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Clean and Clean-Burn: Energy, the way it should be
Of all the energy that is available to us, solar energy is by far the most available and the most evenly distributed energy resource on planet Earth.
Wind and Solar + natural gas = Synergy
- Solar is available all day every day. But not at night.
- Wind is available day and night, but it can produce variable power levels as the wind blows over the landscape.
- Meanwhile, offshore wind turbines produce constant power, spinning at constant speeds for years at a time — except when an operator locks the blades during large storms or during the annual maintenance inspection.
Both solar power and wind power face varying levels of 'intermittency' — which requires the use of 'peaking power plants' or 'load-following' power plants — to meet total demand.
'Catch my Fall' — All electrical power generators are interdependent
How electricity grids use different power generators to meet total and constantly changing electricity demand.
In the case of renewable energy, the negatives include some variability in the total output of solar power or wind power generation due to temporary cloud cover or storms. At such times, natural gas-fired generation can ramp-up to cover any shortfall.
Note: This is a common and daily energy grid practice whether renewable energy is involved or not. Some gas-fired power plants are called peaking power plants which quickly ramp-up to meet output shortfalls. In fact, peaking power plants (which are almost always gas-fired) were created to meet temporary shortfalls — and were in widespread use long before renewable energy ever hit the market.
Also in the case of renewable energy, another negative is that the Sun disappears at night and solar panels stop contributing to the grid. And unless you have offshore wind turbines to make up the shortfall, onshore wind turbines may fall short of total demand. So at night, you need reliable power to make up shortfalls in primary generation.
Note: This is a common and daily energy grid practice whether renewable energy is involved or not. To cover this situation load-following power plants were designed to meet larger output shortfalls. In fact, load-following power plants were created to meet larger, daily, shortfalls — and were in widespread use long before renewable energy ever hit the market.
In the case of natural gas, the negative is that gas is subject to wild price swings, thereby making gas-fired generation very expensive. Which is why it evolved into peaking power plants, less often in the load-following role and almost never as a baseload power generator.
The other negative associated with natural gas is of course, the fact that gas turbines put out plenty of CO2. That we can deal with. Unlike coal, where the CO2 portion of the airborne emissions are almost the least of our worries — as coal emissions are loaded with toxic heavy metals, soot and other airborne toxins.
How can we deal with the CO2 emitted by gas-fired power plants?
As gas-fired peaking power plants typically fire up anywhere from a couple of dozen hours annually, to a few hours of every day (usually to cover the additional load of many air conditioners suddenly switching on during hot summer days, for example) we aren't talking about a whole lot of CO2.
Gas-fired load-following power plants typically run for a few hours every day and to cover demand in case of primary generator (like hydro-electric or nuclear power plant) maintenance. In the case of load-following plants, much more CO2 is produced annually.
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) of gas-fired CO2 emissions via tree planting
- Peaking power plants operate for a few hours per year. We're not talking that much CO2.
- Load-following power plants operate for many hours per year. More CO2.
But still, each mature tree absorbs (a low average of) 1 ton of CO2 from the atmosphere and keeps it in storage for many decades. Some trees, like the ancient Sequoia trees in California, are 3700 years old and store 26 tons of CO2 each! Certain trees native to Australia store even more carbon and live longer than Sequoia trees.
And, as anyone who has worked in the forest industry knows; Once that first planting hits maturity (in about 10 years) they will begin dropping their yearly seeds. Some trees like the cottonwood tree produce 1 million seeds annually for the life of the tree. American Elm trees set 5 million seeds per year. More trees. Always good.
It's an easy calculation: "How many tons of CO2 did 'ABC' gas-fired power plant output last year?"
Therefore: "How many trees do we need to plant, in order to cover those emissions?"
Simply plant a corresponding number of trees and presto! gas-fired generation is carbon neutral
By calculating how many tons each gas-fired peaking power plant contributes and planting enough trees each year to cover their CO2 contribution, tree planting could allow gas-fired power plants to become as carbon neutral as solar power or wind power.
The total number of trees that we would need to plant in order to draw gas-fired peaking power plant CO2 emissions down to zero would be a relatively small number, per local power plant.
By calculating how many tons each gas-fired load-following power plant contributes and planting enough trees annually to cover their CO2 contribution they too could become just as carbon neutral as solar panels or wind turbines. Many more trees, but still doable and a simple solution!
The total number of trees that we would need to plant in order to draw gas-fired load-following power plant CO2 emissions down to zero would be a much larger number. But not an impossible number.
So now is the time to get kids involved as part of their scholastic environmental studies, planting trees one day per month for the entire school year.
Let the gas-fired power plant operators contribute the tree seedlings as part of their media message that the local gas-fired power plant is completely carbon neutral (ta-da!) due to the combined forces of the power plant operator, the natural carbon storage attributes of trees, and students.
Up to one million trees could be planted annually if every school (all grades) in North America contributed to the effort — thereby sequestering an amount of CO2 equal to, or greater than, all gas-fired generation on the continent.
It's so simple when you want something to work. Hallelujah!
Baseload, peaking, and load-following power plants
Historically, natural gas was too expensive to used in baseload power plants due to the wildly fluctuating natural gas pricing and high distribution costs, but it is in wide use around the world in the peaking power plant role, and less often, in the load following power plant role.
Renewable energy power plants can be linked to 'peaking' or 'load-following' natural gas-fired power plants to assure uninterrupted power flows.
Peaking power plants operate only during times of peak demand.
In countries with widespread air conditioning, demand peaks around the middle of the afternoon, so a typical peaking power plant may start up a couple of hours before this point and shut down a couple of hours after.
However, the duration of operation for peaking plants varies from a good portion of every day to a couple dozen hours per year.
Peaking power plants include hydroelectric and gas turbine power plants. Many gas turbine power plants can be fueled with natural gas or diesel. — Wikipedia
Using natural gas for baseload power
Natural gas has some strong points in its favour. Often it is the case that we can tap into existing underground gas reservoirs by simply drilling a pipe into naturally occurring caverns in the Earth which have filled with natural gas over many millions of years. In such cases, all that is required is some minor processing to remove impurities and adding some moisture and CO2 to enable safe transport (whether by pipeline, railway, or truck) to gas-fired power plants which may be located hundreds of miles away.
It is the natural gas market pricing system that prevents gas from becoming anything other than a stopgap energy generator (read: peaking or load-following) and almost never a baseload energy generator.
Let's look at local solutions to that problem.
Several corporations are working with local governments to find innovative ways to capture landfill methane gas to produce electricity from it.
Keep in mind that the methane gas that escapes from every single landfill in the world (whether still operating or having ceased operations long ago) is 23 times more damaging to the atmosphere than CO2.
Increasingly, landfills are now installing perforated pipes underground which draw the landfill gas (so-called 'swamp methane') to an on-site processing facility. It is a low-grade gas which is sometimes blended with conventional natural gas to create an effective transportation or power generation fuel. Visit the Caterpillar Gas Power Solutions website here.
Waste Management is a global leader in the implementation of this technology, using its own landfills and municipal landfills across North America to produce over 550 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power more than 440,000 homes. This amount of energy is equivalent to offsetting over 2.2 million tons of coal per year. Many more similar operations are under construction as you read this. Read the Waste Management landfill bioreactor brochure (downloadable PDF) here.
Durban, South Africa, a city of 3.5 million people, has created a huge Waste-to-Fuel landfill power plant that provides electricity to more than 5000 nearby homes.
Durban Solid Waste receives 4000 tons of trash each weekday which produces some 2600 cubic metres of gas every day of the year.
The GE Clean Cycle Waste-to-Fuel power plant arrives in 4 large shipping containers, and once connected to the gas supply pipeline it is ready to power nearby buildings and to sell surplus power to the grid.
One GE Clean Cycle Waste-to-Fuel power plant unit can generate 1 million kWh per year from waste heat and avoid more than 350 metric tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the emissions of almost 200 cars.
Blending Conventional Natural Gas with Landfill Gas
As conventional natural gas is expensive (and much of the cost is associated with transportation of the gas over long distances) when we blend it 50/50 with landfill gas, we drop the cost of the gas by half. Thereby making blended natural gas (from two very different sources) more competitive as a power generation fuel.
By blending conventional natural gas 50/50 with landfill gas; We could produce baseload power with it — but more likely than that, we could use it to produce reasonably-priced load-following or peaking power to augment existing and future renewable energy power plants — rather than allow all that raw methane from landfills to escape into the atmosphere.
Best of Both Worlds — Renewable Energy and Natural Gas
Partnering renewable energy with natural gas in this way allows each type of power generator to work to their best strength — while countering negatives associated with either renewable energy or natural gas.
Renewable power generation and lower cost natural gas can work together to make coal-fired electrical power generation obsolete and accelerate progress toward our clean air goals.
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Monday, November 15, 2010
Cover art - "Miséricorde" (Havemercy) by Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett
7 comments:
- Susan Gourley/Kelley said...
That is great cover art. I like my book covers but I would be thrilled to have ths artist do my next book.
- November 16, 2010 at 4:06 AM
- Kristen said...
Wow, I wish my copy of this book had this cover! It's gorgeous!
- November 16, 2010 at 4:20 AM
- Unknown said...
I love that cover! You are right the French covers are mighty impressive. I have Pevel's Cardinal's Blade books with the French covers and I am impressed with them.
- November 16, 2010 at 5:40 AM
- Volataire said...
That's probably the best cover art I've ever seen. Like others have said, I wish my books could get a cover like that.
Thank you for another great review. :D
- November 16, 2010 at 6:36 PM
- Mihai A. said...
Susan, Kekai Kotaki is an amazing artist and he puts his talent to excellent use :)
Kristen, I wish that too :)
Tyson, the work on tge French covers are an example to follow in my opinion :)
Volataire, it is an excellent cover indeed :)
- November 17, 2010 at 12:07 PM
@Mihai (Dark Wolf)
agreed, the french edition covers for books r truly miles ahead of the US/UK covers,i recently downloaded a ton of french covers of books simply because they look so good,the question is why dont the US/UK publishers use them? do they seriously think that we like those cheesy covers they put out,lol.
- November 24, 2010 at 7:38 AM
- Mihai A. said...
I believe that the marketing departments have a heavy word in the look of covers. The French ones definitely look great and maybe they can be taken as a source of inspiration. Still, there will always be an aspect of marketing to be taken into account :)
- November 24, 2010 at 1:58 PM

