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Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Homeschool Bleg

Some of you, and you know who you are, are organized. Some homeschoolers have had their lesson plans and their booklists all set out on their lace tablecloths while the freshly ironed curtains float in the breeze, gently rippling to the happy shouts of the children as they weed the vegetable garden.

Please. Here I am, a few weeks before school starts, pulling together this and that so we won't fall on our faces in the first four days. I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that crayons and pencils and glue sticks are consumables, not one-time purchases. I'm hoping the inkjet printer will hold out one more year if I hit it that special way. And I'm finally sitting down to write up some notes on curriculum.

This year is a fresh start (just like every other year). We're making a semblance of being settled in the new house, even though all the books on the shelves in the school room are still the random collection that were shoved here and there when we unpacked. Last year we faced the constant issue of never being able to find anything at the moment we needed it, which I hope will be resolved this year by better structure and beatings.

So, books. Bearing has recommended Joy Hakim's A History of US as a good history spine. I'm intrigued, but the entire set is rather expensive. Has anyone else used and enjoyed this? (Darwin spent a couple hours reading through what's visible on Amazon and says, "It seems to have a slightly liberal and secular point of view, but it seems scrupulously fair, which may actually be better than having an openly conservative or Christian book that isn't.")

The oldest two are heading into 3rd and 4th this year, and since it works well to have them do things in unison we're leaning towards putting them through two years of US history and kids literature (with enough Ohio specific side-lights to say that we met the state education requirements) and then circling back to World History for 2-3 years before launching into the high school Humanities Program (four years Western history and literature from origins to modern day.)

Kelly said...

My local library carries the entire set, so I've checked out volumes as a supplement. I used From Sea to Shining Sea from Ignatius Press for American history, but I think it's good to have something secular to balance it out with.

Margaret Mary said...

I've actually been reading a very interesting book in which this series was mentioned. Anthony Esolen's Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child describes them as "written for beings whose minds have been blasted by electronic jitters and cannot concentrate on a sentence or a thought of any complexity." (pages 108-109) I own the series and my kids found it to be an interesting overview, but you'll want to go elsewhere to get much depth.

I really would recommend the Esolen book and wish I would've read it earlier in my career as a homeschooling parent. It's a fascinating point of view.

bearing said...

That is a good characterization of Hakim. It does lean slightly left. But it feels very fair, and it isn't dry at all. I haven't found anything better. I felt I could achieve the balance I needed through supplements. Of course, it wasn't really my primary text.

Take a passage from Amazon Look Inside and read it aloud. How does it feel to read it aloud? That is a good test.

You remind me I still haven't written the last post in my American History series... I guess I better get on that.

Margaret Mary said...

Have you checked out the Story of the World books/CDs?

bearing said...

I use SOTW for elementary world history, but OMG does it need to be redacted whenever it talks about the Catholic Church.

I said to my co-conspirator in co-schooling, I CANNOT READ THIS STUFF ABOUT HENRY THE EIGHTH WITH A STRAIGHT FACE.

Also, Rasputin was blithely identified as "a monk" as if he behaved the way you would expect a monk to behave.

Also, every time Catholics do something good they are "Christian" and every time they do something bad they are "Catholics."

Chris Burgwald said...

Pretty much what bearing said for us, but our oldest is going into 2nd, so we haven't (yet) faced Susan's Reformed biases, such as they are.

I still like her better all in all, though, than anything else I've come across for elementary.

bearing said...

Looking forward to seeing your Humanities Program, incidentally. May steal it.

Oh, and I got the post up with the history curriculum. So here it all is:

U. S. History I: Prehistory through 1812
U. S. History II(a) The Civil War
U. S. History II(b): Topical survey of the 19th century
U. S. History III: Topics of the twentieth century

Julia said...

We bought our Story of US books used, through, and I doubt we paid more than a couple of dollars each. They're workable, though we always skipped the first volume as being too PC.

Get a copy of the Sonlight catalog so you can see the historical fiction list for US history. There are a number of books that are quite good, though at your kids' ages I'd skip Calico Girl.

Also, if you're going to spend two years doing US history, make costumes (or have your kids make'em) so they can 'play' Johnny Tremaine, etc. There are simple patterns for mob caps and aprons for girls online, and you can make breeches out of old khakis by cutting them off below the knee, slicing up the outer seam a few inches, and punching holes along the slit. Insert a shoelace to lace up the holes, and you've got it. Hats are a bit harder.

There are good supplies (candlemaking, tin cups, rucksacks, etc.) at Jas. Townshend & Co.

And do look to see if there are any Rev War re-enactments anywhere remotely near you. Ya never know.

The Opinionated Homeschooler said...

Mrs Darwin,

I have all the vols of Hakim. I don't particularly like it, and am happy to send them to you. So don't go out and spend your good money! If you decide it's not for you, you can pass it on to someone else. E-mail me.

We're on Week 8 of school around here (like we're going to go outside when it's 100+ every day, and even the scorpions are looking at Air Alaska jets, saying, Yeah, I'm out of here, and climbing aboard?), and have it all, if I may say so, all together this year. Now having just jinxed myself, it's off to morning lessons for me.

bearing said...

I have a feeling that when the beautiful weather comes in late September I'm going to wish I started school in mid-July so I could take a break.

Darwin said...

The section of SOTW on the Reformation is also highly worth skipping... In this case, though, we're mostly looking for a different text because we want to do a couple years of fairly in-depth US History, and SOTW is more of a world history text. (And, of course, we'll mostly be using the text to provide context and gap-filling while we work through books on particular people and events -- doubtless ripping off a lot of Bearing's ideas from her American History list.)

FWIW, the high school list is pretty much all up at this point, I just haven't been able to fill in notes and links as much as I'd like. Plus there are a bunch of poets listed with "selections" where I need to either link to public domain stuff or pick an edition of something like the Norton Anthology to work with and go with what's in there.

Year One: From the Rise of Civilization to the Hellenistic Period

Year Two: From the Rise of Rome to Beowulf

Year Three: From the Rise of Islam to the Protestant Reformation

Year Four: The Modern World

I'd the elementary program on which I've been such a deadbeat -- though I guess with three more kids not yet started on that period of schooling, there's still plenty of time to catch up!

Darwin said...

Opinionated Homeschooler,

Any chance of elaborating on your reaction to Hakim? (Though I guess if you're volunteering to send it over, we can dissect it at leisure -- for a couple week till school starts at any rate.)

mrsdarwin said...

I dunno. If OH doesn't like it, it may not be for us. I've never gone wrong with any of her recommendations.

Margaret Mary, I have the first two volumes of SOTW, and we were humming along in the second, until I read ahead to her Martin Luther hagiography. At that point, I said, "I'm done with this junk." Maybe I'm throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but I just couldn't take the rest of it seriously after that.

I have a few history books that are for the older grades that I'm considering adapting for the youngsters. Maybe later in the week I can take some pix of the volumes and post them for everyone's delectation.

Maria Johnson said...

I can't stand history books that suck the life out of the stories they present. It makes me want to throw them across the room. I have the complete History of US and (despite the slightly liberal bias) I enjoyed reading it just for fun growing up. It was interesting . It tells the little stories that put flesh on 'dem dry bones of an outline.

This year, I'm doing a unit on early American History (St. Brendan the Navigator through the Civil War), using library storybooks as the primary teaching tool. Granted, Patrick and Elaina are in 1st and K, so we're still doing lots of "tell me the story," and not so much "date memorization." I can send you a copy of the list I came up with if you'd like. If you use Hakim's set, supplement with your local library. Columbus should be tied into a pretty good interlibrary loan system.

bearing said...

TBH, I probably wouldn't like Hakim either if I used it as a primary text. I did think it worked well to dip into here and there as a supplement.

A good book to read before starting U. S. History is James Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me. He writes with a left-liberal perspective, which you may not appreciate, but I think he succeeds admirably in his goal is to uncover biases and omissions in standard U. S. history texts that arise because of the political wrangling over which text will be used in public schools. One thing he points out is how biased American History texts are towards Protestants.

bearing said...

And I'd be interested in Maria Johnson's booklist, by the way. I'm always tweaking, and I am starting over with the first year of U. S. history with a younger set this fall. Please share!

Kelly said...

I really liked Lies My Teacher Told Me, but I was annoyed at his treatment of our local landmark. He made it sound as if they were still trying to pass off a fake cabin as Lincoln's birthplace until recently when they put a small plaque in the corner admitting it was a fraud. Even back when I went there on field trips in the early 80's they told us that it was a very old cabin that was like the one where Lincoln would have been born.

bearing said...

Kelly: Funny. Wonder if he was relying on second-hand information, or if he exaggerated for effect.

Darwin said...

Hmmm. Better than the Howard Zinn quote on the cover would lead one to imagine, eh? Shall see...

Kelly said...

