Avoiding Surgery in the Elderly - NYTimes.com

It may take members of our parents' generation (and our own) a long time to get over thinking of hospitals as refuges of safety and operating rooms as harbingers of better days ahead. But it's gradually becoming clearer that for the very old and frail, and for nursing home residents in particular, hospitals are places to avoid whenever possible, and surgery can become a source of danger in itself.<br /><br><br /><br>Even operations considered fairly routine in younger patients, like appendectomies, become high-risk for nursing home residents. "Something about undergoing anesthesia, the surgery's physiological assault on the body, impacts older people much more than we think," said Dr. Emily Finlayson, a colorectal surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, and lead author of a recent study published in The Annals of Surgery.<br /><br><br /><br>In fact, the study, which compared mortality risks and subsequent interventions for four types of major abdominal surgery, found that even compared with adults of similar age who had the same number of chronic illnesses — but who weren't in institutions — nursing home residents fared sharply worse.<br /><br><br /><br>Bluntly put, surgery is much more likely to kill them.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Finlayson and her colleagues used national Medicare claims and nursing home surveys to identify nearly 71,000 nursing home residents who had surgery from 1999 through 2006. They compared them with more than a million elders who underwent the same four procedures but did not live in a nursing home. The researchers chose operations frequently performed on older adults: removal of an infected appendix (appendectomy), removal of an infected gallbladder (cholecystectomy), surgery for a bleeding ulcer in the upper part of the intestine, or surgery for noncancerous colon diseases like diverticulitis or colitis. These are painful conditions requiring immediate decisions, as opposed to diagnoses like breast or prostate cancer, in which a patient and his or her family can take a few days to figure out the best course.<br /><br><br /><br>Typically, Dr. Finlayson explained, the surgeon gets a call from the emergency room, frequently at 3 in the morning: an 85-year-old nursing home resident is being admitted with acute appendicitis. The response is almost always: Prepare the O.R.<br /><br><br /><br>But after an appendectomy, 12 percent of nursing home residents died, compared with 2 percent of Medicare recipients who weren't in nursing homes. Gallbladder surgery was also more dangerous: an 11 percent mortality risk for nursing home residents, versus 3 percent in elders who weren't institutionalized.<br /><br><br /><br>The risk of dying rose sharply for the other two operations. For colon surgery, it was nearly a third for nursing home residents, and 13 percent for others. Ulcer surgery proved the most dangerous; 42 percent of nursing home patients died, compared with 26 percent of others.<br /><br><br /><br>Even when the researchers matched these two groups of patients by age and by the number of other diseases they had, those in the nursing home group (and in this study that meant long-term residents, not those in temporary rehab) were significantly more likely to die in each case. Just by virtue of living in a nursing home, "they've demonstrated they don't have the strength and mobility to live independently," Dr. Finlayson said. "They don't have the energy and vitality" — in doctorspeak, they lack "physiologic reserve."<br /><br><br /><br>But even those who survived surgery — and they're a majority, in some cases a large majority — weren't out of the woods. Nursing home residents were far more likely to undergo "invasive interventions" afterward; they required mechanical ventilators for days to help them breathe, feeding tubes inserted in their abdomens when they couldn't eat, venous catheterization (known as a central line) to monitor their hearts. Each of these painful procedures presents additional risks, of course.<br /><br><br /><br>We know that a substantial proportion of older people who enter hospitals will never fully regain their physical or mental capabilities, even when the illness that brought them there is successfully treated. (More on this syndrome later.) These interventions, which typically also keep people in bed, even though getting out of bed is critical to their recovery, may help explain why.<br /><br><br /><br>"Surgeons are very resistant to hearing this," Dr. Finlayson said. "We're focused on 30-day mortality. If patients leave the hospital alive, that's success. We don't see what happens three months down the road."<br /><br><br /><br>So here's a key question family members can ask before the surgeon starts scrubbing, especially if their older relative is frail enough to require nursing home care: Is there any alternative to surgery we could try?<br /><br><br /><br>"We think of appendicitis as a surgical disease — you take it out," Dr. Finlayson said. "But if you get appendicitis in England, it's often treated with antibiotics, whatever age you are." Gallbladder attacks can also be treated with antibiotics, or sometimes with a drain inserted under local anesthesia. A stent inserted by a gastroenterologist can relieve a bowel obstruction.<br /><br><br /><br>In each case, the treatment is less of an assault than surgery with general anesthesia. And if it doesn't work — if a 24-hour course of intravenous antibiotics, which can be administered in the nursing home, avoiding hospitalization, can't overcome the infection — surgery remains an option.<br /><br><br /><br>It might take a confident surgeon (because invasive surgery can provide protection against lawsuits, even if it's hard on patients) and a persistent family to pull off this alternative approach.<br /><br><br /><br>Surgeons, like most other physicians, are trained to save lives. "But with older patients, there's less length of life to protect," Dr. Finlayson pointed out. "So the other variables become way more important: maintaining cognitive status, living independently, caring for yourself. Quality of life."<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/avoiding-surgery-in-the-elderly/">http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/avoiding-surgery-in-the-elderly/</a>

Avoiding Surgery in the Elderly - NYTimes.com

It may take members of our parents' generation (and our own) a long time to get over thinking of hospitals as refuges of safety and oper...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 11/22/2012

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://news.msu.edu/story/principal-plays-surprising-role-in-why-new-teachers-quit/">Principal plays surprising role in why new teachers quit</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Relationships are vital. Principals need them, especially with their teachers. It keeps coming back to leadership! Good principals have good relationships with their teachers. Also, the perception of how well the school principal works with the teaching staff as a whole. "Why do so many beginning teachers quit the profession or change schools? Surprising new research finds it’s not a heavy workload or lack of resources that has the most significant effect, but instead the relationship between teachers and their principal."</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <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/research">research</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/researcher_thoughtleader">researcher_thoughtleader</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/principal">principal</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="https://support.evernote.com/link/portal/16051/16058/Article/2517/Workarounds-for-Clipping-Web-Pages-into-Evernote-on-iOS">Workarounds for Clipping Web Pages into Evernote on iOS</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">If you use Evernote on the ipad, these instructions for installing the Evernote clipper into your bookmark bar works very well. I use evernote quite extensively now and find it very helpful. You can also install it on your iphone as well.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ipad">ipad</a> <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/evernote">evernote</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://edtechdunny.blogspot.com/2012/11/launching-virtual-book-club.html">Learning with Meaning: Launching a Virtual Book Club</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">From my friend Kyle Dunbar - if you want to join in - sign up on her blog. "I am giddy with excitement about the opportunity to host a Virtual Book Club discussing the fantastic book Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time by Julie Lindsay and Vicki A. Davis. The book club was announced last Sunday night in my school division and I am thrilled that we already have thirteen teachers signed up! Even better, we have teachers from across our school division and from all different grade levels. It is a wonderful thing when already busy teachers find time in their lives to discuss powerful educational ideas with their peers.  Now, I am ready to get some global participation in this book club. I can't think of a better way to brainstorm about global projects than to have teachers from across the globe in the session together. So, we are inviting all teachers, parents, students, thinkers and learners out there to join us for six live meetings to share what they think about the projects, resources, and research discussed in Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds. We will be meeting on Mondays at 7:30pm EST on the following dates: January 7th January 21st February 4th February 18th March 4th March 18th (find the time in your area here) Meetings will be live using Blackboard Collaborate and will last one hour. We will spend the time sharing thoughts about ideas raised in the book. It will also be a great opportunity to connect with other educators that share similar passions and beliefs about flattening our classrooms walls. We will share strategies and resources for building those 21st century skills like collaboration, communication and creativity in authentic ways.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <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/flatclass">flatclass</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/bookgroup">bookgroup</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclassroom">flatclassroom</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 11/22/2012

Principal plays surprising role in why new teachers quit Relationships are vital. Principals need th...

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Webinar reminder for tonight - 'The Power of Popplet'

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><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/AVvXsEhItD85XbsbqS9Eg7BGk-SKx92Ta8TQaaOHkb5ASYD3VYXbZTdNxKqNvk77FD28YX_HeNiAoGE2XHsnKKo9lMDvz9CwJkqGfdL4fyWppPiPWYoTV_AnxtKwSX_Bit8HHdYiiXtoN2D7ZCQ/s1600/popplet2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItD85XbsbqS9Eg7BGk-SKx92Ta8TQaaOHkb5ASYD3VYXbZTdNxKqNvk77FD28YX_HeNiAoGE2XHsnKKo9lMDvz9CwJkqGfdL4fyWppPiPWYoTV_AnxtKwSX_Bit8HHdYiiXtoN2D7ZCQ/s320/popplet2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A snippet from one of Michelle's popplets</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Our guest webinar tonight features Michelle Botha from Somerset House Primary School in Somerset West. She has made good use of an amazing classroom tool called  'Popplet' in her classroom experience and you don't want to miss what she has to share!</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Please join us in an Adobe Connect Meeting:<br /><u>Meeting Name</u>:  The Power of Popplet<br /><u>Summary</u>: This webinar features the lovely mindmapping/sticky-note/<wbr></wbr>collaboration application<br />Popplet (<a href="http://popplet.com/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">http://popplet.com</a>/) with which you can do much.<br /><u>Presenter:</u> Michelle Botha from Somerset House in Somerset West.<br /><u>Invited By</u>: Fiona Beal (<a href="mailto:fiona@schoolnet.org.za" style="color: blue; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">fiona@schoolnet.org.za</a>)<br /><u>When:</u>  Thursday 22 November 6:00 PM - 6:15 PM (15 mins)<br /><span style="line-height: 14px;"><u>Time Zone</u>:</span><span style="line-height: 14px;">  </span><span style="line-height: 14px;">(GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria<br />URL: </span></span><a href="http://meet78641452.adobeconnect.com/popplet/" style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: arial; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">http://meet78641452.<wbr></wbr>adobeconnect.com/popplet/</a><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; line-height: 18px;">The recordings will be placed on the blog the day after the webinar. </span></div>

webinars Webinar reminder for tonight - 'The Power of Popplet'

A snippet from one of Michelle's popplets Our guest webinar tonight features Michelle Botha from Somerset House Primary School in Somers...

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30 Days of Google #8: Get to know Google+ (Includes a webinar recording)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><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/AVvXsEh8VnEoJxTV6YXU3kBsWig0aFO_3V2-1v3ePkb5M0kqSIppqULes3r4sqS16pjQuyiikrochx1DmJaeSBOfMO136KEiB3vFEbTbnaLeNmv5txxlbHC9XgdYpN-aWoneCdQ3kivvxO_HAQ7x/s1600/google+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VnEoJxTV6YXU3kBsWig0aFO_3V2-1v3ePkb5M0kqSIppqULes3r4sqS16pjQuyiikrochx1DmJaeSBOfMO136KEiB3vFEbTbnaLeNmv5txxlbHC9XgdYpN-aWoneCdQ3kivvxO_HAQ7x/s200/google+.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social networking is a way of life for most teachers today. It is a marvelous way for us to share and learn about new ideas that can really enhance our teaching. We know about social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for example, all designed to let you share up-to-the second updates, ideas, thoughts, links and media with your colleagues. But have you discovered Google+? This is a social network of note that I have only recently explored. One thing I am discovering about Google is that they usually bring a very creative and different slant, with additional features, to something that others might be doing; and the result is very pleasing.  These are a few features which makes Google different from the other social networking networks.</span></div><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">Google </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">has integrated Google+ </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">with its </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">other services (and continues to do so) e.g.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; text-indent: -0.38in;">Search</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; text-indent: -0.38in;">YouTube</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; text-indent: -0.38in;">Gmail</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;"> and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">more</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;"> Google</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">+ is already built into services you use every day.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google+ uses the concept of<i> circles </i>(groups)<i>, </i>and this<i> </i>differentiates it from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook for example as it allows users </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">precise control over who sees what. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google includes the free use of 'hangouts' with Google+ and this feature has incredible positive implications for education. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Slideshare presentation</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a Slideshare on Google +. It covers:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-indent: -0.38in;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.38in;">What is Google +</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•Highlights of interesting features<br />•Circles<br />•How to write a post<br />•How to receive a notification<br /><span style="text-indent: -0.38in;">•</span><span style="text-indent: -0.38in;">Benefits to education</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />'Google Hangouts' will receive a post of its own later. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/15264977" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="427"> </iframe> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/get-to-know-google-plus" target="_blank" title="Get to know Google plus!">Get to know Google plus!</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal" target="_blank">Fiona Beal</a></strong> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Webinar recording</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This Slideshare was presented as part of a SchoolNet Adobe Connect webinar on Google+. If you would like to know what was said, here is the webinar recording: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://meet78641452.adobeconnect.com/p8k2og7qufw/">Get to know Google+</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Further reading</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many very interesting posts have been written on Google+. Here is a list of some of them:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) <a href="http://mostateteachers.typepad.com/missouri_state_teachers_a/2011/07/google-plus-what-does-it-mean-for-education.html">Google + - what does it mean for education?</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2)</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mostateteachers.typepad.com/missouri_state_teachers_a/2011/07/google-plus-what-does-it-mean-for-education.html">27 ways to use Google+ to support education</a> (a presentation)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) <a href="http://edreach.us/2011/07/06/circle-me-up-exploring-circles-in-google/">Circle me up - exploring circles in Google+</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) <a href="http://40%20google%20plus%20tips%20for%20newbies/">40+ Google tips for newbies</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/googleplus50/">The Google+ 50</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnJ5Bl4kLI&feature=youtu.be">The Google plus project - a quick look</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7) <a href="http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=135530">A livebinder of Google+ resources</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8) <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/professorsconsider-%20classroom-uses-for-google-plus/32131">Classroom uses for Google+</a></span></div></div></div>

30 Days of Google 30 Days of Google #8: Get to know Google+ (Includes a webinar recording)

Social networking is a way of life for most teachers today. It is a marvelous way for us to share and learn about new ideas that can really ...

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Step Back, Relax, and Give Thanks

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDegkDDNutt1Jx97rZUET0vNZBgmsAaKn-X0ICXTguh-4jhj86hC_ImwsmyvAeddHKInLEIPPDD8lVUwp9V1H2q5m-sgQDXdOshbHPZGGKNkL4epWxXgN3aaFxfGgKZbrdgyZQOo77I18/s1600/Schmoop+Sleeping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDegkDDNutt1Jx97rZUET0vNZBgmsAaKn-X0ICXTguh-4jhj86hC_ImwsmyvAeddHKInLEIPPDD8lVUwp9V1H2q5m-sgQDXdOshbHPZGGKNkL4epWxXgN3aaFxfGgKZbrdgyZQOo77I18/s1600/Schmoop+Sleeping.JPG" /></a><i>“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”</i><br /><br />--Thornton Wilder<br /><br />As many consistent readers and listeners of IWS know, life has hit a rough patch here in the Bagwine digs for Schmoop and me, and it would be easy, on this day of thanksgiving, to write about how my spirit, soul, and optimism have experienced blunt force trauma to the skull, but I refuse to allow that to happen.<br /><br />After all…It’s Thanksgiving Day here in America, and in spite of  personal setbacks, serious illness, and what could only be called, plain bad luck, I am very thankful for many things.<br /><br />In spite of my oft times public displays of cynicism and sarcasm, I am at heart, a bit of an optimist, and perhaps that is why Thanksgiving has always been and has remained, in spite of its growing irrelevance in the eyes of many Americans of late, my favorite holiday.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong; Christmas is fantastic…<br /><br />Christmas shines with the glow of dazzlingly wrapped gifts, the colorful lights, good-natured ho ho ho’s, and smiles on the faces of babes, but Thanksgiving has for me, always contained something much warmer, more comforting, and much brighter than the wonderful excitement that abounds at Christmas.<br /><br />Growing up, Thanksgiving was <b><i>the</i></b> family day.<br /><br />With no interference or distractions of giving and receiving presents, my family of eleven would spend the day doing nothing, as we all burrowed within my mom and dad’s house while waiting for the Thanksgiving Day feast to be fully cooked and presented.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jnHKzvhbKbosUX4iUgGajgO77_TKhljH63xs4HwJlKo601TNVdTryAADF4pJg_x4vbYR4U02zqJJ34ivMTOxXAkRxHQz47-mymX4q2kpsLE1xqi83ER45BA_ns5OY-IKodxwNuPfcvA/s1600/JayStalker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jnHKzvhbKbosUX4iUgGajgO77_TKhljH63xs4HwJlKo601TNVdTryAADF4pJg_x4vbYR4U02zqJJ34ivMTOxXAkRxHQz47-mymX4q2kpsLE1xqi83ER45BA_ns5OY-IKodxwNuPfcvA/s320/JayStalker.jpg" width="320" /></a>But by spending the day doing nothing, I mean, watching football together.  Playing football together.<br />Drinking beer together.  Making fun of each other together.  Smiling together, and having a great day together.<br /><br />On those Thanksgiving days more than any other day of the year, we…were…family.<br /><br />And to me?<br /><br />It was the greatest feeling in the world, especially when I was eight years old or so, and was stuck eating at the kids’ table, which happened to be a rickety red card table with discolorations and indentations resulting from years of spilled beers and fist poundings from my Uncle Eddie’s inability and lack of luck to draw to an inside straight.<br /><br />It didn’t matter; it was family…And today, on this glorious day of Thanksgiving…<br /><br />In spite of Schmoop’s health challenges, I will be putting aside my angst, nervousness, and worries as to how our future will unwind, and do nothing but cook, drink, and enjoy my family.<br /><br />I will spend the day calling my immediate family.  I will shoot my long-time friend Richard a call.  I may talk to my beloved partner in crime and friend, Jayman.  And I will of course…<br /><br />Spend the day with my best friend of twelve years, Schmoop.<br /><br />And a couple of things about Schmoop and I spending Thanksgiving together.  We won’t be spending it alone.<br /><br />You see, a friend of mine, a very sweet friend…one of my very best friends Miss, came through the Beer Mine the other night and dropped some things off for Schmoop and I to have for Thanksgiving.<br /><br />It was inordinately generous, and I said to her, <i>“Miss, thank you so much, and I am sure I will thank you a hundred more times in the near future.”</i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIGBsRjPupmWwvJqu0Fidig5PShtWPjuQ0CNtPWdb3TdLzitGxdS4ngJ6ftmizJWJF2-oFDR1cCLO1_VQ5khN7k_MO9mOSNaX8s5SVee09PiLWRTsyXHPiWCbnSiMH87Pj2Du4sn2Wvk/s1600/Missy+Cali+Love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIGBsRjPupmWwvJqu0Fidig5PShtWPjuQ0CNtPWdb3TdLzitGxdS4ngJ6ftmizJWJF2-oFDR1cCLO1_VQ5khN7k_MO9mOSNaX8s5SVee09PiLWRTsyXHPiWCbnSiMH87Pj2Du4sn2Wvk/s320/Missy+Cali+Love.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Miss said to me, <i>“Don’t thank me.  We are family. Family doesn't have to thank one and other.”</i><br /><br />And she’s right.  Although not related, she and I <i>have</i> become family, because a deep and true friendship is like being family.<br /><br />And that is how I feel about Miss, about Schmoop, about Jayman, and about a handful of my other friends.<br /><br />And in spite of Schmoop’s bad turn, we have that family on which to fall, and rest, and chances are...many of you do as well.<br /><br />And on this day of Thanksgiving, we need to take a second to realize that, and appreciate those who make life's slumber sound.<br /><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><br /><i><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a></i><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></i></a></div>

Step Back, Relax, and Give Thanks

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” --Thornton Wilder As many consistent read...

