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What do you think about the idea of increasing the age on OAS to 67 years old?
This is yet another sign that Canadians need to plan for themselves when it comes to funding their retirement. Certainly CPP and Old Age Security will continue to be a key part of the safety net for seniors. But looking ahead to the future, it is abundantly clear that we need to rethink what that net will actually cover.
One of the most important lessons of personal finance is to live within your means. And governments need to do that too. The aging population is going to lead to a huge increase in expenditures that will not be offset by a comparable rise in revenues. This means that changes to how taxpayers support seniors are both probable and necessary.
These moves will be deeply unpopular, even among those who won't feel the sting, namely today's seniors. Economists predict that changes would be accompanied by a long phase in period, so the people really affected are not the retirees of today, but the retirees of 10-20 years from now. For these people, there is still time to make changes to improve cash flow, either by increasing income or cutting expenses.
Cash flow and retirement savings are areas that individuals have some control over, barring extenuating circumstances like serious illness. We have much less control over how much we will need to access health care services, another cost centre that is set to balloon. Tough choices will have to be made on where scarce dollars go. On balance, I'm more concerned about health care than OAS.
We need to focus more on ensuring that Canadians increase the amount they save for retirement. Any changes to OAS need to be accompanied by a clear plan to support that goal. We are not doing nearly enough in this area in terms of financial education and tax incentives, especially in the lower brackets.
The bottom line is that Canadians need to trade some comfort now for security in the future. Let's hope the debate about OAS increases awareness about the need for a mindset change about retirement savings.


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The absolute LOWEST common denominator…
On my way to work every morning, I'm faced with a very difficult decision. The little devil sitting on my left shoulder tells me to roll down my window, honk my horn, extend a middle finger and shoot disapproving stares. The little angel (that pussy) sitting on my right shoulder tells me to keep on driving, take the high road and maybe write a post about it. Well, in their eternal struggle over my soul, it looks like they're going to have to settle for a 1-1 tie on this morning's celestial battlefield.
I'm talking about the religious dickheads that congregate outside of Planned Parenthood* in the mornings, spreading their word of fear and hate to all that pass by on their morning commute.
*Quick story about Planned Parenthood…I promise I'll get back to the point in just a sec. Years ago, maybe around age 22, Stizzle and I went to Planned Parenthood. He was too cheap to buy condoms from a liquor store like a real man, and had heard that they were free at Planned Parenthood. He asked me if I would go with him on lunch break, so I happily obliged. We get there and walk up to the window; the nice lady behind the counter asks what she can help us with (maybe she thought we were a gay couple, looking to find a baby???). Stizzle asks for free condoms and she whips out a giant bowl, full of them. He grabs a small handful. The lady turns to me and asks if I would like any. Mike Apathy looked at her with his signature smirk, and camly replied, "Fuck no. I don't use those things." Stizzle and I laughed our immature asses off all the way back to his car.
Listen, I'm about as huge a proponent of the 1st amendment as anyone in this country. If folks in China or North Korea had their own versions of The Octopus Hamstring (in China's case, it would most likely be The Super Happy of The Ocean Octopus Most Glorious Hamstring, or something to that effect…you get the picture…and that's assuming they'd even have the access to internet to do it…), they'd "disappear", or be "reeducated." My point is this:
It takes a real asshole, and a obvioulsy confused one at that, to stand outside of an establishment that is dedicated to the assistance of people in need and berate them on their way inside. Let me preface this by saying I am disgusted by people who use abortion as a method of birth control. They're completely missing the point, and if there is a hell, they'll most likely end up there only to be raped eternally by Adolf Hitler, Atilla the Hun and Janie Lane (I'm sorry…too soon? why would he be in hell you ask? two words: Cherry Pie).
I like to think of myself as a slightly left-leaning moderate. I'm somewhat fiscally conservative, while at the same time passionate about human rights, personal freedoms, etc… I am also an agnostic, with strong leanings toward atheism. One of the main problems I have with these bottom-feeders is that they use their religion as the foundation of their arguments. These are the same folks who won't bat an eyelid when we drop another bomb (that their "we hate taxes" tax dollars paid for) on a village in the Middle East, slaughtering faceless men, women and children. You see that's cool though, because God loves 'Merica and to hell with everyone else. Me personally, I don't see the difference. You're telling me that it's totally cool, in the name of your God and blind nationalism, to kill (mostly) innocent civilians, while at the same time, condemning a woman who was raped and telling her that she cannot terminate a pregnancy because it's an abomination of God's will? I call bullshit. Actually, you know what? Give me some hardcore, scientific evidence that this God exists, and that your translation of his word (that was written by men) is the correct one, and I'll shut the fuck up**.
**I have a sneaking suspicion that if these tables were turned, and if the atheist/scientific community undisputedly proved that there is no god, we'd still have these nuts running around, retranslating scripture, so that this discovery could be spun as divine prophecy intended to weed out the evil ones, etc…
Back to the article…
Now obviously not every woman walking into a Planned Parenthood is a rape victim. The bottom line is that life deals us fucked up cards from time to time. I might come off as a monster here, but if an uneducated 16-year old from a shitty part of town gets knocked up by her drug-dealing boyfriend and she wants to get an abortion? Awesome. I might even help pay for it. The thing that truly sucks about this certain scenario is that most of the folks I grew up around, that fit that bill, are devout Catholics. Well we all know about their stance on birth control and abortions now don't we. UGH.
Religion has a way of brainwashing the folks who could really use this type of education and benefit from it. It's quite sad actually. One of the most evil things I can think of from recent memory was back in 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI went touring through Africa, telling the destitute, hopeless, poverty-stricken masses that condoms are evil, and will only make their HIV/AIDS situation worse. To paraphrase Bill Simmons (who I obviously have a man-crush on), "I will now pour scalding-hot water down the front of my pants."
Here's a conundrum for the readers of the Hamstring to ponder over: These same folks who want less government in their lives, are basically asking for this same evil government to meddle in it even more! I just don't get it. At the same time, my feeling toward religion is this: If it works for you, great. Just please don't force it down the rest of our throats. I'd be a lot more apt to take their lobbying seriously if they were coming from a different platform. I don't think ANY law should be passed based off of instructions from a book that is filled with contradictions, fear and hate.
Speaking of religion, the bible, etc… I highly suggest that you all go out and pick up a terrific book by Christopher Hitchens entitled, "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything." It was a best-seller, and many of you may already be familiar with it. Either way, if you haven't read it, it's now officially recommended by The Octopus Hamstring Book Club (Oprah's got nothing on us). I'm not going to go into detail on its contents here, but a simple Google Search will bring up tons of reviews.
I did see something funny yesterday, and I think I'll leave it on this note. With everyone picketing something these days, it appears that Sweden is doing just fine.
For Tyler and Sweden,
This is Mike Apathy signing off.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Irvine Co. announced the opening of a new retail store and a restaurant at two of its Orange County shopping centers, according to separate news releases.
Brandy Melville, a women's apparel line from Italy, recently opened its first Orange County location at Fashion Island near Nordstrom, according to a Fashion Island news release. The clothier is popular for its beachy, chic styles in soft comfortable fabrics, according to the release.
O Fine Japanese Cuisine opened its second Orange County location in the Quail Hill Village Center in Irvine last week, according to the Irvine Co.


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Author Archives: Chasing Heels
I have moved all of my stuff for a third time in the past three weeks. This time to Guelph home to a slew of radical punx and one of the countries top track teams. Friday morning I woke up … Continue reading
Running to Forget
Leaving Winnipeg was really tough. Despite all these plans that I make they rarely come to fruition. Yet here I sit in my mothers one bedroom appartment where I've been sleeping on the floor/couch for the past week. Even now … Continue reading
Summer Happened…
It's the truth and I haven't written in several months. So much has happened since May 27th. Folk fest & assorted Mondragon drama, Fists In! recorded an album, Sh!thawks kinda… went tits up (almost 100% my fault), my good friend … Continue reading
Running In Translation
I did have a plan to solve the issue I am about to explain. That plan has been pushed back and maybe canceled due to injury which you can read about in the post under this one. Runner's have breakthroughs. … Continue reading
A Stint with A Splint
Last weekend I ran two races, in hindsight I shouldn't have run either. I have a shin splint in my left leg which has been bothering me since Thursday before the races. I should have taken the weekend off and … Continue reading
Winnipeg's Free Pressblicity
I'm a nice guy, sometimes. Recently a reporter from the Winnipeg Free Press caught me interacting with A. on one of his less sober days. He's a man who hangs out outside the Drag most days, coming in for soup, … Continue reading
Weather's Turning
Wednesday : We had a temp drop and some frost two nights ago. Everyone's gardens probably got a bit of a shock from that. I took the day off from running on Tuesday and my evening was a bit of … Continue reading


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Lesson Plan
National Park Legacy - Explorers (Grade 3)
- Grade Level:
- Third Grade
- Subject:
- Biology: Animals, Biology: Plants, Earth Science, Geology, History, Oceans
- Duration:
- National Park Legacy Explorers can be completed in one hour or expanded into a week of activities.
- Group Size:
- Up to 60 (10-15 breakout groups)
- Setting:
- classroom
- National/State Standards:
- California Benchmarks for social studies, geography, United States History and language arts.
- Keywords:
- National Parks, resource protection, plants, animals, history, geography, Change
OverviewThis is a classroom based, free teacher led program. National Park Legacy Explorers is designed for third graders so they can go on an exploration of National Park Sites and learn about National Parks. Lesson plans include reading, writing, drawing and presenting activities. Activities focus on comparing and contrasting the types of environments found in National Parks including desert, lake, mountain, seashore and Arctic.
Name one or more National Parks.
Name two or more activities people can do in National Parks.
Name one or more famous people that lived in a National Park.
Name two or more plants found in a National Park.
Name two or more animals found in a National Park.
Draw one or more items including plants, animals or buildings found in National Parks.
Name the regions of the United States.
Name the state in which their National Park is located.
Locate their National Park on a map.
National Park Legacy introduces the concepts of National Parks, geography and history to first and second graders. Students work together in groups and share what they learn with each other.
Lesson plans including teacher instructions, background information worksheets and park brochures.
1. Set the stage - Read the National Parks Background information and discuss what a national park is. Tell your students that today we are going to learn about some different national parks and then we will find out about our own national park here in Los Angeles.
2. Gather information- Divide students into three or four groups. Each group will work on one national park. Choose parks in the same state or are of the United States that have geographical contrast, i.e. mountain, desert, seashore. Us the worksheet to guide the students in finding information about their park. Provide stickers for the US National Park Map. (Students may need some help in locating their park on the map prior to giving the report.)
3. Report- Groups come back together to present their reports under your direction. Ask students in each group to identify the name of their park and use a sticker to mark the location of the park on the US Map. Ask each group to report on the information they have discovered about their national park, using the questions from the worksheet as cues.
4. Wrap up- Ask who would like to work at a national park? What would they do? Ask who has visited a national park? Would they want to visit the national park they reported on? Pass out copies of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area brochure and invite students to visit this national park here in Los Angeles with their families.
Teachers will be able to assess their students learning based on the detail and length of oral or picture responses.
Park Connections
This lesson plan describes components found in national parks.
Have the students create their own national park. Draw pictures, create their own park map, make a post card, send an email, etc.
VocabularyNational Park, gift, legacy, share, desert, mountain, lake, seashore, picture, activities, park ranger, battlefield.
Last updated: March 1, 2015


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Hello, Friends! Today, I'm back and thrilled to share the reveal of the Dining Area of my new deck. In case you missed it, I revealed the Living/Conversation area a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the pieces for the dining area have been arriving. This past weekend, I was able to pull the space together. I absolutely love how it came together. Take a look!
Our family has really been enjoying our new outdoor space and we can't wait to have our family and friends over to share it with us. I hope you like it too!
(click on the image below to be taken directly to the source)


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Six Key Points of Leapfrog Run Training
Coach Matt Reedy believes successful running – successful and enjoyable racing – is built on a foundation of solid principles of training. In his clinics and training sessions he sticks to these basic principles to help runners of all levels enjoy the sport more.
"How To" Run Fast: Leapfrog Athletics SIGNATURE WORKOUT
Leapfrog Athletics Signature Workout: The "How To" Run Fast Workout.
Have you ever wondered HOW some people run so fast?? How do some runners make it look SO EASY?? What's their secret??
10 Tips to the 10k
10 Tips for the 10k: Leapfrog Athletics presents our Race Strategy for the 10k distance. We wish you all the best: may the road be kind, your pace be swift and the finish line find you fulfilled!! Here is our Best Advice for your pre-race check:


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Submit Your Story
We hope that you can submit your story. They can be simple and short stories and do not feel intimidated by the quality of your writing or even the quality of the story. We want to hear a story that has touched your heart and that would be fun to share. The main idea is to express and share something nice you did to others and in other cases, to express what other people have done to you.
The slogan is: Everybody has a story and if you don't have one, go out and get one!
This website always needs new stories in order to exist. When you write a story, new people come. These new people write new stories and others will come too who can write stories.
On the virtues of loving kindness and share that merit with others
Write down your story to inspire others to do the same.
No Limit
Loving Kindness has no limit and there is no limit to how many stories you can submit.
No Job Too Small
Every good deed counts and deserves recognition. There is no size requirement to describe such a deed. If you did some random act that takes only three lines to describe, we want to hear it!
Don't Worry
Let the loving-kindness be what shines through. Do not worry about the quality of writing. Just do it. We can help edit, but let the kindness shine though the literary skills. This website is geared toward nonprofessional stories and to recognize the little guy (and big ones too).


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CH Road Journal 10.06.05
October 06, 2005
09.21-23.05 – After finsihing a fantastic night at 33 Live, our new youth group at New Life Christian Church, Jenny and I jumped in the car and headed to Rochester where we spent the night at the Johnson's house. Early the next morning we headed south to Randolph, NY to Camp Li-Lo-Li where we were the guest speakers and worship leaders for the Christian Academy of Western New York's annual fall retreat. The two short days we spent there were rich and encouraging as we challenegd the teens to become the leaders of excelence that God has called them to be. I also had a ton of on the zip-line portion of the camp's ropes course! See the zip-line cam video on our Audioblogger page! Many thanks to Mrs. McDonald, Jim, Larry and all the rest of the Camp and School staff.
09.24.05 – Jennifer and I sang in the beautiful wedding of one of my high school class friends, Arianna Woodcock. They were married by my father at Cornell University on Saturtday. Congratulations Jay and Ari! Blessngs and much love!
09.25-27.05 – Spent a few extra days at Grandma & Grandpa (NEW!) Hopper's house in Freeville, NY.
09.30.05 – CAR ACCIDENT! Jenny was driving west on 104 just off 81 going into Mexico (headed towards Rochester). She glanced away from the road towards me to answer a question, and then looked back forward only to scream as she
had drifted into the other lane with 3 cars oncoming. At about 50-mph she swerved back into our lane and over-steered, sending the car into a dangerous back and forth "jibing" motion. I tried to help correct it, but the car ended up going off the road to the right, getting some air, and then running along a deep ditch with the left side of the car scrapping along a 3.5′ vertical asphalt/rock ditch wall for about 50′. When the dust cleared we were looking out the driver's side window, almost even with the road above.
Three cars stopped to help us. I pulled Jenny out through the passenger door (as hers was pinned against the wall). Eva didn't even know anything had happened. The incident was very "un-violent" in terms of shaking or motion…everything was smooth. An officer showed up within three minutes as it had been 911'd in. A mom in a mini-van with kids took a shaken up Jenny, along with Eva, to Dr. Ron & Susie Russell's house not 3 miles down the road. No bruises, bangs or
bumps, pulled muscles, etc.
The police officer's patrol car was almost hit twice as we were on the backside of what he termed, "the worst possible section of the worst possible hill you could have broken down on." As other vehicles slowed to offer assistance, the cars coming over the rise behind them locked up, screeched and wildly swerved to avoid more collisions. The officer eventually parked his car on the front side of the hill with flares following.
The officer and I waited for the tow (AAA couldn't find an available tow). The guy who got the car out (as I drove it) was speechless upon it's removal from the ditch.
In tow trucker Dave's exact words upon his initial viewing of the car (pardon the intended speech…but it's reality!), he said, "That f—er is going to be f—ed up even worse than it is now if I try and get it out." I just smiled thinking of the insurance premium. After he rigged up the pulleys and cable, and I steered from the inside, he stood in a dumbfounded look as I climbed out of the car. "In 25 years I have never seen anything like that," he said. I closed the door and
looked at the car…
…not a scratch.
"That is favor," I said to him, and to the cop who looked on.
"Favor?" asked Dave.
"When you serve King Jesus, He has favor on you," I said.
"Well, that's for sure," Dave said. "'Cause that's 1 in 10,000 for me."
After filling out the police report in the back of the officer's car, along with a surprise visit from Dr. Ron who laughed as he took a phone video of me in the back of a cop car, I drove away in our Acura to the Russell's. We had dinner with Ron, Susie and Josh and then headed to Lyndonville. The only problem I'm aware with the car is a slight wobble in the lignment and a creaking in the left front strut.
We spent the rest of the ride thanking the Lord for His mercy and protection for something that could have been fatal. Many prayers were sent up and we just savored how precious our little family is. Upon reaching the Nesbitt's we learned that two other Nesbitt-relative family members had been in automobile predicaments within the SAME HOUR. Tim Thomas (cousin) had a woman pull out in front of him and he missed her barely. But Jeff Katanick (cousin) and his wife weren't so lucky. They were t-boned in Lyndonville by a woman running a stop sign at over 60 mph. Jeff was Mercy Flighted to Buffalo, thrown from the vehicle, breaking his back in 2 places…he's in intensive care. His wife was taken by ambulance and in stable condition with no severe injuries. Please keep them in prayer, both Christians.
10.01.05 – Following the car accident Jenny and I took advantage of the beautiful, warm day the next day by saddling up two horses and riding to Lake Ontario. The ride was gorgeous and much needed. Someone once said, "The best thing for the soul of a man is the back of a horse." Jenny and I ran through fields, woods, pastures, corn rows, and dirt roads. On the final leg of an open stretch of field just before the barns back home, one of the coolest things happened to me. My horse and I ran by a round bail and a red tailed hawk was sitting on top of it. The hawk saw us and took off, crossing directly in front of us from left to right. With my horse running at full speed, totally maxed out and hungry to get home, the hawk flew along side of us about ten feet above and to my right for about 150 yards. It was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had with God's creation. It was truly a gift from the Lord to me, as He (and Jenny) knows how much I love hawks. Jennifer watched it take place from behind and wished she had had a video camera to capture the moment. But I suppose it was just meant to be shared with us and our horses. Thank you Jesus!
10.01.05 – Had a sweet time of worship at Charles Finney High in Pennfield, NY with CHB. Because the concert was originally scheduled to be at Bethel Church in Rochester the preceding Friday, and was cancled just a week prior, there wasn't much time to advirtise. Thus, only a small group of close fiorneds and family from around the area showed up. It made for a very intimate and infromal time in the presence of God. After worshiping together, Jenny had the idea of releasing the band to go pray for everyone, which they did gladly and with great anointing. Afterwards we packed up and treated everyone to dinner at Proettis Resturant in Webster, NY. Sandra was there to greet us and the staff took GREAT care of us. If you want THE BEST chicken dish in all of western, NY, get their Chicken Antonio…tell them Christopher Hopper sent you! (www.proiettis.com).
10.02.05 – After catching a few hours of sleep we woke up first thing Sunday morning and followed Denis and Becca to Church of Love Faith Center on Exchange St. in downtown Rochester. CHB did special songs for both morning services where Bishop Parris preached out of 2 Kings 4. We love Church of Love because they really know how to get down and boogie (am I allopwed to use that word? Boggie?). Then from there we (got lost) went to the University of Rochester and played a song for the campus Christian Church service (just after the Budhist service and right before the Sekh service!). It was a great time and I enjoyed connecting with a few of the students on campus. God bless you guys!
10.03-04.05 – Took a few extra days to be with Grandma & Grandpa Nesbitt (also NEW!). Family is a precious thing.
10.05.05 – Had a wonderful night at 33 Live back at our home church in northern, NY. Besides a few dates of travel for various ministry requests and the holidays, this concludes a near non-stop pace for us since July. We are glad to be home. Our new house will be finished the first week of November which we're very excited about! It will be the first time for both Jennifer and I that we've had any sort of routine and normalcy. It's the rigfht season for us. I'm planning on speding the winter writing the next installment of the White Lion Chornicles.
Blessings! Thanks for reading!
September 21, 2005
09.21.05 – Just had a wonderful time meeting with over 75 students at 1,000 Islands High School in northern, NY for this year's annual See You At The Pole. Just after 7am the student lead prayer meeting kicked off around the flag pole in front of the school with a clear sky and a soft wind, about 60 degrees. A brief history of the event was shared, a few scriptures were read, and prayers offered up. Spiritually, I think it was definitely a start, and a great turn out at that! My heart hungers to see DYNAMIC and PASSIONATE teens raised up in our midst who are as BOLD as LIONS when it comes to leadership and war, yet as GENTLE as SNOWFLAKES when it comes to compassion. Being a youth pastor in this area, this morning's meeting gives me something to work towards for next year. It was also my first time being up at the school, so that was cool…taking the spiritual "pulse" of the place.
CH Road Journal 09.13.05
September 13, 2005
09.02.05 – The new CHB album, Airborn, was released Friday night September 2nd at Awakening. What a joy to see people so excited to hear the new material! The feedback has been very encouraging. I truly think it's our best work to date and I'm so proud of my band and my dad for really making it shine.
09.02-03.05 – Had an amazing time at Awakening September 2nd-4th at the Watertown Arena! Thanks to all of you who made it out, and to all those who prayed us through from afar! Rev. Harvey Carey spoke Friday night and Saturday morning, Rev. Kirk Gilchrist and Rev. Peter Hopper taught seminars Saturday afternoon, Sherri McCready preached Saturday night, Rev. Peter shared Sunday morning, the seminars again Sunday afternoon, and I preached the last session Sunday night. Mariely & The Restoration Band were phenomenal and carried a strong anointing during the main sessions; New Life Worship Band was our pre-session opener and did a wonderful job at leading everyone into God's presence as the doors opened over the weekend. And CHB was there, too, having a blast in the presence of God. Check out the Awakening site soon for a full library of pics, audio and video of the event (www.ourawakening.com).
Through it all we had many teens saved, delivered, miraculous healings, and baptisms in the Holy Spirit and fire! The testimonies continue to pour in! We're looking forward to the upcoming Awakenings, and responding to the new invitations from Florida, Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina.
09.08-11.05 – Just finished up a wonderful weekend in Buffalo, NY. Left home in northern NY on Thursday the 8th. Arrived at TCT Television studios on Friday morning at 11am. Had a wonderful time shooting three songs for later broadcast; "Come Love," and, "Holy Spirit Come," along with Jennifer's, "Pull Me Back," appearing on her new album next month. The staff there (Lynn and Shaun) along with the camera opperators (Josh, Dee, and Rick) were wonderful.
From there we did a 4pm load in at The Wesleyan Church of Hamburg on McKinley Ave. Jenny caught up on some sleep on the floor in the hallway during sound check, and Teaspoon got stuck in traffic arriving just before we started the second song at 7:15pm! Thanks to Paul Warner for sitting in with us on the first tune and being willing to play it out with us without any rehearsal! CHB was there as a special guest for the church's Worship Conference. We played until about 9:30pm and then had a great time meeting everyone afterwards.
That night the band stayed with families in the church (thanks Herb and Michelle!) and then arrived back at the church Saturday morning at 8am. We had a nice breakfast provided by the staff and then went on to lead worship and eventually teach a seminar for worship leaders and musicians/singers. It was a rich time of breaking down songs, leadership, musicianship and "how to get songs to flow." Many thanks to Pastor Ben and Sue Lountchenko for hosting the event!
Saturday afternoon Jenny, Eva and I headed out to stay with her parents, went sailing on Lake Ontario, and spent the night only to rise early Sunday morning to make the long drive back to the 1,000 Islands for our home church service.
Needless to say I slept in Monday morning…
Enjoy the new CD!


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Friday, 30 September 2011 03:19 PM
There are no differences between the Obama administration and billionaire investor Warren Buffett on the principles of a White House tax proposal that bears his name, Jay Carney, President Barack Obama's spokesman, said.
Buffett's comments in television interviews this morning have been "misconstrued at best" by the president's opponents, Carney said at a briefing.
Buffett said in an interview with Bloomberg Television today his proposal was only intended to raise taxes on "about 50,000 people" who are extremely wealthy and pay "very low" taxes because investment income is taxed at a lower rate than wages and salaries.
He said he did not intend to promote a general increase in taxes on all higher-income taxpayers.
Carney said the so-called Buffett Rule proposed by the president is "a principle" for tax reform that is consistent with Buffett's remarks.
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When handled as a generator of sound, as French bassist Louis-Michel Marion does, the double bass reveals itself to be the versatile container of sonic multitudes that it is. That this is so is enhanced by Marion's favoring of the expanded compass that his five-string instrument affords.
Marion's training and influences reflect a melding of jazz and contemporary avant-garde and experimental composition that has become fairly prevalent among performers of freely improvised music. After a time playing blues rock bass, he studied double bass with Jean-François Jenny-Clark and Pierre Hellouin, and has played with American jazz musicians Joe McPhee and Steve Potter. Additionally, he cites Salvatore Sciarrino, Morton Feldman and Iannis Xenakis among others as significant sources of inspiration, and interestingly enough has a non-musical background in linguistics as well. Two recent releases allow him to develop his sound in both trio and solo settings.
The Clinamen Trio, which in addition to Marion includes clarinetist Jacques Di Donato and violist Philippe Berger, improvises contemporary sound-based chamber music. Marion is right to assert that the trio's name is apt: "Clinamen" derives from Lucretius's Epicurean poem De rerum natura and describes the unpredictable zig-zag motions of atoms in space. More than simple mechanical movement, this seemingly indeterminate motion was supposed by the poet to constitute the basis for free will. The allusion to free will as well as unpredictable causal interactions seems a most fitting figure for a trio improvisation. Just how fitting can be heard on Décliné, released earlier this year. With their fine sensitivity to timbre and dynamics, the three create extended sounds that ricochet off of each other in abstract conjunctions and disjunctions—very much the sonic image of an intelligently guided Brownian motion, if such a thing can be imagined. The combination of high and low strings with a wind instrument provides just enough timbral grit; the clarinet's feedback-like multiphonics and curt bursts play well off of the strings' hard-edged tones, abrupt pizzicato and other percussive effects. A quiet interlude in the middle of the recording has the instruments' individual identities effaced in a general surf of scraping, tapping, rubbing and skittering.
On 2015's 5 Strophes, Marion plays solo. The five improvisations show him drawing some unexpected sounds from the instrument, at times making it seem as if it's being run through a granular synthesizer in real time. He's particularly skilled at creating simultaneously sounding independent lines rich in overtones and textured with ghost melodies flitting over slowly rolling drones. He does the sound in different voices, taking full advantage of the double bass's potential for multi-string, autopolyphony.


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It's All About to Hit the Fan
It's all about to hit the fan.
New York State's own version of 'Hell Weeks' begins this week. Beginning on Tuesday, most of New York's children will be undergoing a grueling 540 minutes of high stakes testing.
This past weekend NY Education Commissioner John King said, "… that these assessments are an opportunity, not a judgment of failure," King said, "It's an opportunity to see how we do against something that is challenging … after all, we want students to become adults who are courageous about taking challenges." King,whose own children go to a Montessori school and will not be subjected to this testing, doesn't have a clue about transforming children into courageous, and independent lifetime learners. His actions speak much louder than his nonsensical words. Shielding his own children from these tests, and his own regulations, while subjecting other children to them, is gross misconduct. Every parent in this state should be demanding his immediate resignation. He obviously does not believe in public schools.
I wish Governor Cuomo and Commissioner King would answer the tough questions on courage.
- Will these test measure how an extremely courageous child in my class is handling a devastating family situation?
- Will these test take into consideration, a child dealing with a breakup of his family? A child dealing with a parent's illness? Their own illness??
- Will these tests measure the awesome curiosity and courage developed over the course of the year?
- Will these tests measure the emotional growth of a child who entered my class shy and withdrawn and now is willing to take a chance?
- Will these tests take into consideration, the child who is entering puberty and his /her confidence is on shaky ground as they struggle with their identity?
- Will these tests measure how a child has developed into a creative writing, willing to share their personal thoughts as they write from the hearts?
- Will these tests measure how a child has become confident enough to recognize that they need to reach out for the extra help they need?
- Will these tests take into consideration the fear and anxiety brought on by the excessive pressure of high stakes testing?
- Will these tests measure how children who go to sleep hungry at night, manage somehow to show up to school and do their very best?
- Will these tests measure how those with physical challenges courageously do the best they can every day?
Commissioner King, you have no clue what courage is. You are about to learn a lesson of courage from thousands of parents all across the state.
The Power of Courageous Parents
All across the state thousands of parents are gearing up for battle this week. Arming themselves with letters they are informing their local districts that they are their child's best advocate and they are responsible for their child's education, future ,and most importantly, their emotional well being. They are informing their teachers, principals, superintendents, and school boards, that their children will not be taking these tests. They are refusing to have their children sit though 540 minutes of abusive testing, and that they don't see these tests as a challenge. They see these tests, as an example of corporate reform, hell bent on destroying public education and being let through the hallowed gates of our communities most precious assets, by a Education Commissioner and Governor, who don't believe in local control and the 'public' in public education.
These parents have the courage to say, "No! You will not be doing this to my child! This is not an opportunity this is abuse and we won't let you do it!


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Dining room is one of the important places in our house. Dining room is a place to gather the family member while they get dinner, lunch or breakfast. This place is the most easily place to gather all family members for food reason. You need to make this place as comfortable as you can to build harmonization in the house. Orange dining rooms that provide in the pictures below are comfortable dining room with warm atmosphere.
Open plan orange dining room with dark furniture in the first picture is very nice combination. Orange wall combines with white floor under some orange carpet is very perfect. Black dining table combines with black dining chairs also black swan chair and small black table. Some flowers, statues, lamps and ornaments make this room more awesome.
Orange is also gloomy. There is a dining room in the small area that is looked very gloomy and comfortable. There is large dining table with six chairs also plant on the table and chandelier also two windows with curtains. Mirror on the orange wall makes this dining room catchier. White ceiling in this room make this room nicer because white and orange is good combination.
Bright orange dining room also appears in the pictures below. Wooden dining table and chairs combine with chandelier and red rose on the table makes this dining room very comfortable to stay. Some artistic ornaments on the wall will make this dining room more beautiful to stay and to see. White pillars in this dining room is also nice interior.


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There are two main reasons people come to train at Krav Maga Swindon. One is obviously to learn effective self defence skills. The other is to gain or improve on personal fitness. Most people who approach us about training ask the same question: How fit do I have to be to start Krav Maga? The answer is not very! People do sometimes wait to be fit before starting to train with us but that's not the best strategy – often they will never reach their goals because it's always an if this then that scenario… when I am fit… When I have more time… etc. The better way is to see Krav training as a fantastic way to get yourself in the best shape of your life.
Why Krav Maga Training is a Great Path to Fitness
Going to the gym has its disadvantages. Firstly, you're nearly always alone at the gym, working only off the back of your own personal discipline, a discipline that's hard to maintain as time goes on, especially if you don't have the readies for an expensive personal trainer. Secondly, it's hard to push your limits when you're working by yourself and the exercise is boring. People statistically do not stay training at a gym consistently. They go for a while and quit. That's because it's hard to keep going when the exercise is the activity. I mean really, what do you learn from lifting weight, apart from getting better at lifting weight? In a Krav Maga class, surrounded by very motivated people who encourage you and push you on, it's much easier to reach for your goals. Also, the Krav Maga actually distracts you from the exercise. You'll be focused on learning a new skill and the fitness will be a bonus – you won't be focused on the grind of repetitive exercise.
Starting out with fitness at Krav Maga Swindon
When you come to your first Krav Maga class in Swindon, here are some things to remember:
- We were all beginners once. People remember what that's like.
- Wherever you train, there are people fitter than you. And some that are not fitter than you.
- Our members take a pride in helping new starters pick up the basics of Krav Maga. It helps them cement their knowledge and experience. You will always find a warm welcome and a supportive start.
- Everyone rests sometimes. New people rest more frequently. In the first few weeks you'll simply need longer and more frequent breaks during training. No one cares that you take time to recover. (Refer to point 1.)
- Compete only with yourself. That's the only benchmark you ever need.
High Intensity Interval Training
With few exceptions, HIIT training is spoken about extremely highly as a proven method of rapidly improving cardiovascular fitness. And it's very relevant to Krav Maga training because violence is totally anaerobic. Get into a fight and it will be short bursts of all-out exertion, not steady-state, aerobic work over 12 rounds. Most fights in the real world are settled in just a few seconds. In short, HIIT is a crucial part of what we do here at Krav Maga Swindon
Anaerobic – The Lowdown, in Layman's Terms
- Your body turns oxygen and sugars into energy.
- You can only burn so much oxygen. The maximum amount you can process is called VO2 Max. Work any harder and your body will switch over into a different chemical process, called Anaerobic Work, which is energy production in the absence of oxygen.
- Whereas aerobic work can be sustained for hours, anaerobic work will burn you out in seconds because it produces a lot of toxic byproducts such as lactic acid. Training the anaerobic metabolism can push the window of how long you can sustain maximal exertion.
One key study in the subject of improving anaerobic and aerobic thresholds is the Tabata Protocol. At Krav Maga Swindon, we use Tabata as a regular part of our exercise. Combined with steady state work throughout the week, Tabata HIIT can give you a massive boost in reaching your training goals. You get bonus calorie burn for hours afterwards too, if that's your bag.
Obviously, getting to fitness means more than simply turning up to class. You'll progress a lot faster if you do some fitness training at home too. Tabata is a great way of doing just that, as it's a short, punchy workout that you can fit in at any time. To read more about Tabata, see the Wikipedia article on HIIT, or Krav Maga Swindon's page over on our sister site www.kravmagaswindon.co.uk/tabata-protocol.html
Your Action Plan – Beginners at Krav Maga Swindon
Based on the research that says it's best to mix HIIT with steady state, here's what a good fitness action plan might look like.
- Aim to kit Krav about two times a week. Count on a 1000+ calorie burn that will contribute massively to getting you in shape.
- Try to do one instance of Tabata every day you're not at Krav. It's a 15 minute workout if you warm up properly and you can select pretty much any exercises to fill the intervals, even Krav movements so you can build skill at the same time.
- Try to do 3 instances of steady state exercise of at least 45 minutes at 140-170 bpm heart rate, one a day spread evenly throughout the week, totalling 3 instances in the week. This will compliment the HIIT and give you a great all round fitness.
- Drink more water. Everyone needs to do that.
- Try to rduce intoxicants so that you're only drinking on weekends. That way your body has time to sort itself out. And try to put in a balance of good foods. You can still treat yourself – the great thing about regular exercise is that it really burns through calories.
- Stick at it. This'll be easier than simply going to the gym because you'll have a whole class of people you train with that you'll want to see, and a skill you'll want to keep learning.
Adrenal Response and HIIT
At Krav Maga Swindon, there's another reason we regularly use HIIT. High intensity training kicks the heart rate up massively and we know from experiment that high heart rate over time is responsible for the same short term deterioration of cognitive and fine motor skills as that caused by adrenal load. Knowing this, we are able to apply HIIT during technical drills as a form of pressure that accurately simulates reproduction of technique under high adrenal load. This gives us a way to objectively test technique without actually putting people in fear, and hence danger.
The Inner Opponent
You want goals. All humans do. It's innate. And when you achieve a goal you grow stronger and better able to achieve more goals. Iron discipline and resilience to fear means taking charge of the Inner Opponent. And hard workouts are one of the only things guaranteed to bring you right into the face of that opponent so that you can deal it a blow. It's the voice in your head that's telling you to back down, to quit, to take a break, and if you can beat it, it will be weaker the next time, and you stronger. And what else are we in the business of doing, if not teaching you to find your strength?
For more information about fitness regimes suitable for Krav Maga in Swindon, get in touch or ask your instructor – we help people to fitness as part of our job, and we're happy to help you just the same.


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Alpes-Maritimes (06620) Population: 294 Altitude: 760 m
Gallery of 7 photos for Gourdon
Gourdon is an ancient perched village, and it is really perched. It sits on the edge of a rocky spur that juts out about 500m directly above the Loup river where the Gorges du Loup comes out at the Pont-du-Loup village. (The population, by the way, includes the people living in Pont-du-Loup, 360 m straight down below Gourdon.) There are some great views of Gourdon, and a few other lovely sites of the French Riviera, in Hitchcock's 1955 "To Catch a Thief" with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
Gourdon is one of the Most Beautiful Villages (Plus Beaux Villages) of France.
Gourdon is one of the most picturesque of all the perched villages, and one of the most touristic. It's rated as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, and well deserves the title. The village is full of little boutiques with perfume products, a glass blower who creates intricate masterpieces and loves to talk, an early-17th-century fortress, and several large buses dropping off and picking up tourists.
The château originated as a Saracen fortress in the 9th-12th centuries that evolved into a 13th-century château, and was completely rebuilt in 1610. The beautiful lavoir, just down from the château, is from the 19th century.
The view from the edge of the village is worth adding yourself to the tourist count. You can see most of the coast, all the way to the Esterel; and the Gorges du Loup below is beautiful, with the tall stone pillars from the old, destroyed railway bridge. We stood here in Feb 1999 with Japanese visitor (and Friend of Beyond) Shin and watched a pair of golden eagles in front of the village, and saw paragliders soaring by almost within touching distance.
As for Beyond, take the small road North from Gourdon up to the Plateau de Caussols, visit the Observatoire du CERGA, or stop off about 4 km up from Gourdon and jump off the cliffs with wings on your back.
Gourdon has no "real" commerce: you can buy souvenirs, perfume, blown-glass and some good honey spice bread, but there are no food markets, bakeries or other similar shops.
History of Gourdon
First record, 1035 De Gordone
Prehistoric: The prehistoric grottos of Garagaï are located on the route de Grasse
Gallo-Roman: There are numerous oppidum and other Roman sites in the region, including at Bas-Montet, Haut-Montet, Colle Basse, La Combe, L'Embarnier, Le Collet des Escravuires, La Lauve and Segovo. The Gallo-Roman engraved stela that was at the Chapelle St-Vincent has disappeared.
Medieval: A possession of the Counts of Provence until 1235; part of Grasse-Bar until the 13th century; passed to Villeneuve-Flayosc by marriage; the Seigneurie des Borriglione took possession in 1550; passed to the Lombard family who rebuilt the château.
Tourist Office
Tel : 0493 42 54 83; Fax: 04 93 09 40 21
Web: www.gourdon06.fr
Email: email@example.com
IGN (1/25,000) #3643 ET "Cannes, Grasse, Côte d'Azur"
Didier Richard (1/50,000) #26 "Pay d'Azur"
Gourdon has a great place for lunch: the Taverne Provencal, with excellent food, reasonable prices, and a fine view of the coast from the outdoor terrace.
We were admonished by a Beyond reader for playing favoritism here, but the Taverne Provencal is simply the only one we've tried recently. There are 5 restaurants in Gourdon, including the restaurant creperie La Fringale du Petit Indien. From our many years experience in this part of France, we can state that you will probably get friendly service and great food, at the appropriate prices, for whatever class of restaurant you try.
Transportation Gourdon
One bus a day from Grasse for Cipières and Gourdon, leaves Grasse at 15h30, from Mon-Fri.


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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Humanization of a Murdered Girl in Douglass's Narrative
In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave,Douglass tells many anecdotes to illustrate the horrors of slavery. One of these recounts the murder of his wife's cousin. Douglass uses several strategies to gain our sympathy when describing the incident.
First, Douglass does not hesitate to voice his disapproval of the whole affair with a very emotionally-charged report. Douglass starts the paragraph by calling Mrs. Hicks' action "murder." He then attracts our pity with the phrase "poor girl." These words clearly distinguish the villain from the victim. Douglass further highlights Mrs. Hicks' ferocity, saying that the victim was "mangled" in a "horrible" manner. He also uses the words "breaking" and "broke" to emphasize that the slave was shattered brutally. This diction urges us to, like Douglass, become enraged by Mrs. Hicks' action.
When telling the event, Douglass humbles the girl by leaving her nameless. He refers to her as "my wife's cousin" and "this girl," thus emphasizing her lower status as a slave. Another interpretation of her anonymity is that it allows her to represent other nameless slaves who suffered similar fates. The girl transcends the individual. She died an...
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"This is our 'make it work' moment," someone shouted, cheering on their housemates-turned-artists who were hurrying to put the finishing touches on their canvas.
The clock struck 10:30 p.m. in the crowded theater of the University Church last Thursday, marking the end of the Homecoming Banner Competition painting session. Organized by the Student Alumni Committee, this annual homecoming week competition is a popular event that challenges UChicago students to reveal their artistic sides and school spirit. After a frenzied evening of painting featuring more than 20 groups of students from residential houses and RSOs, the completed banners serve as decorations for the Homecoming Block Party by Stagg Field. There, judges assess the banners by merits of spirit, creativity, and aesthetic, awarding the top three with cash prizes.
With half an hour remaining in the painting session, a student across the room with a sponge brush in each hand and speckled paint up to her elbows called for more red and blue. Painters balanced precariously over their colorful creations, hastening their brush strokes as the clock ticked down. The competing teams perfected color, smoothed lines, and saturated their banners corner-to-corner up to the very last minute.
Three hours of painting yielded a diverse array of designs. Many houses take inspiration from their house crests or mascots, which include everything from Dodd-Mead's ornamental keys to Behar House's charming pug. Others turn to iconic campus architecture, with different banners depicting the shining dome of Mansueto, the stony walls of Regenstein Library, or the bright colors of Max Palevsky Residence Hall. Between blazing phoenixes and plenty of maroon, many groups found space to include John Boyer, the beloved Dean of the College, in their designs.
Competition was fierce among this year's banners. For many students, this is a highly anticipated event and some groups spend whole days on their artistic vision. Second-year Claire Kokontis of Wallace House teamed up with a group of skilled artists to create a masterful depiction of Hull Gate.
Photo courtesy of Claire Kokontis.
"We figured we could set our banner apart by trying to make it look like a painting," she said. "We wanted to highlight things we think are unique about UChicago, and one of the big things for us is the beautiful campus."
Their autumnal work of art earned them third place in the competition.
"We were constantly communicating with each other throughout the painting process," Kokontis said, citing their teamwork and preparedness as the keys to their success. "We took a lot of breaks to stand back and make sure that the painting looked like one cohesive scene, and not like multiple people with different painting styles working on one painting."
Photo courtesy of Grace Su.
Other teams opted for different strategies. Third-year Grace Su and her Hitchcock House teammates arrived at the competition with no plan. Su said they quickly discussed their inspiration when they arrived: "We wanted to do something funny that also demonstrated school pride. Our design was essentially Dean Boyer on a Phoenix in the 'George Washington Crossing the Delaware' pose." After this hurried planning session, Su and first-year housemate Laura Sieh got to work and finished their highly spirited piece just in the knick of time.
"We honestly did not think that we would place in the competition, but I am so glad that we participated," Su said. "It was an amazing bonding experience. We are so happy to be able to share our art with our house!"
Inspired by their resident heads' Serbian heritage, the first place design by Halperin House featured a double-headed phoenix in the style of a Serbian crest. Emblazoned on a shield in the center is the Chicago flag, completing the bold and prideful look of this banner.
Halperin first-year Siena Fite was excited to take part in this event, a longtime tradition for her house. "All the banners from previous years hang in our lounge," she said. "That's where this year's banner will go too, and I'm hoping we will use the prize money to take a fun trip—maybe an art-related one!"
Year after year, UChicago students return to this competition to unleash (or unearth) their artistic talent, making their mark with a fittingly diverse display of school pride.


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Audubon Birdwalk Along Río Laja Near Rancho Jaguar
By Signe Hammer, photo by Bob Graham
Join Audubon on Sunday for a birdwalk along the Río Laja with leaders Bob Graham, Norman Besman, Luke Rich, Mike Wheatcroft, and me. We'll look for Black Phoebes hawking insects at a shallow river ford, and we could spot a Crested Caracara or Osprey beating its way across the horizon, or a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned Hawk soaring over the meadows.
Audubon Birdwalk
Sun, Nov 15, 7:45am-12:30pm
Meets in front of Instituto Allende
Ancha de San Antonio 20
Bob Graham
154 9856
Members free, Non-members 150 pesos or US$15
There is usually a Green Kingfisher or two along the river, and we'll look for a range of songbirds in the trees, from a Western Scrub-Jay to a colorful Blue or Black-headed Grosbeak. We're bound to see such familiar friends as the Vermilion Flycatcher, Curve-billed Thrasher, and Golden-fronted Woodpecker.
Fall migration is bringing in winter's visitors, and we'll look for such new arrivals as a Clay-colored or Lark Sparrow and a Yellow-rumped Warbler (most likely the Western, Audubon's subspecies, with a yellow throat as well as rump).
The walk is open to all birders, beginning and experienced alike. Wear comfortable, sturdy walking shoes and bring water and a hat. We'll have our newly revised Bird Guide for sale, which focuses on the birds most commonly found in the San Miguel area. Our guides carry telescopes so that everyone can see distant birds clearly, and we'll also have a few pairs of binoculars to lend.
Carpooling is essential, so if you have a car, please bring it. Plan to arrive at 7:45am, as we leave promptly at 8am. You'll be back about noon, with new entries for your life list and new birding friends. Steady rain cancels.
For more information, visit our website: www.audubonmex.org.


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Recently the sports community benefited from a Soccer Wire article by Joanna Lohman on marketing to the innovators. While it was preaching to the choir on some points, it definitely got the ball rolling on discussions concerning the new women's pro soccer league that is kicking off spring of 2013.
The yet unnamed league is in the early stages and is developing largely behind closed doors at the moment. Meanwhile the rest of us looking in have had a lot of thoughts built up over the years. Many of us were there for one or both past leagues folding. No one wants a repeat of that, but what can be done to avoid a similar fate?
Lohman's Innovators
Many of us read Lohman's arguments supporting marketing to the innovators and the discussion that followed. Check that out if you haven't yet or to brush up on the soccer superfan. I can see the appeal for both the players and superfans to reach out to each other. If just for sanity sake. As an athlete or as a superfan it has to be nice to know there are people out there who love the sport as much as you and express it in the same ways.
Marketing to the innovator isn't a new idea outside of the sport. A number of industries rely heavily on a core fanbase of superfans to survive financially and creatively. The music industry is a big one. Recently Lady Gaga's unique success was broken down to the fact she aimed primarily to the 1% of her most loyal superfans. That's a viable option when your 1% is being factored from millions. She found the fans that spoke to her, drove her creativity, and a byproduct marketing to them is a product that appeals to millions.
What if your 1% equals 20-30 super loyal fans per team? Owners would rightfully point out that between the "butts in seats" need and sponsorship opportunities marketing to the superfan isn't an option at the moment. They don't carry the numbers and by their nature are so loyal they will come if you market to them or not.
There aren't enough superfans out there. How do you create more? What switch do you flip in a person to turn them into that kind of fan?
Who Do You Target Then?
I argue that both the superfans and youth soccer (the latter being the target audience of the past two leagues) are the two groups that require the least amount of effort as far as marketing goes. In some ways both groups are the most predictable and the most frustrating.
The Superfan
Everybody loves the superfan and would love to have a section of them at every game. As long as we have our wishlist out how about a stadium full of them? There aren't enough superfans out there. How do you create more? What switch do you flip in a person to turn them into that kind of fan? As a superfan I'm not even sure. I've not infected anyone to that level yet. I have some sway over average sports fans to get them to a game or two, but setting the hook is another matter entirely.
Youth Soccer
The opposite is true for youth soccer. There are lots of youth soccer (be it soccer moms, dads, or coaches bringing in young people), but how do you convince the youth soccer element that their already busy schedules can afford more than two or three trips to a game per season? To their advantage, as a group they are the most numerous. They also are the most busy. You can count on them like clockwork for what they have time to give you, but no amount of marketing can change the fact they are busy people. And where have they all gone over the years? Two leagues marketed to them. If that worked then we should see thousands of 18-30 year-old women graduating from that system and filling the stands. The people who grew up being marketed to have not made the jump to being adult sports fans. Instead we have a Logan's Run scenario. After a certain age they evaporate no matter how much you cater to them as children.
Both the superfan and youth soccer are loyal in their own way, but seem steadfast in either their lack of numbers or the level of commitment they have available to give you.
The Sports Fan
What group is both large in number and is predisposed to become more than a one or two game fan? I say it's the sports fan. Anything ranging from the casual level sports fan to the soccer purist who needs to be exposed to the women's game. They are by far the most numerous and ultimately the "butts in seats" segment that make up any mainstream sport out there. They are the group you want your youth soccer segment to learn to grow into, the lifelong fans of the sport in general, and the group that would enjoy the atmosphere created by the superfans the most. They have the potential of developing the sustainability of the superfans with the numbers of youth soccer.
Creating a narrative is an important part of developing a fan. It might start off as seeing one game, but it needs to be about getting invested in the story of the season.
Who are these sports fans? What marketing language do they speak? What can be done to create an environment conductive to their needs that would also appeal to the superfan and youth soccer fans?
Tap into the Narrative
Major sports in America have 24/7 exposure, a built in audience, and loads of money. The narrative of their teams are out there in front of the public all the time and running on momentum that is fueled by fans, media, and history as much as by the direct efforts of the organization. If you move to Chicago and want to get to know the Bulls you have many avenues to do so. The story is everywhere. That's the environment where the sports fan exists.
Creating a narrative is an important part of developing a fan. It might start off as seeing one game, but it needs to be about getting invested in the story of the season. The gaps that are easily filled in the major sports leagues need to be filled somehow. If someone goes to a game and comes home to look a player up online or looks at the schedule there needs to be compelling content for them to run into. They expect content. Content that they are used to taking in every day in other sports like breathing, but because of the start-up nature of women's sports has to be created for this team in a DIY fashion.
Jump-starting a Narrative
The Houston Texans, the youngest NFL team, has tried to speed up it's brand depth by doing some of this themselves. They are trying to turn the casual fan into a lifelong supporter. While they obviously have more money than the entirety of the women's league, they recognize the need to be proactive on this front.
For an example closer to home look no further than Paris St.-Germain. The women's team that recently signed Lindsey Horan, the American player who turned down a college scholarship to play for them. PSG is making every effort to be the best in their league and perhaps best in the world and they want everyone to know that goal. After five minutes of this video you know exactly what they are about this season and the next ten for that matter.


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BOOST awareness of your event/fundraising cause by cross promoting on our web properties and social media pages.
If you provide us with a pair of event tickets, we'll use them as a contest prize in a digital marketing campaign targeting riders in your region.
Your event poster will also be viewable in the Belt Drive Betty Sponsored Events module at the bottom of your provincial calendar on CanadianMotorcycleEvents.com


text: Raindrops keep fallin' on my head. That's exactly the song you won't be singing with Studio NL's innovative Umbrella Coat which, you guessed it, has an umbrella for a hood. That means no more having to juggle your groceries, keys, pet pooch, baby, etc. with one hand when it rains, and no more poking innocent bystanders in the eye with your 'brella. Why didn't anyone think of this smart solution sooner?


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - A wire fox terrier named Sky won "best in show" at the 138th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York on Tuesday, besting canines in six other groups at one of the oldest sporting events in the United States.
Betty Regina Leininger of Frisco, Texas, awarded the top prize to the assured terrier at this year's event in Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. The win makes it the 14th time the wire fox terrier has won the competition, more than any other breed since Westminster started awarding the "best in show" prize in 1907.
Gabriel Rangel, Sky's handler, who lives with the 5-year-old in Rialto, California, said Sky's newfound stardom should give her plenty of suitors for breeding.
"She's a little perfect dog. She knows what you want to do. You put her on the table and she's ready to be brushed," he said.
Torie Steele of Malibu, California, one of Sky's owners, said, "It's like winning an Oscar, one of those things you hope for."
The wire fox terrier's last win was in 1992. No other breed has more than eight victories in the show's history. In its first 30 years, Westminster did not name a "best in show."
The win adds to the dominance of the terriers at Westminster. The group, which also includes the popular Scottish terrier, has won the top prize 46 times, more than double that of any other group.
A standard poodle named Ally was the runner-up, known as "reserve best in show."
The competition focuses on a dog's appearance, compared with a breed standard. The show is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the United States, after the Kentucky Derby horse race.
Leininger, in explaining her decision, noted the dog's presence.
"She's in superb condition and was expertly presented," she said.
The finalists included four group winners from Monday: a bloodhound named Nathan, best of the hound group; Classie, a miniature pinscher tops in the toy group; Ally, the standard poodle, who won the non-sporting group; and a Cardigan Welsh corgi named Coco Posh, leader of the herding group.
Sky was one of the three group winners named Tuesday prior to the championship round. An Irish water spaniel named Riley took honors in the sporting group and a Portuguese water dog named Matisse was best among working dogs.
This year, 190 breeds and varieties were featured, including three new breeds: the Portuguese podengo pequeno; the chinook, a husky-like breed developed in New Hampshire; and the spotted rat terrier.
The show followed the American Kennel Club's first dog agility contest, held on Saturday, which was open to mixed-breeds. The winner was Kelso, a 7-year-old border collie from Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Writing by David Gaffen and Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Gunna Dickson and Lisa Shumaker


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Police shoot dead gunman who took hostages in German cinema
A gunman took hostages at a cinema in western Germany on Thursday before police shot him dead, a police spokesman told the N-TV television channel, adding that no other people were injured. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
No transcript available.


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Sonokinetic has released Trailer Voice, a sample library featuring a collection of generic and catchy quotes and phrases, voice in epic movie trailer style.
Here's how Sonokinetic describes the new library:
We're proud to present, Voice over cues for promos, trailers, event introductions, dvd and cd presentations, sports events, launches, epic entries, teasers, world premiers, song enhancement and more impressive narrative moments.
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James Lewin
Twitter @podcasting_news
Highly configurable Eurorack module


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A new app that enables students and teachers to create their own encoded messages was launched to popularise encryption techniques, GCHQ announced.
Cryptoy, the educational application designed by the intelligence and security organisation, is intended for secondary school students and teachers who can share their own cryptographic messages with the purpose of being deciphered by the recipient.
Although the application is largely aimed at Key Stage 4 students, it can be used by anyone interested in code-making since it also provides an overview of the field. Initially designed by students on placement at GCHQ as part of a project, the app grew popular with teachers who wanted to use it as a teaching aid.
"The Cryptoy app is a colourful, interactive way for students and their teachers to explore the fascinating world of cryptography. I hope it will inspire further study of this key topic, which has played such an important part in our past and is an invaluable part of our future," said Robert Hannigan, director at GCHQ.
With the proliferation of hack attacks and online privacy and security threats, there is a general consensus among security specialists about having to develop a knowledge base of cybersecurity skills in Britain.
"Building maths and cyber skills in the younger generation is essential for maintaining the cyber security of the UK and growing a vibrant digital economy," Hannigan added.
Speaking about the app at the anniversary of the UK Cyber Security Strategy, Cabinet Minister Francis Maude said: "Famously, the government recruited winners of a Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword competition to work at Bletchley Park. Today, I'm pleased to announce a similarly creative solution in the hunt for expertise, but with a 21st century spin."
The government published its national cyber security strategy in 2011, aiming to shape an open and secure cyberspace. Presenting the report on progress and forward plans in December, Maude said that significant strides were made towards all the goals this year and throughout the course of the Programme's existence.
The Cryptoy app is currently available to download for free on Android tablets only, but an iOS version for iPads should be available in 2015.


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1500 61%
For 11 hours
when you stay :Each room here will provide you with a TV, a seating area and cable channels. Private bathroom also comes with a shower. Extras include a fan.
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When I was a little girl I wanted more than anything to be a mermaid. I loved the water, swimming for hours pretending I had a beautiful silver-green tail with long golden hair gliding gracefully through the water. The magic of Hawaii brought back those memories as I spent as much time in the ocean as I possibly could, floating on the waves, snorkeling, scuba diving and boogie boarding.
Our trip to Maui was just about perfect. The weather, the warm water, the peace, the calm, the lack of any stress, the books I read, the time spent with Don just being. We hadn't been back to Maui since our honeymoon 27 years and 7 months ago. This time away was just what my mind and body needed, but as our departure day drew near, I felt the familiar anxiousness starting to creep back in. Our last dinner there was spent in tears as I thought about all of the cares I seem to carry. Again I grieved over the losses we've experienced in the last five years. I remembered with longing the family trip we took to Hawaii just 7 months before Josh was diagnosed with cancer. I wondered if Josh would ever be able to swim in the Hawaiin ocean ever again. I went to bed that night asking God for His strength and His peace knowing I would soon be re-entering real life.
On our last morning, we awoke early and walked down to the ocean. I desired one last long morning swim. Don wanted to go for a run. As we approached the beach I saw an older woman with silver hair bobbing around in the mellow waves. I recognized her from the night before. She had been celebrating the sunset with a group of local residents. Their gathering was complete with wine, sushi, chicken wings and much fellowship. I had noticed she was new to the group as she was introducing herself to everyone except the gregarious lady who seemed to be the hostess. Then the hostess wrapped her arms around the new woman and said, "Let's go swim my mermaid friend." And they walked arm in arm towards the waves. I thought they were beautiful with their short silver hair and brown bodies. I longed for a mermaid friend too.
I grew excited when I saw her in the ocean and I suddenly knew God had something special in store for me. I walked into the waves diving under one and swam towards her. I seemed to be drawn to her. She was glowing and I approached her with a smile commenting on how lovely the ocean was. We began to talk. Before I knew it she shared with me in her Mississippi accent her miracle of healing from a brain tumor through a vivid vision, her love of God and His mysteries, her children and their lives, her childhood traumas. And I began to share about my life. God's love flowed through her and tears ran down her face as I talked about Joshua. She infused me with God's love, with encouragment and she hugged me deeply floating on the waves. She had already been swimming earlier that morning and had gotten out when she felt compelled to go back in the water. She said God had set up our meeting. We shared for an hour and I really can't put into words all that was said and felt. It seemed divine. Then Don swam over having finished his run. I introduced them. As she said it was time for her to leave she pulled me into her loving arms and began sweetly whispering angel prayers into my ear. She was praying in tongues for me. I began to quietly cry. She kissed me gently on my cheek and swam away.
I can't really explain what my angel mermaid did for me other than my anxiousness and fear are gone. I feel divinely renewed. Don and I marveled over this experience together with grateful hearts. As I shared this story and our time in Hawaii with a friend, he commented how he tries to live "Aloha" everyday. He lived on the islands attending Bible School a few years back. For me my angel mermaid reminded me "Living Aloha" means trusting in God and His ebb and flow of life. Birth, death, tragedy and miracles all blending into our journey of life. My angel mermaid was emphatic Josh would live a long life. She said we would all be back in Hawaii one day celebrating Josh's trach removal as we watched him swim through the blue-green waters. May it be so.


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I work within the newspaper industry, which as anybody can let you know, just isn't exactly the hippest place to be anymore, so I discover myself asking this query on a regular basis (haha).
Jill Dobson first worked for native tv stations in Lansing, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids. She then became a reporter for E! Information. Subsequent, Jill was hired as editor-at-large for Star journal. She got here to work for Fox Information in 2007 as an Leisure Correspondent, as which she appears on many programs of the Fox Information Channel.
Because of the acquisition, both DTI and Falcon Discovery purchasers will profit from expanded providers, enhanced undertaking management, consulting and managed review capabilities. With a combined excessive level of commitment and give attention to client service, DTI and Falcon Discovery will achieve helping organizations obtain new benchmarks in operational and economic performance.
Twitter is considered one of a spread of new social media applied sciences that enable for the web and prompt dissemination of quick fragments of data from quite a lot of official and unofficial sources. The micro-running a blog service emerged as a platform to assist organize and disseminate data during main occasions like the 2008 California … Read the rest


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A friend was up visiting and after seeing some delectable pics on Instagram via Styling You and Iris May Style I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to check out what seemed to be a fabulous place to get food. The place?
Elliotts Bistro (previously Elliott's Fine Foods)
pic from the Elliotts Bistro facebook page
It didn't disappoint.
We arrived around 11:30am and decided to sit on the deck to hear the ocean and I was pondering a breakfast meal and although the breakfast service closed at 11:30, they were happy for me to order breakfast (apart from one meal which was sold out) ... My friend and I however decided to order a margarita style pizza, a large salad and a coffee each. There were three salads on offer that day and I was pleased when they mentioned that you could get all three which was awesome because we found it hard deciding which one to get!
The pizza was all kinds of amazing - crunchy (but not too crunchy) base, the perfect amount of sauce that even Manu would not be asking 'where's da sauce?', and beautiful, fresh and local tomato and basil topping. The large salad was the perfect addition to share (or would be fabulous as a meal on its own) and each salad had its own unique and delicious flavour. We finished off with a beautifully moist piece of carrot cake washed down with our enjoyable coffee in very decent sized mugs. (I'm a big cup kind-of-gal and appreciate a good-sized cuppa)
The service was extremely friendly and helpful and they even put up with my eight-month old practically destroying the place via the confines of his high chair. Okay, that was a slight exaggeration - he just found a toy to play with in the shape of the table number and decided to throw it about the place.
At around $40 for the two of us for lunch with coffees, the prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the food and service. Without a doubt, it's some of the best food I've tasted on the coast and I look forward to trying just about everything on that menu (breakfast, lunch and dinner included). I will be returning again, and again, and again and I suggest you visit whenever you get the chance.


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I recently read an article that got me thinking. In a nutshell, part way through their 1970s/1980s mission out of the solar system, the Pioneer spacecraft started moving slower than they should. No one could figure out why this was. At first, it was surmised that engine fuel was leaking out. This was ruled out as the slow speed continued for months. No one could figure out why the spacecraft was moving slower than it should. The problem was taken up again, 10 years after Pioneer 10 was lost to NASA. The new theory is that the heat given off from the thermoelectric units "pushes" against the spacecraft, thereby retarding the forward motion. This is all well and good, but in the article, there was one point that was amazing/confounding to me.
VG: Why has it taken so long to reach this point?
ST: Lack of proper data storage was a huge problem. In the 1970s and 1980s, mission data was recorded on magnetic tapes, and to study the Pioneer anomaly we needed the probe's navigational data. But mission tapes were normally saved for only a few months and then thrown away, so you're lucky if you can find what you need. The only data available from Pioneer 10 was from planetary flybys, which were kept to study gravity around planets. Then we had to figure out how to read it. You need a proper machine with the right software, and you need to "upconvert" the data to modern formats so it can be used in today's computer modeling systems. That took years.
So the NASA threw away most of its data and stored what it did keep in almost-unusable formats?!?! This is a problem for engineering at all levels: hobby, inventor, consumer, industrial, etc. Basically when a problem or a "Huh?" arise, the only way to find a solution is to have reliable data. Sometimes that data is extremely hard to come by, if not impossible. I know I've participated in some designs that I would be hard-pressed to recreate the design environment and/or the exact parameters of use. It's a shame that information has been lost, but it would be even more of a shame if I were forced to fix something because 10 years down the road something isn't working right. I am glad NASA figured out their problem – in doing so they have given me some food for thought.


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The paperback edition of 2020: Our Common Destiny & the Anti Communitarian Manifesto combined into one book, is finally finished! Mail orders ship out next week. If you pre-ordered this book sometime in the past two (?!?!?!) years and do not receive one within the next 2 weeks, please be sure to let us know. International orders should be received within 3 weeks.
Arrangements are underway for a book tour to the lower 48 beginning sometime in August. I'll bring a short powerpoint presentation that will also be streamed from some of the locations where I'm speaking. Before I leave we'll be having a local book signing party in Anchorage, Alaska at the Tap Root in Spenard (the old Whitekeys Fly By Night club!), probably on a Blues Monday. More details on that will be posted here soon, along with a list of the radio shows I'm doing now.
I've got a reader who owns the original spiral bound version down in Northwestern Montana who's generously offered to set up the venues for that part of the state. My tentative plan is to fly to Seattle and have a book party there and meet up with a lot of old friends and initital contacts from 1999. I have a friend in Tacoma who may be making the arrangements in King County. From the PNW I'll head east on I-90, swing down to Walla Walla and back up to Spokane, Boise, and then on to Montana and Wyoming. Depending on how it goes, I'll be adding new destinations to my journey, but I'm certain I'd like to make it all the way to NYC (with stops in WI, Ohio, Amherst, Long Island and Staten Island for sure!). Best case scenario, I'll ride the train down the coast to Florida (where I've never been) and across the south to California, after a long tour of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Documentary footage of the journey is another part of the project. If you'd like to assist with this endeavor, meet up with us for a day, or join the party and travel with us for a while, please be sure to let me know. Looking forward to meeting as many of my readers as is possible, some of you I feel like I've "known" for years.
Our return to the "fray" is also bringing the haters and the critics out of the woodwork. I'm sure I may have to deal with them along the way too. Maybe I'll find time to stop in DC and poke my head in at Etzioni's office, just to say hello, and thanks for the memories!
So much has happened since we started studying the plan in 1999, and there are a LOT more Americans who know something about it now. I get emails all the time from regular people across the states who have just begun speaking out against it in their municipal councils and meetings. Two state legislatures passed Acts forbidding implementation of Agenda 21 and sustainable development, and while those two items are only the tip of the iceberg, it's a great start! ICLEI has also been outlawed in over a hundred towns! America had a slow start, but it looks like it has the potential to rise to a fast finish. In some places the local governments still DENY that their local plan has anything to do with Local Agenda 21, and the mainstream press is painting all opponents as right wing wackos and conspiracy theorists. These defamation of character pieces breezily ignore the Democrats Against UN Agenda 21, and so many others like us who do not fit their right v left dialectical con. It's "the healthy instincts of the plain man" that's their biggest threat right now.
The updates on the outcome of Rio+20 are claiming it was a big failure. Haven't found anything new on the proposed Rights of Mother Earth, but I did get quite a few hits from Brazil last week on the Pachamama article.
I'm going to sublet my gertees month-to-month while I'm gone, so if you've ever had the desire to live in a rustic but cute yurt setup in Alaska, here's your opportunity. The 3 gertees connected to each other ten miles north of Wasilla are perfect for a single or a couple, but the RV park is also kid friendly. Have to haul water and sewage, and it's wood heat. Has electric and a well, sewage drains, shower, laundrymat, and wireless on site. Space rent is $450. a month. There's close access to the Parks Hwy and local stores. My email is firstname.lastname@example.com


