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Solar storm of 1859
The Solar Storm of 1859 — known as the Carrington Event[1] — was a powerful geomagnetic solar storm during solar cycle 10 (1855-1867). A solar coronal mass ejection hit Earth's magnetosphere and induced one of the largest geomagnetic storms on record. The associated "white light flare" in the solar photosphere was observed and recorded by English astronomers Richard C. Carrington (1826–1875) and Richard Hodgson (1804–1872).
Studies have shown that a solar storm of this magnitude occurring today would likely cause more widespread problems for a modern and technology-dependent society.[2][3] The solar storm of 2012 was of similar magnitude, but it passed Earth's orbit without striking the planet.[4]
Carrington Flare
From August 28 to September 2, 1859, numerous sunspots were observed on the Sun. On August 29, southern aurorae were observed as far north as Queensland, Australia.[5] Just before noon on September 1, the English amateur astronomers Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson independently made the first observations of a solar flare.[6] The flare was associated with a major coronal mass ejection (CME) that travelled directly toward Earth, taking 17.6 hours to make the 150 million kilometre (93 million mile) journey. It is believed that the relatively high speed of this CME (typical CMEs take several days to arrive at Earth) was made possible by a prior CME, perhaps the cause of the large aurora event on August 29, that "cleared the way" of ambient solar wind plasma for the Carrington event.[6]
Because of a geomagnetic solar flare effect ("magnetic crochet")[7] observed in the Kew Observatory magnetometer record by Scottish physicist Balfour Stewart and a geomagnetic storm observed the following day, Carrington suspected a solar-terrestrial connection.[8] Worldwide reports on the effects of the geomagnetic storm of 1859 were compiled and published by American mathematician Elias Loomis, which support the observations of Carrington and Stewart.
On September 1–2, 1859, one of the largest recorded geomagnetic storms (as recorded by ground-based magnetometers) occurred. Aurorae were seen around the world, those in the northern hemisphere as far south as the Caribbean; those over the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. were so bright that their glow awoke gold miners, who began preparing breakfast because they thought it was morning.[6] People in the northeastern United States could read a newspaper by the aurora's light.[9] The aurora was visible as far from the poles as Sub-Saharan Africa (Senegal, Mauritania, perhaps Monrovia, Liberia), Monterrey and Tampico in Mexico, Queensland, Cuba, Hawaii,[10] and even at lower latitudes very close to the equator, such as in Colombia.[11]
Telegraph systems all over Europe and North America failed, in some cases giving telegraph operators electric shocks.[12] Telegraph pylons threw sparks.[13] Some telegraph operators could continue to send and receive messages despite having disconnected their power supplies.[14]
On Saturday, September 3, 1859, the Baltimore American and Commercial Advertiser reported, "Those who happened to be out late on Thursday night had an opportunity of witnessing another magnificent display of the auroral lights. The phenomenon was very similar to the display on Sunday night, though at times the light was, if possible, more brilliant, and the prismatic hues more varied and gorgeous. The light appeared to cover the whole firmament, apparently like a luminous cloud, through which the stars of the larger magnitude indistinctly shone. The light was greater than that of the moon at its full, but had an indescribable softness and delicacy that seemed to envelop everything upon which it rested. Between 12 and 1 o'clock, when the display was at its full brilliancy, the quiet streets of the city resting under this strange light, presented a beautiful as well as singular appearance."[15]
In June 2013, a joint venture from researchers at Lloyd's of London and Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) in the United States used data from the Carrington Event to estimate the current cost of a similar event to the U.S. alone at $0.6–2.6 trillion.[2]
Other evidence and similar events
Ice cores containing thin nitrate-rich layers have been analysed to reconstruct a history of past solar storms predating reliable observations. It is claimed that data from Greenland ice cores show evidence of individual solar-proton events, including the Carrington event.[16] More recent work by the ice core community shows that nitrate spikes are not a result of solar energetic particle events, and, indeed, no consistency is found in cores from Greenland and Antarctica, and nitrate events can be due to terrestrial events, such as burnings, so use of this technique is in doubt.[17][18] Less severe storms have occurred in 1921 and 1960, when widespread radio disruption was reported. The March 1989 geomagnetic storm knocked out power across large sections of Quebec. On July 23, 2012 a "Carrington-class" Solar Superstorm (Solar flare, Coronal mass ejection, Solar EMP) was observed; its trajectory missed Earth in orbit. Information about these observations was first shared publicly by NASA on April 28, 2014.[4][19]
See also
- ↑ Philips, Tony (January 21, 2009). "Severe Space Weather--Social and Economic Impacts". NASA Science: Science News. science.nasa.gov. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Solar Storm Risk to the North American Electric Grid Lloyd's 2013
- ↑ Baker, D. N.; et al. (2008). Severe Space Weather Events -- Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts. The National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Dr. Tony (July 23, 2014). "Near Miss: The Solar Superstorm of July 2012". NASA. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
- ↑ "SOUTHERN AURORA.". The Moreton Bay Courier. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. September 7, 1859. p. 2. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Odenwald, Sten F.; Green, James L. (July 28, 2008). "Bracing the Satellite Infrastructure for a Solar Superstorm". Scientific American. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ↑ Thompson, Richard. "A Solar Flare Effect". Australian Government: Space Weather Services. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
- ↑ Clark, Stuart (2007). The Sun Kings: The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy Began. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12660-7.
- ↑ Richard A. Lovett (March 2, 2011). "What If the Biggest Solar Storm on Record Happened Today?". National Geographic News. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
- ↑ "Duration and extent of the great auroral storm of 1859". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2). 2006. pp. 130–135.
- ↑ "The grand aurorae borealis seen in Colombia in 1859". Advances in Space Research. 57 (1). 2016. pp. 257–267.
- ↑ Committee on the Societal and Economic Impacts of Severe Space Weather Events: A Workshop, National Research Council (2008). Severe Space Weather Events--Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report. National Academies Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-309-12769-6.
- ↑ Odenwald, Sten F. (2002). The 23rd Cycle. Columbia University Press. p. 28. ISBN 0-231-12079-6.
- ↑ Carlowicz, Michael J.; Lopez, Ramon E. (2002). Storms from the Sun: The Emerging Science of Space Weather. National Academies Press. p. 58. ISBN 0-309-07642-0.
- ↑ "The Aurora Borealis". Baltimore American and Commercial Advertiser. September 3, 1859. p. 2; Column 2. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ↑ McCracken, K. G.; Dreschhoff, G. A. M.; Zeller, E. J.; Smart, D. F.; Shea, M. A. (2001). "Solar cosmic ray events for the period 1561–1994 1. Identification in polar ice, 1561–1950". Journal of Geophysical Research. 106 (A10): 21,585–21,598. Bibcode:2001JGR...10621585M. doi:10.1029/2000JA000237.
- ↑ Wolff, E. W.; Bigler, M.; Curran, M. A. J.; Dibb, J.; Frey, M. M.; Legrand, M. (2012). "The Carrington event not observed in most ice core nitrate records". Geophysical Research Letters. 39 (8): 21,585–21,598. Bibcode:2012GeoRL..39.8503W. doi:10.1029/2012GL051603.
- ↑ Duderstadt, K. A.; et al. (2014). "Nitrate deposition to surface snow at Summit, Greenland, following the 9 November 2000 solar proton event". J. Geophys. Res. Amos. 119: 6938–6957. Bibcode:2014JGRD..119.6938D. doi:10.1002/2013JD021389.
- ↑ "Video (04:03) – Carrington-class coronal mass ejection narrowly misses Earth". NASA. April 28, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
Further reading
- Cliver, E. W.; Svalgaard, L. (2004). "The 1859 Solar–Terrestrial Disturbance and the Current Limits of Extreme Space Weather Activity" (PDF). Solar Physics. 224: 407. Bibcode:2004SoPh..224..407C. doi:10.1007/s11207-005-4980-z.
- Tsurutani, B. T.; Gonzalez, W. D.; Lakhina, G. S.; Alex, S. (2003). "The extreme magnetic storm of 1–2 September 1859". Journal of Geophysical Research. 108. Bibcode:2003JGRA..108.1268T. doi:10.1029/2002JA009504.
- Issue 2 of Volume 38, Pages 115-388 (2006), of Advances in Space Research, an issue entitled "The Great Historical Geomagnetic Storm of 1859: A Modern Look"
- Robertclauer, C.; Siscoe, G. (2006). "The great historical geomagnetic storm of 1859: A modern look". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 117–118. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..117R. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.09.001.
- Cliver, E. (2006). "The 1859 space weather event: Then and now". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 119–129. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..119C. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.07.077.
- Green, J.; Boardsen, S. (2006). "Duration and extent of the great auroral storm of 1859". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 130–135. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..130G. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.08.054.
- Silverman, S. (2006). "Comparison of the aurora of September 1/2, 1859 with other great auroras". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 136–144. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..136S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.03.157.
- Green, J.; Boardsen, S.; Odenwald, S.; Humble, J.; Pazamickas, K. (2006). "Eyewitness reports of the great auroral storm of 1859". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 145–154. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..145G. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.12.021.
- Humble, J. (2006). "The solar events of August/September 1859 – Surviving Australian observations". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 155–158. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..155H. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.08.053.
- Boteler, D. (2006). "The super storms of August/September 1859 and their effects on the telegraph system". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 159–172. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..159B. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.01.013.
- Siscoe, G.; Crooker, N.; Clauer, C. (2006). "Dst of the Carrington storm of 1859". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 173–179. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..173S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.02.102.
- Nevanlinna, H. (2006). "A study on the great geomagnetic storm of 1859: Comparisons with other storms in the 19th century". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 180–187. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..180N. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.07.076.
- Kappenman, J. (2006). "Great geomagnetic storms and extreme impulsive geomagnetic field disturbance events – An analysis of observational evidence including the great storm of May 1921". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 188–199. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..188K. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.08.055.
- Silverman, S. (2006). "Low latitude auroras prior to 1200 C.E. and Ezekiel's vision". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 200–208. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..200S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.03.158.
- Shea, M.; Smart, D. (2006). "Geomagnetic cutoff rigidities and geomagnetic coordinates appropriate for the Carrington flare Epoch". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 209–214. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..209S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.03.156.
- Smart, D.; Shea, M.; McCracken, K. (2006). "The Carrington event: Possible solar proton intensity–time profile". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 215–225. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..215S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.04.116.
- Townsend, L. W.; Stephens, D. L.; Hoff, J. L.; Zapp, E. N.; Moussa, H. M.; Miller, T. M.; Campbell, C. E.; Nichols, T. F. (2006). "The Carrington event: Possible doses to crews in space from a comparable event". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 226–231. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..226T. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.01.111.
- Shea, M.; Smart, D.; McCracken, K.; Dreschhoff, G.; Spence, H. (2006). "Solar proton events for 450 years: The Carrington event in perspective". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 232–238. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..232S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.02.100.
- Burke, W.; Huang, C.; Rich, F. (2006). "Energetics of the April 2000 magnetic superstorm observed by DMSP". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 239–252. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..239B. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.07.085.
- Manchester IV, W. B.; Ridley, A. J.; Gombosi, T. I.; De Zeeuw, D. L. (2006). "Modeling the Sun-to-Earth propagation of a very fast CME". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 253–262. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..253M. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.09.044.
- Ridley, A. J.; De Zeeuw, D. L.; Manchester, W. B.; Hansen, K. C. (2006). "The magnetospheric and ionospheric response to a very strong interplanetary shock and coronal mass ejection". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 263–272. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..263R. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.06.010.
- Li, X.; Temerin, M.; Tsurutani, B.; Alex, S. (2006). "Modeling of 1–2 September 1859 super magnetic storm". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 273–279. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..273L. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.06.070.
- Odenwald, S.; Green, J.; Taylor, W. (2006). "Forecasting the impact of an 1859-calibre superstorm on satellite resources". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 280–297. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..280O. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.10.046.
- Boteler, D. (2006). "Comment on time conventions in the recordings of 1859". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 301–303. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..301B. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.07.006.
- Wilson, L. (2006). "Excerpts from and Comments on the Wochenschrift für Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2)". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 304–312. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..304W. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.07.004.
- Shea, M.; Smart, D. (2006). "Compendium of the eight articles on the "Carrington Event" attributed to or written by Elias Loomis in the American Journal of Science, 1859–1861". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 313–385. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..313S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.07.005.
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Solar activity.
- Carrington, R. C. (1859). "Description of a Singular Appearance seen in the Sun on September 1, 1859". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 20: 13–5. Bibcode:1859MNRAS..20...13C. doi:10.1093/mnras/20.1.13.
- Bell, Trudy E.; Phillips, Tony (May 6, 2008). "A Super Solar Flare". Science@NASA. science.nasa.gov.
- Brooks, Michael (March 23, 2009). "Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe". New Scientist. www.newscientist.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
- "The Largest Magnetic Storm on Record, The "Carrington Event" of August 27 to September 7, 1859". British Geological Survey. National Environment Research Council. 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
- Clark, Stuart (2007). The Sun Kings: The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy Began. ISBN 978-0-691-12660-9.
- Excerpts of Articles from Newspapers concerning the Carrington Event.


