Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Wireless ear buds

https://www.cnet.com/products/alpha-skybuds/review/

Fwd: Apply now for EPLC's 2017-18 Education Policy Fellowship Program!



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: EPLC / Ron Cowell <cowell@eplc.org>
Subject: Apply now for EPLC's 2017-18 Education Policy Fellowship Program!


Apply Now for EPLC's 2017-2018 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program!

Applications are available now for the 2017-2018 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).  The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). Click here for the program calendar of sessions.

With more than 500 graduates in its first eighteen years, this Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders.  State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants.

Past participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and principals, school business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education and community leaders. Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization.

The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 14-15, 2017 and continues to graduation in June 2018.


Click here to read more about the Education Policy Fellowship Program, or here to see the 2017-2018 program calendar.
  
The application may be copied from the EPLC web site, but must be submitted by mail or scanned and e-mailed, with the necessary signatures of applicant and sponsor.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the Fellowship Program and its requirements, please contact EPLC President Ron Cowell at 717-260-9900 or cowell@eplc.org.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Fwd: New USCG Approved eLifeguard.com(R) Life Vests! Free Shipping! Order Today!

---------- Forwarded message ----------



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Saturday, May 27, 2017

Blah, blah, blah...

Mark Rauterkus Perhaps my posting sustains the conversation. "Let them do the talking" comment attacks me, and the irony and your message and the reality of my freedom-based principals and ballot-based deeds is noted, Jagoff.

Fwd: Very concerning. Trump needs a good war and Pence is waiting in the wings to lead it.

https://youtu.be/09di2xWG_1s

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H
Subject: Very concerning

Watch this!  Real New Network interview with Larry Wilkerson.


John

Raspberry Pi and LiveCode

From a public list and a message from Richard Gaskin:

Subject: Raspberry Pi help needed soon

 From this morning's news:

   Raspberry Pi is merging with a coding foundation
   Together, Raspberry Pi and CoderDojo hope to reach 185,000 young
   people in more than 100 countries all over the planet.
<https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/26/raspberry-pi-coderdojo-merge/>

This is a great move for both orgs and their audiences, but implies a
risk for LiveCode platform adoption in further consolidation of
entrenched support for Scratch and Python.

This suggests that the sooner we can get an updated functional build of
LiveCode for Raspberry Pi, the better for both our beloved platform and
RPi users everywhere who currently have to struggle with the gap between
Scratch and Python.

A LC user on the Glitter channel mentioned working on a new build of LC
v9 for RPi, but requests for more info have not met with a reply.

We have a forum set up for coordinating these efforts but the two people
there who've expressed an interest in setting up a build system have run
into snags with compilation, and support from the LC core dev team has
not yet materialized:
http://forums.livecode.com/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=27912

If any of you know your way around a compiler and may be able to lend a
hand, it would be very valuable for the LiveCode platform to be able to
run well on Raspberry Pi as soon as practical.

--
  Richard Gaskin
  LiveCode Community Liaison

Friday, May 26, 2017

Fwd: It's not gonna be OK!

--------- Forwarded message
From: John H

In this excellent essay Paul Street offers the best analysis I have yet come across concerning the aftermath of the election of Donald Trump and the attitudes and operations of the Democratic Party which led directly to his victory.  In this, Street does not pull any punches.  In particular he calls out the managerial/professional class of Democratic Party liberals for their studied disdain for working class Americans.  Street also provides a cogent explanation for why it will be particularly difficult for the Democratic Party to recover from years of dissing the lifestyles and values of many working class Americans.  It is a worthwhile read for the Memorial Day Weekend.

Fwd: Mark Rylance Comes to Homestead!


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John

Come one, come all, see Mark Rylance and friends in Homestead!  Should you not know who Mark Rylance is:  British-born and American raised, Mark Rylance is the world's foremost Shakespearian actor.  He was the artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London from 1995 to 2005.  His lengthy stage credits include two best actor Oliver awards in Britain and three Tony Awards for best actor on Broadway.  In 2016, Rylance won the Academy Award and the BAFTA for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Rudolph Able in Stephen Spielberg's Bridge of Spies.  In 2015, Rylance appeared on TV as Thomas Cromwell in the BBC miniseries Wolf Hall, for which he received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations . . . and more.  You don't want to miss this opportunity.  Tickets now available:  $20 to $50.

 

John

 

 

 

July 6, 2017, at the Homestead Carnegie Music Hall

 

 

MARK RYLANCE & FRIENDS:  SHAKESPEARE and THE 1892 BATTLE OF HOMESTEAD

Actor-activist--playwright Mark Rylance comes back to Pittsburgh to perform some of his favorite speeches from Shakespeare, as well as revisiting resonant words, characters, songs and situations leading up to the 1892 battle, joining with his co-writer Peter Reder, local actors and musicians.
 

 

 

Join the Battle of Homestead Foundation on this important day, July 6, 2017, as we commemorate the Battle that took place 125 years ago at the Historic Pump House, on the shores of the Monongahela River.

 

Click on the Link Below:

 

 

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 30 7:00 PM. MEET. GREET. COMMEMORATE. WITH ACTOR-ACTIVIST-PLAYWRIGHT MARK RYLANCE.

The Meet. Greet. Commemorate event with Rylance as guest of honor, features light fare, drinks, and music led by local musician Jason Kendall at the historic Bost Building (the 1892 workers' union headquarters), 623 East Avenue, Munhall, PA 15120. Rylance will meet guests, who can also tour the steelmaking exhibits and artifacts at the Bost. Silent Auction and ticket revenues go to the non-profit Battle of Homestead Foundation, to continue to preserve and share this dramatic history with future generations and bring interested visitors to this area.
TICKETS: $150. Click Here

 

 

 

Copyright © 2017 Battle of Homestead Foundation, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from the Battle of Homestead Foundation.

Our mailing address is:

Battle of Homestead Foundation

P.O. Box 339

Homestead, PA 15120


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Thursday, May 25, 2017

Public Feedback Desired for PPS School Improvement Plans -- via PPS Press Release

For Immediate Release Contact: Ebony Pugh 412-529-3616



Public Invited to Provide Comment on School Improvement Plans for 2017-18 School Year

Revised School Improvement Plans Outline Goals and Strategies for 16 Schools


Pittsburgh PA, May 22, 2017- The public is invited to provide comment on the revised school improvement plans of sixteen schools. All District schools, except for Pittsburgh Colfax and Pittsburgh CAPA are Title I schools. Title I schools may be designated as Reward: High Achievement (Top 5% in State), Reward: High Progress (Top 5% Growth), Focus (Lowest 10% State), Priority (Lowest 5% State) or no designation based on 2016 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and/or Keystone exam results. Focus and Priority schools must revise and submit a school improvement plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by June 30, 2017.

Revised School Improvement Plans Outline Strategies for 16 Schools

Eleven schools received a Focus designation: Pittsburgh Arlington PreK-8, Pittsburgh Arsenal PreK-5,Pittsburgh Carrick High School, Pittsburgh Langley K-8, Pittsburgh Lincoln PreK-5, Pittsburgh Miller Prek-5, Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12, Pittsburgh Montessori PreK-5, Pittsburgh Morrow PreK-7, Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5 and Pittsburgh Woolslair PreK-5. Five of the District’s schools awarded a School Improvement Grant – Pittsburgh Brashear High School, Pittsburgh Faison K-8, Pittsburgh King PreK-8, Pittsburgh Perry High School and Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12 - received the automatic Priority designation.

For more information about Title I Designations visit http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/Page/4110 .

School improvement plans for the District’s Focus and Priority schools outline goals and strategies that will be implemented during the 2017-18 school year. Prior to submission of the plans, the school plans will be available on the District’s website for a public review and comment period until June 21, 2017. All stakeholders are encouraged to review the proposed plans and submit feedback by completing a survey available online at http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/SIPlans. Parents may also email their school’s principal.

Comments may also be submitted by:

• Submitting an e-mail to title1@pghboe.net;

• Signing up to speak at the June 20th Board Public Hearing

• Submitting comments via U.S. Mail to:

School District of Pittsburgh
Attention: Title Programs Office
341 S. Bellefield Avenue, Room 436
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

STEM and Educational insights - Groundhog Day

---------- Forwarded message
From: John H

I have been reading a particularly interesting book, The Battle for Homestead – 1880-1892: Politics, Culture and Steel, which documents enormous similarities between the Robber Baron era of the 1890s and the Neoliberal era of today. Many of these are highly disconcerting, but one, in particular, took my breath away:

In 1892, on the opening his first library in the United States in Braddock, Pennsylvania, Andrew Carnegie “elaborated on the moral, and indeed the very ethic of his library: ‘Useful knowledge’ did not embrace classical learning, what we today call the liberal arts. Rather, the ‘new idea of education’ was to concentrate, as the new library most assuredly would, on the study of business and science alone.” *
Can everyone, in unison, chant “teaching STEM.” This, of course, goes hand-in-hand with downplaying and ignoring the liberal arts. The idea then, just as it is today, was to create a culture of compliant skilled workers who would readily follow orders without questioning the rationale or the authority of leaders. In other words, educated drones, capable laborers never encouraged to think for themselves. To the extent that this succeeds we will all be the worse for it. I don’t for a minute suggest that we do not teach STEM courses, but that we should never give up teaching HISTORY, SOCIAL SCIENCES, CLASSICAL LITERATURE, ART and MUSIC.

Betsy DeVos, for all I am concerned, can go straight to HELL for what she and the Trump Administration are attempting to do to education. And, never forget, the move toward vouchers and private charter schools started in the Bill Clinton administration and has been supported by mainstream Democrats since then – it’s not just the Republicans! But without a good understanding of history; without the learned ability to think for one’s self which comes, one hopes, from a good liberal arts education, any hope for the continuation of a free republic are doomed.

The Great Depression stopped the Robber Barons for a while, will it take another such calamity, or worse, to stop the neoliberal robber barons of the 21st century?

* The Battle for Homestead – 1880-1892: Politics, Culture and Steel, Paul Krause, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1992, p.232.


John

Fwd: FW: PAA Benefit


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H

Workers at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association (PAA) have had their pensions stolen , their health care illegally cut, their paychecks bounced, and they even had union dues deducted that was never remitted to the unions. These workers have retained legal assistance to try and recoup their stolen wages and benefits. Please join us for an afternoon of acoustic music and poetry by PA's most renowned poet, Sam Hazo. Show your solidarity to these workers, they have been abandoned, and need our support.

John



Monday, May 22, 2017

Fwd: Telling it like it is . . .


John H wrote:

Chris Hedges has just come up with perhaps the best analogy to the situation in the United States today . . . and it's not encouraging.


John


Link to article:


Moody and Associates, Inc. Opportunity


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Dave Johnson" <dave@johnsonjobs.com>

Hi,
I have an opening for a Water Sampling Technician (Entry-Level) with Moody and Associates, Inc. in Houston, PA that I thought may interest you. If you'd like to proceed or learn more about this opportunity please follow the link below:
Moody and Associates, Inc.
  • Moody is seeking an entry-level Water Sampling Technician for our branch office in Houston, PA.
  • Primary responsibilities consist of collecting surface water flow data and data entry.
  • This position requires extensive physical activity and navigating rough, uneven terrain.
  • Field work is conducted throughout the year and includes working in a variety of weather conditions.
  • Candidates must be able and willing to work independently in the field in outdoors and rural areas.
Thanks for taking your time with this. If you feel this would be a better fit for someone you know please pass this message along.

Regards,


Dave Johnson
1112 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403


Saturday, May 20, 2017

Welcome to the real world

Fwd: How to adapt your running pace on hills and in headwinds (real numbers!)


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Mikael Eriksson" <mikael@scientifictriathlon.com>
Date: May 20, 2017 12:31 AM
Subject: How to adapt your running pace on hills and in headwinds (real numbers!)


I recently came across some very interesting findings that I wanted to share with you:

How running uphill and into headwinds affects the energy cost of running (ECOR). And more importantly, what does that mean for running pace.

What is the ideal pace change when some nasty race director puts a hill or a headwind in your way?

The data I'm about to share comes from white papers (here and here) published by Hans van Dijk and Ron van Megen. Hans is a scientist and retired professor from the Delft University of Technology and Ron is an engineer.

The pair has authored the book "The Secret of Running" which I just ordered and can't wait to sink my teeth into.

Running hills:

  • The (theoretical) energy cost of running increases by 4.5% per percent grade of the hill your running up.

  • This means that if your pace on flat ground is 5:00 / km (8 minute mile pace), and you come to a 3% hill (which isn't steep at all), your pace should become 5:41 / km (9:08 mile-pace). The math is (1 + 0.045 x 3) x 300 s/km = 341 s/km = 5:41 / km.

  • Hans and Ron tested the theoretical model in practice (see the white paper). They used the Stryd running power meter and could confirm these results. 

Running into headwinds

  • With wind the theoretical model gets much more complicated. The energy cost of running increases as the square of your running velocity plus the wind velocity. And what's more, the power required to overcome air resistance itself changes. See the white paper for more details. 

  • But as a practical application example, say you're running at 3:58 pace (6:23 mile-pace) in still conditions. And then you turn into a 15 km/h headwind (~9 mph). Your pace now should become 4:24 (or 7:04 mile pace). If you turn into a tailwind, you can increase your pace to 3:48 (6:06 pace) at the same energy cost of running (and same power). 

  • Again, Hans and Ron tested this in practice. In this case though, we need more testing to verify how accurate the model is. At the moment, running power meters don't take winds into account when calculating running power. At least Stryd doesn't, but they're working on it.

Wrap up

My guess is that although you decrease your running pace on hills and in headwinds, the changes you make are not this dramatic. I know that's the case for me at least. (Which is one of the reasons why I finally caved and ordered a Stryd unit for myself...)

My challenge to you is to try and think about these things on your next run. Slow down properly on hills and in headwinds. Try it out for size and see how it feels. Does it affect the overall quality of your run?

Now over to you, let me know how it goes!

Train smart,
Mikael

PS.
Have you been staying on top of recent podcast episodes? Since my last email, the new episodes that have been released are listed below. You can listen to them or just read the shownotes here.

  • Open water swimming: training and racing tips with coach Brenton Ford | EP#18
  • Improve your triathlon running and give duathlons a go with Eric Schwartz | EP#19
  • Masters Athletes: How to minimize performance declines for the aging triathlete | EP#20
  • Mission "Grow Triathlon" with USAT president Barry Siff | EP#21
  • Performance nutrition for triathletes with Steph Saullo | EP#22
  • Run like sub-4 minute miler and pro triathlete Sean Jefferson | EP#23

And this coming week we have a couple of really great episodes coming out (aerodynamics and free speed on the bike with Nuno Prazeres, high-performance coaching with elite coach and USAT coach of the year 2016 Paulo Sousa), so do subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast player app (I recommend Pocket Casts for Android users).  


Kylatie, 10 A 1, 00320 Helsinki, Finland

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Fwd: The 'Big Guns' are out against Trump


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H
Jim Kavanagh, The Polemicist, one of the prescient bloggers around strikes once again with a post describing how the party bosses of both major parties (as well as their Israeli masters) are now leaving no stone unturned to somehow shove the Trumpster into the dumpster.  This will, of course, be a welcome relief to many of us should it occur; but it sets a very bad precedent because much of the push for this is apparently coming from the 'deep state' intelligence sector.  The rest of us will simply have to get used to saying President Pence; and it's not at all clear, to me at least, that this will be much of an improvement.


John

Article: