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Mets pick up Jason Pridie
The New York Mets today announced that they claimed outfielder Jason Pridie off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.
Pridie was especially tough against the Bisons, hitting .377 (23-61) with four home runs and 12RBI in 14 games against the Herd.
Pridie went to the Twins in a six-player trade headlined by outfielder Delmon Young and righthanded pitcher Matt Garza on November 28, 2007.


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Robert and Ruth Ann Beaverson of Fayette, Ohio, will celebrate 50 years of marriage. They were united in marriage Oct. 21, 1961, at Zion Lutheran Church in Ridgeville Corners, Ohio.
The couple has two daughters, Pamela (and Thomas) Wiemken of Defiance, Ohio and Shelly (and Brian) Hite of Archbold, Ohio. They also have four grandchildren.
An open house is planned in their honor from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at Fairlawn Community Building on Fairlawn Drive in Archbold.

subset: commoncrawl


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4 in Chiffon Cake Tin Angel Food Tube Pan 1601B
This is a brand new premium quality mini tube tin.
Tray Size: 10cm x 9cm X 4cm
The tube pan is made from anordised aluminium
It is a fixed base tube cake tin.
Please place any 6 items from any catergory into your basket the cost of the cheapest will be deducted from your basket.Please note
if returning an item purchased as part of one of our multi-buy offers, the value of the original discount will be offset against this return.


text: Raspberry Pi, the credit-card sized, $35 Linux computer, has been on the market for under a year, but excited hackers are using the platform for dozens of new, cool projects and accessory products every month. Since our last Raspberry Pi roundup we've found 10 more amazing projects that show how versatile this diminutive PCB is. From voice-activated coffeemakers to wall-hanging plotters, the Raspberry Pi is proving to be a fruitful addition to the maker's toolbox. Above: Black Stripes V-Plotter A design drone with a Raspberry Pi brain, developed to turn full-color photographs into huge black-and-white murals. It's an evolution of the popular "V-Plotter" style artbot; the on-board RPi turns bitmap data into vectors that can be drawn with a robotically controlled marker. While the frame and plotter have a distinct Home Depot vibe, the output of the Black Stripes drawing robot is gallery worthy. The code for the project is closed source, but the team does accept commissions for murals starting at 149 euros (~$200). Photos: Black StripesDeviantArt Picture Frame Digital picture frames have a lot of potential, but aside from a few Instagram-themed efforts, they haven't kept pace with the amazing stuff being developed and shared on the internet. Hacker Cameron Wiebe thought there was room to reinvent this tired category and put a Raspberry Pi and his DeviantArt account to work. Wiebe wrote a script that pulls images from DeviantArt.com, one of the most popular illustration communities on the web, onto his RPi and dynamically displays the artwork as a slideshow on a digital screen housed in a wall-mounted picture frame. The source code is available on his site and with a little tweaking, pop art lovers could customize it to gather only the finest homages to He-Man or portraits of Pokemon, depending on particular pop-culture preferences. Illustration: ArtGerm/Deviant Art. Photo: Cameron WiebeRaspberry Pi "Beet Box" A Raspberry Pi, an innovative UI, music, and puns – what more could one ask for in a project? Maker Scott Garner has developed a musical instrument that is as awesome as it is bizarre. Designed for the discriminating techie who loves hip hop and horticulture in equal measure, this instrument wires up real beets to the Raspberry Pi via a capacitive-touch sensor and turns each vegetable into a key to be played. Beets and raspberries would make for a horrible smoothie, but prove to be a fantastic recipe for this tech/art mashup. The materials list is available on Garner's website and the plans are on GitHub. Photos: Scott GarnerVoice-Activated Coffee Machine Voice-activated garage door openers that combine Siri and Raspberry Pi are great for those who have homes with garages, but what of the public-transit urban dwellers? Without cars, their fuel of choice is coffee, and its "garage" is the coffeemaker. Sascha Wolter has modified his coffee machine with a Raspberry Pi, running Java, of course, to respond to voice cues from under-caffeinated creative types. Voice commands awaken his Barista Bot, but sadly, the only options on this proof of concept so far are "on" and "off." Hopefully, an upgrade that unlocks soy lattes isn't far off. While not quite as cool as the Replicator from Star Trek, this demo shows the days of being able to bark "Earl Grey, hot" and have a fresh cup materialize before your eyes are not that far off. Photo: Sascha WolterRaspberry Pi Medical Device Input Shield Innovation in healthcare is happening at a rapid clip. Between funding sources like incubator Rock Health and open APIs from companies like Nike, there has never been a better time to serve hypochondriacs. However, it's still difficult for engineers to collect biometric data like blood pressure, galvanic skin response and respiration rates. Enter Libelium, a Spanish wireless hardware manufacturer, that has created a Raspberry Pi/Arduino shield that gives health hackers easy access to these measurements. This shield can collect data from a host of connected peripherals and transmit it to apps via ZigBee, WiFi, or hardwired connections. The resulting products can't be used in real healthcare settings, but this kind of tool could be incredibly helpful in rapidly prototyping new device ideas or testing out innovative concepts before dealing with the regulations the FDA and international authorities require. Photo: LibeliumPixelated Mario Brothers This mod feels like something you might find if GameStop opened up a gift store in the lobby of the Guggenheim Museum. In reality, it's the collaboration between two members of a hackerspace who combined a DIY matrix of LED lights with custom software (called "Retina Tattoo") that can stream data to it through a network. Using a laptop running a NES emulator, data is fed to a Raspberry Pi, which sends it in real time to the light matrix, and ultimately lands in Bowser's castle. The iconic 8-bit classic retains its visual charm, but will take some calibration for experienced players. Mario is now represented by just two pixels, a magenta block as the body and an orange box as a head. He still jumps through levels, but can easily meet his end by colliding with an abstract Koopa shell that would make Ad Reinhardt proud. Photo: KallaballaRPi Media Center Case Mod A relatively powerful and quiet microprocessor, Raspberry Pi's low cost and plug-and-play design make it a favorite of media-center modders. There are plenty of resources to help with the technical aspects of building an entertainment computer, but this Instructable explains how to turn a humble case mod into a glowy set-top box from the future. While we all wait for Apple to release its fabled TV, the Raspberry Pi's glowing geek icon will be the next best option. Photo: InstructablesRaspberry Pi Light Show The new Hue Wireless LED lights from Phillips are amazing and expensive. This project can help achieve similar effects using a Raspberry Pi and much more affordable "DMX" light fixtures. "DMX" is shorthand for an ANSI standard called "Entertainment Technology—USITT DMX512-A—Asynchronous Serial Digital Data Transmission Standard for Controlling Lighting Equipment and Accessories." DMX lighting setups are favorites of DJs and interior decorators. The lights are relatively affordable, but typically require large, expensive, specialized hardware to control. Until Mike Engeldinger, an engineer and lighting enthusiast figured out how to turn a $200 DMX controller device into just another app for the Raspberry Pi. Now Broadway-caliber lighting can be brought to the most humble of abodes. Photo: InstructablesRotary VOIP Phone Smartphones are de rigueur these days so what's a geek to do to maintain their early adopter cred? Hack a rotary phone with a Raspberry Pi, of course. Stuart Johnson, a hardware hacker from the UK bought a classic 1970's rotary phone and updated its innards with a new RPi board and upgraded software for VOIP calling. The phone replicates the classic shrill ring perfectly, and the fact that it looks just like the red phone in the BatCave only adds to its coolness. Unfortunately, however, it yet can't make VOIP calls, yet. Johnson is waiting on special permission to use the Skype API for his project, has tried lesser known protocols with limited success, and invites like minded hackers to connect on his virtual switchboard. Photo: Logic EthosSolar Raspberry Pi Power Pack One of the nice things about a super cheap, versatile, and portable computer like the Raspberry Pi is that it can be used for projects in rough terrain. If a scientist wanted to build a mobile weather station or create a field-based motion sensor to track wild life migration, the RPi platform would be a great choice. The only trick would be power management. This solar panel accessory gives the Raspberry Pi a power source that is off the grid and doesn't require someone to trudge into extreme environments for regular battery swaps. It's also a handy option for those interested in reducing their carbon footprint, or just looking to geek their projects out in every possible dimension. At £24.99 (~$40.00) this power pack can keep web based projects alive, even if Mayan predictions come to pass. Photo: CNET UK


