if you strip out the God references, you get 8 or so commandments that are actually very good sensible advice (don't kill, lie, steal, cheat; maintain a good work/life balance; don't go claiming you speak for God when you are really only spouting your own ideas) that people of diverse backgrounds can agree are a good (if incomplete) basis for ethical behavior. Those ideas can and should be taught in school (again, lest I be misinterpreted) in a secular manner, though it is reasonable to draw connections with the teachings of various religions.
Of course, this is the direct opposite of what Fischer wants, he wants kids believing that you shouldn't kill because God says so, rather than because killing is wrong.
- http://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/User:Modusoperandi Modusoperandi
"911. What's the emergency?"
"There's this guy here, and…"
"I…I…I don't think he knows the Ten Commandments!"
"Stay calm, sir. I'm dispatching a pastor to your location now."
- rory
@3 Steve,
"Besides, most of the mass shooters probably read the 10cs and probably went to sunday school. You don't get many atheists shooting folks right and left."
I don't see this as a useful statement. You could as easily say "Most people eating at McDonald's probably went to Sunday school…you don't get many atheists eating McNuggets."
Atheists are a fairly small piece of the overall population in this country, so unless there's some link between religiosity and propensity for mass murder (which I'm not aware has been reliably demonstrated) it's hardly surprising to find that most mass killers have some kind of religious background. Let's not resort to bogus reasoning to condemn our opponents OR to pat ourselves on the back.
- http://firstname.lastname@example.com democommie
Hey, Brainless Fissure; if the people who took us to war had PRACTICED the 10 commandments–as in not coveting other countries oil supplies, we prolly wouldn't have so many KKKrazzeepants mofos in the military to begin with.
- http://www.pandasthumb.org Area Man
@9 @10 Eh, the actually meaning of "kill" is closer to murder+manslaughter in that passage. So that's not really a good point.
Yeah, but murder and manslaughter are legal terms that define something already against the law. So it's either just telling you not to do something that's forbidden anyway, or it's too vague to mean anything, or it means that you're not allowed to kill anyone.
The first two would render the commandment useless, and the third contradicts Western legal tradition and what the 10-C fetishists themselves believe (they're typically big fans of justified killings that go well beyond what others considered justified).
- http://timgueguen.blogspot.com timgueguen
How about they teach about 10CC in schools instead? They're lots more fun than some old tablets.
- cjcolucci
I hate those "employees must wash hands" signs. I wait and wait and wait and no employee shows up to wash my hands. Eventually, I give up and wash them myself.
- Lofty
The "10C" sounds like homeopathic goodness.
- http://firstname.lastname@example.com democommie
I can never find "Ooooh Effendi" on the yoohootoobz–it was the first song I heard when a bass player I knew put on "Sheet Music".
I always liked the clever lyrics and the seemingly effortless and nearly seamless transitions from one style/time signature to another–my favorite is "Don't Hang Up", I've tried to have a couple of choreographers think about doing something with it, they listen and look at me like I'm insane.
Yes, you're right, btw; talking about 10CC is far more productive and enjoyable than talking about the TEN C's.
- eric
9 @10 Eh, the actually meaning of "kill" is closer to murder+manslaughter in that passage. So that's not really a good point.
Um, its a very good point given Numbers 31 and other biblical passages like it. Unless you are claiming that the intentional killing of noncombatants in war zones doesn't count as murder or manslaughter, God has in fact broken (and ordered the Jews to break) that commandment.
- StevoR : Free West Papua, free Tibet, let the Chagossians return!
@19. democommie :
.. if the people who took us to war had PRACTICED the 10 commandments–as in not coveting other countries oil supplies, we prolly wouldn't have so many KKKrazzeepants mofos in the military to begin with.
In reality we didn't invade Iraq for its oil you know – or really should by now.
There were a lot of reasons for the second war Saddam Hussein caused – most significantly the behaviour of Saddam Hussein himself. If the late and unlamented former Iraqi dictator had wanted to and behaved reasonably he could be alive in exile today with his murderous sons and the whole mess would've been avoided by him fleeing pre war – as was offered as an option many times.
If the Second Saddam War was really about oil then you have to ask why we didn't target Saudi Arabia instead? Because, y'know, in reality as opposed to far left wing conspiracy theory when the USA and other Coalition of the Willing nations want oil we buy it from the nations that have it and have pretty good relations with 'em as a result.
- thebookofdave
I think he has a point. Sure, knowing the Ten Commandments wouldn't prevent a shooting rampage. But having them repeated by Bryan Fischer might drive a killer to shoot himself instead.


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Peter Lalich, from West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va., earns Scout.com's vote for being the combine's top quarterback, just edging out Pat Bostick from Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, Pa. His combination of size, quick feet and a rifle arm were awfully hard to ignore.
Armando Allen from Miami Lakes High School in Healeah, Florida and Caleb King from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia were our picks for the top running backs at the combine. Both had exceptional junior seasons, so we weren't surprised to see them near the top of everyone's wish list. Both have good size, but Allen has that top gear that's hard to ignore. King was the combine's most-complete back, handing all facets of the position with ease. He was also voted as the U.S. Army's 'Super Combine' participant.
