News for today's 2018

EUROPE - SPAIN

3:01 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvd4KDwURd3epTH7iR89Y4T4XUo4evRg1AeDzucXgYAV7HgjkTyw8etLg7B7rXAeMjGjqtfqfZXfttBuE6iXcPHhOTshAy9B378eP22cNZmSlLtybi3tvwToj-XRDpLwyoXJySAYY454l/s1600/Holy-Roman-Euro-Empire1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvd4KDwURd3epTH7iR89Y4T4XUo4evRg1AeDzucXgYAV7HgjkTyw8etLg7B7rXAeMjGjqtfqfZXfttBuE6iXcPHhOTshAy9B378eP22cNZmSlLtybi3tvwToj-XRDpLwyoXJySAYY454l/s320/Holy-Roman-Euro-Empire1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>"Holy Roman Euro Empire" ??</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CRISIS, AN INSTRUMENT IN BUILDING THE EUROEMPIRE</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Crisis: Spain’s Possibilities: </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: red;">• The Greek scenario under which Spain would trade its islands for cash as the first step and further act accordingly.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">• The Argentinian scenario under which Spain would say Goodbye to the Eurozone, slip into default, and introduce a national currency.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">• The Brussels scenario under which Spain’s debts would be sold to the European Central Bank.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">EROSION OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The carefully engineered and fueled debt crisis, coupled to Brussels’ regionalization policies, not only causes nation-statehoods in Europe to crumble but, from a wider perspective, undermines national sovereignty and statehood as general principles. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Lehman Brothers – the pivotal point which marked the escalation of the world’s mounting problems into the full-blown crisis – went almost unnoticed on September 15. The outdated forecasts that used to sound grim – like the one that it would take a couple of years before the light at the end of the tunnel comes within sight – now read as outbreaks of ridiculous optimism. These days, the recovery is projected to commence at least a decade from now, while alarmists predict far greater troubles including a military conflict of global proportions.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The public opinion has learned to think of the crisis as of some sort of a natural background. Guesswork concerning the causes of the meltdown may remain unconverted, but the recipe – rounds and rounds of spending cuts – seems to be universal, with no alternatives allowed even hypothetically. Luckily, the advice offered by Prince Charles – to take shorter showers to help the environment – does not have the power of law, but the austerity programs compiled by European bureaucracy and confirmed by national legislatures are not as easy to ignore, regardless of how the populations feel. More belt-tightening was prescribed to Europe where a series of protests erupted in response. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuwMKXmAv_xZDUkaTErJV70ihO5__TW8-5TuX9CAGlcKLraz4-bgm6iGsBzxAvWWGPXWXlV2HyWsqJ362A227iXBQcWLqaRekCH72QGxth7MVsrMFuJPz9BZEtFVo-4o85XrCJ-ZPobZD/s1600/mf_spain23__01__630x420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuwMKXmAv_xZDUkaTErJV70ihO5__TW8-5TuX9CAGlcKLraz4-bgm6iGsBzxAvWWGPXWXlV2HyWsqJ362A227iXBQcWLqaRekCH72QGxth7MVsrMFuJPz9BZEtFVo-4o85XrCJ-ZPobZD/s320/mf_spain23__01__630x420.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The rally held by the so-called May 15 protest movement around the building of the Spanish parliament was the highlight in the course of the events – the legislature was surrounded by crowds of people, all of them being unarmed and some - families with children, but Spain’s premier Mariano Rajoy still described it as an attempted coup. Actually, thus Plaza de Neptuno in Madrid saw a replay of what happened a year earlier in Athens, at Syntagma Square. The developments in Greece and Spain exemplify a wider model which implies the erosion of the sovereignty of European countries. Importantly, the top authority in the process is not meant to be taken over by the EU institutions - it is rather true that a future Euroempire will have a grip on the reshaped Europe.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SPAIN’S AUTONOMOUS REBEL</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Catalan national flags were hanging down from balconies in Barcelona in numbers last spring, and by the fall the joke often heard in Spain was that, if another austerity package is adopted, the country would fall apart and downtown Madrid would be left alone to repay the sovereign debt. Since 1983, the unitary Spain comprises 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities, all of them having their own governments and parliaments. Quite a few of the communities boast glorious history and some – serious records of independent statehood. For example, two states existed on the territory of what currently counts as the autonomous community of Castilla and Leon, and both played major roles in the Reconquista at the time.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Moreover, Spain’s autonomous communities are equipped with viable self-government and have their own political parties which are fairly independent financially. The independence was threatened when Rajoy’s government slashed the provinces’ budgets, and a strong reaction surfaced immediately. The government of Catalonia presented Madrid with an ultimatum, demanding either to be allowed to pay no taxes or to be given a Euro 5b loan. Rajoy opted for the latter, but, in Catalonia, the parliament stayed discontent and government head Artur Mas scheduled snap regional elections for November 25.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The opponents of Madrid in Catalonia opened the campaign on June 30 by staging the March Towards Independence. The demonstration which convened in Barcelona with the slogan "Catalonia, new state in Europe" was particularly impressive as it attracted from 600,000 to a couple of millions of people. The former estimate was aired by Madrid, and the latter – by Barcelona, but, considering that the total population of Catalonia is 7.2 million, even the floor-level 600,000 figure looked extraordinary.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SPANISH AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES WILL SERVE TO PLANT NEW STARS ON THE EU FLAG</span></b></span></span> </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Madrid holds Catalonia responsible for a debt of Euro 40b, while the community rejects the claim and is constantly mindful of the fact that it contributes 20% of the Spanish GDP and, by switching to the standalone status, can establish itself among Europe’s top regional exporters. Polls steadily give separatism a 90% support in Catalonia, the explanation being that the majority of the people suspect paying more in taxes than they get back from the central government. Independence would make it possible to stop feeding tax money to Madrid and, importantly, would shield the community from austerity plans such as the increase of the added value tax from 18% to 21% or the deep cuts of the budget dedicated to the local administration. It is clear that, if the proponents of secession win on November 25, their first step would be to set a date for the independence referendum. Catalonia and Madrid would then be drawn into tense negotiations, with Brussels arbitrating between the two.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-VqscBpIHumRWReIa8yNYsJCHMgoqruza1JUfXjsz_bUjn5FS2Q5d6dvLFtc0IhKhunulDzuaGUNU17I0F86z_VTiRtKKXkgbkgg2mzv5byayjRwzqc8zmmMhqy-R4D4hO_8ueK4dyhB/s1600/article-2157877-13904E73000005DC-705_468x286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-VqscBpIHumRWReIa8yNYsJCHMgoqruza1JUfXjsz_bUjn5FS2Q5d6dvLFtc0IhKhunulDzuaGUNU17I0F86z_VTiRtKKXkgbkgg2mzv5byayjRwzqc8zmmMhqy-R4D4hO_8ueK4dyhB/s400/article-2157877-13904E73000005DC-705_468x286.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Catalonia is the prime candidate for secession from Spain, but there are others who may pick up the lead. In the wake of last summer’s sweeping miner strikes and clashes with the police, the parliaments in Galicia and the Basque Country similarly announced snap elections coming on October 21, ahead of those in Catalonia. Madrid recognizes the Catalan nation as a separate entirety, but the historical and linguistic reasons to expect the same treatment are by all means comparable in Galicia and the Basque Country.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Some of Spain’s regions where the populations have no features of separate nations nevertheless grow disquietingly ambitious. Like Catalonia, Valencia - a region accounting for roughly the same share of the overall Spanish GDP - is squeezing the assistance in the amount of Euro 5.5b from Madrid. The same is done by Murcia and Andalucía which ask for Euro 700m and Euro 1b respectively. The government of the tiny Castilla-La Mancha which adds only 3.4% of the total to the Spanish GDP requested Euro 800m in September. The central government established a Euro 18b stabilization fund to prop up the autonomies, but the appetites of the five autonomies combined are enough to drain it to the bottom since late in September the bid staked by Andalucía jumped to Euro 5b. It must be noted that 12 other autonomies - Rajoy’s home Galicia and the chronically defiant Basque Country among them – may yet articulate their pressing needs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">NO REAL CHOICE</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSBf1jvCXPDKvQkn4QmX8uZGlR1vdNQVaWMoqWT7OAu4DMvl0BwMjUr1B56C5QEOeoPrE1po1lIUVIHq6x2pR3XGL6xiEpgQifSfkd_CUMLDRuhbNuYUI5s2k2ypwhT4U1y91eDHapb_5/s1600/EFSF-ultimate-CDO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSBf1jvCXPDKvQkn4QmX8uZGlR1vdNQVaWMoqWT7OAu4DMvl0BwMjUr1B56C5QEOeoPrE1po1lIUVIHq6x2pR3XGL6xiEpgQifSfkd_CUMLDRuhbNuYUI5s2k2ypwhT4U1y91eDHapb_5/s400/EFSF-ultimate-CDO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The government headed by Rajoy faces a dilemma of choosing between the sovereignties which will mushroom if the loan applications are turned down and the appeasement policy which can only be sustained if Madrid borrows tons of money from the European Central Bank. The EU approval will be required under the latter scenario, but at the moment the EU is drafting the procedures to which the heavily indebted nations will be subject, and the EU programs are notorious for igniting mass protests in target countries. No doubt, Brussels will agree to bail out the Spanish banking system, but after that Spain, like Greece, will have to part with some of its cherished assets such as the Canary Islands or even the Balearic Islands. Credible estimates show that the Spanish sovereign debt will reach 90% of its GDP in 2013.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Taking out loans in the EU, Rajoy’s government becomes a <i>de facto</i> intermediary charged with the mission of distributing the money among the autonomies. Those, however, can eventually decide that go-betweens in the business are completely unnecessary. If they do, the push for independence currently exerted by the Spanish autonomous communities will serve to plant new stars on the EU flag.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The above is the trajectory Rajoy is trying to steer the unitary Spain away from. As an option, he suggested to the EU to issue collective European bonds to be marketed globally, but Brussels seems to be unreceptive to the plan. Clearly, stabilizing nation-statehoods is not what the emerging Euroempire needs. Stonewalled, Madrid floated government bonds worth Euro 186.1b on its own in a hope to sell them for US dollars, yuans, roubles, and whatever comes along and, thus, to overcome the addiction to EU loans. More Spanish bonds worth Euro 200b for a term of 2-3 years are expected to see the light of day in 2013. The obvious truth is that, given that the world crisis shows no signs of waning, the design appears stillborn.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Consequently, the future promises to Spain one of the following possibilities.</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">• The Greek scenario under which Spain would trade its islands for cash as the first step and further act accordingly.</span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">• The Argentinian scenario under which Spain would say Goodbye to the Eurozone, slip into default, and introduce a national currency.</span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">• The Brussels scenario under which Spain’s debts would be sold to the European Central Bank.</span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The one empowering Brussels, as it happened in the case of Greece, is more sinister than others – should it materialize, Spain would stop being a sovereign country and submit to the remote control to be exercised by the EU supranational bodies.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Andrei Ganzha, Serge Klimovsky </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

EUROPE - SPAIN

"Holy Roman Euro Empire" ?? CRISIS, AN INSTRUMENT IN BUILDING THE EUROEMPIRE Crisis: Spain’s Possibilities: • The Greek scenari...

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/24/2012

1:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://lisamyers.org/2012/12/17/to-america-from-a-teacher/">To America from a Teacher « lisamyers.org</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">In this must-read post, Lisa Myers says so many things right. So many of us teachers have shocked that people have seen into the heart of who we are but why did some teachers have to die for people to see it?  "No, for most of us, our all does not include a sacrificial death, but it does include a sacrificial life. It means working a full day at school then continuing that work at home well into the evening as we grade papers and prepare materials that will lead to authentic learning in the classroom. That’s our surface work. At a deeper level, however, we also do the following:”"</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/inspiration">inspiration</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.iphoneappsfinder.com/video/last-time-for-iphone/">Last Time for iPhone | iPhone Apps Finder</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">I really like the idea of this app - it keeps up with the last time you did something (go to the doctor, change the oil, took a day off, changed your toothbrush) and reminds you when it is time to do that again. I like this as I don't want my to do list cluttered and then just forward and forward when I really need to know when the last time I did something happened so I can know how serious it would be.  Even things like "when is the last time I did something kind for the janitor" or other things that are important but don't necessarily need to hit the list. Cool idea. I'm trying it.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apps">apps</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/productivity">productivity</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/5056066832/efblike">TeachMeet @BETT 2013 - Eventbrite</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Teachmeets around the world are great opportunities for teachers to get together and share ideas. In the UK, they are having a teachmeet as well - sadly the tickets are already "sold out" which shows how many teachers really love these events. Informal ways for teachers to talk to teachers - these are great. There's one in Georgia in January - I'm working on my schedule to be there. Look for a teachmeet in your area.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teachmeet">teachmeet</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/unconference">unconference</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/uk">uk</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ukedchat">ukedchat</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://m.infobarrel.com/Top_10_reasons_why_tablets_will_proliferate_in_education">Top 10 reasons why tablets will proliferate in education - InfoBarrel</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">The fact is that Tablets are here, they are useful, and they are proliferating as we speak. Most of my money this Christmas was spent at Amazon and the Apple store. Apps and music are where we spend our money. Two of my kids wanted iphones and the other, an ipad mini. Merry Christmas to Apple - I think many others are like that as well. I've been testing the Kenna tablet from SchoolTube which is a heavy duty droid tablet with slots for just about everything. 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It is well worth a try although, depending on the type of game, Microsoft Kodu or Scratch may also work. There are also some very cool games with the Xbox Kinect SDK app that let you capture a person's body movements much like they do to create characters like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apps">apps</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/gamification">gamification</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/gaming">gaming</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/12/add-voice-over-to-powerpoint-presentations-in-5-easy-steps/">Add Voice Over to PowerPoint Presentations in 5 Easy Steps | Emerging Education Technology</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Adding voiceovers to Powerpoint? This is a skill both teachers and students should know how to do, although there are certainly ways to do it poorly (i.e. reading boring text-heavy slides word-for-word) or well (exciting, engaging sharing of content). This instruction and video tutorial is a review for those teachers not ready to make film but who want to do some flipping of content in their classes. You can also record your class discussions and sync with powerpoint slides using slideshare.net (although sometimes slideshare makes a mess of odd fonts.)</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/powerpoint">powerpoint</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/microsoft">microsoft</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2012/12/23/start-the-new-year-off-right-by-using-a-smart-journal/">Start the New Year off right by using a smart journal - The Next Web</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Smart Journals are becoming popular. Right now I'm using the vjournal app which creates a running journal in evernote with time stamps, photos, etc. - however, there are many app-specific smart journals as reviewed in this article on the Next Web. Look at how you're journaling for this year and consider these options including Memento, Day One, Path, and more.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/productivity">productivity</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apps">apps</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/evernote">evernote</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/24/2012

To America from a Teacher « lisamyers.org In this must-read post, Lisa Myers says so many things rig...

Christmas Is For Everyone...At Least It Should Be

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7kx4vg__v6Mrg5ONrHZeqn7TtFT7hYc-deEbzk_3TAzkzFzfpXCGVSfIAAIVGskWtk1ZhWGQ09b9hYyNQXrVnyBxLQsGe-_XkZPTD9BOiICRs-62EUUksuuxqobw_oRYHUi9aY7Su9Y/s1600/Kate+Middleton+Pregnany+Sexy+Nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7kx4vg__v6Mrg5ONrHZeqn7TtFT7hYc-deEbzk_3TAzkzFzfpXCGVSfIAAIVGskWtk1ZhWGQ09b9hYyNQXrVnyBxLQsGe-_XkZPTD9BOiICRs-62EUUksuuxqobw_oRYHUi9aY7Su9Y/s320/Kate+Middleton+Pregnany+Sexy+Nude.jpg" width="240" /></a>Cheers, Merry Christmas Eve, and here’s hoping that all y’all have a most wonderful Christmas celebration tomorrow should you be one of the Christian faith, but then again…<br /><br />Does one really have to be a Christian to celebrate Christmas?<br /><br />My answer is no…and please, if  you will, allow me a moment of your time to ‘splain.<br /><br />Not too long ago, Bill O’Reilly was interviewing an Atheist, and Bill-O remarked that Christianity was not a religion, but rather a philosophy.<br /><br />Much humorous scorn was cast upon The O’Reilly of The Mighty Ego for saying that, but you know what? <br /><br />O’Reilly was right.  Well…er…half-right.<br /><br />Philosophical schools of thought attempt to boil down what is best (or not so good) for humankind in regards to conduct behavior, and the greater good, through the use of <i>critical</i> thought.<br /><br />Religions do the same, however; religions oft times invoke a person and/or deity as a symbol of their philosophical teachings, and let loose the free radical of anti-philosophy known as, “faith.”<br /><br />In order to set the record straight for Bill O’Reilly and host of other religious fanatics, the <i>teachings</i> of Jesus are a philosophy.<br /><br />The <i>worshiping</i> of Jesus, is a religion…and in my opinion, one can celebrate, and have a very fine Christmas regardless of whether they believe in Jesus as the Son of God or not.<br /><br />And that is where Bill O’Not-Einstein misses the point.<br /><br />Ol’ pointy head Bill in all his bullying, bluster, and War on Christmas, doesn’t realize that Jesus isn’t the reason for the Season, the reason for the Season is that Roman Christians were morphing the birth of Christ into a replacement for all of the Pagan festivals that transpired around the Winter Solstice.<br /><br />And ya know?  Here’s what people like O’Reilly will never understand…<br /><br />Does it really matter if one is a Christian or not and believes that Christ was born on December 25th?  Does it even matter if one believes in Jesus Christ at all?<br /><br />Of course it doesn’t.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtT0dNfdiQk0FlB_N0UD_yDMHswPa3uehWBViW2bbVgvRLgFXAZ9Hb7k52nf_M7_KrL6wNkV2hPzQpPOuJlyBTDxGxCgFcHM1HhAhlohYkqOtdbvRu_77DJKQQ6OkaiiKsdwBZaKhzVT0/s1600/Sermon+on+the+Mount+Matthew+Beatitudes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtT0dNfdiQk0FlB_N0UD_yDMHswPa3uehWBViW2bbVgvRLgFXAZ9Hb7k52nf_M7_KrL6wNkV2hPzQpPOuJlyBTDxGxCgFcHM1HhAhlohYkqOtdbvRu_77DJKQQ6OkaiiKsdwBZaKhzVT0/s320/Sermon+on+the+Mount+Matthew+Beatitudes.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Hell…In my book, I would appreciate people more if they treated Christmas Day less as a day to celebrate the birth of a savior who wasn't born on this day nor would he want you to celebrate it anyway, if they would take the time to honor his teachings.<br /><br />Namely, The Sermon on the Mount….The Beatitudes, from the <i>Book of Matthew</i>…<br /><br /><i>the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:3)</i><br /><i>those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)</i><br /><i>the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (5:5)</i><br /><i>they who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be satisfied. (5:6)</i><br /><i>the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)</i><br /><i>the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (5:8)</i><br /><i>the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. (5:9)</i><br /><i>those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10)</i><br /><br />If we all took the time to make sure that the Beatitudes were followed, every day would be Christmas Day regardless of what “righteous” being one follows and believes.<br /><br />Many religions profess to hold the same ideals, but many followers of organized religions get caught up in the,<i> “my dogma is better than yours”</i> crap.<br /><br />While Bill O’Reilly doesn’t truly believe it, he was right when he said Christianity is a philosophy, and if we were to all adhere to the aforementioned words of Christ, the world would be better off.<br /><br />I don’t say that matter of factly…I am experiencing that very fact this Christmas.<br /><br />And to those of you who have helped us out and know what I am saying…God Bless You.<br /><br />And to all, Have a Very Merry Christmas be it religious, secular, or just good-willed.<br /><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br />Matt-Man<br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@yahoo.com">mattmaniws@yahoo.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">@MattMan_IWS</span></i></a><br /><br />Annnnnnnd...To make your Christmas happier, give a listen to Jay and I yukking it up Yuletide style with Dianne from Saturday night...it was a Christmas miracle!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="105" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4171493&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4171493&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="105" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object></div><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;"><br /></div></div>

Christmas Is For Everyone...At Least It Should Be

Cheers, Merry Christmas Eve, and here’s hoping that all y’all have a most wonderful Christmas celebration tomorrow should you be one of the ...

Leaving on a jet plane

2:19 PM Tukiyooo 0

Leaving on a jet plane

Just finishing up our packing for our Christmas trip to Key West, Florida. I dropped our dog off to my parents and changed some euros into d...

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 12/23/2012

11:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 12/23/2012

To America from a Teacher « lisamyers.org In this must-read post, Lisa Myers says so many things rig...

The Perils of Yoga for Men - NYTimes.com

9:18 AM Tukiyooo 0

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; color: black; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; "><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; ">Men are famous for ignoring aches and pains. It's macho. Men get physical exams less often than women. They tend to remain silent if worried about their health. When hurt, their impulse is to shun doctors and rely on home remedies, like avoiding heavy lifting to ease backaches. Male athletes play through injuries. It's all about virility and manliness.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The stereotype has exceptions, of course. But denial of injury and ill health — from the relatively inconsequential to the grave — is common enough that physicians seek ways to encourage men to be more forthcoming.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">So it pays to listen carefully when guys start talking about intolerable pain and upended lives. Doing so led me to an unexpected finding that I have confirmed in a trove of federal data. It suggests that<a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/y/yoga/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="More articles about yoga." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">yoga</a> can be remarkably dangerous — for men.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Guys who bend, stretch and contort their bodies are relatively few in number, perhaps one in five out of an estimated 20 million practitioners in the United States and 250 million around the globe. But proportionally, they are reporting damage more frequently than women, and their doctors are diagnosing more serious injuries — strokes and fractures, dead nerves and shattered backs. In comparison, women tell mainly of minor upsets.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Men who are breaking the code of silence are doing so with physicians in hospital emergency rooms, who in turn report their findings to the federal government.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Their outspokenness reveals much about modern yoga and suggests ways it can be made safer. As a practitioner since 1970, I know some of the guy hazards personally and have learned through painful experience how to live with my inflexible body.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The male disclosures help explain one of the central mysteries of modern yoga — why it is largely a feminine pursuit. As Yoga Journal, the field's top magazine, put the question: "<a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/2585" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Where Are All the Men?</a>"</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Science has long viewed the female body as relatively elastic. Now the new disclosures suggest that women who tie themselves in knots also enjoy a lower risk of damage. It seems like common sense.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Surprisingly, evidence of the male danger has, to my knowledge, never before been made public. Nor has its flip side — that women seem less vulnerable. The subject of male risk merits discussion if only because the booming yoga industry has long targeted men as a smart way to expand its franchise.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Informal observations hint at possible explanations. Yoga experts say women tend to see classes as refuges while men see challenges — their goal at times to impress the opposite sex.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Women say men push themselves too far, too fast. Men admit to liking the intensity but say the problem is pushy teachers who force them into advanced poses while urging them to ignore pain.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I stumbled on the issue after my book, published in February, laid out a century and a half of science and, in its <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?_r=0" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">chapter on injuries</a>, contradicted the usual image of yoga as completely safe. The yoga establishment makes billions of dollars by selling itself as a path to healthy perfection. Predictably, it responded with sharp denials.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I also received a surprising number of moving replies from injured yogis — male and female — including <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/stroke/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about strokes." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">stroke</a> victims.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">A letter initiated my inquiry. In April, a man told how an agonizing back injury had turned his life into "a living hell." Too many instructors, he wrote, are "pushing us too hard and having us do dangerous poses."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The "us" resonated.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Suddenly, I realized his cry sounded familiar.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I raced through a correspondence file and saw that many of the letters about serious damage had come from men.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Tara Stiles, a yoga teacher who runs a popular studio in Manhattan, told me that guys have more muscle (one reason for their relative inflexibility) and can thus force themselves into challenging poses they might otherwise find impossible. It seemed a plausible explanation for blinding pain.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Other teachers echoed her analysis and cited supporting anecdotes.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Yoga poses are unisex. But in my research, I found a world of poorly known information on gender disparity.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"Science of Flexibility," by Michael J. Alter, explained how the pelvic regions of women are shaped in a way that permits an unusually large range of motion and joint play. In yoga, the pelvis is the central pivot for extreme bending of the legs, spine and torso.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">In June, I turned to the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/c/consumer_product_safety_commission/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about Consumer Product Safety Commission" class="meta-org" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Consumer Product Safety Commission</a> and its <a href="http://www.cpsc.gov/library/neiss.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">National Electronic Injury Surveillance System</a>, which monitors hospital emergency rooms. In July, officials sent me 18 years of annual survey data that summarized the admission records for yoga practitioners hurt between 1994 and 2011, the maximum available span.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">First, I needed a baseline that would let me compare the guy admissions to males doing yoga in the United States. Figures in the yoga literature described men as making up some <a href="http://www.iayt.org/site_vx2/publications/Bibliographies_Members/stats.pdf" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">10 percent</a> of practitioners at the beginning of the period and <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2804" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">23 percent</a> at the end. So the middle ground seemed to be roughly 16 percent.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Then I dug into the medical data. The analysis took weeks, but the results spoke volumes.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">If men were getting hurt in proportion to their numbers, the rate of injury would have been about 16 percent — my estimate for the fraction of practitioners who were male. But the rate was higher. Over all, I found that men accounted for slightly more than 24 percent of the admissions to hospital emergency rooms.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">To deepen my analysis, I focused on specific injuries, especially ones inside the body. Guys, it turned out, accounted for 20 percent of the torn muscles and damaged ligaments, which result in swollen joints. Dislocations of the knee, shoulder and other joints came in at 24 percent.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The figure for broken bones and fractures was 30 percent. The injury sites ranged from the toe to the tibia, the bigger of the two bones in the lower leg.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">For nerve damage, which can result in pain and lost muscle control, the male figure jumped to more than 70 percent. The cases included <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/sciatica/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Sciatica." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">sciatica</a>, where compression of a spinal nerve in the lower back can result in pains that race down the back, hip and leg.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I found the trend in women's admissions to be just the opposite. The major injuries were few proportionately, and the minor traumas quite abundant. Women, for instance, accounted for a vast majority of the <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/fainting/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Fainting." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">fainting</a> episodes.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">None of this means that women go unharmed, as my letter files and the admission records show. But men seem to get it worse.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">In August, I shared my analysis with Loren M. Fishman, a doctor in Manhattan who uses yoga in his rehabilitation practice and whom I profile in my book. "It's men's strength turning against them," he remarked.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Some yoga practitioners will surely see my analysis as unconvincing. That's O.K. It's the kind of topic that can only benefit from thorough discussion — as well as rigorous new studies that can rule out the possibility of false clues.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Skeptics may argue that the injured guys are simply wimps who are inflating the male-injury figures.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">That seems unlikely. A new book, "Hell-Bent," by Benjamin Lorr, evokes the contrary ethos in its subtitle: "Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Happily, the field is evolving in ways that may enhance safety.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">All-male classes, by definition, avoid the flexibility gap between women and men and instead play to masculine strengths. The classes tend to emphasize muscle building and fitness moves like squats, as well as poses. Their developers tend to avoid talk of injuries, a marketing no-no.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The styles include YoGuy ("be comfortable") and Broga (as in bro yoga, "where it's O.K. if you can't touch your toes"). A number of studios offer what they call yoga for dudes.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">I'm a yoga enthusiast, not a basher. I do my routine every day and want the practice to thrive — but to do so honestly, with public candor about its real strengths and weaknesses.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">From reader mail, I know that many yogis are working hard to make the practice safer. The male risk factor seems an important consideration in the redesign of poses and routines. And I'm sure instructors of mixed classes will find many ways of reducing any danger. A first step would be frank discussions with students.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">In time, it seems likely that the myth of perfection will give way to the reality of better yoga — for everyone, including guys.</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; ">William J. Broad is a science reporter for The New York Times and the author of "The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards."</div><div><br></div></div></nyt_author_id><nyt_correction_bottom><div class="articleCorrection" style="margin-bottom: 2.8em; "></div></nyt_correction_bottom><nyt_update_bottom></nyt_update_bottom></div></nyt_text><span 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; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important; float: none; "></span></div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/sunday-review/the-perils-of-yoga-for-men.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121223&pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/sunday-review/the-perils-of-yoga-for-men.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121223&pagewanted=print</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

The Perils of Yoga for Men - NYTimes.com

Men are famous for ignoring aches and pains. It's macho. Men get physical exams less often than women. They tend to remain silent if wor...

What do employers think about overeducated job seekers?

8:13 AM Anonymous 0

<br /><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: -30px; text-align: left;"><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #000066; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span id="cbArticle_lblHeadline">What do employers think about overeducated job seekers?</span></h1></div><div class="group_share_top clearfix" style="height: 25px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><div class="share_icons"><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: auto;"><li class="cb_share_button share_top" style="background-color: #e3eff7; border-bottom-color: rgb(166, 205, 231); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(166, 205, 231); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(166, 205, 231); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(166, 205, 231); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; font-size: 13px; height: 18px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: 110px;"><b><br /></b></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="ArticleContent" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><div style="clear: left; color: #444444; float: left; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="media-image" src="http://artstg.icbdr.com/sites/all/files/styles/large/public/Overeducated_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;">Job seekers rarely consider the commitment a company makes when hiring somebody. Training, health benefits, salary, office space, technology, equipment -- these are investments companies make in a new hire, along with the hope that their newest employee will be a return on their investment.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;">Hiring managers often see a red flag when an overeducated job seeker applies for a position. While the job seeker sees this as an advantage -- surely he is more qualified than most applicants -- hiring managers see him as a flight risk, or somebody who won't stay at the company long before finding a better opportunity.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;">If you're overqualified, how can you combat this stereotype and land the job?</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><strong>Why it's a problem</strong></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><b><br /></b>A certain liability comes along with overeducated job seekers, which weighs against the education advantages they have over other job seekers. "The problem may not be the over-education," says Marcia LaReau, president of career-services company <a href="http://www.forwardmotioncareers.com/index.php" style="background-color: transparent; color: #07519a; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Forward Motion LLC</a>. "The question that generally comes up is, 'Is this person looking for something better, and will they leave if/when it comes along?'"</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;">Helen Cortez, human resources manager for <a href="http://www.nextdayflyers.com/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #07519a; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Next Day Flyers</a>, agrees. "Often when I read through résumés, I come across candidates who at first glance appear to be overqualified and overeducated for the openings. As a company, we may be a bit hesitant to bring in these individuals. The concern is longevity. There is an expense tied with bringing new team members on board, and there is also an adjustment by the team they work with. That's not to say we don't bring in overqualified candidates, because we have, and we feel very fortunate to have these individuals on our team."</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><strong>Why it might not be a problem</strong></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><b><br /></b>Employers are just as aware of the tough economy as job seekers. They know that many overqualified people are willing to take any to get a paycheck, but they still need to make smart business decisions. Make the choice easy by marketing your qualifications as an added perk.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;">"The company wants the best employees but also wants assurance that these workers will stick around," says Amber Dixon, marketing director of <a href="http://www.intermountainfinancialgroup.com/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #07519a; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Intermountain Financial Group LLC</a>. "They are aware that the individual may not stay with the company once the economy improves, but they can benefit from the knowledge of the educated employee until that happens. And, they hope that the individual and the company will create a strong working relationship that will persuade the employee to stay, but maybe in a higher capacity."</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;">If you're an overeducated job seeker, make your intentions and your career goals clear in your cover letter and during interviews. "We've found [that] a discussion on the topic can be very enlightening," Cortez says. "Candidates may be at a stage in their life where they don't want to travel or where they want to be a part of a smaller organization that's in a growth cycle rather than a Fortune 500 company. The right circumstances can lead it to being a win/win situation."</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;">Also, stress the benefits of your education and training. "I know that we care more about being educated than overeducated," Dixon says. "In my circle of networks, many employers have mentioned that they would rather hire someone with a higher degree than someone without one in this economy."</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;">Ideally, you'll find a job where there's room to grow. "What's more productive is to apply for higher jobs where the candidate gets to grow into the position," LaReau says. "HR professionals know that the best jobs are the ones with the right balance between experience and growth." Whether you're over- or under-educated, or somewhere in-between, explain why you and this job are a good match and what each side will get out of the relationship.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13.433333396911621px;"><em>Susan Ricker is a writer and blogger for </em><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #07519a; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><em>CareerBuilder.com</em></a><em> and its job blog, </em><a href="http://www.theworkbuzz.com/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #07519a; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em>The Work Buzz</em></a><em>. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.</em></div></div>

What do employers think about overeducated job seekers?

What do employers think about overeducated job seekers? Job seekers rarely consider the commitment a company makes when hiring somebody. Tra...

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/23/2012

1:31 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/12/poke-facebook-launches-new-app-for-sending-self-destructing-messages">Poke! Facebook Launches New App For Sending 'Self-Destructing' Messages -- AppAdvice</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Facebook has launched its response to Snapchat, with Facebook Poke, the self destructing message deliverer? Why would you want a message to self destruct or delete itself if a person tried to do a screengrab on their phone? Well, so you can send goofy pics to your friends with no trace left behind! Never fear, however, teenagers are here. They've been talking to me about how they get around this - if you're snap chatting a friend and you have a friend with you - get the friend up close to be ready to take a picture with their camera phone and then post the pic on Facebook that was delivered with Snapchat. They think it is hilarious but admit that this app is also being used as a new way to "flash" others. How long will it take for everyone to learn that you can't ever really destroy anything any more? If it is done it is permanent - the easiest way to keep private things private is to never do them in the first place. This article goes into more about Facebook poke if you really get into that sort of thing or want to keep up with what the kids are doing.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/facebook">facebook</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/social">social</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/media">media</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/digiteen">digiteen</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/privacy">privacy</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/09/02/my-best-posts-on-new-research-studies-in-2012-so-far/">My Best Posts On New Research Studies In 2012 — So Far | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">As you read up on research, start on Larry Ferlazzo's list of best posts on new research studies in 2012. Great post.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/research">research</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edreform">edreform</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/12/20/is-this-the-most-important-research-study-of-2012-maybe/">Is This The Most Important Research Study Of 2012? Maybe | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Larry Ferlazzo writes what may be one of the most important POSTS I've read all year. I like Larry's balanced approach to education, and this post is one more reason why. Memorizing may give you a temporary bump in test scores but it is a long term recipe for disaster - aren't we seeing that now? If you want to understand more, read Larry's post and if you're really interested, pay for the research study behind it which studied 3500 German students over 5 years about their work in math.  Larry says  "A quick summary is that, though extrinsic motivation and “surface learning” (such as memorization) might result in short-term gains in assessments, they actually hurt long-term (five-year) academic growth. The development of student intrinsic motivation, “deep learning strategies” (requiring “elaboration” and connections to other knowledge — I think that might correspond to the idea of “transfer”), and students feeling that they had more of a sense of control (though this last quality had a less consistent effect — it seemed to depend on grade level) of their learning were the main ingredients necessary for increased academic growth..."</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/research">research</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/math_teacher">math_teacher</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/mathchat">mathchat</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/evernote">evernote</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/23/2012

Poke! Facebook Launches New App For Sending 'Self-Destructing' Messages -- AppAdvice Faceboo...

Babe of the Week: Lindsay Lohan

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />The combination of being in the Christmas spirit and a <strike>burning sensation when we pee</strike> desire to see all wrongs righted results in the staff of IWS Entertainment proudly announcing that our Babe of the Week is none other than Lindsay Lohan!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-jY6V7j6sQG_wlg58R2Tjn4M8Xi59D1rhliJaGPfKWJ6jcb1vr6h8AvUYbWoSrNV3jgUTKH4TIWN6GkfDdIzkvPjlZumh3Kc-E1sSBKqmLkpFbxr92kBNGMnJLGIpPVD1wBW9ObIIQY/s1600/Lindsay+Lohan+Nude+Boobs+Drunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-jY6V7j6sQG_wlg58R2Tjn4M8Xi59D1rhliJaGPfKWJ6jcb1vr6h8AvUYbWoSrNV3jgUTKH4TIWN6GkfDdIzkvPjlZumh3Kc-E1sSBKqmLkpFbxr92kBNGMnJLGIpPVD1wBW9ObIIQY/s400/Lindsay+Lohan+Nude+Boobs+Drunk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Can you believe Lindsay has never been our BotW? Crazy! Just look at her beauty!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikecJwvyejRMZAuujQzevz3GzZxpsfIlhsjqtMVj6NVW5jLSCyHHCdzjjqXOToN5ANzXl916k_7Y5jW6RUEraavPeRkSlb0WrXAUB5Rv1Ij_5o2N12a0VuLHrtOS8Da_KWbp1gFtblhc8/s1600/Lindsay+Lohan+Boobs+Cleavage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikecJwvyejRMZAuujQzevz3GzZxpsfIlhsjqtMVj6NVW5jLSCyHHCdzjjqXOToN5ANzXl916k_7Y5jW6RUEraavPeRkSlb0WrXAUB5Rv1Ij_5o2N12a0VuLHrtOS8Da_KWbp1gFtblhc8/s400/Lindsay+Lohan+Boobs+Cleavage.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />Oh sure, Lindsay is a high-spirited girl who has had some trouble over the last couple of years, but she is still a total babe. Just look at her here! Eyes at half-mast as she lounges sexily by the pool in a comfortable stupor…<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCPnIHCwlFslJdesA_U40IpbsPgfF6JIHJCDrt6iuKr98PdWRG37qARjahflWisVrz6r77C-dfsHNnjuTAAFPMLRrtYHaZYZ-Ehe47jFcjHEvyHHug56AbSiaxLiLB9ibyq4E75oflXs/s1600/Lindsay+Lohan+Feet+Drunk+Nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCPnIHCwlFslJdesA_U40IpbsPgfF6JIHJCDrt6iuKr98PdWRG37qARjahflWisVrz6r77C-dfsHNnjuTAAFPMLRrtYHaZYZ-Ehe47jFcjHEvyHHug56AbSiaxLiLB9ibyq4E75oflXs/s400/Lindsay+Lohan+Feet+Drunk+Nude.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Or here, as she teases us making us think that we caught her in the act of undressing…<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOL9uozhchXi1Pn9tzwTVgNDraBWMD-KznbBvP2ISMEwhzzvP9xfGmpukwVZm2IC6QJJvuurCzuSId8hKimY6mVZELL8fvBoS_dOw8TBtzV2ubJlpKA7CusvCvRP1X9Eq4v_3zWMmYkis/s1600/Lindsay+Lohan+Naked+Ass+Legs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOL9uozhchXi1Pn9tzwTVgNDraBWMD-KznbBvP2ISMEwhzzvP9xfGmpukwVZm2IC6QJJvuurCzuSId8hKimY6mVZELL8fvBoS_dOw8TBtzV2ubJlpKA7CusvCvRP1X9Eq4v_3zWMmYkis/s400/Lindsay+Lohan+Naked+Ass+Legs.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><br />There is absolutely no doubt that Lindsay Lohan is EXACTLY the kind of babe that we here at IWS just love. I’m so glad we could correct this outrageous oversight and FINALLY name her our Babe of the Week! <br /><div><br /></div></div>

Babe of the Week: Lindsay Lohan

The combination of being in the Christmas spirit and a burning sensation when we pee desire to see all wrongs righted results in the staff ...

RUSSIAN FORCES TAKE SYRIAN CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS UNDER CONTROL

6:08 PM Tukiyooo 0

RUSSIAN FORCES TAKE SYRIAN CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS UNDER CONTROL

Alleged Syrian WMD storage site RUSSIAN FORCES DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN REMOVING THE WMD OUT OF THE REACH OF JABHAT AL-NUSRA TERRORISTS. Via DE...