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Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Sad and senseless
This much I know: Sharrel Blankenbaker, 63, of Felt, Okla., died a senseless but very heroic death in protecting her grandchildren from Gary Don Carner. She had apparently picked up her granddaughters at the Amarillo airport and was on the way back to Oklahoma.
They stopped at Love's, presumably to get something for the road. That's when Carner tried to take her 12-year-old granddaughter from California. Mrs. Blankenbaker stepped in front of her grandchildren to protect them when she was shot and died on the way to the hospital.
Sharrel Blankenbaker, uncommon last name, uncommon courage.
I also know Potter County Sheriff's Office should be commended for their pursuit of Carner, who was later shot and killed by a deputy. Deputies acted quickly and decisively.
What is hardest to comprehend is Carner, 58. I saw his picture on Facebook, where he had 110 friends. He looked like a typical cowboy in his black felt hat. He had a family. But his actions of Tuesday night were of someone on a hell-bent rampage.
According to authorities, he first tried to abduct a woman at 8:55 p.m. at a convenience store at 34th and Soncy. She was airing a tire when Carner approached her, first to ask if she needed a tire gauge, and then pulled a gun on her. She got away, ran into the store and the clerk locked the door. The police were called.
Before Carner could be located, and just 10 minutes later, he was at the Love's where the tragedy unfolded. Carner escaped, and less than 20 minutes later, abducted another girl, this one 11 years old. After deputies spotted Carner, the girl escaped before gunfire was exchanged.
My God, how many lives and familes did Carner wreck in a night of madness? We live in a very fallen world.
3 comments:
- Dustbowlkid said...
I read your article with much interest today.
I personally knew Sharrel. I am very good friends with her youngest son, and this tragedy has shaken me to the core. There is only one conclusion to this tragedy. Jo Dee Messina came out with a song named "Heaven Was Needing A Hero" some years back. The Good Lord truly got a hero with Sharrel Blankenbaker.
I feel like I need to set something straight with your article, just because I feel the need to do so. Sharrel had taken her youngest grandson, from her youngest son who was actually home visiting from another state, with her to pick up her granddaughter and grandson, from her oldest son from the west coast, off the plane. She was always really excited and anxious to see her grandchildren. Sharrel was a good Christian woman who will be miseed by her family and friends alike. None of us who know Sharrel Blankenbaker is ready to see her put to rest.
- August 4, 2010 at 7:08 PM
- weather bird said...
We've been living in a fallen world for thousands of years. You just notice it more as you get older.
- August 4, 2010 at 8:25 PM
- SparkleGrammy said...
A loving God would not selfishly "take" people, just because he supposedly needs them, leaving their families to grieve and suffer so tremendously. That kind of thinking is illogical at best.
The fact is, there is evil in this world. And even if Mr. Carner was not evil before that night(as his family claims), he was evil as he committed these crimes against innocents. And for that, he paid with his life. That's called justice. But it doesn't bring loved ones back, or mend their hearts and minds after watching their grandmother dying on the pavement for trying to protect them from harm. It will be years, if ever, that they come to terms with the evil they experienced that night. My heart goes out to the Blankenbaker family. Being a grandmother of children the same ages, I can empathize greatly. May the heroine, Mrs. Blankenbaker, Rest in Peace.
- August 16, 2010 at 12:49 AM


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My son Seth is going to be 14 months tomorrow and it feels like yesterday when I had him. It goes by so fast. I am glad I have the opportunity to spend everyday with him and enjoying every moment.
Recently he started getting upset everytime I would leave, so I needed a solution. After getting some great advice from a specialist, I wanted to share with my readers in case they are having the same problems. I was surprised they worked, so these tips are a keeper.
First off, when a kid is seperated from their parents, they become scared and worried around new people. This is known as separation anxiety. Some kids have a big reaction and others may not react at all. Children can also react when their parents return. They may ignore you or like others cry and be upset. All of these are signs of separation anxiety.
A few tips that may help your child with separation anxiety would be:
Easing them into it. To get them use to you leaving, try telling your child or toddler that you will be going into the other room and you'll be back. Even at first if they do not understand, they will once you continue to repeat yourself. This allows your child or toddler to understand that you are leaving and will be coming back. All kids like to know what to expect.
Practice. When you first start to leave your child with another person. Practice in short time periods and not too far. This gives you the ability to run back to your little one in case of any emergencies.
Stay calm. Remember the more worried you are about leaving your child with another, your little one will sense that in you.
Hope this helps you. It did for me!

subset: commoncrawl


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-6th installment
-Harry is shown bleeding in front of the Ministry of Magic, which took place after the last scene of the previous movie. Lord Voldemort is trying to tighten his grip on both the Wizarding World and Muggle worlds and has chosen Draco Malfoy to carry out a secret mission. Severus Snape accepts Bellatrix Lestrange's challenge to make an Unbreakable Vow with Draco's mother, Narcissa, to protect Draco and fullfill the assignment if he fails
-Harry accompanies Albus Dumbledore to visit a former potions professor, named Horace Slughorn. He agrees to return to teaching as Dumbledore tells Harry it would be crucial. Leaving Fred and George's new shop, Harry, Ron and Hermione notice Draco and Narcissa associating with Death Eaters in Borgin and Burkes. Harry believes that Voldemort has made Draco a Death Eater, but Ron and Hermione aren't so sure. On the Hogwarts Express, Harry spies on Draco, who hints to his friends that he does not plan to return to Hogwarts next year. Draco discovers Harry and immobilizes him, but is rescued by Luna
-At school, Harry and Ron are admitted to Slughorn's potions class at the last minute and borrow the needed textbooks. The previous owner of Harry's copy, the "Half Blood Prince" has annotated the book with many instructions that allow Harry to excel. After making many good saves on the Quidditch team at school, Ron becomes a Gryffindor hero and forms a relationship with Lavender Brown, leaving Hermione heartbroken. Harry finds Hermione crying in the Astronomy Tower and he reveals he has feelings for Ron's sister Ginny.
-Harry spends the holidays with the Weasley family and becomes closer to Ginny. They almost share kiss on Christmas Eve, but Bellatrix and Fenrir Greyback, attack and burn the Burrow. Outnumbered, they give up on attacking Order members as Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin arrive, and everyone, saddened, watches the Weasley home go up in flames.
-Suspicious that Draco is responsible for the attacks on Dumbledore's life, one of which nearly kills Ron, Harry confronts him and severely wounds him with the Sectumsempra curse from the Half Blood Prince's book. Harry, shocked that it causes Draco's chest to be cut open, retreats as Snape enters and helps Draco. Fearing the book may be filled with Dark Magic, Ginny and Harry hide the book in the Room of Requirement and that's where they share their first kiss.
-Dumbledore shows Harry memories of a young Tom Riddle and reveals that Slughorn retains a memory critical to Voldemort's defeat. Harry retrieves the memory, learning that Voldemort wanted info for creating Horcruxes. The Horcrux protects a portion of a creator's soul, granting immortality unless destroyed. 2 of the Horcruxes of Voldemort's have been destroyed: Tom Riddle's diary and Marvolo Gaunt's ring. Touching the ring, Harry has a vision of Voldemort, noticed by Dumbledore. After finding the possible location of another Horcrux, Dumbledore requests Harry's presence and help to retrieve it. They travel to a far away cave where Harry is forced to make Dumbledore drink a mind altering potion that hides the Horcrux, a locket. Weakened, Harry protects Dumbledore from an attack from Inferi and they both apparate back to the Astronomy Tower. Elsewhere, Bellatrix, Greyback and several other Death Eaters enter the castle with Draco's help.
-Upon arriving, Dumbledore tells Harry to fetch Snape but as he hears footsteps, tells Harry to hide. Draco reveals that he has been chosen by Voldemort to kill Dumbledore, but is unable to follow through. Snape arrives and performs the Avada Kedavra curse on Dumbledore, killing him. As Bellatrix casts the Dark Mark, Snape, Draco and the Death Eaters escape. She also sets about destroying the Great Hall and sets fire to Hagrid's hut. Snape overpowers Harry and reveals he is the Half-Blood Prince. Harry returns to the school to find the students standing around the lifeless body of their once headmaster. Together they destroy the Dark Mark to honor Dumbledore.
-Later on, Harry reveals to Ron and Hermione that the locket was a fake. The locket contains a message from R.A.B to Voldemort stating that had stolen the real Horcrux and was intending to destroy it. His dying wish was that when Voldemort meets his match that he will be mortal once more.
Further information: List of Harry Potter cast members
- Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter.
- Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, one of Harry's two best friends.
- Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, one of Harry's two best friends.
- Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, one of Voldemort's principal Death Eaters and Draco Malfoy's aunt.
- Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn, the newly appointed Potions master who held the position before.
- Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper andCare of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts.
- Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick, the Charms master and head of Ravenclaw.
- Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, Harry's rival and recipient of Voldemort's secret mission.
- Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore, the legendary headmaster of Hogwarts.
- Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, the former Potions master and current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
- Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall, the Hogwarts Transfiguration teacher, deputy headmistress and head of Gryffindor.
- Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew, the Death Eater who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort. Spall has no lines in the film.
- David Thewlis as Remus Lupin, a member of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry's ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
- Julie Walters as Molly Weasley, the Weasley matriarch and a mother figure to Harry.


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Product Highlights
- Luxurious brown leather wrapped cane shaft and Derby handle
- Stylish two-tone collar
This cow hide leather walking cane has been dyed with a deep, neutral brown. This cane appeals to both men and women alike. The two tone collar gives this cane a more sophisticated, complete appearance that will make this walking cane a great choice for any setting. Aside from looking great the functionality of leather walking canes is that leather will retain the body's heat during winter months and is moisture absorbent during hot summer months.
This cane is manufactured by Royal Canes
The "Standard Size"for this cane is "37.5 Inches". This is the maximum length that this cane can be sold.
The Approximate Maximum User Height for this cane is 6'2".
(You may choose to have the cane shortened if the "Optional Sizing" option is available under the "Add to Cart" button.)
Approximate Size Guide for User's Height to Length of Cane
*These are approximate measurements
* PLEASE NOTE: There is No Minimum Height Requirement for this Cane. These are rough estimates of the User's Height to Cane Height and the cane MUST be checked for the correct size before use to prevent injury. Please see Step #2 from the full sizing guide


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Tannu is endangered! Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki 20th May 2016 Episode Written Updates :- The last night episode of the TV series Kasam – Tere Pyaar Ki begins with everybody is right now on the breakfast table. Now Bee ji appreciates Rano for keeping the fast, as she is the perfect choice for Raj. Rano says that Raj is after her. And Raj gives the credit of his wedding to Veeru, Tannu hears this and recalled her memories with her dad and she goes sentimental.
Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki Episode Written Updates
Rishi arrives there and Raj asked him to eat some sweets, Baani, Raano everybody were present there and female of the house already kept fast for her grooms and soon to be grooms. Rishi says he also did, for Tanvi…. Tanvi asked him to eat something but Risshi said no and he said he can do anything to have Tanvi in his life.
Ahna comes there, Rishi challenges Manpreet she would call him Lafantar, Ahna arrives there and call him Lafantar but a cute Lafantar. By the way, Tanvi is shocked to see that Neha is eating chicken in the kitchen. Neha now pulls Tannu and warns her not to tell anyone. In the mean time, Tanu thinks that today she is keeping fast.
She thinks she kept fast for whom, Pavan who is eating since morning or Rishi who is hungry from morning. In the mean time, due to Rishi is hungry since morning, Manpreet asked her to drink some juice but he said no. He won't eat or drink anything as he kept fast for Tanu.
He thinks that he will be eating sandwich with Tanu in the beach of Mumbai but all goes vain as Tanu is in no mood to do so. In the mean time, Saloni arrives and Pavan compliments her, they had some friendly conversation which leads to have some funny Nokh Jonkh.
Neha said that Pavan and Saloni looks like a cute couple and Rishi being taunts them that it is seems, Saloni is more close to Pavan, instead of Akshay. Akshay is shocked and also Rishi taunts that if something happened with Saloni and Askshay after marriage, she can be then with Pavan.
Precap: Tannu comes behind Rishi and questions if he is eating here? Rishi says everyone appreciated him as he is keeping fast for his soon to be bride. And also, he spreads the saint which he was having in his hands to spread nice fragrances'.


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I've been teaching mathematics for 25+ years. I currently teach Algebra 2 and Calculus, but I have taught Algebra I, Geometry, Math Analysis and Trigonometry (PreCalc) throughout my career.
I try to incorporate practices supported by cognitive science, specifically cognitive load theory. Most of my activities are designed to promote student engagement during guided instruction. I believe that guided instruction is often misunderstood and characterized as purely lecture. Actively engaging students in concept attainment throughout each lesson is my goal. An article of personal interest is Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching. Evidence in support of guided instruction is explained in the context of human cognitive architecture, expert and novice differences, and cognitive load.
Yet to be added
B.S. Classical Applied Mathematics, 7-12 Certification in Mathematics, MEd w/ 30 additional hours, Adjunct Certification in Mathematics.
I have two children and two grandchild. Prior to teaching, I worked as a research assistant on a project designed to familiarize high school mathematics teachers with applications of mathematics. I worked briefly as a mathematics instruction specialist until I decided to go back to the classroom. I enjoyed working with teachers emensely but really missed working with students on a daily basis. I've participated in a wide variety of PD throughout my career, but I cannot say enough in support of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model. Our district's PLCs engage in content rich lesson development throughout the year. I love working with colleagues to develop lessons and identify best practices.
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Higher Education
Specialty, Math, Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, Graphing, PreCalculus, Other (Math), Mathematics, Math Test Prep, Algebra 2, Test Preparation


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12 October 2014
The One Percent's Plots to Overthrow Democracy
The Great Depression, the conflicts that tested the Republic to its foundations, and the struggle to maintain the commitment to freedom and democracy against powerful interests.
The highly decorated Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler testified in 1934 that he had been recruited by the representatives of powerful industrialists who asked him to bring the Bonus Army back to Washington and take the government over by force from then President Franklin Roosevelt. This was a scheme that was known as The Business Plot.
These wealthy business people were not prosecuted and the incident was quietly swept aside in the interest of domestic confidence and peace.
If Not At Home, Then the Establishment of Oligarchy Abroad
After the failure to overturn democracy in the US, some in the American 'One Percent' became powerful supporters and business associates of Mussolini, and even of the German Third Reich. This business relationship continued long after the criminal brutality of these regimes had become quite obvious to all civilized people.
Their involvement in the rise and promotion of fascist ideology seems to have been largely forgotten.
Posted by Jesse at 5:39 PM
Category: corporatism, The Business Plot


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Saturday, July 3, 2010
Boeing 747 as a Space Shuttle carrier
This 31 second movie clip shows a takeoff and landing of the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
NASA uses two modified Boeing 747 jetliners, originally manufactured for commercial use, as Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). One is a 747-100 model, while the other is designated a 747-100SR (short range). The two aircraft are identical in appearance and in their performance as Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Strong Love
I just checked Heather's site and it looks like Our Love is no longer listed - so it must be all sold out - if you haven't gone over there already and want to get some great deals on stamps check it out before midnight tonight because that's when her blowout sale is over. She still has a lot of cute sets left so check it out!
Thanks so much for coming by today - be sure to add a comment on this blog entry to have a chance at winning a Percy stamp from H&M I'll post the winner Thursday night!
Stamps: Our Love: H&M Stamps
Paper: vintage cream, white: PTI, Bazzill blue and brown, DP: Rusty Pickle Chocolate Bunnies
Ink: onyx black versafine
Accessories: gingham ribbon: PTI, Koh-I-Noor colored pencils, gamsol, crystal sticker pearls, foam dimensionals, oval punch
24 comments:
- My lifes inky escape and more said...
Awwww how cute! I love this card with the old couple! Just darling!
- January 7, 2009 at 8:16 PM
- Noé said...
beautiful picture (the arch and the way) !
- January 7, 2009 at 8:26 PM
- Sue said...
oh took me a while to "figger" out there was not a third "bottom" on this card and you really didn't put the sentiment over the third persons head...oh boy am I observant tonight! Cool effect...LOL!
- January 7, 2009 at 8:56 PM
- The Crazy Life of a Navy Wife said...
Cute card! I bought this set from the garage sale and can't wait to start creating with it!!
- January 7, 2009 at 9:39 PM
- Joan Ervin said...
I love how you used your license, Julia...this looks AWESOME!!! I love the image and your coloring is fabo!!!
- January 7, 2009 at 10:23 PM
- ~amy~ said...
Fun Card Julia!
- January 7, 2009 at 11:19 PM
- Anne said...
You are one clever girl Julia! I love this design with the couple sliced in half, I think I must case the idea...made me smile late at night! Your coloring is fabulous!!
- January 8, 2009 at 12:42 AM
- Carolina said...
Oh it came out so lovely Julia!!!
BTW - congrats on winning the OCC Challenge...I was so excited to see your name!
- January 8, 2009 at 1:35 AM
- Lauri said...
Such a pretty card!! I looked at it for a couple of seconds before I realized the bottom half was not headless, just shifted!!! Great job on the sketch!
- January 8, 2009 at 6:04 AM
- Jerusha said...
This is so cute. At first glance I didn't even notice they were cut in half!
- January 8, 2009 at 7:57 AM
- Jackie said...
LOL! Hi Julia!! Love your card and how you *used* them....very creative! Have a good day!!!
- January 8, 2009 at 8:56 AM
- dpkennedy said...
Oh my, this is too funny! Good thing you had your license, lol! It's really nice!
- January 8, 2009 at 10:48 AM
- Cheryl Koskakura said...
I love this stamp and the color combo! Thanks for the chance to win!
- January 8, 2009 at 10:49 AM
- Pat (mspfd) said...
Awesome, Julia! This couldn't be more clever or creative. Fabulous job on the sketch.
- January 8, 2009 at 10:59 AM
what a great job you did with this set!!! awesome!!
- January 8, 2009 at 1:00 PM
OMG!! How cute!! I didn't get to see yours on SCS! Love how you split up the image!! What a clever idea!! TFS! :)
- January 8, 2009 at 1:48 PM
- Beverly aka beestamper said...
super cute!
- January 8, 2009 at 4:06 PM
- jacque4u2c said...
What a fantastic job! i just love it! I am so thankful I found your blog. You are very inspiring.
- January 8, 2009 at 4:38 PM
- Corie said...
WOW WOW WOW -- you ROCKED this challenge -- I absolutely LOVE this!!
- January 8, 2009 at 4:54 PM
- KanataNewf said...
Just love the old folks...they are adorable. Artistic license is a wonderful thing!
- January 8, 2009 at 5:34 PM
- Linsey said...
hehe, you are too cute! And how very clever of you, Miss Julia! I would've expected no less than this absolutely darling creation, dear friend! Love granny's pearls :) I was gone missing for a while, I know and please, if you could find it in your wonderful heart to forgive me, I would be ever so happy and lucky and blessed! Your friendship means so much and I am vowing to do better in 2009, so don't go a writin me off just yet, k! xoxo I luvs u and also did recieve your most stunning Christmas card, which I will cherish always and forever, don'tcha know! You are amazing,thank you for everything.
- January 8, 2009 at 7:29 PM
- Jami {sgtStamper} said...
I love how you cut the image in half... it has such visual interest. And her little pearls are perfect!!!
hugs, Jami
- January 9, 2009 at 12:21 AM
- One4Joy said...
you were very clever to play this in the SC, my friend!
And the pearls are fab!
- January 9, 2009 at 1:26 AM
- Lisa said...
Oh Julia this is just adorable and one of those Ahhhhh moments. I hope you are well and that your holidays were peaceful.
- January 9, 2009 at 11:53 AM


