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Jean Starr Untermeyer: poetry outlived her marriage
She focused on nature and domestic life as her subject matter and self-discipline and loss as her themes
Jean Starr Untermeyer 2 p.m., Oct. 18
Last February, the Sweetwater Union High School District moved forward with a controversial initiative to buy 6300 iPads for its seventh-graders. The iPads cost $4.3 million. Several months later, the district purchased iPad covers, spending $27,000, and in July, learning-management software, costing $1.1 million over six years. The district faces a $27 million deficit. As the costly experiment with new technology unfolds, many question the district's use of funds and planning to integrate iPads into the classroom.
Sweetwater began using iPads in a pilot program last November. A select group of Hilltop Middle School students were sold the devices. A current posting on the district's website lauds the program: "Pilot programs such as the one being implemented at Hilltop Middle School in the Foreign Language and Global Studies (FLAGS) program have proven highly successful at engaging students and in raising academic achievement."
Despite this claim, a public records request asking whether students' grades had improved yielded this response: "The district does not have the requested information as this is not something we are tracking."
Money for the iPads came from several sources, including $1.8 million from Proposition O construction bond money and $1.5 million from Mello-Roos funds. Mello-Roos is a special tax assessment paid by some California communities to fund infrastructure and construction of public facilities.
Many have argued that the money raised through construction bonds should not be spent on iPads. The use of Mello-Roos funds has also been criticized, as not all Sweetwater families pay Mello-Roos taxes.
Critics of Sweetwater's iPad program claim the devices are offered to induce students to stay in the district rather than leave for charter schools. As school budgets continue to shrink, critics question where the money for iPads will come from next year and the year after.
Nick Marinovich, chair of the Proposition O Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee, recently wrote to the district expressing the committee's concerns about the iPad expenditure. "Issues such as long term useful life, technological changes in hardware and software, the relationship of the iPad functions juxtaposed to educational needs and how the iPad acquisition fits into the long term Information Technology Plan for the District were discussed [at a committee meeting].… [W]e repeatedly asked the District to provide a comprehensive plan on how they would continue to fund iPads over the next five years as well as how they planned to measure their success," he wrote. "The response was that for funding they will apply for grants and look for future money. There was no apparent metrics to analyze the effectiveness of this investment.…"
Lack of planning has been a constant thread in the iPad discussion. Melanie, an English instructor who spoke on condition that only her first name be used, was part of the pilot program at Hilltop Middle School. She experienced a number of problems. She said that teachers received only two days of iPad instruction. "We had no training in how to effectively use the iPads in our own subjects," Melanie said.
With class sizes ranging from 31 to 39 students, Melanie had trouble monitoring iPad activity. "By the time you walk over to a student, he or she will have changed the screen."
She witnessed one instance of cyber-bullying. On his iPad, a student had Photoshopped into the front page of a newspaper a picture of another student, surrounded with rude comments and given a rude headline.
Although the district's server blocks certain web activity, such as games and Facebook, students quickly found another server that gave them freedom to roam the web.
Melanie said that parents had complained about iPads, blaming them for a drop in their children's grades.
Benjamin Black, a science teacher at Hilltop, is enthusiastic about the potential for iPads in the classroom. He was instrumental in establishing the pilot program and provided technical support all year. The devices are superior, Black says, to the district's ragged, used textbooks "with a penis scrawled on every page."
"When my students first started using the iPads," he says, "they scored a little bit lower than they had been, but by the end of the semester they had advanced significantly."
With professional support, Black said, teachers could create curriculum and access free textbooks online. "Each teacher can bend it for his or her discipline's use in the classroom."
However, Black acknowledged challenges. "This is being dropped on teachers with very little organized and effective planning…[and] this has caused much resistance and caused the program to be viewed more as a nuisance or waste rather than something truly beneficial."
Another potential problem is safety. Steven Conner, a Sweetwater parent, worries that since the district has cut back on buses, kids with iPads walking to school will be targets for theft.
David Damico is Sweetwater's director of education technology. He served as the executive director of Ecademy California, a virtual charter school for K-8 students.
"Teachers are creative," Damico said in an August 4 interview. "They will become more and more innovative, developing their own content area…and the iPads will challenge the students individually. They are very interactive. They have a device for writing, streaming video, and they are not necessarily depending on a teacher in the room."
Asked if the iPad will stay with the student through high school, Damico said, "There are still some unknowns, like how long the iPads will last or how long the batteries will last. Technology is always changing, too. The iPads won't necessarily last for six years."
Parents signed a contract when students received their iPads, agreeing to recharge the device at night and to pay for a damaged iPad. Although the replacement cost — $549 — was not disclosed, Damico said most parents returned the contract.
The new school year began on July 25. Seventh-graders were responsible for downloading textbooks, and librarians reported that various problems arose. One developed when students synched their iPads to home computers to download music, which wiped out the district downloads. This resulted in up to 30 iPads at a time being brought into the library to be fixed or to have the apps reloaded, sometimes taking several days.
The iPad distribution was "two steps forward and then a little dance to the side," says Joan Hales, a teacher at Mar Vista Middle School. "I had hoped the textbooks would be interactive, but they're not."
Three weeks into the school year, about 10 percent of her classroom time is spent with iPads, Hales says, "but I think within a few weeks we'll be up to 50 percent." One of the "little bumps in the road" is that "These are 12-year-olds, and though it's in their contract to charge the iPads every night, the first week many of the students didn't have enough charge."
Hales uses iPads in her special education class. For students whose "executive-function skills are challenged, the iPad is a miracle. The devices help these students to keep everything together in one place."
Mike Dotson, another Mar Vista teacher, is optimistic about the iPad's potential, saying that it will be useful in preparing students for standardized tests.
"In six months to a year, we'll be bangin' on all cylinders," he says, "but for the time being, it's very time-consuming. It's difficult learning to utilize all the apps while trying to teach utilizing all the apps."
But on August 15, many wondered whether the district had the infrastructure to bang on all cylinders. An email from a teacher making the rounds said that the iPads had crashed. "Students have no restrictions, and access to district internet is gone," the email said, and "the applications where they submit homework and have access to textbooks are gone." More days of instruction would be lost while the iPads were reloaded one by one. Phone calls to teachers and librarians at several campuses confirmed that the problem was widespread.
Although many school districts are embracing new technology, some private schools have a different philosophy. A 2011 article in the New York Times titled "A Silicon Valley School That Doesn't Compute" begins: "The chief technology officer of eBay sends his children to a nine-classroom school here. So do employees of Silicon Valley giants like Google, Apple, Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard. But the school's chief teaching tools are anything but high-tech: pens and paper, knitting needles and, occasionally, mud."
The Waldorf School, a chain whose local facility is located in City Heights, encourages "a media-free environment as much as possible during childhood through the ninth grade," says Julie Joinson, director of admissions.