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Lee was raised in Astoria and Woodside, went on to Yale University before completing her residency with the Harvard Medical School and worked as an internist and pediatrician on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona.
Now, in addition to supervising physicians in the Family Health Associates and Physician Associates practices at Mount Sinai Queens, Lee is also working on care quality improvement initiatives.
Mount Sinai Queens is installing an electronic health records system called EPIC in the hospital and in its outpatient facilities, Family Health Associates and Physician Associates.
Lee oversees the doctors in those two facilities.
"It's very exciting for us," she said, referring to the installation of EPIC.
"Another big initiative is trying to make our practices more of a medical home-base for our patients with a team-based care," Lee added.
This entails having a team of professionals, including physicians, nutritionists and social workers all looking at the same health chart to act as a team to care for the patient as a whole.
This practice already exists at the hospital, Lee said, but "we're working to make that more seamless and fluid."
Lee said she chose to work at Mount Sinai because she lives in Astoria and loves the area.
Aside from her hospital duties, Lee coaches The Rockies, a neighborhood baseball team from the Immaculate Conception Youth Program, is a member of the school leadership team for P.S. 166 in Long Island City, and works with the LIC YMCA.
"Moving back to Astoria and working here isn't just about being a primary care provider, but really being involved in the community," she said.


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Chicken Paprikash with Spaetzle
Total TimePrep: 15 min. Cook: 1 hour
Makes6-8 servings
- 1 jar (16 ounces) whole onions, drained
- 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons paprika, divided
- 1 broiler/fryer chicken (2-1/2 to 3 pounds), cut up
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1-1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons capers with juice
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- In a heavy skillet, saute whole onions in butter until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute chopped onions until tender. Set aside.
- In a large plastic resealable bag, combine flour and 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika; add chicken, a few pieces at a time and shake to coat.
- Place chicken in skillet; brown on all sides. Add the salt, parsley, broth and remaining paprika. Cover and cook over low heat until juices run clear, about 45 minutes.
- For spaetzle, in a large bowl, stir the flour, eggs, milk, salt and baking powder until smooth (dough will be sticky). In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Pour dough into a colander or spaetzle maker coated with cooking spray; place over boiling water.
- With a wooden spoon, press dough until small pieces drop into boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes or until dumplings are tender and float. Remove with a slotted spoon; toss with butter.
- Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. In the same skillet, stir in the sour cream, capers and juice and onions. Return chicken to the skillet and gently heat through. Place spaetzle on a platter and top with chicken. Serve with sauce.
Nutrition Facts6 ounce-weight: 450 calories, 23g fat (11g saturated fat), 148mg cholesterol, 987mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 2g fiber), 25g protein.
Recommended Video
Jun 15, 2015
I made this for an early dinner tonight, and my family thoroughly enjoyed it! I omitted the whole onions because no one here cares for them. Other than that, though, I followed the recipe and the Paprikash and spaetzle were easy to make and very tasty. Great recipe!
Aug 7, 2013
No comment left
Jan 22, 2012
This was a truly tasty meal, although I did cheat and buy a bag of good German spaetzle rather than making it as I was short of time. I also used boneless, skinless chicken cut up into bite-sized pieces.
Jan 21, 2010
I meant to try this recipe for years but held back because I thought the spaetzle would be finicky to make and too much trouble. But making the spaetzle isn't hard at all! The chicken is delicious, too. I wish I had been making this since 1992.
Apr 4, 2008
The spaetlze is terrific. I did not try the chicken. I topped the spaetzle with sauce from another recipe and my son ate it all!!


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Off Prince Edward Island, Canada, members of Salt Water Sportsman's fishing community targeted bluefin tuna in September. "My hope for this trip was to see an 800-pound-plus bluefin," said Mark Rayor (Member vseasport on the forum). Click here to view the entire forum thread and photos of their bluefin tuna adventure.
In the video below, Mark and crew hooked a number of fish over four days in the cold waters of Prince Edward Sound, sometimes just a couple miles from the harbor. Chunked fish such as herring enticed the bluefins to the stern.
"The excitement was unreal," said Rayor. "Watching the 200-pound-test zing off the reel with 60 pounds of drag was a sight. By the end of our trip, we had caught and released seven giant bluefins, three of which were over 1,000 pounds. It is an understatement to say this was a trip of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations."


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Medical School
Twin Cities
The DMRT genes are key regulators of testicular development, controlling germ cell and Sertoli cell differentiation. This group's studies in mouse models have shown that genetic deficiencies in DMRT proteins can lead to testicular dysgenesis, partial sex reversal, and testicular cancer. To pinpoint the biological processes directly controlled by DMRT genes during testis development, the reseachers use unbiased, whole-genome approaches to identify pathways that are regulated by DMRT genes and to identify interacting proteins that function with DMRT proteins to regulate testicular development. Technological advances in sequencing and proteomics have vastly increased the amount of data they collect and analyze. The computing and storage resources at MSI are essential to this research because the analysis of this data is beyond the capacities of desktop computers. This lab relies on many MSI resources to achieve their research goals and to remain competitive within this field.


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Members of Columbia's Kappa Alpha Theta chapter have come under fire for posting pictures that many consider racist from their mixer last night on Facebook and other social media websites. While the mixer was reportedly "Olympic team" themed, Bwog thinks it would be difficult to play sports in a sombrero and fake mustache.
Spec posted a picture of one the Mexican group, which used sombreros, thick mustaches, and maracas. But sisters also dressed up in themed attire for the Netherlands, Japan, Jamaica, Germany, France, and other countries. "Team Japan" wore high stockings, pigtails, and chopsticks in their hair, and puts up peace signs for the camera. While sororities themselves are not allowed to have mixers or alcohol in their houses, we've been told that this particular mixer was held in Sig Ep and was registered with the administration. The pictures below have been submitted to email@example.com since the Olympic mixer happened last night.
Update (6:27 pm): Jessica Chi, President of the Columbia University Panhellenic Association, just released the following statement, saying she "truly apologize[d] for any harm the incident and photos in question" may have caused and that the "concerns brought to light by this incident do not at all reflect the shared values" of the Greek community. See it below the jump.
Update (11:33 pm): We have received a rumor that Theta members met today to discuss the incident and were instructed not to speak to the press.
Update (12:23 am): The Chicano Caucus Executive Board has released a statement regarding the issue, reproduced below.
Update (3:26 pm): The incident was picked up by Business Insider and Huffington Post.
Update (7:02 PM): Statement released by Dean Martinez in response.
The Columbia University Panhellenic Association fully recognizes the seriousness of the issue at hand and sincerely apologizes for any harm that these pictures may have caused. We are taking this matter very seriously and are working directly with members of the organization involved to address the situation thoroughly. We would like to stress that the concerns brought to light by this incident do not at all reflect the shared values of the Panhellenic community, or of Columbia's greater Greek community, but rather the unfortunate and unintentional misjudgment of a few individuals.
Though it is our understanding that the photos were not posted with the intent to offend or alienate any group or individual, the Panhellenic Association would also like to emphasize that it does not at all condone behavior or language representing any form of cultural insensitivity, whether intentional or not. Moving forward, we will continue engaging in conversations and educational efforts with our chapters' members and leaders to promote a strong understanding of, and commitment to, the diversity we so deeply value within the Greek community, on campus, and beyond.
Again, we truly apologize for any harm the incident and photos in question may have caused and are actively working to rectify the situation, as well as to address the concerns of the community, to the best of our ability.
From Chicano Caucus:
On Saturday, February 22nd, photographs of Columbia's Kappa Alpha Theta members dressed in stereotypical Mexican attire surfaced on social media sites and came to the attention of Chicano Caucus' executive board.While we understand that the actions taken by these members may not have intended to be harmful, they were in fact offensive. Stereotypes are used to oppress marginalized communities. These pictures caricaturize Mexican culture and should not be overlooked. The attire trivializes an entire nation's history, its peoples, and its cultures, reducing them to a mere mustache and sombrero. Though the attire was meant to represent Mexico in a game of Beer Olympics, in actuality it perpetuates the American stereotype of the sombrero-wearing Mexican-American migrant worker, distorting the culture into a form of entertainment.That's not to say that members outside of the Mexican culture cannot dress in our cultural garb or partake in our traditions. However, altering the Mexican flag is not the way to participate in a respectful manner. One way a nation is able to share its culture is through its respective flag. The center of the Mexican flag displays an eagle holding a serpent atop a cactus, symbolizing the founding of Tenochtitlan, what is now Mexico City. In the pictures, the students wear what is meant to be the Mexican flag, but it is defaced through the removal of the national coat of arms in order to include the letters of sorority insignia. This act strips away a foundation of our culture and pride.After the incident was made public, one of Chicano Caucus' presidential co-chairs received a verbal apology from the president of Columbia's Kappa Alpha Theta chapter, and we appreciate the gesture. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. In fact, similar situations have occurred in the past with other organizations on Columbia's campus. These photos reflect a larger issue at Columbia University in which cultural consciousness is not at the forefront of social and academic dialogue.While we cannot speak for every Mexican, Mexican-American, or Chican@, we feel that any form of cultural appropriation is humiliating and perpetuates that group's oppression in the United States by reinforcing a general culture of disrespect.
The term "cultural appropriation" is not one that is discussed often at Columbia, and it is not one that is easy to define. We hope that these photos promote campus-wide discussions as to what "cultural appropriation" entails and why it is a controversial topic to groups who are often the subjects of such actions.
One of Chicano Caucus' goals is to initiate and participate in activities that foster inter-group relations among the Columbia University community. We want to use this opportunity as a starting point to establish a coalition against cultural appropriation to actualize institutional change within Columbia University.
Tangible solutions need to be reached so that this does not happen again.
-Chicano Caucus Executive Board
@CC 15 They wore what would enable someone to immediately recognize what country/team they were dressing up as, and yes, that often means using stereotypes. Nothing is more annoying than having to hear "Wait…what are you dressed up as??" 400 times in a night.
I'm not saying what they did was great, or respectful. But, they did what anyone going to a themed party/mixer/whatever would have done. Show me someone who says a sombrero or anime-esque girl doesn't pop up in the top 10 things when you think of what to wear to a themed party when you're supposed to be Mexico or Japan, and I'll show you a liar. That's just how it is. 'Murica, ladies and gentlemen.
Really, there are worse things to get upset about. I'm fairly sure that their minds weren't focused on "how can I appropriately represent the culture of this country in a way that won't be called offensive by SOMEONE at Columbia?!" Because 1. sorority party 2. focal points of boys, alcohol, etc 3. everyone here is so touchy I'm sure someone walks outside and gets offended by which direction the wind is blowing.
Nothing anyone does, especially sorority girls or athletes, is ever going to not offend someone here, aside from them quitting their teams and houses, and sitting in their room 24/7 and never interacting with anybody.
And then you'd probably just complain that we have no Greek life and our athletics teams win even less than we do now. (PS: I'm an athlete, and we really are trying, I promise.)
There will always be parties, there will always be slightly questionable things people wear/say/do/think/write/breathe, and there will always be facebook for us to see it all the next day. Seriously, complain about something that you can actually change, and go do something about it. While you're at it, quit commenting on here where I guarantee 0% of the people you're complaining about will see it, thus never changing their actions.
@Anonymous @Anon: Who cares..its a freaking costume..do you go out on Halloween and critique people dressed as cops because their shorts aren't that tight and cops don't wear aviator sunglasses? Grow up
@anon https://www.facebook.com/events/579251498838604
theta, come learn a thing or two
@Hello! I'm glad you posted this because I had a quick question. I (full disclosure, "I" here refers to a white american woman, who happens to be in a sorority) and two of my sisters (one white, one hispanic) once attempted to go to an event at the IRC after I saw a poster about it welcoming all members of the Columbia community–I even asked a friend familiar with the IRC if I could attend and she told me I was more than welcome. I was wearing my letter sweatshirt and I believe one friend was wearing gear as well. Someone let us in and greeted us at the door, and then went and said something to another individual in the room. That person then came over to us and asked if we were from [insert name of our organization]. We said that yes, we were members. They then asked us if we could please leave the event as they were attempting to create a safe space. I have heard this has happened to others in the Greek community as well.
So my questions are: If I come to this event as a member of my organization, will I be asked to leave? Will I be okay if I don't wear letters? What was it about my organization that implied we would disrupt the sanctity of the lecture? Why is the IRC automatically hostile to members of the greek community?
Possibly if you allowed members of the Greek community into your events without judgement then members of Theta would not be in this situation.
This campus needs some genuinely open dialogue pronto.
@Honestly The reason this kind of stuff keeps happening again and again is b/c people at this school are so insecure. Anytime anything happens, someone always has to get in trouble for it. People love pointing fingers at this school. You will learn quickly that the real world does not work this way. Enjoy the illusions you have at CU while they last.
@Anonymous "In 2012, students in Penn State's Chi Omega sorority came under investigation after hosting a "Mexican-themed party," where students wore sombreros, ponchos, and mustaches and held signs reading "will mow lawn for weed + beer" and "I don't cut grass, I smoke it."'
Am I the only person disgusted by Christian Zhang's decision to lump this incident with the one at Penn State two years ago? To imply that these two events are even remotely similar in their level of offensiveness is ridiculous and inflammatory.
One group wore sombreros and mustaches, making no indication that they thought negatively of either their attire or the cultural group it was meant to represent.
The other wore sombreros and mustaches, and attached negative stereotypes and a degree of racism and delusions of cultural superiority that is unseen in the costumes and actions of the Theta girls.
Chi Omega's actions were racist and offensive, and perpetuated negative stereotypes of Mexicans. Theta's did not. Chi Omega deserves the condemnation it received. Theta is the undeserving target of a witchhunt.
@Jack Until team Japan's feasting on dog and team Mexico's railing a donkey I see nothing wrong with this.
@Columbia Lion http://totalfratmove.com/columbia-university-thetas-dress-as-other-nationalities-for-beer-olympics-people-unsurprisingly-get-super-offended/
Finally someone makes some sense of this
@Anonymous Look what I found…..a few more sombreros and mustaches! Why so hard on Theta?
Chicano Caucus @ Glass House Rocks 2014
@Jaded Graduate Student @anon:
Not sure if related, but good enough.
@Jaded Graduate Student While KAT probably should have known better, why the hell would the Huff. Post and Business Insider want to pick this story up? Especially with all the insanity in Kiev and Caracas over the weekend, a civil war in Syria, an three chemical spills in major waterways (including the Mississippi River), the closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics, and a possible mutation of the polio virus on lose in California? Oh, and nobody seems to be talking about the global banking suicides? Yes, America seriously needs to move away from cultural stereotypes, however this story shouldn't be making national news. We need to get our priorities straight on a journalistic level.
Also, kudos to the Panhellenic Association and the Chicanos Caucus. They are really handling this situation with a lot of finesse and class.
@anon Why doesn't sig nu get called out for having their merica party? With everyone dressing in red, white and blue stuff as an American i take offense to that because it is stereotyping my country…..oh wait i dont give a fuck about what some college kids dress up as because I am not a 4 year old.
@White People LOL 'Offensive' is me saying you have a stupid-looking face. A French person wouldn't be offended by the pic above, but they would think you were a moron. These pictures weren't offensive, they were just proof that rich white people are fucking clueless. Good luck with those political careers, Thetas!
@waitwhat "The term "cultural appropriation" is not one that is discussed often at Columbia"
I'm sorry, is this a joke?
@Anonymous Can Chicano Caucus offer an official statement on the cutouts that they had people pose with for pictures at Glass House Rocks? https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.700070940035904.1073741831.479184565457877&type=1
@the "model minority" is getting overlooked yet again why was only the chicano caucus eboard contacted for comment? is having a culture appropriated to schoolgirls and chopsticks not offensive enough for bwog to reach out to the japan society as well?
@the "model minority" is getting overlooked yet again a previous version of this bwog post stated that bwog had reached out to the national kappa alpha theta organization, columbia's theta chapter, and chicano caucus. no mention of japan society
@the "model minority" is getting overlooked yet again @Anonymous: oh shit guys MY BAD it was spec
"Spectator has also reached out to the Columbia chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, Theta's national organization, Columbia's Student Affairs office, Columbia's chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon, and representatives from Casa Latina."
so um i take it all back i'm just going to go comment this on the spec post now bye
@Anon Bwog clearly said that they reached to members of Casa Latina. There was no mention of Chicano Caucus. When are people going to realize that Latino and Chicano are not the same? Shameful.
@well @Anon: the problem here was not confusion distinguishing between chicano caucus and casa latina, it was a mistake regarding the source of a statement by spec, not bwog..
@It's literally so easy: http://i.imgur.com/znqyL.gif
@Where my rights @? Yo, whatever happened to the 1st amendement though?
The KKK exists, but sorority girls can't wear fun hats?
@Anonymous Poor girls. In the grand scheme of things, some people walk away a little offended by some girls wearing hats, and the Theta girls walk away with their names tarnished by an overblown Internet circle-jerk accusing them of the oh-so heinous crime of cultural appropriation. These girls' reputations are being harmed much more than anybody who sees these photos ever will be.
tl; dr – Offense isn't given, it's taken. If you find yourself taking offense to every little thing, other people aren't the problem. It's you.
@Anonymous The spec article is currently the sixth result for "Katie Barclay Columbia" on Google.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer person.
@Will.I.Am @GDI Hunter: GDI Hunter, You're the hero this community needs not the one it deserves
@Anonymous Yes, I think maliciously targetting specific people and deliberately scapegoating them in front of their entire community is much worse than accidentally being slightly insensitive to a culture.
@Just Curious... Chicano Caucas,
Can you please release an official statement on Chevys Fresh Mex??
Especially their birthday song:
"Happy Happy birthday, from all of us to you,
We wish it was our birthday, so we could party too, Olé!"
(Places sombrero on b-day boy's head)
@Anonymous @Just Curious…:
@Anonymous @Just Curious…: what?
@Anonymous I think its funny how the administration chooses not to address campus rape policy but then decides to crack down on sororities girls outfits. Aren't all costumes some form of stereotype– I don't recall buying or seeing someone wear a costume that was intentionally ambiguous so as not to offend anyone. These girls were looking for an excuse to dress up and Columbia is blowing it out of the water. Maybe we should hop off the greek community but in any event I'm glad the chiacano causus got a word in because they only ever do anything when these situations arise and yet they are beloved by the administration while greek organizations have to work so hard to be recognized.
@Anonymous @Anonymous: What???
@Anonymous If I had written this article, I would feel absolutely terrible. The harm done by the potential insensitivity of the costumes to a general group of people doesn't begin to compare to the direct harm that this article is doing to the poor girls being scapegoated in these pictures or in this sorority. The former is a potentially insensitive, and accidental offence. The latter is directly malicious to a group of people whose lives you have changed in a very real and negative way.
@seriously? You think some rich girls not being able to throw a party is worse than offending people by stereotyping their culture?
@Anonymous If anyone saw the new Lego movie, you might recall a brief scene where Mexican lego characters were introduced. What were they wearing? Sombreros, ponchos and mustaches. http://www.collectibleminifigs.com/figimages/mexican.jpg
If a children's movie and toy is allowed to depict Mexicans like this, why cant college kids? People need to lighten up.
@Anonymous If anyone has seen the new Lego movie, you might recall a brief scene where a bunch of lego characters are introduced who are supposed to be Mexican. What are they wearing? Sombreros, ponchos and mustaches.
If a children's movie and toy is allowed to represent Mexicans this way, why cant college kids? People need to lighten up.
@alum I'm a Mexican alum and I don't feel offended by this (probably because I'm used to people bringing up this stereotype all the time). A lot of people make fun of stereotypes and I personally think that is not inherently bad if the intention is not to be offensive (i.e. if it's all in good fun) and if they know that the stereotypes aren't true. But that's just my opinion.
And fyi, the Mexican athlete wore that suit ironically, making fun of the stereotype imposed on us (it's good to be able to make fun of yourself from time to time). It's not like Mexican athletes do that sort of thing in any other sport or event. Also, he's actually from European nobility and lives in Liechtenstein: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Hubertus_of_Hohenlohe-Langenburg
@actualaocutipie @aocutiepi: Really not funny. AOII would never want to see any other sorority in this situation so don't speak for us cause you ain't us ;)
@no, @girl in a sorority: there ARE six …
@Anonymous I just started a petition to have the Dallas Cowboys change their name to the Dallas People. As a Texan (and not a cowboy), I find the "Cowboys" name incredibly offensive. Not everyone in Texas is a cowboy, even if we do all wear cowboy hats!
@D I'm curious, what should the mexican team dressed up as to be recognizable and culturally sensitive? [Serious]
@Anonymous I mean, the sombreros and mustaches are pretty ridiculous on these white girls who obviously didn't do any research to understand Mexican culture. They're using another culture as a costume to wear for a party and drawing what they think is true from stereotypes. I think unless you really know about Mexico and what the people there are like, how they dress, all of that, you should refrain altogether. Cultural appropriation can (rightfully) be a really touchy subject because a lot of people feel that their cultures are disrespected when white people use them purely for instances like this (Halloween parties, Greek mixers, etc.), often mockingly.
@Anonymous Fact A: Any outfit that can be easily recognized as representing a particular cultural group is necessarily stereotypical.
Fact B: According to half the people at this school, any form of stereotyping is racist and offensive.
Therefore, anyone who attempts to embody another culture through clothing is committing a racist act.
That is why I just burned the ninja costume that my 6-year-old brother wore last Halloween- I am ashamed that my parents allowed him to leave the house in a costume that was so clearly malicious and bigoted. I told him that next year, he should just wear jeans and a white t-shirt and go as a "human being." I wouldn't want him trying to get creative and accidentally offending someone.
Oh shit, will that offend white Americans? Nevermind, who gives a fuck, they're white! They should just check their white privilege at the door.
@Anonymous Disagree. I don't think that people shouldn't be allowed to wear anything that traditionally comes from another culture. But I do think that they should understand it. My culture isn't a costume for white sorority girls to wear because it's funny. If you want to wear something from it, is it too much to ask that you learn something about it first, just to be respectful?
Your brother's six. These girls are adults, go to Columbia, and should know better.
@Anonymous Who said they thought it was funny? Did they in any way indicate that they thought negatively of sombreros and mustaches? In fact, who is to say that some, if not all, of these girls actually like the appearance of sombreros and mustaches? Maybe they find them stylish and attractive.
And more importantly, why did you have to single out "white" sorority girls? Not all of the girls in these photos are "white," and even if they were, would it be ok for "black," "Asian," "Middle-Eastern," or "Hispanic" (I know I'm mixing racial and ethnic identities here) sorority girls to wear these costumes? As a URM, I am sick of the reverse racism and anti-white sentiments that pervade this campus, and the belief that it is somehow acceptable to criticize and condemn an entire racial group simply because they are supposedly "privileged."
While you are entitled to your opinion, by emphasizing the "whiteness" of the girls and condemning the entirety of "white sorority girls" for the actions of a few, you are perpetuating the idea that certain forms of racism are acceptable. Racism is racism, and the hypocrisy on this campus is intolerable.
@Anonymous What a waste of time and resources. I am Mexican and you know what…. I could care less about an Olympic party with some country themed costumes.
Not everyone wears sombreros in Mexico but go to any cultural event in Mexico and you will see them everywhere. For all you whiners…spend more time on something important.
It looks like the whiner who started all this has gotten a lot of people in trouble , people who did and do not deserve it. Do you feel good now?
@Anonymous @Anonymous: yes
@Absolutely Not Once again, just because you are not offended doesn't mean that others cannot be. I think that living and let live should apply to this as well. Let others be offended by what they are going to be offended by, and when they are offended, allow them to be and listen to their reasons why. That's when learning starts.
@Because Greek life Is a sexist, heteronormative system in which the Fraternity (patriarchy) calls the shots.
@Hold up @the observer: "lol white people"??? And how is this not generalizing and racist? Two wrongs don't make a right….. Responding to this issue of cultural appropriation in this manner perpetuates hate and allows for all groups to feel like they have the right to generalize culture's other than their own.
@Anonymous I hate it when people get all pissy and oversensitive. Racism is obviously not a problem and doesn't need to be discussed. #seriously #stop #gobacktobutler #hashtag
@Anonymous They could have had soooo much more fun with this.
Russia – ushankas, pour Everclear in Ukraine's drink when they're not looking
Norway – shields and axes, raid everyone else's booze
@JD Maybe it is because I have never experienced discrimination or had to deal with racism, but I am confused with how this is derogatory or hurtful. The impression I am getting is that this was just an international themed party. If someone wore an American flag and a cowboy hat I wouldn't feel offended, even though I am not a cowboy.
Is it the idea that they are promoting stereotypes? Or is it because they are sorority girls that this is a problem. I feel as though I have seen costumes just like this for halloween, at ec parties, and even during parades, and they were never a problem or offensive.
If Columbia is so anti-international students/anti-other cultures, I feel as though there is a much bigger problem to be addressed.
@Anonymous > Maybe it is because I have never experienced discrimination
you answered your own question
@No, bro "I feel as though I have seen costumes just like this for halloween, at ec parties, and even during parades, and they were never a problem or offensive."
Yes, they were equally a problem and equally offensive as this. Hence the "I'm a culture, not a costume" campaign every year around Halloween time. Two wrongs don't make a right.
@Non-greek man Is it racist if its true? I mean have you guys ever been to mexico? Sombreros and Mustaches everywhere. Maybe someone has a better idea of how to dress up as someone from team mexico? Maybe dressing as a mariachi band? Is that racist too? dafaq people just because it is a sterotype does not mean its bad
@Anonymous SDT was founded by a woman of color so please do some research before spewing off ignorant statements.
@Anonymous See "anon" above: http://bwog.com/2014/02/23/mixer-mix-up/#comment-1462272
> That's p much the equivalent of being like "I'm not racist cause I have like two black friends"
@finally the first bwog shitstorm of 2014, it's so beautiful.
@Anonymous sexual assault is something real and damaging. This is getting mad at people partying and being slightly less than PC
@Anonymous You wouldn't call sexual assault national fallout or the Butler porno (also national) fallout shitstorms? You have weird standards.
@Dear Dean Martinez Perhaps Columbia's diversity strategy of "recruiting all colors of the ultrawealthy" is backfiring because ultrawealthy are their own wacky homogenous race
@Chill Out I am not in a sorority and I am international (from a developing country). I understand that people need to be more conscious of the potentially offensive nature of their action, but on the list of things wrong with Columbia, this ranks very very very low. Not a single one of these costumes shed any negative light on the cultures it represented.
Funny how they don't mention there was a team USA.
France: Bread, berets and stripes… merde!
Jamaica: THEY ACTUALLY HAD A BOBSLED TEAM. The costume was literally just a flag
Netherlands: it was a beer olympics themed party. they wore a dutch beer shirt. how is this offensive?
Now with Japan and Mexico, I think people really need to step back and consider who is being offensive here. Neither team chose offensive stereotypes. In claiming these to be offensive, we are subordinating their cultures and saying there is something inferior about them.
And to the person who said that this shows sororities aren't for people of color, NOTHING in here was inherently racist, and furthermore, many students of color enjoy internationally themed parties because we aren't filled with guilt and trying to prove to our liberal Columbia friends how "culturally informed" we are instead of just living our lives.
CHILL OUT CU, we have REAL problems to focus on
@No, bro "Neither team chose offensive stereotypes. In claiming these to be offensive, we are subordinating their cultures and saying there is something inferior about them."
The rich cultures and traditions of Mexico and Japan (which may not be meaningful to you but are really fucking meaningful to the people of those heritages) were reduced to sombreros, mustaches, maracas, and hair chopsticks, peace hand signs, and schoolgirls. What's not offensive about that??? These stereotypes are not equivalent to the actual cultures. So saying the stereotypes are offensive isn't subordinating the culture because THEY ARE TWO VERY, VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
IMO they should've just stuck to doing flags like those Team Jamaica chicks.
@Anonymous because dressing up in dumb costumes is the same thing as saying "MEXICANS == SOMBREROS". Why is the assumption that if you jokingly dress as a stereotype that suddenly you believe that stereotype to be completely and totally representative of the country it belongs to? This is for a party, not a UN visit
@Clinton 2016 NO ONE is trying to use these TRADITIONAL COSTUMES as a way to say "look, this is the entirety of Mexican culture" or "this is all that Mexicans are." The costumes are fun, and no, they're not racist–if they are, then address how Mexico's sole participant in the olympics dressed as a mariachi? And if they are racist, then why aren't the French outfits also racist? And if the French outfits are racist, how can you be selective in your criticism of racism?
@you've got to be kidding me Columbia needs to take its head out of its ass and stop being offended by every fucking thing. I hail from a developing country and I don't see why this is inappropriate at all. If they had dressed up in the traditional garb of my country I would be flattered, not offended.
@yes @um: when the ONLY Mexican participant at the Sochi Olympics wears this: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140203114818-hubertus-von-hohenlohe-1-story-top.jpg, I think it is safe to say that it is traditional garb
@Absolutely Not Just because you are not offended doesn't mean that other people cannot be. Also, a lot of these costumes are not "traditional garb" but rather stereotypes of all of the countries. Personally, I don't think they were aware that what they were doing could be considered racist, but I think that is due to their own insensitivity and the fact that Columbia fosters a community where making fun of someone else's culture is not worthy of contempt and protected by comments like yours. I agree that Columbia does need to get their head out of their ass, but not for the reason you think. Columbia is not as liberal or tolerant as people want to walk around claim that we are. In fact, Columbia has an unsettling number of disgusting classist, racist, homophobic, ableist, and transphobic people on this campus and even more moderates who, instead of taking a stand, would rather take the polite road and make excuses for or ignore them.
@So, Being respectful is one thing, and, we always should be. However, there is such a thing as being hypersensitive. In todays day and age I think many people fall in to this category.
We don't know what their intentions were or whether or not this was malicious. Malicious intent or conscious ignorance should not be tolerable.
If their only intention was to go out to a party with their sorority sisters and have a good time and dress up as stereotypes, then that is not the end of the world or reason for condemnation.
To a greater degree than most think: people do offensive things, but we choose to let it offend us.
Live and let live.
@Are you serious? My best friend is African American and in theta, and LOVES IT. There are many girls of color in sororities. Don't generalize. Everyone can make mistakes. Also, Theta is great for her. Now maybe if more people of color joined these things wouldn't happen, but then again we are in college. Next time don't make such ludicrous statements like that, its offensive to women of color and the Greek system.
@Anon @Are you serious?:
Your friend may love being a sorority but you can't ignore the fact that the number of women of color in that sorority is ridiculously low. I can almost figure out who you're talking about by you mentioning her race. Girls who rush sororities do not completely pick their own choices, instead they are chosen by each sorority as the Rush process dictates. And there were plenty of women of color who rushed this year compared to the number of the women of color who were chosen by the society is significantly lower. I'm not saying that sororities are specifically excluding people because of a race but I am saying that diversity doesn't seem to be a priority for them from the way they choose their members.
@Anonymous It's great that your friend has a good time in Theta, but I think instances like this are just an example of how a lot of sororities can be really culturally (and racially) insensitive. Just realistically speaking. Columbia's a lot better than some schools, but I've sororities to automatically bar girls who aren't white from rushing, unless there's an extenuating circumstance (i.e., she has connections). It can be a really toxic environment.
@Is it possible that... We are the ones being insensitive? According to comments on the post about the CC, the hosts of each party chose their themes based on their own cultural heritage. Why do we get to sit back and assume that all of these women identify as white americans? Apparently Bwog and spec failed to mention that the Mexico party was hosted by a girl from Mexico, the Japan one was hosted by a girl from Japan, the Netherlands was hosted by a girl from Holland, the Canadian one was a girl from Canada…the list goes on. Is it possible that these women were merely asking their friends and sisters to help them represent and celebrate a country that means very much to them (just as the CC did at Glass House Rocks?)
@Are YOU serious? Why would people of color ever join theta? As a fellow black girl, we know we aren't welcome there. Most of us also wouldn't fit in. We don't have the 300 dollars for dues to a sorority organization, a good percentage of us come fromvery conservative backgrounds and cannto go drinking evry night. Not to mention, sorority bids are literally based on attractiveness and being blue-blooded. Many black girls are at a social disadvantage there. If you look around and see no black girls in your sorority, in a school where minorities make up at least 15% of the population, it's not them, it's YOU. Have you made efforts to reach out to the black community? the latino one?
Have you made black girls in your sorority feel welcome? Or do you spend a lot of time praising here because she's " not like all the other black girls". We black girls are here, we're watching you and we look at the theta,and delta and we see very few black girls there. Sorry, we're not showing up to your shit party.
@POC As a person of color in a sorority, I take issue with this widespread belief that "sororities weren't made for people of color". My experience in a sorority has made my time at columbia SO much more meaningful both socially and academically, and has helped maintain a positive outlook in such a stressful place.
In this situation, mistakes were made, but people will learn from their mistakes. College is the time for such learning and growth to happen, so I'd like to believe that this experience will make students more aware of the effects of their future actions on others.
@NBC Offensiveness Medal Ceremony
Gold: Team Mexico, by a landslide!
Silver: Team France, with the "Sexy Flight Attendants Hold Bread" look
Bronze: Team Japan, not sure what the girl on the bottom right is going for
Runners up: Team Jamaica and Team Netherlands, better luck next time
And now back to Bob Costas' infected eyes. Take it away Bob!
@Anon I really only have an issue with the Mexico themed photo. It would've been one thing to wear the colors of the flag, but mustaches and sombreros? I understand the fun in dressing up, but they should've been more conscious.
@Anonymous I agree that some of these are offensive, but why is the Jamaican one bad? It's just the flag.
@Except Actual Mexican olympian – http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/725/459/hub_crop_north.jpg?w=759&h=506&q=75
So spare the outrage please.
@well technically Except that man is technically an Austrian Olympian.
@DG @Anonymous: finally, we are the top hau5.


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Poor Elijah's Almanack: For Whom the Bells Toll
Republicans and Democrats may be at odds over the fiscal cliff, but both parties agree that public schools have problems. Politicians on both sides seem to forget that they've been in office while the problem has festered.
Education experts haven't been slow coming up with solutions. Unfortunately, they also haven't been successful.
Poor Elijah figured out their motto a few decades ago.
"Don't just stand there. Recommend something."
Never mind if it's old. Give it a new name. Never mind if it didn't work the last time around. Or if it already isn't working this time. Or if it's entirely superficial. Turn it into a press release with photos of smiling students.
Remember the 1970s "open classroom" fad and the "schools without walls" the experts had us build? Remember the accordion room dividers and filing cabinets those schools bought in a hurry because nobody could stand all the noise and the aimless physical and intellectual wandering? Remember the theory that all you have to do is let each kid study what he's interested in - knights, squid, or helicopters -- and he'll eventually get around to a balanced academic diet?
Also all kids always eat their vegetables.
Now fast forward two decades to the age of "school restructuring" and this 1990s "model for courageous change." Central to this self-described "innovative" classroom program was the children's role as they "[took] part in constructing their own processes, learning paths, and knowledge bases."
Don't you love jargon? I let kids make lots of decisions where I think it's appropriate, but what exactly does it mean to "construct" a "learning path"? And what's a knowledge base, and how do I make my own up?
Naturally the class was "project oriented." This meant there wouldn't be tests. The other advantage to projects is you don't have to waste time on boring chores like learning the multiplication tables and the names of the countries in South America. After all, why should kids have to know stuff they aren't interested in?
Forget about a domineering teacher. Instead this class employed a "facilitator," who could offer "a unique blend of training, interest, and demonstrated skills in academics, arts, counseling, crisis intervention, problem solving, and building self esteem." Also he conducted walking tours of the Sea of Galilee.
Who is anyone kidding? Once you hack away all the rosy rhetoric, you're left with two kinds of criteria. Some, like the messianic job description, simply reflect ideals endorsed by every decent teacher since Socrates. What teacher doesn't want his class to be "a safe place for children to take risks...to learn and to grow"?
Other descriptors, though, like the anointing of a facilitator instead of a teacher, were more than just ideals. They were code words for the old regime, the ghosts of what was then already two decades past. The first time the "change agents" erupted onto the landscape with the fervor of radical youth. Then in the 1990s they reemerged as mid life, middle class reformers, and once again they dragged the whole country along. Now forty years on, they're back, never having gone away, in the company of a new generation of disciples.
This time instead of "restructuring," they're "transforming" education. They're back with "project-based learning" that allows students to graduate without a broad understanding of the liberal arts and sciences. They're back with scoring rubrics that cloak unreliable assessment in the garb of objectivity and "data." They're back with "student-centered" classrooms and facilitators who monitor children in front of video screens and in cooperative groups where they purportedly "teach each other." They're back with even more extensive "personal, social, and political" agendas that divert schools from teaching academics.
Am I against change? No. I'm just against change that makes things worse. I'm against empty words and empty promises and easy answers. And I'm against being told that I'm stuck in the past because I won't embrace ideas that failed when I was twenty.
Do you ever have doubts about the brave new plans you hear for our schools? You aren't alone. And your questions deserve more than the public relations gloss they often receive from the experts who pretend to answer them.
The secret to success in the world of education? Always sound upbeat. Always offer a positive sounding solution, no matter how impractical or irrelevant or trivial it actually is.
Poor Elijah learned this lesson at his first restructuring conference years ago. The experts had ferried in a twenty four year old veteran of reform from Maine to encourage everybody. He told them how excited he was about the way his school was "reinventing" itself. He spoke at length about how they'd turned off all the bells in his school and the difference this had made. He seemed euphoric.
Poor Elijah went home disappointed, though. He'd written a college paper in 1969 on getting rid of bells called "Fascism in School Scheduling." Some schools in the seventies had even disconnected theirs until they'd realized nobody was getting anywhere on time anymore. Then they'd hooked them back up. Of course, 1969 was more than ten minutes ago and well beyond the recall of the experts who rule the looking glass land of education.
I guess it's time to turn the bells off again.
Peter Berger teaches English in Weathersfield, Vermont. Poor Elijah would be pleased to answer letters addressed to him in care of the editor.


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Transform your kitchen into a kid-friendly laboratory with a simple slice of bread. Using everyday materials, you can pique your budding scientist's interest in experiments by growing various types of mold and having her make detailed observations, noticing both similarities and differences. As she tracks changes over time, she can look for patterns and uncover the fascinating world of bacteria.
What you'll need
• Sliced white bread without preservatives (check the ingredients for sodium propionate)
• Sandwich-size Ziploc bags
• An eyedropper or a teaspoon
• A Sharpie pen
How to do it
Preservative-free bread is a wonderful medium for producing mold, which grows from spores (the mold equivalent of plant seeds) that are already present on the bread. Your child can also collect mold and bacteria from any surface by rubbing a slice of bread on it.
To grow your own mold garden, put five to ten drops (or one teaspoon) of water on a piece of bread and store it in a Ziploc bag in a warm place. After a week, you should notice fuzzy white, black, orange, or green spots on the bread. The green variety is typically a mold called Penicillium (from which penicillin is made). Once visible, the mold will become noticeably larger each day.
Experiment with collecting or culturing mold from various places with bread slices. Even clean-looking places are covered with bacteria. Does your child think the yuckiest places will grow the yuckiest fungus the fastest? Have her record on the Ziploc bag where the mold came from. To avoid odors, keep the bags in sealed plastic containers. Try to avoid opening the bags when you dispose of them because some people can have allergic reactions to mold.
Check out the Science Museum of Minnesota's Grow-n-Show Gallery for examples of mold.


text:
Know your roe: Why flying fish really don't
Q. From a Michigan reader: "I wonder if you might take up the argument about whether "flying fish" can really fly. I personally think they can. I have seen them airborne the full length of a cruise ship, about 900 feet (270 meters). That's a long way to glide!"– T. Anastasio
A. A clue: If the name says it flies, it probably doesn't– cf. the flying lizard (on winglike membranes at its sides, it too glides through the air), flying lemur (fur-covered membranes permit gliding leaps), flying frog (web-connected toes do the same), and flying squirrel (tree to tree on winglike membranes).
Or if it does fly, other trickery awaits: The flying fox is not a fox but does have a foxlike muzzle and small pointy ears, and can fly with the best of them (it's a bat).
So now to flying fish: They're marine species of the family Exocoetidae, not with wings to beat for "powered flight" but capable of high speeds in the water, then going airborne for a glide on their long, wide, stationary pectoral fins, says University of Idaho zoologist James Nagler. One species, the characin, notes Columbia Encyclopedia, does actually "fly" short distances by buzzing its fins. In any event, says Britannica.com, favorable winds could carry some flying fish as much as 600 feet (180 meters) in a single glide, farther for multiple or skim glides.
This behavior is usually a means of escaping predators and/or entertaining cruise ship passengers!
Q. This famous map puzzle has kicked around since the mid-1800s: What is the least possible number of colors needed to fill in any map so that adjacent countries or provinces are always colored differently? –G. Mercator
A. Four colors suffice, says American Scientist magazine (reviewing Robin Wilson's book of that title), which has been known– or suspected– for a long time. But how to prove this? Many have tried, many have failed. Then in 1976, Kenneth Appel and Wolfgang Haken seemed to crack the four-color map puzzle, by reducing it to 1,936 special cases, a feat requiring some 1,200 hours of computer time. "The proof depended on electricity and experimentation," Wilson writes.
The new type of cyber-proof raised eyebrows and skepticism. A proof should come from understanding, not a mechanized bludgeon, objected many in the math community.
The debate continues today. "It doesn't seem likely, but the hope is that a new, more satisfying reformulation of the problem is possible." Any bright ideas out there?
Q. Here's one for the books: How was it determined that the normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit? –Keith
A. Erroneously! Though this precise-sounding number has been known to generations of parents and doctors, it's wrong, says Temple University's John Allen Paulos in A Mathematician Reads the Newspapers. Recent tests involving millions of measurements found a figure of 98.2 F.
But don't blame German physician Dr. Carl Wunderlich (1815-1877), who did the original statistical study of normal body temperature of thousands of people in Europe. The Dr. actually found a range of temperatures, says Paulos, then averaged them and sensibly rounded to the nearest degree: 37 Celsius! When this was converted to Fahrenheit, however, the rounding of the two-digit figure was forgotten, and 98.6 was taken to be accurate to the nearest tenth of a degree.
"Had the original interval from 36.5-37.5 Celsius been translated, the equivalent Fahrenheit temperatures would have ranged from 97.7 to 99.5."
As one "Fever Phobia" website puts it, "A curse on the person who invented the arrow pointing to 98.6 on many old thermometers!" In truth, temps can vary from morning to evening, person to person, kids to adults, how the temp is taken (oral vs. rectal) or phase of the menstrual cycle.
Send Strange questions to brothers Bill and Rich at email@example.com.


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Parks & Rec Special Events
Garland Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Arts System Update: August 3, 2020The City of Garland has reopened more parks and recreation facilities. Find out more details. More details here...
The Wall That Heals
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to Garland on Feb. 27 – March 1, 2020. The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War and it bears the names of the 58,276 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
Sweetheart Dance
The Sweetheart Dance is held at The Atrium in Downtown Garland. Dads, granddads, and uncles, watch your little one shine at the Sweetheart Dance.
Big Art Day
Big Art Day is a collaboration between the City of Garland Parks & Recreation Department and Garland ISD's Visual and Performing Arts groups.
Egg Hunt
Hop on over to Audubon Park for a chance to hunt for colorful candy and toy filled eggs.
Jazz in the Square
Experience a laid-back, relaxing evening in beautiful Downtown Garland while soaking in the soothing sounds of jazz.
Sounds of Summer
Garland's annual Sounds of Summer Concert Series is sure to be an excellent way to spend a summer evening under the beautiful Texas stars in Downtown Garland.
Made Fresh & Local
A virtual concert series to benefit the music scene here in Garland.
Garland Guzzler 0.5K Race (Virtual 2020)
Garland Guzzler 0.5K Race is the most unique race you will ever find! Check it out today.
Garland's Gone Camping
Grab your tent and sleeping bags for a night under the stars with family and friends.
Trunk or Treat & The Garland Graveyard
Trunk or Treat & The Garland Graveyard, where scenes of witches, zombies, and haunted pumpkins may not be the worst of your problems.
Dia de los Muertos
Join us in honoring past loved ones at this FREE event with performances by Los Matachines, various GISD and I.L. Texas student performances from Mariachi to Ballet Folklorico, and much more, all at the Downtown Garland Square!
Puppy Paws and Santa Claws
Puppy Paws and Santa Claws is a fun event for all of us and our furry friends.
Snacks with Santa
Join us at Fields Recreation Center for an evening of holiday fun!
Christmas On The Square
The City of Garland invites you to Christmas on the Square. More than 100,000 lights bring the holiday season to life.
Special Event Permit
Whether you're planning a parade, a festival, a 5K run or just a neighborhood block party, the City of Garland would like to help you make your event possible.


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Yes, you read that headline right. No, this isn't an article from The Onion.
A large black bear roaming the backyards of a Los Angeles suburb snuck up on a man who was texting his boss — wondering what all the fuss was about.
The bear was discovered Tuesday in a backyard in the Verdugo Mountains area, about 10 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. The bear was later tranquilized and released into the wild.
Vaz Terdandenyan was walking down his driveway texting when he looked up and saw the black bear ambling toward him.
"I came out, I knew something was going on, (I was) trying to assess the situation," Terdandenyan told KTLA-TV. "I was texting my boss that I would be late for work, that something was going on, and I am coming down the stairs and I see the bear coming up the stairs towards me."
"So I turned back, and I ran for my life," Terdandenyan said.


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Hey everyone,
Diamond Select Toys has released some promotional information for series 2 of their Battle Beast minimates line.
Battle-Beasts-Series-2.jpg 179.78K 215 downloads
Honestly, i am liking this series much more that the first series, which I still liked quite a bit barring a few hiccups here and there. The series feels more in line with anthropamorphic animal warriors, and doesn't try to over extend itself in the designs. I also appreciate that they removed the one human figure they had planned for series 2, instead favoring only animal warriors in the line, which should help.


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The market design theory for which Alvin E. Roth, PhD, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Science on Monday has helped match residents with hospitals and kidney donors with recipients.
Roth, now 60, began work on his theory in the early 1980s and in 1995 was tasked with developing a new algorithm for conducting the annual National Resident Matching Program. Students had begun to complain that the match process did not have their best interests at heart.
The new algorithm was implemented in March 1998. Roth followed up that work with an algorithm for matching married couples.
He also used market design theory to help ease the kidney shortage. He and his colleagues founded the New England Program for Kidney Exchange, which seeks to optimize the search for live kidney-donor exchanges.
It works something like this: Donor A wants to give a kidney to his wife, but she's incompatible. The computerized matching system finds donor B, who is a compatible match for donor A's kidney. Donor A's wife then becomes eligible for a compatible match from Donor C.
In 2008, doctors at Johns Hopkins performed a six-way kidney transplant using the Roth algorithm. These procedures have to be done simultaneously to make sure no one backs out after their loved one has received a kidney.
It's illegal to charge money for organ donation, and in 2007 the U.S. Department of Justice ruled that this matching system did not violate the law.
Roth, who is sharing the Nobel with economist Lloyd Shapley, PhD, is transitioning from Harvard to Stanford University, where he received his doctorate in operations research.


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The Czech government says it has not registered any signs of German objections to the Višegrad Four summit due to be held in Prague next week. According to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico Germany had voiced a protest against the fact that the Višegrad Four, comprising the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, as well as representatives of Macedonia and Bulgaria would be discussing plans to beef-up security at the Bulgarian and Macedonian border if Greece should fail to bring the flow of migrants under control. According to Der Spiegel these plans by the Višegrad Four undermine EU unity in the need to secure the EU's outer borders and may lead to an open conflict with Chancellor Merkel. Czech government spokesman Martin Ayrer said the Višegrad summit would focus on the 25 th anniversary of the Višegrad Four and migration issues and rejected the idea that the alliance aimed to counter Germany's proposals at the upcoming EU summit.
Finance Minister Andrej Babis' ANO party has placed top in a public support poll conducted by the Median agency in January. The party received 24 percent support, followed closely by its coalition partner, the Social Democrats, with 23 percent support. The Communist Party placed third with 13 percent and the opposition TOP 09 and Civic Democrats tied at 9.5 percent. The Christian Democrats received a 7 percent support rating.
Police are investigating a chlorine leak at a swimming pool facility in a hotel in the Klinovec ski resort in the Ore Mountains on Friday. Twelve people were taken to hospital for treatment among them seven tourists from Denmark who were treated at a medical facility in Annaberg, Germany. Five Czechs received treatment in the Czech Republic.
Prominent Czech architect and designer Bořek Šípek has died at the age of 66. He succumbed to cancer. Šípek was known for his unusual, colorful and rich style and neo-baroque designs. He focused on product design for international manufacturers. At the request of the late president Václav Havel he was appointed Court architect at Prague Castle. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and can be found in permanent collections many museums worldwide.
Faouzi Jaber, the third terrorist suspect wanted by the US who remains in a Prague jail, allegedly filed for asylum in the Czech Republic. According to the daily Pravo this was the reason why Justice Minister Robert Pelikan could not decide on his fate together with the other two suspects who were freed. According to the paper, the Czech Interior Ministry has since rejected his application, and the minister is expected to make a decision on whether to extradite him to the US or free him in the coming days. According to his lawyer Jaber was afraid of extradition both to the US and Lebanon.
Eleven prisoners at a jail in Pardubice, east Bohemia who were rushed to hospital after overdosing on medication intended for heart arrhythmia reportedly used them in place of drugs. Two of the prisoners were in a grave condition and had to be resuscitated, but all are now out of danger. One remains hospitalized. The prison service has dismissed speculation that they attempted to commit suicide. The medication was prescribed for one of the inmates who suffers from heart arrhythmia.
A survey of 250 Czech companies revealed that a mere 13 percent of supervisory board members are women, the ctk news agency reports. In firms with a turnover higher than 100 million crowns the number of women on executive boards was 11.5 percent. Women were completely absent on the boards of two fifths of financial institutions. As regards gender equality at the workplace in 2014 the Czech Republic placed 96 th on a list of 142 countries.
A preliminary estimate of the fire that broke out at the National Museum in the early hours of Friday is 10 million crowns. The fire ravaged 200 square metres of the roof, but the historic halls of the building escaped significant damage. No one was hurt in the fire. An investigation is underway to ascertain its cause. The head of the National Museum Michal Lukeš says it was most likely linked to the extensive reconstruction work underway on the building.
The Czech crown jewels will go on display at Prague Castle in May as part of events marking the 700th anniversary of the birth of Czech king and Holy Roman emperor Charles IV, the head of Prague Castle administration David Šebek told the ctk news agency on Friday. The crown jewels will be put on display at Vladislav Hall from May 15 until May 29 and admission will be free of charge. The collection was last displayed in May 2013 to mark the election of Miloš Zeman president.
Czech singer David Koller has announced he will not be performing at venues at which the highly controversial Czech band Ortel makes and appearance. Ortel, whose hateful lyrics primarily target religious and ethnic minorities, is currently riding high on anti-immigrant sentiments. Last year, the largely unknown band from Plzeň jumped from 105th spot to fourth place in the Český Slavík competition. Koller, on the other hand, often takes a public stand against left and right extremism.


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By Genevra Pittman | Reuters – 7 mins ago
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A government-backed panel advises doctors to "consider offering screening" for hepatitis C to adults born between 1945 and 1965, in a draft statement released today.
The recommendations, from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), are an update to the group's 2004 statement, which recommended against screening people at average risk of hepatitis C. At the time, it also said there wasn't enough evidence for or against screening high-risk adults, such as injection drug users.
"There were a lot of uncertainties in 2004," said Dr. Albert Siu from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who is co-vice chair of the task force.
"The evidence has increased over the years. The tests haven't really changed, but there is more certainty in terms of the overall net benefit here," he told Reuters Health.
Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called for hepatitis C testing for all baby boomers, who make up three-quarters of people in the United States with the infection.
The USPSTF now also recommends screening all high-risk adults, regardless of when they were born.
Hepatitis C is passed through blood. Along with drug users who share needles, people who had a blood transfusion or received an organ transplant before mandatory viral testing began in 1992 are also at increased risk of hepatitis C.
Between 1 and 2 percent of people in the U.S. have hepatitis C, which can cause cirrhosis and liver failure over many years. Among the baby boomer generation, that rate is between 3 and 4 percent.
In the new draft recommendations, the task force says there is enough evidence showing blood tests used to detect hepatitis C are accurate. However, there is no direct, long-term proof that screening ultimately reduces liver disease and death - in part because the harmful effects of hepatitis C progress slowly and it takes many years to see such results.
Siu said the screening process is safer than it used to be because fewer people are getting invasive liver biopsies to confirm positive blood tests. That helps tip the scale in favor of screening.
In addition, for many people with hepatitis C, treatment with anti-viral drugs - especially three-drug combinations including medications recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration - can decrease the amount of virus in the blood to an undetectable level, the USPSTF found.
Side effects of the newest drugs, known as boceprevir (Victrelis) and telaprevir (Incivek), include anemia and rashes. Those medications are added to a combination regimen of ribavirin and peginterferon alfa (also commonly known as Pegasys and Peg-Intron), which has been the standard of treatment since the early 2000s.
"In general, when we are talking about infectious diseases screening, (question) one is prevalence rate in the population and two is, are there any effective treatments?" said Dr. Lu-Yu Hwang, who has studied hepatitis C infection and transmission at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
"Today… people are more optimistic for hepatitis C treatment than for hepatitis B or HIV. People believe there's a good way you can get rid of the virus, and we do have a good number of people recovering from chronic infection," Hwang, who is not part of the USPSTF, told Reuters Health.
Evidence reviews completed for the task force also suggest that for pregnant women with hepatitis C, delivering a baby via cesarean section or avoiding breastfeeding does not cut down on virus transmission. That suggests transmission may occur while a fetus is still in utero, Dr. Roger Chou and colleagues from Oregon Health & Science University in Portland said.
Hwang suggested screening could be useful for women who are considering becoming pregnant. Then if they are positive for hepatitis C, women can be treated and reduce their viral levels before there's a risk of passing the virus on to the baby.
The reviews used by the USPSTF are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The draft recommendations will be on the task force website (http://bit.ly/9e1DhW ) and available for public comment between November 27 and December 24.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/N0G6LY Annals of Internal Medicine, online November 26, 2012.