Highlights of the FBC Lindale Ergun Caner Presentation

Last night First Baptist Church of Lindale (TX) hosted a James White presentation on the Ergun Caner scandal and what White calls the "Great Evangelical Cover-Up".<br /><br />White not only laid out clearly the decade long deceit of Ergun Caner, but he also explained in length how he himself became involved in the controversy. Fully understanding White's interest and purpose in helping expose the Caner scandal is quite helpful to anyone who might question the validity of White's claims concerning Caner. <br /><br />At the bottom is the entire 2+ hour presentation. If you don't want to listen to the entire presentation, here are some highlights:<br /><br /><b>1. Pastor Tom Buck's Opening Comments</b><br /><br />For those of you who have followed the Ergun Caner saga over the last 3 years, I highly recommend listening to FBC Lindale's pastors comments on the video that start at the 17:00 mark of the video, and end at the 25:00 mark. It is very significant to finally hear a Southern Baptist pastor call out Caner for his deception and fabrications.<br /><br />In his comments, Buck explains why he hosted the event. He expresses his concern over the "fabrications" of Ergun Caner, and the removal of videos and bios as a part of the Great Evangelical Coverup. He expresses concern over Caner's latest Tweets categorically denying the charges and claiming he has been exonerated. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>"It saddens me....that there are so many who have participated in the cover-up of this. And so tonight really is an interest in the pursuit of truth....I think this is an important issue to be addressed, has nothing to do with reformed theology, it has to do completely with whether the claims of Dr. Caner are true or not true....I found it also quite proper, or appropriate I should say that Dr. Caner gave his same presentation behind this pulpit, prior to me coming here. Many of the same fabrications were declared directly from here. So I think its quite appropriate to examine these in one of the places he stood." Tom Buck, 9/10/13</b></i></div><br />So my hat is off to Tom Buck for being as far as I know, the only SBC pastor to stand publicly and call for Caner to admit to his lies and deceptions. It is too bad that there are not 100s of SBC pastors who have the same concern Buck has for the integrity of his profession and his convention and for the Christian message they proclaim.<br /><br /><b>2. Caner's "Opening Statement" - 2006 Sermon from Thomas Road Baptist Church</b><br /><br />I think White made a very wise decision in opening his presentation by playing a 10 minute excerpt of Caner's testimony that Caner delivered in a sermon back in 2006 at Thomas Road Baptist Church, with Jerry Falwell sitting behind him on the platform. I don't think I've ever seen this sermon before - and it shows that even in that very large venue Caner was not truthful about his background. This starts at the 32:00 minute mark of the video.<br /><br />Caner has the same phony Arabic-sounding dialect as he preaches, declaring that he came as a missionary.<br /><br />This sermon reminds me much of Caner's 2001 sermon in Jacksonville, with Jerry Vines sitting right behind him.<br /><br /><b>3. White's Response to a Question at the End</b><br /><br />One of the most important parts of the presentation I think, that points to the opportunistic nature of Caner and the motives for his decade of deceit, is White's excellent response to a question about what brought Caner to his prominence? White absolutely nails it:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>"Before 9/11, he was 'Butch Caner'. He just went by the name Butch. Very shortly, I'm not sure of the date, was it First Baptist Jacksonville?...shortly after 9/11 all of a sudden he is asked to speak at a very, very large Baptist church, and this story starts to develop. And because of the fact that it was post 9/11, I mean all of us are sitting around going 'How and why did they do this?'  Here comes someone who says 'I was trained in this, I know this, it's my background, I'm a Christian now.' And there was a real thirst for that. He's not the only one who's done this, by the way, in the sense of cashing in on the hysteria and unfortunately ignorance on the part of many Christians....and that's why he still gets to travel and do the things he does."</b></i></div><br />Yes, Butch Caner became "Ergun Mehmet Caner" after 9/11 and with the help of the likes of Jerry Vines and Jerry Falwell Caner became an instant hit as gullible Christians (myself included) were seeking to make sense of the events of 9/11 in the context of our Christian faith. This is precisely why I was originally involved in this controversy on my blog - because myself and my family and extended family were present in that <a href="http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/2010/03/ergun-caners-november-2001-fbc-jax.html" target="_blank">First Baptist Jacksonville sermon</a> that launched Caner to stardom, as my pastor Jerry Vines nodded approvingly on the platform as Caner deceived Vines' entire congregation that day. It is too bad that Vines didn't do his due diligence in checking Caner out back in 2001. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QvQPUetHEsY" width="560"></iframe></div>

Highlights of the FBC Lindale Ergun Caner Presentation

Last night First Baptist Church of Lindale (TX) hosted a James White presentation on the Ergun Caner scandal and what White calls the "...

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9:45 a.m. ... 9/11/2001 ... White House evacuated

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMMOmhkvRnupGJIvFtURwbh7w7ph09MbUO-Z8OZxsQDDevpUKvvy7cai-bJldj5NaUsqo4DMXJi81LTkgvdpXtjs5HqoYcfLHcxzMIZ0VFMKGe7LRJAFOb28D8lEjHlibHGfceMqDiU8J/s1600/White+House+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMMOmhkvRnupGJIvFtURwbh7w7ph09MbUO-Z8OZxsQDDevpUKvvy7cai-bJldj5NaUsqo4DMXJi81LTkgvdpXtjs5HqoYcfLHcxzMIZ0VFMKGe7LRJAFOb28D8lEjHlibHGfceMqDiU8J/s400/White+House+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The Twin Towers had been attacked by airplanes an hour earlier ... Pan Am Flight 77 had flown into the Pentagon ... and now <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2008/09/heroes-of-flight-93-lets-roll.html">United Flight 93</a> was being followed on radar flying toward Washington, D.C. No one was aware of the struggle going on inside that aircraft as passengers, aware of terrorism attacks earlier that morning, vowed to storm the cockpit and avoid whatever disaster the terrorist pilots had in mind.<br /><br />The White House was evacuated at 9:45. Employees were urgently directed by Secret Service to leave the building and, as the evacuation was under way, it was stepped up as shouts told them to get away from the White House and Old Executive Office Building as fast as they could. Women took off their shoes and ran in their stocking feet out the White House grounds and onto the street and down the sidewalk. One of them was my sister.<br /><br />Flight 93 would go down at 10:06 a.m. taking the brave souls with it who prevented further national tragedy. May we <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2008/09/heroes-of-flight-93-lets-roll.html">never forget the herorism</a> of those on Flight 93.<br /><br />9/11/2001 ... may we never forget.

9/11/2001 Pan Am Flight 77 Pentagon Terrorism United Flight 93 Washington White House evacuation 9:45 a.m. ... 9/11/2001 ... White House evacuated

The Twin Towers had been attacked by airplanes an hour earlier ... Pan Am Flight 77 had flown into the Pentagon ... and now United Flight 93...

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Project Based Learning and WILD School Sites

