News for today's 2018

FOR TURKEY AS A MODEL IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AMERICA REMAINS CRUCIAL

6:11 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjtMJYzj9WmG2rgRrcF-FbzRgp82tRpctmSgjffF7AnM2fgvYuvAP3ZWB3Ez650rPdgEL1eFdA_yqg4MiyFD5-xlVuYDFdgP4ro7jY8g8uIuUqKkARsufaWtWlltnBAeectu86_r-S5cA/s1600/0226_mosque_460x276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjtMJYzj9WmG2rgRrcF-FbzRgp82tRpctmSgjffF7AnM2fgvYuvAP3ZWB3Ez650rPdgEL1eFdA_yqg4MiyFD5-xlVuYDFdgP4ro7jY8g8uIuUqKkARsufaWtWlltnBAeectu86_r-S5cA/s400/0226_mosque_460x276.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">  </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY RISKS BEING PULLED INTO THE ORBIT OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD INSTEAD OF SERVING AS A MODEL THAT COMBINES ISLAM AND LIBERAL VALUES</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; letter-spacing: 0.5pt;"></span></b></span></span></div><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The TURKISH presumption to be a “model” for the MIDDLE EAST will be undermined if the UNITED STATES were to withdraw from the affairs of the region. Absent a strong U.S. involvement, TURKEY risks being pulled into the orbit of the Muslim Brotherhood instead of serving as a model that combines Islam and liberal values. That is illustrated by TURKEY’S SYRIA policy. TURKEY is a crucial partner for the U.S., but it will only be the “model” that Washington hopes and needs, if the U.S. itself remains committed to the MIDDLE EAST.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Since the end of the Cold War, developments in the BALKANS, the CAUCASUS, CENTRAL ASIA and the MIDDLE EAST have provided the ground for continued strategic cooperation between the UNITED STATES and TURKEY; concurrently, the two NATO allies have been at odds over issues such as IRAQ and most recently IRAN. However, despite the frictions that have been generated by these disagreements, the U.S. and TURKEY have succeeded in maintaining their close relation, and they have not let their points of disagreement poison the atmosphere among them. During President Barack Obama’s first term, a close working relationship evolved between him and TURKISH Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When TURKEY, then a holder of a temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council, in 2010 voted against imposing sanctions on IRAN, the relationship with the UNITED STATES was adversely affected; however, when TURKEY subsequently agreed to host a radar station as part of NATO’s missile shield, it was essentially mended. Nonetheless, TURKEY is not participating fully in the common Western front against IRAN, as it has not imposed sanctions on a neighbor with whom it enjoys a relation of economic interdependence. Meanwhile, the hostile nature of the TURKISH-ISRAELI relations is also a complicating factor between TURKEY and the UNITED STATES.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">LOOMING ENERGY ISSUES </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Even though the Obama administration is prosecuting a Pacific pivot, the instability that reigns in the MIDDLE EAST will ensure that the region maintains a prominent place on the UNITED STATES’ foreign policy agenda. The unresolved crisis over IRAN’S nuclear ambitions, the ISRAELI-Palestinian conflict, SYRIA, IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN are all issues that have an impact on TURKISH-AMERICAN relations. In addition to the conflicts in the wider MIDDLE EAST, developments in the CAUCASUS, the CASPIAN basin and RUSSIA, with energy issues looming large, will also provide grounds for cooperation between Ankara and Washington.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">However, the IRANIAN issue, the SYRIAN crisis and TURKISH-ISRAELI tensions are going to be problematic for the two allies to handle. In addition, the approaching centennial of the ethnic cleansing of the ARMENIANS from Anatolia in 1915 is destined to cause further friction, as pressures on the U.S. Congress to pass a genocide resolution can be expected to mount.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Concerning the IRANIAN nuclear issue, there is no disagreement between TURKEY and the U.S. as to the principle that IRAN should not become a nuclear armed power; however, there is disagreement concerning how that outcome is to be prevented. Even though the Obama administration is set to pursue the attempts to persuade Tehran from withdrawing from the nuclear threshold by further tightening sanctions and by applying diplomatic pressure, it has also made clear that the military option is on the table. TURKEY, on the other hand, wants to avoid another war in its neighborhood. Since TURKEY is not even participating in the Western economic sanctions against IRAN, it is most unlikely that it would take part in a military operation against IRAN. Most probably, such a development would create tensions between TURKEY and the U.S. just as the AMERICAN invasion of IRAQ did.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKISH AND AMERICAN VIEWS OF A POST-ASSAD SYRIA DO NOT CONVERGE</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUsFuX-rnBOV5iTIE2tqeE7sl7-OjAXy7WDJQ1dEyoabJCeHLQEFAgJASqAeC_PHlsQ6RYeUY9Rblm-qR-x2SRpltZSnPVL6TWqOoY0NnzKU9kqQgLtMgSGnY60eQDN-zxB1qSHXrwd5l/s1600/OB-RL765_Obama__G_20120120122842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUsFuX-rnBOV5iTIE2tqeE7sl7-OjAXy7WDJQ1dEyoabJCeHLQEFAgJASqAeC_PHlsQ6RYeUY9Rblm-qR-x2SRpltZSnPVL6TWqOoY0NnzKU9kqQgLtMgSGnY60eQDN-zxB1qSHXrwd5l/s320/OB-RL765_Obama__G_20120120122842.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></b>In the SYRIAN crisis, Ankara and Washington are in agreement that President Bashar al-Assad must go. But the TURKISH and AMERICAN views of a post-Assad SYRIA do not converge. TURKEY has been the main backer and sponsor of the SYRIAN National Council (SNC), which aspired to be the leader of the SYRIAN opposition, although it is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, which cannot claim to command anything that resembles majority support among the SYRIAN population. Indeed, after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sharply criticized and disavowed the SNC, a new, supposedly more inclusive opposition body was recently set up at an opposition gathering in DOHA. TURKEY did not make its displeasure with the AMERICAN disavowal of its creation, the SNC, public; instead, Ankara encouraged the SNC to go along with the change and take its place within the new body. Indeed, the SNC in fact wields considerable and disproportionate influence within the new opposition council, which raises the question if the U.S. initiative will achieve the desired outcome of creating an opposition that is not Islamist-dominated. And the question still remains whether Ankara will help Washington to bring about a pluralistic post-Assad SYRIA. The determination of the TURKISH government to promote the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as TURKEY’S fierce opposition to KURDISH autonomy in parts of northern SYRIA has the potential to put TURKISH-AMERICAN relations to test.</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">HELPING THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TO POWER IN DAMASCUS IS THE MAIN MOTIVATION OF TURKEY’S SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE POLICY</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The developments in the MIDDLE EAST in the wake of the ARAB upheavals have come to illustrate the ambivalence of TURKEY: on the one hand, TURKEY aspires to present itself as a “model”, of democracy and economic development; and as it seeks to project power, it ultimately draws on its participation in a WESTERN security and economic system. It is the very fact that TURKEY historically enjoys a special relationship with the democratic West, combining Islam, democracy and market economy, that sustains whatever soft power it has to inspire potential, budding democracies in the region.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IS TURKEY GOING TO HELP BRING ABOUT A MODERATION OF THE RISING ISLAMISM IN THE REGION, OR IS THE RISE OF THE BROTHERHOOD ON THE CONTRARY GOING TO INCITE THE AKP TO REVERT TO ITS ISLAMIST ROOTS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But on the other hand, TURKEY’S ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is encouraged by the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the region; helping the Brotherhood to power in Damascus has indeed been the main motivation of TURKEY’S SYRIAN regime change policy. Thus, the question becomes who will inspire whom — is TURKEY going to help bring about a moderation of the rising Islamism in the region, or is the rise of the Brotherhood on the contrary going to incite the AKP to revert to its Islamist roots, a tendency that is already visible? It can be assumed that the policies that Brotherhood governments in the MIDDLE EAST — today in EGYPT, tomorrow perhaps also in SYRIA — elect to pursue are going to have an impact on the AKP, as these Sunni movements share much common intellectual ground.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">On an early stage, Erdoğan did make statements that encouraged EGYPTIANS and others to emulate Turkey’s example of “secularism”; that was not something that went down well with audiences in Cairo, and Erdoğan has not pursued this line, perhaps because he concluded that posing as the champion of secularism was not a particularly rewarding tactic, even though TURKISH “secularism” has in practice privileged Sunni Islam.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WITHOUT A STRONG U.S. INVOLVEMENT, TURKEY RISKS BEING PULLED INTO THE ORBIT OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is too early to predict whether Erdoğan’s TURKEY is going to inspire related, ascendant political movements in the MIDDLE EAST to reform themselves and their countries, or if it will be the other way around, with these movements providing inspiration for TURKEY. But there is reason to suspect that the Islamic movements in the region are ultimately going to remain faithful to their historic legacies, ushering in another form of authoritarianism instead of a democratic, liberal order. Indeed, the TURKISH example is itself less than reassuring on this account.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The TURKISH presumption to be a “model” will be further undermined if the UNITED STATES were to withdraw from the affairs of the MIDDLE EAST; without a strong U.S. involvement, TURKEY risks being pulled into the orbit of the Muslim Brotherhood. Indeed, the Syrian example, where Washington seeks to counter the influence of the Brotherhood which Ankara has privileged serves as an illustration of the importance of U.S. involvement. It can be assumed that the AMERICAN disavowal of the SNC displeased TURKEY, but it is nonetheless likely that Washington’s determination to midwife a non-Islamist SYRIA will have a sobering effect on Ankara’s calculus, just as was the case concerning IRAN; when push came to show, TURKEY joined the U.S. effort to contain Iran, by agreeing to host a crucial part of NATO’s missile shield. But absent Washington’s involvement, Ankara is certainly not going to be encouraged to abandon its sponsorship of the Brotherhood.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Even though the Obama administration is intent on reorienting U.S. strategy, giving priority to the PACIFIC region, the MIDDLE EAST is sure to retain its prominent place on the U.S. foreign policy agenda. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have enjoyed a close working relationship, and TURKEY will remain a crucial partner for the UNITED STATES in MIDDLE EASTERN affairs. But the issue of Iran and the crisis in SYRIA have the potential to put the U.S.-TURKISH relation — and the Obama-Erdoğan relationship — to test.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">UNITED STATES CANNOT OUTSOURCE SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE POLICIES TO TURKEY</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If the political, diplomatic and economic pressures put in place under U.S. leadership fail to yield the desired outcome, the IRANIAN nuclear issue may cause new tensions between the UNITED STATES and TURKEY, as it is highly unlikely that Ankara will be accommodating if Washington resorts to military action against IRAN. SYRIA meanwhile, demonstrates how important it is that the U.S. remains involved in the MIDDLE EAST; Washington’s attempt to midwife a more inclusive SYRIAN opposition that is not dominated by Islamists, may have challenged Ankara — whose creation, the Muslim Brotherhood dominated SYRIAN National Council is now submerged within a broader opposition grouping — but ultimately it may have the effect of encouraging TURKEY to revise its calculus.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVPF-Ld7RnM6WBgzvwWN79B3hhKKDtXVNlKl7HGH0DIqgxxBbEluh7zlH1CDqmrSpI7lJ60N3FCLOEx0exZL4pIADDG5CswNIAvVKy4s5z9lt8NbMzExS_jZSyLmgAvH6lulcvFOPCUnh/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVPF-Ld7RnM6WBgzvwWN79B3hhKKDtXVNlKl7HGH0DIqgxxBbEluh7zlH1CDqmrSpI7lJ60N3FCLOEx0exZL4pIADDG5CswNIAvVKy4s5z9lt8NbMzExS_jZSyLmgAvH6lulcvFOPCUnh/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If on the other hand the UNITED STATES were to withdraw from the MIDDLE EAST, TURKEY would likely be drawn into the orbit of the ascendant Muslim Brotherhood. What makes TURKEY special as a “model” in the MIDDLE EAST is — alongside its history — the relationship that it enjoys with the WEST; but it cannot represent the WEST alone. As the SYRIAN example clearly illustrates, the UNITED STATES cannot outsource regime change policies to TURKEY; left to its own devices, an AKP-ruled TURKEY will invariably be tempted to project power in the region in homegrown ideological terms. TURKEY is a crucial partner for the U.S., but it will only be the “model” that Washington hopes and needs, if the U.S. itself remains committed to the MIDDLE EAST.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Halil M. Karaveli </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">who</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is Senior Fellow with the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center, and Editor of the Turkey Analyst. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And <b>. Kemal Kaya</b></span> who is a Nonresident Senior Fellow with the Center.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>

FOR TURKEY AS A MODEL IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AMERICA REMAINS CRUCIAL

TURKEY RISKS BEING PULLED INTO THE ORBIT OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD INSTEAD OF SERVING AS A MODEL THAT COMBINES ISLAM AND LIBERAL VALUES ...

Healthy Choice Baked

4:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpSMGiSdQ7tpJh6CeUrHgynqcSTech2NfNcr-1zov5P6AJ1_QoYXsPRh5j0hOiZ4eBoQPCObLVjTZF8-7TAyNWaNYwfsMuDqQuzKA1XIYbvZMAO_IrWcQXZbQbTtilwdqjDSiS9uafEo/s1600/healthy+choice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpSMGiSdQ7tpJh6CeUrHgynqcSTech2NfNcr-1zov5P6AJ1_QoYXsPRh5j0hOiZ4eBoQPCObLVjTZF8-7TAyNWaNYwfsMuDqQuzKA1XIYbvZMAO_IrWcQXZbQbTtilwdqjDSiS9uafEo/s320/healthy+choice.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was part of this opportunity on Crowdtap to try Healthy Choice Baked meals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used to eat this stuff all of the time, until I found out it's not all that great for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I prefer making my own food to control what goes in it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I would like to try this to see if it's any different from their other meals, but the coupon isn't printing for some reason.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />

Healthy Choice Baked

I was part of this opportunity on Crowdtap to try Healthy Choice Baked meals. I used to eat this stuff all of the time, until I found out it...

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/15/2012

1:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/wes-deweese-questions-sons-grades_n_2301292.html">Father Of Student With Disabilities Questions Son's High Grades</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Grade fabrication is worse than grade inflation. Which is worse - the fact that the education system is lying about a child who can't walk and can't say his parent's names -- by giving the child A's in higher level subjects like Algebra and science -- or the system that forces education to go down the road from failing to farce.  Not every student is an A student. Period. We need age appropriate, fair measures. I think this article exposes a larger problem.   I have a teacher friend that talked to me several years back - she was in a local public school system. The principal told her that her F's HAD to become C's and her C's needed to move up and thus on down the line. She said she wouldn't do it, that she'd give the principal her gradebook and he could lie, but she wouldn't. So, this doesn't surprise me. Honesty and character are what you do when no one is looking -- but the fact that the Gwinett County school system can't even own up when people are looking is bothersome as well.  Something is rotten and it isn't in the state of Denmark... does this bother anyone else? "My goal isn't to have him do Algebra I right now. My goal is to have him walk," DeWeese told WSBTV. "I would love to hear him say 'mom' or 'dad,' but I know that's probably never going to happen."  DeWeese's concerns aren't ungrounded. Teachers and administrators across subjects have crumbled under increasing pressure to demonstrate improved student performance. A report last month found that as many as one in five teachers in Kansas and neighboring states reports science grades on student report cards without actually teaching or testing students on the subject.</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/grades">grades</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2012/a-dunbar-number-for-educating/">A Dunbar Number for Educating - academhack - Thoughts on Emerging Media and Higher Education</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Dave Parry at @academhack talks about the Dunbar number for educating. he thinks his number is 50-60 students. I am in a high school/ middle school and I am up close to 100 and feel that I have meaningful interactions with that many, however, I am around them all day long - see them at lunch, games, etc. So, I could understand how that number may be lower for a college professor.  Great question worth asking and perhaps researching based upon these anecdotal conversations.  Read more on his blog: "But this got me to wondering what is the Dunbar number for instruction. That is at any one time what is the number of students I can interact with, what is the cognitive limit of the number of students I can maintain and have a consistent interaction with. I think we can all agree that the fewer the students the more time I have to spend with each, and versa visa, the more students the less time I can spend with each. But I am hypothesizing about something slightly different here. What is the educational cognitive load? What is the Dunbar number for instruction? At what point do the edges start to fray and do I lose track of the students I am interacting with over the course of a semester?  So here’s my guess, and this is just a starting point. I think my Dunbar number for instruction is about 45-60. That is over the course of a semester I can handle about 45-60 in classes and still interact with them, become invested in them, and try to treat each (as much as possible) as an individual who is having an educational experience in which I play a role. Keep that number under 60 and I pretty much “know” all of my students. If someone walks into my office and says “How is Steven doing this semester?” I know about his semester. How he is doing. How he is engaging the material, and probably some additional material about where he is at with in the program and what interests him. Keep that number under 60 and I think that is true of all of my students. But as that number rises over 60 I start to lose the ability to “keep all the students in my head.” That is I start to lose track of some, they disappear, fade into the background. I can keep tabs on most but I end up focusing on the ones who need challenging, or the ones who are struggling, and some in the middle get lost under the weight of too many students.</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></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/weekend-reading-14/45055">Weekend Reading</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">I have to say - @profhacker ROCKS. In this week's round up (something I always try to read) he points to an article questioning what the "Dunbar number is for teaching." The Dunbar number is  number that hypothetically, is the maximum number you can meaningfully have interactions - really, the number of "friends" you can have and those people be REAL friends -- or at least acquaintances.   This question is an important one -- if we can find the "Dunbar number for teaching" then we could structure class sizes and course loads to not exceed that maximum - at least if we care about real teaching. It could at least give us a litmus test to determine if organizations really care about good teaching.   We know that smaller class sizes are better - but if we can MEANINGFULLY interact - in these times, wouldn't we look at that upper limit as a sort of maximum number?   I will link to the other article as well, but wanted to point out profhacker just because the blog ROCKS. </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/pln">pln</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/tumblr">tumblr</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/dunbar number">dunbar number</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWlAJxIz_rE&feature=youtu.be">Twitter For Your Pln - YouTube</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">I need to get my daughter to translate this very cool trailer for a project for teachers - very cool. Why don't we make trailers to start school years and projects? We could even end a project by having kids make trailers for the next participants. Cool.</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/twitter">twitter</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/pln">pln</a>            <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ideas">ideas</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 12/15/2012

Father Of Student With Disabilities Questions Son's High Grades Grade fabrication is worse than ...

Matt Said, Jay Said 3.14159265359

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Matt babbles, Jay babbles, You pretend to listen.<br /><br />Matt: Cheers!<br />Jay: Hola!<br />Matt: What do you want?<br />Jay: You<br />Matt: Sick Fuck<br />Jay: That makes you hot<br />Matt: I’m a little uncomfortable right now<br />Jay: Me too<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjkAjFIMiojqCirE25u9u2rgPU4qsBzr1oSBFB0PqEGfVNmoHIa0NqfAwfV5bu5WU_uVCUAsZVG1Gei5Y84XUB9lMPoQMVecBmYNRk4fNUZdJyDi5YIEMRVyAe130krAYuoDYD-CDuL8/s1600/Schmoop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjkAjFIMiojqCirE25u9u2rgPU4qsBzr1oSBFB0PqEGfVNmoHIa0NqfAwfV5bu5WU_uVCUAsZVG1Gei5Y84XUB9lMPoQMVecBmYNRk4fNUZdJyDi5YIEMRVyAe130krAYuoDYD-CDuL8/s320/Schmoop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Jay: So how’s Schmoop?<br />Matt: Well the surgery went well<br />Jay: That’s good.  Anything else?<br />Matt: Oh yea, she DOES NOT have cancer!<br />Jay: WOOOOOOOOOO!!!<br />Matt: Yeah, that was pretty good news.<br />Jay: DAMN good news!<br />Matt: They still don’t really know what the blockage was.<br />Jay: Well, Doritos Nacho Dust can pack in there pretty tight.<br />Matt: True, or maybe some meat-like substances from Taco Bell<br />Jay: Or some of that Skyline Chili shit.<br />Matt: NOBODY knows what that stuff is.<br />Jay: Maybe nachos?<br />Matt: A tortilla chip might have gotten caught sideways in there.<br />Jay: The possibilities are endless.<br />Matt: And I’m fine with any of them as long as it isn’t cancer.<br />Jay: Damn right!<br /><br />Matt: So what are we talking about on this week’s show?<br />Jay: Well I guess we should talk about the single life<br />Matt: We are a couple of swinging bachelors currently.<br />Jay: Damn right. Wild and crazy bachelors who get sleepy by 9:30<br />Matt: Well, maybe our prime is a little behind us<br />Jay: But, we can still talk about meals for one<br />Matt: And how to enjoy being alone.<br />Jay: Pros and Cons of single life!<br />Matt: There you go!<br />Jay: This is gonna be awesome<br />Matt: It’s gonna be HUGE!<br />Jay: I’m kind of excited about it<br />Matt: I’m going to get uncomfortable again<br />Jay: I’ll tone it down<br />Matt: I don’t think you know how to<br />Jay: You’re right<br />Matt: Okay, I think we’re ready!<br />Jay: Sweet! See you on the air dude!<br />Matt: Laterz!<br /><br />Okay, there you have it kids. Schmoop is apparently cancer free and we’re going to be <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2012/12/16/the-bachelor-life" target="_blank">Baching It</a> this weekend on IWS! Join us for all the wild and crazy fun!<br /><div><br /></div></div>

Matt Said, Jay Said 3.14159265359

Matt babbles, Jay babbles, You pretend to listen. Matt: Cheers! Jay: Hola! Matt: What do you want? Jay: You Matt: Sick Fuck Jay: That makes ...

ARGENTINA and BITCOIN

5:43 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHqPzo2r_AyorZLc0lO3PCcll_mzbgeEiQi49a1y-6i2v1Q3a1szPTwgYsERmBoF0W28Tn8vYaI_Uw-bvojo4IiirZyQ736q1v-eFcJN5SwhrxjlOaJ0fbH80Vi76zB4ijXwQgxRQqC56/s1600/BitcoinQR5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHqPzo2r_AyorZLc0lO3PCcll_mzbgeEiQi49a1y-6i2v1Q3a1szPTwgYsERmBoF0W28Tn8vYaI_Uw-bvojo4IiirZyQ736q1v-eFcJN5SwhrxjlOaJ0fbH80Vi76zB4ijXwQgxRQqC56/s320/BitcoinQR5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BITCOIN, THE NEW ALTERNATIVE CURRENCY FOR ARGENTINA?</span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">BITCOIN, LA  NUEVA MONEDA ALTERNATIVA PARA ARGENTINA?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"></span></b><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"><br /></span><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">En Argentina, donde la población tiene que hacer frente aconstricciones económicas  "home made"  impuestas por las autoridades locales, BITCOIN, una moneda alternativa en línea está experimentando una popularidad creciente.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />El nuevo sistema de pago está descentralizada en una red peer-to-peer - al igual que el sistema de descargas BITORRENT. Los argentinos están luchando actualmente con alta inflación, la moneda extranjera - las soluciones para frenar la inflación, es difícil de conseguir en estos días. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"><span style="font-size: large;">Así los argentinos empresariales han comenzado a utilizar BITCOIN con el fin de enviar dinero fuera del país,  obtener dólares  o euros. Todas las transacciones son anónimas. Las autoridades no tienen ninguna posibilidad de controlar esas transacciones.</span></span></span><br /><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"></span></span><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BITCOIN, THE NEW ALTERNATIVE CURRENCY FOR ARGENTINA?</span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Argentina, where the population has to cope with “home made” economic constrictions imposed by local authorities, BITCOIN, an alternative online currency is experiencing increasing popularity.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The new payment system is decentralized in a peer-to-peer network – just like the download system BITORRENT. Argentineans are currently struggling with high inflation, foreign currency - the solutions to curb in inflation, is hard to get these days. Thus entrepreneurial Argentineans have started to use BITCOIN in order to get money out of the country or purchase Dollars or Euros. All transactions are anonymous. Authorities have no chance to control such transactions.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BITCOINS, THE ONLINE-ONLY CURRENCY</b>. </span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv44EDtP12BwRPpAIteKLfxCEZW8yNObX7RpFXxiPqjN9sYzJV7BaA_jjuicnwPA0jGyj3kheNWgmTPJaZShaL9KOIVTF5YR_gvAGGO5uIA4Gz_OsjJBCVlIFy8O97qnYqphMeJBWhyphenhyphen8w/s1600/bitcoin530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv44EDtP12BwRPpAIteKLfxCEZW8yNObX7RpFXxiPqjN9sYzJV7BaA_jjuicnwPA0jGyj3kheNWgmTPJaZShaL9KOIVTF5YR_gvAGGO5uIA4Gz_OsjJBCVlIFy8O97qnYqphMeJBWhyphenhyphen8w/s320/bitcoin530.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"></span>Created in 2009 by a mysterious programmer named Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoins behave a lot like any currency. Their value is determined by demand, and they can be used to buy stuff. Bitcoin transactions are encrypted and handled by a decentralized global network of tens of thousands of personal computers. Merchants around the world accept the currency, from a bakery in San Francisco to a dentist in Finland. Individuals who own bitcoins and wish to exchange them for physical currencies like euros or dollars can use exchange sites such as localbitcoins.com, a Finland-based site founded by Jeremias Kangas. “I believe that bitcoin is, or will be in the future, a very effective tool for individuals who want to avoid sanctions, currency restrictions, and high inflation in countries such as Iran,” Kangas wrote in an e-mail. </span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE ADVANTAGE FOR COUNTRIES WITH RESTRICTIVE FOREIGN CURRENCY POLICIES IS THAT BITCOINS CAN BE SWAPPED FOR DOLLARS THAT CAN THEN BE KEPT OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY</b>. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Another plus: Regulators can’t easily track the transactions, since bitcoins aren’t issued from a central server. Bitcoin users can conduct business on virtual private networks, which hide customers’ identities.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Many entrepreneurs and visionaries wish the culture of using digital money will spread all over the world, because it does not have any dependency on anything like politics.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Um63OQz3bjo?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>HOW IT WORKS</b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The project was started in 2009 by an enigmatic programmer known as Satoshi Nakamoto. He always communicated electronically, never answered personal questions, and disappeared from online forums in December. The conspiracy-minded speculate that Nakamoto was actually a group of people, or a government cryptographer, or a pseudonym for Gavin Andresen, the Amherst (Mass.) programmer who took over the project after Nakamoto vanished. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Digital transactions normally require a trusted intermediary such as PayPal to credit and debit accounts properly and prevent cheating</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">. With BITCOINS, "there is no middleman, says Andresen or," more accurately, there's a distributed middleman. Individual transactions are encrypted, logged by a decentralized network running on thousands of home computers, and recorded in a public ledger. The system works similarly to peer-to-peer music-sharing networks in that files are shared among swarms of users, rather than downloaded from a central server. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Suppose you're in the market for alpaca socks, one of the few consumer items you can buy with BITCOINS. Step one: Get some BTC—that's the symbol—at a currency exchange site such as Mt.Gox. Then download a desktop app from bitcoin.org, which will store your lucre (some use an online service such as Instawallet.org instead) and connect you to the decentralized BITCOIN network. Next, find the alpaca farms BITCOIN address, a string of characters also known as a public key. Click the send coins button. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE BITCOIN NETWORK HAS HANDLED AS MANY AS 87 QUADRILLION CALCULATIONS PER SECOND, 35 TIMES MORE THAN THE TOP SUPERCOMPUTER. </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The purchase is unconfirmed until a miner certifies it. Miners are power users who crunch numbers on behalf of the network, and some have racks of computers dedicated to the task. They're called miners because, just as gold miners increase the supply of gold, they create new BITCOINS, at an algorithmically controlled rate. The greater their computing power, the more they generate for themselves. Once a miner's computer has processed a transaction, the alpaca farm gets BITCOINS and you get socks. It's complex but fast: The BITCOIN network has handled as many as 87 quadrillion calculations per second, 35 times more than the top supercomputer. </span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BITCOIN, ONLY FOR “MATURE” COUNTRIES? </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BITCOINS have all the advantages of cash—free to use, very hard to trace—as well as its disadvantages. That digital wallet is a file on a hard drive or online, and if it's lost or stolen there's no recourse. The currency is backed only by the faith and credit of its participants and outside the scope of any banker, politician, or the Federal Reserve. To a certain breed of libertarian nerd who grew up on cyberpunk, it's the Digital Rapture. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMfnSLZx_53PDkSD3Jq7apvNaGL55CwKGr_eaRIM8TsVKPFjGE-lt-WEfaocEjkDDexxXhullYiyQvfVgfddEoI0RD43AAvNE8mycaa-nwQlcLeISZfTJJa4zf6-nyo6z7AeOOBnT1gcM/s1600/bitcoin_accepted_sign1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMfnSLZx_53PDkSD3Jq7apvNaGL55CwKGr_eaRIM8TsVKPFjGE-lt-WEfaocEjkDDexxXhullYiyQvfVgfddEoI0RD43AAvNE8mycaa-nwQlcLeISZfTJJa4zf6-nyo6z7AeOOBnT1gcM/s320/bitcoin_accepted_sign1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span>BITCOIN also resonates with those who have something to hide. "Any anarchist cyberscheme like BITCOIN will rapidly attract the Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse: Mafia, drug dealers, terrorists, and child pornography," says author and futurist Bruce Sterling. The hacker group LulzSec, which has claimed credit for breaking into websites at Sony (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?symbol=SNE"><span style="color: blue;">SNE</span></a>) and the U.S. Senate, says a donor recently sent in $7,000 worth of BITCOINS. Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) urged federal law enforcement to shut down Silk Road, an online catalog for drugs, and spotlighted BITCOIN'S role as the only method of payment for these illegal purchases. Among the legit merchandise you can buy with BITCOIN: organic gardening services, a BITCOIN merit badge from NerdMeritBadge.com, and a smattering of tech products. </span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yYTqvYqXRbY?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BITCOIN: WILL THE ONLINE CURRENCY INFLUENCE GEOPOLITICS AND STRATEGIES?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Merit badges and gardening are not the stuff revolutions are made of, but BITCOIN'S ascent has created a virtuous cycle: As early adopters see the value of their stakes rise, they have an incentive to entice new users and merchants. The number of people on the BITCOIN network at any given moment has climbed from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands since the start of the year, says Andresen. There are dedicated BITCOIN currency exchanges, escrow accounts, and smartphone apps. In the planning stages are options exchanges, cash registers, and high-frequency trading programs. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IF THERE'S ONE INDUSTRY THAT TAKES THE MOST CREAM OFF THE TOP AND PROVIDES THE LEAST VALUE, ITS FINANCE</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Mark Suppes, a Web developer (who freelances for Bloomberg LP, parent of this magazine), bought a used ATM on EBay (<a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?symbol=EBAY"><span style="color: blue;">EBAY</span></a>) for about $400. In a Brooklyn warehouse, he's reprogramming it to accept BITCOIN transfers from a smartphone and dispense U.S. dollars. Suppes is motivated by self-interest—"I own enough BITCOINS that I'll be set if this works out," he says—and a desire to stick it to what he considers economic parasites. "If there's one industry that takes the most cream off the top and provides the least value, its finance," he says. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bankers needn't worry at this point. The most common reason to hold BITCOINS is as a speculative investment. "Any given day, it can move 20, 30, 40, even 50 percent," says Adam Cohen, a developer at startup Seatgeek who wrote a critical post about BITCOIN on the Q&A site Quora. "That's scary. I wouldn't want to have a lot of my wealth tied up in it right now." Sterling calls BITCOINS "a cousin project to WikiLeaks." For a glimpse of its future, he says, "find the half-dozen zealots who were core activists of WikiLeaks and ask them how their plan for massive planetary liberation has been going." </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The skeptics are why Andresen evangelizes. After his last haircut, he persuaded his barber to accept payment in BITCOIN. "I had to promise I would buy it back from him if it dropped in value," he says. "I insured his downside risk." </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The bottom line:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> BITCOINS, a two-year-old virtual currency, have exploded in value since December as tech-minded speculators snap them up.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

ARGENTINA and BITCOIN

BITCOIN, THE NEW ALTERNATIVE CURRENCY FOR ARGENTINA? BITCOIN, LA NUEVA MONEDA ALTERNATIVA PARA ARGENTINA? En Argentina, donde la poblac...

Today's archidose #640

12:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

Here are some photos of the Musashino Art University Museum and Library (<a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2010/07/musashino-art-university-library.html">featured previously</a>) in Tokyo, Japan, by <a href="http://www.sou-fujimoto.net/">Sou Fujimoto Architects</a> (2010). Photographs are by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/">Scott Norsworthy</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/8266526280/" title="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto by Scott Norsworthy, on Flickr"><img alt="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto" height="429" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8205/8266526280_c761dc6a6a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/8265465059/" title="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto by Scott Norsworthy, on Flickr"><img alt="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto" height="361" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8059/8265465059_e2398d11af_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/8265462449/" title="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto by Scott Norsworthy, on Flickr"><img alt="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto" height="532" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8265462449_fc9d8a441b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/8265468641/" title="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto by Scott Norsworthy, on Flickr"><img alt="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8344/8265468641_91b46b00c2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/8265466223/" title="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto by Scott Norsworthy, on Flickr"><img alt="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8075/8265466223_941fbf8f14_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/8265456467/" title="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto by Scott Norsworthy, on Flickr"><img alt="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8265456467_5c8011212b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/8266535198/" title="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto by Scott Norsworthy, on Flickr"><img alt="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8483/8266535198_c1b87df618_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/8265463909/" title="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto by Scott Norsworthy, on Flickr"><img alt="Musashino Art University Museum & Library - Sou Fujimoto" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8065/8265463909_2b1a857139_c.jpg" width="534" /></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 #640

Here are some photos of the Musashino Art University Museum and Library ( featured previously ) in Tokyo, Japan, by Sou Fujimoto Architects ...

Don't give these answers during your interview

8:05 AM Anonymous 0

<br /><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: -30px; text-align: left;"><div class="cbmsnArticleImage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/tf/ar5l86t72vp1lxq5wbtf.gif?time=4/11/2012%2012:19:23%20pm" /></div><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #000066; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span id="cbArticle_lblHeadline">Don't give these answers during your interview</span></h1></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">By Justin Thompson, CareerBuilder Writer</span></b><br /><br /><div class="cb_share_more_wrapper"></div></div><div class="ArticleContent" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">After receiving a call from an employer inviting you in for an interview, it's common to feel simultaneously ecstatic, relieved and nervous. One of the best ways to calm those nerves is to be prepared for the interview. To do so, try and anticipate what questions the employer might ask. While at times <a href="http://youtu.be/rkslqgGMk_M" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">questions can get tricky</a>, for the most part employers ask straightforward questions that help them get to know your personality as well as your ability to think on your feet.<br />Yet even if a job seeker is prepared, nerves can still cause stumbles. To help, here are four of the most common interview questions and tips on how you<br />should -- and shouldn't -- answer them.<br /><br /><b>1. "So, tell me a little about yourself."</b><br />When answering this question, don't go off on a tangent. Prepare your two to three minute career summary and rehearse it out loud. "Make sure that whatever you share is relevant and makes sense given the job you're interviewing for," says <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/career+counselor/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">career counselor</a> and <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/writer/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">author</a> Roy Cohen. "Too much information will be lost in translation and your interviewer will tune you out."<br /><br /><b>2. "Why do you want to leave your current job?"</b>This question can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, if you say you're looking for a new opportunity, the interviewer may take that to mean you were bored at your current job and wanted out. Instead, you could be more specific: There were changes in management; the company's direction didn't align with your personal goals; or recent changes made you concerned about the stability of the company and your role. "It's better to have more reasons for making a move than just one. It suggests that the decision is multilayered and, hopefully, some of what you say will resonate with the interviewer," Cohen says.<br /><br /><b>3. "What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses? "</b><br />Stop saying, "I'm a perfectionist." It's trite and overdone. Name a strength that makes you stand out for the position to which you are applying. When naming a weakness, pick something that's realistic, and acknowledge that you're constantly working on improving in that area. Ensure that your weakness isn't directly associated with one of the prospective job responsibilities, but do be honest.<br /><br /><b>4. "Let's talk about salary. What are your expectations?"</b>If possible, avoid addressing compensation until toward the end of the hiring process. When it comes time to discuss, provide a range with which you're comfortable. Going into the conversation, decide what the lowest acceptable salary is that will allow you to enjoy the lifestyle with which you're most comfortable. From there, incrementally increase that salary by 5, 10 or 15 percent. Once you get to the negotiation process, you'll be in a better position to give and take on salary and other benefits.<br /><br /><i>Justin Thompson is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, </i><a href="http://www.theworkbuzz.com/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>The Work Buzz</i></a><i>. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.</i></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />

Don't give these answers during your interview

Don't give these answers during your interview By Justin Thompson, CareerBuilder Writer After receiving a call from an employer inviting...