Rewilding

I was reading about how weeds had taken over parts of Kauai when its top predators moa-nalo, large flightless ducks became extinct and shortly thereafter with the introduction of rabbits and goats so did many native plants. On a small site there a renewed effort to grow endangered native plants began but without the moa-nalo weeds were hard to control, thus threatening the successful resurgence of the native plants. Since the giant ducks are extinct a new weed predator or surrogate duck needed to be found. That animal is the giant tortoise and they are noshing on weeds, laying eggs, and thriving. This is an example of what is called rewilding and it includes setting aside land for wild areas and restoring ruined ecosystems by reshaping them using the big animals at the top of the food chain. Since many of these top predators have gone the way of the moa-nalo researchers and rewilding enthusiasts want to replace them with substitutes, like they did with giant tortoise in the example. Europe is taking the initiative in the rewilding movement and has already set aside 10 areas of 1000 hectares each to be rewilded by 2020. Rewilding in Yellowstone by returning wolves, nearly 70 years after they had been wiped out is another successful example of the process here in the states. Now if I could just figure out a way to use rewilding to get rid of the weeds in my garden all would be well.

Disaster App?

With all the different applications around, wouldn't it be nice to have one in case of a disaster especially in light of recent mudslides in Washington? Help is on the way.  Amro Al-Akkad, who is an engineer at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology working with his colleague, Leonardo Ramirez found that people who have smartphones with Wi-Fi hot spot apps could use that app to change the name of their Wi-Fi hot spot and insert a 27 character SOS type message and a rescue worker with a cellphone with a Wi-Fi seeker app could pick it up at least 100 meters or 300 feet away. It’s been tested and was successful in finding two “trapped” people in a large scale simulated terrorist attack setting.  The app will be shown off at a computer conference this month in Toronto. There are hopes that this app will be considered for incorporation into Android or iOS operating systems since no one really expects to be in a disaster and having it readily available would certainly be one more useful tool in attempting to rescue folks, especially folks, like me, with smartphones.

Swapping Gut Bacteria

Swapping gut bacteria has helped clear infections and reduce symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and even has been shown to have a positive impact on Parkinson’s disease. Lee Kaplan and colleagues at the General Hospital in Boston have discovered that taking microbes from mice that had had gastric bypass surgery and feeding them to healthy mice resulted in a five percent body weight loss in two weeks. Wouldn't it be great to be able to just transplant some microbes and lose weight rather than having gastric bypass surgery? There’s obviously a lot we are just discovering about what goes on in a person’s “breadbasket.” I’m sure more research has to be done with this particularly weighty subject but I’m willing to lose the battle of the bulge.

Time to Get the Lead Out!

It’s time to get the lead out…of paint? I thought we had laws about the keeping lead additives out of paint and we do, in this country. But those same additives that cause brain damage and other health issues can still be found in the paint pigment we export to poorer nations. Lead additives in paint cut the cost of raw materials by only a very small amount and both paint with and without lead are sold for the same retail price yet large and small paint manufacturers continue to add lead as a money saving practice. And it seems that they will continue to do so because it isn't illegal to export for use in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and even to our neighbors in Central and South America. So this brings me to thoughts on the problems with lead in some of the toys and children’s jewelry that we import from China and the outrage we expressed when we discovered this. The same thoughts occur when I think about the dog food treats that sickened and killed so many of our pets, yet we allow harmful products to go in return to turn a profit. Humans are at risk because of these practices. Global efforts will be needed to get the lead out in the big scheme of things but I think it’s time to put pressure from within our nation to put an end to lead additives in the paint we sell not just here at home, but everywhere on this planet we call our home. 

Good Things about FB

The FB I am referring to here is Facebook. Yesterday on MSN I read about a bunch of ways Facebook can benefit you. Facebook can help you find a job, a love match, and raise your self-esteem by helping you project your best image. You can join a group of fitness enthusiasts, also called accountability groups for support and encouragement in reaching fitness goals. I am a part of one of these groups. You can get info on places to travel and keep in touch with far flung friends and family. I wasn't going to blog about this until I saw today that the Burger King Baby, whose photo and plea to find her birth mother I first saw on FB yesterday, made the MSN news feed today. Facebook helped her reconnect with the mother who gave her up all those (27) years ago at of all places, Burger King. The reunion was for all accounts a good one though most of the details were kept out of the news. With social media privacy in the matter may not last long but at least there was a happy ending in this search. I have seen and, yes, shared many a photo with plea attached regarding loved ones looking for answers or a connection to folks they gave up or just lost over time. So facebook bashers, back off. Yes there may be downsides to social media but here is an example of the good side. Congrats to the Burger King Baby and her newly rediscovered family.

