News for today's 2018

LET'S DO IT DIFFERENT

1:46 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">We are trying an experiment. It’s a little different and it may not work. But I am convinced it’s worth a try. In fact, we have to try. Our experiment begins in a small way with churches and money.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">The 25% assessment on parish income has been in place here for decades. It used to be a requirement for national grants we no longer get. But after the grants stopped, the diocese was all the more cash-strapped, so the assessment level remained in place. Under the weight of the 25% assessment, parishes have been hard pressed to engage in mission, to reach out in service and evangelism, or to try anything innovative and interesting. During all the years in which Nevada was the fastest growing state, our diocesan membership and attendance remained stagnant, and sometimes declined.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">But that’s not what worries me. Sometimes as we have talked about money in the past, diocesan staff and governance sounded judgmental and suspicious, reminding me a bit of tax collectors. Meanwhile some parishes have engaged in creative accounting to keep their resources for themselves – often in ways that reflect selfishness and lack of integrity. But if the Diocese is trying to collect more than a parish can pay, is it any surprise that parishes resort to devious practices? If parishes resort to devious practices, is it any surprise that diocesan staff and governance should grow suspicious? The trust it takes to be a community or work for a common mission is missing on both sides. That’s what worries me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">After five years of watching the Episcopal Church in Nevada struggling under this burden of distrust, I suggested an experiment to the Standing Committee and they are going along with it. Call us crazy but we are going to try Christianity. We are going to try faith, trust, compassion, mercy. We are going to try a morality rooted in Deuteronomy and coming to full flower in the Sermon on the Mount. We start with faith – not as much faith in God as faith in each other. We are going to believe in the people in the pews and their local leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">We begin with something like unilateral disarmament. We cut diocesan expenses to the bone before I got here. We have now cut them to the marrow and are still just getting by with the 25% assessment. But we are taking the first steps anyway. It’s called stepping out in faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Step 1. Last year, we granted assessment reductions to several congregations that needed a break in order to take on new growth initiatives.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Step 2. Despite allowing parishes in need a break in 2012, we managed to spend a little less than we received. That could have been our security cushion this year. But instead of having a security cushion, we gave the money back to the parishes. We even gave money back to parishes that owe arrearages on old assessments.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Step 3: We announced the goal to begin reducing the assessment by 1% per year beginning in 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Step 4. We then took a bolder risk and implemented the assessment reduction 6 months early. It kicks in June 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Diocesan governance has taken the first steps. How might a parish reciprocate? Simply by flourishing and dealing with the diocese straightforwardly – as most of our parishes are already doing. We trust parishes to use new resources for God’s mission and we trust God to prosper those who serve the mission faithfully. That will enable us not just to get by on 24% but to keep reducing the assessment further to take the shackles off our people setting them free for God’s mission in Nevada. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Our ability to continue reducing the assessment depends on parishes doing two things: First, they will have to engage in creative, constructive, positive evangelism – not just saying mournfully “I wish we could get more people” – but actually doing what it takes to make that happen. There are specific concrete actions that grow congregations. I met with a congregation about those steps just two weeks ago. Second, parishes will have to engage in spiritually authentic stewardship education and campaigns – not scarcity based “give money or the church closes” manipulations – but authentic teaching of where our resources come from and our obligation to use our resources for God’s mission -- spiritual formation in generosity as the path to happiness. Many of our people have signed up for The Episcopal Network For Stewardship workshop July 11-13 in Salt Lake City. Some are taking it on line. Either way, it’s at diocesan expense. <a href="http://www.tens.org/">http://www.tens.org</a>. This is a positive concrete step toward the kind of renewal that will enable the diocese to cut the assessment and fund further renewal.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">There is more to this than supply side economic stimulus. Reducing the assessment is a step toward treating each other differently in all fields, not just money. But there are two fundamental ways in which we could deal with each other in a more Christian way when it comes to money. First there is the question of debt.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Some of our congregations have had rough patches and fallen behind on their assessment payments in the past. They did not lie about it. They just didn’t pay so they accumulated a debt to the diocese. When this happened, the diocese enforced the canons to compel the payment of every last penny. No forgiveness. No mercy in this dojo. Those folks felt abused.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">So today when a parish falls behind, those congregations who were forced to pay 100 cents on the dollar in the past now insist that our current debtors be held to the same strict standard. It is like abused children who grow up to abuse their own children. Wrong once done leads to wrong repeated and so on in perpetuity. We are trapped.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">But what about the Christian moral imperative to forgive debts? Take a look at this commentary on Deuteronomy 15 and Matthew 18. <a href="http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/journals/ssr/issues/volume5/number2/ssr05_02_r03.html">http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/journals/ssr/issues/volume5/number2/ssr05_02_r03.html</a>Banks may not forgive debts but Christians do. In the Lord’s Prayer, if we strip away the theological interpretations and stick with the literal text, Matthew 6:12 says, “Forgive us out debts as we forgive our debtors.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">What if those who have been held to harsh standards in the past were to forgive the diocese for our harshness and forbear from being so harsh to those who struggle today? What if we repented from our ingrained pattern of judgment and tried a little mercy? What might that do for our capacity to work together for God’s mission?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">The second thing struggling parishes might try is approach the Standing Committee with their situations in an honest way expecting fair treatment from someone who wishes them well. I understand why some don’t. The Standing Committee has not always been a safe place to admit challenges. But this Standing Committee has come to the aid of several congregations when they were in a bind. These really are good people. Would it be possible for vestries and the Standing Committee to reason together in good faith for the common good?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">The lyrics of Reno songwriter Kate Cotter invite us to remember our past and imagine a future that does not just repeat old habits.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">        If we can release,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">        If we can let go<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">        If we can believe<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">        Even when we don’t know . . . .<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">        Let’s do it different this time<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">        All of the pearls of our past<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">        That are holding us back<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">        Falling away.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Could we do church different this time? Consider the implications: How we go about being the church forms the characters of our members and shapes how they go about the rest of their lives. Could we form more open minds, more generous hearts? If parishes chose to be generous in supporting the common diocesan mission – as some of them already are, giving over and above their assessment -- might such behavior model a generosity that would inspire church members to be more generous with their own congregations? That was my experience in parish ministry. When we doubled our giving outside the parish, the giving to the parish tripled. Would church members dare to make a bolder pledge if they trusted parish leaders to respond with kindness and understanding if they cannot fulfill the pledge – just as the diocese might treat a parish with kindness and understanding when the parish falls short of its assessment? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">If we change the way we treat each other over money, what other changes might that open up? Might we find kinder more helpful ways to discern calls to ministry? Might we cooperate with each other for faith formation, ministry development, and social engagement? Where might it lead?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

LET'S DO IT DIFFERENT

We are trying an experiment. It’s a little different and it may not work. But I am convinced it’s worth a try. In fact, we have to try...

Have you booked for the Inspired Teachers’ Conference in Johannesburg on 31st May?

1:36 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB3r46Q0YnD9OsFU_3Tl6K6m0aFHaSYHv16l3qiRAi93VeX1Ntzs3sCGtf17a3Ks_Oh-chSn6DhfAj8UsOCVNYj6MP2uM091qHOcdkKYtQaZMZybnh9oS_USFMM_Rho8UtF5nDcPGVZY/s1600-h/image%25255B7%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EsTLn6pHs6GideyFrbIM9DLJkj4Hv18tzG2vvyW5Imx2Co6q-t97ZhLH-rhYgZtAQ5WhzLxOCXaKs7aYGNqIsU160eiN6cExTaeYNmAn1zagsYQ1fc_gXeDE5ttACveUw6lWs0Uh_Zc/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="546" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read more and download the brochure <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7qOnpaO5hRleG1nbEJtVEswNzg/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>

conferences Have you booked for the Inspired Teachers’ Conference in Johannesburg on 31st May?

Read more and download the brochure here .

