text:
Duncan ScottI; Adam CooperII; Sharlene SwartzIII
ISchool of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom
IIDepartment of Education Policy Studies, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
IIIHuman Sciences Research Council and Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, South Africa email@example.com
ABSTRACT]]> This paper presents findings of four Grade 6 teachers' involvement as facilitators of a participatory action research (PAR) project conducted in three South African primary schools. Based on the results of Phase One research which indicated that Grade 6s learn about sexuality, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) from multiple sources, the Phase Two project designers developed a toolkit to help Life Orientation (LO) teachers consult learners on what they know and how they want to be taught. In each school, a curriculum development group comprising the participating teacher, learners, parents and an HIV and Aids specialist worked to enhance the official HIV and Aids curriculum using the information gathered each week by the teacher. This dialogue between the study participants represents the culmination of what we describe as the project's 'cascading participation' research model, a term denoting the multiple levels of participant involvement in the study. Although theories of participation often depict a binary relationship between those with power and those without it, the implementation of this project shows how the official curriculum, cultural norms and low parent involvement can exert pressure at different levels to diminish teachers' ability to facilitate social and educational change.
Keywords: curriculum development; HIV and Aids; HIV and Aids knowledge; participatory action research; teachers
Teachers in South African schools are expected to meet two broad sets of duties. They are required to fulfil their institutional duties in, among other things, implementing the official curriculum in the classroom setting, maintaining accurate academic records and complying generally with the school's policies of communication with learners, parents and colleagues (Heeralal, 2014; South African Council for Educators, 2002). Yet politicians and community members often also anticipate that teachers should monitor learners' wellbeing and inspire them to overcome the difficulties of growing up in the midst of violent crime, poverty and high levels of unemployment (Joyce & Mmankoko, 2014; South African Press Association, 2013). In the words of Joyce and Mmankoko (2014:19), "Society hopes that teachers can show learners that their lives and futures can be different". This set of aspirational duties goes above and beyond teachers' institutional obligations.
Referring to teachers' aspirational duties, Ferreira (2013:1), (emphasis added) states that
[South African] schools are viewed as nodes of care and support - material support, as well as emotional, social and spiritual guidance. Teachers and school principals are typically valued as key figures in communities, who potentially possess the ability to make a difference in people's lives.
Recognising teachers' particular position in society, researchers have begun to contribute to the discussion of what role teachers should play in driving social and educational change in the country (Ferreira, 2013). This paper adds to this important and growing body of literature by presenting the findings from a teacher-led curriculum development research project in three South African primary schools. The participatory study involved collaboration between the researcher, teachers, Grade 6 learners, and parents from three Cape Town neighbourhoods.
Participatory research methodologies, with their emphasis on collaborative knowledge generation among researchers and community members, have already influenced studies that examine teachers as agents of social change. Yet as Ferreira (2013) emphasises in her introduction to a recent Special Edition on Participatory Methodologies and Education Research, there is still work to be done on how researchers can use participatory methodologies to respond to communities' needs. It may be the case that many community members see teachers as "beacons of hope" (Joyce & Mmankoko, 2014:19), but the study we report on indicates that several factors can inhibit teachers' involvement as project facilitators. The restrictiveness of the official curriculum, prohibitive cultural norms and parents' resistance to joining the project exerted a counterforce to teachers' presumed authority and potential to make a difference. In presenting the methodological challenges encountered in this PAR project, this paper emphasises that before teachers can affect social change, they must confront power and resistance from different members of the school community. Teachers are neither wholly empowered nor disempowered and work within a set of relationships - including principals, the official curriculum, learners and parents - that frequently affects whether teachers are successfully able to lead a PAR project and facilitate change. Before describing in more detail the project and the role of the teacher in its cascading participation model, we present a brief history of the contested concept of participation as it appears in 'development' work.]]> 'Participation': a brief history of the concept in the 'development' paradigm
During the past 50 years 'participation' has become a mantra of development and has become an idea which has attained "the status of development orthodoxy" (Cornwall, 2006:49). Cornwall (2008) observes that the discourse of participation now characterises the work of community development practitioners, local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The notion of participation, used in these varied contexts, tends to refer to citizens' or communities' involvement in decision-making processes (Cornwall, 2008). However it has proven also, in Cornwall's (2008:269) words, to be an "infinitely malleable concept", an issue that has led social scientists to develop several typologies of participation.
Useful as analytical tools, typologies of participation presented in academic literature have tended to entrench bifurcated sets of power relations, even as they have tried to examine participation in practice. One example of this work is Arnstein's (1969) well-known typology of participation which consists of an eight-rung ladder, each rung representing varying degrees of citizens' potential to influence collective decision making. The theoretical implication is that for all instances of participation, two distinguishable parties are involved. The nature of participation depends on the degree to which the less powerful group becomes empowered through the project or programme.
Rural agricultural development work and scholarship has also analysed participation in binary terms. For example, Chambers' (1994a, 1994b) research in East Africa and Asia argues that participation occurs between "uppers" and "lowers" (Chambers, 1994a:1). In his view, human relations are governed by power and weakness, or dominance and subordination. Individual people, or "magnets" (Chambers, 1994a:7), in this field of power relations struggle to effect change because the combined force of the field is strong enough to maintain the status quo.
To a large degree, scholars have tended to theorise forms of participation that assume a dichotomous set of relations between those 'above' - governments and fund-holders - and those 'below' - 'the people', 'the poor' and 'the disempowered'. In contrast, PAR is a process involving cycles of action and reflection, in which practical knowledge is produced together with, and used to improve the lives of, individuals and communities that are most affected by the issues being researched (Chambers, 1994a; Ferreira, Ebersöhn & Botha, 2013; Gaventa & Cornwall, 2006; Reason & Bradbury, 2008). In PAR, people who are usually seen as the subjects of research and objectified as part of the researcher's gaze become active, participating co-researchers (Gaventa & Cornwall, 2006; Reason & Bradbury, 2008). It is a particular approach to participation that recognises and encourages a diffuse distribution of power.
Phase Two of the project here under review embedded its methodology in the PAR tradition. Its particular model of participation - cascading participation - contests the 'participation binary' outlined above by highlighting how participatory research in school contexts involves numerous relationships between differentially empowered stakeholders. The results from Phase Two show that a teacher-led participation process in South African primary schools is likely to be complex, as teachers attempt to manage relationships with learners, parents, school principals and education officials, as well as the expectations of each of these groups of people. The tiered process of participation, described below, exemplifies how teachers hold positions of authority even as they struggle to assert this authority within various relationships.
ASKAIDS: A collaborative HIV and Aids curriculum development project
The three-year, multi-country (Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Swaziland and Botswana) HIV and Aids curriculum development research project - African Sexual Knowledges of AIDS (ASKAIDS) - was initiated and administered by the Centre for Commonwealth Education (CCE) at the University of Cambridge. Our term, 'cascading participation', applies to the way different groups were recruited to the project. In each country, the CCE partnered with a local African researcher who then engaged school personnel and an HIV and Aids expert to act as a consultant in participating primary schools. Teachers subsequently recruited learners and community stakeholders. Participation, therefore, consisted of one group recruiting another group, which in turn sought out the next group of participants. The cascade represents a flow of participation, but it also illustrates that there are several levels of power shaping the project's progress. The outcomes of Phase One that investigated children's knowledge and teachers' pedagogical practices regarding HIV, Aids and sexual relationships are presented elsewhere (McLaughlin, Swartz, Kiragu, Walli & Mohamed, 2012). This paper presents findings from the implementation of the second phase - an interactive curriculum development process - in South Africa during the 2011 school year, with a particular focus on how teachers related to the various participants and how this impacted on their facilitation of the project.
Cascading participation and the South African case study
In South Africa, the first tier of participation comprised a formal partnership between the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the CCE. The HSRC enlisted an HIV and Aids 'consultant' (a local youth worker with specialist knowledge) - this was the third tier of the cascade - and subsequently approached three school principals to commit to the aims of the study. The recruitment of LO teachers, learners and parents constituted the fifth and sixth tiers of the cascade. This multi-tiered process is what defines the cascading participation model and is what differentiates it from the 'participation binary' that appears so frequently in academic literature. Figure 1 depicts the cascading participation process using the South African project as an example.]]>
In preparing for Phase Two of the ASKAIDS project, the research planners used the findings of the first phase to design a toolkit that researchers envisioned would guide an interactive curriculum development process. The ASKAIDS toolkit is a document which includes information on HIV and Aids, and describes why it is important to take into account young people's existing knowledge in curriculum construction. The toolkit also outlines several techniques for developing a co-constructed HIV and Aids curriculum, such as keeping a journal, role-playing, using suggestion boxes and using cameras to document learner participation during lessons.
Phase Two, which ran between February and September 2011 and incorporated the first three terms of the year, involved the creation of a curriculum development group (CDG) in each school, led by the participating teacher with the aid of the toolkit. Each group included four learners from the teacher's Grade 6 class, two parents, an HIV and Aids consultant, and the researcher, whose role was to observe and record discussion between participants. The PAR programme proposed that through each CDG, the LO teacher, learners and parents would draw on learners' experiences and existing knowledge of HIV, Aids and sexuality to design an HIV and Aids curriculum that could be incorporated into the lesson plans of the participating LO teachers and which could be sustained with minimal external support.