Should Opening Day Be a National Holiday?

Oddly enough I find myself coming down on the same side as Budweiser on this subject. I just wonder why it took so long for someone to come up with this idea, after all baseball is our national pastime. If Opening Day was a holiday I wouldn't have had to skip school and hop the train from the suburbs to Wrigley Field all those years ago. Of course having your Grandpa Madigan as a co-conspirator brakeman for the commuter train helped a lot with the transportation issues. Skipping school for Opening Day worked pretty well for me until my senior year in high school when I found my English teacher sitting in the bleachers (with a Bud) in plain sight. All the more reason to make Opening Day a national holiday for today’s fans and all the kids (future fans) that play ball in the recreational and little leagues, and every kid that ever broke a window playing a pick-up game in any empty parking lot or side street.

Even though my cousin Chuck and the President are White Sox fans, maybe we can all get along on this and support the move to make Opening Day a national holiday for everyone (even a Cub’s fan like myself). With Budweiser’s lobbying nudge maybe it will happen. Opening Day, as a national holiday would be a great way to begin one of my favorite sport seasons. 

Pickleball

Pickleball is a game that is touted as fun for all ages, but the first time I heard about it there was a 91 year old man playing it on TV. I figure that gives my rather unathletic self about 30 years to learn the sport. The sport of pickleball has been around since the 1960s and is a combination of badminton, tennis, and ping pong. It looks like I should thank the baby boomers ahead of me pickleball’s even more recent rise in popularity. In some areas in Florida people are lining up to take turns on the pickleball court. The two or four player game is played outdoors or indoors on a court with a badminton type layout. The rackets are solid paddles a bit bigger than ping pong paddles and smaller than tennis rackets. The ball is a whiffle ball, plastic with holes in it. The net is hung like a tennis net about 3 feet high and the rules are similar to the rules of tennis. The ball is served underhand to your opponent across and over the net diagonally. You can only score when you serve and the opponent fails to return the ball as you volley. First to score 11 points wins.

Maybe pickleball would be a bit easier for me to play with my grandkids (Brody and Jude, especially) and I’m thinking it might be fun to give it a try. 

Cockroaches Evolved a Distaste for Sugar, Why Can’t I?

As much sugar as people consume each day in sodas and processed foods would have to change if we could evolve a dislike for sugar like cockroaches have. Food manufacturers and producers would be forced to do a major revamp. Of course roaches evolved their distaste for sugar as a survival skill and surviving is something they are very, very good at. Apparently in the 80’s pest control companies mixed glucose and insecticide to kill roaches but by 1993 the bait was no longer working. The roaches had evolved an aversion to this kind of sugar and passed it on to their descendants. This all happened over the course of a decade. Pest control companies could change to their deadly mix by substituting fructose (high fructose corn syrup, anyone?) for glucose but the roaches would most likely evolve a distaste for that too. Back to my problem with sugar, I’ve put on quite a few pounds over the course of a decade and my taste for sweets hasn't faded one bit. With the rise of diabetes (both types) and obesity a little distaste for sugar might be a good thing for one such as me. It has been said that the lowly cockroach will probably be around long after humans have sent themselves into extinction, never the less, I still hate cockroaches and love me some sugar.

Fatigue Monitoring Systems

Fatigue Monitoring Systems from Seeing Machines of Canberra, Australia is a system designed to prevent accidents caused by sleepy truck drivers and in early tests has reduced fatigue events by 72%. An infrared camera that can see even through sunglasses sends images to a computer that assesses the amount of driver eye blinking to predict the possibility of microsleeps. These microsleeps that occur during drowsy or distracted driving can cause the driver to lose control of the truck with tragic results. An eyes on road message booms out if the driver appears distracted and if there is inattention due to microsleep occurs a shrill alarm goes off and a wireless message is sent to the company to let them know they have a sleepy driver. There has been a lot of positive interest in this system in the trucking world with Caterpillar installing the $10,000 systems in all their mining trucks. I bet I would find the Fatigue Monitoring System quite useful around my house (which could use a serious spring cleaning) lately. But most likely I’ll just opt to save the 10K and take a nap.