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>This is the second in a series about using the outdoors to help meet new education standards.  This entry is provided by John Windau, Wildlife Communications Specialist in the Wildlife District Two office in Findlay, Ohio.</em></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpPGITp6tl3Qm49VaSu4pfaoixJT8S0fvpH1bBIx3sf5BajQtl8pkUVfjJAaENcLc42aLDqQCyUyf3Qj78B5RoUxvs5HiduhWlb6nzdHgEbgQzYb5uFEIkUJqLxWEqLS2s8O55zkLrwkW/s1600/PBL+Elementary+Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpPGITp6tl3Qm49VaSu4pfaoixJT8S0fvpH1bBIx3sf5BajQtl8pkUVfjJAaENcLc42aLDqQCyUyf3Qj78B5RoUxvs5HiduhWlb6nzdHgEbgQzYb5uFEIkUJqLxWEqLS2s8O55zkLrwkW/s200/PBL+Elementary+Cover.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://biepbl.blogspot.com/2010/11/wheres-elementary-love-for-pbl.html" target="_blank">Excellent PBL Blog</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Schools are back in session and many teachers are faced with figuring out how to implement the new education standards into their curriculum. The new standards call for teachers to use Project Based Learning (PBL) in which students undertake projects from the beginning design stages, through construction and, finally, to completion. PBL also calls for multidiscipline learning, where students integrate multiple subjects into the project. This new PBL thing sounds a lot like a WILD School Site to me. So what are WILD School Sites? WILD School Sites, or outdoor classrooms, are locations that can be used by students, teachers and the school community as places to learn about wildlife and the environment. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><h4> <o:p> </o:p>So what type of projects make up a WILD School Site?<o:p></o:p></h4><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xAYAE4KycOjrnS1358TY75yGDcQ7MaIldHzl8TiTvPkBylqahrl3IPCMFlGMVYFt3qoS_X26UxMqlLqN5gNzG2dMn7YqWpiHTMwbBIOJMvyDqMMpS-OrmFWLk8AAV9jVGid17juT5UIe/s1600/NewTechNetwork%2520garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xAYAE4KycOjrnS1358TY75yGDcQ7MaIldHzl8TiTvPkBylqahrl3IPCMFlGMVYFt3qoS_X26UxMqlLqN5gNzG2dMn7YqWpiHTMwbBIOJMvyDqMMpS-OrmFWLk8AAV9jVGid17juT5UIe/s200/NewTechNetwork%2520garden.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a class="irc_hol irc_itl" data-ved="0CAcQjB0wAA" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=plAbS5vlXDN7zM&tbnid=g1t8H6DODQRTjM:&ved=0CAcQjB0wAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.districtadministration.com%2Farticle%2Fchallenge-assessing-project-based-learning&ei=028wUrTrBIqJrAH79IC4Dw&psig=AFQjCNGGYIq6tIu9Eft4_bt-JfJyUBbO9w&ust=1378992467140827"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="color: #d6d6d6;">www.districtadministration.com</span></span></a><span class="irc_dim"></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No two school sites are the same, so each site will consist of different projects. Available resources, such as time, money, space and labor, will also play a role in what projects are </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chosen. The sites function within the premise that every school, regardless of size and location, can provide outdoor educational opportunities that can and should be part of any integrated education program. The first thing to do when developing a site is to formulate a plan. You can contact your <a href="http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/ContactUsStandIn/tabid/18270/Default.aspx" target="_blank">district Wildlife Communication Specialist</a>, who can walk you through the process to help ensure success.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Projects can be as simple as adding perching posts or feeding stations for birds, or more involved like butterfly and rain gardens. Even extremely large projects like ponds and wetlands have been installed by some schools. Size, whether large or small, has no bearing on how useful or beneficial a project is. Even simple projects can have an enormous impact on students when incorporated into lessons. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><h4>So, how do WILD School Sites fit into PBL?<o:p></o:p></h4><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WILD School Sites are projects in which students, teachers and the community work together toward designing, building and implementing an outdoor learning area. To be effective, there must be a plan. Teachers can have professionals, like your local Wildlife Communication Specialist, <a href="http://ohiodnr.com/tabid/9093/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Soil and Water Conservation District specialists</a>, natural resources managers from local nonprofits such as Pheasants Forever or the Nature Conservancy, come in and talk with the students about designing outdoor learning areas. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiS-HuVnWODlBo4Lu4GzKSUwNeLq8wropOLIY1IWueo42ry6IAibDy-Zwr8FRp7_5GON5l0Wbx6-FefttpZ5XMZr8iT9gu6eDnYh4MCkjPjSnIy5Q1el2Tqs4g8B2azjZUwBl9XGREjLW/s1600/birding1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiS-HuVnWODlBo4Lu4GzKSUwNeLq8wropOLIY1IWueo42ry6IAibDy-Zwr8FRp7_5GON5l0Wbx6-FefttpZ5XMZr8iT9gu6eDnYh4MCkjPjSnIy5Q1el2Tqs4g8B2azjZUwBl9XGREjLW/s200/birding1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a class="irc_hol irc_itl" data-ved="0CAQQjB0" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=pcUgonwCNu3OiM&tbnid=n0O3sSB7qHCh-M:&ved=0CAQQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bishopoconnell.org%2Fpage.cfm%3Fp%3D676%26newsid%3D289&ei=QXIwUuvxDLOFyQGO7oHoBQ&psig=AFQjCNEp0tE_po7TzUCa0pnUtGcLOEYI2w&ust=1378993009913954"><span class="irc_ho"><span style="color: #d6d6d6;">www.bishopoconnell.org</span></span></a><span class="irc_dim"></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Next, the site should be evaluated and inventoried for flora and fauna. Suggestions for conducting habitat evaluations can be obtained from your local Wildlife Communication Specialist. Students can then research various projects and design an overall plan for the site, including a budget and a timeline. This plan should then be presented to the school administration, other students and faculty as well as the community. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the plan has been reviewed, and possibly adjusted, it can be implemented. It is important that students play a role in the site construction. Try to incorporate as many students, grades and faculty as possible to help ensure a long-lasting project. The more people you involve, the more ownership they will take of the project.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><h4>Do WILD School Sites fit into other areas of the new standards?<o:p></o:p></h4><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Absolutely! Although Project WILD and WILD School Sites are directly referenced in the Model Curriculum for Science, teachers from other disciplines can also utilize the area. WILD School Sites also fit well into math, language arts and social studies. Art and music </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EaYnWVDEDFyEBAy8XJC2P3dIsbAMgIq3mdClUE9FRMCuHhUKMScSP_x7v2JIIDxc7a7NuBzAOprQXSLHcVundFVIB-simPTaUsy7fUy5kUPDvu7zWMQX1t4s91HMHx69w84T0X-K7KZE/s1600/Painting-OUTDOORS-like-Monet-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EaYnWVDEDFyEBAy8XJC2P3dIsbAMgIq3mdClUE9FRMCuHhUKMScSP_x7v2JIIDxc7a7NuBzAOprQXSLHcVundFVIB-simPTaUsy7fUy5kUPDvu7zWMQX1t4s91HMHx69w84T0X-K7KZE/s200/Painting-OUTDOORS-like-Monet-5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thinkitthroughparenting.com/index.php/earth-day-2013-nature-journaling-with-kids/" target="_blank">Journalling and Art Outdoors</a> </td></tr></tbody></table>teachers can also help inspire students by immersing them in the natural world that exists around them.Obviously, the model curriculum is too long to reference each standard here; however, much of the science curriculum references Project WILD, from which WILD School Sites evolved. Where better to conduct observations, habitat inventories or other investigations, than at an outdoor lab? </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><h4>A Final Thought<o:p></o:p></h4><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WILD School Sites provide opportunities, in their design and construction, as well as in their use, for students to apply learned concepts and to demonstrate what they have learned. This is also the premise for Project Based Learning. For more information about these projects or other WILD School Site projects, contact your district’s<a href="http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/ContactUsStandIn/tabid/18270/Default.aspx" target="_blank"> Wildlife Communication Specialist</a> or the state office at 1-800-WILDLIFE or <a href="mailto:outdoor.education@dnr.state.oh.us">outdoor.education@dnr.state.oh.us</a> </span><br />

Project Based Learning and WILD School Sites

This is the second in a series about using the outdoors to help meet new education standards.  This entry is provided by John Windau, Wild...

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9:37 a.m. ... 9/11/2001 ... Pentagon attacked

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3uQh3gsxq3PDeSYlGwNsSsFpsSLRR3WjeJ5LSNlVsZ283cW0q9_FJcUh5HQyRIoa07by2IWvYcY-dUI8P8B7bvD9jg5rh88kixgKkzQAHr0GnjGEShWo0MyYY9eIpChZW-iZeWKPvZbI/s1600/Pentagon+on+9-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3uQh3gsxq3PDeSYlGwNsSsFpsSLRR3WjeJ5LSNlVsZ283cW0q9_FJcUh5HQyRIoa07by2IWvYcY-dUI8P8B7bvD9jg5rh88kixgKkzQAHr0GnjGEShWo0MyYY9eIpChZW-iZeWKPvZbI/s400/Pentagon+on+9-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />9:37 a.m. The Pentagon located in Arlington, Virginia ... the military nerve center of the United States ... was struck by terrorism as the terrorist attacks on America continued....<br /><br />9/11 ... may we never forget.

9/11/2001 Arlington Pentagon Terrorism 9:37 a.m. ... 9/11/2001 ... Pentagon attacked

9:37 a.m. The Pentagon located in Arlington, Virginia ... the military nerve center of the United States ... was struck by terrorism as the ...