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Light. It is fascinating as well as useful. Children seem drawn by it, whether it be with their shadows, creating rainbows or playing with their reflection. But how do we go about creating a light curriculum for kindergartners in a constructivist classroom?
First off, lets define what constructivism is and give some more background information on this theory. Constructivism can be defined as
a theory of learning that posits that children construct knowledge through interaction between their own ideas and experiences in the social and physical world. Children come to each experience with a rich background and ideas of their own, and, as they engage in interactions and experiment with their ideas, they develop new theories and ideas. Motivation for learning…is intrinsic, as children are constantly trying to make sense of the world and expand their ideas…constructivism is the theory that underlies the choices and decisions you make about how you set up the classroom, choose the curriculum, and respond to the children's work and ideas (Chaillé, 2008, p. 5).
Essentially, this is a social based theory that lets children build on the knowledge they already have to create new ones through experimentation, play and exploration. A constructivist curriculum is not one where it is teacher led, but one where it is children led and educators are there to guide. Right now, we will focus on a light science curriculum.
A provocation is something that sparks the children's interest or their natural curiosity. Through this, you can begin to create a science curriculum. For example, I noticed my nephew, who happens to be in kindergarten, playing with his shadow. He loved creating shadows or blocking the sunlight that was coming through the window with his shadow on the floor. He was fascinated by it. That inspired me to create this light science curriculum resource. As an educator, a light provocation can be as simple as the children noticing their shadows on the wall or ground during recess. Or, if you go out on nature walk and see the trees create shadows on the ground, or even seeing a rainbow after it rains. There are many other different ways and if the children seem interested in light, start asking them open-ended questions like "What do you like about it?" "Do you know how you can see your shadow?" "How do you think a rainbow is formed?" "Should we find out together?"
Big Idea
An overall big idea is the overall understanding or idea and is usually the basis for curriculum planning (Chalufour & Worth, 2006). The big idea for light can be found under physical science: properties and characteristics of light (Chalufour & Worth, 2006). Other big ideas that can be found in the Full Day Early Learning Curriculum (FDELK) are:
- Children are curious and connect prior knowledge to new contexts in order to understand the world around them (under the area of science and technology)
- Children are effective communicators (under the area of language)
- Young children have an innate openness to artistic activities (under the area of the arts)
- Children are connected to others and contribute to their world (under the area of personal and social development) (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2011)
These are just some of the big ideas out there, there are many more that can be used as well.
Getting started
You know what the children in your classroom are interested in and you know what your big ideas are, so now what? Well, below are some suggested routes children can take during a light science curriculum and just some of the many different materials that can go with them.
There may be many different areas that have not been listed that children will wish to explore. As well as many different materials that have not been listed, like flashlights, paper, markers and other objects that can be found around the classroom and used/manipulated to explore light. Remember, as an educator you are there to guide and support the children and their learning, not lead them in a certain direction. The materials and classroom can be set up so that children can either explore light with other children or by themselves; giving them a variety of options and materials that they want to continue to explore and experiment on.
As the children begin to experiment and hypothesize about light and the many facets of it, they may start to ask questions and begin to inquiry about light.
The Inquiry Process in a Constructivist classroom
The inquiry process can be broken down into 4 categories:
- Initial engagement
- Exploration
- Investigation
- Communication (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2011)
With the first process, the initial engagement can be the provocation. Children are notice lights/ shadow and are curious or wondering about it. As educators, this is the stage where you observe and listen to the children.
Exploration is when the children start to explore the concept of light and begin to ask questions and observe their surrounding. This is also when they try and connect with the knowledge that they already know about light (ie. if they are at a projector, they know if the light is on they can make shadows, if the light is off they won't be able to see their shadow as well). At this stage, educators can encourage children to talk amongst their peers while starting to ask thoughtful open ended questions like "What happened to your shadow when you turned off the light?" or "Why do you think you can't see the light when you pointed it at the book but you can see it when you point it at the tissue paper?". Open ended questions about the materials that they are exploring will encourage them to think on a deeper level and can lead to the next stage of inquiry.
Investigating is when they can start to make hypotheses about the questions that were asked or questions they came up on their own. Encouragement to work together with other children who have similar questions can be done at this stage if they choose to work with others. This way, the children can gather and interpret data from different view points. Investigation stage is also where they can use a variety of simple tools to further investigate their hypothesis and write them down. As educators, being able to provide those materials for them would be ideal at this point. If they were investigating different reflective surfaces, they can use materials that are both reflective and non-reflective to see if all surfaces reflect the same way. Or if they want to explore how a rainbow is made, materials like a prism, flashlight, water and blocks can be given for them to experiment on and see if they can create their own rainbows. These are just a couple of the many questions children can come up with. Educators should also keep asking children about their inquiry and get them to clarify and expand on their thinking.
Once the children have finished working together to collect their data they can communicate their findings with others. They can work individually or as a group to discuss and listen to each other as they begin to make connections and build on their already existing knowledge about light. Going back to my example earlier about the shadow and them knowing that without a light source, a shadow cannot be formed. They can start to make new connections as to why a light source is needed and how a shadow is formed. As educators, this is when you can help them make those old and new connections by getting them to explain their answer and ask more clarifying questions. Encourage the children to write/draw or somehow record their findings and conclusion.
The inquiry process is very much child led and teacher guided. Taking advantage of children's natural curiosity and their capacity to learn and play, the inquiry process can teach children about making predictions, analyzing data and coming to conclusions at their own pace with things they are interested in. It is important as educators to observe the children as they are going through this process in order to be able to reflect on one's own practices.
Reflection process
"Educators who are reflective practitioners integrate theoretical frameworks, research findings, and their own daily experiences to guide their interactions with young children and their families" (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2011, p. 25). Educators who have good reflective practices can look back and figure out what went well and what did not work well in the curriculum and alter it for next time. They also have the ability to observe the children in their classroom and able to scaffold children's learning. The reflection process starts by observing and recording the children's interaction with one another and with the material and curriculum provided. Recordings can be done in forms of pictures (if consent is given), video/voice recordings (again, with consent) and/or samples or copies of the children's work. Afterwards, being able to go back and critically reflect on what worked and what needs to be changed is important as this will help with planning the next curriculum, making it even more enriching for the children.
Observation and critically reflecting on one's own practice will also provide a clearer picture of where the children are in terms of their learning and development and where you would like them to go.
Putting up the pictures/ children's work with words of what the children actually said as well as a brief description of the light science experiment in a place where it is easily accessible to everyone, including other staff members, parents, students and community members will further the reflective process. This is because other people will be seeing this documentation and will invite dialogue and critique, as well as a fresh perspective that you may have never thought of. This is called pedagogical documentation and is the last step to the reflective process. It is very much Reggio inspired and very social as it invites others to view and critique the process and make it more enriching for next time.
Other learning domains?
Other then Science and Technology, the light science curriculum touches upon other domains that are outlined in the FDEK. Below is a mind map highlighting some of those domains as well as the overall and specific learning outcomes that can be seen during this curriculum.
A light science curriculum does not just touch upon the science domain but all of these areas too. Those listed are only some of the learning areas. These can be demonstrated in their interaction with the materials and how they choose to represent their findings. They can verbalize their findings, write it down, or even draw/paint/ make clay structures of their findings on light. Either way, with any curriculum, whether it be math, physical activity, other aspects and domain will come in as a factor. This is why pedagogical documentation is important. Not only is it a great reflective practice tool but it allows others to see the children's thought process and take a step back to see what other areas did they explore in.
Other people to follow
These are blogs from kindergarten teachers that can also make good resources when it comes to a constructivist curriculum planning. Enjoy!
- http://passionatelycuriousinkindergarten.blogspot.ca/
- http://teamjelleybean.blogspot.ca/
- http://thiskindylife.blogspot.ca/
Chaillé, C. (2008). Constructivism across the curriculum in early childhood classrooms: Big ideas as inspiration. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Chalufour, I. & Worth, K. (2006). Science in kindergarten. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://www.rbaeyc.org/resources/Science_Article.pdf
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2011). The full-day early learning- kindergarten program. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kindergarten_english_june3.pdf


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Leanne Halls: Painting From 3 Steps Back - Art Collector
|Leanne Halls, Gunner's Point. Oil on linen, 62 x 122cm. Courtesy: the artist and Colville Gallery, Hobart
|Halls is an artist where the painterly softness is encompassed on a grand scale of the greater landscape. She is not afraid to open our gaze to further ranges, glowering peaks, large dimensions of cloud and skies. There is a sweep and gentle grandeur, we are placed in the scene, we are part of the scale. Similarly, she brings an intimacy with her still life studies, cherished branches and objects have a connection and familiar sense of ease.
Trained at Julian Ashton Art School, she further pursued traditional Japanese painting in Japan for a number of years. These major influences on her work bring a great sensitivity to her depth, volume and the amount of 'air' that her works portray. Finalist in a number of awards including Lloyd Rees Art Prize, Eutick Still Life Award, Mortimore and others, Leanne demonstrates a growing reputation and confidence.
|Exhibition opens: 5.30-7.30pm Friday 20 May 2016
|Exhibition closes: 8 June 2016
|Location: Colville Gallery, 91 Salamanca Place Hobart TAS 7004
|Contact: 03 6224 4088
|Email: firstname.lastname@example.com