“The Almanac - Oct. 20 - Post Chronicle” plus 4 more |
- The Almanac - Oct. 20 - Post Chronicle
- Oxford’s Atlas of the World : A Treasure Trove of Global Information - Wired News
- Jardine: Typhoon just the beginning - Modesto Bee
- From the Editor : - Cricket365.com
- Charter schools big issue in school board race - The Almanac Online
| The Almanac - Oct. 20 - Post Chronicle Posted: 20 Oct 2009 05:29 AM PDT Today is Tuesday, Oct. 20, the 293rd day of 2009 with 72 to follow. The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn. The evening stars are Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus. Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include English astronomer and architect Christopher Wren in 1632; French poet Arthur Rimbaud in 1854; James Robert Mann, Illinois congressman and author of the "White Slave Traffic Act," also known as the "Mann Act," in 1856; educator John Dewey in 1859; composer Charles Ives in 1874; actor Bela Lugosi ("Dracula") in 1882; singer/pianist/composer Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton in 1890; mystery writer Ellery Queen (Frederic Dannay) in 1905; TV personality Arlene Francis in 1907; country singer Grandpa (Louis Marshall) Jones in 1913; actor Herschel Bernardi in 1923; humorist Art Buchwald in 1925; former New York Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle in 1931; actors William Christopher ("M*A*S*H") in 1932 (age 77), Jerry Orbach in 1935 and Viggo Mortensen in 1958 (age 51); and rock singer Tom Petty in 1950 (age 59). On this date in history: In 1818, the United States and Britain agreed to establish the 49th parallel as the official boundary between the United States and Canada. In 1918, Germany accepted U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's terms to end World War I. In 1944, U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur kept his promise to return to the Philippines Islands when he landed with U.S. forces during World War II. In 1947, the U.S. House of Representatives Un-American Activities Committee opened public hearings into communist influence in Hollywood. In 1982, the world's worst soccer disaster occurred in Moscow when 340 fans were crushed to death in an open staircase during a game between Soviet and Dutch players. In 1990, the rap group 2 Live Crew was acquitted in Miami of obscenity charges arising from a performance of selections from the album "As Nasty As They Wanna Be." In 1992, one of Europe's leading environmentalists, Germany's Greens Party founder Petra Kelly, was found shot to death by her companion, Gert Bastian, who then committed suicide. In 1994, Hollywood heavyweight Burt Lancaster died at the age of 80. In 2000, a former U.S. Army sergeant pleaded guilty to joining in a terrorist plot against the United States, linking Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden to the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2003, The London Mirror said that British Princess Diana claimed there was a plot to kill her in a car crash in a handwritten letter 10 months before she died in an auto accident. In 2004, Margaret Hassan, chief of operations for the British CARE charity, was kidnapped on her way to work in Iraq by unknown armed militants. CARE suspended its work in Iraq soon after. Also in 2004, retired Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was sworn in as Indonesia's sixth president after winning the country's first direct elections for head of state. In 2005, former U.S. House of Representatives Republican leader Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, was booked in Houston after his indictment on conspiracy and money laundering charges. He was freed on $10,000 bond. Also in 2005, Pakistan set the official death toll of the Oct. 8 quake at 47,000 but various aid officials claim it was closer to 80,000. Three million people were reported without shelter as winter approached the Himalayan region. In 2007, Afghan President Hamid Karzai asked Iran, Pakistan and Turkey and several, smaller Central Asian states for help in fighting terrorism in the region. In 2008, U.S. auto giants Chrysler and General Motors were reported looking for government help in financing a merger. Details remained under wraps but sources said such a company would command 36 percent of the U.S. auto market. A thought for the day: American Red Cross founder Clara Barton said, "The surest test of discipline is its absence." (c) UPI This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Oxford’s Atlas of the World : A Treasure Trove of Global Information - Wired News Posted: 20 Oct 2009 06:19 AM PDT  (Image: Oxford University Press) You might be surprised by how much the world can change in one year. Elections are held, wars are waged over new country borders and millions of people are born and die each year. With the Oxford University Press's Atlas of the World, put out annually, you are always getting the most up-to-date information. The 16th edition, which I recently received to review, came out this month. Atlas of the World is the only world atlas that is updated annually. It contains not only maps of the entire world, both large and small, but it also contains a staggering number of details and facts. While this atlas is still a decent size, it is lighter and slightly smaller than some other current world atlases. This isn't a bad thing, since Atlas of the World is still large enough for plenty of detail, but it is actually small enough to comfortably use. Other atlases are so large and heavy that you may find that you're making excuses to not pick them up. A walk-through of the book starts with the front cover. As an upgrade over last year's hardback and paper dust jacket arrangement, this year there is a new "paper-over-board matte cover." This is an improvement, since the cover itself has the cover image, and there is no dust jacket to tear. It also is easier to shelve. Inside the front and back covers, there is a key to the maps contained in the atlas, so you can quickly find what page to which you need to turn.  (Image: Oxford University Press) After a brief User Guide and table of contents comes some statistics such as country sizes, climates and populations, all made up-to-date for this new edition. Then comes plenty of gorgeous satellite imagery of cities, regions and interesting geologic spots. These images are updated for this year and include images such as Shanghai, New Zealand's Cook Straight and a completely new image of Tehran. Next up is an extensive Gazetteer of Nations, listing every country, their flag, where they are located on the globe and, for most, plenty of almanac-type information about the country. You could spend many hours here learning about countries you may never even have heard of! A large Introduction to Geography section follows, which is a mini book (with large pages) all by itself. It starts out covering the universe, then our solar system, seasons, geology and land forms, oceans, atmosphere, climate and climate change, physical geology, population, cities, the human family, conflict and cooperation, food production, energy, minerals, employment and industry, trade, health, wealth and standards of living. It compares data from countries and regions all over the world. The next section has street maps of a large number of major cities all over the world. It is particularly interesting to me to see how different cities are laid out. Ancient versus modern, west versus east. Which ones have ring roads? Which ones have meandering streets downtown? Now, we've finally arrived at the part most people think of when they think of a world atlas: the maps. First are maps of the world as a whole, along with the arctic, Antarctica, and a few islands. Then the sections are broken down by continent. Each of the other six continents is first detailed in a satellite image, and then in a physical map and political map. The smaller maps that follow combine physical and political components, and break the planet down into smaller chunks. These are the maps that I like to peruse at length. A short geological glossary comes next, followed by the lengthy index. As with most world atlases I have seen, this book is full of useful and fascinating information. It is a great reference for school, for satisfying your curiosity or for settling bets with friends. It sets itself apart from other world atlases by two things, however: First, this atlas is updated every year, so you can count on the information in the newest edition being as recent as possible. Second, there is gorgeous satellite imagery throughout the book. It often makes the world feel small to me, and reminds us that we're all on the planet together. Wired: Up-to-date information, satellite imagery, complete Gazetteer of Nations. Tired: It's not very portable (I had to really reach for this one). This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Jardine: Typhoon just the beginning - Modesto Bee Posted: 20 Oct 2009 04:32 AM PDT Between sensors floating in the ocean and satellites that record the data, they can predict whether we can expect heavy, wet winters or dry spells. In other words, they can give the Farmer's Almanac a run for its money. The folks at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been trying for years to get the public to take them seriously and to prepare for rough winters when they tell you to. Maybe now ... . In the summer of 1997, Dr. Ants Leetmaa of NOAA's climate prediction center predicted a heavy 1997-98 rainfall year because of the El Niño effect. El Niño occurs when water temperatures in areas of the Pacific are significantly higher than in non-El Niño years. El Niños happen about every two to five years, and the warming usually lasts about a year. I happened to be on assignment in Washington, D.C., in February 1998 when his prediction became a reality. Leetmaa wasn't really gloating when he spoke at a news conference. It only seemed that way. "Clearly, we can't stop it from happening," he said. "But we can warn people. The state and federal governments went to great lengths to warn people. Fortunately for my career, but unfortunately for California, the predictions were correct." And boy, were they. That February, Modesto received 8.9 inches of rain, a record for any month of the year. Seasonal rainfall in Modesto reached 17.80 inches, which was more than double the seasonal average at that time of year. Swollen creeks in the Southern San Joaquin Valley flooded, briefly closing 45 miles of Highway 99. Residents of southwest Merced, who had lived in their neighborhoods for 40 years without experiencing flooding, were flooded out several times that year. Just when it seemed the weather would ease after a springlike April, huge storms hit in May, bringing more record rainfall and even a tornado. And in June — June, mind you — Bear Valley still had 4 feet of snow coating the meadow along Highway 4. This past July, NOAA announced that El Niño is back, and with it a potentially volatile winter of 2009-10. Last week's storm, it seems, could have been the exhibition season. So the next time the experts predict a long, wet winter, believe 'em. BEEN THERE BEFORE — Modesto Board of Education incumbent Cindy Marks is no stranger to controversy around election time. Earlier this month, she received a letter signed by Board President Steve Grenbeaux and Vice President Kim Spina in which they accused her of violating the board's Governance Team Handbook, which requires that any communication from board members to staff funnel through Superintendent Arturo Flores. Marks claims she's the victim of a politically motivated action, since Grenbeaux made the letter public while she is campaigning for re-election. If not for a Superior Court judge in 2005, though, Marks wouldn't be on the board to be rebuked. She and another former incumbent, Robin Brown, missed the Aug. 12 filing deadline — the drop- dead date for a race with incumbents. They claimed they had been told they had until Aug. 17, the filing date for races with no incumbents. The city clerk said the information was clearly spelled out in each candidate's packet. Marks and Brown went to court (Aug. 26, 2005), and Judge William Mayhew gave them until 3 p.m. that day to file. There were three open seats that year. Longtime board member Kate Nyegaard chose not to seek another term. In November, Marks retained her seat. Brown did not, finishing behind challengers Steve Collins and Belinda Rolicheck. A SAD NOTE — In July, I wrote about little Christina Vega, a Modesto baby born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, meaning the left side of her heart was underdeveloped. Missing a ventricle, her heart couldn't pump enough blood to supply the oxygen her body needed. She was given only months to live, but survived to enjoy her first birthday — and only birthday party — July 11 with 70 friends and relatives attending. Christina died Saturday at University of California at San Francisco Medical Center. The family incurred numerous expenses in traveling to and from Modesto to be with her throughout her short life. The Terry Reynolds in Trust for Christina M. Vega fund remains open. Contributions can be made through any Bank of America branch. Jeff Jardine's column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in Local News. He can be reached at 578-2383 or jjardine@modbee.com This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| From the Editor : - Cricket365.com Posted: 20 Oct 2009 04:03 AM PDT From the Editor :After two weeks of swashbuckling action we're down to the final four of the Champions League. Two Australian teams, one South African outfit and the men from Trinidad and Tobago make up the semi-final line-up which is probably not the outcome most people would have expected but it does pose some interesting questions.
