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Copyright 2001-2020Towson University
According to the residents, the history of Fells Point comes alive at night. Serving as the port of Baltimore for more than 100 years, it saw many a seaman cross its path in its day. Incorporated into Baltimore City in 1797 and with deep water reaching almost all the way to its shoreline, Fells Point was a natural place for trade. Any area as old as Fells Point is bound to have a great number of stories to accompany its rich history. That history also gives one more thing to its current residents: ghost stories. According to the residents, the ghosts of Fells Point are every bit as present as the living inhabitants.
The Horse You Came In On, a pub on the last street before docks, is rumored to have been one of Edgar Allen Poe's favorite drinking spots. In fact, one of the female employees, who declined to give her name for superstitious reasons, theorizes that the dark poet, "…had been walking home from The Horse You Came In On when he died".
She believes it is Edgar Allen Poe's ghost that resides in this pub. She believes the spirit, which this employee lovingly refers to as "Edgar", is responsible for strange occurrences throughout the bar.
Aside from having seen the chandelier swing on its own, the bartender also recounts an eerie memory of one morning when she arrived to open the bar and prepare it for the evening. As she walked by the cash register, its drawer opened by itself. She closed the drawer and went about her business. To her surprise, the drawer again opened by itself. Once again, she pushed the drawer closed. Before the bar opened, she would close the drawer twice more in this mysterious exercise.
At the end of her shift as she was leaving, she told the evening bartender about what had happened. To her amazement, he told her that the same thing had happened to him several times in the past.
The employees have since nicknamed their ghost "Edgar" and now speak to him regularly. The female bartender says that when one of these occurrences happens, usually around closing time, she speaks to him, acknowledging his presence. Whatever the source of these phenomena is, the employees at The Horse You Came In On do believe in the existence of spirits, particularly that of the legendary Edgar Allen Poe.
The oldest profession
In 1726 William Fell purchased the land where the small waterfront community of Fells Point still thrives. It served as a main port and shipyard for over 100 years. As such, it attracted shipmen and other working class citizens. These men frequented the brothels of Fells Point. A block and a half east of The Horse You Came In On is another Thames Street establishment, The Cat's Eye Pub.
During a renovation of The Cat's Eye Pub, workman found numerous red light switches on the walls. These switches were common in brothels in the early days of the port. When a woman was not occupied with male company, she would flip a switch, that would light a red light bulb. This signal indicated that her "services" were available. This is where the term, "red light district" comes from.
According to some of its patrons, The Cat's Eye Pub is haunted by several ghosts who lived when the bar was a brothel. According to Paige McClain, one of the employees at The Cats Eye Pub that the locations of the switches were pointed out to her. Those places are now covered up by the dry wall and paint of the renovation. She pointed to a place just below the ceiling of the small front area of the bar. She maintains that patrons and employees hear the loud clicking of the switches engaging and disengaging. Do the girls of the oldest profession still flip the switches and wait for the next of the seamen to see their signal? Paige McClain thinks so.
Stairway to heaven?
On Broadway, the main street of Fells Point, sits The Whistling Oyster. Like many of the bars and shops in Baltimore, The Whistling Oyster operates from the bottom floor of a row house. Before this pub was a pub, it was a home with a flight of stairs leading to its second floor. The pub had no use for the second floor, so the staircase was removed. According to Jane Sellman, a local columnist, patrons and employees still see an apparition ascending a staircase that no longer exists.
Mr. Fell's last call
William Fell's son, Edward Fell, laid the lots and streets of Fells Point. Stories surrounding the ghost of Mr. Fell are unclear as to whether the spirit is that of the father or of the son. Many bar patrons, including Coby Kay Callahan recount stories of seeing a man dressed in 18th century clothing walking the streets of Fells Point.
Callahan tells the story of leaving the bar known as Friends. "Some of my friends bartend at friends. I live three blocks east of Friends and I have to walk east to get home. About 2:30 one morning, I saw this man dressed in funny clothes like you would see in an old picture like from the 18th century". Callahan was afraid. She felt somewhat protected by her boyfriend Christopher Carter who was walking with her.
The pair walked towards their home in the direction she had seen the man. She caught another glimpse of the man, but this time she saw just the back of him in motion as he walked into an alley. When they reached the alley and looked for the man, there was no one there.
Later that week when Callahan told her friends at the bar about the man, they told her about the local legend of "Mr. Fell". It is said that late at night after last call, either William or Edward Fell can be seen walking the streets of Fells Point, just the way they might have walked after last call during the days in which they lived in the tiny port town.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it is hard not to be swept up in the history of this pretty peninsula. Fells Point exudes a vibrancy born of its colorful beginnings. Some people believe this vibrancy emanates from those who lived in that earlier time; ghosts reaching out and touching the hearts of the living. Others simply love the area for what it is now. No one can deny, however, an appreciation for the oldest port in Baltimore and its eclectic collection of stories and legends.


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If you're familiar with HBO's Game of Thrones — or with the George R.R. Martin series of novels on which it's based, A Song of Ice and Fire — then you love to hate (maybe even hate to love) King Joffrey.
Joffrey, I should explain for those not in the know, is nominally the son of Cersei Lannister and the recently deceased King Robert Baratheon — but he and his siblings are actually the offspring of Cersei and her twin brother, Jaime Lannister. No, I'm not kidding. Joffrey is ruling the land of Westeros as Robert's supposed heir, with his mother serving as Queen Regent, but all sorts of machinations are underway from various quarters to depose him and/or to simply claim independence from the so-called Iron Throne in King's Landing.
I (like many others) am captivated — in that can't-look-away, pick-a-scab, don't-think-of-a-pink-elephant sort of fashion — by Jaime and Cersei's relationship, which thanks to the introduction of a fellow named Craster in the first episode of the recently launched Season Two isn't even the most depraved intrafamilial sexytime on the show.
So I met my fascination of the abomination head-on and channeled it into the graphics in this post.
You're more than welcome to share any of these images, via E-mail or by posting them on your own blogs and such, as long as you link back here. The "Brotherf---er", "Twincest", and "Twinbreeding" images were prepared with the aid of the nifty online Motivator app.
I just wish I'd thought of doing this before Valentine's Day.
Update: All of the Pictogags in this post (and beyond) are now up on my Tumblr blog, Exhibit B, most of them larger. If you click on the images above you'll jump to their equivalent pages. "Brotherf---er" is not bowdlerized there.
I'd Just Like to Get a Few Things Off My Chest

subset: commoncrawl


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Lauri GavelExecutive Director of CommunicationsUCLA School of Law (310) email@example.com
About UCLA School of LawFounded in 1949, UCLA School of Law is the youngest major law school in the nation and has established a tradition of innovation in its approach to teaching, research and scholarship. With approximately 100 faculty and 970 students, the school pioneered clinical teaching, is a leader in interdisciplinary research and training and is at the forefront of efforts to link research to meaningful change in society and the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.law.ucla.edu.


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The flavors of mushrooms and peas always evoke spring to me. If pea shoots are hard to find, watercress or baby arugula make an equally delicious substitute. Plus: More Vegetable Recipes and Tips
How to Make It
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, whisk the mustard with the vinegar. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the mushrooms and parsley and refrigerate until the mushrooms are cool, about 15 minutes.
Add the pea shoots and Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings to the mushrooms and toss, then serve.


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Iruma-kun's next challenge is to summon a familiar or face expulsion. Since getting thrown-out of Magic/Demon School fits his 'dont get eaten' objective, he approaches this task with a casual air that completely pisses off his teacher, and further boosts his notoriety amongst the class.
Unfortunately, the ritual to summon a familiar is very similar to the ritual a human would use to summon a demon… which results in Kalego-sensai becoming Iruma-kun's familiar and further boosting Iruma's standing in the school…
Sprinkle on Grandpa's wake the dead alarm clock silliness, tension with the student council, and Azz-kun's aggressive application of force against anyone in Iruma's way, AND introduce two love interests, and a lot happened this week.
In many ways, WtDS feels like several short-format animes strung together? Every 3-5 minutes contains related jokes, and the following 3-5 minutes may not have immediate connects to the block before it. I wouldn't go so far as to say the developments were interesting but all of it was adorable, easy watching fun.


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Renowned restaurant group Chucs has opened its fourth London location in the Zaha Hadid-designed extension at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, in Kensington Gardens.
The restaurant will serve up a widely appealing variety of Italian classics, offering a welcoming, all-day dining experience, within a setting reminiscent of a bygone glamour.
Exclusive to Chucs Serpentine is a take-away menu for those who wish to enjoy their meal alfresco in the Royal Park.
For more information, please visit the Chucs website or follow Chucs on Instagram @chucsrestaurants.


