-Ah Wikipedia, it’s the first thing up when you Google something, it contains more than 17 million articles, and has more than 365 million readers. Almost every kid in America has seen its white pages at least once in their lives. Wikipedia even has its sister sites that range from anything that focuses from video games to military secrets. But in schools Wikipedia and all of its sister sites are shunned, exiled, and segregated from the other articles on the internet. Teachers, or at least some of them, believe that Wikipedia will contain false information. And they don’t want anything Wikipedia-related in a student’s work. But just how reliable is Wikipedia?"
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Eagle gives insights into Wikipedia and some kid named Donovan
The Eagle: "Wikipedia Ain’t So Bad, and Yes, I’m a Geek
-Ah Wikipedia, it’s the first thing up when you Google something, it contains more than 17 million articles, and has more than 365 million readers. Almost every kid in America has seen its white pages at least once in their lives. Wikipedia even has its sister sites that range from anything that focuses from video games to military secrets. But in schools Wikipedia and all of its sister sites are shunned, exiled, and segregated from the other articles on the internet. Teachers, or at least some of them, believe that Wikipedia will contain false information. And they don’t want anything Wikipedia-related in a student’s work. But just how reliable is Wikipedia?"
-Ah Wikipedia, it’s the first thing up when you Google something, it contains more than 17 million articles, and has more than 365 million readers. Almost every kid in America has seen its white pages at least once in their lives. Wikipedia even has its sister sites that range from anything that focuses from video games to military secrets. But in schools Wikipedia and all of its sister sites are shunned, exiled, and segregated from the other articles on the internet. Teachers, or at least some of them, believe that Wikipedia will contain false information. And they don’t want anything Wikipedia-related in a student’s work. But just how reliable is Wikipedia?"
Chuck Tanner: The Last World Series Manager That Mattered
Yesterday, Major League Baseball lost a unique player, marvelous manager, and an incredible man.
Rest in Peace Charles William Tanner.
Welcomed to this world in New Castle, PA on the 4th of July in 1928, Chuck Tanner was born to be a baseball man. A left-handed and hitting left-fielder, Chuck Tanner recorded a unique feat. On April 12, 1955, in his first at-bat for the Braves, Chuck Tanner laced a home run in Milwaukee. It was a statistic that would be remembered countless times, and duly so.
After a journeyman career, Tanner transitioned to a managerial career, starting in 1963 in the minor leagues. In 1970 his Major League Managerial career began with the Chicago White Sox. He piloted that team for five years before being fired. He immediately was hired by Oakland in 1976. His team recorded a ML record 341 stolen bases that year but Chuck didn't impress.
In another one of the most unique twists in Major League history, Chuck Tanner—a manager—was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Two years later, Tanner's “We Are Family” Bucs, lead by Wilver Dornell Stargell, won the World Series when Omar Moreno snagged a rather routine fly-ball in Baltimore.
Baseball in Pittsburgh has not been the same since.
Tanner had his share of ups-and-downs in the remaining six seasons of his Pirates career. He was let go for young Jim Leyland and moved on to Atlanta for three more seasons. Tanner's major league managerial career was 1,352 and 1,381.
In the years since, Tanner had been a regular site at Three Rivers Stadium, and then PNC Park. Most recently, Tanner was a Senior Advisor to management. He could be seen leaving the ball park early, taller than you might expect, thin and always in a good mood.
As a kid, Chuck Tanner was seen exclusively as a good man and a fantastic motivator. When Phil Garner, then the manager of the Houston Astros, managed the National League All-Stars in the game at PNC, he chose Chuck to be a special guest coach. Tanner also threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
A couple of years ago, I'd see Chuck leave PNC Park. One day in particular I excitedly saw him talk with the ticket takers near the Home Plate Gate, as I worked Security just outside the gate. I was impressed that a “Big League” personality by any gauge, was talking to the part-time workers in red vests. I couldn't imagine Tony LaRussa or Lou Pinella (who also was traded once as a manager) talk to the riff-raff at the ball park.
Then Chuck Tanner came my way.
“Hello Mr. Tanner, how are you?”
“I'm good. How are you?”
Chuck stopped in his tracks.
I extended my hand and he shook it.
“Do you know what I refer to you as,” I asked.
He looked inquisitive and smiled.
I smiled broadly back to him.
“You are the manager of the last World Series team THAT MATTERED.”
With that, Chuck Tanner registered the words. And smiled ever more broadly.
As I remember, he reached out and put his left hand on my shoulder.
Chuck Tanner then laughed with me and said, “Thank you.”
It was a light-hearted moment between two guys who loved the Pittsburgh Pirates.
At that moment, Chuck Tanner treated me like a friend.
Just like he has countless other baseball fans. They too were his friends.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, one of the most storied teams in the history of all baseball, lost one of its most storied managers. A true leader. A Man. Rest in Peace Chuck Tanner. And thanks.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Murphy pushes bill to shield U.S. from China's currency
Over-reaching looks like this.
Murphy pushes bill to shield U.S. from China's currencyMurphy's meddling isn't what I want him to do.
After their efforts were rebuffed at the end of the last Congress, Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, reintroduced a bill Thursday targeting China for its allegedly undervalued currency.
Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/11042/1124607-84.stm#ixzz1Deq2l2rd
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Fw: [school-discuss] Open Source (and Open Data) bills in NH
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
From: Joel Kahn <jj2kk4@yahoo.com>
Sender: owner-schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:24:43 -0800 (PST)
To: <schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net>
ReplyTo: schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net
Subject: [school-discuss] Open Source (and Open Data) bills in NH
| I don't know how many of you are following the activities of Open Source for America, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to pass this along. Hopefully, it will at least provide more useful material for discussions--so spread the word. I'm wondering if this could somehow come up during the fight for the 2012 New Hampshire presidential primary.... :-) Joel --- On Thu, 2/10/11, Cohn, Seth <Seth.Cohn@leg.state.nh.us> wrote:
|
435 volunteers
Steve's idea makes sense:
With redistricting we will have 435 new US congressional districts by 2012.
How about creating a loose network of 435 non-partisan, non-aligned Facebook
Pages for each district?
Each page would be designed for people who live in the new district to
exchange views across the political spectrum.
My experience is that participation in each page will need to be built and
someone(s) needs to tend the garden so to speak to remove spam and really
abusive stuff IF you want sustained quality participation. (If you prefer
pitched battles among the most partisan 1% then run it on auto-pilot.)
So, why not have each page built as a student project with students from
different ideological perspectives working together to make it work and
learn how to facilitate and recruit online. Key is seeding discussions with
news and links of direct relevance to the district and local implications of
national policy.
Anyone want to take this idea and run with it? Contact us:
http://e-democracy.org/contact team@e-democracy.org
(P.S. There is actually an example of a virtual parlimentary constituency
discussion in Kenya like this. Why not in the U.S.?)
My mentor, Fletcher Gilders, talked about as a glory day flashback from Kenyon College
Fletcher was the best. I miss him greatly.
Kenyon Vaults Back ino Diving After a Decade of Rest - The Kenyon Collegian - Sports: "It wasn't until the mid-1980s that the diving program really came into its own. 'The diving team of the mid '80s up to the late '90s was better than any team in that time,' Steen said. The reason? The hiring of the 'best diving coach of all time,' according to Steen — Fletcher Gilders. Gilders, an NCAA Division I record-setting national champion for Ohio State University, was one of the most successful divers in collegiate history. He was so successful as a diver that his national record, set while at OSU, was not overturned until Greg Louganis came along. After a very successful and decorated career as the swimming and diving coach at Ohio University (developing three Olympic divers and winning eight Mid-American conference titles), he came to Gambier to coach the diving squad in 1985. During his 12 years coaching at Kenyon, Gilders produced three Division III champions and won three NCAA Division III Coach of the Year honors. Now deceased, he is remembered much fondness and respect.Fletcher retired -- but really, he died way too young. The guy was a lot like the recently departed Jack LaLane. Fletcher was shorter, fit like a bull, functional in his problem solving, and clever with his insights as to what movements to coach and what to ignore until later.
The diving team took a turn for the worse after Gilders' retirement. Without such a dedicated, consistent and 'high-caliber, absolutely adored' coach as Gilders, according to Steen, the program had since fallen into somewhat of a rut for the latter part of the '90s and into the 2000s."
Raja for Commissioner - Raja’s Story
Raja for Commissioner � Raja’s Story: "A first generation American, Raja was born in Bangalore, India, known as the “Silicon Valley of India.” After graduating from the region’s leading university with a degree in electrical engineering, he moved to Pittsburgh to attend graduate school earning a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA with Honors from Carnegie Mellon."
Allegheny Grows funds first-year projects in Wilkinsburg, Bellevue and Penn Hills
Hold the hoe!
Where is this field turned garden, exactly?
Allegheny Grows funds first-year projects in Wilkinsburg, Bellevue and Penn Hills: "Penn Hills officials are providing a water truck and leaf-mulch compost for a community garden on the site of a former municipal ballfield. The tract had been planted as a garden last year by a youth group. Produce grown through this year's effort will benefit up to three local food pantries."I love the garden efforts. But let's not take over any more ball fields.
Where is this field turned garden, exactly?
Voters Choice Act is introduced in PA again
For more information, please contact Bob Small (610-543-8427) or Ken Krawchuk (267-496-3332)
The Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (PBAC) is pleased to report that their Voters' Choice Act has been introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate as Senate Bill 21.
The prime sponsor of the Act, originally authored by the PBAC in 2005, is state Senator Mike Folmer (R-48) of Lebanon. According to Folmer, "Both the federal and state Constitutions begin with the same three words: 'We ThePeople.' In order to give the people a stronger voice in their state government, we need to eliminate barriers for candidates seeking office. No state makes it more difficult for third party and independent candidates to run for office than Pennsylvania. My 'Voters' Choice Act' significantly eases these restrictions. "The Act offers greater freedom of choice to Pennsylvania voters by making it much less difficult for independent and third party candidates to get their names on the November ballot.
Under current law, Democratic and Republican candidates are required to collect between 1,000 and 2,000 signatures to get their names on the statewide ballot, while all others must collect as many as 67,000 signatures in recent years. But under the Voters' Choice Act, independents and candidates of political bodies would need to collect the same number of signatures as the candidates of the two old parties, and once a third party registers 0.05% of the electorate as members of that party(approximately 4,200 voters), their candidates may be nominated according to the party's rules, and at the party's expense, without having to collect signatures.
Ken Krawchuk, a Libertarian member of the PBAC and two-time candidate for Pennsylvania governor, applauded Sen. Folmer's initiative. "Why should one candidate be forced to collect thirty-three times as many signatures as another?" Krawchuk asked. "The only thing the existing law does is stifle competition at the ballot box and prevent new ideas from being introduced into the political debate. In a land that's known for freedom, how can such a thing be fair?"
According to Carl Romanelli, a Green Party member of the PBAC, "Passage of the VCA will demonstrate that legislators are serious about reform and leveling the playing field. It is heartening to see support for this legislation among Greens, Libertarians, Constitutionalists, Reformers and independents. We are respectfully requesting all PA Senators of goodwill to lead this effort for Pennsylvania. "The PBAC encourages all citizens to contact their state senators and request that they co-sponsor the Voters' Choice Act, Senate Bill 21.
The Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition is a group of individuals and organizations committed to building better government in Pennsylvania. Formed shortly after the 2004 election cycle, the Coalition includes leading members of the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, the Constitution Party, the America First Party, the Reform Party, the Prohibition Party, the Socialist Party, the Unified Independent Party, the New American Independent Party, the Social Democrats USA, and the Ralph Nader campaign, among others. The purpose of the Coalition is to reform the restrictive Pennsylvania ballot access laws and bring them in line with the constitutional mandate that "Elections shall be free and equal."
More information about the Coalition and the Voters' Choice Act can be found at http://PaBallotAccess. org.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Better late than never - news - the-press | Stuff.co.nz
In sports news elsewhere, a promise is made -- broken -- and fixed. Sounds like the NFL and those 400 tickets to the Super Bowl -- but it isn't.
Better late than never - news - the-press | Stuff.co.nz
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Penguins, city discuss redevelopment
This is what lies look like.
Penguins, city discuss redevelopment
Penguins, city discuss redevelopment
"We understand and respect [the historic review] process," he said. "We think that waiting until that is done doesn't make a whole lot of sense in terms of" being ready to start development once a decision has been made.
Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/11039/1123834-53.stm#ixzz1DOSdUIHf
Monday, February 07, 2011
Our 30 Year Mistake
Our 30 Year Mistake
I hope that Egyptians are able to work toward a more free and just society. Unfortunately, much of the blame for the unrest in Egypt and the resulting instability in the region rests with US foreign policy over the past several decades. The US government has sent more than $60 billion to the Egyptian regime since the Camp David Accords in 1978 to purchase stability, including more security for the state of Israel. We see now the folly of our interventionist foreign policy: not only has that stability fallen to pieces with the current unrest, but the years of propping up the corrupt regime in Egypt has led the people to increase their resentment of both America and Israel! We are both worse off for decades of intervention into Egypt’s internal affairs. I wish I could say that we have learned our lesson and will no longer attempt to purchase – or rent – friends in the Middle East, but I am afraid that is being too optimistic. Already we see evidence that while the US historically propped up the Egyptian regime, we also provided assistance to groups opposed to the regime.
Game for learning? Not Monday morning in the Pittsburgh schools
Game for learning? Not Monday morning in the Pittsburgh schools
The Steelers and all our sports teams are hard workers, and sports teaches us that. But it is also a prime teacher of and platform for building relationships. We are Pittsburgh. We know Coach Tomlin. We feel for the players and the team and the organization and the city and the region and each other. This is a time to travel, to network, to be in community. And this time and these lessons are not presented every week nor every lifetime.
We take an extra two hours to insure that we value and invest the relationships of community.
Then there is one other reason. Those that work hard, rest hard. Recovery is part of the wellness factors. To study and learn in school, we have to be prepared.
The NFL gives the teams an extra week to prepare for the SuperBowl. We can provide an extra two hours to prepare for the Monday classroom. That's our time to shine and we want to be there -- ready to do the heavy lifting of learning.
I'm glad we had an extra two hours today. Next time, I'll ask for a two and a quarter hours -- just for good measure as I'm still running a tad late.
Go to school!
Steeler Nation, as we all know, is no nanny state. So why do Pittsburgh Public Schools students need a two-hour delay the morning after the Super Bowl?Sports are games of space, time and relationships.
The reason, the district said, is "for the safety of our students."
A spokeswoman said Thursday, "As you know, with the Super Bowl comes a lot of Super Bowl parties and such. We just feel it's best not to have our students out very early with people who have been up late." The people she was referring to were those "on the road who may be out early after having a very late night."
While some Pittsburghers have been known to celebrate a Super Bowl victory with excessive gusto, it's easier to imagine their recklessness in public between midnight and 2 a.m. than at 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. We can't help but wonder if the real reason for canceling the first two hours of class Monday is to give adults -- parents, teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, etc. -- more time to get on their game face for work. If so, for shame.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11036/1123120-192.stm?cmpid=news.xml#ixzz1DHfLfVcW
The Steelers and all our sports teams are hard workers, and sports teaches us that. But it is also a prime teacher of and platform for building relationships. We are Pittsburgh. We know Coach Tomlin. We feel for the players and the team and the organization and the city and the region and each other. This is a time to travel, to network, to be in community. And this time and these lessons are not presented every week nor every lifetime.
We take an extra two hours to insure that we value and invest the relationships of community.
Then there is one other reason. Those that work hard, rest hard. Recovery is part of the wellness factors. To study and learn in school, we have to be prepared.
The NFL gives the teams an extra week to prepare for the SuperBowl. We can provide an extra two hours to prepare for the Monday classroom. That's our time to shine and we want to be there -- ready to do the heavy lifting of learning.
I'm glad we had an extra two hours today. Next time, I'll ask for a two and a quarter hours -- just for good measure as I'm still running a tad late.
Go to school!
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Colin Delany's book on politics and use of the internet
Colin wrote:
I just put out a completely updated version of the Epolitics.com Online Politics 101 guide to using digital tools to, well, change the world! The new version (2.0) has 22 chapters covering the tools and tactics of online politics (including a new one on Twitter), and is rewritten from beginning to end to reflect the changes in online advocacy since 2008. Since initial publication in 2006, the earlier versions have been downloaded over 50,000 times and have been used as a roadmap by campaigns around the world. Best of all, it's free! More info:
Blog post with announcement and details
http://bit.ly/e1KhPr
Direct link to the PDF download page (the guide can also be browsed by
chapter on Epolitics.com)
http://bit.ly/fezMzb
Obviously, please help spread the word! Pass it along to anyone you think might benefit -- that's what it's here for. Oh, that and to give people a reason to buy me drinks.
Colin Delany
Epolitics.com -- dissecting the craft of online political advocacy
http://www.epolitics.com
cpd -at- epolitics -dot- com
http://www.twitter.com/epolitics
202-xxx-xxxx - cut by blogmaster.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Education Week: An Open Message to President Barack Obama
Education Week: An Open Message to President Barack Obama
President Obama, when you were elected in 2008, teachers, parents, and most of us with an abiding faith in the public school envisioned a new era of school support and renewal in accord with the hopes and promises engendered by your election campaign. Instead, the centerpiece of your education program so far, the Race to the Top, reinforces, expands, and intensifies the No Child Left Behind Act of President George W. Bush and the America 2000 manifesto of President George H.W. Bush—all of which have embraced nationalized high-stakes testing as the instrument of accountability imposed upon children and teachers.
Another challenger for Kraus
Another challenger for Kraus
The slate is getting crowded for Bruce Kraus's South Side City Council seat.
Kraus is already getting challenged for the Democratic nomination by SS Chamber of Commerce president Gavin Robb. Yesterday Democratic committeeman Jason Phillips joined the fray, saying in a statement that the "crux of his campaign focuses on our need to fix our roads, improve snow and ice removal from our secondary street, pick up garbage, demolish blighted homes, eradicate graffiti and most of all, provide Police, Fire and EMS services to our residents. Mr. Phillips invasions a City Council tenure where constituent services rank highly."
The Inflation Intifada: Hunger And Revolution In The Third World - Jerry Bowyer - The Great Relearning - Forbes
The Inflation Intifada: Hunger And Revolution In The Third World - Jerry Bowyer - The Great Relearning - Forbes
The point is that with economic power comes economic responsibility. With the status of economic super-power comes the burden of economic super-responsibility. The U.S. dollar, at least for now, is the reserve currency of the world. When we explicitly tinker with its value we implicitly tinker with the currency values of the world. When we force food into gas tanks, large swaths of the world starve. When western elites fiddle, the cities of the world burn with revolution.
Thinking about the Pittsburgh Promise
Wouldn't it be nice if the kids that graduate from Pittsburgh Public Schools (or Pgh Charter Schools I guess) that attend out-of-state universities for undergraduate education (and hence can't get Pittsburgh Promise funding) could:
+ Use the Pgh Promise for grad school (Medical, Law, Dental, etc.) within PA. Pay up to $10K per year to not exceed $40k.
+ Use Pgh Promise funds for home ownership of primary residence within the city if under the age of 30. Pay up to $10k per year and not to exceed $40k total.
I'd rather see the students that attend out-of-state schools get the same funding as those that attend in-state schools, but the above options mentioned above seem to push for the desired results and offer another level of 'gracious fairness' to the formula.
+ Use the Pgh Promise for grad school (Medical, Law, Dental, etc.) within PA. Pay up to $10K per year to not exceed $40k.
+ Use Pgh Promise funds for home ownership of primary residence within the city if under the age of 30. Pay up to $10k per year and not to exceed $40k total.
I'd rather see the students that attend out-of-state schools get the same funding as those that attend in-state schools, but the above options mentioned above seem to push for the desired results and offer another level of 'gracious fairness' to the formula.
Diocese to sports fans: Behave yourselves
Sportsmanship concerns: Diocese to sports fans: Behave yourselves
Meanwhile, in other sportsmanship news in Pittsburgh, we've got this action on the ice.Diocese to sports fans: Behave yourselves
Thursday, February 03, 2011
By Kaitlynn Riely, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Parents and coaches in the Pittsburgh diocese's 100 Catholic elementary schools received a letter recently warning that those who do not control their tempers would be banned from Catholic school sports.
The letter, written by Ronald T. Bowes, assistant superintendent for public policy and development and the athletic director with Pittsburgh Catholic Schools, was prompted by two recent though separate incidents in the diocese's Catholic school basketball league.
Without going into detail, Dr. Bowes' six-paragraph letter mentions "serious incidents" that involved "conduct unbecoming Catholic school students, coaches and parents."
In a phone interview Wednesday, Dr. Bowes declined to name the elementary schools involved but said that in both incidents one student accused another of using a derogatory term. The two incidents involved separate teams and separate players, and after the accusations were made, parents and fans yelled and argued.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11034/1122594-455.stm#ixzz1CuC6M62A
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