subset: commoncrawl


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ATV riding is prohibited in our park. There are NO trails nearby to ride them on.
How far ahead can I reserve?
We accept reservations a year in advance and it is recommended that you reserve as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Does your campground offer group camping?
We are a family campground with limited tent sites. As such, we do not offer group camping.
Are your sites full service?
All of our RV/trailer sites have 30 amp power, municipal water and sewers. Our tent and cabin sites have municipal water and 15 amp power.
Can we have a dining tent on our site?
Yes, you are welcome to have a dining tent on your site in addition to your RV/trailer or tent.
Are we allowed to drink alcohol in your park?
Alcohol is permitted at your campsite. You are not allowed to walk through the park with open alcohol. Remember to drink responsibly.
Are we allowed a tent on our RV/trailer site?
No, all persons must sleep in the RV or trailer.
Can we walk to the Trans Canada and Strawberry Point Trail from the park?
Yes, it is a short walk to both from the park.
Do you allow ATV's?
ATV riding is prohibited in our park. There are NO trails nearby to ride them on.
Where is the nearest grocery store and beer store?
The town of Bracebridge is a short 5 minute drive from the park. It offers many shops and restaurants, including supermarkets, the LCBO and the Beer Store.
How late can we arrive for check in?
Our office closes at 9 p.m. daily. Anyone arriving after hours must make prior arrangements with our reservation office. Please, remember that other campers may be sleeping, so set up quickly and quietly. No arrivals after 10 p.m.
Are campfires allowed?
Yes, as long as it is safe to do so and there is not a fire ban in place. You are not permitted to bring firewood into our park. All firewood must be purchased at the park office. Remember to extinguish your campfire when going to bed.
Are there bears in the park?
We do not normally see bears in the park, however we are in bear country. Therefore, it is important to take care with your food items. Be sure not to leave food unattended. It is more likely that you will see a hungry chipmunk, rather than a bear. Please, be responsible and do not feed the wild animals. Keep your site clear of food and garbage and put all food items away at night or when your site is unattended.
Do we have to pay for showers?
No, our showers are free! Please, help to conserve water and keep your shower to a reasonable duration.
How safe is the water in the park?
All our water is provided by the municipality, thus it is very safe. We are the only campground in Muskoka that has the convenience of municipal water and sewers.


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The line between web and desktop applications is fading. Users now expect a richer experience. JavaScript can help provide interfaces and interactions that mimic the desktop. In this tutorial, I'll introduce you to the JavaScript-based Yahoo User Interface Library. We'll use it to convert normal HTML into more interactive controls.
Best of all, Yahoo's library is open-source and has been released under a BSD license, so it's free for all users.
What You'll Need
- Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS
- Some experience with JavaScript
Add YUI to Your Page
Like other JavaScript frameworks and toolkits, you can download YUI so that you'll have all the files. The examples in this tutorial will instead use special versions containing only the code you'll need.
Yahoo also has a file configurator to determine the YUI JavaScript and CSS files you need to access.
There are a couple upsides to going the hosted route:
1. Yahoo hosts the files for you. Save your bandwidth.
2. The files are minimized and combined into a single file. That means faster load times for your users.
If you want one a single call to YUI that will work for all the examples in this tutorial, select the following in the configurator:
- Filter: -min
- Options: Combine Files, Allow Rollup
- YUI CSS Packages: Fonts CSS Package
- YUI User Interface Widgets: Calendar Control, Carousel Control
The tool produces a single JavaScript reference and one CSS reference. Add these two lines, output from the tool, to the
 section of your HTML file:
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://yui.yahooapis.com/combo?2.6.0/build/fonts/fonts-min.css&2.6.0/build/calendar/assets/skins/sam/calendar.css&2.6.0/build/carousel/assets/skins/sam/carousel.css">
Before we move on to using YUI, you need to do one more thing to make Yahoo's CSS works for styling the controls we'll be using in this tutorial. Add the appropriate class to your page, like so:

OK, now we're ready!
Go 'Round With The Carousel Control
The rotating content pane is a common sight on information-heavy pages. For example, Yahoo's homepage has a version that cycles through the top stories of the moment. In YUI, this is called a carousel and implementing one is easy.
You can grab the code for this entire example in Webmonkey's Code Library, saving it as an HTML file, or simply follow along with each portion below.
Start With an Ordered List
One of the nice things about YUI Library is that it makes it easy to write code that degrades gracefully. The controls all start with basic HTML used as hooks for the JavaScript. In this case, our carousel is simply an ordered list. If the YUI code is somehow unable to load, the content will still show up in list form. It will look a little funky, but that's better than making the page explode or showing nothing at all.
Here's the HTML to get ready for our carousel:

Monkey

Likes

Riding

The

Carousel

The outer div is used as a hook for the entire object. Within it, I included a simple ordered list. Each list item is a Carousel panel. You can include anything within the
>li< tag. Here I'm just using a div, then adding some style. Go ahead and copy this into your stylesheet or between


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Matthew Lavian / Marist College via AP
A giant foam head floats on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Monday, April 22.
A huge foam and fiberglass head was discovered floating in New York's Hudson River by a college crew team earlier this week, and days later nobody knows where it came from.
The head, which is at least 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide, was found Monday morning by the Marist College men's crew team.
"The coach, who is in a motorboat, took a quick spin out and investigated it, and was as baffled as anyone by what he saw," said Greg Cannon, spokesman for Marist College. "But because it was a navigation hazard, he felt it was his duty to haul it in. It took about 10 members of his team to haul it in."
Because it was waterlogged, it weighed "at least a couple hundred pounds," he said. The head -- which has a foam core but is covered in a fiberglass shell and has metal rods in it -- has had a home in front of the Marist boathouse since it was dragged from the water.
Tyler Sawyer / Marist College via AP
Members of the Marist college crew team stand by a giant foam head found floating in the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Monday, April 22.
It's attracted lots of visitors and theories as to where it came from, including one suggestion that it came from a Mardi Gras parade and floated to Marist, which is located in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., overlooking the Hudson. But there have been no claims of ownership.
"It's not like someone just built it as a hobby, I don't think. It was definitely for an art installation, or a theater project," Cannon said.
The head, which has a gray shell and fleshy tones underneath, is missing some chunks, including its nose.
"It's kind of like a lost puppy," Cannon said. "If the owner shows up, we'll certainly return it, but I think the people will be sad to see it go."


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Coral reefs can be said to be "the rainforests of the oceans."
Coral reefs can be said to be "the rainforests of the oceans." These ecosystems are facing a long period of recovery after the devastating tsumani in South Asia in December.
ENN's Jerry Kay spoke with Drew Weiner, Director of Reef Protection International.
Weiner said that the area in the Indian Ocean that was struck is one of the most biodiverse in the world. An area such as this is susceptible to damage that's either man-made or from natural causes.
Shallow areas were seen to have been damaged the most, with soft coral particularly affected. According to Weiner, soft coral doesn't stand up to swift currents as well as hard corals.
The upside, however, is that soft corals have quick regrowth rates. The recovery has already started.
You can learn more here at Reef Protection International's website.


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The morning-after contraception pill, known as 'Plan B,' was made available to 13 New York high schools without requiring parental notification. WNBC's Roseanne Colletti reports.
New York City quietly launched a pilot program last year that allows a school nurse or doctor to dispense free emergency contraceptive pills and birth control pills to girls at 13 public high schools. High schools nationwide have distributed condoms for years, but the New York City program may be one of the first to provide contraceptive pills.
The program, called CATCH, or Connecting Adolescents To Comprehensive Healthcare, is aimed at reducing unplanned teen pregnancy. It began in January 2011, but wasn't publicized until the New York Post reported it over the weekend.
"In any given every year there are about 7,000 pregnancies to girls ages 15 to 17 in New York City, about 90 percent of those are unintended," said Deborah Kaplan, assistant commissioner at the city health department's Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health. "We wanted to make sure young people who are sexually active have easy access to contraceptive services and general reproductive health services."
Oral contraceptives, including the morning-after Plan B pill, have been available to students at most of the 40 schools that have school-based health centers for the last one to four years, depending on the school, Kaplan said. The centers, which serve about one-quarter of New York City's public high school students, provide primary care health services and are run privately by separate institutions like hospitals.
For the first time, with the CATCH program, the Health Department is making the contraceptives available in schools without the private health centers. The program began in January 2011 in five schools, and is now in 13 schools. The schools were chosen because they are in neighborhoods with high teen pregnancy rates or with limited resources for young people to get contraception. City high schools have long provided condoms.
Parents learned of the program through a letter that gave them a chance to opt out, which 1 percent to 2 percent of parents did, she said.
"We've had no negative reaction to the CATCH program," Kaplan said. "We haven't had one objection. We've just had the opt-outs."
The pilot program offers pregnancy testing, along with the Plan B morning-after emergency contraceptive pill, which helps prevent pregnancy when taken within 72 hours, and traditional birth control pills. To get Plan B, girls must see a nurse, who would obtain a doctor's order for the drug, Kaplan said. For oral contraceptives, they would need to see a Health Department doctor, Kaplan said.
The Health Department is studying to the program before deciding whether to expand. In the last school year, fewer than 1,200 of the 12,000 girls enrolled in the 13 schools obtained the oral contraceptives. For the 2011-2012 school year, 567 students received Plan B and 580 received birth control pills, Kaplan said. Of the unplanned teen pregnancies in the city, about 64 percent are terminated, the city says.
Dr. Cora Breuner, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence, called the program, "totally new. Totally awesome."
Teens nationwide aren't doing a good job using birth control to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, she said, and most do not have access to contraception at school.
"This is the first time that a school nurse can give both Plan B and oral contraceptives to their students," Breuner said. "This is great because it improves access to contraception and promotes education on reproductive health."
Dr. John Santelli, an adolescent medicine specialist and professor at Columbia University who studies contraception use, said the program sends a strong message to sexually active teens about the need for contraception.
"Kids that see that level of support for condoms and contraception are more likely to use it," he said. "It's a big deal in the sense that it's going to help the young woman that comes in, or the young man in the case of condoms, and it's a strong statement to young people that contraception is important."
Santelli predicted that the program will be effective, and said it could be replicated elsewhere. "I could see other big cities doing this," he said. "I hope they do."
The program is not without critics, though.
Valerie Huber, president of the National Abstinence Education Association, saw the program as an expansion of sex education and said the school system is not providing "meaningful skill building for abstinence education."
"This new service is kind of, no pun intended, a plan D for what to do if sex education doesn't work," Huber said. "We think it normalizes teen sex and does nothing to prevent sexually transmitted diseases."
Kaplan, from the Health Department, noted that 38 percent of teenagers are sexually active, and said the city is committed to keeping them safe.
"We're proud to play that role in promoting and protecting the health of our young people," she said.
More top health news:
Trampolines no place for kids, docs warn
Women born early may face difficult pregnancies
IUDs, implants best for birth control -- teens, too, docs say


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Live Out the Stories of the Bible at Jerusalem.com
Jerusalem.com brings the stories of the Old and New Testament to life by providing people of all faiths with authentic 3D tours and maps of many of the significant landmarks in the holy city.
"What we wanted to do was bring Jerusalem to all those [people] who weren't able to come here themselves," Elisha Jacobsen, Director of Strategy for Jerusalem.com, told The Christian Post. "We wanted to offer them an experience to learn about and visit Jerusalem, and [also] offer them some kind of spiritual experience."
The company recently released an application for iPad and iPhone users that grants them access to a detailed virtual 3D tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Jacobsen, along with the Jerusalem.com's CEO Segev Shilton and Chairman Igal Lichtman, are also working on tours for the former site of Solomon's temple, the Dome of the Rock, and Jewish Quarter.
Users of the app can interact with various objects and places found on these tours by clicking on them to examine them more closely and learn more about everything featured in a map.
"The idea was to make something that fuses gaming technology with faith," said Jacobsen describing the idea behind their interactive tours.
In order to create these tour maps accurately, Jerusalem.com employs well connected citizens of Jerusalem and the old city who have access to areas that average visitors will never see. 3D renderings of famous places are created by the company's designers who are able to turn photos into interactive areas.
"In [terms] of technology, what we have are very talented [designers and developers] who do very good work with 3D environments and always think outside the box," said Jacobsen. "They are able to take [maps and pictures] that existed before and bring them to the next level and basically provide people with the only accurate map of the old city."
And utilizing the locals proves to work the best when trying to provide visitors with the most helpful facts.
"Our advantage is that we are in Israel, and Israel is a small country so you know a lot of people, and if you're dealing with the people who work there for 25 years, daily, they usually have lots of information [that cannot be found in books]," said Igal Lichtman, Chairman of Jerusalem.com.
Lichtman bases his decisions concerning the choice of which tour to create next on the website's visitors.
"The idea is to deliver useful stuff, not something we feel is great," he added. "We need to understand what is the priority, [it's] not [about] the way we want to do it, but the way the public wants us to show them."
He implements this strategy by recording statistics based on Jerusalem.com's visitors. Anyone on the site's interactive maps can click on a specific landmark including a church, synagogue, mosque, or other public place. By gauging what place visitors click on the most, Lichtman is able to determine the most useful landmark to create an interactive tour for.
"We don't want to create something people won't use because it's going to be wasted," said Lichtman.
Jerusalem.com strives to cater to the three major faiths of the region including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The site plans on releasing interactive 3D tours of the Jewish Quarter, and the Dome of the Rock, a place where only Muslims can currently visit, in the near future.
"You can't go into the Dome of the Rock if you're not a Muslim, that's the part that makes [this tour] very unique," said Jacobsen.
The site contains several buildings and also once served as the area where Solomon's Temple was located, a place significant to both Jews and Christians. With the help of Jerusalem.com, all three major faiths will have the opportunity to visit the site from any place in the world.
Jerusalem.com's upcoming tour of the Jewish Quarter will cover the Wailing Wall and the underground tunnels since those are the most frequently clicked on areas on the site's maps.
Both tour apps should arrive on the iPad and iPhone sometime soon. Jerusalem.com also hopes to have all of its apps available in the Google Play market as well.


