DJ SinFulRedAngelAKAAngel Eyes Sarges Ba's blog: "Real World Stuff"

Golden Rule Pledge 2010 Posted on February 25th, 2010 The Day of Silence is being observed on Friday, April 16 this year. On the Day of Silence, many young people around the nation will remain silent at school in order to bring attention to name-calling, bullying and harassment of gay and lesbian students in schools. When other students ask about the reason for their silence, many will hand out a card with the following message: Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence (DOS), a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT bullying, name-calling and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. DAY of SILENCE – What are you going to do to end the Silence? We believe these students are asking for and should receive an answer to their question. We believe the answer should be a commitment to mutual respect and safety. The Golden Rule Pledge provides an way to communicate that pledge of respect. In reply to the question asked on the Day of Silence card, students can offer a verbal pledge to treat others with respect and/or a silent reply with a Golden Rule Pledge card. Some Christian and conservative groups called for a boycott of the Day of Silence in 2008 and 2009, in some cases leading to loud protests. Many of the same groups are calling for a similar boycott this year. Still others are organizing what they call a “Day or Truth.” The DOT event seeks to inform gay students that Christianity does not approve of homosexual behavior via the wearing of T-shirts and passing out of cards. This year this event is being held on April 15, the day before the Day of Silence. We believe this event builds more walls than bridges. We seek a different approach. The Golden Rule Pledgers will show up at school on both the 15th and 16th and live out the teaching of Christ to treat others as they want to be treated. Rather than engage in debates over beliefs about homosexuality, we advocate a pledge to live by the Golden Rule. This can be offered verbally and/or by giving out a Golden Rule Pledge card. Retrieved on 4/15/10 from: http://goldenrulepledge.com/

