Brittney Griner: Playing Above The Rim In The WNBA

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Most know Brittney Griner as the basketball player changing the women’s game because she can dunk. She did so to much fanfare 18 times as a Baylor University Lady Bear. She also finished her college career as the second all-time scorer in women’s NCAA history, with 3,283 points, and became the top shot-blocker ever, shattering both the men’s and women’s college records, with 748.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">That athletic prowess wrapped up in her impressive 6-foot-8 frame and 7-foot-4 wingspan is why the WNBA has been salivating to get her into their league. As predicted Griner went No. 1 on Monday night in the draft, to the Phoenix Mercury.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><img src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/christinasettimi/files/2013/04/Brittney-Griner-Jersey-1-199x300.jpg" /><img height="320" src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/alanaglass/files/2013/04/IMG_0049.jpg" width="240" />Now she and two other highly visible rookies, Elena Delle Donne from Delaware drafted No. 2 to the Chicago Sky, and Skylar Diggins from Notre Dame who went No. 3 to the Tulsa Shock, are expected to breathe new life in the league that is entering its 17th season, trying to re-brand itself with a new logo and an extended $12 million a year television deal with ESPN through 2022.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">But Griner is expected to be a game changer off the court as well. Her idea of femininity — including her love of her longboard (she’s a skater kid who idolizes Tony Hawk), her playfulness on current fashion (her Pinterest account shows her love of on-trend oxfords including a pair with lilac laces and soles, and another two-toned pair in this season’s color mint), her fresh faced look (she has a baby smooth complexion and enviable high cheekbones), her confidence in her ability to be friends with her female competitors (she and Elena Delle Donne swapped encouraging tweets through the NCAA tournament) and to sincerely compete with men (she and Mark Cuban recently caused a stir when he said he would take a chance on her and she said “I’ll hold my own”), and her open acknowledgement that her sexuality is just part of who she is (despite headlines today, <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130417/wnba-griner-delle-donne-diggins-sports-sexuality/" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">her interview with SI last night was not a ceremonial coming-out</a>) — is a refreshing twist on the archaic ideals of beauty imposed on female athletes. Accordingly, she is expected to earn coveted endorsements that have typically eluded female team-sport athletes.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">“Brittney is powerful because she is true to herself. She embraces what makes her unique and in doing so, empowers everyone around her to do the same,” said her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">“She’s incredibly inspirational and for forward leaning brands that are interested in connecting with consumers emotionally, she has the potential to be very, very compelling.”</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Nike agrees and just signed her to a multi-year deal. She joins the brand’s current roster of female brand ambassadors, all solo athletes, including tennis stars Serena Williams and <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mli45imfe/1-maria-sharapova/#gallerycontent" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Maria Sharapova, who earned $27.9 million last year to rank as Forbes’ highest paid female athlete</a>.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Despite all the hype, expectations and judgments, Griner is incredibly humble and authentic. It showed when she welled-up when her name was called at the draft, even though hell was set to freeze over before she was passed on being called first. Forbes caught up with her the day after the WNBA draft at the league’s offices in New York to talk about her career, that little thing with Cuban, and how she wants to play on and off the court.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Christina Settimi: It was interesting to see you last night after what everyone, including you, knew what would happen — you were drafted first by the Phoenix Mercury. What did the tears stem from then?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Brittney Griner:  I finally got caught up in the moment. I kind of froze, my mouth froze, my mind froze up and I just couldn’t say anything. It was just like when I met Tony Hawk [earlier in the day on the ESPN campus]. I just froze up. It was overwhelming.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: What are you looking forward to most with joining your new team?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: A new start in a new city. But I don’t want to say a new city like I’m just visiting there. I’m looking forward to a new home. But I also can’t wait to play with Diana Taurasi, Candace Dupree, DeWanna Bonner, Penny Taylor. And Corey Gaines is an awesome coach. So I’m definitely looking forward to meeting up with all of them.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: That was quite a frenzy that surrounded the Mark Cuban situation when he publicly said he would draft you and you responded to him asking when you show up for tryouts. Did you anticipate that at all?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: No, I didn’t think it was going to be that big. But it was definitely good. It got people talking. People on the NBA side that really don’t talk about the women’s game started talking about it. I’ve had a lot of people respond to say they are going to start watching me. I had a Phoenix fan tweet me today, saying he lived in Phoenix his whole life and never been to a game and now that I’m there, he’s buying tickets. So it got people interested in the league that never had one and that’s awesome.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: But did you anticipate your response to Cuban would have been as scrutinized as it was?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: Regardless of what I would have said, it would have been scrutinized. If I had declined and said “no, I don’t want to take you up on that offer” people would have said “she’s scared” or “she can’t do it”. And as it was, I said yes, I do want to take you up on that offer and people jumped to the conclusion that I don’t care about the WNBA. I do care about the league. The league is first. Then if the opportunity still is there to present itself in the NBA, I will give it a shot. Either way though, someone was going to have something negative to say. A lot of the fanbase thought I was going to skip the WNBA draft and just focus on Cuban. But no, I was living for this draft. When I started playing basketball the dream was always the WNBA. It wasn’t to make it to the NBA. Our league is what has always been special to me.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: Had you thought about it though, ever playing in the NBA?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: No, to be honest it never crossed my mind. I’m a fan, I watch. But I never thought about playing there.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: Do you take the constructive criticism that the women’s and men’s games are different?<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 16px; text-transform: uppercase;">PAGE 2 OF 3</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: Yes I think they are different, but equal. We shouldn’t compare them. We are our own league. They are their own league. We’re the top female athletes; they are the top men’s athletes.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: Well on that note, the Phoenix Mercury posted a congratulatory video from LeBron James to you on their website. He compared you to Wilt Chamberlain. What do you think of that?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: That is definitely an honor. But you’re not going to change that. People are going to compare us over to the men’s side. I wish they would compare back to women. You have to take it as a compliment though, especially to be compared to Wilt who is just a great athlete, not just on the men’s side, but in general.</div><br /><aside class="vestpocket" data-position="4" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 5px; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; margin: 8px 30px 1px 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 20px; position: relative; width: 175px; z-index: 1;"><div class="box article" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 20px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 175px;"><a class="thumb exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2013/04/16/its-official-brittney-griner-will-be-dunking-in-the-wnba/" style="border: 0px; color: black; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 0px 5px; max-height: 175px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="icon" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><img alt="" src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/alanaglass/files/2013/04/IMG_0049.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(184, 184, 184) 1px 1px 6px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(184, 184, 184) 1px 1px 6px; margin: 0px; max-width: 175px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></a><a class="vp_text exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2013/04/16/its-official-brittney-griner-will-be-dunking-in-the-wnba/" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It's Official, Brittney Griner Will Be Dunking In The WNBA</a><cite class="box_byline clearfix" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; line-height: 14px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/" style="border: 0px; color: black; display: block; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Alana Glass" class="avatar" src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/870e302eb8fde16bf0b55ae3a6873ef2?s=40&r=pg&d=http%3A%2F%2Fb-i.forbesimg.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Favatars%2Fgeneric_profile_image_40.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 3px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 20px;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alana Glass</strong><span class="desc" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; display: block; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Contributor</span></a></cite></div><div class="box article" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 20px 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 175px;"><a class="thumb exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2013/03/29/wnba-espn-extend-television-agreement-announce-rebranding-initiative/" style="border: 0px; color: black; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 0px 5px; max-height: 175px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="icon" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><img alt="" src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/alanaglass/files/2013/03/WNBA-Logo-2013.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(184, 184, 184) 1px 1px 6px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(184, 184, 184) 1px 1px 6px; margin: 0px; max-width: 175px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></a><a class="vp_text exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2013/03/29/wnba-espn-extend-television-agreement-announce-rebranding-initiative/" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">WNBA, ESPN Extend Television Agreement, Announce Rebranding Initiative</a><cite class="box_byline clearfix" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; display: block; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; line-height: 14px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="exit_trigger_set" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/" style="border: 0px; color: black; display: block; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Alana Glass" class="avatar" src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/870e302eb8fde16bf0b55ae3a6873ef2?s=40&r=pg&d=http%3A%2F%2Fb-i.forbesimg.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Favatars%2Fgeneric_profile_image_40.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 3px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 20px;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alana Glass</strong><span class="desc" style="border: 0px; color: #666666; display: block; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Contributor</span></a></cite></div></aside><br /><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: So who would you want to be compared to?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: Lisa Leslie, in her prime, definitely. Although I think she could still get out there and do something and definitely teach me a thing or two.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Elena Delle Donne and Forbes contributor Alana Glass joined the conversation for a moment at this point.</em></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Alana Glass: Can you comment on your relationship with Elena? I see you two have a huge amount of respect for each other.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: We first met on the All American team and I heard her story before with her decision and how she wanted to stay close to her family and her sister. I already thought she was an amazing person. She proved it on the court night in and night out too. Then getting to meet her dad and mom confirmed it. Watching her play and her career, I tweeted out that she was great. People don’t do that enough. We compete, we go head-to-head, but that doesn’t mean we have to hate each other, or be spiteful and hope one falls or hope somebody doesn’t succeed. You can be friends and still compete and go hard on the court.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Elena Delle Donne: Right when we met, Brittany was awesome. She makes awkward situations not awkward. We’re sitting in this All American meeting and no one’s talking. She walks in and just hilarious, making jokes, making everyone talk. Right then I loved Brittany. Like she said, I respect her game and what she’s going to do for women’s sports. We’re both confident enough in our own games to support the other. When we both lost in the NCAA tournament, we were able to lift each other. We both understood. She obviously had a little bit of a harder time because Baylor was supposed to win the national championship but I told her she’s the greatest and she’s going to change women’s sports and to keep her head up.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">AG: Did you ever think there are young girls following you on twitter and seeing the nature of your relationship and how you can be competitors but still be kind and respectful and essentially be role models?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">EDD: I hope girls can see that and not be spiteful towards one another and see that it is ok to be supportive and to want others to be successful with you. Because the more successful that women are in our sport, the more attention we’re going to get.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: I hope it makes them realize you can compete and go at each other’s head but you don’t have to hate each other. On the guy’s side they have that brotherhood and it’s looked at like they’re just butting heads, it’s competitive. But if two female athletes go back and forth it’s a catfight. I’m pretty sure sound effects would be put in on SportsCenter and people would have a field day with it.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: So how do you guys change that?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: First talking about it and bringing it up. Letting people know that’s not the case and it’s not right. Getting people to stop with all the comparisons including the gender comparisons. As far as the game, playing as hard as we can. We are dominant, we can do anything we put our minds to, anything the guys can do.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: I know you both have Nike deals. Are there any certain brands you want to affiliate yourselves with then that would do that, show better how you really are as women?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG:  We should have the big commercials like the guys. We shouldn’t always be put in that stereotypical feminine role in the commercial, always having to wear pink. There’s nothing wrong with pink but you always see that stereotype with a woman lightly running, doing something gently, in skirts and short shorts. But we can be who we are and not wear pink and not be that typical girl they want us to be. I’ve been told “you don’t really play like a girl” and I wonder, what does that really mean? I play like an athlete. I’m a competitor.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: So how do you want to be known off the court?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: I want to be known as a strong person off the court — strong in the sense that I know who I am and being comfortable with my body. I went through a lot of scrutiny from the “she’s a man” to “she has large feet, large hands”, “she doesn’t fit the typical girl’s stature”. I want to be known as someone who gave back to the community especially the LGBT community, the younger girls and boys that just walk down the street and get beat up. I hate bullying, as someone who got bullied before. I definitely want to be known to have a strong voice to make a difference there and bring awareness and bring an end to it.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">CS: Do you have any official partnership yet with LGBT?</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">BG: I’ve done work with the It Gets Better Campaign and you’ll see a lot more soon. I’m living that slogan right now and am proof of it.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></div></div>