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A one-on-one consultation with our dietitian will allow us to complete a comprehensive nutritional health assessment. From here, your dietitian can assist you in developing personalised eating recommendations, while providing you with the tools to implement suitable and practical health and lifestyle changes. READ MORE
Brisbane Supermarket Tours
With all of the foods that are available within a supermarket, it's easy to be overwhelmed. Not to mention all of the health and nutritional claims that food companies advertise, it is not uncommon for clients to think they've purchased a 'healthy' product, only to find out later it was actually quite a poor choice for their individual requirements. READ MORE
Cooking Classes:
Is your family tired of eating the same meals every week? Are your children bored with the foods you give them each day in their school lunch box? Not sure what constitutes a balanced meal? Are you getting sick of taking the same snacks to work each day? Then our cooking classes are for you! READ MORE
Research has found that office workers can spend up to 77% of their working day sitting down. Due to a lack of physical activity and increased stress levels, employees are then more likely to turn to poor food choices, resulting in poor health outcomes (both in the short and long term). READ MORE


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"Land's End"
©David A. Ziser
I made this image yesterday evening as our catamaran began its turn around "Land's End" – the tip of the Baja peninsula – from the Sea of Cortez into the Pacific Ocean. The timing was perfect as I was able to catch the sun just before it final surrender to the sea. Hundreds of birds were flying around the rocks settling on a nesting location for the night.
The challenge was to get the exposure just right. I wanted to capture the beauty of the sunset while still preserving detail in the shadows. I thought I reached a happy balance in the image.
The sailing ship to the left side of the image was at the right place at the right time for this pretty cool sunset image.
Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with Sigma 8-16mm wide angle lens at 16mm, F 16 @ 1/250 second, ISO 200. Enjoy! -David


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The Pentagon's claim that five of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay want to put an end to their legal proceedings and confess to their alleged roles in the 9/11 attacks made me think of a few lines in Azar Nafisi's "Reading Lolita in Tehran," her memoir of living under the ayatollahs' regime of McCarthyism with a veil: "The worst crime committed by totalitarian mindsets," Nafisi writes, "is that they force their citizens, including their victims, to become complicit in their crimes. Dancing with your jailer, participating in your own execution, that is an act of utmost brutality."
The case of the Guantanamo prisoners is a variation on that perversion. Both the accused and their jailers are orchestrating the totalitarian mindset, abetting each other in their complicity. There is no victim between them, certainly not on the part of the American government that created the monstrosity of Guantanamo's Orwellian "Camp Justice." Difficult as this is to concede, the accused are still, according to any law that calls itself civilized, innocent until proven guilty. Strictly speaking, they should be considered victims, maybe not for their sake but for that of the judicial system fouled in their name.
Those five angling for a confession make it almost impossible to see them as anything more than a 9/11 tumor. The confession is their latest ploy. They dread the possibility -- the shame -- of innocence, or at least of finishing their lives without their names forever plaqued to 9/11, preferably as martyrs executed by the "Great Satan." That's what they want most, that immortalizing execution, which the Bush administration, in what would be a supreme act of complicity, would be happy to grant them.
My guess is that the American public would love to see these men executed, too. End the legal games, for all their sham. Grant the accused their wish. The public would then be playing its part in the farce, maybe as the closest thing to a victim in the triangle. It was victimized first by the attacks, then by the federal government's transformation of American society into a fearful fortress within its borders, a lashing one beyond them (Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan). Complicit, too, by swallowing whole the fiction that freedom and justice can be preserved by their obliteration where, when and regarding whom the president decides they must be obliterated.
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To accept these five men's confessions, and the Pentagon's ridiculous reasoning that it's a plea like any other, would be the ultimate act of swallowing the lie. But isn't that what made the last seven years so successful for Osama bin Laden? What enabled al-Qaida to make a playground of American fears and a garrison of American freedoms? In the Old Testament, the whale swallowed Jonah. In the "war on terror," the American public swallowed the whale.
There is also the matter of capital punishment. The accused want to join the other Infamous Nineteen, the 9/11 hijackers, in that Hall of Flame that poses for their death cult's terminus. Killing them would grant them their ultimate wish while reminding the world that the United States remains, almost unique among western nations, a place where state-sponsored murder is still enthusiastically practiced with grisly frequency. Taliban and Saudi executioners like to kill their wards by chopping their heads or felling concrete walls on them. We do it with amperes and lethal injections, then delude ourselves about the difference. Do we really want to underscore that affinity with the Middle East by obliging the death fantasies of five maniacs again, and with inexcusable irony, on our own soil?
So this sought-after confession by these five men accused of plotting 9/11 is more than it appears. It's an opportunistic lunge at immortality by the accused, an equally opportunistic lunge out of the infernal machinery of totalitarian justice the Bush administration boxed itself into with Guantanamo. To satisfy either is to grant both sides victories they don't deserve, vindicating their brutality by whitewashing it.
It won't be enough to close Guantanamo. The Guantanamo prisoners should be transferred to federal courts' jurisdiction, the five confessors among them. The system should be opened, the federal government's case against the accused made within the absolutely conventional rules of the judicial system, and before juries of -- well, not peers, exactly, but you get the idea. If the accused are found guilty, the best fate that can await them is not the favor of martyrdom, but a long and healthy oblivion in a forgotten prison somewhere in the recesses of an Idaho crag. They should get good health care too, to ensure that they live long enough to appreciate their irrelevance: It's the best salve humanity can give itself to repair the fanaticism the men of 9/11 brought, and their accomplices in the Bush junta, still unpunished, let bloom.


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Scratchpad is a tool to help Amazon Associates send basic requests to the Product Advertising API. So you can tests to the API. Use Scratchpad to:
- Test Product Advertising API operations
Run API operations for any supported marketplace.
- Preview Amazon items
Preview the display of items on your site.
- Get sample code
Create sample code.
- Debug
Debug a request format and signature
Item Search Request
Follow these steps to start making calls to the API. Under Common parameters, type the following information.
Common parameters:
- Marketplace locale
The locale where you are making the request.
- Associate Tag
An alphanumeric token that uniquely identifies you as an Associate.
- AWS Key ID
Your AWS Access Key ID which uniquely identifies you.
- AWS Secret Access Key
A key that is used in conjunction with the Access Key ID to cryptographically sign an API request.
ItemSearch Request parameters. For example, ItemSearch requires the SearchIndex parameter. You can use "Add a new parameter" to scroll or search for another parameter. Click the + icon to add the parameter.
If your request is successful, you'll see the following in the Response section.
Amazon Product Advertising API - Viewing a Response
You can copy the result of a signed or unsigned request or start over.
- A signed and unsigned request URL
- Response in different formats
- Generated code snippets
The response appears in the following:
- Rendered response – The way the response appears on a webpage
- XML response - The response in XML format.
- HTML response - The HTML code for the rendered response.
- Code snippets - Code snippets are available in JAVA, PHP, ROR, AddtoCart HTML formats. You can use the JAVA, PHP, and ROR samples to help you sign your requests when you call the API. You can use the AddtoCart HTML sample to create an Add to Cart button for each item returned in the response.
You can copy your code or download a copy of the code.
Extracting Parameters from Amazon Product Advertising API
Instead of manually choosing an operation and parameters, you can copy a URL from an Amazon locale and paste it into Scratchpad. The tool will use this URL to construct the same request and response. This helps you quickly identify how the API returns results. You can enter a URL for a search results page or a product detail pag.
- Go to your Amazon marketplace locale and search for an item or locate a product detail page. Copy the URL.
- In Scratchpad enter your credentials under "Common parameters".
- Under Request parameters, use "Extract parameters" from an Amazon URL, and then paste the URL into the field
- Click Extract parameters and run request.
If your request is successful, your request parameters and response will be updated to match the URL you entered. If you entered a product detail page or a search results page the ItemLookup operation is used.
2. Your common parameters (except your secret key information) and history will be saved in your browser's cache .
Amazon Products Manager Magento extension
Amazon Products Manager is an extension that allow you to import products from Amazon to Magento using Product Advertising API. You can try the demo.


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As unlikely as it sounds, Microsoft is harnessing the power of Bing to help catch bugs before they can wreak havoc on users' systems. Outlook is learning to figure out if a message is actually worth reading. And Excel is more intelligent than ever. All of that is thanks to one thing: machine learning.
Microsoft Research is a geek's wonderland. We all know that. But when we read The New York Times' article on Microsoft's machine learning efforts, we were pretty blown away by some of the things they're working on. What's even more amazing is that this stuff is actually happening now – it's not just theory.
In a nutshell, Microsoft is in a pretty unique position when it comes to harnessing vast pools of data to make their software and services even more powerful. Bing (and yes, Google) uses it every day when it corrects your spelling or offers a more accurate query, but what's really amazing is how Microsoft could harness the same data and algorithms to do some pretty cool stuff, and earn a boatload of cash at the same time.
Eric Horvitz, one of Microsoft's leading machine learning researchers
Take Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform. Businesses are already using it for all sorts of things (it even helps power Apple's iCloud), but it could do even more if Microsoft can harness some of its machine learning efforts and rent data sets and algorithms businesses can use to build their own prediction engines.
Besides that, Microsoft's Eric Horvitz is using machine learning algorithms to do all sorts of cool things, like predict hospital patients' risk of relapse, or the chances of a traffic jam. And on the consumer side of things, he's been keeping every email, appointment and phone call he's gotten over the last 15 years, all so it can be analyzed to make Outlook more 'intelligent.' So far, it seems to be working.
We're not gonna rehash the entire New York Times article for you here (because that would be evil), but we really think it's worth your time to check it out, if you're even remotely interested in some of the awesome stuff going on behind the scenes at Microsoft. Suffice to say, anyone who thinks Microsoft isn't innovative needs to take a long, hard look at this stuff.
Source: The New York Times | Image via Microsoft


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Getting started is easy. The first step is to schedule an introductory lesson with one of our trained instructors. During that lesson, your instructor will introduce you to a variety of dances and see how you learn to recommend a proper program for you to continue.
Everyone's goals are different. After your initial appointment, you and your teacher can determine which dances you like and how proficient you would like to be. Some students are satisfied with a few lessons, others would prefer to feel more natural on the dance floor which requires more practice.
Tuition varies, depending on a number of factors e.g., how good you want to be, how many dances you want to learn, and your dance schedule. Remember – YOUR FIRST LESSON IS ONLY $25.
Most students start with a small dance program to start while they try out different dances and then enroll on a personalized program once they have determined the dances they would like to concentrate on.
Many students choose to pay for their programs in advance, however every situation is different and we offer payment plans comfortable for almost every budget.
You can take your lessons any time you wish. Some students like to have standing appointments weekly, however we can schedule your lessons based on your availability. Our studio is open Mon-Fri from 1pm-10pm.
Yes. All Arthur Murray teachers must complete an arduous training regimen, making them very competent. Your teachers will be selected to best suit your particular needs and style of learning.
Contact Us
Arthur Murray Dance Studio | Montclair
8660 Central Ave. | Montclair, CA. 91763
Phone: (909) 920-3066
Hours: Monday - Friday | 1:00pm - 10:00pm
Hours: Sat. By Appointment | Sun. Closed
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Arthur Murray Dance Studios
LIKE Us On Facebook


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Fresh Deck Poker
This is the only place to get a working Fresh Deck Poker Hack which helps you generate unlimited Chips, so from now you should never have trouble with this game. Fresh Deck Poker Hack Tool provide a very useful generator of items and guarantees safety to use because it comes with Anti-Ban system. Everyone in our team have spent much time testing the Fresh Deck Poker Cheat to be sure that everything works perfectly with any iOS or Android device, so you won't have to worry about it. Don't waste your precious time and enjoy Fresh Deck Poker game with our hack tool. If you want play the game to the fullest potential and get unlimited chips, then do not hesitate and use this tool right away!
Fresh Deck Poker is a fairly conventional poker simulation. Game enthusiasts use a cut-off date where you can total their own switch, that has a go delinquent action staying decided on if they do not react inside time. You are able to line upwards the action ahead of time if desired by simply ticking the container during the bottom of the particular screen this enables have fun with circulate well and frequently any time expert participants are generally involved. The game is basic Texas Hold 'Em and will not spend any moment describing how you can have fun with, presuming participants already realize how the game works. You will find a four-page guide wording hidden from the game's alternatives menu, but it's not produced particularly obvious. They will, nonetheless, pick out the character to help signify by themselves from the game. A wide range of these include jailbroke from your start connected with the game, web-sites turning out to be offered either through the particular costs connected with hard currency or by simply gaining practical experience levels through usual play.


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Kokoda Property has pulled out all stops nabbing Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak as Keynote Speaker
at Kokoda's "Inspiration & Strategy" conference held last night.
Celebrating twenty years of business, Kokoda Property Founder and Director Mark Stevens decided that innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership should be the focus of the conference as the company moves into the future; and instead of leaders from within the property sector, chose to engage inspiring individuals from across the globe, to encourage his team to think outside the box.
Front of mind was Wozniak, who helped shape the computer industry and founded tech company Apple with Steve Jobs in 1976.
Wozniak is also actively involved in various businesses and philanthropic adventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and promoting more hands-on, creative learning in classrooms.
"If you love what you do and are willing to do what it takes, it's within your reach," Wozniak said.
Stevens believes his own journey reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of Wozniak; he started Kokoda Property in 1997 while still working his corporate day job.
"I realised then that I could keep doing the same thing – working to make other people successful through restructuring or finding solutions for their companies – or I could create my own venture and become successful in my own right," Stevens said.
"We underpin this in our company culture by engaging with leaders outside our field, forcing us to think beyond the obvious. In developing the agenda for this conference, we have sought out leaders from engineering, marketing, sport, place-making, and creativity.
During Kokoda Property's next phase, Stevens aims to push the boundaries even further, "I want Kokoda Property to be more than just a developer; I want to create homes that inspire people, that support their lives, and innovate exciting new ways of living in the modern world."
"More so, we purposefully sought out those who have experienced adversity and thrived despite it. Property development comes with its own market challenges; but a clear vision and commitment to innovate allows us to move beyond them."
Other key speakers for the conference include Australian Paralympic swimmer and basketball player, Ellie Cole; former AFL player and Bali bombing survivor Jason McCartney; leading author on public space, David Engwicht; head of strategy at McCann, David Phillips; head of research at Core Logic, Cameron Kusher; organisational culture expert, Bill Sakellaris; and internationally acclaimed, thought-leadership speaker, David Mead.
Kokoda Property currently has active projects across the eastern seaboard, including Chester & Ella in Newstead, Obsidian in Milton, Trentwood in Glen Iris and Casa del Mar in Mordialloc. It has recently acquired sites in St Lucia, Malvern and Hawthorn East.
Original article found here -https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/steve-wozniak-comes-melbourne-speak-innovation-entrepreneurship-leadership/


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Planning for a wedding is never easy. From deciding your wedding budget, the perfect venue, the date, the wedding theme and to planning your guest list, it can get really overwhelming and you may not have the luxury to pamper yourself well before the big day. Therefore, let me share some tips and the list of the wedding vendors we (my hubby and myself) have engaged to facilitate your planning process… 🙂
As a head start, it is important to create a realistic checklist to guide you along the way.. For a good checklist system, you can check it out Perfect Wedding's (www.perfectweddings.sg/wedding-checklist) and make good use of their online wedding checklist…
As a worrywart, i'm afraid that i will miss out on something really important. Therefore with this handy Perfect Weddings Checklist Tool , a set of pre-listed tasks are listed down in different categories for me (according to the appropriate time-line as well). From the proposal, to selecting my bridal items, to the last-minute tasks – everything's already listed down. I can even attach a note and put additional details for each task. Once a task is complete, i can check its corresponding box and it will be "cancelled out" and moved to the bottom of the category (It will still be visible on the checklist for reference). It certainty helps me to prioritize tasks through all the phases of my wedding planning, organize it accordingly and keep track of items to accomplish.
Wedding Preparation Course
Marriage is never a bed of roses and i want to put our marriage in good foundation.. Hence, attending a marriage preparation was my main priority after my husband (then fiance) has proposed.. Initially i wanted to attend one in my Church but my husband isn't comfortable (I'm a christian and he's a free-thinker) so he has suggested that we attend one outside.. Through one of his friend's recommendation, we got to know of TOUCH Family Services (TFS) whereby we enrolled for the Marriage Preparation Course (MPC) – Secrets to An Enjoyable & Enriching Marriage.
Specifically catered for couples who are planning to marry and as well as for newly married couples, the course will empower couples with a deeper understanding of marriage, and preparing and equipping them for a smoother and fulfilling matrimonial journey. This course is uniquely taught by a husband-wife team, giving you a glimpse into how a marriage partnership works. The topics covered include Prepare/Enrich Inventory, roles of husband and wife, communication in marriage, financial management for couples, relating to in-laws, family planning and more. As some topics can get sensitive, do remember to attend it with an open heart and you will definitely find it beneficial. 🙂
The MPC is an ongoing 4 weekly sessions of 3 hrs each and conducted in groups of 6 to 12 couples, depending on location. If i did not remember wrongly, the fee is S$270/- per couple, inclusive of GST.
Bridal Shop
Not a pleasant one so i will not mention its name here…Therefore, do remember to do your homework, 'window shop' and visit a few bridal shops before committing to one… Went to Taiwan for our photo shoot because we both love Taiwan and our relationship started because of Taiwan. I should not go deep into this as it will turn really mushy? =/
It was a once in a life time experience trying to pose in really chilly weather and not wearing any winter clothings… Thank God that we have a great Taiwan team which made it all possible (which compensate the not so good team in Singapore).
Wedding Luncheon Venue
After visiting many hotels in Singapore, we have found one which took our breath away.. Stone throw away from Orchard MRT, the top-notch service, the mind-blowing intimate ballroom that's spacious enough to comfortably sit 15 tables and not forgetting the delicious food . Was lucky enough to have Ivy as our banquet manager! She's pretty, highly efficient and super accommodating to our many requests.
Actual Day Photographer
Was browsing though facebook and i came across Kelvin's actual wedding photos taken by Express-Oh! Photography! EOP consist of a team of passionate, fun and experienced photographer and they specialize in actual day, pre-wedding Underwater Portrait, ROM, events and maternity photography services. I fell in love with the Photojournalism style shots taken by KS! Moreover, his forte is taking candid, lifestyle and abstract shots that are so full of emotions and 'feel'!
On the actual day, he was running all over the place with so much zest and in the process, captured many pretty photos! Some of the pictures are uploaded on EOP's FB page and you can access them through this link:
Their rates are very reasonable as well and if you like that you see, you can actually arrange for an non obligatory appointment to view more on their portfolios.
Wedding Singers
Music plays an important role in my husband's life and hence we have decided to engage a wedding band to sing on our special day.. Decided on Sparkles Live Music as the team is really experience and have sung at hundreds of weddings and events, both local and regional, for the past 4 years. We had a 4 piece band – with Alfred Sim as Emcee / Vocalist, Tay Kexin as vocalist, Clarence on guitar and Matthew on keys.. During the luncheon, our guests also had chances to write down dedications which personalized our special day with their messages and blessings through music.. My husband specially left series of song dedications with heartfelt messages for me during the 2nd set of songs, awwwww! It is indeed something very meaningful and made our unforgettable memories even more unforgettable. 🙂 The team gave us and the guests a spectacular experience. After the wedding, many of our guests have told us nothing but good things about the team's performances with some even remembering the exact songs they sang.
Of course during the time of preparation, you must not forget to take care of your physical appearance as well! Remember to slot in pampering beauty sessions and incorporate a proper skincare regimen before the special day to ensure you look your best.
The most important thing that you need to know is that there is no compromise in a proper skincare routine for clear skin. The skincare routine should be carried out with proper dedication, backed by the right knowledge and tools. Attended a bridal shower held by the SK-II team a few weeks back where i was introduced to the Bridal Glow Set…
To help brides-to-be achieve crystal clear radiant skin at the comfort of own home, The SK-II Bridal Glow Set is specially crafted by the beauty experts at SK-II, aiming to empower brides-to-be to achieve the bridal glow, in just 14 days with 5 simple steps… Each step of the routine plays a unique role and works in harmony with the others to ensure women achieve crystal clear skin. Crystal clear skin is defined as brighter, more translucent-looking and more moisturized.
Step 1 – Facial Treatment Clear Lotion (40ml)
This wipe-off clarifying lotion gently removes dirt and dead skin cells and leaves skin clean, lively, and perfectly conditioned. Containing AHA, this wipe off clarifying lotion gently removes dirt and dead skin cell to allow skin nourishment. It leaves skin clean, lively and perfectly conditioned.
My thoughts: This came in time when i have finished my toner and the remaining supply is at my mum's place! -_- Although it contains AHA, this toner is surprisingly very mild on my sensitive skin and it does not irritate / dry my skin out… No stinging sensation or redness was experienced and it cleanse remaining residue on my skin effectively.. It kept my skin soft, moisturized and prep it better for my remaining skincare regimen. I have read some reviews online and if you are experiencing outbreaks from FTE (Facial Treatment Essence), you can use this first before FTE as it helps to balance skin.. Not quite sure if it is true but i will try using it together with FTE and let you know.. 🙂
Step 2 – Facial Treatment Mask (2-pcs)
For that immediate youthful glow, this intensive moisture-boosting mask is enriched with Pitera (10x more!) which deeply hydrates skin and refines skin's texture.. Reviving and relaxing, this mask leaves skin noticeably radiant, soft and crystal clear. As a complement to other SK-II products, it restore skin renewal to its normal 28-day cycle and works just like a facial to supply moisture deep into skin.
Step 3 – Facial Treatment Essence (150ml)
Containing more than 90% Pitera™, this much loved "miracle water" helps maintain the skin's natural renewal cycle its optimum condition to allow skin nourishment thus making it smoother and more radiant. It also works to balance the skin's PH and sebum secretion so oily and dry area are properly moisturized. Overtime, it benefits skin with texture refinement, firmness power, wrinkle resilience, radiance enhancement and spots control.
Step 4 – Cellumination Essence Ex (30ml)
The new SK-II Cellumination Essence EX takes a greater formula and makes it better with the new Pixel White Whitening ingredient. This hydrating serum improve skin from the cellular level, refines skin and restores the glow of the skin + diminish the appearance of discoloration for a more even complexion.. You will experience highly defined, aura bright skin in just 4 week.
Step 5 – Cellumination Deep Surge EX (15g)
This daily moisturiser (infused with a unique active whitening ingredient, De-Melano P3C ) works to balance skin tone from within to unleash skin's translucent aura and helps with radiance enhancement. When used on a daily basis, it helps to increase skin's luminosity, prevents uneven skin tone and fights signs of aging.
3-in-1 Electric Beauty Bath Set
Suitable to be used on the face & body, the 3-in-1 electric beauty bath set will deeply cleanse skin, reduce rough and callous skin and increase + improve blood circulation.. With cleansing and massaging function, the brush can be used to increase efficacy of skin and body care products…
My thoughts: Used this on my body for exfoliation purposes together with my shower foam.. Personally find it gentler as compared to using scrub and the same results can be obtained – Smoother, softer and clean skin! 🙂
The Bridal Glow Set is now retailing at a recommended retail price of $382 at selected SK-II counters*.. It is while stocks last so check it out fast to prevent disappointment… 🙂
The set consists of:
1. Facial Treatment Essence 150ml
2. Cellumination Essence EX 30ml
3. Cellumination Deep Surge EX 15g
4. Facial Treatment Clear Lotion 40ml
5. Facial Treatment Mask 2-pcs
6. 3-in-1 Electric Beauty Bath Set
*Selected SK-II counters include Takashimaya, Tangs Orchard, Tangs Vivocity, Metro Paragon, Metro Woodlands, Isetan Scotts, Isetan Tampines, Isetan Serangoon, Isetan Katong, Robinsons Centrepoint, Robinsons Raffles City, BHG Bugis, OG People's Park
Thank you to Villa Halia & SK-II Team for the programme arrangements, the beautiful + cosy venue set up, the yummy food and most importantly for inviting me… 🙂 I had fun catching up with bloggers who were present and also glad to have acquired useful tips. 🙂
I will be back soon with more updates so catch you soon! 🙂