I thought this was a very good subject and well worth the printing and bogging. Teaching Tolerance The Need for a Clear and Practical Definition Eric Buehrer In recent years, schools have given an increasing amount of attention to issues surrounding diversity and tolerance. Character education courses, multicultural material, and even health curricula weave the theme of tolerance through their lessons. Incidents such as the murder of Matthew Shepard because he was gay, or the brutal killing of James Byrd because he was African American, or the attacks on synagogues and churches shock us into the reality that hate-motivated crime is still alive in America. While some people use these tragedies to create the appearance of a crisis largely for political reasons, it must be pointed out that incidents of hate crimes are relatively rare. For example, incidents of hate crimes in 2001 were only 0.082 percent of all crimes (including intimidation -- causing reasonable fear of bodily harm though none occurs - which accounted for 40.6% of hate crimes). Known offenders made up only 0.0032 percent of the population. According to the FBI, hate crimes committed on campuses (they group schools and colleges together) totaled 833 in 2001. This amounts to 0.001 percent when compared to the estimated enrollment of 68 million students that year. (Of course, the rarity of the occurrences is little consolation to the 833 victims that year.) Clearly, we are not a nation of bigots and haters though the spotlight put on certain incidents might make it appear that way. The need for tolerance is not because of an epidemic of hate crimes, but because of the much more mundane and daily social interactions that require treating each other with respect and dignity. It is in these interactions where educators deal with intolerance most frequently: hallway insults, angry outbursts, and smug dismissals of others' viewpoints during class discussions. Not only do educators deal with these types of social interactions among students, they, too, are tested in their tolerance for student clothing, hair styles, body piercing, attitudes, morals, and behaviors. Defining Tolerance When some use the word tolerance, they mean the first definition you find in the dictionary: recognition of and respect for the opinions, practices, or behavior of others. However, it is important to understand that respect here means, not veneration, but the avoidance of interference. Without this clarification, the definition of tolerance comes to be viewed as a gushing acceptance of just about everything someone says or does. Some even go so far as to define tolerance as the embracing and celebration of the opinions, practices, or behaviors of others. Many educators and parents, however, cringe at the moral relativism of this approach. Yet, they feel boxed in by the current talk of tolerance. If they oppose it, they run the risk of being accused of advocating bigotry, intolerance, and even hate. This is because those promoting the most open-ended view of tolerance have staked out the playing field by defining the terminology. Pressure then gets placed on colleagues and students to adopt this view of tolerance. To resist is to appear intolerant. Tolerance Requires Virtue Tolerance, in and of itself, is not a virtue. If a student tolerates drinking and driving, his tolerance is not virtuous. Tolerance is neutral. Tolerance derives its value from what it is the student tolerates, and the manner in which the student expresses his tolerance and intolerance. This involves character. When a student uses a racial slur, his problem is not a lack of tolerance, but a lack of kindness and a problem with pride (the root of belief in racial superiority). When a student makes fun of a classmate's point of view during a class discussion, his problem isn't a lack of tolerance, but a lack of courtesy. When one student spits on another student because he thinks his schoolmate is gay, tolerance isn't the issue so much as is self-control. Proper tolerance is the outgrowth of moral character qualities such as kindness, patience, courtesy, humility, love, self-control, and courage. Even intolerance should be expressed through these qualities. Students need to be taught that tolerance arises from character. If they don't understand this, they will think they are being tolerant when they are actually only expressing indifference ("whatever"), or apathy ("who cares?"), or even recklessness ("why not?"). Improperly taught, "tolerance education" can lead to disarming students of their proper convictions. Tolerance Requires Standards The view that tolerance means, "accepting everyone's ideas and behaviors" is impractical in the real world. It sounds nice in classroom discussions and school board declarations, but it won't work in the hallways. You will find a more practical definition of tolerance in the dictionary's second definition of the term: the allowable variation from a standard. For instance, an engineer might ask about the tolerance of a metal beam in a building during an earthquake. How far should it bend before serious structural damage is done? This is the definition by which we most commonly live. We establish a standard of what we think is best (even if somewhat vague). We then establish an allowable variation from that standard (often more vague). Then we judge the ideas and actions of others based on what we've established. This is as it should be. To do otherwise is to invite social and moral anarchy. The problem for many people isn't intolerance; it is in not clearly defining their standards. Even so, we establish standards in hundreds, even thousands, of categories. For example, our standard (ideal) for marriage may be two people who love each other deeply in a supportive and nurturing relationship. However, our allowable variation from the standard is a marriage filled with anger and disharmony. But, what goes beyond the allowable variation; what is intolerable, is spousal abuse. Within the school setting, this definition of tolerance is applied in many places: dress codes (pants are allowed, but not hot pants), hallway conduct (conversation between boys and girls is allowed, but not sexual harassment), and classroom participation (students may not have to participate in discussions, but they can't fall asleep). This practical definition is valuable for classroom instruction because it honors students' moral frameworks developed by their religious education and families. Rather than teach them that tolerance is best demonstrated by an absence of judgment, it teaches that tolerance requires making judgments: first, establishing a standard, and second, establishing the limits of the allowable variation. If students aren't taught to clearly establish their standards and allowable variations, they will struggle with what to tolerate. In frustration, they may simply jump to the sophomoric view that they should just accept everything. This doesn't require hard thinking and yet has the appearance of taking the moral high ground. Some may raise the concern that making judgments will only add to someone's existing prejudices. There are two reasons why this doesn't have to be. First, as we have seen, the reality is that this is the way tolerance really works, so the best course of action is to help students think deeply about their standards. Secondly, no matter what their standards are, they should act virtuously toward anyone who varies from those standards. Ironically, educators can create more "tolerant" school climates by focusing not on tolerance, but on character. Click here for a practical student handout that explains a better definition of tolerance. © 2002, Gateways To Better Education

Without proper nouns, names etc

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanocon... is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, "a word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of volcanic ash, causing inflammation in the lungs.'"

Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_wor...

The longest word not in the dictionary is:

• This is the chemical name of the largest known protein. It is an astonishing 189,819 letters long. However it is purely a technical term and though written in English it isn't a "dictionary" term and thus the first answerer is the most correct.

Methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylala... ylglutaminylprolylleucylglutaminylsery... lserylthreonylalanylthreonylphenylalan... rylglycylphenylalanylprolylvalylprolyl... lanylarginylaspartylglycylglutaminylva... nylleucylprolylglycylvalylglutaminylis... ylglycylarginylalanyllysylleucylthreon... llysylalanylasparaginylserylglycylargi... eonylasparaginylglycylserylglycylgluta... nylglutamylleucylleucylvalyllysylalany... asparaginylphenylalanylvalylglutaminyl... ylthreonylvalylarginylglutaminylglycyl... utaminylvalylarginylvalylthreonylglycy... lylvalyllysylphenylalanyltyrosylarginy... cylglutaminylserylserylleucylaspartylp... glutaminylglutamylglycylaspartylleucyl... anylglutamylalanyltyrosylprolylglutamy... serylvalylasparaginylalanylthreonylasp... ylthreonylserylthreonylalanylglutamyll... tamylglutamylglutamylvalylprolylalanyl... eucylvalylserylthreonylalanylglutaminy... glutaminylthreonylarginylisoleucylglut... ylhistidylphenylalanylaspartylalanylar... lylglutamylmethionylvalylisoleucylaspa... nylglutaminylleucylprolylhistidyllysyl... lprolylprolyllysylprolyllysylserylargi... erylisoleucylalanylalanyllysylalanylgl... ylglutaminylserylprolylserylprolylisol... lprolylvalylarginylhistidylvalylarginy... lylvalylarginylserylvalylserylprolylal... onylserylprolylisoleucylarginylserylva... thionylarginyllysylthreonylglutaminyla... ylglycylprolylglutamylvalylprolylproly... tamylglycyltyrosylvalylalanylserylsery... ylarginylglutamylthreonylthreonylleucy... minylisoleucylarginylthreonylglutamylg... cylarginyltyrosylglycylvalylglutaminyl... eucylserylglycylalanylalanylglycylalan... serylalanylseryltyrosylalanylalanylglu... lalanyllysylglutamylvalyllysylglutamin... lanylalanylvalylalanylthreonylvalylval... lalanylarginylvalylarginylglutamylprol... tamylglutaminylthreonylalanylglutaminy... eonylalanylvalylhistidylisoleucylgluta... glutaminylvalylarginyllysylglutamylala... threonyllysylvalylvalylvalylalanylalan... lutaminylglutamylleucyllysylserylargin... leucylthreonylthreonyllysylglutaminylg... alylthreonylhistidylglutamylglutaminyl... ylglutamyllysylthreonylphenylalanylval... ylalanylalanyllysylalanyllysylglutamyl... oleucylserylglutamylglutamylisoleucylt... taminylvalylthreonylglutaminylglutamyl... ylthreonylarginyllysylthreonylvalylval... nylthreonylprolyllysylvalyllysylglutam... larginylglycylarginylglutamylglycyliso... lutamylglutaminylvalylglutaminylisoleu... ethionylarginyllysylglutamylalanylglut... hreonylisoleucylalanylvalylalanylthreo... utaminylglutamylthreonylisoleucylleucy... onylmethionylalanylthreonylarginylglut... utaminylvalylthreonylhistidylglycyllys... lalanylglutamylalanylvalylalanylthreon...

 

Searching for the Origin of Father's Day

by Mike Krumboltz

30 hours ago

Searchers have a question they'd like answered: Who started Father's Day? Who do they have to thank for the mandatory bonding time they're spending with dear ol' dad this weekend? Lookups on "father's day origin" and "who started father's day" inspired us to investigate. The results of our research shook us to our very core.

OK, maybe not to our core, exactly. But the story of how Father's Day came to be is still pretty interesting. A blog from a Detroit church explains that most historians credit a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd with creating the holiday. Ms. Smart Dodd was "inspired by her father, a widower and Civil War veteran named William Jackson Smart." She wanted to do something to honor his memory while paying respect to all fathers.

Clearly she was a woman with a plan. Alas, not everybody agreed with her pleas to "give it up for the papas" (our words, not hers). In fact, Ms. Smart Dodd's proposal was often mocked when it first made the rounds. Folks felt it unnecessary. And the all-male United States Congress felt that having a holiday for fathers might look like they were trying to give themselves "a pat on the back."

Additionally, many just plain didn't want the holiday. An article from Inspiration Line explains that, according to an article in The Spokesman-Review, "one group of men conventioneers laughed and said they didn't want a Father's Day. A National Fishing Day would be better, they told her."

Though many scoffed, the holiday was eventually accepted. In 1910, the first local Father’s Day was held. It wasn’t until 1924 that President Calvin Coolidge "made it a national event." Then, in 1966, President Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day. President Nixon made it law in 1972.

It's hard to imagine a time when the idea of Father's Day was mocked and dismissed as ridiculous. If it weren't for the tenacity of a grateful daughter, it may never have come to pass.

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To clear cache and cookies in Microsoft Internet Explorer,
perform the following:

Internet Explorer 5 and 6:

1.   Open Internet Explorer
2.   Click 'Tools'
3.   Select 'Internet Options'
4.   On the 'General' tab, click the 'Delete Cookies' button in the
'Temporary Internet Files' section
5.   Click 'OK'
6.   On the 'General' tab, click the 'Delete Files' button in the
'Temporary Internet Files' section
7.   Check the box marked 'Delete all offline content'
8.   Click 'OK'
9.   Close Internet Explorer
10. Reopen Internet Explorer


Internet Explorer 7:

1.   Open Internet Explorer
2.   Click 'Tools'
3.   Select 'Internet Options'
4.   Click the 'Delete' button in the 'Browsing History' section
5.   Click 'Delete Files'
6.   Click 'Yes'
7.   Click 'Delete Cookies'
8.   Click 'Yes'
9.   Click 'Close'
10. Click 'OK'
11. Close Internet Explorer
12. Reopen Internet Explorer

 

 

 

Buffer overflow  An error that occurs when more data is received than an application can store

in its buffer.