The CCE planned for each CDG to meet twice each term to support the teacher in curriculum design and to provide a platform for meaningful dialogue around issues of HIV and Aids knowledge, whereupon members of each group would inevitably confront others with their assumptions and values. If successful, CDG discussions would lead to the production of a hybrid curriculum that incorporated children's everyday knowledge into the official curriculum (Bernstein, 1996). Since the participation of learners and parents was contingent on the active participation of teachers, each teacher was a crucial intermediary between the CCE, the country-specific research organisation and the school community.
The following section on the methodology of the project expands the description of the Phase Two research. The section covers participant recruitment, data generation, and data analysis.
Methodology]]> The project planners designed the second phase of the ASKAIDS project so that it was standardised across the six countries involved in the study. They did so with a view eventually to undertaking a comparative analysis of the multi-site curriculum development process. We describe the different aspects of the project methodology below, focusing on participant recruitment, data generation - which involved qualitative and quantitative methods - and data analysis in the South African context only.
Participant recruitment
Having first obtained ethical clearance for the South African project from the HSRC's Research Ethics Committee, during the latter part of January 2011 the researcher invited three primary schools to participate in the ASKAIDS study. Though each of these schools was based in Cape Town in the Western Cape province, the areas in which they were located represented diverse social and educational contexts. The communities were dissimilar in their levels of HIV infections and distribution of poverty, but comparable in the tense interplay between HIV and Aids and religion, culture, and traditional practices. Two of the schools had been involved in the first phase of the ASKAIDS project, meaning that the principals of these schools were already familiar with the principal investigator at the HSRC. They readily agreed to participate in the second phase of the study.
Once the principal at the third school had expressed her interest in the study and recruited an LO teacher to lead the project, learner recruitment - the next tier of participants in the cascading model - began in all schools. LO teachers invited the learners in their Grade 6 class to participate in the project. Learners' eventual involvement in entry and exit questionnaires was determined by whether they gave their signed assent along with a parent's or guardian's formal consent. Each LO teacher also invited four learners - if possible, two male and two female - to volunteer to participate in the CDGs. The researcher suggested that these learners should be representative of the class as a whole and not simply those who performed best in assignments, although there was ultimately no way to 'test' the representativeness of the group. Finally, each LO teacher recruited, or attempted to recruit, two parents or community stakeholders to the CDG. Table 1 summarises the number of participants recruited into the study, distinguished by school and participant type.
Table 1 shows that fewer learners in School 1 participated in the initial survey than in the other participating schools. This was because the parents or guardians of nine of the 34 learners approached by the teacher did not return, or declined to sign, the consent forms needed for their child to complete the questionnaire. This was the same school in which the LO teacher stated that he was unable to recruit any parents to the study. We discuss the implications of this inability to involve parents in the project later.
Table 1 also indicates that the teacher at School 3 recruited one extra female learner to the CDG. This differed from the original plans for the CDG, which suggested that teachers should recruit four learners to the discussion group. When the researcher consulted the teacher about the change, she explained that the five learners had volunteered to be part of the process and she felt that she could not turn one of them away. Since having one extra learner in the CDG did not pose a challenge to the structure of the study, the researcher deferred to the teacher's judgement, especially considering she had been entrusted with managing the process.]]> Data generation
During the course of the eight-month data collection period, the HSRC researcher attended all CDG meetings, each of which was held in a school classroom and lasted approximately 45 minutes. He made detailed observation notes and summarised these, together with classroom observation notes, in four quarterly research reports. In addition to participant observation, the research methodology comprised individual interviews with teachers, stakeholders and CDG learners on a termly basis. The researcher also conducted interviews with the school principals, the HIV and Aids consultant and held focus group discussions with Grade 6 learners at the start and end of the project. The researcher recorded these interviews after gaining informed consent from the participants and from parents or guardians in the case of learners.
All of the interviews and focus group discussions were semi-structured in that the researcher followed an interview schedule yet also pursued lines of conversation which deviated from the schedule but tied in with the six overarching research questions (Kvale, 1996; Maxwell, 1996). These research questions provided the framework for the interview schedule for each term, even though the schedule itself differed so that it was relevant to the particular stage of the research. Three examples of the overarching questions are: 1) In building a hybrid curriculum in HIV and Aids and sex education through consultation, what use is made of the young people's and community stakeholders' knowledge? 2) What are the obstacles and facilitators of the dialogue process for teachers, learners and community stakeholders? 3) How does using the toolkit in CDGs and in classroom settings affect the curriculum's content and pedagogy? The remaining questions tried to elucidate the implications of a discussion-based approach to HIV and Aids and sex education in schools, and for teacher education and preparation in South Africa.
Data analysis
The South African research team used qualitative analysis software to code the quarterly research reports and researcher field notes, as well as the transcripts of interviews, focus group discussions and the end-of-year reflective workshop. These codes were used to conduct a thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998; Miles & Huberman, 1994), which examined how the different themes functioned in the data and how themes related to one another.
Whilst ensuring complete reliability of a study is almost impossible, certain steps can be taken to ensure that the study is trustworthy and the "quality of its craftsmanship" (Kvale, 1995:26) is evident. In order to achieve credibility in the study we made use of a team approach to analysis and a community of enquiry, or "interpretive communities" (Kvale, 1996:246). As frequently as was possible, researchers from the different countries would gather to comment on findings from the other countries involved in the study. In the South African context we used multiple coders of data and worked as a team to come to analytical conclusions. According to Miles and Huberman (1994:263), such a team approach helps ensure against "sources of potential biases ... checking for representativeness and for researcher effects ... ruling out spurious relations". The following section presents and discusses the results from the study. We have used general identifiers throughout the paper to refer to schools and participants to make certain of their confidentiality.
Discussion of results: Inhibitors of the cascading participation approach
As we described earlier and depicted in Figure 1, the success of the ASKAIDS project required different stages of participation. One group needed to join the project in order for the next group of people to come on board. Despite the importance of each cascade, we focus on the extent of teacher participation because their involvement impacted the core aims of the project most directly. In this regard, School 2 was most successful. The LO teacher responded positively to the researcher's requests and collaborated with the Grade 6 class teacher to recruit parents and learners to the CDG. In Schools 1 and 3, however, LO teachers struggled to convene CDG meetings, partly because of a lack of parent involvement. This section presents three themes that, to varying degrees, limited teacher involvement and, therefore, the cascading participation model in the three participating South African schools. Each of these findings is described and analysed in turn.
Teachers' commitment to deliver the official syllabus inhibited their participation]]> One of the most consistent themes to emerge from teacher interviews was that teachers experienced intense pressure to cover the official curriculum in full despite feeling pressed for time. For example, the LO teacher from School 1 commented during her exit interview that "you must have somebody to run this [ASKAIDS] to the schools. Don't use us". She described the ASKAIDS programme as an imposition or "burden" on her schedule and stated she would not in future want to lead the project on her own.
The School 1 LO teacher perhaps insisted most strongly that she was too busy for the ASKAIDS project, but the following excerpt from the researcher's first quarterly report reveals that a sense of teacher fatigue was common in each of the three schools, though not necessarily equally pronounced: "The greatest challenge (in this [School 1] and other schools) has been to work around teachers' timetables, so as not to put them off the project completely, while at the same time motivating them to convene meetings and interviews". As this statement suggests, participating teachers tended to prioritise their official teaching commitments ahead of the ASKAIDS project during the early stages. Teachers at Schools 1 and 3 never fully integrated the programme with what they perceived to be their core duties. In effect they seldom consulted the toolkit and only sporadically followed the suggestions for classroom activities. The School 3 teacher expressed her hesitation with using the toolkit to incorporate the ASKAIDS project into her teaching programme in a comment she made during her exit interview:
Maybe next year I'll be more open to use it [the toolkit]...in collaboration with the work schedule. The work schedule says you must stick to this [the curriculum]. I wanted to finish the syllabus. I was more rigid than being open to other kinds of things.
This sentiment around the inflexibility of the school curriculum surfaced on another occasion. The School 2 LO teacher, who was in fact most comfortable using the toolkit to consult learners on their opinions, stated: "Because this is a school structure, we are governed by certain rules and regulations. So you gotta go according to the syllabus as well. The toolkit and syllabus need to work hand-in-hand, on a Grade 6 level". The evidence from these interview extracts shows how participating teachers felt that they worked within strict organisational and curriculum frameworks. From the teachers' perspectives, it was not a simple matter to integrate the ASKAIDS activities into their lessons. And while the ASKAIDS content fitted well with lessons dealing with HIV and Aids, the Western Cape Education Department's (WCED) HIV and Aids module was only scheduled to be delivered in the third term, placing it outside the teachers' lesson plans for the first two terms. In this sense, the standardisation of the time frames and outputs of the six-country project presented a challenge to the implementation of the South African study. The South African teachers' timetables were set ahead of time, and though teachers in other participating countries were on the whole able to accommodate the research programme, teachers in the three Cape Town schools -Schools 1 and 3 in particular - expressed concern that they did not want to deviate too far from the government-prescribed Grade 6 curriculum.