Monkey Feet

For every monkey bar swinging, tree climbing child or grandchild of mine that I've declared part monkey on their Daddy’s side, guess what? There may be something to that. According to a study done at Boston University one in thirteen of you (and me) have feet that are especially adapted for climbing trees and probably don’t know it. The other 12 have more rigid feet efficient for walking. 400 people had their feet filmed as they walked around the Boston Museum of Science and the result showed 8% had mid-foot flexibility. Researchers seem to think these monkey feet (as I like to call them) are a relic of our ancestors’ tree climbing days. Monkey feet did not have any telltale effect on a person’s gait. They aren't that obvious but may be helpful to stability during a sudden change of speed. Further research is considering the impact shoes have had on foot anatomy too. I’m not sure whether or not I have monkey feet, but I sure do enjoy a barefoot walk on the beach and look forward to some barefoot spring and summer weather. 

Marauder’s Map

As if red light cameras and other traffic cams aren't bad enough, there is a new kind of software, called Marauder’s Map after Harry Potter’s magical map that analyses security camera footage, facial recognition, and color matching for clothes to track multiple individuals indoors and out. This software could be very useful for tracking people’s movements across a network of cameras in real time for finding intruders or just figuring out your whereabouts. It might one day be helpful in tracking dementia patients that might wander away from a nursing home and get lost, or people in large stores or malls. Right now the software has been used on small scale projects but some would like to see it developed for larger scale use in our nation’s airports tracking people flagged for monitoring by security. Looks like this is definitely one of the directions in which technology is moving these days.

Where Autism Delivers a Competitive Advantage

A bunch of global companies are utilizing the skill sets of folks on the autism spectrum in the work force. The autistic folks are considered a uniquely talented pool of people that excel in the areas of focus and mathematical ability. German software giant, SAP and Freddie Mac in the US are two companies that have been hiring autistic workers, the first as software testers. Autistic workers are often able to handle large amounts of information at one time and make decisions based on rational thought rather than being swayed by emotion. Their attention to detail and ability to do repetitive tasks accurately and quickly are also plusses in the workplace. Autism is an opportunity to help the ever changing corporate America achieve greater success. Yep, I just used the words autism and success in the same sentence. Parents and teachers of the autistic, take heart. Classmates of the autistic, especially those that might denigrate or bully, take note. You may find these same students in your workplace or on your team in the future when you get out of school. Cultivate tolerance and appreciate diversity today to make the world a better place tomorrow.

Habitat Banking

Here in the US this is not a new concept. Laws protecting wetlands have given rise to a billion dollar industry involving 400 wetland habitats. The idea is gaining momentum in in the UK, Australia, and other European countries in an attempt to please both developers and conservationists. Basically alternative habitats (for wildlife) are created to offset the impacts of land development (for humans). Banks getting into the act allow conservationists and financiers to invest in protecting areas, earning “offset credits” that can be banked for future sale to developers wanting to exploit some other habitat. Sounds complicated to me but despite the fact that there is no guarantee that the wildlife will approve of being moved to newer habitats, there have been successes. That makes this idea worth a try since developers seem to wait for no one, when profit it is involved. It’s encouraging to see this concept go global and I hope more countries will get in on it as a way to conserve the diversity of wildlife with which we share this planet.  

Monarchs and Milkweed

As spring finally begins to make its presence known with the blooming of the azaleas and redbuds here in South GA, slowly but surely making its way north so with the emergence of milkweed plants, follows the migration back northward of the monarch butterflies. After spending the winter months in the oyamel fir forests Mexico it is time for them to trek, I mean flutter, back north. These majestic (monarch meaning the King) butterflies travel back and forth through Canada, the US, and Mexico year after year, now their numbers are in danger of declining. The two biggest dangers they face is the rampant illegal logging in the forests of Mexico, their winter habitat, and the eradication of milkweed plants by insecticides used in the planting of corn in the US. The milkweed plants are where the Monarchs lay their eggs. The caterpillars that emerge then eat the milkweed, in their habitat along the migration route. There are roadways that follow the general migration route and one suggestion would have milkweed planted along the medians and highway shoulders. I might feel a bit bad thinking of the butterflies caught in the grill of my vehicle but it is an idea that might help, ironically, since the very corn that is taking away the Monarch’s natural habitat may be helping fuel my vehicle. The fact that it will take the combined efforts of 3 nations to save habitats for the Monarchs points to just how much more global things are these days. The future survival and success of the US’s most well-known butterfly, the Monarch Butterfly depends on global cooperation as will so many other things. 

My Favorite 

Happy Pi Day!

This year the date (today’s date in digits) has the first four digits in Pi as it has for the last few years, but next year it will have the first five, 3.1415. Pretty cool in my mathematically minded opinion. Pi is an irrational number that on your calculator goes on and on in a seemingly random sequence. In elementary school we used it in formulas dealing with circles and their areas, circumferences and such. In my gastronomically minded opinion Pi day (today) is a good day to indulge in a nice slice of pi…e. If sweets, like cherry, apple, or pumpkin pies don’t tempt there is always the old standby, a nice big deep dish pizza pie or the comfort food stand by, chicken pot pie. Pie (the sweet side) was also a part of Pi Day in my classroom too. And even though I’m out of school these days I still like Pi Day. As a matter of fact since it is Pi Day I am planning to celebrate by indulging myself and going for both, pie for dinner and dessert. Happy Pi Day!

From Food Trucks to Truck Operating Rooms

The trucks in the local news around Jacksonville lately are food trucks. Some very delicious dishes come from them but the trucks and their operators are pretty controversial. The brick and mortar restaurants and establishments have some tough competition. The food truck fare is frequently more than concession style food too. You can get a fast organic or gourmet meal and eat it outdoors on your lunch or dinner break which is a nice change for professionals bored with brown bag, chain restaurant, or industrial food choices. When the food trucks gather (at some of the local farmer’s markets) with their delectable offerings they are often accompanied by folding table and chair seating and trash receptacles. On a beautiful spring day, what more could you ask for?

Trucks in some countries where medical care is difficult to find in remote areas contain mobile operating rooms taking surgical options to the people. In Ecuador, more than 7000 operations have taken place in one such truck and plans for another truck for South Sudan is in the works. Surgeons then use IPads to check up on their patients via a teleconference connection. For poor people in remote areas in need of surgery yet unable to travel to a city for it, what more could they ask for?

Crazy Ants

They are called crazy ants because they act, well crazy moving in a fast frenzy as they swarm along. Nylanderia fulva in less scientific terms are also called raspberry ants or tawny crazy ants. They are also sometimes referred to as Caribbean crazy ants. For my purposes I’ll just refer to them as crazy ants. I first saw them at the Jacksonville Zoo and they have become quite a pest there, enough to gum up the works in the zoo train when swarms are run over on the tracks. Unlike fire ants and more like sugar ants the crazy ants will come into your home. On the other hand, other than being considered a nuisance, crazy ants have some interesting, possibly positive characteristics. They, unlike fire ants, do not bite. They produce chemicals they then rub on themselves as an antidote to fire ant venom when they get in fights with fire ants and have even taken over fire ant nests. Although they are said to originate in Brazil, and yet are sometimes called Caribbean ants, I have yet to see them here, on Andros, Bahamas (in the Caribbean) so there is that. I am also happy to report that I haven’t seen them in south GA. Wish I could say the same for fire ants.

No Gain, No Pain, Unless You Have a Sizeable Brain!

A lot is being written and discussed about new knowledge of the human brain, lately, but I have been reading about the brains of invertebrates and whether or not they feel pain. As a science project teacher in a previous life, I read in project guidelines that use of invertebrates (worms and such) in experiments was not a problem but vertebrates, (animals with spines), had special requirements to ensure humane treatment. Humane treatment referred to not causing pain, and the assumption was that invertebrates don’t feel pain. Since insects have such tiny brains, flies for example, and their life spans are so short, they haven’t the need to use the avoidance of pain to sustain their existence, hence it is highly unlikely that they feel pain. Pain enables longer term protection than most insects require. The invertebrates that have been shown to feel pain (and not just reflex either) are in the cephalopod family, specifically crab, lobster, octopi, and squid. I mention these because they are not your usual lab animals, but instead food. There are regulations about the vertebrate animals we use in food production but not for the invertebrates. I guess I am basically writing this for my grandson, Jonas, age 11, who has been a dedicated combat vegetarian for a couple of years now. No more reason to feel bad about squashing the occasional mosquito or swatting a pesky fly.   

Collective Effervescence

Let me begin by stating that the term collective effervescence has nothing to do with the soft drink industry or human, cow, or any other creature’s flatulence. Just thought I’d clear the air here, so to speak. Collective effervescence is the energy that radiates from a crowd and the sense that sometimes a crowd can seem like more than the sum of its parts. I've felt this surging across the streets of downtown Chicago snugly encased shoulder to shoulder among others in crowds of busy pedestrians. No need to look at the light, just go with the crowd, a crowd with a unified purpose. I've driven in Chicago’s crazy traffic too and I know I was safer with the crowd. Some think that to be part of a crowd equals conformity and means giving up one’s individual identity. The other school of thought says that crowds are critical to society and help us form our sense of identity and relationships toward others. Can collective effervescence even positively influence our physical well-being? Psychologists think it can because shared identity (with the rest of the crowd) can lead to support and cooperation and positive emotions that make you more resilient and healthier. The downside of crowds has also been considered, crowd violence. There again you have a crowd with purpose, though this time a negative one. Sometimes a crowd of bystanders (with a different purpose) can produce a calming effect and extinguish violence. We can find many instances of this kind of crowd behavior too. Then there are with social media and the rise of the internet, the virtual crowds, I am thinking crowd sourcing. I wonder what psychologists will conclude about them in the future.

Catching Rocks and a Squirrelfish

Spent a beautiful, quiet Sunday out on the ocean today. The time change allowed us to see Venus and a sky filled with stars, followed by a glorious sunrise. A school of black fin tuna put on quite a show of acrobatics as we neared the buoy, our first light destination. A couple of barracuda and a needlefish found their way into the boat. A couple of sharks enjoyed our bait. I managed to catch quite a few rocks and my husband caught a squirrelfish.

Two Things I Won’t Forget

First, which mammal has six sets of teeth? Not humans because if we did we might not need dental insurance and all those dentistry and affordable denture and implants commercials on TV. The mammal with six sets of teeth is the elephant. They have really big appetites to match their tremendous girth and they spend a lot of time (and teeth) chewing. When in old age they have no more sets of teeth to replace the worn ones, they often meet their demise because they can no longer chew and eat. As the elephant never forgets, neither will I that the elephant has six sets of teeth.

Second, which is a better place to wake up early and take the pup out for a walk in March, St. Marys or the Bahamas? I asked my husband this morning how the weather was outside (in the Bahamas) and he said it was a little cool and I might consider wearing a light jacket. I checked the weather in St. Marys (via computer) and found it was 37 degrees out and would probably be just as chilly there tomorrow. Then I stepped out the door (in the Bahamas) and realized it was shorts and t-shirt weather, no light jacket necessary for me. So as the elephant never forgets, neither will I that as far as the weather goes, taking the pup out for an early morning walk in March, the Bahamas is the best!

Gators on the Highway

It seems like there are an awful lot of these on the interstate these days. I am not talking about the members of Gator Nation, easily recognizable by the Gator stickers on their vehicles either. I’m talking tire tread pieces from blown tractor trailer tires. My husband ran one over coming north on 95 at night and it tore up the undercarriage of his car. I had my son check my tires for air before making my own trip south down 95 in that same car because the mechanism that warns of low tires was permanently damaged by the road gator. One tire was low so it was a good thing he checked and we got to talking about running over gators. Seems he had the same problem on his way into work one early, crack of dawn morning. After he ran the gator over he pulled over and got out of his truck to make sure it was ok. It didn’t seem fazed as it proceeded to finish crossing the on ramp. That’s when I realized we weren't talking about the same kind of gators. Guess there are more gators on the highway to watch out for than I figured. 

The Napkin Lawsuit

A guy is suing McD’s because he only got one napkin with his meal. When he asked for more he was denied and things escalated from there. I thought the hot coffee lawsuit was rather frivolous but it really changed the way they put the lids on the coffee at McD’s now. They have a tool they use to make sure the coffee lid is pressed on tight. So this makes me wonder if the napkin lawsuit will be thrown out as frivolous. A couple of hundred blog posts back I wrote about nabbing napkins from all the places I ate at and how even my grandkids became my accomplices in keeping the napkin basket on my table at home full. So I guess my advice to the guy who only got one napkin from McD’s  would be for next time to try 5 Guys, the burgers and napkins are better there and you get free peanuts. The napkins are just like the cheap ones you buy at the store and they are stacked (in an easy access dispenser) at the end of the counter where you pick up your food so you can help yourself to as many as you need, and if you’re me, a few more.

A Chain of Random Acts of Kindness Started by a Young (19yrs old) Navy Wife

 Mr. Sandy's Selfie (with me)

A young Navy wife sees an elderly man leaning driving his cart through the frozen dinner section in Wal Mart, notices that it appears the only kind of food in his cart is frozen lean cuisine and strikes up a conversation. I’m ad libbing this part because it occurred before I came into the story. She discovers that he is living pretty much on microwave meals and decides to bring him a home cooked meal. Random act of kindness right there because maybe he reminds her of her grandpa or she just has a giving spirit. And let’s consider the elderly man, aging in place is hard to do (and a little scary-he still drives). His son sets up his meds and lives nearby but is employed by the neighboring town’s fire department so consequently works a cycle of overnights and days, and can’t be a full time care giver. He does pretty well but I can say from experience caring for an elderly parent can be exhausting and even more so when you have a regular job too. You need to be a master at time management. So the young Navy wife turns to social media to get others involved and the response was amazing. What a wonderful opportunity to give others a chance to participate with random acts of kindness, 140 meals worth so far largely organized on line on a site called Take Them a Meal. But sadly the chain has begun to disintegrate with the South East Community Church and a very few volunteers left bringing a meal. Something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of soup and few minutes to drop it off is all it takes to make a difference in one oldie’s life. He can be crotchety but he is always humble and grateful. He suffers from gout and I have seen him during a couple of particularly ugly flare ups so he has been advised to stay away from most meat and seafood. If you would like to be a link in this kindness chain here is where to sign up. You can send a meal even if you aren't local. Just go to this link and sign up. http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=GXXV4018&welcome=1  

Uptalk or Vocal Fry, Just Say It

First uptalk, this is, an irritating to some, way of speaking where every sentence ends up like a question, even statements that aren't questions at all. Uptalk is mostly used by girls and women. Men do use uptalk occasionally when addressing women (this is the part that grinds on me because my brother always spoke to me with uptalk) when they are being condescending or correcting women. Uptalk may be an indicator of uncertainty and maybe a little self-deprecation. Women just need to ditch this language pattern and men even more so, though the uptalk way of talking has been around for a long time.

Vocal fry is a language affectation used by women and it makes our voices gravelly. Men have lower voice registers so they tend not to use vocal fry. The voice everyone points to as the prime example of vocal fry is Kim Kardashian’s. Maybe that is why it has become trendy among young college aged women. Vocal fry is often most noticeable at the ends of phrases or sentences. Speaking with vocal fry just seems like too much work to me. 

Wearable Generators

Yep, there’s a new kind of generator, a nanogenerator that converts movement from walking into electricity to keep your gadgets going, and it all fits in a 4 pound backpack so you can wear it. In tests it was able to generate 1 watt of power while the person wearing it was walking, enough electricity to run 40 LEDs. There are some other backpack generators out there already but they weigh much more (40 pounds) so these new ones are the way to go if you want to keep the power on for your phone or wearable computer or other electronic device. We have so many of these devices these days and some come with Velcro arm bands to keep them attached or the computer is in the glasses, like Google Glass. What an interesting way to keep things charged and be less sedentary. With one of these wearable generators I could even walk away from my walking desk. I would love to dictate my blog to my wearable computer someday while outdoors enjoying a walk on a lovely spring day.

Nature versus Nurture

Nature trumps nurture when it comes to a child’s educational fate according to a recent study of 5474 pairs of twins, 2008 of them identical. This study, while considered pretty controversial, claims to prove that the genes we inherit have a bigger impact on exam success than schooling or parenting. As a teacher in my previous life I always knew that kids came with different potentials, and despite those differences everybody can learn. This study doesn't disagree and if anything emphasizes how important it is to provide more resources for kids who need the most. No genes for intelligence have been identified but a one size fits all style of educational approach isn't the best either. That was one more thing I discovered in my previous life as a teacher. So I guess if you can read that bumper sticker you can still thank your teacher, but keep in mind you can thank your parents too.

March First

I have always admired this date because it seems like such a commanding day.

March first because rebellion without truth is like spring in a bleak, arid desert.-Khalil Gibran

March first because behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love.-Sitting Bull

March first because for every person who has ever lived there has come at last, a spring he will never see. Glory then in the springs that are yours,-Pam Brown

So March first and if not you can always March second tomorrow.