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8:55 a.m. ... 9/11/2001 ... President George W. Bush told of World Trade Center attack

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K7on6C_7K9ubDJ4z_VTN7aQb4LTazya6S4rVTufXYry58vZQYWPXTRaLDD_yamai-CY9gmwdIAR025Vtndz1Hhs0cjd0pqqFpXURF5PDiYXarq-F6BBpBUp1V8fq6yycX_YAx_Lvomzo/s1600/George+W.+Bush+39+Andy+Card+9-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K7on6C_7K9ubDJ4z_VTN7aQb4LTazya6S4rVTufXYry58vZQYWPXTRaLDD_yamai-CY9gmwdIAR025Vtndz1Hhs0cjd0pqqFpXURF5PDiYXarq-F6BBpBUp1V8fq6yycX_YAx_Lvomzo/s400/George+W.+Bush+39+Andy+Card+9-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />8:55 a.m. Chief of Staff Andy Card informed President George W. Bush that an airplane had flown into the World Trade Center. The President was visiting a classroom in Sarasota, Florida, and kept a calm demeanor to not alarm the young students.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">9/11 ... may we never forget.<br /><i></i></span></span>

9/11/2001 Andy Card Florida George W. Bush Terrorism World Trade Center 8:55 a.m. ... 9/11/2001 ... President George W. Bush told of World Trade Center attack

8:55 a.m. Chief of Staff Andy Card informed President George W. Bush that an airplane had flown into the World Trade Center. The President w...

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8:46 a.m. ... 9/11/2001 ... America is under attack as World Trade Center is hit

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioD6oNBwSlk4llX70c11nvBeRnjubDmFlwYpdI7ypAt8jKKzX-VdqaCggG5h2CyIL8EnCcTQX-0sNvGlu-xij95F9xgXKM2lAS4jCXFjbduGfbQb4p8bpJmhb53CO-7RNyybbCl6_kKkbD/s1600/9-11-01+Twin+Towers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioD6oNBwSlk4llX70c11nvBeRnjubDmFlwYpdI7ypAt8jKKzX-VdqaCggG5h2CyIL8EnCcTQX-0sNvGlu-xij95F9xgXKM2lAS4jCXFjbduGfbQb4p8bpJmhb53CO-7RNyybbCl6_kKkbD/s640/9-11-01+Twin+Towers.jpg" width="572" /></a></div><br /><i>"We've defeated freedom's enemies before, and we will defeat them again. ... There is a difference between being alert and being intimidated and this great nation will never be intimidated."</i>  <br /><div align="center">- President George W. Bush, 2001</div><br /><b>8:46 a.m.</b> It began with first one tower and then the other of the World Trade Center hit by commercial airliners. America was under attack. <br /><br /><br />It has been twelve years since the worst terrorist attacks ever on American soil on September 11, 2001, a beautiful morning in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York City. Most can remember where they were when they heard the news of commercial airplanes hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists hitting the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and crashing into a Pennsylvania field on its way to destroy the U.S. Capitol or White House in D.C.<br /><br />Twelve years later the emotions are still raw for those who were affected by that day. While the memory has faded for some and a younger generation was too little for it to be significant, others will never forget. <br /><br /><b>On September 11, 2001, terrorists killed 3,030 people and 2,337 were injured.</b> The oldest victim was 85 years old; the youngest was two years old and on her way to Disneyland.<br /><br /><b>Those 3,030 lost souls were from more than 90 nations; most were Americans.</b> Sadly, 3,051 children lost a parent while 1,609 adults lost a spouse or partner.<br /><br /><b>New York City lost 343 firefighters and paramedics, and 75 NYPD officers perished.</b> The ones who survived have deep emotional memories of that day. <br /><br /><b>Over 20 percent of Americans knew someone who was hurt or killed on 9/11.</b> The resulting fires at the World Trade Center burned until December, 99 days after the attacks. More than 300 firefighters went on leave from respiratory problems as of January 2002; more have had problems in the years since. Clearing the sites involved removing 1,506,124 tons of debris.<br /><br /><b>The Pentagon, one of the most secure buildings in the world, was hit </b>by hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 resulting in 124 deaths and 76 injuries at the Pentagon in addition to the loss of 64 passengers on the plane.<br /><br /><b>United Airlines Flight 93 spiraled into the ground outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania,</b> taking with it 40 souls who fought back and prevented additional national tragedy when the plane did not reach Washington, DC.<br /><br /><b>President George W. Bush addressed the nation that night and promised to protect the American people and hunt down those responsible,</b> saying, "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve."<br /><br /><div align="left"><b>Today thank a military member, firefighter, police officer, and other First Responders</b> ... say a prayer for those who were lost and their families ... educate the younger generation so they will be alert to this always-present danger ... and never forget.<br /><br /><b>9/11/2001: May we never forget.</b></div>

9/11/2001 Terrorism World Trade Center 8:46 a.m. ... 9/11/2001 ... America is under attack as World Trade Center is hit

"We've defeated freedom's enemies before, and we will defeat them again. ... There is a difference between being alert and be...

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Governor Bob McDonnell: 9/11 a day of remembrance, patriotism, and prayer

On the 12th anniversary of the terrorism attacks that came to America on September 11, 2001, Virginia's Governor Bob McDonnell called on his fellow citizens to pause at 9:37 a.m. to remember when American Airlines Flight 77 impacted with the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.<br /><br />Today has been proclaimed a <a href="http://www.governor.virginia.gov/OurCommonwealth/Proclamations/viewproc.cfm?id=390">Day of Remembrance, Patriotism and Prayer in the Commonwealth of Virginia</a>.<br /><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">9/11 Day of Remembrance, Patriotism and Prayer</span></b><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">WHEREAS,</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> the events of September 11, 2001 profoundly affected - and continue to affect - all aspects of our society, and the lives of Virginians, Americans and people across the world were changed forever following the destruction of the World Trade Center complex in New York City, the attack against the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the crash of Flight 93 in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania; and</span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">WHEREAS</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">, twelve years later the citizens of our Commonwealth and these United States continue to mourn for the more than three thousand innocent voices that were tragically silenced-including 184 in Virginia at the Pentagon-by terrorists on that infamous day of death and destruction; and</span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">WHEREAS,</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> it is imperative that we never forget our shock and revulsion at the needless destruction, the bravery of our first responders who risked all for their neighbors, our anguish from the sudden loss of so many precious lives, or how we as a people did not succumb to a state of fear as the terrorists intended, but instead set aside our differences and united as patriots in our country's hour of need; and</span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">WHEREAS,</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> while we reflect upon the memory of the departed, it is important that we also pause to remember and honor the sacrifices of all those members of our armed forces who have given their lives in heroic service to our country and all members of our military who have volunteered to bring those responsible for the 9/11 attacks and their supporters to justice during the Global War on Terror; and</span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">WHEREAS,</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> prayer has long served as a measure of our nation's strong heritage of faith and has been an indispensable source of moral and spiritual guidance for citizens throughout our Commonwealth's history, and it is fitting that our Commonwealth reserve a day in which our citizens may reflect and mourn - consistent with their own faith traditions - with those who have suffered as a result of terrorism, to humbly ask God for the strength and fortitude necessary to protect our lives, liberty and property from future transgressions, and to give thanks for the freedoms with which we as a people are fortunate enough to be blessed;</span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">NOW, THEREFORE</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">, I, Robert F. McDonnell, do hereby recognize September 11, 2013 as a DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, PATRIOTISM AND PRAYER in our <b>COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA</b>, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens; and</span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">FURTHERMORE</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">, I urge all citizens of our Commonwealth to display the flag of the United States of America wherever possible, and I invite all to witness a one-minute, statewide Moment of Silence starting at 9:37 AM - when American Airlines Flight 77 impacted with the Pentagon in our County of Arlington - and I encourage all Virginians to reflect upon the lives lost and heroic sacrifices made on that fateful eleventh day of September.</span>

9/11/2001 Bob McDonnell Day of Remembrance never forget Patriotism and Prayer in the Commonwealth of Virginia Terrorism Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell: 9/11 a day of remembrance, patriotism, and prayer

On the 12th anniversary of the terrorism attacks that came to America on September 11, 2001, Virginia's Governor Bob McDonnell called on...