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Seven questions for Blackhawks-Kings Game 7by Staff Writer / Chicago Blackhawks
CHICAGO -- Game 7 is the only fitting ending to this unforgettable Western Conference Final between the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks.
The best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series is tied 3-3 with the deciding game Sunday at United Center (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). The winner will advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Everything is on the line for these teams, who have been equals of each other in almost every available metric. Like great heavyweight boxers, they have spent the first six rounds probing the opponent's weaknesses and defending their shortcomings as best as possible.
Some knockout punches have been landed, for sure. Los Angeles scored six straight goals in Game 2 to even the series, playing 22 minutes of superior hockey out of 60 that night. The Kings followed with two wins to take a stranglehold on the series, but the Blackhawks have found ways to get up and inflict damage of their own.
In each of the past two wins, Chicago has erased a third-period deficit. Each time, Los Angeles could envision the fourth win necessary to end the series and eliminate the defending champion while gaining a spot in the Final against the New York Rangers, which begins Wednesday. Each time, the Blackhawks, led by Patrick Kane, found a way to survive.
Now the ultimate elimination game has arrived. The Kings have squandered their margin of error and Sunday will be hockey's greatest spectacle: a win-or-go-home game for each team.
Who will win? Who will go home? That will be decided during the passion play which will evolve during three or more hours at United Center.
While we wait for the answers, here are seven questions for Game 7:
1. Will 'Mr. Game 7' steal the show?
The numbers for Kings forward Justin Williams in Game 7s tell the story: six goals, six assists and six wins in six NHL Game 7s.
Williams scored the first goal and had an assist in the 6-2, Game 7 rout of the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. He had an assist against the San Jose Sharks in the first-round clincher. He delivers in these situations so regularly it is now expected of him.
Playing on the Kings' third line, he's become the top player among their bottom-six forwards, and that's an area where the Kings can gain an advantage against the Blackhawks.
2. Who is going to make history?
One of these teams is going to accomplish something no one has in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Blackhawks can become the first team to rally from a 3-1 deficit and win a series two years in a row.
The Kings can become the first team to win three Game 7s on the road in one postseason, and the first to play the full 21 games possible and advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Two teams, the 2002 Colorado Avalanche and the 1993 Toronto Maple Leafs, reached this point then lost Game 7 of the conference final.
3. Which goalie will blink?
The goaltending matchup has been fascinating. Chicago's Corey Crawford and Los Angeles' Jonathan Quick have taken turns playing hero and goat.
The overall numbers for them are not great. Crawford has allowed 21 goals and has an .884 save percentage, but he might have been playing some of his best hockey of the series in Game 6, denying the Kings on several great chances in a 4-3 win.
Quick has allowed 19 goals and has an .886 save percentage. He allowed two goals on three shots in the third period of Game 6, giving up a lead. He has allowed seven goals in six elimination games this season and has stopped 74 of 77 shots in two Game 7 victories.
4. Who emerges as an early Conn Smythe favorite?
The winner of this game will be favored to win the Stanley Cup. What happens in the Final always has a large bearing on who wins the Conn Smythe Trophy, but it doesn't hurt to be a top player in the first three rounds.
Chicago's best at this point are forwards Kane and Jonathan Toews. Not only are they the top two scorers on the Blackhawks in the postseason, they've each scored some huge goals. Kane has been incredible in the past two games, with seven points.
Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty and forward Anze Kopitar have essentially been co-MVPs for its entire run. Kopitar leads the NHL with 23 points and has a faced world-class center in each round, and Doughty was probably having the best postseason of any defenseman in the League before his monster Game 5 and heroics in Game 6.
5. Whose second line will reign supreme?
The Kings struck first when its second line of Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter took over the final 22 minutes of Game 2, turning a two-goal deficit into a 6-2 victory and stealing home-ice advantage. Of the six goals, Carter scored three and Toffoli had one.
In Game 3, they did it again. Carter and Toffoli scored, and the line finished with five points in the Kings' 4-3 win. In Game 5, Pearson scored, and the Kings won 5-2 to put the Blackhawks on the ropes.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville shuffled his second line looking for a solution. He moved Andrew Shaw up to join Kane and Brandon Saad. The results were immediate and stunning. Saad scored in Game 5, and Kane had a career-best four assists when his team won 5-4 in OT. Two nights later, Kane had two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist for seven points in the two elimination games.
6. How crazy will United Center be?
United Center is not the original "Madhouse on Madison," but during the past five years it has earned its legacy to venerable Chicago Stadium.
In Game 5, the Blackhawks said the support of the crowd pushed them to victory. During the fast and furious overtime period, the United Center was as loud as it has been during any point of the six Stanley Cup Final games played there since 2010.
Sunday night it will be even louder. When Jim Cornelison takes the ice to sing the "Star-Spangled Banner," the arena will be a roiling cauldron of fury designed to intimidate the Kings and inspire the Blackhawks. The noise will end only if the Blackhawks fall too far behind for a reasonable comeback to be in the cards.
7. Who will be the unlikely hero?
Game 7 lore is full of unlikely heroes.
Stephane Matteau scored one of the most famous goals in hockey history with his double-overtime winner for the Rangers in the 1994 Eastern Conference Final. Mike Rupp scored two goals for the New Jersey Devils in Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final against the Ducks. Countless others have been immortalized for similar contributions.
Blackhawks veteran forward Michal Handzus already has a double-overtime winner in this series (Game 5). Unheralded forward Ben Smith scored a go-ahead goal in Game 6.
Kings forward Dwight King scored the first goal in Game 6, and defenseman Alec Martinez gave Los Angeles a third-period lead.
Each of these teams is incredibly deep and willing to run four forward lines, so the candidates for an unlikely hero are bountiful.


text:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
"Did you get to see him, before he died? I know you were one of the last to leave Seattle-and I know you came here. Did you see him, one last time?"
Boneshaker - Cherie Priest pg. 25
Since I haven't finished the book I used from my last teaser, I pulled a teaser from an upcoming read for me that I am excited to get to.


text:
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Our national media campaign for 2020, focusing on our Varilux lenses.


text:
Recently I received a new opportunity via email. Steve Jones at SQLServerCentral sent me an email to see if I would be interested in helping review a book and write about it on my blog. I told Steve I would be happy to help out.
The book is titled Defensive Database Programming and is currently available at RedGate. This book was authored by Alex Kuznetsov and is 10 chapters long and376 pages. I will be writing between 1 and 10 articles concerning this book. I would like to dive into the book and check things out and give it a good fair shake.
After reading the author Bio, I added Alex to my blog roll. I added him if for nothing more than he runs Ultra marathons and is a SQL Server database guy. You can find Alex's blog here.
One last tidbit for now, the book had a technical review performed by Hugo Kornelis.


text:
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Comic: ICC10 Lana'thel
For giggles, I pulled out the "WTF?!" Tree as a transparent image. Methinks it would make a wonderful avatar. :3
19 comments:
- Niniel said...
I love your comics! You capture the strategy very well :)
- February 24, 2010 at 8:44 AM
- crankyhealer said...
I LOVE these comics. Somehow, they also get me to learn the fights better, because I'm remembering "angry tree" or some such.
- February 24, 2010 at 9:50 AM
lol, I love it, when our time comes on this fight, I am linking this page to our strats!!!!!
- February 24, 2010 at 9:55 AM
- Zigi said...
Love the troll graphic ;)
I was thinking of making a graphic for the Rotting Frost Giant (one of the possible ICC weekly bosses) after our pug superfailed on it a few times...
- February 24, 2010 at 11:01 AM
As a additional note BQL also applies a DoT to the Off-tank that lasts for about 15 seconds. It doesn't stack but is reapplied frequently with maybe 15 seconds downtime.
- February 24, 2010 at 12:32 PM
- Keredria said...
<3 <3 <3 rabid tree!
- February 24, 2010 at 12:39 PM
lol. i love your guides. so cute and funny yet so informative. and rabid tree ftw! :D
- February 24, 2010 at 1:40 PM
Your guides are the best!
And wtf tree is pure win... I wants it.
- February 24, 2010 at 2:17 PM
- Mark said...
Dead Rul is sad Rul :(
- February 24, 2010 at 3:59 PM
- Kae said...
Rul, blame stick-Kuch and stick-Gromm!
Sorry, I wasn't gonna draw you captain-morgan style over a treasure chest ;)
- February 24, 2010 at 4:03 PM
- Keeva said...
Oh Kae, I always love your diagrams, they're so great. Hesitant Troll is hilarious.
- February 24, 2010 at 4:35 PM
- Mark said...
Aw, but he at least needs more Ugly(tm). I'm almost offended on behalf of orcs everywhere to be presented as clean shaven and cute. :P
- February 24, 2010 at 6:36 PM
- Alaron said...
Kae, great as always...though I was hoping for a comic version of what happens when she enrages. :)
(ps. that's when the glitter comes out :))
- February 24, 2010 at 9:58 PM
zomg, love it
wtf tree would definately make the perfect avatar
- February 25, 2010 at 10:22 AM
- Sheqeri said...
Holy cow, Kae, I just realized you were the person who posted on my site, AND you were the inspiration for my cartoon strategy of Putricide! Keep up the good work!
- February 26, 2010 at 2:00 AM
- Kae said...
If she has glitter when she enrages I've never seen it, but then at that point I'm eating the floor :D
- February 26, 2010 at 2:00 PM
- Mark said...
Was that glitter? I just assumed I was seeing the light refract through my tears after wiping at 0.8%.
- February 26, 2010 at 2:17 PM
- Reb said...
Nothing beats your comic strategies! The rabid tree is awesome \o/
- March 2, 2010 at 11:47 AM
Kae, I just gave this page to a friend in a raiding guild working on Lana'thel... he LOVES it and is wanting to send his guildies here to check it out! ::chuckling::
- March 11, 2010 at 3:06 PM


text:
|snarrymod (snarrymod) wrote in snarry_games,
@ 2008-05-03 11:04:00
|Entry tags:
|entry, pir8fancier, team phoenix
TEAM PHOENIX ENTRY: Pir8fancier "Stilllife"
Title: Stilllife
Author: pir8fancier
Team: Phoenix
Genre: Post-war
Prompt: Miles to go before I sleep, Infidelity
Word Count: 37,155
Ratings/Warnings/Kinks: R
Summary: Snape is killed by Voldemort. But not really.
Author's Note: My usual stunning beta, regan_v did the honors; my love for Snape is second to none. Except her. I heart her very, very much. This turned from a simple concept into a monster, so all errors, etc., are mine.


text:
Official Hobbit blog goes live!
Just as cameras are about to roll on two Peter Jackson movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," the official blog has gone live online. Brought to us by "The Hobbit Team", it features a photo of the cast including Martin Freeman which will probably help the world become familiar with its new heroes of Middle-earth.
The site was kind enough to include TOR's latest "Hobbit In 5," on the site as well and we will watch it carefully leading up to the production of the two films, scheduled for release in 2012 and 2013. You can find it right here. For fans, the production signals an end to long years of waiting and anticipation filled with highs and lows. The fate of the films seemed in doubt during lawsuits, studio financial troubles and the search for and the loss of a director. The story of how the movie got to this point is high drama all on its own. And of course, TheOneRing will follow the every detail of the production and beyond.Posted in Adam Brown, Aidan Turner, Andy Serkis, Cast Q&A, Character Q&A, Director Q&A, Graham McTavish, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, Hobbit Movie FAQ, J.R.R. Tolkien, James Nesbitt, John Callen, Location Q&A, Mark Hadlow, Martin Freeman, Misc Q&A, Peter Jackson, Production Q&A, Rob Kazinsky, Stephen Hunter, Story Changes Q&A, The Hobbit on March 19, 2011 by MrCere Official Hobbit blog goes live! | Discuss


text:
Services on Demand
Related links
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Acta Theologica
On-line version ISSN 2309-9089
Print version ISSN 1015-8758
Acta theol. vol.32 n.2 suppl. Bloemfontein Dec. 2012
Closing gaps in open distance learning for theology students
E. Oliver
Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology, University of South Africa. E-mail: email@example.com
UNISA's policy documents state clearly that the Open Distance Learning (ODL) concept aims to bridge the time, geographical, economic, social, educational and communication distance between student and institution, student and academics, student and courseware as well as student and peers. Blended learning and student-centredness remove barriers to effective learning, provide flexibility, and construct learning programmes with the expectation that students can succeed. Student-centredness and blended learning are the main drivers behind the intense evaluation and planned upgrading of the courses taught within the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology. The student profile showed that our students are indeed a unique group with diverse interests and expectations from the theological courses for which they enrolled. By adjusting the values of the four components of blended learning and using both active and passive learning tools, students can learn course content and develop a core of applicable, transferable skills needed to succeed in the Open Distance Learning environment.
Keywords: Open distance learning; Student-centredness; Blended learning; B.Th. students
Sleutelwoorde: Ope afstandsonderrig; Studentgesentreerdheid; Leermetodes; B.Th.-studente
Although the world is constantly changing at a pace which most of us find hard to maintain, a large number of tertiary institutions tend to be comfortable observing, and not making any major efforts to step up their pace or to employ new developments in the fields of teaching and learning (Laurillard 2008:3; Ehlers & Schneckenberg 2010:8). Bates (2010:22) notes one Vice Chancellor's words:
Universities are like graveyards. When you want to move them, you don't get a lot of help from the people inside.
This results in increasing dissatisfaction among students and society with the quality of the learning experience (Garrison & Vaughan 2008:10).
One of the reasons for the reluctance to change is because
there is no need for the core mission (creation and preservation of knowledge through scholarship and research, dissemination of knowledge through teaching and publication, and public service) to change (Bates 2010:22).
However, in the past decade, the landscapes of education and training have been transformed as a result of drivers such as dramatic developments in information and communications technology, the move to a 24/7 society, changing patterns of work and leisure, globalisation, increased and changing expectations of stakeholders, and the constant demand to work in a manner that is "smart, lean and agile" (Allan 2007:2). It is, therefore, the means whereby the core mission that is in need of change is accomplished in order to keep abreast of the pace of change in our lives. Universities need to provide flexible learning opportunities that suit the complex lifestyle of students. These institutions must focus on the needs of students and provide opportunities for the development of skills and knowledge that extend beyond the time of formal studies. In a rapidly changing world, universities need to adapt learning and teaching strategies that enhance learning in ways that the students are accustomed to in their daily lives.
On 23 July 2004, the University of South Africa (UNISA), which is the largest mega- (and distance) university in the southern hemisphere (cf. Singh & Liang 2010:36), has embraced change at all levels, the Council approved the vision, mission and value statement for the merged institution (UNISA 2015 - An agenda for transformation). The process was revisited five years later to enhance the strategy to develop and implement a programme for cultural and institutional change (UNISA 2015:25). Change and development are, therefore, a given part of academic life at the university. Blended learning and student-centredness are the methods identified to introduce this change. The challenge is to ensure that the changes made are to the benefit of and with the best interest of the students' academic formation and lifelong learning in mind.
Student-centredness and blended learning are the main drivers behind the intense evaluation and planned upgrading of the courses taught within the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology. Academic staff is striving to develop adequate and effective courses that will enable students to succeed in the ODL environment and provide them with skills to function efficiently as graduates in an ever-changing environment.
In recent years, e-learning has expanded and shifted its focus with the result that many lecturers are currently involved with blended learning programmes (Allan 2007:2). This creates a vast research field. The main focus of this article will be on the micro level of teaching and learning in distance education (Zawacki-Richter et al. 2009). Within the categories for distance educational research (Berge & Mrozowski 2001), it focuses on design issues and, more specifically, on instructional systems design, including needs assessment, content requirement, technical constraints, interactivity, and feedback. The main purpose of evaluation studies is to contribute to decision-making (Parlett & Hamilton 1972:31), in this instance, regarding course design.
In order to provide relevant, high-quality education that is useful to students and sought after in the world beyond the university walls, course material must constantly be revised and updated. UNISA adopted blended learning and student-centredness as focus points of its ODL strategy. Therefore, the members of the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology realised that research needs to be done on both these issues in order to provide guidelines for the proposed redesign of the undergraduate course material. There is a need to know who the students really are and to identify issues that could hamper effective blended learning and student-centredness.
There is also a need to investigate barriers that can have an effect on teaching in an ODL environment, but this could not be included in the current study and needs to be investigated at a later stage. This could include the workload of lecturers, their educational background, and their competencies and talents beyond the content of the subject they teach.
3.1 Blended learning
Masie (2006:22) mentions that all learning is blended learning. His definition of blended learning as "the use of two or more styles of content or context delivery or discovery" - for example, study guides, assignments, research projects, activities, examinations, and discussion forums - is applicable to the learning methods practised at UNISA. Blended learning designs offer disciplined inquiry through reflective and collaborative activities, while providing unlimited access to information (Garrison & Vaughan 2008:86). Allan (2007:2) notes some of the reasons for developing blended learning programmes as:
- making learning more accessible, engaging and relevant;
- providing more flexible learning opportunities;
- reducing the amount of time spent on face-to-face learning activities by shifting the balance to more blended learning activities;
- integrating practitioner-based experiences with classroom-based learning;
- developing programmes that are relatively cheap to repeat or use with large groups of learners;
- exploiting ICT and training facilities;
- demonstrating the use of leading-edge technologies;
- due to the demand from stakeholders;
- interest at senior management level;
- availability of external funding, and
- exploring new approaches to learning and teaching.
The blend consists of four components. By changing the values of these components, the learning design can be constructed to suit the needs of all stakeholders. Each medium should be used for what it does best (Race 1999:15). The components are:
- The space blend: technology-mediated communication between students and lecturers and between groups of students.
- The time blend: real time (synchronously), but more focused on delayed time (asynchronously).
- The media blend: different types of tools and resources.
- The activity blend: influenced by the tutor's orchestration of a number of different learning activities to create a learning design (Littlejohn & Pegler 2007:75-76).
In How do people learn, Reynolds et al. (2002:76-78) outline four distinct perspectives on learning. Each of these aspects may require different blends and their overlap must be considered in the design and delivery of blended learning activities and outcomes (Vaughan 2010:178).
3.2 Student-centred education
Two ideas, namely community and inquiry, are essential to higher education. Community recognises the social nature of education and focuses on the role that interaction, collaboration, and discourse play in constructing knowledge. It demands the academic and respectful interaction with members of the community. It includes learning to listen, explain and defend positions and ideas (Garrison & Vaughan 2008:16). Inquiry reflects the process of constructing meaning through personal responsibility and choice (Garrison & Vaughan 2008:9). The individual must have the freedom to explore ideas, as well as question and construct meaning. As a process of inquiry, learning must focus on questions, not only on providing answers and information (Garrison & Vaughan 2008:15). It is, therefore, important to get the students into questioning mode (Jarvis 2009:11). Students have to acquire the attitudes and skills to become critical thinkers and to continue their learning beyond the narrow scope and time limit of a formal educational experience (Garrison & Vaughan 2008:17). In order to achieve quality learning, the focus should be on the inquiry process with community and communication as the contextual background (Garrison & Vaughan 2008:30).
A number of scholars link the aspects of blended learning and student centredness with each other and to good practice in the higher education environment (Palloff & Pratt 2011; Garrison & Kanuka 2004).
3.3 Research objectives
The study was conducted with the following research objectives in mind:
- to analyse the student profile in order to find out who our students really are, and
- to suggest ways that can be used to close gaps and help the B.Th. students to embrace blended learning to the full through a renewed focus on curriculum design.
3.4 Research methodology
Illuminative evaluation recognises the fact that an educational programme cannot be separated from its learning environment which consists of a network of cultural, social, institutional and psychological forces (Parlett & Hamilton 1972:1). Data was collected from observation, interview, questionnaires and documentary sources and its primary concern is with description and interpretation of these (Parlett & Hamilton 1972:10). This research project made use of documentary sources and a student questionnaire to collect data.
3.5 Population and sample
In light of the relatively small student number in the B.Th. programme -approximately 700 students (DISA 2008) - it was decided to target first-year students in the introductory course (with approximately 300 registered students), as this popular module can be regarded as representative of the rest of the students in the B.Th. undergraduate courses. A questionnaire, constructed and approved in accordance with the UNISA policy on research ethics, was included with the course material that was sent to all students enrolled for the Introduction to Theology module. The completed questionnaires had to be submitted together with the first compulsory assignment, resulting in a 70% response.
3.6 Tools and techniques
- The student questionnaire provided first-hand information from the key stakeholders - our students. A questionnaire completed by first-year students was used to compile a student profile. The findings are not 100% representative due to the fact that only 70% of the students returned the questionnaire. Some of the questionnaires were incomplete. In some instances, it could be argued that students regarded some questions as not applicable to them and they, therefore, did not answer them. An example question could be the one on geographical areas. Students who live outside of South Africa probably just ignored the question. This question was included to show potential student access to regional centres for attending discussion classes and seminars. Students also interpreted some questions differently from what the question intended to determine. For instance, when asked about the Church denomination to which they belong, not all students indicated a specific denomination. Some only mentioned "Christian" or "Protestant". It is, therefore, possible that the information provided as answers to other questions could also not provide a 100% correct reflection.
- UNISA's Department of Information and Strategic Analysis compiles and provides statistical information regarding all student enrolments at the university. Information gained from this source was used to supply information regarding B.Th. students' access to communication technology.
- UNISA's official ODL policy documentation provides guidelines and parameters for both blended learning and student-centredness.
3.7 Procedure
The responses of students to the questionnaires were submitted to the Department as part of the first assignment. With the help of staff from DISA, members of the B.Th. Task Team (who were in charge of streamlining the B.Th. programme) analysed the information, categorised the findings and compiled a comprehensive summary of the information in the form of a report, indicating both information that confirms expectations and some vital, unexpected discoveries. The report was tabled at the B.Th. Task Team meeting and distributed to all Departments within Theology with the intention of being used as a guideline for curriculum development and course revision.
Information regarding the access of students to communication technology was requested from the staff at DISA. The information was analysed and the results, compiled into a report, were circulated to both the B.Th. Task Team members and the Theology Departments.
An evaluation was done regarding the identity and expectations of students, their technical and other constraints to effective blended learning. Ways of improving effective blended learning were devised, taking into account the findings of the investigation.
• Church affiliation
Most South African universities that offer B.Th. programmes are linked to specific denominations. For instance, the North-West University caters mainly for members of the Reformed Churches. Students of the Dutch Reformed Church (Hervormde Kerk) can study B.Th. courses at the University of Pretoria. UNISA is not affiliated with a specific denomination and offers a generic B.Th. programme. This was confirmed by the large number of denominations indicated by students.
• Position in churches
Although, as could be expected, the majority of students are pastors or pastors-in-training, the second largest group of students indicated that they do not fill any specific position within their church. It can thus be concluded that a large number of our students are laity; this is an important discovery that must be borne in mind when designing course material.
• Turning point
While the majority of students experienced a turning point in their lives that initiated their theological studies, a large portion did not specify the nature of this event. Those who did indicate incidents identified a large array of incidents, most of which can be classified as traumatic or life-changing experiences. Crises include death, accidents, sickness, and divorce. Those students who indicated HIV as a turning point mentioned that they are aware of the crisis and want to help others. Half of the students who indicated the prison as a turning point are wardens and the other half are inmates.
Under "church experience" students noted that they were elected into positions of leadership; recognised a lack of training, and wanted to change the status quo. The Alpha course, as well as seminars or crusades attended, also acted as triggers in some students' lives to study theology courses. Most students listed people that influenced their decision to study Theology. Some have family members who are preachers or pastors. Others were influenced by pastors, friends, family and teachers.
• Why students study Theology
Universities convey knowledge more than they develop competencies (UNISA 2008:1). This statement is confirmed by the responses to the questionnaire. Academic qualifications and knowledge are high on the list, but it is interesting to note that some of the students also want to do community service. A large number of students indicated that they have a calling. Most indicated that this calling was to become pastors or spiritual counsellors, but there were also people called to serve in other professions such as nursing, police work, correctional services, HIV and AIDS workers, and teachers.
A large number of students enrolled for the module because of their general interest in the Christian religion. Their courses did not require a theological module, but they chose Theology to supplement their main courses due to their personal beliefs and eagerness to formally study some theological courses. These students study Psychology, Communications, Social Studies, Health Studies, Human Rights, Human Sciences, and even Ballistic Pathology.
• General
The following noteworthy information was drawn from the questionnaires and, where applicable, compared with the official statistics of the university:
- Although the university's student profile shows that there are more female (60.3%) than male (39.7%) students (Subotzky 2011:30), it is not surprising that two-thirds of the students in Theology are males. Formal theological education is traditionally associated with males and this conservative view, to a large extent, still forms part of the South African perspective (cf. Oliver 2008:213).
- Although students from all four major population groups enrolled for the module, there are considerable differences in numbers with a large number of Black students, a fair amount of White students, not many Coloured students and only a few Asian students.
- The majority of students enrolled for this course are between the ages of 30 and 50, whereas the majority of students enrolled at UNISA are between the ages of 20 and 29 (Singh & Liang 2010:34).
- Nearly all students have cellular phones. This suggests that the "digital divide" can be overcome by mobile learning.
The student profile confirmed that Theology has a unique student corps within UNISA in terms of numbers, gender, age, needs and access to technology. Their unique circumstances can create barriers to learning and progress if academic staff does not take this into consideration.
South Africa is a multilingual and multicultural country. It is also a place of great social, economic and geographical contrasts (Singh & Liang 2010:31). The summary provided by Guomundsdottir (2005, in NG 2010:31) regarding divisions contains realities that the majority of (South) Africans are facing:
Being "The African university in service of humanity", UNISA has to take these issues into account when striving to develop social awareness and critical citizenry. The University faces the requirement to create a culture and climate that offers respect and support in all aspects of learning for every student, regardless of language, background, nationality, race, gender, or culture (Cleaveland-Innes & Sangra 2010:231).
5.1 Student-centredness
5.1.1 Recognise the importance of lecturer-student interaction
Small student numbers in Theology enable lecturers to develop a formative relationship with individual students. Consideration for the individual needs of students must be standard procedure, and students must be kept motivated by constant positive input from the lecturers, using all or as much as possible blended learning tools. Students need affective and dialogic teaching to increase their knowledge, confidence and motivation.
Motivation is the heart of successful distance learning programmes. Students who are underprepared for tertiary education often lack confidence. UNISA offers formal modules that teach language and thinking skills, counselling and tutor-support services as well as writing centres to develop sufficient academic literacy skills and build self-confidence.
Teaching to promote learning includes asking the right questions about the students before focusing on the subject material, guiding students through the learning process by providing them with step-by-step instructions on how to learn information, to collect and evaluate information in order to create an integration of the research, and finally lead them to apply the knowledge and skills attained. Students have to take on the role of self-directed, continuous, active learners while lecturers must be more considerate of students and use teaching strategies that foster students' deep learning and increased responsibility (Cleaveland-Innes & Sangra 2010:231).
5.1.2 Be aware of the fact that students are not clean slates
Students do not learn from what we tell them, but from their experience of what we tell them or ask them to read (Jarvis 2009:11). It is, therefore, important for lecturers, when designing or upgrading a course, to ensure that they are aware of the non-academic background and circumstances of the students. When faced with course content, students bring with them conceptions of the topic, representational skills and an epistemology, all of which are potential barriers to learning. Therefore:
- lecturers need descriptions of the ways in which students conceptualise a topic in order to be able to challenge their fundamental misconceptions;
- students need explicit practice in the representation of knowledge of the subject, in language, symbols, graphs, diagrams, and in the manipulation and interpretation of those representations, and
- lecturers must enable students to develop their epistemological and ethical beliefs and, in particular, their conceptions of learning (Laurillard 2008:40).
5.1.3 Provide clear and understandable goals and projected outcomes
Creating a sense of a learning journey for students with a clear vision of the bigger picture with a clear destination and route maps to guide the way, provide orientation. Students often find it difficult to reconcile different bits of knowledge and course content (Laurillard 2008:34). Examples of mind maps, timelines and summaries as well as tasks to master these skills themselves with full feedback (including examination feedback) could aid in this regard. Learning should be an adventure, fun, interesting and rewarding.
5.1.4 Take student background into account
Literacy rates in Africa are among the lowest in the world and poverty levels are among the highest (Braimoh 2009:4). Distance education forces students to become competent and skilful users of a variety of tools, not all focused on or founded in their basic education. Due to the fact that the majority of students at UNISA come from a background of structured classroom education with directed learning and paced delivery and evaluation, first-year students tend to find it difficult to adapt to learning outside this context. They lack the skills, experience, and confidence to learn in a totally different instructional and technologically designed environment of distance education (Anderson 2001:31).
The gap between what students know and what they need to know in order to be successful ODL students often presents an enormous challenge (Louw 2010:46; Singh & Liang 2010:37). The gap between the level of presumed knowledge and existing knowledge could partly be caused by the large gap in time between basic education and higher education (the student survey showed that most of our students are older and did not continue their formal education after leaving school). Basic learning skills are often absent and, therefore, coupled with help, guidance and instruction on how to function as students in the world of distance education (which normally rest upon the shoulders of the student support and counselling staff), the study material should also focus on effective learning skills (a holistic process that integrates knowing and doing in a critically reflective way - Mayor 2005:24), critical thinking development (evaluate information, creative thinking, learning and problem-solving, and communication), and the five interdependent aspects of the learning process (Laurillard 2008). Students must be made aware of and guided to acquire competencies in order to address all these mathemagenic activities that give birth to learning (Laurillard 2008:60):
- apprehend the structure of the discourse - for example, focus on the narrative line;
- distinguish evidence and argument, organise and structure the content into a coherent whole;
- interpret the forms of representation - for example, practise mapping between the concept, system, event or situation and its representation;
- practise using the forms of representation of an idea, and represent the discourse as a whole as well as its constituent parts;
- act on descriptions of the world - for example, combine descriptions and representations to generate further descriptions of the world, and manipulate the various forms of representation of the world;
- use feedback - for example, use both intrinsic and extrinsic feedback to adjust actions to suit the task goal, and adjust descriptions to suit the topic goal, and
- reflect the goal - action - feedback cycle - for example, relate the feedback to the goal or message of the discourse, and reflect on how the link between action and feedback relates to the structure of the whole.
5.1.5 Expose students to lifelong learning opportunities
A major concern both for educational providers and for employers is to ensure that students develop a core of applicable, transferable skills (Race 1999:8). Students are taking their social reality for granted and, more important, the academic staff, by being separated from the students by time and space, may not know who the students really are and what skills they need to develop (Jarvis 2009:11). Rapid changes in the total living environment, in part due to changes in technology and globalisation, require that students must learn in order to ensure full and continued participation in society or risk exclusion (Braimoh 2009:5). As a comprehensive and visionary concept which includes formal, non-formal and informal learning, which is extended throughout the lifespan of an individual to attain the fullest possible development in personal, social, vocational and professional life (Aitcheson 2003:6), lifelong learning can ensure that the people of Africa (who are our students) can keep abreast of these challenges.
The application and the passing on of knowledge constitute a serious problem for universities that tend to focus on academic knowledge without paying sufficient attention to generating a core of transferable practical skills (Race 1999:8). Knowledge alone does not equip people to do anything (Jarvis 2009:8), or change who they are. The study material should prepare the student for learning, develop the necessary skills and attitudes, and provide knowledge that could be used to transform both the student and his/her community (UNISA 2008:1). Race (1999:4) suggests learning-by-doing opportunities to rectify the situation. If institutions only provide information, the students will store it. Most learning happens when students practise things, and have to learn by experiments. Care needs to be taken to ensure that learning by doing is focused on practising useful, important knowledge and skills.
Lifelong learning, however, also has a negative aspect. It takes time away from other obligations or potential opportunities for social contributions, including family, church, community, or professional service (Anderson 2001:32). Students at ODL institutions need personal time-management and organisational skills to cope within time- and/or place-shifted contexts. Enough flexibility should be built into the curriculum to accommodate these issues. Life skills are, therefore, a crucial issue and must be addressed by both the supporting systems and the formal curriculum.
When planning and designing course content, the students' experiences, living conditions, commitment to lifelong learning and other reasons for enrolment must be taken into account. A level of self-direction is to be allowed and encouraged in all modules.
5.2 Blended learning
Two-thirds of the South African population do not have electricity in their homes (Collins 2001). This implies that most South Africans have no or very little access to affordable high-speed internet networks. UNISA uses the best possible mix of media to support students at all levels of learning.
Both active and passive learning tools are used. Printed study material has a particular strength because of its asynchronicity which allows students flexibility and time to interact with the knowledge gained (Macdonald 2008:24). Print media remains the practical choice since it is relatively inexpensive and reliable. It is the easiest medium to design, to produce, to deliver, to handle, and for students to use anywhere and anytime without the need to have access to internet networks or computers. Supplementing printed material with electronic mobile media messages to cellular phones ensures that timely, relevant, and useful information reaches the maximum number of students when needed. This medium is chosen, because most South Africans own cellular phones (90.16 people in every 100 use a cellular phone - Walton 2009), and the student survey proved that most students own cellular phones.
The effective and appropriate use of technologies is increasingly becoming a differentiating and critical factor in determining the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning. "We can no longer afford to produce graduates who are not ready for a world in which the flows and qualities of information and data are fast, contested and fluid" (Prinsloo 2011). The corporate world insists that graduates should be computer-literate. Therefore, blended learning in the UNISA context also includes the use of active and passive electronic media. myUNISA (an active blended learning tool) is a generic Web-based tool that supports, among others, assignment uploads, examination administration, graduation information, library information and services, study information and registration, tutorial services, discussion forums, self-assessment tools, and module-specific information. Other active tools include e-mail, telephone, and face-to-face interaction such as discussion classes, workshops and seminars. Satellite broadcasts, audio- and video-conferencing and multi-purpose computer centres provide additional support to students.
Effective tutoring built into the course material and done on the myUnisa website, or by using electronic communication to students (on their cellular phones) brings study to the fore amid time-sharing study routines with jobs, family and other commitments.
UNISA's policy states clearly that the Open Distance Learning concept aims to bridge the time, geographical, economic, social, educational and communication distance between student and institution, student and academics, student and courseware as well as student and peers. ODL focuses on removing barriers to access learning, flexibility of learning provision, student-centredness, supporting students, and constructing learning programmes with the expectation that students can succeed (UNISA 2008:2).
Teaching to a diversity of students located throughout Africa and physically separated from the learning institution, their lecturers and fellow students poses unique opportunities and challenges to teaching staff of the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology. An analysis of the student profile confirmed that Theology has a unique student corps within UNISA in terms of numbers, gender, age, needs and access to technology. The student questionnaires confirmed that student-centredness is a crucial aspect to bear in mind when courses are designed and upgraded to provide an adequate learning and teaching experience. It is also clear that blended learning (focusing on all four aspects of time, space, media and activities) should be used to teach both course content and transferable skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the corporate world.
In order to keep abreast of the rapid changes that the development of technology brought into education, UNISA decided to implement a blended learning approach and to construct all activities around the most important stakeholders - our students. Being the "African University in service of humanity", UNISA must take into account the diverse living conditions, backgrounds, and the multiple languages and cultures of our students. Student-centred curriculums should also focus on productive interaction between students and academics, and install effective lifelong learning patterns and transferable skills development. Academics should take into account the way in which students interact with course content and should also provide clear directions for students to envision the final goals and their progress on the path of learning and exploring. Blended learning is no longer avoidable in the technological world of the twenty-first century. UNISA still uses printed material as a practical and effective way to provide undergraduate students with course material, but students are also encouraged to make use of technology. UNISA introduces both active and passive means of blended learning to provide students with a choice of media to use.
Implementing the recommendations and bearing these observations made in mind during curriculum design and course reviews could help to remove barriers, close gaps and invent new paths to successful learning by our student corps.
Cross (2010:48) mentions that helping people to be all they can be is not charity; it has to be the ultimate goal of universities. The challenge seems almost impossible to achieve. However, tertiary institutions should not think in terms of a single technological paradigm shift, but rather adopt a culture of continual change (Ice 2010:157) in order to remove barriers and close gaps one by one, striving to reach this ultimate goal.
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Stampede Swept By Tri-City
SIOUX FALLS, SD -- A third period rally was too-little too-late for the Sioux Falls Stampede as they dropped a 6-4 match to the Tri-City Storm at the Arena Saturday night in Game 2 of a weekend doubleheader.
Four different Sioux Falls players had two points each while netminder Art Brey stopped 12 of 14 shots for Sioux Falls (20-9-2), who fell to the Storm 5-1 on Friday at the Arena. Saturday's loss pushed the Herd to eight points behind the conference-leading Omaha Lancers and allowed the Sioux City Musketeers to leapfrog in front of Sioux Falls by a point for third place.
"There were just too many defensive lapses," said head coach Cary Eades. "Our goaltending is struggling right now and we're not playing well in front of them. You give up six goals and you aren't going to win many hockey games."
Tri-City picked up where they left off Friday night, jumping to a 1-0 lead only 56 seconds into the game when Austin Poganski tipped in a rebound from the left side. However, Sioux Falls would not be discouraged after the quick score, scoring two goals within 20 ticks of each other, starting with a tally from Keith Burchett at the 8:25 mark. The future Bowling Green Falcon sliced a rebound of his own in from the right side off a blast from defenseman Daniel Fritz, his 12th goal of the year.
Dennis Kravchenko seized the momentum for the Herd just seconds later, rifling a shot from the left circle past Johansson's glove side. That momentum was extinguished exactly three minutes later when Storm center Ryan McMurphy got a puck past an outstretched David Jacobson at 11:45, making it 2-2 heading into the second period.
Tri-City waited a mere 47 seconds after the first intermission ended to retake control of the contest, grabbing a 3-2 lead thanks to Poganski's second goal of the night. The evening's trend of back-to-back goals was continued 34 seconds later when Chase Berger doubled the margin with a blast from the right side. It would be the end of the night for Jacobson, who be pulled in favor of Brey. Things appeared to be looking up after a Tri-City elbowing penalty put the Herd on the power play, but a shorthanded goal via Daniel Labosky sunk any optimism in the Arena and gave the Storm a 5-2 lead 5:04 into the second period.
A power play score by C.J. Franklin at 2:16 of the third period brought Herd within two goals, but a response from Christian Horn gave the Storm their three-score lead back again.
"We played better than last night, especially in the third period," said Eades. "The guys worked really hard. It was a tough situation."
Zeb Knutson gave the Herd one last push with a goal at 9:48, but the Herd offense would be unable to muster any more magic the rest of the way, allowing the Storm to clinch the weekend sweep and the 6-4 win.
"We just have to get back to working hard, which we did in the third period, and stretch that 20 minutes out into sixty minutes" said Eades.
The Herd will try and get back on track this Tuesday when they host the Lincoln Stars at 7:05 PM at the Sioux Falls Arena.
Courtesy: Sioux Falls Stampede


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What is your earliest memory...........relating to family matters? I can remember when I was about 8 or 10 sitting on metal chairs, between two houses, talking to (Gertrude O'Rourke Dowd Graham) my grandmother. She would tell me about her family. She said her mother was her best friend. My grandmother was the youngest of ten children. She told how sad she was when her mother died. After finding the records her mother died in 1924, Ellen Martel/Mortel was born in 1852 in County Limerick, Ireland, but one cousin I found thought that maybe she was born in County Donegal. On her death certificate I found it stated Limerick and her father listed was named Patrick. Ellen died at the age of 72, that was very old in a time when the life expectancy was about the age o f 40. Looking at her death certificate it seemed that she had died of heart disease.
She talked about her father Patrick O'Rourke. I think she and her father fought all the time. One time she told me that she had wanted to go to a dance and her father said no. She tried to escape thru the upstairs window. She dropped her coat out the window and planned to climb down the porch to escape. Well, she dropped the coat on her fathers head and he beat her because she did not listen to him. I would like to know her age at that time because she was widowed young and perhaps she was living in her fathers house and already an adult. Patrick probably thought she should stay at home with the children rather than going out and to a dance.
Gertrude talked about her sister Loretta who had died after a man looked in the house window at Halloween and scared her to death. She also talked about her brother Dennis who drowned in the river...In researching from the records of the Diocese of Pittsburgh I did not find any information on either of the two above names. In the census (????year???) She was listed as being born in October of 1892, but in the church records her birth was listed as May of 1890???. What is the true date??? None of the children's names were Loretta....
Both Patrick and Ellen had emigrated from Ireland in 1872. I did not know if they were married or single. But the 1900 census had listed them as being married for 26 years, that would mean marriage in 1874. They were both in this country for two years at that time. I have to find the church where they were married.
Their first child was Anne (Gehanna--as stated by her grandaughter who I have recently found). Gehanna is a beautiful name, about a year ago a young girl come into the hospital where I work and her name was Gehanna. Anne was born in 1875, it appears that she was the first child of Patrick and Ellen. From the Irish naming patterns it seems to be that Denis would have been named after Patricks father.
A woman on the Allegheny County roots web remembered that I was searching Patrick O'Rourke and she sent me an obituary for Mary O'Rourke Rogan who lived and died in New Castle PA. Mary was born May 6, 1864 in Limerick Ireland. It had listed her parents Denis O'Rourke and Mary O'Rourke and a sister Mrs. William Collins of Limerick and brother Patrick O'Rourke of Pittsburgh. In my fathers hand written notes he had also listed Patricks sister Mary Regan (Rogan) and a brother James. Funny how little thing fall together.
Pictured above Ellen Martel and Patrick O'Rourke circa 1918.
Ellen Martel/Mortel and Patrick O'Rourke are my father Thomas Dowds grandparents. His mother Gertrude O'Rourke was one of the youngest O'Rourke children. They are Claudia's great grandparents.