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The Demon Lords have run the gamut but all told they bring chaos to the world. Zura's followers are vampires and cannibals and she is worshiped by some of the vilest creatures on the planet. We took a look at some of her possible followers in the cannibal halfling tribes of the Mwangi Expanse. But who else could possibly devote themselves to the Vampire Queen.
As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower Zura. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of the Demon Lord. What character do you make?
For more information on Zura
Zura's Pathfinder Wiki Page
Zura's Archives of Nethys Page
The Decadent Feast
The Decadent Feast is a small sect of approximately two dozen worshipers of the Demon Lord Zura. Twice a year they plan a great feast where they eat some of the rarest foods one can find. Most of the meals dishes are various types of meat, most provided by the host but each attendee must bring one dish with them. Between galas, members of the sect will send out parties to find just the right delight with which to serve their peers. Status within the sect is determined by these special dishes.
On top of the official sect, members a handful of others are invited to the feasts as well. It is considered a great honor to be presented with an invite. What these invitees usually don't know is that some, or all, of them will be a special dish served at the end of the evening. Rarely one of these desserts will escape their fate and they are offered full status as a member of the sect.
Sisters of the Crimson Ablution
Tales from Ustalava have reached the shores of the Lake of Mist and Veils of a mysterious noble who bathes in the blood of virgins to remain young. Fear of losing their youthful appearances has made some of Brevoy's noble women search for veracity of these claims. A small group of these vain nobles have found solace in the worship of Zura.
This sect consists of seven women across the noble houses of Brevoy. Although they worship Zura they see turning to true vampirism as a last possible recourse. For now they bathe in the blood of sentient beings to keep their fading youth. Although it started with the famed blood of virgins, some of them have taken to trying other types of blood. It is rumored that the most beautiful of the group has begun using the blood of fey creatures to fill her tub.
The Ulam Herr (Night Flier Tribe)
One of the Zura worshiping tribes of cannibal halflings in the Kaava Lands of the Mwangi Expanse. Although many tribes worship the Demon Lord the Ulam Herr have been granted unlife in the form of becoming vampires. The Ulam Herr are even feared by the other halfling tribes for the strength their undead warriors have.
The jungle and the tribe itself can only really support but so many vampires. The five tribal leaders of the Ulam Herr, the night whisperer of Zura, and the three war chiefs have been granted this gift. If one of them should be destroyed another is turned to take their place. A few others have been turned into vampire spawn but the rest remain mortal servitors to their vampire masters, and Zura.
Whether it is blood or the meat of sentient beings, Demon Lord's followers are devourers. Who is your follower of Zura? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to the Vampire Queen? Where does their devotion come from? Let me know in the comments.
If the CRB inspired your next character please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you're in luck! Google +, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook all have a CRB presence. And if you're as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions.


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Beck: A Big, Big Part Of The Problem
From Billy Beck:
"These lessons must be learned, else these long-term cycles of ignorance and panic will eventually claim everything we are. It might, in fact, be too late to prevent that. Combining the Obama administration with American cultural demographics (the rise of the imbecile, reared in proud ignorance at the feet of government) makes that prospect all too real."
- me, already
"Only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism."It's naturally an important consideration that the poll did not identify ("did not define") capitalism or socialism. It is, however, more important to me that there may actually be no way to abstract and convey to the rising demographic the necessarily reality-referential concepts denoted by those words. (Balko: "The younger demographics are even scarier.")
It is very important to understand that these are not reasonable times, and reason is the only hope of imparting to anyone the categorical differences between them and what they mean in all their implications. Mindless mass surrender to regularly cynical pleas for "bi-partisanship" alone short-circuits any sort of thoughtful analysis of, say, the moral differences between capitalism and socialism (of which economics is only consequential), and this is not to even touch the rampant corrosion of what passes for education at the government's hand.
In brief, the times call for incision and precision of thought on scales and to depths for which American individuals are haplessly mal-prepared better than ever before in their history: requiring them to cognitively connect everything that their ethics and politics are about -- not as some grab-bag of hazy metaphors, but as a matter of the fact that principles have real-life consequences whether anyone knows it or not -- and actively figure out whether they really mean what they blubber off the tops of their heads whenever some presstitute gets in their face with a microphone.
Or every time they decide to vote.
"Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else."How is it going to be possible to hip "the younger demographics" to what that means?


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Ealing Common
Dettagli della location & mappa
Ealing Common
- Indirizzo:
Ealing Common
Gunnersbury AvenueLondonW5 3TJ
- www.ealing.gov.uk
Recensioni di Yelp
7.00 su 5
Basato su 3 recensioni
Les 3 meilleurs avis de Ealing Common
Ealing Common is a park with lawn mowered styled grass, with trees. In one part of the common has a path that is lined with beautiful trees.
It also has certain park benches situated in different parts of the common.
The common is good for solitude, when you just want some quiet time to read or to be pensive and watch world go by.
You will see a variety of sport, family's or friends... Continua
The map is totally wrong. What this shows is Westminster cemetery -which is worth a visit but quite certainly isn't Ealing Common which is about a mile further east. Believe it or not it is near Ealing Common station. Continua
Yes, Regent's and Kensington and green and Hyde are all world famous parks in London but I love this hidden gem in ealing. It's perfect embodiment of a smallish common, away from the london spotlight. Leisurely and peaceful and very easy in the eye. I went there as a kid so maybe the fifth star is due to nostalgia. It's just such a lovely spring time walk and a picturesque picnic place. Continua


