The NFL Might Drop Kickoffs

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Hola y’all! The NFL is apparently looking at ways to <a href="http://www.inquisitr.com/427107/nfl-floats-idea-of-getting-rid-of-kickoffs-roger-goodell-says/" target="_blank">phase out kickoffs</a>. They want to do this because of all the very serious injuries that keep happening on the special teams units who cover and return kicks. The proposals right now are some combination of having each team start a new possession after the other team scores at their own 25 yard line. Another would give the team that would be the kick return team the ball at their 30 and a fourth-and-fifteen situation. They could either punt or go for it.<br /><br />Well, the sports team here at IWS World Media decided we would come up with a few ideas to replace kickoffs too. Hopefully the NFL will give these very clever and exciting ideas a fair chance to be voted on by the Competition Committee.<br /><br />- Put the ball on 50 yard line. Blindfold the kicker. Spin him around 5 times and then he kicks the ball. Wherever it lands is where the team starts their drive from.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgav02tXT2VOSi8nWpDkEUVERGh-eRweVurvmO2aAFGKYO5mxVpi8lh4bv-7DasI19l5U8r77gISsPiPhZ1S1bbpBQX8Lh-M5g1Oae0B5R8tfGmIYOWz_RoEhGrXciOZgkEzbM2IeE6IoY/s1600/Lingerie+Football+Hot+Sexy+Thongs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgav02tXT2VOSi8nWpDkEUVERGh-eRweVurvmO2aAFGKYO5mxVpi8lh4bv-7DasI19l5U8r77gISsPiPhZ1S1bbpBQX8Lh-M5g1Oae0B5R8tfGmIYOWz_RoEhGrXciOZgkEzbM2IeE6IoY/s320/Lingerie+Football+Hot+Sexy+Thongs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>- Have the ladies of the Lingerie Football League do the kicking and returns instead of the big, mean, fragile football players.<br /><br />- Hold a kicking competition at local grade schools during the week and let the winner kickoff from the 50 and wherever he or she kicks it to is where the other team gets it.<br /><br />- Have the punter punt the ball from his team’s own 35, but turn the football into a lawn dart. Wherever the ball sticks is where the other team starts from.<br /><br />- Have the offensive team caption from the “return” team and the defensive team captain from the “kicking” team meat at midfield and draw cards. If the return team wins they get the ball at their own 30, but if they lose they get it at their own 10.<br /><br />- Write the numbers 5 through 50 on small pieces of paper and put them all in a hat with the logo of an official NFL sponsor on it. Then have a “celebrity” like the Octomom draw before the kickoff. Whatever number she draws is where they start from.<br /><br />- Fill special teams rosters filled with midgets for all kickoffs.<br /><br />- Fill special teams rosters with the winners of the local Ultimate Frisbee Team. <br /><br />- After a team scores, just flip a coin. The “kicking” team gets to call it. If they win, other team gets the ball at 5. If they lose, other team gets it at the 30.<br /><br />- Just change the game to the National Flag Football League.<br /><br /><br />As you can see the NFL has lots and lots of options. Another that I didn’t mention would be to shut down the league completely. And honestly, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.<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>

The NFL Might Drop Kickoffs

Hola y’all! The NFL is apparently looking at ways to phase out kickoffs . They want to do this because of all the very serious injuries that...

Read more »

Today's archidose #638

Here are some of my photos of the <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/">Poetry Foundation</a> in Chicago, Illinois, by <a href="http://www.jrarch.com/">John Ronan Architects</a> (2011).<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ximo_michavila/"><br /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8250609075/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="404" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8341/8250609075_8ec656ff30_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8251678776/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8487/8251678776_73110d0980_c.jpg" width="600" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8250609701/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8066/8250609701_dd32615041_z.jpg" width="548" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8251677764/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8251677764_58e02ef745_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8251677914/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8206/8251677914_ebd43a115e_z.jpg" width="578" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8251678048/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8483/8251678048_4c0b522729_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8251678176/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8068/8251678176_ac6e1ca90b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8250610083/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8200/8250610083_59aaae7405_c.jpg" width="606" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8251678420/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="374" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8345/8251678420_e16392a354_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8250609929/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="368" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8347/8250609929_63286f7599_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8251678582/" title="Poetry Foundation by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Poetry Foundation" height="406" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8065/8251678582_efbc0df83a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:<br /><blockquote>:: Join and add photos to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/archi-dose/">archidose pool</a>, and/or<br />:: Tag your photos <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/archidose/">archidose</a></span></blockquote>

Today's archidose #638

Here are some of my photos of the Poetry Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, by John Ronan Architects (2011). To contribute your Flickr image...

Read more »

A puppy can be just for Christmas!

My twin sister and I went to the opening of the Lost Weekend furniture store's exhibition "A puppy can be just for Christmas" at Darc Space.<br />We got to try out all of the chairs and also scored a nice glass of wine!! Result!<br />Both of us agreed that our favourite chair was the yellow "Chair One" by Konstantin Grcic.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpa4Xy6Eh9MQ2eERnEv3leKz6w8zcc_3MZ1J9gMLZzVkNb96VqHI8fVcij_qpMBAE4KGQTLIRObid7MdaoNPvwJw-wg_p8y99EpEmx2s8fj5FnIMMxJnWIMBqqxoFLEyfdzHKdaS6TJFgK/s1600/20121205_182616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpa4Xy6Eh9MQ2eERnEv3leKz6w8zcc_3MZ1J9gMLZzVkNb96VqHI8fVcij_qpMBAE4KGQTLIRObid7MdaoNPvwJw-wg_p8y99EpEmx2s8fj5FnIMMxJnWIMBqqxoFLEyfdzHKdaS6TJFgK/s640/20121205_182616.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKG_Xqk7Mr6y6i_BDowPTJc5p2_m2nXe_utRwiYoI-8ZFuqdtLTbbg0RMSudCx9yPjsI5aj_UEndoar5_SPewiKjWDA6UlRGdLKhC1_Qnlo389cY8X0zsh9_0cFBcNtiZdSLurDTTOT4MW/s1600/20121205_185042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKG_Xqk7Mr6y6i_BDowPTJc5p2_m2nXe_utRwiYoI-8ZFuqdtLTbbg0RMSudCx9yPjsI5aj_UEndoar5_SPewiKjWDA6UlRGdLKhC1_Qnlo389cY8X0zsh9_0cFBcNtiZdSLurDTTOT4MW/s640/20121205_185042.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFb4cxIvyVkjT0VMEDIiV9baa_H8Gw88NG9vFN5YCKOvPG8X1ckbqpAwsY7V5GBx6qFmxvfTHMlgv5Evme6VG2q_NGaMapvKaZaju0xJTygsrLbHozlg6zz8ZhAg9sTusPDBW1l3b8LGR5/s1600/20121205_182942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFb4cxIvyVkjT0VMEDIiV9baa_H8Gw88NG9vFN5YCKOvPG8X1ckbqpAwsY7V5GBx6qFmxvfTHMlgv5Evme6VG2q_NGaMapvKaZaju0xJTygsrLbHozlg6zz8ZhAg9sTusPDBW1l3b8LGR5/s640/20121205_182942.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjI12gQ1nKBkEr8nWn6sA0yJkvF0jSOi1l-PfKe8fF6DiDvPknD17vyvRjhWKJJXMNL-qo8CQqmTCG0oHIiG7On3avEQZVBqQ9hld5KVZGhyludbQBN79HPX3xtASE4-TkzMOqJi5-cBE/s1600/20121205_185048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjI12gQ1nKBkEr8nWn6sA0yJkvF0jSOi1l-PfKe8fF6DiDvPknD17vyvRjhWKJJXMNL-qo8CQqmTCG0oHIiG7On3avEQZVBqQ9hld5KVZGhyludbQBN79HPX3xtASE4-TkzMOqJi5-cBE/s640/20121205_185048.jpg" /> </a> </div>

A puppy can be just for Christmas!