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Find out the top 10 beste android apps of 2013 that can add sparkling enthusiasm and excitement to your android phoning. Here is the list of beste android apps that are coming on top of the popularity chart due to their extraordinary and out of the box uses and simple user interface.
Our list for beste android apps starts with the EasilyDo app that can connect you with your favorite web programs and media sites including the online mail services, Facebook and etc. The app also helps in getting organized with your important notifications like birthday, events, reminders, weather etc. The second beste android apps is the DialMyCalls to record and retransmit voice messages. You can send sms, forward calls, bar them as you like. Next is the DuoLingo app that can easily translate between languages to eliminate the language barrier among persons willing to go intimate. Telly is next on our list of beste android apps that enable you to create, edit, and share videos of your choice. It also works for photography purposes. DoubleTwist is a musical app that allow you to listen to popular music and songs from the top chart and tune in to different radio stations on different bands. BBC Weather and Google Map are still on top of the beste apps for android. Probably the affection will continue for next decade. You may already know about them as they are among the most talked apps for your phone. Look for Vine, the next app in the line that too offers superior video making, grabbing, snatching, editing, and sharing capabilities powered with complete camera functionalities. Yahoo Mail and Gmail as individual apps are on rise as well. The very recent Google Keyboard is also coming on top of the list of beste android apps.
Our list completes the most recent introduction as well as the old ones tested for times and again. Therefore you can easily take them as recommendation for the beste android apps.


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Our purpose here at RationalWiki includes:
We welcome contributors, and encourage those who disagree with us to register and engage in constructive dialogue.
We have 7,305 articles for your enjoyment.
Homeopathy is a supposed medical practice based on the ideas that "like cures like" and that dilution increases potency – ideas that contradict all known medicine, chemistry and physics. Despite clinical trials showing that it has no effect beyond that of a placebo, it remains one of the dominant alternative medicines.
The absurdities underlying homeopathic medicine are well documented. Given that homeopathic remedies are typically diluted to the point that not even a single molecule of the active ingredient remains in solution, there is no plausible mode of action. Purported explanations for homeopathic efficacy, such as claims that water has a "memory" of substances previously dissolved in it, would overturn most of modern science if true. The evidence available indicates that homeopathy works solely through the placebo effect and that homeopathic claims can be dismissed as fantasy.
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More than 7,000 feet of old service lines will be replaced. CBS2's Chris Wragge reports.
Hoboken To Begin Installing New Water Mains Today
Sponsored By
Program: CBS2 News This MorningCategories: News, Gov't, Politics & Law, Local News, WCBSTV, Google
Latest Videos
Pride Gives Back: A Celebration Of Acceptance, Resilience And Bringing People TogetherLast year, we celebrated 50 years of World Pride.And this year, 2020 is the 50th anniversary of the NYC Pride March. Fifty years of acceptance, love, unity. This year, to show strength and unity. Pride is about helping the LGBTQ+ small businesses.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo Gives Daily BriefingThe governor discussed coronavirus, reopening and George Floyd protests at his daily briefing.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea On George Floyd ProtestsMayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea held a news conference to discuss sometimes violent George Floyd protests in New York City. The mayor promised a full, independent review of what happened.
Elected Officials Say NYPD Officer Should Face Charges Over Shoving Incident Caught On VideoA growing number of elected officials say an NYPD officer should face charges over a shoving incident that was caught on video.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams On George Floyd ProtestsPublic Advocate Jumaane Williams held a news conference to discuss George Floyd protests and police response to them, calling for the police to back off while people gather to express their grief and anger.
More Than 200 Arrests In Sometimes Violent George Floyd Demonstrations In Brooklyn And ManhattanThe NYPD is reporting more than 200 protest-related arrests following sometimes violent demonstrations in Brooklyn and Manhattan over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reports.
New York Weather: 5/30 CBS2 Saturday Weather HeadlinesCBS2's John Elliott has a look at the forecast.
New York Weather: CBS2 5/29 Nightly Forecast at 11PMCBS2's Lonnie Quinn has your weather forecast for May 29 at 11 p.m.
Whale Spotted In Shrewsbury RiverA whale is getting a lot of attention in New Jersey.
Connecticut Casinos Plan To ReopenIn Connecticut, two major casinos are reopening Saturday despite pushback from Gov. Ned Lamont.
President Trump Pulling U.S. Out Of World Health OrganizationPresident Donald Trump announced Friday the U.S. is pulling out of the World Health Organization.
NJ Child Care Services Allowed To Reopen In JuneNew Jersey took a big step Friday as Gov. Phil Murphy announced child care services can open in about two weeks. It's a huge relief to families who have been trying to juggle work and restless kids; CBS2's Jessica Layton reports.
Protests Continue Across Country Following Arrest Of Minneapolis Police Officer Accused Of Murdering George FloydDemonstrators in Minneapolis and St. Paul defied a curfew Friday, at times clashing with police after charges were filed against the former police officer accused of murdering George Floyd; CBS2's Dick Brennan reports.
Thousands March Across NYC To Protest Death Of George FloydProtests broke out across Manhattan and Brooklyn on Friday night as thousands of demonstrators called for justice for George Floyd and other victims of police violence; CBS2's Ali Bauman reports.
Montclair Restaurant Owner Donates Meals To Nonprofit While Struggling To Stay OpenA Montclair restaurant owner struggling to save his business has found a way to give back in a big way; CBS2's Cory James reports.
Protesters Gather Outside Barclays Center Over George Floyd's DeathA large crowd gathered outside the Barclays Center for a protest over the death of George Floyd; Jim Smith reports from Chopper 2.
Family Members Who Have Lost Loved Ones To COVID-19 Report Missing BelongingsSome family members who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 are now dealing with more pain. Their loved ones' cherished belongings they had with them at hospitals are getting lost or stolen; CBS2's Kevin Rincon reports.
Minneapolis Police Officer Charged With Murder, Manslaughter In George Floyd's DeathThe murder charges against the Minneapolis police officer seen kneeling on George Floyd's neck until he lost consciousness are considered unprecedented; CBS2's Alice Gainer reports.
Arrests Made During George Floyd Protests In New York CityNow that one officer has been arrested in the death of George Floyd, demonstrators upset over police violence are taking to the streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn; CBS2's Ali Bauman reports.
A Look Back At This Week's Stories: May 29, 2020Here's a look back at this week and the people coming together amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Snapshot NY: Motorcycle Community Pitching In To Help Health Care WorkersPeople are pitching in to help health care workers in unusual but helpful ways. That includes the city's motorcycle community; CBS2's Steve Overmyer reports.
New York Weather: CBS2 5/29 Evening Forecast at 5PMCBS2's Lonnie Quinn has your weather forecast for May 29 at 5 p.m.
New York Parents, Students Push For In-Person GraduationsNew Jersey granted permission for in-person graduations in July. Now there's a push for similar action in New York; CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reports.
Popular Connecticut Zoo Ready To Open With New Safety Changes In PlaceIn Connecticut, outdoor cultural institutions were allowed to open May 20, but with so many precautions necessary, many are just now ready to welcome visitors, including a popular zoo; CBS2's Tony Aiello reports.


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If possible, it's always a good idea to have your publisher selected before finalizing your color hard cover files. Though all cover art will need to allow for the thickness of the book board, as it folds around it and attaches to the inside (under the end sheets), variances in many other things will change the exact size and placement of elements on the cover layout. Additionally, even if returning to a publisher, don't assume the cover process hasn't altered in some way over time. For our current hard cover file information, visit http://www.gregthcompany.com/binding/art/hardcolorfiles.html
Electronic Magazine – August, 2014, v13#8: Design & Production Monday, Aug 11 2014
Book Design and Book Production and Electronic Magazine artwork, color art, color binding, cover art, file, format, hard binding, hard bound, hard cover, hardbinding, hardbound 12:07 pm


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How Trump should renegotiate the Iran deal (op-ed)
Washington Post
UANI Chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman & UANI CEO Amb. Mark Wallace: "Like President-elect Donald Trump, we vigorously opposed the Iran nuclear agreement, so we sympathize with his promise to "dismantle" it. But we hope that he and his administration will first try to aggressively enforce and then renegotiate the deal beyond the confines of the nuclear issue to make it better for us and the world. Before such renegotiations begin, the Trump administration could strengthen its hand by closely consulting with our allies in Iran's neighborhood — Israel and the Arab states. They were missing from the group that developed and consented to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the agreement is formally known. That was wrong, for two main reasons: because the Arab states and Israel are our allies and the Iranians are not, and because the countries in the region have the greatest equities at stake and should have a significant voice in the outcome. To date, the Iranian regime has made clear it has no intent to honor the spirit or letter of the JCPOA. Iran's pattern of reckless behavior has accelerated over the past year. Its anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-Arab rhetoric has grown stronger, and its actions have matched its rhetoric. Last month, 11 Arab states publicly accused Iran before the United Nations of meddling in their internal affairs. In June, the State Department again designated Iran the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. The American people see clearly what is happening. According to a recent survey by United Against Nuclear Iran, a large majority of American registered voters view Iran as the greatest state threat facing the United States — ahead of North Korea, Russia and China. Only the Islamic State and al-Qaeda are deemed bigger threats."


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City of StauntonHome Menu
Eligibility for Service
To receive service from the Staunton Talking Book Center individuals must reside in Augusta County, Bath County, Highland County, Rockbridge County, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington, City of Staunton, or City of Waynesboro and have one of the following qualifying conditions:
- Blindness: Blind persons whose visual acuity, as determined by competent authority, is
20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose widest diameter of visual
field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.
- Visual Impairment: Persons whose visual disability, with correction and regardless of optical measurement, is certified by competent authority as preventing the reading of standard printed material.
- Physical Disability: Persons certified by competent authority as unable to read or unable to use standard printed material as a result of physical limitations.
- Reading Disability: Persons certified by competent authority as having a reading disability resulting from organic dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent their reading printed material in a normal manner.
Certifying Authority
In cases of blindness, visual impairment, or physical limitations, "competent authority" is defined to include doctors of medicine; doctors of osteopathy; ophthalmologists; optometrists; registered nurses; therapists; and professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or private welfare agencies (e.g., social workers, case workers, counselors, rehabilitation teachers, and superintendents). In the absence of any of these, certification may be made by professional librarians or by any person whose competence under specific circumstances is acceptable to the Library of Congress.
In the case of reading disability from organic dysfunction, competent authority is defined as doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy who may consult with colleagues in associated disciplines.
Residency or U.S. Citizenship
Eligible readers must be residents of the United States, including states, territories, insular possessions, and the District of Columbia; or, American citizens domiciled abroad.
Lending of Materials and Classes of Borrowers
- Veterans. In the lending of books, recordings, playback equipment, musical scores, instructional texts, and other specialized materials, preference shall be given at all times to the needs of the blind and other physically handicapped persons who have been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United States.
- Institutions. The reading materials and playback equipment for the use of blind and physically handicapped persons may be loaned to individuals who qualify, to institutions such as nursing homes and hospitals, and to schools for the blind or physically handicapped for the use by such persons only. The reading materials and playback equipment may also be used in public or private schools where handicapped students are enrolled; however, the students in public or private schools must be certified as eligible on an individual basis and must be the direct and only recipients of the materials and equipment.


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Name: Darcie Anne Heathfield
Affiliation: Foundation, Are We Cool Yet? (formerly)
Role: Cryptanalyst under the Memetics Department on Site 43 – in part responsible for information security in some of the facility's systems, and called upon to deal with the information-theoretical side of anomalous mind-screws.
Played By: halothane
Phys. Description: Stands at just under 5'7'' and considers herself to be "reasonably tall".
Her hair is dark brown and slightly curly, kept at a length to be just above her shoulders when down and just enough to be possible to reliably tie up in the heat. Round eyes under thick eyebrows, with colour that matches her hair. She has a very expressive face, which she uses to the fullest.
Her vision has been surprisingly kept mostly intact despite the amount of time she spends staring at books and screens, and thus she hasn't replaced her eyewear since the time she made the ridiculous decision to get the pair of oversized round glasses.
Rarely seen in her lab coat because mathematicians don't wear lab coats. She instead takes a liking towards dress shirts and sweater vests in warm colours. Typically seen in slacks, but when free from workplace safety regulations, prefers shorts.
Background: Darcie's last name is her mother's. She was mostly alright with that since, appended to her name, it did sound nicer than both her father's and stepfather's. She liked to refer to herself as a single child, in accordance with her parents' original plans and despite the existence of her twin brother. Also has a younger half-brother who enjoys her begrudging acceptance as a sibling.
In her youth she never gave off the impression of being someone who was exceptionally bright. It was often noted, however, that she was incredibly good at some mental skills despite being terrible at others. That included an acute awareness of patterns, repetitions and omissions, and an aptitude for formal reasoning.
Throughout her life on campus, she proudly held the distinction of being that insufferable student who had her mind in all the wrong places, but nevertheless both smart enough to do decently in academic terms and clever enough to keep out of trouble too severe.
Shortly after entering university, she was approached by a fellow student with a flyer in hand. It was a small strip of paper that provided little information aside from a time and a place.
In retrospect, the fact that every other person in the twenty or so people that showed up at the basement that evening were humanity majors was a clear sign that whoever handed her the flyer meant to give it to someone else. But she was already in the room when she realised this, and she did always have a talent for just rolling with mistakes.
A "salon", they labelled the gatherings as such, but didn't take long for her to realise that all those trippy things they talked about were "magical" not only in the sense of romantic rhetoric. The weekly meetings between self-proclaimed artists had introduced her to an entire hidden side of the world: they handled objects that screamed of logical contradiction, studied things that could only be understood only in terms of the nonsensical, and used what they learnt to construct pieces of work that rebelled against the restrictions that were conventional formulations of reality. Their terminology was obfuscated, their methods flawed, and it was generally just very silly even though they did take themselves extremely seriously. And she found herself enjoying every bit of it.
The first piece of anomalous information of her creation was a collection of symbols cast in copper, arranged in a pattern that shifted and changed in a responsive fashion designed deliberately to mess with attempts to comprehend its meaning. She considered it to be incredibly clever.
And it translated back to "Are we cool yet?"1.
She would later say that AWCY? was something she "grew out of". That statement was only half true: the over-the-top hipster attitude may have faded into something considerably less exuberant, and her many acts that would certainly qualify her for prosecution may really have so fortunately been overlooked by the law, but the fascination with the anomalous was something that could only intensify with time.
The days following her gradual disassociation from the AWCY? movement she found herself surprisingly bored, mostly out of the lack of amusing news from fellow anomaly artists.
Her reaction to that were several years in which she turned her obsession to academic work - it was about time she did so, after all. At the end of that year she received her degree in mathematics from a respectable institute, and later on, her master's from a slightly better one. She didn't produce many notable discoveries and was a relatively obscure scholar, known less for her results than for her eccentric, unconventional methods - surely something she carried over from her earlier days.
She wasn't sure for how long she had been monitored by the Foundation, or why they eventually decided to recruit her. When she was finally invited to a private meeting and offered the choice to give up her old life or to forget the last twelve minutes, it was by someone she had known as a colleague of one of her professors. She would prefer to think that she really was just good enough to warrant the Foundation's attention, but it was not unlikely that her involvement with AWCY? was the reason she first came under their radar. Alternatively, it may also be a bit of both - for someone who knew what to look for, as the Foundation surely did, it wouldn't be hard to identify in her body of academic work the little tricks and cheats she borrowed from her studies of the anomalous.
After officially becoming part of the foundation, she was assigned to Site 43, as newer personnel often were. However, some events at a site near where she lived, 57, resulted in a vacancy at a position she happened to fill, and she had thus been helping at 57 until the onset of the current narrative.
Profile: An otherwise brilliant mind, obfuscated by a trainwreck of witticisms, trivia, pop culture references, and a roughly equal number of good and bad ideas. Surprisingly upbeat, and is one of the few people at the foundation who have the audacity to utter the sentence "I love my job" and do so without without sounding hopelessly bitter.
Generally friendly and easy to approach, and claims to know more people than the number of people who would admit to knowing her. Has a taste for the novel and absurd, and has therefore learnt to wisely run away from things while expressing her fascination, as opposed to doing one of those things after the other.
Has an inclination towards wry humour and good-natured quipping, but does make a conscious effort to keep random tomfoolery and bad jokes at levels low enough to remain professional. Doesn't harbour any manic tendencies per se. Her habit of taking things she knows to be bad suggestions and tossing them out in a matter-of-fact sort of tone, though, incites much unnecessary worry among her colleagues.
- Her states of "asleep" and "dead" are mutually indistinguishable. Meanwhile, while capable of falling asleep before hitting the mattress when she's really tired, it takes a considerably larger amount of effort to get her fully awake.
- Mildly dyslexic, but that is by far not the only reason she hates paperwork.
- Playlist in her phone consists almost exclusively of 80s music.
- Approximately ten years ago, there was one day when Darcie arrived at their weekly meeting only to find, to her great perplexion, that the entire basement seems to have disappeared, leaving a gaping hole in its place for several storeys above it to buckle and collapse into. They mostly agreed that it was an insanely cool stunt. In the absence of witnesses, they instead agreed after a discussion that the event was to be attributed, with utmost respect, to Jack: one of their fellow members who was found to be missing that morning and hadn't been heard from since. "No idea. Wasn't there." She replied when asked about it by her equally clueless friends. To this day, she remains largely unaware of the consequences of the magic conch shell incident. As of the events of Memory Stamps and Intruders, she was provided with a verbal description of the events from Dakzimier, who was involved in the earlier incident when he was still in human form.
Optimist / main theme — Blue Skies - Lenka
Rockstar mathematician / game face theme — Harpsichord solo from Brandenburg Concerto 5 - J. S. Bach
Alternative theme: Site 43 — Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive - Men At Work
AWCY? days theme — Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley
Dr. Alanna Ellis: is my boss but that kinda doesn't stop me from messing with her.
- Has a military-grade brain in the sense that she's virtually unbreakable. I'll be forever amazed by the fact that she just tanks through all the things she does. Much respect.
Dr. Hershel Thorne: will become an old man and the neighbours' kids will all be terrified of him.
- I'm terrified of him.
- I'm actually convinced he's a really nice person underneath, and is just not very well adjusted.
Chief Dakzimier: is a printer
- More precisely, a person stuck in a printer.
- Actually, a pretty nice person stuck in a printer. I feel kind of sorry for him.
Emsay Adonai: magnificent bastard and anomaly collector
- Has some sick stuff stashed at his place.
- Got invited to his parties and stuff back in the day. Haven't met him in a while though, heard he works as a correspondent of sorts to the Foundation now.
Player: halothane
Name: Darcie Anne Heathfield
Description: Stands at just under 5'7'' and considers herself to be "reasonably tall".
Her hair is dark brown, ending in soft curls just above her shoulders - just long enough to be possible to reliably tie up in the heat. Round eyes under thick eyebrows, with colour that matches her hair. She has a very expressive face, which she uses to the fullest.
Her sight has been surprisingly kept mostly intact despite the amount of time she spends staring at books and screens, and thus she hasn't replaced her eyewear since the time she made the ridiculous decision to get the pair of oversized round glasses.
Rarely seen in her lab coat because mathematicians don't wear lab coats. She instead takes a liking towards dress shirts and sweater vests in warm colours. Typically seen in slacks, but when free from workplace safety regulations, prefers shorts.
Refresh Rate: 3
High Concept: ∃ Mathematician: happy(Mathematician)
Or, equivalently, Happy Mathematicians Exist.
One of the few people at the Foundation who have the audacity to utter the sentence "I love my job" and do so without without sounding hopelessly bitter. Surprisingly upbeat, approachable, and generally pleasant (at least most of the time), Darcie is the living counter-example to the sweeping characterization of people in her line of work as grumpy balls of eccentricity.
Doesn't harbour any manic tendencies per se, but is known for her inclination towards wry humour and good-natured quipping, as well as her habit of taking bad suggestions and tossing them out in a matter-of-fact sort of tone.
Cryptanalyst under the Memetics Department on Site 43, she is in part responsible for information security in some of the facility's systems, and is called upon to deal with the information-theoretical side of anomalous mind-screws.
Trouble: Patron Saint of Questionable Life Decisions
Darcie is an otherwise brilliant mind, obfuscated by a trainwreck of witticisms, trivia, pop culture references, and a roughly equal number of good and bad ideas. Masked by a considerable amount of conscious effort is her chronic incapability to tell the good ideas from the bad ones.
She had to teach herself to run away from things while expressing her fascination, as opposed to doing one of those things after the other. She keeps random tomfoolery at low enough levels to remain professional, but only because she tries hard to suppress the whimsical undercurrent that runs beneath all her thought processes.
All of that takes effort to upkeep; and it isn't hard to strip her of the extra layer of reason that keeps things stably functional. Mental stress, panic, not having yet woken up entirely - any of these things may be sufficient to throw her judgement off by enough to have the worst choice on the table suddenly seem like an excellent idea. Inconsequential when she has the option to scrap the page and start over, but otherwise severely troubling.
Aspect 1: d'AWCY?
Upon entering university, Darcie was handed a flyer by a fellow student who meant to give the flyer to someone else. True to her talent for dealing with mistakes by running with it, she became the only mathematics major to regularly show up at the basement that hosted weekly gatherings for a loosely organised artist(anartist?)-activist(terrorist?) group. They called it a 'salon', and there they crafted and critiqued works of art. It just so happened that all their installations involve anomalous artifacts, either found or of their own creation.
Their terminology was obfuscated, their methods flawed, and it was generally just very silly even though they did take themselves extremely seriously. And she thoroughly enjoyed working with them.
She emerged from those three or four years having built for herself a familiarity with the anomalous, and an extensive, albeit idiosyncratic, understanding of the coupling between rigorous reason and the parts of the universe that refuse to be reasoned with.
Aspect 2: Maverick Mental Gymnastics
Years of working with information-based anomalies has conditioned her mind to work in a specific way: to tolerate contradictions and paradoxes, to reason deliberately in roundabout ways to bypass mental reactions. This state of mind remained with her even after her eventual dissociation from the group, finding its way into her later academic works and her everyday reasoning.
When given a set of facts to process, she exhibits a rather noticeable tendency to arrive first at one of the more obscure conclusions, via a string of logic valid but not obvious unless explained - or not even after. This has many times provided her with unique insight on otherwise impenetrable complications. The same tendency, however, has just as often led her too far down dead ends, or obscured from her obvious consequences.
Aspect 3: Never Gonna Give You Up
Having led so far a relatively uneventful life, she has trouble relating more complicated feelings and graver hardships. That, however, does not mean she will give up trying to help whenever she notices signs of distress - even though reception towards her attempts to 'help' very greatly, and she admittedly isn't that good at the noticing part to start with.
She has pledged her allegiance to the Foundation and its cause, but her true devotion lies towards her superiors, colleagues, and friends on a personal level. This provides her with extra motivation when she believes there are people who will benefit from what she's trying to achieve. On the other hand, when orders from higher-ups contradict with her emotional judgement, she typically ends up hesitating longer than she should.
|Skill 1
|Skill 2
|Skill 3
|Skill 4
|Superb (+5)
|Great (+4)
|Good (+3)
|Fair (+2)
|Average (+1)
- Has Good Will and thus gets a third & fourth Mental Stress Box.
It's What You See: Despite experiencing difficulties with understanding text as they are read, she is acutely sensitive to the characteristics exhibited by strings of symbols, such as repetitions, omissions, and other patterns. This awareness contributes much to her intuition as a codebreaker, with digital files and traditional media like.
+2 to Investigate rolls that involve extracting information encoded into visual media (including text, but only if the relevant information is possible to decrypt without an understanding of the meaning of the text.)
Paratech Magician: Her understanding of modern computers doesn't amount to anything extraordinary by Foundation standards. Her history with both cryptography and esoterics, however, contributes to a great practical understanding of anomalous information technology.
+2 on Hacking rolls for security-related tasks when the operation of the system in question involves anomalous components.
Refuge in Audacity: Not known to be a particularly good liar, but that impression is contributed to by the fact that everything she says sounds like a blatant lie anyway. Under the right circumstances, though, that might work to her advantage than against her.
Grants a reroll on failed Deceive rolls provided she is attempting to hide something from someone who doesn't already know her.


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Our Story
Laurel Corporate Center & 1000 Bishops Gate
Founded by Asher Zamir in 2003, Zamir Equities is a privately held New York City based, integrated real estate private equity firm.
Currently, Zamir Equities cumulatively owns and manages $350 million worth of commercial properties, encompassing nearly 3 million square feet. Since inception, Zamir Equities has executed more than $1 billion in commercial real estate transactions and managing more than three million square feet in commercial and residential properties along the east coast. Recognized for their astute acquisition proficiency, along with unparalleled real estate management, leasing and marketing experience, Zamir Equities specializes in risk-adjusted market returns in both undervalued and stabilized real estate assets.
Zamir Equities is enthusiastically recognized throughout the real estate industry for their ability to swiftly grasp shifting market dynamics, identify hidden opportunities, all while delivering competitive investment performance. Ultimately, Zamir Equities expertly transforms complex asset situations into simple and singularly profitable opportunities with favorable debt terms in current market conditions. As a well-established New York City commercial real estate firm, with a track record of highly successful ventures, our active and entrepreneurial culture and robust investment platform allows us to quickly adapt as market cycles shift.
With no bureaucracy, we are able to swiftly seek new opportunities and achieve superior risk-adjusted returns. Our team collaboratively embraces new ideas, while always putting our investor's interest first. Our belief in a hands-on approach to real estate—both in the office and in the field—is the same now as it was at inception. We understand the importance of effective operational expertise, significant long-term value creation and performance, and, of course, consistent and substantial return on investment. At Zamir Equities, it's more than just putting money to work. As we look for investment opportunities, we're also looking for ways to engage and improve the communities where we operate and where our assets are located.
Zamir Equities is headquartered in Manhattan's Fred F. French Building, a stunning 38-story art deco building erected in 1927, and listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.


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April 10, 2008
Cover Story: Martha Wainwright
I love Martha and her album cover seemed familiar, so I dug around and realized it's an homage to André Kertész's photograph of a dancer on a couch. It's called Satiric Dancer and was taken in Paris in 1926, totally impromptu. As for Martha, her album has a great title, though the single, You Cheated Me, sounds more like an album track to me.
7 comments:
- Unknown said...
I absolutely LOVE the album cover! Great image.
I wasn't mega sure about the single at first but it has grown on me hugely and I love it now. She will struggle to match the brilliance of the debut album but we can hope.
- April 11, 2008 6:59 AM
- D'luv said...
She's still doing music then? That's cute. Good for her.
- April 11, 2008 8:05 AM
- xolondon said...
Have you ever heard one of her songs, Mr. Positivity? ;)
- April 11, 2008 8:07 AM
- PhillipR said...
the return of Martha in 2009 is a moment i am waiting for, what a great album cover!
- April 13, 2008 10:44 PM
- D'luv said...
Splutter! Gasp! I was making a very positive comment -- good for her for making her music!
And of course I know her music... she warbles along on that one Snow Patrol song about a sink or a bar or a fire or some shit.
- April 14, 2008 11:46 AM
- Joseph said...
I LOVE the album cover and title, and I want to love her considering the great stuff she's done on her brother's records (in particular that A-MAZ-ING cover of "Stormy Weather"). I'll check out the album and see if she can win me over.
- April 15, 2008 3:31 PM
- Unknown said...
"Martha Wainwright returns with her eagerly anticipated second studio album "I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too". A glorious follow up to her critically acclaimed self-titled 2005 debut.
Featuring twelve original tracks and a touching cover of the Pink Floyd classic "See Emily Play", this album is a huge a step forward both sonically and lyrically from her debut. Produced by a range of producers including Brad Albetta, Martin Terefe, and Tore Johansson, the album walks the line perfectly between subtle beauty and raw emotion.
"The title sums up my dark humour. Plus it's an homage to a few good men and women that I've loved at one time or another. After all, these people never go away. You end up loving them for life" she says.
From the intricacy and simplicity of "Comin' Tonight", to the plaintive power of "Hearts Club Band" the album is full of standout tracks. Other highlights include the album opener "Bleeding All Over You", and the track "I Wish I Were" which showcases Martha's majestic and evocative voice perfectly.
"I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too" is packed with contributors including Pete Townshend ("You Cheated Me"), The Band's Garth Hudson ("I Wish I Were"), and Steely Dan's Donald Fagen ("So Many Friends"). It also features members of Martha's extraordinarily talented family including brother Rufus ("In The Middle Of The Night"), mother Kate McGarrigle, aunt Anna McGarrigle, and first cousin Lily Lanken ("See Emily Play")."
- April 16, 2008 6:43 AM


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Kid-Friendly schools are schools that put kids and their needs first.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Where I Part Ways With Alfie Kohn
One big disagreement is over the issue of Chicago Math, aka "constructivist math". Kohn is a proponent of this approach, and he has written with contempt about the parents' groups that oppose it (see "Only for My Kid".) I've done a lot of reading about Chicago Math (on sites like kitchen table math and Out in Left Field), and my daughter suffered through two years of Trailblazers at her private school. I have come to the conclusion that on this issue, Kohn is just plain wrong.
The Chicago Math curricula are really terrible. Why? Because they contain hardly any math, and a great deal of pointless wankery, such as "write an essay about your favorite number". (True!) Kids can have years of this stuff, and still be unable to do even the simplest computations. When my daughter had Trailblazers, I went out of my way to tutor her at home with Singapore Math (I recommend it). Several of her classmates are now taking remedial math classes.
So, much as I want to like progressive ed, I also genuinely care about content. I want my kids to be capable and confident with math, and Trailblazers won't get them there. I want my kids to learn stuff, and I also want them to enjoy their childhood and not be overburdened with homework, pressure and competition.
In a similar vein, I really wanted to like this essay, "Turning Schools Into Robot Factories". And I did like it, right up to the point that the writer complained that upper elementary students "were also taught the formula for dividing by fractions (as if anyone ever does such a thing)". I want my kids to be able to divide by a fraction. It's part of the logical system known as arithmetic, and I think it's basic for any educated person. Is that too much to ask?
19 comments:
We used Singapore Maths and loved it. One of the big complaints about it is that it can't easily be used to teach children of varying abilities that WILL be in your standard classroom. Heaven forbid one child be more proficient, or get ahead of, another child.ReplyDelete
More and more I'm convinced that NCLB really is going to mean less REAL teaching for white middle-class children. Upper-class parents won't put up with this not teaching their children properly stuff.
PS. My nine-year-old can divide by a fraction. It involves multiplying by the inverse. When you're done with Singapore Maths, give Teaching Textbooks a try. Only take the placement quizzes first so you buy the right one... it is behind Singapore and you will probably start into seventh grade after fifth grade Singapore as we did. (Hope that makes sense.)
Although I consider myself a "progressive," when it comes to educational issues, I have to agree with you on this one. What irks me most is the way math education is framed as a liberal/conservative, left/right issue. The ongoing "math wars"--as conceived and reported on in the media (more so in the States than here, where the war has been more of a minor skirmish followed by complete surrender)--reinforce this counterproductive, politicized way of looking at the issue.
The problem I have with "constructivist" math is simple: it frustrates and confuses kids, even--perhaps especially--those kids who have a knack or gift for math. It does this by eschewing incrementalism (always putting the cart before the horse--eg, giving kids algebra problems without first teaching the tools of algebra), and by expecting kids to reinvent the wheel when it comes to algorithms that have taken mathematicians 2000 or so years to perfect. Another issue I have with this type of math instruction (I have so many that I'm planning to write my own blog piece on the subject--but it's daunting because I have so much to say) is that it is patronizing in its emphasis on concrete materials and group work. Both my daughters enjoy math much more when it is abstract: numbers on a page that they can play around with. As opposed to a million pictures and silly blocks. My husband and I were the same when we were young: the more abstract the math became, the better we performed. My husband went on to become a very gifted math student; today he uses high-level math in his job every day, and he hates the kids' math program--thinks it's "anti-math." It's interesting to me that when I look at the authors of my daughters' textbook (called Math Makes Sense, referred to in our household as Math Makes Nonsense), there is not one actual mathematician listed. All the authors and consultants are education professors or elementary teachers. I think that speaks volumes.
One more thing: the constructivists' main argument against teaching traditional algorithms is that they don't allow kids to learn the "concept" behind them. Only a non-mathematician would be unable to see the obvious truth that all algorithms contain within them "the concept," (which becomes evident with use); otherwise they wouldn't work!
northTOmom: however, it is possible to teach math from concept to algorithm without a so-called constructivist approach that you are mentioning. Singapore Math is brilliant at this. While some students will figure out the concept behind the algorithm, for most, learning the algorithm first (and only) is frustrating and does not lead to deep understanding. That's a big reason so many modern adults fear math.ReplyDelete
If you teach from concept to algorithm, or concrete to pictorial to abstract (and then to mental math), you cover all the bases. And for the students who don't understand a concept, you just keep backing up a step until they do get it, and you can help them build understanding to abstract (algorithm) from there. It leads to faster advancement and mastery.
I'm just chiming in to repeat myself and agree with all the posters so far; Singapore Math is the bomb. The little drawings are very helpful, and then they go right to the equations and algorithms. northTOmom, you really might consider getting a few workbooks and going through them with your kids.ReplyDelete
I've seen 2 different kinds of bad math instruction so far. One was the Trailblazers kind, and the other was an accelerated math class that my daughter got stuck in, which accelerated us right out of the public schools. The accelerated math class was like a caricature of traditionalist teaching; the kids were just being marched through a lot of algorithms without any conceptual understanding.
I feel another post coming on ...
I am too uninformed on these different approaches to math instruction to say much about them. But what northTOmom says rings true to my experience of watching my kids deal with math in school. (Our school uses "Everyday Math," whatever that is.) For the kids, the expectations are very unclear, and the experience is frustrating and confidence-undermining. It's as if there's a taboo against actually teaching the kids any real math facts, when in fact doing some of that early on would just end up being empowering.ReplyDelete
That said, I have my doubts about the whole project of making kids learn a set of predetermined math subjects on a predetermined schedule in some predetermined way, especially in the lower grades. In that way, maybe I'm even farther out than Alfie. I think we spend years teaching concepts that, if we just waited until the kids were a little older, they could learn in a matter of a few months and with much less anguish. (I guess this where the unschooler wanna-be comes out in me.) In the meantime, the younger kids are bound to learn some of it anyway just out of curiosity, and maybe then they'd think of it as something interesting rather than as something aversive.
I agree with FedUpMom that some math concepts are very helpful to know and I wouldn't want to completely omit them from my kids' education. I'd include dividing by fractions. (And, as Mrs. C points out, dividing by fractions is really easy!) I also think a certain amount of algebra can come in handy in life even if you're not in a mathy career. Some knowledge of probability and statistics also seems useful for just about anybody to have.
But advanced algebra and trigonometry? Sines and cosines? The quadratic equation? I'm mystified about why we not only insist that everyone learn these subjects, but we even use them as a basis for sorting people out at college application time. Seriously, is there an adult in America who knows trigonometry? People don't know those subjects because there really isn't much use for them outside of very specialized fields. At that point, I'd say: leave those subjects to the kids who are interested in pursuing them or to the college students who decide to go into fields that make use of them.
Chris, if you can, BORROW THE TEACHER'S MANUALS for Everyday Math. Just a perusal at the section on what students should know will seriously blow you out of the water. They COVER tons of concepts under this "spiral" program, but the children are not meant to be "secure" (as in, know their stuff) until much later.ReplyDelete
I have nothing against spiral curriculum per se, but I *do* have a problem with parents being expected to do homework etc. with their children on concepts they are really not meant to master until much later. Meanwhile, the curriculum *appears* to be teaching at a higher level than it is.
Hard to express myself properly in this... but suffice to say... LOOK at the teacher's manuals. OH! And check this out:
Thanks for the tip, Mrs. C. Does anyone tell the students that they aren't expected to be "secure"? Seems pretty close to saying that we don't really expect you to understand what we're teaching. If I were a kid, I'd want to know what they *do* expect.ReplyDelete
You're right that it's entirely possible (and desirable, in my opinion) to teach math from concept to algorithm in a non-constructivist way. I guess what I was trying to say is that the algorithm does embody the concept, so one way to reinforce understanding of the concept would be to pick apart the algorithm (so to speak), and show kids how and why it works. This is how I taught my own kids long division at a time when the teachers were not yet teaching the algorithm for it in school, yet were assigning problems that clearly demanded it.
Yes, I am familiar with Singapore Math, and used it for a few years when the girls were young. I agree that it is excellent. But I have to put in a plug for a Canadian program which I really like: JUMP Math. It was started by a guy called John Mighton, who was actually a playwright who went back to university later in life and earned a PhD in math. He is Canada's only vocal critic of constructivist math, and his programs have been met with resistance by the math teaching establishment here; recently, though, some public schools have adopted his program and have had great success with it. The workbooks are deliberately incremental, easy for kids to work on independently, and free of fancy graphics and pictures. Mighton has written two interesting books, one called the Myth of Ability (mostly about teaching math), and another called The End of Ignorance. What I love about Mighton is that he is an educational progressive who does not endorse constructivist teaching in math. He's really the only one I know of who has criticized "fuzzy" math from a progressive point of view. (If anyone's interested, JUMP has a website with more info: http://jumpmath.org/)
Everyday Math is one of the more (in)famous of the constructivist programs, as the YouTube link Mrs. C provided attests. Because it is an American program, it is not used here in Canada except (ironically) at some of the most elite, traditional private schools.
I sort of agree with you about early math instruction. I know in my own case, I struggled with math early on, when basic concepts were being introduced, then suddenly became an excellent math student in grade 7 or 8 when we started what I considered to be the fun stuff (eg, algebra). Actually, Peter Gray (to whose writing you introduced me--thank you!) wrote an interesting article on this very subject, which supports your unschooling instincts. See: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201003/when-less-is-more-the-case-teaching-less-math-in-schools
I just read through that Alfie Kohn article you linked to. I'm sympathetic to some of the points he makes -- for example, about education becoming more about credentialing than about learning, and about the value of de-emphasizing grades. But I agree with you, FedUpMom, that he is too ready to dismiss as mean-spirited or selfish genuine concerns about whether the detracking and conceptual learning that he describes will be effective in practice.ReplyDelete
Parents like the ones he describe may exist, but I haven't encountered many of them. I really don't think parents who complain about detracking are worried that other kids will "catch up" to theirs. They're worried that their own kids' education -- and not just their relative test scores -- will suffer. (At least Kohn admits that "heterogeneity is hard to do well." So shouldn't the parents be concerned?) Ditto with the more conceptual approaches to math.
In any event, I think Kohn would be smart to focus not so much on the supposedly "selfish" parents who want other people's kids to fail, but on the parents who are understandably skeptical about the broad implementation of practices that are "hard to do well."
NorthTOmom -- Yes, that Peter Gray article is really interesting. That experiment he describes was eighty years ago. Despite all the talk of "evidence-based" educational techniques, I doubt we'll be seeing any studies testing that hypothesis any time soon. But I bet we won't have to wait long before someone studies whether we can introduce all these math concepts at even younger ages . . .ReplyDelete
To echo something Chris said:ReplyDelete
By starting more and more advanced levels of math sooner, we are forcing kids into irrelevant levels of math to meet graduation requirements.
If you follow the G/T track in math in my county you end up with two years of calculus at the end. For my oldest son it may be relevant because he is considering going into engineering, but for 99% of the population...who needs two years of calculus (or one for that mater)???
Sorry..."matter" not "mater."ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 29, 2010 at 4:42 PM
Matthew, if 99% of your population is in the G/T track, there is something very wrong with your definition of the track. G/T tracks are intended for the top 1-5% of the students, a large fraction of whom will need that much calculus.ReplyDelete
@gasstationwithoutpumps: I think I didn't phrase my statement well, but I don't really agree with what you're trying to say.ReplyDelete
I'd guess that about 25-30% of students are in G/T math at some point, which is probably a bit higher than it should be, but a class focused on 1-5% of the student population is never going to happen. You'd need a grade with 500-2,000 students in it to have enough to fill a G/T class by your definition.
There are plenty of careers for smart people that don't need 2 years of calculus. I work in IT, was in G/T math in school (with good cause I believe) and have never used my one year of calculus in my life. My wife, also in G/T math I believe, is in a health field and has never used calculus professionally.
What bothers me is not that the schools want all their students to take four years of math (which is what leads to 2 years of calculus for kids in the G/T program, 1 year for honors students), but that they are so rigid about what you have to take. There are other valid subjects that could be fulfill the goal--programming, accounting & finance, statistics, etc.--and be more useful to a lot of kids.
Matthew, I'd love to see a good programming course offered in high school. That's a really useful skill. Finance would be a good idea, too -- even on the scale of "how to handle your money".ReplyDelete
- MatthewOctober 1, 2010 at 5:03 AM
A personal finance class should really be made part of every school system, but they have to do it well (and we know how that usually goes...).ReplyDelete
I remember when one of my kids was in either elementary or early middle school and they had a section on finance. Much of the teaching was based on material saying "if you put your money into a savings account and earn 10% interest, in a few years you'll have..." Meanwhile, I was looking at a bank statement saying I had earned .05% (yes, .05%, and no, I don't keep much money in that account) interest that month.
No mention of loss of value due to inflation, taxes on interest, etc. No mention of avoiding fees. Basically, the curriculum hadn't been updated since 1980 despite all the changes in the economy.
- AnonymousOctober 1, 2010 at 6:12 AM
PsychMom chimes in....ReplyDelete
In the 70's our high school had a cool math teacher named Mr. Sportun, who did the classes for the weaker students and for the very advanced kids. He was a special teacher. His advanced Grade 10 kids did things like tax returns.....it was very cool. Everyone loved Mr. Sportun. My sister still credits him for teaching her how to fill out a tax return.
Practical things like that should be a part of our kids' growing up years...it should be available at the community level as well.
The New York Times has an article today on Singapore Math here.ReplyDelete


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