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thankful living room updates

In honor of those getting ready to give thanks tomorrow in the US, I want to give thanks for finishing <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/08/and-your-time-startsnow.html" target="_blank">my living room list</a> and cleaning it to snap a few pictures. Some are only iPhone pics, but you get the idea.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfjh9poxaprgl2D_atqM7FDMa7PMxIeimpm6cXEpn-VZSN-BO2Ti_atnXjRXg6a6nsDIKOZwWv-DIZITXtEyKgvt-z8iqeIEnV8ZIwbAbNZN5r7by-A1XmrOizGfIRIH0_XuGptZMhRsV/s1600/LivingRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfjh9poxaprgl2D_atqM7FDMa7PMxIeimpm6cXEpn-VZSN-BO2Ti_atnXjRXg6a6nsDIKOZwWv-DIZITXtEyKgvt-z8iqeIEnV8ZIwbAbNZN5r7by-A1XmrOizGfIRIH0_XuGptZMhRsV/s640/LivingRoom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><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/AVvXsEgydBGKpzsp8caTzXfEwD_QPk1bc-iBnThxxyHJFkL5Y4V6fIDOCe76aTcb5RM588PUAsd41Ob7CMJXMWbJxNjqshshR-et3pfX9FD7hYTc6Asac4VmzCKNNmHeWvdKEsyawwVkxSWsvuN6/s1600/BallFringeTop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydBGKpzsp8caTzXfEwD_QPk1bc-iBnThxxyHJFkL5Y4V6fIDOCe76aTcb5RM588PUAsd41Ob7CMJXMWbJxNjqshshR-et3pfX9FD7hYTc6Asac4VmzCKNNmHeWvdKEsyawwVkxSWsvuN6/s640/BallFringeTop.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Black ball fringe. My new favorite thing.<div><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/AVvXsEiOxICSlhwSOVhL9GekXQ-K9GJpTsPsXMYwIJr6veG6k9Z_NKC-QNFMiIyYBMUQ03HkvcvGZciKRt60syD0KlNscl7EqCIMYWPokCxkfnmhVWS7gKb4IARgF9BRSaiQVdBHt8E1w0jRsIpN/s1600/PinkPagodaiPhone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxICSlhwSOVhL9GekXQ-K9GJpTsPsXMYwIJr6veG6k9Z_NKC-QNFMiIyYBMUQ03HkvcvGZciKRt60syD0KlNscl7EqCIMYWPokCxkfnmhVWS7gKb4IARgF9BRSaiQVdBHt8E1w0jRsIpN/s640/PinkPagodaiPhone.jpg" width="540" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>LOVE my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/thepinkpagoda?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">Pink Pagoda</a> prints.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_hwfydAi_GnX8k2pzfVAtPjOg0qWzNSbR6McnsO8D3R2E4Qfkq4Y2sg8sF_0VWo17g1HS4bTCtmqddo0SEln5iXInWPhsuChfe7avA73I-Ne9v4iaTJCLAOl44-pVEmnnPt4MEZNjX58/s1600/PinkPagodaArt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_hwfydAi_GnX8k2pzfVAtPjOg0qWzNSbR6McnsO8D3R2E4Qfkq4Y2sg8sF_0VWo17g1HS4bTCtmqddo0SEln5iXInWPhsuChfe7avA73I-Ne9v4iaTJCLAOl44-pVEmnnPt4MEZNjX58/s640/PinkPagodaArt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5t2xUZGRoSJJKw_JkBfnrW_8c_nrCSq73rve2_p8HZUV-nohs_t4hO5jkuvsjCO7V2WVgsX_6Xz5keuWs8-S4z7fR9hxg_eWyap5vrkRFpUafHbSvbpiaGFeKc4xDeLdqCZFS0vqEelf/s1600/ReupholsteredCouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5t2xUZGRoSJJKw_JkBfnrW_8c_nrCSq73rve2_p8HZUV-nohs_t4hO5jkuvsjCO7V2WVgsX_6Xz5keuWs8-S4z7fR9hxg_eWyap5vrkRFpUafHbSvbpiaGFeKc4xDeLdqCZFS0vqEelf/s640/ReupholsteredCouch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Finally found a coffee table, down in <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/09/thrifting-thru-south.html" target="_blank">Florida</a>. The proportions worked out perfectly with <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/04/now-you-really-can-take-seat.html" target="_blank">the couch</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8V2DUanfkQ0KhDfdiAVw1GXezclojTvaNHwP4nhB0j8ZfwMYJVeMQ4sNh8OqeHlbS8JGi2hFjciV1ZZoD61Cy7K8WWHsVFMbLb0j1eUKIcAmOKmKS5ufecUQM1iSuoF-JzR6B_SyheDmp/s1600/CoffeeTableStyling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8V2DUanfkQ0KhDfdiAVw1GXezclojTvaNHwP4nhB0j8ZfwMYJVeMQ4sNh8OqeHlbS8JGi2hFjciV1ZZoD61Cy7K8WWHsVFMbLb0j1eUKIcAmOKmKS5ufecUQM1iSuoF-JzR6B_SyheDmp/s400/CoffeeTableStyling.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGiSDYAa_2G3F0OqOkoFZjpvdZonpdee4JvSgBN5hpsC4SN1-uOg37Pcq5rKe5fugOIyIjm1cCiBZH6DA8MAGn87Ww8TJBY8VzOGElU7Y2rQN7eT4oKBBYN1Kymplwjp33Z-wCz9JPhTsw/s1600/PianoStyling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGiSDYAa_2G3F0OqOkoFZjpvdZonpdee4JvSgBN5hpsC4SN1-uOg37Pcq5rKe5fugOIyIjm1cCiBZH6DA8MAGn87Ww8TJBY8VzOGElU7Y2rQN7eT4oKBBYN1Kymplwjp33Z-wCz9JPhTsw/s400/PianoStyling.jpg" width="371" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MbI2ar4x4Qiyx9pHLMoswOAPBp2kAYLNXan_4BE-7ZypbphYyBRkMjuzVTYMPOzcHQwCc-mrX6USlfI3OSN0tSTcDeVCXJywqK9cQwUIbbAUzMX4WFIXAWyZsrP23u-E-iPjN-eFu7QI/s1600/PinkPagodaRight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MbI2ar4x4Qiyx9pHLMoswOAPBp2kAYLNXan_4BE-7ZypbphYyBRkMjuzVTYMPOzcHQwCc-mrX6USlfI3OSN0tSTcDeVCXJywqK9cQwUIbbAUzMX4WFIXAWyZsrP23u-E-iPjN-eFu7QI/s640/PinkPagodaRight.jpg" width="369" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfI1h3B2kZteYRkDUi659D6VHjcNrOIRfUjbDWdJsfmtohfIoWakEXJMYNq9LWW4qy4Z8TWdL-pM40XZtyS7z2QGAdv0ltBRQbTfqQzZ3xvdD_Gi7hvX3paDAemC7mxs6GojzxkMaSiPD/s1600/iPhoneMantel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfI1h3B2kZteYRkDUi659D6VHjcNrOIRfUjbDWdJsfmtohfIoWakEXJMYNq9LWW4qy4Z8TWdL-pM40XZtyS7z2QGAdv0ltBRQbTfqQzZ3xvdD_Gi7hvX3paDAemC7mxs6GojzxkMaSiPD/s640/iPhoneMantel.jpg" width="390" /></a></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/AVvXsEg-MO5KYGzp-BYTLfJ3FQTUdC6QWuA9druoVrdbNNGFuGpBIGpWKmPmPjdx6QPzfbzHcIKdV7srVar-TGVhhDVaw8Z3dkXXcSp9AKAAxC6uf5vcUOxTvOK9pOACV5e1SGJ2tYWBDV-p2iVB/s1600/LivingRoomright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MO5KYGzp-BYTLfJ3FQTUdC6QWuA9druoVrdbNNGFuGpBIGpWKmPmPjdx6QPzfbzHcIKdV7srVar-TGVhhDVaw8Z3dkXXcSp9AKAAxC6uf5vcUOxTvOK9pOACV5e1SGJ2tYWBDV-p2iVB/s640/LivingRoomright.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73g_K9qo81VS3h-KFqwNeeXzPvB2PxC0069mBcsgYJgA6t2RCSgk6aixLcZsUXndJ7yyMmg9V800ssJ1MJNnyDd-eUoSoCBge8pHY2ggd3HqP76v3b-TPDYRCHSqKtZ2d5Kzpcl150jHv/s1600/PicMonkeyCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73g_K9qo81VS3h-KFqwNeeXzPvB2PxC0069mBcsgYJgA6t2RCSgk6aixLcZsUXndJ7yyMmg9V800ssJ1MJNnyDd-eUoSoCBge8pHY2ggd3HqP76v3b-TPDYRCHSqKtZ2d5Kzpcl150jHv/s400/PicMonkeyCollage.jpg" width="400" /></a></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/AVvXsEjWfjh9poxaprgl2D_atqM7FDMa7PMxIeimpm6cXEpn-VZSN-BO2Ti_atnXjRXg6a6nsDIKOZwWv-DIZITXtEyKgvt-z8iqeIEnV8ZIwbAbNZN5r7by-A1XmrOizGfIRIH0_XuGptZMhRsV/s1600/LivingRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfjh9poxaprgl2D_atqM7FDMa7PMxIeimpm6cXEpn-VZSN-BO2Ti_atnXjRXg6a6nsDIKOZwWv-DIZITXtEyKgvt-z8iqeIEnV8ZIwbAbNZN5r7by-A1XmrOizGfIRIH0_XuGptZMhRsV/s640/LivingRoom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Now to change it all for Christmas! <br /><br />Have a wonderful holiday weekend for those celebrating. See you all on Monday!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOpS9PZMV_LBGZMy0BUdHc9njjIf_QNZgRtDXnT0xcDJqsOiNWVJT9-cIHeaXdf0F1uuFq-cQaxwZYZLLFtld50iMCh2uv9om5XZecIYSslwSBv5ApG8YYB2tAkMSFhED6EHgM0NesuwX/s1600/FeatherTurkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOpS9PZMV_LBGZMy0BUdHc9njjIf_QNZgRtDXnT0xcDJqsOiNWVJT9-cIHeaXdf0F1uuFq-cQaxwZYZLLFtld50iMCh2uv9om5XZecIYSslwSBv5ApG8YYB2tAkMSFhED6EHgM0NesuwX/s320/FeatherTurkey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>

thankful living room updates

In honor of those getting ready to give thanks tomorrow in the US, I want to give thanks for finishing my living room list and cleaning it ...

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Today's archidose #635

Here are a few photos of Condominio P in Cagliari, Italy, by <a href="http://www.cc04.net/">C+C04 Studio</a> (2009). Photographs are by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/simoneutzeri/">Simone Utzeri</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/simoneutzeri/8199624345/" title="the alphabet container 2 by simone.utzeri, on Flickr"><img alt="the alphabet container 2" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8208/8199624345_7ec3548838_c.jpg" width="532" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/simoneutzeri/8199625541/" title="the alphabet container by simone.utzeri, on Flickr"><img alt="the alphabet container" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8201/8199625541_ed59ed55e1_c.jpg" width="542" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/simoneutzeri/8199621253/" title="the container perspective by simone.utzeri, on Flickr"><img alt="the container perspective" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8058/8199621253_abe8ccb7de_c.jpg" width="532" /></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 #635

Here are a few photos of Condominio P in Cagliari, Italy, by C+C04 Studio (2009). Photographs are by Simone Utzeri . To contribute your Fli...

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How to identify a telecommuting-friendly job

<br /><div class="RXart" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-right: 20px; text-align: left;"><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="font-size: 12px; margin-top: -30px;"><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">How to identify a telecommuting-friendly job</span></h1></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">By Debra Auerbach, CareerBuilder Writer</span></b><br /><div class="cb_share_more_wrapper"></div></div><br /><div class="ArticleContent"><div style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="media-image" src="http://artstg.icbdr.com/sites/all/files/styles/large/public/Telecommute%20friendly%20jobs_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div><div style="font-size: 12px;">Telecommuting has many benefits for both employees and employers. It helps workers save time and money and gain more flexibility, and it can <a href="http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-3089-Workplace-Issues-Benefits-of-remote-workforce-outweigh-challenges/?SiteId=cbmsnhp43089&sc_extcmp=JS_3089_home1" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">increase a company's efficiency</a> and <a href="http://www.ehow.com/about_4566300_benefits-telecommuting.html" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">reduce its carbon footprint</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 12px;">Yet the concept is still catching on in the corporate world. According to the latest <a href="http://www.teleworkresearchnetwork.com/telecommuting-statistics" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">American Community Survey data,</a> slightly more than 2.5 percent of the U.S. workforce considers home their primary place of work. So while it may seem like a challenge to identify telecommuting jobs, by doing the right research and asking the right questions, you can find a position that matches your interests and desired working accommodations.</div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><strong>Look for telecommuting-friendly occupations </strong><br />While every company, no matter the field, differs in their flexible-working policies, some industries tend to have more teleworking staff. "Some industries are better suited for telecommuting than others," says Kari DePhillips, owner of content-development company <a href="http://www.contentfac.com/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Content Factory</a>, whose entire team works remotely. "[Telecommuting-friendly industries include] graphic design, public relations, social-media marketing, writing and website development. In general, I think tech and startup companies are most likely to be open to the idea of telecommuting."</div><div style="font-size: 12px;">You may also have an easier chance of finding telecommuting roles by looking for contract or freelance positions. "Since you'll likely be commissioned for particular projects, employers are open to allowing independent contractors to turn in work projects digitally and communicate via social media, i.e., Skype," says Sudy Bharadwaj, co-founder and CEO of job-search platform. </div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><strong>Do the right research</strong><br />To find jobs, go to a job-search website such as <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">CareerBuilder</a> and use the "keyword" search function. Christine Durst, a telecommuting and home-based career expert and author of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-2-Second-Commute-Exploding-Assistants/dp/1564147924" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">The 2-Second Commute</a>" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Work-Home-Now-No-nonsense-Home-based/dp/1601630913" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Work At Home Now</a>," suggests using words and phrases including:</div><ul style="font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Telecommute</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Telecommuting</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Independent contractor</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Work from home</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Offsite</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Virtual</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Remote</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Freelance</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Anywhere</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">Work from anywhere</li></ul><div style="font-size: 12px;">Durst also recommends visiting sites that specifically cater to telecommuting jobs. Another option? Try a search engine, but use specific phrases to avoid any suspicious, too-good-to-be-true work-from-home job offers. To narrow in on relevant jobs, Durst suggests using phrases such as:</div><ul style="font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"This is a telecommuting position"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"This is a remote position"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"This is a home-based position"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"Will have the option to work from home"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"Offsite position"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"Qualified individual will work from home"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"Must be willing to work from home"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"This is a work-from-home position"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"May work from anywhere"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"This is a virtual position"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"Our employees work from home"</li><li style="margin-left: 11.25pt;">"Position can be based anywhere"</li></ul><div style="font-size: 12px;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><strong>Ask the right questions</strong><br />If a company doesn't explicitly say in the job posting that it's open to telecommuting, that doesn't mean it won't allow for a more flexible work schedule. So if you're really interested in a position, don't count it out. Use the interview as a time to take the company's pulse on teleworking preferences.</div><div style="font-size: 12px;">"When interviewing, ask the hiring manager about the company's policy on telecommuting," says Amit De, CEO and co-founder of job-search platform <a href="http://careerleaf.com/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Careerleaf</a>. "If the company has a strict anti-telecommuting policy, the position's probably not a great fit for you. Just be sure that the focus of the interview doesn't remain on telecommuting. Ultimately, you still need to get hired before you can consider telecommuting."</div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><strong>Keep an open mind</strong><br />Even if a job doesn't offer telecommuting at first, there's always the chance that, under the right circumstances, your boss will be open to the idea of a more flexible work schedule. "The key is to come with suggestions as to what tools you'll use to turn in work and interface with co-workers when work needs to get done," Bharadwaj says. "Outline practical ways to ensure your productivity, and give examples that note your sensitivity to deadlines, since with telecommuting you'll need to be a self-starter to accomplish tasks without being micromanaged."</div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><em>Debra Auerbach is a writer and blogger for </em><a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;"><em>CareerBuilder.com</em></a><em> and its job blog, </em><a href="http://www.theworkbuzz.com/" style="color: #666666; 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><br /><a href="" id="mxsrRelatedArticles__ctl1_cbhlRelatedArticles" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none;">INFOGRAPHIC: How to make a resume shine</a></div></div><div class="clear" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-size: 12px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; text-align: left;"><ul style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="" id="mxsrRelatedArticles__ctl2_cbhlRelatedArticles" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">5 career paths for retail workers</a></li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="" id="mxsrRelatedArticles__ctl3_cbhlRelatedArticles" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Can you switch careers and remain financially stable?</a></li><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="" id="mxsrRelatedArticles__ctl4_cbhlRelatedArticles" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">9 jobs that pay $95,000 a year</a></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe class="Ad" frameborder="0" height="240" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="NO" src="http://ads.adsonar.com/adserving/getAds.jsp?placementId=1266420&pid=617757&ps=-1&zw=326&zh=240&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.careerbuilder.com%2f%3flr%3dcbrockl%2fJobSeeker%2fcareerbytes%2fCBArticle.aspx%3flr%3dcbrockl%26ArticleID%3d3220%26%26strcrit%3dQID%3dA6659272956687%3bst%3da%3buse%3dALL%3bCID%3dUS%3bSID%3dCO%3bTID%3d0%3bENR%3dNO%3bDTP%3dDRNS%3bYDI%3dYES%3bIND%3dALL%3bPDQ%3dAll%3bPDQ%3dAll%3bPAYL%3d0%3bPAYH%3dgt120%3bPOY%3dNO%3bETD%3dALL%3bRE%3dALL%3bMGT%3dDC%3bSUP%3dDC%3bFRE%3d30%3bCHL%3dal%3bQS%3dsid_unknown%3bSS%3dNO%3bTITL%3d0%3bOB%3d-modifiedint%3bRAD%3d30%3bJQT%3dRAD%3bJDV%3dFalse%3bHost%3dUS%3bMaxLowExp%3d-1%3bRecsPerPage%3d25&v=5" vspace="0" width="326"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><b>Article Reprints</b></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">Permission must be obtained from CareerBuilder.com to reprint any of its articles. Please send a request to<a href="mailto:reprints@careerbuilder.com" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">reprints@careerbuilder.com</a>.</span>

How to identify a telecommuting-friendly job

How to identify a telecommuting-friendly job By Debra Auerbach, CareerBuilder Writer Telecommuting has many benefits for both employees and ...

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Flat Classroom Project Applications Open for next Semester

<br /><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; min-height: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-size: 10pt !important; line-height: 1.2 !important;">Flat Classroom project applications are open now for next semester. If you want to see a summary of all projects you can go to <a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/">http://www.flatclassroomproject.net</a> or click on the green title of any of the projects below. The red application "apply now" will take you to the application and information for each project. </span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; min-height: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-size: 10pt !important; line-height: 1.2 !important;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; min-height: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-size: 10pt !important; line-height: 1.2 !important;">I've put ages beside each project. Each project has weekly teacher meetings, a Google group to aid quick communications and in-classroom teachers who manage the projects. There is a small fee for the projects to cover costs. (If this is a hardship for you, note it on your application form .)</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.5em; min-height: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 13.63636302947998px;">There are many options to collaborate globally and these are just one. We worked hard in our book Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds to help demonstrate and share many projects that can help you meet your standards as you collaborate globally. Our purpose is to be the best global education projects where students and teachers co-create and merge their classrooms in ways that utilize cutting edge technologies and encourage teacherpreneurship and teaching excellence. </span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.5em; min-height: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 13.63636302947998px;">You can find out more about the projects in the book <a href="http://www.flatclassroombook.com/" target="_blank">Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds</a> or through the links below.</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; min-height: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-size: 10pt !important; line-height: 1.2 !important;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; min-height: 1em; padding: 0px;"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-size: 10pt !important; line-height: 1.2 !important;"><strong><a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/" style="color: #3ba701; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">Flat Classroom® Projects</a> starting February 2013.</strong></span></div><ul style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="font-size: 1em; line-height: inherit; list-style: square; margin: 0px 0px 0.4em 2.5em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/flat-classroomreg-project.html" style="color: #3ba701; text-decoration: initial;" title="">Flat Classroom Project</a> </span>- (13+ but ideal for high school students) Deadline for next project is January 23, 2013 <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGV3WTJIUmk3dTI3dlFWUnM4NndfVGc6MA#gid=0" style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title="">APPLY NOW!</a></li><li style="font-size: 1em; line-height: inherit; list-style: square; margin: 0px 0px 0.4em 2.5em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #3ba701; font-size: small; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial;"><a href="http://www.digiteen.org/apply.html" style="color: #3ba701; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title="">Digiteen Project</a> (13+) and DigiTween Project (under 13)</span> - Deadline for next project is February 15, 2013<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">  <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFBkbVNZUjhIMUJHVEpGLUkxeHMyLUE6MA#gid=0" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title="">APPLY NOW!</a> (same application form for both)</span></li><li style="font-size: 1em; line-height: inherit; list-style: square; margin: 0px 0px 0.4em 2.5em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/a-week-in-the-life-project.html" style="color: #3ba701; text-decoration: initial;" title=""><span style="font-size: small; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">'A Week in the Life...'</span></a>  -  (up to age 12 - learn about other places from students who live there) Deadline for next project is February 15, 2013 <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en_GB&formkey=dFN3RDBndE1zaVJSVkRpZ1g3Rk9OdkE6MQ#gid=0" style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title="">APPLY NOW!</a></li><li style="font-size: 1em; line-height: inherit; list-style: square; margin: 0px 0px 0.4em 2.5em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.netgened.org/" style="color: #3ba701; text-decoration: initial;" title="">NetGenEd</a> </span> - (13+ but ideal for high school) Project based on the Horizon Report published in January each year - Deadline February 1, 2013 - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/netgenedapply" style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title="">APPLY NOW!</a></li><li style="font-size: 1em; line-height: inherit; list-style: square; margin: 0px 0px 0.4em 2.5em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/k-2-building-bridges.html" style="color: #3ba701; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="font-size: small; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">K-2 'Building Bridges to Tomorrow' Project</span></a> - (kindergarten - 2nd grade -- ages 3-8 - learn about other places from students who live there)  Deadline for next project is February 15, 2013 - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/k2flatclassroomapply" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">APPLY NOW!</span></a></li><li style="font-size: 1em; line-height: inherit; list-style: square; margin: 0px 0px 0.4em 2.5em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.eracismproject.org/" style="color: #3ba701; text-decoration: initial;" title=""><span style="font-size: small; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Eracism</span></a>  - (we have 2 brackets - under 13 and over 13 -- middle school and high school debate competition brackets) Deadline for next project is February 7, 2013  - <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dExzMlJkcTA3cjNmZ1pCU1JmYXQ4Vmc6MA" style="color: #3ba701; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: small; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Apply Now</strong></span></a></li></ul>

Flat Classroom Project Applications Open for next Semester

Flat Classroom project applications are open now for next semester. If you want to see a summary of all projects you can go to http://www.fl...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 11/21/2012

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://edublogawards.com/2012/11/13/nominations-open/">Nominations Open – The 2012 Edublog Awards are here! | The Edublog Awards</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">You have until NOvember 26 to nominate for the Edublog awards. There are many who don't care for this awards system because there are many great bloggers, but I think anything that recognizes educational blogging is a good thing. So, nominate away, here is information. Here's the page that tells you how to do this. "The 2012 Edublog Awards are a go! The Edublog Awards is a community based initiative started in 2004 in response to community concerns relating to how schools, districts and educational institutions were blocking access of learner and teacher blog sites for educational purposes.  The purpose of the Edublog awards is promote and demonstrate the educational values of these social media. Working together, we create an invaluable resource of the best-of-the-best on the web! How Does It Work? There are 3 parts to the awards: Nominations – NOW through November 26th Voting – TBA The Live Awards Ceremony – TBA"</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/edublog">edublog</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/awards">awards</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/nominations">nominations</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 11/21/2012

Nominations Open – The 2012 Edublog Awards are here! | The Edublog Awards You have until NOvember 26...

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Jayman is Fascinating

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Hola Y’all! While I’m off enjoying Super Happy Margarita Night here in the Jewel of the Midwest, here’s another fun meme to keep you entertained.<br /><br /><b>1. Have you ever been searched by the cops?</b><br />Not a real cop.<br /><br /><b>2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters?</b><br />I don’t ride roller coasters.<br /><br /><br /><b>3. When's the last time you've been sledding?</b><br />Years and years and years ago.<br /><br /><br /><b>4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?</b><br />Well, you know that I *AM* the world’s greatest cuddler.<br /><br /><br /><b>5. Do you believe in ghosts?</b><br />Definitely.  I’ve seen lots of ‘em.<br /><br /><b>6. Do you consider yourself creative?</b><br />Sometimes, I guess.<br /><br /><b>7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife?</b><br />I have no doubt whatsoever.<br /><br /><b>8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie?</b><br />Team Aniston<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mqIEH63Q8qGFm9u-b1WOeGG9z2sUpzVcDOeSZhKzIiVRoPPaJq54GOnzOXf6tbavNXSGoOv64xDutFArwIzzy5ORffr3bzR6rf7Yq7rcXpyNK1JbFWRpHFxBOSYGFpsH1LySZrDx-k8/s1600/Jennifer+Aniston+Nude+Topless+Hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mqIEH63Q8qGFm9u-b1WOeGG9z2sUpzVcDOeSZhKzIiVRoPPaJq54GOnzOXf6tbavNXSGoOv64xDutFArwIzzy5ORffr3bzR6rf7Yq7rcXpyNK1JbFWRpHFxBOSYGFpsH1LySZrDx-k8/s320/Jennifer+Aniston+Nude+Topless+Hot.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><b>9. Do you stay friends with your exes?</b><br />Kinda<br /><br /><b>10. Do you know how to play poker?</b><br />I know the basic rules and idea behind Texas Hold-Em, but I’m not very good at it.<br /><br /><b>11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?</b><br />Cocaine is a hellova drug.<br /><br /><b>12. What's your favorite commercial?</b><br />It’s an old one but “I LIKE TACOS!”<br /><br /><b>13. What are you allergic to?</b><br />Mangos and success.<br /><br /><b>14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around do you run red lights?</b><br />No, ‘cause you know there is a cop pretty close and he'll nail me.<br /><br /><b>15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you?</b><br />More than one.<br /><br /><b>16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees?</b><br />Niether. OH GOD I HATE THEM BOTH AND THEIR FAN BASES SO MUCH!<br /><br /><b>17. Have you ever been Ice Skating?</b><br />Yes, a long, loooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago.<br /><br /><b>18. How often do you remember your dreams?</b><br />About half the time.<br /><br /><b>19. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?</b><br />During our Lesbian Celebration show.<br /><br /><b>20. Can you name 5 songs by The Beatles?</b><br />Hey Jude<br />Revolution<br />I Wanna Hold Your Hand<br />Dear Prudence<br />Get Back<br /><br /><b>21. What's the one thing on your mind now?</b><br />Holy crap those margaritas are good!<br /><br /><b>22. Do you know who Ghetto-ass barbie is?</b><br />No, but I've known a few Barbies who lived in the Ghetto<br /><br /><b>23. Do you always wear your seat belt?</b><br />Yes, always.<br /><br /><b>24. What cell service do you use?</b><br />Net 10 cause I’m fancy like that.<br /><br /><b>25. Do you like Sushi?</b><br />No, cause my sister tried to use it to kill me once.<br /><br /><b>26. Have you ever narrowly avoided a fatal accident?</b><br />Yes<br /><br /><b>27. What do you wear to bed?</b><br />Nothing. Sexy, right?<br /><br /><b>28. Been caught stealing?</b><br />Caught? No.<br /><br /><b>29. What shoe size do you have?</b><br />12.5 or 13.<br /><br /><b>30. Do you truly hate anyone?</b><br />Yes, but I'm trying to get past that. It’s bad to hate.<br /><br /><b>31. Classic Rock or Rap?</b><br />I love and hate both of them.<br /><br /><b>32. If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be?</b><br />Sofia Vergara<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Af1ThV6AAcfgvDVsP35zfAs_MpF6xYFwGlFeRmnKGpeL0vyayk5QEZNGl3NyfQWQaGSdAbg1ASLmRe3hZ5v3pq2oEj7vb0CSWVCAtr23lvKbQraxYG5lRC8cjmuy9EDacDO-hqFwNZQ/s1600/Sofia+Vergara+Nude+Hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Af1ThV6AAcfgvDVsP35zfAs_MpF6xYFwGlFeRmnKGpeL0vyayk5QEZNGl3NyfQWQaGSdAbg1ASLmRe3hZ5v3pq2oEj7vb0CSWVCAtr23lvKbQraxYG5lRC8cjmuy9EDacDO-hqFwNZQ/s320/Sofia+Vergara+Nude+Hot.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Or, Zhang Ziyi<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/AVvXsEgchXshP8-YTpR7ndM9KQc7MHx8ReuqZzboNDbfhgpmLIFffwa8ojKWDDYY2uO_Ronp09E8i9_OPsPZPIcicufHsrvvxvP8Z5dWEAg3B6fBGg3I7lSL2tZHh_Thx42VExulcqDv5_M4pjQ/s1600/zhang+ziyi+nude+hot+legs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchXshP8-YTpR7ndM9KQc7MHx8ReuqZzboNDbfhgpmLIFffwa8ojKWDDYY2uO_Ronp09E8i9_OPsPZPIcicufHsrvvxvP8Z5dWEAg3B6fBGg3I7lSL2tZHh_Thx42VExulcqDv5_M4pjQ/s320/zhang+ziyi+nude+hot+legs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>33. Favorite Song?</b><br />There’s no way to come up with ONE favorite song.<br /><br /><b>34. Have you ever sung in front of the mirror?</b><br />Haven’t we all?<br /><br /><b>35. What food do you find disgusting?</b><br />Mayonnaise<br /><br /><b>36. Do you sing in the shower?</b><br />Not usually.<br /><br /><b>37. Did you ever play, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours"?</b><br />Many times, in fact I’d be willing to play with many of you right now.<br /><br /><b>38. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back?</b><br />No more than you have.<br /><br /><b>39. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?</b><br />Yes.<br /><br /><b>40. Have you ever been punched in the face?</b><br />Yes.<br /><br /><br />Woo-Hoo! Another fascinating trip to Jaymanville!<br /><br />Jayman<br /><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS </a><br /><br /></div>

Jayman is Fascinating

Hola Y’all! While I’m off enjoying Super Happy Margarita Night here in the Jewel of the Midwest, here’s another fun meme to keep you enterta...

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Have you heard of the Nab’Ubomi media project? Read about it here!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaSPZyMswS8lU-14TDbi8dnoSL0qCWYD6-1LNztk9z-s8UX8vAH8nu0CMkqlDQN5QnABdBFyyBydU4QT-EVU_sMfoAupkeWXprzgmFT-sH7dGakJsrRHdHGtEdQkxUrhfnbeKXeo0YXM/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC1PZdruVI14eq5prR507_s597GgCIRAfyimqQwTYTtaAedcR5o1TIFiiwMHMMbIoFU5cwbCs6EvaQI1qHsX-UeiYAvx3C2NunHXcxFCDyGJhnnQhL5P-Rkk9osumFRtMJqKikDdamNk/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><em>Submitted by Fiona Beal</em><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few months back I had the privilege of being invited, as a SchoolNet representative, to be one of  the judges for the Nab’Ubomi Interschool 2011 Short Film Competition. What a marvelous evening it turned out to be watching these compelling short movies. These movies were created and carved by Grade 11 students in the Eastern Cape, and filmed using the guidance and resources of the Nab'Ubomi crew, at their respective schools. The Nab’Ubomi Film Development Project & School Filmmaking Competition introduces the South African youth to the world of Film and TV Production and Media Education Literacy.This is a really incredible project, well worth taking note of. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bryony Roughton is the Project Director of Nab’Ubomi Film School.</span></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More about Nab’Ubomi</span></strong><br /><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nab'Ubomi, </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">meaning ‘</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is Life’ </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in isiXhosa, is an inter-school film competition running in the Eastern Cape since 2007. It is now expanding, in stages, into all provinces of South Africa to become a national competition. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nab'Ubomi </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">has been built around six essential aspects or pillars: </span><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Education ‐Youth ‐ Story ‐ Film ‐ Content ‐ Development. </strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read more on their website (</span><a href="http://www.nabubomi.co.za/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" title="http://www.nabubomi.co.za/">http://www.nabubomi.co.za/</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) and also on the flier below (which can be read in more detail <a href="https://www.box.com/s/lzqbx7awdcnvw63a8d13" target="_blank">here</a> - or you could press the <i>fullscreen</i> button in the bottom right hand corner of the frame).</span><br /><br /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="400" src="https://www.box.com/embed/r2y5dcc26bcwkgg.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="466" wmode="opaque"></embed> <br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nab’Ubomi’s playlist on YouTube</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nab’Ubomi has a playlist of all their films on YouTube – if you can spare the time they will definitely make an interesting evening’s viewing. </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/NabUbomi" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" title="http://www.youtube.com/user/NabUbomi">http://www.youtube.com/user/NabUbomi</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The 'Best of the Festival Award' film 2011</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example here is the 2011 Best of the Festival Award film. It is a student film from the Nab'Ubomi 2011 inter-school short film competition called '<i>Eternal Inspirations'</i> by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Pumela Sibulele Billie</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from Molteno Senior Secondary School in Queenstown Education District, Eastern Cape, South Africa. </span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Fu6LJgkhjbU?list=PL518CCAC8FC0B0E85&hl=en_GB" width="420"></iframe> <strong></strong><br /><div style="font-size: medium;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><br /></strong></span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Awards Dinner for 2012 winners</span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVYMPkmrhLzfOai8cHgvLPHUQlKEGevfEPVi59t6J9Oe9itmpSp998r9C7F3shWWRtBHcPzoTLcGdvqxH1vo13DaTQOp-jPy2ZYQfvLimTBEGjqeVJ8O1-T0wrrsEWiTSIznaPdNy9Q8/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-0Dh4Br5ne0ca4-yas5LtBFrsRpTISptv6ZCTxwt9NEB1uvyb6wqiphLCtE5pe3erAxEiv9LNg4wLzar0Sm41xYMzG9Q7yosP7NoCHbnTmHGB2xLmknn8B79oQokm7bq9J26QKruvSg/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news is that on the 30th November 2012 an Award ceremony for all the 2012 winners will take place at a Gala Event in East London hosted by the Eastern Cape Department of Education. This will include the presentation of nominee and award Certificates & winners, trophies and a screening of the top three award winning films</span>. <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you would like to see the learners' comments about the positive effect the Nab'Ubami project has had on their lives read about it </span><a href="https://www.box.com/s/szjinr2qsc8nvo563gnl" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nab’Ubomi is looking to expand to to the Northern Cape and Western Cape working with schools in the same way as outlined above. We, at SchoolNet, wish them well as they inspire the youth of our country with this project. </span></div>

news Have you heard of the Nab’Ubomi media project? Read about it here!

Submitted by Fiona Beal A few months back I had the privilege of being invited, as a SchoolNet representative, to be one of  the judges for ...

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Webinar recording: Get to know Google+ (20/11/2012)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGTjcHQMDtkRrD_3MyxU0iGDHxmzBK8sCrOc0ZOzmBinL1JkOYE0zxgVCgLQLxat7wfxEpV54S45HVqfnsiLu1anbUqT3B9Cw0hF-rfLFgOFThMm37HQxRTCZOOf9APVBMOmvkENwo_4/s1600/webinar+recording.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGTjcHQMDtkRrD_3MyxU0iGDHxmzBK8sCrOc0ZOzmBinL1JkOYE0zxgVCgLQLxat7wfxEpV54S45HVqfnsiLu1anbUqT3B9Cw0hF-rfLFgOFThMm37HQxRTCZOOf9APVBMOmvkENwo_4/s400/webinar+recording.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like are all social networks. They’re designed to let you share up-to-the second updates, ideas, thoughts, links and media with your friends and the public. There are a few features which makes Google different from these other networks.</span><br /><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 7.68pt; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">Google </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">has integrated Google+ </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">with its </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">other services (and continues to do so) e.g.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; text-indent: -0.38in;">Search</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; text-indent: -0.38in;">YouTube</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; text-indent: -0.38in;">Gmail</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;"> and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">more</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;"> Google</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.38in;">+ is already built into services you use every day.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google+ uses the concept of<i> circles </i>(groups)<i>, </i>and this<i> </i>differentiates it from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook for example as it allows users </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">precise control over who sees what. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Webinar presentation</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a Slideshare of the webinar presentation on Google + from last night.  The webinar covered:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-indent: -0.38in;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.38in;">What is Google +</span>•Highlights of interesting features<br />•Circles<br />•How to write a post<br />•How to receive a notification<br /><span style="text-indent: -0.38in;">•</span><span style="text-indent: -0.38in;">Benefits to education</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/15264977" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="427"> </iframe> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><strong> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/get-to-know-google-plus" target="_blank" title="Get to know Google plus!">Get to know Google plus!</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal" target="_blank">Fiona Beal</a></strong> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Webinar recording</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the webinar recording.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://meet78641452.adobeconnect.com/p8k2og7qufw/">Get to know Google+</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Further reading</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) <a href="http://mostateteachers.typepad.com/missouri_state_teachers_a/2011/07/google-plus-what-does-it-mean-for-education.html">Google + - what does it mean for education?</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2)</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mostateteachers.typepad.com/missouri_state_teachers_a/2011/07/google-plus-what-does-it-mean-for-education.html">27 ways to use Google+ to support education</a> (a presentation)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) <a href="http://edreach.us/2011/07/06/circle-me-up-exploring-circles-in-google/">Circle me up - exploring circles in Google+</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) <a href="http://40%20google%20plus%20tips%20for%20newbies/">40+ Google tips for newbies</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/googleplus50/">The Google+ 50</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnJ5Bl4kLI&feature=youtu.be">The Google plus project - a quick look</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7) <a href="http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=135530">A livebinder of Google+ resources</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8) <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/professorsconsider-%20classroom-uses-for-google-plus/32131">Classroom uses for Google+</a></span></div></div></div>

webinars Webinar recording: Get to know Google+ (20/11/2012)

Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like are all social networks. They’re designed to let you share up-to-the second updates, ideas...

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My Top 10 at D&B

Designers & Books has posted <a href="http://www.designersandbooks.com/designer/booklist/john-hill/notable-books-2012">my list of notable books for 2012</a>. I selected ten titles published this year and wrote about similarities between some of them in my introduction. Below is a teaser, but click the image to see the rest of my list. The entire Notable Books 2012 list, with contributions by me and many others, <a href="http://www.designersandbooks.com/books/notable-2012/genre/all/covers/title-asc/all">can be found here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.designersandbooks.com/designer/booklist/john-hill/notable-books-2012"><img alt="D-B2012.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/D-B2012.jpg" title="Designers and Books 2012 Preview" /></a>

My Top 10 at D&B

Designers & Books has posted my list of notable books for 2012 . I selected ten titles published this year and wrote about similarities ...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 11/20/2012

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://worldwidethinktank.wikispaces.com">worldwidethinktank - home</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Julie Lindsay and Think Global School and Flat Classroom have partnered to create the World Wide Think Tank and organization for students to brainstorm and take action on common issues. If you want to join - here is their wiki.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <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/flatclass">flatclass</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/globaled">globaled</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://flatclassroomproject.ning.com/video/the-flat-classroom-project-taking-the-long-view">The Flat Classroom Project - Taking the Long View - Flat Classroom Project</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">The "Youtube" keynote is a hinge of our projects - we have renegades and innovators from around the world share a challenge and thoughts for students and teachers as part of each project. Chris Betcher does something FASCINATING - he reaches back to his first global collaborative projects 10 years a go and has found the students from that project and shares what they are doing now.  I'm going to do the same in about  4 years with my first Flat Classroom students. It is tremendous how the students had a head start in the world by collaborating globally. These would make great films for preservice teachers and your classroom. I highly recommend viewing this video. Why do we incorporate global collaboration into our classrooms?  "Australia/Sydney-based award winning educator, Chris Betcher, talks about the long-term advantages for students of connecting and collaborating globally. He includes footage from his students today who worked on global projects over 10 years ago and the impact this had on their lives and future careers. This keynote was produced for the Flat Classroom Project 12-2, November 2012. http://fcp12-2.flatclassroomproject.org/Keynote Chris Betcher: http://www.chrisbetcher.com http://twitter.com/betchaboy"</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclassroom">flatclassroom</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 11/20/2012

worldwidethinktank - home Julie Lindsay and Think Global School and Flat Classroom have partnered to...

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SchoolNet webinars this week

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFmg7Ha3Re5J5M9mhiA6ZwxIy0TSmNFhMdRHDykpq04fzhWSTLn8UAtrfTC7NMqkHw9Uy0Ks1oMZDCVMVbwIqvrytzltNKsKx3-LR6PEWry1Z5LszB3T2LqGqqudn4eM0HumGWwjIo_U/s1600/webinars1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="85" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFmg7Ha3Re5J5M9mhiA6ZwxIy0TSmNFhMdRHDykpq04fzhWSTLn8UAtrfTC7NMqkHw9Uy0Ks1oMZDCVMVbwIqvrytzltNKsKx3-LR6PEWry1Z5LszB3T2LqGqqudn4eM0HumGWwjIo_U/s320/webinars1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">These are our SchoolNet webinars for this week - both short and sweet! Do join us if you can.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br clear="all" /></span><br /><div style="font-family: arial;"><div style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">(1) Please join us in an Adobe Connect Meeting.<br /><u>Meeting Name</u>:  Get to know Google +<br /><u>Summary</u>: This webinar introduces you to Google+ and how to use it.<br /><u>Presenter</u>: Fiona Beal (<a href="mailto:fiona@schoolnet.org.za" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">fiona@schoolnet.org.za</a>)<br /><u>When</u>:  Tuesday 20 November 6:00 PM - 6:15 PM (15 mins)<br /><u>Time Zone</u>:  (GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria<br /><u>URL</u>: <u><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a href="http://meet78641452.adobeconnect.com/googleplus/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://meet78641452.<wbr></wbr>adobeconnect.com/googleplus/</a></span></u></span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><u><span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></u></div><div style="color: #222222;"></div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">(2) Please join us in an Adobe Connect Meeting.<br /><u>Meeting Name</u>:  Popplet in the classroom<br /><u>Summary</u>: This webinar features the lovely mindmapping/sticky-note/<wbr></wbr>collaboration application<br />Popplet (<a href="http://popplet.com/" target="_blank">http://popplet.com</a>/) with which you can do much.<br /><u>Presenter:</u> Michelle Botha from Somerset House in Somerset West.<br /><u>Invited By</u>: Fiona Beal (<a href="mailto:fiona@schoolnet.org.za" target="_blank">fiona@schoolnet.org.za</a>)<br /><u>When:</u>  Thursday 22 November 6:00 PM - 6:15 PM (15 mins)<br /><span style="line-height: 14px;"><u>Time Zone</u>:</span><span style="line-height: 14px;">  </span><span style="line-height: 14px;">(GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria<br />URL: </span></span><a href="http://meet78641452.adobeconnect.com/popplet/" target="_blank">http://meet78641452.<wbr></wbr>adobeconnect.com/popplet/</a><br /><br />The recordings will be placed on the blog the day after the webinar. </div></div>

webinars SchoolNet webinars this week

These are our SchoolNet webinars for this week - both short and sweet! Do join us if you can. (1) Please join us in an Adobe Connect Meeting...

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He's Not Even Black, but Dr. Rawalpindi Will Cut a Bitch!!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7I9zU8zGgCkhaJggw-agIs2UfV-vgve_Ab_h9K8eqD5U_ew12PvUqyxws-UexWdshpCn1IGdbmk_36sLDSkMg00-siSZYePRY1TpE6EBg824dvq0H3a-SUDXvmOlXhLXXq_8JzsoYVXU/s1600/Indian+Doctor+Physician.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/AVvXsEh7I9zU8zGgCkhaJggw-agIs2UfV-vgve_Ab_h9K8eqD5U_ew12PvUqyxws-UexWdshpCn1IGdbmk_36sLDSkMg00-siSZYePRY1TpE6EBg824dvq0H3a-SUDXvmOlXhLXXq_8JzsoYVXU/s400/Indian+Doctor+Physician.jpg" width="400" /></a>Salutations and a joyous and effervescent day after Monday to all of you most well perusers of the IWS blog web.<br /><br />I am IWS staff medico,<i><span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/10/dr-rawalpindi-speaksyou-listen.html" target="_blank">Dr. Rajiv Rawalpindi</a></span></i>, here with an update on the adorable yet less than affable, personage called Schmoop.<br /><br />I witnessed her in my office yesterday at the fifteen minute interval that follows the ten o’clock hour of AM.<br /><br />On the upside, her neon yellow skin tone has salvaged itself all the way down to what a painter would refer to as, a dull ochre, or in my terms, a Cambodian yellow softened a tich by the subtle maize-like sheen of Guamanian pigment.<br /><br />Medicinally speaking, this is much above average in its goodness.<br /><br />Anyhoodle…<br /><br />The day before the one in which we are currently residing, I explained to Schmoop the vastness and invasiveness of the acts I shall perform upon her with stealth, acumen, and a very pointy scalpel on a day in December numbered the 14th.<br /><br />I put her at ease as I told her that her surgery will transpire at the half past seven hour of AM which means instead of anesthesia she can just be euphoric from the fact that she won’t encounter heavy Columbus traffic on her sojourn over here.<br /><br />Ha Ha…I jested with her.  That is the nugget of my charm that excoriates me to others, but I digress, and need to allow myself to task to you what is at hand.<br /><br />Schmoop’s bile duct is plugged.  Plugged tight.  In fact, it is plugged so tight that I can’t see if the pluggage in question is cancerous or not until I rip her open and take a look see.<br /><br />Man, this entire thing is going to take a goodly amount of time and labor.  Schmoop could be on the bed of operations for three to seven, sixty minute periods.  Do you realize how many Indians are born every three to seven sixty minute periods?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ6RWsk5iuptdUeZ8SbB5oyYtdXXEZKw-5BvHDsUB4kkVLm_359Le1ODwwtmpVmojPcMKeNJLT54b0uXApJXpUrZ-YjeLvddXBx50ck_5b1pQ53MT4wY7QLUoBo8xgbAKgS9gPlGjx4E/s1600/Schmoop+Bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ6RWsk5iuptdUeZ8SbB5oyYtdXXEZKw-5BvHDsUB4kkVLm_359Le1ODwwtmpVmojPcMKeNJLT54b0uXApJXpUrZ-YjeLvddXBx50ck_5b1pQ53MT4wY7QLUoBo8xgbAKgS9gPlGjx4E/s320/Schmoop+Bed.jpg" width="320" /></a>Enough Indians to fill every God Damn call center in the world and still have ranch hands available to wash every God Damn sacred cow in in the Punjab region.  Wait?  Where I was?  Oh…Schmoop…<br /><br />She will remain mostly fine as we seize the maleficent intruder from her sexy, even at the age of two score and six, nubile body.  I shall not let you lovers of Schmoop cascade downward in your mood from up.<br /><br />That is where we stand erect at this point.  Myself and arraignment of medicinal cohorts will do all we can to make Schmoop whole again even though we will be removing vital organs.<br /><br />That’s right IWS fanaticals…Even though she will actually be half the person she was prior to surgery, she will be more complete, or as Matt and Jay say…or something.<br /><br />Annnnnnd….After her post-operative stay of 7-10 days, Matt-Man may very well have her home for your traditional war on holiday known as Christmas.<br /><br />If that doesn’t put a smile on your Christmas tree, my name isn’t…<br /><br /><i>Dr. Rajiv Rawalpindi</i><br /><i><br /></i><i><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a></i><br /><i><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a></i></div>

He's Not Even Black, but Dr. Rawalpindi Will Cut a Bitch!!

Salutations and a joyous and effervescent day after Monday to all of you most well perusers of the IWS blog web. I am IWS staff medico, Dr....

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Big What?

Fourteen? And we're <i>still</i> going to call the conference the Big Ten?<br /><br />After rumors persisted over the weekend, Maryland has voted - and approved - to leave the ACC and join the Big Ten conference in 2014. Rutgers is also talking to join the Big Ten as well.<br /><br />There was eighteen years between teams joining the Big Ten conference - Penn State in 1993 and Nebraska in 2011. Now there's only three. Is this how it's going to be? Teams jumping into the Big Ten like it's the Big East conference?<br /><br />I remember being pretty excited about the idea of Nebraska joining the Big Ten conference. My mouth was watering at the prospect of Michigan-Nebraska football games. Nebraska fit the mold of a Big Ten team: Midwestern, tough-as-nails, grass-fed beefy guys.<br /><br />When I heard about Maryland and Rutgers, I was a surprised, and not thrilled. Neither team is impressive, and the only championship of late was Maryland's basketball championship back in 2002. Neither is a team you'd think of first when it came to "elite college teams." If anything, both are very regional teams - known to other universities in the <i>East</i>. <br /><br />We'll see how this lineup turns out in the long run. But I return to my original question: after only changing the logo and adding a championship game and divisions, will the Big Ten be forced to scrap all of that because the number of teams keeps going farther and farther away from ten? Will this conference eventually be known as Big Ten-Squared? (That's a lot of schools.)

Big What?

Fourteen? And we're still going to call the conference the Big Ten? After rumors persisted over the weekend, Maryland has voted - and a...

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Monday, Monday

<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a> Updates:</span><br /><br />This week's dose features <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/11/19/endesa-pavilion/">Endesa Pavilion</a> in Barcelona, Spain, by IaaC:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/11/19/endesa-pavilion/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Nov12-19.jpg" style="cursor: move;" title="This week's dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The featured past dose is the <a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2010/09/half-dose-78-still-action.html">Still Action</a> in Chicago, Illinois, by Brandon Pass Architect:<br /><a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2010/09/half-dose-78-still-action.html"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/still-action5.jpg" style="cursor: move;" title="featured past dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This week's book review features <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/11/19/three-books-about-architecture-and-its-relationship-to-landscape/"><i>Three Books About Architecture and Its Relationship to Landscape</i></a>:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/11/19/three-books-about-architecture-and-its-relationship-to-landscape/"><img alt="this week's book review" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/3books-archland.jpg" style="cursor: move;" title="This week's book review" width="640" /></a><br /><br />: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">World-Architects.com U.S. <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/projects/reviews/41">Building of the Week</a>:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.world-architects.com/en/projects/project-review-detail/38869_artsquest_center_at_steelstacks">Artsquest Center at SteelStacks</a> in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Spillman Farmer Architects:<br /><a href="http://www.world-architects.com/en/projects/project-review-detail/38869_artsquest_center_at_steelstacks"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://c214210.r10.cf3.rackcdn.com/files/projects/38869/images/900:w/AQC03.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Monday, Monday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates: This week's dose features Endesa Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain, by IaaC: The featured past dose ...

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Teenage Gamers Are Better At Virtual Surgery Than MDs | Popular Science

<base href="data:"><div style="font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; " class=""><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; 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); position: static; z-index: auto; " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">A lot of people see videogames as the archetypal time-waster. That's silly, and there have been a lot of studies that show why. The latest? Researchers have found that high school- and college-age gamers are better virtual surgeons than medical residents.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; 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); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Scientists from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston had a hunch that students with a regular videogame diet (high school sophomores who played two hours of games a day and college students who played four) would be primed for virtual surgery tools. They were right. When performance with those tools was measured, the game-playing students did better than a group of residents at UTMB. It was only slightly better, but still. Kinda makes you wonder: Who do you really want poking you with needles, a prim Harvard-educated resident or a slovenly high school kid who spends Friday nights playing Call of <i class="">Duty</i>?</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; 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); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">The study used a machine that replicated surgeries--suture this, pass off that needle, etc. It then measured the users' competency based on how well they did the tasks, including the tension they put on their instruments and their overall hand-eye coordination. The high school students did best, followed by the college group, followed by the UTMB residents.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; 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); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">For something to compare the results to, researchers also had the groups perform simulations without the gaming-type robotic aid used in the first test--an experiment that tested a different set of cognitive traits. The young gamers got trounced by the residents in that field.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; 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); position: static; z-index: auto; " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">This doesn't mean we all need to rush to get our surgeons the latest copy of <i class="">Halo 4</i>. Most physicians working today, researchers note, weren't trained with robotic surgery tools. But having the same gaming background as the students probably wouldn't hurt, and researchers say we should reconsider how to train surgeons from the Xbox Generation.</font></div></div><a href="http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2012-11/teenage-gamers-are-better-virtual-surgery-medical-professionals" class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2012-11/teenage-gamers-are-better-virtual-surgery-medical-professionals</font></a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; " class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Teenage Gamers Are Better At Virtual Surgery Than MDs | Popular Science

A lot of people see videogames as the archetypal time-waster. That's silly, and there have been a lot of studies that show why. The late...

Read more »