Erin, I had the same thoughts. Had he never been there or was he exaggerating? I mean, the plaque has got to be 3 ft by 3 ft and prominently displayed. It made me take some of his other anecdotes with a grain of salt.

bearing said...

Honestly, I think Loewen is probably even more useful for conservatives to read, because he specifically ferrets out biases and blindnesses that are particular to a patriotic and conservative worldview that, in his view, unduly shaped U. S. textbooks. Where I have blindnesses and biases and gaps in my learning that I'm not aware of, I want to be made aware of them so I can deal with them rationally.

But his larger point that history books are boring because they leave out controversial details, and because they oversimplify and present history as a settled narrative, is worthy independent of political outlook. Some interesting material about the sausage that is the U. S. textbook acceptance system, too. The book may be a bit out of date by now.

Darwin said...

Honestly, I think Loewen is probably even more useful for conservatives to read, because he specifically ferrets out biases and blindnesses that are particular to a patriotic and conservative worldview that, in his view, unduly shaped U. S. textbooks. Where I have blindnesses and biases and gaps in my learning that I'm not aware of, I want to be made aware of them so I can deal with them rationally.

I agree, to an extent. Certainly, nothing drives me up the wall like falsehood peddled in favor of comfort -- particularly when it's "my side" doing so. (For example, when I was looking at an American History textbook written by conservative Catholics -- sorry, I don't recall the title or author -- some years ago and found that it described the Conquistadores as "soldiers of Mary" who brought pro-life values to the Americas, I resolved immediately we'd never own a copy and didn't bother reading any further.)

At the same time, I find that reading people who are simply out to push a radically progressive narrative (even when in the process they point out mistakes made by conservatives) mostly just serves to raise my blood pressure. And skimming the first few pages of Loewen on Amazon (in which he's talking about the "heroization" of people like Hellen Keller and Woodrow Wilson -- I note that in getting past the bland portraits of these characters (neither of them actually likable once you read enough about them, though both interesting in their ways) he still leaves a lot of things aside. For instance, he's at pains to claims Keller for "radical" causes, even if he is willing to concede that her support for the USSR was "naive", but he leaves entirely unmentioned her views of eugenics and the euthanasia of the "unfit".

I certainly agree that most textbooks are boring, and I think it's important to take an unvarnished view of history rather than a mythologized one. However, I guess overall I'd rather a historian who's simply interested in getting at the truth, rather than a polemicist from the other side who punctures some rightist illusions but then leaves one needing to dig into his own narrative distortions and blind spots.

Still, I'm sure the library has it, I'll have to take a look at a bit more of it. Maybe he's just opening with more ideological stuff (and I'll admit: the publisher's description of it as "Loewen's politically correct critique of 12 American history textbooks" and the Howard Zinn praise covering the front cover are strongly biasing me.)

Kelly said...

I just had to go and check, and the Catholic American history book you described was NOT From Sea To Shining Sea.

My good friend recommended the Don't Know Much About History series so I read it alongside FSTSS and I was very surprised at how often they agreed. I thought FSTSS was overstating the Spanish colonization or being too sympathetic to Benedict Arnold but Don't Know Much agreed with what it said in both of those places.

RL said...

Bah. Just make the kids tune into the History Channel. They'll learn stuff about WWII, the Long Haul road in Alaska, the Great Bayou Culture, tree killers, Nostradamus, spaces aliens, Big Foot sightings from the Middle Ages to now. All you ever wanted to know about history is there.

Skywalker said...

I used DKs Children's Encyclopedia of American History, when I taught 5th grade and I supplimented with materials from teacher created resources. I liked it a lot, but I only taught history from European exploration to the Civil War, so I didn't get into modern history. I have yet to find the completely unbiased American History text; in fact, I am rather doubtful of its existence.

Barbara C. said...

History is a very complicated thing to teach, because sometimes it's hard to really know "the truth". We can look at what happened, but often we can't really know the real "why" because all we can see are the actions not necessarily the intentions or internal motivations. And sometimes things are much more complex than they seem.

I don't think there is really any such things as a perfect history book. (That's like looking for an unbiased news outlet.) The problem in schools is that they treat textbooks like Bibles rather than the first layer of an onion.

I use SOTW for grades 1-4 as a supplemental reading but I mainly use Usborne Encyclopedia of World History as my spine with an outline of keypoints that I want to discuss.

And I am one of those homeschoolers that have all my lesson plans all lined up for the year. But at a house constantly looks like a tornado came through it....that's why the curtains (not freshly ironed because ironing is against my religion) are blowing in the breeze. ;-)

Kelly said...

I remembered another book that we really enjoyed was The Landmark History of the United States which we purchased through Sonlight after Melissa Wiley recommended it on her blog. It isn't a conventional history book, but more little snapshots of culture. How they constructed houses, or made shot for guns using gravity. The sort of book you can pick up and read halfway through without realizing it.

bearing said...

You can't go wrong with a Landmark book. I am slowly building my collection.

The Opinionated Homeschooler said...

The Landmark History of the U.S. that SonLight sells isn't part of the Landmark history series.

Just to make it more confusing, some of the old "Step Up" beginning reader books (like Meet Abraham Lincoln) have been republished under the Landmark name. There are many negative reviews of them on Amazon from people who have (reasonably but incorrectly) assumed that these are genuine Landmark books that have been "dumbed down."

If you can get hold of the Horizon-Caravel (world history) or American Heritage Junior Library (U.S. history) books--both series published by American Heritage--they are worth their weight in gold. Superior, I think, even to the Landmark histories.

Maria Johnson said...

I've put up my list of early American History books we'll be using for 1st and 2nd grade. I don't think it's limited to this age, but may work for 4th and 3rd as well. The list is at Early American History

bearing said...

@OH: Thank you for correcting me. I'm glad to know this.

I also love the American Heritage Junior Library books. Some of them appear in my U. S. History book lists, but aren't identified as such (they all have titles). You could teach a whole U. S. history course (up to midcentury anyway) with these.

Donald R. McClarey said...

I don't mind reading historians I disagree with so long as they are either accurate or write with a style that I enjoy. Mr. Loewen, humorless ideologue, fails on both points.


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Monday, October 06, 2008

while away...

*I'm going crazy here. I have a story I want to share sooooo badly. It's the story of how the ever-so-incredibly-generous Jean spent an entire day doing something very special for Annie. Want a teaser? Neil Gaiman is involved. But it's really Jean's story to tell, and I hope she'll post about it soon!

*Miss Annie is now carrying around a few thousand dollars of gear in her mouth. She said something like, "There's nothing like announcing to the world what a nerd I am...glasses and braces." Of course, I happen to think she looks adorable. And as her mom, I'm sure I'd find her adorable if she sprouted horns and a giant wart on her nose, too. After just a couple of days, they're finally starting to hurt a little less, but she's having a tough time getting adjusted to them playing her flute.

*Baker and Lucky have become fast friends. Well, maybe friends is a slight overstatement, but they certainly have no problems with one another. Aren't they precious?!!

*Annie's new vocabulary game is starting up, if anyone wants to join in. (Prize is a $15.00 Amazon gift certificate.)

*I didn't get nearly as much accomplished as I'd hoped during my hiatus. But I probably did get as much done as I'd reasonably expected, so it's not all bad news. (Both in terms of our switching rooms around and in terms of school prep.) I have to say that I found the "blog break" a mixed bag. I've learned that blogging is both stress-inducing and stress-relieving. I think the stress-inducing part comes simply with letting it take over so much of my time. So I'm trying to come up with some strategies to help accentuate the "stress-relieving" and squash the "stress-inducing". For one thing, I'm thinking about trying some sort of schedule again to help keep myself organized. I tried, and failed, to do this before...but I'm hoping with some concerted effort on my part, that it might really help. (Unless I end up tweaking things, Mondays shall be set aside for my useless babblings about family and life in general.) I may just have to admit that I need to pare down my reader, too, as sad as that idea makes me. I'm off to see how unmanageable that darn reader has become...

jupitersinclair said...

Oh, anything to do with an entire day revolving around Neil Gaiman...I'm already jealous and I don't even know what it is!

The rest of us think the braces are adorable too. How can we not?

I hacked my reader done to almost nothing. Blog Reading feels SO much more productive now.

Jean said...

Does this mean that the very special (in Neil's eyes as well as mine) Annie knows the WHOLE, ENTIRE story of my trip to the National Book Festival? In other words, may I even post a photo of Neil's artwork along with the not-so-gory details? If so, I will definitely post the story though I might not get it done, with photos, until tomorrow. Work this afternoon and kendo tonight make it a busy day.

Nymeth said...

yay, you're back :D

I can't wait to hear Jean's story! And I think Annie still looks adorable with braces too. I wore braces for a few years in my early teens and it does take some getting used to.

The Baker and Lucky picture is so cute :)

I know what you mean about blogging being both stress inducing and stress relieving. Even if it's time-consuming, blogging helps me keep my sanity. I find that having a schedule really helps. Of course, I don't always follow it, but it does help to try to define specific times to write posts, comment, etc.

What I did to tame my reader was divide it into for the blogs I always visit and comment on, another for those I'll visit if I have the time, etc. I know it might feel weird to "play favourites" like that, but we all do have favourites anyway, and if I didn't organize my reader somehow it was just going to drive me nuts.

Trish said...

Annie looks beautiful! Braces and all. I played the flute as well--with braces. :) It just takes time to get used to it.

I have found that blogging relieves and induces stress for me as well. I'm a naturally high strung person as it is, so sometimes I have to remind myself that I can't do it all and read every post like I want to.

Glad you're back anyway--even if we are stressful. ;)

Natasha @ Maw Books said...

If you figure out a great way to tame Google Reader, please share!

Chris said...

Debi!!! You're back :D I'm so glad to "see" you again, lol. Like Nymeth and you, I can totally relate to blogging being stress inducing and calming at the same time! When my reader gets out of control and I haven't posted in a few days, I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack, lol. But at the same time I just enjoy blogging and the community so much that I could never leave it.

Annie looks great in her braces! Very cute :) And look at Baker and Lucky becoming fast friends! Also very cute :)

And to Jean...I'm so jealous that you went to the National Book Festival! lol..

Carl V. said...

I certainly look forward to the 'whole, entire' story from Jean and even though I am already very excited for Annie just based on the teaser that you've given.

She may not love it now, but Annie will ultimately be really happy with having had braces. We went through the same stuff with our daughter and she is thrilled now, as a 16 year old, to have really nice teeth.

It is great to have you back Debi, it really is. I think a schedule sounds like a really good way to not only help keep you from getting overwhelmed but can also hopefully make blogging something fun that you look forward to rather than a chore.

Jean said...

The whole entire (or at least as much of it as I had time to tell in the midst of finishing two quilts) is now up on my blog complete with pictures. Now, Debi, you owe us one of Annie when or soon after she got her very own inscribed copy of Coraline. I want to see that smile!!!!

Melody said...

I think Annie looks pretty in that pic!!! You know, I think having braces is cool! I didn't go for it then and now I wish I had!!

gail@more than a song said...

Oh, I think she's adorable too! And I betcha you're going to have to watch out because she'll probably be a knockout when she gets older!

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22 October 2013

Raspberry Pi BlueJ Learning Videos

Are you just starting to code with the Java language and looking for a little help?

As I discussed previously the BlueJ editor is a great tool for beginners.

Recently I noticed object first with java, a comprehensive collection of videos which walk you through the basics of Java development with the BlueJ editor.

At the time of this post there's twelve in the collection.

More Raspberry Pi Coding, Tips and Tricks


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Catch-up post

From February/March - I've got a bit behind!

I don't have pix from every single day but I do have a few so this will be sort of pic-heavy. I'm also updating my 20x20 project in this post to keep everything together :-)

Patrick, February 18
Now there's  a smile. Accented  by marmite. :-)

Misty (front) and Chloe February 19
I like the funky perspective on this. And the slightly orange light. :-)

Patrick at the playground February 20
20x20: Take 20 photos of Patrick in 20 different locations.

Patrick outside February 25
It's amazing how absorbing 1cm of water in the bottom of a laundry basket and  a giant tennis ball can be.

Patrick and Jeremy February 28
The Oscars were too exciting.

The Patrick fort, March 6
Every boy needs his own fort.

Merlin March 6
All legs and tail.

Skittles, March 28
20x20:  Try 20 new foods. I had never had Skittles. They're pretty good.

Patrick April 3
Same playground as above. Jeremy was driving the other side of the seesaw. :-)

Chloe April 4
Technically that's Patrick's toy. I haven't the heart to tell her.

Back to Home Back to Top Days mean more. Theme ligneous by Bloggerized by Chica Blogger.


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Viewing Single Post From: SOD Best & Worst -- 1986
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Classic Soap Fan

Quite simply, SANTA BARBARA is like no other show on daytime television. Most soap writers incorporate serious drama, intriguing adventure and a touch of humor into their shows. SANTA BARBARA's writers have put all of that in -- with the emphasis on humor. The result is an outrageously campy show. Characters like Mason and Gina are larger than life and ultra witty. In fact, the quips on SB go unmatched. It's as if the writers are trying to see just how far they can go; what they can get away with. Viewers who don't tune in regularly might get a bit confused trying to figure out just who's related to who, but they'll be guaranteed a good time with lots of laughs if they stay tuned.
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Viewing Single Post From: Kidnapping spoiler tweet from Soaptown_USA 12/22
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Dec 26 2009, 11:59 AM
Dec 26 2009, 11:31 AM
Dec 22 2009, 11:58 PM
The Arianna spoiler is separate.

And I said "them" to hide the gender of the 2nd kidnapper.
I know Dayscafe isn't always reliable but on 12/10 they posted....

"Stefano did and does want to have Sydney, but Anna would
not be happy to join forces with him. Loveable but flaky
Anna could not pull off a plan of her own. She is looking after
snatched Sydney for someone who has an agenda. Someone who
wants REVENGE on the party he is setting up. If the twist is a
twisted one, then EJ has set this whole plan in motion, to destroy
Stefano, and HE is the mastermind ...!"

Days Cafe Buzz

So methinks the gender of the 'other kidnapper' is male. :popcorn:

This reads like speculation, just like the speculation here. Lots if "ifs"
So I read the Days Cafe, buzz means it's a rumor, not a spoiler...
Offline Profile Quote Post
Kidnapping spoiler tweet from Soaptown_USA 12/22 · DAYS: News, Spoilers & Discussion


WARC-Truncated: length

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Top news

Mercedes benz w210 workshop manual

Mercedes benlass workshop service repair manual W124, W210, W211, W212 Description mercedes benlass workshop.Please follow the recommendations contained in this manual.The owner complained that when driving it felt like it had lost all the is Owners Edition Workshop Manual covers the Mercedes-Benz E

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Sketchup 8 sandbox tools

Pípadn doplnk stáhnout na Extension Warehouse.Use the, drape, tool to project edges, such as the edges in a road, onto a terrain.Principal, tvorba komponent, kyblík s barvou a guma.Camera, pibliování, posun pohledu, orbit (rotace kamerou).Ve free verzi je dostupn pouze pomrn zbyten nástroj

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Add web reference 3.5

Anyway I added the service reference to my client project and wanted to reuse shared assemblies (which was a pain in the a* in.0 Webservice let me just say I had my set of batch scripts altering the generated proxy code).ServiceStack's, add ServiceStack

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Subway surfers game for laptop windows xp

subway surfers game for laptop windows xp

Close the sticky notes app first.
Windows XP exFAT file system driver update package.0 (KB955704).
This creates a folder for exchange 2010 to 2013 migration plan sticky Notes in App Data Folder in which were going to paste the backup file.
So Here is the address or location where sticky notes is saved in windows 10 : you might be having a backup file from one of the older versions of windows say windows 7, 8,.1.Total Video Converter.71 (Optional).Post Originally Written on Aug 12, 2014 Last Updated on Aug 29, 2017 Related.Backup created in one version of windows can be used in another version too, lets say you created a backup of sticky notes in windows 7 and you upgraded your Pc/Laptop to windows.From ideas/suggestions portal of Microsoft related to Sticky notes backup, restore and integration.

This is the folder where we do backup and restoration of Sticky Notes in windows operating system.
In this post, we will be discussing about the two working methods to download Subway Surfers for e first method method will teach you about an unofficial version of this game which is designed for d the second method covers, How to run idm registration patch full softwares subway surfers.
Gold Xp 2016 Games Alien Wars (Optional).
Restore Backup Sticky Notes Windows 10: I guess everyone is familiar with the sticky notes application in windows operating systems.
Go to this folder in your windows explorer.Just come back to the same location mentioned above, Paste your plum.Get Yourself Equipped with Special Gadgets.Copy the below code and paste it into the address bar of the window and press enter. .Link Download Single Link Turbobit Gold Windows Xp Sp3 2016 Activated Plus Drivers ISO widi audio to midi vst 1.10 plug-in (643 Mb) UsersCloud Gold Windows Xp Sp3 2016 Activated Plus Drivers ISO (643 Mb) TusFiles Gold Windows Xp Sp3 2016 Activated Plus Drivers ISO (643 Mb) OpenLoad Gold Windows Xp Sp3.Youve just backed up your sticky notes in windows.You can even compete with your friends online.


text:
Museum logo

Photo Record

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Call Number/Catalog Number PC GOV .DeptTreas28A
Title Treasury Department Building.
Collection Postcard collection
Creator (Artist/Photographer/Author) Souvenir Post Card Co.
Description Treasury Department Building on the northwest corner of 15th Street and Treasury Place NW. Ca. 1895 (?).

Date 1895
Classification Government building
Street-railroad tracks
Search Terms Department of the Treasury Building--east front
Department of the Treasury Building--south front
Quadrant NW
Street Number 500
Street Name Fifteenth Street
Street Name (Cross Street) Treasury Place
Custom Field 16 1500
Object Name Postcard
Medium Postcard
Print size 3.5" x 5.5"
Orig/copy Copy


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Saturday, 4 March 2017

bx_subsynth subharmonic: bass processing by Plugin Alliance

Press News
Plugin Alliance announces availability of bx_subsynth subharmonic bass processing plugin

“A lot of guys know how to take a record and make it an ‘A’ record, sitting in front of a computer using plugins, but there are a very small group of people who are able to make ‘A+’ records. The hardest part is the last 5% of the mix — that’s when those great records are made, and this plugin is one of those plugins that takes it from a 95 to a 100.”

- Dave Audé, Producer/Remixer/DJ (Mark Ronson, Beyoncé, Sting)
Plugin Alliance, a new ‘Über-standard’ supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best-known international audio companies under one virtual roof, is proud to announce availability of bx_subsynth a unique processing plugin built around the digital heart and soul of the (discontinued) dbx 120XP Subharmonic Synthesizer, using founding Plugin Alliance development partner Brainworx’s M/S (Mid-Side) matrix technology to control the stereo field and add sub, punch, and saturation to sounds.

Inspired by its superior subharmonic synthesis, Brainworx began by making a meticulous model of the legendary dbx 120XP Subharmonic Synthesizer’s Waveform ModelingTM engine, which generates discrete bass frequencies one octave below whatever is fed into it. Indeed, this was the secret weapon of many DJs, audio post professionals, and mix engineers for adding clean and powerful low end to sounds while shaking anything and everything within earshot. But far from simply seeking to emulate what had gone before, Brainworx took to supersizing the feature set of the original processor from which it took that inspiration by implementing a whole host of fanciful features to take things even higher — or, better said, lower! The result? Tighter, clearer, bigger, and resonant sounding bass can be synthesized from even the most meagre of sounds, such is the unprecedented level of power brought by bx_subsynth

So how, exactly, does bx_subsynth do what it does and, more to the point, why does it do it so well? For starters, bx_subsynth generates subharmonics in up to three discrete frequency bands verses the original hardware’s two; the addition of a higher (56-80 Hz) Synthesized Frequency bass band for resynthesis — searching for the dominant frequency in the range of approximately 112-160Hz to synthesize a sub- octave from it — allows anyone to capture and nosedive the fundamental frequencies of a much wider variety of instruments, including snare drum and acoustic guitar. The Tight Punch control — a 6th-order resonant Butterworth high-pass filter at the input that can be used with or without the subharmonics summed in — creates crystal-clear, body-thumping bass by adding a resonant sub-bass peak and filtering out unwanted lows below its cutoff frequency. Powerful Edge processing permits selecting from two modes of operation — Smooth and Harsh — that compress and saturate tracks to deliver super-compact or explosively-trashy drums and throbbing, in-your-face bass guitar. Get this, though... being a Brainworx-branded plugin, bx_subsynth is truly the surgeon’s knife of stereo imaging, of course — choose to process only the mid channel or both left and right channels, collapse the processed bass to super-tight mono, and stretch the stereo image for mile-wide mixing!
 bx_subsynth in action in this tantalising trailer:
But bass EQ cannot do what bx_subsynth does. Discrete frequencies generated by bx_subsynth set aside more space across the bass frequency band for other instruments, so sub-synth bass can be jacked up without muddying mixes. Moreover, EQs cannot boost bass in a thin track that is lacking in bottom end to start with, whereas bx_subsynth does not just boost bass, but also adds new bottom end! Unlike psychoacoustic bass processors that trick the human brain into hearing ‘phantom’ subharmonics that are non-existent and cannot be physically felt, bx_subsynth adds real sub-bass that will shake your body — Boom! shake-shake-shake the room-style!

Seriously, bx_subsynth is a serious tool that can be applied to almost anything... retune drum tracks by dialling in higher subharmonics for rack toms and lower ones for the floor tom to create colossal, pounding drum fills; boost different subharmonics on a kick drum and bass guitar to separate their respective sounds in the mix for increased clarity and punch; add subterranean thunder to sustained left-hand octaves on piano tracks; automatically generate a perfectly synchronised bass line from the bottom strings played on an arpeggiated acoustic guitar track — two knob twists are all it takes to focus the bass line’s image dead-centre and massively widen the guitar’s stereo image by up to 400%!
Remastering engineers can use bx_subsynth to add a fat bottom end to thin vinyl masters and old recordings made on narrow-gauge multitrack tape recorders. Sound designers can pump up weak cinematic effects with terrifying lows. DJs can turbocharge their sound systems’ low end to woofer-shattering extremes. Whatever the application, this is one helluva bone-rattling big bottom end that can be felt as well as heard!
Here it is, then... as an indispensable tool that can totally transform the way that low-end sound is designed and processed, bx_subsynth is the Holy Grail for bass junkies. Just ask Dave Audé!

Legal Disclaimer: dbx and 120XP are registered trademarks of Harman, Inc. bx_subsynth was developed by Brainworx Music and Media GmbH based on its own modelling techniques. Neither Harman, dbx, or any of their affiliates have endorsed or sponsored bx_subsynth in any manner, or licensed any intellectual property for use in this product.

bx_subsynth is available for purchase — as an AAX DSP-, AAX Native-, AU-, VST2-, and VST3-supporting plugin for Mac OS X (10.8 through 10.12), Windows (7 through 10), and Pro Tools 10.3.10 (or higher) — from Plugin Alliance and select VSSD (Virtual Stock Software Distribution) retailers for $149.00 USD. (Note that the proprietary Plugin Alliance Installation Manager means users can select, download, and install only the products and formats needed for their system.)
For more in-depth info, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated bx_subsynth webpage here:
About Plugin Alliance (

Based in Wilmington, DE, USA, with offices in Santa Cruz, CA, USA, Plugin Alliance is more than just a website; it is a new ‘Über- standard’, supporting all major plugin formats and uniting some of the best-known international audio companies under one virtual roof. It empowers world-renowned analogue hardware companies with a digital strategy and provides software developers with services that allow them to develop products with increasing quality and quantity. It does this by providing world-class marketing and distribution, as well as platform features like a state-of-the-art authorisation system.The Alliance is more than just a group of partner companies; it is a rapidly growing community of artists, engineers, producers, and industry luminaries who have joined to share what they have learned.
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Filed Under:Downtown’s Lights

Kevin Morby Shares Video For “Downtown’s Lights” :: US Tour Begins Next Week

Today, Kevin Morby shares the stunning new video for the contemplative City Music standout “Downtown’s Lights.” Directed by Hugo Jouxtel and shot in Paris, the video – like that album – is a paean to the cities of the world, with the City of Lights taking center stage. Kevin offers the following insight into the video for “Downtown’s Lights”:

Paris has always shown a lot of love towards my music, and I am very grateful. On my first European solo tour I was selling maybe 50 tickets a city until I showed up in Paris and heard the show was already at 150 tickets, which at the time really blew my mind and took me by complete surprise. Before the show, a company called La Blogothéque asked me to do a “Take Away Show,” which I agreed to do, though I didn’t really know what it was. The film crew was so kind and took me on a magical adventure around the city filming me playing some songs in a park and in a boat going down the canal. Two years later, I was back in Paris and they asked me to film a show playing to a small crowd inside a house next to Père Lachaise Cemetery and that, too, was very magical. So when it came time to do a video for Downtowns Lights I knew just who to ask. La Blogothéque has a way of capturing the meeting of artists and a city half way, letting them both do the work and play off of each other and the result is always fascinating.

Stream and/or Purchase City Music:

Kevin Morby fans in the US can rejoice in the fact that Kevin begins a large US tour one week from today in Seattle. This comes on the heels of festival performances at Primavera Sound, Field Day, Bonnaroo, Solid Sound, Roskilde, Montreux Jazz Festival, Latitude, Newport Folk, and more, as well as heaps of critical praise for his album City Music (the follow-up to last year’s breakthrough Singing Saw). The City Music Tour comes to your city this summer.

Kevin Morby Tour Dates:
Mon. Aug. 21 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Tue. Aug 22 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
Thu. Aug 24 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
Fri. Aug 25 – Fort Collins, CO @ Downtown Artey
Sat. Aug 26 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Mon. Aug 28 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge
Tue. Aug 29 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Thu. Aug 31 – Spring Green, WI @ Shitty Barn
Fri. Sep 1 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Sat. Sep 2 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
Sun. Sep 3 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Mon. Sep 4 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PBD
Fri. Sep 8 – Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
Thu. Sep 7 – Sun. Sep 10 – Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival
Wed. Sep 13 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Thu. Sep 14 – Kansas City, MO @ Madrid Theater
Fri. Sep 15 – Dallas, TX @ Sundown at Granada
Sat. Sep 16 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
Mon. Sep 18 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Tue. Sep 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Thu. Sep 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Fri. Sep 22 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Atrium
Sun. Sep 23 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Sun. Oct. 29 – Nantes, FR @ Festival Soy
Tue. Oct. 31 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Wed. Nov. 1- Leffinge, BE @ De Zwerver / Autumn Falls
Fri. Nov. 3 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique/ Autumn Falls
Sun. Nov. 5 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
Mon. Nov. 6 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
Tue. Nov. 7 – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser
Wed. Nov. 8 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee
Thu. Nov. 9 – Lund, SE @ Mejeriet
Sun. Nov. 12 – Köln, DE @ Luxor
Tue. 14 Nov. – Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur
Wed. Nov. 15 – Munich, DE @ Ampere
Fri. Nov. 17 – Ravenna, IT @ Bronson
Sat. Nov. 18 – Rome, IT @ Monk
Sun. Nov. 19 – Milan, IT @ Serraglio
Mon. Nov 20 – St. Gallen, CH @ Palace
Tue. Nov. 21 – Strasbourg, FR @ La Laiterie
Wed. Nov. 22 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106
Fri. Nov 24 -Brighton, UK @ The Haunt
Sat. Nov 25 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla

Praise for City Music

“His best album yet.” – Pitchfork

“City Music marks Morby’s most ambitious album yet, as he expands his palette well beyond his previous work.” – Consequence of Sound

“The rumbling din of urban landscapes and the millions of stories that unfold there are, collectively, a kind of ‘city music.’ For singer Kevin Morby, it’s a sound he celebrates and romanticizes on his new album” – NPR Music

“…one of the most prolific musicians in indie rock.” – UPROXX

“Kevin Morby is a tasteful songwriter whose music sometimes feels like the work of someone older than his 29 years.” – SPIN

City Music is a levitating glimpse into the city experience in general, with an expansion of urban ambience that feels physical and interactive through these vintage tunes enhanced with modern amplification.
Under The Radar

What's Chasing You by Marlon Williams

Would You Rather by Phoebe Bridgers

One Rizla by Shame

5 out soon

Con Todo El Mundo
Marlon Williams
Make Way For Love


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Print This Post Exclusive 10% Cash Back Today Only + Win 1 of 3 $50 Walmart GCs

by Tara Kuczykowski on May 11, 2011 · 159 comments

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7 Karlie May 12, 2011 at 1:30 pm

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Wednesday, July 06, 2005

We are making real good progress.

note by grytpype: Dear Leader's birthday thought apparently went through a wormhole or something on its way to publication, since it is dated in the future.

Dated: July 6, 2008

hi... if you are readin this on the internets it is a sign of all the progress we have been making over the last few months... the emergency powers proclamation is doin it's job and we are making more progress now... most of the country has electricity and kolera is down 25%.

now i have been urging congress to ratify the new constitutional amendments.... china says they are givin us another 30 days to come up with the money which is real nice of them... but if we do not seceede oregon to china there is no way we will come up with the money... so congres better get back to washingtn dc that is and get this thing ratified... i am ordering the airport reopened so the congressmn can get back and vote.

and it will be good to give ore. to china so we wont have to change the flag since we added iraq as the 51 state. if we get rid of a state real fast we will still have fifty and everybody likes the flag the way it is. and things are goin real good over there in iraq too, we are beatin the insurgency.

and i have a real good plan to fix the unemployment too and china is helpin me with that. and i will do an emergency proclamation on that real soon, and everyone is gonna need steel toed boots and two pairs of real good work overals, so get down to your walmart and get them, cause you will need em.

anyway today is my birthday so i am doublin the gas ration for all people whose birthday is today. and you will need i d so bring it to the station.

oh and the election is cancelled be cause of the emergincy.

bye for now,

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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

RC - Neon Sign Painting

10x8 inches
acrylic on canvas

Can't believe that tomorrow it will be time to hang the show!

There were so many more paintings I had hope to get done.....I guess they will have to be for the NEXT show  ;-)  I will have 18 pieces to hang, so hopefully it will look alright. I need to remember my camera so I can post some pictures.

Just a reminder if you are local - the opening reception for "A Sense of Place" is Thursday night, September 27th 6 to 8:30 pm at Sage Art Gallery, 136 Washington Street in Haverhill, MA. Hope to see you there!

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Did you spend a night?

(Art courtesy Shriparna Sarkar. A friend, an artist and an ordinary oddball)

At arms distance,
my spirit waves its
hand to you

The clown
licks his fake nose.
It is his Dylan's harmonica.

Why do you hide in a clown,
on each night?
Do you think of old tales
and weep in your gin glass?

Look my spirits
wear new perfumes.
Smell with that red.

My clown is my disguise,
like your spirit.

My balms are for you.
to grow on you.

Why don't I see
the paint on your face?
smeared and wet.

The convalescences I cooked.
The massage I gave.
the music I created.

Did not you spend a dark day?

The blue light
shimmered on your tuna.

Our body ached of,
pain and perfume.
only once.

You wept and laughed,

Did I trouble you,
in one cold December?
I never burnt those firewood.

Their fire crackers,
burnt my cigarette.
Their pitchers,
drowned my hash.

They were voyeurs.

My ringmaster,
am I not strong a drug?
They search for me in dark alleys and brightly lighted chemist houses.
Smother and simmer.

I did tell them to do it.
I laugh and smirk with the pain of your
moonlit shadow.

This night is Guernica.

Lady of few words.

You can hear the night pass by,
with people tuning in
to the radio.
in camps which were restricted.

you closed your eyes,
and fed the orange butterflies.
And the audience of the station,
spent their night with you.

Why did you still return,
to mix your broth into the gin
and drink it like the chalice water?

You were not made by the woodman
or the carpenter.

The night is younger,
the night burns.

The words entangle,
with the pendulum.
They elude me,
like the clouds who eat the moon every night.
Like the fishes which jump and hang,
upside down on the water.

Don't you see me crying?
and yet I spent the night with you.

I'm my own spirit.
My attire is my ghost.
I burst out with my cocktail.
I danced to the fire, you
made with feathers and vodka.
I cooked the turkey.

And, I swept the blood on the couch.

And, still I say.

Sulakshana said...

Amri_Moo said...

It's getting way to monotonous!

Are ye happy now? Jeez.

Debs said...

What be monotonous?

MAHI said...

just one word....
m speechless now!!

Debs said...

Ah! I'm honoured! :)

ranjana gupta said...

Really thank you for share this amazing post.Keep share.
Best Wedding photographer in jaipur


text:
5 Simple Statements About Diy Bathroom Remodel Explained

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Whilst a significant, costly remodel, which include incorporating a next story with two bedrooms and a complete bathtub, may possibly make the home extra attractive, it will never increase considerably towards the resale worth if the house is within the midst of a neighbourhood of small, a single-Tale homes.

Free of charge home renovation software may help to design your new home floor approach. And also a cost-free home remodeling resource such as HandyCanadian.com offers handy content articles with a wealth of tips and ideas for preparing venture achievement.

Businesses may perhaps opt to seek the services of contractors about staff for a range of motives. For legal factors it might be simpler to retain the services of also to launch a contractor compared to some long term employee.

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Faculty and staff

Brian Verwolf, Head of School

Mr. Verwolf’s leadership at Deer Creek is informed by his experience as a teacher, a coach, and a father. His interests include school leadership, professional development of teachers, and encouraging a growth mindset in education so that students and teachers are equipped for a changing world. Consequently, he says, “I am passionate about creating an environment where students gain confidence in their unique strengths as Christ’s ambassadors.”

Erinn Behn
• Athletic Director
• K–8 PE Instructor
• Middle School Language Arts Teacher

Ms. Behn was born and raised in Crete, IL, and is a proud Deer Creek graduate. “Deer Creek allowed me to flourish as a whole person,” she says. “Nothing brings me more joy than to be able to be a part of a community that shaped me into the person I am today.”

Ms. Behn returned to the Deer Creek family after teaching Middle School PE for two years at Tipton Middle School in Indiana.

Kelsey Bevan, Third-Grade Teacher

Mrs. Bevan loves being surrounded by children—probably because she grew up surrounded by five siblings! She brings energy and passion to her work, and she considers herself blessed to be making a difference at a school that expects its students to make a difference in the world.

Mr. Gerald Blackmon, Science/Math/Tech

Mr. Blackmon brings to Deer Creek a variety of teaching experience, Educational Consultant certification, Professional Development training, Administrative experience, and Academic Advisory skills. He has a B.S. with a specialization in Middle School Language Arts and two Masters—in Administration (University of Alabama) and in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (Walden University). His passion for lifelong learning serves as a model for students and fellow teachers alike. Mr. Blackmon has been in church ministry for 24 years, serving as a Youth Pastor, Bible Teacher, Pastor, Minister of Music, and more. He lives in Wheaton, Illinois, with his wife and three children.

Steve Blom
Director of Development

“I love Deer Creek because it is filled with passionate and talented followers of Christ,” says Steve. “Students, teachers, parents, staff, and Board are committed to really working together in our shared mission to help students grow in Academics, Faith, and Character for Kingdom service.” As Deer Creek’s Director of Development, Steve gets to share that mission with people who are interested in supporting it—and he gets to share the results of people’s gifts and prayers. Steve and his wife Sally live in Sauk Village with their three children. They are members of Emmanuel Christian Reformed Church in Sauk Village where Steve has served as an Elder and Junior High teacher.

Kim Brunson, K4 Teacher

Mrs. Brunson is our Pre-K4 lead teacher. She graduated from Prairie State College with a degree in Early Childhood Education and comes to us with experience in teaching 3- and 4-year-olds. She is a former children’s librarian and therefore has a passion for reading as well as caring for children. Mrs. Brunson has also taught Sunday School and is excited to share with students her love for Christ.

Elizabeth Deur
• Fifth-Grade Teacher
• Middle School Language Arts Teacher

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ms. Deur is a huge fan of Michigan sport teams, especially the Red Wings, Tigers, and Lions! As a result, she brings similar fanaticism to the subjects she teaches and the students she interacts with. With the Deer Creek vision statement as a team motto, she cheers her students to academic success and equips them for victory in life.

Carol Dooley, Kindergarten Assistant Teacher

Mrs. Dooley loves young children, and she has a warm, caring interaction with them. Her experience in Early Childhood Education enables her to create a positive learning environment where students flourish. And her no-nonsense approach helps promote higher-level thinking skills in children starting at a very early age.

Kasey Esparza-Saxon
Administrative Assistant

In addition to managing the administrative details that keep Deer Creek running and growing, Mrs. Esparza-Saxon is involved in the Extended Care program at Deer Creek. The Extended Care program is for students who need to arrive at school before classes start, and/or wait at school after classes have ended. Mrs. Esparza-Saxon turns this time into an opportunity to create a safe, nurturing environment where kids can make progress on their homework or simply spend time socializing after the school day.

Ileana Lindahl, Spanish Teacher

Señora Lindahl came to Deer Creek by way of Panama, where she was born and raised. She moved to the United States after marrying Steve (Esteban), who was in the U.S. Army. As a family, they have lived and traveled across the U.S., as well as in Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. Señora Lindahl is passionate about opening the doors to the Latino world for our students by sharing, showing, and practicing its culture and language.

Jalisa Miller, K-8 Art Teacher

In 2013, Ms. Miller graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in Graphic Design. She has used that degree in the paint party business she owns, in audio/visual work for her church, and in various teaching roles. She has a variety of experiences working with K–8 students, and she has a knack for inspiring creativity in others. She says, “To me art is an expression of God’s creation. Everywhere we look, we can see God’s creativity.” Mrs. Miller and her husband Thomas were married in 2017 and live in Wheaton, Illinois.

Linda Miller
• Bible Teacher
• Music Teacher
• Director of Spiritual Life

Mrs. Miller believes she was born to serve God’s people unselfishly with the gifts and talents God blessed her with, hence she inspires others to discover their own gifts and calling. She brings a variety of experience and a long list of credentials to the Deer Creek family. We are excited to be partnering with her to equip students for their roles in the broader community.

Kim-Mosel_320Kim Mosel

Mrs. Mosel has a long history with Deer Creek in a variety of roles, including parent of two alumni and treasurer of the Parent Teacher Fellowship. She joined the staff in 2010.

Nanci Natale, Fourth-Grade Teacher

Mrs. Natale and her husband were both raised in Catholic homes, and as young parents they felt something tugging at their hearts that made them thirst for a deeper relationship with God. Their two children attended Deer Creek at the time, so the entire family became immersed in a Christian environment. They learned to read the Bible, pray, and talk with other Christians about spiritual things. Consequently, their relationship with God grew deeper. Gradually they accepted Jesus as their Savior. That experience gives Mrs. Natale a special appreciation for how intentional Deer Creek is about fulfilling its vision. She believes that teaching is a God-given gift and a calling, and she is excited to be able to use that gift within the Deer Creek family.

Kendra Oprondek, First-Grade Teacher

BA in Psychology, MA in Elementary Education, Jewish upbringing, conversion to Christianity—Mrs. Oprondek’s diversity of background and experience make her classroom a naturally interesting place to be. She taught Elementary Reading for several years in a public school setting before joining the Deer Creek faculty in 2006.

Alecia Rodriguez
K4 Teacher Aide

Renee Rodriguez, K3 Aide and Extended Care Director

Mrs. Rodriguez has taught preschool and second grade in recent years, and she has led an after-school program for kids. She is currently earning her BA in Early Childhood Education and a Certificate in Counseling. Mrs. Rodriguez loves watching children develop their imagination and their love for learning, and she loves to grow alongside them as they deepen their personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Linda Salazar
Financial Officer

Mrs. Salazar first came to Deer Creek as a parent in 1986 and then joined the staff in 1992. Her experience as a parent informs her work in the office, and her unique perspective helps make all our systems more efficient. Born and raised in Chicago Heights, she met her high school sweetheart Desi while attending Bloom High School. Desi and Linda have been married 37 years. “Being part of the team at Deer Creek is a huge blessing in my life,” she says, “and I am very thankful to be a part of His special ministry here.”

LaTrece Thomas, K3 Lead Teacher

Mrs. Thomas has been serving in early child development for over 20 years, most of that time as a licensed childcare provider in her own home in Park Forest. While homeschooling her three children, Mrs. Thomas earned her BA in Early Childhood Administration, minoring in Entrepreneurship. She went on to earn a Masters in Education with a focus in Family and Community Services, and teaching as a profession naturally fell into place.

Mrs. Amber Trethewey, Support Services Coordinator

Mrs. Trethewey’s 10 years of teaching experience and her passion for helping kids meet their God-given potential have equipped her for Support Services at Deer Creek. In this new role, Amber will connect with each student, parent, and staff member this year, helping to develop our budding Support Services program. Mrs. Trethewey and her husband Rick live in Homewood, Illinois.

Tricia VanRegenmorter
Second-Grade Teacher

Ms. VanRegenmorter claims Psalm 118:34 as a favorite Bible verse:

“This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

While living out that verse, she makes her classroom a place of joy, and she teaches her students to multiply that joy as they interact with others.

Robin Von Thaden, Kindergarten Teacher

With an MS in Reading and more than 10 years of classroom experience, Mrs. Von Thaden is well equipped to give her students not only basic reading skills but also a love of words and ideas. Her classroom atmosphere is a testament to her sense of hospitality, and students learn early to welcome differences.

Julie Wroughton, History and Math Teacher

Mrs. Wroughton first came to Deer Creek as our part-time librarian in 1995. In 2005, she added teaching middle school math to her responsibilities. From 2010–2014, she served as our principal. Today, she works part-time as a history teacher and athletic director. She has enjoyed being part of the Deer Creek family for many years as a parent as well, and her two sons are Deer Creek alumni.


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Mitch & Ash [Engagement]

I just LOVE engagement shoots! Its always an opportunity to do something a little different, a little fun, and its always such a bonus to spend more time with my clients! ;-) Ash and Mitch have their wedding coming up in daly 2016, so we recently did their engagement shoot! They are planning to have their wedding near a lake, so we steered clear of water and headed for the trees for their shoot - and how amazing is this location! I just LOVE Pine trees! They brought along little Lilly who is probably the cutest Engagement shoot prop I have ever had to photograph! And she was super excited to be there! ;-) Congrats Mitch and Ash! So so so looking forward to your big day! Much love xx


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Home Tags DRWS

Force Protection’s Timberwolf Pursue Canadian TAPV Program

The Tactical Armored Patrol vehicle (TAPV) program of the Canadian Army is picking steam as the deadline for proposals nears. Force protection announced yesterday its offer submission for the program. The company is offering the ‘Timberwolf’, a 6x6 variant of the battle proven Cougar. A contract award to the final selected bidder for the TAPV requirement is currently expected by the second quarter of 2012.

Force Protection Expands Industry Team Targeting Canada’s TAPV Program

After teaming with CAE as its leading local partner, Force Protection Industries is strengthening the industry team adding Lockheed Martin Canada as the provider of integrated C4ISR systems for the program, and Elbit Systems, to provide the vehicle's main weapon system - an Israeli-designed, Canadian manufactured Dual Remote Weapon Station (DRWS).

XTREAM – 4×4 Armored Protected Vehicle

The Israeli XTREAM, an All-terrain 4x4 armor protected vehicle is designed to up to 4.6 tons of payload or up to seven people under full...


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Saturday, September 22, 2012

Measuring Stress Hormones in Wild Animals; Different Techniques and Their Comparative Advantages and Disadvantages

Measuring circulating levels of stress hormones (cortisol, corticosterone, etc.) in wild animals can provide valuable information for many types of studies. For example, conservation biologists may want to determine if high levels of snowmobile traffic are associated with increased cortisol levels in elk. Behavioral ecologists may want to know if white-faced capuchins (a type of monkey from Central/South America) have lower levels of cortisol if they come from a troop with a high level of social support. And physiological ecologists may be interested in whether Galapagos marine iguanas have a corticosterone rhythm driven by photoperiod or tidal cycle (*see bottom of page for more details).
In order to measure levels of corticosterone or cortisol (CORT), researchers need to obtain blood, feces, urine, saliva, feathers, or hair from their animals. Here’s some information about each method and their advantages and disadvantages:

This is the most common way to measure CORT concentrations. Because hormones circulate through the blood, this method provides researchers with the most functional measure of CORT. Since CORT has a very high concentration in the blood (compared to other hormones), blood samples do not need to be very big (for degus, 30uL of whole blood is usually enough to determine baseline CORT). The downside to using blood samples is that within 3 minutes of encountering a stressor, an animal’s CORT levels start to increase. So, if a researcher wants to determine baseline levels of CORT, they must get a blood sample within 3 minutes of capture.
Another downside of using blood samples is that each sample is only a snapshot of an animal’s stress response. In order to get a more integrated picture of an animal’s stress profile, researchers usually take a series of blood samples over the course of 1-2 hours. That way, they can see the rise from baseline, the peak of the CORT response, and then the gradual decrease caused by negative feedback.
After obtaining a blood sample, the samples must be kept chilled until they can be spun in a centrifuge (you want to spin within 24 hours of collection). Once the samples are spun, the plasma or serum (the clear layer on the top) needs to be drawn off and saved for analysis. The plasma or serum must be frozen at -20˚C and can be stored for several months. These requirements are fairly reasonable, but sometimes field sites are far away from cities. Last year I worked in a national park that was pretty remote, so I had to manually spin my samples with a hand-crank centrifuge and store my samples in a cooler full of ice. Luckily, steroid hormones like CORT are fairly sturdy, so lengthy processing times aren’t a big deal.
Finally, to process the plasma samples, researchers need to run a competitive binding assay called a radioimmunoassay (RIA). Basically, known amounts of radiolabelled CORT and CORT-antibody are added to the sample. The radiolabelled CORT and normal CORT from the sample will compete to bind with the antibody. The unbound radiolabelled CORT is then washed off, and the radioactivity is measured. The more CORT you have in your sample, the more it will bind with the antibody and displace the radiolabelled CORT. Therefore, the higher the CORT in the sample, the lower the radioactivity. RIAs are fairly straightforward but require some special equipment, so they usually have to be run in laboratories that frequently measure hormone concentrations (like my lab!). The enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is another way to measure hormone concentrations and requires less equipment, but is generally more expensive to run than a RIA.
As an additional step, researchers may also want to measure levels of corticosteroid binding globulins (CBG). CORT binds to CBG in the bloodstream, and it’s thought that only unbound CORT is “free” and able to bind to cell glucocorticoid receptors. Therefore, the functional measure of CORT is the “free” CORT, so some researchers also measure CBG levels to determine the relative amounts of unbound CORT. However, it’s still under debate as to whether only unbound CORT can bind to glucocorticoid receptors, and it has also been pointed out that without CBG, CORT would be unable to circulate through the whole bloodstream and reach all the cells in the body.

My blood samples are collected in little, glass microhematocrit tubes. I put them in plastic tubes with clay in the bottom so the bottoms of the microhematocrit tubes are plugged. I then put three plastic tubes in a conical tube which are stored in a cooler full of cold packs.

Loading the centrifuge with my samples.

After spinning the blood sample, it separates into hematocrit (the bottom red stuff) and plasma (the top, clear stuff). The plasma is what has the hormone, and that's what I draw off with a glass Hamilton syringe (shown on the table).

I pipette the plasma into a plastic eppendorf tube which then goes into a -20C freezer.

            CORT can pass from the blood to the saliva, and salivary samples are actually a common way to measure cortisol levels in humans. While captive animals can be trained to lick, chew, or drool on something, obtaining sufficient salivary samples from wild animals in non-invasive manner is most likely impossible. However, it usually takes 20 minutes after a stressor for CORT levels to increase in the salvia, so taking salivary samples could give researchers more time to collect a sample after capture.

Another way to assess CORT levels is to measure the metabolic products of CORT in the feces. However, because this method measures the metabolites of CORT, it doesn’t have quite the same functional value that a blood sample does. There are several steps involved in breakdown of CORT, and CORT metabolite formation can be affected by sex, season, metabolic rate, and diet. Therefore, experimental power is lost when using fecal samples for CORT analysis because animals cannot be compared between different seasons, locations, or sexes.
The main advantage of using fecal samples, however, is that they’re fairly non-invasive. Researchers can follow individuals and collect feces, or in the case of small mammals, check traps after a certain period of time and collect any feces from the bottom of the cage. Using feces to measure CORT levels is also great for repeated sampling, since frequent blood sampling and other more, invasive measures can change an animal’s stress response.
Using fecal samples to determine stress hormone levels makes a lot of sense if you’re working with an animal that’s endangered or difficult to capture (like an arboreal monkey). Another advantage of using feces is that they represent an integrated measure of CORT exposure; if you know how long it takes for an animal to form a fecal pellet, then you can estimate their total CORT exposure over a period of several hours.
Collecting feces is usually pretty easy, but investigators should always try to obtain fresh samples from a known individual. If this isn’t possible because the study animal is hard to find or lives in an aquatic environment, then dog trackers can be used. The Wasser Lab at the University of Washington (my alma mater!) uses canine trackers to find feces from whales, tigers, wolves, and other, elusive endangered animals (
 Storing fecal samples can be tricky; temperature, storage liquid, autoclaving, and storage time can all affect fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations. Sample mass can also affect FGM concentrations, as very small samples have disproportionally higher FGM levels. Getting an adequate sample mass can be difficult when studying small animals like songbirds, mice, etc., so many studies have to combine several fecal samples in their assays.
After homogenizing the fecal samples, FGM concentrations can be measured via RIA or EIA. Another downside of using fecal samples is that the CORT-antibody may not bind with all the different CORT metabolites. Therefore, researchers usually need to do a validation experiment to determine that increased CORT levels in the blood correspond to increased FGM concentrations in the feces. One advantage of using feces, though, is that by measuring levels of metabolites the researcher is essentially measuring “free” CORT, so there’s no need to measure levels of CBG.
Like feces, urine also contains glucocorticoid metabolites (and some unmetabolized CORT). In the field, however, it’s very difficult to collect urine samples in a non-invasive manner, so urine collection for CORT analysis is rarely used outside of the laboratory.

             Believe it or not, you can actually measure CORT in feathers. During molt (feather growth), each individual feather is vascularized, and CORT from the blood can be deposited in the feather. After the feather stops growing, the blood supply is cut of and, supposedly, no further CORT can be deposited in the feather. Therefore, feathers provide a good, integrative measure of CORT during the period of molt.
            Plucking a feather is easy to do and there’s no time limit, unlike blood sampling. Using feathers can also be non-invasive if the researcher obtains naturally molted feathers. And another big advantage of using feathers to determine CORT levels is that feathers from dead birds can also be assayed (like museum specimens!). Also, feathers do not need to frozen or stored in any specific manner.
            The big downside to using feathers for CORT analysis is that we’re still not too sure what form of CORT we’re actually measuring. Different antibodies have been found to have different levels of success during feather CORT analysis, which has made researchers unsure whether they’re measuring CORT, CORT metabolites, or other molecules similar in structure to CORT.
Another downside to using feathers is that, like feces, there’s a sample mass bias where smaller feather samples have disproportionally higher CORT. Getting a large enough sample can be difficult because researchers don’t want to compromise a bird’s flying ability, and there’s also the problem that different feathers are grown at different times, so pooling certain feathers together may not be appropriate. Feather mass requirements can also prevent researchers from examining portions of the feather (sections near the end of the feather are older, and thus represent a different time period than sections near the bottom), but a recent study found that different feather sections didn’t correspond to the CORT concentrations in the blood at the time of their growth, anyway. Feather CORT can be measured via RIA, but the preparation is a real pain (you have to mince the feather into little, tiny bits).
            CORT can also be deposited in hair during follicle growth. One advantage of hair samples is that they can represent CORT exposure over a very long period of time. The downside to hair samples is that it’s hard to collect a large enough sample in a non-invasive manner. And, like feathers, there are still a lot of questions about what the antibody is actually binding to in the assay. Another disadvantage to using hair is that the sample could be contaminated with other, CORT-containing secretions, like saliva or sweat.

            So, I’ve tried to give a basic, if somewhat extensive overview of the different ways to measure CORT in wild animals. After I was almost done writing this blog, I came across a great review paper that includes everything I mentioned and more: Sheriff, M.J. et al. (2011) Measuring stress in wildlife: techniques for quantifying glucocorticoids. Oecologia 166:869–887. Also, here’s an excellent review on fecal CORT: Goyman, W. (2012) On the use of non-invasive hormone research in uncontrolled, natural environments: the problem with sex, diet, metabolic rate and the individual. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 3, 757–765. And finally, my favorite feather CORT paper: Lattin, C.R. et al. (2011) Elevated corticosterone in feathers correlates with corticosterone-induced decreased feather quality: a validation study. Journal of Avian Biology 42, 247-252.

*(Photoperiod vs. tidal rhythms: most animals have daily stress hormone rhythms that are related to foraging opportunities. For humans, the morning is an optimal time to forage, so our cortisol levels often peak right before we wake up, and these increased cortisol concentrations help us go out, run around, and collect some food. For marine iguanas, corticosterone concentrations are influenced by time of day AND tidal cycles. This is because marine iguanas need to eat algae in the inter-tidal zone and the algae are most available during low tide, but because iguanas are ectotherms and need to bask in the sun before and after swimming in the inter-tidal zone, foraging is only possible during the day. However, this relationship still needs be teased apart, since the observed CORT peak during low tides could also be influenced by food intake.)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Most of my degus have given birth! Which means that things are busy in the field and I have been spending lots of time implanting cortisol pellets and collecting baseline blood samples. After I finish implanting my cortisol pellets, I will need to put radiocollars on my female degus so I can determine social group composition. While you can usually tell which degus are in which social group by seeing what burrow they're trapped at everyday, this isn't totally reliable and the best way to determine social group composition is to see who spends the night with each other in the same burrow.

The radiocollars I have been using have good signal strength and long-lasting batteries, but the collar itself irritates the degu's necks and I usually have to remove the radiocollar after a few days. So, in order to protect my degus necks, I have been remodeling some of my radiocollars. My talented friend Cecilia figured out how to do this, here's the step-by-step process:

Original radiocollar- the thin wire digs into the degu's neck, and the edges from the crimp can cut the skin.
To improve the radiocollars, we decided to replace the wires with wide, brass bands. So, for the first step, we cut strips from a sheet of brass.
Next, we marked where we wanted to put the holes. We first used a small hammer and chisel to start the holes and then an electric drill to finish.

We then smoothed the edges of the holes with a sander attachment.
Next, we soldered a small screw to the end of the brass band and then sanded down the soldered area.
We had to remove part of the transmitter to reduce weight and create a better fit. The original transmitter is on the left and the altered transmitter is on the right.
Using superglue and Poxilina (a type of cement-putty), we attached the brass band to the transmitter.

And finally, we put heat-shrink-tubing over the transmitter and lower parts of the band.

This actually took quite a bit of time, but I always enjoy the opportunity to make and alter my research equipment. You never know what sort of new skills you'll learn when you go to graduate school....

Sunday, September 2, 2012

The Matorral

The habitat I work in is called the "matorral." Similar to the chaparral of Southern California, the matorral is characterized by a Mediterranean climate (meaning, wet winters and hot, dry summers). The field site that I work in used to be an experimental agricultural station owned by the Universidad de Chile. Now, the site is used by sheep, cows, a variety of different biological researchers.

View of my field site on a clear day (you can see the Andes in the background).

The exact type of matorral habitat at my field site is called "Bosque Espino," which is Spanish for "spiny forest." It certainly is a spiny forest, mostly because of the prevalence of acacia trees called "espinos." Espinos are actually thought to be relatively new to Chile; legend has it that Inca traders brought the espino seeds into Chile only a few hundred years ago. When the Spanish first arrived in Chile espinos were not very abundant, but by clearing land for farming and introducing cattle (which spread espino seeds during grazing), the advent of agriculture has helped the spread of the espino. Spiky, spiny and stunted, espinos are ugly and a pain to work around. However, I grudgingly appreciate the espinos when spring comes and they blanket the entire landscape with their delicate, yellow-green leaves and golden blossoms.

An espino beginning to leaf out
Up-close picture of an espino, the spines are hard to see, but believe me; they're there.
While the matorral is not exactly a biodiversity hotspot, I've still found my field site to contain an amazing number of animals. At my field site I have seen 34 different species of birds, 7 different species of mammals, and 4 different species of reptiles. The wildlife guide I've been using doesn't have a great plant or insect section, so I haven't been able to keep a good checklist for those organisms.

I've recently been reading Charles Darwin's "Voyage of the Beagle" so I can compare Darwin's perceptions of central Chile's fauna with my own. Unfortunately, Darwin didn't write much about central Chile, probably because he was more smitten with the flora and fauna of Southern Chile, the occurrence of a large earthquake while he was on the coast, and the geology of Northern Chile. However, I did enjoy this quote concerning my favorite bird, the Moustached Turca:

"Of birds... the Turco is not uncommon...with its tail erect, and stilt-like legs, it may be seen every now and then popping from one bush to another with uncommon quickness. It really requires little imagination to believe that the bird is ashamed of itself, and is aware of its most ridiculous figure. On first seeing it, one is tempted to exclaim 'A vilely stuffed specimen has escaped from some museum, and has come to life again!'" (pg. 287)

Darwin's description is pretty true, although I highly doubt that turcas are ashamed of their themselves. Here's a picture of a moustached turca that I caught in one of my degu traps:

I actually catch quite a few birds in my traps, here are a few more pictures:

Common diuca-finch, known as "Diuca"

Chilean mockingbird, known as "Tenca"

Long-tailed meadowlark, known as "Loica"

Rufous-collared sparrow, known as "Chincol"

I hope to use my new videocamera to film some of the different animals at my field site, so check my future posts for some cool video clips!

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Painting for Lesbian Herstory Archives

I just mailed off this double-sided painting on very thin abaca I made in New jersey. This piece is a reenvisioning of a painting I did for The Making last year. I am very honored to be among many of my heroes participating in the first Art Benefit for the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

December 19, 2009
1 PM
@Alexander Gray Associates
526 West 26 Street #1019
New York NY 10001
212 399 2636 Telephone

more info and to buy raffle tickets here.

acrylic on artist made abaca

Rediscovered work in the AS220 Flatfiles

A few early works of mine reappeared after going missing 5 years ago. I decided to celebrate by placing them in the AS220 Flatfile progam.
View them inside the Flat files of the AS220 Project Gallery
93 Mathewson St., Providence, RI, 02903
(401) 490-6164

THE CALL (diptych)
sumi-e ink, toner, oil ink monoprint on paper

Sumi-e ink, water-based monoprint on paper

And to whoever was responsible for getting them back to me, thank you.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Textile Screenprinting Class @ AS220

I am very proud to say that the entire class took up the collaborative repeat challenge. Thank you to Cate, Rou, Jim and Elaine for your hard work and your willingness to work as a team. GO TEAM.

I am teaching another class Intro to Printmaking 4 sessions starting November 1st. More info at the end of this post.

Intro to Printmaking
Sunday November 1st, 8th, 15st and 22nd, 5pm-9pm

This intensive workshop is designed as an introduction to or refresher of the basics of printmaking techniques. Intaglio, Screenprinting, Letterpress, Relief and Photopolymer plate making will be covered. This course will offer samples of all the disciplines supported by the AS220 Printshop and is perfect for those interested in printmaking, but unsure about where to begin. Participants should come prepared to work with images they want to translate a multitude of methods.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Relief Textile Printing for Upcoming Class

I made this simple repeat on two kinds of blue cloth as a sample for a textile printing class I am teaching at the AS220 printshop starting next Wednesday.

I think most people will be interested in Screenprinting, but I thought I would explore block printing on cloth. The matrix is a small piece of linoleum. It is printed in oil based ink. We will see how it washes.

There is one spot left if you'd like to sign up Click this LINK.

Yardage in its final state

Its Big.
Its Bold.


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Saturday, September 23, 2006
Grey's Anatomy Quote of the Week

Because it was an awesome, awesome show, I used to do Weekly Arrested Development Highlights. Alas, the American people are idiots and never support the right people...I mean, shows....

But I think Grey's will be around for a while. So I'm making the big switch. I guarantee the quotes won't be as witty as AD but they'll be good just the same.

Without further ado....the GAQW

Meredith: What, so all of a sudden I'm the president of people with crappy lives?

Blogger Kourtney said...

YEAH!!! New quotation tomorrow night :)

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