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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Mr. Whitcomb Goes to War
Good propaganda art is as much about design as it is about illustration. Colours and shapes must be strong and well arranged. The design should be simple but attention grabbing. The message should be clear and compelling: "See and obey!"
By the time World War Two began, Jon Whitcomb was already a master propagandist in the art of love. As a commissioned Lieutenant j.g. in the Navy, first serving in mine sweeping duty, then with the public relations department in Washington, then as a combat artist in the Pacific theatre, Whitcomb showed his chops as a propagandist in the art of war.Whitcomb, self-admittedly not a strong painter, did have an excellent sense of design, and those who would dismiss him by comparison to some of his contemporaries might do well to consider this: strip away the veneer of romance his clients demanded of him and you can see why his work is so effective.
You'll find all these images at full size in my Jon Whitcomb Flickr set.
3 comments:
An interesting period for Whitcomb that I wasn't as aware of, thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
"Mr. Whitcomb goes to war?" Let me know what country has an army full of cadet nurse glamour girls. I'm ready to enlist!ReplyDelete
Like Dominic, I wasn't aware of this period in Whitcomb's past. Thanks, Leif!
The Glamour girl squad of cadet nurses, sadly was disbanded with the end of WWII, David. They were replaced with the unglamorous girl grunts - with a co-related drop in voluntary male enlistments. ;-)ReplyDelete
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Posted 9 years ago
(12 items)
this is a coffee table i had in storage. the previous owners had left cup spots and candle wax spilled on the top. i sanded the top, finished with clearcoat and painted the bottom black gloss. not sure what style it is but it looks much better than how i found it.


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Under the Sun is a 16mm documentary shot in Byron Bay and the Gold Coast and features incredible surfing from Dave Rastovich, Beau Young, Nat Young and a handful of others as it explores the roots of commercialism that are now so entrenched in surf culture.
Dave Rastovich, Nat Young, Beau YoungWatch Trailer
|Byron Bay and the Gold Coast are two seemingly opposite Australian surf towns. But beneath the surface they are inextricably linked to a multi-billion dollar industry which thrives on the commodification of the surfing lifestyle. With their populations swelling, resources draining, and housing prices going through the roof, where do these two towns go from here? Where does surfing go from here?
Under the Sun is a 16mm documentary shot in Byron Bay and the Gold Coast and features incredible surfing from Dave Rastovich, Beau Young, Nat Young and a handful of others as it explores the roots of commercialism that are now so entrenched in surf culture. Be prepared for a dark and compelling narrative amidst beautiful imagery and a kick ass custom soundtrack.
|Surfing Documentaries, Environmental Message
|Dave Rastovich, Nat Young, Beau Young, Rabbit Bartholomew, Dean Morrison, Mick Fanning, Albe Falzon, Kelly Slater
|Cyrus Sutton
|Cyrus Sutton
|A Peel Productions
|not rated
|Running Time
|1 hour 4 minutes
|Audio Language
|English | Stereo
|Download Resolution
|HD | 1280x720 (1.98 GB) SD | 848x480 (762.91 MB)
|Streaming Resolution
|HD | 1920x1080
|Additional Features
|Chapter Markers
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