My twin sister and I went to the opening of the Lost Weekend furniture store's exhibition "A puppy can be just for Christmas" ...

Read more »

Christmas decorations made from paper

Our Christmas tree in work is huge!!!<br /><div><br /></div><div>It was looking very bare so a few colleagues made some paper decorations for it. Have a look on  <a href="http://thelovelyresidence.blogspot.ie/2010/10/youre-star.html">this blog</a> to see how to make them.</div><div><br /></div><div>They look great!!</div><div><br /></div>

Christmas decorations made from paper

Our Christmas tree in work is huge!!! It was looking very bare so a few colleagues made some paper decorations for it. Have a look on   this...

Read more »

20% Discount With Bath and Body Works Coupons at dealspl.us

Would you like some fabolous <b>Bath and Body Works discounts </b>this festive season? Get some fabolous <b>coupon codes for Bath and Body Works</b> at the given link. There are printable coupons, discounts upto 20%, freebies and more. Offers are valid at this point. But please check the dates of expiry of each offer. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://dealspl.us/bathandbodyworks-coupons">http://dealspl.us/bathandbodyworks-coupons</a>

batch and body works discounts bath and body works bath and body works coupons coupon codes coupons dealspl.us 20% Discount With Bath and Body Works Coupons at dealspl.us

Would you like some fabolous Bath and Body Works discounts this festive season? Get some fabolous coupon codes for Bath and Body Works at t...

Read more »

When fear is expected and welcome

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mee238j8tX1riuuh0o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mee238j8tX1riuuh0o1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">"I don't know how else to make a movie except to find some aspect of the experience that I haven't done before," he says. "Because if I've done it before, </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/becoming-fearless/" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #ba72ba; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial;" target="_hplink">I'm fearless</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">, and I don't work well when I'm fearless."</span></blockquote><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Steven Spielberg, when interviewed about making the movie Lincoln. <a data-mce-href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/29/oprah-spielberg-daniel-day-lewis-lincoln_n_2207277.html" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/29/oprah-spielberg-daniel-day-lewis-lincoln_n_2207277.html" style="color: #007bff;">Oprah, Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis Talk About 'Lincoln' (VIDEO)</a></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I think it is hard for many people to realize that fear is a natural part of being innovative. If you do ANYTHING at all, fear is often part of that. </div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Every time we start a <a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.org/">Flat Classroom project</a>, every time I get ready to get in front of an audience, really, even, every time I get up to meet my day and kiss my husband and kids goodbye, there is an element of fear in my life. </div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">But fear can't and shouldn't paralyze us. The existence of fear isn't what cripples us, it is the preeminence of fear and the resulting paralysis that can cause us to be unable to function.</div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Many don't collaborate globally because they are afraid. Others are too afraid of losing their job to do anything risky and innovative. </div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Most of what you fear never happens:</div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><em style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.”</em><strong style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Winston Churchill">Winston Churchill</a></strong></blockquote><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Try to think back - what were you worried about last year... last week... ten years a go. Can you? Do you remember?</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">It is not that you fear, it is WHAT you do with that fear that is the issue. </span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">It is not that our school board is AFRAID, it is if they allow that fear to cause them to make bad decisions in the hopes that anything is better than what is happening today.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">People are afraid of the bogey man on the Internet when, in reality, kids are more at risk from the person that picks them up from school each day than from some random stranger they encounter on the net. Kids who engage in at risk behavior offline, engage in at risk behavior online.</span></span></span><br /><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Fear is real. We all experience it. It can guide and help us, but we not let its presence take over, overwhelm us and choke out our ability to function and make it in the world. </span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I find great comfort in the fact that a great filmmaker like Steven Spielberg experiences fear just like the rest of us. But look at WHY he fears.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">He fears because he is innovative and in uncomfortable territory.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">May I never be a filing cabinet teacher. Some teachers teach the same year 30 times in their career - never leaving the plans and never changing course. Others teach 30 different years -- always innovating and trying new things.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Fear is part of innovating - it is also part of playing on the interstate. One is a healthy fear that comes with trying something new, another is a fear that comes with trying something stupid. Wise people learn to discern the difference.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong></div><br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=89cead74-a473-403f-8a98-18ccbabf7f3f" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

fear innovation Teaching When fear is expected and welcome

"I don't know how else to make a movie except to find some aspect of the experience that I haven't done before," he says. ...

Read more »

they are kind of a big deal

There is nothing I hate worse than bragging on myself. Beyond ironic statement as there is this whole blog thing going on, I know. But that is a post for another time.<br /><br />I however, have no problem bragging on those that I know.<br /><br />So as I get ready to do some heavy duty Christmas wrapping this weekend, I thought I would share two wonderful and very different gift wrapping options by people I just happen to know.<br /><br />First up we have my college friend Keely. Girlfriend is a mega talented graphic designer and her house is always amazing (which you know I love). She gives Martha Stewart a run for her money and the cherry on top - she's funny. Really funny. Enter her <a href="http://www.snarkygifttags.com/" target="_blank">Snarky Gift Tags</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mpQGRdyYeqnbQ-t285J73kVhSI5gEwImHkyNcvVV5LHNCO1RvfWWGEPz9n4ZeRA2ph72YNLeCLnMlV8n5TfW4PwxpQ6rZ7YkrOMnBGk_nosZd4IUCF5XEJEFO4HKAgf4Cp-RLQBngyMm/s1600/snarky_gift_tag_keelydesign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mpQGRdyYeqnbQ-t285J73kVhSI5gEwImHkyNcvVV5LHNCO1RvfWWGEPz9n4ZeRA2ph72YNLeCLnMlV8n5TfW4PwxpQ6rZ7YkrOMnBGk_nosZd4IUCF5XEJEFO4HKAgf4Cp-RLQBngyMm/s400/snarky_gift_tag_keelydesign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>These are right up my alley as there is nothing I love more than a smart ass comment to go with my holiday cheer. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/KeelyDesign?ref=offsite_badges&utm_source=sellers&utm_medium=badges&utm_campaign=en_isell_1" target="_blank">Check out her Etsy store</a> and buy these suckers up before they are all gone.<br /><br />Secondly, I'm lucky enough to know Carrie Kiefer. She is my cousin's wife (so my cousin-in-law?) and half of the <a href="http://ampersanddesignstudio.com/" target="_blank">Ampersand Design Studio</a>. Carrie's talent is just beyond - you should have seen her wedding. And to top it off, she's just about the sweetest girl around. She and her partner are making major waves with their <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/shopampersand" target="_blank">prints</a>, their <a href="http://www.windhamfabrics.net/cgi-bin/fabricshop/gallery.cgi?Category=619&View=All&v=1" target="_blank">fabric</a> and their all around killer talent.<br /><br />Their <a href="http://ampersanddesignstudio.com/free-printable-holiday-gift-tags-for-to-from-magazine/" target="_blank">printable gift tags</a> were featured in the best gift guide ever, <a href="http://toandfrommagazine.com/" target="_blank">To & From</a>, that I mentioned <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/11/santas-work-is-done.html" target="_blank">last week</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0YrWNui18bU4AQM60AvgrD2_cZyY8GBZf2XgYLy7zaXmR4vdJxNDd8QFa33I0sg4RtvFvvoX09_G9O0e-_pMOVYGFUkpMq-ZBW1kYtCC6QN2XezDhoTNlWRKg_525wsZdnKaL5QZJ5Hb/s1600/AmperandGiftTags_ToFrom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0YrWNui18bU4AQM60AvgrD2_cZyY8GBZf2XgYLy7zaXmR4vdJxNDd8QFa33I0sg4RtvFvvoX09_G9O0e-_pMOVYGFUkpMq-ZBW1kYtCC6QN2XezDhoTNlWRKg_525wsZdnKaL5QZJ5Hb/s640/AmperandGiftTags_ToFrom.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Two great ways to add some major style to your packages this year.<br /><br />So was I right or what? I know some pretty talented people! Have you wrapped anything yet? Have you bought anything yet?<br /><br />And btw, thanks for all of the great advent advice, you all are the best!!

they are kind of a big deal

There is nothing I hate worse than bragging on myself. Beyond ironic statement as there is this whole blog thing going on, I know. But that ...

Read more »

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/06/2012

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/amazon-launches-kindle-content-kids-051142272--finance.html">Amazon launches Kindle content service for kids - Yahoo! News</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Amazon is adding more benefits to the Kindle app and Kindle fire -- the cost of content. "Amazon.com Inc. plans to announce Wednesday that the Kindle FreeTime Unlimited service will be available in the next few weeks as part of an automatic software update. Amazon said subscribers will have access to "thousands" of pieces of content, though the company did not give a specific number. Kids will be able to watch, play and read any of the content available to them as many times as they want. Parents can set time limits, however. The service, aimed at kids aged 3 to 8, will cost $4.99 per month for one child. It'll cost $2.99 per child for members of Amazon Prime, the company's premium shipping service. Amazon Prime costs $79 per year for free shipping of merchandise purchased in the company's online store."</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/Amazon">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ebook">ebook</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2012/12/11-the-student-perspective-on-chromebooks-at-leyden-high-schools.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dangerouslyirrelevant+%28Dangerously+Irrelevant%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">1:1 - The Student Perspective at Leyden High Schools | Dangerously Irrelevant</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">It is tough to get to attached to a particular platform, however, this write up gives you specifics about Chrombooks. What kids are most excited about is the integration with Google apps and that type of collaborative opportunity should be part of what we set up for our students. "Now that we all have chromebooks, I think I have seen more responsibility among the students. Rarely, does someone forget to bring their chromebook to class. It has taught me how to become more responsible and take care of something that is worth more than your pen and pencil. To me, the major and most helpful difference in having a chromebook is Google Docs. The ability to be able to write, save, and share a document all online is remarkable. You can’t lose what you have written because your document is automatically saved. It is easier for teachers to help you with your writing because now they can directly comment on your paper. You can collaborate more with your peers when you share a document with them and can work on it at the same time. It can also benefit teachers because there isn’t the excuse anymore of that “I didn’t print it”, or “my computer wasn’t working”. Teachers can now see exactly what the student did to the document and at what time they made any changes. "</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/chromebook">chromebook</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/06/2012

Amazon launches Kindle content service for kids - Yahoo! News Amazon is adding more benefits to the ...

Read more »

Poetry 'n' Such with Paul Piatt

<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/AVvXsEgwD9k2fWSqGkhb0-pBG7LykWOywTccGBCH4JKZwDZhHRdtRtAJn0B9LgS-PcRTr3UKBHFkpd0He2EueriJ2fUPLZElHcoXh1ahyphenhyphenThq24tSFdk5ETDI9agIuiejpzi13vjMyhiyA2AU7Ao/s1600/Paul_Delany.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/AVvXsEgwD9k2fWSqGkhb0-pBG7LykWOywTccGBCH4JKZwDZhHRdtRtAJn0B9LgS-PcRTr3UKBHFkpd0He2EueriJ2fUPLZElHcoXh1ahyphenhyphenThq24tSFdk5ETDI9agIuiejpzi13vjMyhiyA2AU7Ao/s400/Paul_Delany.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>Gentle, yet heartfelt greetings to all of you discerning drinkers of the warm and aromatic coffee of life that is the IWS website.<br /><br />Renown poet and IWS Literary Editor Paul Piatt here once again, in order to share with you some of today’s finest in the world of poetry, prose, and people.<br /><br />Today, during our monthly journey of words made magical, and life’s pentameters made iambic, I introduce you to a fellow tea pourer of the ginseng type, my friend and fellow, yet yellow poet (pardon me as I snicker), Deng Zhao Hiram.<br /><br />Hiram is a Chinese Jew, and with the Hebrew holiday of Hanukkah nipping vigorously upon the soles of our soulless, yet plodding, and troubled feet, I thought it a most appropriate time to allow Deng to spread the wisdom of his tea leaves, and the eloquence of his bitter herbs upon the virtual pages of the IWS website.<br /><br />The last time Hiram was in the states, I met him at an off-the-trolley-path coffee shop in San Francisco.  The café, cloistered amongst soiled, story-telling walls of high rises and echoing trolley bell clangs, smelled of Davidian sweat, Boxer Rebellion angst, and pierogies.<br /><br />Imagining myself to be a Jewish-Chinese warrior fighting off both the Assyrians and the colonialists, I soaked in the aroma of ancient euphoric history like a sponge soaking up a 15th century stain of spaghetti sauce and herbal tea left upon the tablecloth of life by Zehng He or Mehmed the Conqueror .<br /><br />Sitting down with Deng in that rustic eatery, I felt so alive, and <i>then</i>, while experiencing dizziness and euphoria as my head swayed side to side to the magical rhythm of an unseen metronome, in his perfect, yet broken English, Deng spoke to me…<br /><br /><i>“Rut the fuck up rith you Paullllll?”</i><br /><br />I giggled as most poets do when in the presence of greatness of those who command the gift of words, and then sheepishly looking up from the menu which was a bit Spartan in its offerings, but did make available gluten-free items, I said to Deng…<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYjzRb37-1H02v4uTzHLDdkluxzs_sR7QhEXRKMomhxjfnSTXv0fcwqpWl1rI8TU3woK9a5Sqk_KHkxrcYYe4rbYz5FUeLSMt1FlKxz9GRjaAErSsWdAZZKAoP7gCUtX46gO-LbNJ_To/s1600/Chinese+Poet.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/AVvXsEgmYjzRb37-1H02v4uTzHLDdkluxzs_sR7QhEXRKMomhxjfnSTXv0fcwqpWl1rI8TU3woK9a5Sqk_KHkxrcYYe4rbYz5FUeLSMt1FlKxz9GRjaAErSsWdAZZKAoP7gCUtX46gO-LbNJ_To/s1600/Chinese+Poet.jpg" /></a><i>“In your honor, I think I will be ordering the beef tenderloin in marinara sauce served gingerly upon a bed of angel hair pasta.  The angel hair pasta complements your heavenly use of the English language.”</i><br /><br />Upon the verbalization of my culinary requirements, Deng smirked, and with a look of wonderment said…<br /><br /><i>“I think I’ll have the half-pound mushwoom burger wif a double order of unwin wings.  I am soooo sick of calramarwie and wice.”</i><br /><br />After some secretive small chat, our dinners were served, yet before we began the ingestion of our main courses, he recited an appetizing haiku from his newest book,<i> The Bok Choy Burned for Eight Days</i>…<br /><br /><i>Need wight, temple dark.</i><br /><i>Antiochus is a dick.</i><br /><i>Ree must jack him off.</i><br /><br /><i>For now, as I travel the road less traveled,</i><br /><br /><i>Paul Piatt</i><br /><br />And as always…Jay and Matt broadcast another epic<i> IWS Radio Show</i> yesterday.  If you missed their talk about sitcoms and how their uber-hot friend dissed them, and has bad taste in sitcoms, you can catch it all here:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="105" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4105229&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4105229&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="105" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object></div><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;"><br /></div></div>

Poetry 'n' Such with Paul Piatt

Gentle, yet heartfelt greetings to all of you discerning drinkers of the warm and aromatic coffee of life that is the IWS website. Renown po...

Read more »

Posted On The Passing Of Dave Brubeck

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>92</o:Words> <o:Characters>526</o:Characters> <o:Company>Episcopal Diocese of Nevada</o:Company> <o:Lines>4</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>617</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>14.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> <o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:TargetScreenSize>800x600</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="276"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Tms Rmn","serif";} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">JAZZ DREAM<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I want to dream <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            in jazz<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            – not short fiction<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">                        with banal story lines..<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I want to dream instead<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            in riffs of sound<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            – notes, hot, cool, sweet, and blue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">No more dramas          <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            like last night’s tired script<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            with characters better forgot<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            and plots devoid of charm.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">No, henceforth,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            I shall dream<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            in jazz alone<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wes Montgomery’s reflective chords,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            the musing melodies of Thelonius Monk,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            and Cal Tjeder’s <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">                        nuanced vibes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the story has been told <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            or grown too stale for telling,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">it’s time to close <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            even the inward eye<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">and drift on Coltrane’s<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            “Russian Lullaby”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            time to dream<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            exclusively<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">            in jazz.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wrote this for a reading at a jazz bar in Macon, GA. It was still on their wall when I left. it doesn't </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">mention Dave Brubeck, but I like to think he would have enjoyed it or at least the sentiment.</span></div><!--EndFragment-->

Posted On The Passing Of Dave Brubeck

JAZZ DREAM I want to dream             in jazz             – not short fiction                         with banal story lines.....

Read more »

Influenster

I absolutely love this site called Influenster. Anyone who isn't a member should join right away! You unlock badges and get to test out products when invited to a Vox Box, which is a box of wonderful products!<br /><br />Some of the products I have gotten to try were Soyjoy, Not my Mother's,Bath and Body Works candle and so much more amazing products!<br /><br />So join today and check out your badge score! It's so much fun unlocking badges and testing out the wonderful products! <script src="http://www.influenster.com/js/infservice.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">getUserBadgeScore(47779,1,1,1)</script><br /><div id="profile-score"></div>

Influenster

I absolutely love this site called Influenster. Anyone who isn't a member should join right away! You unlock badges and get to test out ...

Read more »

BBC News - Cancer: Not only a rich-world disease

Dr Jackson Orem is on the front line of the change. He directs the Uganda Cancer Institute - the only dedicated cancer treatment facility in a country of 33 million people.<br /><br><br /><br>He's a busy man, but he makes time to see patients like Musa Settimba.<br /><br><br /><br>Settimba is in for a check-up. He has something called Gist, a type of gastrointestinal cancer that is often fatal, even in the West.<br /><br><br /><br>Orem has arranged for Settimba to get a very effective and costly new cancer drug free of charge, courtesy of the manufacturer. There's paperwork involved, and drugs for only a few cancers are available this way. It's a godsend for Settimba, who has been doing very well.<br /><br><br /><br>"You are getting one of the best treatments for this disease," a smiling Orem tells his patient.<br /><br><br /><br>Unfortunately, Settimba is the rare exception.<br /><br><br /><br>The survival rate for patients who make it to the Uganda Cancer Institute is astonishingly low. It treats about 22,000 patients a year, and of those, 20,000 die within a year.<br /><br><br /><br>Orem says most Ugandans don't have a real concept of cancer as a set of diseases that can be diagnosed and treated. In some tribal languages, there is no word for it. "They don't have early diagnosis. They don't actually even know that they have cancer," he says.<br /><br><br /><br>And most don't see the value of seeking care. "Once you are diagnosed with cancer, they think that it's already a death sentence."<br /><br><br /><br>They're partly right. Most people don't see a doctor until the very last stages of cancer. At that point, no hospital anywhere could do much for them.<br /><br><br /><br>Orem studied oncology in the US and returned to Uganda to head the government-owned cancer institute in 2004. For several years, he was the only oncologist in the country.<br /><br><br /><br>Orem doesn't complain about the hard work, but some things make him cringe. One of them is a comment he's heard expressed by people from developed countries - that cancer doesn't hit poor people.<br /><br><br /><br>"People think that malaria kills [and] other diseases are killing people from a low socio-economic status. But cancer is the same," he says. "The truth of the matter is that cancer is a disease of the African person just like any other person elsewhere in the world."<br /><br><br /><br>The misconception affects funding. "When you ask for funding for cancer, nobody is going to give [it to] you," Orem says. "But if you ask for funding for these other diseases, they say, 'All right, your priority is correct, we are going to give you some funds.'"<br /><br><br /><br>There is also a perception that cancer is too expensive to treat, and treatment is too hi-tech to be done in poor countries. Orem says that's not necessarily true - surgery and chemotherapy, for example, don't require million-dollar machines.<br /><br><br /><br>The result is that the amount of money available for cancer care in the developing world is only a fraction of the sums spent on HIV, TB and malaria.<br /><br><br /><br>More ...<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20524606">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20524606</a>

BBC News - Cancer: Not only a rich-world disease

Dr Jackson Orem is on the front line of the change. He directs the Uganda Cancer Institute - the only dedicated cancer treatment facility in...