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estate sales strike again

Saturday was a peaceful day. The hubs and I had both had long, stressful weeks and we had zero plans for the weekend. A rare treat. The girls slept in and the sun was shining. Life was good. If I was in a Disney movie, I would have been singing in a field with a blue bird on my shoulder.<br /><br />We went out to breakfast and were heading to the park for some quality playground time when we drove by my favorite Saturday sight - an estate sale sign. My sweet and loving hubs, who knows me so well, immediately said "drop us off at the park and you can run by and check out the sale." (he gets an extra Christmas present this year) I <strike>threw</strike> helped everyone out of the car and drove over to check it out.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaR9LEyX06ITkK3aM9q0n13hg7UYRSFxks-6vjSdwWh67PxReSZGvoq6K82F2LAH9NNX_g7SigmjGNIzoAbRPbrwjRwhqfJ0yh2riWa4kexfWGH93C8zz8w6oHFMrn25C6UuMHSdVqPmSw/s1600/Elephantsidetableestate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaR9LEyX06ITkK3aM9q0n13hg7UYRSFxks-6vjSdwWh67PxReSZGvoq6K82F2LAH9NNX_g7SigmjGNIzoAbRPbrwjRwhqfJ0yh2riWa4kexfWGH93C8zz8w6oHFMrn25C6UuMHSdVqPmSw/s640/Elephantsidetableestate.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />It was crowded but I wasn't finding anything that spoke to me. Until, on my way out, I saw him. I smiled and he said "pick me."<br /><br />His trunk was "injured" as the lady told me, but all of his parts were right there next to him just waiting to be put back together. And at $2.50 I couldn't go wrong. If this dude was in tip top shape he would be a few hundred. Until...crap. I was so busy enjoying my lazy Saturday that I had been too lazy to remember my wallet.<br /><br />I ran out to the car and checked for loose change. I found a dollar in quarters and took a chance. I explained that I wanted the broken elephant and was it negotiable. "All I have is a dollar," I said in my best 'take pity on my' voice.<br /><br />"I'll give it to you for $1if you promise not to use Elmer's Glue to put it back together. That just won't hold like you'll want it to," said the old lady in charge.<br /><br />Umm, OK. That's a deal.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETXOIDVhPXJ-86UkJzRT24Fsxk9ck3zaf9OpI2VtPir3p_SA1jRBYFRGBbRcPgf4Vn6kMJchbvYY2ErGCXMxSbJ4loN0XvXe3U-mD-bdHH8PEV0MKwGNqIyPJDeoF46bPYFYpggQqFfgC/s1600/TopofElephantTable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETXOIDVhPXJ-86UkJzRT24Fsxk9ck3zaf9OpI2VtPir3p_SA1jRBYFRGBbRcPgf4Vn6kMJchbvYY2ErGCXMxSbJ4loN0XvXe3U-mD-bdHH8PEV0MKwGNqIyPJDeoF46bPYFYpggQqFfgC/s640/TopofElephantTable.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I love his detail.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-vRFWcI6AjUIZDsha318k6Fi9Ye9KC7t1YrQFlzvFGs36J-DEIwSGr6N0ijaJRp9TM7w9lhJZ-ssAh32ztfLMjXJXqc6BRfGVZoiwO2usCB8Kyi_AfKcAAqd4EwWxbrwtVFOtDCP7yd-/s1600/FrontofElephantTable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-vRFWcI6AjUIZDsha318k6Fi9Ye9KC7t1YrQFlzvFGs36J-DEIwSGr6N0ijaJRp9TM7w9lhJZ-ssAh32ztfLMjXJXqc6BRfGVZoiwO2usCB8Kyi_AfKcAAqd4EwWxbrwtVFOtDCP7yd-/s640/FrontofElephantTable.jpg" width="608" /></a></div><br />And I think I will name him Elmer. In honor of the coo coo lady who let me have him for $1.<br /><br />Do you have any good estate sale stories? Do you have something you couldn't pass up, even if it wasn't in the best shape? Have you ever tried to glue something this heavy back together using Elmer's? I didn't think so.<br /><br />And remember, there is still time to <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/09/ao-at-home-giveaway.html" target="_blank">sign up for your chance to win a $200 gift card to Target</a>! (oh yeah). <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/09/ao-at-home-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Giveaway</a> ends Friday!

estate sales strike again

Saturday was a peaceful day. The hubs and I had both had long, stressful weeks and we had zero plans for the weekend. A rare treat. The girl...

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Today's Teamster News 09.11.13

<a href="http://www.teamster.org/sites/teamster.org/files/TNATINCupdate91013revised.pdf" rel="nofollow">Bankruptcy Court Judge Reopens Auction To Sell Allied</a>  teamster.org   ...A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge on Monday, September 9 granted the company’srequest to reopen the auction to sell the assets of Allied Systems Holdings and related companies. The ruling gives Teamster-represented Jack Cooper Transport the chance to show it is best suited to keep Allied operating into the future...<br /><a href="http://www.teamster.org/sites/teamster.org/files/91013A1578VetoCoalitionStatementdocs.pdf" rel="nofollow">Coalition for Healthy Ports: NJ Governor Christie Vetoes Pro-Worker Legislation</a>  teamster.org   ...It’s a shame that the Governor allows the pervasive practice of worker misclassification to go on unchecked in New Jersey when so many workers, and the state, are being cheated...<br /><a href="http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=944788#.Ui_v_eCEzww" rel="nofollow">Teamsters say Ottumwa bus strike possible</a>  KTVO   ...Local union officials say a disruption in bus service that provides transportation to Ottumwa school students may be coming in the near future...<br /><a href="http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/jolts-shows-jobs-static-again-31-unemployed-opening-july-2013-5365" rel="nofollow">JOLTS Shows Jobs Static Again - 3.1 Unemployed Per Opening in July 2013</a>  Economic Populist   ...If one takes the official broader definition of unemployment, or U-6, the ratio becomes 6* unemployed people per each job opening...<br /><a href="http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/good-help-isnt-hard-to-find?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+beat_the_press+%28Beat+the+Press%29" rel="nofollow">Good Help Isn't Hard to Find</a>  Center for Economic and Policy Research   ...people with college educations are increasingly turning to fast food restaurants for employment...<br /><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/republicans-try-to-cut-food-stamps-as-15-of-us-households-face-hunger/279465/" rel="nofollow">Republicans Try to Cut Food Stamps as 15% of U.S. Households Face Hunger</a>  The Atlantic   ...A  GOP plan would yank federal food help from some 6 million people. Meanwhile, 49 million Americans live in households that have trouble putting meals on the table...<br /><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2013/09/the-cost-of-cash.html" rel="nofollow">The Cost of Cash, for the Rich and the Poor </a> The New Yorker   ...In the U.S., the poorest individuals surveyed spend an average of more than three times as much as the wealthiest ones to access cash—specifically, about eighty-one cents a month for those earning under twenty-one thousand dollars annually, compared with twenty-five cents for those earning more than a hundred thousand dollars...<br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-10/banks-seen-at-risk-five-years-after-lehman-collapse.html" rel="nofollow">Banks Seen at Risk Five Years After Lehman Collapse</a>  Bloomberg   ...While the amount of capital at the six largest U.S. lenders has almost doubled since 2008, policy makers and some Wall Street veterans say that’s not enough. They see a system still too leveraged, complicated and interconnected to withstand a panic, and regulators ill-equipped to head one off -- the same conditions that led to the last crisis...<br /><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/08/1237174/-Student-loan-bubble-ready-to-burst#" rel="nofollow">Student loan bubble ready to burst</a>  Daily Kos   ... JP Morgan pulling out of a bubble market after several years of parabolic increases in debt has caused many people to recall the smart money leaving the subprime housing market in 2006-2007 just before the entire financial system imploded...<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/in-the-hills-of-michoacan-self-defense-groups-battle-a-mexican-drug-cartel/2013/09/09/6947e47a-119f-11e3-a2b3-5e107edf9897_story.html" rel="nofollow">In Mexico, self-defense groups battle a cartel</a>  Washington Post   ...An audacious band of citizen militias battling a brutal drug cartel in the hills of central Mexico is becoming increasingly well-armed and coordinated in an attempt to end years of violence, extortion and humiliation...<br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/sep/10/french-unions-hold-protests-over-pension-reforms---live">French unions hold pension protests</a>  The Guardian   ...Let by the hardline CGT union, demonstrations will take place in 180 locations across France - as workers show their anger against Hollande's proposal to make them pay larger contributions and wait longer to collect their pensions...<br /><a href="http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2013/09/10/murphys-law-the-debtor-governor/" rel="nofollow">MURPHY’S LAW The Debtor Governor </a> Urban Milwaukee   ...Figures from non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau figures show Walker’s debt level the worst since 1970...<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/11/nyregion/results-of-new-york-citys-mayoral-primaries.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" rel="nofollow">De Blasio First in Mayoral Primary; Unclear if He Avoids Runoff</a>  New York Times   ...Bill de Blasio, whose campaign for mayor of New York tapped into a city’s deepening unease with income inequality and aggressive police practices, captured far more votes than any of his rivals in the Democratic primary on Tuesday...<br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/9/bikers-denied-no-stop-permit-911-rally-will-ride-a/" rel="nofollow">Bikers denied no-stop permit for 9/11 rally through D.C. but will ride anyway</a>  Washington Times   ...The group said in a statement Sunday that D.C. officials denied their request for a special nonstop ride through town with a waiver for red lights, stop signs and other traffic signals. “What could have been a one or two hour ride through will now likely be an all day event,” the group said...

Today's Teamster News 09.11.13

Bankruptcy Court Judge Reopens Auction To Sell Allied  teamster.org   ...A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge on Monday, September 9 granted the c...

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Mmmm meringue!

<span style="font-size: large;">So cupcakes are out and meringues are in!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_HM6GgFhgv4lP9qSIgPveZ-zwpoKrmsd9vXws-Gb2m1G_hEDu2N-2Eql5-1euK8OUcwOXG_So4_28dMvErUegUZyvm7UL9xCSI52uP9SlVpIXE_8feOPvrSKh8FxWn5SW1PBBuKcYCJi/s640/blogger-image-612950224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_HM6GgFhgv4lP9qSIgPveZ-zwpoKrmsd9vXws-Gb2m1G_hEDu2N-2Eql5-1euK8OUcwOXG_So4_28dMvErUegUZyvm7UL9xCSI52uP9SlVpIXE_8feOPvrSKh8FxWn5SW1PBBuKcYCJi/s640/blogger-image-612950224.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have to agree!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">My favourite dessert is Eton Mess - crushed meringues mixed with whipped cream and strawberries.  Have you ever eaten it?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">I serve my Eton Mess in retro ice cream dessert bowls. I plan on buying mini Kilner jars and serving it in them for a cute funky look!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">See below pic for inspiration </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5U9wwJkSi9HuphIgJo4gePK2ufDOxzgszM1AL9RraYDuHu4gmd3BrkCONdCDiqba_NxqUxaxDYIzlsMOAwkbqLFJQIToXOtvoDM0fB7kWe1ocAsvg16sljJ0gcE5YhFOmWJy5IOWnlAf9/s640/blogger-image--523498528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5U9wwJkSi9HuphIgJo4gePK2ufDOxzgszM1AL9RraYDuHu4gmd3BrkCONdCDiqba_NxqUxaxDYIzlsMOAwkbqLFJQIToXOtvoDM0fB7kWe1ocAsvg16sljJ0gcE5YhFOmWJy5IOWnlAf9/s640/blogger-image--523498528.jpg" /></span></a></div>

Mmmm meringue!

So cupcakes are out and meringues are in! I have to agree! My favourite dessert is Eton Mess - crushed meringues mixed with whipped cream an...

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SchoolNet Webinar on Thursday 12th at 3:30pm ‘Have you discovered Learnist boards? Try creating one...’

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGg1QBSYygGhSnTHlGCxTYEkEJSJCLJa08N_TLBx201KV1aAvn7wHlKc-a1rtAPKMeXxuMlHTHxuJEUsNlVf2hD4zXmiKo6lirFSTfldmmwsogzG4MHHSHbsib6D1drHdWX-UiYv7W-g/s1600-h/webinars1%25255B2%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="webinars1" border="0" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYKGaamGjt9tyKGfhCrN6qgtqWnwfZU1teFsyfubjuz7FrWVvv4xj3hD0omrpawbcS0go-aFpNdyh8i0bp2iOg72AhtrFgZ8t3JhwKDU8aj8G6aC5MI03XiW2pg2q5eiyxBFwoh_nxaA/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="webinars1" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a webinar on Thursday afternoon at 3.30pm. Here are the details:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><b>Name</b></u>: Have you discovered Learnist boards? Try creating one...<br /><u><b>Summary</b></u>: With the Internet being so HUGE these days educators have to become master curators of content. A Learnist Board is a really useful way to curate and keep a record of the information that you need. I love using Diigo, Pinterest and Scoopit for curation purposes, but Learnist has its own unique properties that sets it apart as a useful way of collecting the sites you want to keep<strong>.<br /><u>Presenter</u></strong>: Fiona Beal<br /><b><u>Starting Time</u>:</b> Thursday 12 September 2013: 3:30 PM<br /><u><b>Duration</b></u>:15 – 20 mins <br /><u><b>URL</b></u>: <a href="http://meet78641452.adobeconnect.com/learnist/">http://meet78641452.adobeconnect.com/learnist/</a><br /><u><b>Access</b></u>: Anyone who has the URL for the meeting can enter the room </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please feel free to join us. </span></div>

webinars SchoolNet Webinar on Thursday 12th at 3:30pm ‘Have you discovered Learnist boards? Try creating one...’

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a webinar on Thursday afternoon at 3.30pm. Here are the details: Name : Have you discover...

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9/11/2013

<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDlud27peP_6RGfH3zE6NyZCsKY9UtXJTAod0xI9ew8qphXGYugkX0uPvEFDrthDmsqMt1h1W0yfcIuqt4gRIOCmmPum966dA4S5hcsJdKLy0UV19apLO8he7aLWRWRQu1QEUHGEb-shh/s1600/9713936371_f9e5cd562d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDlud27peP_6RGfH3zE6NyZCsKY9UtXJTAod0xI9ew8qphXGYugkX0uPvEFDrthDmsqMt1h1W0yfcIuqt4gRIOCmmPum966dA4S5hcsJdKLy0UV19apLO8he7aLWRWRQu1QEUHGEb-shh/s640/9713936371_f9e5cd562d_o.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Copyrighted by <a href="https://secure.flickr.com/photos/jackbyrneshill/">jack byrnes hill</a>

9/11/2013

Copyrighted by jack byrnes hill

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Introduce your class to Edmodo – a great Learning Management System

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzk7e8buCf1OB4g4gEQRW38L1EfxyyFcKHZtCzNGTYB7CxKnld8YumzfabgEqrl-RE24byAyP9mO6lSQvfcRUFtMCQWsFDSaHQL6xrrtpd3x-fhL8-Y6OnEqJsOLFFEzfSqssK7RndkiY/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="85" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRr1bgg7JL5VQbC-4UEAlvvY5qATedvXrpFWZfEHyQH0_0KPt39C_5yhHOzUoiPCnMEr850EkoKEWgm7Mwbm7PZsd6XIyyvbdv3dV_4YAGaUyJpPKkYgl9KXnAFjkcNGg9AbP1aEZO60/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="240" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.edmodo.com/home"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> has become the Learning Management System (LMS) of choice for many teachers around the world. Edmodo is one of those Learning Management Systems that every teacher can successfully use in their classroom whether they have PCs, a BYOD classroom, an iPad/tablet classroom or just one computer/tablet in the classroom. It works across the board. Best is, that if a teacher so desires, he/she can even invite the parents to join  the class Edmodo group as well. All Edmodo needs, really, is an enthusiastic teacher that has access to a laptop. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcNjztKijsMXnTLnhj-10TiJNmoFJCcGJ_OJmf-ULSKHRGD3bEIijFZbsiEz21ceF3h6vgkddmIDU7z4SxexJIF2mpmEhUvZKma2A4XmXfKwcyvL-83UnQpEsadg54aooUi9LyVD_QhM/s1600-h/image%25255B7%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Wx5Ji6aY7ddjjF5L0Pq0VfaCPB8V0sy9bEbQu3mD3Xem11fy-hy8xXCb_0hfQZzP4zSXR2HRj6X6cnSGSVjhk7gCm0HHwgeRuxjNr_uafX31KPMTCjZr0EgBLq5-aHVqODB1TDeVN1U/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></span></a></div><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What is Edmodo</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.edmodo.com/">Edmodo</a> is a free web-based platform that teachers can use to manage their class, share content, access homework and other school items. It is also a safe social networking place for the students in the class to connect and collaborate with one another.  What the students like about Edmodo is it’s Facebook-like appearance. Students don’t need email addresses – they sign in via an access code. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Edmodo’s features</span></strong><strong></strong></span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a<strong> collaboration feature</strong> where the teacher and students can add comments and share files such as PowerPoints, Word documents, videos etc can be shared.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a<strong> ‘folders’ feature which </strong>enables one to organize documents in a folder and share that folder with a class.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has an<strong> assignment feature</strong> which allows one to post an assignment with a due date and a task sheet, see who submitted it and when, mark it using a PDF annotation tool, grade/assess it and give feedback all in one neat place. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a<strong> quiz feature which enables on to</strong> create really quick and simple quizzes to use in class. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a <b>poll feature</b> which allows on to create quick survey polls in class. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a<strong> note feature</strong> where, for example, the students can write a reflection. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a<strong> members feature</strong> which enables on to manage one’s students in each class or group. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a<strong> small groups feature</strong> which is great for managing group work. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a<strong> discussion feature</strong> which enables an online discussion to take place</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm sure there are more features that I haven't yet got to know.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Using Edmodo in the classroom</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a Slideshare entitled ‘20 ways to use Edmodo’ </span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10110267" style="border-bottom: #ccc 0px solid; border-left: #ccc 1px solid; border-right: #ccc 1px solid; border-top: #ccc 1px solid; margin-bottom: 5px;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="427"> </iframe><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/seyfert6/20-ways-to-use-edmodo" target="_blank" title="20 Ways to Use Edmodo">20 Ways to Use Edmodo</a> </strong>from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/seyfert6" target="_blank">seyfert6</a></strong> </span></div><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A cheat sheet that summarises Edmodo</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This useful cheat sheet summarises Edmodo. Click on the image to be taken to the enlarged image</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqngDlwIG55g0KNj2xx19Z5IyZ1iPWaEnICbZemdGJCJCr1O9eCaZo38gCumT-7ecVk31G7i8fHuHJwfscwK2nor26AMYCSXftaxU5f4dGmenYLF-OjPD2GS1uqDjhtLuplk9Cjf1baYk/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="260" /></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">A full introduction to Edmodo provided by Russel Stannard</span></b>.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is is an excellent video tutorial created by <a href="http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/">Russel Stannard</a> in which he walks teacher through a step by step guide on how teachers can get started using Edmodo together with all of its features such as creating a group or class for  students, uploading files, adding comments...and many more.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DZHB6FfRjnQ" width="420"></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZHB6FfRjnQ&feature=youtu.be">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZHB6FfRjnQ&feature=youtu.be</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">.</span><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Edmodo Help Centre</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edmodo has a great <a href="https://support.edmodo.com/home#teacher">Help Centre</a> that has screencasts and tutorials to help you with any problem. See </span><a href="https://support.edmodo.com/home#entries/22460840-quick-guides-to-edmodo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://support.edmodo.com/home#entries/22460840-quick-guides-to-edmodo</a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Wonderful blog posts on using Edmodo</span></strong><u><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></u></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) <a href="http://reflectionsofeducator.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/edmodo-evernote-my-ideal-ipad-classroom-workflow/" target="_blank">Using Edmodo in the ipad classroom</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) <a href="http://reflectionsofeducator.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/10-reasons-i-love-using-edmodo-in-my-ipad-classroom/"><span style="font-weight: normal;">10 reasons I love using Edmodo in my iPad classroom…</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) </span><a href="http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/08/a-great-edmodo-cheat-sheet-for-teachers.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">A great Edmodo cheat sheet </a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) <a href="http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/a-handy-guide-to-everything-teachers.html" target="_blank">A handy guide to everything a teacher needs to know about Edmodo</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) Russel Stannards two training vidoes on Edmodo</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a) <a href="http://teachertrainingvideos.com/edmodo1/index.html">http://teachertrainingvideos.com/edmodo1/index.html</a><br />b) <a href="http://teachertrainingvideos.com/edmodo2/index.html">http://teachertrainingvideos.com/edmodo2/index.html</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />Why not try out using Edmodo as soon as possible? You'll be pleasantly surprised at how user-friendly it is.</span></div>

Edmodo Learning Management Systems Web tools Introduce your class to Edmodo – a great Learning Management System

Edmodo has become the Learning Management System (LMS) of choice for many teachers around the world. Edmodo is one of those Learning Manage...

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iPhone 5S and 5C Unlocked: Comes with Touch ID

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">The most awaited next generation smartphones from apple was unveiled on Tuesday. iPhone 5S and 5C launched at an event with many new and exciting features. Here we discuss about the features and specifications of both devices.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l6u5UtXYTdw/UjAQ0CksvjI/AAAAAAAAAUc/389tVBU4b5s/s1600/iphone5s_iphone5c-590x330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l6u5UtXYTdw/UjAQ0CksvjI/AAAAAAAAAUc/389tVBU4b5s/s1600/iphone5s_iphone5c-590x330.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">geek.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The iPhone 5S is the next version of iPhone 5 and comes with many new features.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><ul><li>Fingerprint scanner: As <a href="http://pc-gadgetworld.blogspot.in/2013/08/apple-will-uncover-its-next-generation.html" target="_blank">rumours</a> said and now its confirm 5S comes with fingerprint scanner and it is called as Touch ID. It will works as password for your device.</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8BMMC9u2_g/UjARSKcFTHI/AAAAAAAAAUs/nufGB0bn56c/s1600/iphone5s-touchid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iPhone 5S" border="0" height="251" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8BMMC9u2_g/UjARSKcFTHI/AAAAAAAAAUs/nufGB0bn56c/s1600/iphone5s-touchid.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ndtvgadgets</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><ul><li>Colour variant: Gold, Silver and Grey</li><li>Battery: 10 hours of 3G talk time, 250 hours standby, 10 hours of browsing.</li><li>Processor: M7 motion processor with A7 chip with 64-bit architecture for fast performance. Company claims its speed is twice then A6 chip.</li><li>Camera: Rear camera have 8-megapixel with improved each pixel of 1.5 microns. Front facing camera is improved with the feature of face time and full HD video recording supportable. It have 1.2 megapixel and can also capture images in low light.</li><li>OS: The iPhone 5S will run on <a href="http://pc-gadgetworld.blogspot.in/2013/07/fingerprint-sensor-airdrop-and-another.html" target="_blank">IOS7</a>.</li><li>Availability and Price: 20 September Price: 16GB for $199, 32GB for $299 and 64GB for $399.</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DDxJ6iDWyPk/UjARGcMkmFI/AAAAAAAAAUk/oAV0PoMx1As/s1600/iphone5c-goldsilvergrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iphone 5C" border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DDxJ6iDWyPk/UjARGcMkmFI/AAAAAAAAAUk/oAV0PoMx1As/s1600/iphone5c-goldsilvergrey.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ndtvgadgets</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">iPhone 5C is cheapest smartphone from apple. The price difference is almost $100 between iPhone 5S and 5C. Here we comparing the iPhone 5 and 5C. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><ul><li>Space:  No change in space, it is almost same in both devices.</li><li>Colour: 5C have more colour variant in comparison of iPhone 5 and colors are brighter.</li><li>Camera: Front facing camera improved.</li><li>Battery: Bigger than iPhone5.</li><li>Availability: Pre-order on September 13 and retail on Sep.20.</li><li>Price: 16GB for $99 and 32GB for $199. 64GB model is not available for 5C.</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/100638775997274345522" rel="author">Anil Swami</a></div></div>

HD IOS7 processor touch ID iPhone 5S and 5C Unlocked: Comes with Touch ID

The most awaited next generation smartphones from apple was unveiled on Tuesday. iPhone 5S and 5C launched at an event with many new and exc...

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Happy 9/11 America!!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil30uru3kaFfjhLr8hgEk1a2fSyEAQVH-d0_f9qu35QIWMku34KFPSCGtFEEf4FbYmDeE_Wot7hwi-ES5Yk-1iMvnfZ_mVvpcRg3sH8OJ3vsdBLVhmgS3NinAJrttqgyLu_SaTDum0EC2S/s1600/Sept_11_Tribute.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/AVvXsEil30uru3kaFfjhLr8hgEk1a2fSyEAQVH-d0_f9qu35QIWMku34KFPSCGtFEEf4FbYmDeE_Wot7hwi-ES5Yk-1iMvnfZ_mVvpcRg3sH8OJ3vsdBLVhmgS3NinAJrttqgyLu_SaTDum0EC2S/s400/Sept_11_Tribute.jpg" width="400" /></a>Cheeeeeeeers Chuckleheads and a Happy 9/11 to you all!!<br /><br />Today marks the 12th Anniversary of the attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and an additional, yet thwarted terrorist mission, that in all, left over 3,000 innocent people dead.<br /><br />In order for you to better enjoy and make a social splash while observing this tragic date, I have a few tips for you.<br /><br />First of all…For those of you who follow traditional anniversary etiquette, keep in mind that the 12th Anniversary, is the <i>Silk</i> Anniversary.<br /><br />So if you plan to surprise someone with a Happy 9/11 Anniversary present, a silk robe for your hot patriotic man would be great, and for that star-spangled lady in your life, silk pajamas make an excellent gift idea.<br /><br />If you are going to feign reflection, remorse, and a bit of outrage on this day, you may as well feign away while ensconced in the comfort of cool, comfortable, and finely woven Chinese silk, especially during this unusual September heat wave!!<br /><br />Secondly…in order to begin your day of remembrance off to a good, healthy, my country right or wrong start, you need to put something up on Facebook to pronounce to the world and to your “friends”, that you have not forgotten.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jBWyK1vh2n9GoPoCzLcA6MSLC1IvTbMlYotETiLR_OcsUkq268XW5Ekoi_hYm6WsYxXyjAzlNQwVcQHdGCseE3UOA8PvE5vxCOpKjYtCNyI75eZhfRRKUXcubXaLLemPLYMUfMrH72XR/s1600/Lee+Greenwood+Asshole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jBWyK1vh2n9GoPoCzLcA6MSLC1IvTbMlYotETiLR_OcsUkq268XW5Ekoi_hYm6WsYxXyjAzlNQwVcQHdGCseE3UOA8PvE5vxCOpKjYtCNyI75eZhfRRKUXcubXaLLemPLYMUfMrH72XR/s400/Lee+Greenwood+Asshole.jpg" width="315" /></a>A picture of the Twin Towers along with a quote that says, “Never Forget” is always nice, but if you want to be an amber waves of grain show stopper…Simply post <i>“Proud to be An American”</i> by Lee Greenwood or <i>“Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”</i> by Toby Keith.<br /><br />Once you have done your rise-and-shine, pre-requisite posting on Facebook, and have spent four hours at work, it’s time to exhale some of that emotional distress that has been building inside of you.  So, here’s a thought…<br /><br />Getting together for lunch with colleagues with you whom work, would be great way to celebrate as well, and rid yourself, for a brief moment anyway, of that post-9/11 angst.<br /><br />You could meet up at a good and wholesome American eatery such as Appleby’s, Pizza Hut, or P.F. Chang’s and reminisce about where you were and what you were doing when the attacks went down. <br /><br />Misery loves company, and it loves it even more while eating Crab Rangoon, and grazing upon an All-You-Can-Eat salad bar.  And make certain to tip your waiter or waitress well today, because he or she is probably as reflective and sullen as you, but being the customer service professional that he or she is?  Is not permitted to “let it out.”<br /><br />Now when you get home today and want to make a special, Happy 9/11 dinner for your introspective family, I have a suggestion.<br /><br />In honor of all of the airline passengers who died on 9/11, serve your family an airline meal…<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitW29ZaTUCYe9hKdGu0khODoMGr-8Loo0itSaMsRJau1pFE-UZ_h6vrFZLPZeov-0ftXGjUe95RAjlsfNxMbSCFDY07EcLz5hXBV2FVsxIKytFve7lJG9ES7ywDfhl00cMtaH2pa1QImet/s1600/airline-food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitW29ZaTUCYe9hKdGu0khODoMGr-8Loo0itSaMsRJau1pFE-UZ_h6vrFZLPZeov-0ftXGjUe95RAjlsfNxMbSCFDY07EcLz5hXBV2FVsxIKytFve7lJG9ES7ywDfhl00cMtaH2pa1QImet/s400/airline-food.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Of course, a great meal needs to finish with a great dessert (especially if you have kids), so why not a special 9/11 cake..?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZUfNGF1k6R-NBC5NaGyLeRbb5atazCf1ecrM0G15PwsxaAN2lEGDwGrviKHcZA8QXpqxQEviFlA5mErMYCyEibXpoysJybKEjY-XgKu0LPNs29_c59oxeH8ldG-RQFNh7dGkJnTnDiib/s1600/9-11+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZUfNGF1k6R-NBC5NaGyLeRbb5atazCf1ecrM0G15PwsxaAN2lEGDwGrviKHcZA8QXpqxQEviFlA5mErMYCyEibXpoysJybKEjY-XgKu0LPNs29_c59oxeH8ldG-RQFNh7dGkJnTnDiib/s400/9-11+Cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />And to mark the end of your special anniversary day, you can listen to and dance along to Sean Hannity blessing our troops, and putting you and all of America on guard saying that this will happen again as long as Barack Obama is President.<br /><br />A perfect ending to a perfect day of celebration.<br /><br />I hope I have helped you out, and I hope you enjoy your Happy 9/11 Day as much as the marketers, the pundits, and the politicians do every year.<br /><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Matt-Man</i><br /><br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mattmaniws" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">My Facebook Page</span></a></div>

Happy 9/11 America!!

Cheeeeeeeers Chuckleheads and a Happy 9/11 to you all!! Today marks the 12th Anniversary of the attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the World Trade Cen...

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'There's some good in this world ... and it's worth fighting for'

<a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2006/10/theres-some-good-in-this-world-and-its.html"><i>[Encore post from October 24, 2006, during the George Allen campaign]</i></a><br /><br />Got home early last night - around midnight - early for these campaign days of putting in 12- and 16-hour days at headquarters. I work hard as a volunteer ... the local activists say I live at HQs. Not true ... but not far off....<br /><br />My 19-year-old daughter was still awake when I walked in the door. She hugged me and we sat in the living room and talked and talked ... even teens need their mommies once in a while.<br /><br />She understands my need to help in the political process. I got involved in politics in 1999 when she was 12 years old - the first BUSH campaign. She's lived with this for a long time. She sees my intensity. She learned American history, government, and politics from me - her home school teacher.<br /><br />After 9/11 it became more intense. I felt an urgency, a need to do what I could to put the right leaders in position to protect my family and my country.<br /><br />My daughter shares my love of America and, while not the political junkie I am, she understands my need to be involved. She sees my interest and love of politics ... but she also sees when I'm tired, beat down, feeling the attacks....<br /><br />We talked a long while about all sorts of things ... and then she put "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," a movie I had not seen, in the DVD player. She fast-forwarded to one particular scene.<br /><br />It brought tears to my eyes ... because it proved without a doubt that she got it. She understood what I was doing. She understood what I was going through.<br /><br />She was showing me a scene between Frodo and Sam where Frodo feels he can't go on ... and Sam is explaining how and why they must go on. I hugged my daughter to me and told her it was exactly what I needed to see ... and somehow my sweet girl had known that.<br /><blockquote><b>Frodo:</b> I can't do this, Sam.<br /><br /><b>Sam:</b> I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something.<br /><br /><b>Frodo:</b> What are we holding on to, Sam?<br /><br /><b>Sam:</b> There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for. </blockquote>

family Frodo George Allen Lord of the Rings Lynn R. Mitchell politics Sam some good worth fighting for 'There's some good in this world ... and it's worth fighting for'

[Encore post from October 24, 2006, during the George Allen campaign] Got home early last night - around midnight - early for these campaign...

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Walden Pond

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPk8sD8LE3fGOUu0Hr9_xDLam6UwT2n1yXmQIyjdbn51k3x3StQn1dKN6wjEUQnBXxh3T_aLVhwX22cDP0k3f_AoBFSERedDyrOMjUSNT-BYIDZxW46VSRkyglaaYcuLMNgFvDZUxHQwU/s1600/Walden+Pond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPk8sD8LE3fGOUu0Hr9_xDLam6UwT2n1yXmQIyjdbn51k3x3StQn1dKN6wjEUQnBXxh3T_aLVhwX22cDP0k3f_AoBFSERedDyrOMjUSNT-BYIDZxW46VSRkyglaaYcuLMNgFvDZUxHQwU/s400/Walden+Pond.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion."</i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> — Henry David Thoreau, <i>Walden,</i> "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For"</div>

Henry David Thoreau Walden Pond Walden Pond

Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of li...

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Sallie Mae becomes 50th corporation to drop ALEC

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXZWqRAiuseDJtSVr9mTIWNXlWXfRJUqmlx26rgABpDSI3s5O0OLV-Hsk4RQrap_XoD_RwnlecNd4h_4DnmXC4__ffmZggLWF6orKkSMQRE8YXkqfC9EKUPHSOFtyDydhxmsD688zncQW/s1600/ALEC+a+legislator.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/AVvXsEisXZWqRAiuseDJtSVr9mTIWNXlWXfRJUqmlx26rgABpDSI3s5O0OLV-Hsk4RQrap_XoD_RwnlecNd4h_4DnmXC4__ffmZggLWF6orKkSMQRE8YXkqfC9EKUPHSOFtyDydhxmsD688zncQW/s1600/ALEC+a+legislator.jpg" /></a></div><div>The right-wing legislative machine lost another corporate ally today when student loan giant Sallie Mae became the 50th corporation to leave <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council" rel="nofollow">ALEC</a>.<br /><br /></div><div>The decision follows months of pressure by student groups outraged that the company's profits from student debt were supporting ALEC's <a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/Privatizing_Public_Education,_Higher_Ed_Policy,_and_Teachers">anti-student</a> and <a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/Worker_Rights_and_Consumer_Rights" rel="nofollow">anti-worker</a> agenda.</div><div></div><div><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/09/10/2595491/sallie-mae-50th-corporation-dump-alec/" rel="nofollow"><em>Think Progress</em></a> reports:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq">...given ALEC’s work in favor of privatizing K-12 and higher education, thousands of students signed an online petition encouraging Sallie Mae -- which manages or services more than $200 billion in education loans -- urging the company to drop its support of the group.</blockquote>Student organizer Chris Hicks told <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/09/12237/after-student-protests-sallie-mae-becomes-50th-corporation-dump-alec" rel="nofollow"><em>PR Watch</em></a> that the news is a big victory in the fight against student debt. But he said there is still a long way to go:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">It’s no accident that Sallie Mae has decided to leave ALEC -- from the shareholder meeting in May and the meeting students and graduates had with CEO Jack Remondi in June to the nearly 15,000 petition signatures gathered in August, students have shown Sallie Mae they are serious about their demands and are not going away.</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">There is much more work to be done, but this is definitely a first step to hold Sallie Mae accountable for their business practices.</blockquote>ALEC remains a leading force in the war against working families, crafting model legislation in states throughout the country designed to cripple unions, dismantle workers' rights, disenfranchise middle class voters and destroy public education. ALEC has been behind just about every effort to pass anti-worker laws like <a href="http://alecexposed.org/w/images/c/c8/1R10-Right_to_Work_Act_Exposed.pdf" rel="nofollow">right to work for less</a> and <a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/Democracy,_Voter_Rights,_and_Federal_Power" rel="nofollow">voter suppression</a> bills in state legislatures nationwide. <br /><br />But over the years activists and labor groups have put the spotlight on ALEC, shaming dozens of its corporate members into exiting the shadowy syndicate of right-wing business interests.<br /><br />Sallie Mae's departure is especially welcome given its role in holding students hostage with high-interest student loans while ALEC promotes the privatization of education. The corporate-backed campaign to privatize our schools -- from kindergarten to college -- is all about turning higher profits for companies like Sallie Mae while sinking the children of American workers deeper into poverty.<br /><br />Teamsters General President Jim <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/search?q=student+debt">Hoffa recently wrote</a>:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Working people struggle and fight to form unions so their children can have better lives than they do. Higher education has long been the stepping stone to a better life.  But that stone is being swept away by a tide of student debt. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">The numbers tell a frightening story: As many <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/student-loan-delinquencies_n_2784223.html?1368565283" target="_blank">as 30 percent of borrowers</a> may be delinquent on their student loan debt. More students are borrowing than ever before, and they’re borrowing more – the average loan has increased by 49 percent, to $24,803, since 2005. Today, the average student in this country graduates <a href="http://www.today.com/money/interest-government-student-loans-set-double-summer-1C9273332" target="_blank">with $26,600 in loan debt</a>.</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">That’s hardly a way to get started in life when good jobs are scarcer than ever for recent college graduates.  </blockquote><div>With Sallie Mae out of ALEC, students and workers have won another victory for education and against the right-wing corporate agenda. </div>

ALEC Sallie Mae student debt crisis Sallie Mae becomes 50th corporation to drop ALEC

The right-wing legislative machine lost another corporate ally today when student loan giant Sallie Mae became the 50th corporation to leave...

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Repair and Maintenance Employees per Capita

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0Wf42J23CJ8D7RuPUmrM2XowoRINbFr98qCeyz0vKdZJLto1-RoAjzUhMMRT8m1sFLVjJHOEvCJjeXiEsM_keda_t3adEz5sfmz-ENmSXYEV-8He1FPrcn6ZBWQC0_cQh8ADpFE1GSI/s1600/Repair+and+Maintenance+Employees+per+Capita.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0Wf42J23CJ8D7RuPUmrM2XowoRINbFr98qCeyz0vKdZJLto1-RoAjzUhMMRT8m1sFLVjJHOEvCJjeXiEsM_keda_t3adEz5sfmz-ENmSXYEV-8He1FPrcn6ZBWQC0_cQh8ADpFE1GSI/s320/Repair+and+Maintenance+Employees+per+Capita.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />Why would we need more repairs? What's the worst that could happen?<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Zg2JGuIj9oA" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="color: #666666;"><i>Yeah, it's been getting worse and worse. Oh, it's taking forever to flush. It's like it's stopped up. We've been dumping a lot of sand in there from our floors.</i></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/puRyhFVkALk" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="color: #666666;"><i>I'm putting in support beams right now, posts in the basement... so we can go ahead and cut these joists out.</i></div><br />Have I mentioned lately that I have no desire to be a landlord? ;)<br /><br />Evil pranks! And yet I cannot stop laughing, lol. Well, that's not quite true. A quick look back at that first chart stops me. Sigh.<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://www.bls.gov/data/#employment">BLS: Employment</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/POP">St. Louis Fed: Population</a>

Repair and Maintenance Employees per Capita

Click to enlarge. Why would we need more repairs? What's the worst that could happen? Yeah, it's been getting worse and worse. Oh, i...

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Ex-Citigroup CEO sides with Teamsters on banking reform

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3PwZwAq804QVMaUCI8VTdd_8Ur6z6fN6R_yjlDgrYB-dKMccggxPbFXBatrwfutHGpAX9LhbrSCPXUNyJapGQwf0mlrCNKZdnjGoWxSd4CO_V4-E8V64Fpjtq28OE4zCQOATWVQ2C3gj/s1600/plunder.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/AVvXsEim3PwZwAq804QVMaUCI8VTdd_8Ur6z6fN6R_yjlDgrYB-dKMccggxPbFXBatrwfutHGpAX9LhbrSCPXUNyJapGQwf0mlrCNKZdnjGoWxSd4CO_V4-E8V64Fpjtq28OE4zCQOATWVQ2C3gj/s1600/plunder.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Teamsters have long called for financial reform. Now a retired Citigroup chief executive who was once one of Wall Street’s biggest proponents of the creation of mega-banks </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/09/john-reed-break-up-banks_n_3893687.html?view=print&comm_ref=false" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">has seen the light</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><u><span style="color: blue;">.</span></u></span> John Reed, who led Citigroup from 1984 to 2000 and then served as the head of the New York Stock Exchange, now says banking rules need to be changed to avoid another economic crash. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, better late than never.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reed led Citigroup -- one of the nation’s largest banks -- when it was ramping up in size. He pushed for a repeal of the </span><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/wallstreet/weill/demise.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glass-Steagall Act</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> when Citi wanted to dabble in both investment and commercial banking, which was barred under the law. So in 1999 he and his big banking friends got it changed. But he now says the current business model is broken and the law needs to be reinstated.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/11/glass-steagall-act-elizabeth-warren_n_3580967.html?view=print&comm_ref=false" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">introduced an updated version of Glass-Steagall</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> in July that attempts to rein in the financial chaos of Wall Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It would require banks that accept federally insured deposits to focus on traditional lending and not engage in more risky securities trading. But now the lawmakers need to move the process forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The current law allows banks to gamble customers’ hard-earned dollars in shady dealings like the creation of derivatives that puts workers’ money at risk.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While filing legislation that would prevent many of the financial failings that led to the bank bailouts is a good first step, a bill alone isn’t enough. Congress must take action now. Failing to do so will ensure a repeat of the financial meltdown of 2008.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Stay tuned...</span></div>

Citigroup financial reform Glass-Steagall Ex-Citigroup CEO sides with Teamsters on banking reform

The Teamsters have long called for financial reform. Now a retired Citigroup chief executive who was once one of Wall Street’s biggest propo...

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