 

Cracker   An individual who removes software protection designed to prevent

unauthorized duplication.

 

DoS attack  A concentrated attack on a computer system that relies on a large volume of

service requests, thus denying legitimate users access to it.

 

Malware  Any type of malicious software designed to disrupt or disable a computer

system.

 

Man-in-the-middle attack  The act of intercepting and reading or altering data transmission packets en

route to their final destination.

 

Phreaker  An individual who attacks a telephone system or network in order to make free

calls or disrupt services.

 

Polymorphism  Malware that can alter its size, name, or appearance to elude detection.

 

Shoulder surfing  Observing password or other sensitive-data entries by looking over the shoulder

of the owner.

 

Sniffing  A computer program or device that can monitor data transmissions.

 

Social engineering  Convincing a person in authority to reveal such sensitive information as

passwords or computer codes to an unauthorized recipient.

 

Spamming  Sending unsolicited, and typically unwanted, mass emails.

 

Spoofing  The act of gaining unauthorized access to a computer system by using the IP

address of a trusted host.

 

Spyware  Software that records your keystrokes, passwords, or web browser URL

preferences and communicates this information to others.

 

Trap door  A set of instructions in a computer program that provides a hacker access to a

computer system or file.

 

Trojan horse  An innocent-looking computer program that also contains malware—for

example, a virus or a worm.

 

Virus  A computer program that performs malicious actions such as erasing the

contents of computer files or software programs.

 

Worm  A malicious computer program that can replicate itself elsewhere—for example,

by using the email addresses in computerized address books.

 

 

"The Facts of Life" Cast: Then & Now

By Amy & Nancy Harrington, GetBack.com | Friday, May 15, 2009, 4:09 PM

 

You take the good, you take the bad...

Everett Collection

Our little Tootie (Kim Fields) turned 40 this week, and besides making us feel really, really old, this milestone got us wondering what the girls and the other personalities from Eastland Academy are up to these days. Here's the good and the bad on the cast from "The Facts Of Life."

 

[Photo gallery: See "The Facts of Life" cast, then and now.]

Kim Fields: Then
Fields played Dorothy Ramsey, better known as Tootie, Eastland's resident roller-skating gossip. Through her nine years on the show she dealt with racism, prostitution, and, worst of all, braces. As she so often said, "We are in trou-ble!"
Kim Fields: Now
Five years after "Facts" wrapped in 1988, Kim joined Queen Latifah and Kim Coles in the cast of another popular sitcom, "Living Single," FOX's African-American answer to "Friends." It ran from 1993 to 1998. Since then, Fields has participated in reunions for both shows and has made guest appearances on numerous series, including "The Cleaner" and "Miss Match."

 

Lisa Whelchel: Then
Although Whelchel herself was nothing like the character she portrayed, it's hard to imagine anyone else as the stuck-up, rich Blair Warner, who put up with the other "regular" girls despite her natural beauty and "perfect personality." In the series finale, Blair used daddy's money to buy Eastland and turn it into a co-ed school.
Lisa Whelchel: Now
After "Facts," ended, Lisa gave up acting. She did rejoin her castmates for the reunion special but now devotes her time to home-schooling her three children and meeting with members of her MomTime Ministries. She's also written 12 books, mostly on the subjects of parenting and Bible studies.

 

 

 

Mindy Cohn: Then
Mindy's role of Natalie Green could very easily have been a stereotype or the butt of easy sitcom jokes. But while many of Natalie's plot lines indeed revolved around the fact that she wasn't as thin as the other girls, she had a healthy self-image and for the most part scored all the dudes. She was even the first to sleep with her boyfriend, in a very controversial episode.
Mindy Cohn: Now
These days Mindy's best known as the Emmy-nominated voice of Velma Dinkley on the cartoon "What's New Scooby-Doo?" Last year she appeared on screen as Trixie, an assistant to Simon Baker's fast-food-chain executive Roderick Blank, in "Sex and Death 101," the latest Daniel Waters ("Heathers") film.

Nancy McKeon: Then
Joanne "Jo" Polniaczek was Eastland's resident tomboy and troublemaker. She often got her classmates in hot water by encouraging them to drink or steal the school van. Naturally, she had an adversarial relationship with the spoiled Blair, but the two eventually became best friends by the last season.
Nancy McKeon: Now
Nancy continued acting after Eastland closed its TV doors. Among her credits are three short-lived series: "Can't Hurry Love" (with a pre-"Law & Order: SVU" Mariska Hargitay), "Style & Substance" (with Jean Smart), and "The Division," which ran for four seasons and prevented her from appearing on 2001's "Facts" reunion. Most recently she starred in a Lifetime movie, "Comfort and Joy," and has a recurring role on the Disney Channel's "Sonny with a Chance". 

Charlotte Rae: Then
Edna Garrett started as the Drummonds' housekeeper on "Diff'rent Strokes," but when she took a job at Kimberly Drummond's school, Eastland Academy, she left Park Avenue for her own show, "The Facts of Life." In season one Mrs. Garrett ruled the roost in the dorm and by year two she was running the cafeteria, doling out not only nutritional advice but important life lessons.
Charlotte Rae: Now
As much as she loved her girls, Mrs. Garrett left the school and the series in 1986. Rae was already a long-seasoned film and TV vet by the time "Facts" aired, and she continues working consistently to this day. In recent years she provided the voice of Nanny in "101 Dalmatians: The Series" and guest-starred on "The King of Queens" and "ER." But her most notable role of late was as one of Adam Sandler's love interests in 2008's "You Don't Mess with the Zohan."

 Cloris Leachman: Then
Mrs. Garrett may have left the academy for a life in the Peace Corps., but she would never leave her charges unsupervised. Enter Cloris Leachman as Beverly Ann Stickle, her divorced sister. Even though the girls were now all grown, Beverly was charged with looking after them, as well as the malt shop and house Mrs. Garrett left behind. After realizing they didn't need a den mother, Beverly adopted Andy Moffett, a foster kid played by Mackenzie Astin.
Cloris Leachman: Now At the age of 82, Cloris proved she could swing with the best of 'em by joining the 2008 cast of "Dancing with the Stars." But that's just the beginning, really. Cloris is always working. There was a guest spot on NBC's "The Office," a Hallmark Channel made-for-TV movie "Love Takes Wing," and three more films slated for release this year, including the star-studded "New York, I Love You," an anthology of 11 mini-movies featuring Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Olando Bloom, Robin Wright Penn, Hayden Christensen, Christina Ricci, Ethan Hawke, Andy Garcia, and James Caan — just to name just a few.

 

Mackenzie Astin: Then
The 12-year-old son of actors John Astin and Patty Duke (and younger brother of Sean) arrived in the seventh season of "Facts" as Andy Moffett, the "jump the shark" foster kid recruited to add a touch of cute, now that all the girls had blossomed into full-on adulthood.
Mackenzie Astin: Now
Although Mackenzie hasn't seen his brother Sean's (who starred in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy) mainstream success, he's enjoyed a fulfilling career, with guest spots on "Lost," "Psych," and "My Name Is Earl." His most recent movie role in "The Four Children of Tander Welch" united him for the first time onscreen with his real-life mother, Patty Duke.

George Clooney: Then
In 1985 the unknown George Clooney was hired to play handyman George Burnett. He was contracted to rebuild Mrs. Garrett's shop and breathe new life into the series, but he only stuck around for one year, leaving to roadie for pop sensation Cinnamon (real-life pop sensation Stacey Q).
George Clooney: Now
We doubt anyone's unaware of George's post-"Facts" trajectory. But for those of you thinking, "This can't be THAT George Clooney," we assure you it is. It was a slow climb from "Facts" to "Roseanne" to "ER" and superstardom. He's since achieved leading-man status in such major motion pictures as the "Ocean's Eleven" trilogy, "Michael Clayton," and "Syriana." He's also made his mark as a director with "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and the acclaimed Edward R. Murrow biopic, "Good Night, and Good Luck." Most recently he joined forces with the Coen Brothers (with whom he worked in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") in "Burn After Reading." Personally, we're looking forward to seeing him in the upcoming "Up in the Air," directed by Jason Reitman ("Juno" and "Thank You for Smoking").

Molly Ringwald: Then
Ringwald's first two acting gigs (from 1979-1980) were on "Diff'rent Strokes" and "The Facts of Life" as Eastland student Molly Parker. In fact, the first year of "Facts" focused on seven girls, including Molly. In what might have been a case of bad judgment by producers, four of those girls, including Molly, were written out of the show in Season Two.
Molly Ringwald: Now
Four years after leaving Eastland for good, Molly burst onto the big screen in "Sixteen Candles," becoming the decade's poster child for teen angst. Her reign lasted through the end of the '80s, when she disappeared as quickly as she came, moving to France and concentrating on theater. Although she's made numerous film and TV appearances over the years, we're hoping she's back for good as the mother of an angst-ridden high school girl in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager."

 

 

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