The IPL teams lacked the cohesion demonstrated by a number of the state and provincial teams with the islanders from the Caribbean showing more team spirit than the two Indian franchises combined.
The English duo of Somerset and Sussex were largely unimpressive. The Sharks who have dominated the limited-overs scene this season but one has to ask how poor the rest of the county teams are if this was the best of the bunch?
And what of the tournament itself? It certainly lacks the six-week overkill that is the IPL but would you rather have the 50 over Champions Trophy or the 20 over Champions League?
But as we head to the business end of the competition perhaps the most pertinent of questions is who is your money on to take the title?
Having resigned last week in a storm of controversy the Pakistan Cricket Board are hoping to convince Younus Khan to reconsider his decision to relinquish the captaincy reigns. The jovial batsman seems disheartened with the constant controversy surrounding the team but will loyalty sway his decision?
That'll do us for now. Get bantering and we will stick your pearls of (mostly) wisdom up as soon as possible.
Cheers,
The C365 Team This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Charter schools big issue in school board race - The Almanac Online Posted: 20 Oct 2009 12:14 AM PDT Click on pictures to enlarge and view captions. |
By Dave Boyce In the election for two open seats on the board of the Sequoia Union High School District, the phrase charter school is conspicuously absent from the stated priorities of the six active candidates -- those who give interviews and campaign -- among the eight officially running. The candidates note the importance of living with tighter and more transparent district budgets, of lowering the dropout rate, and of narrowing the academic achievement gap. But the issue of charter schools remains a very significant factor in this election. For more than a year, Sequoia district officials ran a high-profile campaign to stop the founders of the popular Summit Preparatory Charter High School from creating a sister school, Everest Public High School, which opened in August. Among the district's claims: a new charter would draw away needed funds during hard times, and Everest would serve an elite group of self-selected families and not the full spectrum of district students. Everest founders have sued the district over an allegedly illegal offer of facilities in East Palo Alto. The two Redwood City schools were significantly over-subscribed for the 2009-10 school year, with Everest having 325 applicants and Summit Prep 500 for the 100 seats in each school that were filled by lottery in March, officials said. State records show that Summit's enrollment echoes the district's ethnic and academic diversity. The Sequoia district pays the charters about 60 percent of what it distributes per student to the comprehensive schools such as Menlo-Atherton and Woodside. The district gets to keep the remaining 40 percent and also saves on the hiring of teachers, but its fixed costs, such as building maintenance, do not change. Earlier this year, candidates Alan Sarver and Virginia Chang Kiraly traveled to Sacramento at the request of Sequoia district Superintendent Pat Gemma to argue against Everest's getting a charter from the state Board of Education. Mr. Sarver also spoke against Everest before the San Mateo County Board of Education, records show. (The state board unanimously granted Everest's charter in March 2009, following charter denials by majorities on the Sequoia board in September 2008, and on the county board in December 2008.) In interviews with The Almanac, Mr. Sarver and Ms. Chang Kiraly aligned themselves with the district's points on the economic impact and diversity of charter schools, but said that they don't oppose them in principle. "It's a tough (economic) time to be proliferating small schools," Mr. Sarver said. Does that statement imply an industrial-education model? "A certain amount of industrial outcome is necessary for getting value from the limited funding that's there," he replied. "I'm very appreciative of the dedication and quality and focus on education that Summit (Prep) and their personnel bring to it," Mr. Sarver added. "There is great educational vision and real purpose to what they do. It's a part of the huge diversity the district is responsible to manage." Ms. Chang Kiraly visited Summit Prep recently and told The Almanac that she was intrigued by merit-based pay for teachers, and said that charter schools' best practices should be shared. How would she respond to a proposal for another charter school, given the waiting lists for Summit Prep and Everest? "It's not as if the district isn't supporting charter schools," she said. "The question is how many more charter schools do we need." One issue for Ms. Chang Kiraly is the state law that blocks boards from weighing financial considerations when voting on a charter petition. "Do I want to see charter school law rewritten? I think that would not be a bad idea," she said. Mr. Sarver and Ms. Chang Kiraly said that Summit and Everest embody valuable lessons in terms of college preparation. Should they be elected, both said they would like to serve as bridges between the charter and comprehensive school communities. They have competition in the bridge-building department. Candidates Chris Thomsen and Bob Ferrando have talked of filling such roles, and both have students at Summit Prep. Mr. Thomsen also has a student at M-A and argued on Everest's behalf before the county board. In interviews, Mr. Thomsen and Mr. Ferrando suggested opening channels of communication through regular and frequent meetings that include the heads of Everest and Summit Prep and principals from the comprehensive high schools to discuss best practices and staff development. Asked how he would respond to a proposal for another charter school, Mr. Thomsen said he would look at ways the district could "emulate charter schools more effectively" and gauge the percentage of the district that "needs a small-school community to have successful learning." "Tactically, I think the district was not smart in opposing (Everest) because they should have seen it had too much going for it," he added. In response to a question on tight district budgets and the impact of charter schools, Mr. Ferrando, a budget officer for a Bay Area company, said he is mystified by statements such as the district "loses $2.5 million" in payments for 400 students at a school like Summit Prep. "Somebody needs to explain to me the math," he said. "They're saying that investment for that particular make up of the school isn't worth it. I would challenge that. ... If it's such a bad investment or a poor educational choice, I don't believe there would be that long of a waiting list." "The trustees may feel that it's not a great investment, but there are plenty of people who think it is," he said. "You know what? It's time to embrace (charter schools). The train has left the station." Candidate Nohema Fernandez blames both sides for the hostility in the charter-school conversation. It has her thinking about mediation and perhaps a specialized role for charters as magnet schools. She finds fault with the district for trying to force Everest into an East Palo Alto location, and with the state Board of Education for asserting itself on a local issue. Candidate Jacquie Wallace Greene said she would like to see charter schools competing with each other rather than with comprehensive schools.
Other issues Academic achievement is critical, even if it means spending down district reserves as necessary, she said. "If you don't really focus on the academics, then why are you a school district?" she asked. For Ms. Fernandez, a former professor in the arts at the University of California at Irvine, improving the graduation rate is a top priority. Citizens without diplomas are not invested in society, she noted. They need personal attention in high school to learn that success is possible. "When students feel they can achieve, they do achieve," she said. A transparent budget is critical, she said; anyone should be able to understand the revenues and expenses "very thoroughly." Mr. Thomsen, who said he's worked with budgets for 30 years, said he, too, would like a budget that presents schools and programs for analysis. In an interview with The Almanac, Mr. Thomsen said Mr. Gemma told him the district office had absorbed $1.8 million of $2.5 million in recent cuts. Mr. Thomsen said he then asked Mr. Gemma what percentage of the budget is represented by district administration. "He told me he couldn't answer that," Mr. Thomsen said. "That was astonishing to me." Mr. Gemma did not respond to a request for comment. Asked for his opinion on how the Sequoia district is being run, Mr. Ferrando said he is dissatisfied with the roll-out of the Career Technical Education program. While not everyone will go to college, everyone should be prepared for it, he said. Seniors intent on a career in a trade may rethink it once they're out there working, or looking for work. "If you're not prepared to go into college, you're pretty much stuck where you are," Mr. Ferrando said, and noted that if you are prepared for college, you'll also do better at a trade. "The key is the opportunity to go to college," he added. "I don't see a down side." Ms. Chang Kiraly, to help the district with its finances, said she would look at raising rental fees for school fields, and would ask foundations at the comprehensive schools to share their best fundraising practices with each other. "How do we capitalize on bringing funds in with the help of our distinguished alums," she asked. Ms. Chang Kiraly said she agrees with Trustee Sally Stewart and Mr. Thomsen on the need for a transparent budget. Alan Sarver agrees, in principle. "Budget transparency is one of the things you want to be driving toward at all times," he said. But the Sequoia district is doing well enough in terms of its reserves and ability to be flexible, he said. "To the extent that obscure budgets have had that goal in mind and have been driving toward it," he said, "I'm not eager to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I don't want to turn (the budget) upside down and shake it." This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Almanacs - Bing News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment