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Louise's eLearning Blog

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I was excited to be attending MoodleMoot 2010 in London, with my VLE Manager (Lewis Carr), on the 13th and 14th April; it was my first! This blog post includes details of the sessions I attended and main highlights – as I saw them from day 1. I would like to apologise now for the length of this post and the next; despite splitting to reflect the 2 days separately, they are still very long. Also I am sure several shorter posts will follow as time allows, relating to different key points, I will tag and tweet them all with Mootuk10 for those who want to follow them
The organisation was good for ‘signing in’ and collecting a name badge (with bright orange lanyard) and storing additional bags and coats, however the table with individual letters, with details of our own wifi login details, was very disorganised by the time we reached it – though once we worked out what the system was we found our sheets.

For future events I organise / host, creating individual accounts for all delegates may be a good way to enable access to wifi connectivity while retaining control / security of the system?

It was clear from the start that there was a lot of technology in the room. Many of the delegates (including myself) were using netbooks and laptops to record notes. Most were also accessing, following & contributing to a twitter conversation using the #mootuk10 hashtag – I have included my own (@loujak78) as well as others’ relevant tweets throughout this post, including some of mine that were retweeted by others!. Later during the conference comparisons were being made to the number of tweets per delegate against a JISC conference – I think MoodleMoot won, which was not surprising as the engagement with Twitter continued throughout the whole of the 2 days!

mattlingard: How many delegates at #jisc10 ? Rumour has it that earlier #mootuk10 was out-tweeting #jisc10 per delegate… 13:47 PM Apr 13th

tutor2u_econ: #mootuk10 1st conference I have been to where at least 2/3rds of audience continually scanning Twitter during the key note presentations! 13:51

On the second day, between presentations, the tweets were being displayed on the big screen in the main hall using http://visibletweets.com/

It was a great talking point and something I have already used myself at a JISC RSC-YH Moodle User Group event!

Welcome (Professor Geoffrey Crossick): Through trying to find out who had come the furthest to the conference it was discovered that there were participants from the UK, Europe, Middle East, Caribbean, USA and Australia! Lots of the delegates were from HE, Some (including me) were from FE, with only a few from Schools & Other Areas.

Some departments that use Moodle, including how / why, were highlighted as:

  • Education department – PGCE (communication)
  • Media and Communications (international collaborative work)
  • Widening Participation (reaching disadvantaged learners)

Morning Keynote: Professor Sugata Mitra (Newcastle University): The Hole in the Wall:

After catching the 7.30am train in Newcastle Prof Mitra arrived at Senate House to deliver his speech just after 10.30am!

A testimony to British transport, but I’m not sure I could plan to arrive at an event that close to the time I was due to deliver a big keynote and still have the energy that was visible on the stage during this speech?!

Sited as the inspiration behind the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ the ‘hole in the wall’ project, led by Professor Sugata, researched autonomous learning in primary age children in India and the UK.

It started when he realised that computer teachers wouldn’t go into a slum to teach as most have made money doing things other than teaching! His aim was to use a computer ‘outside’ in order to reach more people. A computer was installed in a ‘Hole in the wall’, then they waited and wondered what people would do? Evidence was shown of a little boy who had figured out what it was (after someone, walking past, showed how to use the touch pad), he then showed a little girl about browsing. Prof Mitra questioned what would happen if no-one could show them what to do? The second installation was in a more remote location, after teaching themselves how to use it, their response … “we want a faster processor and better mouse!”! In another project “Speech to text” software was used to improve individuals’ pronunciation (after ‘training’ initially with an English accent). In order to learn, students’ downloaded voice based material (including a speaking oxford dictionary) and took turns to correct each other!

The keynote featured the thought that encouraging self-discovery could be as simple as responding with ‘I don’t know’ when the student initially asks ‘how’. However, the real differences between younger and older individuals is their attitude:

  • Child: “if I teach myself the language, I can (learn to) use the machine” (2 positives)
  • Adult: “I don’t understand the language so I cant use the machine” (2 negatives)

I hear the second phrase many times from teachers as I am trying to teach them how and why to use technology to enhance their teaching and learning. At what stage/age do individuals have this change in attitude?

A key finding from the project is that children enforce self-regulation and order when left alone but they know that everything is being monitored. Also because the technology was installed in a public place, it appeared less formal and reached many people but there was very little misuse or damage – which goes against what many people assume will happen.

Bbarrington: RT @loujak78 over 300 children become computer literate in 3 months – with one computer! #mootuk10 10:49 AM Apr 13th

jamesmichie: RT @loujak78: #mootuk10 keynote – important to put computer in place associated with fun and play to encourage self development & learning 10:56 AM Apr 13th

The project has developed through the addition of a ‘questioner/supporter’ like a critical friend / ‘grandma’ figure and more individuals and groups are being supported through the use of video conferencing to teach and help others develop. There are now ‘clouds’ of mediators being ‘beamed in’ to a variety of different environments! Prof Mitra talked about his projects with such passion and enthusiasm that the whole audience was captivated. His inclusion of humour was perfect (though I’m not sure he realised just how funny he is) and his delivery was inspiring. Despite not having any direct connection to Moodle it set the theme for the event exceptionally well.

mhughes2k: Oh yeah … RT @loujak78: Excellent, inspirational (and very funny) Keynote by Prof Mitra at #mootuk10 Great start to the conference! 11:34 AM Apr 13th

Tuesday (am) Breakout session 1 – Moodle Showcase – Using Quizzes:

There were 3 presentations: from; Wissam Nahas, Eoin Campbell and Tim Lowe

  • Wissam spoke about the use of Moodle quizzes as a formal assessment / online testing tool. In his organisation they focus on developing tests for teachers, they also facilitate lab based timed tests and help teachers with the task of manually grading some question types as well as analysing results. They had found that with larger numbers of individuals accessing a ‘quiz’ at the same time it negatively affected the server / speed so they now stagger the start at intervals of 2 minutes, and limit questions to 5 per page – in case any are lost.

Particularly useful tips during this 20 minute slot included: The importance of staggering start times and the use of Moodle quizzes as online tests –> it would be good to have a conversation with awarding bodies to establish the validity of this. However we do not have a large enough team to provide the level of hands on support as in this example, however we do encourage tutors to create their own resources, including quizzes, so that they take ownership and the eLearning team’s available time is efficiently used.

  • Eoin spoke about research he had done with primary learners about giving individuals permission to generate quiz questions as a differentiated activity, that encourages higher order thinking skills. He identified that the interface of the Moodle quiz was not friendly enough to use directly though as it added barriers to the learning process / potential of the activity. Nonetheless he had found that students were very interested in and keen to create their own questions and naturally differentiated the activity, with less able individuals opting for simpler question types (e.g. True/False, Multiple Choice), while more capable learners writing more difficult (Matching / Cloze / Short Answer) questions. In response to this he developed a word template based around a table and wrote some code to help import the questions into Moodle. There are aims to release as a plugin after a rewrite but the existing resources can be found at http://www.moodle2word.net.

mattlingard: Word to Moodle question authoring looks great http://bit.ly/ao3Xwr but would be better if it were just easier in Moodle #mootuk10 12:31 PM Apr 13th

digitalmaverick: RT @mattlingard: Impressed with OU Quiz interface & it’s use on this Maths course #mootuk10 Are these OU amendments feeding in to #moodle2 12:45 PM Apr 13th

While it was good to hear someone talk about using question generation as a learning activity it wasn’t something new to me and I wish that it had linked more to the core features of Moodle – maybe the new quiz in Moodle 2.0 will solve some of these issues? Alternatively there may be an option to tweak the code / appearance ourselves to improve some of the negatives highlighted, however it may be that working with older learners from 14+ the interface wouldn’t be such a barrier?

  • Tim demonstrated some of the features of the quiz module that the Open University (OU) have been developing and using, specifically related to the Maths and Statistics department. He explained that the OU do not like the term ‘quiz’ as that is something ‘done in the pub’ – instead they use the term ‘iCMA’ (Interactive Computer Marked Assessment)! They have found it important to create at least 5 versions of iCMA questions and deliver them randomly so that students can have almost unlimited attempts at practice tests. The additional functionality of a question navigation panel, with colour coding for right / wrong answers, was shown and examples of providing links to coursework through feedback and using the drag and drop question type for equations were highlighted as good practice.

Again some great tips were included in this presentation, that I can use to encourage staff to make greater use of the quiz module. I especially like the use of drag and drop for equations that could easily be used for scientific formula too and the development of large banks of questions to improve the flexibility of resources.

sukhwantlota: it’s funny how all the #mootuk10 tweets suddenly stopped – it must be lunch time 13:38 PM Apr 13th

Dr Ross MackenzieAfternoon Keynote: Dr Ross Mackenzie, Strategic Development Manager, Open University (OU):

Ross started with a brief history of the OUs journey with Moodle. The original decision to change to using Moodle was taken n November 2005, following a major review of all their systems in May of that year. They piloted from May 2006 and had a full launch in February 2007. They decided that they would release all developments back to the community – which would be different to their previous engagement with the open source community. Dr Mackenzie highlighted how they would often work with beta releases – and in one case even went live with an alpha release – just to have the functionality they wanted!

tomtiros: #mootuk10 OU went like with beta releases! described as living on the edge 13:53 Apr 13th

vaughany: OU once went live with an alpha release… that’s fairly hardcore! #mootuk10 13:54 Apr 13th

Ross continued to present details about the many developments they have worked on, including a new forum and blog, resource page and study calendar course layout as well as huge changes to the quiz and the creation of a way to author content via Word. He reported that they release quarterly with a cycle that includes 3 months development and 2 months testing before it goes live. They are also making links with Elluminate and Google Docs to improve the flexibility of the delivery and increase synchronous teaching and learning opportunities. He also highlighted the number of changes to Moodle code (2,000) and the impact that it could have on their upgrade, or not, to Moodle 2.0 as they may have to decide to not replicate some so that the site is done more the Moodle way and less the OU way. However they have already had some influence over Moodle 2.0 content in relation to the conditional resources functionality and the very different, updated quiz module.

digitalmaverick: Incredible that OU would CONSIDER changing THEIR ways to do things more Moodle-y shows how high a regard they have for it #mootuk10 14:12 Apr 13th

With 5,330 courses on the main VLE (579 currently active as they archive as read only and allow learners to have continued access for 3 years after the end of a course), 648,000 users (168,000 currently active) and 2,000 to 3,000 concurrent users the key messages delivered were:

  • Never underestimate the traffic, and,
  • Keep evangelising the platform (sell, sell and sell again!)

digitalmaverick: @rossmackenzie In 24h period OU Moodle has 35-50,000 unique users with 2-3,000 users on at any one time! Incredible stats #mootuk10 14:06 Apr 13th

Ross concluded with their roadmap which includes mobile and ePortfolio developments, increased links with Google Apps, user generated content, personalisation and life in the clouds. The developments just go on and on!

vaughany: RT @MichBalazs: RT @loujak78: #Mootuk10 OU Keynote: The VLE is never finished! 14:08 Apr 13th

Tuesday (pm) Breakout session 2 – Blending Moodle:

There were 4 presentations: from; Anna Holloway, Joanna Butler, Ludmilla Smirnova and Jo Burbidge

MichBalazs: #mootuk10 at the blending moodle workshop. Headstart project at Newnman uni college 14:28 Apr 13th

  • Anna, from Newman University College, spoke about how they had developed an online course to support new university learners through the development of skills required via a group project. They linked sections using meta courses and developed their own navigation bar that was at the top of the page. She showed how they used Moodle books for content to reduce the length of the pages and included audio files (with text transcript for accessibility) from fellow / provious students – which continued throughout the activities. Anna highlighted the issues surrounding getting the learners into Moodle because this ‘course’ was takin place before their official start date, and that the temporary accounts created had not been completely successful. However she concluded with the positive impact the course had with two thirds of learners resitting the previous year with only half following the introduction of this type of preparation.

loujak78: Good use of “Moodle book resource” by Newnman university college, HEADstart project in the #mootuk10 blending moodle workshop. 14:39 Apr 13th

A fellow delegate asked if it would be something the University would consider doing with Further Education learners before they leave their course. This is something that I could develop where I work as we provide a lot of help and support for individuals moving on to Higher Education and having a formal, structured programme could improve the learners experience and ongoing success?

  • Joanna explained the changes to the eLearning development at Blackpool and the Flyde college in part related to staff development. From just having eLearning Champions in departments training and supporting their colleagues they now have a dedicated eLearning Facilitator post. She reported that they have had rapid growth in the use of Moodle year on year but that despite small pockets of excellence most tutors were still using it as a repository and were no even aware of simple course settings (like changing the number of topics displayed, regardless of the amount of content in there!). Therefore they were trying to encourage tutors to think about the student’s online experience during training, specifically via a 12 week (3 hour a week approx) online courses exploring the basics, where the outcome was to translate the new knowledge and skills into practical actions in their own courses. Screencast video training materials are developed with camtasia and an evaluation is included at the end of each session. Joanna added that staff liked the fact that they could access and print off their own certificate (from within Moodle) when they had completed the course. She concluded with statistics that 96 had completed so far with 84% of them interested in an advanced course that would be developed. Joanna believed that the course had reached some of the usually ‘ unreachable’ teacher as a result of best practice spreading.

This is something that I am already in the process of developing – a basic suite of 3 online courses, at beginner, intermediate and advanced level, that can also be used as the foundation for ‘traditional’ face-to-face deliveries too. I am conscious of the numbers of tutors I need to reach (around 1,500) so I am designing the courses to be self directed, with the minimum level of facilitation possible for many tutors. However checking the quality of the ongoing Moodle use will be strengthened through individual projects where the tutor will be expected to rationalise the design of an area and the inclusion of resources and activities.

  • Ludmilla presented a case study on an online course that had been developed to deliver ‘Moodle for Teachers’ – internationally! So far 32 countries have participated and the initial basic course with 3 facilitators has grown to a larger course that include sandbox areas for practical application with 10 facilitators. she showed how they use a range of technologies to communicate and engage with the participants including, Ning, Skype and a weekly WiZiQ session that enabled live audio/video conferencing. Ludmila demonstrated some of the courses that had been created throughout the last delivery and mentioned that an advanced level course was being developed.

It was interesting to see how a course could be delivered successfully by and to such diverse and geographically dispersed individuals. I definitely need to look more into the use of video conferencing services, especially given the links the OU are making with Elluiminate and Ludmilla’s example of using the free WiZiQ and Skype services – however there will be the ongoing battle of IT always using the ‘too much bandwidth’ answer to any request for opening access!

  • Jo from Lewisham College shared the experience of the eME project (taking the VLE from vision to implementation). Formally a Blackboard college they investigated Fronter (used by most schools in the area) before deciding to go with Moodle – following discussions with ULCC. After deciding that they would have a small pilot first they very quickly changed to a whole organisation launch instead! Jo explained how the name of the platform (eME) was chosen by the learners, which was felt to be an important way of helping them take ownership and use it, along with their own ‘Get Involved’ section which encourages engagement with issues that matter to them. Functional use is improved through the use of a ‘stick block’ on every page with links to PDP (including attendance tracking), MyPortfolio (which is Mahara and is used by all students, and staff for CPD) and MyTimetable. Tutors use the chat tool, often for 1-to-1s between a learner and their teacher, the lightbox and Moodle Lesson and include lots of online assessments. The learner voice is valued and prior to the internal inspection process all students are asked to complete an online questionnaire to collate ‘real views’. Showing the additional sections, Jo made it clear that it was much more that just a VLE as it included a dedicated area for the Learning Centre including links to the library management system and for Careers who have online ‘career fairs’ and ‘hot jobs’.

This is a good example of how the VLE can be a portal to other tools. However for me it would be important to ensure that staff and students were clear about the differences, so that every problem wasn’t followed with ‘it must be moodle!’ and that key individuals had responsibility for maintaining and developing each element.

Closing Keynote / plenary: Philip Badman, Vice Principal Funding & Planning, Newham College:

Philip Badman Newham CollegePhilip’s introduction introduced their term for ILT/ICT/eLearning as ILCT and the rational behind the technology focussed project as an inspection comment in 2005 that there was ‘insufficient use of ILCT in the classroom’. He explained the diverse mix of the 16,000 students at the college and the positive things happening and investment being made, in part because of the Olympics in 2012, in the area – which is within the £29 Billion regeneration investment (pointing out that for comparison the Olympics was expected to cost ‘only’ £8 Billion).

digitalmaverick: Newham poulation is 61% non-white, 33% are born outside the UK #mootuk10 15:51 Apr 13th

Philip continued detailing that the college had agreed to invest £8.3 million over 3 years to improve the network, hardware (including a Promethean IWB in every classroom, with a dedicated person to support problems / encourage use and Activote kit in every faculty) and software (versions). They developed a 78point dynamic action plan (checked bi-monthly by the ILCT Committee) and put emphasis on staff training and responsive support mechanisms as well as giving all tutors a portable device (netbook, laptop, tablet etc.). The project was linked to teaching and learning and quality and he pointed out that if a teacher at the college receives a grade 4 they are given a 6 month ‘capability programme’ of support, however if they have then not improved termination of contract proceedings begin!

digitalmaverick: Newham attached HUGE importance to on call classroom support for software issues #mootuk10 15:55 Apr 13th

Philip explained that they had called their VLE ‘NewLearning’ and that they were using Mahara as their ePortfolio – adding that they had been asked by UCAS for details from it on applicants and they were planning to offer an exported version of their portfolio to learners when they leave. One of the support mechanisms is an eLearning development centre, where tutors can ‘play’ with new technology / software and start to innovate with their teaching methods. They also audit tutor skills / competencies every year and provide individuals with a personalised development plan, which could be supported by one of the 4 dedicated eLearning posts or via the annual ILCT Fair, which consists of a full day of activities (around 15 short workshops) that tutors are required to attend as part of their ongoing CPD.

mickelous: Annual ILCT Fair – required CPD day for teachers <– sounds like an excellent idea #mootuk10 16:05 Apr 13th

thestubbs: Newham VP: teacher engagement essential; ILCT added to classroom mentoring, CPD, funded innovation projects, annual ILCT fair #mootuk10 16:07 Apr 13th

The presentation included details of the numbers of learners without mobile phones (12%) or access to the Internet at home (20%), however despite explaining that the Learning Resources Centres had increased opening times to allow access for individuals without connectivity one of his concluding statements contradicted, when he said that during the recent heavy snow 35,000 texts had been sent over 3 days – I hope they used alternative methods to reach the other learners!?

Final thoughts from day 1: It was good to hear a variety of different views of both Moodle being developed and used and Teaching and Learning more generally and I certainly have lots to think about. It was encouraging too that many of the ideas being shared are similar to what is already happening or in the planning stages where I manage eLearning so I guess I am on the right track and should just keep innovating moving forward.

Thanks for reading!

The next post starts from the Moodle Moot UK 2010 Party and goes through to the end of day 2!


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Review: The Mini Cooper 5-Door

Last weekend I had the pleasure of test driving the newest addition to the ever expanding Mini family- the Mini Hatch 5-Door. As a Mini driver myself I'm naturally inclined to be slightly biased towards this type of car so I was pretty enthusiastic picking up the keys.

When I was shown the 5-Door outside Frank Keane's showroom on the Naas Road I was slightly taken aback by the sheer size of this model. Its a notable 16cm longer than the original Mini. I'm not going to lie I began to get a bit hesitant... Was there any need to make a larger version of this iconic car? If you've been used to a 3-door model, who the hell wants an extra two doors?! One thing my mate pointed out was that the car had a seriously 'fat ass', yep this model has a pretty strange looking booty. The boot space is much larger, and some people do like a bigger ass- it's just not as neat looking as the original model.

As I set off for a round trip to Sligo it's hard to ignore the sheer power of the CooperD 2 litre engine. This car is fast and reacts very quickly to the driver. Gear box has 6 gears which makes driving at higher speeds a doddle. This Cooper comes with all the trimmings- the interior looking much more handsome than I can remember. The dashboard has colour-changing interior lights as part of the Chili pack so those unnoticed tasks like adjusting volume and heating are a lot more fun for the driver and the passengers. The steering wheel came with cruise control which also made my 3 hour journey pretty painless.

I've no complaints when it comes to the drive of this vehicle. It's super slick and dominates the road on long drives. The addition of the two doors in the back are a welcome change for the Mini, although probably not something I would be looking for as a 27 year old.

I think what throws you off is treating this model it like a were a normal mini, it's not. Mini are clearly trying to tap into a much wider audience. If you take away the fact this is a Mini model and start comparing it to other 5-door hatchbacks like the Volkswagen Golf or the BMW 1 Series, you quickly that this addition to the range is absolutely necessary. Its the perfect car for a young family- the 3-Door Mini was never very kind for trying to fit baby seats and luggage into the back in the past. Loads of people I know who have owned Minis in their 20's have had to trade-in for a more practical 5-Door car for their expanding families. What I love most about this car is, you honestly wouldn't even notice the 16cm difference in length once you start driving it and it's too easy to fall in love with the pragmatic additions.

The Mini 5-Door offers stiff competition to the VW Golf and other 5-door counterparts. If you have an expanding family and still want to look stylish without trading in for a mom-mobile or a bulkier 5-Door and are truly devoted to the Mini than this is the car for you.

The Mini Hatch 5-Door is a totally reasonable price €21,210- €29,390.

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If you test drive any MINI at Frank Keane you'll be put in a draw to win a night for 2 in the exclusive G Hotel in Galway with dinner & wine! They're taking submissions here until February 14th so book now if you want to be in with a chance. Follow @FrankKeaneMINI for showroom updates.

Written By

Louise Johnston

With experience in the Irish FMCG industry LoJo has previously worked for global brands such as Bacardi and Red Bull. She can be described as a passionate infomaniac with an innate flare for brands, marketing and tech trends.

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Analyzing Michelle Obama’s Political Rhetoric

In her speech campaigning for democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, Michelle Obama uses multiple effective strategies in order to convince the audience of her message: that as women, they must be ready to go to work in order to have a desirable outcome for the upcoming presidential election. This message is especially important to the topics of her speech, including Donald Trump’s treatment of women and the tape of Trump’s words released just days before her speech. Her use of contrasting diction, as well as her use of repetition, and parallel structure magnify the importance of the message she delivered this October 13th.

In the very beginning, she appeals to the audience with her word choice, warming them up to her, and she does this by saying “I am so thrilled to be here with you all,” and “this is like home to me.” She continues to follow a theme of contrasting diction throughout the rest of her speech. She starts by using negative words, such as “obscene,” “basic human decency,” and “violation” when describing Trump and his actions; imposing the feeling of anger towards Trump. By describing his actions with negative diction, she also creates unity between herself and her target audience: women, they are women facing degradation and abuse, together. However, her tone shifts on page 3, as this is when she starts describing Clinton, and everything she stands for. Mrs. Obama poses an uplifting tone, choosing words such as “heal wounds,” “meaningful,” and “successful” which promotes positivity throughout the audience. These two contrasting halves work to first unite the audience towards a common goal, enraging them with her negative diction; then directs their feelings towards something productive, she calls the audience to action, leaving them feeling positive and uplifted with her word choice.

Repetition drastically helped Mrs. Obama drive her points home. On page two, she repeats the words “we” and “we are” consistently. This brings the audience to feel a connection with her; they are grouped together in Michelle Obama’s “we,” they are united. Later, on page four, she repeats familial words and concepts, such as “our children,” “our kids,” “us parents,” and other phrases along those lines. This not only unites the audience as parents, it touches their emotions and their instinct to protect their children. So by mentioning kids, and what it means to be a parent, the first lady plants ideas in the minds of the parents in the audience: that protecting their children, their daughters, means voting for Hillary. Then again on the first page, she repeats phrases like “at the White House,” and “as First Lady” which provide the audience with a reminder of her authority, encouraging their respect and trust, willing them to accept her message and take action with little resistance.

Mrs. Obama’s use of parallel structure is another vital aspect of her argument. On the fourth page, the fifth paragraph consists of sentences that all start with the uniting third person plural: “We have knowledge. We have a voice. We have a vote… We as women, we as Americans, we as decent human beings can come together…” adds emphasis to the fact that the audience and the speaker are together as one. Despite Michelle Obama’s clear authority, she includes the audience which makes them feel important, which in turn makes them willing to do what she asks them to. On the last page, she structures the last paragraph with consecutive questions. This gets the audience’s attention, and the rhetorical nature of her questions encourages her audience to get up on their feet and do what she’s asking them to do.

The contrasting diction in her speech gives Mrs. Obama the power to guide her audience to agree to her requests without question, while also giving her authority. Her repetition of words and ideas strengthens her message, and also adds a lasting effect to the messages she wants them to remember. Lastly, with the use of parallel sentence structure, Michelle Obama is able to create powerful statements that flow in such a way that it draws the audience in. All of these aspects help Mrs. Obama put together an effective argument to convince her audience to take action, knock on doors, and do their best to make a difference in the election.


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Friday, July 28, 2017

Quote of the Day - Allen West on Trump's decision on transgenders in Military

"When a recruit seeks to come into the military and has flat feet — well, should the taxpayer correct that? What mental conditions are acceptable, which are not, and who makes that determination?

President Trump’s decision wasn’t mean or hateful, albeit the progressive socialist radical LGBT community will portray it so. If your 'pursuit of happiness' is that you reject the gender with which you were born, that’s an individual decision. It’s not incumbent upon others to facilitate your personal decision…certainly not pay for your personal choice. End of story, class."

~ Allen West

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

thank you mr west 1965 I had flat feet and was told to go home


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Food & Drink » Food News

Fud News

Mention the name Java to any Sun Valley native and the response is Pavlovian as the words "bowl of soul" erupt from the salivating java junkie. Mexican cocoa, a shot of coffee, two shots of espresso, steamed milk, homemade whipped cream and cinnamon. Truly, heaven in a bowl.

Thirteen years ago Todd Rippo opened the original Java in Ketchum and last weekend he and his wife Lisa began brewing "coffee that rocks" in downtown Boise. With their motto "wake up and live," those of us who need a little help with the wake up part of that challenge can find a jumpstart in the bottom of a bowl. If coffee alone isn't enough to get you going, a hefty selection of breakfast is served all day long. Get your eggs scrambled, poached or smothered in 'daise, walk on the unusual side with avocado toast (whole wheat toast covered in sliced avocado and cracked pepper) or get your fix of Cap'n Crunch and seasonal Crunchberries. Lunch starts at noon with quesadillas, sandwiches (including a PB&J for the kiddie in you) and salads. We dare you to try and find one thing going over the counter that's not homemade ... even the whipped cream is from the Java kitchen.

Doors open at 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at 7 a.m. on Sunday on the corner of Sixth and Idaho streets, 345-0777.

Treat yourself to a posh night of elegant food and wine in Meridian with Bell Wine Cellars. All five courses of this gourmet dinner will feature wine from Bell. Black tiger prawns and filet of Dover Sole wrapped with fresh braised spinach and tied with raffia of leek will be served with a 2002 Chardonnay from Aletas Vineyard. Due Uve Salad, salsiccia (sausage) simmered slowly with red and white grapes served with organic baby greens and tossed in balsamic vinaigrette accompanies a 2000 Merlot also from Aletas Vineyard. Fjord Norwegian Salmon Canapa will be served with Viognier 2003 of Tanimura & Antle Vineyard, and Quail Lucullus, oven-roasted quail-stuffed mushrooms with port wine and fois gras sauce, and accompanied by potato au gratin Dauphinois will be paired with a 1999 and 2000 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Dessert will be Peche Flambé au Poivre Vert, a traditional flaming peach desert prepared with an untraditional green peppercorn sauce and paired with a 2001 Syrah from Canterbury Vineyard. Reservations are required and space is limited, $100 per person, call 376-WINE.

Ste. Chapelle, one of Idaho's most loved wineries, has been winning awards all over the West for several of their vintages. At the Riverside International Wine Competition where 44 judges who are winery owners, wine writers and wine makers gather to seek out prized wines from across the country, Ste. Chapelle garnered a Chairman's Award for its 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon and a silver medal for its 2003 Winemaker's Series Ice Wine Riesling. In Dallas, at the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, the 2001 vintage of Ste. Chapelle's Winemaker's Series Ice Wine Riesling also took a silver medal. Falling just short of silver medal success at the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, the 2001 Winemaker's Series Cabernet Sauvignon won bronze.

After spending the last five years collecting some of Boise's most well loved restaurants under the ownership of Rampant Restaurants, Alan Head is calling it quits. "Five years ago I had a five-year plan to get out [of the restaurant business] and it's been five years," explained Head. Currently negotiations are underway for the sale of Goldy's, Saffron and Pie. General manager of Rampant Restaurants, Erik McLaughlin, has purchased Richard's.

Don't expect to see Head heading out of Boise, though. With a serious interest in Boise's arts and cultural scene, Head and his wife may be venturing into a new aspect of business in Boise. :


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Communists ask Solidarity to join in government

TThe Communist Party voted to give Solidarity a share in government and union activists called celebrations for independence day to mark the ''new chapter'' in Poland's long history.

Party leader Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski's proposed coalition apparently calls for continued Communist control of Poland but it marks a major increase in Solidarity's power. The government's plan coincided with today's celebrations of the 63rd anniversary of Poland's independence.

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Children's malnutrition blamed on budget cuts

President Reagan labelled as ''a great exaggeration'' a charge by the Washington-based Food and Research and Action Center.

The center had said Reagan administration budget cuts may have contributed to a sharp increase in malnutrition among children in lower-income families -- and had urged that no further cuts be made.

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''We have not reduced spending to below what it was,'' the President said, ''we have only reduced the rate of increase in spending. We are spending more. . .next year than we did this year.''


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County may rank No. 3 in the US in high-tech field

If you've been unaware that Orange County makes a reasonable claim to being the No. 3 high-tech belt in the country, don't feel too bad.

Donald F. Brosnan didn't know it either until a few years ago, and he's president and chief operating officer of one of the biggest electronics firms here.

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When this Massachusetts native and 18-year Honeywell veteran came from Boston in 1976, ''I knew nothing of the high tech that was out here. This area doesn't get the visibility of other places. . . . But pound for pound, this is a better high-tech environment. . . . There's more broadly based computer power here than in any other part of the country.''

As the electronics industry has grown out from around California's ''Silicon Valley'' and Boston's Route 128, a number of second-tier high-tech centers have found their place in the sun: Austin, Tucson, Colorado Springs, the Research Triangle of North Carolina.

But these second-tier cities are largely sites for manufacturing plants or research and development units. They draw ''name'' firms but the headquarters address is elsewhere.

Orange County, on the other hand, is not big in main-frame computers or semiconductor production - although those fields are represented. Its forte is small and medium-sized companies run by the people who founded them. They aren't names most people recognize. But a lot of midgets pulling together can equal the strength of a giant.

As one local resident put it to me, ''There's a lot of 'ics' around here.'' They're spread all around the country; though being newer firms, they seem to predominate in the office and industrial parks of the newer, more southerly parts of the county. (The larger, older defense-related firms tend to be closer to Los Angeles.)

''In Silicon Valley and other places, they make chips,'' says Mr. Brosnan. ''Orange County is where the chips are applied.''

Brosnan's point is illustrated by his own firm, MSI Data Corporation. It's the world's largest producer of hand-held data-entry systems. These devices range from the size of a pocket calculator to about that of a small cassette tape player. They are used by retail clerks taking inventory, for example - the clerk just counts how many cans of fancy tomatoes or diced carrots or whatever are on the shelf, and punches the numbers in.

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There's even one system called the Route Manager, which contains a hand-held computer and a printer in a special ''briefcase.'' This system enables sales people to write up an order and produce a printed invoice within a matter of seconds on the spot. These systems help workers do their jobs better, faster, more simply, and with fewer errors.

Like many successful firms, MSI started by finding a specific need to fill. When the firm was getting off the ground in 1967, founder and chairman William J. Bowers and his associates discovered that retail stores needed better methods of taking inventory and reordering stock. The market was so eager for any sort of device that would help that MSI sold 8,000 of their first model - even though it had to be mounted on a pushcart and was powered by an automobile battery.

Since then, MSI has followed the electronic path to a smaller, smarter, and cheaper product; today the company's motto is ''We put computing in the palm of your hand.''

The firm enjoys a market share of some 50 percent, with annual sales of $55 million. Messrs. Bowers and Brosnan are aiming for the ''major leagues'' of $100 million sales. MSI is being hit by the recession, however; many businesses can't afford to make capital investments now.

Things have been fairly soft lately, for MSI as for much of the high tech industry in Orange County. But Brosnan has high hopes for the last six months of the fiscal year ending March 31. One bright light of the first quarter was a $2 million sale of advanced terminals, associated equipment, and software for a chain-wide order-entry system to Eckerd Drug, a major Sunbelt chain.

MSI is typical of Orange County computer-applications firms; it contracts out its tooling and buys circuit boards from other manufacturers. ''We assemble, integrate, test, and ship,'' says Brosnan.

Since electronics firms tend to propagate like coat hangers, it would seem the high-tech industry has found a natural home in Orange County's entrepreneurial environment.

Orange County is an entrepreneurial hotbed, despite a relative scarcity of venture capital up to now. ''This area is full of one-man firms supported by moonlighters,'' as one observer puts it.

Some of the high-tech companies in Orange County find what would seem to be rather highly specialized niches for themselves. Odetics Inc., based in Anaheim claims to be ''the world's leading supplier of space-borne tape recorders,'' for instance.

High-tech centers, even of the ''second-tier'' sort, have been closely tied over the years to universities. Asked to evaluate the academic resources of Orange County, Mr. Brosnan chooses his words carefully. The University of California at Irvine is an ''increasing good resource,'' he says. ''They have a good program in computers and engineering. They're trying to do more in the technical areas. But they're no MIT, Harvard, or Tufts. . . .''

And very few places are, some would respond. The Irvine campus isn't the only institution in the area, either. There's California State at Fullerton, and of course a host of good schools in the Los Angeles area.

Electronics is not all there is to high-tech industry in Orange County. The pharmaceuticals and health-care industries loom large. Fullerton-based Beckman Instruments Inc. is one of the ''granddaddies of high tech'' in Orange County, says Donald A. Strauss, company vice-president for adminstration. Recently merged with SmithKline, this firm is strong on scientific instruments and devices used in hospital laboratories. The scientific instruments side of the business is rather static, given the recession, but the health-care side is adding some 200,000 square feet of factory space.

Real estate prices and other costs have prompted many firms to leave Orange County or expand elsewhere. MSI, however, has room to expand on its present Costa Mesa site, and the firm has had no trouble drawing employees, even for its manufacturing jobs, Mr. Brosnan says. MSI employs some 550 persons in Orange County, plus another 350 sales and service staff in the field.

''We looked at other places, but then decided the economic equation was favorable to stay here,'' he says.

Not every firm is able to come to this conclusion, particularly not with its manufacturing operation.

But Tom Self, bullish observer of the county's business scene from his Newport Beach editorial perch at The Executive magazine, predicts that even if firms do leave, more firms will be launched to take their place.


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A lively -- and expensive -- mayoral fight in Chicago

Wanted: a strong leader to administer complex, deficit-prone, $2 billion-a-year operation employing 41,000 workers. The city of Chicago, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, is , of course, running no such advertisement. But the job of mayor in the nation's second largest city is for real and very much available.

Voters will do the ''hiring.'' Though the election is not until April, the choice in this historically Democratic city is almost sure to be made when that party's nominee is selected in the Feb. 22 primary.

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Three candidates are vying for that honor in one of the liveliest and most expensive primary campaigns ever waged in this city. Two hope to replace incumbent Mayor Jane Byrne. They are Richard M. Daley, Cook County state's attorney and son of the late Richard J. Daley, Chicago's mayor for 21 years, and US Rep. Harold Washington, the first black considered a serious contender for the city's top job.

But Mayor Byrne, who won a surprise victory in 1979 over the Democratic organization's candidate, Michael Bilandic, with a mere $125,000 campaign, is fighting hard to keep her job in a $3 million to $4 million effort. Her opponents are expected to spend a combined $2 million.

Mayor Byrne is generally considered a strong leader and highly intelligent. But she has been criticized for a sometimes strident, impetuous personal style that has led to what some call a ''revolving door'' administration.

One of Mr. Daley's ads takes her to task - with the song ''I Apologize'' playing in the background - for having named four police superintendents, four comptrollers, and four budget directors in just three years.

Mayor Byrne's campaign ads and current behavior - confident, balanced, low-key - seem aimed at toning down that volatile image. She admits some mistakes, but claims to have matured in office.

Political analysts say they view Daley as the mayor's most formidable rival. Though he has earned a credible reputation as the county's chief prosecutor, much of his success may depend on how well he overcomes an image of inarticulateness in upcoming debates.

''His father didn't exactly say things in the king's English, but he overcame it with a blustery, straightforward personal style that managed to get his thoughts across,'' says James Nowlan, a University of Illinois political science professor. Daley ''has to present himself as a competent successor to his father. I think some voters aren't sure he has the same qualities and strengths - that he's really a 1983 chip off the old block.''

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Despite the recent increase in the number of Chicago's registered black voters, Mr. Washington is not expected to snare all or even necessarily most black votes. Many analysts predict that the black vote will be split - possibly evenly - among all three. Mayor Byrne, who drew 60 percent of the city's black vote in 1979, has been working particularly hard to repair her relations with the black community. Those relations were strained last summer by her appointment of a white majority to the Chicago Housing Authority board and an increase in the number of whites appointed to the school board.

Washington, who has been critical of some local black ministers for supporting the other two candidates, is viewed by many analysts as handicapped by his late decision to enter the mayoral race and by his campaign's lack of money and organization.

For some voters, the congressman's 1972 conviction for failure to file income tax returns during four years in the 1960's looms as a drawback. But Michael Preston, a University of Illinois political scientist, argues that Washington faces a much larger challenge in successfully assuring city voters that he intends to represent all Chicagoans and not just the black community.

The infamous Chicago political machine, credited with delivering election after election to the Daley Democratic organization for so many years, will again be a factor.

''The machine has deteriorated,'' says Dr. Milton Rakove, a political scientist at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle campus.''It's not dead, and it's not alive - it's somewhere in between. Jane Byrne has some of it, but not all of it. And it can't deliver the electorate any more like it used to - voters have become very sophisticated.''


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Glass Ceiling Remains Thick At Companies' Top Levels

But women surge into lower- and mid-management jobs

CELIA ELLINGSON has spent the last year in a mentor relationship that few businesswomen get the chance to have.

Ms. Ellingson participated in Minnesota 100, a program that links middle-management professional women with executives from other companies in a mentor situation. Ellingson, marketing director at the Minneapolis office of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen, was matched with a male vice president of marketing and sales at a local gas company. Since June 1992, her mentor has offered advice and helped her define her professional goals.

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"It's a very safe way to have a relationship with someone outside your own company so you can talk about career issues and get support or feedback," she says. "He helped me ... in sorting out what might be important to me in a career path."

Lack of mentors for women trying to climb the corporate ladder is one reason they are unable to shatter the glass ceiling - the invisible barrier keeping women out of top jobs, says Gayle Holmes, who helped create the Minnesota 100 program two years ago as part of her company, Minneapolis-based Holmes and Mahoney Inc.

"When there are men at the top, it just makes sense that you hire and nurture and coach and champion people who look like you, act like you, think like you," Ms. Holmes says.

"So that's another male."

The glass ceiling has been pushed higher over the last 10 to 15 years. But at the senior management or chief-executive-officer level it remains almost as thick as it ever was.

Women held just under 3 percent of CEO and senior management positions in Fortune 500 companies in 1989, according to Korn/Ferry International, a recruiting firm. That figure has risen from 0.5 percent in 1979.

But Korn/Ferry surveys in 1982 and 1992 also show that the number of women holding the title of executive vice president more than doubled in that period from 4 percent to 9 percent. And those at the senior vice president level went from 13 percent to 23 percent. Men still outnumber women as executive vice presidents by nearly 3 to 1, however, the surveys showed.

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of women in managerial positions jumped 76 percent from 1983-1992. The 76-percent figure lumps together women in all management positions - from CEO to local retail-sales manager. Experts say the increase reflects growth at the lower- and mid-management level.

"There's been a lot of progress for women in middle management - there's a critical mass of them," says Bickley Townsend, vice president of advisory services at Catalyst, a New York organization that tracks women and work.

Over the past several years, the Department of Labor has released two studies on the glass ceiling based on a review of nine Fortune 500 companies. The studies identified several reasons why these women are not making it up the final rungs of the corporate ladder.

Besides lack of mentors to help guide them, job training programs and recruitment practices tend to favor men, the studies show.

Holmes adds that many women on the fast track decide they do not want to pay the price to reach the top. Such an achievement often means putting in long hours and trying to balance family responsibilities on the side.

"The man who says `yes' to taking on the challenge of being a CEO still has a stay-at-home wife and that's the sanity for that man. But very few women have house-husbands yet," Holmes says.

"There's no flexibility at the time women may be trying to combine their careers and their family," Ms. Townsend adds, especially when performance is often measured on face-time - how late an employee stays at the office or how many weekends he or she works.

The Labor Department's Glass Ceiling Commission has been reactivated under the directorship of Joyce Miller to research the issue further. And companies are slowly addressing the problem. Some are creating career development programs to prepare women for leadership positions; others have instituted incentive compensation programs that hold managers responsible for developing and advancing women and minorities.

"Companies really do want to be seen as progressive, and there's a huge business these days in benchmarking, where they all are trying to find out what the best practices are in other companies

and learn from each other and borrow," Townsend says.

Holmes says that male executives are more willing to recognize the problem and work on solutions than they once were.

"It's a rather new reality in part because their daughters are hitting the business world and saying, `Dad, you can't believe what it's like out there.' "

Still, progress is slow.

"There are people who say women just haven't had time yet, give them more time," Townsend says. "But 20 years ago 15 percent of all managers were female so you'd think by now 15 percent of top managers would be female. And instead it's 3 percent."

Not only do companies need to take the initiative to move women up, but women themselves need to be more vocal about the barriers that keep them from advancing, she says.

While some observers forecast that it will take decades before women finally break the glass ceiling, others are more optimistic. In their 1992 book, "Megatrends for Women," best-selling authors John Naisbitt and Patricia Aburdene say many senior male executives are poised to retire this decade. "Just below them is a cadre of female talent age 35-45 that will break into CEO and senior executive positions by decade's end," they predict.

"In some ways [the glass ceiling] is a misleading term because it suggests that it's invisible and solid and hard to do anything about," Townsend says. "We don't see it as invisible or unbreakable. We see it more like lots of little panes you can dismantle one by one."


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Lloyd's on Defensive From Investor Losses

LLOYD'S of London is still having to battle against a riptide of anger from thousands of investors who face bankruptcy because of massive losses by the world-renowned insurance underwriters.

The latest protests have been sparked by news that 26,000 investors (Names) owe an average of 70,000 ($105,560) British pounds each because of 2 billion British pounds lost by Lloyd's in 1991 under its unlimited liability rules. This brings losses since 1988 to more than 7 billion. British pounds Lloyd's publishes its accounts three years in arrears.

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The 1991 losses stem from catastrophes, such as Hurricane Bob in the United States, a hailstorm in Calgary, Alberta, and Typhoon Mireille in Japan. The earlier major claim list is long and expensive including the Exxon Valdez tanker spill.

At a Names annual meeting May 24, chairman David Rowland heard complaints from many loss-makers who could not meet the cash calls being made on them. He said: ``We force no one into bankruptcy, but we do insist that members pay their debts where resources exist.'' One Name said, ``What that means is that you want us to sell everything we own to pay for past mistakes by Lloyd's.''

Lloyd's refuses to publish details about its investors, but it is believed up to 50 Conservatives in Parliament are among the loss-makers. Sir Edward Heath, the former prime minister, is one MP facing bills of several thousand pounds. Another owes 1.5 million. British pounds If the MPs are forced to file for bankruptcy, they may have to resign their seats.

Announcing the 1991 losses on May 17, Mr. Rowland said they were ``very serious.'' He argued that 1991 losses were about 1.7 billion, British pounds because some insurance syndicates had made overlapping accounting claims against reserves. He said there were ``modest'' losses in 1992 - of about 1 billion British pounds Rowland said Lloyd's was likely to post a profit for 1993.

Despite his efforts to smooth ruffled feathers, bitterness is widespread. Christopher Stockwell, chairman of the Names Association, which represents members, accuses Lloyd's of ``misleading and conning'' small investors to put their money into syndicates in the 1980s. He predicts more Names will quit the organization. Since 1990, membership has fallen from more than 28,000 to 17,000. A statement by the Names Association said: ``The kind of sums now being demanded are usually only obtained with a mask, a gun, and a getaway car.''

Many who have quit Lloyd's are suing. They are represented by 36 action groups. One case, involving 3,000 Names from one insurance syndicate, is now before the courts.

Many aggrieved Names are complaining that their syndicates were poorly managed and allowed huge losses to pile up without looking after the interests of individual investors.

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A group of Names has published newspaper ads drawing attention to its members' plight. One ad claimed that ``at least 30 suicides and premature deaths have been attributed to losses sustained by Lloyd's Names.'' Lloyd's responded by complaining about ``objectionable and potentially damaging'' statements and warning that it was ``considering appropriate forms of redress.''

There is little doubt Lloyd's is on the defensive. In December, it offered 21,000 investors 900 million British pounds for their losses. Some accepted, but others talk of recouping losses with litigation.

Rowland's hopes appear to rest on the fact that nearly two-thirds of the underwriting of the organization is now in the hands of insurance syndicates that made profits in 1991.

Lloyd's is also hoping moves to open up the market to investment by companies under new limited liability rules will produce an inflow of funds and create a basis for future expansion. Over the next few years, however, Lloyd's seems bound to have to fight a rearguard action against Names determined to be compensated.


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Q. My 14 you old Yorkie has peridontal disease. Can this be fixed without anistesia?

A. No, to get a good dental cleaning you need anesthesia. You also should get x-rays done at the same time to determine any underlying teeth issues that you cannot see by just looking at them. 60% of the tooth is under the gum so you can only see 40% with your naked eye. As long as your dog is healthy and you find a good vet that employs certified technicians, anesthesia should be no problem. Bloodwork would be a start and make sure that IV fluids are given while under anesthesia. Old age is not a disease and does not mean anesthesia is less or more risky.

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petMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment. Do not consider petMD user-generated content as medical advice.

Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your veterinarian or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on petMD.

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Q. 10 year old Lab mix vomited and her back legs gave out. I also noticed a lump on her lower abdomen - feels like fatty tissue. Are those connected?

A. It could be related or it may not be. I would venture a guess at no, but cannot see your dog and she needs to see a vet if the back legs are giving out. Diagnostics such as X-rays may be needed to see if it's arthritis or something else.

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Hyperadrenocorticism in Dogs The endocrine system is the collective system of organs that control hormones in the body, one of which is the cortisone hormone, responsible for protein and carbohydrate metabolism in the body....

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Canine Parvovirus Infection in Dogs The canine parvovirus (CPV) infection is a highly contagious viral illness that affects dogs. The virus manifests itself in two different forms. The more common form is the intestinal form,...

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IMPORTANT: The opinions expressed in Ask petMD content area are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training.

Our Ask petMD experts include veterinarians, vet techs, veterinary students, pet trainers, pet behaviorists and pet nutritionists. These opinions do not represent the opinions of petMD.

User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a petMD veterinarian or any member of the petMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance, objectivity, timeliness, or any other reason except for compliance with our Terms and Conditions.

petMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment. Do not consider petMD user-generated content as medical advice.

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Mockingbird and Watchman

When I was a freshman in high school, our class was asked to read Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird. I don’t remember much about the book, except a few lines that I liked enough to write down, but other than that I completely missed the point of the book, as I did with many other things my freshman year (long story).

Anyway, after many years, Harper Lee has finally published a sequel to Mockingbird, titled Go Set a Watchman. And the thought police are already upset about it because Atticus Finch is now supposedly represented as a racist.

I don’t think characters should act to please the sensibilities of readers. Characters need to act in a way that is natural for the character and the story. Now, I can understand if the outrage is because Atticus Finch acted completely different from the character established in Mockingbird. That’s warranted. But in real life, people have many different sides to them, and not all of those sides are agreeable. Why shouldn’t characters be the same way?

Also, Watchman was published 55 years after Mockingbird, so we are reading it from a totally different frame of reference. Had Watchman been published soon after it was written, it might have been better received by its audience. Perhaps Harper Lee did not do the right thing by waiting so long to publish it. No matter what, the book should be judged on its literary merits: Was it written well? Does it have an important message? Does it logically follow the storyline set up in Mockingbird? Do characters act in character?

And if you’re still upset about Atticus Finch, there are three things you can do: Write pointless comments on the Internet, write angry letters to Harper Lee and/or her publisher, or simply don’t read the book (or put the book down if you’re in the midst of it).

4 thoughts on “Mockingbird and Watchman

  1. I finished Watchman a few days ago and dove into Mockingbird. It’s remarkable how consistent Atticus is in both. But really, it’s not remarkable at all. Harper Lee always knew who Atticus was. I’m trying really hard to avoid any plot spoilers, but I think the readers who were hurt by Watchman are feeling what Scout felt. That’s what the best writing does. Also, it tackles issues that can’t be simplified into (no pun intended) black and white.

  2. There are two questions that get muddled up in how people react to the book. One is its provenance (a recent piece in the New Yorker makes the case that it is very unlikely that the version which has been published is as Harper Lee wrote it, before she wrote Mockingbird, based on how it’s written).

    The other is the book itself, a work of art, apart from any question of where it came from or how. A lot of the angst seems based on whether Atticus is a racist — theoretically yes in one book and no in the other — as if “racist” was a yes/no characteristic in this complex world, and as if people don’t change over time.

    “I don’t think characters should act to please the sensibilities of readers.”

    Yes, absolutely. In the latest X-Men movie, Wolverine’s first appearance is walking down a ramp, and he stops at the bottom to light a cigar, thereby offending people who are deeply upset when people in movies — especially movies that kids are likely to watch — smoke. The moment is ridculous (years into a post-apocalyptic future, where would he get cigars?), but hey, he’s Wolverine, and he smokes. You got a problem with that, bub?

    1. Right. I have even heard people saying that Harper Lee didn’t actually want to publish Watchman — someone coerced her into doing it.
      And characters should do what they want. Art mimics life, and real people are always doing what they want regardless of who’s watching.

Comments are closed.


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Our Mom Is Getting Better and Our Dad Is Getting Better

by Alexander, Emily and Anna Rose Silver (American Cancer Society)

our_mom_is_getting_better.jpgThe three children of Dr. Julie Silver, a breast cancer survivor, and James Silver, a 1985 Notre Dame graduate, wrote and illustrated these books for children whose parents have been treated for cancer.

These thoughtful books offer a message of hope,healing and resilience, and are designed for children ages 4 to 8.

(June 2008)


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Hitchhiking through England IV

Day 13: Chester

I spend the last day with Julia in Chester. A nice historic city. A bit like York, but more lively and less like a museum. Plus, it has all these elevated secret passages. The cathedral is very cool, too Continue reading

Hitchhiking through England III

Day 9: Manchester

I decided to take a bus to Manchester since the ticket is only £ 4 and it‘d be complicated to get there hitchhiking. Even though I was always told that Manchester is ugly and boring, I like most of it. Many industrial buildings with these typical steel staircases in the back alleys. Continue reading

Hitchhiking through England II

Day 7: Leicester – Hull – York

I feel sorry to wake up Laurence so he can drive me to a service station on the M1. I only have to wait ten minutes until I find a couple that wants to take me towards York. They‘re from Hull. They tell me four times that Hull is this year‘s UK City of Culture and that their suspension bridge used to be the largest in the world. Then they say that it‘s probably cheaper than York to stay and easier to get to Manchester, which will be my next destination. Since I didn‘t find a couchsurfing host in York, I decide to give Hull a try. Continue reading

Hitchhiking through England and Wales I

Day 1-2: Cardiff

It‘s always a bit strange at first, when you arrive in a foreign country. It‘ll need a day or so until I get used to being in Great Britain. At three in the afternoon on a sunny Tuesday the small Cardiff airport is surprisingly empty. After walking over the still car park, looking out for potential lifts to Cardiff, I finally find an engineer who works at the airport and is willing to drive me to the city. We speed through hilly roads, narrowed by high bushes, until we reach the suburbs of Cardiff. It‘s the first time I see these typically British residential neighbourhoods that consist of rows of identical houses, all of which are narrow and rarely higher than two storeys. Continue reading


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Trying to understand tuples and lists

ketil+haskell at ketil+haskell at
Wed Nov 5 13:47:55 EST 2003

Karthik Kumar <kaykaydreamz at> writes:

> I got get this working thanks to the fst and snd function.

>> (x,y) <- head  [('a', 1), ('b', 2)]

You could also (possibly easier to read) do it like the above, only
use an '='

        (x,y) = head [('a', 1), ('b', 2)]

(The <- operator is used for monadic computations and list

    main = do
        x <- readFile ...

    mapFst xs = [ x | (x,y) <- xs ]

If I haven't seen further, it is by standing in the footprints of giants

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Tag: exercise

Uggs or New Balance

Of the many shoes I own, 1 pair are Ugg boots and 1 pair are New Balance sneakers. My Uggs are warm and easy.  I can wear them anywhere.  My New Balances (which are some running specific sneaker for over-pronators) are strictly used for when I’m exercising, particularly running. Why am I talking about these

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Kalucy Kiosk

The first expansion of the Chiga Community Water and Sanitation Project came at the request of a single woman who stood up and asked for the clean water to come into her village, Kadiju.

Kalucy Kiosk Banner

Kadiju is a community made up primarily of laborers and small business owners. While Kenyans elsewhere throughout Kisumu County grow a large portion of their food on their own land, gardens are less common in the Chiga sublocation. The members of the community most commonly cite a lack of access to water for irrigation as well as a lack of knowledge of farming techniques for this trend. As a result, food insecurity is high in this region, a serious problem in a population with an HIV infection rate near 20%.

In 2013, the Kalucy Kiosk was raised. The kiosk was built along Kibos Road, the main road running through the Chiga area, and near the Kalucy Market. Fed by a 1.1 kilometer subterranean pipeline, the kiosk has a 5,000 liter holding tank to ensure uninterrupted service.

Kalucy Kiosk – Final Report

FROM THE COMMUNITY | 2014Kalucy Kiosk

One year ago Lilian was anxiously awaiting the grand opening of the water kiosk in her village. As it was, every two days Lilian would travel over seven miles to collect enough water for her small family, ensuring that they had enough in storage in case the water ran dry. When the water was plentiful, she would spend over three hours carrying a jerry can weighing 40 pounds on her head. When the water ran out, she would have to travel even further to collect water for her family.

One year ago Lilian’s life changed.

The water station we built a year ago is only 100 meters from her house, an easy six minute walk. She makes this walk every day now, speaking with the women that run the kiosk and catching up on the local gossip. Because this kiosk is so close to her home, she saves hours each day, hours that can be spent working on her business, taking care of her family, and growing food.

When asked if the water station has improved her life and her ability to provide this vital resource to her family, her answer was an unequivocal: Yes!

It has been a year since we finished construction on the water station in Kadiju, and it has already transformed so many lives. In the last year 2,000 people have gained access to clean water. Twenty women have received training in community leadership. And eight women have received advanced training in water, health, sanitation, and communication. This barrier in the lives and livelihood of the women in this village has been torn down, and through this water they have the time, the money, and the health to continue improving their families, their communities, and their lives.


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-AZUL- Sexy 7 Designs & Fashion Show

At -AZUL- we are celebrating our 7th Year Anniversary and as a Thank You to our customers, Mami Jewell has created the -AZUL- Sexy 7 which are 7 unique designs at a very limited quantity!

-AZUL- Sexy Seven – Sasha
-AZUL- Sexy Seven – Sable
-AZUL- Sexy Seven – Shiva
-AZUL- Sexy Seven – Sierra
-AZUL- Sexy Seven – Sabrina
-AZUL- Sexy Seven – Syvia
-AZUL- Sexy Seven – Stefani

If you missed our very special Fashion Show featuring these stunning designs, please have a look at the video recording by Reena Ninetails and hurry up before they sell out!

Also, please have a look at the images taken during the show

…on Issuu…

…on Flickr…

Video | Reena Ninetails
Host | Chelle Hawker
DJ | DM (d1570r73d)
Photographer | ChloeElectra Resident

Model | Shannon Bramlington – Miss AZUL 2015
Model | Jamee Sandalwood – Miss AZUL 2015 1st Runner Up
Model | Taylor Wassep – Miss AZUL 2015 2nd Runner Up

-AZUL- by Mami Jewell

Main Store -AZUL-
 Online Store -AZUL- MarketPlace
Facebook -AZUL- by Mami Jewell Please Like us!
 -AZUL- Flickr Releases Check AZUL's new releases
 -AZUL- Flickr Group Welcome your post!
-AZUL- on Pinterest
-AZUL- on Twitter
-AZUL- on Google+
This entry was posted by chloeelectra.

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West End Opening Hours to be ‘Significantly’ Reduced

San Antonio council are set to introduce more hardline measures to curb the perceived excesses of the town’s famous West End area.

A new 3 pronged attack will see bars having to invest and install new sound proofing comparable to large nightclubs as many are already ‘de facto discotheques’ according to the council.

The big news will see a major reduction to the opening hours with Councillor for the Environment Pablo Valdes saying they will ‘have to be significantly lower’ than the existing 5am closing time as the ongoing noise problems in the town has it’s origins firmly in this area.

finally, a hardening of economic sanctions is expected for bars and individuals who violate noise regulations with small fines being replaced with more immediate action.

These measures are a continuation, added Valdés, of others already adopted by the San Antonio coalition council such as the pedestrianisation of several streets in the West End area and the reduction of the terrace hours.

The government team has been carrying out technical studies and diagnostics for two years and want these new measures “to represent a real change” that goes beyond the traditional declarations of good intentions, it also hopes to have the support of the opposition party so that these interventions endure over time.

The noise measurement stations installed this summer in the West End confirmed that the regulation on noise pollution is systematically violated. The records reached 85.9 decibels, 20 more than allowed. The results of 2017 corroborate the analyses carried out in 2016.

Source: Diario de Ibiza

Comment: Whether you are a fan of the West End or not it seems that San An’s Council are determined for things to change but are targeting local businesses yet again rather than the blatant crime and misdemeanours that occur on a nightly basis in that area. The West End has always been a first port of entry for many youngsters on the island who then come back every year but with little to no control over the last few years it’s disintegrated into an anything goes environment. The coalition government team seem to think that by focusing on closing the West End this would remove the problem but by doing so reduces a historical part of the town. Wouldn’t more positive policing on the streets be a better option?

Published by

Martin Makepeace

Englishman living and working in Ibiza since 1991. Entrepreneur with a passion for villas, boats, sunsets and San Antonio. Owner of Ibiza Property Shop.

2 thoughts on “West End Opening Hours to be ‘Significantly’ Reduced”

  1. When do this lot get voted out?
    If you’re a business owner or even an expat with a San An address, do you get to vote on these things?
    I’m assuming so.
    Also how does this environmental councillor feel about real environmental issues like the amount of oil left in the bay by all the boats or even the amount of cars in San an with every pr who had a job a few years ago now doing taxis.

    The only people gaining from these stupid rules are the influx of pick pockets and drug dealers.

    Bar owners who pay all the relevant fees and taxes being fined for open doors ( how the hell else do your customers enter or leave) while there’s balloons & drugs being sold in the exact spots our terraces have been removed from!!!

  2. Where’s the PP (opposition party) in all this? What’s their position? Will this be voted against by them? Are we to expect this to be reversed if they get in at the next election? Or is it just going to be more of the same…

    This is the killing of the number one employer of British and Irish workers. This is the killing of the very grass roots of Ibiza tourism with nothing to replace it. And this is the killing of a historic part of town that they’d prefer to see tumbleweeds blow across it than happy tourists having fun and spending their money.

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Thursday, February 23, 2017

ILL-inois: Ex-con Jesse Jr collecting over $100k annually from feds

Liberals have no shame. Here's a particularly vile one, of the Chicago, Illinois variety.

Taxpayers paid Junior's congressional salary, for his stay in federal prison, and now they pay him to do nothing.

From the Chicago Tribune:
Records from former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s divorce case show how he has been able to collect hefty benefit checks from the federal government after serving time in prison for looting hundreds of thousands of dollars from his campaign fund.

Jackson, 51, receives about $138,400 a year — more than he made as a freshman congressman in 1995. Most of that — about $100,000 — is workers' compensation and tax-free, according to Chicago attorney Barry Schatz, who is representing Jackson in his divorce proceeding.

The rest of Jackson's benefits are Social Security Disability Insurance payments, some of which may be taxable, Schatz said.

The payments flow to Jackson because he has bipolar disorder and depression — the issues that led to an extended leave from Congress in 2012 — and those conditions have been exacerbated by a "very difficult, contentious divorce" from former Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson, Schatz said.

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Friday, October 30, 2015

Current Read: The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg

"In the stillness of the room, the only sound came from the flies. The buzzing as their wings beat frantically. He wasn't actually a man anymore. Not if you defined a man as a living, breathing, sentient being. By now he was reduced to a food source, a haven for insects and maggots." Page 1, The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Quick Review: Definitely Dead and All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

 Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

Wasn't hard to pick up where I left off many years ago. Harris does a great job of refreshing the readers memory of what has happened in the previous books. This is Book 7 in the series and as usual focuses on Sookie. This time she is summoned to New Orleans to clean out her cousin's apartment and of course gets caught up in solving a murder, and witnessing a new one. She does get a new love interest out of it all. A Were-Tiger named Quinn.

Fun, quick read, as usual. Perfect book for the readathon and for RIPX

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

Book 8 of the series begins a few months after Hurricane Katrina. Louisiana is still in recovery and the Queen is feeling the brunt of it as well. She lost vampires to the storm and her headquarters and she is also going to trial for the killing of her husband. Sookie travels with the Louisiana delegation of Vamps to Rhodes, up North, for their annual summit and will also be the sole witness in Sophie-Anne's Trial.

As you can imagine, it doesn't go very smoothly. This book was just okay for me.

Happy Reading!

 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Another October, another R.I.P., and another King Read-a-long.

This time I joined Melissa , Trish and Care in reading Salem's Lot

This was a first time read for me, believe it our not. This book has been on my bookshelf for over a decade and this was the first time I actually read it. So glad I did. It had really proper creepy vampires.  Yay!

I was seriously yelling at my book and feeling anxiety for these characters when they wouldn't get things done before sundown. Why don't they get their vampire killing on first thing in the morning? No, they wait until half an hour before the vamps are to awaken. Agh! Way to get my heart going really fast, King!

But that is why I read these, right?

So here is the tease they give for the book:

Thousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town.

So, did I miss the final confrontation?
I know they go back, but I don't really remember a confrontation.

Okay, ladies, what's next on our list of King books. :)

Happy Reading!

 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Readathon Wrap-Up Post

Hey all. Did you survive 24 hours of reading on Saturday?

I read for about 12 hours, which is pretty good for me. I have a five year old who required transport to a birthday party at a Chuck-E-Cheese 30 miles away from here. We also had to drive the hubby to the airport and then I drove the little girl to her grandparents house to spend the night. After all that I was finally free to read. Yay.
In the morning I finished the last 100 pages of Salem's Lot by Stephen King. I started and finished Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris -324 pages. I started and fell asleep reading All Together Dead, also by Charlaine Harris- 54 pages.
With the little girl, we read a couple books before we were off for the day. She chose two Christmas themed books for us to read. Auntie Claus and Auntie Claus: The Key to Christmas by Elise Primavera.
So, not too bad. I finished a couple books, I participated in a couple of challenges, and I really had a great time connecting with other readers on Twitter. All in all, a very successful Readathon.
Happy Reading!

 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

The Taco Cleanse

The Taco Cleanse by Wes Allison, Stephanie Bogdanich, Molly P. Frisinger, Jessica Morris
Published by The Experiment, December 2015

Source: NetGalley, publisher for review

There are so many diets and cleanses going around that claim to be the best thing for you- they will "Change Your Life" they say. Well, so far this is the only one that the hubby and I have happily jumped on the bandwagon for.

The Taco Cleanse!

"The Tortilla-Based Diet Proven to Change Your Life"

The hubby and I basically lived on this "cleanse" for nine years when we lived in Austin.  Funny that the writers are all Texans, some Austinites. Seriously, the taco should be the official state food of Texas.

Anyway, without even making a recipe from here I am completely, 100% a proponent of this cleanse!

 So, this turned out to be all vegan recipes, which on occasion I do make for myself and for friends, but my husband and I are not vegan or vegetarian. We enjoy our tacos with carnitas, chicken al pastor and brisket. We like sour cream and jack cheese. But, you know, it's not a bad idea to mix in some veggie and/or vegan meals every now and then and tacos are a great way to do that.

I really want to make the Deeply Roasted Chipotle Butternut Squash. Looks amazing and sounds tasty. The salsas and pico de gallo recipes sound on point and the margarita recipes are calling to me.

I really do miss my Austin taco staples - breakfast tacos from Taco Shack, lunch tacos at Maria's Taco Express, dinner tacos at Guero's. I think this book may help this Californian out, but I probably will add some meat and cheese for this non-vegan family.
However, I do have friends who will be getting this for Christmas!

Happy Reading!

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon- Hour 12

I, as usual, have had other things to do today, so it has not been non-stop reading for me. I read this morning and now have the last 12 hours to read-uninterrupted since the little girl is spending the night at her grandparents.Yay.

So, here is how it has been going...

1. What are you reading right now? Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris. A nice quick read.
2. How many books have you read so far? I finished Salem's Lot by Stephen King which I had already been reading, and the little girl and I read Auntie Claus and Auntie Clause The Key to Christmas by Elise Primavera.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Many. First- sleep. :) I may have slept through my alarm. Second- Birthday Party at Chuck E Cheese. Third- driving hubby to the airport and the little girl to her grandparents. Lots of driving today. Should have gotten an audiobook.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? Nothing. Still as fun as I remember. Just harder to do with a kid in the house. :)

Happy Reading!

 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon

Are you all ready for Dewey's Readathon this weekend?  The hubby is taking the little girl camping for the night so I am free to read, read, read! Yay.

I know it is still a few days away, but it is time to start preparing. Pick out books, buy snacks and caffeine, prep my reading areas- get them as cozy as possible. First on my list-books! It is actually Tip #1 on my Warm Up Post for the Readathon. You can go read it on the official WEBSITE for the event. Get some tips on how to manage your 24 hours to get the most out of the Readathon.

So, here is what I have in my stack:

Salem's Lot by Stephen King (If I am not finished with it before then. I am pretty close to the end.)
The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg (library book that is due back very soon)
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness ( 150 pages left! This one needs to get finished)
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (Finally ready to finish this series)
The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley (ebook, 75% left to finish)

Happy Reading!

 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

The Quick by Lauren Owen

The Quick by Lauren Owen

About the Book

"London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.
In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents."

My Review

Victorian London. A forbidden affair. A random act of violence.

The Quick begins quietly then explodes with a unexpected attack, but then quiets down again. I was a bit surprised when James and Christopher were attacked. I was not expecting the "undid". I knew there would be something. This was the Group Read for RIP X, after all.

Anyway, what happens after this attack is the story. The arrival of James' sister, Charlotte. Her association with Ms. Swift and Shadwell and Mr. Howland who escaped "The Club" with the help of James. I especially liked this part of the story. Their planning and searching for answers on how to help James is what interested me the most.

The journal entries of Doctor Knife slowed down the story a bit, but did give some background info to the creatures that make London their home.

All in all, not a bad choice for RIP X. I do wish there had been a bit more interaction with other readers for this Group Read. Wasn't really sure where to do that.

Happy Reading!

Monday, October 5, 2015

Another King Read Along

I love these. And what a perfect time to read Stephen King, right?

R.I.P X is going on.
Days are shorter.
Halloween will be here soon.

Time for some non-sparkly vampires.

I will be joining Melissa of Avid Reader's Musings and others this month in reading Salem's Lot.

Friday, October 2, 2015

October Knitting

After using my discarded hexipuffs to make a flower shaped pot holder, I decided I needed another portable project that would use up my left over sock yarn. Something less fussy than hexipuffs.

I decided on the mitred square blanket. These little squares are definitely portable, unfortunately not so much once I start connecting them all. These are so easy, fast and fun to knit while watching tv that I already have made it 12 squares wide.
Enough to be a nice lap blanket, I think. The yarn I have won't finish this, but just a great excuse to start some socks. Haven't made any in quite awhile.

It is Socktober!

What will you all be knitting this month?


text:
weather at Vauvert, France

Translate- it works!

Like to follow this blog...? After a few 'unwanted' e-mails I'm afraid you will have to become a fo

For your information.

After a few 'unwanted and unnecessary e-mails I'm sorry, but to place a comment you will now have to become a 'FOLLOWER" - People can be and are nasty creatures.
At the bottom of this Blog I've put 4 links - on the right hand side - They will take you to various news sites from various countries. Keep up to date.....! The same links are just below.
Due to poor health, I have decided to use this site mainly, and the site below for some of my postings....just click on it and choose the article to read from the list!
I'm to be found on 'Facebook' as 'Ian Mitchell' and......
I've started using "Twitter" (mr le Marquis) much more, and you can be a part of it. On all my Websites you'll find, somewhere (generally at the top of the page) "Twitter Updates"- This gives you links to click on which will take you to interesting things....Try it!
This site is OPTIMIZED for use with Google Chrome. It may be that users of Internet Explorer will have difficulties to read the text - change to Chrome or Firefox - they're better and safer anyway.
All photos and articles are available as free downloads for individuals. Commercial users please contact:
To view/download a photo in original size, click on the photo and the page should open- This does NOT always apply to the photos in the side bar, with the exception of the Slideshow.
To make it easier for you (you may have to go to 'listen live' etc):
A General link - choose from various radio news stations in English....
Or in French:
Or in German.....

A little trip through life

Come and take a little trip with me - through my life and with a few other people as well.....You can listen to the music if you don't like the photos....!
Jan/ian (Mr le Marquis - Iwmpop ) Personal Slideshow: Ian’s trip from Le Creusot, Burgundy, France to Nîmes was created by TripAdvisor. See another Nîmes slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.

Monday, August 09, 2010

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