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Tagged: Eric Bruntlett
Beards, Pranks and Artistry
The big news out of Phillies camp today was about Jayson Werth, who apparently misses Eric Bruntlett and wanted to carry forward the Grizzly Adams tradition:
Brad Lidge referred to the new style as "a combination between Jesus Christ and the caveman from Geico ." So there you have it; bow down to Mr. Werth. He is now your personal savior ;o)
And in following with the Phillies Spring Training practical joke tradition, like faking a Kyle Kendrick trade to Japan, this year an office staff member took the brunt of the joke. Phillies director of baseball communications Greg Casterioto made the awful mistake of allowing himself to be interviewed for South Jersey magazine's story about South Jersey singles. The Phils took the GQ-like posed photo from the article, blew it up and put it not only on tee-shirts which the whole team wore today, but they also stuck it on the outfield wall at Bright House Field to complete the humiliation:
This poor guy never saw it coming.
Shane Victorino was busy this off-season; not only did he get married, go on a cruise with me and 274 other crazy fans, he also managed to find time to design a shirt. The Flyin' Hawaiian style will be available on March 1st, but you can pre-order it on-line right now. I totally see how his nickname goes with a winged skull…don't you?
And in actual baseball news, Brad Lidge began throwing off a mound today and feels optimistic about being ready for Opening Day. Same goes for JC Romero who will start throwing off the mound soon. Pretty much all the players who had surgery this offseason including Lidge, Romero, Jamie Moyer and Raul Ibanez all say they feel good and are raring to go. We shall see!
Werth photo: Yong Kim via Phillies Zone ; Bruntlett photo by Jenn; Casterioto photo by Todd Zolecki, The Zo Zone; shirt photo: www.silverstarnow.com
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
Catch & Toss
The Phillies found a back-up catcher today when they signed Brian Schneider to a $2.75 million, 2 year deal. Schneider spent the last 2 years with the Mets and the previous 8 seasons with the Nationals/Expos. The best news here is that Schneider was notorious for being a Phillie killer; pitching to him has been a 10 year nightmare. Overall, Schneider is a .251 hitter and should fit nicely into the back-up spot vacated by Paul Bako and Chris Coste before that.
And in a very odd twist to the situation, Coste has just been signed by the Mets! Coste started the 2009 season with the Phillies before being tossed and subsequently picked up off waivers by Houston in July. The self-proclaimed 33-year old rookie is now in enemy threads which is sure to send shockwaves throughout Philadelphia. Coste was well loved in Philly and many were unhappy with his departure. Not to mention, many would rather see him retire than play in a Mets uniform. It is a sad, sad day for Coste fans. But look at the bright side; at least we will get to see him a lot next year :O)
As for the other holes in the line-up, like third base, no word yet except that midnight tonight is the deadline for all teams to offer salary arbitration to their free agents. The Phillies are likely to offer arbitration to Chan Ho Park as they have stated they want him back next year. Park may decline and decide to look around for a starting pitching spot as several teams have seemed interested in him. If he accepts, he will be with the Phillies for 2010 and probably get a raise. As for the other free agents, Bako and Eric Bruntlett are out of the picture with their replacements already signed in Brian Schneider and Juan Castro. Brett Myers has already been shown the door, as has Jack Taschner. Pedro Feliz, Pedro Martinez, Matt Stairs and Miguel Cairo are also unlikely, although Stairs and Cairo may be offered minor league deals.
Ticket Prices
So, have we all looked at our season ticket invoices yet? This is not a huge shock, but Phillies ticket prices went up again this year by $2- $4 per ticket. Not only that, but some season ticket holders received worse seat assignments. Someone I know got bumped backwards 2 rows in the same section. So, we are now paying more for less? While 2 rows is not earth shattering, traditionally, season ticket holders have been rewarded for their loyalty with better seats from year to year, not punished.
So yes, the World Series win in 2008 plus the return trip in 2009 do affect the prices, unfortunately. But that does not make it any easier to swallow. The money does not go towards improving the team or free agency; it is just more in the pockets of the owners. And with the team winning now, they do it simply because they can.
Prices over the recent years have increased tremendously. A seat that cost $42 in 2004 is now $58 for 2010. The last year of the vet for the same seat was $26. What I am wondering though is what happens when the team sucks again? Do we become the Nationals with a stadium that is only 25% full? I follow the team win or lose, but I will not pay those prices to see them lose when I can do that at home for free. Then again, maybe they will never suck again…one can dream ;o)
So, did anyone else get there ticket invoice and wonder what happened? Did you get the same seats or did you get bumped back? What do you think about the prices? Let me know in the comment section below.
Coste photo by Jenn
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
Holidays, Baseball and Food Coma's…
To start with, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and did not lapse into a turkey coma! I also hope no one got trampled attempting to enter Wal-Mart at 3am on Friday ;o) Holidays can either be fun or hazardous to your health…I hope you went with "fun."
Speaking of holidays and shopping, what would you like to receive this holiday season? I would like for Mike Schmidt to age backwards and play 3rd base for the Phillies again.
I would also like the Giants to release Tim Lincecum for his bad, drug induced behavior so the Phillies can have him. I also wish aliens would come down from outer space and give us back Cole Hamels: Version 2008. Clearly, he was abducted and it is time to bring him back.
By the way, 3 years ago, current GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who was assistant GM at the time, asked a room full of female fans if they could sign any pitcher in the league to the Phillies, who would it be? I shouted, "Tim Lincecum!" Ruben looked at me like I was nuts and decided that the woman who suggested Brandon Webb had a better idea. Webb went down with a shoulder injury in April 2009 and did not play the entire season. Lincecum has now won 2 Cy Young's in a row. Hey Ruben, still think I am nuts? Just a little holiday fun for you there :O)
Ok, so clearly we cannot sign Mr. Lincecum. But the Phillies have a lot of work to do this off-season to improve the pitching staff. It looks to be a quiet market right now. Things should start to heat up when the Winter Meetings begin on December 7th.
The few moves made so far have not even made a small ripple in the atmosphere. The signing of Juan Castro to replace Eric Bruntlett on the bench seems like a lateral move, rather than an improvement. Castro hit .277 last year with the Dodgers but is a career .230 hitter. This news is not exactly knocking Phillies fans out of their boots. We hope bigger and better things will be coming soon…
In other news, Jamie Moyer was recently hospitalized and had surgery to remove an infected blood collection that may have resulted from his previous groin surgery. It should not affect his Spring Training schedule and he appears to be recovering well. I wish him luck!
From the long time veteran to the rookie, JA Happ has been named to the Topps' 51st All-Rookie Team, which is just one of many honors he garnered this off-season. Happ is still up for the Rookie of the Year award in the This Year In Baseball awards. Voting continues until December 11th and many Phillies like Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and others are in the running.
And finally, congratulations to Shane and Melissa Victorino who tied the knot earlier this month in Hawaii! They are two really great people and I wish them all the best!
Lincecum & Happ photos by Jenn
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
No Happ-Y Ending for the Rookie
What would have been the perfect ending to an outstanding season for rookie pitcher JA Happ went instead to Chris Coghlan of the Marlins. The Rookie of the Year award is voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and this year, it looks like they may have gotten it wrong.
While it is difficult to compare a hitter like Coghlan to a pitcher like Happ, perhaps the deciding factor should be which player had the greatest impact on their team? Happ filled the void left by starters Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer; without him, the Phillies would not have made the playoffs. Coghlan's resume is impressive, but his team did not go to the post-season.
To review, Happ went 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA, topping all rookies in innings pitched (166), strikeouts (119), complete game shut-outs (2) and 3 total shut-outs. Coghlan hit .321 with 9 homers, 47 RBI, 162 hits and a .390 on-base percentage. Again, difficult to compare, but clearly good pitching beats good hitting as has been demonstrated by years of baseball past.
So while myself and probably a lot of people feel that Happ was snubbed having come in 2nd place, these awards are seldom fair. But the second place finish does not diminish what was an amazing season for Happ, who has more than proved his worth to this team. As a consolation prize, I hereby dub JA Happ the "Fan Rookie of the Year"! Yes, complete with a photo montage:
In other news, the Phillies have removed the following players from the 40-man roster, making them free agents: Eric Bruntlett, Tyler Walker, Paul Hoover, Andy Tracy and John Ennis. Tracy will likely be back next year with the Iron Pigs (AAA) in Allentown as well as Ennis. Hoover may find himself serving as a back-up catcher if not one fills that spot right away. But it does look like Bruntlett and Walker will probably be gone.
Free agent signings will begin on Friday.
Photos by Jenn
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
Phillies 2009 Year In Review
2009 was an outstanding season for the Philadelphia Phillies in many ways. Not only did they return to the World Series for the second consecutive year, but when you look at everything they had to endure to do so, the feat becomes that much more impressive. Here is a look at the obstacles the team overcame in 2009 and also some of the season highlights:
Obstacles Overcome
The loss of our beloved Harry Kalas
The 2008 World Series hangover
Injuries to every member of the bullpen
Losing the #2 starter (Brett Myers) at the beginning of the year
Watching the #1 starter, Cole Hamels, go through weird injuries, bad luck and a very bad season
Lack of production from the bench players
The June Swoon (11-15 record)
The struggles and eventual season ending injury of Jamie Moyer
The injury to Raul Ibanez right before the All-Star break; Ibanez went from super hot to totally not afterwards.
Offensive slumps throughout the year
A down year and very slow start from the offensive engine, Jimmy Rollins
Brad Lidge going from first to worst among closers
The Ring Ceremony
Cliff Lee – a gift from Heaven (and Ruben Amaro Jr.)
Pedro Feliz had off-season back surgery, recovered well and became a real contributor offensively
JA Happ emerged as rookie sensation with 12 wins and the lowest team ERA among starters (2.93)
Jamie Moyer wins career game #250
The Phillies visit with J-Roll Smurf (more of a personal highlight, but a highlight nonetheless)
Ryan Howard becomes the fastest player ever to reach 200 career home runs
Ryan Howard knocks the most grand slams in Phillies history
The 10 game winning streak, July 8-21
The two Old Goats, Jamie Moyer & Pedro Martinez, combine to win 2 games in August that were split up by rain delays
Jayson Werth steals home against Dodgers
Franchise record set for attendance and sellout games; 3,600,693 fans and 73 sellouts in 81 home games, finishing 3rd in baseball for total and average attendance
Return to World Series
Congratulations to the 2009 National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies!
In other news:
The 2009 coaching staff have all been invited to return next year.
Cliff Lee's 8 million dollar club option was picked up (no surprise here) for 2010.
Raul Ibanez, Scott Eyre and Brad Lidge will all be seen by team doctors this weekend to determine if surgeries will be needed. Eyre has loose bodies in his elbow and Lidge may have the same. Ibanez has a tear in his abdomen and a hip issue.
No word yet on Pedro Feliz's club option, but it will be decided by Monday.
Photos by Jenn, except White House
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
A Frightening Performance
Last year on Halloween Day, the Phillies were celebrating by parading down Broad Street. This year on Halloween Day, they took a spanking from the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the World Series with an 8-5 loss after a 1 hour and 20 minute rain delay. Cole Hamels did not follow my instructions and wear his "Hamels: Version 2008" costume for the occasion. Instead, Hamels 2009 took the mound and gave up 5 runs in 4 1/3 innings on 5 hits and 2 walks. A scary Halloween, indeed, complete with cloudy skies, rain and a 1-2 game deficit in the series.
This has been the story for Cole all year long; he simply cannot be counted on. He pitched well for 3 innings and then lost composure on a walk to Mark Teixeira that he felt should have been a strikeout in the 4th. A-Rod batted next and launched a controversial home run; the ball hit a FOX TV camera which was sticking out over the field. Instant Replay showed the hit and by rule, the interference made it a home run. This brings up another point: why is a TV camera sticking out over the field? They cannot back up a few inches? That simply should not be allowed. Way to go FOX.
It all fell apart after that. Once again, even though Cole showed signs of impending disaster, manager Charlie Manuel sent him out for the 5th and again, left him in way too long. He even allowed an RBI single to the pitcher, Andy Pettitte, who almost never picks up a bat. 3 runs later and this game was going downhill fast. The bullpen could not hold the Yanks to those 5 either. The next 3 relievers allowed one run a piece in each of the next 3 innings.
Add to that the horrible offensive display and Phillies fans are having flashbacks to slumps from earlier in the season. The Yankees who had not been hitting in this series, like A-Rod and Nick Swisher, found Hamels to be the cure. And the Phillies who were performing all post-season long, like NLCS MVP Ryan Howard, have seemingly lost their bats and cannot find them anywhere.
Jayson Werth looked to be the only Phillie interested in hitting; he knocked two solo home runs in the game. Carlos Ruiz also hit a solo homer and walked twice. The other 2 runs came off a walk to Jimmy Rollins with the bases loaded and a Shane Victorino sac fly. And that was basically the sum total of the offense.
Another item that irks me here: Eric Bruntlett was put in as a pinch hitter with a man on base in a situation where a home run was really what they needed. Why not Matt Stairs? Bruntlett should never be used as a pinch hitter unless they are looking to bunt. He had a terrible season and looks like he could not hit the side of a barn. Not to mention, he almost never hits homers.
As for Hamels, he is lined up to pitch Game 7, if it goes that far. In my opinion, this should not even be a consideration. Hamels has proven all year that he cannot get the job done, especially under pressure. He should be done. Come up with a mystery injury, replace him on the roster with another bullpen arm or bench player and send in Cliff Lee on short rest with JA Happ as his back-up. If I was in charge, that is what would happen. But since I am not in charge, hang on Phillies fans, it is going to be a bumpy ride if this goes 7 games.
The Phillies can try to tie up the series tonight with a win, but it will be Joe Blanton against CC Sabathia. Blanton has not done very well this post-season and is sporting a 4.66 ERA. Sabathia is the better pitcher, but does have awful memories of last post-season to overcome, including his lost battles with Brett Myers at the plate, a Grand Slam by Victorino and the banter of the home crowd. Plus he is on 3 days rest, same as that game last year where the Phillies beat up on him when he was with the Brewers.
My tummy hurts just thinking about this. Plus, I have an awful hangover from last night's game, and I did not drink anything but water. Yet somehow, the nausea and headache still persist. Hmmmmm….wonder why? ;o)
Here is the full Photo Album from Game 3. I took a lot of photos of both teams, something I normally do not do. I also got some great pre-games shots which include Hall of Famers and old-timers, Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski and Garry Maddox. Some are a tad blurry as it rained most of the game and I had water on my lens :O( But I still did pretty well. At least this will be more enjoyable than the game was :O)
Photos by Jenn
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*
Unbelievable 9th Inning Comeback
Down 4-5 in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, the Phillies were down to their last out and their last 2 strikes when Jimmy Rollins stepped to the plate with 2 runners on. Win, and the Phillies would have a huge 3-1 games advantage. Lose, and the series would be tied 2-2. What took place next was not only improbable, but it absolutely stunned the Dodgers.
Things looked good when the game started and Ryan Howard nailed a 2-run shot in the 1st inning. But the bats went quiet as ex-Phillies Randy Wolf bore down and kept the Dodgers in the game. Joe Blanton started for the Phillies and got roughed up a bit in the middle innings. By the end of the 6th, Blanton had allowed the 2-run lead slip away into a 2-4 deficit.
The bullpen took over in the 7th and held the Dodgers to those four runs. Chan Ho Park, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre and Brad Lidge got the job done. However, the offense still seemed sleepy after that 11-0 rout the previous day, so a comeback was looking unlikely.
But then Matt Stairs stepped the plate with one out in the 9th and everyone began hoping for the same miracle that occurred in Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS: Stairs nailed a 2-run homer in the 8th inning of that 2008 game to give the Phillies the lead. Could this be a repeat performance?
Well, not quite. Facing the very same pitcher he got that hit off in 2008, Jonathan Broxton, Stairs felt confident. Broxton may not have felt quite as confident as he threw Stairs four straight balls. Eric Bruntlett was put in as a pinch runner. Broxton then proceeded to hit Carlos Ruiz with a pitch.
But Greg Dobbs lined out for the 2nd out and things were looking good for the Dodgers. J-Roll stepped to the plate with one final out remaining and 2 runners on base. With a 1-1 count, Rollins whacked a line drive into the hole in right-center field. Bruntlett and Ruiz tore up the base path, scoring 2 runs to win the game for the Phillies. Phillies fans screamed in celebration while Dodgers fans squirmed in agony.
As amazing and uplifting as this win was for the Phillies, on the other side of the spectrum it was equally as painful and gut-wrenching for the Dodgers. This was a killer blow, putting the Phillies at a 3-1 advantage; they now need only one more win in 3 possible tries to lock up a second consecutive trip to the World Series with a chance to repeat.
This win also shows why the Phillies are the defending World Champions. They believe they will win, they support one another and they never give up until the final out is recorded. To be able to witness this is the greatest joy of any fans life. Repeat or no repeat, Phillies fans should be proud of their team! What a year this has been…and it is not over yet.
Here is the Photo Album from the game…Go Phillies!!!
PS: Thank you to all my readers for making Phillies Phollowers the#1 Phillies fan blog on the MLB site for the entire 2009 season! And I am #8 overall for ALL fan blogs! Your support is greatly appreciated; it is an honor to bring you the Phillies through my eyes…Thank you!
Photos by Jenn
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*


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Vince Stretch Leggings
Vince Black Stretch Leggings
Product Description:
Product Description:
Vince constructs a pair of smooth leggings from flattering ponte jersey. Topstitched seams detail the back, and a covered elastic waistband offers a comfortable fit. Fabric: ponte jersey. Dry clean. Imported. Measurements rise: 9in / 23cm inseam: 29in / 73.5cm - black&gray.
XS: Waist 68cm, Length 88cm
S: Waist 70cm, Length 88.5cm
M: Waist 72cm, Length 89cm
L: Waist 74cm, Length 89.5cm
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Designer Styled Items are all on sale up to 80% off
Custom Search
1. FINAL SALES: All sales of gift cards, e-gift certificates, cosmetics, jewelry and items marked as "Sale" are final. FINAL SALE items cannot be returned for exchange, credit, or refunds.
2. Shipping charges are none refundable.
3. We ship worldwide. However, we only use regular shipping, NO overnight shipment.
4. To prevent fraud, your billing address must match the address to which your monthly credit card statement is sent.
5. All price are in US$
6. Shipping charges are non-refundable.
If the received goods does not show exactly the same figure on the web, just because the causes of lighting differences, we are not offer exchange or return. Most of our products are in size US2-US8, Karen Millen dresses are in UK8-UK16, make sure the size before you purchase them. We won't make exchange or return if the size is not right. However, if you are willing to pay the resent shipping fee, we'll make the exchange.
Still notice that we do not use UPS or DHL shipping, and do not send urgent package. Also we don't accept UPS or DHL returned package.

subset: commoncrawl


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ETLF - Excellent teaching and leadership framework for Middle Leaders COHORT 6
The ETLF is an excellent tool for middle leaders to use within their school to aid effective self-evaluation and improvement processes. It will also support participants to develop the use of the professional teaching and leadership standards for themselves and the staff within their school.
The programme follows the professional learning model that incorporates
- Collaborative learning using triads to develop each other at peer level
- Reflective practice by applying learning back in school between workshops
- Coaching and mentoring through an ETLF leadership coach
- Engaging with relevant data and evidence from research in the content of the programme. Linking with the National Mission enablers to help promote effective leadership across the school.
The programme will be delivered by Headteachers, Deputy Headteachers and Senior Leaders for middle leaders. The programme will run over summer term 2019 and comprises of 5 workshop sessions complemented by a series of 'gap tasks' specific to each participant's role in their school. Opportunities will be given to participants to hear from practitioners how have already begun to develop the use of the ETLF within their school.
All participants will be asked to ensure their contact details on CPD are accurate as materials will be shared via email. Participants are also required to bring along a device/ laptop to access e-materials during the sessions. All participants will require an in school leadership coach to support them during the programme.
|Maximum Places
|Minimum Places
|Event Tutors
|Admin Contact
|Business Support (firstname.lastname@example.com)
|Is this course taught in Welsh?
|WAG Priorities
|Key Stages
Foundation KS 2 KS 3 KS 4 7-14 Post 16
|Key Skills
|Target Audience
|Event Types
|Event Subject Area
|Leadership and Management / Self-evaluation / Teaching Assistants
|Programme Area
|Improving Literacy, Improving Numeracy & Reducing Poverty/Disadvantage
|Event Outcomes
Participants will:
• gain enhanced leadership skills relevant and appropriate to their role within their school
• be provided with a range of tools from within the ETLF they can use to improve their own self-evaluation and improvement processes and outcomes
• become more familiar with the professional teaching and leadership standards and how these can support their own and others' roles within the school
• develop longer term strategic self-evaluation and improvement plans for their areas of responsibility
• work with peers to share knowledge and understanding in a supportive network to further develop their understanding of the ETLF frameworks.
Learners will:
• benefit from the improved learning experiences as identified through ETLF activity undertaken by leaders.


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Some people may ask, "Why give up drinks when I can just write a check to Living Water?" Here's the reason: Sacrificial Giving!
For the vast majority of people I know, it is almost impossible for us to give sacrificially. Yet this is the kind of giving that is highlighted and celebrated in scripture time and time again. We are all so wealthy, so blessed that even when we give away large sums of money we either don't miss it or readily have savings to replace what we gave. It's hard — very hard — for us to go without. And because of it, we simply do not know how to sacrifice. It's not necessarily our fault. We've never had to do it! And because we've never had to, we miss the God-experience that both the biblical writers and our early Christian fathers and mothers had.
So we have to look!
We have to look for creative ways to experience what was so central to Biblical worship, because sacrifice is a foreign tongue to us. So here's the challenge: In what ways can we step into a fuller worship of God, by living and giving sacrificially?


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Dear P.J.,
Thank you so much for the amazing work you did with the Rock Camp this summer. We greatly appreciate your sharing your time and significant talents with Ben and with all of the other kids in the Rock Camp. We hope that this will be the first of many. The entire community — not just the campers — has benefited from your efforts. Your music and inspiration have been wonderful gifts!
Ben hopes to make a career in music, and working with you has helped inspire to believe that this is possible.
Thank you once again for all that you've done and for all that you continue to do.
– Craig Waddell, Parent


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Welcome, Dear Reader, To A Few Fun-Facts About Me & HIS Great Love!
On this page I will share a few fun-facts about me & HGL!–I hope you enJOY them!
What Does \o/ Mean To Me?
The \o/ is a symbol of me holding my Swords, as well as my Arms raised high in worship to PAPA–and–me holding my DRUM STICKS praising Him Who Gives me LIFE & LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY!!!!!!! HalleluYAH!!!
(P.S. The two arms also make a "V" for VICTORY!!! OORAH!!!)
What's With All The Exclamation Marks?!
With that said, I REALLY have to curb my use of them, but…sometimes I get carried away…
Thankfully, though, I have REALLY GOOD FRIENDS who help me resist the temptation to !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (you get the idea!) LOL!
The Scriptural Basis For The Name, HIS Great Love!
Now THIS one is more serious, that's for sure! The shortest version I can think of goes like this:
In 2004, PAPA woke me up THREE TIMES in one night to tell me to read Ephesians 2 (as in, the whole chapter). I did. While whining. Between being half-asleep and whining, I finally GOT IT! I literally shouted for joy and burst into tears when I realized what PAPA was communicating to me. He was answering the prayer I had prayed for YEARS.
Fast-forward to my first Hebrew Roots conference in January 2015. After realizing I was "finally home" within the Hebrew Roots Family, I knew PAPA would have something for me (HGL!) from the FIRST part of His Book. So I prayed and looked in the first place that came to me: Nehemiah 1.
And PAPA confirmed it! (That's a whole 'nother story!)
Now, isn't that super-fun?! Nehemiah 1 is from the FIRST part of PAPA'S Book, and Ephesians 2 is from the SECOND part! I just LOVE stuff like this!! 🙂


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How to Boost Your Immune System Without an active immune system you won't be living on earth very long. Your immune system is critical to your health. If you have a weakened or compromised immune system (like in Autoimmune disorders) it can making living very difficult. You'll discover How …Read More »
Cold and Flu Remedies
Cold and Flu Remedies You can catch the Cold or Flu anytime of the year, although it is most common during the colder cooler late fall, winter and early spring moths. Knowing which Cold and Flu Remedies you should have on hand is priceless information. The best thing is …Read More »


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Phoenix to Sponsor PMRC Event
The Pharma Market Research Conference is the key to uncovering knowledge and developing new business relationships. All the major players in the pharmaceutical industry are very well-represented. However, we also take great measures to make sure this conference remains intimate and exclusive. For example, the limited exhibitor spots are available to only premier providers. This helps ensure a high-quality and productive event for everyone attending. Powerful sessions in various formats (MasterClass, presentations, panels, and roundtables) from expert speakers hitting groundbreaking territory and discussing what matters most.
PMRC will be occuring on Feburary 14th and 15th this year in Newark, NJ.
Stay tuned for more detail on Phoenix Healthcare's speaking session.


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Do you ever get that feeling where you just need to do something. Need to create or destroy. Raze and salt the earth just to do something. Or, you know, get a tattoo or finally start that book you've been meaning to write since you were six if we're being a bit more realistic and a bit less melodramatic.
Some days I'm overwhelmed by the sameness of my day-to-day life. I feel the crushing weight of all the things I haven't done; of watching others live their lives and try for their dreams while I'm too scared to even really think about it. Other days, days like today, I can feel the need for change, the need to do sitting like a physical thing right in the center of my chest. And it's not a bad weight, it's not weighing me down or holding me back. Everything feels possible those days. Change and opportunity don't seem scary, they just seem part of life. Something anyone could do. Something I could do.
On days like this I wonder if this is what "normal" feels like. If this is what not being weighed down by anxiety, and depression, and financial burdens feels like. Is this is how all you people feel all the time? Good hell.
Usually nothing much comes of these days. Maybe a blog post. If the weight's still there after work, I'll even pick up my camera. Sometimes the feeling lasts an hour. Sometimes an entire day. But eventually it dissipates until the hope and promise of possibility is no longer a weight, but a phantom ache of something that was once there.


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Author: Bob McCormack
Lying in a broad arch off Tuscany's coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Tuscan Archipelago is Europe's largest protected marine park. The archipelago encompasses seven main islands and several smaller islets stretching from Gorgona in the north (almost on the same latitude as Florence) to Giannutri in the south vith Capraia, Elba, Pianosa, Montecristo, and Giglio in betweeen.
Most of the islands are accessible to tourists, with the exceptions of Montecristo, which is open only to marine research scientists, and Gorgona, home only to a large prison. By far the largest and best known is Elba, which is linked to Piombino on the mainland by regular hydrofoil and ferry services. Famous as the place where Napoleon was briefly exiled before his final defeat at Waterloo, it has lovely beaches, campsites shaded by pines and, last but not least, a flavorful and tasty traditional fare.
The food of the Tuscan Archipelago is characterized by the simplicity of the ingredients and the wide variety of recipes, due to the isolation of the various communities over the centuries. Each island has incorporated different influences in its typical cuisine. This is particularly evident in the larger islands such as Elba, where traditional cooking offers differences and variations from one area to the next. There is the Savoy cabbage of Portoferraio, the potato, egg and onion soup of Capoliveri, the stuffed sardines of Marciana and the 'guruglione (a spanish influenced vegetable soup) of Rio Marina.
Fish is certainly the king of cooking in the Tuscan Archipelago: from boiled octopus to 'zerri', a delicious variety of local fish served fried, roasted, marinated, in soups or in stews. The archipelago's tastiest seafood recipes include spaghetti with spider crab or fresh tuna sauce, anchovies with pesto, stuffed squid, squid with chard and the ubiquitous 'cacciucco' (a variation on the famous fish soup from Livorno).
Elba cuisine offers some great soups in the Tuscan tradition. The most popular recipes are made with 'cavolo nero' and beans or with fresh chard and egg. This was traditionally prepared by the island's farmers for the 'Lombards', a generic term used for the seasonal labourers. As well as squid, Capraia is known for its sammule (wild garlic) and wild asparagus fritters. Specialties from the island of Giglio include 'coniglio alla cacciatora' (wild rabbit cooked in a spicy tomato sauce), 'baccalà in agrodolce' (salt cod in a sweet and sour sauce) and 'tonnina salata' (fresh tuna immersed in salted water and then placed in brine).
All of the tasty dishes mentioned above are almost always accompanied by some local wine. Despite the decrease of the vineyard area over the last years, Elban grapes manage to produce an array of fine wines, which for some years now have been given the D.O.C. certification label (the Italian equivalent of the French A.O.C.). Among the most renowned are Elba Bianco (white), Elba Rosso (red), Rosato (rosè), Moscato and Aleatico, both of which are sweet dessert wines.
Speaking of dessert wines, it is only natural to mention a popular Elba Island treat called 'Schiaccia Briaca' (literally 'drunk cake', where the cake is drunk with Aleatico). Schiaccia Briaca is made with kneading flour, wine, sultanas and dried nuts. Except from the wine, many of the same ingredients can be found also in the 'panficato', coming from Giglio Island.
Being a popular travel destination, the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are fille with restaurants and other eateries, even though most of the establishments are open from late spring to early autumn only. Many of the archipelago's restaurants offer a variety of traditional dishes and the quality is generally good. Before entering a place, however, it is always a good idea to take a look at the price list displayed outside of the premise. Smaller islands tend to be more expensive than mainland Italy and the Tuscan Archipekago makes no exception to this rule.
If you are on a tight budget, attending one of the many food festivals held throughout the year is an excellent way to taste some of the local specialties spending only a few euros. Among the several celebrations taking place periodically, the traditional 'Squid Festival' held on November in Capraia deserves a special mention. The festival begins with a squid fishing contest and continues the following day with all the fished squids cooked and eaten on the spot.
This article is part of a series covering the most important italian travel destinations and regional cuisines. You can search for related articles about eating out in Rome, Florence, Milan, Naples and Venice.
About the author:
Born in the USA, but happily ensconced in the Island of Elba since 2001, Bob McCormack is a freelance writer with a very special passion for food and wine. His travel articles and Elba Islands hotels and restaurants reviews have appeared in numerous national and international publications. http://www.visitelba.com
Where to stay in Elba Island
There are numerous high quality hotels, villas, apartments and agriturismi (Farm stays) available, check them out and make a reservation here.


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Dawes Arboretum – Ohio 13, three miles north of I-70.
Little Buckeye Imagination Sessions: Wednesdays, June – August, 2 p.m.. Learn with a group as the creative educators of The Dawes Arboretum bring your family closer to the wonders of the natural world. Subjects include trees, flowers, weather and many creatures great and small. Free, donations welcome, meet at the Visitors Center.
Mushrooms 101: Thursday, July 21, 7 – 9 p.m., Saturday, July 23, 9 a.m. – noon (miniforay). Join the Ohio Mushroom Society for an introduction to the fascinating hobby of collecting mushrooms in the wild. This class covers the proper procedures for collecting fleshy fungi, an overview of the many different forms that can be found in woods and grassy areas, how to make a spore print and some descriptive terms used by mycologists. The class is followed by a "mini-foray" on Saturday morning to put the teachings into practice. The foray is a leisurely walk through designated collecting areas and fungi specimens collected are brought back to a staging area to be sorted and examined, $15/$10 members, meet at the Visitors Center.
The grounds are open from dawn to dusk. The Visitors Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays. Call 740-323-2355 or 800-44-DAWES for information or visit www.dawesarb.org.
Queen of the Lake II cruises – North Shore boat ramp, Buckeye Lake. Take a relaxing cruise on beautiful and historic Buckeye Lake at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through October. $10 per person with children 5 and under, free. For more information visit buckeyelakehistory.org
Cruise to Benefit the Homeless – Buckeye Lake. Cruise Buckeye Lake on Sunday, July 24. The 1.5 hour cruise departs the North Shore Boat Ramp at 4 p.m. and includes light refreshments, a 50/50 drawing and door prizes. All proceeds benefit the St. Vincent Haven Homeless Shelter in Newark. The Haven is a 24-bed men's shelter that houses and nourishes men who are temporarily homeless. Sponsors include Buckeye Lake Historical Society, Knights of Columbus Council 13379, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Pizza Cottage. Cost is $30 per person or $50 per couple. For reservations or more information call Patricia Mayes at 614-530-4973.
Baltimore Farmers Market – Baltimore. Check out fresh produce and more Fridays from 4- 7 p.m. through Oct. 21 at West Market and North High streets. Special events weekly. For more information visit www.baltimorefarmmarket.com.
Buckeye Lake Youth Association Carnival – Ryan/Braden Park, Buckeye Lake. Come out for the 2nd Annual Buckeye Lake Youth Association Carnival from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 23. Admission is FREE! Tickets are only 10 cents each and can be used for food and drinks as well. Prizes, snow cones, popcorn, hot dogs, sloppy joes, taco in a bag, and drinks will be available. Watch a clown do magic tricks from 1 to 2 p.m., and create balloon art from 2 to 4 p.m. Take part in Buckeye Lake's Got Talent contest (must pre-register), and enjoy Prentice Chaffin performing as Elvis from 6 to 8 p.m. A deputy sheriff will fingerprint children. To pre-register for the talent contest or for more information please call (740) 323-6718 or (740) 527-2163.
Starting a Small Business – Newark. Licking County Library and SCORE present a workshop on starting your own small business. Learn the basics of financing, planning, and developing your business idea. Join us on Thursday, July 21, at 6 p.m. in the 1st floor meeting room of the Newark Library. Please call 740.349.5553 or visit the Newark Library at 101 West Main Street for more information. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. East Central Ohio SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, has been helping small business startups and struggling small business, since 1977, in Licking and five surrounding counties.
Farm Tour – Glenford. Butternut Farms Retreat and Educational Center, 16563 Laurel Hill Road, Glenford in Licking County, is hosting a public farm tour at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, as part of The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association'sWomen in Agriculture Tour. Visitors will learn the farm's history, have a guided tour of the organic vegetable garden, see the Nubian dairy goat herd, visit with llamas, pet a rabbit and see endangered Butternut trees. The farm, started by writer Patricia A. West-Volland and her late husband, Robert L. Volland, has been in operation 34 years. Two Muskingum County farms will offer tours July 30; Blue Rock Station in Philo at 10 a.m. and Log Cabin Weaving in Zanesville at 2 p.m. The tours are free and open to the public. Consumers interested in local foods, farmers and market gardeners wanting to learn more and network with other farmers, aspiring and beginning farmers, and anyone interested in learning more about the production and marketing techniques of sustainable farmers in Ohio, are encouraged to attend.
Read a Book, Win a Nook – Buckeye Lake and Hebron. You still have a chance to win a first generation Barnes and Noble Nook at the Licking County Library. Stop by any Licking County Library location (Buckeye Lake or Hebron) to register for the adult summer reading program. If you read a book before the end of July, you will be entered into the grand prize drawing. Entry tickets will be accepted through July 29th. You must be 18 years or older to win.
Perry County Fair – New Lexington. The lake area county fair season opens with the Perry County Fair July 18-23. Visit PerryCountyFair.com for schedule details.
NHRA Buckeye Fuel Wars – Hebron. The cars and the stars of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series invade National Trail Raceway on July 22 – 24 for the fourth event in the 2011 North Central Division points chase. The NHRA Lucas Oil Buckeye Fuel Wars bring with it some of the best racers from around the country together for the chase of big money and valuable points towards the 2011 NHRA National and Divisional Championships. While the racing action has been intense throughout the early part of the 2011 season at NTR, the racers of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will ratchet the level to new heights as the intense back half of the schedule gets into full swing. Visit www.nationaltrailraceway.com for more information.
Antique Fair & Civil War Collectibles Show – downtown Newark. Antique and collectibles vendors will be set up around the beautiful historic courthouse square from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, July 29. There will be Civil War re enactors, Licking County Players, entertainment, a Civil War cannon that will be fired several times and downtown shops and galleries will be open. For more information visit www.downtownnewarkoh.com
Community Worship Service – Baltimore. On Sunday, August 7, 2011, area churches would like to invite everyone to join together for a community worship service. The service starts at 10:30 a.m. and will be held at the shelter house behind Faith Lutheran Church, 990 S. Main St. Baltimore. The local gospel quartet "Cornerstone" from Lithopolis, will be featured. Following the service everyone is invited for a carry-in dinner at Christ United Methodist Church Family Life Center, 700 S. Main St., Baltimore, (just across the yard from Faith Lutheran Church). Parking is available at Christ United Methodist Church, Faith Lutheran or Liberty Union Elementary. We will take up a free-will offering for "Cornerstone." Bring a chair or blanket to sit on, and dress is casual. Hope to see you there!
Columbus Museum of Art – Columbus. It's free admission during the months of July and August, including all special exhibitions. Visit CMA's new Center for Creativity, explore the newly refurbished galleries, and enjoy an enhanced schedule of activities for the summer including Family Adventures, Surprise Supplies, Drawing in the Galleries, and musical performances. Programs include:
Rockin' In The Treetops— 60s British Rock – Jacksontown. Hear the music of the 60s come alive again with the British Invasion. The British Invasion rockn roll show is an exciting and amazingly accurate re-creation of 1960s music. More than just a Beatles tribute, this rockin' band covers all the music of the English groups—from the Animals to the Zombies to the Rolling Stones and the Kinks! If you love the music of the 1960s, or just want to see what all the excitement was about, this is the show for you. The band performs two 50 minute sets starting at 7 p.m. Food and beverages are available for purchase at this free family event! FREE, Saturday, July 30. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Music begins at 7 p.m. Visit dawesarb.org for more information.
"The Great American Songbook, Part 1" – Millersport. Millersport Community Theatre proudly presents " The Great American Songbook, Part 1" (a Musical Revue) directed by Rodney C. Helser. The performance will be held at the Millersport Elementary Auditorium, 11850 Lancaster Street, Millersport at 8 p.m. on Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6. All seats are general admission. A pre-show buffet dinner will be available in the Millersport Elementary School Cafeteria from 6 to 7:45 p.m. by reservation only. The dinner will feature three courses and includes beverage with the entree featuring beef kabobs, grilled chicken breasts and roast pork loin. Show admission is $10 and the dinner an additional $10. To get tickets for show, and reservations for dinner call 740-467-3217. Information is also available at www.millersportcommunitytheatre.com.


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Cybercriminals want your credentials and your employees' credentials. When those hackers succeed in stealing that information, it can be bad for individuals – and even worse for corporations and other organizations. This is a scourge that's bad, and it will remain bad.
Credentials come in two types. There are personal credentials, such as the login and password for an email account, bank and retirement accounts, credit-card numbers, airline membership program, online shopping and social media.
When hackers manage to obtain those credentials, such as through phishing, they can steal money, order goods and services, and engage in identity theft. This can be extremely costly and inconvenient for victims, but the damage is generally contained to that one unfortunate individual.
Corporate digital credentials, on the other hand, are the keys to an organization's network. Consider a manager, executive or information-technology worker within a typical medium-size or larger-size business. Somewhere in the organization is a database that describes that employee – and describes which digital assets that employee is authorized to use. If cybercriminals manage to steal the employee's corporate digital credentials, the criminals can then access those same assets, without setting off any alarm bells. Why? Because they have valid credentials.
What might those assets be? Depending on the employee, it might range from everything to file servers that contain intellectual property, as pricing sheets, product blueprints, or patent applications. It might include email archives that describe business plans, or accounting servers that contain important financial information that could help competitors or allow for "insider trading." It might be human resources data that can help the hackers attack other individuals or engage in identity theft or even blackmail. And if the stolen credentials are for individuals in the IT or information security department, the hackers can learn a great deal about the company's technology infrastructure, perhaps including passwords to make changes to configurations, open up backdoors, or even disable security systems.
How do cybercriminals obtain those digital credentials? The most common way is to gain a foothold onto a device used by an employee and which is authorized to access the corporate network and company assets. The method of choice: General phishing emails, or highly targeted emails, called spear phishing.
'ÄúIf somebody sends me an email from my favorite bank saying my account has been comprised and I happen to fall for it, enter in my user name, password, somebody is going to get my bank account. So they can do wire transfers et cetera. This is on a personal basis,'Äù explained Kowsik Guruswamy, Chief Technology Officer at Menlo Security, whose cloud-based isolation platform protects users from malicious Internet content. 'ÄúIf I'm the CFO or the controller for some organization and that same thing happens to my corporate credentials, now all of the sudden it's a whole different ball game. Now they've got the company's bank account.'Äù And if the phishing attempt installs malware on the CFO'Äôs computer, they can do anything the CFO can do.
Phishing emails can be extremely personalized and hard to resist, added Roi Abutbul, CEO and founder of Javelin Networks, which sells solutions to protect the Active Directory from attack. "Let me ask you this. If you receive an email that appears to be from your CEO that says this is the link that you need to click in order to prepare for tomorrow's important meeting, will you open it or not? Of course you will. One hundred percent of the time you will open it and you will do whatever the CEO said to do."
And that email link might take you to an external site that prompts you to give up your credentials 'Äì or open a file that installs malware onto your computer, which can then use your digital identity to assess the corporate network. Scott Scheferman, Director of Consulting of Cylance, which sells endpoint security software, agreed. 'ÄúCredentials are the choke point common to every single breach. An attacker would prefer to have legitimate credentials. So once they get to the credential part of that kill chain if you will, they're off and running and they're able to use whitelisted tools and other type of normal authentication, whatever it might be, and there is no more malware so they can evade your detection systems.'Äù
If It's Successful Phishing, Is It a Breach?
Your CFO receives an email. He clicks the link, which opens up a website that looks like it's the corporate bank. He types in his username and password. The cybertheft website displays an error message and redirects to the legitimate bank website. The CEO tries again, and gets into the account – and meanwhile, hackers have his username and password. Have you been breached?
'ÄúIt's not really a breach,'Äù maintains Menlo'Äôs Guruswamy. 'ÄúHe just typed in his user name and password. Nobody got hacked. There wasn't this big zero day. Nothing happened. He just happened to enter the password and willingly hand the keys to somebody. There was no malware or anything involved.'Äù
What is true is that an otherwise intelligent and highly trained individual fell for a spear phishing email, Guruswamy continued. 'ÄúIt's really about personalizing that information, knowing some context around whether this person is going to read it or not. So personally, I just delete all my emails that I get from people that I don't know. But every email that I take more than five seconds to read, I treasure them because they've got me. They've got my attention.'Äù
Unfortunately, there's not much we can do to prevent effective phishing or spear phishing, even with the latest available technology, said Stefan Lager, Vice President of Services at SecureLink, Europe's leading security-focused technology reseller and managed security service provider (MSSP). "We can never be 100 percent able to protect
against this kind of threat. We need to limit the damage if a credential is stolen and also make sure you can detect and respond quickly. As an organization, you have people, you have processes and technologies and you have protection, detection, and response. You need to have a good mix of capabilities within all these different areas."
Credentials in Bulk
A single stolen password might unlock many digital assets. "Many people reuse passwords, and not all organizations are using two-factor authentication for accessing their external applications," said Cylance's Scheferman. "You put those two facts together and what you realize is that there is a massive market for the stealing and reselling of credentials."
That's why the huge thefts of usernames, passwords and other information is so alarming — because information is often reused, with the same password, say, for social media and online banking, or for personal and corporate email. If criminals get one, they might get them all. And if what they manage to steal is email access, they might be able to use password recovery techniques to gain access to many, many other assets, both personal and corporate.
Scheferman continued, "A lot of what we were calling breaches or compromises are actually starting outside of the organization altogether. So if somebody does a massive database dump and they grab the whole database, usernames and passwords for a common social media site or something else, those passwords are then very readily available for other purposes."
The end result: No matter how well employees will be trained and warned, over and over again, there's a good chance they'll click on a realistic-looking email. Even if they don't, their credentials could be compromised by a third-party leak, such as the recent Cloudbleed breach which exposed user information from Uber, Fitbit, OkCupid and as many as 3,400 popular websites because of a bug in Cloudflare's web performance management system.
What can be done, from a corporate perspective, to either protect corporate digital credentials, or to mitigate the effect of credentials theft? As one would expect, everyone has an opinion.
Menlo: It's All About Isolation and Information
'ÄúThe underpinning technology behind Menlo Security is what we call isolation,'Äù said Guruswamy. 'ÄúThe concept of isolation is very simple. Let's stop playing this game of trying to figure out if a particular website is good or bad. Instead, we execute it away from the user safely in the cloud. We do it in such a way that the end user has no idea that we're doing that and thereby keep a fast-responding native user experience.'Äù
Guruswamy continued, "Specific to phishing, if you look at how phishing links come to the user and what it does, they traditionally fall into three buckets:
* 'ÄúFirst is what we call the known bad. Everybody knows it is a phishing site, it's on some list, Google has it, other feeds have it, everybody knows it is a phishing site. You do the obvious thing, you block it.
* 'ÄúThe next one is what we call the known good. Like amazon.com is not a phishing site. Yes, there might be some ads that give you malware, but it's not a phishing site for sure. So there is a known good.
* 'ÄúThen the grey area. If you look at the grey area, we're doing the same thing that we've been doing for the last 20 years to phishing which is trying to figure out if it is a phishing site or not.
'ÄúMenlo gives up on that three-bucket idea. It's not working. It's very difficult. Instead when people click on a link, we isolate them from whatever loads. We have certain workflows which use the training aspects of good anti-phishing behavior and also put the website into a protective shell. It's a read-only mode. People can't type anything until they'Äôre sure it is safe.'Äù
So, he explained, let'Äôs say a link opens up a web page that looks like it'Äôs your bank. Menlo'Äôs isolation platform blocks you from entering your password without being forced to think about it. 'ÄúYou've got to pause. There is training that's built into the workflow that tells the user, hey you're about to enter the password into a bank looking site. But look at the domain, it was registered two days ago. It was just registered just for you so you can type in your password. It's got these certain characteristics about it. Are you sure? So that really helps eliminate phishing, in our opinion.'Äù
Cylance: Artificial Intelligence Aids Human Intelligence
"Cylance has tried to solve the problem in the 100 milliseconds prior to an executable executing and allow the AI to predict whether or not that file should run or not within those 100 millisecond pause, if you will," said Scheferman.
'ÄúSo in the space it takes you to blink your eye, we would look at seven files and decide whether they should be able to run or not,'Äù he continued. 'ÄúWhat we're using is predictive AI.'Äù
Scheferman suggested looking at the second wave of the Shamoon 2 malware, as described in a recent report from Palo Alto Networks. 'ÄúPalo Alto did an excellent expos√© on what that threat actor is and motivations, the Indicators of Compromise, all these buzzwords of intelligence. However, with our AI, Cylance was actually able to prevent that pre-execution 430 days before Palo Alto's report.'Äù
'ÄúSo when we say prevention, we're literally talking days, weeks, months or sometimes years in front of when the threat actually appears,'Äù Scheferman continued.
'ÄúCylance uses very detailed analysis to determine if a file is good or bad, safe or malicious 'Äì even if it has never been seen before, and even if there'Äôs no antivirus signature. That'Äôs because Cylance'Äôs AI doesn'Äôt use signatures, Scheferman explained. 'ÄúWe break each file up into 2.7 million features to examine. So it's not just 30 features or 200 features that malware analysts understand and the rest of the whole industry, but actually millions of features that the human race doesn't even have words for. The AI
software tell us about features and absences of features and combinations of features that indicate this malicious software. So, if the file is bad, the AI can make an autonomous decision and use that 100 millisecond pause before execution to say 'Äòno you can't run.'Äô 'Äú
Javelin Networks: Protect the Microsoft Active Directory
Active Directory is an essential feature of Microsoft Domain networks. Active Directory is an essential resource available to all authenticated and credentialed users, applications and resources; it basically says who can do what, and provides the location and digital description of everything on a secure network. A challenge is that if a cybercriminal manages to take control of a credentialed user account or device, Active Directory provides a complete map of the network's resources, applications, users, and user credentials.
'ÄúJavelin Networks protects Active Directory. That's it,'Äù said Abutbul. 'ÄúIf you look at our industry, it is really focused on protecting computers, protecting web applications, protecting the network, protecting mobiles, and so on.'Äù
However, he explained, "at the end of the day, Active Directory, which is used by nine out of ten companies around the world, is exposed by design and remains unprotected. This is our mission as a company first to drive the awareness around Active Directories."
Abutbul described that Javelin Network's product, called AD Protect, contains artificial intelligence that controls the attacker's perception of locally stored credentials and the entire organization's internal resources, including all endpoints, servers, users and applications, right at the point of breach. AD Protect learns the organization's Active Directory structure, and uses this data to create a virtually unlimited number of new fake resources, which are then presented to the attacker. If the attacker attempts to use the fake resources, perhaps to learn about the network, or to attempt to compromise other resources, that immediately triggers an alert, and reveals the attack.
SecureLink: A Trusted Advisor and Partner
'ÄúAt SecureLink, we strive to be a trusted adviser to our customers,'Äù said Lager. 'ÄúYou don't become a trusted adviser if you're just shoving boxes over the fence to them. It's a responsibility for us to try and help improve the situation for our customers and not only throw them a technology all the time and make sure that when we do we invest in the right technology.'Äù
As a reseller and MSSP, he continued, we focus our services in three different categories. First, assessment services. Things like penetration testing. We do security maturity assessment, phishing assessments, stuff like that, to try and discover where the customer really is at right now and what they need help with. "
Next, Lager said, "We can design and deploy different types of technology solutions for the customer. If they want, we can help do operation services for them as an MSSP."
The third category is analysis and response. "Can we discover lateral movements by just looking at different events from different platforms? Can we deploy endpoints and use EDR functionality on the endpoint to things happening on the endpoints and elsewhere."
Bottom line, Lager concluded: "Our mission is safely enabling your business. We do that with the latest type of technologies and the right people and processes."
Information and Security Overload
Credentials theft, both on the personal and business front, is a huge issue, and it's one that's never going to go away, at least not in the foreseeable future. Many companies, including Cylance, Javelin Networks, Menlo Security, and SecureLink, seek to help companies solve the problem on behalf of their employees, shareholders, and customers. However, as long as there are big corporate data breaches, and as long as people click on links from insecure websites, credentials theft will always be with us.
Javelin Network's Abutbul offered a sobering thought: "CISOs today are swamped. The security teams are overloaded with data and a lot of work that they need to do at the end of the day. Plus, they are understaffed and with limited budgets."
Making it worse is that the battle against credentials theft is asymmetric, Abutbul concluded. "Just look at the effort that attackers need to invest in order to penetrate and bring down an organization. Their investment in attacking the organization is small, and our investment as defending the organization is huge."
That's why the battle against the scourge of credentials theft will never, ever end.
By Alan Zeichick
Alan Zeichick is Principal Analyst at Camden Associates, where he specializes in enterprise networking, telecommunications and cybersecurity. Follow him @zeichick


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Nirvikalpa Samadhi
Definition - What does Nirvikalpa Samadhi mean?
Nirvikalpa samadhi as been described by some as the flowering of a human being. It is a state of union with Brahman. In this state, the yogi comes face-to-face with their own Atman. It is the culmination of all spiritual practices and the realization of the ultimate spiritual goal.
Nirvikalpa is said to bring about feelings of infinite bliss and peace, where thoughts cease to exist. Those who have written about this state have found it difficult to describe because it is a state beyond the thinking mind.
The state of nirvikalpa samadhi can last for a few hours or a few days for most spiritual masters. It is said if they stay in nirvikalpa samadhi for 18 or 21 days, their consciousness may permanently leave their physical body.
Yogapedia explains Nirvikalpa Samadhi
Nirvikalpa samadhi is recognized as one of the highest states of samadhi. The state of consciousness before this is savikalpa samadhi where the experience of time and space alters. The yogi recognizes that everything is complete and there is nothing more to do. Thoughts still exist, but they do not affect the yogi in this state. After experiencing savikalpa samadhi, however, normal human consciousness returns.
The difference between this stage is that in nirvikalpa samadhi all thoughts dissolve. This is considered a state of being at one with the Divine. It is a state of true ecstasy, oneness and limitless bliss. After experiencing nirvikalpa samadhi, a yogi does not wish to return to the world. They may forget their own name, how to speak or how to think properly. With practice, though, they may find it easier to experience this state and then function in a normal way afterward.
Beyond nirvikalpa samadhi is sahaja samadhi. This state is only achieved by very few spiritual masters and is said to allow them to achieve the highest level of spiritual consciousness while still functioning in the physical world.


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Lasting First Impressions of Zombi U
Developed by Ubisoft
» When Ubisoft announced their lineup of launch titles for the Nintendo Wii U, the title that truly stood out as being the one game I had to play was Zombi U. I have often said that Ubisoft is one of the most innovative game developers out there. When Microsoft first launched the Kinect, Ubisoft was there with some of the best games to utilize the new hardware. As such, I was not surprised to find that Ubisoft now boasts 25% of the launch titles for Nintendo's new console, including titles such as Assassin's Creed III, Rabbids Land, Just Dance 4, Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013, and at the forefront of all these games is the Wii U exclusive, Zombi U. So is Zombi U the must have game for this newly launched console? I sat down with it for an hour to see if it would live up to the expectations that have been set by some amazing preview videos to see if the hype was indeed worth it.
Zombi U is, as I'm sure you can tell from the title, a Zombie survival horror. It has not been common in recent years that an M-rated game like this makes its way to a Nintendo platform so this title is set to not only show off what the new hardware can do, but also signals to the world that Nintendo is trying to win back some hardcore gamers. The basic goal of Zombi U is to escape London with the help of several main characters who will radio instructions to you as you progress. The unique angle in this game is that your character, if caught by the zombies, will become a zombie and you begin the game from the starting area as a new character. Additionally, any items found as your previous character will remain with their now zombified persona so, if you want your items back, you must hunt down and kill your previous self to collect them. This is one of the most innovative ways of introducing multiple lives in any game. If you think you can best the game with only one life, however, you can start the game in Survival mode which gives you only one life. Period. Should you die as that one character, you are dead and the game is over.
Zombi U is what the Resident Evil series was before it became more of an action game. It's dark, eerie, and disturbingly frightening. With the city of London having suffered a zombie outbreak, most of the power has been cut off so the city is covered in darkness. Utilizing an available flashlight, a good deal of the game is played walking through dimly lit corridors hoping that a zombie isn't going to be waiting for you around the next corner. Entering a new room or area and hearing the guttural growl of a zombie somewhere close by is enough to get your heart racing. When not frantically running away from a zombie horde, I find that this is a game worth played very slow, calm, and methodically.
With the Wii U hardware comes a new kind of controller, the Wii U GamePad, a controller with a 4 inch screen. In typical Ubisoft style, the GamePad is put to amazing use in Zombi U. While traversing the city of London, the GamePad displays the area map and quick inventory slots allowing quick weapon switching, control of the flashlight, and management of the backpack. When you need to scan an area to analyze the surroundings, pressing the Left Trigger moves the visuals from the TV to the GamePad and you then move and tilt the GamePad around as if you're actually scanning the area. This same control scheme is used for other things such as a sniper rifle scope or a mounted gatling gun. This feature alone was incredibly satisfying as it is definitely a new and unique take on video game controls. The speakers on the GamePad act as your radio for when the main characters speak to you, adding even more to the immersion of the game.
I am very happy to see a Nintendo console finally up to the graphical power of the current generation of consoles. It may be six years behind the other console makers, but the power in this is still enough to satisfy any gamer. Zombi U looks great and plays great. The controls feel natural and the screen of the gamepad adds some great new gameplay mechanics not found on any other system. The game is not easy either. Conservation of ammunition is key, especially since you will lose everything you have if you die and begin again as a new survivor.
As if right on cue, the character I started the game with was ambushed by a horde of zombies right at the one hour mark and I was unable to hold them off or escape and so she died. That hour was definitely one of the most intense hours I have played in a survival horror since titles like Dead Space. Any fan of this genre of gaming will absolutely get much enjoyment out of Zombi U and will certainly appreciate the love and care that went into crafting the new GamePad controls. The GamePad may seem like a new gimmick for gaming, but it really works well in Zombi U and makes for an amazing immersive experience. With no doubt, Zombi U lives up to the hype that was created prior to launch and should be on every mature gamer's list as a Wii U must have. With this game, Ubisoft has entered the Survival Horror arena with great confidence and success.
Ubisoft, I gave you an hour and I am IMPRESSED.


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Project hotline number: 772-871-5176
Beth Zsoka, Crosstown Parkway Extension Public Information Officer
Sarah Prohaska, City of Port St. Lucie Public Information Officer
Click here to register to receive emails about the Crosstown Parkway Extension Project.
Click here to go to the City of Port St. Lucie website.
Please note: Under Florida law, email addresses and all other information received by the city are public records, and the city is required to provide them to any individual or organization that requests them.


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The #MMFF2016 Box Office gross results for the opening day are out. The official Twitter account of Metro Manila Film Festival revealed the four top grossers, namely: "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2," "Die Beautiful," "Seklusyon" and "Vince and Kath and James."
#MMFF2016 first day topgrossers (In alphabetical order):
Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 2
Die Beautiful
Vince and Kath and James
— MMFF Official (@mmffofficial) December 26, 2016
According to a statement from the MMFF Executive Committee (ExeCom), released on Monday, December 26, the festival has reached its target sales for the first day although it did not release actual box-office figures.
"We have re-assessed and set a new benchmark for this festival," the statement said, noting that it sees the box-office gross for the first day "as a real bonus as we have already achieved what we started out to in the first place which is the cultural advancement through our Filipino films."
It continued, "You cannot put a price [on] something which the future generations of Filipinos will find priceless and ageless."
The other four #MMFF2016 entries are "Kabisera," "Oro, "Saving Sally," and "Sunday Beauty Queen."
This year's entries were selected based on the following criteria: story, audience appeal and overall impact (40%); cinematic attributes or technical expertise (40%); global appeal (10%); and Filipino sensibility (10%).


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Dvadasi — Break fast 05:28 - 10:01 (Local Time), Srila Vrindavana Dasa Thakura - Appearance
Break fast 05:28 - 10:01 (Local Time)
Dvadasi is the twelfth day of the waning or waxing moon (dva, "two," dasi, "tenth"). In the Vedic, lunar calendar, dvadasi follows Ekadasi, a day customarily set aside for exclusive focus on spiritual activity and fasting—at least from grains and beans. Fasting for Ekadasi is considered incomplete unless one breaks fast at the proper time the following day, dvadasi. These times are provided here.
Vrindavana Dasa Thakura was the author of Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata, a biography of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is considered the manifest Vyasadeva (editor of the Vedas) during Mahaprabhu's pastimes. He was born shortly after the disappearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. At the age of twenty, he accepted formal initiation from Nityananda Prabhu. It was on Lord Nityananda's order that he wrote Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata.
- Video: Vaishnava Authors: Vrindavana dasa Thakura
- Vrindavana Dasa Thakura mentioned in Chaitanya-charitamrita: Vedabase.com
- Bhajans by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura, on ISKCON Desire Tree
- About the birth of Vrindavana dasa Thakura from vaisnavacalendar.info
- More about Vrindavana dasa Thakura on gaudiyahistory.com
- In our Store: Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata, by Vrindavana dasa Thakura
(Photo of Vrindavana dasa Thakura's birthplace courtesy of gaudiyahistory.com)
- 2199 reads
The dates presented here are calculated according to the Vaishnava Calendar for Mayapur, India. Here's why...
Click on events for more details


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Both of these sound like great choices for the RIP 13. Hope you enjoy them.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Diane. I'm about to finish Bellewether by the end of this week. I'll be posting my thoughts then. For the Peril on the Screen I've been thinking that I could watch Sherlock Holmes (the latest 2 films plus the TV series).Delete
The Silent Companions looks intriguing. Happy reading Carmen!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Judy. It is said to be spooky. I don't know if I'm ready but it sounds ideal for this challenge. ;-)Delete
I'm glad you're joining in with R.I.P. this year, Carmen! I'm hoping to read The Silent Companions soon too.ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh, I got excited with your post and two more bloggers I follow who joined in. Good, so we can compare notes. ;-)Delete
I look forward to reading about your participation in the challenge.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Dorothy. I hope it's little stress and lots of fun. ;-)Delete
These novels look good Carmen. Many Perils on Screen, right? I'm not too good with scary films but which ones are you thinking of? That movie Hereditary looks too scary for me. HmmDelete
I'll be watching Hereditary anyways. It'd be a good idea to include it in a post for the challenge. I'm thinking maybe both Sherlock Holmes films, at least Season 1 of the TV series Sherlock, Mimic directed by Guillermo Del Toro (I am a big fan), and perhaps another film by the creative duo that I have a big crush on as of late, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's Resolution. Both Mimic and Resolution are dark sci-fi, horror, genre bending movies. That's what I have in mind at this point. We'll see. ;-)Delete
Carmen, I am so pleased to see you will be joining in this year. I also look forward to your thoughts on Bellewether, as I have a copy of that which I am really looking forward to. Happy R.I.P reading and watching!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Jessica. :-) I saw your post announcing the challenge, as well as Helen's and Diane's, and I went to check out the page. I told myself "Why not?!" So I decided to participate in two perils, as they fit both of my interests. I'm already planning posts, especially for the 'Peril on the Screen'. ;-)Delete
Excellent - I always used to take part in this challenge and loved it - and in fact I have both these books so I should really try and join in.ReplyDelete
Lynn :DReplies
You should. I bet with that book competition you are juggling right at this moment more than a few books would qualify for this challenge. :-)Delete


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Officially established in 2014, Nature's Whisper Massage was first run out of Amanda's home. We are now in a beautiful, relaxing building and have a full team of massage therapists and support staff.
Book your massage today! – (801) 510-5158


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Listen to Chicago's Alternative News!
Authorities say November's homicide total is up to 39 as of Thursday evening. 36 of the 39 people killed were the victims of a shooting. So far this week five people have been shot and killed bringing the 2017 total to 632 with over 2700 others injured by gunfire.
More than a dozen groups and lawmakers who oppose abortion have filed a lawsuit challenging a new law providing taxpayer funded abortion. Groups say including abortion among procedures covered by state employed health insurance and Medicaid starting in January is illegal.
A man is going to prison for not registering as a sex offender when he moved to Aurora. 62-year-old Keith Willis was sentenced earlier this week to five years behind bars after he was convicted in September. He had to register after a 1990 sexual assault conviction in Cook County.


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August 2, 2011
In Defense of Tenure
You know, Matt and I have a lot in common.
Both our mothers are retired school teachers.
Both of us went to school in Cambridge, Mass.
And both of us are devilishly good looking!
But seriously, both of us know that the answer to bad teaching is not job insecurity.
You go, Matt! While you're watching the video, I'm going to be "assessing" papers from other people's classes according to a "grading rubric" in which I must judge each paper on 1) Responsiveness to instructions, 2) Use of terms and concepts, 3) Organization, 4) Integration of different sources, 5) Using appropriate reference and citation, and 6) Conclusion. This is the type of shit teachers do during their so-called "vacation" time.
I don't mention this to complain. I mention this to say that if you want me to teach well, let me teach. But pile on administrative B.S.? Give teachers make-work hoops to jump through? Take away time that could spend researching, writing, preparing for class, and grading papers? Analyze, assess, and prod me one too many times... and you'll get what what pay for. But no more.
I didn't go into this racket for the money. But without tenure, I never would have gone into teaching. Given my education, I could have made much more money as a consultant or investment banker or even a professor at a private university. But don't we want more overqualified teachers at public schools? Besides, I like my job.
Some want teachers to exchange job security for "incentive-based" pay. Well I don't know how you would "incentivise" me in my senior seminar. Some say pay should be based on student evaluations. Not a good idea. Granted I'd do OK because I get very good student evaluations. But it's still a bad idea. I do believe that bad evaluations are a sign of a bad teacher, I'm not so certain about the opposite. I like to think I get good student evaluations because I'm a good teacher. But I could also get good evaluations simply by being easy.
Pay me a fair wage (I make $74,000 a year in case you were wondering) and give me job security and enough time off, and I'll put my heart into the job. Make teaching a game--especially a game refereed by administrators and other non-teachers--and I'll play it like a game. Oh yes, I'd win that game! But my students wouldn't.
Trying to weed out bad teachers is like trying to weed out corruption. It's a noble goal and needs to be done, but you have to make sure the cure isn't worse than the disease. When you place rules and regulations on everybody in order to catch a few, you make things worse for everybody.
Teacher unions aren't perfect. But for teachers and students alike, they're more good than bad. They're also fighting on the front line against those who want to destroy unions and public education on ideological grounds.
Bad teachers need to be let go before they get tenure. And that would be easier if more good teachers were attracted to the profession. And that would be easier if there were not such teacher burnout, especially in schools most in need. Making the job less appealing is not the answer.
Matt Damon is right: Job insecurity would not make me work harder and MBA-style thinking is not the answer. A teacher wants to teach.
11 comments:
- Dana King said...
As s a former teacher myself, I couldn't agree more.
- August 2, 2011 at 6:54 PM
So teachers are different than every other professional? I don't think the problem is weeding out bad teachers. The problem is that people aren't happy with what students in public schools are learning (or, rather, not learning). I'm not really interested in the details about tenure, because I'm on of those "who want to destroy public education on ideological grounds.". I believe that people should be allowed to not pay for services they don't want. As-is, changing public schools usually requires moving to another neighborhood and even if parents opt to send their kids to private schools, they're still forced to pay for the public schooling of everyone else's kids (and of course, those without kids are still paying for public schools too). It seems like the only incentive teachers have to do a good job is personal motivation. That doesn't seem to be working so well.
- August 3, 2011 at 2:06 PM
- PCM said...
I may be wrong, but from my public-school education experience, both as a student and a professor, I don't see a problem with teacher motivation.
Teaching is different from a lot of professions. Just as policing is. Just as waiting tables is. Just as is, probably, being a CEO of a multi-national corporation (not that I would know).
What works for one job may not work for others. I don't think it would be a good idea to have teachers paid through students' tips.
Some jobs are simply work. If you're punching holes in widgets all day long in a factory, I doubt you're motivated by love of your work. It's a job. You get paid. You go home. Indeed teaching is different. Or at least it should be different.
If you want to destroy public education, that's your right. And it's good you're upfront about it. Because then we can debate the real issue -- the value of public education -- and not get caught up in red-herrings like teachers' unions and tenure.
The "public" part of public anything means that everybody pays, no matter if you use the services or not. Just like police, fire, roads, and the library.
I think public education is good for the nation. I take it you do not. I think public education could be better, but that would involves more commitment from the public, not less. I agree there should be more choice in public education. But of course it's the richer better districts that fight this choice. Real choice would involve funding schools entirely at a state or national level. That's not going to happen in tea-party America.
The reason I think public education is so important goes back to the history of public education in this country. Schools were designed to (among other things) assimilate and create a national identity. The roots of public education was very paternalistic. Rich people didn't want poor immigrants to revolt and not show up for work.
But regardless of intentions, an educated populace, I would go so far as to say a commonly educated populace, is necessary for any rich, modern, 1st-world nation.
On a more practical level, we are going to pay for the education of the poor no matter what. At least as we long as we mandate education for poor children. So than we, the non-poor, need to ask what what is best for them and for us. It is in our own selfish interests to have good schools for everybody. And since we're going to pay for these schools, we might as well make them good enough so we can send our own children.
Schools are also cheaper than prison.
- August 3, 2011 at 2:26 PM
Amen! You couldn't have made a better argument for us public school teachers. I actually had one parent say to me that he had decided to send his child to private school because "You get what you pay for." No exaggeration, those were his exact words. He of course said this to me after I had worked all year helping his child with the child's learning disability and fighting for his child to get a 504 plan. Jerk!
P.S. Can't wait to see you soon at the crab feast!
- August 4, 2011 at 6:27 PM
- PCM said...
And he'll now vote for lower taxes to bust your union and pay you less since after all, why should he pay for public education when he doesn't use it?
Interestingly a lot of rich people with severely learning-disabled kids send their children to New York City public schools because it has a very good and very expensive program for such children.
Sometimes you get more than you pay for.
Private schools, naturally, don't want to spend extra money on such children because it costs too much.
- August 4, 2011 at 6:52 PM
- Robert said...
There is a major difference between tenure for professors at colleges and universities and for teachers at the elementary and secondary level. I can choose to go to a different college or university; I cannot choose a different public elementary or secondary school without significant additional costs.
I never understood why testing or holding teachers to certain standards is so egregious. Should we not expect good quality from our teachers? How will we know we have good quality if we do not set minimum standards and continue to hold the teachers to those standards? I know I have to have minimum standards to obtain my current position and then am expected to achieve certain standards year upon year to retain my position. I may not be let go for failing to achieve those standards in one year but am expected to make progress and improvement year upon year. Why not the same standards and transparency for teachers? Especially if teaching is such a vital role in our society as we are routinely reminded.
Saying that we cannot take an "MBA approach" to teaching is a false argument. Yes you can, you just cannot take a manufacturing management approach, you need to identify the right metrics and appropriate methods to measure those metrics. Student performance might be a good metric, teacher competence would be another.
For every "teacher that wants to teach" there is also teachers who want to play the game and hide behind union work rules. Teachers are no more or less altruistic than any other profession. They are normals humans like every one else.
- August 5, 2011 at 12:56 PM
- PCM said...
There may be major differences between tenure for me and tenure for an elementary school teacher. "Academic freedom" is a real issue for a publishing professor like me. I'm not certain how that concept plays into the work-life of a 3rd-grade teacher. But I still believe that good teachers wouldn't teach as well without job security.
And most of my students cannot afford to go to a different university. At a state school (though there are other state schools, I guess), you're kind of stuck because of the (lesser) money involved.
We should expect good quality from teachers. But I do not see how these quantitative quality-indicating "metrics" are possible. You say, "Yes you can." I say, "no you can't." This is not a minor quibble. I do not think these metrics can be identified or measured. Nor do I think you can measure student performance without major problems (see cheating scandals). And do we measure improvement or grades? And measuring "competence"? What does that mean?
Bad metrics are worse than no metrics.
I am not saying this to be difficult. I am saying this because I believe these problems represent methodological flaws that are so serious that any attempt to quantify performance will 1) fail, and 2) actually worsen performance.
As to teachers being more or less altruistic... I wouldn't say we're more altruistic people. But absolutely we're more altruistic with regards to our work (and no, not every teacher, but on average).
Every other job I had, even jobs I loved, even policing, was a simple transaction-based contract. You pay me and I give hours of labor. I work more, you pay me more. And even jobs where I didn't work by the hour, I clearly felt that my labor was going to be repaid in money.
You know many times in all the other jobs I've ever had where I offered to work more for free? Zero.
And yet do you have any ideas how many times I've agreed -- even offered -- to spend hours helping students with their writing or something else? Countless. My paycheck doesn't change. These are hours during which I could have simply gone home and watched baseball. But I choose to work more and help students (and these are not always students in my class) for no personal gain. Why do I do this? I don't know. (I don't mean this to make me sound holy). But that's altruism, right? And it's common.
Now granted I'm talking here about good teachers and not bad ones. But there are more good teachers than bad teachers. And here's the risk: if you make policy designed to get rid of bad teachers and piss me off or take away my job security, I'm telling you (and as they say... this isn't a treat; it's a promise) I'm going to do what I have to, take my $950/week paycheck, and go home.
If you can figure out a way to rid the system of the few bad teachers without getting all up in my business, I'm all ears.
But if you try and quantify my performance, if you take away my feeling of being a somewhat independent professional, you're going to make me and most in my professor to a worse job. You're also going to create another expensive layer of administrative bureaucracy.
- August 5, 2011 at 1:52 PM
- Robert said...
Well there is dilemma, you say you are a good teacher and further say that it is your belief that there are "more good teachers than bad" and altruism in teaching is "common", I say prove it. You are right, this is no small quibble. I think you are bright and clearly are an accomplished person, but that does not necessarily make you a good or even average teacher. You tell me you are but you offer no proof other than you are willing to spend extra time for no extra money. This would make your altruistic but not necessarily good.
As a taxpayer, I am obligated to part with my hard earned money to support a system that despite ever increases in spending results in no improvement in outcomes. I would like to see even an attempt at measuring performance of one of the vital components of the education system, the teachers. I recognize that poor metric are not necessarily better than no metrics but does that mean since it is hard to measure something we should not attempt to? And with the complete obstructionist stand point of the teacher's unions to implement even basic measurements it leaves me to wonder why teachers do not want to be measured? What are they afraid of? If teachers are afraid of bad metrics, come with what would be good metrics and why these are good metrics compared to what I propose. If you just say trust me, that is not good enough.
I work in health care. Too often other clinicians used to say you cannot measure how good of a job they do, they just get results and their patient's love them. That is not true; you can measure how good of a job they do and compare their performance to their colleagues. There are performance metrics that you can use to measure the performance of the clinicians despite the fact that not every outcome will be ideal or not every patient has the resources to achieve the optimal outcome. I was/am always suspicious when I here my colleagues tell me their performance cannot be measured. I will extend that same benefit to all other professions.
- August 5, 2011 at 3:02 PM
- PCM said...
Agreed. You don't know I'm a good teacher. I don't know I'm a good teacher (but I like to think I am). But I was just trying to show that I am an altruistic teacher, and it is common in teaching, unlike other professions.
And here's sign of a good teacher: I write about and discuss these issues (I could be doing something else right now). I like pedagogical discussions. I'm not writing this to convince you (I doubt I will). I'm engaging in this conversation because it makes *me* think. I do this because I care about teaching. And I doubt there are too many bad teachers who actually care. I also get excellent student evaluations. So with that as an quantified indicator, you might think I'm a good teacher.
But one could get mixed evaluations and still be an excellent teacher for some of your students. What if 1/4 of the class doesn't like you, but you inspire another 1/4 beyond measure? Is that better or worse than making the whole class happy? I don't know.
You mention these other ways to measure... Let's hear them. I don't think they exist. I'd say it's easier to measure performance in the medical world because there are clearly quantifiable indicators (including but not limited to death). For many subjects in education, especially at a college level, there are no clear benchmark statistics.
I also strongly disagree with the statement that increases in spending result in no improvement in outcomes. There are clear and quantifiable standards that school performance is correlated with spending. This is why rich districts choose to spend more on schools than poor districts. Either these rich people think they're getting something for their money or they're stupid. I suspect the former.
You know what I think the real issue is that nobody wants to talk about? Bad student. Not bad students as in Johnie can't read. Bad as in I just mugged somebody before class and will slug anybody who stares at me. Bad as in I'm 13 and my dad is in prison and my mom is a trick-turning junkie. My home has no electricity, bedbugs, rats, and more abuse than love.
I'm thinking of kids I saw in the Eastern District.
If I had kids, I wouldn't want them to go to school with such children. Nor do most other parents. That's why those that can afford to move out of the area or send their kids to Catholic school do so.
So what do we do with those messed-up children with bad parents? Where do they go to school? I don't think this is a school-solvable problem. And yet teachers get blamed.
Spending more money may not solve the problem, but spending more money will have to be part of the solution.
- August 6, 2011 at 2:49 AM
- PCM said...
Maybe it comes down to this: You don't know if I'm a good teacher. You never will know. And you may not like that fact because you're paying my salary. But tough. You'll have to live with it.
Option A, given that uncertainty as to my quality, is to make a battery of tests that may or may not test my competence. Such tests would piss off competent teachers and maybe identify problem teachers. It might also identify good teachers as problems.
Option B, since I have tenure and am not going away, would be to spend time and money to make me a better teacher. If not a great teacher, at least the best teacher I can be. If not even a good teacher, at least better than bad.
Wouldn't that be a more productive use of our time and money than trying to quantify my performance to nobody's satisfaction and perhaps making me a worse teacher in the process? And maybe, after all that time and effort, finding out that I was an OK teacher after all.
The *main* problem with education is not that there are a few bad teachers.
And the best way to improve teaching is indeed to attract better people into the teaching profession. That takes money, commitment, and respect... not busting unions, teacher testing, and getting rid of tenure.
- August 6, 2011 at 2:52 AM
"And the best way to improve teaching is indeed to attract better people into the teaching profession. That takes money, commitment, and respect... not busting unions, teacher testing, and getting rid of tenure."
This is a thesis, not a conclusion.
I think we should look at testing this in the real world. Some schools/districts should try the lower security, pay-for-performance model, and we could see what we get.
We might find that higher reward/lower security attracts a better fit for the job. We might not...
- August 8, 2011 at 3:01 PM


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How to Protect Wooden Outdoor Furniture From Wood-Boring Insects
If you have wooden outdoor furniture, take special measures to make sure it is protected from certain insects that love to eat wood.
Three species of beetles -- powderpost, deathwatch and false powderpost beetles -- as well as termites, will lay eggs in the tiny cracks or holes in your wood furniture so the larvae have plenty of food to eat. With a few special products and preventive measures, you can protect your wooden outdoor furniture from wood-boring insects.
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- Work outside and wear a face mask when using any kind of pesticide.