Brandon Clear, from Jamestown High School in Williamsburg, Va., was one of the receivers selected for this team. The interesting thing about Clear is that he has a twin brother - Byron - and both are excellent, rangy athletes that love to compete and get after it. Greg Little, from Hillside High School in Durham, NC., was our other selection. He seemingly never dropped a ball while getting a massive amount of reps, and he did it with style.
The Scout.com team was torn on who to pick for the tight end position. Austin Holt, a 2008 prospect from Bingham High School in West Jordan, Utah and Bradly Haynes from Mansfield Summit High School in Mansfield, Tex. were both in the running, but it was DaJohn Harris, from Serra High School in Gardena, Calif., that stole the prize with a late afternoon burst. Those coaches running the drills were impressed with Harris' ability to get downfield and use his body to both shield off defenders and to also make tough catches in traffic. He'll definitely be one to watch down the road (We spoke to Harris and UCLA is his current #1 school. A recruiting update on him is coming soon).
Limiting the offensive line to five players was extremely difficult, but someone had to do it. Dan Barry, from Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, Ohio, was selected for his consistent work and drive through six hours of demanding one-on-ones that tested the mettle of all who participated. The longer they went on, the stronger Barry got.
The next offensive lineman was a bit of a surprise - a 2008 prospect. Derek Tuimauga, Holt's teammate from Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah, was just relentless in locking down some of the country's best up-and-coming defenders. And he did it with a combination of guts, good feet, leverage and a bit of upper-body strength. He's going to be a beast to watch for the future.
Anthony Davis
And that brings us to our last two - James and LaShawn Pouncey, from Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida. These two guys, especially LaShawn, play the game of football at a whole different level. The Pounceys originally committed to Florida State, but have recently re-opened their recruitment. Expect the recruiting attention on these two hosses to be as hot as a summer day in Waco without shade.
The last offensive pick - top offensive athlete - goes to another Lakeland product; Chris Rainey. And it shouldn't be a huge stretch to acknowledge that one of Lakeland's fine running backs would look so good, especially running behind a line that included the Pouncey twins. But make no mistake - Rainey earned this distinction on his own. Hopefully his size won't limit DI schools from offering him scholarships, as he is a difference-maker all the way around.
On defense, it was nearly as hard to try and limit the number of amazing defensive linemen to only four. Kaniela Tuipulotu from Kahuku, Hawaii and Joseph Barksdale from Cass Tech in Detroit missed making the cut by a nose, but deserved to be included here because of their overall play. Tony Tucker, from Saint John's College High School in Washington DC., was one of the few guys that made the Pounceys look just a little human. Super-quick, Tucker is all about bringing it hard and fast from the edge.
But no-one brought it bigger, faster, or harder from the defensive end spot than the camp's defensive MVP, Brandon Joiner, from Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Tex. Following in the proud Shoemaker defensive footsteps (which includes 2005 U.S. Army All-American Roy Miller, now playing for Texas), Joiner was enthusiastically nominated by the all the Scout.com analysts that saw him. The next Eddie Jones, perhaps?
Andre Jones, from Andress High School in El Paso, Tex., was one of those players that early on caught our attention. Good frame, great quickness, and a lot of hustle and tenacity were the reasons why Jones made the list. There may have been some others that had glimpses, but Jones gave it 100 percent all day long.
The final pick is Lakeland's fourth - and final - pick; John Brown. Again, it's no stumper that someone from Lakeland would benefit from having to go up against the Pouncey's all day and night, and with Brown it shows. He just doesn't back down at all. Probably played with the highest motor of anyone on the lines during camp.
The three linebackers picked - Lorenzo Edwards, from Edgewater High School in Orlando, Florida, Joshua Gaines, from Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Tex., and Bryce McNaul from Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minn. - are all guys that not only excelled on the field, but passed the 'look test' off of it. Edwards just might have been the best overall athlete of the entire camp.
Ben C. Rain High School in Mobile, Ala. is not a school you want to throw the ball on, if you go by the play of defensive backs Ryan Williams and Elliott McGaskin. With one-on-ones going on all day, the DB's had to keep up the pace and trade blow-for-blow with the bigger receivers and tight ends that came to the Alamodome to show off their stuff. Williams and McGaskin were equal to the task, and them some.
Courtney Viney, from Edison High School in Stockton, Calif., was the one defensive back from the west coast that really impressed all the Scout.com analysts. Not the biggest DB, Viney used his body and his quickness to break up pass attempts all day long. No wonder California, Nebraska and Arizona have already offered Viney.
Destrehan, La. supplied Scout.com with the 2006 No. 1 cornerback prospect in Jai Eugene. That worked out so well for us, why not do it again? Remember this name from the suburb of New Orleans - Joshua Victorian. He did everything right on Sunday. Will he be No. 1 like Jai? Only time will tell...
Jordan Mabin from Nordonia High School in Macedonia, Ohio was our pick for the combine's best defensive athlete. Truth be told, we thought Mabin's play at defensive back was so good that we had to figure out a way to get him on the list, and his athleticism is as good as any of the defensive backs that showed up.
And last - but certainly not least - the combine's best kicker was Gary Young, from Mountain Home High School in Mountain Home, Ark. Young tried his best to beat the combine best kick of 63 yards, but he had to be satisfied with a 60-yard boomer that cleared the uprights. The best thing about Young? He will only be a junior this fall.