Read more »

With sensors, apps & data, my smartphone is (almost) my doctor — Tech News and Analysis

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">If you think the Jawbone Up and Nike FuelBand are changing our perception of personal health, then wait until you see what Scanadu, a Mountain View, Calif.-based company, has planned for you. The two-year-old old company is the brainchild of Walter de Brouwer, a Belgian-born serial entrepreneur (EUnet-Quest and Star Lab) and member of TED, who in the recent past worked with Nicholas Negroponte on the One Laptop Per Child project.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; ">His team of a dozen-odd people, including biologists, chemists, data scientists and semiconductor engineers, is planning to develop a series of personalized health products that want to capitalize on the rapidly falling prices of sensors and other technologies and combine them with data and easy to use smartphone apps.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The inspiration for the company, de Brouwer said, came from the time he spent taking care of his son in a hospital. That experience made him realize that people need access to more information about their own health in an easy-to-understand manner. "What I was looking to do was build a tricorder to scan and get all the relevant medical data," he joked during a conversation.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Of course, the smartphone boom happened. That marriage of cloud-based data analytics, simple to use apps and falling prices of sensors made the idea of a tricorder seem attainable. In fact, de Brouwer's tricoder dream matches <a href="http://gigaom.com/2012/09/23/qualcomm-wants-your-help-in-building-a-diagnostic-tricorder/" style="color: rgb(115, 167, 201); text-decoration: none; ">up with smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm</a>, which launched the Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize earlier this year. It wants scientists and developers to figure out a handheld device that can diagnose 15 medical ailments based on sensors in the device.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">De Brouwer's idea was enough to raise a few million dollars from his deep pocketed friends and since then, his crew has come up Scanadu Scout, a square shaped device. that can be held next to the left temple when holding it with thumb and the index finger of the left thumb. The device communicates with your iPhone via bluetooth and a few seconds later you get a readout of your vitals such as heart rate, level of oxygen in your blood, pulse and body temperature.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It is one of the many devices the company plans to build, de Brouwer said. In addition to Scanadu Scout, the company is working on two more devices — one that you be used for a urine test and another  that can help you identify if you have flu. All of these devices have been built with off the shelf components, de Brouwer said. The secret sauce for the company is its algorithms, he added.</p><div class="wp-caption alignright" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 243px; "><a href="http://gigaom.com/2012/11/29/with-sensors-apps-data-my-smartphone-is-almost-my-doctor/scanaduscout/" rel="attachment wp-att-589148" style="color: rgb(115, 167, 201); text-decoration: none; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq-7QW3cgAxt_RQGtIbrctOnj8z5gBO04NEOmntJj4Q_gsXJlpJK6Y9HgoI-EWJi0dOJ90OzN_BiXXE77TUCNMIxze81oFUFTnh0RGl0e3Y2HdVOgv8Zvl506c_SUG52tFrzouA_KoWk/s1600/scanaduscout-702063.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5818447612246101874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq-7QW3cgAxt_RQGtIbrctOnj8z5gBO04NEOmntJj4Q_gsXJlpJK6Y9HgoI-EWJi0dOJ90OzN_BiXXE77TUCNMIxze81oFUFTnh0RGl0e3Y2HdVOgv8Zvl506c_SUG52tFrzouA_KoWk/s320/scanaduscout-702063.jpg" /></a></a><p class="wp-caption-text" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); margin-top: -5px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; ">Scanadu Scout designed by fuseProject.</p></div><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Dr. Alan Greene, who is the chief medical officer of Scanadu, points out that the when it comes to medicine and information, the center of gravity has shifted from hospitals to outpatient centers to homes. And with smartphone, it is going to move to individuals. The healthcare system isn't really changing with the times fast enough, he added. "What we want to do is give people access to better data about themselves so they can engage with their physicians better," Dr. Greene said.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; ">As someone who lives with a medical condition, I can say Scanadu Scout will be part of my life the minute the Food and Drug Administration approves it and the company starts selling this device at my Walgreens. Today, I travel with a blood pressure machine. I spent a lot of time trying to measure my pulse and figuring out my heart rate. The convenience of getting all that information with one scanner and have it analyzed over a period of time is worth the price – whatever it might be.</p></div><a href="http://gigaom.com/2012/11/29/with-sensors-apps-data-my-smartphone-is-almost-my-doctor/">http://gigaom.com/2012/11/29/with-sensors-apps-data-my-smartphone-is-almost-my-doctor/</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

With sensors, apps & data, my smartphone is (almost) my doctor — Tech News and Analysis

If you think the Jawbone Up and Nike FuelBand are changing our perception of personal health, then wait until you see what Scanadu, a Mounta...

Read more »

Software Programs Help Doctors Diagnose, but Can’t Replace Them - NYTimes.com

The man on stage had his audience of 600 mesmerized. Over the course of 45 minutes, the tension grew. Finally, the moment of truth arrived, and the room was silent with anticipation.<br /><br><br /><br>At last he spoke. "Lymphoma with secondary hemophagocytic syndrome," he said. The crowd erupted in applause.<br /><br>Professionals in every field revere their superstars, and in medicine the best diagnosticians are held in particularly high esteem. Dr.Gurpreet Dhaliwal, 39, a self-effacing associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, is considered one of the most skillful clinical diagnosticians in practice today.<br /><br><br /><br>The case Dr. Dhaliwal was presented, at a medical conference last year, began with information that could have described hundreds of diseases: the patient had intermittent fevers, joint pain, and weight and appetite loss.<br /><br><br /><br>To observe him at work is like watching Steven Spielberg tackle a script or Rory McIlroy a golf course. He was given new information bit by bit — lab, imaging and biopsyresults. Over the course of the session, he drew on an encyclopedic familiarity with thousands of syndromes. He deftly dismissed red herrings while picking up on clues that others might ignore, gradually homing in on the accurate diagnosis.<br /><br><br /><br>Just how special is Dr. Dhaliwal's talent? More to the point, what can he do that a computer cannot? Will a computer ever successfully stand in for a skill that is based not simply on a vast fund of knowledge but also on more intangible factors like intuition?<br /><br><br /><br>The history of computer-assisted diagnostics is long and rich. In the 1970s, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh developed software to diagnose complex problems in general internal medicine; the project eventually resulted in a commercial program called Quick Medical Reference. Since the 1980s, Massachusetts General Hospital has been developing and refining DXplain, a program that provides a ranked list of clinical diagnoses from a set of symptoms and laboratory data.<br /><br><br /><br>And I.B.M., on the heels of its triumph last year with Watson, the Jeopardy-playing computer, is working on Watson for Healthcare.<br /><br><br /><br>In some ways, Dr. Dhaliwal's diagnostic method is similar to that of another I.B.M. project: the Deep Blue chess program, which in 1996 trounced Garry Kasparov, the world's best player at the time, to claim an unambiguous victory in the computer's relentless march into the human domain.<br /><br><br /><br>Although lacking consciousness and a human's intuition, Deep Blue had millions of moves memorized and could analyze as many each second. Dr. Dhaliwal does the diagnostic equivalent, though at human speed.<br /><br><br /><br>Since medical school, he has been an insatiable reader of case reports in medical journals, and case conferences from other hospitals. At work he occasionally uses a diagnostic checklist program called Isabel, just to make certain he hasn't forgotten something. But the program has yet to offer a diagnosis that Dr. Dhaliwal missed.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Dhaliwal regularly receives cases from physicians who are stumped by a set of symptoms. At medical conferences, he is presented with one vexingly difficult case and is given 45 minutes to solve it. It is a medical high-wire act; doctors in the audience squirm as the set of facts gets more obscure and all the diagnoses they were considering are ruled out. After absorbing and processing scores of details, Dr. Dhaliwal must commit to a diagnosis. More often than not, he is right.<br /><br><br /><br>When working on a difficult case in front of an audience, Dr. Dhaliwal puts his entire thought process on display, with the goal of "elevating the stature of thinking," he said. He believes this is becoming more important because physicians are being assessed on whether they gave the right medicine to a patient, or remembered to order a certain test.<br /><br><br /><br>Without such emphasis, physicians and training programs might forget the importance of having smart, thoughtful doctors. "Because in medicine," Dr. Dhaliwal said, "thinking is our most important procedure."<br /><br><br /><br>He added: "Getting better at diagnosis isn't about figuring out if someone has one rare disease versus another. Getting better at diagnosis is as important to patient quality and safety as reducing medication errors, or eliminating wrong site surgery."<br /><br><br /><br>Clinical Precision<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Dhaliwal does half his clinical work on the wards of the San Francisco V. A. Medical Center, and the other half in its emergency department, where he often puzzles through multiple mysteries at a time.<br /><br><br /><br>One recent afternoon in the E.R., he was treating a 66-year-old man who was mentally unstable and uncooperative. He complained of hip pain, but routine lab work revealed that his kidneys weren't working and his potassium was rising to a dangerous level, putting him in danger of an arrhythmia that could kill him — perhaps within hours. Anultrasound showed that his bladder was blocked.<br /><br><br /><br>There was work to be done: drain the bladder, correct the potassium level. It would have been easy to dismiss the hip pain as a distraction; it didn't easily fit the picture. But Dr. Dhaliwal's instinct is to hew to the ancient rule that physicians should try to come to a unifying diagnosis. In the end, everything — including the hip pain — was traced to metastatic prostate cancer.<br /><br><br /><br>"Things can shift very quickly in the emergency room," Dr. Dhaliwal said. "One challenge of this, whether you use a computer or your brain, is deciding what's signal and what's noise." Much of the time, it is his intuition that helps figure out which is which.<br /><br><br /><br>An expert clinical diagnostician like Dr. Dhaliwal might make a decision without being able to explain exactly what is going on in the back of his mind, as his subconscious continuously sifts the wheat from the chaff.<br /><br><br /><br>While computers are good at crunching numbers, people are naturally good at matching patterns. To make a decision, physicians must combine logic and knowledge with their pattern-matching instincts.<br /><br><br /><br>Across the hall was a different case. A 65-year-old man had arrived confused and feverish, with blisters on his thigh. Dr. Dhaliwal suspected herpes encephalitis, but the blisters looked a bit too large, and in an unusual location for such a diagnosis.<br /><br><br /><br>The man's condition stabilized and no definitive diagnosis was made. Dr. Dhaliwal continued to follow the case. "Following up to know that nothing was missed was one of the most important aspects of that case," he said. "And not ever arriving at a final diagnosis is fine. Being O.K. with uncertainty is a big part of medicine."<br /><br><br /><br>Isabel, the diagnostic program that Dr. Dhaliwal sometimes uses, was created by Jason Maude, a former money manager in London, who named it for his daughter. At age 3, Isabel came down with chickenpox and doctors failed to spot a far more dangerous complication — necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating infection. By the time the disease was identified, Isabel had lost so much flesh that at age 17 she is still having plastic surgery.<br /><br><br /><br>Mr. Maude said that while someone like Dr. Dhaliwal would probably have thought of necrotizing fasciitis, his daughter's doctors were so stuck in what is called anchoring bias— in this case, Isabel's simple chickenpox — they couldn't see beyond it.<br /><br><br /><br>Had they entered her symptoms — high fever, vomiting, skin rash — into a diagnostic program, Mr. Maude said, the problem would probably have been identified.<br /><br><br /><br>Thousands of diseases are known, and many are rare. "Low-frequency events are hard to put on the brain's palette, and that's part of Isabel's strength," Mr. Maude said. "It's impossible for any one person to remember how each of those diseases presents, because each presents with a different pattern."<br /><br><br /><br>He added that Isabel was aimed not so much at the Dr. Dhaliwals of the world, but at more typical physicians.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. David J. Brailer, chief executive of Health Evolution Partners, which invests in health care companies, agreed. "If everyone was a diagnostic genius, we wouldn't need these decision support tools," he said.<br /><br><br /><br>Diagnostic mistakes account for about 15 percent of errors that result in harm to patients, according to the Institute of Medicine. Yet diagnostic software has been slow to make its way into clinical settings, and Dr. Dhaliwal, who uses Isabel as a "second check," said he could understand why.<br /><br><br /><br>Not only is it hard to integrate software into an already busy daily work flow, he said, but "most of us don't think we need help at diagnosis, especially with routine cases, which account for the majority of our work."<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Henry Lowe, an internist at Stanford University and director of its Center for Clinical Informatics, doubts that a computer could ever replace a diagnostic wizard like Dr. Dhaliwal, or even a competent clinician.<br /><br><br /><br>"Designing computer systems that work well with incomplete or imprecise information is challenging," Dr. Lowe said. "Particularly in medicine, where the consequences of defective decision-making may be catastrophic."<br /><br><br /><br>Mimicking Human Analysis<br /><br><br /><br>I.B.M.'s Watson for Healthcare has yet to focus directly on diagnosis. The company is working with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to teach Watson to interpret clinical information and, eventually, help determine treatment. I.B.M. also recently began a collaboration with Cleveland Clinic to broaden Watson's analytical capabilities into the area of medicine.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Martin Kohn, chief medical scientist for I.B.M. Research, is careful to point out that Watson for Healthcare is intended to be "neither omniscient nor omnipotent." Yet, Dr. Kohn noted, most physicians set aside five hours or less each month to read medical literature, while Watson can analyze the equivalent of thousands of textbooks every second. The program relies heavily on natural language processing. It can understand the nature of a question and review large amounts of information, such as a patient's electronic medical record, textbooks and journal articles, then offer a list of suggestions with a confidence level assigned to each.<br /><br><br /><br>For physicians, Dr. Kohn said, one problem is what he calls "the law of availability."<br /><br><br /><br>"You aren't going to put anything on a list that you don't think is relevant, or didn't know to think of," he said. "And that could limit your chances of getting a correct diagnosis."<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Dhaliwal agreed, citing the recent outbreak of hantavirus at Yosemite. Ten people contracted the virus, and three died. "It's a febrile illness that looks like the flu," he said. "It's so rare, the last time you might have seen it was your medical school classroom."<br /><br><br /><br>Had Isabel or a similar program been used, the deaths might have been prevented, Dr. Dhaliwal said. "You might think you're in familiar territory, but the computer is here to remind you there are other things."<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/health/quest-to-eliminate-diagnostic-lapses.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/health/quest-to-eliminate-diagnostic-lapses.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0</a>

Software Programs Help Doctors Diagnose, but Can’t Replace Them - NYTimes.com

The man on stage had his audience of 600 mesmerized. Over the course of 45 minutes, the tension grew. Finally, the moment of truth arrived, ...

Read more »

What Neuroscience Really Teaches Us, and What It Doesn't : The New Yorker

<base href="data:">In the early nineteen-nineties, David Poeppel, then a graduate student at M.I.T. (and a classmate of mine)—discovered an astonishing thing. He was studying the neurophysiological basis of speech perception, and a new technique had just come into vogue, called positron emission tomography (PET). About half a dozen PET studies of speech perception had been published, all in top journals, and David tried to synthesize them, essentially by comparing which parts of the brain were said to be active during the processing of speech in each of the studies. What he found, shockingly, was that there was virtually no agreement. Every new study had published with great fanfare, but collectively they were so inconsistent they seemed to add up to nothing. It was like six different witnesses describing a crime in six different ways.<br><br>This was terrible news for neuroscience—if six studies led to six different answers, why should anybody believe anything that neuroscientists had to say? Much hand-wringing followed. Was it because PET, which involves injecting a radioactive tracer into the brain, was unreliable? Were the studies themselves somehow sloppy? Nobody seemed to know.<br><br>And then, surprisingly, the field prospered. Brain imaging became more, not less, popular. The technique of PET was replaced with the more flexible technique of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which allowed scientists to study people's brains without the use of the risky radioactive tracers, and to conduct longer studies that collected more data and yielded more reliable results. Experimental methods gradually become more careful. As fMRI machines become more widely available, and methods became more standardized and refined, researchers finally started to find a degree of consensus between labs.<br><br>Meanwhile, neuroscience started to go public, in a big way. Fancy color pictures of brains in action became a fixture in media accounts of the human mind and lulled people into a false sense of comprehension. (In a feature for the magazine titled "Duped," Margaret Talbot described research at Yale that showed that inserting neurotalk into a papers made them more convincing.) Brain imaging, which was scarcely on the public's radar in 1990, became the most prestigious way of understanding human mental life. The prefix "neuro" showed up everywhere: neurolaw, neuroeconomics, neuropolitics. Neuroethicists wondered about whether you could alter someone's prison sentence based on the size of their neocortex.<br><br>And then, boom! After two decades of almost complete dominance, a few bright souls started speaking up, asking: Are all these brain studies really telling us much as we think they are? A terrific but unheralded book published last year, "Neuromania," worried about our growing obsession with brain imaging. A second book, by Raymond Tallis, published this year, invoked the same term and made similar arguments. In the book "Out of our Heads," the philosopher Alva Noë wrote, "It is easy to overlook the fact that images… made by fMRI and PET are not actually pictures of the brain in action." Instead, brain images are elaborate reconstructions that depend on complex mathematical assumptions that can, as one study earlier this year showed, sometimes yield slightly different results when analyzed on different types of computers.<br><br>Last week, worries like these, and those of thoughtful blogs like Neuroskeptic and The Neurocritic, finally hit the mainstream, in the form of a blunt New York Times op-ed, in which the journalist Alissa Quart declared, "I applaud the backlash against what is sometimes called brain porn, which raises important questions about this reductionist, sloppy thinking and our willingness to accept seemingly neuroscientific explanations for, well, nearly everything."<br><br>Quart and the growing chorus of neuro-critics are half right: our early-twenty-first-century world truly is filled with brain porn, with sloppy reductionist thinking and an unseemly lust for neuroscientific explanations. But the right solution is not to abandon neuroscience altogether, it's to better understand what neuroscience can and cannot tell us, and why.<br><br>The first and foremost reason why we shouldn't simply disown neuroscience altogether is an obvious one: if we want to understand our minds, from which all of human nature springs, we must come to grips with the brain's biology. The second is that neuroscience has already told us lot, just not the sort of things we may think it has. What gets play in the daily newspaper is usually a study that shows some modest correlation between a sexy aspect of human behavior, with headlines like "FEMALE BRAIN MAPPED IN 3D DURING ORGASM" and "THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON POKER"<br><br>But a lot of those reports are based on a false premise: that neural tissue that lights up most in the brain is the only tissue involved in some cognitive function. The brain, though, rarely works that way. Most of the interesting things that the brain does involve many different pieces of tissue working together. Saying that emotion is in the amygdala, or that decision-making is the prefrontal cortex, is at best a shorthand, and a misleading one at that. Different emotions, for example, rely on different combinations of neural substrates. The act of comprehending a sentence likely involves Broca's area (the language-related spot on the left side of the brain that they may have told you about in college), but it also draws on the parts of the brain in the temporal lobe that analyze acoustic signals, and part of sensorimotor cortex and the basal ganglia become active as well. (In congenitally blind people, some of the visual cortex also plays a role.) It's not one spot, it's many, some of which may be less active but still vital, and what really matters is how vast networks of neural tissue work together.<br><br>The smallest element of a brain image that an fMRI can pick out is something called a voxel. But voxels are much larger than neurons, and, in the long run, the best way to understand the brain is probably not by asking which particular voxels are most active in a given process. It will instead come from asking how the many neurons work together within those voxels. And for that, fMRI may turn not out not to be the best technique, despite its current convenience. It may ultimately serve instead as the magnifying glass that leads us to the microscope we really need. If most of the action in the brain lies at the level of neurons rather than voxels or brain regions (which themselves often contain hundreds or thousands of voxels), we may need new methods, like optogenetics or automated, robotically guided tools for studying individual neurons; my own best guess is that we will need many more insights from animal brains before we can fully grasp what happens in human brains. Scientists are also still struggling to construct theories about how arrays of individual neurons relate complex behaviors, even in principle. Neuroscience has yet find its Newton, let alone its Einstein.<br><br>But that's no excuse for giving up. When Darwin wrote "The Origin of Species," nobody knew what DNA was for, and nobody imagined that we would eventually be sequencing it.<br><br>The real problem with neuroscience today isn't with the science—though plenty of methodological challenges still remain—it's with the expectations. The brain is an incredibly complex ensemble, with billions of neurons coming into—and out of—play at any given moment. There will eventually be neuroscientific explanations for much of what we do; but those explanations will turn out to be incredibly complicated. For now, our ability to understand how all those parts relate is quite limited, sort of like trying to understand the political dynamics of Ohio from an airplane window above Cleveland.<br><br>Which may be why the best neuroscientists today may be among those who get the fewest headlines, like researchers studying the complex dynamics that enter into understanding a single word. As Poeppel says, what we need now is "the meticulous dissection of some elementary brain functions, not ambitious but vague notions like brain-based aesthetics, when we still don't understand how the brain recognizes something as basic as a straight line."<br><br>The sort of short, simple explanations of complex brain functions that often make for good headlines rarely turn out to be true. But that doesn't mean that there aren't explanations to be had, it just means that evolution didn't evolve our brains to be easily understood.<br><br><i>Gary Marcus, a professor of psychology at N.Y.U. and the author of "Guitar Zero: The Science of Becoming Musical At Any Age", has written for <a href="http://newyorker.com">newyorker.com</a> about moral machines, Ray Kurzweil's new book, and deep learning.<br></i><br><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/12/what-neuroscience-really-teaches-us-and-what-it-doesnt.html">http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/12/what-neuroscience-really-teaches-us-and-what-it-doesnt.html</a><br><br>

What Neuroscience Really Teaches Us, and What It Doesn't : The New Yorker

In the early nineteen-nineties, David Poeppel, then a graduate student at M.I.T. (and a classmate of mine)—discovered an astonishing thing. ...

Read more »

Walk Away The Pounds

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bRjZMIMY1kI/UL83tFbtBAI/AAAAAAAADjU/x6jm4P8fmTM/s1600/walk%2Baway%2Bthe%2Bpounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bRjZMIMY1kI/UL83tFbtBAI/AAAAAAAADjU/x6jm4P8fmTM/s320/walk%2Baway%2Bthe%2Bpounds.jpg" width="300" /></a></div> Are you tired of just walking around the block? With the Winter coming I've got you covered! These DVD's By Leslie Sansone are amazing! Walk Away The Pounds, you do just that walking! It's so easy and each walk is equivalent to a one mile, two mile or three mile walk! You can add in some free weights to get those muscles pumped up too! I love these DVD's, along with exercise regularly and watching what you eat they work. I have noticed a difference in myself not just from these but from being a Curves member and eating right, goodbye shortness of breath and hello hot bod!

Walk Away The Pounds

Are you tired of just walking around the block? With the Winter coming I've got you covered! These DVD's By Leslie Sansone are amaz...

Read more »

The Difference between right and almost right

<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/115916382183421477315/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCNPCp6bK0YDF6gE#5818422999526122562'><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHD9R_LY2w5CevfaiZ6kYuQ7l5t2zKIbfg5P-Ej2RovoW9Gh8F3pJO5CBXhyphenhyphenNdSAEVsswG2zTKU4jjXTieEYTT1tvrENvnZI1eawkBXx8pCgnyCow8iGXQRla770Mzvyxc2frKmcV5rk8/s288/4.jpg" style="margin:5px" width="281"></a></center><br /><br />"Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right." Charles Spurgeon.<br /><br />As my old PE coach said, "almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."<br /><br />What is the difference between right and almost right? It is the difference between the tunnels meeting as the chunnel was drilled under the English Channel. It is often the difference between disciplining a child and abusing a child - many things children do are wrong and deserve correcting but some parents go over the top when trying to make their point.<br /><br />Other examples:<br />* The difference between being helpful and kind and being a pushover that never holds children accountable.<br />* The difference between listening to a parent's side and never backing up your teachers.<br />* The difference between listening to students and never holding them accountable for their actions.<br />* The difference between holding teachers accountable and unfairly punishing them for the intellectual capacities and wealth of their children (which are often higher indicators of test scores and student success.)<br />* The difference between fairness and unfairness is most often in this fine shade between right and almost right.<br /><br />We should all look at our actions in the classroom and schools to determine if what we are doing is right -- or almost right. Almost right isn't good enough. I believe that good sense has been suspended and some people are just doing something to show they are doing something, when in fact, they are just shooting holes in ships that are already sinking.<br /><br />We need rational thought,wisdom, and discernment in times like these. The new thing isn't always the best thing and be very wary of those who have all the answers. <br /><br />I've found that the only teachers and educators with all the answers are those who have never taught before the week before they start teaching and those who have never taught before but make it their life's work to tell others how to teach. Most coaches have played the game they are coaching - it gives them a baseline for understanding and relating to the players.<br /><br />I just want to encourage you today to consider the difference between right and almost right in your life and classroom and to commit to doing the RIGHT thing.<br /><br />Have a great day! Remember your noble calling, teacher!<br /><br />- Written on my iPad using Blog Press by Vicki Davis, author, Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds<br />

The Difference between right and almost right

"Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right." ...

Read more »

advent calendar blues

I'm feeling a bit behind already and it's only December 5th.<br /><br />I've got lists made, presents half way complete, decorations underway and meals/parties planned but I'm slacking in one area. The advent calendar.<br /><br />We have a lovely felt calendar we pull out each year, and each year I feel under pressure to find stuff to fill each day. So I usually end up buying a bunch of crappy little things to hand out that break an hour later or I give the girls candy and treats when they already get enough of that at this time of year.<br /><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/AVvXsEi7pz6rfw7gGQB1SJScDqmkc-ycBnlKVUSOv-vyIlRaMjNlfqEBTxvIr4gdqWlKd9HlBzFSXsIi1lItaBt7UdObTtEom5SkBg6vH2GOU60offbYZsBtRAu39-qSgRiW7hTSnx2ofN2Aq1nj/s1600/img62o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pz6rfw7gGQB1SJScDqmkc-ycBnlKVUSOv-vyIlRaMjNlfqEBTxvIr4gdqWlKd9HlBzFSXsIi1lItaBt7UdObTtEom5SkBg6vH2GOU60offbYZsBtRAu39-qSgRiW7hTSnx2ofN2Aq1nj/s400/img62o.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/stocking-advent-calendar/?pkey=dchristmas-decor&cm_src=christmas-decor||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-" target="_blank">Pottery Barn Kids</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I tried going to Pinterest for some inspiration, but have you ever done a search for 'advent calendar' in Pinterest? It's like googling 'mysterious cough'. You are going to get way more information than you'll even need.<br /><br />I love the idea of filling each day with an activity or something, but it's hard to find an activity that works well for both a 5 year old and a 20 month old.<br /><br />So I'm all ears. Do you do an advent calendar? How do you do it? What do you fill it with? Want to come take care of mine?

Christmas advent calendar blues

I'm feeling a bit behind already and it's only December 5th. I've got lists made, presents half way complete, decorations underw...

Read more »