Brittney Griner Brittney Griner: Playing Above The Rim In The WNBA

Most know Brittney Griner as the basketball player changing the women’s game because she can dunk. She did so to much fanfare 18 times as a ...

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Ravens-Broncos rematch kicks off 2013 NFL schedule

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="Peyton Manning" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/dam/assets/130418214432-manning-ravens2-single-image-cut.jpg" /><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">After losing to the Ravens in the playoffs, Peyton Manning hosts the Super Bowl champs in Week 1</span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span><br /><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">NEW YORK (AP) -- <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/4256/index.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Peyton Manning</a> back in Indianapolis - in a Broncos uniform.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">Peyton vs. younger brother Eli in another Manning Bowl.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">Andy Reid returning to Philadelphia: Let the booing begin now?</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">The NFL schedule is filled with return visits and intriguing matchups, beginning with a road game for the defending Super Bowl champions.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">And Peyton Manning will be part of that too, as the <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/teams/baltimore-ravens/index.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Baltimore Ravens</a> travel to Denver for the now-traditional Thursday night opener on Sept. 5. The Orioles are home that night and Major League Baseball could not move their game.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">So $121 million quarterback <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/8795/index.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Joe Flacco</a> and his fellow champs were sent to Denver - to face Manning and the team they beat in double overtime on their way to the Super Bowl.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">"It still bites on everybody," Broncos receiver <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/24062/index.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Eric Decker</a> said. "It's tough to kind of relive that game, especially the opportunities I think we left on the field. It's going to definitely fire us going into this year."</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/teams/new-york-jets/index.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">New York Jets</a> coach Rex Ryan, who spent 10 years as an assistant in Baltimore, seemed most interested - and was annoyed by - the Ravens being forced to kick off the season on the road.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">"I think that the world champs can open up at home and that's where I think they should open, at home," Ryan said. "I think it is common courtesy. I don't know what gets involved in that. I am not in charge of it, but if I would have been, the Ravens would be opening at home.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">"If baseball had only 16 games, I might understand it. But just as common courtesy maybe (the Orioles) say, `I'll play this one on the road." Just from a fan perspective of sports."</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">In Week 2, Peyton visits Eli's house.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">Both Manning brothers often have said it's uncomfortable yet memorable playing against each other; it's only happened twice, with Peyton and the Colts winning. Even though Peyton now is a Bronco, the dynamic is unchanged for the star quarterbacks.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">"We haven't talked about it a whole lot," Eli said. "More kind of joking and jabs at each other, but obviously anytime you play your brother it is special. It is unique and I cherish those moments whether before the game or looking across during the national anthem and seeing my big brother and seeing him at the coin flip; those are great moments that we'll cherish."</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">The folks in Indy cherished having Peyton Manning as their record-setting quarterback for 13 seasons; he sat out 2011 after several neck surgeries, then was released by the Colts and signed with Denver. The reception he almost certainly will receiver at Lucas Oil Stadium will be warm and loud.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">"It's always fun when you spend time at a place and then go back," said Colts kicker <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/3727/index.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Adam Vinatieri</a>, who has done that in Foxborough four times. "I'm sure he'll get a standing ovation right when he comes out. Hopefully, it will be loud and the fans will make it hard for him (to call plays)."</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">Like they do in Philadelphia - for both teams.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">Reid jokingly acted surprised about the Chiefs' Week 3 trip to the City of Brotherly Love - and, at times, venom for the coach of the Eagles, which Reid was for 14 seasons. Reid and the rest of the Chiefs knew about it long ago, and they got the Thursday night spotlight.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">"We're playing Philly?" said Reid, hired by Kansas City days after being fired in Philly. "Nah, it'll be an exciting atmosphere. It always is at Lincoln Financial Field there. But right now, I'm a Chief, so we're going to get ourselves ready to play, whenever and wherever we have to play this season."</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">Other high-profile games:</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">-The Sunday night season opener is the Giants at the Cowboys, and the Monday night doubleheader has Philadelphia at Washington - with or without Offensive Rookie of the Year <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/25913/index.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Robert Griffin</a> III, who is rehabilitating a major knee injury - then Houston at San Diego.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">"I will say this: Here comes the challenge again," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We didn't play as well last year on the road as we had in previous years and so that's a great challenge for our team."</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">-Thanksgiving Day has Detroit hosting Green Bay - once an every-year occurrence - and Dallas at home for Oakland.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">"It's an incredible tradition, playing on Thanksgiving Day," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "It's a blessing for everyone involved. We're fortunate enough to still be home in time to share in the importance of the day."</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">The holiday night game features one of football's most intense rivalries: Pittsburgh at Baltimore.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">-Rematches of 2012 championship games come on Sunday night, Dec. 22, with New England at Baltimore, and the next night, with NFC winner San Francisco at Atlanta in the final Monday nighter of the season.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">-Buffalo's annual home game in Toronto will be against the Falcons on Dec. 1.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">-London will host two previously announced matches: Minnesota hosting Pittsburgh on Sept. 29, and Jacksonville hosting San Francisco on Oct. 27.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">-2012 MVP <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/8261/index.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Adrian Peterson</a> and the Vikings open at Detroit. Other notable games on the first weekend have Green Bay at San Francisco and Atlanta at New Orleans.</div><div style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">-As has become standard for the NFL, all 16 finales are intradivision matchups.</div><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></div>

2013 NFL schedule Ravens-Broncos rematch kicks off 2013 NFL schedule

After losing to the Ravens in the playoffs, Peyton Manning hosts the Super Bowl champs in Week 1 NEW YORK (AP) --  Peyton Manning  back in I...

