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Cherrill Spencer reports here on the Invited Panel Discussion and Session sponsored by FIP and FEd in Washington, February 16, 2010.
The session was organized and chaired by Dr. Cherrill Spencer, a member-at-large of the Executive Committee of the Forum on International Physics, who has written this detailed summary for the FIP newsletter so that more people than the 30 who attended the session can learn about this topic. This session was co-sponsored by FIP and the Forum on Education.
The slides of the three speakers are posted.
I recommend you look at the slides in conjunction with reading this summary.
Introduction by Dr. Cherrill Spencer
High-school teachers are amongst the most important contributors to the development of the science and technology workforce of the future. Many of the more than 23,000 US high-school physics teachers are not adequately prepared to teach the subject. Only one-third of them, for example, majored in physics or physics education. Can inadequate teacher preparation be a factor in the poor performance of US students on international assessments of their achievements in science and physics? Since 1995 the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has been administered four times to many hundreds of thousands of students in over 60 countries. TIMSS is used to measure trends in the mathematics and science knowledge and skills of fourth- and eighth-graders. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) has been administered three times since 2000, it focuses on 15-year-olds' capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy. TIMSS Advanced (1995) assessed school-leaving students who have had special preparation in advanced mathematics and physics. In all these studies the US students, including the Advanced Placement physics students, scored below the international average, sometimes in the bottom third of countries!
Three knowledgeable speakers were invited to talk about the physics K-12 education systems in other countries: one that consistently scores at the top of the PISA (Dr. Pekka Hirvonen, Finland) or score much higher than the US on TIMSS (Dr. Jozefina Turlo, Poland, covering various Central European countries) and significantly better on recent bi-lateral comparisons (Dr. Lei Bao, covering China in comparison to the US). This session was designed to find out what we can learn from the physics teaching systems in these high-scoring countries that might be pertinent to our efforts to improve the teaching of physics and science to 8th through 12th graders in the US.
There are several differences in the design and purpose of the TIMSS and PISA assessments; for example the TIMSS focuses on the application of familiar skills and knowledge often emphasized in classrooms, whereas the PISA tests emphasize students' abilities to apply skills and information learned in school to solve problems or make decisions they may face at work. PISA test questions tend to deemphasize factual recall and demand more complex reasoning and problem-solving skills than those on TIMSS, requiring students to apply logic, synthesize information, and communicate solutions clearly.
"Physics teacher education in Finland and reasons underlying the top scores of Finnish students in international assessments."
This was the title of Dr. Pekka Hirvonen's presentation. He is the head of the Education Unit in the Department of Physics and Mathematics at the University of Eastern Finland. He is Vice President of the Finnish mathematics and science education research association and board member of the Finnish graduate school of mathematics, physics, and chemistry education. Finnish 15 year olds, a nationally representative sample, scored the highest on the science PISA in both 2000 and 2006. In 2006 they scored 563 points (on a 0-1000 scale), the second highest was Hong Kong with 542, and the US was the 16th country with 489 points.
Dr. Hirvonen said that many people have tried to explain the good results of the Finnish children; the Finnish policymakers claim they have made wise decisions and that is the reason, on the other hand, teacher educators say they are educating such good teachers, while the teachers say they are teaching so well. Probably they are all partially right. His favorite explanation is that education is highly appreciated in Finland. Since the Second World War the Finnish society has developed quickly from an agricultural country to a high-tech and education-oriented country and this development has been brought about through an improved education system; a good education in Finland has always been a way to achieve a job in their society, no matter their family's background.
Furthermore, because the Finnish population is quite homogeneous it is easy to teach the children the basic skills quickly. He contrasted this with classes (such as we have in US schools) with children from 10 different countries who are trying to learn to read and write English first; this is a difficult environment for the teacher. Another typical feature of the Finnish school system is that it is organized so that even the weakest children learn basic skills; this system may not be best for the smartest children.
Dr. Hirvonen talked about the influences on teacher education in Finland. Their physics teachers are trained in universities and each university has much freedom in deciding the content of their teacher education program. These programs cover both the acquisition of physics knowledge and learning how to teach (pedagogy). The structure of their teacher training has been influenced by how it is done in other European countries, but they have some unique aspects too. One is that there is a school within the university where the student teachers teach real children well before they get their degrees; this is an expensive strategy but it produces good teachers. The pedagogical studies and training school are organized by the faculties of education. The Finnish national school curriculum is not completely defined, its aims and content are given in a general sense and the teachers are trusted to be competent enough to make good decisions, so the teacher education is taken seriously.
Dr Hirvonen described the physics teacher education program at his university. Student teachers can apply to the teacher education program straight out of high school; they must have good final's scores and pass a suitability test that consists of an interview and a group session. During the first three years the prospective teachers learn just the same physics as the prospective physicists; in addition there are two laboratory courses just for the student teachers. One is basic laboratory practise for teachers; they work in groups of 3 and carry out well-defined hands-on activities. A tutor talks to them during the labs about taking observations and the concepts, and afterwards all topics are discussed in interactive lectures. The second special course is called laboratory practise for physics teachers; their responsibility is much bigger. They have 9 hours of lab time to create a teaching sequence lasting about one hour, with a clear learning goal. Then everyone's sequence is tried out with the other students working as a school-student.
At the beginning of their second year the student teachers begin their pedagogical studies in the department of applied education and start student teaching in the university training school. To become a licensed physics teacher in Finland one must have taken a Master's degree, i.e. two more years of study beyond the bachelor's degree. There are special courses for student teachers during their 4th and 5th years, some involve repetition of basic physics concepts to ensure they have a profound understanding of physics and some concentrate on students' pre-knowledge and learning problems. Other courses give them historical, philosophical or structural perspectives on physics; they see that it is not an isolated domain of knowledge. The Finnish idea is that teacher students should get a multi-dimensional picture about physics. It is not only learning formulas and doing problem solving but much more. They should be prepared to know what to teach, why to teach and how to teach in many different circumstances.
Dr. Hirvonen's final points were that their graduating teachers are still just beginners; they have been given a driving license and with much practice they will develop into skillful drivers. The co-operation between the three partners: subject department, department of applied education and university training school, is crucial to the success of the teachers they produce; they have a common goal - a good physics teacher.
More information about physics and teacher education research that is carried out in Dr Hirvonen's university can be found here: http://www.uef.fi/fysmat/fysiikan-opetuksen-tutkimus (in English) and he can be reached at this e-mail address: firstname.lastname@example.com
"Teaching to Learn and Learning to Teach"
Our second invited speaker was Dr. Lei Bao, associate professor in the Physics Department at Ohio State University. He was educated through his undergraduate degree in China and obtained his Ph.D in Physics at the University of Maryland in 1999. His current research focusses on the large-scale quantitative assessment of learning in science and scientific reasoning in the international context. He is chair of the International Education Committee of the AAPT and holds guest professorships at 3 Chinese universities. His presentation was titled: "Teaching to Learn and Learning to Teach".
Dr. Bao noted that the TIMSS and PISA assessments offered a global view of K-12 science education and their data enables comparisons of education systems in different countries. Researchers such as he make the comparisons not in a competitive sense, but to learn about various systems. To experimentally prove that some way of teaching caused some better scores than another would need a totally randomized test (like a double blind experiment in medicine) and running such tests in real education settings is very difficult. Nevertheless, Dr. Bao is part of a physics education research community that is developing new research methodology and running comparison studies of Chinese and US physics high school and college students.
Dr. Bao observed that the competition to get into a Chinese university is fierce and he showed some math questions on the Chinese university entrance test for prospective science undergraduates. Everyone in the room gasped at the difficulty of the questions; then he showed some physics questions on the same entrance exam and we gasped again, especially as there were about 20 such difficult questions to be answered in two hours. The Chinese physics undergraduate must be able to really understand physics concepts and so their high school teachers must be able to teach them these concepts. High school teachers are trained in so-called "Normal" universities; it is their dedicated goal to produce teachers. Dr. Bao showed lists of mandatory and elective courses in the physics department at Huazhong Normal University, one can see the similarity to a US BS in physics in the mandatory courses (65 credits), and on top of those the physics teachers in training have to do 16 credits of professional education courses and 24 credits of elective courses:
The required courses in the physics department of Huazhong Normal University are listed as following.
But the Chinese Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education system over-emphasizes the learning of content to the detriment of learning how to solve real world problems, so their graduates do not have good problem solving skills. Another concern in China is that the STEM students lose interest once they arrive at the university; they have had to work so hard for many years to get into university and while they are there they do not try to do well anymore. The main concerns about science and engineering education in the US is that the students are, on average, below the expected performance level (as shown in the TIMSS) and there is a widespread "fear" of science and mathematics. Dr Bao noted that in both countries physics teachers are "teaching to the test" and this is not the best way for students to learn.
Both countries are engaged in STEM education reform and they have common goals: to balance the STEM content learning with the development of problem solving abilities, so that the new generation has the right mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes so that they become not only effective problem solvers but also good "problem creators". In Dr. Bao's opinion, currently both countries seem to be moving towards each other. The best solution is probably midway.
What are Physics Education Researchers (PER) doing to understand science education and science teacher preparation so that they can move forward the reform? Dr. Bao described how, currently in PER, we often emphasize research on the study of specific student difficulties in various contexts and on the development of new instructions. There hasn't been much research on developing a consistent theory and methodology that can be used to model student's conceptual learning and to provide guidance for developing effective assessment technologies and instruments. Research is often conducted without the benefit of a strong theoretical foundation. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a coherent theory for research in physics education. Without a unified theory, different researchers don't have a common language to talk about their research work. In order to make physics education a strong field in physics, it is important to integrate different pieces of research together under a consistent research framework. Such a theory doesn't exist in education research. Dr. Bao said physics education researchers need to develop a theory for physicists with appropriate mathematical tools.
Dr. Bao is studying how students acquire scientific reasoning skills and whether the amount of STEM content knowledge they are learning has any effect on their domain-general skills, such as the abilities to systematically explore a problem, formulate and test hypotheses, manipulate and isolate variables, and observe and evaluate the consequences. He is using well-known physics concepts' tests and a scientific reasoning test as his measures and the variables are the K-12 science education systems in China and the USA, represented by thousands of Chinese 1st year college students (have taken 5~6 years of physics courses, mandatory, at complex level) and thousands of US 1st year college students (have taken 1~2 semesters' of physics, elective, at basic level).
To test their content knowledge the students all took (in their own language) the same FCI – force concept inventory test (mechanics, 30 questions, multiple choice) and same BEMA – brief electronic and magnetism assessment (E&M, 31 Questions, multiple choice). To test their scientific reasoning they all took a "Lawson" test with 24 multiple choice questions which tested abilities such as proportional reasoning, probabilistic reasoning and hypothesis deductive reasoning. Dr. Bao showed the three test scores of the Chinese and the US students graphically. In the FCI the highest percentage of the Chinese students scored 28 correct answers and the highest percentage of the US students scored 12 correct answers; in the BEMA most of the Chinese students scored 22 correct answers, the US: 9 correct answers. So the Chinese students obviously knew/understood a lot more physics concepts than the US students. But the shape of their scores' histograms on the scientific reasoning test were statistically the same, leading to the same mean score of 17.9 correct answers out of 24.
So the conclusion of this series of tests is that under current education settings the learning of content knowledge doesn't seem to have an obvious effect on the development of general scientific reasoning abilities. But what methods are effective in developing scientific reasoning abilities? Dr. Bao's PER group did some further experiments: they administered the Lawson test twice and in between they taught some students some regular introductory physics courses, their scores did not change on the 2nd Lawson test. Another group of students took some inquiry-based physics courses between the 2 Lawson tests and their 2nd test scores were significantly better. So Dr. Bao reported "It is not what we teach but how we teach that matters!"
Dr. Bao's team continues its research into how best to teach physics and they are evaluating the effectiveness of several education programs and developing a large scale national and international quantitative assessment database. They collaborate with researchers in 8 other countries and their work is reported in this journal: "Research in Education Assessment and Learning". http://www.iperc.org/REAL.
"Are the Competencies of Science Teachers and the Scientific Literacy of Society Essential for the Success of Physics Students?"
Our third invited speaker was Dr. Jozefina Turlo who was the head of the Physics Education Laboratory at the Institute of Physics, the Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland for 26 years. She graduated as a Ph.D in Physics from the same university and has been employed there since then as a researcher in solid state physics and in physics education. She is a member of the International Research Group on Physics Teaching- GIREP. She is the Polish Ministry of Education's referee on Teacher Training, Physics Textbooks and Educational Aids. Dr Turlo is Vice-President of the Polish Association of Science Teachers, partner in many European Union (EU) education projects and independent expert of a European Commission on Framework Project #7: "Science in Society". Her presentation was titled: "Are the Competencies of Science Teachers and the Scientific Literacy of Society Essential for the Success of Physics Students?"
Dr. Turlo reminded us what are the main features of our time: globalisation, economic development based on knowledge, social transformations and dramatically accelerating progress in new technologies [such as new communication methods based on a merging of information and communications technologies: ICT] which is leading to many new jobs. She described what these features imply for science education: that science must now be learnt by all, not just some, affecting the curricula and aiming for general scientific literacy; that science education must teach how to be innovative, best taught through inquiry teaching methods; and that the competency of science teachers and their enthusiasm affect the overall success of science education.
How does the science education community measure success, such that different countries can compare their education systems with others? There are several international studies that compare students in different countries and Dr. Turlo described the more important ones and their recent results.
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
TIMSS is a series of assessments designed for fourth and eighth grade students to address concerns about the quantity, quality, and content of instruction. It is designed to identify progress or decline in student achievements. 50 countries from all over the world participated in the years 1995 – 2007. The best results were usually achieved by Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Estonia, Japan, Hungary and the Netherlands (China has never participated in TIMSS).
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
The PISA tests emphasize students' abilities to apply skills and information learned in school to solve problems or make decisions they may face at work, i.e. it measures their scientific literacy. Finland, with an average of 563 score points, was the highest performing country on the PISA 2006 science scale (as addressed by our first speaker, Dr. Hirvonen). Six other high-scoring countries had mean scores of 530 to 542 points: Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong-China, Taiwan and Estonia. Australia, the Netherlands, Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Macao-China also scored above the OECD [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development] average of 500 score points.
On average across OECD countries, 1.3% of 15-year-olds reached Level 6 of the PISA 2006 science scale, the highest proficiency level. These students could consistently identify, explain and apply scientific knowledge, and knowledge about science, in a variety of complex life situations. The number of students at Level 6 cannot be reliably predicted from a country's overall performance. Korea was among the highest-performing countries on the PISA science scale, with an average of 522 score points, while the United States performed below the OECD average, with a score of 489. Nevertheless, the United States and Korea had similar percentages of students at Level 6.
The number of students at very low proficiency is also an important indicator in terms of citizens' ability to participate fully in society and in the labour market. At Level 2, students start to demonstrate the science competencies that will enable them to participate actively in life situations related to science and technology. Across the OECD, on average 19.2% were classified as below Level 2, including 5.2% below Level 1. Males and females showed no difference in average science performance in the majority of countries, including 22 of the 30 OECD countries. However, similarities in average performance mask certain gender differences: In most countries, females were stronger in identifying scientific issues (using academic knowledge), while males were stronger at explaining phenomena scientifically.
Students' socio-economic differences accounted for a significant part of between school differences in some countries. This factor contributed most to between-school performance variation in the United States, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Slovak Republic, Germany, Greece, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.
There is no relationship between the size of countries and the average performance of 15- year-olds in PISA. There is also no cross-country relationship between the proportion of foreign-born students in countries and the average performance of countries.
International Physics Olympiads were started in 1965 and around 70 countries have sent students to compete these last 5 years. Chinese students consistently appear in the top three highest scores in these Olympiads, this fits in with the data that Dr. Bao our second speaker presented.
The "First Step to Nobel Prize" competition is not as well-known as the Olympiads and Dr Turlo showed the rankings for 2005 to 2007 and in this arena of the brightest students the USA students came in the top 3 positions.
The ROSE study – the Relevance of Science Education looks at children's attitudes towards studying science. Children from 36 different countries, including many in Africa who don't take part in the above studies, were asked how much they agreed with this statement:"I like school science better than most other school subjects". Their responses were plotted to show the percentage answering "Agree plus strongly agree" and they tracked female and male answers separately. At the top of the list with the highest percentage of children agreeing, and hardly any difference between girls and boys, is Bangladesh (~83%), with Uganda second (~80%); 5 other African countries: Ghana, Lethoso, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Botswana all have agreement over 50%. Austria is the only European country where more than 50% of both girls and boys agree with the statement. The Scandinavian countries all cluster at the bottom of the plot with well under 40% agreeing with the statement, and Finland, who does so well in the PISA assessment has just 30% of boys and 21% of girls agreeing with the statement "I like school science better than most other school subjects". This is a fascinating set of results and during the discussion period after the speakers, Dr. Turlo told us how the researchers explained the wide range of country responses [Chinese children were not included in this study]. See the description of the discussion period below.
There are many factors that influence the effectiveness of teaching, e.g. fiscal and other resources, the student's family background, the overall school quality, the curriculum quality, and, of course "quality of the teachers". Next Dr. Turlo discussed what competencies a science teacher needs to be an effective and good quality teacher:
To ensure that teachers gain these competencies they must be included in teacher training standards, but the enthusiasm and motivation of a teacher are characteristics that are difficult to imbue through training, they have to come from within the person!
Much of Europe is engaged in K-12 science education reform, like the US and China; there are shortcomings in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and teacher quality, but the deeper problem is one of a fundamental nature. School science education has never provided a satisfactory education for the majority. Now the evidence is that it is failing in its original purpose, to provide a route into science for future scientists. To help develop a plan for science education reform across Europe a committee of 19 experts (including our speaker Dr Turlo) was convened by the UK-based Nuffield Foundation and in 2008 they produced a report called "Science Education in Europe: Critical Reflections", the two main authors being J. Osborne and J. Dillon. This important report was addressed to the Ministries of Education of all European countries.
This report makes 7 recommendations which are reproduced here because they set a framework for improving science education, and are applicable to the teaching of physics and the training of physics teachers in any country, the subject of the Forum of International Physics' invited session which this newsletter article summarizes.
Recommendation 1
The primary goal of science education across the European Union (EU) should be to educate students both about the major explanations of the material world that science offers and about the way science works. Science courses whose basic aim is to provide a foundational education for future scientists and engineers should be optional.
Whilst science and technology are often seen as interesting to young people, such interest is not reflected in students' engagement with school science that fails to appeal to too many students. Girls, in particular, are less interested in school science and only a minority of girls select careers in physical science and engineering. The reasons for this state of affairs are complex but need to be addressed.
Let's exemplify the interest in science for boys and girls by listing the top 5 items boys would like to learn about in science and the top 5 for girls.
Top 5 items boys would like to learn about in science
Explosive chemicals;
How it feels to be weightless in space;
How the atom bomb functions;
Biological and chemical weapons and what they do to the human body;
Black holes, supernovae and other spectacular objects in outer space.
Top 5 items girls would like to learn about in science
Why we dream when we are sleeping and what the dreams might mean;
Cancer – what we know and how we can treat it;
How to perform first aid and use basic medical equipment;
How to exercise the body to keep fit and strong;
Sexually transmitted diseases and how to be protected against them
Recommendation 2
More attempts at innovative curricula and ways of organising the teaching of science that address the issue of low student motivation are required. These innovations need to be evaluated. In particular, a physical science curriculum that specifically focuses on developing an understanding of science in contexts that are known to interest girls should be developed and trialled within the European Union.
Recommendation 3
EU countries need to invest in improving the human and physical resources available to schools for informing students, both about careers in science – where the emphasis should be on why working in science is an important cultural and humanitarian activity – and careers from science, where the emphasis should be on the extensive range of potential careers that the study of science affords.
Recommendation 4
Student engagement or interest in science is largely formed by the age of 14. This situation has implications both for the formal curriculum and for opportunities to engage with science outside the classroom.
EU countries should ensure that:
Recommendation 5
Developing and extending the ways in which science is taught is essential for improving student engagement. Transforming good teaching practice across the EU is a long-term project and will require significant and sustained investment in continuous professional development.
Recommendation 6
EU governments should invest significantly in research and development work on assessment in science education. The aim should be to develop items and methods that assess the skills, knowledge and competencies expected of a scientifically literate citizen.
Recommendation 7
Good quality teachers, with up-to-date knowledge and skills, are the foundation of any system of formal science education. Systems to ensure the recruitment, retention and continuous professional training of such individuals must be a policy priority in Europe.
Dr. Turlo brought her presentation to a close with a reminder that research physicists also have responsibilities in physics education. She told us that two-time Nobel Prize winning physicist, Maria Sklodowska – Curie, had created the Society of Scientists for Experimental Teaching in 1907, and had been a physics teacher for a class of 12 year olds. Here are the features of the active teaching methods this Society used 100 years ago:
Features of Active Teaching Methods Used by Marie Curie and other famous scientists in 1907:
Dr. Turlo's final remark was to quote a Chinese proverb:
"If you think that education is not important or too expensive you didn't try ignorance yet."
Panel Discussion
Following the 3 presentations there was time for comments from the audience and a few questions to the speakers. Here are some of those comments, questions and the answers. Considering the amount of time spent on studying by high school students in different countries it seems that US kids spend much less than most as they do so many extra-curricular activities. Teachers have to find what motivates children to learn science and use those things in their teaching. Teacher- assistants were effective in helping lower performing children. Does a country with high physics scores on the international assessments turn out more physicists? – No. Why do so many Chinese science students come to the USA for graduate school? Because the quality of US graduate school quality is better than that of Chinese graduate school and it is still hard to do basic science research in China. Is the USA draining the Chinese scientist population? - No.
There were many questions asked concerning not only the ways of training of pre-service teachers, but also methods for their in-service training, organization of schools, investment in education, teaching methods (student motivation), etc.
Furthermore, someone asked: Why do pupils in the less developed countries express more interest to learn about science topics as reported by the ROSE project? One can really notice a strong negative correlation between the average interest score and the level of development of particular country (HDI - human development index). The correlation between overall interest and HDI is - 0.85.
However, care should be taken when interpreting this overall result. One should not assert that children become less interested in science the more developed the country is. A better explanation for these data is rather to suggest that for children in (mainly) developing countries, going to school after the age of 15 is "luxury" or a "privilege". Hence, they are, in principle, happy to learn about nearly everything the school may offer. Kids in rich countries (with low rates of unemployment) can "afford" to see school more as a duty and an obligation more than as a privilege. Many students also think that school should be fun and entertaining. Therefore, they are more likely to express what they like and what they dislike. One might say that they are more "selective" in their choices. Additionally – A clear pattern is that topics that are close to what is often found in science curricula and textbooks have low scores on the rating of interest among young learners from Europe and other well developed countries – they have in the modern society much more interesting things around such as: mobiles, TV, films, internet and computer games, etc.
The lively discussion period continued with many questions concerning not only the ,methods for training pre-service teachers, but also methods for their in-service training; organization of schools; investment in education; teaching methods and student motivation.
What can we learn from physics teachers in high scoring countries on the TIMSS and PISA international assessments? : Final words of advice from the three speakers:
Dr Pekka Hirvonen: "Education should be taken seriously; it's an investment for the future"
Dr Lei Bao: "It is not what we teach but how we teach that matters."
Dr Jozefina Turlo: "Follow the recommendations of the 2008 Nuffield Foundation report, Science Education in Europe: Critical Reflections."
Cherrill Spencer is a Member-at-Large of the FIP Executive Committee, and is a Mechanical Engineer at the SLAC National Accelerator Center at Stanford University.
Disclaimer - The articles and opinion pieces found in this issue of the APS Forum on International Physics Newsletter are not peer refereed and represent solely the views of the authors and not necessarily the views of the APS.


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Do you think Zack Snyder's wife knows where he keeps his stash of "Heavy Metal" magazines?
"Sucker Punch" follows Baby Doll (Emily Browning) as she is packed off to a home for the "mentally insane," where she proceeds to retreat into her imagination in an effort to maintain control over her destiny and plot a daring escape. Joining her is a troupe of stripper/prostitutes with equally silly names: Sweet Pea (Abby Cornish), Rocket (Jenna Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and Amber (Jamie Chung).
Snyder, who conceived of the story and co-wrote the script, has called the film "'Alice in Wonderland' with machine guns," which sounds entertaining enough, but it would be more accurate to say "Sucker Punch" is "'The Wizard of Oz' with machine guns—with sincerest apologies to Frank Baum."
The film's story and look are wildly derivative-- Baby Doll and her gang face off against the giant Samurai from "Brazil," the Orcs from "Lord of the Rings," the robots from "I, Robot" and the steampunk Nazis of "Hellboy"—but it still looks great, like a comic book come to life.
"Sucker Punch," is a feast for the eyes, but absolute torture on your ears, which are bombarded with some of the worst dialogue you've heard in a long time. The film is essentially a series of action-packed music videos strung together by a story that takes itself far too seriously and brutal, brutal dialog.
Though the soundtrack is composed of mostly passable covers of good to great songs-"Sweet Dreams," "White Rabbit," "Search and Destroy"—they occasionally offer too literal interpretations of the action, almost as though Snyder decided that he wanted to have the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind," and then figured out how to make it work perfectly.
The draw of the film is simple enough: a group of young women in lingerie, armed with samurai words and guns, do battle with a bunch of monsters to save the world—that Snyder tries to concoct some sort of deeper meaning just reeks of vain (yes, that's a double entendre) bid for gravitas.
The film poses a number of questions that demand but never get answers: If Baby Doll's strength presents itself through her dance, why don't we ever see her dance? How is it that an orderly runs an insane asylum? What the hell is Jon Hamm doing with his film career?
It's a shame that Snyder's handling of character and dialog are so clumsy, because the man knows how to make a movie screen come to life. But in "Sucker Punch" he tries to make a film with meaning for a bunch of (overgrown) adolescent males. In trying to serve two camps, he failed both.
Review: "Sucker Punch" Only a Glancing Blow
Do you think Zack Snyder's wife knows where he keeps his stash of "Heavy Metal" magazines?


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- Sending homosexuals to forced labour camps.
- Executing people attempting to leave Cuba (as recently as 2003).
- Urging the USSR to launch a nuclear first strike against the USA.
- Holding 316 known political prisoners in 2006.
- Banning independent trade unions.
- Single candidates for all seats in the National Assembly.
- Computer and internet access is severely restricted.
- In 2003, 22 libraries raided with 14 librarians arrested with jail terms of up to 26 years, for having banned literature.
- Opposed even modest economic reforms, including the opening up by Gorbachev.
- Cuba's imperialist adventures in Africa, including supporting the Mengistu regime that was behind the 1980s Ethiopian famines that Bob Geldof relaunched his career off of.
So how many more reasons do you need to vote out Ken Livingstone as Mayor of London?
Meanwhile, Daniel Finkelstein in the Times has an excellent article asking why the left worships dictators, including the Deputy Leader of the British Labour Party - Harriet Harman. Oh and no excuse that Thatcher supported Pinochet. Two wrongs do not make a right.


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(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that's happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.)
The first song Chris Young ever wrote was called "She's the One." You probably never heard it because it's from 1999. Young was only 14 when he wrote it. But last week, he told me all about it and the inspiration behind it. "It was that George Jones style, where you think it's about a girl. But by the time you get to the end, you realize it's really about a car," he said. "I wrote it before I could even drive, because when you're 14, that's all you want to do is to be able to drive. That's all that was on my mind." It sounds like a great tune, but Young said looking back on it, it was awful. But he has obviously honed his songwriting craft since. Young co-wrote seven of the songs on his current album Neon, two of which were No. 1 singles. So how does he start the songwriting process now that he's making a living at it? "Usually, I like to work off a hook. So more than 50 percent of the time, I'm a lyric guy first," Young said.


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Start-Up Behind Lumoback Posture-Monitoring Gadget Raises $5M
Lumo BodyTech, which makes a wearable waistband that tracks posture and movement and vibrates when the wearer slouches, has raised $5 million in Series A funding led by Madrona Venture Group.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based start-up doubled its goal in a Kickstarter campaign this summer, taking in $200,000 and more than 1,000 effective preorders for the Lumoback.
The Kickstarter backers now have their devices in hand, and Lumobacks will start shipping to the general public in January.
Lumo CEO Monisha Perkash described the Kickstarter campaign as a "de-risking" strategy, saying that it provided market validation and feedback that helped pave the way for the venture round.
Perkash said that Lumo eventually expects to move beyond posture into other devices that "give your body a voice." Versus other wearable sensors, Lumo is particularly focused on real-time, accurate feedback — currently, in the form of a gentle buzz that gets wearers to stand up straight, or to walk around after an extended period of sitting.


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Sponsored by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions
This scholarship is available to undergraduate students enrolled full-time in any school in the United States and its territories, Canada and Mexico, provided: 1) The school's industrial engineering program or equivalent is accredited by an agency or organization recognized by IISE; and 2) The student is pursuing a course of study in industrial engineering and operations research with a definite interest in the area of healthcare. The amount of the scholarship is $1,000. Recipient will also receive complimentary registration to the SHS conference and a travel stipend ($300). A candidate for this award must:
Students may not apply directly for the scholarship. They must be nominated by ISE department heads, IISE student chapter advisors, ISE faculty or by SHS board members, SHS diplomates or SHS senior members.
Nominations must be received at IISE headquarters on or before Nov. 15 and include:
Congratulations to Mizelle Hornilla at University of Miami for winning the 2019-20 SHS Scholarship!
The scholarship is funded by tax-deductible donations to the SHS Scholarship Fund. Click here to donate.


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We understand Fierce Bad Rabbit's lead singer, Chris Anderson, recently moved to Boston where his wife found a job, so I guess we can mention them here as a Wicked Local Band.
Update: This concert has been moved to Thursday, Feb. 6 because of the snow. The story has been updated to reflect that information. Originally the band was to play Feb. 5.
We understand Fierce Bad Rabbit's lead singer, Chris Anderson, recently moved to Boston where his wife found a job, so I guess we can mention them here as a Wicked Local Band.
And the rest of the Colorado band is joining him for a show Thursday, Feb. 6, at T.T. the Bear's in Cambridge. And, on Feb. 8 they will all be filming in Alternate Root TV's Norwood studio for their weekly one-hour show that airs Saturday nights at 1 a.m. on WBIN TV.
But guess what Wicked Local Band is on the bill with Fierce Bad Rabbit at T.T's on Wednesday? We Were Astronauts – with the talents of Milford's Steven Paddock on drums, Chris Rando on bass and vocals, Antonio Casasanta on vocals and guitar, and Tim Corrigan of Franklin on guitar - combines pop sensibilities with more rugged rock sound. The band recently made an album – using money they raised via Kickstarter campaign - down in Nashville titled "Outside Boston."
Our Emerson College intern Taylor Markarian, wrote about We Were Astronauts back in April 2013. Read more about them here.
The top bill at T.T.'s, Fierce Bad Rabbit, recently released a video for their single "Do You Want Me Now?" It features an animated fox that is just busting with love. What's with all the foxes in the musical world?
Tickets to Thursday's show at T.T. The Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St., Central Square, Cambridge, are $8. Frances Cone and Bucky Fereke & The Pony Express are also on the bill. The show is 18+ and doors open at 8:30 p.m. Visit www.ttthebears.com for tickets and more information.


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Here are a few to get you started:
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There's the fablets and the iPad minis; the Surface and the Air; the iMac and the Fire; the Android and the 5; the 100-inch plasmas and the HD projectors; the DS and the Wii; Android, BlackBerry (for at least a little while longer), and Beats to keep the sound private. There's Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, LaterBro, Tweepi, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Bit.ly, and Tumblr.
Is this progress? Really?
If you have little kids, you know that every waking moment is a war over what device your kid wants to play and whether you will let them—from Wii to TV at home, to built-in screens in the car, to iPhones at dinner.
If you have teenage kids who, God help you, drive, you are already paying bills for fender benders that occurred while your kid, or one of their friends, was texting, tweeting, or fb'ing while they should have been watching the road. And you are likely already paying the mental health bills, either in dollars or in anguish, for the damage done by trying to keep up appearances on the web with all the other perfect kids who seem to have great friends and fun 25 hours a day (even though they too are close to the edge of a breakdown).
And let's be honest, if you are a middle-aged fart like me, you probably have a half-dozen electronic devices that are on your person non-stop. You check your e-mail and your tweet stream while emptying the gizzard in the middle of the night. Romantic dinners and kids' birthday parties become one long excuse to watch the electronic world go by under the table or, if crisis hits, in a bathroom stall somewhere nearby.
Of real love, of real conversation, of heartache and politics and in-the flesh passions, we know precious little in the 21st century. We don't read books. We live in 140-character bursts animated by shadowed Instagrams shared with the world. Our attention span has been reduced to a constant adrenaline-producing electronic shock. And when that depletes the mind and the soul, bring on the Red Bull and the 5-hour Energy shots. And keep on going until we end up in the ER with heart failure.
I keep thinking about Gary Shteyngart's Super Sad True Love Story, which takes place in a future where, as described by New York Times book reviewer Michiko Kakutani, "Books are regarded as a distasteful, papery-smelling anachronism by young people who know only how to text-scan for data, and privacy has become a relic of the past. Everyone carries around a device called an äppärät, which can live-stream its owner's thoughts and conversations, and broadcast their 'hotness' quotient to others" ("Love Found Amid Ruins of Empire," July 26, 2010).
Is that where this is all headed? Live-streaming our thoughts and a real-time analysis of "hotness" in any given room? It doesn't seem that far away from where I'm sitting.
First, a confession. Maybe two while I'm at it.
The holidays have not been good to me in terms of electronic devices. I am a hard-core addict when it comes to booze (sober 16 years) and a myriad of other things, including ever-greater ways to duck the physical world through virtual reality via the genius of the now-deceased Steve Jobs (who I found, just btw, to be an assoholic like me while reading his biography, which I wrote about at great length HERE if you really care). I'd like to blame my holiday run-ins on my in-laws, a wild lot of Italian/German descent who party hard, and who love as well as fight with equally ferocious passion. But it's not them, it's me.
Two years ago, I ended up throwing my iPhone against a tile wall with everything all 6 foot 3 inches and 225 pounds of me could muster. Did you know that the battery inside your phone is actually combustible? Mine apparently exploded on impact (see image above).
This year, I got a brand new iPad. Not the Mini for sissies. The full-size one capable of producing my New York Times, New Yorker, and Ken Follett masterpieces with amazing clarity. Movies, pictures, e-mail, Twitter, Facebook all at my fingertips, even in bed next to my wife when I can't sleep.
I was in the bathroom just after Christmas with my new love object. I swear to you I was not multitasking. I had set it on the side of the sink and was washing my hands when the naked piece of glass (the cover was en-route via e-commerce purchase on Amazon) slipped innocently off the water table and smashed on the floor, cracking that ultra-fine glass face.
I was immediately on the phone with my coke dealer, trying to figure out if he could get the iPad replaced via FedEx. My 7-year-old had been stealing my phone and had managed to wear down the home button, so it took a fraction of a second longer to respond than when it was brand new. So I was thinking that I could upgrade that too, especially when I found out that my teenage son had a phone about to be eligible for upgrade so I could stick him with my slightly used 4S and get the 5.
But something happened along the way. I snapped. I started meditating. I gave up Coke Zero. I never replaced my iPad or my iPhone. I erased Twitter, Facebook, and all my son's games off all my devices. I put myself on lockdown. I made the phone so boring that all it's good for in the middle of the night is to use as a flashlight and maybe a little BBC news.
I've made these declarations about putting down my electronic addictions before, so I am not banking on this lasting very long. But at least for the moment I am untethered and my attention span seems to have grown to about 10 minutes. I am actually reading the massive Passage of Power in physical form. And you know what? For an incredibly researched history book, the damn thing is fascinating.
I have confessed my own problems with technology. Surely this is one of those things that I may have a problem with on a micro basis; but you might be saying to yourself, as a society it is perfectly okay for human beings from 18 months to 95 years to stay plugged-in to a blue screen literally every waking hour of every day. What is the big deal?
As someone who has dabbled in social media and even the kind of pointless rants that get the most attention, I would argue that where news used to come to us through a highly regulated stream of skilled reporters and fact-checkers, we now have a purely democratic crowd-sourced reality. This is great for getting the truth out in totalitarian regimes, like Iran, when men and women on the street can report things from the street that reporters in the past would have been killed for by making public.
But in 99 percent of cases, news and opinion have become real-time popularity contests for social media footprint rather than any even-loose association with the facts. We care a lot more about a Korean dude who has a funny music video than we do the wars we are fighting, the fact that more kids are now obese than are starving in our country, the 2 million men we have in prison, or in fact even our national elections.
If it takes more than 140 characters to explain, we are conditioned not to care about it. No adrenaline hit there. Pass the Red Bull and let's play some more World of Warcraft.
Go to an NBA game where everyone in the front row has paid $1,500 for the privilege of sitting on the floor for two hours of action. What do you see? None of them are even watching what is going on. They all have their fablets out, texting and tweeting away. Virtual reality is better even than watching a 7-foot man sky for a tomahawk dunk literally in your face.
Surely the äppärät is not far behind. We shouldn't need to talk to each other to get a real-time poll of the hottest person in a room. If we all vote on our phones, the pecking order is established with no human interaction whatsoever. And the best thing is that it is skin deep. No soul required in the judgment.
If you doubt what I am saying, just put down your crackberry, your Android, whatever you're carrying on your person, for one day. Go cold turkey. And just look around. Watch the people walking into oncoming traffic on the street while they type, the news reporters on TV who quote tweet streams like they are some kind of holy font of knowledge, the bizarre dance moves that take the place of meaningful discussion.
If you can't bear to put them down for just one day, try one of those romantic dinners with your significant other without something buzzing surreptitiously in your pocket, or take pictures at your kid's birthday party with an actual camera instead of with your phone with the convenient built-in excuse to check your e-mail just this once.
Again, it could be me on my annual New Year's rant against the electronic world getting all 19th century on your ass. But I don't think so.
And if you are reading this on your phone, do me a favor and find a brick wall to throw that thing against so you, like me, can cause the battery to explode. It will make you feel just a little bit freer.


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I was out and about, a lot, here today... Everywhere I went they were $15, but I'll make sure and mention it on the front page here that this isn't a universal deal for sure. Though it makes me really thankful I got these, and there's B-Wings around to be had cheap too.It made an otherwise ****** toy run worth the effort.
At this particular store, the vintage style packaging vehicles won't even ring up at all.
Today's wonderful revelation at Toys R Us? TVC Basic Figures marked up AGAIN, and now at $12.49 per figure. And this particular store is near TRU's corporate headquarters. Oh, joy.
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Fellow Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce shareholders,
There are so many machinations happening this week that one would be forgiven for thinking SCDP sells soap, not Heinz Baked Beans or napalm or whatever they're storyboarding in The Windowless Room. Some weeks all of Manhattan is a whorehouse, bustling intersections of love and lust and power and money. I guess, after all these years, we shouldn't be surprised that things don't go well this week. Things rarely do, in whorehouses, at least for our heroes: Think of the way Don's soul visibly curdled in last week's flashback, or last season's wreck of the Jaguar account.
And yet this endless amore in our heroes' hearts is increasingly disheartening. Transactional relationships are useful, of course, and profitable. But the thrill of victory keeps on fading into an ambivalent afterglow. And then there's the bill.
Was anyone else surprised he takes a stand against the war? Or, as usual, is he talking about himself—the war inside? Perhaps he feels vanquished. Don's carrying weight in the bags under his eyes. There's less of him with each dying day. As for those he loves, however much he can love, well, Peggy beat him in the ketchup battle. Megan is increasingly able to get along just fine without him (even if her friends and colleagues still all want to sleep with him).
There lately hasn't been a whole lot of fight in old Don Draper… but what's left of him without it?
(MORE: Mad Men Watch: Help Wanting)
If she can't set traps, Megan can at least feed her husband lines that are good enough for now. She fixes Don a drink and angles him into a role she thinks he's perfect for: jealous but titillated husband. Megan might be the first wife whose ambition stands toe-to-toe with Don's. At times, her sex drive even threatens to surpass his. We've all seen what she can do to an apartment, when she turns her eye to decorating (or, for that matter, cleaning.) Her power is fearsome. But can she be his peer? She's rehearsing for it, at least. Will he give her the part, or the shove?
Dawn's finally given a little more time out of the office this week, though she spent most of that time venting about her time inside it. Her bravura takedown of SCDP's office culture perhaps makes it clear she's only it in for the money. Watching Joan navigating the man's world, though, it's a question of just how long Dawn can stay that principled. (And it's telling that it often seems like the most principled option.) Soon enough, Joan dangles a set of shiny keys before her. She's graduated from SCDP's pool of goofy secretaries. Dawn's One Of Us now.
Joan's sister might be a Mary Kay lady, but Joan is Boss Lady Supreme. When she says, "Thank you for clearing that up," she means, "clear out your desk." And yet. The ghosts of scuzzy car dealers haunt even the offices of partners. Joan is forced to summon her power elsewhere—The Electric Circus on St. Mark's, where a handsome boy wants her, and Serge Gainsbourg sings "Bonny and Clyde" as if Brigitte Bardot never existed. She could go anywhere from here. But she goes back to the office.
(MORE: Mad Men Watch: The Straight Pathway Is Lost)
Pale as a pipsqueak from Village of the Damned, Ken Cosgrove this week turns from his sci-fi fantasias to the dystopic hellscape that is Dow Chemical's public image. The best thing to counter anti-napalm protests brewing up coast to coast? Joe Namath singing show tunes and John Wayne doing sketches. Qualms are dashed by a rousing mashup of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and the Notre Dame fight song, a performance just slightly less unnerving than Leland Palmer's "Get Happy," still on the tip of Ray Wise's tongue. He and Harry's plans are spoiled though, by the failures of Powers That Be. His days are numbered, no?
Mr. Crane is bumbling and sputtering his way to the middle, with his gift for mediocre invention in full force this week. "Broadway Joe" fails to win the respect of his superiors, though it saves the Dow account. If Harry's looking for role models at SCDP, he'd do better than to emulate Pete's tantrums (though they worked for Pete) or Peggy's self-reliance (though it's working for her). Perhaps he despises Joan because he knows he'll never be her.
New Business:
If there's anyone who's caught in the currents of sex and money, it's Betty. Strange not to see her this week, perhaps the brown hair didn't agree with her. And does anyone hand over a check with more grace than Roger Sterling? (No one has, or ever will. What does his shrink have to say about such panache?)
Folks, let's open the floor: Dawn's wedding planning is doomed, right? What does Pete do in that apartment of his? How much of all this will end up in Sally's thinly-veiled first novel? I'm here at my table, waiting by the phone. Call me.
MORE: Q&A: Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss On What's In Store For Peggy Olson


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I am LOVING the new name and hope that y'all like it too... as it fits my life so well. Me & My Mischief Makers. They all love the mischief and I am continually baffled at what their brains come up with. :)
Just a little rundown as to our current life...
- We moved downstairs in the house we share with my older sister and her family. This was a good thing for so many reasons, but mainly it has forced me to go through and de-crap my house. There is still a constant mess but that is because I prefer to sleep and/or be lazy during my few waking, non-working hours. But you would not believe the amount of papers I have shredded, the bags of trash and boxes of items taken to DI. It's amazing how freeing it feels to get rid of things.
- The kids started school at the end of last month. Second year at this school and all seems to be going well. I am blessed to have my sister here to help my kids with their homework most days since I have to leave for work before the kids get home from school. But I am doing my best to schedule time in each classroom to see them as often as possible.
- We took a trip to Texas before school started, to visit my sister and her family. It was AWESOME... except for the 24 hour drive (me being the only driver, it was split into 2 days) in a 5-seater car... hmmm, don't recommend it, but we did all survive it, and have GREAT memories from it. When I finally download the pictures I'll try to remember to post some. The kids keep asking when the next trip to Texas is going to be. My response so far has been, "When mommy can afford plane tickets for everyone." :) Doubt they have any clue that that means probably never... but a mom can dream, and so can her kids.
- I got hired as a career employee with the postal service FINALLY! After working as a contract/temp for over 3 years I was blessed with a full time position with benefits. It was a stressful time, but couldn't have been better timing in my life. The hours right now stink but I can't be sad that I have a job with perks. I just keep praying that eventually I will be able to work during school hours so I can be with my kids each evening.
Right now... I just got in my room from kissing each of my kids, tucking the blankets around them and whispering to them how much I love them. Some nights I just stare in amazement that they are mine, and at how grown they are. Tonight, this is what I am most thankful for.


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Chief Flynn meets with community leaders after teen's fatal shooting
Police Department drew criticism over treatment of Darius Simmons' mother
The shooting death of a 13-year-old Milwaukee boy sparked outrage over not only the crime, but how his family was treated by police.
Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn revealed Wednesday that he met with a representative of the family and community leaders who earlier raised objections.
Complaints that the police mistreated Simmons' family drew criticism from some local community groups, and even Chicago's Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
But Flynn appears to be getting some understanding from some of those same groups after holding a private meeting with them Tuesday.
Milwaukee police went to the home near 19th and Arrow streets May 31 following the fatal shooting of Darius Simmons.
While police promptly arrested Simmons' next door neighbor, John Spooner, detectives kept Simmons' mother in a squad car for more than an hour interviewing her since she was the only witness to the crime.
That drew concerns from community leaders, but Wednesday, Flynn explained the importance of separating witnesses and interviewing them right away, something he said the community needs to understand.
"And the most important person, sadly, to separate was the critical eyewitness to the death of this boy and that was the boy's mother. I wish it had been the mailman. But it wasn't. It was his mom, who understandably wanted to be with her son," Flynn said.
WISN 12 News has learning Flynn met Tuesday with the same community groups that were expressing concerns.
"I think now we've opened up a line of communication, a dialogue that I hope will stay open because this incident was so devastating and so emotional that you want to be angry at something," the Rev. Willie Brisco said.
Brisco, of Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope, was one of four leaders in the meeting and said it's cleared the air.
"I was very pleased. I thought it was a very positive step in relations in this community that we need in order to understand what the police do, and how when they come into sensitive situations, they do have a obligation to preserve evidence and make sure the evidence is in keeping with what the courts are requiring," Brisco said.
WISN 12 News tried several times to reach Simmons' mother, Patricia Larry, but was unsuccessful.
As WISN 12 News first reported Monday, Milwaukee's Fire and Police Commission is doing an independent investigation of the Police Department's handling of the scene and will hold a community forum on their findings later this month.
Spooner pleaded not guilty to first-degree intentional homicide this week and will stand trial.


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This time of year, everyone is pressured to bake. You bake the Christmas cookies, you bake a yule log, and if you haven't baked that plum pudding yet, you're running out of time. Baking is time consuming, expensive and when you mess up, oh so frustrating. And yet baking can also be a soothing way to spend a Sunday afternoon — what could be more fulfilling than welcoming friends to your kitchen laden with homemade bread, cookies and cakes?
There are a boatload of cookbooks devoted to baking and pastry-making, yet very few offer that ideal combination of foolproof recipes and clear instructions.
When it comes to books focused solely on bread, I would recommend even fewer. As I stopped making bread at home years ago, the only book I would recommend without hesitation is the one suggested to me years ago by the great Montreal chef/baker James McGuire, and that's Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman (Wiley, 2004). If you really want to make boulangerie-worthy bread at home, bringing it to the next level of serious kneading, proofing, shaping, slashing and baking, Hamelman will guide you to that crisp-crusted and aerated crumb-like nirvana.
I, however, prefer a bread baking book that takes me in directions less ambitious than creating the perfect sourdough loaf. I like a book that teaches me how to make a myriad of breads, including challah, babka and panettone, as well as recipes for dishes that can be made with bread, ranging from onion soup to croque-monsieur, and fattoush to panzanella. I like a good bread pudding (both sweet and savoury), English summer pudding and a mean cinnamon bun. And I enjoy a good sandwich, too. That's why I really like Nick Malgieri's latest book, Bread (Kyle Books, 2012).
The author of 10 cookbooks, including How to Bake, The Modern Baker, Chocolate and Bake!, Malgieri is a pastry and baking teacher who favours the French, Italian and Austrian baking styles, yet happily heads off in all sorts of directions, including Scandinavian and Mexican. Malgieri says this book was his greatest challenge, and the opening chapters are, indeed, the most technical with many how-to photos and writings on the essentials of bread making, plus techniques, ingredients and equipment.
Yes, you'll find plenty of "pure" bread recipes, counting only one step or many. But you also get all those useful recipes for unpretentious everyday foods that count on bread as either a major (apple charlotte, bruschetta) or minor (meatballs, Caesar salad) ingredient. And interspersed between them all are recipes for a variety of breads, including cheese-stuffed Italian breads, rye breads, multi-grain breads, flat breads, pumpernickel and ciabatta.
Perhaps what I like most about Malgieri's Bread, though, is the author's sense of humour and adventurous American palate, which make this such an accessible and inspiring read — what a rarity in a category that can often be so technical and dry. It's hard to flip through this book and find something you don't want to make. And with such clear instructions and great pictures, there's no reason you shouldn't succeed.
I invited Malgieri into my kitchen to prepare a recipe from his latest book, one that would be ideal for Christmas breakfast. We mulled over a few (there are many options) and he settled on a coffee cake.
It's not super simple to make, but with a good mixmaster and a little patience you can whip it up the night before Christmas and serve it the next morning. Think of this less as coffee cake and more as a cross between an Italian panettone and a French kugelhopf. With some signature North American ingredients mixed in, this bread is true Malgieri.
Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake
Makes one 10-inch tube or Bundt cake, serving 8-12
Says Malgieri: "Perfect for a fall or winter brunch, this versatile cake can be made with almost any combination of dried fruits and nuts you like. I love the tangy flavour of dried cranberries, and they're a perfect contrast to the sweet dough and icing and the richness of the nuts in this cake."
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk, scalded and cooled to 100 F
4 teaspoons fine granulated active dry or instant yeast
1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (spoon into a dry-measure cup and level)
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
3 tablespoons orange juice
13 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed, or turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup turbinado sugar or granulated light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups pecan pieces, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, strained before measuring
One 16-cup tube or Bundt pan, thickly greased with soft butter
For the sponge, whisk the milk and yeast together in a small bowl and stir in the flour. Cover with oiled or sprayed plastic wrap and let the sponge ferment until it is doubled in bulk, about one hour.
Immediately after preparing the sponge, combine the dried cranberries and orange juice in a small bowl and set aside.
Once the sponge is risen, beat the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until well mixed, about one minute.
Beat in the salt, then the eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat until smooth, then beat in the orange zest and vanilla.
Decrease the mixer speed to its lowest setting and beat in the sponge, then the flour a little at a time. Once all the flour has been added, let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Beat on low-medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about two minutes longer. Halfway through, beat in the dried cranberries and orange juice.
To assemble, stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans together. Spoon a little less than one-third of the dough into the bottom of the mould and spread it evenly. Sprinkle with half the sugar and pecan mixture.
Spoon in half the remaining dough and level; top with all the remaining sugar and pecan mixture. Spoon in the last of the dough and level the top. Cover with oiled or sprayed plastic wrap and let the dough ferment until it fills the mould, about one hour.
Once the dough has started puffing, set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 F.
Once the cake is fully proofed, bake until well risen and deep golden, with an internal temperature of about 200 F, about one hour.
Invert a rack on the top of the pan and, using oven mitts, invert them together. Lift off the pan and let the cake cool completely. Once cooled, invert the cake to a rack over a piece of paper or a pan.
To make the icing, stir the confectioners' sugar and orange juice together in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Cook the icing, stirring constantly, until it is just warm, about 110 F. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing onto the cooled cake. Let the icing dry, then slide the cake to a platter. Serve it on the day you baked it for brunch or tea.
Quick changes:
Substitute dark or golden raisins, currants or a combination for the cranberries. Snipped dried apricots or pitted dried plums or a combination of those would work well, too.
Substitute walnuts, or skinned hazelnuts or almonds, for the pecans.
For more food and wine talk, tune in to Dinner Rush with Lesley Chesterman on Saturdays from 3 to 4 p.m. on News Talk Radio CJAD 800.


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Effective Date: 1/1/1988
Obsolete Date: 3/1/2011
(a) Stipulation. The parties may stipulate that the jury shall consist of any number less than nine or that a verdict or finding of a stated majority of the jurors shall be taken as the verdict or finding of the jury.
(b) Jury of Six. In all civil actions in which a jury is impaneled, the jury shall consist of six qualified jurors unless any party entitled to do so makes a written demand for a jury of nine in accordance with Rule 38.
Rule 48 was amended, effective January 1, 1988; March 1, 2011.
Rule 48 was amended, effective January 1, 1988, to provide for a jury of 6 members unless a jury of nine is properly demanded. This is in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 28-14-03.1.
Rule 48 was amended, effective March 1, 2011, in response to the December 1, 2007, revision of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The language and organization of the rule were changed to make the rule more easily understood and to make style and terminology consistent throughout the rules.
Subdivision (c) was added, effective March 1, 2011, to track the December 1, 2009, federal amendment. Subdivision (c) allows a court to poll the jury individually on its own and requires a poll at a party's request.
SOURCES: Joint Procedure Committee Minutes of September 23-24, 2010, page 13; September 24-25, 2009, pages 18-19; September 18-19, 1986, page 3;September 26-27, 1985, pages 3-4; November 29-30, 1979, page 12; September 15-16, 1977, page 4; June 2-3, 1977, page 8; Fed.R.Civ.P. 48.
Statutes Affected:
Considered: N.D.C.C. § 28-14-03.1.
CROSS REFERENCE: N.D.R.Civ.P. 38 (Jury Trial of Right);N.D.R.Crim.P. 23 (Trial by Jury or by Court).


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So this one will be again, the call for a new tool . Now it might very well be that
someone of you know some work around or some way to achieve this, if so please share with us your knowledge. So its all about texturing and laying out uv maps. Lets say I have a character which I am planing to texture using unwrap uvw modifier and say a pelt mapper. Now my model has a separate model for head, torso, cloths, hands and so on. After I peel each of them, the sizes of my characters head texture, hand texture and everything come in same size. they all are fitted to this one square.. Now if I want to hand paint textures things like the width of the line in a texture matters. so in the case where I have, lets say a giant head of the character and tiny tiny eyes, the unwraper will make them same in a size. And that gives me a problem. If I apply same texture say with a dots, the dots on a head will be huge compared to the ones on the eyes…
naturally in a unwraper I can resize everything, but as far as I know its all done by hand. So the question remains, how to make many pelt maps from many separate objects so the sizes would be very simar to these sizes of actual geometry?
————————–Ok! seems I have an answer myself :) I found this grait tool – Unwrella! from now on its sort of advertising, but i found it solves exactly this problem – it makes the sizes of pelt uv's all correct sizes relative to each other! text from their website:
Unwrella is an exact unwrapping plug-in for Autodesk 3DSMAX and Autodesk Maya. It is a single click solution which allows you to automatically unfold your 3D models with exact pixel to model surface aspect ratio, speeding up texture baking UV map production significantly.
- Automatic one-click solution – Just apply the Unwrella modifier
- Precise – Preserves user created UV Seams
- Smart – Reduces texture mapping seams almost completely and minimizes surface stretching
- Efficient – Chunks are kept large and are arranged on the UV surface with maximal use of available space
- User-friendly – User defined pixel based padding between UV chunks
- Excellent for all kinds of models (organic, human, industrial)


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From $2,220/mo + utilities ($295)
Questions? Give us a call
From $2,220/mo + utilities ($295)
When you enter your home for the first time, you'll notice the modern tones throughout, from the open concept layout to the perfectly paired waterfall granite countertops. Our included furniture and decor are expertly selected and placed for this individual layout, and the mounted Samsung Smart TV's are ready for your enjoyment. Finally, your home is filled with our convenience amenities from the luxurious bedding to the completely stocked kitchen. Every element of your new home invites you to step right into a hassle-free living experience.
2 Beds
Bed Size
2 Bath
Pets Allowed?
Dec 19
Birmingham , AL
Indefinite Reservations get our lowest prices
Indefinite reservations receive our lowest rates and are subject to a minimum of 6 months stay within the Landing network.
Every Landing comes with smart TVs that give you access to your favorite streaming services. Cable is not included in any Landing.
Move-out Notice
This community requires a 60 day move-out notice. Please give us a heads up at least 60 days before you plan to move or transfer to another Landing.
Landing Share Eligible
Earn money while you're away with Landing Share. We'll rent your home to verified guests while you're away.
Landing apartments go beyond fully furnished - they're fully finished, meaning they're stocked with the essentials, from designer furniture to high-speed internet to cozy candles.


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A trite, dopey romcom, a super hero misfire, a lovable curmudgeon, a crazy ballerina, a grieving mother, a wandering eye, a martial arts three-quel, a hospital romcom... what're you in the mood for?
"The Dilemma"
The only good to come out of "The Dilemma" is the cash infusion enjoyed by the great rock duo The Black Keys, who have two songs featured on the soundtrack, thereby ensuring their financial stability for at least a couple more albums. Otherwise, "The Dilemma" is an exhaustingly trite, unfunny, vaguely misogynistic noncom that has bad answers for stupid questions. In theaters everywhere, read our review and watch the trailer
"The Green Hornet"
There are a some fun performances, a couple of interesting ideas poorly pursued, action sequences of varying degrees of quality and an ending that drags on forever. All in all, "The Green Hornet" is a bit of a mess. Ironically, your best hope for enjoying "The Green Hornet" is not to be a fan of "The Green Hornet." In theaters everywhere, read our review and watch the trailer
"Barney's Version"
Though "Barney's Version" doesn't quite merit the "let's get this in theaters so it's eligible for the Oscars" push, it is nonetheless a good film featuring some fine performances. In limited release, read our review and watch the trailer
"Black Swan"
Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream," "The Wrestler") directs doppelgangers Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in a dark, twisted psychological thriller about Nina, a ballerina (Portman) unraveling as she prepares to dance both the pristine, pure white swan and the manipulative, seductive black swan roles in Swan Lake. Going into wider release, read our review and watch the trailer
"Rabbit Hole"
There is no grief greater than that of burying a son or daughter, and so it is to the credit of all parties involved that "Rabbit Hole" is not simply a relentless downer, but a thoughtful, and at times even funny portrait of a couple trying to navigate that distinct brand grief. Going into wider release, read our review and watch the trailer
"Every Day"
Liev Schreiber and Helen Hunt are a happily married couple living in New York City with their two kids and her dad. But their domestic bliss is threatened by a wanton hussy played by Carla Gugino. We've got a feeling Liev's gonna learn just how lucky he is to have Helen. In limited release, watch the trailer
"The Heart Specialist
A romcom set in a hospital, it was finished four years ago, which never bodes well, but would you look at this cast: Wood "Avon Barksdale" Harris, Zoe Saldana, Marla Gibbs, Mya, Method Man and Ed Asner... Wow. In limited release, watch the trailer
"Ong Bak 3"
Martial arts legend Tony Jaa returns for the third and final installment of the beloved series, for showdown with his arch enemy, Demon Crow. In limited release, watch the trailer
"Plastic Planet"
Documentarian Werner Bode travels the globe to show us what a omnipresent threat plastic has become to our health and our planet. In limited release, watch the trailer
"A Somewhat Gentle Man"
Stellan Skarsgård stars as a gangster recently out of prison, and trying to assimilate to life on the outside in this dark co. In limited release, watch the trailer
"Twelve Thirty"
The home lives of a mother and her two daughters is turned upside down when all three find themselves in different types of relationships with the same young man. In limited release, watch the trailer


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Of course one of the two editors A will get her edit stored before the other one B.
But what happens to the resulting post that appears on the page without clicking the
edit buttons?
- Show only the latest B edition, A one is lost in space until the next big bang?
- Show the B one (kenobi) but the A one will appear in the edition stack?
- The system does have a subtle algorithm that detects that the 2nd edit was started while the 1st one was not stored yet, and either displays a kind of warning to the editor or to the member viewer?


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Western governments have seized more than $30 billion of Col. Muammar Qaddafi's assets since the Libyan leader launched the first attacks against his own citizens in February.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said earlier this month that those funds should be used "to help the Libyan people," and Sen. John Kerry (D) of Massachusetts says he is already at work on the legislation that will make that happen.
But here in West Africa – where rebels who were trained, funded, and armed by Colonel Qaddafi terrorized citizens for much of the 1990s – some people are saying that a chunk of that money should be set aside for them.
"Over a million Sierra Leoneans and Liberians were killed as a result of the Qaddafi-induced war," wrote Kofi Akosah-Sarpong, an editor at the London-based Newstime Africa daily's website earlier this week. "Now is the time for them to get their compensations direct from Qaddafi's looted billions."
Qaddafi's role in Liberia and Sierra Leone
Qaddafi's ties to the region date back to the 1980s, when he was looking to spread his influence across Africa and break off the continent's ties to the West. He was rumored to have been incensed by Liberia's cozy relationship with the Reagan administration under Samuel Doe, and by the Western-friendly stance of Sierra Leone's then-president Joseph Momoh.
So the Libyan leader invited some young, radical-thinking West Africans to visit his "World Revolutionary Center," a training camp outside the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi that the historian Stephen Ellis has called the "Harvard and Yale of a whole generation of African revolutionaries." There they learned how to deploy weapons and gather intelligence, and they were immersed in anti-Western ideology.
Charles Taylor – the former Liberian president who reigned over six years of terror in his own country and who is now on trial for his role in Sierra Leone's civil war – trained at Qaddafi's center in the 1980s. So did Foday Sankoh, the leader of Sierra Leone's main rebel group. Qaddafi supported both men with money and weapons after they had returned home from their training. The people of Sierra Leone and Liberia suffered the consequences.
"The idea of compensation is not far-fetched," says David Crane, the original chief prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra Leone, a UN-backed body that was set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the country's civil war.
"[Compensation] is called for in the statute that created the [Special] Court," Mr. Crane says. "It is certainly worth filing that claim on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone."He adds that Qaddafi's "political involvement" in the country's conflict "was obvious and clear."
Compensation for the casualties
West Africans don't need to be told twice. Jesmed Suma, the Executive Director of the NGO Sierra Leone Policy Watch, calls Qaddafi a "terrorist kingpin" who needs to be brought to account.
"If Qaddafi paid about $1.5 billion for his role in the Lockerbie bombing that took the lives of about 270 victims, then it would not be unreasonable to ask for $5 billion for the lives of about 200,000 (according to many estimates) Sierra Leoneans," he says, stressing that that view is his own, not that of his organization.
Mr. Suma hopes to put together a legal team to fight for the claim.
"With basic funding, I believe victory is very likely," he says.


text:
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Take a look inside Dunstone Design's sanding room affectionately known as "The Grotto".
I was unwittingly collecting Evan's work before I knew it; I happened to buy a couple of his early pieces through a gallery when he was just starting out.
Two years ago, he called me up and said "Tony, I have finally found the log!" He called it his "Number 2" log because it was only the second log… - Dr. Tony Tonks, Canberra Plastic Surgery
I commissioned from Evan- to the measurements that my occupational therapist recommended- a rocking chair, a dining chair and an outdoor chair. My chairs are works of art, bring me joy, comfort and lots of favourable comments. I'm housebound and I like to be surrounded by beautiful things that are p… - Philip Murphy
My wife Angela and I received a Tamar coffee table crafted by the incredibly skilled team at Dunstone Design as a wedding gift from some very good friends.
It was completely unexpected and totally over the top as far as wedding gifts go and we love it.
We had an awkward space to fill in our sitti… - Damian Schroeter, nFlame Creative
We had an aging display cabinet (nearly forty years old), which had passed its use by date. We had always admired the items on show in the Dunstone Design showroom but making the leap to a commissioned or even a showroom floor piece was a big step.
We visited Evan in the showroom and explained ou… - Steve Neilsen


text:
The Vocus Group (including iPrimus, Commander, M2 Clear, Dodo, Eftel, aaNet, ClubTelco and Engin) prides itself on delivering great customer service and is committed to its obligations in accordance with the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011 (CSG Standard).
However, occasionally events such as natural disasters and emergencies (eg floods and bushfires); extreme weather conditions (eg storms and lightning); or damage to our facilities or the facilities of our suppliers and other things that the Vocus Group cannot control could mean we are prevented from repairing faults or connecting standard telephone services within usual timeframes.
These types of events may trigger a Mass Service Disruption exemption which releases the Vocus Group from complying with the CSG performance standards for the duration of the Mass Service Disruption.
This exemption process is outlined in part 3 of the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011, which is explained on the ACMA website. Should you wish to challenge an exemption, you can raise the matter with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO). TIO information and contact details are available at www.tio.com.au.
When a Mass Service Disruption exemption is in place in your area, Vocus Group will contact you directly or issue a public notice in a daily newspaper and place the full details on our website.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has a helpful fact sheet on Mass Service Disruptions.
To view current Mass Service Disruptions, please visit: www.m2.com.au/msd.


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News Flash : Orders may take 5-7 business days to ship out. Covid 19 Virus workplace restrictions and increase in demand may cause delays in email or phone responses .It could take 24 -48 hours based on the incoming volume of inquires. Sorry no changes to orders once placed. If purchasing a Firearms please Verify legality of the item with your FFL dealer BEFORE ordering to avoid cancelation fees. Please review the How to Buy section and other directions Before ordering. Stay Safe & Wash Your Hands!
AK47 For Sale
The famous AK 47 Rifle was developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and was accepted for Russian Military service in 1947. AK represents Avtomat Kalashnikova, they were first produced by the Izhevsk Arms Factory. The AK47 Assault Rifle was designed to be simple, reliable, and easy to manufacture. The AK operating system is gas operated with a rotating bolt, known for loose tolerances that perform well in dirty and harsh conditions. The AK Rifle has matured into several different models including the AKM and AK 74 Rifles just to mention a few. Fielded in over 100 countries and adopted by 55 different nations. The legendary reliability of the AK 47 design and system has made it a favorite of US recreational shooters and collectors for many years. Atlantic Firearms offers the widest selection of AK 47 for sale and also feature AK Pistols, AK Shotguns and other Kalashnikov AK47. We offer top Quality Semi auto Sporting Kalashnikovs to meet your AK47 price and needs.
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