Today's archidose #676

12:30 PM Tukiyooo 0

I took a walk at lunch and snapped a few photos of <a href="http://www.ma.com/">Morris Adjmi Architects</a>' recently completed building at <a href="http://www.ma.com/projects/254-front-street/">254 Front Street</a> at the South Street Seaport.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8742364540/" title="254 Front Street by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="254 Front Street" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7285/8742364540_6d71d68cc0_z.jpg" width="598" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8742364108/" title="254 Front Street by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="254 Front Street" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/8742364108_b85162020c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8742364366/" title="254 Front Street by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="254 Front Street" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/8742364366_0cec52df53_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8741249007/" title="254 Front Street by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="254 Front Street" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/8741249007_fdfe0f8fe3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8741248801/" title="254 Front Street by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="254 Front Street" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/8741248801_3f6aa5dbf5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:<br /><blockquote>:: Join and add photos to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/archi-dose/">archidose pool</a>, and/or<br />:: Tag your photos <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/archidose/">archidose</a></span></blockquote>

Today's archidose #676

I took a walk at lunch and snapped a few photos of Morris Adjmi Architects ' recently completed building at 254 Front Street at the Sou...

My Medical Choice by Angelina Jolie - NYTimes.com

8:54 AM Tukiyooo 0

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><nyt_text style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div id="articleBody"><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">My mother fought <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Cancer." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">cancer</a> for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">We often speak of "Mommy's mommy," and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a "faulty" gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/breast-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Breast cancer." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">breast cancer</a> and <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/ovarian-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Ovarian Cancer." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">ovarian cancer</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a <a href="http://cancer.stanford.edu/information/geneticsAndCancer/types/herbocs.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">65 percent</a> risk of getting it, on average.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/preventive-mastectomy" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">preventive double mastectomy</a>. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people's hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">My own process began on Feb. 2 with a procedure known as a "nipple delay," which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area. This causes some pain and a lot of bruising, but it increases the chance of saving the nipple.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Two weeks later I had the major surgery, where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place. The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Nine weeks later, the final surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant. There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that's it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition. Brad was at the <a href="http://www.pinklotusbreastcenter.com/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Pink Lotus Breast Center</a>, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I acknowledge that there are many wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives to surgery. My own regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center. I hope that this will be helpful to other women.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; "><a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/breast-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Breast Cancer." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Breast cancer</a> alone kills some 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.</p><nyt_author_id><div class="authorIdentification" style="margin-bottom: 2.8em; "><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 15px !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 24px; font-style: italic; ">Angelina Jolie is an actress and director.</div></div></nyt_author_id></div></nyt_text><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130514&_r=0&pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130514&_r=0&pagewanted=print</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

My Medical Choice by Angelina Jolie - NYTimes.com

My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold th...

Amy's Baking Company

8:40 AM Tukiyooo 0

Amy's Baking Company

Watch "Kitchen Nightmares Season 6 Episode 16 Part 2" on YouTube Did you see Amy's Baking Company on Gordon Ramsay's Kitch...

Eurovision update

7:53 AM Tukiyooo 0

Eurovision update

Ireland got through to final of the Eurovision on Saturday!!! I'm so happy about that. In the semi-final that they were in I thought th...

Creative writing #6: Have you explored using Little Bird Tales for writing?

4:55 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLHtKyDSgPVseQzK9sLbjEgEiNDgc9tOIsp9FfQWos5YemF8nCT95jxtc5u8YLztfWcA29_6QD5VKI28PDdEinW7Ts-cD1QuDKsJn7DO9HUOsU4V_55Fi8S1c87TCDDIyBElhs1mdKCk/s1600/Little+bird+tales.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLHtKyDSgPVseQzK9sLbjEgEiNDgc9tOIsp9FfQWos5YemF8nCT95jxtc5u8YLztfWcA29_6QD5VKI28PDdEinW7Ts-cD1QuDKsJn7DO9HUOsU4V_55Fi8S1c87TCDDIyBElhs1mdKCk/s1600/Little+bird+tales.JPG" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.3pt;">Little Bird Tales (</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://littlebirdtales.com/">http://littlebirdtales.com</a>)</span> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">has quickly become a favourite web 2.0 tool of mine for writing in the primary school, mostly because it’s so easy to create a high-quality product and you can draw your own pictures online plus add narration. The web site allows users to create podcasts with images — basically, narrated slideshows — in just three steps:</span><br /><ol style="line-height: 17.3pt;"><li><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Users can upload photos to their Bird Tale or they can use an embedded drawing tool to draw images. Older students can add text to their images.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Users then record narration to go with each image if they wish.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, users share their Bird Tales, by sending a URL via e-mail.</span></span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23.0625px;">The name has a babyish sound but I have fund that this does not deter primary school age children. This video shows how </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">Little Bird got his name: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svnNCe5OD8k&feature=player_embedded" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svnNCe5OD8k&feature=player_embedded</a></div><div><br /></div><b style="color: #333333; font-size: x-large; line-height: 23.05555534362793px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watch this demo from Little bird tales</span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 18pt;"><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">Here is a demo from YouTube showing how easy it is to us.</span><br /><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/P3CcWUtOiBk" width="420"></iframe>  </div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23.05555534362793px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23.0625px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P3CcWUtOiBk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P3CcWUtOiBk</a></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>An instruction video from Little Bird Tales</b></span><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uEnhabCzrvo" width="420"></iframe><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><i style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23.0625px;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEnhabCzrvo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEnhabCzrvo</a></span></span></i><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23.05555534362793px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Example of how a teacher created a story using Little Bird Tales</span></b></span><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This comes from Juanit Oosthuizen from Elkanah House Cape Tiwn's lovely Foundation Phase blog  </span></span><a href="http://technoboffins.wordpress.com/">http://technoboffins.wordpress.com</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: #fcea63; border-color: #F26122; border-style: solid; border-width: 4px; display: inline-block; font-family: \'lucida grande\',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; margin: 1px; padding: 2px;"><a href="http://www.littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/21440/"><img alt="littlebirdtales.com cover image" height="280" src="http://www.littlebirdtales.com/images/embed/stories/c/e/3/e/21440/image.jpg" title="Ben die Boer" width="400" /></a><br /><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px;"><li style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5010076453548563484" http:="" story_id="" tales="" view="" www.littlebirdtales.com="">Click to view my tale.</a></li><li style="display: inline; float: right;"><img alt="littlebirdtales.com logo" src="http://www.littlebirdtales.com/images/embed/logo/lbt_logo.png" /></li></ul></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 17.3pt; margin-bottom: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/21440/">http://www.littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/21440/</a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Example of a story made with Little Bird Tales</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">This comes from the blog </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 23.0625px;"><a href="http://berryart.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/a-little-bird-told-me/">http://berryart.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/a-little-bird-told-me/</a></span></i><br /><br /><div style="background-color: #fcea63; border-color: #F26122; border-style: solid; border-width: 4px; display: inline-block; font-family: \'lucida grande\',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; margin: 1px; padding: 2px;"><a href="http://littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/17927/"><img alt="littlebirdtales.com cover image" height="280" src="http://littlebirdtales.com/images/embed/stories/1/7/0/2/17927/image.jpg" title="Color Dance" width="400" /></a><br /><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px;"><a href="http://littlebirdtales.com/images/embed/logo/lbt_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="littlebirdtales.com logo" border="0" src="http://littlebirdtales.com/images/embed/logo/lbt_logo.png" style="cursor: move;" /></a><li style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5010076453548563484" http:="" littlebirdtales.com="" story_id="" tales="" view="">Click to view my tale.</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5010076453548563484" http:="" littlebirdtales.com="" story_id="" tales="" view=""></a><a href="http://littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/17927/">http://littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/17927/</a> </li><li style="display: inline; float: right;"></li></ul></div><b style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 18pt;"><div style="line-height: 17.3pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17.3pt;">How Little Bird Tales is accessed</span></b></span></div><ol style="line-height: 17.3pt; text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">Teachers can easily create a FREE account and begin creating tales. They can have all their students create tales under a single account, but the site also allows teachers to create separate FREE accounts for each student. These accounts are always connected to the teachers’ account, and the website is built to ensure student privacy since so many younger kids use it.</span></li><li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">The website asks users to create and use a “school code” so teachers and students from the same school can be grouped together. Teachers can’t access Bird Tales from another class unless it’s been shared with them, but it allows teachers to see who else in their school is using the tool and how often. This is helpful in terms of finding on-site teachers who can offer support.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">License</span></li></ol><div style="line-height: 17.3pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.3pt;">Try Little Bird Tales today and see what you think. </span></div></div></div></div>

30 Days of Writing Creative writing #6: Have you explored using Little Bird Tales for writing?

Little Bird Tales ( http://littlebirdtales.com ) has quickly become a favourite web 2.0 tool of mine for writing in the primary school, mo...

Doctors' Lucrative Industry Ties - NYTimes.com

3:36 AM Tukiyooo 0

Dr. Alfred J. Tria is the chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Peter's University Hospital, a 478-bed facility in New Brunswick, N.J., and to the medical technology company Smith & Nephew, his good word is worth a million bucks. Well, $940,857, to be precise.<br /><br><br /><br>That's how much the company paid Dr. Tria in fees for promoting its products and training doctors in Asia to use them from 2009 to 2011, according to disclosures required by the state of Massachusetts, where Dr. Tria is licensed. In 2010, Dr. Tria earned $421,905 from private industry — more than any other Massachusetts-licensed physician that year.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Tria may be an outlier, but gifts and payments to physicians from drug and medical device companies have been rampant in medicine for decades. Over a two-and-a-half-year period, device and drug companies shelled outover $76 million just to physicians licensed in Massachusetts, according to a study published online this month in The New England Journal of Medicine. That amount does not include outlays of less than $50, which are exempt from disclosure.<br /><br><br /><br>The companies treat doctors to dinner, pay them to attend lectures, and underwrite conferences and continuing medical education courses. Asked whether such payments could pose a conflict of interest for physicians, Dr. Tria said, "It's a legitimate concern."<br /><br><br /><br>A spokesman for St. Peter's said Dr. Tria had disclosed his financial relationships with industry to the hospital and refused to elaborate on the hospital's policy.<br /><br><br /><br>Information about these sorts of payments to physicians is available for the first time now in a handful of states that have passed laws requiring corporations to disclose payments to health providers. Next year, the data should be available nationwide when the federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act goes into effect. Corporations were supposed to start collecting the information last year.<br /><br><br /><br>"For many decades, we had no information — these were closely held industry secrets," said Susan Chimonas, of Columbia University, who has researched industry payments to physicians. "We are just starting to get a sense of how much money companies are spending on the marketing and consulting arrangements."<br /><br><br /><br>The data will be a treasure trove for researchers. For patients, the question is what to make of this information and whether to seek it out when choosing a physician or making an important medical decision. Orthopedic surgeons, cardiologists and psychiatrists received the most lucrative payments, the new study found. Primary care physicians — such as internists and pediatricians — were least likely to receive payments.<br /><br><br /><br>In Massachusetts, companies are required only to broadly categorize the purpose of the payments, and nearly 90 percent of them were described as "compensation for bona fide services." Dr. Aaron S. Kesselheim, an assistant professor at Harvard and the lead author of the new study, says that though the reported information can be vague, it can still be useful.<br /><br><br /><br>"It's another piece of data for patients to examine as they consider treatment options," he said. "If they go to an orthopedic surgeon who recommends a knee transplant, and they go to another who recommends watching and physical therapy, it might be interesting for the patient to wonder to what extent those two physicians have relationships with industry."<br /><br><br /><br>The question may also be appropriate if a physician changes a patient's prescription for no apparent reason, or prescribes a new or more expensive drug instead an older, tried-and-true alternative, said Dr. Joseph S. Ross, an internist and assistant professor of medicine at Yale.<br /><br><br /><br>"We know physicians are more likely to overprescribe or potentially prescribe inappropriately when they have a financial relationship with industry," Dr. Ross said. His own research has found that many physicians do not think there is anything inappropriate about industry gifts as long as they're not too lavish.<br /><br><br /><br>The size of the gift is not a determinant of its influence, experts say. Even a small gift can generate positive feelings and influence attitudes and behavior. "I don't think doctors ever set out to make decisions that are not in the best interest of their patients," said Dr. Deborah R. Korenstein, associate professor at Mount Sinai and a co-author of the study by Dr. Ross.<br /><br><br /><br>"But there are subconscious influences that people can't control, and that's why patients, and doctors, need to be concerned," she said.<br /><br><br /><br>A paper Dr. Korenstein published in 2011 found that more than a dozen expert panels that developed national clinical practice guidelines for managing diabetes and high cholesterol were dominated by physicians with financial conflicts of interest — that is, they were receiving payments from companies with an interest in how these diseases are managed.<br /><br><br /><br>Physicians often do not realize that they are being manipulated when drug companies offer to pay them consulting fees — for example, for listening to pharmaceutical representatives describe new medications and evaluating their performance. The real purpose "is just to get the doctor to listen to the reps over and over again," said Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman, director ofPharmedOut, a project at Georgetown University Medical Center that focuses on the influence of drug company marketing.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Fugh-Berman advises patients to avoid physicians who see drug reps and dispense samples. "Ask, 'Could I have a tried-and-true drug?' 'Could I have a generic version?' "<br /><br><br /><br>Although many schools and hospitals have adopted new policies that guide interactions with industry, they exempt physicians who are not staff employees and do not restrict the doctors' income. Tufts University Medical Center adopted a policy in 2010 that required physicians to get approval and review if they were paid more than $25,000 in a year by a private company. But a Tufts associate professor, Dr. Yoav Golan, an infectious disease specialist, was paid $340,754 by drug companies in 2011, including $100,000 from Forest Laboratories, $73,918 from Merck and $42,109 from Pfizer, according to disclosures filed in Massachusetts.<br /><br><br /><br>A Tufts spokeswoman, Julie Jette, said the payments were approved by the university. "The policy wasn't intended to be a cap," she said. Dr. Golan did not respond to an e-mail requesting comment.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Chimonas said she would encourage physicians and their professional groups "to think about how all the information that is coming out is going to be interpreted or understood by the public."<br /><br><br /><br>"It's so important for patients to be able to trust their physicians," she said.<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/doctors-lucrative-industry-ties/">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/doctors-lucrative-industry-ties/</a>

Doctors' Lucrative Industry Ties - NYTimes.com

Dr. Alfred J. Tria is the chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Peter's University Hospital, a 478-bed facility in New Brunswick, N.J., and...