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411 On Sunil Tripathi, Named By Police As Suspect In Boston Marathon Bombings (PHOTOS)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img src="http://static.globalgrind.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/gallery_image/images/2013_april/fmac9hj.jpg" /><br /><br /><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Photos of alleged suspect Sunil Tripathi, who was reported missing prior to the bombing during the Boston Marathon. || Photo Credit: Facebook</div><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">UPDATE 7:30AM EST</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunil Tripathi is not a suspect.  Although he was mentioned by the Boston police on their scanner as the person they were looking for, we have learned that in fact Sunil is not wanted by the police in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings. </div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">UPDATE: 6:00 AM EST</strong></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite reports from the police scanner that confirmed Tripathi was, in fact, the person who they believed to be the second suspect, NBC News reported that the missing Brown University student is not a suspect.</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NBC's Pete Williams conflicting report:</div><blockquote style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Authorities say these people came from overseas... had overseas military training [and have] been here about a year," NBC's Pete Williams — the most reliable source through a chaotic week in Boston — reported Friday, citing multiple sources.</div></blockquote><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Story developing.</em></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">---------</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After three days of investigations, a Boston Police Department scanner has named one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects as Ivy League student, Sunil Tripathi.</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tripathi, who resembeled the person in a white cap in the FBI photos released late this week, was a philosophy major at Brown University, not far from Boston. He comes from a well-to-do family; his father is a rich software engineer.</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The student went missing last month without a trace. The FBI became involved in the case, even though it was a presumed suicide.</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Right before his disappearance, explosives were found near Brown University, however, they were destroyed in a controlled detonation. Police have yet to implicate anyone in the bomb scare. </div><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://globalgrind.com/news/411-sunil-tripathi-missing-brown-university-alleged-suspect-boston-marathon-bombings-photos#ixzz2QvAllk49" style="border: 0px; color: #003399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://globalgrind.com/news/411-sunil-tripathi-missing-brown-university-alleged-suspect-boston-marathon-bombings-photos#ixzz2QvAllk49</a></span></span></div>

Sunil Tripath Suspect In Boston Marathon Bombings 411 On Sunil Tripathi, Named By Police As Suspect In Boston Marathon Bombings (PHOTOS)

Photos of alleged suspect Sunil Tripathi, who was reported missing prior to the bombing during the Boston Marathon. || Photo Credit: Faceboo...

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Lots of room for mushroom!

I love the mushroom soup from Betelnut Cafe. It's thick, creamy and so very tasty. Full of mushroom flavour! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UCLNWwQ85bNDBCuBVqKFpLvUM_T-3ii7KK49ssMqCMrflC2SSkygq04QLuI2DUajwl3wtR1v3gfBVqrr0a3EaxSgWTRRu-Q70C8_Dp4dZcPMmXURU6VZmZdBa_-gRvipBzQ-ASpk2FSy/s640/blogger-image--1121712439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UCLNWwQ85bNDBCuBVqKFpLvUM_T-3ii7KK49ssMqCMrflC2SSkygq04QLuI2DUajwl3wtR1v3gfBVqrr0a3EaxSgWTRRu-Q70C8_Dp4dZcPMmXURU6VZmZdBa_-gRvipBzQ-ASpk2FSy/s640/blogger-image--1121712439.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12xXz9bVMwb7jFDMZgvYgNlnic0b9iManpI47zEaglssR73_xZDVXMwmKpDEJmiEFjKTOwZdycwT0QuhPi4YboraDghDqF7WmHD9N8Uql0DotbJhHHcC-5MVx0PFcJnAe_CQJGhwg5kD9/s640/blogger-image--588892682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12xXz9bVMwb7jFDMZgvYgNlnic0b9iManpI47zEaglssR73_xZDVXMwmKpDEJmiEFjKTOwZdycwT0QuhPi4YboraDghDqF7WmHD9N8Uql0DotbJhHHcC-5MVx0PFcJnAe_CQJGhwg5kD9/s640/blogger-image--588892682.jpg" /></a></div>

Lots of room for mushroom!

I love the mushroom soup from Betelnut Cafe. It's thick, creamy and so very tasty. Full of mushroom flavour!

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what's the word

Tired. That's the word. I forgot the word for meat last night. Meat. And I love meat. Does anyone else feel like this was three long weeks rolled into one? Thank goodness the weekend has finally arrived.<br /><br />I have tons of wonderfulness to share with you - another finished client space, some projects I've started around here and of course all the deets on the party table I did this week. But for whatever reason I'm having trouble stringing together the words. Like I said, just plain tired.<br /><br />So I will leave you with a beautiful picture as I pretend this is where I'm going for the weekend.<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/AVvXsEhLEtBrASI-xLV6Jye0iwsJuFuX6WQXdMdq8BoZBETfNgp0DAgHvnmdh0hhNUFco_bggiNbbIOIjheh-imqlPOhRvnWWn0bT-CwBeLyeAvasL3ka4njPIaF35-HWL5souWNHvxOSILSiBSh/s1600/7c607efab87bf466ccb3366391a8b485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEtBrASI-xLV6Jye0iwsJuFuX6WQXdMdq8BoZBETfNgp0DAgHvnmdh0hhNUFco_bggiNbbIOIjheh-imqlPOhRvnWWn0bT-CwBeLyeAvasL3ka4njPIaF35-HWL5souWNHvxOSILSiBSh/s640/7c607efab87bf466ccb3366391a8b485.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mydesignchic.com/2013/01/things-we-love-double-front-porches.html" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />My little (imaginary) house on the river.<br /><br />And a reminder - if you haven't already please remember to sign up for the <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/04/indie-mats-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Indie Mats giveaway</a>. You only have a few more days left! The winner will be selected Tuesday morning!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg96B0C-C94CvZ2Ov-PlSQrckSgp5eJr5LEaiaju0Q94K6uMuAuLNkYX1C3sraG43lze_25Flla9uzrlLCLTny49v8j_S3UWkrZ1ka0Y0pJcUB8WTelI3YpA4X0beq5XzOkMM-lL_xHK8L/s1600/IndieMatsGiveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg96B0C-C94CvZ2Ov-PlSQrckSgp5eJr5LEaiaju0Q94K6uMuAuLNkYX1C3sraG43lze_25Flla9uzrlLCLTny49v8j_S3UWkrZ1ka0Y0pJcUB8WTelI3YpA4X0beq5XzOkMM-lL_xHK8L/s400/IndieMatsGiveaway.jpg" width="393" /></a></div><br />And some additional exciting news, I'm a style contributor for Simply Baby's blog party which will be happening every Fridy for the next six weeks! Head on over to the party and check out my blog friend, <a href="http://www.designpostdaily.com/2013/04/an-official-style-contributer.html" target="_blank">Beth of Design Post Daily</a>.<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/AVvXsEgi43U4AWRbE2RHBlOwgYKho4tYqCnZcsaSYIa3aZdNIr-o99fcj1jvJM11ye_XixIR21kGcumZGgcojJ1XPbpX6lCFZBd9Tib-7mp3MtzrwluJavcHAa96I-SfTxG8lllmJFxHXuk_b1ey/s1600/Mom-Blog-Party-Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi43U4AWRbE2RHBlOwgYKho4tYqCnZcsaSYIa3aZdNIr-o99fcj1jvJM11ye_XixIR21kGcumZGgcojJ1XPbpX6lCFZBd9Tib-7mp3MtzrwluJavcHAa96I-SfTxG8lllmJFxHXuk_b1ey/s320/Mom-Blog-Party-Badge.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Join the party <a href="http://blog.simplybabyfurniture.com/2013/04/18/blogparty/" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Make sure to check it out each Friday because there are some pretty amazing ladies participating:<br /><br />Tiffany Leigh of <a href="http://tiffanyleighinteriordesign.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tiffany Leigh Interior Design</a><br /><br />Beth of <a href="http://www.designpostdaily.com/" target="_blank">Design Post Daily</a><br /><br />Heather of <a href="http://vividhuehome.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vivid Hue Home</a><br /><br />Cindi and Emily of <a href="http://scrappyloveblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Scrappy Love</a><br /><br />Katherine of <a href="http://www.rhymeswithsmile.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rhymes with Smile</a><br /><br />Kelley of <a href="http://www.foreverslikeadream.com/" target="_blank">Forever's Like a Dream</a><br />Like I said, a lot of good things going on! What are your plans this weekend? Working outside? Working inside? Coming to my river house with me?<br /><br />Happy Weekend!

what's the word

Tired. That's the word. I forgot the word for meat last night. Meat. And I love meat. Does anyone else feel like this was three long wee...

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7 Key Ingredients in the successful 21st Century Classroom

Every modern school should have at least 4 things in technology or take off the modern and just call yourself a school:<br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.stemedcoalition.org/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="STEM">STEM</a> Lab.</b> </span><br /><br />If you want to make it STEAM - Science Technology Engineering, Arts, and Math, then go right ahead! You've still got STEM and you can't have technology without the arts. Some are getting rid of their "computer" labs (which I think is a huge mistake). The argument is that every teacher should integrate technology. The problem is that every teacher doesn't, can't, won't or isn't. <br /><br />A STEM lab not only focuses on the technology but the Engineering, Math, and Science and critical thinking technology-app infused decision making required in our <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher-order_thinking" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Higher-order thinking">Higher Order thinking</a> world. The best example is the interview with my friend <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.ncs-tech.org/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Kevin Jarrett">Kevin Jarrett</a> who removed his elementary computer lab and put in a STEM Lab. I'm all in, Kevin, you've convinced me.<br /><br />It stresses me out to think what I'm doing to myself but I'm in the process of proposing that I no longer be called the computer lab but the STEAM lab. I'm willing to do what it takes to rewrite my curriculum. If I believe it, I've got to do it. I'll never settle for the same thing I taught last year but only to do the right thing for my students. It will still include genius projects and Flat Classroom, that is for sure.<br /><br /><i>See </i><a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2013/03/turning-elementary-computer-labs-into.html" style="font-style: italic;">Turning Elementary Computer Labs into STEM Labs</a><i> an interview with Kevin Jarrett, elementary STEM lab teacher<br /><br /></i></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genius Hour.</b> </span><br /><br />Twenty per cent personal interest projects (some call this genius hour) are VITAL. Students spend 20% of their time on a personal interest project that they propose and teachers coach. I<a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-freshman-software-exploration.html"> first saw this </a>when I spoke in Evansville, Indiana. They require their seniors to do a personal interest project taking at least 100 hours. (See the video from Dantae Thrash below, the Evansville student who blew me away.)<br /><br />In <i><a href="http://www.flatclassroombook.com/">Flattening Classrooms</a> (p115-116,125)</i>, we wrote about the <a href="http://www.eastinitiative.org/">EAST Initiative</a> in Arkansas where students work together to solve a problem in their school or community using technology. This is another great example with some research behind it showing that the students in this program<span style="color: red;"><b> improved their math and science scores and also their attendance.</b></span> Harnessing their passion made them WANT to come to school. (Imagine that.)<br /><br /><object height="345" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1yxFHtBbwAY?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1yxFHtBbwAY?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="345" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br />In my classroom, we use <a href="http://www.trello.com/">Trello </a>to manage our genius hour work, goals and accomplishments. (I wouldn't survive without this handy tool.) The students propose and vote up courses and lessons they want me to teach. I've taught lessons on <a class="zem_slink" href="http://pinterest.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Pinterest">Pinterest</a>, Tumblr, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://twitter.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Twitter">Twitter</a> this week but even more exciting, the students get together and share what they've learned. They attend the classes if it is related to what they are doing in their project.<br /><br />We now have "consultants." One student who is excellent at writing for Tumblr (<a href="http://breakups16.tumblr.com/">http://breakups16.tumblr.com</a>) is our "Tumblr Consultant." The students who manage the oceans instagram are <a class="zem_slink" href="http://instagram.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Instagram">Instagram</a> consultants. I did genius hour last year but this year shows me it keeps getting better. But what stuns me is how much CONTENT we're covering. I have always built in four weeks of digital literacy/ social media marketing and awareness and photography. We're covering all of this and more.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9GHAZ52Yh-I4EWMI9bgXXYqoygZIEQetTlx1skfF-MPUZ4zLclMFKgocVCeriMiPBwnyyfmdKiLknQEJFS-i-kH1AlefApmaxefsMqt8prujcTHutZQncHGRTgL9ws-Cfeyia9yhEQCz/s1600/trello-voting+on+what+they+want.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9GHAZ52Yh-I4EWMI9bgXXYqoygZIEQetTlx1skfF-MPUZ4zLclMFKgocVCeriMiPBwnyyfmdKiLknQEJFS-i-kH1AlefApmaxefsMqt8prujcTHutZQncHGRTgL9ws-Cfeyia9yhEQCz/s640/trello-voting+on+what+they+want.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">My most exciting take away from this year is this: students propose and vote up what they want me to teach them as it relates to their genius hour projects. I call class and those who come want to and others work on their projects. This is FANTASTIC and should be part of every STEM lab. There are so many amazing things.<br /><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><i>See the </i><a href="http://geniushour.wikispaces.com/" style="font-style: italic;">Genius Hour Wiki</a><i> and Angela Maier's </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596671599/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1596671599&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #e47911; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: italic; text-align: center;" target="_blank">The Passion-Driven Classroom</a><i> and my students and me </i><a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2013/03/passion-based-learning-in-my-classroom.html" style="font-style: italic;">talking about our Passion Based Classroom</a><i>.<br /></i></li><li><b><span style="font-size: large;">Flat Online Connections and Collaborations. </span></b><br />Meaningful online connections with other students in the world as the classrooms "flattens" and connects and teaches things that kids can't learn in a book. Connections are vital to being well educated but sadly many schools block these or don't understand. <br /><br />One person I know had a principal come in and call her work in global collaboration "fluff" and told her to get back to teaching wordprocessing! Misguided. Mistaken. Word processing is a skill but how long does it take to teach?<br /><br /><i>See my book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0132610353/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0132610353&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds</a> and the interview with some elementary teachers who are connecting on "<a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=91&layout=blog&Itemid=259">How Teachers and Students are Connecting Globally</a>" on BAM Radio.<br /></i></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A network engineered to support 1:1 or better.</b></span><br /><br />I met with my principal this week and he's all in for <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_your_own_device" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Bring your own device">BYOT</a> (<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_your_own_device" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Bring your own device">Bring Your Own Technology</a>.) We're taking down the network this summer and (with board approval) hope to rework the whole network with a new set of ratios in place. We are engineering to support 1.5 devices per person in the high/ middle school and 1 device per person in the elementary school. <br /><br />We're moving ahead to encourage and foster and environment where students can take notes on their phones or their paper notebooks. This will take some time, but it is the right way to go. It isn't just about technology and infrastructure but also classroom practices and that is always a challenge.<br /><br /><i>See B<a href="http://www.districtadministration.com/article/creating-robust-and-safe-byod-program">uilding a Robust and Safe BYOD Program</a> from District Administrator Magazine and Miguel Guhlin's <a href="https://www.evernote.com/pub/mguhlin/byod?linked=b1f074e0-1803-4269-94f0-46e4a0d16027&newReg=false#b=dd998a32-e4cf-43ce-b37a-5c7a013753a4&n=576559b7-a9a2-4e28-a885-1e4d0be391cf">shared Evernote notebook</a> on BYOD. </i><br /></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Connected, Passionate Educator</b></span><br /><br />You should connect yourself to the world. Innovation starts in me. Kids say "bring it" when they are talking sports to mean you bring all you've got, because I'm here to play and bring all I have. Passion starts with me saying "bring it." I'm going to bring all my passions, interests, and ingenuity and I expect you to do the same.<br /><br />I'm going to engage with a PLN (personal learning network) and help my students build one of their own. I'm going to make friends around the world to help me advance my professional practice and help you learn the digital literacies to do the same. I'm going to help you find your passions, your purpose, and reach your potential. I won't stop. I won't give up on you even when you give up on yourself. I'm here to change the world starting with myself and my students and I won't stop until I drop full of exhaustion and sleep well earned from a life well lived.<br /><br /><i>See chapter 3 "Connection" of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0132610353/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0132610353&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds</a></i> for a quick way to get started. I've also heard my friend Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935543172/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1935543172&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;" target="_blank">The Connected Educator</a> is a great one and have it on my list to read.</i><br /></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Worthy To Be List</b></span><br /><br />We've been so busy with our to-do list in schools that we've forgotten what we want our students to be. They gave me a chance to invite someone to my school for PD in January and Angela Maiers came and shared this idea with me.<br /><br />Now, each month, we focus on a Habitude. I like the term habitude because it is attitudes that we want to be habits. Curiosity. Perseverance. Imagination. Self-Awareness. Courage. Adaptability. Passion. and we are adding Integrity.<br /><br />These habits are based upon the research of successful people. The most successful people have these traits but may or may not have mastered Algebra. If we leave our to-be list out of our teaching, we are filling up our plate with food without teaching kids how to use a spoon and fork. Some might call this character education but it is more. I think it should be school wide and result in a common vocabulary that can be reinforced by everyone.<br /><br /><i>See <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935542621/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1935542621&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Classroom Habitudes (Revised edition)</a> and Angela's list of resources for the new Habitudes.<br /><br /></i></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Flexibility to be a Teacherpreneur</b></span><br /><br />This comes from administration. Are you allowed to innovate? Are you given flexibility to customize? Can you personalize to the interest and learning styles of your students?<br /><br />This is the one thing that is crunching much of the love of teaching for many. Teacherpreneurship cannot be scripted any more than a fantastic first date. If you're new to a school this comes in baby-steps. You have to earn their trust like I did. It takes time.<br /><br />Standards and scripting make sorry teachers less sorry, perhaps. But they make fantastic teachers want to quit.<br /><br />You might not have a lot of flexibility but take what flexibility you have to do something. It takes time to flex your wings, earn the right, and learn how to be a successful teacherpreneur. If you look back at #1, you'll see that I'm proposing a change to my own curriculum and computer lab. It may or may not be accepted but they see me pushing myself and never settling.<br /><br />If you don't innovate, you depreciate.<br /><br />To learn more see page 44-50 of <i><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0132610353/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0132610353&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwbrighc-20" id="static_txt_preview" style="background-color: white; color: #996633; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds</a> see the <a href="http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/">CAST UDL Lesson Builders</a> to learn how you can differentiate your lessons even amidst standards.</i></i><br /></li></ol><div><br /><i></i></div><div>After looking at this list, there are technologies that many of you will throw in there: tablet, ipad, interactive white board, apps maybe.<br /><br />It isn't about WHAT you use but about WHAT you do with WHAT you have that is more important. The <a href="http://www.flatclassroomproject.net/">Flat Classroom</a> was born when I had <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_III" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Pentium III">Pentium III</a> computers in the computer lab and a very slow connection.<br /><br />What we are missing in education is not the resources -- but the creativity to make the most of the resources we have.<br /><br />Would love to hear the ingredients you feel are essential in the modern classroom in the comments or on your own blog posts. What do you think?</div><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=b285cae7-abd6-496b-bed7-3afba7bd0e21" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>

7 Key Ingredients in the successful 21st Century Classroom

Every modern school should have at least 4 things in technology or take off the modern and just call yourself a school: a STEM Lab.   If yo...

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Boston Bombers, Busted Condoms, and Birthdays

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Cheeeeeeers and Happy Friday Chuckleheads!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJkBLpcO8DTzP-L15M7T2mSQFEEZn3xS33Dw5DRc6nK9f6VSmLoPNJQxCx8Fhc3hWlW9b0VNWGNIo8TpwEd1v-A1tkeYROg5XmUDF6KN-L4VapjxFyp7jymHbAXlEwA3ZuEAmoSF2RbM/s1600/broken_condom_kids_shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJkBLpcO8DTzP-L15M7T2mSQFEEZn3xS33Dw5DRc6nK9f6VSmLoPNJQxCx8Fhc3hWlW9b0VNWGNIo8TpwEd1v-A1tkeYROg5XmUDF6KN-L4VapjxFyp7jymHbAXlEwA3ZuEAmoSF2RbM/s320/broken_condom_kids_shirt.jpg" width="320" /></a>It’s only Friday morning but wow, it looks as though a big weekend is already upon us.<br /><br />One of the Boston Marathon bombers has been gunned down, and the other at the time of this writing, is armed to the teeth and lurking somewhere within the shadows of infinite justice.<br /><br />Funny thing though…I guess these events were kicked off by the deleterious duo robbing a 7-11 store.  I find it odd that these two, who allegedly are from overseas would rob and terrorize a store that is undoubtedly run by one of their own ilk.  Odd indeed, but anyhoo…<br /><br />In the Greater Bagwine area, tomorrow kicks off the beginning of the High School Prom season, which means a couple of things.<br /><br />One, during tomorrow’s long stint at the Beer Mine, I’ll have to be on heightened alert as underage teens attempt to purchase wine coolers and Reese’s Cups.<br /><br />And two?  Young teenage couples delighting in the magical prom night moment will quickly become distraught when they discover that the condom they used, busted during their barely post-pubescent prom passion.<br /><br />On Sunday as always, Jay and I will be broadcasting LIVE from Noon-2 PM ET as <i><a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">IWS Radio</span></a></i> produces another monster Blog Talk Radio Show.  We will be drafting our favorite people and things from a variety of areas from favorite beers, to comedians, to sports people, and fave monarchs just to name a few.<br /><br />And speaking of monarchs, the royal kind not the butterfly type, Sunday is a HUGE day in the realm of regalality.  Queen Elizabeth II will be turning 86 years of age, which to me, proposes a bit of a conundrum.<br /><br />I would like to get her a little something for her birthday, but what <i>does</i> one get for a person who LITERALLY has everything?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63Sz3ucaaVuXPM58tcQ-y64bjtPrxJB0SDbkZe4YoCMwb-dvoRKnWn8Gg-C8zdWrD6ardJT8r9piyXcZ1Lolysg7_i3JuvgB5nWmzSqHF4QmpZw4o8YiAisN37cOXwy758peqOQ81DiQ/s1600/Queen+Elizabeth+II+Birthday.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/AVvXsEg63Sz3ucaaVuXPM58tcQ-y64bjtPrxJB0SDbkZe4YoCMwb-dvoRKnWn8Gg-C8zdWrD6ardJT8r9piyXcZ1Lolysg7_i3JuvgB5nWmzSqHF4QmpZw4o8YiAisN37cOXwy758peqOQ81DiQ/s400/Queen+Elizabeth+II+Birthday.jpg" width="258" /></a>I mean c’mon, Liz is not just a Queen, her full title is...<br /><i><br /></i><i>Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith…</i><br /><br />Holy Bangers and Mash, with a name like that, she strikes me as a person who is more than a bit difficult to buy for.<br /><br />I’m sure she has a least one pony.  Could I perhaps purchase a birthday tiara for her?  Nope, she has plenty of those.  I could splurge and put a down payment on a castle for her majesty. Too late, been done!!<br /><br />I could reserve a quaint and kitschy horse-drawn carriage ride for her.  Pfffffft, I guess she can do that any day.  Jesus Christ this is hard!!<br /><br />Could I buy her a country?  Create a currency with her face on it?  A plane, a tank, an aircraft carrier?<br /><br />No, no no, no, and no.  Dat hierarchical hussy has gots ALL da bling!!<br /><br />Hmmmmmm….I know…I could give her a nickname.  Yeah that’s it.  And I know what it should be.  I shall dub upon her the nickname, Milkshake.<br /><br />Why Milkshake you ask?  Because I have it on good authority that Queen Liz has one sweet ass and knows how to work it.  In fact…<br /><br />It’s been reported that former Prime Minister Tony Blair once said as she was walking away from him, <i>“Wow your Majesty!! Would you like some chips with that shake!?”</i><br /><br />Yeah that’s the ticket.  My gift to the Queen shall be the moniker of, Milkshake.<br /><br />Sometimes, my genius knows no bound.<br /><br />Have an awesome weekend folks, and I’ll see you <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid" target="_blank">Sunday on the radio</a>.</span><br /><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><br /><i>Matt-Man</i><br /><br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>

Boston Bombers, Busted Condoms, and Birthdays

Cheeeeeeers and Happy Friday Chuckleheads!! It’s only Friday morning but wow, it looks as though a big weekend is already upon us. One of th...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 04/19/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://lifehacker.com/five-creative-uses-for-google-alerts-475278626">Five Creative Uses for Google Alerts</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Google alerts is how we monitor our school brand. We use "Westwood Schools" +Camilla - this way it shows us everything for our school name and in our city. You can deliver to a feed or to email (many like email.) This way it will search and find things and email you when it finds it on the web. Lifehacker has an article on the creative uses for Google Alerts that you should read if it is your job to protect your brand for your business, school, or your own personal brand.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/brandmanagement">brandmanagement</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/brand">brand</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/platform">platform</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://lifehacker.com/welcome-to-the-new-lifehacker-472650381">Welcome to the New Lifehacker</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Lifehacker has revamped its website - you log in. You can blog, etc. Platforms are becoming more participatory as they try to get you to create content. Meanwhile, I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ON MY FAVORITE SITE. "Welcome to our new home. It's called Kinja. It's not only a redesign to Lifehacker's front page, but an entirely new blogging platform that anyone—yes, even you—can blog on."</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://gizmodo.com/google-glass/">Google glass News, Videos, Reviews and Gossip - Gizmodo</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Don't try to sell your Google glasses! ;-) "The oppressive Google Glass terms state that: "…you may not resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person. If you resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person without Google's authorization, Google reserves the right to deactivate the device, and neither you nor the unauthorized person using the device will be entitled to any refund, product support, or product warranty.""</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/google">google</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 04/19/2013

Five Creative Uses for Google Alerts Google alerts is how we monitor our school brand. We use "...

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Ideal Homes Exhibition

At some stage over the weekend my sister and I plan on visiting the Ideal Homes Exhibition. It is on in the RDS which is about a 30 minute walk from my house. Amy wants to have a look at what a hot tub supplier has to offer. <br /><p>Read her <a href="http://amydublinia.blogspot.ie/2013/04/ireland-perfect-country-for-hot-tub.html">blog post</a> about her thoughts on hot tubs.</p><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4P3hXm6g9TQQygiPo2eV3oQ1Gyixoo8irKsz3_d_BUtI5wCFcGUkBUBEXPqddcrLcR6t-o5J9GfbB8l-Pu7HUvIBkiAsTK1JgJXR8K5Qr-XdXjlGRiwzFWq8gWM8cunuxVFxbUCSeTAY/s1600/Screenshot_2013-04-19-08-50-39.png' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4P3hXm6g9TQQygiPo2eV3oQ1Gyixoo8irKsz3_d_BUtI5wCFcGUkBUBEXPqddcrLcR6t-o5J9GfbB8l-Pu7HUvIBkiAsTK1JgJXR8K5Qr-XdXjlGRiwzFWq8gWM8cunuxVFxbUCSeTAY/s400/Screenshot_2013-04-19-08-50-39.png" /> </a> </div><br /><br />

Ideal Homes Exhibition

At some stage over the weekend my sister and I plan on visiting the Ideal Homes Exhibition. It is on in the RDS which is about a 30 minute ...

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Gardening with Starbucks

The Starbucks I go to every morning gives away free grounds for the garden. I used to add them to my compost heap that I had in my last house. Now I just add them directly to my soil. Hopefully my flowers are coffee drinkers!<br /><br />On another Starbucks note, they have introduced a new espresso blend. It's the "Origin Espresso" - wow it is so tasty. The barista suggested it to me yesterday and it was the first thing I asked for this morning! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4EFi_pjOOPrKXlxEbiX9hCthOV0nyUciUteVGIiyt6KEsYlL2W5BM7I2Pes-P2AWVaMfRGMp93r-PDg6h1SBd0ig_nTarrFOu_xyWVKhRfJ5X31LcEU41vM8gfwNs9hcnIaCkz-cDeDv/s640/blogger-image-1660805164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4EFi_pjOOPrKXlxEbiX9hCthOV0nyUciUteVGIiyt6KEsYlL2W5BM7I2Pes-P2AWVaMfRGMp93r-PDg6h1SBd0ig_nTarrFOu_xyWVKhRfJ5X31LcEU41vM8gfwNs9hcnIaCkz-cDeDv/s640/blogger-image-1660805164.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmiMzuRIb62lkR5UlLz0VS_ILglU4-GoRaynTOfZEX4FJj92N9p8x0jXQ4Foqqo5K4DZytWbcRHne3rtvvPYlDErV5F22bJCuq6Q3TTmCqXFgZHsbEUuYUfy09GJhIhguIVK7u8_8wchv/s640/blogger-image-1998050627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmiMzuRIb62lkR5UlLz0VS_ILglU4-GoRaynTOfZEX4FJj92N9p8x0jXQ4Foqqo5K4DZytWbcRHne3rtvvPYlDErV5F22bJCuq6Q3TTmCqXFgZHsbEUuYUfy09GJhIhguIVK7u8_8wchv/s640/blogger-image-1998050627.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFwo7YMHwMAH97gsCSsIpwb-pOBrG_Lh-r1YZ-LRgKyBdHfxWDfjXAytrzdglVHwqJRprwI7gHwnb-d7N5cbNntDmcI8pLPAVxcL1Dsc_HyB9snkQ-1Zgly7OmbXnhWqJPw-ZulwnTQ10/s640/blogger-image--92698421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFwo7YMHwMAH97gsCSsIpwb-pOBrG_Lh-r1YZ-LRgKyBdHfxWDfjXAytrzdglVHwqJRprwI7gHwnb-d7N5cbNntDmcI8pLPAVxcL1Dsc_HyB9snkQ-1Zgly7OmbXnhWqJPw-ZulwnTQ10/s640/blogger-image--92698421.jpg" /></a></div>

Gardening with Starbucks

The Starbucks I go to every morning gives away free grounds for the garden. I used to add them to my compost heap that I had in my last hou...

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Stupid FB Games

I've always avoided those silly Facebook games (FarmVille and the like) as I have an addictive personality and I tend to overplay. Back in the '90's I would play Tetris so much that my eyes would water - I was pretty good at it but my studies tended to suffer.<br /><br />Last week I succumbed and downloaded Candy Crush. I've been happily playing it all week until I realized all my plays were coming up on my feed!!<br /><br />Tonight I play my last game. I am going to delete the app. No loss I reckon! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jV5oBikKRz8iJYwC2jM45883kzw9IaDx6XxkT5NGYpfqQmqhmLNj4tcFD15qpQZlH62l9N2dcVS27UyzqOpzyFjNGH1O9dBTyPSdsI4APMJQS-vGtrxQJBzlmyjm-uDx2xWI6hbigSHn/s640/blogger-image-246468311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jV5oBikKRz8iJYwC2jM45883kzw9IaDx6XxkT5NGYpfqQmqhmLNj4tcFD15qpQZlH62l9N2dcVS27UyzqOpzyFjNGH1O9dBTyPSdsI4APMJQS-vGtrxQJBzlmyjm-uDx2xWI6hbigSHn/s640/blogger-image-246468311.jpg" /></a></div>

Stupid FB Games

I've always avoided those silly Facebook games (FarmVille and the like) as I have an addictive personality and I tend to overplay. Back...

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Division Controller ( Forecasting reports | Budgeting | Management Reporting) (#109408)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Position:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Division Controller<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Location:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Milpitas, CA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Duration:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Full time<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Job Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- The Division Controller is responsible for coordinating and providing finance support for the Business Unit General Manager.  This position works cross-functionally with other departments in the Business Units, Sales, Operations, and Marketing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Work closely with Business Unit management to drive financial results.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Consolidate monthly/ trended budget variance analysis and forecasting reports, provide recommendations to Management.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Review and improve financial and business models to provide the business additional insight to make decisions on improving the business.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Participate in development of models to support company initiatives and projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Lead process improvement projects<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Partner with senior organizational leaders to understand business requirements, investment needs, and to develop an excellent understanding of cost drivers and PLs for his/her respective groups.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Analyze underlying business factors that drive expenses within the department. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Preferred Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting, CPA or MBA is a plus.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Knowledge and understanding of accounting rules and practices required.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Strong problem solving and analytical skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to interact professionally with all levels of the company<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- 7+ years of related experience<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, macros)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">- Demonstrated ability to work in team and lead others <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Basic Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 7 years of experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">OR<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Master's Level Degree with at least 5 years of experience.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kindly send your resume to <b><a href="mailto:raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com">raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>

Division Controller ( Forecasting reports | Budgeting | Management Reporting) (#109408)

Position: Division Controller Location: Milpitas, CA Duration: Full time Job Description: - The Division Controller is responsible for co...

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Financial Analyst ( Forecasting | Budgeting | Management Reporting | Cognos TM1 ) (#109446)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Position:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Financial Analyst<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Location:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Milpitas, CA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Duration:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Full time<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Job Description:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) organization provides support to executives and business leaders throughout the company.  Our role is to implement and manage the processes that support the company’s business decisions – such as forecasting, strategic planning, budgeting, risk assessment, scenario analysis, board of director presentations, and management reporting<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The role:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">  Senior Financial Analyst<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We are looking for a sharp finance professional to join our Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis team. Responsibilities will include, but not limited to companywide financial consolidation and analysis, management reporting and subsequent executive level presentations.  You will interact with executives and have high visibility throughout the company.  The successful candidates will be a top performer who has a passion to champion improvements throughout the organization.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Essential functions:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Provide financial and analytical support for the company's forecasts and results.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Create and implement process improvement across the company<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Create new reports and models to meet the business' needs and drive decisions<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Perform ad hoc financial analyses and special projects<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Prepare quarter end executive, board of director and employee all-hands presentations<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Support improvements of our financial planning models and system<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Fully participate in all budgeting and forecasting processes<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Monitor and report operating results against budget and forecast<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Create and distribute scalable weekly, monthly and quarterly management reports <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Job Requirements:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Team player with a positive attitude<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Excellent written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Strong computer skills and extensive knowledge of Excel<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Fast learner with new tools and systems.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Ability to think strategically and proactively<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">• Organized, detail-oriented, and ability to multi-task<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Experience with SAP / TM1 is a plus<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Preferred Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Flexible and adaptable; strong business acumen and understanding of functional linkages; excellent organization and analytical skills; detail oriented and thorough; self starter with a strong ability to partner and build relationships; ability to meet deadlines and prioritize; to troubleshoot and problem solve.  High degree of initiative, demonstrated knowledge of financial planning /reporting processes and working knowledge of accounting principle. Must be comfortable presenting data to senior management.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Basic Qualifications:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 3 years of experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">OR<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Master's Level Degree with at least 2 years of experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kindly send your resume to <b><a href="mailto:raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com">raju.balaji@kla-tencor.com</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div>

Financial Analyst ( Forecasting | Budgeting | Management Reporting | Cognos TM1 ) (#109446)

Position: Financial Analyst Location: Milpitas, CA Duration: Full time Job Description: The Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) or...

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Pacific Beach Peanut Butter Review and Giveaway!

<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpFHjEHJxfSM9pKF7l_UHToE1oy9c7LttWpiWA-SkSrzA71SaC_trutiPQ_-Cm7w9ehP5V9jKP2uUc-AO-RrxKuBtc2DSHW4jROuINBdYJmOeNAg3Y9rapWmHqEszzk7WUJWEulcGJqY/s1600/pb+peanut+butter.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpFHjEHJxfSM9pKF7l_UHToE1oy9c7LttWpiWA-SkSrzA71SaC_trutiPQ_-Cm7w9ehP5V9jKP2uUc-AO-RrxKuBtc2DSHW4jROuINBdYJmOeNAg3Y9rapWmHqEszzk7WUJWEulcGJqY/s1600/pb+peanut+butter.gif" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZfmKL_zKCDgpSDkWmTR58xZonixDmQtLdB24mvCNKFyz-XTKIt1jQnLZMpxdhyvbBVtBvZTF1Drl39EAt44NpiNhS13G0MLbG1SE4DCxuvgd8vXAIA6EX3WtclQsZPHCzzS7pTBbzCk/s1600/pacific+beach+assortment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZfmKL_zKCDgpSDkWmTR58xZonixDmQtLdB24mvCNKFyz-XTKIt1jQnLZMpxdhyvbBVtBvZTF1Drl39EAt44NpiNhS13G0MLbG1SE4DCxuvgd8vXAIA6EX3WtclQsZPHCzzS7pTBbzCk/s320/pacific+beach+assortment.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This sweet review today has brought me back to my childhood just waiting in anticipation in the cafeteria to open up my lunch box and take a bite of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pbpeanutbutter.com/">Pacific Beach Peanut Butter</a> company has taken peanut butter to a whole other level with their peanut butters.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>*Key points*</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> all gluten free/sugar free varieties</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hand made and packed with love</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">all natural ingredients</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">made with valencia peanuts</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They have so many different flavors not just your average plain peanut butter here!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>*Flavors*</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">White Chocolate</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chocolate</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cinnayum</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toffee</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Touch of Caramel</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butterscotch</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Child's Play (made with m&m pieces resembling confetti) </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organic Peanut Butter</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was sent three of the cutest jars of peanut butter for a review.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was excited to be able to pick which of the two flavors I wanted to try.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Believe me the choice wasn't easy.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So many choices and they all sounded amazing!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I chose the toffee and chocolate, they also sent me the original peanut butter.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is what I think of all three of the flavors.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Toffee-</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVN4Hjs4kRSzjur-39hGWVsbq8oloF9h6DMQIvPZicPSjbpgBvkmFVEBS-D4sz7APmxbbMNNO31UwgMF3U5MWZvt65FpSWFERiRycvwTfu8kfSgcbN0dTxmeRETlUE-LZNOEDI4TTY8mk/s1600/pacific+beach+toffee+peanut+butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVN4Hjs4kRSzjur-39hGWVsbq8oloF9h6DMQIvPZicPSjbpgBvkmFVEBS-D4sz7APmxbbMNNO31UwgMF3U5MWZvt65FpSWFERiRycvwTfu8kfSgcbN0dTxmeRETlUE-LZNOEDI4TTY8mk/s320/pacific+beach+toffee+peanut+butter.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A crunchy texture with the velvety deliciousness of toffee mixed right in.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow oh wow was I amazed when I tried this flavor!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was skeptical at first to try it because I've only tried regular peanut butters or almond butters and thought why not give it a try.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I did, and it offered the right amount of crunch and wasn't too sweet at all. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn't pinpoint where I had tried something similar but wasn't in peanut butter form,until it hit me!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My god, it tastes like peanut brittle!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Chocolate-</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnsuNV7IqwF2frMJJbzWDxZFfzkynh1cn6R33xx9Fe9tNmtLZzoowp0hdzYMfT38bCJnJ8UCyu7KOlcQbkiNO1nCCVZoJD8lsxCm6XWelO4dFEZFy-ACNeICHnqZuzhNYlzqer7Y0K-w/s1600/pacific+beach+chocolate+peanut+butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnsuNV7IqwF2frMJJbzWDxZFfzkynh1cn6R33xx9Fe9tNmtLZzoowp0hdzYMfT38bCJnJ8UCyu7KOlcQbkiNO1nCCVZoJD8lsxCm6XWelO4dFEZFy-ACNeICHnqZuzhNYlzqer7Y0K-w/s320/pacific+beach+chocolate+peanut+butter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whoa, hold up!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chocolate fan right here!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This flavor is out of this world amazing!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It tasted exactly like a reese's peanut butter cup but crunchy.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The taste of the chocolate was pure decadence.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Organic Peanut Butter-</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbv5-8UGGkisy-m9k759E_cfRYlPVNBDeD_FgyPwNDb6as_6dF79A_CPBcRDZUIA5h-VlcT6TG2vIrW0n4pRyuZThwi20b-RY_aVWmhW5f7Rp4_qLlOqvIcWphqB5mz-IUL73O9_aVaI/s1600/pacific+beach+organic+peanut+butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbv5-8UGGkisy-m9k759E_cfRYlPVNBDeD_FgyPwNDb6as_6dF79A_CPBcRDZUIA5h-VlcT6TG2vIrW0n4pRyuZThwi20b-RY_aVWmhW5f7Rp4_qLlOqvIcWphqB5mz-IUL73O9_aVaI/s320/pacific+beach+organic+peanut+butter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to admit it tastes wonderful.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crunchy and offers a smooth peanut butter taste.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy to spread on crackers, English muffins or use as a fruit dip!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have a sweet tooth for peanut butter you won't want to pass up the opportunity to connect with them on these social media sites listed below.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Attention Readers,</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can get one free jar using this code when you make a purchase on their website!</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just keep in mind though one per customer!</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you!</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">code- </span></i><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">blogger4 </span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Website-</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pbpeanutbutter.com/">http://www.pbpeanutbutter.com/</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Face Book-</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PBPeanutButter">https://www.facebook.com/PBPeanutButter</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Twitter-</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/PBPeanutButters"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">https://twitter.com/PBPeanutButters</span></i></a></div><br />

Pacific Beach Peanut Butter Review and Giveaway!

This sweet review today has brought me back to my childhood just waiting in anticipation in the cafeteria to open up my lunch box and take a...

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Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 04/18/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://unchainingdreams.ning.com">Unchaining Dreams</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">A network about ending human trafficking. It is a project and students are joining in. If this is your passion (like mine) then you may want to look into this. Thanks to my friend Toni Olivieri-Barton for letting me know.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/learning">learning</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Teach This! Teaching with lesson plans and ideas that rock 04/18/2013

Unchaining Dreams A network about ending human trafficking. It is a project and students are joining...

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Freaky monkey

Look at the glass box above the shop. I have to drive past this freaky monkey everyday on my way home from work. I find him very disturbing! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeH6CJ4UERhTGY58MMzAb10rsN_-fiONX0Y4GtQZ3yhyphenhyphenszLGFJQOs6FRr3QYWaCf_N1lUJt4bqUaJUNcwvZuUiR901Ja7tl97rbJz065hx9zlstAp8S6ayLN93kGUdz390vStQPGabke3/s640/blogger-image-582045030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeH6CJ4UERhTGY58MMzAb10rsN_-fiONX0Y4GtQZ3yhyphenhyphenszLGFJQOs6FRr3QYWaCf_N1lUJt4bqUaJUNcwvZuUiR901Ja7tl97rbJz065hx9zlstAp8S6ayLN93kGUdz390vStQPGabke3/s640/blogger-image-582045030.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzczJVLdAncJ8NTN0AkP9ahFdhbk34MgnlUMGGTE6V0sE9Px6QiVLEic5O2jOvbC_7V4r-0mA74QYtQsyj_j5dJ8mbHt3APpU-YtiboWpydridDudHTI2YYH5i3SVJ-hkq-6TtDP2sDTjA/s640/blogger-image-1101753646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzczJVLdAncJ8NTN0AkP9ahFdhbk34MgnlUMGGTE6V0sE9Px6QiVLEic5O2jOvbC_7V4r-0mA74QYtQsyj_j5dJ8mbHt3APpU-YtiboWpydridDudHTI2YYH5i3SVJ-hkq-6TtDP2sDTjA/s640/blogger-image-1101753646.jpg" /></a></div>

Freaky monkey

Look at the glass box above the shop. I have to drive past this freaky monkey everyday on my way home from work. I find him very disturbin...

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A Closer Look at the Folk Art Museum

Finding myself in Midtown the other day I decided to walk by the former American Folk Art Museum and take some photos, considering MoMA is planning on demolishing the marvelous building designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. As I was snapping some photos from under the sidewalk shed across the street a lady stopped and we started talking about how much we both like the building and couldn't believe it would be torn down. She then thanked me for prompting her to stop and take a look, something she wouldn't have done otherwise.<br /><br />Her words prompted me to take an even closer look at the distinctive Tombasil (alloyed white bronze) panels that comprise the distinctive facade. Below are three levels of details: The base of the building from across the street; a detail of a panel where the <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/image/iCkGpb.jqtIQ.jpg">name of the museum used to be mounted</a>; and a close-up of one of the big air bubbles created in the process of making the panel.<br /><br /><img alt="Folk-art-closer.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/Folk-art-closer.jpg" title="Photos by John Hill" /><br />[Photos by John Hill]

A Closer Look at the Folk Art Museum

Finding myself in Midtown the other day I decided to walk by the former American Folk Art Museum and take some photos, considering MoMA is p...

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Why Boston's Hospitals Were Ready- Atul Gawande - The New Yorker

The bombs at the Boston Marathon were designed to maim and kill, and they did. Three people died within the first moments of the blast. More than a hundred and seventy people were injured. They had their limbs blown off, vital arteries severed, bones fractured, flesh torn open by shrapnel or scorched by the blasts' heat. Yet it now appears that every one of the wounded alive when rescuers reached them will survive.<br /><br><br /><br>Medically speaking, this is no small accomplishment. We've seen bombs like this in the battlefields of the Middle East, but rarely in cities like Boston. In the past century of wartime conflict, explosive devices have escalated to become the predominant cause of military casualties. Among American personnel wounded in our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have accounted for three-quarters of injuries; gunshot wounds for just twenty per cent. It has been an historic accomplishment for military medical units to bring case-fatality rates from such injuries down from twenty-five per cent in previous conflicts to ten per cent today. And according to data from the Israeli National Trauma Registry, explosives used in terror attacks have tended to be three times deadlier than those used in war—because civilians don't have armor, because victims span a wider range of age and health, and because preparedness tends to be less systematic. Nonetheless, in Boston, they survived.<br /><br><br /><br><br /><br>How did this happen? Something more significant occurred than professionals merely adhering to smart policies and procedures. What we saw unfold was the cultural legacy of the September 11th attacks and all that has followed in the decade-plus since. We are not innocents anymore.<br /><br><br /><br>The explosions took place at 2:50 P.M., twelve seconds apart. Medical personnel manning the runners' first-aid tent swiftly converted it into a mass-casualty triage unit. Emergency medical teams mobilized en masse from around the city, resuscitated the injured, and somehow dispersed them to eight different hospitals in minutes, despite chaos and snarled traffic.<br /><br><br /><br>My hospital, the Brigham and Women's Hospital, received thirty-one victims, twenty-eight of them with significant injuries. Seven arrived nearly at once, starting at 3:08 P.M. All required emergency surgery. The first to go to surgery—a patient in shock, hemorrhaging profusely, with inadequate breathing and a near-completely severed leg—was resuscitated and on an operating table by 3:25 P.M., just thirty-five minutes after the blast. The rest followed, one after the other, spaced by just minutes. Twelve patients in all would undergo surgery—mostly vascular and orthopedic procedures—before the evening was done.<br /><br><br /><br>This kind of orchestration happened all across the city. Massachusetts General Hospital also received thirty-one victims—at least four of whom required amputations. Boston Medical Center received twenty-three victims. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center handled twenty-one. Boston Children's Hospital took in seven children, ages two to twelve. One emergency physician told me he'd never heard so many ambulance sirens before in his life.<br /><br><br /><br>There's a way such events are supposed to work. Each hospital has an incident commander who coördinates the clearing of emergency bays and hospital beds to open capacity, the mobilization of clinical staff and medical equipment for treatment, and communication with the city's emergency command center. At my hospital, Stanley Ashley, a general surgeon and our chief medical officer, was that person. I talked to him after the event—I had been out of the city at the time of the explosions—and he told me that no sooner had he set up his command post and begun making phone calls then the first wave of victims arrived. Everything happened too fast for any ritualized plan to accommodate.<br /><br><br /><br>So what did you do, I asked him.<br /><br><br /><br>"I mostly let people do their jobs," he said. He never needed to call anyone. Around a hundred nurses, doctors, X-ray staff, transport staff, you name it showed up as soon as they heard the news. They wanted to help, and they knew how. As one colleague put it, they did on a large scale what they knew how to do on a small scale. They broke up into teams of six or so people, one trauma team for each patient. A senior nurse and physician stood at the door to the ambulance bay triaging the patients going to the teams. The operating-room director handled triage to, and communication with, the operating rooms. Another staff member saw the need for a traffic cop and began shooing extra clinicians into the waiting room, where they could stand by to be called upon.<br /><br><br /><br>Richard Wolfe, the chief of the emergency department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told me he had much the same experience there. Of twenty-one casualties, seventeen were serious and seven required emergency surgery. One patient came in with both legs almost completely amputated already. Another's leg was too mangled to save. Numerous victims had open, bleeding wounds, with shrapnel and shards of fractured bone. One had a lung injury from the blast. Another was burned on over thirty per cent of the body. One had to have an eye removed. Wolfe arrived in the emergency department expecting to take charge of assigning everyone responsibilities.<br /><br><br /><br>"But everybody spontaneously knew the dance moves," he said. He didn't have to tell people much of what to do at all.<br /><br><br /><br>I spoke to Deb Mulloy, the nurse in charge of our operating rooms that afternoon, and a few of the other nursing leaders to find out how they knew the dance moves. Mulloy began mobilizing as soon as she saw the news flash onto a television screen. Others learned through Twitter, text messages, smartphone news apps. They all began to act before the alarm had been sounded.<br /><br><br /><br>"We just knew this was real," Mulloy said, "and a lot of people could be hurt."<br /><br><br /><br>Change of nursing shift is at three o'clock. So she immediately notified the day shift to stay on. No one wanted to leave, anyway. This doubled the available staff.<br /><br><br /><br>The nurses put all scheduled surgery on hold and began readying eight rooms. They ordered equipment trays for vascular and orthopedic procedures to be brought up from stock supply. They called an orthopedics-manufacturer representative for extra hardware to be mobilized. They got in touch with the blood bank, which was already securing blood from other states. They communicated with other operating rooms around the city to make sure they had enough supplies of equipment, too.<br /><br><br /><br>How did they know to get eight rooms ready, I asked. And how did they know to get them ready for vascular and orthopedic procedures? "Did someone tell you?"<br /><br><br /><br>"No," said Brenda McKonly, one of the senior nurse leaders. She just saw the descriptions of the explosion like everyone else, made a surmise about the injuries, and recognized that they needed to get as many rooms ready as they could. To be on the safe side, the staff also got equipment for one room to be ready for a neurosurgical injury and another for a thoracic injury. But as word filtered down from the emergency department, it became clear that their original surmise was correct. All eight rooms would be required, and nearly all the cases involved vascular and orthopedic injuries.<br /><br><br /><br>Talking to people about that day, I was struck by how ready and almost rehearsed they were for this event. A decade earlier, nothing approaching their level of collaboration and efficiency would have occurred. We have, as one colleague put it to me, replaced our pre-9/11 naïveté with post-9/11 sobriety. Where before we'd have been struck dumb with shock about such events, now we are almost calculating about them. When ball bearings and nails were found in the wounds of the victims, everyone understood the bombs had been packed with them as projectiles. At every hospital, clinicians considered the possibility of chemical or radiation contamination, a second wave of attacks, or a direct attack on a hospital. Even nonmedical friends e-mailed and texted me to warn people about secondary and tertiary explosive devices aimed at responders. Everyone's imaginations have come to encompass these once unimaginable events.<br /><br><br /><br>Hence the grim efficiency with which the city responded. Organizers halted the race. Runners who'd trained for weeks for the event turned away from the finish line in bewildered but stoic acceptance. The press, for the most part, rightly hesitated to amplify unsubstantiated claims about the identity of the perpetrators.<br /><br><br /><br>Risks of further attack required assessment. Panic had to be averted. Criminal evidence had to be secured. And above all, victims needed to be saved.<br /><br><br /><br>What prepared us? Ten years of war have brought details of attacks like these to our towns through news, images, and the soldiers who saw and encountered them. Almost every hospital has a surgeon or nurse or medic with battlefield experience, sometimes several. Many also had trauma personnel who deployed to Haiti after the earthquake, Banda Aceh after the tsunami, and elsewhere. Disaster response has become an area of wide interest and study. Cities and towns have conducted disaster drills, including one in Boston I was involved in that played out the scenario of a dirty-bomb explosion at Logan Airport on an airliner from France. The Massachusetts General Hospital brought in Israeli physicians to help revamp their disaster-response planning. Richard Wolfe at the Beth Israel Deaconess recalled an emergency physician's presentation of the medical response required after the Aurora, Colorado, movie-theatre shooting of seventy people last summer. From 9/11 to Newtown, we've all watched with not only horror but also grave attention the myriad ways in which the sociopathy of killers has combined with the technology of inflicting mass casualty.<br /><br><br /><br>We've learned, and we've absorbed. This is not cause for either celebration or satisfaction. That we have come to this state of existence is a great sadness. But it is our great fortune.<br /><br><br /><br>Last year, after the Aurora shooting, Ron Walls, the chief of emergency medicine at my hospital, gave a lecture titled "Are We Ready?"<br /><br><br /><br>In Boston, it turns out we all were.<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/04/why-bostons-hospitals-were-ready.html">http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/04/why-bostons-hospitals-were-ready.html</a>

Why Boston's Hospitals Were Ready- Atul Gawande - The New Yorker

The bombs at the Boston Marathon were designed to maim and kill, and they did. Three people died within the first moments of the blast. More...

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'Man of Steel' trailer: Five mysteries from the new footage explained

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />That pretty much sums up a few of the new images we see in the latest Man of Steel trailer. Some of the scenes are impossible to figure out without a bit more context, but Entertainment Weekly recently watched extensive footage from the film, and we have clues from the filmmakers that might help decode the more inexplicable shots. A close study also reveals that director Zack Snyder has slipped in a reference to another major Superman villain.</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T6DJcgm3wNY?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>

'Man of Steel' 'Man of Steel' trailer: Five mysteries from the new footage explained

That pretty much sums up a few of the new images we see in the latest Man of Steel trailer. Some of the scenes are impossible to figure out ...

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