"Computers, if you let them, can substitute for actually learning skills. Computers will do spell checks for you, they correct your grammar, cut, paste, and regurgitate Wikipedia. Some students are even forgetting how to write in cursive — there's something to be said for cursive writing and basic motor skills.
"By giving students computers to stop the flow of students to charter schools, what are we saying? A material gift is more important than an education?" ■
It sounds like a lot of taxpayer dollars were spent on something that wasn't planned out al all. I wonder if this program will still be around next year for incoming 7th graders. Who is the SUHSD accountable to? Researching on the California Dept of Education website - it seems like the School Boards are autonomous and that we're in the wild west here.
Just proof again of another well thought out expensive Dr. Brand gimmick to keep students in a failing district. This could have been done with teachers and staff over a period of time to include training, infrastructure ( in place) to handle the the use of so many IPADS. But as usual it only becomes more and more expensive to fix problems that should not have happened in the first place. Seven thousand IPADS went down at one time,all filters were gone plus the text books were unavailable. The people in the mellaroos area feel that they are paying the lions share,and just got a increase of 2% (the largest amount the district could exact) Yesterday staff was told by Brand about the new school he wants for Eastlake. The employees were dumbstruck, but you keep quiet around the boss. Is this his new Charter School that hasn't been approved of as yet. Does this tell anyone who is really running this district.
Why oh why does this district have their head up the a... They can't get scores up with textbooks and really think the Ipad is the solution. I think this interim Superintendent is just trying to claim some kind of legacy for him that he started these programs. The biggest problem is that he is doing it on students backs. Why don't people that live down there ask questions why are they letting these people run things the way they are. Sweetwater is becoming another Bell, CA this district must be close to insolvency can't anyone check? This Brand fellow should really stop thinking about his ego and legacy and should focus in on why kids are leaving this district and what the problems on. You can't stop a leak with a band aid eventually the dam will break!
Ed Brand, the prime exemplar of Shell Game player, has so far kept the public at bay with his sleight of hand.
The day is coming when he will not be as quick, the public will be better informed, on to his tricks, and no one will fall for his attempts at intimidation.
Of course that means all of us will have to present a unified front that will convince him that he is disliked, not respected, no longer wanted, and in short, dismissed.
Brandara should be under investigation by both the DA and FBI, for this move and many others, all of which smell to high heaven. Using Mello-Roos funds to buy glorified toys (Ipads) for the kids sounds illegal to me. How long will all this craziness continue? Not forever, but to long-suffering folks in So Bay, it will seem that way. This abuse of Mello-Roos is what is killing it as a way to pay for anything.
I'm also very interested in those comments from educators about keeping childhood free of media through 9th grade. And cursive! It helps develop motor skills? Who'd a thunk it? Those comments sounded positively Luddite.
no doubt a call will made today to said teachers principals with mandates to 'shut their teachers up'. there is a fear within the district of the wrath of brand.
adding to the cost are the it techs that have been hired. batteries are said to last for a certain amount of charges - while the cfo stated early on that the district would be able to replace them as we knew then the district is now changing their answer to include the fact batteries can not be replaced.
ipads, charter school 1 (offering day care and ipads to k-2nd grade, open boundaries, borrowing from mello roos, brown act violations, allegations that they are continuing to borrow from prop o, lies about the southwest dirt on camera, limited public comment at board meetings, allegations that he is promoting the candidate running against bertha lopez with public officials, failure to allow campaign donation limitations be placed on the agenda, threats to board members during board meetings i.e. when said board member (lopez) clarified that the taxpayers had paid a little over $7,000.00 for john mccann's attorney vs the approximate $2,500.00 they had voted on - a case that the judge THREW OUT OF COURT AND ALLEGEDLY CHASTISED MCCANN FOR EVEN BRINGING IT FORWARD), cutting bus transportation, increased class sizes, now charter school 2. taxpayers of the south bay - you want to know why this district is floundering in the muck and the mire - let us point to brand. as with 'the gandara' it is time for brand to go. the community is organizing, and this has brand nervous; so much so that he placed a call to a teacher who holds him in high regard (?) and asked that she intervene and dissuade the eastlake community not to attend the board meeting - he promised instead to meet with them PRIVATELY. that strategy has now been exposed, after all their are NO secrets in the south bay.
as perfectly stated by community member john b at the board meeting - what does brand have to loose? nothing, as this is not his resident community. when all is said and done he will simply drive back up north - cartmill will sell his vitamins full time, and john mccann will continue to fight to be invited to public functions where, like at the jessica sanchez concert he allegedly attempted to force his way on stage - because according to him, he is somebody - NOT. quinones and ricasa will no longer be able to hold public office and bertha lopez and hopefully good candidates for all of the vacant seats will jump into the mess that is left and begin to rebuild our district one issue at a time.
brand has been double dipping ever since he got here, collecting $20 grand a month in salary AND his retirement. hmmmm, now where does john mccann stand on this issue, you know mr. conservative? well that would be about 2 steps behind him. he is now legally no longer allowed to do so. so, he will probably make some grandiose statement about how he is going to donate his earnings. HA! all the while he is fighting for Pearl Quinones and the others to hire him and hire him now. hopefully President Quinones will follow proper procedure and allow the public to weigh in on his performance to date. heck, we never were able to critiques him on his performance when this issue came up a few months back, why? he had been given no major job objectives. yes all eyes are on Quinones, will she blink? hopefully she will stand up for what is right and offer true transparency.
there is much work left to do - let us begin with releasing brand from his interim superintendent responsbilities.
Mr. Cartmill and Mr. McCann, poster boys for the Republican Party , raised my taxes !? !?
Jibara: you would have to live under rock not to know that mccann pretends to be a good republican, then he turns around and supports a double dipper (brand collecting his salary plus his retirment) - interesting isn't it that the person who the party has running for mayor fought against this very thing, and here we have mccann ithe imposter living within our very midsts. he can say he is a republican all he wants, but you know what they say about actions, they speak far louder than words.
lets face it mccann blows with the wind - remaining consistent in one area - he is indeed a self promoting blow hard.
allowing brand to open up the boundaries and cut transportation is proving to be the spotlight that is revealing who and what mccann and brand all about. i think it is about time for another food fest at miguels, don't you agree boys? what is that old saying 'the party is over, time to gather up all of our little plaques and go home - cause the community doesn't love us any more'.
remember, the tidal wave that washed us clean of 'the gandara' and bonny garcia, corruptor at law? well another one is building - time for another cleansing.................................................
Annie J you make some good points in all of your posts but I do believe one of the most important ones is that of Ms. Quinones being forceful when running these meetings and to stop being influenced by the others and especially Dr. Brand. I think she needs to read the bylaws, be well versed in running a meeting and stop having Brand and McCann grandstand. She can prove herself as a leader if she wants or keep the image of what people really think of her and that is one dumb lady. Ms. Quinones the ball is in your court on how you want people to remember your tenure, I believe you were told at this meeting that your fellow board members want you out of there and received a legal opinion about this you are in a pit with a bunch of snakes now we just need to see who is the most lethal and who comes out on top. What a shame that a school district board of trustees is so misguided, dysfunctional and criminal, they set a good example for the students dont they?
Angrybirds: hopefully Quniones will gather up the strength to stand up to the two bullies. she has the power, now lets see if she uses it or if she intends instead to allow herself to be used. interesting, that now board members (bet ya it is mccann and brand) now want her gone. lets think about this for a minute why would they do that to her? well by golly, it is what johnny boy does best - throws his fellow board members under the bus so he can appear to ride in on his little white chihuahua and save the day.
little man who would be king has proven he can not be trusted by the very same community that voted him in. the seat that he wanted so desperately was all about him, land the school board seat, next mayor of chula vista. with all that he has failed to do with our school district can you just imagine the damage he would do to our fine city.
No kidding!! And when all the Bay Front construction is in the offing--I am sure that for those who really know how to work the system, it is more than enough to get them salivating. That Mayor gig would look sweet...but we need someone who is honest enough to hold the purse-strings. Do we know anyone who is?
The math doesn't add up...
$4.3 millions / 6300 ipads = $682 each ipad 27000 / 6300 ipad covers = $4.29 each cover...
ipad2 are going for $400 or so..getting cheaper by the day..and ipad covers for $4? no wonder they have a a bunch of broken ipads..
sounds like there's a lot of money flowing and no checks and balance..oh wait, probably a lot of checks..; )
Certainly the time has come to move to modern technology for teaching. However, choosing the most expensive device of many is questionable. There are many cheaper alternative choices, Android pads, Kindles and other reader devices that could have been used that don't have the many problems and expense of the Apple devices. If you compare the cost of text books to purchasing an electronic reader that can have all textbooks, library books, class schedules and other materials in a digital format, it is reasonable. On another level, doing homework, grading and other interactive features are great, but the infrastructure is not yet in place to support such a program. Certainly by the time teachers are up to speed, there will be devices that are cheaper, and will not allow improper use by students.
This is an interesting take on the cost of iPads in the long run
Someone was complaining that when the iPads were purchased there was no comprehensive plan for using them for instructional/educational purposes. I doubt that many school districts, when they first began to acquire computers, had any real notion of how to use them. They just had to have them, lest they be seen as un-progressive, old fashioned, and just generally not-with-it. In a larger sense, does that school district have a comprehensive plan for anything? A comprehensive plan for campus use? Anything else? I doubt it. And that's not unusual. But in the case of giving an iPad to each kid, something more than the usual lack of planning was needed.
The teacher at Hilltop, Melanie, may have thought she was keeping herself anonymous or nearly so by not wanting her last name used. Hey, how many teachers in the district have that first name, and work at that school? She "outed" herself by letting her first name be used.
BTW, Susan, isn't it great how every few days the SUHSD and its criminally idiotic leaders provide you such stuff to report? You are getting ten or a hundred times as much outrageous material to work with as anyone else in the county. But keep up the good work.
Visduh: your comment triggered something i heard when i listened to the audio of a few meetings ago - the cfo mentioned something to the effect of a warehouse somewhere in the district in which hundreds of old computers were being stored.
a comprehensive plan you say? no such thing, at sweetwater what brand wants he gets, no thought given to the taxpayers, it is not his money, his child, or his community that he is impacting. but you can bet he will surely be posturing for that permanent position, goodness knows it is all abut the money. meanwhile the majority of the board sit there like 4 blind mice.
It seems not much has changed at SUHSD. I placed my trust in John Mc Cann and he has failed me miserably.
Bonita resident, you wer not the only one taken in by him,I was also taken in by McCann. I met with him before the election and was fooled as well. That's what politicians do. I bet we're not the only ones.
I just love when, after hearing public comments against the iPads, Brand generally scolds everyone, saying that this new technology is here to stay, that our students need to be working with current technology to help them be competitive in the job market. Well, that may be fine for the 7th graders. But what about our current 8th-12th graders? We're going to still send out students for the next 5 years unprepared for "current" technology? (Nope, we're not trying to lure 7th graders away from the charter schools, we're trying to make them competitive...er, along with all of our students, yeah. Oh, sorry Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen. You know, funding and all. But, hey! just think, in 6 years Seniors will have iPads, too, even though they might not be working. And you 8th graders are just going to have to bask in the glow of the 7th graders iPads. No, we're not ignoring you, we can see you just fine in the light of the screens as they play on Facebook, er, uh, yeah, learning 24/7.)
And even the district's own Director of Education Technology acknowledges unknowns. Asked if the iPad will stay with the student through high school, Damico said, "There are still some unknowns, like how long the iPads will last or how long the batteries will last. Technology is always changing, too. The iPads won't necessarily last for six years."
But we all are just supposed to rejoice in the board's (Brand) decision that this technology is Awesome-Fantastic.
LaLucha: and people wonder why employees need unions! without them look at where the employees would be.
The SEA is a big reason why RIF teachers aren't in the classroom. There are a lot of awful teachers in SUHSD protected by the union.
Facts: yes there are teachers who really shouldn't be there, we can agree on that. my concerns are for those excellent educators who are afraid of the very administration that issue their paychecks. perhaps you might offer a solution how both objectives can be met?
the real reason why RIF teachers are not in the classrooms is due to this district poor management of our tax dollars. take for example the new charter school, not the one they started and funded a few months back, but the one they are preparing to start and fund grades 2-6.
what about the close to $600 thousand they spent on removing toxic dirt that was not toxic. dirt that was hauled away by a chemical remover company all of the way to azuaz.
what about the ipads that are less than a month old that have already crashed?
what about the removal of the boundaries which has resulted in massive overcrowding and elimination of teaching positions?
all of these issues are eating up revenue that should be spent on the students and qualified educators.
brand needs to go. no doubt he is not sitting easy since the closed agenda item regarding him was not acted on. while little info was given on board docs (surprise) it was most likely the first step in making brand permanent. this man is not going to go without a paycheck for long. all of the sweetwater he has running thru his veins means nothing when it comes to not receiving a paycheck. when, not if, the proposal to hire him is made, all need to make sure that they pay particular attention to the contract offered.
I am reaching out here to many of you who have a legal background. how can the community verify the contract that is voted on which contains any and all benefits - financial and otherwise that he will receive.
perhaps it is about time to begin looking for a probono attorney who will take brand and the board on. In the past there have been offers. with so many suspicious issues at hand currently maybe we have come to that point.
but perhaps others of you have a different recommendation as to how we can make change happen.
Brand needed to go when I was there in the 1990's, along with his butt buddies Luis Maestra, Tom Rodrigo and Jose Brosz- Jose Brosz has to be the biggest loser I have ever seen in school admin, that clown wouldn't make it past minimum wage in the real world.
I agree Dr. Brand has done nothing to help SUHSD. All of the news coming out about him reminds me of Dr. Gandara.
A good first step would for people like yourself to stop referring to those clowns and scoundrels as "Dr". That just glorifies them and makes them sound like something they are not.
Agreed. Unless they're taking my temperature and diagnosing my illness, instead of causing them, I refuse to call them Doctor.
An EdD is a joke doctorate anyway.
getdave, You point to an interesting question: how much will the licensing cost for books on iPads? In another district I heard it would be around $20.00 annually, so how will the cost stack up against regular textbooks? Plus, the device itself? Following this question will be interesting.
Other options than iPads? Some people I spoke with felt options might have been explored in a more thorough fashion.
The real tragedy is that these types of devices HAVE been studied in the classroom...
They tend to get in the way of learning, offering more distraction than assistance. At home they're used for games and socializing, not homework.
I did research on similar devices for HP tablet PCs when they were pushing their tablets for the schools...the conclusions were clear. It's better to spend money on teachers and curriculum, traditional teaching, and NOT on these gadgets.
In addition to the maintenance, software licenses, and other issues...they just doesn't help students learn.
I've been working in IT for more than 20 years. I've developed educational software and I've got quite a successful online training program...and I do NOT allow my students to even have their mobile phones on in my classes.
So it's not just a waste of money...it actually gets in the way of learning. Nobody who has studied the issue comes to any other conclusion...unless they want to sell you something.
Looks like another tragic case where money for the kids gets put in the pockets of adults.
Interesting to give the students take on these devices. I spoke with two of my daughters friends, one at Bonita Middle the other at Eastlake Middle. The girl at Bonita loved it, she said when the security of the district crashed they were able to download Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, Temple Run, and all the other fun SM they enjoy. She said its fun posting on FB and Instagram during class. She wasn't particularly impressed in how it was helping in class. BTW, she showed me all the apps she had downloaded during that window of time. The girl at Eastlake was frustrated. Hers crashed and has been having problems. A classmate knocked it off her desk and the face broke. She feels like she is falling behind. She likes it for the apps but said its a distraction during class as most kids are on social media sites during class. Both said the teachers knew less than the students on how to use the device. This is a small sample, but you wonder how many other kids are having the same experiences.
Our democratic society is based on the principles of individual freedom, equality and due process. Workers, in this case teachers, should not be expected to leave these rights at the workplace door. Unions exist to see that employees are not treated arbitrarily or capriciously. I agree with anniej, imagine where employees would be in this district without union protection.
Good to hear from you again Fred Williams. After your comments, I remembered your background which enriches the whole discussion.
When I spoke with Julie Joinson from the Waldorf school, she said something else worth repeating. She asked, "What is the shelf life of an iPad?" She went on to say a good teacher gives 40 years of valuable service.
joepublic: i often wonder what happened to the teacher who spoke out at a board meeting- he made the mistake of asking john mccann to stop referring to himself as hero due to his service in the reserves.
mccann, with his holier than though "i am somebody" attitude begin his retort to said teacher with "you people". truth be told, that is exactly how mccann feels about the majority of us down here - YOU PEOPLE. historically, where have we all heard that phrase before?
i salute mr. mccann for his service, but i rebuke his constant chest thumping over it. in truth mccann, is one of many THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY. somewhere along the way he lost sight of the fact 99.9% of honorable veterans do not use their service they are instead silently proud of their service.
i often wonder what happened to that brave young teacher. i did my research, and was told by parent, students, fellow teachers and even the good administrators that he was an excellent educator.
Fred Williams: well if i was depressed about the ipad issue before reading your comment you can only imagine how i am feeling about now.
why is suhsd consistently being placed in the hands of persons who focus on the benefits of getting vs the attributes of giving?why are persons like yourself left out of the equation of decision making on issues that are so important to the education of our youth? why are persons like yourself and many who post here absent when we the taxpayers sit and view our board - one can only imagine if persons who have the expertise were sitting up there making these financial decisions that affect us all.
thank you for your comment.
Susan and Annie, thank you for the warm words.
Annie, I ran for the San Diego Community College Board in 1994, after previously serving as the student member in 89-90. In the citywide runoff, I received around 43%...over 73,000 votes.
But it was enough to educate me on what it takes to win elected office in San Diego. I got an inside view of how the city is actually run. And that's when I started vocally opposing business as usual, starting with the ballpark rippoff (which sealed my fate as untouchable...how dare anyone oppose baseball).
Since then I've continued to participate in San Diego politics. In person, when I'm in town, and online when I'm working elsewhere in the world.
Perhaps if I were more civil and complimentary I would be able to get into a position of power to enact changes...but the political process itself changes even good people into charlatans and frauds. Today, they don't even start out with good intentions...look at McCann, who is clearly in politics for a career.
Annie and Susan, if my wife would allow me, and I felt I had a reasonable chance, I might run again...but I doubt that's going to happen in my lifetime. Instead, I'm afraid that history will repeat and the American empire will be brought to its knees like the empires that proceeded it.
What's happening at this school district is only a small part of what's wrong. I'm following this story mostly because of how much I despise McCann, as a fellow military veteran he is the worst kind of REM pretending to be Rambo, as a fiscal conservative his economically ignorant and transparent brown nosing to the football team in exchange for campaign contributions was disgusting, and seeing his behavior on this school board makes me livid.
McCann belongs out of office, and I will help whoever shares that goal.
Fred_Williams: "whoever shares that goal", at this point the majority of the south bay shares that goal.
perhaps a few of us might take the lovely Mrs. Williams to lunch, let her know how desperately the south bay needs good candidates. remember mccann and cartmill are coming up for re election in a couple of years. chances of either of them being reelected is next to none as the eastlake community is beginning to awaken as to what their neighbors are not doing for them as members of the board.if, you should decide to run down the road remember i am often found here banging away at these keys - anniej really would like to see persons who serve voted onto the board vs persons who use - in other words i would be willing to work to get a qualified person on the board.
mccann, rambo he is not - but you obviously know that - i have dubbed him 'little man who wants to be king'. never really cared for the guy, thought he was too much of a chest thumper (look at me). hell, he gives republicans a bad name - look at what he is a part of - he and his new best friend brand (since 'the gandara' was indicted). the amount of money they have and will continue to throw away is astounding. true republican he is not.
his facebook page had a picture of him standing in front of a Humv (spelling) fully dressed holding his rifle YEARS AFTER HE RETURNED. please understand i have the utmost respect for the military, i come from a long line of them, even have family at the Pentagon currently - but you are right, no real vet USES HIS SERVICE THE WAY MCCANN DOES. he is such a small man, and i am not referring to his stature, i am talking about his integrity.


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Zoe Saldana and Chris Pine Filming Star Trek 2 Pictures
Chris Pine Joins Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto on the Set of Star Trek
Chris Pine Joins Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto on the Set of Star Trek
Star Trek 2 costars Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana hopped on the back of a golf cart in LA yesterday and got a ride to the set. The pair arrived in their street clothes, though last week we saw Zoe battling enemies in her sexy uniform. Zachary was also on location and ready for another day of work on the J.J. Abrams directed sequel. He was spotted leaving the makeup trailer in his trademark Spock ears and looking over his lines.
The weekend gave Zoe, Chris, and Zachary a break from filming long enough to enjoy and participate in the official end to award season. Chris made an appearance at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday while Zachary walked the red carpet at Sunday's Oscar ceremony. Zoe slipped into a Marios Schwab party dress, and hung out with boyfriend Bradley Cooper at Vanity Fair's annual post-Oscar bash.

subset: commoncrawl


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Frequently called "Liquid Gold", the use of argan oil as a skin moisturizer and miracle healing agent dates back to 1550 B.C. when the Phoenicians are first recorded as using it to repair and heal a variety of skin conditions.
Now, over 3,500 years later, the women of Morocco are still regularly applying this precious oil to their faces, bodies, nails, and even their hair… because they know what the rest of the world has just started to discover in the last 15 years:
If you've previously avoided using oils on your skin due to concerns about clogged pores and acne breakouts, then you've been missing out.
Because the fact is, your skin needs oil – that's why your skin produces oil naturally!
The secret is choosing the *right* oil…
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And since it absorbs quickly, you can even wear it under your makeup!
Argan oil is a pleasure to use. It's light when compared to other beauty oils and quickly absorbs into the skin. It's not greasy, so you don't need to worry about clogged pores – in fact, it's well-known for its blemish and acne-healing effects. And it's also almost completely odorless; at most you might notice a light, nutty fragrance.
But most important, it completely transforms dry, aging, lackluster skin to give you a refined, dewy, radiant look – with fewer visible lines and wrinkles.
Helps Stop Premature Skin Aging
Effective at helping to stop the cross-linking of proteins and DNA degeneration that result in aging.
Fine Lines & Wrinkles Disappear
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Packed with nutrients that help to strengthen brittle nails and soften cuticles, for more youthful-looking hands!
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Nourishes, hydrates, softens, and smoothes even the most damaged, out-of-control hair.
That's right… Argan oil isn't just great for your facial skin, you can also apply it to other "problem areas" like eczema outbreaks, rough elbows, stretch marks, acne, and more! Even your hair and nails can benefit from regular applications!
With a 3,500-year track record as an all-round "miracle" skin moisturizer and healing agent, we think you'll be pleased, if not completely astonished, by this single oil's ability to repair, protect, and rejuvenate your skin, hair, and even your nails.
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Essential Fatty Acids
Includes high levels of fatty acids which are essential to the health of your cellular membranes – keeping the skin firm and elastic while improving moisture retention.
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Antioxidant, free radical scavenger, improves skin's water-binding ability, boosts the effectiveness of your sunscreen, and heals dry, damaged skin. Argan oil contains 200-300% more Vitamin E than olive oil.
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Critical in the formation of prostaglandin, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and healing agent.
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Protect your skin from environmental factors like chemicals, pollution, and sun damage – preventing free radical damage and giving your skin that hard-to-achieve "glow."
Naturally produced by your skin, it functions like Vitamin E as an important antioxidant, reducing signs of aging. Also has many wound healing & antibacterial properties, excellent for eczema, psoriasis, and acne.
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A very rare antioxidant that's highly valued as it actually becomes MORE potent when exposed to sunlight.
Help prevent skin aging by promoting moisture retention as well as optimizing the function of the skin barrier.
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Recent studies show topical application may offer potent anti-inflammatory benefits, making them effective for speeding healing of a variety of skin conditions.
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How to Use Doceri iPad App to Control a Desktop Remotely
Doceri iPad app is a remote desktop app that allows you to control the desktop of your computer remotely, from you iPad. Doceri also has an interactive whiteboard that allows you to mark up the screen to illustrate important points.
Download Doceri from the App Store on your iPad and install it. Because you plan on using Doceri in conjunction with a computer, you should open a browser on your computer, go to the Doceri website, and download Doceri Desktop on your computer or laptop as well.
Once the installation is complete on both your iPad and your computer, the two devices will find and recognize each other, enabling your iPad to control your computer.
Doceri connects you to a computer desktop from your iPad and enables you to control that computer as though you were using a mouse and keyboard. Open a document, webpage, or application anything you have on your computer.
When you tap Doceri to open it, the opening screen, offers you two choices:
From My iPad Alone: Choose this option if:
You are editing or playing a saved presentation.
You plan on using the built-in whiteboard and creating your own content.
Through a Computer: Choose this option if you want to control, display, and annotate presentations, websites, applications, and more on a computer.
If you connect to a computer, the next screen presents a list of computers it finds that are running Doceri Desktop. Note that Doceri Desktop must be started and running on the computer. Tap a computer in the list, and that computer screen should display on your iPad.
At this point, Doceri is controlling your computer. Use your finger to open applications, search the web, make annotations, and more.
When using Doceri through a computer running Doceri Desktop, you can open files, display webpages, open and use applications, and more. Additional features include these:
Tap the keyboard icon whenever you need to type, and a full QWERTY keyboard pops up onscreen.
Use the Record button to record your screen presentation into a movie. Doceri records the iPad display while also capturing your narration on audio.
The QuickLaunch button lets you open any document on your computer with a single touch: images, website links, slide shows, movies, or any other material you want to access quickly and easily for your presentation or lesson.
To add files to QuickLaunch, paste a shortcut to your file (document, image, movie, presentation, spreadsheet, PDF, and so on) directly into the Doceri directory on your computer's home directory.
Tap the Drawing Mode button to switch to editing and annotating the content on your computer. You can use a highlighter, select a pen, and write on the screen to add shapes.
The Background Patterns button switches you to authoring a whiteboard with the background that you selected.


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Computer Science: An Overview
Pearson/Addison Wesley, 2005 - Computers - 562 pages
Now in its eighth edition, this book continues to provide a comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to the dynamic field of computer science using a breadth-first approach. The table of contents and the text itself have been revised and expanded to reflect changes in the field, including the trend toward using Web and Internet Technology, the evolution of Objects, and the important growth in the field of databases. Specifically, chapter three from the previous edition has been expanded into two chapters. Chapter three will now only cover Operating Systems and the new chapter four will focus on Networks and the Internet. Anyone interested in gaining a thorough introduction to Computer Science.
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text:
Municipal elections for our public officials are governed under M.R.S.A. 30-A. In Raymond our elected officials are: selectmen, school committee, and budget/finance committee members. All other positions on board or committees are appointed by the Selectmen.
Annual Elections – Generally coincide with State Elections in June - 2nd Tuesday of June.
Nominations – The positions on the elected bodies are staggered three-year terms and elected by secret ballot.
Nomination papers available – The Town Clerk will have nomination papers available not more than 100 days prior to the election day.
Nomination paper deadline – The Town Clerk must have the signed nomination papers in her/his hands no later than 60 days before the election day.
Number of signatures – In towns of over 500 residents a candidate will need not less than 25 nor more than 100 signatures. (It is recommended to get at least 35 signatures in case some of the signatures are not registered voters in Raymond.)
Submission of nomination papers – The candidate must sign the Consent portion on the nomination papers, which says that the candidate will not withdraw from the race and will qualify for the office if elected. The circulator must sign the oath of qualified voters.
Ability to serve – A person cannot hold two elected positions at the same time.
Circulators of nomination papers –
Any person who signs a nomination paper –


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Are you sure?
This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue?
The effectiveness of the user-computer interface has become increasingly important as computer systems have become useful tools for persons not trained in computer science. In fact, the interface is often the most important factor in the success or failure of any computer system. Dealing with the numerous subtly interrelated issues and technical, behavioral, and aesthetic considerations consumes a large and increasing share of development time and a corresponding percentage of the total code for any given application. A revision of one of the most successful books on human-computer interaction, this compilation gives students, researchers, and practitioners an overview of the significant concepts and results in the field and a comprehensive guide to the research literature.
Like the first edition, this book combines reprints of key research papers and case studies with synthesizing survey material and analysis by the editors. It is significantly reorganized, updated, and enhanced; over 90% of the papers are new.
An invaluable resource for systems designers, cognitive scientists, computer scientists, managers, and anyone concerned with the effectiveness of user-computer interfaces, it is also designed for use as a primary or supplementary text for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in human-computer interaction and interface design.Human computer interaction--historical, intellectual, and social Developing interactive systems, including design, evaluation methods, and development tools The interaction experience, through a variety of sensory modalities including vision, touch, gesture, audition, speech, and language Theories of information processing and issues of human-computer fit and adaptation


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Jimquisition: Why the Wii U May Have Already "Won" Next-gen
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Jim looked delicious with ketchup on him.
While I'm not angry about the Bayonetta exclusive, only slightly disappointed (what? I liked the first game), I detest exclusives on pure principle. They are bad for gamers, they are bad for developers, and they are in the end bad for the consoles themselves.
1) Bad for gamers, they force you to choose a side, and you better hope you pick the right side, or you're shit out of luck unless you want to drop another months rent on another console just to play the exclusives.
2) I get why some developers do it, the console makers trump up a bunch of cash to them in advance to purchase the exclusive rights to a game, which makes getting the game actually made easier, but it's bad for them in the end because it limits their audience to just those people who actually own that console. The people who will drop $500 on a new console just to get one or two games that are exclusive to it are few and far between, in the end they'd get far more sales supporting all the major platforms.
3) It limits competition. Rather then letting the consoles stand on their merits, such as hardware, price, services offered, etc. they use these exclusives to force people into things they might otherwise not buy. Just look at the early releases of the current generation. You want Mario / Zelda? You need to buy Nintendo, never might you might actually never play anything else on that console. If you wanted to play RPGs like Mass Effect you needed to buy a 360. If you wanted Uncharted and God of War you needed to buy a PS3. It wasn't about which console suited your needs, which best supported your style of gaming, it was about which games you could play. And that's bad.
The only exclusives I think are okay are the time-limited ones, like the Skyrim DLC, let console makers pay off developers for a few weeks or a month of lead time, that gives the developers a chunk of change they might need, it gives the console marketers something to crow about, but it lets everyone play it eventually.
Which is odd because that's how the magazine industry has been doing it for decades. If you subscribed you got your issue a few days before the news agencies, a valid incentive, but it didn't lock anyone else out.
TL;DR Exclusives suck and need to go away and die.
That's odd. Because people said the same thing when the Wii was being prepared.
I recall at the end of it all Nintendo ended up laughing all the way to the bank while Microsoft has become obsessed with casual market.
I don't know much about Sony's predicament so me got no other thoughts to share.
I feel highly offended by your surprisingly predictable phrase.
I mean, there's no irony to it at all!
Yes I do, a 360.
I'm a hipster because I don't like creative games?
Seriously, when did the word "independent developer" come to mean cheap, low-budget, arcade-y games? Did everyone collectively forget what the word "independent" means?
If a developer, no matter the size, develops, funds, and produces it's own game that developer can be considered "indie".
Mojang? Indie. Chucklefish? Indie. TheIndieStone? Coincidentally, indie.
But, the makers of Journey? Thatgamecompany? Not indie. Giant Sparrow? No longer indie.
Why? Because the definition of "independent", when used in regards to a game developer, means that developer handles virtually all aspects of a games creation and publication. If they have funding and/or handle publication through another company, they are not independent.
It has nothing to do with being a "hipster". It's logical truth. If a company is not independently creating game on their own, they aren't "indie". To consider a developer to be "indie" by any other reasoning is ludicrous.
And before you say something even more hilarious like, "But Giant Sparrow is comprised of a small team! That makes them indie!" No. It doesn't. Would you say Portal or Portal 2 were indie games?
No? But, Portal had a design team of eight people while Portal 2 had a team of twenty eight. Teams smaller than some true indie developers. Doesn't that, by your definition, make them "indie"?
In fact, when one really considers what actually makes a developer "indie", you end up seeing many studios in a different light. For example, in many ways, Valve can be considered "indie". Being that they handle all development and publishing for most of their games internally.
So maybe, before passive-aggressively insulting people, you should do a little back-ground research before you start spewing "facts" about.
About the screen on the controller, I figured out a few years ago that one of the big reasons I gravitated more toward the computer than the console when I was a kid is that the computer had it's own dedicated monitor. Where as if I wanted to play the Mega Drive or the Playstation 1 I often had to fight with my family over the TV.
I like the idea of the "smart TVs". Even a mid range android phone should be able to handle things like Netflix and the like, and given that since TV's are always plugged into power and much larger than handheld devises they wouldn't need as much expensive miniaturized/power saving hardware. Thus being able to offer similar features with a lower cost. I think that's an awesome idea. The real trap I can see with that is the same as DVD when it first came out, with PR people claiming "value" for the inflated price point.
So basically in business sense, Nintendo is sticking to their core competency, while Sony and Microsoft are expanding out of it (in terms of games)to focus on markets they ultimately cannont get a competitive edge in? Here I was thinking that Microsoft made a name for themselves for cutting edge business strategies and Sony helped pioneer this exact strategy. Oh the irony.
Or you could, you know, get a ps3 that offers all those services for free as well as having good graphics and not just making constant remakes of games for babies and old ladies.
No, I guess not, since hipsters can understand basic logic at some level.
See, I said that you like independent games because you like being contratian and refusing to associate with larger companies. Only by your own poor substitute for logic did you take me implying you don't like creative games from that.
So you're choosing to argue semantics while logically admitting that on any semblance of a point, you're completely wrong. This was about Sony's capacity to attract smaller, creative studios and get their games. As you're now defending the idea that they can't because as soon as they come to Sony they're not technically independent, you're simply stalling and drawing this argument out.
1. If I wanted NOT to play games on my TV or PC I'd get a handheld.
2. WiiU is, technologically, so little above Xbox360 and PS3 that we could safely say that Nintendo is doing a second entry this generation.
The ketchup doesn't compare to chucking water all over yourself during the Hour of Love.
That bit at the end was just plain perfect. How he shifted from the spazout to just calmly clicking the bottle shut was great, and that perfectly comedicly timed bit falling off - Thank god he got through that one take without laughing, because you couldn't ever get that to happen again without it looking authentic.
Honestly, the reason I'm not planning on buying the WiiU isn't because I'm not liking the tablet concept, I actually think it's a brilliant idea, and it'll be interesting to see developers implement it. However, there weren't really any games that came out for the Wii that I really enjoyed, most of them just being kinda meh for me. I'll wait to see what games come out for a year or two, but until then, I'm just going to stick to my PS3.
Stalling and drawing out the argument? Talk about projecting. The only one "stalling" here is you.
Instead of actually refuting my claim, you simply throw into question how I provided my claim.
All but the very definition of a straw-man argument. And, in this case, an extremely weak straw-man.
For a game to be considered "indie", it had to be developed, funded, and produced independently. I.E. a single company handled the games production. If more than one company is involved, and more than one games company is credited on the box or in the opening credit screens, then it's NOT an "indie" game.
I don't care if the credits included a small company like Giant Sparrow and a large company like Sony, or two small independent companies like Mojang and Re-Logic. If more than one company is making/funding the game, then it's not "indie".
How you're failing to grasp that is beyond me. Perhaps, instead of just calling me names you can try regaling us all with your definition of what constitutes an "indie game".
Oh, also, I love how you're operating under the assumption that I "hate" "big corporations" and, because of this, don't consider "indie" games made under their label as "indie".
I've no qualms with big game companies. I play indie games. I play big-budget triple-A games. I don't discriminate.
But if you are honestly failing to grasp the difference between these types of games, and failing to understand what the word "independent" actually means, then I'm not sure what else to say. I'm not going to endlessly repeat myself in the futile hope you eventually understand my meaning.
Good day to you.
Yes, and only an anal retentive accountant or a skull-crushingly annoying hipster would say that the semantics of what makes something independent is more important than the traits most commonly associated with a good indie game. The traits of which are the important things in this instance, not the fucking word indie.
You are arguing semantics - that is one of the purest ways to show you that you are completely wrong. Now just admit it.
Semantics, somethings actual meaning is semantics.
And yet...you STILL fail to actually address my points. You still haven't given your definition of what constitutes an indie game.
No, all you've done (and indeed, what you've done with almost every one of your posts in this thread) is avoid the topic, toss insults around like they're going out of style, and call people stupid (in a round about way).
How is me pointing out the meaning of the word "independent", which is bringing up semantics, a bad thing? Seriously? That statement confounds me.
It's the equivalent of you and I arguing on what keeps us all on the ground and, after I bring up gravity, you say my point is flawed because I'm arguing semantics. Well no shit, that's the point. I have the answer to the question.
No. One of the "purest" ways to "show you that you are completely wrong" (love that superfluous you in there, by the way), is to avoid answering the question(s) presented to you and using straw-man arguments. Which, is all you've done.
You've offered no couter-points. You haven't shown any evidence to back up your claims. All you've done is insult me.
Classy. Really classy.
At this point, given you haven't actually done anything to prove me wrong, by process of elimination my stance is more "correct" than yours.
I see what you did there.
Jim's wife is one lucky lady.
@GrimHeaper - I just watched the intro to that show, I forgot that he turns into "fireflower mario" after touching the star. Used to debate that as a kid with my friends lol
Also, to steer the conversation back a bit more on topic.
With Nintendo's apparent push towards gaming, from both its new controller (new game play styles), and its ability to play games on the screen itself, do you think that smaller development teams who may not have the traditional "big money" resources will be prevalent on the WiiU?.
Games like Journey, Castle Crashers, and other smaller team designed games seem to make some good headway on XBLA, PSN, and Steam, does Nintendo have an answer to this? Or do you think they will continue to rely on their Nintendshop (or whatever its called) and sell digital versions of older Nintendo games.
Oh Mr. Sterling. You assume I'm not doing the Mario all the time.
All day. Every day.
"Swing your arms, from side-to-side..."
he's right but i still won't touch the system till i see what the new ps and xbox are going to do not just rumors or till i know it will have enough games to make it worth getting
You and your wife in the same room while you play Maria she watches Mad Men. Are things so fucked up now in the economy that you can not buy a second screen to your house?! It's pretty stablished that if you can afford any console you can afford having more than one tv screen. Also you playing mario (imagine with audio) while someone else does another thing enterily sound as disruptive as chatting with someone while they take a dump or masturbate. Awful idea. People like to be engaged in an activity. WiiU is, sorry in advanced for my sincerity, a moronic idea, a gimmick for the mentaly retarded. Anyone know you can keep focus on two screens at the same time. One you suffer neglect while you pay attention to the other.
Given a topic I was engaged in within a week prior to this video, Jim's commentary on both the WiiU and the Bayonetta nearly killed me with the irony.
As fort his commentary on Smart TVs vs consoles...I kind of agree.
And despite what I've seen, I'm not terribly optimistic of Nintendo's latest gimmick.
Then again, I'm probably a minority market now seeing how I skipped both the 360 and the PS3 (only nabbing a Wii out of sheer idiocy), so what the hell do I know?
He started at "Moving the Goalposts" waaaayyy back when he called the Gamecube a "dismal failure".
The reason why I'm not interested in smart TVs is because it doesn't give you the ability to swap out the functionality when needed.
Consoles do a great job in that regard. Not only can I switch out systems I don't like, but if no single system gives me all that I want, then I just connect them both.
Ironically, the ability to swap out the software in a TV isn't something that's technologically challenging. Depending on the design, the entire TV interface system, in every detail (right down to how you change channels), could be fully contained on an SD card and be swapped casually by the most untechnical of users.
I don't see the industry going that way, though. The TV manufacturers want to maintain an iron grip on which software is allowed, so they design it in precisely the opposite direction. They lock in their own software.
And that will be the undoing of the entire concept. The first time someone finds a feature that really annoys them, they'll shut off all the smart TV features, and plug in a console instead.
And what if your TV gets too old and the TV manufacturer decides not to bother supporting it anymore? Now they're stuck with this outdated system permanently glued into their TV. Is that person ever going to trust a smart TV again? Probably not. They'll just plug in a console, and never look back.
There is no need to have "smart" functionality built into the TV, you can buy Blue-ray players with all of the features built in for less than £100 (including Sony funnily enough) and Android OS individual boxes for less than £70. Branded TVs from Samsung or Apple have a growing library of apps and digital content and allow you to swap or stream content between tablets, phones and your TV.
Anyone buying a console for multi media that didn't want a games console too needs their heads examined, there are far better options with much greater value. If you do want a console then it makes sense, the PS3 for example is great value with it being a Blu-ray player, console and media device all for less than £200.
I also recall massive hype for the Wii. The WiiU doesn't have half the amount of excitment surrounding it. Not saying that the WiiU will fail, but it won't be as successful as the Wii.
And people have to stop carrying this notion that Nintendo is "printing money" and "laughing to the bank". All 3 console manufacturers have lost money this generation. Nintendo actually lost twice as much money as MS this fiscal year, and after slumping 3rd party sales its not hard to see why.
This is true, but please take into account that this year was Nintendo's first ever fiscal loss. Before that, they were indeed printing money off the DS and the Wii. They were making money while the XBox and PS3 hemorrhaged it. You still have a point, that Nintendo's lack of 3rd Party support on the Wii as well as the Price Cut on the 3DS (Which resulted at them selling the units at a loss) was what caused them to loose money this year. Regardless, they were indeed "Printing Money" and "Laughing To The Bank" via 2006-2011.
I've taken this into account. I still find it hard to justify the use of phrases like that when if Nintendo really were "printing money" they would not have posted a loss. That loss didn't come from one year of lackluster 3rd party support. Wii sales took a massive nosedive 2 years ago and any software sales that weren't a 1st party title didn't move many units for about the same time.
To me "printing money" implies making money enough money to not post a loss for a long time.
Its gonna be a toss up. Products are always trying to catch up to another on the market.
If that were the case developers would have switched over to the PC long ago, as its graphics potential is FAR higher than even the Nextbox and PSnext could hope to offer. In general you'll find they probably hold a similar idea to gamers in such cases where whoever has the highest graphics doesn't matter too much. The WiiU has better graphics than the current PS3 and Xbox 360 from memory, so that'll probably count as good enough for most people - seeing as worse graphics count as good enough ATM.
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THE CSIs INVESTIGATE THE MURDER OF A HIP HOP ARTIST WHO WAS STABBED TO DEATH AFTER WINNING A DJ CONTEST,
Famed Hip Hop Impresario Master P Guest Stars
"Grand Master" -- Mac and Aiden investigate the murder of an up-and-coming hip-hop artist who was stabbed to death shortly after being crowned the winner of a DJ contest and days after signing on with a new label, on CSI: NY, Wednesday, Oct. 20 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Kevin Bray directed the episode written by Zachary Reiter.
Famed Hip Hop Impresario Master P guest stars as mogul Kevin Vick.
As the CSIs track down clues surrounding the murder of DJ Banner, they learn that he signed a record contract a few days before his death with hip-hop mogul Kevin Vick, who they question. Meanwhile, Stella and Danny investigate the death of a fashion designer who was found in her penthouse pool. The case leads them to a sushi restaurant that specializes in food served on nude models.
Regarded as one of music�s most successful entrepreneurs, Master P (born Percy Miller) has enjoyed national success as a best-selling hip-hop artist, actor, producer, director, professional basketball player (having played for the Toronto Raptors and the Charlotte Hornets) and clothing designer. His self-owned No Limit Records has sold more than 50 million albums. He has produced eight films, written and directed more than six and starred in over a dozen studio releases as well as several notable television appearances including �Romeo!�, a Nickelodeon comedy in which he costars with his son, teen rapper/actor, Lil� Romeo.
Gary Sinise: Det. Mack "Mac" Taylor
Melina Kanakaredes: Det. Stella Bonasera
Carmine Giovinazzo: Danny Messer
Vanessa Ferlito: Aiden Burn
Hill Harper: Dr. Sheldon Hawkes
Eddie Cahill: Det. Don Flack
Master P: Kevin Vick
Dorian Missick: Jayden Prince
Billy Brown: George Thomas
Ricky Harris: Disco Placid
Olivia Burnette: Madison Haynes
Chayton Arvin: Samir Persaud
Shi Ne Nielson: Mitchiko Muzawa
Long Nguyen: Mitsuo Katsui
Ruel: DJ Banner
Matias Masucci: DJ Francais
Maya Rubin: Monique
Symba Smith: Deborah Gayle
RATING: To Be Announced


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KALAMAZOO—A series of events designed to showcase the creative work of adjunct faculty continues in April, with a play, music and readings of science fiction and poetry.
The second installment of "Talent Unveiled: A Festival of WMU Adjuncts' Creative Work" is 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, in the University Center for the Humanities, 2500 Knauss Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
The program will feature 15 performers. The performers, the departments of faculty members and the work they will perform are:
- Joe Sanders, English, will direct a performance of his short play "Fly-Over State" featuring himself and actors Emily Osborn; Kris Allemang-Stahl; John Stahl, electrical and computer engineering; and Ben Davidson.
- Philip Edward Kaldon, physics, will read from his science fiction piece "Your First Real Rocket Ship."
- Hedy Habra, Spanish; Janet Heller, formerly English and gender and women's studies; and Shanda Blue Easterday, formerly English; will read and autograph their poetry.
- John C. Griffin, music, will discuss and play a musical composition.
- Abderrahman Anzaldua, teaching, learning and educational studies, will play the violin in an acoustic trio with Josh Holcomb, music, on viola and Zachary Boyt, music, on cello.
- Wessam Abdelaziz, world languages and literature, will read Kahlil Gibran's poetry in Arabic and in English translation, accompanied by Reza Shirazi, civil engineering, on tombak. Shirazi also will sing "Ghoghaye Setaregan" in Farsi and play the tombak.
The festival is sponsored by the Professional Instructors Organization. More events are planned for fall 2013.
For more information or to inquire about participating in a future event, contact Janet Heller at email@example.com or Hedy Habra at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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