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by Beth Groundwater
When I suggested to my book club that we invite a local women's fiction author to discuss one of her books and her writing career, the other members went all a-twitter.
"She'll think we're so unsophisticated."
"What if we don't like her book?"
"What if she hates what we have to say about the book."
"Goodness, a real author, I won't know how to act around her."
Confused by their reaction, I said, "Wait a minute, I'm a real author, too, and you aren't self-conscious around me." Also, I could vouch that this author was a person just like us, was very friendly, and would not judge their literary astuteness. I knew my book club would enjoy her book because it was set in a nearby town and was the type of book we had enjoyed reading in the past.
The group finally agreed, but when the evening of the author visit came, the nervous sweat was apparent. I got the discussion going after introductions by asking the author to talk about her writing career and her other books. Gradually everyone's shyness wore off, and we had a wide-ranging discussion about the book we'd read and the typical questions that we authors are used to answering.
"Where do you get your ideas?"
"What's your writing schedule?"
"How did you sell your first manuscript?"
Later, the author said my friends were delightful and thanked me for encouraging the group to invite her. The book club members said the experience was less intimidating than they thought it would be, and they'd like to invite other authors to visit. They talked about that author's visit and how exciting and entertaining it was for months afterward!
I have visited many book clubs, both in-person if the group meets within an hour's drive from my home or on a speakerphone or via Skype if the group meets farther away. I discuss with them whichever book of mine they've chosen to read for that meeting, and I answer whatever questions they have for me. These are my favorite kind of promotional events, because I spend an hour or two with book lovers and avid readers like myself. I invariably come away with titles of recommended books to add to my personal reading list and to suggest to my book club.
If you're a member of a book club, I encourage you, too, to invite authors to visit your book club. And if you are a member of a mystery reading book club, there are a whole slew of authors who contribute to this blog who would probably be willing to visit. Here are a few tips that hopefully will make an author visit less intimidating.
1. If you haven't already read books by local authors, ask your librarian or favorite bookseller to recommend some. Local authors and those who are not New York Times bestsellers are the most likely to have the time and desire to visit book clubs.
2. Once you've selected a few authors to invite, go to the first author's website (which you can find by searching for the name on the Internet) and click on the "Contact Me" or equivalent link. Send an email saying how much you admire his or her writing and name the book you hope to discuss, then request an in-person or speakerphone or Skype visit and list suggested dates and times. The worst that can happen is the author won't reply or will politely refuse and you can move on to your second choice. The best outcome is that the author will agree and arrange a visit.
3. Encourage your book club members to purchase the author's book and to bring the books to the meeting so they can be autographed by the author, if it's to be an in-person visit. If it will be a speakerphone or Skype visit, the author may be willing to mail autographed bookplates or bookmarks to you. Buying the author's books is the polite thing to do. Since authors usually are not paid by book groups for their time (though gas money is always appreciated for in-person visits), the least you can do is for the majority of the members to buy the book.
4. If one is available, print and bring a list of discussion questions for the book. Many authors, like me, provide discussion questions for their books on their websites. Another place to find discussion questions is at Reading Group Guides. Also, encourage your members to come prepared with one or two other questions for the author.
5. For in-person visits, I like to arrive 10-15 minutes early and set up a small display of my books, bookmarks, and a sign-up list for my email newsletter. Other authors may want to do the same thing. Also, we appreciate the opportunity to sell books to members, who may not have had a chance to buy one before the meeting or who may want to gift the books to others. We're also willing to sign and personalize any books that members bought before the meeting.
6. Someone should introduce the author and thank him or her for coming, then have the members of the book club introduce themselves. Especially if this is a speakerphone or Skype visit, it's helpful for the author to know something about each member to distinguish them. And, if it's a speakerphone or Skype visit, members should re-state their name each time they ask a question. Depending on the quality of the microphone used, a member near the phone or computer may need to restate questions from members who are sitting farther away.
7. Relax and enjoy the interaction. If you normally serve food during your meeting, continue to do so. Just let the author know beforehand. Most authors won't turn down a meal, snack and/or a glass of wine! Make sure someone watches the time so you don't keep the author longer than the agreed upon period, and plan for time at the end to autograph books, if it's an in-person visit.
Having an author visit your book club can be a fun and rewarding experience, as you can see from the photo above of a visit I made to a nearby book club. I encourage you to conquer any qualms you have and go for it! If you have any questions about author visits, ask away. And, if you'd like me to discuss any of my books with your book club, please contact me at my website.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Author Visits to Book Clubs
Posted by Beth Groundwater at 4:00 AM
Labels: author visit, book club, Reading Group Guides, Skype, speakerphone
3 comments:
- Sheila Webster Boneham said...
Excellent post, Beth. I LOVE to visit book clubs - and I always learn something, especially when members have read my book(s) in advance. Terrific set of tips - I am sharing the link. Thank you!
- December 10, 2012 9:42 AM
- Beth Groundwater said...
Thanks, Sheila!
- December 10, 2012 3:15 PM
- Kathleen Ernst said...
It can be very difficult for a group that is used to frank discussions of what they did and didn't like about any particular book to know how to change gears when an author visits. Providing some helpful guidelines in advance is always appreciated. Glad you turned your group's experience into a positive one!
- December 10, 2012 3:35 PM
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text:
What's a girl to do?
I mean really. What's a girl to do when her job and her heart find themselves in conflict?
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my job! Anyone who knows me knows this, especially when it comes to high school seniors. I love capturing their unique style, their exceptional beauty, the expressions that make them "them". I have found the job of my dreams!
But my heart sometimes struggles with this job. After all, here I am celebrating each girl's beauty- her eyes, her smile, her gorgeous hair, or the way she laughs- but what I really want to do is celebrate with them their inner beauty- the TRUE BEAUTY of their heart, which is so precious is God's eyes. (1 Peter 3:3-4)
I have been praying about this conflict for a few months now, and just recently had the most wonderful idea. As I know full well, none of my great ideas are ever mine, so I'm giving God credit for this one! Thank You, Father!
Starting RIGHT NOW, in addition to my classic Senior Portrait Sessions, I will be offering TRUE BEAUTY SESSIONS. These sessions are exactly the same as my classic senior portrait sessions in most ways- planning, products, price, technical process, etc. The one difference is the focus.
With a typical Senior Portrait Session, the focus is on the outside. We chat about personality and color preferences, we create Pinterest boards to brainstorm poses and lighting ideas, colors and expressions. We connect with the best hair salon in town (props to Gwendolynn's Salon & Spa) to create flawless hair and make up, and we have a great time.
With TRUE BEAUTY SESSIONS, the focus begins and ends with the heart. We begin with prayer and a special Bible verse chosen by the senior and then journey through the portrait experience with a focus inward. Pinterest boards, hair and make up, lighting, posing, prints and portrait pieces all remain part of the process, but all are grounded in prayer and God's Word.
TRUE BEAUTY SESSIONS go much deeper than the surface, creating an experience that could be life changing for each girl.
I am ELATED to share this with high school seniors everywhere and would love to fill my entire calendar with these sessions, so I'm offering a special price for them THIS MONTH ONLY!
So grab a girlfriend and let's make a date.
I'm certain it will be an unforgettable experience, both for you seniors, and for me.
I can't wait!
Keep smiling!


text:
Angelica Rivera, a 28-year-old mother of five, encounters a border as she attempts to get her housing voucher. I believe that that is a Marlboro. I put her body mass index at 35.
The percentage of the federal budget dedicated to social services was zero percent in 1930 and ten percent in 1947. In 2008, it is nearly seventy percent as the baby boomers and immigrant waves start to sign up en mass.
The world economy is moving away from the dollar. There is no way to divorce social expectations from the dollar. Why won't people talk about this?
There will be many more borders in the years to come.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Posted by Bill at 11:08 AM
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Monday, June 25, 2012
Fast Day 264 June 24 2012 {Jim Dandy Morning}
Jim Dandy Morning
When I woke up this morning,
was unlike any other day...
when I opened my eyes,
I felt the blue go away;
and this was Monday morning
when the landscapers come
with the yell of lawn mowers
barely heard above
the cacophony,
the symphony,
the consternation,
of the leaf blowers.
Noon-day demon far away,
leaving on a jet airplane,
slipped past the TSA
with my sorrows in a bottle
in his carry-on bag:
in a little toiletry bag,
with tooth brush and shampoo
and all the meds:
grey lady zoloft,
blue niagara,
and sacramental
vicodin there, too.
Why the jet plane? Why the bags?
Traveling in his submarine,
Noon-day don't need no suit...
he's hip...
ready to boot!
When I come home, his brother's there
come from the TV,
come from the air!
yelling the business,
yelling the news!
yelling the weather,
selling smokes and booze!
using fear that maims...
selling disability claims!
using fears of health...
selling schemes of wealth!
Weak morning shine,
oh, weak daylight!
tepid water'd-down sun...
weak tequila sun...
like some star was drunk last night,
did something really stupid,
and cannot will the paparazzi day...
cannot will the day... away.
Posted by Montag at 7:46 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: golden oldies, morning
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Fast Day 263 June 17 2012 {On The Road Again}
The Early Path
On The Road Again
When the brothers and the sisters, having
heard that Paul was back, back, back in town
they ran down the road to the Three Taverns
which was the venue for the camp meeting,
where I was a roadie and got scale:
United in a bond of common faith
we lived in peace and love and harmony:
no distinctions of power or fortune,
in the days of heavy metal martyrdom;
and I set up the amplifiers.
I drive the bus… I've been the head roadie
since the band split up and the elder James
stayed in Jerusalem the Memorious;
Paul now plays reggae in Illyricium,
and breeds Friday eve confusion.
No canned heat and no coke to wash away
this growing season of tombs and monuments,
that disturb our dreams and forget the great
times – like Ovid in his sorry exile:
back when all had wicked chops!
Saint Paul is the focus
Ovid - the poet who was sent into exile somewhere on the Black Sea coast
Posted by Montag at 4:49 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: religion
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Fast Day 262 June 10 2012 {A Friend To Thee}
Pearl Millet
A Friend To Thee
I'll be a friend to Thee,
unlike the wheat I'll never be;
on level land,
on high plateau...
where wanders my emmer soul.
I'll be a lover to thee,
unlike the rice I'll never be;
slowly swimming
Afric, Asian...
ancient grasses of the plain.
I'm the modern age to Thee,
rustic millet, no longer free!
orphan cereal,
homeless smile...
where old graveyards feed the stile.
emmer - a form of spelt
homeless smile - there are gaps in it: discontinuous and uncomfortable
stile - a turning entryway to an area; the feeding of it implies a good deal of use.
It is paradoxical to me, as I am good and bad to Thee, and our relationship is complex.
Late getting this up, because I was in the 1940's.
Posted by Montag at 6:35 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: botany
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Fast Day 261 June 2 2012 {God Speed The Plow}
God Speed The Plow
I am the Buddha, Buddha of Bamiyan
and I am fully cooked,
in marinade Afghanistan…
being re-incarnated
fast 's any man…
into Kabul Smokey Joe
who kick the gong…
stepped on a land mine:
Smokey Joe is legless now,
Cokey Joe is fine…
legless in Bamiyan.
I am the Buddha, Buddha of Bamiyan
and I was much destroying
by the Taliban…
but that don't stop me,
I just go downtown
get me an old .44
from young dead Man;
Smokey Joe is legless
but I got my head
got it together… in Bamiyan!
Now you see me! Now I not there!
Bamiyan boddhi sleeper
vanish into air!
like a hermit praying
back in his lair;
get me my pick-em-up truck
search high and low
Buddha Joe is legless now-
ain't that always so?
legless in Bamiyan!
The Plow is a metaphor for the Crutch.
The Plow is a metaphor for the Crutch.
Bamiyan - site of the great statues of the Lord Buddha destroyed by the Taliban
There are references to the Opium in Afghanistan and its effects.
pix: http://karakaregokyuzu.blogspot.com/
pix: http://karakaregokyuzu.blogspot.com/
Posted by Montag at 1:32 PM 6 comments: Links to this post
Labels: afghanistan, Buddha, war
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text:
But confession time. I haven't done any painting! Started one or two before I went to Sweden, and have done next to nothing since I got back last Monday night. I think I'm having an 'art-down-time' !
But what I did do was go to the National Gallery in Stockholm and these are a few of the gems that I was lucky enough to see.
|Claude Monet - From the Mouth of the Schelde
|Paul Cezanne - Landscape
|Camille Pissarro - Landscape from Pontoise 1874
|Eduoard Manet - Young Boy Peeling Banana
|Vincent van Gogh - Acacia in Flowers


