George Washington is officially off the hook after a book he borrowed from a New York library 221 years ago was finally returned to its rightful place.
Staff at the New York Society Library happily accepted a replica copy of "The Law of Nations" from members of the first U.S. President's Mount Vernon estate yesterday after they discovered he removed it from their collection on Oct. 5, 1789, but never brought it back. Read more about this transgression in The New York Daily News
online.
The AP (5/16) reported, "A new education official charged with closing the achievement gap between poor, minority students and their white peers says the key lies in finding good teachers from diverse backgrounds. Shanida Sharp-Byrnes is the new Diversity Coordinator for the Indiana Department of Education." Sharp-Byrnes says Indiana "has to appeal to teachers' values instead of relying on financial incentives at a time when Indiana has ordered $300 million cut from education funding."
High School Student Turns The St. Petersburg (FL) Times (5/7, Solochek) reports that Land O'Lakes High School senior Ben Hedblom has worn the same pair of black sneakers everyday since ninth grade. "Four years ago, Hedblom made a wager with Spanish teacher Adrian Antonini that he would wear the same shoes through to graduation day. The loser would shave his hair and eyebrows." Hedblom says that "the lessons he has learned from wearing" the now tattered, treadless shoes "propelled him to a perfect score on his senior class project." The project focused "on the psychology behind his effort," namely "the initial perceptions that people had when seeing his ratty old shoes, and how he would persuade them to understand that it's not all about the shoes." Hedblom noted of his four-year shoe experience, "I've learned a lot about self image. You are what you believe you are."
They were probably as close to one another as a mother and daughter could be. I don't know how old Shayla was when her parents divorced, but I am guessing that she was pretty young. Even though her father lived close and they maintained a good relationship, it didn't compare to the relationship that Shayla had with her mother.
A few years ago Shayla graduated from high school and moved away to attend college. I don't know the details at all, but I am sure that Shayla missed her mother and that it was awfully hard for Millie (Shayla's mom) to be without her daughter for the first time in eighteen years. Right around this time Shayla's best friend got married. I am imagining that those transitions were tricky for Shayla.
She didn't stay away all that long. Before I knew it Shayla had moved back home and was working in the local pizza parlor. That's where I would usually see her. We also traded a few messages through Facebook.
The last time I saw Millie in person she was with Shayla. I didn't recognize Millie at first --- she had lost a LOT of weight. She looked great and seemed really proud and happy and confident.
Sheepishly, I approached Shayla and asked about Millie's weight-loss. I wanted to know if it was a topic she'd be okay with discussing… this led to some great email exchanges between me and Millie. She really was proud of herself and feeling good about how she'd changed her life. She wanted to help me and was more supportive than I ever could've imagined.
On April 28th Millie died. I don't know a lot of the details. I do know that she was young. She was kind and sweet and generous. She was loved by so many in this tiny little town and beyond. She'll remain to be loved.
I heard that cancer is what killed Millie. I don't know how true that is… our town is often rife with rumors. The story states that recently Millie had some stomach issues and was quickly diagnosed and then died. I hope that she didn't have much pain. If the story is true I am glad that she didn't suffer with the cancer for any length of time.
Shayla has a nice network of friends, she has a boyfriend, and (I think) an extended family. She'll be okay and she'll be taken care of. She'll never stop missing her mom. That sucks.
1) I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2). Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3). I totally take back all those times I did not want to nap when I was younger.
4). There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5). How, the hell, are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6). Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I cannot remember the last time I was not at least somewhat tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I do not want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I am always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry," means I will never wash this - ever.
15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
16. I hate leaving my house confident, and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
20. At my age, I've come to believe that women's restrooms harbor more germs than men's.
21. Sometimes, I will watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea, what, the heck was going on when I first saw it.
22. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I am trying to finish a text.
24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still did not hear or understand a word they said?
26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty, Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?
29. There is no worse feeling than that millisecond you are sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
31. Sometimes I will look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my behind everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!
"We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by."
ABC News (4/30, Bruce) reported, "The Education Department is rocking the hold line -- entertaining and educating callers one call at a time." It replaced its hold music with "the tunes of 'Schoolhouse Rock'." Deputy Chief of Staff Matthew Yale said, "We're doing everything we can to enhance the culture of the Department of Education, it needs to be a place of innovation and where we're constantly reminded of our work for students." Other "measures it has taken to liven the spirit of the agency and make it more inclusive" includes "a reading series last summer that invited local students to the department to hear stories read by government officials." In "The Answer Sheet" blog of the Washington Post (5/2), Valarie Strauss also covers this story.
USA Today (5/3, Moore) reports as "the result of a student lawsuit, Lower Merion School District has admitted theft-tracking software for the district's 2,600 student laptops activated webcams and automatically snapped photos of kids in school and at home. Over two years, the district captured 56,000 images, including shots of students and the images on their computers." USA adds that in addition to the student lawsuit, there is a Federal investigation underway. The "unusual case of school-sanctioned spying - and the national and international publicity it has caused - has roiled the leafy precincts of Bryn Mawr, Gladwyne and other communities in Lower Merion Township, a well-heeled area of Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs."
The San Antonio Express-News (4/30, LaCoste-Caputo) reports that a five-year-old at Walzem Elementary School "was suspended this week because of a swirl design cut into his closely cropped hair." Principal Laura Huggins "noticed the design" as kindergartner Tyran Miller "was getting out of his mom's car Monday morning." The school gave Tyran's mother "the option of shaving [the child's] head or keeping him home until his hair grew out. If she sent him to school, she was told, he'd be in in-school suspension until the symbol was gone." The Express News notes that the North East Independent School District's policy does not "specifically address hairstyles for elementary students other than to say parents are strongly urged to enforce moderate hairstyles and high standards of dress." But Huggins said that Walzam administrators have "been cracking down" on "unusual hairstyles."
To help children become better readers, a Kansas State University professor thinks they may need to spend less time with their noses stuck in books. Lotta Larson, an assistant professor of elementary education, is finding that electronic readers allow children to interact with texts in ways they don't interact with the printed word.
Since fall 2009, Larson has been using the Amazon Kindle in her work with a pair of second-graders. The e-reader has features that make the text audible, increase or decrease font size and let readers make notes about the book. "It's interesting to see the kinds of things these kids have been able to do," Larson said.
She said the ideal outcome would be for teachers to improve reading instruction by tailoring it to each student. Tests already have shown improvement in the students' perceptions of their own reading ability. Larson said the next step would be to gather quantitative data on how reading scores are affected.
Larson will present the work April 25-28 at the International Reading Association Conference in Chicago. She's also talking with middle school teachers about how downloadable e-books might appeal to young teen boys who are reluctant readers. Read more at ScienceDaily
online.
I have this weird relationship with time. I think I always have. Often, it seems like time stands still. Often, I think of the old cliché about how the days drag yet the weeks (and months, and years!) just fly on by.
That saying is really true, I believe. You kind of go through the motions, do what you need to in order to get through the days that sometimes seem to linger on forever. While you're doing that so much other time, the ephemeral time that exists like smoke or steam, escapes your grasp and floats into the ether.
The good thing about time passing is that it offers perspective. That is one of the things I think that I am really good at. I am good at looking back and assessing (reassessing and re-reassessing!) what has happened in my life. Dare I say, I think I am even pretty good at objectively, well as objectively as possible, understanding my own part in what has happened in my life.
When I hear a year mentioned, like 1992 (first season of MTV's Real World) it usually seems just SO recent. I have a good memory for things and events and minutiae. However, I have a terrible memory for chronology. So, when I think of 1992 and it seems SO recent, I can remember songs, movies, friends, anecdotes, etc., but I have trouble remembering the order of things.
Introspection is great. In fact, I think it is one the most important gifts a person can give to himself or herself. How, though, how does a guy know when enough is enough? How does a guy know when to just let things go? More importantly, how does a guy know HOW to let things go?
Guess I'll just sort of have to ruminate on those questions and see what I can come up with.
***The average American teen sends 2,900 texts per month***
The February issue of California Educator has a really great cover story on the students we currently serve, Generation Z.
According to Mark McCrindle, Generation Z members are:
Grays Harbor County sheriff's Deputy Dave Pimentel said Monday 50-year-old Roy Messenger was not seriously hurt after he collided with a power pole Friday and called a relative to pull his car from a ditch.
However, family members found Messenger electrocuted when they arrived.
Pimentel says Messenger apparently urinated into a roadside ditch but didn't see the live wire. The urine stream likely served as a conductor, allowing the electricity to reach his body.
Pimentel says there will be an autopsy but burn marks indicated the way the electricity traveled through Messenger's body.
The United States Postal Service has been in trouble for a long time now, it seems. About a year ago Congress was asked to change the law and have the delivery of mail on Saturdays discontinued. Congress didn't do that, and it seems the same request will be made again soon.
From what I've heard the U.S. Postal Service is in the red to the tune of about 300 million dollars. (Many blame email and the like.) I get all that (and, dare I say it, I would probably be perfectly fine with no Saturday delivery of mail). What I don't understand, at all, is that approximately 5 million dollars was recently spent on a study that seemingly concluded that the service is losing a lot of money.
I live in a rural town where there is no mail delivery; everyone picks up his or her mail at the post office. This past year the office has shortened its hours substantially. That measure, in my opinion, makes sense from a fiscal standpoint. Spending money on a study, especially such a high amount of money, doesn't make any sense to me at all.
By Lynette Rice
A spokeswoman for Julianne Moore confirmed an EW exclusive report that the co-star of A Single Man will make an appearance on As the World Turns, the CBS soap that helped to launch her career in Hollywood. Moore's appearance will be a walk-on, her spokeswoman said. She'll greet her character's parents and wish them well. Moore could tape her episode as early as this Wednesday.
The Oscar-nominated actress got her start on ATWT in 1985 by playing half-sisters Frannie and Sabrina Hughes – a depiction that earned her a Daytime Emmy in 1988, the year she left the show. ATWT will end its 54-year-run in September.
Source: http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/03/01/julianne-moore-as-the-world-turns/
I've never watched Top Chef before (I don't have Bravo) but am currently checking out the fifth season via the awesomeness that is Netflix. I am not a chef. I am not a cook. I don't eat in fine restaurants or know much about nice/fancy/gourmet food. That all having been said, this show is really fun to watch.
Padma=grace. She's beautiful, her voice is so seductive, and she exudes refinement. She is definitely an asset to the show, in my opinion. One thing that drives me nuts though, is her phraseology. She often says, '…join us at judge's table…' What happened to the article, the? I believe she was reared in America, and we are usually pretty spot-on with our articles. You'll never catch an American, in the throes of an emergency, hollering, "Quick, get him to hospital!"
Another weird phrase, in my opinion, is how Padma often states to the guest judge, "since you are our guest judge, it is your pleasure to announce the winner of the challenge." How the hell does she know what the guest judge's pleasure might be?
Seems like using (or over-using!) trite phraseology is common trait of many reality shows. Shows like this often find a strangely worded phrase and use it over and over again. It makes me wonder of maybe reality show producers attend some sort of Tony Robbins-esque motivational class that 'invites' them to create a welcoming atmosphere for the 'guests' who are watching their shows using repetition…