8 Reasons we all think we're poor and broke and what to do about it

3:32 AM Tukiyooo 0

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.myparkingsign.com/MPS/Faculty_Parking_Signs.aspx" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Teacher" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="400" src="http://www.myparkingsign.com/img/lg/K/Aluminum-Teacher-Sign-K-2633.gif" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="270" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 270px;">Why do we pride ourselves on<br />taking the martyr's approach<br />that we're not making<br />money when US teachers<br />are in the top 5%<br />wealthiest people in the WORLD?<br />It is time to start living<br />like it and stop "feeling"<br />broke. Do you want to<br />hear more in this series?<br />Let me know in the comments.<br /><a href="http://www.myparkingsign.com/MPS/Faculty_Parking_Signs.aspx" target="_blank">Teacher</a> <br />(Photo credits: <a href="http://www.myparkingsign.com/" target="_blank">www.myparkingsign.com</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>You can be wealthy but to do that you must be exceptional. Exceptional people spend less than they make. Exceptional people don't take the (usually dumb) advice of marketers but make their own decisions. Exceptional people aren't sold to, they buy what they want.<br /><br />But I'm not rich?<br /><br />Oh really. Let's look at some stats from the<a href="http://globalrichlist.com/"> global rich lis</a>t:<br /><ul><li>If you are at the <b><span style="color: red;">US poverty line</span></b> for a 3 person household of $19,350 you are in the top 11.26% richest people in the world</li><li>The <a href="http://www1.salary.com/Janitor-Salary.html">average janitor</a> (median income) of 24,936 puts him or her in the top 10.09% of the world</li><li>If you make the a<a href="http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=55">verage annual salary</a> of a <a href="http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=55">US private school teacher</a> of $36,300 - the top 4.24% in the world</li><li>If you make the average annual salary of a <a href="http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=55">US public school teacher</a> of $49,600 - the top .98% richest in the world</li><li>Principals, if you make the <a href="http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Principal-l-United-States.html">average salary</a> of 67,000 then you're in the top .87%</li></ul>That's right, if you're in a school in the US and you're reading this, you're officially rich! Doesn't feel like it? Well, it is time to get our act together.<br /><br />I'm considering creating multiple part series on the topic of balancing our budgets and living like the wealthy educators we are. From the lunchroom to the teacher's lounge, we are some of the richest people in the world here in the US and we're missing out on the joy that can be ours if we just get our act together.<br /><br />This is something that has caused me many tears personally and my husband and I have paid off mountains of debt even moreso after I became a teacher and took a massive paycut. If you're interested in me continuing to share what has helped Kip and me, let me know in the comments and I'll spread it out amidst the technology and teaching I talk about here. <i>(I've been writing this one post since January so it may take a while.)</i><br /><br />First of all, let's talk about why we think we're poor:<br /><br /><h2><strong>#1 - We are deceived by appearances.</strong></h2>Looking rich doesn't mean being rich. In 2006, Warren Buffett, one of the three richest men in the world <a href="http://www.leftlanenews.com/warren-buffett-vouches-for-gm-with-caddy-purchase.html">bought his most expensive car</a>, a $55,000 Cadillac. The average millionare buys a car for $31,367. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118011570/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1118011570&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20">Stop Acting Rich: ...And Start Living Like A Real Millionaire</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=httpwwwbrighc-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1118011570" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> p 207)<br /><br />In 2009 most million-dollar homes were not owned by millionaires. In fact 90% of those who were defined to be a millionaire lived in homes worth less than a million dollars.(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118011570/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1118011570&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20">Stop Acting Rich: ...And Start Living Like A Real Millionaire</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=httpwwwbrighc-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1118011570" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> p 9, 24)<br /><br />The odds are, if you look like you're rich, you're not.<br /><br /><h2>#2 - We're discontent</h2>If you get on Facebook, it is likely you'll have a friend going somewhere and honestly... you want to go too. You deserve that vacation, you think. You want that new car. You need a dozen roses from your husband. You want that new plasma tv. Why can't you go shopping this weekend? Why? Why? Why? Pity pity pity.<br /><br />Marketing in the US has thrived on the ability to stimulate us into being dissatisfied. Dissatisfied enough that we'll do something. (See: <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5895372/the-more-facebook-friends-you-have-the-more-unhappy-you-probably-are" target="_blank">Lifehacker: The More Facebook Friends You Have the More Unhappy You Are)</a><br /><br />On Facebook, you're aggregating all the high points in your hundred something friends lives and comparing it to the high points in yours. Let's see, out of 100 friends at least 4-5 are having it great right now. So, you're going to take those few and compare it to your life? That is unrealistic and unhealthy.<br /><br />When you're having a pity party - GET OFF FACEBOOK. It stinks as a counselor and sucks wind as a comforter. Go talk to a friend or write in your journal. It is ok to see a therapist too. Talking about it is what healthy people do. Social media makes a sad counselor and a sick client.<br /><br /><h2>#3 We refuse to wait</h2>If you've heard of the <a href="http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/14675/The-Marshmallow-Test" target="_blank">marshmellow test</a>, kids who are able to master their desire to eat one marshmellow NOW in the hopes of getting a second marshmellow when the researcher returns, test well on future success. This is because they understand delayed gratification.<br /><br />The biggest financial mistakes I made as a twenty-something were because I wanted it NOW. Delayed gratification is one of the keys to any long term financial change.<br /><br /><h2>#4 We use plastic instead of cash</h2><div>One thing I learned in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Financial Peace University">Financial Peace University</a> (a great program from <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.daveramsey.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Dave Ramsey">Dave Ramsey</a>) is that the feeling of cash in your hands causes you to spend less. One of the fastest ways I've found to slash my grocery budget is to withdraw the cash for my grocery budget when I get paid. I keep it in an envelope and pay out of that. It is amazing how far money goes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Plastic is NOT the same as cash. While we don't necessarily want to have a lot of cash on us all the time, it makes a difference if we want to cut our budget. </div><br /><h2>#5 We refuse to make hard decisions</h2>You can't do everything. Are you really watching all those television subscriptions? Are you keeping cable for one show?<br /><br />Remember, I said HARD decisions not BIG decisions. For some reason, giving up entertainment seems to be a hard decision around my house. For example, I wanted to see the Jack Reacher movie, I enjoy the Jack Reacher book series. We didn't have time to see it in the theater, but then it came out on DVD and then for pay on Amazon to buy. I waited until last week to use some of my iTunes birthday money to rent it on iTunes. While, I could have waited another YEAR and it be free on Netflix (maybe), I do want to see it. Was it really worth the extra $15 to see it 2 weeks early? For me, the answer was no. Did I think about watching that movie quite a bit - sure I did, I was ready to see it. But, as we prepare to pay for my son's college in June, little pennies count.<br /><br />Another example, I love books. I read at least an hour a day but sometimes more. If book reading were a hotdog contest, I'd be the dude with his mouth full, his hands raised in winning who asks for another when he's done.<br /><br />But, I took my credit card out of Amazon and started buying Amazon gift certificates. I put it in and when I'm done with my Amazon budget for the month, I hit <a href="http://kindlenationdaily.com/" target="_blank">Kindle Nation Daily</a> and the free kindle book list to find my reading. Or, I pull out a book that someone has sent me to review.<br /><br /><h2>#6 We have no money in the bank</h2>This happens when we're automatically debiting everything without stopping to think if we should pay that. I've learned the benefits of saving 10%, giving 10% and living on 80%. If there's no emergency fund or cushion, then you're living close to the edge.<br /><br />I admit, I've socked my savings down to zero way too often. If this is you, take steps NOW. Enroll in <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu" target="_blank">Financial Peace University</a> or buy Mary Hunt's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800721128/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0800721128&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;" target="_blank">7 Money Rules for Life®: How to Take Control of Your Financial Future</a> or one of my new favorites by Andrew Hallum, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470830069/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470830069&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School</a>.  Step back from the edge. No money in the bank is a problem.<br /><br /><h2>#7 We sabotage ourselves by quitting just before the finish line and we have to start over.</h2>There's a scene in Chariots of Fire, where one guy is about to finish. He turns his head to look at the other guy and he misses out. But we're not even doing that. We're saving and getting close to paying off those credit cards. We're freezing our credit cards, quite literally, in ice and going cash only so we don't spend any more. But then, just before we're done, we say "Hey, I've paid all of this off, it is time to go on a trip." WE're stopping right before we finish and going back and starting over. What is wrong with this? Running the race takes SOOOO much energy and we're going to do it again.<br /><br />I've done this too. Keep your eye on the finish line. Finish paying off the debts and then more forward.<br /><h2><br />#8 We refuse to talk about it with our household.</h2>This is a tough one. It is no secret how many marraiges struggle because of money problems.<br /><br />Money is a gift because it is limited. Because it is limited, it forces us to talk about what is IMPORTANT. If we'll talk. The problem is that many argue, and others go into passive/aggressive mode.<br /><br />This is why Financial Peace University helped us so much. You get in a room of people. Dave Ramsey, former bankrupt businessman, talks about how he got out. I don't really want to hear from people who've always been rich how to get rich - some of them were born on third base and take credit for hitting a home run. I want to hear from people who started off without a ticket to the stadium who got in and hit a home run.<br /><br />My husband and I make progress when we're communicating. No communication, no money. That is often how it goes.<br /><br /><h2>Money is important.</h2>Why do we need to talk about this?<br /><br />Because, we, as educators have more power than we think.<br /><br />When we're debted up, torn up, cashless, and clueless - there are people we cannot help. The world needs us to get our act together financially. We need us to get our act together financially.<br /><br />It is amazing how most millionaires I know, few people know it. They live in houses that aren't so fancy. They drive average cars. They are often quieter people. There are people who look and act rich. I don't know about their bank account, but the research I quoted at the beginning has now shown me that perhaps appearances can be deceiving.<br /><br />I'm committed to saving and budgeting so that I can help people. I do think money is important - while it is not something I worship - it is important. I want to do my best to manage it well.<br /><br />Certainly, I've made a heap of mistakes, but thankfully <b>past mistakes do not indicate future performance if you're the kind of person who learns from it and fails forward.</b><br /><b><br /></b>Hope this helps you gain perspective and learn from my own mistakes. If you want me to write more on this topic some time in the future, leave me a comment below and I'll work on it. Again, teaching and technology are the main thing, but if this helps enough of you who read this blog, I'm happy to write about it again.<br /><br /><ol> </ol><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=33c8cafa-9daa-44d2-88c8-3a19700625d2" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

8 Reasons we all think we're poor and broke and what to do about it

Why do we pride ourselves on taking the martyr's approach that we're not making money when US teachers are in the top 5% wealthiest ...

blue and orange library - before and after

2:30 AM Anonymous 0

There once was a girl who wanted to switch her living room and dining room. She worked hard and made herself a swanky new dining room, but the living room needed a pick me up. So, she asked her friend for some help. Luckily this girl can DIY with the best of them, and also luckily her friend is me.<br /><br />My very great friend and her family wanted a cozy space where they could read, do homework, practice the violen and spend hours on Pinterest. And although she knew she wanted to invest in grasscloth, the goal was to work with what she already had, just adding a few things here and there to spruce up the room.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauA1Khz_BdKDVmkBNAPQYG9KYdVBP4W-RmmU6WdQYzcOo_Ie4YfhFMtXCcZ2Fokm9GNJUI_F4sJgnW_udsO673wJbdoFMCXoz7ImmaLW06_tuxmoDzB4BvuD0mtDY3LT-_z2U5Xr5HF-P/s1600/LittleBlackDoorBeccaLR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauA1Khz_BdKDVmkBNAPQYG9KYdVBP4W-RmmU6WdQYzcOo_Ie4YfhFMtXCcZ2Fokm9GNJUI_F4sJgnW_udsO673wJbdoFMCXoz7ImmaLW06_tuxmoDzB4BvuD0mtDY3LT-_z2U5Xr5HF-P/s640/LittleBlackDoorBeccaLR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You might remember this little board I did awhile back to get the juices flowing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5-v-deMgGIVK-PYAX8125Pp6_qFXqqLUFFzpfcBeGjZ3LM-Zie7Y1MzEJnPimqffC2XiX4qfzQUA8X7rdFEHD567ZAy57k4v34j51irXFjlRq1am5x8o5T3tHAwjZ1EKUGc5Qdi8M67E/s1600/wideshotbefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5-v-deMgGIVK-PYAX8125Pp6_qFXqqLUFFzpfcBeGjZ3LM-Zie7Y1MzEJnPimqffC2XiX4qfzQUA8X7rdFEHD567ZAy57k4v34j51irXFjlRq1am5x8o5T3tHAwjZ1EKUGc5Qdi8M67E/s400/wideshotbefore.jpg" width="393" /></a></div>Here is the space before. (cute children not included)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0FHU7sCntzKhE-levry98PXDd4bFdQVC9RljA5YRoOZdBWiYulRBIi4pCRHIWJtf-m_JS_oF7M7tHIYknOUXz7LlchnpdwsKdsUZ9joCpHrZBcdn_fP9ODPYVCnZwOwOsuSIHGiSDRCy/s1600/libraryafter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0FHU7sCntzKhE-levry98PXDd4bFdQVC9RljA5YRoOZdBWiYulRBIi4pCRHIWJtf-m_JS_oF7M7tHIYknOUXz7LlchnpdwsKdsUZ9joCpHrZBcdn_fP9ODPYVCnZwOwOsuSIHGiSDRCy/s640/libraryafter2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />And here is the after.<br /><br />My girl is hardcore. She put up the grasscloth all on her own. Right after she painted that mirror orange and before she put together those IKEA shelves. Unstoppable I tell you.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyFmXTYN786rGTiM-eOcvlvP7gvaCGMoFOzZmOziEveQGps0SSIHzhtEsDrHdYGKR5qkK0C1pBcfWkrS7nH1MDws_uUDlvLyiXZDeScR4gE2aC-UxoMBkihsxRCBVHWVrIJcfGOyNVz98/s1600/grassclothgallerywall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyFmXTYN786rGTiM-eOcvlvP7gvaCGMoFOzZmOziEveQGps0SSIHzhtEsDrHdYGKR5qkK0C1pBcfWkrS7nH1MDws_uUDlvLyiXZDeScR4gE2aC-UxoMBkihsxRCBVHWVrIJcfGOyNVz98/s640/grassclothgallerywall.jpg" width="563" /></a></div><br />I love that we talk about the gallery wall and play with some pictures one day, and the next time I talk to her she says, "oh yeah I hung the gallery wall". All I do is plant the seed and she runs with it and makes it look great.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXTXz_tR-wCUR_pUB0lJ2sglk7H5Ob0AvJ4Xd4bOXCbFzjhkUaXFRBE3FRWjL-3kN7l11bq2Z7kTfC6ltUfNUhh_Sed9OSHoLX5L6ROK7wYWOoaWHfvTPbdfiM3cRh6HaeL51OnLIUJzz/s1600/grasscloth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXTXz_tR-wCUR_pUB0lJ2sglk7H5Ob0AvJ4Xd4bOXCbFzjhkUaXFRBE3FRWjL-3kN7l11bq2Z7kTfC6ltUfNUhh_Sed9OSHoLX5L6ROK7wYWOoaWHfvTPbdfiM3cRh6HaeL51OnLIUJzz/s400/grasscloth.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />All of the artwork was created by her, in addition to a few pieces by her dad and her kids. They are basically the Partridge family of art.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWtaLc7VB6zFP7qhJaaijyf5rdWY6aFBrTYq6QDfDzuREhnW0nelQtma0AsyNzWkrN_3vDj3HxVxEtltj_85iVHbbKOLdd_cVZCsYLHHHMYu-6jZhHQheyjg0v3U1AWZ_KmMpsxY9nJ9U/s1600/blueikatchair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWtaLc7VB6zFP7qhJaaijyf5rdWY6aFBrTYq6QDfDzuREhnW0nelQtma0AsyNzWkrN_3vDj3HxVxEtltj_85iVHbbKOLdd_cVZCsYLHHHMYu-6jZhHQheyjg0v3U1AWZ_KmMpsxY9nJ9U/s640/blueikatchair.jpg" width="531" /></a></div><br />I love a new tray on an old coffee table. It's <strike>almost</strike> totally better than a pair of new shoes. That's right, I will always pick a tray over a pair of shoes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGcoieYWLv94OwpdPjoSOMkyNXgIs9g2evI1r1Is4eiI-f-ZKo8H7ezN_OjB4Jk9nU_HHKz5ifYPrT1mxGYR3aMvyYegad7l-IxDQ7k48Lc-kK1khz2Be47Y19pphIugJwr6M-9s_j5m5/s1600/ikeabookshelfhack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGcoieYWLv94OwpdPjoSOMkyNXgIs9g2evI1r1Is4eiI-f-ZKo8H7ezN_OjB4Jk9nU_HHKz5ifYPrT1mxGYR3aMvyYegad7l-IxDQ7k48Lc-kK1khz2Be47Y19pphIugJwr6M-9s_j5m5/s640/ikeabookshelfhack.jpg" width="585" /></a></div><br />That grasscloth makes all the difference. It makes all of the moldings pop (which she put in during a previous project) and it makes the room so warm. It's like a big huge hug.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdXrvA-3YAdOT0KUtuOtOLUn-cTO7UIgSC0PbuZdKE0A8WyttLxs0rc2utNQX8S-l3bEm15u5Tt_VuTe-sCJD3UjoB52hqlPWILZWt2Z6g-iquWcBIX1sGxboBx5EKqw4HuT8p_hBpp7c/s1600/blueikatchairgoldlamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdXrvA-3YAdOT0KUtuOtOLUn-cTO7UIgSC0PbuZdKE0A8WyttLxs0rc2utNQX8S-l3bEm15u5Tt_VuTe-sCJD3UjoB52hqlPWILZWt2Z6g-iquWcBIX1sGxboBx5EKqw4HuT8p_hBpp7c/s640/blueikatchairgoldlamp.jpg" width="609" /></a></div><br />The lamp was originally orange but she gave it the gold touch with a can of spray paint.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgZm5iiMMurzDdOETOv6P6h-N9o1_z4JlOaJDYS-cN8ButxS1CneEQ38rgQRvAdccijaiEkz4ACjfvOVQ8yNNMgufpSlyAYPDgDKVx83_veJh3LXzCHHdCZzKxs9h_fh8x820jQa6G_BP/s1600/GoldAccents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgZm5iiMMurzDdOETOv6P6h-N9o1_z4JlOaJDYS-cN8ButxS1CneEQ38rgQRvAdccijaiEkz4ACjfvOVQ8yNNMgufpSlyAYPDgDKVx83_veJh3LXzCHHdCZzKxs9h_fh8x820jQa6G_BP/s640/GoldAccents.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />A collection of gold animals has begun and the gold K looks great against the wallpaper.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCk0REClYUyejbXKGMpjtm5OCNNFpiV9C_oXJuOjLdQj0X_t-CQEp1hLxirfWls4jkrq-Ewq9g7OWduIMX6PVd_5FKPmPkf_nHLveTP_VOmZ-s7S7PeA29O0Ge2xGG7c0_aobNri0MNmI/s1600/milkglasscollection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCk0REClYUyejbXKGMpjtm5OCNNFpiV9C_oXJuOjLdQj0X_t-CQEp1hLxirfWls4jkrq-Ewq9g7OWduIMX6PVd_5FKPmPkf_nHLveTP_VOmZ-s7S7PeA29O0Ge2xGG7c0_aobNri0MNmI/s400/milkglasscollection.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The milk glass acquired by the two of us at the single most uncomfortable and slightly bigoted garage sale ever. I'll have to share that story one day.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BLSd9SFh7pzRpIuVyFf0Sp1p05XtTeM81i6kW9EqeQtf9WG0n9DAkcLiWc4ykhh9QcLH1DksuaX9HjPWjdHXoI9lx-5AG5VBgWPK9REpbak0XR51NU3woiG9RPjPH-F3jcLzf77H7hqm/s1600/orangegreekkeytray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BLSd9SFh7pzRpIuVyFf0Sp1p05XtTeM81i6kW9EqeQtf9WG0n9DAkcLiWc4ykhh9QcLH1DksuaX9HjPWjdHXoI9lx-5AG5VBgWPK9REpbak0XR51NU3woiG9RPjPH-F3jcLzf77H7hqm/s400/orangegreekkeytray.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Yes, this book is upside down. I'm quirky.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0FHU7sCntzKhE-levry98PXDd4bFdQVC9RljA5YRoOZdBWiYulRBIi4pCRHIWJtf-m_JS_oF7M7tHIYknOUXz7LlchnpdwsKdsUZ9joCpHrZBcdn_fP9ODPYVCnZwOwOsuSIHGiSDRCy/s1600/libraryafter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0FHU7sCntzKhE-levry98PXDd4bFdQVC9RljA5YRoOZdBWiYulRBIi4pCRHIWJtf-m_JS_oF7M7tHIYknOUXz7LlchnpdwsKdsUZ9joCpHrZBcdn_fP9ODPYVCnZwOwOsuSIHGiSDRCy/s640/libraryafter2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-WTp84960wrUFaRd_BmFpfrf5lz5kfc3UID_VcX_aTAOliz4bGX8k0NqpZ_Mb93iB0FOLEmseRI98Ta1cruhafhJblyIXHTcF0_blaKgCxlX-FpT4Yx4W0-7Xwh5omNHCqpFAVnqREhb/s1600/navydiningroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="617" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-WTp84960wrUFaRd_BmFpfrf5lz5kfc3UID_VcX_aTAOliz4bGX8k0NqpZ_Mb93iB0FOLEmseRI98Ta1cruhafhJblyIXHTcF0_blaKgCxlX-FpT4Yx4W0-7Xwh5omNHCqpFAVnqREhb/s640/navydiningroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />And because I hate it when magazines talk about a space and don't show a picture of it, here is her wonderful dining room. Good, right?<br /><br />So that is the story of the girl who switched her living room and dining room and ended up with a great family space.<br /><br />How about you? Have you switched rooms in your house before? Made some changes to a room that wasn't working for you?

blue and orange library - before and after

There once was a girl who wanted to switch her living room and dining room. She worked hard and made herself a swanky new dining room, but t...

Nokia has announced the launch of Lumia 925 in London

2:20 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWp9mlCOncJEkm_qxDEmCjupeT0OCgNTH7OU8rrO4aTx2xgl-QsMm1ofGghMVX9BrFWKfe0B5Gby_HToGFjmYcWB4E2dF3zERb9fv5jjI4gIrXpJ-QvqJYt9qzRJTsVMUSBBuRldsdYM/s1600/nokia_lumia_925a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" pua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWp9mlCOncJEkm_qxDEmCjupeT0OCgNTH7OU8rrO4aTx2xgl-QsMm1ofGghMVX9BrFWKfe0B5Gby_HToGFjmYcWB4E2dF3zERb9fv5jjI4gIrXpJ-QvqJYt9qzRJTsVMUSBBuRldsdYM/s320/nokia_lumia_925a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.pc-gadgetworld.com/2013/04/nokia-asha-phone.html">Nokia </a> has announced the launch of <a href="http://www.pc-gadgetworld.com/2013/04/nokia-lumia-with-different-color.html">Lumia</a> 925, a new interpretation of its flagship Lumia 920. The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces a metal design alongside an improved PureView camera.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Lumia 925 comes in a polycarbonate body that is associated with the Lumia range, but includes a metal frame on the outside. Lumia 925 weighs 139 grams, compared to the heavyweight 920, which is one of the bulkiest devices around at 185 grams.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> The Lumia 925 is the camera, which Nokia claims is better than the one in Lumia 920,which won a lot of rave reviews, especially for its low-light performance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Lumia 925 is the camera, Spectacular sharpness in low-light photos and video. Nokia Smart Camera mode for burst photography to create action sequences.Award-winning PureView technology, Carl Zeiss optics and six physical lenses.Capture the great moments, day or night. And the beautifully crafted design will turn heads wherever you go.Spend less time planning the shot. Nokia Smart Camera mode lets you take a burst of photos, and then go back later and choose the story you want to tell.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>>  8.7 Megapixel PureView camera with six Carl Zeiss lenses. </strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>>  Slim and lightweight aluminium body around a 4.5 inch HD+ display.</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdyHZ820GcPLLyQafTO2EUcxZWAcTTYXFLEXkmPsqteuTANgtew-6pqSoD2TOLppq8stIJLimrCqIOwtwQNsHcgdWH5vwMSNvLIjlCIirRy6r4psfbhMHG2kQ8RBV4TKPaKJUfBt_P7Y/s1600/Nokia-Lumia-925-action-shoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" pua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdyHZ820GcPLLyQafTO2EUcxZWAcTTYXFLEXkmPsqteuTANgtew-6pqSoD2TOLppq8stIJLimrCqIOwtwQNsHcgdWH5vwMSNvLIjlCIirRy6r4psfbhMHG2kQ8RBV4TKPaKJUfBt_P7Y/s320/Nokia-Lumia-925-action-shoot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nokia Lumia 925 features a 2,000 mAh battery and runs Windows Phone 8.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nokia Lumia 925 doesn't ship with bundled wireless charging but a cover can be clipped onto the back of the phone to take advantage of Nokia's wireless charging accessories and ecosystem. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Nokia Lumia 925 will be priced around <strong>469 EUR</strong> before taxes and subsidies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u>Nokia Lumia 925 Most specifications:-</u></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h4>      Display</h4>              -  Display size: 11.43 cm<br />              -  Display technology: AMOLED<br />              -  Touch screen technology: Super-sensitive touch<br />     <br />      <strong>Photography</strong><br /><div class="content"><br /></div><div class="content">              -  Main camera sensor: 8.7 MP PureView </div><div class="content"><br /></div><div class="content"><strong>      Power management</strong></div><div class="content"><br /></div><div class="content"><strong>               -  </strong>Talk time (2G): 18.3 h<br />               -  Talk time (3G): 12.8 h<br />               -  Standby time (3G): 440 h<br />               -  Music playback time: 55 h</div><br /><div class="content" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">               -  Wireless charging: Yes, with accessory cover </div><div class="content"><br /></div><div class="content">    <strong>Processor</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">            </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">              -  Processor name: Qualcomm Snapdragon  S4 </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">              -  Processor type: Dual-core 1.5 GHz </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>  Accessories</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><strong>    </strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">    -  Keep your Nokia Lumia 925 protected on the go with this stylish leather pouch </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">    -  Charge up your Nokia Lumia 925 without plugging it in with this colourful wireless charging cover. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">    -  Nokia Wireless Charger for car Make your lumia more better.Make your life safe when you  are  driving car.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><strong><u>Nokia Lumia 925 key specifications</u></strong><br /><ul><li>- 4.5-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display with 768x1280 resolution</li><li>- 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor</li><li>- 1GB RAM</li><li>- 16GB of internal storage</li><li>- 8.7-megapixel PureView rear camera</li><li>- 1.2-megapixel wide-angle front camera</li><li>- Windows Phone 8</li><li>- 2,000 mAh battery</li></ul></div>Published by <br /><a href="https://plus.google.com/112865615030946176397" rel="author">Priyanka</a>

news Nokia has announced the launch of Lumia 925 in London

Nokia has announced the launch of Lumia 925, a new interpretation of its flagship Lumia 920. The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces a metal design...

Wealthy People Hiring Disabled to Avoid Waiting in Line at Disney World

2:12 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="MsoNormal">If you have ever visited the Walt Disney World Resort you have probably made one or two observations about the park.  One chief item on that list is:  The lines are long.  I know what you’re thinking:  If only there was a way to circumvent standing in the line and waiting for an attraction.  Well according to TNT Magazine, some wealthy folks have figured it out and it involves <a href="http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/world/rich-families-hire-disabled-people-to-queue-jump-at-disneyland">hiring a disabled person</a> to act as a member of the family.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">According to Neatorama the going rate for this service is <a href="http://www.neatorama.com/2013/05/14/How-to-Beat-the-Lines-at-Walt-Disney-World/">around $130 per hour</a> or $1,040 for an eight hour day.  The hiring of the “guide” to avoid waiting in line is made possible by Disney policy, which allows a disabled person to jump to the front of the line and take up to six family members along.  Call it what you want, but this sounds like exploiting a loophole to me.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Is it wrong?  Maybe I’m just jealous because I didn’t think of it (or that I can’t afford it), but it seems like crossing the line to me.  I wonder what Disney will have to say about this development.<o:p></o:p></div>

Wealthy People Hiring Disabled to Avoid Waiting in Line at Disney World

disney hiring disabled people to avoid waiting in line disney world lines Wealthy People Hiring Disabled to Avoid Waiting in Line at Disney World

If you have ever visited the Walt Disney World Resort you have probably made one or two observations about the park. One chief item on that...

Poetry 'n' Such With Paul Piatt

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-u7ZQBYCGhu5u_cQFooBbLT_r8lCK70FlU_HYqJrAjyp8NoT50Axe8PlQQ7aDIZIGK_-UTuErs7CMIwzbF-Z1ErlGY3c0K5nw7yca0Y0y5HigfMCqZFPiWFp7QQ3dHtQfw8566icdysQ/s1600/Paul+Piatt+IWS+Radio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-u7ZQBYCGhu5u_cQFooBbLT_r8lCK70FlU_HYqJrAjyp8NoT50Axe8PlQQ7aDIZIGK_-UTuErs7CMIwzbF-Z1ErlGY3c0K5nw7yca0Y0y5HigfMCqZFPiWFp7QQ3dHtQfw8566icdysQ/s400/Paul+Piatt+IWS+Radio.jpg" width="285" /></a>Gentle and heartfelt greetings to all of you discerning drinkers of the warm and aromatic<br /> coffee of life that is IWS Radio.<br /><br />Renown poet and IWS Literary Editor, Paul Piatt here, bringing you some of today’s finest in the world of poetry, prose, and people.<br /><br />Today during our journey along the sullied boulevard of words made magical, and life’s pentameters made iambic, I offer unto you a poem by poet and co-cost of the IWS Radio Show, Matt-Man…<br /><br />From his award winning book of poetry titled, <i>Goose Eggs Over Easy</i>, here is a poem by IWS‘ very own Matt-Man, titled…<i>I Can’t Write Tonight</i>…<br /><br /><i>Jayman I am sorry,</i><br /><i>I cannot write tonight.</i><br /><i>My sister is a jerk and incredibly uptight.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>I’m trying to set up a party</i><br /><i>for my big-footed son.</i><br /><i>But I guess, as it is late…it’s hard to be done.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>It is kinda funny</i><br /><i>That I paid, lo all of these years</i><br /><i>But there will be no high fives</i><br /><i>Nor laughter</i><br /><i>Nor cheer.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>My best friend is languid, sleeping and all</i><br /><i>My son has no clue</i><br /><i>His Mom refuses to call back my call</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>I’ll take a deep breath</i><br /><i>And the anger will pass</i><br /><i>But for now, and until then…</i><br /><i>They can all kiss my ass.</i><br /><br /><i>Goose Eggs Over Easy</i>, by Matt-Man<br /><br /><i>And for now as I travel the road less traveled,</i><br /><br />Paul Piatt<br /><br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a></div>

Poetry 'n' Such With Paul Piatt

Gentle and heartfelt greetings to all of you discerning drinkers of the warm and aromatic coffee of life that is IWS Radio. Renown poet and...

Senior Software Engineer ( C++/ C# / OOD / .Net / Numerical algorithms ) (#109469)

2:30 PM Anonymous 0

<font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">  <div><b>Position</b>: Senior Software Engineer<br>    <b>Location</b>: Milpitas, CA <br>    <b>Duration</b>: Full time<br>    <br>    <b>Job Description</b>:<br>    <b>Responsibilities:</b></div>  <div>The FaST division is hiring senior software engineers to work on the cutting edge next-generation 3D metrology modeling and computation product. The best candidates will have strong C#/C++ programming skills, thorough knowledge of algorithm engineering,  a solid foundation in semiconductor processing equipment systems software with an emphasis on computational fundamentals. Distributed programming of complex analysis algorithms using large data sets is our primary focus. Utilize your math and engineering skills  to improve algorithm efficiency and result precision/accuracy. Be part of our much larger team of software and systems experts specializing in real-time control of best-in-class semiconductor equipment that keeps our clients at the forefront of the technology  curve. This project is the front line R&D work destined to support our customer’s prototype development plans. Excellent communication skills, an eye for quality, and a dedication to rigorous engineering practices are a must. Full product scope is helpful –  UI coding and system level coding experience ensures you’re ready for both internal and external customer collaboration. Supporting our customer’s R&D efforts, designing with our strong engineering team and implementing the best-in-breed measurement systems  keeps our product as the tool-of-choice for our customers.</div>  <div> </div>  <div><b>Preferred Qualifications:</b></div>  <div>1) BS, MS or PhD preferred, in Computer Science / Engineering or equivalent.</div>  <div>2) 8+ years’ experience in software design and architecture using .NET/C# and C++.  </div>  <div>3) Experience building products from inception to final production release. Ability to support field escalations and internal customer needs during product introduction phases.</div>  <div>4) Demonstrated experience modeling and understanding complex multi-discipline physics problems that result from the coupling of different physical phenomena.</div>  <div>5) Ability to determine the source of deviations between models and experiments and to define experiments to validate models.</div>  <div>6) Collaborate with scientists and system level technical staff to identify and manage system and software requirements.</div>  <div>7) Write functional and technical documentation/presentations.</div>  <div>8) Distributed parallel programming and strong C++/C# multi-threading experience would be a big plus.</div>  <div>9) Matlab experience, math library interfacing using C++/C#, and 3D visualization development would be advantageous.</div>  <div>10) Numerical algorithms and 3D geometry familiarity would be very nice to have.<br>    </div>  <div><b>Minimum Qualifications:</b></div>  <div>Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 7 years of experience.</div>  <div>OR</div>  <div>Master's Level Degree with at least 6 years of experience.</div>  <div>OR</div>  <div>Doctorate (Academic) with at least 5 years of experience.<br>    <br>    Kindly send your resumes to<font color="navy"> </font><a href="mailto:Sivaram.bose@kla-tencor.com"><font color="navy"><u>Sivaram.bose@kla-tencor.com</u></font></a></div>  <div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></font></div>  </span></font>

Senior Software Engineer ( C++/ C# / OOD / .Net / Numerical algorithms ) (#109469)

Position : Senior Software Engineer Location : Milpitas, CA Duration : Full time Job Description : Responsibilities: ...

Software Engineer ( C++/ C# / Multithreading / .Net /3D visualization ) (#109496)

2:17 PM Anonymous 0

<font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">  <div><b>Position</b>: Software Engineer<br>    <b>Location</b>: Milpitas, CA <br>    <b>Duration</b>: Full time<br>    <br>    <b>Job Description</b>:<br>    The Film and Scatterometry Technology (FaST) Division provides industry leading metrology solutions for worldwide semiconductor IC manufacturers.  The FaST Division portfolio of metrology products includes hardware and software solutions for optical film thickness,  optical critical dimension (CD), composition, and resistivity measurement systems.  These products are essential for the IC manufacturers as they provide critical metrology capabilities for the development and implementation of their advanced IC processes.   The FaST division is committed to support our customers to achieve performance entitlement of our solution and we effectively partner with our customers from their early research and development phase to the high volume in-line manufacturing implementation  specific for their process needs.  The division consists of a global team located in US, Israel, China, and India.</div>  <div> </div>  <div><b>Responsibilities:</b></div>  <div>The FaST division is hiring senior software engineers to work on the cutting edge next-generation 3D metrology modeling and computation product. The best candidates will have strong C#/C++ programming skills, thorough knowledge of algorithm engineering,  a solid foundation in semiconductor processing equipment systems software with an emphasis on computational fundamentals. Distributed programming of complex analysis algorithms using large data sets is our primary focus. Utilize your math and engineering skills  to improve algorithm efficiency and result precision/accuracy. Be part of our much larger team of software and systems experts specializing in real-time control of best-in-class semiconductor equipment that keeps our clients at the forefront of the technology  curve. This project is the front line R&D work destined to support our customer’s prototype development plans. Excellent communication skills, an eye for quality, and a dedication to rigorous engineering practices are a must. Full product scope is helpful –  UI coding and system level coding experience ensures you’re ready for both internal and external customer collaboration. Supporting our customer’s R&D efforts, designing with our strong engineering team and implementing the best-in-breed measurement systems  keeps our product as the tool-of-choice for our customers.<br>    <br>    <b>Preferred Qualifications:</b></div>  <div>1) BS, MS or PhD preferred, in Computer Science / Engineering or equivalent.</div>  <div>2) 8+ years’ experience in software design and architecture using .NET/C# and C++.</div>  <div>3) Experience building products from inception to final production release. Ability to support field escalations and internal customer needs during product introduction phases.</div>  <div>4) Demonstrated experience modeling and understanding complex multi-discipline physics problems that result from the coupling of different physical phenomena.</div>  <div>5) Ability to determine the source of deviations between models and experiments and to define experiments to validate models.</div>  <div>6) Collaborate with scientists and system level technical staff to identify and manage system and software requirements.</div>  <div>7) Write functional and technical documentation/presentations</div>  <div>8) Distributed parallel programming and strong C++/C# multi-threading experience would be a big plus.</div>  <div>9) Matlab experience, math library interfacing using C++/C#, and 3D visualization development would be advantageous.</div>  <div>10) Numerical algorithms and 3D geometry familiarity would be very nice to have.<br>    <br>    <b>Minimum Qualifications:</b></div>  <div>Doctorate (Academic) with at least 2 years of experience.</div>  <div>OR</div>  <div>Master's Level Degree with at least 4 years of experience.</div>  <div>OR</div>  <div>Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 5 years of experience.<br>    <br>    Kindly send your resumes to<font color="navy"> </font><a href="mailto:Sivaram.bose@kla-tencor.com"><font color="navy"><u>Sivaram.bose@kla-tencor.com</u></font></a></div>  <div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></font></div>  </span></font>

Software Engineer ( C++/ C# / Multithreading / .Net /3D visualization ) (#109496)

Position : Software Engineer Location : Milpitas, CA Duration : Full time Job Description : The Film and Scatterometry...

Principle Software Engineer ( C++/ C# / 2D and 3D modeling / Computational Geometry ) (#109450)

2:14 PM Anonymous 0

<font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt;">  <div><b>Position</b>: Principle Software Engineer<br>    <b>Location</b>: Milpitas, CA <br>    <b>Duration</b>: Full time<br>    <br>    <b>Job Description</b>:<br>    The Film and Scatterometry Technology (FaST) Division provides industry leading metrology solutions for worldwide semiconductor IC manufacturers.  The FaST Division portfolio of metrology products includes hardware and software solutions for optical film thickness,  optical critical dimension (CD), composition, and resistivity measurement systems.  These products are essential for the IC manufacturers as they provide critical metrology capabilities for the development and implementation of their advanced IC processes.   The FaST division is committed to support our customers to achieve performance entitlement of our solution and we effectively partner with our customers from their early research and development phase to the high volume in-line manufacturing implementation  specific for their process needs.  The division consists of a global team located in US, Israel, China, and India.</div>  <div> </div>  <div><b>Responsibilities:<br>    </b>This position is for a principle software engineer / architect who will work on the cutting edge next-generation 3D metrology modeling and computation product. The best candidates will have strong C#/C++ programming skills, thorough knowledge of algorithm  engineering, a solid foundation in semiconductor processing equipment systems software with an emphasis on computational fundamentals.  The successful candidate for this position will have the ability to define and lead software development projects.  The candidate  will be expected to interface with both internal and external customers to gather software requirements and specifications.  Distributed programming of complex analysis algorithms using large data sets is an area of focus. Utilize your math and engineering  skills to improve algorithm efficiency and result precision/accuracy. Excellent communication skills, an eye for quality, and a dedication to rigorous engineering practices are a must.<br>    <br>    <b>Preferred Qualifications:</b></div>  <div>1) MS or Ph.D in Computer Science or Engineering</div>  <div>2) Expert knowledge of  C++, .Net, C#, Matlab is a plus.</div>  <div>3) 12+ years of experience with Microsoft Technologies.</div>  <div>4) Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English</div>  <div>5) Strong analytical skills.</div>  <div>6) Significant hand-on experience with advanced debugging skills</div>  <div>7) Self starter and problem solver.</div>  <div>8) Good understanding of Software Development Life Cycle.</div>  <div>9) Experience with 2D and 3D modeling.</div>  <div>10) User Interface Design with a focus on usability and user experience.</div>  <div>11) Experience with OpenGL</div>  <div>12) Experience with Computational Geometry.</div>  <div>13) Experience developing software for the semiconductor industry or scientific computing applications.<br>    <br>    <b>Minimum Qualifications:</b></div>  <div>Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 10 years of experience.</div>  <div>OR</div>  <div>Master's Level Degree with at least 8 years of experience.</div>  <div>OR</div>  <div>Doctorate (Academic) with at least 7 years of experience.<br>    <br>    Kindly send your resumes to<font color="navy"> </font><a href="mailto:Sivaram.bose@kla-tencor.com"><font color="navy"><u>Sivaram.bose@kla-tencor.com</u></font></a></div>  <div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></font></div>  </span></font>

Principle Software Engineer ( C++/ C# / 2D and 3D modeling / Computational Geometry ) (#109450)

Position : Principle Software Engineer Location : Milpitas, CA Duration : Full time Job Description : The Film and Sca...