text:
About This Premium Format™ Figure
The Stormtrooper Premium Format figure captures every detail of the iconic armored soldiers from the original 'Star Wars' film, A New Hope. Each piece is individually painted and finished, each with its own unique quality and detail that is the trademark of a handcrafted Sideshow Collectibles product. Crafted in 1:4 scale, this dynamic figure features a real fabric bodysuit and hand-cast trooper armor. The Stormtrooper Premium Format Figure is the perfect addition to any Star Wars display.
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subset: commoncrawl


text: The Office of Diversity & Inclusion promotes an educational environment that recognizes and celebrates the diverse culture of the University of Central Oklahoma. The focus of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion is on researching, designing, and implementing unique programs that promote the pursuit of academic success, encourage retention and enhance graduation rates of students. These programs serve to expand students' cultural horizons, cultural competence and perspectives while honoring their respective cultural experiences.


text:
Ex-Montezuma County Undersheriff Robin Cronk pleaded guilty Thursday to public corruption charges. He'll be sentenced May 28.
Appearing before District Court Judge Todd Plewe, Cronk pleaded guilty Thursday, March 20, to a Class 5 felony charge of embezzlement and a Class 2 misdemeanor charge of first-degree official misconduct. Under the terms of the plea deal, Cronk is likely to be sentenced to 30 days in jail, ordered to pay restitution, forfeit weapons and serve six months of unsupervised probation. The deal also enables Cronk to choose where he'll serve his jail term.
Unopposed to the defendant's request to select the jail, Plewe insisted the sentence must be carried out behind bars – not in a halfway house or under home-monitored detention. Plewe also said he didn't have to agree to the terms of the plea agreement,saying he could impose a longer jail sentence.
In a letter to Plewe, Montezuma County Undersheriff Lynda Carter said the sheriff's office feels that "justice has been compromised" in the case, questioning how a "high-ranking former law enforcement officer" is held at a "lower standard than the average citizen."
"A former law enforcement officer, who has shown no remorse, is still trying to use his past authority to gain favors from jails in order to secure a cake-walk sentence," Carter wrote.
"To allow a defendant to choose his own jail could be a slippery slope in this jurisdiction," the letter states.
Plewe ordered Cronk to inform the court of the jail site prior to sentencing at 9 a.m. on May 28.
District Attorney Will Furse responded to Carter's letter, saying he believed the sentence was appropriate since Cronk received a felony conviction and would no longer be eligible to serve in law enforcement.
Furse added that he remains unsure of the sheriff's motives and actual desires in the case.
"I find the sheriff's comments to be contrary to his previously articulated desire to give Mr. Cronk a deferred judgement, a sentence that would not have the kind of lifetime consequences this plea provides and would have allowed for the felony to be dismissed after a period of time."
Now a resident of Phoenix, Ariz., Cronk was indicted last August by a Montezuma County grand jury on 17 felony counts of embezzlement and a misdemeanor count of official misconduct. The alleged public corruption charges stem from his abuse of Montezuma County Sheriff's Office financial accounts over a 26-month span starting in February 2011.
On Thursday, Cronk pleaded guilty to count 13 of the indictment, which alleges that he used a Montezuma County Sheriff's Office credit card to purchase a performance chip for a Chevrolet Trailblazer. The maximum penalty for the offense is three years in jail followed by two years of probation.
In response to the crime, Carter also wrote that Cronk not only "used his position to steal," but he also used his subordinates to "further his objectives of theft."
Records show Cronk bilked taxpayers out of nearly $7,500 for personal gunsmithing services, vehicle maintenance, holsters, generators, gun components, ammunition and firearms.
Tapped as undersheriff in January 2011, Cronk was forced to resign the post in June 2013. He remains free on a $1,500 bond.