text:
Feminist Naomi Wolf is advocating an end to anonymous rape accusations, arguing that such accusations are unethical and ultimately damaging to women.
There is much to unpack in her piece, but we can examine the key flaw by examining this paragraph:
"Feminists have long argued that rape must be treated like any other crime. But in no other crime are accusers' identities hidden. Treating rape differently serves only to maintain its mischaracterisation as a 'different' kind of crime, loaded with cultural baggage."
It's one of the oldest "gotchas" in the anti-feminist playbook to use the concept of "equal treatment" against women. One of the bases of our legal system rests in treating likes alike and unalikes unalike. Thus, Wolf asserts that a crime is a crime is a crime; they are all alike and isn't that what the feminists wanted all along, to be treated just like men?
Well, ok. But the thing is, rape is a different kind of crime. To categorize it as a crime just like any other elides these distinctions which justify different treatment. What Wolf minimizes as "cultural baggage" is that:
Unlike burglarly or murder or carjacking, women are 5 times as likely as men to be raped (PDF) and it is almost always men who are the rapist (PDF).
Unlike burglarly or murder or carjacking, the majority of rapes (60%) are never reported to the police.
Unlike burglarly or murder or carjacking, rape culture narratives tell us that the survivors of rape asked for it, are lying about it, agreed to it, deserved it, and/or liked it. These narratives are both widely believed and help explain the preceding statistic regarding the non-reportage of rapes.
Rape is different because rape culture narratives tell us that the mass rape of women as a weapon of war is a "women's rights" issue, rather than a human rights one, because unlike more readily-recognizable (that is, masculinized) human rights violations like water-boarding, rape happens mostly to women.
Rape is different because rape culture narratives put the onus for rape prevention on women while also telling women that such empowerment is dangerous because men might be harmed by our newfound skills.
Rape is different because rape culture narratives tell us that men are entitled to sexual access to women and it is a violation of men's rights to put limits upon that access. Indeed, hell can unleash no fury like that which is unleashed upon women, feminists, and feminist bloggers who question that access. And so, Melissa at Shakesville writes:
"I'll simply note that [Wolf's] premise is intrinsically flawed as it's based on the erroneous assumption that we shield accusers because of some antiquated notion that rape is shameful. We do not. We shield accusers because survivors are routinely revictimized by rape apologists."
Item: When Keith Olbermann shared the link to the name of one of Julian Assange's accusers with his 166,533 Twitter followers, he not only contributed to the receipt of death threats by Assange's accusers, but to the receipt of death and rape threats of the STFU-because-women's-"pussies"-belong-to-men type targeting feminist bloggers who criticized Olbermann's actions.
Until all of the above circumstances change, it would be unwarranted, unwise, and unsafe to follow Wolf's brand of rape-is-just-like-any-other crime equality feminism which mandates that if men don't need something like anonymity in rape accusations (or don't imagine they will ever need it), then nobody gets it.*
*Tip o' the beret to Catharine MacKinnon.


text:
News you need to succeed-for priesthood leaders, consultants, and center directors.
CEO Corner: Make 2014 a Year You Take a Name to the Temple
Here at FamilySearch, we've been working hard to give you the online tools you need to search for and redeem your ancestors. Now we're ready for each of you to put those tools to work! So our challenge to you for 2014 is to use FamilySearch.org to take a name to the temple. Read more about this challenge.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
My Family History Calling
The following is from FamilySearch.
Posted by Renee Zamora at 6:21 AM
Labels: familysearch
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text:
Based in New York City, the Expectant Mother Care-EMC FrontLine Pregnancy Centers has helped more than 42,000 women find abortion alternatives.
Apparently that is enough lives saved from abortion to make EMC a target for the FBI. Chris Slattery, National Director of the pregnancy center chain, tells LifeNews that, consistent with the recently discovered IRS attacks on pro-life groups, the FBI is now targeting EMC.
"President Obama has put the FBI on me, and they have politely invited me to headquarters to "talk" this week," he said. "Domestic terrorism agents have called me in to answer their questions this week, as they launch an absurd case to intimidate us."
It isn't just the FBI. The state of New York has been gunning for this pregnancy center for years.
The targeting comes as the New York Attorney General has charged EMC with supposedly practicing medicine without a license.
"The Attorney General has just charged EMC with "practicing medicine without a license" for performing free ultrasounds despite us using certified technicians and doctors, and failing to inform clients that we don't provide or promote abortion and contraception. This is the third AG to attack us since 1987," Slattery says. (Read More)
Friday, May 31, 2013
FBI Hassles Pregnancy Center That Offers Alternatives To Abortion
The harassing of the right continues. The IRS has been stymied but the FBI's domestic terrorism unit, the same unit that harassed True The Vote's founder Catherine Engelbrecht has set its sights on a pregnancy center in New York City that offers pregnant women an alternative to abortion. It has prevented 42,000 abortions but...


text:
Have not seen any Diplomatic Plates in Oxford for months, and the in Broad Street this afternoon there was a one in every parking spot. All here as a part of the Prime Minster of Qatar's visit to the Sheldonian Theatre.
There is a lot of talk in the press at the moment about the amount of money the US Embassy owes the Mayor of London in Congestion Charges, and how the US Embassy is refusing to pay outstanding bills. I was happy to see the drivers for all these cars going to get and paying for parking while in Broad Street.
145D795 Egypt and 236D375 Qatar
SEN1 Senegal
1 KUW Kuwait
198D580 Kuwait
1 UZB Uzbekistan
102D241 Algeria
BAH 1 Bahrain
1RL Republic of Lebanon
236D355 Qatar


text:
Virginia Tech Professor starts vineyard, winery
July 07, 2011By Holly Pietrzak Weekend Anchor/Reporter
MONTGOMERY CO., Va. — A Virginia Tech professor is starting a winery just outside of Blacksburg in Montgomery County.
It's been Yvan Beliveau's dream to have a vineyard. His first planting was in April 2009 and now he spends much of his time tending to the vines. He and his wife, Joyce, bought 165 acres of land in 2001. They started a french country style, bed and breakfast and event center named Masion Beliveau four years ago. It allowed them to invest in the vineyard and winery.
The vines are still young, but Beliveau will begin bottling wine this fall.
"We hope that for at least the first couple of years that all of our sales are from here, that we actually don't distribute. That we hope to maintain. We're not looking to ever become a big vineyard. We'd like to stay in that 40-80,000 bottles a year.," said Beliveau.
The winery is under construction and will open in April, just in time for Tech's Spring game. According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, there were only six wineries in Virginia. As of 2007, there were more than 130.


text:
I am Senior Vice President for Preventive Services and Global Crisis Management at Citigroup. Prior to this position, I was a Middle East specialist and KC-130 pilot in the Marine Corps. You can see my resume at LinkedIn.
My first book, Iraq in Transition: The Legacy of Dictatorship and the Prospects for Democracy was published by Potomac Books in 2009. My second book, War, Welfare, and Democracy: Rethinking America's Quest for the End of History, released in January 2013, discusses American foreign policy since World War II and how it must adapt to significant changes in our world today. In particular, I am interested in the rise of emerging economies, the socio-economic issues that modernization poses there, and the challenges faced by the leading democracies and their welfare state model.
My articles have been published in the Marine Corps Gazette and the security studies journals Survival and Strategic Insights. I have advanced professional proficiency in Arabic and understand multiple dialects. I have lived in the Middle East and have traveled extensively.
Please follow me on Twitter (@peterjmunson), Facebook, or LinkedIn.


text:
"In 1940 our armed forces weren't among the 12 most formidable in the world, but obviously we were going to fight a big war. And Roosevelt said the U.S. would produce 50,000 planes in the next four years. Everyone thought it was a joke — and it was 'cause we produced 100,000 planes. Gave our armed forces an armada that would block out the sun."
Sam (Rob Lowe)
I always enjoyed the West Wing, in large part because it usually managed to educate as it entertained, especially in its first three or four seasons. People who watched the West Wing regularly — in the third season, during which "100,000 Airplanes" premiered on this night in 2002, the show ranked #10 — were frequently exposed to things that most people don't know.
Often that knowledge focused on American history, how things are done and why they are done that way, but the information didn't come exclusively from history or politics. For example, when the time came for the president (Martin Sheen) to acknowledge that he had multiple sclerosis, many viewers learned things about that medical condition that they did not know.
But on this night in 2002, "100,000 Airplanes" stayed on topic, you might say. It gave viewers some insight into the annual rite of creating the president's state of the union address — with a dollop of history on top.
Basically the episode took place on the night of the president's state of the union address, framed by his recent congressional censure for his handling of his medical condition and his upcoming campaign for re–election. The viewers watched Sam (Rob Lowe), one of the president's speechwriters, as he observed what was happening and reflected on the process of creating the speech for a Vanity Fair reporter who had been assigned to cover him that night. The reporter (Traylor Howard) happened to be a young woman with whom Sam had once been engaged.
To say it was an awkward evening at times is being charitable.
But it gave Sam the chance to talk about a tidbit from the original speech that didn't make the cut — a call to cure cancer within 10 years. The president seemed sincere in his desire to challenge his fellow Americans to commit themselves to that goal — but the West Wing staff almost unanimously believed that it was an attempt to deflect attention from the president's problems and would be perceived that way by the voters.
All except Sam. He told the president that he thought it was a good idea for several reasons, among them that government "should be optimistic," that it should be about more than entitlement checks and budgets.
And that is a worthy concept — that government's priority should be to serve the people, not itself. If you look at the 2016 election results, from the presidential race on down, I think you will see that the majority of Americans agree.
But ultimately the idea was scrapped because the administration couldn't provide a realistic monetary figure that would be necessary to fund such an endeavor. In fact, they really couldn't answer many questions at all.
Oh, that dollop of history I mentioned earlier was the comment Sam made about FDR that you can find at the top of this post.
An example of executive overreach that paid off.


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July Gun Sales Were Second-Highest Total Ever for the Month
"[D]uring every month this year, gun sales have either set a new record — as seen in May — or they have come in second or third place." GOA's Erich Pratt said.
July Gun Sales Were Second-Highest Total Ever for the Month
Gun sales appear to be slipping yet again after the Obama surge, with federal gun background checks dropping more than 20 percent last month — the biggest monthly percentage decline in more than three years.
With President Trump now firmly in office, the fear of new federal controls that could restrict ownership has faded…
The number of purchases run through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, known as NICS, dropped from about 2.2 million in July 2016 to 1.7 million last month, marking the seventh time in the eight full months since Mr. Trump's election that there's been a month-to-month drop. Mr. Obama oversaw 19 straight months of increases toward the tail end of his time in office…
Storm Ruger CEO Christopher Killoy said on a recent conference call with analysts that summers are also traditionally a tougher time for sales and that the industry is returning to a more normalized, seasonal pattern…
Click here to see more GOA News articles like this one.
Other gun-rights supporters acknowledge the July drop, but say the checks are still near the recent historically high levels. The 1.7 million federal checks in July were the second-highest total ever for the month.
"One would think the demand for purchasing guns is waning if you only compare this year's totals to last year's all-time highs," said Erich Pratt, executive director for Gun Owners of America. "But during every month this year, gun sales have either set a new record — as seen in May — or they have come in second or third place."
The records run through NICS aren't a one-to-one correlation to gun sales, but are often used as a general approximation for the market.


text:
Oh isn't it sweet irony when our governor, who is a self-professed fiscal conservative, gets called out on the carpet by a Democratic state representative, State Rep Jessica Farrar, a true fiscal conservative, about his not so conservative policies with regard to his abortive run for the presidency.
It's here at the Chron. Today Rep Farrar sent to Rick Perry a letter kindly requesting reimbursement for expenses incurred in having a state-paid security detail while campaigning for the Republican nomination in
, Iowa and New Hampshire . In a separate issue, it seems Ms. Farrar objects to Governor Perry's double dipping ways, collecting both a governor's salary and a state pension. South Carolina
Perry spokesman Lucy Nashed countered that Perry, as governor, rates a security detail at all times, even when traveling out of state.
Yeah, maybe so, but when traveling out of state with a security detail, Perry must be on state business. He wasn't. He was on the personal business of seeking higher office. That's not state business. I recall in times past that Perry's people justified the security detail's use that Perry was promoting
everywhere he went and spoke. Yeah, except that's not exactly what happened was it? As a matter of fact, Texans have egg on their faces over the fact that they elected this turkey once, and then re-elected him two more times. This dolt is the longest sitting governor in the state's history. Texas
This makes Texans look like the idiots that they are. And I'm not saying all Texans are idiots, lots and lots of us did not vote for Perry, ever. But we are all painted with the same broad strokes, so we are all tainted.
Perry. Pay us back. You didn't promote anything but yourself and you did such a bad job at that that you are out of the race and Ron Paul – who can never win – is still in it with money to spend.


text:
Another Season, More History Made
April 8, 2014
RUSTON - As the 2013-14 college basketball season officially came to a close last night, teams are already gearing up for offseason workouts in preparation for the next season.
But before players get back to pumping iron in the weight room and sweating through individual drills on the court, many will be reflecting on what was and what could have been.
For Louisiana Tech, what could have been was something that has eluded the program for the past 23 years - a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulldogs got so close they could envision the ear-to-ear smiles on their faces as their team was called during Selection Sunday.
They were leading Tulsa, 51-50, with 6:30 to go in the Conference USA title game, but the Golden Hurricane went on a 7-0 run and never looked back as they ended what was the only goal for LA Tech.
"We will have a chance to be very competitive in C-USA again next year," said head coach Michael White. "Of course, several factors will determine our level of success. Our young bench may be the biggest factor, in terms of how quickly they can contribute."
It could be assumed that an NCAA Tournament appearance could be the only thing to trump the previous year which was highlighted by 27 wins, a Western Athletic Conference regular season title, an AP top 25 ranking, an 18-game winning streak and a second round appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
However, LA Tech managed to match and, in some cases, even eclipse the 2012-13 season.
The `Dogs racked up 29 wins, tying the program record, and in the process won another conference regular season title, this time as a member of C-USA, and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals for just the second time in the school's history.
Two highlight wins of the 29 came on the road against Oklahoma, the second place finisher in the Big 12, and against Georgia, the second place finisher in the SEC.
There were also 10 other single season records tied or broken by the team, as well as individual records shattered by Kenyon McNeail for three-pointers made and attempted, Kenneth Smith for steals and assists and Michale Kyser for blocks.
LA Tech also had three players - Raheem Appleby, Cordarius Johnson and McNeail - reach 1,000 career points.
"Winning at Oklahoma and winning a share of the C-USA Championship, as well as winning two games in the NIT were all significant achievements," said White. "We were better than a year ago. Not only was C-USA a better league than the WAC, but we also won on the road at two BCS schools.
"All of the individual accomplishments and honors that our players garnered further exemplified how special this season was."
Next season, the team will look very different in some ways and very similar in others.
The Bulldogs return a stellar backcourt which features not one, not two but three all-conference guards.
Throw in a fourth starter in Michale Kyser, one of the best shot blockers in the country, and a star-studded recruiting class and you still have the makings of a team that has that singular goal - a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
For complete coverage of Bulldog Basketball, please follow @LATechHoops on Twitter or visit the official website of Louisiana Tech Athletics at www.LATechSports.com.
- Men's Sports
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- LA Tech Hall of Fame
- Official Logo Guide
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text:
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
ReTale Comic New Hire Orientation Part 1
Labels: anime, Comic strip, manga, slice of life, work
3 comments:
- Aimers said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- November 10, 2009 at 3:04 AM
- Aimers said...
Artist Comments:
Thank you for at least glancing at my new comic titled 'ReTale'! (yes it is meant to be a pun because this comic focuses on the retail work world. :)
This comic will be updated weekly..or as much as i can. Granted I am about to make a huge move so until after JAN 2010 the updates may be few.
I would have to ask that since this is an original work please do not download, or repost, or link anywhere without my permission...otherwise i may sue you. :)
- November 10, 2009 at 3:06 AM
- Sassy Dolphin said...
Once a week...uh huh....jk ;P
- August 1, 2010 at 9:47 PM
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Cinematheque . Film Schedule . The Freshman
United States | 1925 | Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
Harold Lloyd's most popular comedy of the 1920s finds the clueless, bespectacled boy-next-door doing whatever it takes to become popular on campus—even joining the college football team! Lloyd was one of the three great "clowns" of the American silent screen (along with Chaplin and Keaton), and The Freshman remains one of his funniest films! New music score by Carl Davis.
76 min. Blu-ray. Cleveland revival premiere. New Digital Restoration!
Buy advance tickets to Cinematheque films here.
at the Cleveland Institute of Art
11610 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106
Become a Cinematheque member and save off regular admission prices for one full year!
General Admission: $10
Member: $7 (includes CIA and CSU I.D. holders)
Age 25 & under: $7 (proof of age required)
*Additional film on the same day: $7 or the member price for that film.


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Finally took a chhutti - a small one - to
We usually stay in
Which is why the first time we were in
We went back this time, after three years, and things had changed. The power boaters were there, stinking up the air and oiling the water, and offering you 'dolphin rides'. There were tons of small, ugly resorts. Suddenly, it was Calangute again, without the milling crowds - for now.
And there was a new vulnerability around as well, a certain fragile air - because small fishing villages were clinging on to the fringes of the land not bought over by the resorts as yet. We saw this in many places: great Uglinesses of concrete nestled in clumps of green. There's nothing even remotely after-the-fact-ish here. It feels as if you're standing by and watching a murder; sighing even as they gut the body while it's still alive.
The village near our resort seemed sturdy, though. The houses were spacious and prettily painted, and pigs, roosters and kids frolicked around. (Early in the morning, the cock crowed - I'm sorry, but this thrilled me beyond belief!) The five or six large houses which made up the part of the village that we could see were literally squeezed between resorts, the Railways guest house and the Indian Oil one. It made you wonder how long the villagers would be able to hold out, and once they sold, where they'd go, what they'd do, and how compromised their lifestyle already was.
There were large smelly dumps on street corners and en route to the beach. When we suggested that the nearby hotels could get together and clear them regularly, we were told "we do that, but the 'locals' keep dirtying it." Aside from being monumental cheek, it seemed untrue simply because most of the garbage was made up of mineral water bottles and plastic bags. Which seem more touristy in nature, and obviously tourists come to resorts, don't they?
When I hear people talk about Travel (yes, important enough in our mags and papers to merit a capital letter) without reference to the human and geographical ecology of a place, I feel a bit surreal, like I've been transported to a Victorian text. I wonder for instance how the people of beach-side villages in Goa - who once must have been able to see the sea from their houses - feel about the sea view being a premium commodity now, accessible only to the privileged few.
I suspect it's just a matter of time before the rest of the village left near our resort sells up. Their resilience in the face of many offers makes them seem more fragile somehow... Our driver, for instance, spoke about how foreigners and other outsiders were buying up so much land that prices were escalating beyond belief. 'Goans, we were happy with small house and paddy field...' He seemed to imply that Goans almost sat back and watched the land being lapped up by others...
This was one level of feeling of course. Confusing me at the other was the sheer joy of being in a place where each sunset is a work of art. When people say 'painterly sunsets' they must mean those lurid shows put up by the beach and the sun and the sand at Colva. Seriously, it has to be seen to be believed - I mean, imagine a blue-grey sky lined with streaks of fluorescent pink! N enjoyed the sand with an almost devout fanaticism. She loved standing in the water as it pulled her - 'it's making me travel!' she'd shout. We'd be with her on the beach and keep telling her to watch the sunset and the huge, dome-like, pink-flecked sky, and she'd look up for a bit and then start her elemental sand-worship again. She found transparent, large-eyed crabs scuttling around and watched them in awe. It was beautiful, sad and then, beautiful again...
It made me feel that by bringing n up in a city we were robbing her of so much. Like my mom keeps talking about her childhood in her 'native place', and I think n wants to match up too. The only place she can think of with similar 'natural' attributes is goa. So the other day she tells my mom, "
Sigh, the eternal confusions of the liberal mind. Just aware enough to not be able to lose oneself and yenjaay, and too cowardly to actually do something about anything.


text: You can take night pictures on any unit. The pictures will be in color with the flash. They will look like any picture taken at night with a flash. The Model#11-9900 can take night pictures. With the filter on, they will be color pictures. To take night vision pictures that are black and white, you have to take off the filter.


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WANDering Minds
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
This series is one where the author made pretty much every character have some sort of stand-out feature. Now, you're probably thinking "Well, that's what all good authors should do to help you with remembering the characters." Yes, well, fantasy series go a little overboard in that they all feature fantastic things and out-of-this-world business. The focus isn't on an accountant who likes soccer, or a paperboy who has acne. The books are about a wizard boy who was almost murdered in infancy by a deadly curse.
Once an author commits to that starting point, things can only get crazier from there.
So you'd imagine it would be hard to single out any characters as noteworthy if they are all noteworthy, right? It's interesting how some characters' personalities still filter through to you. One such personality is that of Luna Lovegood.
Luna is at-once likable, very aloof and adorable. Contemplative, but rather spacey. Always full of surprises, but you can always bet on her saying something wonky. Which is good. The last thing we needed was a pair of Hermiones, am I right?
Anyway, she was a good friend to ol' HP, and he was always grateful for that. A friend that could be counted on. And when an evil wizard is trying to murder you and all sorts of crazy is wreaking havoc upon the school you love, reliable friends are a must.
Posted by Burt on 10/29/2009 2 comments:
BookSource: Harry Potter
Book O' Gold
Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge
Illustration by Ed Moody III
Rainbows End is the winner of both the Hugo and Locus Awards for 2007. Although a great book, I read it with skepticism. Vinge expects us to believe that in year 2025 most of the world's population will be "wearing". Smart clothing and contact lenses capable of overlaying computer generated images onto reality allow wearers their choice of many augmented realities. AND... a major character in the book is a rabbit.
I definitely found this vision of 2025 hard to swallow, but as soon as I finished reading the book I noticed the release of several alternate reality apps for the iPhone. Although these apps are in their infancy, it is easy to see the attraction of viewing the world with the addition of layers of info and enhanced visuals. Vinge may be onto something after all.
A pencil sketch, photographed, photo shopped, and topped off with a layer of contact lens scifi. Layers. It is all about the layers. Oh, and let's not forget Rabbit.
Posted by Burt on 10/21/2009 2 comments:
BookSource: Rainbows End
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Over the next decade, employment in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sector is expected to grow at a significantly higher rate than in the overall job market. This projected growth represents an exciting opportunity for our youth, but conveying excitement about a STEM career to our children is not always easy. Ethnic minority, female, and low-income students are particularly disengaged from STEM-related learning, relative to the school population at large (1).
How To Increase Diversity Participation In The STEM Sector
Research shows that the great majority of adults who are active in the environmental science, engineering, and advocacy fields had formative outdoor experiences during childhood or had role models who directed their attention to the environment (2). Finding ways to connect our children – irrespective of social background – with the outdoors and with people who are passionate about the environment may therefore represent a key strategy in opening up a world of career opportunities for them. Connecting kids with nature not only contributes to their physical, social, and emotional development (3), but it may also instill in them the enthusiasm to pursue a career in science or in another STEM field.
Outdoor Education Programs Combine Fun With Life-Long Learning
Programs that introduce children of diverse backgrounds to the outdoors provide anecdotal evidence that exploring the sights, textures, smells, tastes, and sounds of the environment can combine fun and learning in a way that makes a lasting impression. Jacqueline, an eleven-year-old who moved to the U.S. with her family from abroad, was one of 10 students who enrolled in a summer program organized in 2008 by the First Baptist Church of Waukegan, IL, in partnership with several public and private organizations. The program allowed students to explore their neighborhood's natural resources and meet scientists who make their living turning stones, counting birds, sampling water, or engaging in other activities that students themselves were undertaking. Jacqueline became fascinated with the American Toad and ended up presenting various facts and research findings about the species to other students. Later in the summer, Jacqueline paid a visit to the program coordinator and, after chatting about her experiences, stated her intention to become a paleontologist. Outdoor exploration can ignite passion for subjects like science and math. In the process, college and career aspirations can become a reality for children who otherwise might have never considered a profession in a scientific field.
Let Kids Be Their Own Guides
Whenever possible, parents should take their children outside and allow them to become their own guides.
- Unstructured time spent outdoors can help children develop interests and sensibilities that will last a lifetime.
- Families can also engage in outdoor activities, such as gardening or fishing, that affirm the passion and skills of their adult members.
- Kids may very well catch the spirit and the zeal from their parents.
- Participating in outdoor recreation programs offered through local agencies and organizations can supplement these family activities by exposing children to conservation scientists and other professionals who are enthusiastic about their work.
Partner With Your School
Outdoor youth programs delivered through local schools can be especially effective in communicating the importance of science and math to students of varied backgrounds. In the Chicago region, more than 6,000 public school students participate every year in the Mighty Acorns program, which takes them on three field trip experiences annually to a nearby public resource. Students have an opportunity to engage in conservation actions such as collecting seeds and planting seedlings in addition to exploring the outdoors on their own. Staff members are consistently amazed at how passionately children perform their work when entrusted to make a positive difference on the land. Trusting the child's lead in the outdoors and nourishing his or her spirit of discovery, together with finding opportunities to interact with people who are passionate about the environment, may constitute a set of actions that go a long way toward cultivating the next generation of STEM professionals.
1. U.S. Department of Labor [USDL]. (2007). The STEM workforce challenge: The role of the public workforce system in a national solution for a competitive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. 2. Chawla, L. (1999). Life paths into effective environmental action. Journal of Environmental Education, 31, 15-27. 3. Burdette, H.L. & Whitaker, R.C. (2005). Resurrecting free play in young children. Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 159, 46-50. Emilian Geczi coordinates the Chicago Wilderness Leave No Child Inside initiative. He works with environmental, educational, faith-based, and other organizations to support programs that connect children with the outdoors. He has an M.S. degree in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont. To learn more about the Leave No Child Inside initiative or the Mighty Acorns program, you can visit the kidsoutside.info website or contact Emilian at 312-545-1007. Rev. Keith Cerk serves on the Chicago Wilderness Faith-Based Advisory Group and on the Youth Services Board of Kids Hope United. He pastors an urban, multi-cultural congregation and has worked with at-risk children, youth and gang members for over 20 years. Keith is a wilderness canoe trip guide who also co-directs a nature adventure program which uses the outdoors to engage children's interest in the sciences. He loves to point out that adults in "green collar" careers can get paid for doing the same kind of fun activities the kids are doing. A certified Wilderness First Responder, Keith holds M.A. and M.Div. degrees and has been trained by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and the Wilderness Awareness School. He can be reached via his church's website: fbcwaukegan.com.


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Friends and Partners,
Here is the truth at the heart of this campaign: we will never be able to change a corrupt political system by taking its money.
Hillary Clinton receives a tremendous amount of money from Wall Street.
This morning, Christine from Brookline, Massachusetts contributed $3 to our political revolution because she's had enough of billionaires buying elections. Health care and pharmaceutical companies have contributed millions of dollars to the Clinton campaigns.
Thomas, a laid-off welder from Ohio with no health care contributed a few bucks because he believes in Bernie.
On the surface it might not seem like a fair fight, but when people come together anything is possible.
And the response since Bernie's challenge to help our campaign raise $40 million in the month of February has been incredible.
These are all real contributions from people helping us reach our goal. Add yours before our midnight FEC fundraising deadline.
With Super Tuesday tomorrow, we are entering the most important stretch of this campaign. Our opponent's largest super PAC has really stepped up their spending after receiving more than $15 million in Wall Street money during their final fundraising report of 2015.
But what we are going to demonstrate in this election is that their enormous wealth and power is their weakness. When we hit our goal tonight, we are going to send a powerful message to those who have yet to vote that we have what it takes to defeat the billionaire class in this election. That's why we have to ask:
Can Bernie count on you to make a $2.70 contribution for the final FEC fundraising deadline before Super Tuesday? You can do that here.
Every single contribution we receive before midnight should be seen as a declaration of support for the values we share. People should not underestimate us.
In solidarity,
Jeff Weaver
Campaign Manager
Bernie 2016
Campaign Manager
Bernie 2016
Paid for by Bernie 2016
PO Box 905 - Burlington VT 05402 United States - (855) 4-BERNIE
This email was sent to email@example.com. If you need to update or change your information or email address, click here to update your info. Email is one of the most important tools we have to reach supporters like you, but you can let us know if you'd like to receive fewer emails. We'd hate to see you go, but if you need to do so, click here to unsubscribe. Stand against the powerful special interests who are systematically buying our Congress and have their sights set on the presidency by contributing to Bernie here.


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Logging On to Learn
A classroom lecture at Capistrano Connections Academy in Southern California involves booting up the home computer, logging on to a Web site, and observing a teacher conducting a PowerPoint presentation of that day's lesson entirely online. Through microphone headsets, students can watch on their home computers, respond to the teacher's questions, and take part in classroom discussions.
"It's very interactive," says Elizabeth Hall, whose fifth-grade daughter is enrolled in the school. Capistrano Connections Academy, a charter school authorized by the Capistrano Unified School District and managed by Connections Academy, is among a growing number of virtual schools offering full-time programs in which all courses are taken online. Now, 24 states and the District of Columbia offer full-time online schools to students.
Experts are studying whether full-time virtual schools are effective academically and whether they offer students sufficient social opportunities. Some question if they are receiving more than their fair share of state funding. If virtual schools get more popular, drawing students away from districts, it could affect those districts' bottom lines.
Nuts and Bolts
According to the 2009 edition of the "Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning" report, which annually tracks trends of online schools nationwide, many full-time virtual schools are charter schools, which are authorized and overseen by state or local authorities.
Like other charters, the virtual charters operate largely independently, with some supervision by the district or state authorizers to ensure the schools are complying with education regulations and their charter agreements. Like charter schools in general, virtual charter schools are expected to benefit from the procharter policy reforms that many states are implementing so that they can qualify for federal Race to the Top funds.
Other full-time programs are not independent charters, but are created by districts or coalitions of districts. About 175,000, a fraction of the nation's 55 million K12 students, attend school full-time online, the "Keeping Pace" report states. Although data on virtual schools aren't as plentiful as for regular schools, there are strong indications that full-time virtual education is becoming more popular.
In Ohio, for example, enrollment in full-time virtual programs grew 13 percent between 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, reaching 27,037 students, according to the report. And some states have created state virtual schools, which typically offer individual courses to students statewide but usually do not provide full-time programs. One exception is Florida Virtual School, which offers supplemental and full-time programs to districts.
Makeup of Student Body
Virtual school advocates say the new model offers distinct advantages to certain students compared with their peers in traditional schools. For example, gifted students looking to work at their own pace are drawn to virtual schools, says Leslye Moraski Erickson, head of Wisconsin Virtual Academy, a charter school that is serviced by K12 Inc.
Some virtual students didn't do well academically in a regular classroom, while other students are outstanding musicians or athletes who need flexible hours for practice or training. Other students had not felt safe at a traditional school due to bullying or social difficulties, virtual school advocates say. "The goal is to match the learning environment with the needs of the student," says Erickson, whose independently operated school serves about 400 K12 students statewide.
But virtual schooling is not for all students. The model requires parents to devote significant time to helping their children. And high school students are expected to learn more independently, which requires self-discipline.
Educational Management
Many virtual charter schools are affiliated with for-profit educational management companies, such as Connections Academy, K12 Inc., Edison, White Hat and Insight Schools. Such companies typically provide online and offline curricula, learning management systems, and educational materials that are shipped to the students' homes.
Charters provide laptops or desktops, microphone headsets, and free Internet service. The companies can take an even larger role by marketing the school, providing teachers, or training the school's own teachers in the online curriculum.
Although they may be authorized by local districts, many virtual charter schools can enroll students throughout the state, except for cases like in California, where the schools are limited to their host and adjacent counties.
Parents as Learning Coaches
Parents in the full-time virtual school model become "learning coaches," especially in the early grades. They work with their children, both while the kids are on the computer and when they are offline doing activities like art projects, games or science experiments, and they make sure the kids are on task.
Meanwhile, teachers in many cases interact with students and parents via e-mail, chat, phone, or via live and recorded video sessions in which students equipped with microphone headsets can talk to their teachers and draw on the screen in a kind of "virtual whiteboard."
In addition to providing a parent orientation, Capistrano Connections Academy provides teaching guides to parents and holds periodic conferences between teachers and parents, according to Jonathan Horowitz, the principal of the school, which serves about 1,000 K12 students in five counties in Southern California.
In parent-directed virtual education, the quality of the curriculum becomes even more important, says Michael K. Barbour, an assistant professor of instructional technology at Wayne State University. "If the content isn't that good, then the education, in theory, is not going to be that good unless the parent makes up for it," he says.
There is also the risk that the virtual teacher serves more as a helpline with little proactive contact with the home, which can be considered glorified homeschooling, with the parent as teacher, he says. In many cases, virtual schools get their curriculum from private educational management companies, which research and develop the curriculum.
Uncertain Results
But do students in full-time virtual programs learn as well as those in regular schools? There has been little research on the success of virtual schooling for K12 students. When the U.S. Department of Education last year reviewed academic studies on online learning, it found that, on average, students in online learning situations performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.
But the department noted that most of the studies focused on adults. Although much of the research has focused on individual online courses rather than full-time virtual schools, evidence shows that students can learn just as well in an online environment as they can in a regular school, says Allison Powell, vice president of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning.
"I think it's another way for kids to learn," she says. "And the research that has been done has said that students in the online class do as well or better in online schools as they do in traditional face-to-face classes."
At Connections Academy in San Clemente, Calif., a special education student in her previous school was bullied relentlessly, Horowitz says. Without the social pressures at Connections Academy, she has excelled and taken community college courses. This spring she will receive her diploma and associate of arts degree.
Even assuming that virtual students are learning effectively, what about their social lives outside their virtual classrooms? Virtual school advocates say it's a myth that their students are isolated.
At Insight School of Minnesota, an online school serving high school students around the state, students periodically meet face-to-face for activities like bowling, take part in online clubs like photography, and talk online in "The Halls," a monitored chat room, says Principal John Huber. The school, which is not a charter, was started by the Brooklyn Center School District, located in a Minneapolis suburb.
Capistrano Connections Academy also employs student message boards to enhance student social interaction, and it also conducts field trips, Horowitz says. But he notes that youths don't rely solely on school to develop friendships. Many meet friends outside of school through clubs, sports or church, he adds.
His opinion is confirmed in a 2008 study by Interactive Educational Systems Design and the University of Memphis, which found that measures of virtual students' social skills were the same or higher than that of a national sample of students.
The Matter of Money
Virtual charter schools have brought some funding controversies, including in Pennsylvania, where some school districts are lobbying for reforms. In that state, school districts are forced to cover the cost of students living within their boundaries who attend charter schools—virtual or not.
The district has to base all such payments to charters on the district's own cost per student. The system is unfair to districts, because virtual charter schools can educate students more cheaply than district schools can, says Jim Buckheit, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.
Virtual schools don't have transportation and facilities costs that traditional schools do, he notes. Virtual charters "are making a profit, because the amount that they are being reimbursed far exceeds the cost of the delivery of services," he says.
But virtual school advocates dispute that saying that while virtual charters save on facilities, their expenses are higher in other areas, including paying for technical and academic support, computers and Internet access for students.
Joining the Game
As virtual schooling has become more popular, some districts have been looking to create their own virtual schools. With some state grant money, Lawrence (Kan.) Public Schools in 2004 created its own virtual charter school to serve the needs of children whose parents felt they weren't a good fit for traditional schools, says Karen Vespestad, the district's director of grants, board services and strategic planning.
Declining enrollment over the prior four years in the district, with 300 families homeschooling, was another reason, she says. The Lawrence Virtual School, which uses K12 Inc., curriculum is now Kansas' largest, with about 1,100 K8 students. Although the district doesn't receive any of the virtual school's per-pupil money, it does get to count the school's students in its district enrollment totals, Vespestad says. That's financially important, because some federal and state monies are based on district enrollment.
The district, which has about 10,000 students overall, hired the charter school's principal, OK'd the curriculum, and approves all expenses, but it gives freedom to the school to run its own affairs, Vespestad says. The school reports to the district's school board annually, she adds.
Approving Independent Charters
The McFarland (Wis.) School District last year authorized the Wisconsin Virtual Academy because the district believed the virtual model could work for interested students, says Superintendent Scott Brown. The district also gets free access to the K12 Inc. online curriculum.
But what should districts look for when considering approving virtual charters? Virtual charter school applications present unique issues, including picking the method that will keep track of attendance and establishing student "seat time," says Alex Medler, vice president of policy and research at the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.
District leaders should talk to officials at state agencies and leaders in other districts who have had experience with virtual charters to see what state laws or policies address that question and others, he adds. Medler advises further that district leaders should ask how the school plans to show academic growth.
Virtual charters often attract high-risk kids who move in and out of the regular public school system, making it difficult for the virtual charter to get high participation rates on state tests, he says. "You will want in most cases additional measures of student performance that you [and the charter] agree on as part of the contract," he says, noting nationally norm-referenced assessments.
The charter proposal also needs to address how the school will provide special education services to students living in different areas of the state. Finally, Medler says, if virtual charter petitioners plan to contract with an educational management company, district leaders should ask to inspect their agreement with the vendor to understand each party's role and responsibilities.
For guidance, districts also could consult the "National Standards for Quality Online Programs" developed by the International Council for K-12 Online Learning. The Capistrano Unified School District approved the application in 2003 from Capistrano Connections Academy after looking at for-profit Connection Academy's track record and student test scores in schools in other states, says Jolene Dougherty, the Capistrano district's administrator for charter schools.
Unable to Ignore Growth
Dougherty, who is a nonvoting member of the virtual school's board of directors, advises district leaders who are considering authorizing virtual charters to consider the quality of the curriculum offered before they approve and to stay in touch with the school on a regular basis. Overall, districts across the nation won't be able to ignore the growth of virtual learning, Dougherty says. "And as administrators," she adds, "we need to embrace them and accept them and look for quality programs."
Kevin Butler is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles