Davidson College, pomp and circumstance: “At Davidson as everywhere, time and people march on. A larger sense of purpose remains.”
Trustee and Search Committee Chair Kristin Hills Bradberry ’85 quoted a fellow Search Committee member on Quillen: “We saw Davidson fresh and anew through her eyes. She sees the good, the beautiful, the excellent in what we do. She makes us want to share her vision for the potential she sees in us, to be even better.”
At Davidson as everywhere, time and people march on. A larger sense of purpose remains.
via Daybook Davidson » Pomp and Circumstance: Time Marches On, And Sense of Purpose Remains Steadfast.
vacation traditions, kith/kin, empty nesters recipes, crab cakes: I am really jealous … store bought crab cakes from EarthFare are nothing like Joni’s, even if I cook them in butter … and she’s probably having some of the good ones at the beach without me … Oh, and Otis is just fine Molly says …
FPC, PW CIrcle 11, Community Culinary School of Charlotte: The Community Culinary School of Charlotte is a great place to gather a small group for a meal, learn about a wonderful ministry we have in Charlotte. I’ll be glad to go on any Thursday it is open. Any takers?
It’s a gourmet lunch. It’s a party. It’s a celebration of learning valuable culinary skills. It’s BISTRO!.
The Culinary School BISTRO! is held roughly every other Thursday at 1 p.m. while classes are in session. The dates of upcoming BISTRO!s are below.
Preparations for BISTRO! begin many days in advance as students learn culinary skills through preparing foods that will be served at BISTRO! In making everything from simple salads to complex sauces, students learn how to cook, how to present food appealing to the eye, how to make the most of the available food ingredients, how to organize a big event, how to work as a team.
via BISTRO! | Community Culinary School of Charlotte | 704-375-4500.
Col. Moammar Gaddafi, RIP, Arab Spring: Col. Moammar Gaddafi comes to a violent end.
For more than 40 years, Col. Moammar Gaddafi was the eccentric, unpredictable and brutal face of Libya, an oil-rich country that became an international pariah. Defiant to the last, he was killed Thursday in Sirte, his home town, eight months after he vowed to die rather than concede defeat to a popular uprising.
It was an ignominious end for Col. Gaddafi, who had managed in his waning years to rehabilitate himself in foreign eyes but then left even supporters appalled and sickened as he unleashed his army against his people in what proved to be a doomed effort to suppress this year’s revolution.
Deposed in August when rebel forces won control of the capital, he was killed in crossfire in Sirte, his loyalists’ last redoubt, after being dragged alive from a sewer culvert where he had taken refuge, said Mahmoud Jibril, the rebel leader who is Libya’s interim prime minister.
He became the first Arab ruler to be slain by his people in the transformative revolt that has come to be known as the Arab Spring, pitting thousands of citizen demonstrators against aging dictators and despots. His downfall followed the toppling of authoritarian rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, who were ousted before protesters took to the streets of eastern Libya in February.
Col. Gaddafi was thought to be 69, although his birth date was not known. At his death, he had been one of the world’s longest-serving rulers.
Many in the international community had long dismissed him as a clown for his quirky behavior. He traveled with an all-female praetorian guard and received guests in a Bedouin tent. But much of his reign was brutal.
via For longtime autocrat, a violent end – The Washington Post.
Condoleezza Rice, Muammar Gaddafi: “And I was very, very glad that we had disarmed him of his most dangerous weapons of mass destruction. There in his bunker, making his last stand, I have no doubt he would have used them.”
There were two reasons for this: one traditional and the other, well, a little disconcerting. Obviously, the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state since 1953 would be a major milestone on the country’s path to inter- national acceptability. But Qaddafi also had a slightly eerie fascination with me personally, asking visitors why his “African princess” wouldn’t visit him.
I decided to ignore the latter and dwell on the former to prepare for the trip. The arrangements were not easy, with all manner of Libyan demands, including that I meet the leader in his tent. Needless to say, I declined the invitation and met him in his formal residence.
…
The press was fascinated with my trip, and I sat down for an interview with CNN’s Zain Verjee (who often worked with producer Elise Labott on State Department coverage). Zain asked me about my personal impressions of Qaddafi. I remember that I came away from the visit realizing how much Qaddafi lives inside his own head, in a kind of alternate reality. As I watched events unfold in the spring and summer of 2011, I wondered if he even understood fully what was going on around him. And I was very, very glad that we had disarmed him of his most dangerous weapons of mass destruction. There in his bunker, making his last stand, I have no doubt he would have used them.
via Condoleezza Rice Met Muammar Gaddafi: Exclusive Excerpt of ‘No Higher Honor’ – The Daily Beast.
Muammar Gaddafi, the Top 15 Overthrown, lists: An ignomious list …
In reality, Gaddafi allowed only a small group — mostly members of his family — to participate in the governing of the country, which, thanks to its oil reserves (the ninth largest known in the world), had amassed enormous wealth. The riches allowed him to rule relatively unchecked until February 2011, when his people had had enough. Spurred by the Arab Spring that had successfully toppled the governments of Tunisia and Egypt, Libyans took to the streets. Gaddafi lashed back with unprecedented violence against his own people while at the same time telling members of the press, “All my people love me.” The resistance kept pushing forward, winning support from NATO forces, which began air strikes on March 19. On Aug. 22, after six months of fighting, the rebel forces claimed the capital city, Tripoli, as their own, formally ending Gaddafi’s regime. But until they captured the man himself, Libyans could not breathe a sigh of relief. That moment came Oct. 20, when Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril told a news conference, “We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Muammar Gaddafi has been killed.”
via Muammar Gaddafi – Top 15 Toppled Dictators – TIME.
40 Lipsticked Virgins, Moammar Gadhafi: Interesting story about Gadhafi’s bodyguards … old but interesting … another strange aspect of the Colonel.
About 40 lipsticked, bejeweled bodyguards surround the Libyan dictator at all times. They wear designer sunglasses and high heels with their military camouflage. But they’re purported to be trained killers — graduates of an elite military academy in Tripoli that’s solely for women.
Gadhafi established the Tripoli Women’s Military Academy in 1979 as a symbol of women’s emancipation. “I promised my mother to improve the situation of women in Libya,” he reportedly said at the time. His mother, a Bedouin tribeswoman born when Libya was an Italian colony, was illiterate.
…
The academy’s best students are dubbed “revolutionary nuns,” and they never marry and dedicate their lives to the idea of Gadhafi’s 1969 revolution. They’re banned from having sex and swear an oath to protect the Libyan leader until death, if need be. In 1998, a bodyguard named Aisha threw herself on top of Gadhafi when Islamic militants ambushed his motorcade. A barrage of bullets killed her and injured two others, but Gadhafi escaped unharmed.
So while Gadhafi’s all-female crew — and especially their photos — have been featured in many a tongue-in-cheek article in the Western press, they could actually prove powerful in protecting him. Foreign intelligence agents are likely trying already to stealthily chip away at the loyalty of Gadhafi’s elite inner circle. But while diplomats at the U.N. and even some of Gadhafi’s distant relatives have turned on him, there have been no reports of defections from Gadhafi’s all-female bodyguard clan — though the regime would likely try its best to squelch any such publicity.
via 40 Lipsticked Virgins: Moammar Gadhafi’s Best Bet for Survival.
I, Steve, books, quotes: In some ways he is like Ben Franklin … he could turn a great phrase.
On legacy:
Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” ~ The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993
An invaluable treasure trove of inspiration and insight, I, Steve captures the essence of one of our era’s greatest hearts, minds, and souls with the candor and precision only self-revelation can unlatch.
via I, Steve: Steve Jobs in His Own Words | Brain Pickings.
Meditating Selflessly: Practical Neural Zen, bookshelf: Just caught my attention.
“We are often presented with stimuli but remain unaware. Zen, which means meditation, allows humans to become mindful-attentively aware of reality. In his newest book, Meditating Selflessly: Practical Neural Zen, Dr. James Austin, one of the world’s outstanding neurologists, explains how the brain mediates these meditation activities and how these activities alter the brain. Using language that can be understood by all, Austin teaches the fortunate readers of this book about the biological basis of the important changes brought about by this ancient but still current process of enlightenment.”–Kenneth M. Heilman, M.D., James E. Rooks Jr. Distinguished Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine
via Amazon.com: Meditating Selflessly: Practical Neural Zen (9780262015875): James H. Austin: Books.
college, college costs: Good question … Why is college so expensive?
Here at ProfHacker, we’ve written before about the networking wonders and creative collaborations that can happen via online forums. We have written extensively about creating an online presence that is positive and professional. In online interactions, we meet people from different disciplines in various parts of the world, and we connect because we share interests and goals. With all the good, though, there can be a negative side to online activity. As positive and as good as online connections can be, it’s important to recognize that whatever we write online is for public consumption, that what we write is a part of our larger online persona, that we are not simply chatting with friends and family when we post.
Unfortunately, fatigue and stress can allow us—as professional educators—to become a little lax in our online practices, particularly when it concerns students. It’s easy to commiserate with like-minded professionals on Twitter, for example, and complain about the student who is always late to class or a conference, or the one who has plagiarized, or the one who can’t write as we think she should, or the one who always has an excuse why he can’t submit his work on time. We can be irritated at students’ sometimes immature behavior, or we can sometimes feel responsible for that student’s lack of understanding of course content. We sometimes take students’ actions personally. If we work with sometimes hundreds of students each semester, frustration can a part of our job. Sometimes, those frustrations can bubble to the surface and they erupt on social networking sites.
We might think we are writing to a group of our closest online friends who will understand the context of our complaints , but it’s impossible to know—with any certainty—who might be reading those online words. But our actual audience could include those very students we criticize.
via ProfHacker – The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Anthropologie, art, purses, fashion: My daughter turned me on to Anthropologie and I have to admit I love their accessiories and home furnishings.
With that I want to give Anthropologie props for fearlessly incorporating different mediums of art with fashion. Each of these bags are SO different- Anthro never ceases to amaze & inspire!!
via Artfully pursed » Pearls for Paper.
Supreme Court, health care case: Interesting discussion of procedure and moving this case along.
The Obama administration and challengers of the president’s health care overhaul are pushing for Supreme Court consideration of the law in late March, judging by the speed with which they are filing legal papers.
Parties in a high court case rarely submit legal briefs before their deadline, and often ask for extensions. But this week, the administration, the 26 states that have joined in opposition to the law and the association of small businesses that also wants the law struck down filed their briefs more than a week before they were due.
Having the case argued in March, instead of April, would give the justices an extra month to write their opinions in what is expected to be the most significant Supreme Court case in recent years.
Legal scholars have complained that the justices do not do their best work when faced with resolving complicated legal issues between the final arguments in April and the term’s end in late June. The justices themselves have recognized the problem by trying to have more cases argued early
via Supreme Court Health Care Case May Be Headed For March Start.
Auburn tree poisoning, criminal acts: You have to wonder about a 63 year old man pulling a college prank.
Updyke, 63, appeared in court briefly with his new attorney, Everett Wess of Birmingham.
Updyke sat quietly in the court room, and did not make any statements.
He was indicted in May on two counts of criminal mischief, two counts of desecrating a venerable object and two counts of a state law that includes making it unlawful to damage, vandalize or steal any property on or from an animal or crop facility.
Updyke has requested that the charges be reduced to misdemeanors, saying that the state of Alabama “has explicitly set the value of an oak tree” at $20, which would be below the level for a felony. The judge has not yet ruled on that request.
His trial was originally scheduled for the Oct. 31 docket, but Lee County District Attorney Robbie Treese said there were three capital trials approaching that would stretch the resources of his department. Wess had no objection to pushing back the court dates.
via Man charged in Auburn tree poisoning gets new lawyer, court date | ajc.com.
twitter, educating girls in Africa: This twitter post just got my attention …
Maria Popova (@brainpicker)
10/20/11 3:57 PM
“850,000 girls in Kenya miss school because they don’t have sanitary pads.” #PopTech2011 Social Innovation Fellow@ZanaAfrica
political cartoons, Coca-Cola, Pepsi: I live in a Coke bubble … but this political cartoon rings so true for Atlantans and Coke … I just had to laugh. I guess in the Coke version, he would get fired for testing negative for Coke!
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political cartoons, Occupy Wall Street, kith/kin: :( … Remember I’m married to a banker …
October 9, 2011
Siri, tips, iPhone 4S Virtual Assistant: I want one …
In a phone with lots of evolutionary qualities, Siri is the iPhone 4S’s most revolutionary feature. Simply by speaking to this virtual assistant, you can set reminders, send text messages, look up information and schedule meetings.
But with a bit of extra effort, Siri can do even more.
via Siri Tricks and Tips: Do More with the iPhone 4S Virtual Assistant – Techland – TIME.com.
Siri, iPhone 4s: Sounds like a stupid mistake … siri works even when phones are locked.
Siri, the personal assistant on the iPhone has been the top selling point of Apple’s new iPhone 4S. But Graham Cluley, security researcher for Sophos, pointed out that Siri works from a locked screen. That means that users who don’t pay attention to their settings could be putting themselves at risk.
Users are able to lock up Siri with a passcode by going into their security settings and turning the feature off without passcode authentication. But by default, anyone could pick up an iPhone 4S, hold down the home button and ask Siri a questions such as, “What is my home address?” and the assistant will display that information.
via Siri works even when phones are locked – The Washington Post.
education, digital district, Mooresville NC: Amid the failures of Charlotte’s CMS, just up the road in the next county is a school district receiving national attention.
Yes, 1-to-1 laptop programs have become increasingly popular across the country, along the way drawing criticism that the results of those efforts are not justifying the substantial investments. But the Mooresville district, which in its fourth 1-to-1 year has stretched its program to reach all students in grades 3-12, appears to be a model of how to do it right, and in a community whose roots are more akin to Mayberry than the state’s Research Triangle region.
Since the digital conversion began, the district has seen an improvement of 20 percentage points—from 68 percent to 88 percent—in the portion of its students who scored “proficient” on all core-subject state exams, in the subjects of reading, math, and science. Six of eight schools achieved Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, up from two of seven schools during the conversion’s first year. And its 2010-11 graduation rate rose to 91 percent, up 14 percentage points from four years ago.
All of those gains have occurred while the district sat at 99th of the state’s 115 districts in per-pupil funding, at $7,463 a year, as of last spring, not including about 10 percent of the budget that comes from funds for capital outlays, before- and after-school programs, and child-nutrition programs. And while Mooresville’s population is by no means impoverished, the gains came during an economic downturn that has seen the proportion of the district’s students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch rise from 31 percent to 40 percent since 2007-08.
Staunch opponents of assessment-driven education may dispute the merit of some of Mooresville’s success. But other educators are asking how the district’s approach differs from that of less successful 1-to-1 initiatives, why it’s working, whether it can be replicated, and if it’s worth the sacrifices to do so.
Mooresville’s district leaders stress the reason for their success, in their eyes, is that their 1-to-1 implementation made up just a part of a districtwide reform to make teaching and learning more contemporary. And while the district hosts monthly open houses to welcome visitors interested in following the model, the leaders of Mooresville’s conversion say only districts with leaders who see budget and procedural restrictions as obstacles to be conquered, not feared, are capable of pulling it off.
“We have visitors all the time,” says Scott Smith, the district’s chief technology officer, who was hired by Superintendent Mark Edwards during the conversion’s planning phase in 2007. “When they leave, we’re like, ‘Yeah, they can do it,’ or ‘No, they can’t do it, because they have the wrong person in charge.’ ”
Higher Expectations for Teachers
via Education Week: Building the Digital District.
Apps, Beat the Traffic+ : My Garmin broke several weeks ago and I tried Garmin’s On Demand app … I don’t think I will purchae another Garmin. I may try this one for free next …
Currently the app supports 34 major cities or metropolitan areas, and picks up construction, accident, or weather-related problems that might bring your trip to a grinding halt. The only catch is that these extra features, though initially free for two weeks, cost $19.99 a year after your trial period has expired. However, you can still access all the features available in “plus” with the free app — albeit without the personalization.
The bottom line. Whether you’re a “plus” subscriber or not, though, Beat the Traffic is a pretty worthwhile app if you’re an iPhone user who spends a lot of time behind the wheel.
via Beat the Traffic+ Review | Mac|Life.
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