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This page lists releases, most recent first. New developments are discussed on Github. See how we work for more background.

Release Overview Description

Version 3.1 (working name 'sdo-makemake'). See planning pages, specifically #1212 for details.

This release is primarily concerned with hotel/accomodation vocabulary, improvements around dataset, and bug fixes.

Site improvements

Quick fixes and Examples

The following Early Access fixes have already been published since 3.0:

  • Issue #1159: Fixed problems with W3C validator, caching, and misclassification of manufacturer property which in in core rather than health-lifesci extension.
  • Issue #1165: Improved wording for term pages that are not in core, to avoid publishers worrying that they need to change their markup.
  • Issue #1136: Fixed term labels to always be alphanumeric (no 'bib:' prefixes etc.)
  • Issue #1168: Fixed unit tests to run against extension schema data as well as core.
  • Issue #1169: Fixes for property/type associations in health-lifesci and pending drafts, identified by improved unit tests.
  • Issue #1174: Fix for missing definition for 'ingredients'.

Version 3.0 (working name 'sdo-deimos'). See planning pages, specifically #911 for details.

This release introduces three new extensions.

  • The extension contains terms primarily designed to support the implementation of the vocabulary itself.
  • The extension is a staging area for work-in-progress terms which have yet to be accepted into the core vocabulary. Pending terms are subject to change and should be used with caution.
  • The extension is a new home for our existing Medical and healthcare related terms, as well as potential future collaborative work.

The initial releases of and have also been finalized.

In addition to numerous vocabulary-related improvements, we have added a new "How we work" document providing an overview of the project's approach to schema development, collaboration, versioning and change review. In particular it documents the use of the new pending extension, which gives earlier access to proposed new schema designs, as well the parallel site which shows the latest work-in-progress version of the entire site.

Core changes

  • Issue #492: Moved a large number of medical/health terms from core into a health-lifesci extension.

The pending extension is a staging area for work-in-progress terms which have yet to be accepted into the core vocabulary.

Site improvements

  • Issue #1059: Created hosted extensions for 'meta' vocabulary and for 'pending' vocabulary under review. Moved Class, Property, domainIncludes, rangeIncludes, inverseOf, supersededBy into meta.
  • Issue #256: Implementation of HTTP HEAD for all pages.
  • Issue #1095: ETag and Last-Modified headers only for successful page requests.
  • Issue #1098: Added categorization of terms listed on extension home page.
  • Issue #990: JSON-LD context file should enumerate all terms. This will make it easier to combine the use of with other vocabularies and extensions.
  • Issue #1075: Added markdown format processing of comment fields. This makes the schema editing process easier, especially for cross-referencing related terms.
  • Issue 178: Integrated rdflib python library. This improves our ability to parse RDFa and JSON-LD schema definitions, and makes unit tests easier to run.
  • #Issue 1109: We now display when a type is superseded.

Quick fixes and Examples

Version 2.2 (working name 'sdo-phobos'). This release combines a range of small additions across several areas of with an ongoing concern for cleanup and integration of existing vocabulary. Notable additions include ExhibitionEvent, Barcode, DataFeed, containsPlace, GeoCircle, geoRadius, geoMidpoint, providerMobility and actionPlatform. A number of changes improve our handling of Service description, including the deprecation of the ProfessionalService construct. We have kept all the specific types that were previously considered ProfessionalService but discourage the use of the type 'ProfessionalService' since it is easily confused with 'Service'.

Site improvements

Quick fixes and Examples

See also issue list for this release.
Version 2.1 (working name 'sdo-ganymede') includes many small fixes, some new vocabulary, as well as the first release of the 'hosted extensions' mechanism, featuring bib(liographic) and auto(mobile) extensions for final review. A pre-release of this version of was available at for review.

Site improvements

Quick fixes and Examples

See also issue list for this release.
Version 2.0 consolidates and integrates's existing vocabulary. This version features many updated definitions, type/property associations and term names that improve consistency and usability. It also introduces a new extension system. Version 2.0 adds various new terms including mainEntityOfPage and major contributions from the Automotive Ontology community.

Site improvements

  • Issue #429: Implementation of new extension system.
  • Issue #6: Improved 404 handler for missing pages, with support for old-style "/Person/Minister" extension URLs and Action-related "/query-input" pseudo-properties.
  • Issue #318: Added an experimental JSON(-LD) view of the hierarchy. This combines D3 with RDF schema. Thanks to Gregg Kellogg and Sandro Hawke for collaboration.
  • Various behind-the-scenes improvement to the site software.

Quick fixes and Examples

See also issue list for this release.
Lots of bugfixes and small improvements, plus new terms to describe visual artworks and invoices.

Site improvements

Quick fixes and Examples

See also issue list for this release.
ItemList and BreadcrumbList changes; Sports-related improvements; Added a Music vocabulary; Video games. Also weight/height on Person; Control and RSVP actions; Role names; Dated monetary values.

Site improvements

Quick fixes and Examples

See also issue list for this release.

Offer/price documentation fixes, cleanup and community contributions.
  • Updated text of the price property to include practical usage guidance, alongside links to information from GS1 to the gtin-related Offer properties.
  • Updated all our examples to follow that guidance; primarily by using priceCurrency and the content= attribute.
  • Noted our thanks to the OpenDomain project for our domain name.
  • Updated the text of the 'image' property to match its expected types. Thanks, Dan Scott.
  • Changed spelling of 'supercededBy' to the more conventional supersededBy. Thanks, Sachini Aparna Herath.
  • Noted that 'logo' and 'photo' are sub-properties of 'image'. Thanks, Sachini Aparna Herath, again.
  • Fixed two syntax errors in examples (Store opening hours RDFa; Book, PublicationVolume Microdata). Thanks, Gregg Kellogg.
  • Added Tolkien-based examples for exampleOfWork/workExample. Thanks, Dan Scott, again.
  • Fixed a bug with our UTF-8 support. Thanks, Richard Wallis.
Bibliographic improvements (Periodical and more) alongside seller/broker/provider clarifications.

Several bibliographic improvements, thanks to the work of the W3C BibExtend Community Group. Improved handling of Periodicals, Articles and Multi-volume Works, introducing types and supporting properties for Periodical, PublicationVolume and PublicationIssue. Adds new Article properties: pageStart, pageEnd and pagination. CreativeWork gains a convenience inverse of isPartOf called hasPart, as well as a new pair of inverses, workExample and exampleOfWork that link specific and general perspectives on creative works. Many thanks to all the BibExtend group members, to Richard Wallis for chairing, and to Dan Scott for implementing.

Provider/Seller vocabulary: this update also clarifies how to use a set of related terms, integrating sections of that had developed separately. Full details are documented at W3C and in Github, alongside an overview document. The provider property describes a service provider, service operator, or service performer, while seller describe the entities which sell or offer a service on behalf of an actual service provider. We introduce a more general broker property (replacing the over-specific bookingAgent), as well as deprecating vendor and merchant in favour of seller. Regarding flights and parcel delivery, carrier is superseded by provider. Please also note that flightNumber should now be written in full (i.e. "UA110" rather than just "110"). See the supporting documents for details.

Finally, episodeNumber, seasonNumber and clipNumber (for TV/Radio) have been harmonized with the periodicals design (issueNumber and volumeNumber). In each case, both Integer and Text values are anticipated. A common superproperty, position can also be used. This reflects implementation experience and establishes a model that can be applied elsewhere, e.g. ongoing work on describing music.

This update also improves the display and navigation of supersededBy relations between properties (e.g. see seller).

The Terms of service document was also updated to note that Yandex is now a Sponsor and to adopt the patent terms used by W3C.

Added WebSite type; broadened isPartOf property. Added a new CreativeWork type, WebSite: "A WebSite is a set of related web pages and other items typically served from a single web domain and accessible via URLs." Also adopts the suggestion made by the BibExtend group and other collaborators, to broaden the isPartOf property, which now relates any CreativeWork to any other CreativeWork. This release also makes the Potential Actions documentation available in HTML. Several markup fixes from Stéphane Corlosquet, alongside improvements to the consistency of encoding / associatedMedia property definitions thanks to Dan Scott. (announcement)
Allows image with ImageObject; adds Event organizers, Map improvements. This release amends the image property, noting that ImageObject is a reasonable value. It also adds an organizer property to Event. Changes around Map: we add and prefer a 'hasMap' property which supersedes the older 'map' property, and we add a mapType property which comes with some enumerated values: ParkingMap, SeatingMap, TransitMap, VenueMap. A Map might be (but needn't be) also an ImageObject. (announcement)
Roles, various fixes, site navigation improvements. This release introduced the notion of a Role type to See the blog post for details. The Role mechanism applies across all of, and allows simple statements to be elaborated or qualified, for example with temporal information. Other changes in this release include the addition of a license property, and some documentation of properties used internally by's documentation system (Property, Class, supersededBy, inverseOf). Fixed an embarrassing typo - "dead" - in the diet property - thanks, Dan Scott. Various other small changes - listed in the preview announcement. (announcement and candidate release)
Tweaks and fixes. Tweaks to definition of 'keywords' to indicate that comma-separated entries are expected. Several typo fixes from Stéphane Corlosquet. Adds a new icaoCode text-valued property for Airport. Updated description for flightNumber to note "not including the airline IATA code". Added missing Actions-related definitions (urlTemplate, valueName). (announcement)
Examples, examples, examples. Added two examples to accompany workPerformed. Added several local business, company contact and music event examples. Several glitch and typo fixes including MedicalEnumeration, thanks to Dan Scott. announcement blog post
Added workPerformed. Added workPerformed, a relationship between an Event and a CreativeWork that is performed at the event.
Potential Actions. Introduces vocabulary that enables websites to describe the actions they enable and how these actions can be invoked. (announcement and blog post)
Reservations, Q/A and more.

Added a Reservation schema. Question/Answer sites. Order changes. Added EmailMessage.

1.) This release of adds a finalized Reservations schema, which refines earlier proposals discussed in the Web Schemas community over the last year. See wiki for details.

The Reservations vocabulary includes: Reservation, ReservationPackage, ReservationStatusType, Ticket, Flight, EventReservation, FlightReservation, TrainReservation, BusReservation, TaxiReservation, LodgingReservation, RentalCarReservation, ProgramMembership, Seat, Vehicle, Airline, FoodEstablishmentReservation, TrainTrip, Car, BusTrip, Taxi.

2.) Q/A sites

A simple vocabulary for Question/Answer and FAQ sites. It adds types for Question, Answer, and QAPage.

3.) Adds a type EmailMessage, analogous to the existing WebPage type.

(candidate release drafted as '1.0g'; not formally announced but included in the change to github-based publishing)
Not-for-profit Offer and other fixes. This version adapts the wording around the Offer type to suit non-profit scenarios, such as libraries. Thanks to Dan Scott and the BibExtend group for these proposals. This change broadens the definition of Offer and makes associated changes to ItemAvailability and OfferItemCondition, typically rewording "the item for sale" to simply say "the item". The itemOffered property is now defined more appropriately as "The item being offered." rather than "...sold.". The "seller" property is now defined as "The organization or person making the offer.", a compromise to support its use for more kinds of offer. (candidate release and announcement)
Accessibility properties and Order type. This release includes a schema for describing Orders, as well as the Accessibility properties for CreativeWork (see discussion). The W3C WebSchemas wiki has the Order proposal and draft schema. For Accessibility, see the blog post for more background on the collaborations involved. See also wiki materials and the draft schema. (announcement)
TV/Radio; Civic Services; ContactPoint Event and Organization improvements.

TV/Radio improvements in collaboration with BBC and EBU - see guest blog post by Yves Raimond. For example see TVEpisode.

For Background see the TV/Radio wiki entry.

Civic Services (which includes ContactPoint) was blogged when first discussed. See also wiki entry. Example type: GovernmentService.

Event improvements: wiki entry. Organization improvements: wiki entry. In particular, this update added department, and subOrganization properties.

(blog announcement).
Actions (in the past). Introduced a (past-tense) Actions vocabulary (see wiki) This updated added an Action type, supporting properties, and a substantial set of subtypes. It was followed in 2014 by a mechanism for describing potential actions. (announcement)
Added sameAs; broadened citation.

Adds sameAs property to Thing that makes it easier to indicate identifying URLs for entities being described (wiki). The citation property has been moved up to CreativeWork, from MedicalScholarlyArticle (wiki). Thanks to the BibExtend group for suggesting this small but useful improvement.

Adds LRMI, Datasets, Audience, Technical Publishing vocabulary and more.

For LRMI (Learning Resource Metadata Initiative), a collaboration co-led by Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) and Creative Commons: Added several properties, mainly to CreativeWork. Added AlignmentObject type, for aligning content to educational coding schemes. (see wiki).

Added Dataset type (collaboration building upon work at W3C and elsewhere). See also blog, wiki.

Added Audience and related types, useful for LRMI and other applications (wiki.

Added Technical Publishing vocabulary: TechArticle, APIReference, Code. See also early blog post and Wiki entries for TechArticleSchema, APIReferenceSchema and CodeSchema.

Added Good Relations e-commerce vocabulary. Added substantial e-commerce vocabulary based on Good Relations; re-engineered site to accept RDFa/RDFS schema definitions from community.(wiki) (announcement blog post and email from Martin Hepp)
Fix for requiresSubscription property. A minor bugfix release, which improved the documentation of requiresSubscription property. We now encourage its Boolean value to be represented as true/false rather than yes/no.
Added DateTime, Time datatypes. Added two datatypes in preparation for Good Relations integration. (announcement)
Added additionalType property. Added additionalType property (wiki). "An additional type for the item, typically used for adding more specific types from external vocabularies in microdata syntax. This is a relationship between something and a class that the thing is in. In RDFa syntax, it is better to use the native RDFa syntax - the 'typeof' attribute - for multiple types. tools may have only weaker understanding of extra types, in particular those defined externally." (announcement)
Added Medical/Health vocabulary.

This release added substantial vocabulary in the medical/health domain (around 100 classes, 200 properties). The additions are mainly organized beneath the MedicalEntity type. An overview document is also provided. From the blog post:

"This collaborative project drew upon search expertise from the partners but also gained immeasurably through feedback from expert reviewers including the US NCBI; physicians at Harvard, Duke and other institutions, as well as from several health Web sites. Contributions from the W3C Healthcare and Lifesciences group and Web Schemas community also helped bridge the complex worlds of Web standards, search and medicine/healthcare."

Removed plural 's' suffix from repeatable properties; added Comment type, SoftwareApplication vocabulary.

Added new properties per Singularity proposal: 23 changes: actor, album, attendee, award, blogPost, colleague, contactPoint, employee, encoding, episode, event, founder, map, member, parent, performer, photo, review, season, sibling, significantLink, subEvent, track. Each of these originally had a plural 's' to indicate repeatability. After discussion in the W3C WebSchemas group, the consensus was that this was confusing and worthwhile changing.

This revision added a new type, 'Comment', whose super-type is CreativeWork (wiki)

Also adds SoftwareApplication and supporting vocabulary (wiki, original proposal), including MobileApplication, WebApplication subtypes.

Converged URL/Url spelling. After WebSchemas discussion, consensus was: For each of embedURL, contentURL, downloadURL, ensure there is an equivalent property named with mixed-case: 'embedUrl', 'contentUrl', 'downloadUrl'.

Note: this table is not currently complete - it misses 0.92-0.94 and any changes between 2011-06-02 and 2012-04-21(0.91). See also Linked Open Vocabularies entry.


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Friday, July 22, 2016

Numenorean - Home

By Justin C. I'm going to start this review off a little strangely, so bear with me. The music on Numenorean's album Home is very good. I urge you to stick around and hear me out on why I think so. That said, the band may have shot themselves in the collective foot here
By Justin C.

I'm going to start this review off a little strangely, so bear with me. The music on Numenorean's album Home is very good. I urge you to stick around and hear me out on why I think so. That said, the band may have shot themselves in the collective foot here, because the album cover of Numenorean's Home is an abomination. (What you see above is the outer sleeve Season of Mist is covering the CD with.) You can skip the next two paragraphs of this review if you've made up your mind about this album art already, or if you just don't care.

I'm not going to get into the usual lengthy discussion of whether metal is supposed to be offensive or shocking. Metal can be whatever it wants to be. And we've certainly seen all manner of gross-out WTF-ery that most fans don't bat an eye at. But here's the difference with Home: The album cover is a real crime scene photo of the real, murdered body of a two-year-old girl. The victim is Kristen MacDonald, who, along with her pregnant mother and sister, were brutally murdered in 1970. Her father Jeffrey was convicted of these murders.

Now, you can head on over to Decibel magazine's interview to get the band's full explanation of the album's theme and why they picked this image. They describe the album as broadly covering childhood innocence lost, as we go through life seeking and failing to find true happiness, only reclaiming our innocence in death. This is fine fodder for black metal, but in that context, I'd argue the photo doesn't even make sense--this murdered girl experienced just a tiny piece of that lifelong arc. The stated concept is rife for thought-provoking images, but I think the band's chosen art direction fails to act as anything more than cheap shock value. I don't buy the "art shouldn't be easily digestible" line they give in that interview as a pre-emptive defense, because this art doesn't challenge our thoughts or worldview, unless your worldview is missing the idea that two-year-olds being stabbed dozens of times is anything other than tragic. But after all my verbiage, I'll let one of Decibel's commenters, T, sum it up much more concisely: "Great tracks, great band, fuck your album cover."

All that aside, the music itself? Compelling. The band falls into the general area of post-black metal, and you'll see a lot of reviews use Deafheaven and Alcest as touch points. Deafheaven is a fair reference, although I'd argue Alcest is not. There are bands out there that try to ape Alcest's ineffable, dream-like quality, but I don't think Numenorean is one of them. I hear more of a melodic DSBM vibe here, like Woods of Desolation. The sound of the vocals being just on the edge of breaking reinforces that feeling. Numenorean makes big, anthemic, yearning black metal, and of all the bands that are working with this, I think they're one of the best. They draw on the pure intensity that Deafheaven uses, but (and it pains me to say this as a Deafheaven fanboy) they excel at album writing, allowing tension and release without the use of annoying filler tracks that Deafheaven has come to favor.

"Home" opens up the album with a downright sunny-sounding riff and a push and pull throughout its length, dancing between quiet and loud. It's a tactic that can fail spectacularly if you're not careful, making for a grinding and repetitive listen, but they use it skillfully throughout not just this song, but the length of the album, and it gives the music a sense of compelling motion. The album almost rushes by, in spite of some over-ten-minute-long songs. Numenorean also manage to blend black metal and pop/alternative rock almost seamlessly. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing--how do you mix that sensibility with blast beats and tortured screams roiling over top? It's no mean feat, and Numenorean's take on it is one of the best I've heard.

As you'd expect, the album takes a darker turn as it progresses, matching the band's stated theme. "Thirst" has a darker, more "classic" black metal feel to it, and after a brief respite in "Shoreless," "Devour" rolls in with an even darker feel, mixing in some low growls and shouts in the vocal lines. "Laid Down" is appropriately both ferocious and elegaic, marking the end of the album and, metaphorically, life, quietly drifting away.

So I'm ultimately torn. I still buy physical releases when I really like the music or the packaging is particularly artful, and in this case, I have the former without the latter, and I won't be adding the actual CD to my collection. I’d never suggest banning something like this, but I don’t want the physical artifact in my life, either. I'll just pay for the bits and move the cover straight to the digital trash can. I can see this album sticking somewhere in my regular rotation because I love how the music transports me, but the cover photo is going to haunt me, but not in the way good art should. It's a brilliant album, and here's to hoping Numenorean can follow it up with something equally compelling, but without staining it with an abhorrent visual.

Tagged with 2016, Justin C, Numenorean, post-black metal, Season of Mist
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Bad Eggs

Michael Geary | Fri, 2004-09-10 09:12

Do you have static objects that dynamically allocate memory at startup and carefully free it when your app exits? I’ve used them in a few projects—more than I’d want to admit.

If you’re throwing out a carton of bad eggs, you could take the eggs out of the carton and put them in the trash one by one, followed by the empty carton. But it’s quicker and easier to just toss the whole thing in the trash.

Static objects are bad eggs.

I suppose the C++ runtime has to toss them all in the trash—call their destructors—because it doesn’t know if those destructors really need to be run. But if they’re just going to free memory there ought to be some way to skip all that.


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« Javier A. Alvarez, Manuel M. Rodriguez promoted at Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri LLP | Main | Robin Supler appointed to VP for compliance, chief integrity officer, at NSU »

Theresa 'Terri' Rice named managing director at JeffreyGroup Miami

Theresa “Teri” Rice has been appointed managing director at JeffreyGroup Miami, where she’ll lead the agency’s Latin American pan-regional team. Previously she was at IGC, where she had been managing director; before that, she was at Burson-Marsteller Latin America. Rice graduated with a degree in Latin American and Iberian studies from New York’s Columbia University and has a master’s degree in international economics and Latin American studies from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

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The comments to this entry are closed.


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Project Theatre Company Looking for Intern for Movie “Concrete”

Project Theatre Company Needs Promotional Intern

Project Theatre Company

We are curently filming “Concrete” and need interns! No experience necessary just need someone who is reliable and great with online promotion! Needs individuals who will update all social networks for the company. This position does not require you to be on location. You can work from home.

Life! Where every move you make can potentially be your last. James, (Thomas L. Harris) has a lust for fast cars, fast money and even faster women. Dino (Henrí Franklin) is a savvy ambitious youngster who is torn between the game and being a legitimate business man. Being friends since childhood, they have found stability in hustling. A path filled with bigger scores, faster money and higher stakes. All seems to be right with the world until they are met with opposition from narcs, local drug-lords and a growing separation in vision. The two find themselves at a delicate stalemate. Project Theatre Company, in conjuction with TandB Films, presents to you a story built with promise, but destroyed by truth. As strong as it is, even CONCRETE cracks after so much pressure.

Great opportunity for anyone looking for experience.

How to Apply:

If you are interested in applying as a promotional intern for this movie please email your resume to Don Snipes at:

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

2 Responses to “Project Theatre Company Looking for Intern for Movie “Concrete””

  1. James M. Akers says:

    I have been in construction ,Propmaker. I am in great shape ,attractive and very versitile. I would love the opportunity to act or do anything in T.V or feature films. There is nothing iwould not do to expand my knowledge or learning of fim in any aspect.

  2. James M. Akers says:

    Lookig forward to hearing frm you!

Leave a Reply


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If you have ideas, tips, links or pictures for the blog, e-mail us at: MichiganZone at gmail dot com.

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Thursday, March 30, 2006

Tonight the Wolverine basketball team will be going for their second NIT title in the past three years (and third in the last ten years…wait, that season doesn't exist anmyore). Though it's better to win this tournament than to be knocked out early, it's still not as good as making the NCAA tournament, which Michigan hasn't done since 1998.

We at the M Zone believe this kind of ineptitude is deserving of a nickname.

Yes, we know our rivals have branded us with nicknames in the past. Tosu fans seem to love referring to us as "scUM" (the clever cousin of "Fuck Michigan") while Pennylvania State University folks are big advocates of calling U-M "Meatchicken" (uh...what?). And we're not above making fun of ourselves, especially when our once-proud hoops team is mired in mediocrity of late. Thus, we're giving ourselves a derisive nickname. When referring to Michigan basketball, if you want to mock, if you want to make fun, call us "NITchigan." It's good, it's fair and it sums up our program these days...unfortunately.

And you have a good nickname for your own team, let's hear it..

Anonymous said...

We're #65! We're #65!

tc said...

Anon - It would actually be:

We're #66! We're #66! since the loser of the play-in game is the not-so-proud owner of the #65 spot.

The King said...

The NIT can suck my balls. This was a great step forwward two years ago, now it's a sign of inexcusable stagnation.

Wangs said...

Maybe even worse.

What does it say about our junior/senior heavy team compared to, um, Mr. George Mason's team?

Next year we won't be this "good." Not sure what Billy "Boat" and Tommy's excuse will be then? All our good guys graduated, after they were injured, for four years.

Dezzi13 said...

I'm glad I'm not going to be able to watch the game tonight... it's piss poor that a team that was VERY close two years ago, went into the NIT and won... then flopped the next year (injuries aside)... and now this year. Winning everything we're supposed to win........ then losing 7 of 9 to end the season and give away our card to the dance!

Only when we pay for 5 more superstar freshmen to come will I get excited about Michigan hoops

wds4usc said...

Think about the South Carolina coach--going for two NITs in a row and THREE for him (a couple of years ago at Wake Forest). One is OK but too many more is consistent mediocrity. But I must say that if you are there you might as well win it. It's not the Big Dance but five wins over pretty good teams ain't bad.

MaizeAndBlueInValpo said...

My naeighbor who went to MSU with my husband lovingly refers to the Wolverines as Mediocregan because that is all he thinks they will ever be. Was I disappointed about last nights game and the season as a whole, yes. But i'm maize and blue through and through. If they never won another game I will would still love and support them. Hell, i've been a Chicago Bears season ticket holder for years. I have become used to disappointment. I know eventually things will turn around. Hopefully sooner rather than later.


text:
If you have ideas, tips, links or pictures for the blog, e-mail us at: MichiganZone at gmail dot com.

Thanks for checking out the M Zone. And if you enjoy the site, please pass the link on to a friend or two. We'd sure appreciate it.

Twitter: @MZoneBlog

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Wednesday, May 24, 2006

BCS Update, Part II

It has come to our attention that our other contestant in the latest MZone BCS clash, Brigid, is also in Playboy's "Girls of the Top Ten Party Schools" issue along with Jordanna. Brigid was in the Wisconsin "group photo" shown below and was identified as "Brigid Kelly" in the magazine.

Thanks to one of our readers for pointing this out. Our bad. For some reason, apparently our eyes didn't immediately go to any of the clothed women in the picture. Go figure.

P.S. Why the name "Brigid Kelly" in the mag? Any Wisco readers/students know?

Anonymous said...

Let’s be honest guys, this photo is totally fake!!! Playboy totally took some girls from California and gave them Wisco stuff. I would believe it if girls were 50 LBS heavier and posing for “overweight hotties”…not that I’ve seen is…

And as for Bridget Kelly…fictional…just like Joe Pa actually coaching a game

MichiganGOBLUE said...

They probably put a fake name in there so psyco geeks wouldn't look her up in the school directory and stalk her.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, actually I know most of the girls in that picture and it's totally not fake. That is definitely Brigid and the burnette to her right is her roommate I think...what an apartment. Not sure why they didn't use her last name though.

Anonymous said...

This is another photoshopped attempt by those Michigan infidels to discredit the great Ohio State University!

Clearly this is an indirect attack on our new football uniforms and is totally unrelated to hot Big 10 chicks in a nudie mag!!!

Ben said...

anon at 1:17pm,

Yeah, uh, I know her too... we're dating... but, she, umm... lives in Canada.

Anonymous said...

Anon...you know you get the monthly edition of "G-string Fatties" to wack off with. Just step up, be a man, and admit it.

and dont be envious of JoePa (its either Joe Paterno, or JoePa, you moron)or Penn State - who does it the right way for 40 years. No probation..no $500 handshakes that are forgotten when 'ya need a win'. At least PSU hasnt had 'banners' stripped from the rafters...we would rather compete honestly...then be a known cheater.

Say what you will but how many wins in 1-A does your coach have (not 'counted' wins, real ones vs 1-A teams).
Let him get to 350, then open your mouth.

otherwise keeps drooling over women you will never get.

Anonymous said...

Piss U fan-
Alright, I'll admit it...I love the hot fatties!

Should I have said that this pic is as likely as Piss U beating Michigan. Keep trying though...every once in awhile a blind squirrel finds a nut.

Anonymous said...

Here's the answers fellas,
The name is posted under Brigid Kelly because Kelly is her middle name. She probably just wanted to maintain some anonymity. The girl next to her also goes to madison and is named Colleen. I see her around a lot
Yes, the photo is real. It was taken with the girls and people from the Delta Upsilon fraternity.
And finally, whoever the idiot is that wrote the first post, no, you don't have to be from California to be a good looking girl...


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Monday, April 23, 2007

I wonder if Houston Nutt took second...

A 13 year-old school girl won the U.S. Text Messaging Championship in New York over the weekend. The youngster beat out 250 competitors and trained by sending on average 8,000 text messages a month to her friends -- an astonishing rate of one every five and a half minutes.

At a hastily called news conference, Arkansas head football coach Houston "The Text Message King" Nutt denied any of the 8,000 messages were to him but said, with just a bit more practice, he could have a shot at the title next year.

"Eight-thousand may sound like a lot...if you're an 8th grader without a full-time job," said an unimpressed Nutt. "But let's see if she can put up those sorts of numbers while leading a major college football team to a bowl game. You level the playing field like that, and I bet I'd kick the kid's ass."

Out of Conference said...

Before I comment on the tidings in Fayetnam that are, as Beast stated, "Crazier than a sack of weasels", how messed up is it that there is a competition for text messaging for kids? That's even worse than a freaking competion for stacking up cups and unstacking them, like I see spreading across the country like wildfire. Get your kid outside- play catch, pitch a ball to your kid to hit, play kickball, go ice skating (if it's winter), go fishing, go to the park, go for a hike, get him a BB gun and shoot cans, get him in motion somehow.

NOw re: the Nutt situation - that's just screwed up. Bama fans are thankful that the whole Nutt soap opera has take nthe magnifying glass off them for a while.

Pig Slop said...

As an Arkansas graduate from the glorious 60's, this is funny. We're having our ups and downs but these just happened to be more publicized more than most. There will be more Universities who will have their day in the sun and press. We've hired a great basketball coach in John Phelphrey and football is back on track. Speaking of track......how many schools, other than Arkansas, say they have over 45 national championships in one sport? Coach Broyles is taking a lot of heat but he's not the problem. Look at our facilities and they look like the 22nd century compared to most programs. That thanks is to Coach Broyles. Oh yeah, Alabama is glad Arkansas took the heat off their program for a while. 92K at a spring game? Man, I'll bet Alabama had to close down all the five and dimes, turkey hunting season and liquor stores.

Out of Conference said...

You're right, Pig Slop - when Wal-Mart found out that 92k Bama fans would be in one spot, they requested an emergency building permit to build a Super Wal-Mart in the parking lot.

Maybe our women will give yours a run for their money in track this year (SoCar) like we did a couple years ago and won it all. We just picked up the women's national championship in equestrian last weekend. It really, really f'ing sucks when we're calling out those sports as our only national title accolades.
By the way - Baum Stadium is one freaking impressive baseball stadium you have and shames most AAA parks. I understand removations are in the works. Our new stadium should compete against Baum now, but new Baum? Doubtful.

Andy said...

My son sent over 1000 text messages last month. I can't imagine 8000 in one month.

TitleIX said...

uh, Andy...
two questions:
1) does the boy still have his phone????
2) was that more or less than your number???? ;-)


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Some Book 8 Details

Friday, April 24, 2009

Massively has gotten the scoop on some Book 8 details, and even future updates to the game. Dol Guldur guys - just like I said. I like the sound of the "skirmishes" idea. Having an instance type environment that doesn't require a set number of players or class composition will be a great boon to grouping content.

One of the biggest hurdles to group play is the organization before the actual play. I would love to see this approach done for all instanced group play content. That means that there would be no content that could not be completed. Of course, rewards would have to scale to the difficulty of completing an instance with a duo versus a full group, or a raid with 12 people versus 18 etc. But still, the content and story within that content would be accessible to everybody. It also wouldn't be a mutual exclusive situation between "casual" and "hardcore" players.

I honestly don't see this type of system making its way into all the group content in the near future. If the older group content isn't a ghost town now, wait until all new group content is much more accessible - you'll never see groups trying to take on content that is harder to organize. Path of least resistance ya know? But if Turbine decided to revamp all the previous group content in some future that implemented this dynamic instancing, then we might see something far reaching in its impact - not only for LOTRO but for MMO gaming in general.

The last item I'd like to mention is the level cap increase by year's end. They didn't mention an expansion with that comment, but considering the previously stated goal of one expansion per year, we're on tap to see an expansion and level cap increase by year's end. Not a surprising development, but interesting to see the absence of expansion talk considering its mention.

EDIT: A nice forum topic on the subject can be seen here with some dev responses. Looks like the preview went out to a few press outlets, in this case, 1up.com.

1 Responses:

Zakusek Says:

Ï find the skirmish idea great.
Now, I usually play healer classes and I like group content, but take for example my wife. She likes to play alone and gets really nervous when she has to deal with other people in game. She finds it very frustrating that the epic quest line cannot be soloable.
Even if this system is not implemented for all group content, it would be really nice if the epic quest line was changed this way.


text:
Translation from English

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Cannot Wait for Spring- Late March 2013

This was a day or two before an end of March snowfall was predicted-- a milder day and people swarming to St. Vartan's Park, itching like crazy for the real Spring to begin.

Spring is coming, it's coming, just have to wait a little while...


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The Mighty Thor

Thor Vol 1 341

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Synopsis for "The Past is a Bucket of Ashes"Edit

Thor arrives at Avengers Mansion, intent on finding new residence on Earth since Don Blake no longer exists. He steps inside, and is transported to Battleworld. Meanwhile, Lorelei gets off the subway in a section where even the cops don't go. She is accosted by two thugs, but mesmerizes them into fighting each other. She goes deeper and deeper until she comes to an abandoned station. There she finds the dragon, Fafnir, and tries to mesmerize him into doing her bidding. But the power of the dragon is not only of flame, but of persuasion, and mesmerizes her instead. Thor heads to SHIELD HQ to ask for Nick Fury's help in setting up a new civilian identity. Nick promises to do what he can and sends Thor with Marco. A half hour later, in walks Thor wearing jeans, a t-shirt, with his hair in a ponytail. Nick tells him that even SHIELD can't find anything in Manhattan and he'll have to settle for Brooklyn. But he's more concerned about people still recognizing his physique. Nick gets an idea and hands Thor a pair of glasses. Nick takes Thor to a press conference to test his disguise. On the way out, Thor accidentally knocks Clark down. Clark thinks he might recognize Thor, but then dismisses it. In Asgard, below Hlidskjalf, Odin is busy casting Runes. Odin carves Runes into the claws of Hugin and Munin, so that they may travel beyond any barrier. He wants them to travel to the demons domain and discover the secret of their origin. On a Manhattan construction site, Sigurd Jarlson is reporting for his first day of work at Jerry Sapristi's office. They hear a scream and race outside to see a girl hanging from a construction crane. Sigurd races up the crane to rescue her, when the ground begins to shake and the crane starts to topple. Sigurd manages to rescue her, when the source of the trembling is revealed - Fafnir. Fafnir recognizes Thor, with Lorelei as the bait, and lashes out with his tail, smashing the building. Elsewhere, the gigantic figure that is forging, summons the Dark Elf to seek out the second son of Odin. As Sigurd is protecting Lorelei from the falling debris, he hears someone calling his name in the ancient tongue of the Norsemen, but then it's gone. Thor strikes Mjolnir on the ground and it changes his raiment, and then he begins attacking Fafnir. Fafnir revels in his evil and seeks to slay Thor for old wrongs. Back in Asgard, Volstagg is searching for Balder, but finds his home empty. Balder his left for the wilderness, but left his pantry well stocked to distract Volstagg from finding and stopping him. Later, as Balder sits by his fire, he is unaware that he is observed by Karnilla and Haag. Karnilla orders that there is to be no harm done to Balder while he is in her kingdom. Back at the battle, Fafnir's flame has set some debris on fire. Thor calls down the rain to quench the blaze, and Fafnir mistakenly believes that Thor will trap him again as he did before, and leaves. Thor starts to follow, but is stopped by the raging river Fafnir unleashed in his tunneling. In Asgard, Loki is enjoying the game he is playing between Thor, Fafnir, and Lorelei. Thor changes back to Sigurd and checks on the woman he rescued. She feels better in his arms, and falls asleep. He then hears the same voice calling his name again in the language of old, and is determined to find it's source.

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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Meet Me in St. Louis!

Yes. The road can be hard. It can be a damn impossible way of life in fact. Sometimes, though, the planets align.

Like yesterday. We had a day off. Tuesday we gigged in San Antonio. Today we're in Columbia, MO. And between the two? St. Louis, MO. Home of the Lazaroffs.

David Lazaroff is one of my brothers from another mother. We've know each other forever, and he was one of the first people I played music with is Austin. He has a band with his brother Jeff called, appropriately, Brothers Lazaroff. They're awesome. (They won "Best Folk Group, Untraditional" for 2009 in the St. Louis Riverfront Times Music Poll. Holla!)

Dave and I have played many a show and many a tour with the Bros Laz throughout he years. We've stayed at Jeff and his wife's Julie's lovely house notes of times. So when they invited us to dinner we instantly accepted.

You know how it is when you think things are gonna go one way, but they go a total other way that you never expected. Well I've had dinner at Jeff and Julie's house countless times. I thought I was in for. Delicious food. Excellent conversation.

But the time they have become quite different. Julie
and Jeff have a four year old, Ella, and a 19 month old, Daisy (same age as Lisel!) And we have a 19 month old named Lisel. So dinner was...

Crazytown! The best part of crazytown of course, the oh my isn't this amazing district of crazytown. Kids were up and down and crying and talking and laughing and playing and...really what did I expect right?

It ended up being a ridiculously fun night. We girls formed "Girl Team!" and as "Girl Team" we explored the baby bus.

We took a "Girl Team" group photo.

It was much better in fact, than I ever expected!

And later that night at David's house, Lisel sang on the mic for the first time.

Sometimes you just get lucky.

-- Post From My iPhone

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Monday, January 16, 2017

This is coolbert:

You know this particular article would instantly be of interest to me. Thanks to Freeper.

Russian dog o' war not so reliable after all.

We tend to think of the Russian and the Soviet before them as never making mistakes or having failure, always their military R and D projects succeeding. That is just not so!!

"Russia’s police dog cloning program has run into a few, er… snags"

"Russia has scrapped its cloned dogs of war program after the first batch of ‘superpups’ flunked basic tests because they could not handle the cold, it has emerged."

"The designer dogs were cloned in a laboratory to sniff out explosives and drugs and put through their paces by Vladimir Putin’s law enforcement agency in Yakutsk, capital of the Sakha Republic, Russia’s largest region."

. . . .

"The dogs, each valued over $100,000, have reportedly been complete and utter failures. According to the Siberian Times, the dogs are incapable of performing even the most basic police dog tasks . . . the dogs failed because they’re not used to the brutal Siberian climate"

That war dog of choice for the Russian I had read and thought to be the Russian Black Terrier. A cross between the Giant Schnauzer [smart] and the Rottweiler [rough and vicious]. Also the Black Terrier able to stand the extreme cold of Siberia and thrive?

To get a sense of scale this image shows a man tussling with a Russian Black Terrier. Look at the size of that dog! It appears to be a man in costume or something but NO, that is the real thing! War dogs of that size leave something to be desired? The handler according to modern concepts  is expected on occasion to pick the dog up and carry as is necessitated. Russian Black Terrier too has a thick coat of fur, not a short hair?

"One of them failed to perform any task. Immediately, it lay down because of the cold. The second dog was slightly better, but completed only 50% of tasks. They are not adapted to our harsh conditions, they are smooth coated, cannot withstand frost."

That word doggone [damn] having an undeniable negative connotation in this instance.

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The angry mob takes a lunch break at the cafeteria, they work up an appetite sustaining mass hysteria, the rent-a-cop cruises by in his security golf cart, he records the day's events with a check mark on a chart. This is this, that's all it is. The Daughters of the Revolution tap the keg and play some tunes, their ancestors are away on business trips most afternoons, the TV anchors shake their heads and offer disapproving looks, as the council builds a parking lot with out-of-date textbooks. This is this, that's all it is. I remember when philosophers conferred at laundromats, and janitors played Battleship with glamorous aristocrats, and beauty queens were known to say while reading Jitterbug Perfume, "The fist of God punctures the cloud at the heart of the mushroom." This is this, that's all it is.

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Ed Ruscha's Los Angeles

From the MIT Press website for Alexandra Schwartz's Ed Ruscha's Los Angeles: "Despite Ruscha's fame, this is the first comprehensive critical consideration of his art, and the first to consider it in the context of L.A.'s tumultuous 1960s and 1970s."

I have to say this statement blew me away. I assumed Ruscha's work had been well picked over by now, but then I got to thinking of the number of book length studies of Pop artists outside of Warhol. Not coffee table type books of full of images or popular studies for a mass audience, but converted dissertation type stuff. I am no expert but I am not aware of many. Plus Ruscha is from the West Coast, not New York, which makes it even less surprising that his corpus still has considerable meat on it.

I had high expectations for this book and I think it is a wonderful way to approach Ruscha's work, but I have to say I was a bit disappointed. There was never a really a-ha moment where Schwartz placed Ruscha and his work in a totally new perspective. That is not to say that there was not a tremendous amount of new information for me to chew on. Ruscha is not an artist that I am overly familiar; that said I have read a good amount on LA Pop, the Semina Circle and Ferus Gallery. I remember getting those moments reading Cecile Whiting's Pop LA: Art and the City in the 1960s. Schwartz has interesting historical details but not detailed analysis. Whiting's book had both.

But Whiting's book was on LA Pop generally and Schwartz does a service by focusing on LA and Ruscha. Chapters on Ruscha and Hollywood, Ruscha's artist's books and the then current theories of urbanism, and the Ferus Stud persona left me wanting more. From the concluding paragraph of the Hollywood chapter, "The dynamic between Ruscha and Hopper exemplifies the exchange between [the avant garde art and Hollywood filmmaking] communities; while Ruscha and his artistic cohorts often drew inspiration from Hollywood movies and culture, Hopper and his New Hollywood colleagues owed a profound debt to that era's avant-garde art. Ruscha's Los Angeles did not merely coexist with the Hollywood film industry, but was intimately intertwined with it." This is not earth shattering stuff.

From the concluding paragraph of the Ferus Stud chapter: "[Ruscha's] flamboyant public self-fashioning of this period illustrates this dynamic, for it calls attention to the sophisticated economy of denial by which his work simultaneously addresses highly provocative issues and obscures them, thwarting attempts to determine what his "true" authorial stance may be. The pleasure, but also the frustration, of Ruscha's highly nuanced work is that always keeps us guessing." Schwartz does a great job filling us in on what those guesses have been historically by detailing the various responses, reviews and reactions of others to Ruscha's work but the strong thrust of Schwartz's own guesses fall to shine through.

For readers of Mimeo Mimeo and those who may delve into the architecture magazines of Clip Stamp Fold, the chapter "Learning from Ed Ruscha" with its reading of the democratic multiples through Venturi, Brown, and Baynam is very interesting. Like with Clip Stamp Fold, I would have liked to see more treatment of Ruscha's books not as dealing with postmodern architectures, like swimming pools, gas stations and parking lots, but as forms, objects, structures and architectures that in themselves express the theories of Verturi, Brown, and Byanam. Schwartz captures this idea with the discussion of Every Building on the Sunset Strip, but that is the most obvious example of book as architecture. For example, a discussion of the act of reading Ruscha's multiples as cruising or surfing and how this act relates to the infrastructure of LA would have been interesting.

I am probably being hard on a book that I really enjoyed and got alot out of. Schwartz's book may be a first, but it should be far from the last and falls a bit short of the definitive.

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Tony Enright • Newington, CT

Tony Enright teaches at Mindful Yoga Center in Newington CTA retired middle school teacher, Tony Enright was introduced to yoga in 2004 via a physical injury. A lifelong learner, he enrolled in the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Sacred River and upon completion immediately enrolled in the 500 hour training.

Yoga has helped to calm and center his mind, body and spirit. Tony has completed the 100 Mindful Yoga Therapy Teacher Training.

A person in long term recovery, Tony has completed the Y12SR (Yoga for 12 Step Recovery) Leadership training with Nikki Myers. He is so happy to bring his practice to others, particularly those in recovery.


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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Jane and I both woke with colds yesterday morning.

Sam was complaining of a cold at the weekend so I guess we have caught it from him.

We visited him on the ward for a family meeting with his psychologist and care co-ordinator. Sam didn't want to get out of bed. He was full of cold. So we left him and chatted. If it is a family meeting then I suppose that is for us as well?

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

When I picked Sam up the nurse in charge queried that there was just me and not both me and Jane to collect Sam. he said the section 17 leave specified both of us. I'm sure that isn't right. We usually just have one of us to pick him up. Why need three of us together in the car? Eventually he was placated and we set off. Sam myself and a female nurse I hadn't met before. She didn't say much and I chatted more with Sam than her in the car.

When we got home Sam wanted a cigarette straight away as is usually the case. Normally the member of staff sits outside with me and Sam. But she took herself in to the warm and sat there. We had a cup of tea and then Sam wanted another cigarette. So I went out with him again. When we came back in she was asleep on the sofa.

It was good that Sam hadn't needed more support than just me at that time.

I don't think she engaged with Sam at all all the time we were out. I know sometimes it can be good to merge into the background so that the family can get on together but she blended well enough to be invisible - until the chocolate biscuits came out! I now I said, "Help yourself" - but really ...

She was struggling to keep up on a short incline when we went for a walk. Then back at the house she sat there painting her fingernails.

To cap it all - when they got back to the hospital driven by Jane, searching for her fob to operate the locks to get back in, she managed to set off her personal alarm screeching loudly in the car. Jane was not amused!

Especially as when chatting with Jane she had earlier said,

"I like an easy life me."

Monday, March 24, 2008

I rang on Saturday morning to make arrangements for some leave this afternoon. I was told Sam had been awake all night - so it all depended on whether he was still awake and what he was like then.

I rang again half an hour before the agreed time - he was still awake and someone would come out with him.

So I picked him up and he seemed reasonable. We had quite a pleasant time. I'd bought him some new clothes as an Easter present rather than just the chocolate - his clothes all seem to disappear into the wash on the ward and he just wears what is left over. They fit and he seemed pleased with them.

We went for a walk past some rocks where he used to climb. Of course he had to have a go - getting his new clothes dirty! I was worried as he started to go too high but came back down when asked. We went on to see my mum and dad. They were pleased as it was a while since they had seen Sam.

It was going fine but he seemed a little distracted and insisted on going outside for a cigarette. I and the nurse went with him. He was fine at first but started to become distracted and a little argumentative. He started to walk around then went a bit further from the door. I could tell something was up and said as much to the nurse - then Sam was off running.

Not fast and determined as if he had a purpose and was trying to escape - but in a rather distracted and purposeless way - just needing to be away from us. The nurse was speedier than me and Sam came back with him. He didn't want to go back inside the house but I managed to persuade him into my dad's car and we took him back to the ward. On the way in he started swinging on the awning and being a little argumentative - but he made no attempt to escape. He'd lost his tobacco so I went to buy him some more.

Jane went on to the ward with him. He soon calmed and said himself that he didn't understand what had happened.

We were worried they might not allow him leave today but Jane managed to persuade the nurse in charge this morning. I'm going to pick him up in a minute. Fingers crossed!

Monday, March 17, 2008

I rang on Saturday to see how Sam was and to make arrangements to take him out. I had difficulties getting through - and then they were going to ring me back. Eventually someone came on and said that Sam hadn't gone to bed until 3.45 in the morning, had got up early and had just gone back to sleep. I could visit him at 4.00.

When I arrived at 4.00 - unable at first to get into the hospital as the intercom on the door was broken as was the phone on Sam's ward - I was told he was still asleep but they were sure he would get up for me.

He did but was sleepy and more interested in getting a cigarette than meeting with me.

He woke gradually during the hour and we chatted. Then it was time for another cigarette break before tea and I left.

Sam rang me late as I was going to bed, then again at 2.30 in the morning, yet again at 7.30 in the morning. He hadn't slept. It didn't sound like good news regarding going out later in the day. I spoke to the nurse in charge when Sam phoned at 7.30. She described him as very manic but he sounded calm when we spoke.

I rang again after lunch to see how he was and what might be arranged. He'd got up for lunch and they said he would stay up if he knew I was coming - but there was no member of staff to come out with us.

So I visited again with the same problems again of getting in. Soon after I arrived there was a cigarette break. Sam asked me to come out with him. I had to promise the nurse in charge that I appreciated the danger and absolved her of any responsibility before I was allowed out. Half a dozen young men, a female nursing assistant, Sam and I went through the locked doors and downstairs out into the small yard surrounded by a ten foot high wire fence. They queued to light their cigarettes from the lighter built in to the outside wall then stood apart smoking their cigarettes.

They smoked the cigarettes quickly and huddled back inside the door waiting for the nursing assistant to come and open the other doors. Sam sat and leisurely finished his cigarette. As soon as it was finished we were rushed back inside. We had been outside for barely five minutes. This, once an hour, is the only outside exercise that Sam gets when we do not take him out. Nobody else seems to think there is a problem with this.

The other quiet, withdrawn young men didn't look ill as much as institutionalised.

Sam and I spent another hour until the next cigarette break in a room together chatting. Sam was tired and a lot of the time was me trying to keep him awake. perhaps if he stayed awake until the next meal time and a bit longer then he might sleep later that night. Our conversation slipped in and out of silence, nonsense and some genuine insight. He talked of evil and suicide and killing for a brief period - but then that was gone as soon as it had arrived. It is always worrying when he talks like that though.

Then I left. Leaving Sam to cope with another night on the ward while I could go home.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

When we were with Sam on Wednesday - I just wanted to give him a hug.

There seemed nothing more I could do.

Then as I left he gave me a hug.

I felt so positive that the meeting had gone well and he had improved during the time we were there.

That evening he phoned. All he could do was laugh ....

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

I woke this morning with aches an pains in my muscles again. They are always there a bit, especially in the morning, but this morning seemed more severe than usual. I also felt rather down. There seemed no reason for this but I found myself short tempered and without any patience. What was this all about? I've been so much better recently.

In the afternoon we had another of our family meetings on the ward with Sam and some of his professionals. I can't think I had been worried about that. Perhaps I was remembering the last meeting I'd had on the ward with the ward manager and consultant psychiatrist following the incident last week.

Sam seemed quite unwell. He refused to recognise me at first. I was a little shocked. The weekend had gone so well. But he had phoned on Tuesday morning saying he hadn't slept all night. His psychologist had taken him out that day and had a difficult time with him - worrying he might run away at one time.

We heard that he had been given Lorazipam as prn last night. So clearly he had been unwell then too.

But he had been so well at the weekend. What had gone wrong?

Sam kept walking in and out of the room. e would stop for a few moments and then walk off again saying he needed a cigarette - but he would not be allowed out for a cigarette break for at least half an hour. Occasionally he would tease us by starting a few lines of a conversation before walking up and down the corridor again.

In the end his stays in the room became longer. After his cigarette he sat down and started talking. We had a reasonable discussion though some of what he was saying was hard to understand. He would occasionally stand up and wander around the room or go down the corridor again in case there might be a cigarette break or get himself a cup of tea. But the longer it went on the longer he stayed in the room. It was as if he wanted to be there and appreciated the opportunity to talk with us all about things important to him. By the end he was confident and articulate.

As we left the young man who claimed he didn't know who I was as I arrived gave me a hug and said his farewells in a smiling, sensible and happy way. He was transformed from the very ill young man we had met a couple of hours earlier.

We've only had a couple of these family meetings but they seem to have gone well. I'm very hopeful for them.

And guess what?

Afterwards I felt much better.

Monday, March 10, 2008

We took Sam out twice at the weekend with a member of staff. It poured with rain on Saturday when we got out and we ended up in a cafe. But this was good. Sam was again modelling social behavior - sat round a table chatting over a cup of tea.

On Sunday it turned into a pleasant if slightly blustery afternoon. It was an enjoyable walk followed by another cup of tea sat outside a cafe in the country park.

The more this works successfully the more staff can see that Sam can make progress. It argues strongly against the long list of misdemeanours that his named nurse had been going through at the CPA meeting last week.

A member of staff took Sam out to the shop on Friday. I think the tide may be turning.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Later on Wednesday ...

I was drained from the mornings meeting and from trying to feed back to Jane whose mobile phone kept cutting out while on the train.

Then I got another call from the RMO (psychiatrist). He'd asked a colleague to see Sam and give a second opinion. Fine I said. He described this colleague's approach very positively. Then he described this colleagues diagnosis. I recognised him then straight away. He has become notorious in the area for diagnosing many patients on the ward in the same idiosyncratic and very unusual way. So guess what? Yes - he diagnosed Sam in just the same way which is clearly nonsense. I hit the roof and he backtracked quickly.

I then managed a proper phone conversation with Jane and went through it all over again. (The next day she was talking with another psychiatrist about this at an event. She was asked if it was a private hospital - which it is. Jane was told that a psychiatrist had been struck off for something similar in a different part of the country. I just wonder if drugs companies are doing secret trials using a well known medication and trialling it on schizophrenia under the guise of this unusual diagnosis.)

By the end of the afternoon I was totally exhausted, both physically and emotionally. In the evening I found myself close to tears listening to "The Archers" (a radio soap opera) and also an emotional afternoon radio play the next afternoon.

Friday, March 07, 2008

I went to the meeting on Wednesday about Sam having been pinned down. I felt quite confident at my ability to go. There was a time when I would have been in a total panic at the idea - so it is a measure of the improvements in my own confidence and mental health recently.

Though when I got there I started to wobble. At the start of the meeting I explained that I might get emotional because of my own health problems - partly caused by Sam's. But once we got going I was on a roll. Perhaps too much so! Maybe I became over-assertive. (Is that code for angry? - I hope not!)

I was pleased when I found I was meeting with the ward manager as well as the RMO (Psychiatrist). It is the ward manager who is responsible for the actions of the staff - though the RMO might be responsible for the prescribing of the additional medication, from the phone information provided by ward staff.

I was treated properly. The situation was described to me clearly. My concerns were listened to.

I made my points strongly. That we were worried that the escalation recently wasn't to do with Sam's state of health but to do with staff's attitude to Sam.

I picked the ward manager up on some of the language she used - pointing out that it was more to do with control than care. She didn't like that. She is more enlightened than most - but the language reflects underlying attitudes. There are few nurses who do not fall into the use of this language. It is the norm. It takes a conscious effort to move in to the language of care and respect for patients. It should not be the case for nurses.

I think we parted on good terms. I hope so. We want to be able to continue to work in partnership with them and I hope I made that clear as well as raising some other points.

We were worried they wanted to be rid of Sam. They tried to reassure them that was not the case. I assured them we were not keen to move Sam because despite my criticisms during the meeting there are some very good staff there with good attitudes. Continuity is important.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Sam phoned this afternoon.

He unded very well. Articulate and expressing himself calmly and logically.

He explained how last night he had been imagining himself playing when a child at his grandma's house. He'd been dressing up. He'd put a sheet over himself to dress up on the ward.

Then he explained he'd been pinned down and by two men he didn't know and injected. He slept afterwards and was fine this morning but his arms hurt where he had been held.

Jane phoned the ward and spoke to the nurse in charge. She said Sam had been very lively in the evening and had refused to go to bed. (When Jen phoned yesterday afternoon she was told that Sam was asleep after having been out with his psychologist from the Assertive Outreach Team.) She put it that he wasn't "complying with ward policies" relating to bed time. He was running up and down the coridoor. Doors to all shared rooms are locked at night so there was nowhere else for him to go. He accepted some Lorazepam but continued to be lively. So he was "held down" and injected with more Lorazepam.

I don't know all the details yet but I believe there was more they could have done to settle Sam.

We were hoping to speak to the ward manager but eventually the Psychiatrist phoned. He has arranged a meeting with me tomorrow - Jane is working. He is also talking of changing Sam's medication to an older one which possibly has more side-effects.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Towards the end of Sam's visit Jen chatted with the member of staff acompanying Sam.

He admitted he felt out of place and said he couldn't see any need for a staff escort. So he would be feeding that view back.

I wonder if it will make any difference?

Sunday, March 02, 2008

We took Sam out again yesterday.

The nurse had come out with us the week before last. He is very dour, quite reticent, more than restrained. I think he felt uncomfortable - as if he were intruding somehow. That's understandable beause in a way he is. But we always try to involve the staff as part of the experience. It's just daft them walking near by pretending not to be there. It is also a good chance for them to see what Sam is like off the ward - how he interacts with his family and in an outdoor situation.

Sam wasn't brilliant but he did well. He was having some ordinary conversations. We wet to an area where he used to like climbing and bouldering. He started talking with a climber about a route - is it a 5C asked Sam? The climber looked it up in his book. No - a 5B. Not far out. Sam pointed out the difficult bit at the top. The climber thanked him. Then we went on. Normal social intercourse. You don't get to practice that in the same way on a psychiatric ward whatever therapies they put in place.

Then we went home for a while - drank tea - smoked cigarettes - listened to music - while Sam lounged comfortably on the sofa.

Towards the end Sam asked if he had to go back. He was really lucid - just talked of how awful it was for him. The nurse just had to sit and and listen without comment.

And then we went back.

Saturday, March 01, 2008

I'm still upset about what Sam said yesterday.

It is bad enough that they don't want him on the ward - that they think he is too much trouble. It is supposed to be a "complex needs" ward but his named nurse said they cannot deal with him because he has complex needs. They don't want to do the job they are being paid for. It makes me mad.

But then ...

For Sam to pick up that he is not wanted there. That is unforgivable.

Where to go next ... ?

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

this mate is a 10/10. look at all of those arrows! hawkeye is definitely one of my favorites.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Monday, May 14, 2012

into action

are you tired of these guys yet? yeah, me either.

i also noticed this humble little photo blog has reached 1000 views. thank you all for stopping by and i really hope you like what you see!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012


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Monday, November 30, 2009

Joy (to the World) Ride

So, we started getting all the Christmas stuff out. Well, I started. I plan to just get out those things that Claire and Finn will not destroy, but enough for Duncan to feel like we have decorated. The Little People Nativity is always a big hit, and I'm not at all nervous about them breaking it. Unlike the ceramic one my grandmother made at least thirty years ago, where two years ago the baby Jesus ended up in the Little People Farm silo for about ten days before he was located. So, as you can see, the Wise Men and Joseph took out the convertible and hit the town the other night. I suppose they were just trying to keep him occupied and keep his mind off the new baby coming.

I have strung three strands of outdoor lights and have many more to string before Duncan's thirst for decorative lighting is satisfied.

Tomorrow is the first day we will use our Advent Calendar so I need to get cracking on that, too. Not sure what we'll do about a tree but we will figure that out as well. We threw ours away last year and so need a new one. Perhaps a real one? I will let you know.
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Friday, November 20, 2009

Crafty Crafters who Craft

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not make this from scratch. Other very crafty ladies came up with the concept and design, and got all the tiny little parts for us, but I walked around the room at MOPS today and glued it all together and stuck the magnets on my muffin tin. That's gotta count for something.

But aint it da bomb???
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Fall Fun

It was not long after the fun that Claire was buried in leaves and started crying...loudly. But it was lots of fun for a few minutes!
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Saturday, November 14, 2009

Usually when I am lying in bed at night I will think of a relatively clever (for me, anyway) title and accompanying content to blog about. Then I actually sleep, wake up and sit in front of my computer and got nuthin'. This past week has been up and down. Last Sunday was good. We all went to church (as an aside, I must start getting things ready the night before. Am going to do that tonight! It's on my list!) and then came home and spent the day as a family. It was really nice. I cannot recall one single thing we did, but I do know it was a good day. I believe the Cowboys played that night and won. Even better.

No one was sick all week so we made it to school every day, the park a few days, church on Wednesday and Iain and I got to go to Marriage One on One last night at church which involves dropping all three kids off for childcare (frrrreee!), attending a (almost always) fun and interesting speaker/topic for about 45 minutes, then being turned loose for two hours to ourselves to go to dinner and talk about said topic. Last night's topic was basically managing family during the holidays. Nuclear and extended. We are lucky in that our families get along great, and there's never been any pressure from either side for us to drop one in order to spend time with the other. In fact, when we have both sides all together it's always great fun. We did decide that Iain and I need to make some decisions on what we want to do every year with our little nucleus, then build around that with our families. We are also lucky in that everyone is within about a 45 minute drive.

We also are starting to make some decisions on what to do with Duncan for kindergarten in the fall. 9 months away, people. Not even enough time for us to do a round of infertility treatment and have a baby. Cuz, that's the way he have 'em around here. Takes about a full calendar year for the whole gestation. So, next week I need to call to set up a tour of the school we hope to get him into and get the paperwork we need so that we can go talk to the principal of the school we do not want him to go to. I'm excited to have made a decision, but nervous that we don't really have a backup plan other than probably sell our house and move. I'm also starting to like the idea of staying in this very small house for a while. Why??? I think because it feel safe, and familiar. But, the biggest drawback for me is that there are NO kids on the whole street for him to play with. A prayer, perhaps. Please, Lord, let my child have friends in the neighborhood.

In the heartbreak department, a dear sweet friend lost her brother and only sibling yesterday morning in a shocking circumstance. I am saddened and walk around thinking of her, in the midst of all my not so serious stuff. Love you, friend.
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My Review of Kiddy Kaddy Stroller Tray

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

No stroller tray? No problem! With our universal stroller tray, baby can travel with drinks and snacks at hand. It straps right to the safety bar when you need it, then folds up small when you don't. With two cup holders, snack holder, and two Velcro® toy tethers. Imported.

Wish I'd Read the Reviews!

By Mom to twins+1 from Dallas, TX on 11/14/2009

2out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Easy to Set Up, Lightweight, Durable

Cons: Hard To Adjust

Best Uses: Toddlers

Describe Yourself: Parent of Multiples (Twins etc), Parent of Two or More Children

These are not terrible, but also not great! A bit awkward to fit on and they don't seem to be a good size. I have a Combii double stroller and thought they would be a good solution to the "no tray" issue. Wrong. Okay to hold a sippy cup or water bottle, but I'll keep looking.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Happy Halloween

I'm just too tired to come up with anything even close to clever. But, we had a great Halloween. Started the day off with a birthday party at the park with lots of friends (Duncan as well as myself) and pumpkin painting. Came home, cleaned up a bit, and had a little party of our own. It was more fun than I'd expected and I think we'll do it again next year. I hope from a bigger house, but we'll see. Claire and Finn hung in there and partied with the rest of us ghosts and goblins. Duncan, though, had the most fun of all. He loves having company and even though no one knew what he was (Sportacus, of Lazy Town) he didn't care because he has confidence. I'm sure once the cool gene kicks in he will want to be something that all his friends recognize, but this year he was secure in his costume of obscurity. Everything is just more fun with kids. Lots of them. I think at one point there must have been 8 or 9 of them in Duncan's very tiny, over furnitured room and they were having a blast. And, no matter how small, people always end up in your kitchen.

Friend Ashley, Sportacus, and a Star Wars clone. What are those things? I live under a rock.

Witches fingers. Proud party moment.

Awesome friend Diana with Claire.
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Calhoun County MS Information

Calhoun County Subdivisions

Calhoun County MS Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2016)

Total Population 15,145
Population in Households 14,930
Population in Familes 12,417
Population in Group Qrtrs 215
Population Density1 26
Diversity Index2 53

Total Households 6,135
Average Household Size 2.43
Family Households 4,177
Average Family Size 3

Total Housing Units 7,141 (100%)
Owner Occupied HU 4,277 (59.9%)
Renter Occupied HU 1,858 (26.0%)
Vacant Housing Units 1,006 (14.1%)
Median Home Value $70,456
Average Home Value $91,361

Median Household Income $30,069
Average Household Income $41,786
Per Capita Income $17,175
  (Compound Annual Growth Rates)

2010-2015 2015-2020
Population 0.19% 0.02%
Households 0.39% 0.14%
Families 0.16% -0.02%
Median Household Income   0.35%
Per Capita Income   1.4%
1) Population Density = Total Population per square mile.
2) The Diversity Index is a scale of 0 to 100 that represents the likelyhood that two persons, chosen at random from the same area, belong to different race or ethnic groups. If an area's entire population belongs to one race AND one ethnic group, then the area has zero diversity. An area's diversity index increases to 100 when the population is evenly divided into two or more race/ethnic groups.
Based on Census 2010 counts, the Diversity Index for the United States was 60.6 and it is expected to increase to 64.8 by July 1, 2018.

Calhoun County MS - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

The table below compares Calhoun County to the other 82 counties and county equivalents in Mississippi by rank and percentile using July 1, 2016 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.

Variable Description Rank Percentile
Total Population # 58 30th
Population Density1 # 60 28th
Diversity Index2 # 23 73rd
Median Household Income # 60 28th
Per Capita Income # 63 24th

Additional comparisons and rankings can be made with a VERY EASY TO USE Mississippi Census Data Comparison Tool.


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Wind Before Wolf, Kapa Oie, Confidence Man

When: Tue., April 23, 10 p.m. 2013
It might be a Tuesday but have the guts to party anyway when Confidence Man, Kapa Oie and Wind Before Wolf play the Badlander's Live and Local Night. Music at 10 PM. Free.

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5 articles Tag technology

Tech Integration VS Tech Classes

Currently I teach at a school where we have dedicated technology lessons for all students from kindergarten through to Grade 7. Each class gets 40 minutes a week in a lab with a technology teacher, me!I know of other schools that address technology the same way. Some schools have this approach and I guess it’s down to the schools philosophy on education as well as it’s philosophy on technology as to how technology is used in and out of the classroom.

Another way to approach technology, that I see a lot of the leading institutions now doing, is to give every student a laptop. Running a 1:1 programs means students have their own computer that is used by students not only at school, but also at home. A lot of these schools see technology as a tool for learning and as a result, don’t have any specific technology lessons. The technology is embedded and integrated into the curriculum and used when appropriate. They employ technology coaches to help the teachers implement this across the curriculum. I see this is a much more meaningful way to use technology. But it is not without flaw.

I believe in using technology as a tool, but I think the stand alone classes are great at making sure that all students are receiving access to technology, no matter their homeroom/subject teachers ability with technology or what technology they have at home. With a 100% integration model, the students use is limited to their teachers willingness to use technology. You could argue that time should be mandated for each class to use technology, or say that each class must do at least one project incorporating technology per unit of work. And I’m sure that some schools do place expectations on how much technology should be used, but this would go against the ‘technology as a tool’ philosophy. It would be used for the sake of it, which I don’t think is how it should be approached.

I can see other positive aspects of standalone technology lessons too. One would be that the same (hopefully correct) message is being expressed to all students about technology or it’s use. Be it about Copyright or being a responsible online citizen or how to organize your email account. All students are actually taught these concepts explicitly so a student can’t simply ‘slip through the cracks’ and not get the important lessons on technology and it’s use.

On the other hand, the benefits I see of an integration approach is that with the use of a coach to guide the teachers learning, teachers are developing their own ability instead of ignoring technology and passing on that responsibility to the person teaching the stand alone class. With an integration approach, technology needs to be taught by all teachers and therefore needs to be used by all teachers. At least used enough to meet their professional responsibilities. Some teachers might take this freedom and run with it, developing outstanding, interactive, engaging lessons that incorporate technology. Some might do the bare minimum. But at the end of the day, the teacher is learning along with the students. And with the integration approach, the technology is being used as a tool, not a subject, which I think is the most important aspect.

In weighing up these pros and cons, I don’t think any one approach is ‘correct’, it is simply a different approach. There are upsides and downsides to both models. I think the model that needs to be chosen comes down to how the school sees technology and it’s educational vision.

Ideally, I see a combination of both models as the best approach. An integration model where students and teachers use technology as a tool and are guided by a tech coach. There is a shared responsibility with all teachers to embed technology into the curriculum. As well as some time with a specialty technology teacher touching on responsible online citizenship, organization, how to make their workflow more productive, etc.

Obviously this is my opinion at this point in my career, I’m very excited to see if it will change in the future and what experiences will make me change my mind. The future seems bright!

Are Standards Needed If Technology Is Used As A Tool?

In 1998 the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) released National Education Technology (NET) standards “for the purpose of leveraging the use of technology in K-12 education to enable students to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly digital society.” Today the standards are widely accepted as the benchmark for educational technology. There are standards for students, teachers, administrators, coaches and computer science educators, which makes them very broad and encompassing. These standards are excellent for when you have a stand alone model of technology education, much the same as at my current school. I see every class from kindergarten to grade seven for their own technology lesson once a week. In this session, I can spend time creating learning experiences for my students that help them meet the NET standards. However, what happens if your school has an integration approach to technology education? Maybe your school has a coach and that person works with teachers to integrate technology into the class. So who is responsibility for the NET standards in a circumstance like that? Is it all the teachers of a specific grade? Is it the coaches role to make sure each class is meeting the standards?

A Swiss Army Knife, like a computer is a versatile tool for many applications. So should it have it's own learning standards? Or should we use this tool to helps us meet other goals?

To answer these questions, I think you have to think about the school and it’s philosophy regarding technology. If technology is seen as a set of skills that each student must learn before they progress onto the more complex skills, with each skill requiring the previous to succeed and progress, then I guess you will need to rely on a detailed map of where, how and when each skills is taught. This could be compared to a senior Mathematics class, you can’t learn algebra if you don’t know basic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This style of addressing technology education is much more suited to stand alone technology lessons as there is one teacher that is responsible for the teaching of the skills and standards. The problem I find with this model is that modern computer skills are rarely the type of ‘build upon’ skills that they used to be. Sometimes you need to know how to use a mouse and keyboard, but sometimes you don’t. You may have a trackpad or a touch screen device which makes the mouse lessons taught earlier on irrelevant. The same thing applies to software. One example is keyboard shortcuts, what you learn in one piece of software may not work in another. And these two examples, hardware and software, are constantly changing. Skills we learn are usually stand alone, or need to be modified significantly to be transferred over into other applications. Or these skills change with a new software update or the integration of a new tool. So I believe teaching specific ‘skills’ and not seeing technology as a tool make the use of technology irrelevant to the 21st century learner.

If, like many schools, technology is expect to be integrated and used as something to supplement lessons and the curriculum, then chances are you have a tech coach that helps teachers develop learning experiences that incorporate technology into their classrooms. Some would say this person should be responsible for students meeting the NET standards. However, I think if your philosophy is that technology is used as a tool, then possibly the idea of technology standards needs to be rethought. We don’t have curricular for other tools we use at school such as pencils, base ten blocks, books, etc. We use those tools to help us help the students meet other standards. Isn’t technology supposed to be a tool that we use to help students learn content in other areas of the education? Just because it is an expensive, sometimes daunting tool, highly sophisticated tool, doesn’t mean it should have it’s own curriculum does it? Or am I way off?

What are your thoughts, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

IWB – New Technology In Old Ways?

The weekend before last I attended an amazing professional development seminar by a very switched on educator Chris Betcha who is an ICT support teacher in Sydney, Australia. Before Chris presented I quickly Googled him and found his website. One of the most recent posts on his blogs was about Interactive White Board’s (IWB’s). Here is the slide for you to go over yourself.

I have very strong opinions about IWB’s and I was quite surprised that Chris took a very balanced stance. Most people either love them or hate them but it seemed Chris weighed it up very concisely in his ‘Why IWB’ presentation.

What really resonated with me about Chris’s slideshow was the idea of using new technology to do old things. I believe that is what the majority of IWB’s are used for in schools, basically a digital chalkboard. I believe that the technology rarely gets into the hands of the students and the same thing could just as easily be done on a whiteboard or even a set of whiteboards for each student, at least each student would get to use it if they had one each (which is what Frank Noschese’s was trying to get at with the $2 IWB idea.)
The other problem I see is the cost. If you are going to spend thousands on a technology tool and use it just like a blackboard, then you are wasting a LOT of money on technology for the sake of technology. Let’s assume that it costs US$3000 for an IWB. If we compare that to what could be purchased as an equivalent, then that could stock one classroom with 3 Macbooks. Or 6 iPads. Or 15 iPod Touch’s, which is a class set in a lot of the classes I teach. Then if there are IWB’s being installed in multiple classrooms, which is usually the case, then four IWB’s would buy more than 1 class set of iPads. Six IWB’s could buy almost a full set of laptops. When you compare the benefits of an IWB against the benefits of technology in the hands of EVERY students, then I don’t think there is even a close comparison. Bill Ferriter, a 6th Grade teacher in Carolina, who was named regional teacher of the year in 2006-2007 sums this point up beautifully in his blog The Tempered Radical. He speaks a lot about why he dislike IWB’s, I encourage you to have a read of his thoughts.
The next gripe I have with IWB’s is that it encourages ‘chalk and talk’ style teaching where teachers stand at the front of the room and deliver. There is no guided discovery, no collaborative learning and very little Connectivism. This is the furthest from 21st century education that I can think of.
In Marc Prensky article in Edutopia named Shaping Tech for the Classroom, he talks a lot about doing old things in old ways, doing old things in new ways and doing new things in new ways. I think we as teachers, should be striving to provide 21st century education to our 21st century students. And by standing out the front of the room, not even facing the students to control an IWB, I think we are deluding ourselves if we think this is 21st century education or anything new at all.
Marking The Roll

One ray of hope is that teachers change their teaching styles and get away from the front of the classroom. Maybe, just maybe, then IWB’s could be a decent tool for the classroom. Just like this example, which I saw in a kindergarten class just the other day. This idea that Mrs. Peacock was using is a great example of how best to utilize the IWB as a tool and get the technology into the students hands. The students were clicking and draging their name from the ‘At Home’ section to the ‘At School’ section. Students do this as they walk in for the day, taking the technology out of the hands of the teacher and into the hands of the students.

I hope I see more great ideas like this that could help me change my mind about IWB’s and give me a more balanced view of them. So here is my challenge, change my mind by showing me ideas on how we can get this very expensive technology out of the hands of teachers and utilize it in a way that fosters 21st century education. Do you have any ideas?

My Big Goal For The 2011-2012 School Year

Being an ICT teacher, I am using technology in every one of my class. I love teaching children how to use technology and I get a real kick when I see students creating meaningful products that not only benefits them and helps them develop the skills used to create the product, but can also assist others either through passing on motivation or developing their knowledge. There are a range of projects I did last year with my students that would fit into this category but my top three favourite would be Grade 2’s water cycle animations, Grade 4’s video school tour and the book trailers I did with Grades 5 and 6.

Photo by Flikr user ekkebus

However, being a new year with new goals and motivations, I decided to challenge myself once again and facilitate the creation of digital portfolios for all of my students starting in Grade 3 all the way up to Grade 7. In the past, pieces of work that students created digitally had no real place we stored them or view them in an easily manageable way. With the introduction of a public digital portfolios I believe that this will help teachers display the amazing projects they are already doing with technology in their classrooms and in turn motivate others in the school and around the world to try similar projects. For teachers, it can be a bank of ideas for others and for students, a place to proudly display their work to an authentic audience. I hope to get all teachers contributing work towards each students portfolio as a way of motivating technology within all curriculum areas. I believe that this is a very authentic way to use technology, as students and teachers have a real audience, outside of the classroom. I really hope once the students realize this, that the quality of their work will also increase.

So this is my goal for the year, to create an authentic audience for my students, to motivate other teachers at my school to display the amazing lessons involving technology in their classroom, no matter what subject they are teaching and to collect all of a students work in one place, a place they can be proud of. I have already taken steps towards achieving my goals and have hit a few speed humps, but if I remain determined and I am certain I can achieve my goals for the year.

This post should be interesting at the end of the school year to look back on and reflect on.

“Oxford English Dictionary ‘will not be printed again'”

“The next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, the world’s most definitive work on the language, will never be printed because of the impact of the internet on book sales.”

An excerpt from ‘Telegraph.co.uk’. See the full article here.


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December 16, 2011

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