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Alabama's hunting regulations, season bag limits and dates are now available online.
The state's bow season opens Oct. 15 – a Monday – and includes crossbows, compounds and traditional archery gear.
A five-day muzzleloader season runs Nov. 14-18 along with the archery season. Then the general firearms season opens Nov. 19. The final day of the season is Jan. 31.
Despite a push by different groups and hunters, there are no zones or February dates. Hunting with the aid of bait is not allowed.
For deer season dates click here and then use the "Hunting" menu tab to see regulations and other game seasons.


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Pete Versus Toby are an Australian label and they are easily one of the coolest new menswear labels out there. From the incredible hair of their model to the vintage-feel of their prints, I am fast falling in love with this great label!
For their latest collection "designer Marco Zirov has collaborated with Byron Bay artsists Lex Williams and Raina Hede to develop an in house winter range that juxtaposes the falling Roman Empire (USA) with Rothschild family inspired sketches. Through developing the diverse range, a study of drug use and its effects on an artist was also important."
The collection will be in shops soon!
(Image: The Fashionisto)


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Derek DominoFree Agent
Ht: 6.3 | Wt: 231
News | Stats | Stat vs. Team | Targets | Injury | Depth Chart | Roster
|Def Sacks
|Int TD
|Fum Rec
|Fum TD
|Broncos | Roster moves
Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:09:58 -0800
The Denver Broncos promoted CB Tony Carter to the active roster Tuesday, Dec. 13, and waived S Kyle McCarthy in a corresponding move. LB Derek Domino was also waived from the Reserve/Injured list.
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|| Source: The Denver Post - Jeff Legwold
|Broncos | Make two roster moves
Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:42:12 -0700
The Denver Broncos have released DL Louis Leonard and have waived injured LB Derek Domino (undisclosed).
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|| Source: The Denver Post - Lindsay Jones
|Broncos | Six sit out first preseason game
Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:38:44 -0700
Denver Broncos TE Richard Quinn (knee), LB Nate Irving (ankle), CB Syd'Quan Thompson (groin), LB Derek Domino (finger), DL Louis Leonard (knee) and DL Mitch Unrein (knee) did not play during the team's first preseason game Thursday, Aug. 11.
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|| Source: The Denver Post - Lindsay Jones
|Broncos | Sign 13 undrafted FAs
Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:32:26 -0700
The Denver Broncos have announced they have signed undrafted free-agent FB Austin Sylvester (Washington), WRs D'Andre Goodwin (Washington) and Marshall Williams (Wake Forest), OTs Adam Grant (Arizona) and Curt Porter (Jacksonville State), DTs Ronnell Brown (James Madison) and Colby Whitlock (Texas Tech), LBs Derek Domino (South Dakota State), A.J. Jones (Florida) and Deron Mayo (Old Dominion) and CBs Brandon Bing (Rutgers), Chris X. Harris (Kansas) and James Rogers (Michigan). Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
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|| Source: KFFL.com
|NFL | Derek Domino participates in Pro Day
Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:49:23 -0700
South Dakota State LB Derek Domino measured 6-foot-3, 231 pounds at his Pro Day Monday, March 21, reports Gil Brandt, of NFL.com. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds and 4.71 seconds, the short shuttle in 4.20 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.18 seconds. He measured a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot broad jump and completed 20 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press.
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|| Source: NFL.com - Gil Brandt
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This is an activity about polarized light. Learners will use a polarizing filter to build and calibrate a simple polarimeter, use the constructed polarimeter to find sources of polarized light, and measure the angle of polarization of polarized... (View More) light sources and attempt to measure the strength of polarization. This activity is from the Touch the Sun educator guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students
In this activity, learners will explore the properties of color filters and filter bandpass by observing light sources using diffraction grating and color filters and create a graph of percent transmission versus wavelength to characterize the... (View More) bandpass of the filter. This activity requires various light sources, a diffraction grating, and two or more color filters that are transparent to some wavelengths of light and opaque, or nearly opaque, at other wavelengths. This is an activity in the Touch the Sun educator guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students


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Big White The Urban Retreat Hostel
7470 Porcupine Rd
The only hostel in the big white ski resort.
We are a fully ski in/ ski out accommodation, located in the heart of the village at one of BCc premier ski resorts. You will be able to walk out the door and ride down to the lifts, and when you're done you can ski/snowboard straight to the front door. The Urban Retreat hostel prides itself in being a clean and friendly place with fun and helpful staff. The hostel has a respectable, easy going and fun atmosphere in a place so far from reality you will never want to leave.
The hostel has a large Kitchen and TV room. We provide you with free internet facilities and Wi-Fi as well as a laundry and wax station for your convenience. We have over 100 dorm beds available with each room having between 4 - 10 beds. We also have a limited number of private rooms.
Our hostel operates before the ski season mid October through to April. We offer both season long and short term stays.
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Cruz Pedregon became the first two-time Funny Car winner this year Sunday in the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway.
The two-time Funny Car series champion beat Tim Wilkerson and moved into the series points lead ahead of Matt Hagan, who lost in hte first round.
Bob Vandergriff Jr. won Top Fuel holding off Shawn Langdon in the final round. Jason Line won Pro Stock and Hector Arana Jr. was victorious in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Line earned his second win at Royal Purple Raceway and his first of the year with a holeshot victory over Shane Gray. Both drivers covered the distance at 6.589 seconds in their Chevy Camaros, but the .007 reaction time of Line gave him an advantage over the .055 reaction time of Gray.


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USDA Spending $3 Million To Feed Honeybees In Midwest
MILWAUKEE (AP) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture hopes to help honeybees by giving $3 million to farmers and ranchers in the Upper Midwest to improve pastures.
The department planned to announce its new program Tuesday morning. It gave details in advance to The Associated Press.
Commercial honeybees pollinate about $15 billion worth of agricultural products each year. But the bees have been in decline for more than a decade due to habitat loss and pesticide use.
About 65 percent of the nation's commercial beekeepers bring hives to Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas each summer to gather nectar and pollen and build up strength for winter.
The USDA hopes to help the bees by encouraging farmers in those states to plant alfalfa, clover and other plants that feed both bees and livestock.


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Technical Support: The Site
How do I pick up a postcard?
When you receive an e-mail from the ZOOM Web site about a postcard, it includes a Web address (or URL). To see the postcard, carefully type the address into your Web browser. If you get an error message, make sure you typed the address correctly.
To avoid typos, copy the address and paste it into your Web browser instead. To copy, use Control-C (or Command-C on the Macintosh). To paste, use Control-V (or Command-V on the Macintosh).
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Why do I get an error message when I type in my e-mail address?
When you send e-mail on the Internet, your address must be formatted properly. You need a username (or screen name) followed by an "@" and your Internet domain. Some common Internet domains are "aol.com" and "webtv.net." Sending an e-mail without an Internet domain is like sending a letter without a city and state. If you want us to write you back, be sure to include your full e-mail address!
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Look for a printer icon at the top of your browser window and click on it. If you can't find an icon, look for the "File" menu and select "Print."
We have found that different computers and printers print out the coloring pages at different sizes. You can change the size of the page that prints by going to "Page Setup..." in the "File" menu of you Web browser. A window should pop up that shows all the options for your printer. Look around and see if you can find a section labeled "size" or "scale," and increase the number beyond 100% to make it bigger or decrease it under 100% to make it smaller.
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On Windows:
Kids should check with an adult before changing anything on the computer.
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Note: Some graphics work better than others. You may have to experiment to find one that works well. The patterns in Wallpaper on the ZOOM site have been specially designed to work well as desktop wallpaper. If you are unable to see the graphic pattern, it may be obscured by a picture on your desktop. Try clicking the "Remove Picture" button.
Kids should check with an adult before changing anything on the computer.
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We want this site to look its very best for you. Yes, YOU. So if you want to make sure that even the regular bits of text look as funky as we'd like, you should use a browser from Netscape (Netscape 4.7 or higher) or Microsoft (Internet Explorer 5 or higher). Why? Just so it will all look nice. Niceness. What better reason can you think of? The ZOOM web site should work well and look good in Netscape 4 and Explorer 4, as well as Mozilla and Safari.
You can download the latest version of Netscape for free from Netscape's Web site.
You can also download the latest version of Internet Explorer for free from Microsoft's Web site.
If you are an AOL user, you can upgrade your AOL browser by simply downloading the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. To find out how to use Netscape with AOL, log on to AOL and go to keyword: Netscape.
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We want this site to look its very best for you. Yes, YOU. So if you want to make sure that even the regular bits of text look as funky as we'd like, you can use the font that we have used in our main headings. Why? Just so it will all look nice. Niceness. What better reason can you think of?
Most of the ZOOM Web site is designed to use the font "Verdana," which is a free font available from Microsoft. Many computers will have this font already installed, especially if they have a Microsoft Web browser installed. Have you noticed how much free stuff there is on the Internet? Including this Web site!
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What plug-ins are used on the ZOOM Web site and where can I get them?
We chose plug-ins that are used very widely on the Web. In fact, you might already have them, in which case they'll work automatically if you arrive at a page that needs them. If not, we hope that your visit here is worth the time it takes to download and install them.
The plug-ins used on the site are Shockwave, Flash, QuickTime, RealPlayer and Adobe Acrobat. Click on any plug-in name to find out more about it and how to get it. Most computers and browsers can use these players.
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Most features on the site do not require a plug-in of any kind. The few features that do require a plug-in are clearly marked as such throughout the site.
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NBC to air Sandusky interview
Report to air Monday during 'Today'
NBC to air Sandusky interview
Report to air Monday during 'Today'
NBC said it will air an interview next week with former Penn State assistant coach and convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky.
The network said Sandusky will offer his version of what occurred and share his thoughts about his former boss, Joe Paterno, and graduate assistant Mike McQueary, who told Paterno in 2001 that he saw Sandusky showering with a young boy in a team shower.
The interview will air Monday during "Today."
Independent filmmaker John Ziegler did the interview with Sandusky in prison on the phone.
It's Sandusky's first time speaking since his conviction and sentencing.


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Front row seats to punks early years
By Mike Didovic
In meeting with Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong, one thing is glaringly apparent: they love old punk rock music. Loved it then, and still love it now. The two women, now in their 50s, spent half of their 20s filming live performances of the mainstays of the New York music scene from 1975 to 1980, and have condensed the best scenes of their old cable show, Nightclubbing into a 85-minute video of greatest clips. Shot from the enviable vantage point of being right in the thick of things, they captured spine-tingling performances by the Dead Boys (their favorite band, it seems), early Blondie, Iggy Pop and many others in the underground punk scene. Showing on March 31st as part of NYUs Downtown Show exhibit, the free screening is a glimpse into New Yorks storied music past.
As an intern at Manhattan Cable in 1974, Pat Ivers explained how few people in the city had access to cable TV back then, since it wasnt available below 57th Street. At a show featuring Patti Smith and Television, she had the inspired idea of shooting concerts from this emerging music scene, which she would later turn into a cable show that she screened at Anthology Archives for the Downtown folk. She teamed up with her friend Emily Armstrong for the first episode, the Punk Rock Music Festival at CBGBs in 1975, where owner Hilly Kristal gave them this piece of sage advice: keep an eye on Debbie Harry, shes going places. Which is the perfect place for their video to begin, with Blondie covering Velvet Undergrounds Femme Fatale (That was when they were mainly doing VU covers, says Ivers). From there, it weaves across the punk fabric, which includes numerous non-punk acts as well, including the Talking Heads (doing a great version of Psycho Killer), Levi and the Rockats (a pre-Stray Cats rockabilly act from Britain), Strange Party (a great theatrical band from the Club 57 scene), and the Go-Gos performing at Danceteria. In New York at the time, punk meant anything that was original, hence the hodge-podge of music styles that all fell under its umbrella.
Ivers and Armstrong have hundreds of hours of these concerts in their archives, a priceless collection of music footage that they have so far licensed little of. Part of what makes it unique is that it contains the true vocals recorded along with the video, and not just synched up afterward on a mixer. Its one of the reasons why their video montage conveys the feeling of actually being there, much more so than other music documentaries I have seen.
Nightclubbing also stands out simply because Ivers and Armstrong documented some great scenes. My personal favorites from their reel were Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, wrestling with a woman from the audience on stage (and getting his ass kicked!) while singing Holiday in Cambodia, and the Dead Boys playing a benefit concert for their drummer who had been stabbed in a fight, on stage with Divine and a host of strippers, singing a fantastic version of Looking for a Kiss. Ivers and Armstrong also document the heroin scene that accompanied the era with a set of videos by the Cramps, Heartbreakers, John Cale and the Offs, before finally climaxing with an incredible spoken word poem by Max Blagg that, oddly enough, is the highlight of their video. Blaggs reading captures the intensity of the era as he lets the audience know, in no uncertain terms, that heroin is for losers.
Following the screening will be a Q&A session with the two producers, who are also working on a documentary of the origins of the punk scene in New York. Theyve already amassed dozens of interviews with the players from that era, and if my talk with them last week was any indication, their Q&A session should provide a colorful backstory to Nighclubbing. CBGBs is hosting an after-party, too, where Max Blagg will be reading. Whether you were there back then, or you want to see what the punk scene was really like, this evening should fill you in.
Ivers and Armstrong will present Nightclubbing: Greatest Hits 1975-1980 this Friday, March 31, at 6 pm (doors open at 5:45) at the Cantor Film Center, 36 East Eighth Street, Room 200.
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Summerlander wrote:Snaggle wrote:Summerland On Loki, he became the blood brother of Odinn which allowed him into Asgard. Your other point is reasonable, except when one does not know what they believed one should not make up "beliefs" for them.
I'm sorry, you were saying...?
Ahem...sorry, but, the fact of the matter is that you were proved to be wrong on a minor issue and I can't take you at face value any more.
Should I use the Aztecs' interpretation of the eclipse as a more suitable analogy next time?
Sorry you did not prove me wrong. If you had bothered to click on both Loki's parents in the link you yourself provided you would have seen they were giants and not Gods.
54. Then comes Sigfather's[ that is Othinn who has been just been slain. | mighty son,
Vithar, to fight | with the foaming wolf [Fenrir] ;
In the giant's son Loki | does he thrust his sword
Full to the heart: | his father is avenged.- Bellows translation of the poetic Edda
The prose and poetic Edda can be read here fully translated and they are the main sources for any knowledge of Scandinavian and Teutonic mythology http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/index.htm and here http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/index.htm
By your silly standard everything you say should be rejected because you both borrow an entirely made up tale by Stephen Hawkings and then turn a half witch half giant into a God. Everyone is wrong occasionally even in subject on which they are expert.


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Spring is in the air - flowers are beginning to bloom, snow is melting, plants are turning green, and Easter is around the corner. While many people are concerned with what floral arrangement to put on the dinner table, very few are aware that many European wild flowers are threatened with extinction, according to the European Red List of Vascular Plants, a project carried out by IUCN, financed by the European Commission.
The Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is one of the first arrivals of spring, symbolizing a new start after winter. Native to many European countries and introduced to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, the popularity of this species is also its greatest threat, as it has a tendency to be over-collected for the horticultural trade. International trade of the Common Snowdrop is restricted by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), but it continues to be harvested as an ornamental plant and for use in medication and poison. Snowdrop bulbs are particularly poisonous and cause sickness if eaten (some people have confused them with onions!) However, one of the 'poisons' found in snowdrops, galantamine, is believed to slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease.
"The decline of the snowdrop as identified by the European Red List assessment proves that we must make a concerted effort to preserve the beautiful plants that signal the start of spring," says Melanie Bilz, Programme Officer, IUCN Global Species Programme. "The management and protection of important snowdrop sites will help protect and conserve this threatened plant species."
By Easter time, massive displays of daffodils (Narcissus spp.) have emerged across Western Europe. The Latin name for daffodil was probably inspired by Narcissus, a figure from Greek mythology who fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water. The head of the daffodil is said to represent Narcissus as he bent to admire his reflection. Five Spanish species of daffodil (N. alcaracensis, N. bugei, N. longispathus, N. nevadensis and N. radinganorum) are listed as Endangered on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ and are threatened by the expansion of intensive grazing activities, which affects plants directly as livestock eat or trample them.
Additional threats to daffodils and other European vascular plants include the conversion of land into agricultural and urban areas, and recreational activities such as hiking, walking or skiing. Invasive species also present a threat to native European plants as they compete for space and light. For example, Carpobrotus edulis, a plant endemic to South Africa was introduced widely in the Mediterranean as an ornamental plant but it has now replaced native plants in many areas.
At the end of spring the national flower of France, the Iris, comes to life across Europe in a blaze of colour which is appropriate since it is named after the Greek goddess of rainbows. The Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) is regionally extinct in Malta but categorized as Least Concern elsewhere. Found in shallow freshwater or saturated soil this plant can also be used as part of a natural water treatment process as it removes heavy metals.
"There are 20,000 – 25,000 plant species in Europe and only around 8% of these have been assessed so far," says Jane Smart, Global Director of IUCN's Biodiversity Conservation Group. "Assessing wild plants for the IUCN Red List will increase our knowledge of wild European plant species and facilitate the conservation planning and monitoring necessary to ensure these beautiful spring flowers continue to bloom."
For more information about this and other European initiatives please contact:
Ana Nieto: Regional Biodiversity Conservation Officer, European Union Representative Office, IUCN t +32-2-739 3009 e email@example.com


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DALLAS (AP) The CEO of Dallas' professional soccer team is taking an indefinite leave after being accused of beating and choking his wife at a hotel in New York City, the team said Wednesday.
Douglas Quinn, president of FC Dallas, asked to take the leave to ``attend to personal matters,'' according to a team statement. Hunt Sports Group Vice President Dan Hunt has taken over in the interim.
New York police allege that Quinn assaulted his wife, Elizabeth Quinn, after an argument in their Manhattan hotel room on Saturday. A criminal complaint said he repeatedly punched her in the face, put a pillow over her head and applied pressure so she couldn't breathe.
Douglas Quinn was arraigned in Manhattan criminal court and freed on $20,000 bond. He returns to court Thursday.
His lawyer, Alan Futerfas, of New York, said he looks forward to meeting with the Manhattan district attorney's office.
``There is often another side to the story, and there certainly is one here,'' he said Wednesday.
Dallas finished sixth in the MLS Western Conference, missing the playoffs.


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Structured Abstract
Citation: Torgesen, Joseph, David Myers, Allen Schirm, Elizabeth Stuart, Sonya Vartivarian, Wendy Mansfield, Fran Stancavage, Donna Durno, Rosanne Javorsky, and Cinthia Haan. National Assessment of Title I Interim Report to Congress: Volume II: Closing the Reading Gap, First Year Findings from a Randomized Trial of Four Reading Interventions for Striving Readers. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 2006.
Background: According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, nearly 4 in 10 fourth graders read below the basic level. These literacy problems get worse as students advance through school and are exposed to progressively more complex concepts and courses.
Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of four remedial reading programs in improving the reading skills of 3 rd and 5 th graders, whether the impacts of the programs vary across students with different baseline characteristics, and to what extent can this instruction close the reading gap and bring struggling readers within the normal range—relative to the instruction normally provided by their schools.
Setting: Elementary schools in 27 districts of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit outside Pittsburgh, PA during the 2003-04 school year.
Population/Sample/Subjects: Within each of 50 schools, 3 rd and 5 th grade students were identified as struggling readers by their teachers. These students were tested and were eligible for the study if they scored at or below the 30 th percentile on a word-level reading test and at or above the 5 th percentile on a vocabulary test. The final sample contains a total of 742 students. There are 335 3 rd graders—208 treatment and 127 control students. There are 407 5 th graders—228 treatment and 179 control students.
Intervention: Four existing programs: Spell Read P.A.T., Corrective Reading, Wilson Reading, and Failure Free Reading. Corrective Reading and Wilson Reading were modified to focus only on word-level skills. Spell Read P.A.T. and Failure Free Reading were intended to focus equally on word-level skills and reading comprehension/vocabulary. Teachers received 70 hours of professional development and support during the year. Instruction was delivered in small groups of 3 students, 5 days a week, for a total of 90 hours.
Research Design: Randomized controlled field trial in which 50 schools were randomly assigned to four interventions. Teachers hired by the study were also randomly assigned to the four interventions. Students within each school were randomly assigned to the intervention or to the instruction normally provided by their schools.
Control or Comparison Condition: Control students received the classroom and individual instruction that would normally be provided by their schools.
Data Collection and Analysis: Seven measures of reading skill were administered at the beginning and end of the school year to assess student progress: Word Attack, Word Identification, and Passage Comprehension (Woodcock Reading Mastery Test); Phonemic Decoding Efficiency and Sight Word Efficiency (Test of Word Reading Efficiency); Oral Reading Fluency (Edformation); and Passage Comprehension (Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation). The impact of each of the four interventions is the difference between average treatment and control group outcomes.
Findings: After one year of instruction, there were significant impacts on phonemic decoding, word reading accuracy and fluency, and comprehension for 3 rd graders, but not for 5 th graders. For students in one of the reading programs, the gap in achievement between struggling readers and average readers was reduced by about two-thirds for 3 rd graders.
Conclusions: Reading skills of 3 rd graders can be significantly improved through instruction in word-level skills, but not the reading skills of 5 th graders.


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by Abby Franquemont
Everything was arrayed on a table in the elementary school cafeteria, ready as could be. I stood, tuft of orange fiber in one hand, doing something I've been doing most of my life, as children started filing in. They seated themselves at the cafeteria tables, murmuring to each other: "What is she doing?" A light dawned in one girl's eyes. "She's making YARN! From stuff that isn't yarn! With that stick thingy! She is! She's making yarn!" I grinned.
"Is everyone here?" I asked the teachers who had brought me their charges. Both nodded, and I introduced myself. "I'm Edward's mother, here to share with you about my job. Some of you have already guessed what it is. I'll tell you a little about it, and why I do it, then everyone will get to try. First, let's get a show of hands: how many of you are wearing clothes?"
Fifty-four hands shot up, amid giggles. "That's great!" I said, "That's everybody! Now, who knows what clothes are made out of?" I called on a boy in the back. "Cotton?" he said hesitantly. "That's one thing," I replied, gathering more responses – wool, and silk.
"We all know clothes are made out of these things – but how? They are sewn from fabric, or knitted from yarn, or made in various ways, but they start with yarn. And yarn doesn't grow on trees or the backs of sheep; you have to do something to make it. That's my job – I do it, and I teach people how to do it."
These skills, I explained, are part of a science and technology essential to human civilization. We need yarn, not just for clothes, but ropes, nets for fishing, cloth used for lots of things. Making yarn gives us the tools we need to build permanent homes, plant crops that grow year after year, and build towns and cities that have libraries and schools and everything. "If you look around you, you'll see yarn in lots of places you probably didn't notice it before. There are threads of fibers in your paper. You have books that are sewn together. When you leave on the bus, and go over the bridge, look at the cables on it – they're giant yarn made out of steel. It's everywhere!"
I caught my own son's eye. When you're a parent showing up at your fourth-grader's school, you don't know: will it be cool, or will he be cringing in horror at how embarrassing his mom is, here to talk about her job? And when your job is "spin yarn, and teach people how to do that," how will it stack up to someone whose mom is a firefighter or a doctor or an auto mechanic?
We handed out inexpensive spindles I'd brought, each with a little bit spun onto it and a tuft of carefully prepared wool. "Now," a teacher asked, "These aren't something they get to keep, are they?"
"They absolutely are," I said, and a cheer arose from the kids. It had taken me and my husband most of a day to get the spindles ready to go, all for this moment. For the rest of the hour I circulated, showing them ways to play with the wool in their hands, talking about things you can do with yarn. "An important thing to remember!" I told the class at large, "This is hard. It looks easy – and once you know how, it kind of is – but learning it is pretty hard for most people."
"It's totally easy!" one small voice piped up. "No way," said another, "it's way hard."
Successes, failures, frustrations, trial and error... times fifty-four. "I'm never going to look at my shirt the same way," one kid pronounced -- my victory for the one-hour session, I told the teacher in a brief aside. "My goal here isn't to create fifty-four new spinners," I said. "That can't happen in an hour, so what I wanted to do was talk about how old a technology this is, why it's important both now and since the dawn of history, and to give everyone a chance to have their hands in it." If some of those kids go home and keep trying with their inexpensive spindles and cheap wool, then indeed, those are kids who will never look at their clothes the same way again. If half of those kids really do start looking around them for all the places yarn is that they never noticed before, it's a victory for me as a fiber arts educator. If the ten-year-old girl who was such a natural keeps at it, who knows what she could do.
Leaving, kids filed past my table, where laid out for them to touch and feel were raw Cormo wool, clean Merino wool, gleaming locks of mohair, fluffy soft camel down, soft shiny silk, and a few cotton seeds. "That's from a goat? Which is camel? This is a worm's cocoon? This one is my favourite." With the kids heading out, I picked up. "I think you made an impression," said a lady coming in to set up for lunch. "There's a boy out there waving a stick around with some wool on it, who says he's going to learn to knit and make a sweater."
I gave extra wool to the teachers, and extra brochures with more information. I left with my son and his teacher, who thanked me as my son flung his arms around me in a hug. "Thanks, mom," he said, "everybody thought that was cool."
"I'm glad," I told him. "You never know if it'll be interesting."
"I knew it would," he asserted, confidently. "Mom, my friends always like my hats."
Ah, yes, his hats. You see, every year, he gets a new hat – from yarn I spin from fiber I dye and prepare just exactly how he wants. This was why he wanted me to come talk to his class about spinning. He's tried to explain how his mother made his hat, and in so doing, realized that even though he doesn't knit, and rarely spins, he knows things about the creation of the garment, things that aren't common knowledge anymore – but which he wishes more people knew about. "I just think," he said, earnestly, "that once people try spinning, they know more about yarn than they ever did before. Everyone should get to try it."
He means that not just about those of us who enjoy knitting or working with yarn, but about everyone, period. From the reactions of his teachers and classmates, I think he's right. For those of us who do knit, crochet, or do other things with yarn, spinning opens up whole new worlds of possibilities and makes us better at judging yarn, choosing the right yarn for projects, and free from the limits of what someone else has decided to produce for sale to us.
With that, I'd like to share the recipe for my son's fourth grade hat, a recipe suited for use with almost any kind of handspun yarn you might find, including very first efforts and samples or leftovers. Look for it on page 31 of this magazine.


text:
While the district, formerly represented by Gary Ackerman for 20 years, once spanned Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties, one thing Meng told her Forest Hills constituents was the importance of being more locally targeted.
"What's nice about the district, compared to Gary's old district, is that it's completely in Queens now," Meng said. Her district encompasses neighborhoods from Ridgewood to Oakland Gardens; as far north as Murray Hill and Flushing; and south to Glendale and Kew Gardens.
Born and raised in Flushing, where she was a former assemblywoman, Meng is looking forward to working with the new neighborhoods in the district.
"I am very privileged to represent this area," she said. "A lot of the issues you face, we are concerned about as well."


text:
Taft High's Renaissance picks the best and brightest
Four students at Taft Union High School have been honored as students of the month for September and another four for October. The students were selected by the Renaissance program, which promotes academics.
Students of the month for September were: senior Bobbi Preskitt, junior Taylan Erro, sophomore Jen Rivera and freshman Ilse Flores-Martinez.
Students of the month for October were: senior Brian Hill, juniors Zack Fearon and Alejandro Bautista, and sophomore Savannah Gregory.
Bobbi Preskitt is the band's hard-working drum major "who is beyond dedicated," band director Amanda Posey said. Bobbi also plays trumpet in the jazz band.
"She has the amazing talent of leading students when things are going great and when things are not going well at all. Bobbi has a great poker face and can keep the band going," Posey praised. "She invests a lot of her personal time helping the students at Lincoln and the beginning band at Roosevelt. She is a great help to ALL the music students in Taft and goes above and beyond every day."
Taylan Erro "is a true scholar-athlete who plays four sports. She is an A student and a great role model as the No. 2 player on the Valley champion varsity tennis team," praised coach Jim Carnal. "I know I can always count on Taylan to be where she is supposed to be, to try her best and to do the right thing. I can't even say that about some adults." She also runs, cross-country, plays basketball and runs track.
Foods teacher Lynn Bramham added, "Taylan is a very respectful student.
She works well with others in class and during labs. Taylan is always willing to do what is asked of her, and she does it with a smile. She is a pleasure to have in class."
Jen Rivera "is a fantastic AVID sophomore!" according to teacher Mike Cowan. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) provides instruction and framework for students to succeed in college.
"She's always well prepared, happy to be at school, and ready to learn. She knows that hard work now will pay off later and she has a bright future in college and beyond. I wish more students were as focused and responsible as Jennifer," Cowan praised.
"Jen has had to work really hard in chemistry this year. She just this week got the highest grade on our latest test. So, the hard work is paying off! She is always respectful and very pleasant, and gets along so well her classmates," added Harold Heiter.
And she is just as determined in sports. "She is the kind of student you want in your class or on your team. She played No. 2 on the 12-0 JV tennis team and had a 27-4 record, varsity coach Jim Carnal said.
"Ilse (Flores-Martinez) brings enthusiasm and energy to class every day. She was the top AR reader in all of my classes the first quarter," praised Jackie Peavyhouse. "Other students turn to Ilse for language support and friendship. She makes teaching a rewarding experience."
"Ilse says it best herself; when turning in assignments, she remarks, 'I did my best!' She lives up to her personal motto every day in our class," added Reading and Writing teacher Karen Hillygus.
"Brian Hill has the kindest heart a student can have. He is our gentle giant in class. He is always joyful, and an asset for our Special Education program," praised teacher Abel Pedro. "He has taken great strides to improve his attendance this year and we are happy to have him. He recently acquired his California Identification Card that he is very proud of. He is like another teacher aide. He helps out and assists in carrying things, rolling wheelchairs, and most of all assisting his fellow students wherever we go. He also participates in basic computer class and adaptive physical education. He helps out with the girls' soccer team as an equipment manager for home games and may be a thrower for track and field this spring. Brian is like my, 'Radio.' He is good-natured and without a doubt an example student, not just in my class, but in the whole school.
Taft High School is fortunate to have such a good charismatic student."
"Zack (Fearon) goes above and beyond in every area. He is an amazing musician and plays piano in jazz band and percussion in marching band. He recently designed the new signs for the music building. He does his job perfectly and can also handle the jobs of others too! Zack is a great kid with loads of talent and a great attitude," bragged band director Amanda Posey.
Graphic communications teacher Mark Fitzsimmons added, "Zack is a very non-demanding student. He gets his work done very successfully without a lot of fanfare, and quietly waits for his turn to complete tasks. A classroom full of students like Zack Fearon would lower the stress level for any teacher."
Alejandro Bautista was nominated by history teacher Brad Van Roekel and modern life skills teacher Anthony Reed. Van Roekel said Alejandro "always tries his hardest, greets me every day when he walks in, is always smiling, is a good classmate who makes his classmates laugh, and is nice to everyone in the class."
English teacher Debra Popejoy added, "Alejandro is always willing to do his best and have a positive attitude while doing it! He is supportive of his classmates and gets along with everyone!"
"Savannah (Gregory) has been a great addition to the Taft Oil Technology Academy. Her work is of the highest quality and she always has a smile!" said teacher Ted Pendergrass.
"Savannah is one of the standouts in my sophomore Honors English class," Bill Wolfe said. "She is smart and consistently does good work. For example, today she recited an excerpt from Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' in front of the class without making a single mistake. I'm sure this will be only the first of many academic honors she will earn."
Geometry teacher Joy Reynolds added, "Savannah is an organized, intelligent, hard-working and responsible student who I enjoy having in class. When she is absent, she promptly gets her make-up work done. She comes to class on time and prepared to work. She asks meaningful questions, stays on task and helps her peers when they request help."
"Savannah is sweet, quiet, kind and very smart. She is more than happy to help other kids who are struggling. And even though she never says much, she always wears a smile!" Spanish teacher Sandra Torres concluded.


text: This course will explore the political, social, and cultural history of Europe from about 1350 to 1550, two centuries of momentous change: scholarship recovered the lost texts and ideas of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds; critical reading of texts inspired a dramatic questioning of religious authority; art, medicine, and philosophy renewed an interest in the physical and psychological nature of man; scientific calculation put the sun rather than the earth at the center of the universe; exploration made Europeans aware of sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas; and the printing press made all of these changes available to a wider public. We will explore the substance and consequences of such changes, including some negative ones, such as the expulsion of Muslims and Jews, colonial exploitation, and the censorship of ideas. Lectures will provide students with a structural approach to the period; discussion sections will provide close engagement with historical sources.


text:
Data Robotics gives up and changes name to Drobo
It's what the kids are calling us, baby
Drobo-storage maker Data Robotics has changed its company name to Drobo.
Drobo is a 4- and 8-bay desktop storage product that users can populate with hard drives they source themselves and which can be of dissimilar sizes. The box has a simple blue, green and red coloured light management system which signals when it is nearing full capacity, and a new, higher-capacity, replacement drive is needed.
4-bay Drobo
Slot the new drive in, data gets copied onto it, and you're ready to go with more space for files. There is also a 12-bay rackmount product.
The new name, once simply the name of the product, is now reckoned to be so widespread and popular that it has eclipsed the company's own name. So the storage company has decided to call itself the catchy Drobo instead of the more formal Data Robotics.
The company, still growing, has also moved into a larger headquarters building in San Jose. ®


text:
March 25, 1965 - June 17, 2013
Fallsburg, NY
Michael J. Burger of Fallsburg, NY, died Monday, June 17, 2013 at the Catskill Regional Medical Center, Harris, NY. He was 48.
The son of the late Ralph and Steffie Mierzwenski Burger, he was born March 25, 1965 in South Fallsburg, NY.
Michael was a member of the Hurleyville Fire Company Fire Police, the Sullivan County Fire Police Association, and the Sullivan County Wildlife Search & Rescue Team; he was an animal lover, and he enjoyed his three cats.
Survivors include six sisters: Lillian Vandermark of Harris, NY, Joyce Rhoades of Hamilton, NY, Linda Burger of South Fallsburg, NY, Virginia Burger and her companion, Butch Watson of Fallsburg, NY, Rosemarie Froehlich and her husband, Fred of Hurleyville, NY, and Cindy Burger of Fallsburg, NY; one brother, Ralph Burger and his wife, Debbie of Hurleyville, NY; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was predeceased by one brother, Roy Burger.
The family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at the Catskill Regional Medical Center Emergency Room for the care they provided to Michael.
Visitation will be Monday, June 24th from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the Harris Funeral Home West St. at Buckley, Liberty, NY. The Hurleyville Fire Company will conduct Firematic Services at 7:30 p.m., the Funeral Services will follow. Pastor James Kaufman will officiate.
Memorial contributions in Michael's name may be made to the Hurleyville Fire Company, P.O. Box 248, Hurleyville, NY 12747-0248.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Harris Funeral Home West Street at Buckley, Liberty, NY. 845-292-0001 or 845-439-5200 www.Harris-FH.com


text:
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Senate is waiting until next week to vote on a proposal that would allow concealed handguns in churches.
Republican Sen. Bryan King said Thursday that he'll seek a vote next week on his proposal to remove churches from the list of locations where concealed handguns are prohibited.
On Thursday, the Senate approved an amendment to King's bill that would make it take effect immediately if signed by the governor
King's proposal was backed Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A similar measure by King was approved by the House two years ago, but failed before a Senate committee. Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe has indicated he'll likely sign the measure if it reaches his desk.


text:
Our Point of View
by MEA-MFT President Eric Feaver
Jan-Feb 2013
We are Montana.
Don't let anyone tell you differently. Don't let naysayers, boo birds, and anti-government, anti-union yahoos tell you differently. We are NOT Wisconsin. We are NOT Indiana. We are NOT Michigan.
We are Montana.
131 years ago, we helped start this place. We have earned our right to live, work, and add value right here.
We began as frontier teachers schooling children of gold miners, cowboys, trappers, traders, farmers, and merchants. We taught Sunday school. We shopped on Main Street. We built communities. We do all that today and a whole lot more.
We nurse the ill. We guard the convict and supervise the parolee. We collect the taxes. We preserve our fish and game. We secure and interpret the history of our state. We coach Little League. We go off to war. We do the work that matters across the spectrum of good government programs and services designed to make our "last best place" a good place for all.
Come the next legislature, we will promote AND defend who we are and what we do . . . come what may.
Knowing the next legislature may be every bit as challenging as the "Bat Crap Crazy" last legislature, we have trimmed our legislative agenda to project only our strongest core values. No bells. No whistles. Just good old fashioned middle class building legislation.
• A base pay increase of 5% each of the next two years for all state employees. Call it 5&5. Way past time.
• A common sense, doable fix of our two primary public employee pension systems, PERS and TRS. We will "share the pain" and amortize. We keep our promises.
• A robust "Play to Win" lottery-funded college scholarship program.
• A measurable increase in employer funding of our badly conceived, perversely mislabeled Montana University System faculty "optional retirement plan."
• Adequate and equitable funding of public elementary, secondary, and higher education.
Not one of these objectives lies hopelessly beyond our reach. Our legislature has never enjoyed greater capacity to invest in the future of our state.
With your help, we can make all this happen.
And with your help, we will defend the faith.
We will defeat those who would
• Desecrate our history, culture, and constitution to privatize our public schools.
• Trash 100 years of teacher tenure.
• Destroy our pensions, kill careers in public schools and government, and ironically bury this state in "old fund" debt.
• Drown this union and the government programs we serve in a no tax, no spend bath tub.
And we will stand shoulder to shoulder with carpenters, teamsters, linemen, firefighters, operators, laborers, unionists everywhere to push back hard against right-to-work-for-less and all other assaults on the Montana labor movement, middle class, and social compact.
It will be hard. Bitter words may be shared. Folks may congregate, hold signs, and mill about. Some may let their voices soar. Some may pound drums. Others may whisper concern, fright, and despair.
And despite entreaties to the contrary, some legislators will shut their ears, eyes, and minds, brush aside our presence, and vote wrong.
They are not us.
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text:
From HaskellWiki
San Francisco Bay Area & Silicon Valley Haskell Hackathon
Come join a group of Haskell hackers to work on a wide variety of projects. All levels welcome.
|Friday, April 20th – Sunday, April 22nd, 2012
|10am ~ 7pm
|Fri - Hacker Dojo - Friday is full, and waiting list only.
|Sat & Sun - Mozilla HQ
|Sign up:
|sign-up form
|News and Discussion:
|BayHac Google Group
Big thanks to Mozilla, for providing us with a larger venue on Saturday and Sunday!
1 Locations
Hacker Dojo, 140A South Whisman Road, Mountain View, CA (Google Map)
Mozilla HQ, 650 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA (Google Map)
2 Attendees
If you're attending, please use the sign-up form to help the organizers plan. Add your name here if you want to let others know you're coming.
- Mark Lentczner - organizer
- Johan Tibell - organizer
- Aaron Culich
- Ivan Tarasov
- Evan Laforge
- John Cheek
- Michael Litchard - voting for Greg to talk about Yesod
- Michael Bernstein
3 Projects
If you plan working on a project at the Hackathon, you can put it up here so other interested hackers can see what projects are afoot. If you don't have a project, look here and find one!
3.1 Yesod web framework
Let me know if you have anything in specific you want to hack on for Yesod. Also, come and hack on your Yesod website and get help from others. Perhaps I can give a presentation.
Greg Weber
3.2 music sequencer
I'll be working on this for a bit, but if no one else is interested I'll probably look for something else since I can work on that just as well at home :)
Evan Laforge
3.3 Yesod Blog
I'll finally have some time to use what I have learned about Yesod to build my own blog!
Michael Litchard
3.4 unordered-containers/GHC/Haskell MapReduce
I have too many projects going! I'd like to try to get a basic MapReduce framework going.
Johan Tibell
3.5 Scheme to LLVM Compiler
I'll be working on this in an attempt to learn mroe about compilers.
3.6 Yi and VTY
I'll be hacking on Yi and the VTY library.
3.7 JPEG Decoder
I'll be working on performance improvements for my JPEG decoder
Myles C. Maxfield
3.8 Plush - the comfy shell
This is a POSIX shell with a web based front end. We have crazy ideas how to bring the interface of the shell forward 30 years! I'll be trying to get this from v0.2 to a v0.5 release that people could actually try out.
Mark Lentczner


text:
My life has been devoted to children and families—my own, and those I've encountered in my career as a pediatrician. My first baby was born only a few months before I started medical school, and my fifth child arrived seven years later, on the final day of my pediatric residency. These two paths—medicine and motherhood—have been inextricably intertwined; they've often enhanced—and sometimes competed with—one another.
But over the years, as I've helped my own children journey into young adulthood and worked with countless families in my career, I've gained some hard-earned perspective and insights into raising kids. No parent will have all the answers all of the time, but these simple parenting guidelines can help make your time together as a family that much richer.
Marianne Neifert, M.D. is the author of three books, most recently Dr. Mom's Guide to Breastfeeding.
As her parent, you're the first one to convince a child of her worth and help her venture into the world with confidence. You can make her feel cherished by giving her your time and attention daily, whether by reading a book, playing, or talking together. For instance, try to spend a little one-on-one time with your child when you get home, before you do anything else. After picking her toddler up at daycare, one mom I know uses the walk home as a way to reconnect. If she runs into friends, she'll wave at them but won't stop to chat; she's learned that it frustrates her daughter too much.
Show your child that you value her by acknowledging her feelings, and by listening when she talks. It's easy to let your mind wander as a toddler or preschooler babbles on, but kids are very good at picking up on when you're distracted. Having a focused conversation with your child—rather than just responding with the occasional "Uh-huh"—builds up her vocabulary at the same time that it boosts her self-esteem.
The way you encourage your child is also important. By emphasizing her efforts ("You sure seemed to enjoy working on this picture for Grandma") over her results ("I like the way you stayed inside the lines this time"), you'll show support and foster self-approval, and make her less reliant on the acceptance of others.
And finally, the best way to encourage your child? Simply tell her that you love her as often as you can.
We all face enormous demands on our time, and our family life is always threatened by competing priorities, whether or not we work outside the home. But we have to learn to distinguish the important things, like spending time with our youngsters, from the urgent things, like ever-present project deadlines and chores. The truth is that in order to be an effective parent, you have to continually re-rank your priorities.
When I had my first four babies during college, medical school, and my internship, I breastfed each one. But I didn't make it to the one-year mark, the ideal goal. It wasn't until I made a conscious decision while I was pregnant with my fifth baby to put breastfeeding higher than other priorities that I succeeded. To do that, I had to say no to several opportunities—including taking over a busy practice—at the end of my residency training.
Putting your kids first doesn't mean you have to be a martyr, or a superwoman. No one is saying that you can't take time for yourself. But it does mean that sometimes you have to make choices. A hospital administrator I knew gave up her job to accept a less prestigious position so she could spend more time with her daughter. The turning point came as soon as her daughter's preschool teacher told her, "Whenever Kaitlyn draws a family picture, you're not in it."
Generally speaking, moms act as the principal caretakers of immediate physical and emotional needs. Dads, on the other hand, tend to promote risk-taking and independence, and build self-reliance and assertiveness because they are more apt to let kids work out their problems by themselves.
Each of these responses—the security of knowing you have a nurturing home base and the space to figure out what you need—communicates an important message to your child and gives him the ability to handle whatever life throws at him. Thanks to my husband, my daughter Tricie learned to swim during one of our family vacations when she was 4. While he was busy encouraging her to go down the pool's water slide, I was busy admonishing her to be careful.
The best way to start operating like a team is to agree with your partner on the big things—like what rules you'll have and how to discipline—and then let each of you handle the day-to-day routines as you see fit. Moms, especially, must let go of the feeling that they know what's best for their children. Otherwise, dads will always be consigned to the helper role.
What about single parents? Do everything you can to cultivate meaningful relationships with other loving adults, whether relatives or trusted role models, like teachers and scout leaders. And, as hard as it may be sometimes, it's important for divorced parents to work together with an ex-spouse so their child doesn't feel like he has to choose between them. If your ex is out of the picture or unable to give emotional support, be honest about the circumstances, and help your child work through his grief.
The best way to help teach your child to distinguish right from wrong is by setting clear limits and enforcing them consistently. If you feel as though you're slipping into a power struggle, step back: Give your child a time-out or simply tell her you'll deal with her in a few minutes—and don't decide on a punishment until you're more calm.
When she does break the rules, respond in a way that won't deal a blow to her self-esteem: Ignore attention-getters like whining; give a brief warning or scolding for minor infractions (such as jumping on the furniture); issue an age-appropriate time-out to stop aggressive or antisocial behavior (like biting and hitting); and use logical consequences, such as putting their toys aside for a day whenever your kids fight over them.
But discipline isn't just a question of punishment. It's also about modeling positive behavior—like remembering to say "please" and "thank you" to teach your child the value of manners—and praising her when she's been cooperative and helpful. By spending extra time with your child, you can minimize whining and other misbehaviors triggered by a need for attention.
One of the best gifts you can give your child is to help him understand that he's responsible for the choices he makes as well as the consequences of his actions, and ultimately, his own happiness. The first step toward building self-reliance: Offer your child choices that are right for his age. Toddlers are capable of picking what they want for breakfast or which shirt to wear (as long as you give them two choices). A 3-year-old can also pitch in and do simple chores—helping you pick up toys or unload the dishwasher, for instance. Delegating these tasks not only lets your preschooler make a contribution to your household, but teaches him accountability.
The next step: Encourage your child to tackle new skills, like riding a trike or reading a story aloud. If he makes mistakes, let him work through them instead of rushing in to fix things. You'll promote a sense of competence, and he'll learn to weigh consequences before acting.
When he faces inevitable setbacks and failures, help him discover how to look for solutions rather than view such obstacles as beyond his control. If your toddler cries when another child takes his toy, for example, say, "Let's go see if she'll give it back." Or if your preschooler tells you he has no friends, you can show him, through role-playing, ways to ask other kids to play, or together invite someone to come visit.
Lastly, encourage your child to think, even if his opinions differ from your own. You'll free him from a fear of disapproval that will make him less dependent on others for his happiness.
Family rituals and familiar patterns provide kids with a sense of security. Little children are reassured by knowing that their morning outing—whether to the park or the library—is followed by lunch, or that naptime will come after storytime. School-age kids also look forward to predictable shared events, such as eating dinner together or spending time with Dad on weekends. These routines increase your child's perception of control, which in turn increases her confidence.
Traditions also provide the social glue that bonds one generation to another, creating many of the special "anchor" memories within a family. In my own case, I hosted a multigenerational Thanksgiving reunion for years that gave our children both a strong family identity and sense of connection to their past.
You know the adage: "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Chronic sleep deprivation, isolation, and self-neglect can leave a parent physically depleted, emotionally discouraged, and, ultimately, ineffective. So give yourself permission to take a break—to renew your perspective, enthusiasm, sense of humor, and energy. That may mean an afternoon off to visit a friend or go to a movie. Or it may be as simple as learning to ask for what you need, and accepting help from others.
I once met a woman who had lost her mother, but whose mother-in-law had become like a second mom to her. She explained that the older woman had helped her raise her children and preserve her marriage. "I never could have done it without her support," the woman insisted. Her mother-in-law just smiled and modestly acknowledged, "Everybody needs somebody to steady things up."
"That's it!" I thought, as a virtual parade of helpers flashed through my mind—individuals who had steadied things up for my husband, Larry, and me when we were overwhelmed with responsibility for five children. In fact, we were aided every step of the way by the experience and generosity of grandparents, aunts and uncles, babysitters, teachers, coaches, pastors, neighbors, and friends. On many occasions, Larry and I enjoyed a night out, and even a weekend getaway, because we had asked someone, and someone had agreed to stay with our kids. And we were then better able to take care of our children because we had taken care of ourselves.