This section has shown that although LO teachers are well placed to facilitate the co-construction of knowledge of HIV, Aids and sexuality, they felt constrained by the official curriculum to focus on pre-set topics in each lesson. Only the School 2 teacher felt comfortable introducing some of the toolkit activities into his lessons. Two issues contributed to this general sentiment: the first was structural in that the LO curriculum, and the time in which it could be delivered, was set by the WCED. The second issue proved to be individual. The School 2 teacher expressed some concerns with the toolkit and implementation of the project, but on the whole was enthusiastic about using the toolkit suggestions to consult his Grade 6 class. In contrast, teachers in Schools 1 and 3 felt uncomfortable leading the ASKAIDS project and preferred to stick to the curriculum rather than consult learners on their existing knowledge of HIV, Aids and sexuality. The following section elaborates on teachers' personal anxieties around consulting learners, some of which linked to traditional discomfort around adult-child discussion of sexuality.
"It's just not easy": Teachers uncertain how to discuss sexuality with learners
Teachers at South African schools in impoverished communities experience the day-to-day challenges of working and, sometimes, living in under-resourced areas. However, they are also often better educated, speak more English and have higher incomes than people in the communities in which they work. Yet despite having a deep understanding of the conditions in which the Grade 6 learners live and possessing a greater skills cache than many other community members, teachers nevertheless did not always feel confident facilitating conversation during the CDG meetings or leading classroom discussions concerning sex. The following interview quote from the School 3 teacher points to how some teachers, particularly those in Schools 1 and 3, did not know how, in the consultant's words, to "transition" from their traditional classroom role to being a facilitator during CDG meetings: "At the beginning it was difficult. The children were not free because I was there. Because I realised that the time I come in then they stop asking questions, you know". Speaking more generally, the School 3 teacher stated that "I can say that because I've been doing it [teaching LO] for such a long time, so at least I'm a bit confident. But not as yet to go into detail, like, sexual education". A factor that contributed to teachers' inability to discuss sex and encourage learners to do the same was the frequently referred to cultural norm that adults should not speak openly to children about sex and sexuality. The following conversation between the researcher and the School 3 teacher illustrates how cultural norms inhibited the role of the teacher as change agent:
Researcher: You mentioned your culture, can you go a little bit deeper into that?
School 3 teacher: It's just not easy to talk about it [sex] to the learners. The only thing you can say is that you mustn't be involved, you know. But we don't go into deeper, actual stuff. I don't know how to put it. ...I have to, I'm trying, I must say. I'm trying to be flexible and talk about it [sex].
In School 1, the female LO teacher stated in an exit interview that learners of both sexes "are more free to male teachers than female", which she felt constrained how she was able to interact with learners in the project. Yet the male class teacher at the same school, who worked together with the LO teacher in coordinating the project, stated the exact opposite, namely, that "such things cannot be dealt with by a man, male teachers; such things can be dealt with by a female teacher. So, those are the stereotypes, the barriers'". Despite the clear contradiction between these comments, it is clear that teachers' perceptions of cultural norms inhibited the role they believed they could play in CDG meetings and in the classroom setting.]]> The cultural taboo of talking about sex with children was not as pronounced in School 2, where the teacher was more assured of his role as a facilitator. Nevertheless, the LO teacher described the negative reaction from the school community when he had tried previously to use a school concert to address the "real, darker" issues of sex, teenage pregnancy and drugs in learners' lives. He asserted that "the religious people in the community, they wanted the more perfect side. But you also got to look at the other side as well".
The combination of uncertainty at leading conversations with learners and parents and the uneasiness that accompanies any discussion of sexuality, HIV and Aids led each of the South African teachers to state in interviews that the HIV and Aids consultant was integral to having productive CDG meetings. The School 1 LO teacher described the consultant in the following terms during an exit interview: "He knows what he's doing, he knows about HIV and Aids. He knows about kids, you know. ...So he is so broad-minded". Similarly, the School 3 teacher noted that "he's also comfortable, you know, talking about sexual issues, you know.... Because he's very, unlike myself. So they [learners] find that it's very easy, yes, to speak to him". The researcher commented in his observation notes that learners were initially shy to express their views in front of adults, but that the consultant's self-deprecating manner and enthusiastic reception of any information offered by learners eventually led to them becoming more relaxed during meetings and their contributions more substantial. One learner, who stated that he felt "nervous" in his teacher's' presence, remarked that "when he [the consultant] is here, I talk, I don't think, I take him out of my mind. ...I talk as if he is not there". In contrast, it was frequently the case that teachers did not manage to comfort learners and encourage them, in learners' terms, to "feel free".
The South African consultant ordinarily worked in the NGO sector helping to mentor learners in Grades 8-12 on developing leadership qualities. His background meant that he was ideally placed to support teachers in generating participation among the next tier of participants, namely parents and learners, and to help teachers develop a collaborative pedagogy. Ultimately, however, the consultant tended to lead the CDG meetings rather than facilitate them. The fact that some of the teachers felt uncomfortable and unprepared to facilitate dialogue on sexual knowledge and practices meant that they gave over much of their CDG responsibility to the consultant. Understandably, this impacted negatively on the cascading participation approach, as the consultant tended to lead rather than facilitate meetings with the result that teacher-learner dialogue was not always evident.
Insufficient teacher support from parents
Parent involvement in school life is something that impoverished schools in many contexts, including South Africa, struggle to attain (Epstein, 1995; Hallgarten, 2000).
Working-class parents have often had negative experiences of schooling or, as Pitt, Luger, Bullen, Phillips and Geiger (2013) observe in their South African-based study, have themselves received very little education at all. Hallgarten (2000) notes that parents in these circumstances are frequently intimidated by the idea of participating in school life. The ASKAIDS project in South Africa experienced this same trend of low parent participation as teachers struggled to recruit parents, or other community stakeholders, to the CDGs. According to the researcher's observation notes, no parents attended CDG meetings in School 1. At School 3 one parent was present at the second of the three meetings. School 2 managed to secure two parents for the first meeting and a single parent at each of the following three meetings.
Researchers have suggested that it is primarily the responsibility of teachers to create policies and practices that increase parent involvement. They contend that teachers are the more powerful group in the teacher-parent relationship (Hallgarten, 2000; Van Wyk & Lemmer, 2009). However, as Van Wyk and Lemmer (2009) observe, many teachers do not have the experience or knowledge of how to encourage parent participation in school life. Indeed, when teachers in Phase Two of the ASKAIDS study expressed frustration at what they believed was a lack of parent participation in school life and the lives of learners, they did not have alternative plans to try and involve parents. The School 2 principal exemplified the teachers' exasperation when he stated in an interview that the school is often left to do what he perceived to be the work of parents:
"I think you can read it like this,...the more someone else can do and the less that I can do as parents, that's fine, that suits them. And often we find ourselves going beyond the call of duty for the sake of the kids".
The School 1 class teacher echoed this sentiment when he asserted that "parents I would say are not giving enough - 100 percent support in dealing with HIV and Aids issue". He later commented that "only one parent...came to me and I explained what is the good part of the project, what are the objectives of the project, and then she signed and said 'big yes"". The greater significance of the difficulty teachers faced in recruiting parents is that it inhibited the cascading participation model of the ASKAIDS study. The 'flow of involvement' was unable to run down from the teachers to parents. Since parents are, in the words of Pitt et al. (2013:3), "critical in the well-being and the healthy development of the child, and the child's functioning and progress at school", this finding indicates a possible limit to teachers' authority to mobilise change in the school community and bridge the school-home divide.
]]> Conclusion
School-based studies, like ASKAIDS, often require that teachers act as project facilitators and mediators between programme designers and the ultimate recipients, in this case learners and parents. As such, forms of what we have referred to as cascading participation - processes in which a teacher leads a PAR project and interacts with multiple, differentially empowered participants - are likely to be relatively common in school contexts, although we are not aware of a systematic study of this phenomenon. In presenting evidence of three issues which inhibited teachers' involvement in the South African ASKAIDS programme and ultimately stunted the cascading participation process, we hope to have contributed to a more nuanced understanding of the relationships which teachers have to negotiate when implementing an HIV and Aids PAR project. The factors which we identified as inhibitors of teachers' involvement in the ASKAIDS project and consequently the cascading participation model are as follows: (1) Teachers' commitment to deliver the official school syllabus inhibited their participation in the programme; (2) Teachers were uncertain how to discuss sexuality with learners and also culturally reluctant to do so; and (3) Teachers received insufficient support from parents and were ill-equipped to enlist further help.
The results from Phase Two of the ASKAIDS project show that a teacher-led participation process in South African primary schools is likely to be complex, as teachers attempt to manage simultaneously the expectations that accompany relationships with learners, parents, school principals and education officials. The tiered process of participation illustrates that teachers are positioned within a set of relationships that can limit their ability to successfully lead a PAR project and act as change agents in their community. It also exemplifies how school-based PAR projects that resemble the cascading participation model differ from conceptualisations of 'participation' in the academic development literature, which generally describe binary relations between 'lowers or the poor' and 'uppers or the powerful'.
Although this paper has focused on the challenges to a cascading participation approach to PAR, it has argued that such a methodological and analytical approach to participation reveals, and offers the opportunity to confront, the multiple levels of participant involvement that inevitably arise in school-based projects. Considering the emphasis it places on multiple relationships, the cascading participation approach holds the potential to become a sustainable component of school life, driving whole school development by strengthening a range of relationships that add value to the school as an institution. The challenge for future researchers, practitioners and teachers will be to devise project designs that teachers are able to adapt to particular schools and contexts, thus avoiding the limitations of an inflexible 'one-size-fits-all' approach.
This paper has been produced as part of the African Sexual Knowledges of AIDS (ASKAIDS) project funded by the Commonwealth Education Trust. The ASKAIDS project is located in the Commonwealth Centre for Education at the University of Cambridge and is led by Professor Colleen McLaughlin.
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Heeralal PJH 2014 Mentoring needs of pre-service teachers during teaching practice. A case study at a South African university. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 4(1):511-515. doi: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n1p511 [ Links ]
Joyce TM & Mmankoko R 2014. Teacher attitudes, professionalism and unprofessionalism in relation to school violence. Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology, 5(1):19-27. Available at http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/JSSA/JSSA-05-0-000-14-Web/JSSA-05-1-000-14-Abst-PDF/JSSA-05-1-019-14-022-Joyce-T-M/JSSA-05-1-019-14-022-Joyce-T-M-Tt.pdf. Accessed 31 March 2014. [ Links ]
Kvale S 1995. The social construction of validity. Qualitative Inquiry, 1(1):19-40. doi: 10.1177/107780049500100103 [ Links ]
Kvale S 1996. Interviews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage Publications. [ Links ]
Maxwell JA 1996. Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. [ Links ]
McLaughlin C, Swartz S, Kiragu S, Walli S & Mohamed M 2012. Old enough to know: Consulting children about sex and AIDS education in Africa. Cape Town, SA: HSRC Press. [ Links ]]]>
Miles MB & Huberman AM 1994. Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed). London: Sage Publications. [ Links ]
Pitt C, Lugar R, Bullen A, Phillips D & Geiger M 2013. Parents as partners: Building collaborations to support the development of school readiness skills in under-resourced communities. South African Journal of Education, 33:1-14. Available at http://www.ajol.info/index.php/saje/article/view/97293/86607. Accessed 1 April 2014. [ Links ]
Reason P & Bradbury H 2008. Introduction. In P Reason & H Bradbury (eds). The SAGE handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice (2nd ed). London: Sage Publications. [ Links ]
South African Press Association 2013. Motlanthe: Teachers are role models. news24, 4 May. Available at http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Motlanthe-Teachers-are-role-models-20130504. Accessed 27 January 2014. [ Links ]
South African Council for Educators 2002. Handbook for the code of professional ethics. Available at http://www.pmg.org.za/docs/2002/appendices/020521handbook.pdf. Accessed 27 January 2014. [ Links ]]]>
Van Wyk N & Lemmer E 2008. Organising parent involvement in SA Schools. Cape Town: Juta Legal and Academic Publishers. [ Links ]]]>


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Q. If a store has a two-week return policy, is it ethical to buy something from the store with the intention of using it and then returning it for money back?
A. As we explained in a previous column, in Jewish law every object has an unlimited money-back guarantee. The reason is that if there is a fundamental defect in a product, the sale is considered void. Maimonides writes:
"One who sells to his fellow land, or a slave, or an animal or other chattels and a defect is found which the customer did not know about, it can be returned even after a period of years, since it was a mistaken purchase."
However, this is conditioned on the fact that the purchaser did indeed intend to acquire the object; the problem is that it is defective. Even if the object is defective but the purchaser finds it satisfactory, he waives his right to return it.
Maimonides continues:
"But this is on the condition that he doesn't use the purchase after he discovers the defect, but if he uses it after he sees the defect he has waived [his right to void the sale] and he cannot return it." (1)
Every sale is conditioned on a "meeting of the minds," informed consent of buyer and seller regarding the terms of the sale. A seller may go beyond the letter of the law and allow the buyer to void the sale not only for an actual defect, but also for any characteristic the customer finds unsatisfactory. But the underlying principle is the same: the customer has reached the conclusion that his purchase was a mistake and he wants to nullify it. This is the exact opposite of someone who is making no mistake but on the contrary knows exactly what the item is, finds it satisfactory, and plans to enjoy and then return it.
It is worth noting that a "no questions asked" return policy is different from a "free trial". A free trial is exactly what the name suggests: an offer to try out a product and see if you like it. In this case the seller wants to convince you that the product (usually an unfamiliar one) is worth buying; the only way to do this is by giving you an opportunity to try it out. There's nothing wrong with taking something for a free trial without any firm intention to buy it even if you find it of value; the seller is betting that you will like it enough to buy it and agrees to adopt the risk that you might not.
The difference is that a return policy is generally for goods that the buyer is familiar with and knows that he wants; the seller is able to guarantee that the merchandise is satisfactory. A free trial is usually for a good that is unfamiliar; in order to convince the buyer that the object is worthwhile, he is willing to offer a free trial. It's not a problem that you doubt you will want to purchase the object; that's exactly why the seller is offering you the free trial!
However, even in this case it would be improper to use the free trial if you are totally familiar with the object and learn nothing from the trial. If a number of stores are offering free trials of a certain product and you go from one to the other asking to try it out, it's not a "trial" at all since you know very well what the product is.
Free trials were common already in the time of the Talmud. Wine sellers would allow potential customers to taste a bit of wine before deciding if they wanted to buy. Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak told his students that tasting wine in this way is a forbidden subterfuge when they had no possibility of buying the wine (due to lack of means). This is a bad faith trial. But if the seller could convince you to buy if you really liked the product then you don't need any kind of prior intention or commitment.
SOURCES: (1) Maimonides Code, laws of sale 15:3 (2) Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 129a
The Jewish Ethicist presents some general principles of Jewish law. For specific questions and direct application, please consult a qualified Rabbi.

subset: commoncrawl


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Q: I need to find a gadget lover a really nice gift for under $100. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Cranberry Township, Pa.
A: The holiday season will be over soon, but great electronics buys in the $100-and-under price range are always worth talking about. Here are some of my favorites.
Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ, $69: Out of everything I tested this past year, it was the OontZ that impressed me the most.
The OontZ is a portable Bluetooth speaker with speakerphone capability and a rechargeable battery offering 10 hours of life. Don't let the low price fool you. This is a well-constructed, seriously good piece of audio gear that puts much more expensive competitors to shame with its great sound, room-filling volume levels and surprising bass. The OontZ works with most any portable device, such as iPhones, iPods, laptops and Android phones. It is now available in many stylish colors. For more details, visit www.theoontz.com.
Powerbag Messenger Bag, $50-$60: Though it lists for $119, this bag can be found online for much less. A high capacity rechargeable battery is integrated into the design. Charge the bag, and when you are on the go use the Powerbag's various ports and connections to charge your phone, tablet, e-reader, or other electronic device. I have one and love it. Details: www.mypowerbag.com
Nakamichi NK780 headphones, $20: these over-the-ear headphones sell for $20 at Sears, and they aren't just good for the money, they are good — period. Sound is surprisingly detailed and rich, but if you play them too loudly the bass gets boomy and they distort.
Stay at normal listening levels and you won't believe the sound quality for the price. Details: www.nakamichi-usa.com
Logitech Harmony 650 Remote, $60: This universal remote is easy to program using your PC and features a full color, backlit screen. It's a great buy for only $60 online and sure to satisfy for years to come. Details: www.logitech.com
Olympus VR-340 digital camera, $99: Though it lists for $149, this compact camera can be found online for under $100. It features image stabilization, a 10x optical zoom, HD movies, sensor-shift image stabilization, and Olympus' popular art filter options. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery is included. Details: www.getolympus.com
Spin-Clean Record Washer, $79: Vinyl record lovers aspire to own a record cleaning machine, but high-end models that use liquid and a vacuum can be quite expensive. The Spin-Clean provides the same kind of deep cleaning action, but you dry the records by hand, providing the same end result (clean, quiet records) at a fraction of the cost. The Spin-Clean is sure to delight anyone with a record collection, and makes a great gift for new turntable owners. Details: www.spincleanrecordwasher.com
Monoprice 12-inch, 150-watt powered subwoofer, $104: It cracks the $100 barrier by a smidgen, but this is too good of a value to exclude from the list.
Whether you are building a home theater from scratch, improving the bass of your current system, or adding a subwoofer to a small pair of bookshelf speakers, the Monoprice 12-inch powered subwoofer offers a lot of solid, well-controlled bass for not a lot of money.
It works with speaker-level and line-level outputs so it can be integrated into most any system and the cabinet looks better than you would expect for $104, as well. Details: www.monoprice.com
Contact Don Lindich at www.soundadviceblog.com and use the "submit question" link on that site.


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« What Do Kentucky Test Results Foreshadow for the Common Core? | Main | Voters in Portland, Ore., Say Yes to New Arts Education Tax »
The Coming Storm for Common Standards: Public Knowledge?
It's taken more than two years for the Common Core State Standards to trickle down into schools and classrooms in a significant way. So it's no surprise, then, that a recent poll found that most people know nothing about the standards. But when public knowledge of the new guidelines becomes more widespread, what level of support will they have? That's where the poll offers some interesting tidbits.
The poll of 600 Pennsylvanians, conducted for the Pennsylvania Business Council Education Foundation, shows that 80 percent of those surveyed had heard, seen, or read nothing about the common standards. Of the 20 percent who knew about them, six in 10 said that what they had heard made them more inclined to support them, and three in 10 said they'd be less inclined to do so.
You can see the topline results of the poll, commissioned by the foundation, here.
The PR Wire spin on the poll, not surprisingly, highlights the respondents' mediocre ratings of their state's public school system and their support of "higher standards." And indeed, these folks aren't too cheerful about their schools: Though they were kinder to their own local school systems, nearly half said that Pennsylvania's schools had gotten worse in the last decade. More than seven in 10 said high school graduates were only "somewhat" or "not at all" ready for college or good jobs.
Even though Pennsylvanians were less than glowing about the quality of the state's schools, they showed strong support for the idea of teaching to one set of standards statewide (83 percent), and for requiring students to pass a common exam (70 percent). They overwhelmingly agree that a "more rigorous curriculum" would make students better citizens and prepare them better for college and good jobs.
Fully two-thirds of those surveyed said they supported—and note the wording here—the Common Core State Standards "defining the curriculum for all students" in Pennsylvania.
But then the pollsters took respondents through a series of more specific questions about the new standards, such as whether they believed they would help prepare students better for college or close achievement gaps. More than two-thirds said they thought the standards would help teachers "focus on the subjects and skills that should be taught," and would help all students graduate "knowing at least how to read, write, and do basic math." More than half said they thought the standards would help supply business with skilled workers, prepare students better for college, and improve scores on national tests. Respondents were less optimistic that the standards could help close achievement gaps.
After reflecting on such things, the respondents were asked once again whether they supported or opposed having the common standards "define the curriculum" for students in Pennsylvania. Between the first and second asking, support went from 67 percent to 56 percent, and opposition went from 22 percent to 33 percent.
Whether these views are replicated in other states, as public knowledge of the standards becomes more widespread, could prove pivotal for an initiative that's been embraced by nearly every state in the country.


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PHP has mail() function to send an email to users. However this mail() will not work:
=> If sendmail (or compatible binary) is not installed
=> If Apache Web server / Lighttpd running in chrooted jail
=> And your smtp server needs an authentication before sending an email
=> Or you just need to send email using PHP PEAR
In all these cases you need to use PHP PEAR's Mail:: interface. It defines the interface for implementing mailers under the PEAR hierarchy, and provides supporting functions which are useful in multiple mailer backends. In this tip you will learn about how to send an e-mail directly to client smtp server in real time.
PHP Pear's Mail.php is located in /usr/share/pear/ directory. Following is sample code to send an email via authenticated smtp server.
PHP send email using PHP SMTP mail Pear functions - Sample source code
Following code is well commented, you need to make necessary changes as per your setup.
<?php include("Mail.php"); /* mail setup recipients, subject etc */ $recipients = "firstname.lastname@example.com"; $headers["From"] = "firstname.lastname@example.com"; $headers["To"] = "firstname.lastname@example.com"; $headers["Subject"] = "User feedback"; $mailmsg = "Hello, This is a test."; /* SMTP server name, port, user/passwd */ $smtpinfo["host"] = "smtp.mycorp.com"; $smtpinfo["port"] = "25"; $smtpinfo["auth"] = true; $smtpinfo["username"] = "smtpusername"; $smtpinfo["password"] = "smtpPassword"; /* Create the mail object using the Mail::factory method */ $mail_object =& Mail::factory("smtp", $smtpinfo); /* Ok send mail */ $mail_object->send($recipients, $headers, $mailmsg); ?>
Sending smtp email from chrooted Apache or Lighttpd webserver
Read following section, if you are running a secure chrooted Apache or Lighttpd web server. I have already written about setting php mail() function in chrooted jail. If you are using chrooted jail server setup, copy all files from /usr/share/pear directory to /chroot-directory/usr/share/pear directory. For example if lighttpd chrooted jail located in /webroot directory, you need to type following commands to install PHP pear support:
# mkdir -p /webroot/usr/share/pear
# cd /webroot/usr/share/pear
# cp -avr /usr/share/pear .
If PHP SAFE MODE is on, you must set /webroot/usr/share/pear directory permission to webserver username to allow access. Otherwise you will see error as follows:
1-Nov-2006 09:43:19] PHP Warning: main(): SAFE MODE Restriction in effect. The script whose uid is 506 is not allowed to access /usr/share/pear/PEAR.php owned by uid 0 in /usr/share/pear/Mail.php on line 636.
So if webserver username is lighttpd or apache use following command to setup correct ownership:
# chown lighttpd:lighttpd /webroot/usr/share/pear -R
# chown apache:apache /webroot/usr/share/pear -R
You may also find modified wordpress WP-ContactForm plugin useful. It is a drop in form for users to contact you. It can be implemented on a page or a post. Original authored by Ryan Duff, which use php mail() function to send email. I have modified the same to send email via my ISP authenticated gateway using PHP PEAR's Mail:: interface :D
原文轉貼至 nixCraft


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Welcome to RedWolf Airsoft,
You've been selected to try the beta version of our new online store.
Would you like to try our completely new experience?
How many times you've been in a close encounter, known that there's someone in the next room or bunker that you have to take out, but as soon as you'd stick as much as a finger out you'd be met by a hailstorm of BBs? Never? OK you can quit reading now, but the rest of you should continue. For as long as Airsoft guns have been used for recreational wargames, players have longed to make gameplay more realistic as well as effective by the use of grenades.
While grenades that just go "BANG!" work in small groups where everyone knows the rules and the honor system, even then it feels like a substitute. The name of the game is to get eliminated from being hit with a BB, and a fixed "kill radius" doesn't take into account use of cover and other random things associated with grenades. So the grenades should shoot BBs, preferably with good spread and range.
Based in Canada, Airsoft Innovations is probably best known for the Propane Adaptor they released a few years back. Complete with lab tests they proved that Green Gas (aka. Top Gas) is in fact propane (C3H8). This adaptor and knowledge was great news to anyone who prefers the realism of gas operated models. Being a player himself, the designer of the propane adaptor has again understood what the players are really looking for, and answered that call: An effective re-usable Airsoft grenade!
Videos on our Tornado product page show very clearly what the fuss is all about, and how it works. Green gas is released through a rather large valve into two helicoil tubes that go around the grenade, pushing 90 BBs out of each for a total amount of 180 BBs shot. As the BBs accelerate, their inertia causes the body of the grenade to rotate in the opposite direction, creating a spinning effect to increase spread. The other "tube" points upwards and the other one downwards to make the spread 3D instead of a circular pattern.
The use of the AI Tornado grenade can be split in two phases: Reload and functions of the grenade, and how to deploy it in the field. First things being first as they say, we'll pull the grenade out of the package and prepare it for use first. The procedures are most safe and convenient to do in this order:
After pulling the pin, you will have a longer or shorter delay, depending on where you set it initially. They are 3 seconds and 1.5 seconds nominally, which will be affected by temperature. You can change the delay from long to short with the help of an extra pin, but not vice versa. The delay was found to be quite consistent in our tests, and the shorter delay was usually a more practical choice, unless it was really hot. A third option is to leave the top plug open, which makes the delay virtually zero. This is a useful feature for booby trap applications, and generally the three-step system is more field-worthy than finicky adjustment screws.
When you recover the grenade, unscrew the end cap first to make it safe, even if you know it went off. This routine prevents you from bringing an unlikely dud still armed into the off-game area. When the end cap is removed, the grenade is able to expel the gas, but it'll all come out from the bottom and won't shoot out the BBs. Apart from being the ARM/DISARM function of the grenade, the end cap also protects the gas fill valve from dirt, and features a dump cap that blows out if the grenade has been charged with too powerful gas.
As the grenade goes off, it reminds a bit of releasing all the BBs of a regular magazine - except that it expels 2-3 times as many BBs, and it happens much more quickly, within 0.18 seconds! While the top speed of the BBs at 135 fps doesn't sound high compared to an AEG, it is far higher than any Airsoft hand grenade has achieved so far.
For such a simple device in principle, a hand grenade has countless various uses. There are different ways to throw the grenade, not to mention creative uses as a booby trap. Intention and thought is the thing that separates a grenadier from a barbarian.
The basic run-off-the-mill style is just to pull the pin, throw the grenade, wait behind cover for it to go off and then finish the job with your primary weapon, if necessary. However, you can increase the hit potential especially in grassy area by "cooking" the grenade in your hand before throwing it. Lobbing the grenade from the underarm side is good for safety reasons, but it also gives you a slower flight to increase likelihood of the grenade going off above the opponents, creating an air-burst as seen in the video. As cool as it looks, do take cover when you are in an actual gaming situation, because hits from your own grenade count!
Another way of using the grenade is rolling, which is even safer than an underhand throw, and a good trick indoors. Note: When pulling the pin, make sure the top of the grenade points up if you have the 'nade in your right hand, and down if you use the left hand to roll. That way the rolling motion is already the same as the accelerating BBs will provide, and you will get better spread!
A nasty trick is to turn the grenade into a booby trap with a trip wire, and leave the top plug open for almost instant detonation. To allow the grenade to turn, put it in a mug, and attach the mug rather than the grenade body wherever you place the trap. If the mug is too deep, put something under the grenade to have the BB exit holes clear the rim.
Everyone who's dealt with gas operated guns knows about cooldown. As the liquid gas turns into gaseous form when the valve is opened, the reaction needs heat from the surroundings and cools down the gas tank. When you release all of the gas at once through a big gaping valve, the temperature will obviously drop very rapidly. Proper maintenance is required to keep the seals in good order and the timer delay consistent. While regular silicone oil is fine to keep the seals from drying out, a special industrial grade silicone oil selected and tested by Airsoft Innovations provides better delay consistency on top of the maintenance function. Two drops into the main valve every two blasts is enough, so the Tornado is certainly not a lube-hog.
Other than keeping the seals lubed and obviously keeping the Tornado externally clean, there's really no other maintenance involved and you never have to disassemble it, so it's a hassle-free product in this sense.
The grenade is small enough to fit in M16 magazine pouches with room to spare. Smoke grenade pouches are generally too large, while 40 mm shell pouches are too small. We thought a tighter pouch would allow to attach more of them on the load carrying equipment, so we decided that a dedicated pouch is The way to go. In the pictures you see a sample, and these pouches are already in production at the time of writing. The rear will feature a single MOLLE strap (as opposed to two in M16 mag pouches), so it will be a better option for those running out of real estate on their vest. These are produced for us by Pantac, which means the quality will be uncompromised!
RedWolf-trick: Put about 30cm (a foot) of paracord through the drain grommet and tie a knot to prevent it from coming through. The other end goes on the grenade pin, which means you can let go of the pin without losing it in the field!
When we first saw the videos released by Airsoft Innovations, this grenade already struck as something different. Many realistic-looking grenades were not working at a quite satisfying level, or they featured pyrotechnics which is a no-no in some countries and gaming sites. When we saw the AI Tornado grenade in person in our office, we were immediately sold on the idea: No more imitation of a real grenade, but minimize the loss of parts and maximize effect. These are big words but it's a cheque the Tornado can cash.
Click here to get yours now!
RedWolf Airsoft is the Exclusive Distributor for AI products in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.


text:
Quality Inn & Suites Heritage Park
2039 E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee, FL 34744
(407) 449-4777
Poolside Lunch Menu 11am-5pm
Saturdays at 10am starts our second clothing optional pool party of the weekend. The weather is HOT, the drinks are COLD, the food is GREAT and the view is SPECTACULAR. Secrets Hideaway will have plenty of poolside activities, like nude slip-n-slide, naked volleyball, and much, much more. As the sun gets hotter, try one of our drink or bucket specials to quench your thirst.
While you are soaking up the sun at our clothing optional pool decks, take some time to enjoy some lunch whether you want a full meal, Tailgate Party Munchies, or Pool Party Snacks, we have it all. Also don't forget to reserve your poolside cabana for just $40!! That's right, $40, and it's all yours for 8 hours of fun and relaxation (9am to 5pm OR 7pm to 3am)!!
As you're lounging and listening to the DJ play your favorite songs, give a wave to your sexy bartenders. If you are feeling a little tense from your hectic work week, make your way over and get a massage. He has hands that will melt your troubles away. As you enjoy your time at Secrets Hideaway Resort, make sure to sign up for a Condo tour with Barbie to learn how you can "Own A Piece of the Lifestyle."
Room check in is after 3pm. Check out is 11am sharp.
Want A Piece???
If you enjoy your time at Secrets Hideaway Resort, make sure to sign up to see Barbie or Fredrick to learn how you can "Own A Piece of the Lifestyle" by owning your very own Condominium-Hotel Unit right here at Secrets Hideaway.
Buy some sexy outfits or fun toys at Fairvilla Sexy Things located in the lobby of Secrets Hideaway Resort
= User has profile photo
* The number of members whom have RSVP'd may not accurately reflect the actual number of members attending this event as many members pay at the door.
All the parties are located at Secrets Hideaway Resort & Spa. For reservations call 844-563-6969 or book here by clicking the green "Make Reservation" button at the top of the page.
Where: 2145 East Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy., Kissimmee, FL 34744
7:30pm - 2:00am
Monday: 12pm - 2am
Tuesday: 12pm - 2am
Wednesday: 12pm - 2am
Thursday: 12pm - 2am
Friday: 12pm - 2am
Saturday: 9am - 2am
Sunday: 9am - 2am
Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs/Sun: 7:30pm - 2:00am
Fri/Sat: 7:30pm - 4:00am
Sat/Sun: Noon - 5pm
*Prices are entry before 11:00pm. Prices do not include membership fees. (All U Can Drink Subject to change)
$10 Couples
$5 Single Ladies
$50 Single Males
$35 Couples
$20 Single Ladies
$80 Single Males
$25 Couples
$15 Single Ladies
$50 Single Males
$30 Couples
$15 Single Ladies
$105 Single Males
$40 Couples
$15 Single Ladies
$105 Single Males
$15 Couples
$10 Single Ladies
$50 Single Males
$30 Couple
$10 Single Female
$50 Single Men
$10 Couples
$5 Single Ladies
$50 Single Males
$15 Couples
$10 Single Ladies
$50 Single Males
To book room please call toll-free:
for current pricing
All this and so much more... Come see all we have to offer...
Menu items are available for purchase daily. Drinks are available for purchase at the bar.
No Drugs - No Prostitution - No Cameras or Recording Devices
-- Event is Subject to change without notice --


text:
Kenny explains how the "Quick IV," also called "The Quick Change," fits into the standard 12 bar blues progression.
Taught by Kenny Ray in Electric Blues with Kenny seriesLength: 19:25Difficulty: 2.0 of 5
Thanks KBR this is great!!!
Great lesson - I like how learning these variations help us "fill up our toolbox" of blues variations and skills
Kenny "Blue" Ray will guide you through the world of electric blues. He will cover styles of many of the blues greats as well as throw in his personal library of knowledge.
Lesson 1
Ladies and gentlemen, JamPlay is proud to present an amazing electric blues player appropriately named Kenny "Blue" Ray. Kenny has been playing for over 40+ years and is bringing his knowledge forward...Length: 11:43 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 2
Kenny brings forth the next step in electric blues. Here he demonstrates the 3rd scale and provides some tips on playing Texas and Chicago blues. In the second half of this lesson, Kenny ties scales 1-3...Length: 17:12 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 3
Albert Collins brought a lot of style to the blues scene. In this lesson, Kenny breaks down Albert's style for you to learn.Length: 10:31 Difficulty: 1.5 FREE
Lesson 4
Kenny uses the key of A to demonstrate bending techniques and soloing options in the Texas and Chicago blues styles.Length: 16:11 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Lesson 5
Kenny brings us some great information regarding turnarounds. He demonstrates some of the most common blues turnarounds and explains how to achieve some of the sounds created in Texas and Chicago blues.Length: 12:48 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 6
Kenny is back in full stride in lesson 6. Kenny explores the style of T-Bone Walker and how he created his own unique blues sound.Length: 12:48 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 7
Kenny shares some great tips on how to incorporate both rhythm and lead guitar together in your blues playing. These tips will enable you to create a massive blues sound in any environment or situation.Length: 19:49 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 8
Kenny enlightens us as to how tension notes are used in blues. He demonstrates the theory behind these specific notes and how they are used. Kenny also delves into his past with some great personal stories...Length: 6:01 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Lesson 9
Here, Kenny "Blue" Ray provides an overview of Hubert Sumlin's style. This is a lesson filled with history and blues guitar that can be applied to a variety of blues styles.Length: 16:48 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 10
Kenny continues his Blues Guitar Series with a lesson on the style of John Lee Hooker.Length: 14:26 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 11
Kenny introduces JamPlay to the style of Freddy King. Kenny recalls some great licks and information about his style.Length: 13:07 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 12
Kenny continues his blues series with an informative lesson on the style of Magic Sam. Learn and understand how Magic Sam played guitar and how he influenced the blues music scene.Length: 9:58 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 13
Kenny breaks into a world of blues based rhythms. Here, he introduces his passion for these lessons by demonstrating some blues rhythms he has picked up over the years.Length: 13:59 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 14
Kenny quickly dives straight into a T-Bone Walker rhythm style in the key of A. He begins with a more simple rhythm and progresses to advanced rhythmic techniques to round out your creative bag of tricks.Length: 10:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 15
Also known as the flat tire rhythm, Kenny demonstrates different styles that the backward shuffle can be applied to.Length: 6:32 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 16
Kenny "Blue" Ray breaks down the rhythmic styles of Robert Jr. Lockwood and Robert Johnson. This lesson features blues rhythms that have withstood the test of time.Length: 12:27 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 17
Kenny reviews one of his own favorite rhythmic arrangements. By pulling from influences such as Jimmy Vaughn and Doyal Bramhall II, Kenny is sure to bring out that inner blues player.Length: 6:25 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 18
Kenny plays through a sample of the 8 bar blues. This is a short and sweet lesson packed with some new rhythms that can be applied to the 8 bar form.Length: 4:41 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 19
Kenny adds some 7th chords into the mix along with classic Jimi Hendrix style chords. He also explains the advantages of shortened 7th chords and their practical applications in the blues.Length: 13:36 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 20
Kenny expands on the previous lesson and introduces 13th chords. He demonstrates the techniques necessary to fretting and "shaking" these chords.Length: 11:43 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 21
The "Lumpty" is essentially a bass line played within a simple box pattern. Kenny demonstrates some of his favorite patterns as well as some practice routines that will loosen your fingers up.Length: 11:04 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 22
Derived from the Latin genre, the Boogaloo is a unique rhythm that fits surprisingly well in the blues. It became popular during the 60's and can be heard in other musical genres such as jump blues, R&B,...Length: 7:08 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 23
Kenny breaks down the style of Slim Harpo. He introduces the sounds that made Slim famous such as his tasteful use of tremolo. Every aspiring blues guitarist will thoroughly enjoy this information.Length: 10:12 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 24
When playing with another guitarist, bass runs can be used to round out the overall arrangement of a song. Kenny explains how to use bass runs effectively in this lesson.Length: 15:59 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 25
Jam session? Live gig? There are many situations one may encounter that will require playing with other guitarists. Kenny explains how to create a fuller arrangement by using different chord voicings from...Length: 5:59 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 26
In lesson 26, Kenny introduces simple two note chords. This lesson also details the rhythmic styles of Hubert Sumlin.Length: 11:17 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 27
Bo Diddley was known as "The Originator" because of his transition from blues to rock & roll. Kenny covers his rhythmic style in this quick lesson.Length: 6:38 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 28
Harmonica players are a staple of blues music. Why not pick up some tips and tricks and join the fun with your guitar? Kenny demonstrates some some popular blues accompaniment figures used to back up a...Length: 8:41 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 29
Kenny indulges in a lesson packed with soul sounds and sounds of 60's. Hope you packed your time machine!Length: 8:54 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 30
Welcome to Kenny's 30th lesson! To celebrate, Kenny has decided to demonstrate Buddy Guy's lead style. This lesson is a great opportunity to pick up on some classic leads as well as some American blues...Length: 17:44 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 31
Kenny grabs his guitar and digs deep into the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Here, Kenny demonstrates SRV's rhythm style and some of his signature licks. This one is a must see and is sure to open some...Length: 17:09 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 32
Kenny takes a deep breath in Lesson 32 of his blues series. Here he demonstrates the importance of leaving space between phrases. Less really is more!Length: 8:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 33
KBR takes us to the light at the end of the tunnel. You can write a killer song, but it's the ending that ties it all together. Kenny covers a few well known endings and provides some insight on how to...Length: 9:57 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 34
Kenny demonstrates more blues style rhythm techniques. He uses some examples from other artists to help you understand their application.Length: 11:25 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 35
We had the pleasure of filming Kenny on the same day as Muddy Waters birthday, April 4th. Kenny presents a special "Style of Muddy Waters" lesson to honor this day.Length: 17:32 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 36
Kenny breaks down the rhythmic style of Howlin' Wolf and demonstrates how a little style of SRV can be blended into the mix.Length: 13:25 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 37
There are plenty of different ways to start a blues song. Kenny covers some ideas that begin with the V chord of the progression.Length: 15:18 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Lesson 38
Kenny draws heavily from the influence of the great John Lee Hooker and has even had the pleasure of playing with him. This lesson demonstrates some of Hooker's guitar style.Length: 16:45 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Lesson 39
Kenny presents some modern rhythm techniques and patterns while utilizing 9th chords.Length: 16:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 40
Welcome to Kenny's 40th lesson! In this lesson, Kenny covers some unique 8 and 12 bar blues progressions inspired by some of his favorite players.Length: 12:57 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 41
Time to play around with two note double stops! Kenny demonstrates many different examples and how they can be applied in blues music.Length: 15:34 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 42
Kenny covers the style of one of his long time guitar heroes, Magic Sam.Length: 12:02 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 43
Kenny dives into some great blues lead guitar concepts in "positions" 1 and 2.Length: 21:29 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Lesson 44
Kenny continues his blues lead ideas by covering the 3rd "position." Kenny also touches on some B.B. King licks to help with his demonstration.Length: 13:16 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Lesson 45
Kenny "Blue" Ray breaks down proper string bending technique. He also demonstrates how to apply string bending to blues lead guitar.Length: 14:09 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Lesson 46
Kenny takes an in depth look at the style of Albert King, one of his favorite artists.Length: 12:19 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 47
Kenny explains how to get maximum mileage out of the 5 notes of the major pentatonic scale.Length: 9:06 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 48
Kenny breaks down some ways to combine both rhythm and lead playing to develop more of a complete sound.Length: 15:50 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Lesson 49
Kenny teaches a song he wrote inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. This is one you'll definitely enjoy learning!Length: 11:47 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Lesson 50
Kenny demonstrates some classic rock & roll rhythm and lead ideas.Length: 11:10 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 51
Kenny demonstrates another original song called "Pull The Strings."Length: 14:05 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 52
Kenny opens up the world of open tunings and how they can be applied in the blues genre.Length: 12:19 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 53
Learn Kenny's original song "Blues for Jimi." Kenny wrote this song with Jimi Hendrix in mind.Length: 10:07 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 54
Kenny introduces several blues ideas that can be used in the key of E.Length: 12:34 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 55
While staying in the key of E, Kenny demonstrates some Mississippi and Chicago style blues techniques.Length: 19:14 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 56
Kenny dives into minor scales and will demonstrate how to spice up you blues ideas when playing in minor keys.Length: 13:09 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 57
With the help of influences from Slim Harpo, Kenny demonstrates some double stops that are frequently used in blues music.Length: 16:18 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 58
In lesson 58, Kenny provides additional information pertaining to the key of D major. Rhythm patterns and lead ideas are provided.Length: 20:16 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 59
Kenny explains how the "Quick IV," also called "The Quick Change," fits into the standard 12 bar blues progression.Length: 19:25 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 60
Kenny takes a step back and breaks down how he has built his guitar, and offers insight on some tips and pointers on what to look for when shopping for parts for your custom guitar.Length: 6:35 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Lesson 61
Moving to different positions on the neck during a solo can be a bit tricky. Kenny provides some insight and tips on how to accomplish these movements a bit more easily.Length: 16:15 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 62
This lesson provides insight on how to apply the rake picking technique within the blues genre.Length: 9:54 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 63
Kenny presents some tasteful ideas on how to apply 60's soul and funk guitar inspirations into your standard blues techniques.Length: 12:19 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 64
Kenny covers some basic blues progressions in the key of E major and demonstrates how E minor pentatonic ideas can be incorporated into them.Length: 7:17 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
About Kenny Ray
View Full Biography
Kenny is a blues veteran of 40 years whose pedigree includes recording and appearing with artists the caliber of William Clarke, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Charlie Musselwhite, Smokey Wilson, Albert Collins, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Kenny Ray was born in Lodi, California on January 11, 1950. His interest in music was forged by his father, who played guitar, harmonica, accordion, piano and fiddle. Seeing Elvis perform on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956 sealed Kenny's passion to play guitar. His father bought Kenny his first guitar in 1958 for $7.00, His dad later bought Kenny his first real Electric guitar, a 1959 black Danelectro for $38.50, In Stockton, California.
Kenny's obsession with the blues was triggered by the infamous Wolfman Jack, when as an eleven year old, Kenny would lie in bed listening to the radio to the sounds of Jimmy Reed B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf on XERB-FM, from Chula Vista, California, and was inspired by music that Kenny claims "just totally blew my mind." Seeing his hero, Keith Richards in 1964 in Sacramento, also was a big decision in going professional, The Guitars in the Stones say a lot, and work well together, ala Jimmy Reed/Eddie Taylor, & Robert Jr & Luther Tucker (a Friend Kenny met in 1976). Kenny and his guitarist friends would skip school to learn Albert King's album, "Born Under A Bad Sign" and B.B. King's live album, "Blues Is King" in the mid 60's developing licks and vibrato from the masters.
Serving in the Air Force from 1969-72, Kenny was based in South Ruislip, London, England, and worked in RAF Hillingdon) where he hooked up with ex-Jr. Walker band member Ferdnand Jones in a nine piece soul review called El Jade, where they covered Al Green, Aretha Franklin and "lots of blues."
On his return to the States, Kenny spent two years touring California with the Paul Herman Band. In 1975 he joined Little Charlie and the Nightcats, which at the time was fronted by Charlie Baty on guitar, harp and vocals. Rick Estrin joined the band in 1976, It was a great sound, but Charlie could play so much, Kenny wasn't needed in the Night Cats and not long after, Kenny left and moved to Los Angeles where he became a member of the houseband at Smokey Wilson's Pioneer club, backing artists like Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulson, and Big Mama Thornton.
The late 70's were a productive time for the blues in LA, and Kenny became immersed in the Watts scene and made his recording debut with William Clarke and Hollywood Fats ("Diggin' My Potatoes") and Finis Tasby (a set "Get drunk and be somebody" which remains unreleased) in 1978. William Clarke was a master on the blues harp, and it was a great experience with Bill.
In 1980, Kenny moved to Austin, Texas, where he joined the Marcia Ball Band, touring with her for four years on the Crawfish Circuit and appearing on her 1984 Rounder release "Soulful Dress", which also featured, Stevie Ray Vaughan on Guitar with Kenny on the Title track. During this time Kenny met and became friends with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Further recording sessions followed with Greg "Fingers" Taylor ("Harpoon Man"), Marcia Ball on Varrick, Mitch Woods, Charlie Musselwhite, Ronnie Earl and the Roomful of Blue Horns on the Blind Pig release, ("Solid Gold Cadillac"), and sessions with Tommy Castro, Gary Smith, and others. Blues Harp is a favorite and Kenny had the great honor of working with James Cotton, Little Charlie & The Night Cats, William Clarke (Kenny's favorite), James Harman, Shakey Jake Harris, Rod Piazza and Gary Smith.
Kenny's biggest influences on guitar are Albert King, T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Lockwood, Jr., B.B. King, Freddie King, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomrey, and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Kenny also digs Jimmie Vaughan and Anson Funderburgh.
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
The acoustic guitar is basically a big wooden box, so it makes sense that it sounds pretty good as a drum! Learning how...Free LessonSeries Details
JamPlay is proud to introduce jazz guitarist Peter Einhorn. In this lesson series, Peter will discuss and demonstrate a way...Free LessonSeries Details
Tyler Grant is back with an introduction to his new series "Classic Country Chops." In this series, Tyler goes in-depth...Free LessonSeries Details
Marcelo teaches the eight basic right hand moves for the Rumba Flamenca strum pattern. He then shows you how to apply it...Free LessonSeries Details
Jessica kindly introduces herself, her background, and her approach to this series.Free LessonSeries Details
In the classical guitar world, there seems to be a lot outdated instructional advice. And while this type of information...Free LessonSeries Details
Mitch teaches his interpretation of the classic "Cannonball Rag." This song provides beginning and intermediate guitarists...Free LessonSeries Details
Rich Nibbe takes a look at how you can apply the pentatonic scale in the style of John Mayer into your playing.Free LessonSeries Details
Steve Eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on.Free LessonSeries Details
Learn a simple mini song that illustrates just how intertwined scales and chords really are. Dave uses a G chord paired...Free LessonSeries Details
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JamPlay sits down with veteran fret grinder Steve Smyth of Forbidden and The EssenEss Project. He talks about how he got...Free LessonSeries Details
JamPlay welcomes instrumental guitarist Aaron Marshall for a comprehensive master course. In this first lesson Aaron discusses...Free LessonSeries Details
David MacKenzie introduces the tapping technique and teaches a fun exercise. This lesson includes a backing track.Free LessonSeries Details
Playing your scales and improvising horizontally on one string is a great way to visualize the scale degrees, and also a...Free LessonSeries Details
In this lesson, Larry discusses and demonstrates how to tune your bass. He explains why tuning is critical and discusses...Free LessonSeries Details
Welcome to Inside and Out with Jeff Marshall! In this lesson series, Jeff takes a bottom up approach to fret board proficiency....Free LessonSeries Details
Albert Collins brought a lot of style to the blues scene. In this lesson, Kenny breaks down Albert's style for you to learn.Free LessonSeries Details
Steve McKinley talks about evaluating your bass and keeping it in top shape. He covers neck relief, adjusting the truss rod,...Free LessonSeries Details
Nick starts his series with Alternate Picking part 1. Improve your timing, speed, and execution with this important lesson.Free LessonSeries Details
Dave "David J" Weiner returns with a lesson on how to play with style and attitude. He covers all the basic techniques you'll...Free LessonSeries Details
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Mike H."I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar!"
I am 66 years young and I still got it! I would have never known this if it had not been for Jamplay! I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar! Ha! I cannot express enough how great you're website is! It is for beginners and advanced pickers! I am an advanced picker and thought I had lost it but thanks to you all, I found it again! Even though I only play by ear, I have been a member a whopping whole two weeks now and have already got Brent's country shuffle and country blues down and of course with embellishments. Thank you all for your wonderful program!
Greg J."With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace"
I'm a fifty eight year old newbie who owns a guitar which has been sitting untouched in a corner for about seven years now. Last weekend I got inspired to pick it up and finally learn how to play after watching an amazing Spanish guitarist on TV. So, here I am. I'm starting at the beginning with Steve Eulberg and I couldn't be happier (except for the sore fingers :) Some day I'm going to play like Steve! I'm self employed with a hectic schedule. With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace, rewinding and replaying the videos until I get it. This is a very enjoyable diversion from my work yet I still feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile. Thanks a lot, Greg
Bill"I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students."
I am commenting here to tell you and everyone at JamPlay that I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students. I truly enjoy learning to play the guitar on JamPlay.com. Yes, I said the words, ""enjoy learning."" It is by far the best deal for the money.


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According to the plan, renewable energy should represent 24% of all electricity by 2020 and wind should account for roughly 7% of renewable electricity generation. Wind, which is seen ranking third behind hydroelectric and biomass power, should represent 1.6% of all electricity by 2020.
It is unclear when the plan will be submitted to the commission. One delaying factor is the June 30 deadline, which came ahead of the formation of a new government.


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Jack Chan - Sat, Jun 24, 2017
Weekly Gold and Silver Market Update
Technical analyst Jack Chan charts the latest moves in the gold and silver markets, and believes the ongoing consolidation may end soon.
Our proprietary cycle indicator is down.
The gold sector is on a long-term buy signal. Long-term signals can last for months and years and are more suitable for investors holding for long term.
The gold sector is on a short-term sell signal. Short-term signals can last for days and weeks, and are more suitable for traders.
Both speculation and OI are supportive for overall higher prices.
The trend in gold is up.
Prices bounced firmly off the lower support, and the multimonth consolidation may be ending soon.
Silver is on a long-term buy signal.
SLV is on a short-term sell signal, and short-term signals can last for days to weeks, more suitable for traders.
COT data is supportive for overall higher prices.
Jack Chan is the editor of simply profits at www.simplyprofits.org, established in 2006. Chan bought his first mining stock, Hoko Exploration, in 1979, and has been active in the markets for the past 37 years. Technical analysis has helped him filter out the noise and focus on the when, and leave the why to the fundamental analysts. His proprietary trading models have enabled him to identify the NASDAQ top in 2000, the new gold bull market in 2001, the stock market top in 2007, and the U.S. dollar bottom in 2011.
1) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of Jack Chan and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. Jack Chan is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. Streetwise Reports was not involved in any aspect of the article preparation or editing so the author could speak independently about the sector. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports LLC for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article.
2) Jack Chan: We do not offer predictions or forecasts for the markets. What you see here is our simple trading model, which provides us the signals and set-ups to be either long, short, or in cash at any given time. Entry points and stops are provided in real time to subscribers, therefore, this update may not reflect our current positions in the markets. Trade at your own discretion. We also provide coverage to the major indexes and oil sector.
3) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
Charts courtesy of Jack ChanInvestorsGuru.com publishes interesting contributor articles in addition to its own content. We have not verified any of the above details.
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Many years ago, before I had children, I used to read this board regularly. Back when it was MGH communities. I learned a lot although it wasn't very useful information to me at the time. Now I wish I didn't know what I know.
My 3 y/o Hunter had several "episodes" that we now know were seizures. The first one in Feb I was getting him out of his carseat at daycare and he was not responsive and didn't help me get him out, once out he just rested his head on my shoulder. I brought him inside and set him in his chair, scooched up his seat to the desk and left. I emailed up there later asking if he was o.k. as what had happened in the morning was weird.
3 weeks later the same thing happened, taking him to grandma's house in the morning. I told her it was so weird, because it had happened once before. I left him with her but kept checking on him. First he was "fine in 10 minutes" when I got worried about it she later texted it was 5 minutes. I made an appt this day and they were suspicious of seizures. We had a sleep deprived EEG the next week and the results were normal. We were told to just watch/wait and make let them know if it happened again.
On Monday I got a call from daycare at 3:00pm that Hunter was unresponsive after his nap. I told the director to stay with him and I'd call the Dr office. I couldn't get through to the office and at 3:08 I told them to call 911. I was about 30 minutes away by then and I had texted my husband and he was also about 30 minutes away.
He beat the ambulance to the hospital and I arrived at the same time, about 3:45pm. When I walked in the room Hunter was just sitting on the gurney while they talked to him, put in a saline lock, etc. He didn't respond to anything, just looked around. Several times the Dr wasn't sure if he was still seizing or having additional seizures or just postictal. Around 4:15 he started coming around a little. We were discharged by 5:00.
Pedi on Tuesday morning. My husband brought up that Hunter's been limping without any sort of obvious injury. She manipulated his legs and no pain indicators at all. She referred us to the children's hospital neurology clinic and for an MRI. MRI is tomorrow afternoon. The neuro appt is may 16th.
I'm concerned that the MRI may be to look for tumors. With the worsening seizures and one sided weakness that's what comes to mind. Does that sound accurate? I'm really scared.


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A guide to Dendrobium of Borneo.
Kota Kinabalu: Natural History Publications, 2013. Octavo, paperback, colour photographs, line drawings. Borneo is one of several 'hot spots' of Dendobrium speciation. With approximately 167 named species in 15 sections, Borneo is the second most important location after New Guinea of Dendobrium speciation in Malesia. Eighty-three species, representing a selection..... More


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For Labrador Puppies. Please include all pertinent data in your ad. (contact info, OFA, CERF, etc.)
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DescriptionScopa King is our version of the traditional card game. You must outsmart the computer opponent in a quick game. Grab the King of coins and Seven of Coins for bonus points, and as many Scopas as possible!
- You will always start the game, and play a single round against the computer opponent.
- Capture cards by clicking the cards you want and then dragging your card to them.
- You get points for most cards, most coin cards, getting the Re Bello and Sette Bello, the highest primiera and every Scopa.