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Thomas Glessner Weaver '69: YMCA Wilderness Camp Widjiwagen BWCA from 1978 - 83 Adventures with Camp Superkids

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Dr Tom Weaver (this author, 1978 on the trail as a Super Doc :-)
I have always had an interest in nature, environmental education and sharing health learnings on my path.  I completed my formal medical education at the U of Minnesota in 1974 with graduation with an MD.  That summer prior to starting an internship at St Lukes Hospital in Duluth, I had the chance to teach Wilderness First Aid at ACM Field Station on Basswood Lake.   I had done a special study of Wilderness First Aid, Using a Book Medicine for Mountaineering, under the direction of Dr Jim House, a respected orthopedist I studied with at the U of M Med School the prior year.  So in the summer of 1974 I also continued to build on my canoeing and camping experiences I had informally developed in  college.  Working with Rev Ernie Campbell, Dean of the Faribault Episcopal Cathedral, who loved to work with teens in the church, created a place to blend spirituality and nature...When Dean Ernie  asked me to co lead at trip in 1967 to the  BWCA after my sophomore year at Carleton, I said sure, I am willing to learn and be mentored.  I had a lot of book learning about biology and when I got my hand on a canoe paddle on Lake One near Carlson's Outfitting on Moose Lake, I began a life long learning curve.  Learning the J stroke is an art, and can only be learned doing it...So Learning to face my fears in a good way, has brought many adventures my way. Thanks to Ernie for his trust for 3 years, BWCA 1967, Then a Grand Tetons Adventure 1968, and then a trip down the Big Fork River to  Canada, my first time out of the US, in 1969 byAge 22.   So this set the stage for my next adventure. Wilderness Camp Superkids 1967 Camp Widjiwagen
Widji has a seasoned counselor go on each trip.  Here is Doug "Habes" Heberman pointing out our route to some of the guys at Widji Base Camp on the North Arm of Burntside Lake near Ely MN

Down time throwing frisbees, the guys with Steve Smith (yellow shirt) the director of the American Lung Association in Minneapolis that co sponsored this camp.  The Camp Superkids Local Camp was at Camp Iduhapi on Lake Independence west of the Twin Cities. It was here I first met, Dr Dick "Cush" Cushing the medical advisor, and pediatric allergy specialist who, with his nurses got me up to speed on  asthma and allergy management in the Camp Setting. 

I had forgotten this year was an all boys group.  Sue Weaver, my wife of then four years, was game to join us on the trip.  Still at Camp Widjiwagen , I am waiting on Eric Thompson, 6th from the left, to help with the ID's.  Doug Haberman is in the cap and our Widji Counselor.  In the Superkids Yellowshirt is Steve Smith of the Sponsoring Hennepin American Lung Association, I remember visiting on Portland Ave S near Franklin. Moved to New Hampshire many years ago. And Sue Weaver in blue. 
Widji Vee Cee (Vomit Comet) for the bouncing center of gravity issue, pulling a trailer of canoes to start the trip
Vee Cee unloading canoes. 

 The Break In trip to Slim Lake to test out skills, after camp demo's, demonstration of camping set up, making wood skills.   Here practicing canoeing skills  Habes waving from the right canoe, likely on North Arm Burntside Lake.
T.L. "Trail Mix" with Doug Haberman, with campers.


Lunch on a rock....during the trip










Kevin Draper '10: Your Annotated Smartphone Bathroom Reader for Sunday, December 22nd, 2013.

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Almost Christmas. Hope you’ve been good this year.

3-Pointers and Pace, The New Synergy
Tom Sunnergren
Hoop76

I will be honest: I am not ridiculously interested in the statistical revolution that the Sixers are currently embroiled in. What I am interested in, however, is learning more about the game, and why NBA teams run themselves the way that they do, both on the court and off of it. In that regard, we are really lucky to have Tom Sunnergren covering the Sixers, because I am learning so much about professional basketball from his posts for Hoop 76 and TrueHoop. In this post, we learn about two things that the Sixers are doing, which are emblematic of the way NBA basketball is changing. One is that they’re taking a lot of three pointers, which are the most useful shot to win regular season games. The other is that they’re playing at a really fast pace, which allows for more opportunities to score. As a result, they’re winning more games, more efficiently. Is it rocket science? Nope, just basketball, explained beautifully by Tom Sunnergren. I do love this guy’s work.

Kobe Bryant’s Chess Match with Immortality
Seerat Sohi
Hardwood Paroxysm

The biggest news of this week sadly involved another injury: Kobe Bryant, who had just returned from a torn achilles, would be missing 4-6 weeks due to a broken knee. While most NBA fans chose to lament Kobe’s injury as a final step in a career winding down due to injury, Hardwood Paroxysm’s Seerat Sohi instead took a different route by explaining how this setback, really, is just another step in a career where he’s purposefully made things hard upon himself. Sohi produces a short musing which raises more questions than answers, and leaves us thinking about the real importance of the Black Mamba in what seems to be the twilight of his career. In Sohi’s estimation, Kobe’s greatest strength is that he has never been a player who has just taken what was given to him; he has had to seek his own way. In that regard, Sohi asserts that this “alpha male”-ness has really been the defining part of his legacy, and that we’ve all followed suit. “He’s meticulously crafted the era’s guiding storylines, myths and themes; an eloquent part of the backdrop on which we attempt to make sense of this magnificent game,” writes Sohi.  ”Allied by serendipity, he’s the closest thing this era of basketball has to a player who won on his own terms.” I tend to agree. I’ll miss Kobe, and all that misguided testosterone. Indeed, it was what made him so great.

It Takes Two: Minnesota’s Outlet Mall
Steve McPherson
TrueHoop

Each year in the NBA, there seems to me a move du jour that analysts center in on to show how a common place thing can be so beautiful and important. One year it was Marc Gasol’s post-passing. Another year it was Manu Ginobili’s Eurostep. This year, it seems to be Kevin Love’s famous outlet passes. In this excellent piece for TrueHoop’s “TrueCities” Steve McPherson provides us with a full tactical and ephemeral breakdown of Love’s signature outlet pass. McPherson explains that Love’s calling card requires two key things: a competent receiver and space to place the ball. Corey Brewer plays the role of “favored receiver”; a skill-set he honed from when he played wide receiver in high school. As for the space, Love explains that this was a skill he began to develop when he was playing in elementary school. In it all, McPherson asserts that the outlet pass is emblematic of the type of team the roughly .500 Wolves are attempting to personify. “It’s a concentrated burst of the type of flash-and-grind team the Timberwolves are working to become, built on opportunism, movement and smoothly interlocking parts,” writes McPherson. I suppose we’ll see, given how rough-and-tumble the Western conference is.

The Classical’s Three-Part Series on “The Basketball Jones” (Part I,II,III)
Nick Bond
The Classical

I haven’t had a chance to finish this series at The Classical, but what I’ve read I’ve really enjoyed thus far. Nick Bond takes us through the the wild history of The Basketball Jones, who of course are now The Starters, and have their own show on NBA TV. The story really is amazing; a bet at a college bar that has transformed into a bona-fide NBA news source, with the bet-makers also transformed into among the most recognizable basketball pundits in the world. What we really find here is a classical “American Dream” story in Canada; a bunch of guys with a dream, work ethic, and a bit of good luck. Nice work from Nick Bond, The Classical and, of course, those wacky guys from The Starters, who have kept us entertained — and dreaming big — for almost a decade now.

Amy Elson '10: #Dinovember

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"Why do we do this? Because in the age of iPads and Netflix, we don’t want our kids to lose their sense of wonder and imagination. In a time when the answers to all the world’s questions are a web-search away, we want our kids to experience a little mystery. 

All it takes is some time and energy, creativity, and a few plastic dinosaurs." -These awesome parents

Inspired by a blogpost (see above link), I decided to introduce Dinocemberinto my classroom. We had a two week dinosaur unit, and I had Thanksgiving break to buy some dinosaurs, and decorate my room. Needless to say, my students LOVED the dinosaurs. I was originally a little nervous about the set up remaining untouched for the benefit of my afternoon kiddos, but I put up some caution tape, and my students only needed a couple of reminders to look, but not touch. They were actually surprisingly respectful, given that they often feel entitled to touch and take anything and everything in my classroom (much to my chagrin).  They came in each day wondering where they would be next, and asking me how they got there (I don't know, they had all night to figure it out). They were sad Monday morning last week, when the dinosaurs had disappeared. 

So, without further ado, I present to you the 10 Days of Dinocember in Room 9B:

Day 1
Lego structure credit: my mom.
 Day 2
My kiddos LOVE playing doctor. This day was a huge hit.
 Day 3
Who doesn't love writing on white boards?
  Day 4
This may have been my favorite, but I also love reading, and love children's lit.
  Day 5
Lincoln Logs house credit: a 3rd grader who was helping out in my room after school.
  Day 6
My after school helpers told me I should be an artist when they saw my drawing. Well, the dinosaurs' drawing.
  Day 7
Making messes, but also raising money for our school! Good work, T-Rex.
  Day 8
Balancing academics and fun, today the dinos did some writing.
  Day 9
Stickers. Stickers everywhere. (Also note our trophy for collecting the most box tops!)
  Day 10
Now I have a year to try to wash the paint off my dinosaurs, for a fresh new Dinocember 2014!

Dinocember was definitely a success--even though it kept me at school a little later than my usual way too late, it was totally worth it. I wish I had a week off in between every unit so I could do something special for every theme. Maybe each year I'll add something new, as I become more comfortable and efficient in my teaching, but for now, Dinocember was enough. 

And now, I have three weeks off for winter vacation, and though that will include a day or two in my classroom working, it will mostly be recharging for a fresh start. Goodness knows I need one to survive this year with some form of sanity left over. Yes, I have never felt more ready for a break, but I will miss my students. (And they may even miss me--I have students say they'll miss me over a weekend, or even on a random mid-week day! Kindergarteners can be darn cute when they choose to be!)

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all my dear readers! 

Kurt Kohlstedt '02: Hopscotch Intersection: 4 Artists Hack 16 Public Crosswalks

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[ By WebUrbanist in Art& Street Art & Graffiti. ]

zebra crossing zipper art

Sixteen crosswalks at four intersections in Baltimore are the subject of a street-spanning public art project that re-imagines white-on-black zebra striping, each with a unique twist.

zebra hopscotch aerial view

Sponsored by the  Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, the first two of the series are already complete with two more yet to come.

zebra baltimore pedestrian interactions

Artist Paul Bertholet is behind the giant zip-up crosswalk while Graham Coreil-Allen designed the hopscotch-styled variant (additional images below by Graham Coreil-Allen).

zebra intersection crosswalk construction

One goal of this set of projects is to add a creative touch around the city’s Westside Arts and Entertainment District, attracting visitors and interaction while helping define the neighborhood.

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Kurt Kohlstedt '02: Slices of Home: Modular Mobile House-Shaped Micro-Rooms

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[ By WebUrbanist in Design& Fixtures & Interiors. ]

modular room rendered blue

Spatial separation can be as much about a feeling of enclosure as a physical divider, like this set of portable lounge structures that provide a semi-secluded experience in an otherwise wide-open space.

modular rooms in context

Proposed by Malcrew for a co-working office space in an old Singapore warehouse, these mobile mini-rooms offer seating and shelving that can be deployed in a variety of personalized configurations.

modular mini rooms

Better still, like slices of a house set side by side, the disparate units can be slid back together to form gathering or meeting spaces on demand.

modular mobile reading room

Individual cushions can also be removed from each structure to make legroom for sitting upright and, in turn, be used as stools as well.

modular room closeup yellow

Inspired by treehouses, white oak frames reference wooden home construction, while brightly-colored interior cushions and walls distinguish the different modules from one another.

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Arjendu Pattanayak: meblen

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Andy Rundquist has a great post about the ways teachers do or don’t constructively support the professional development of other teachers. Andy does a great job capturing something that is often a problem as we become more experienced teachers, namely that it’s easy to become a teaching snob. Rather than sharing our enthusiasm for teaching and trying to engage in conversation, experienced teachers, particularly those using innovative approaches, run the risk of becoming preachy, which then alienates the traditionalists and intimidates the novices. It’s something that I’m guilty of on occasion, and as I do more mentoring of younger teachers, it’s something that I have worked hard to reign in.

This fall, I had a great experience that reminded me of just how important teaching conversations — and the tone of those conversations — can be.  I was teaching our 300-level electronics course; it’s a one term lecture and lab course that includes a mix of analog and digital electronics. By some enrollment freak, the course was almost twice as big as it has been in the past, requiring two lab sections. I was already teaching a full load so we invited an emeritus professor, Bruce Thomas, to come back and teach one of the lab sections. To say Bruce is an electronics guru would be an understatement. When he was a faculty member, he did some amazing work developing the electronics labs, and I think he has probably taught electronics for more years than I have been alive. In addition, Bruce is a wonderful person, who I enjoy spending time with and learning from.

As it turned out, Bruce didn’t just teach the extra lab section, he sat in on every class. I’ll admit I was a bit intimidated by this at first. I had only taught the course once before, and Bruce had a wealth of experience. Once I got over my nerves, however, having Bruce sit in on the class proved to be one of the best professional development experiences ever. Often after class, Bruce would shoot me an e-mail noting things I did that he liked, making suggestions about how he had covered confusing concepts when he taught the course, noting when he thought a homework problem I assigned was too challenging. While students were working on problems in class, he and I would occasionally chat about how things were going. And he was a pair of ears sitting in the back of the class, letting me know when students whispered to one another that something didn’t make sense but didn’t raise their hands to let me know.  It was fabulous!

Bruce and I belong to different teaching generations. He taught in an era when much more class time was spent on lectures and demonstrations and less time on student group work. In observing my class, Bruce commented several times that he was amazed at how much discussion there was and how engaged the students were in asking questions and sharing their thoughts.  I learned a lot from Bruce’s extensive knowledge of students’ struggles with electronics concepts, and he clearly appreciated that even a noisy classroom with much less lecturing could be a good place for students to learn electronics. Moreover, the experience was a nice reminder of how it feels to be the inexperienced teacher, and how a gentle, engaging, supportive colleague can create a comfortable conversation about teaching. It was a humbling and helpful experience, and one that will hopefully allow me to be a better mentor to others.


Kevin Draper '10: Games of the Week: December 23-29, 2013.

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Home for the holidays? Family driving you nuts? Basketball. You’re welcome.

Monday: New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings (7:00 PM PST on NBA TV)

Perhaps in an alternate reality, this game would mean something more for all of us as informed NBA fans; the return of Tyreke Evans to Sacramento. Of course, Sacramento is where he began his career, and where he became the first rookie since LeBron James to average 20, 5 and 5 for the Kings. Perhaps if things had worked out differently, Reke’s decision to leave the Kings for the Pelicans would’ve been almost like The Decision itself, and we all would be mourning deeply for a star who chose to bolt to a bigger market, and wondering what creative signs Kings fans would come up with to really stick it to the guy who left them in the dust. But we all know that’s not the case: both of these teams are struggling, and Tyreke has been mostly a disappointment in both cities he’s played in. Indeed, there’s something that feels empty about this game; like there’s so much missing. And perhaps that’s why I’m so excited for it.

Tuesday: No Games Scheduled

Boss Stern has given his millionaires the day off to be with their families, so we’re left to our own devices. Wait, you mean you all do stuff on December 24th? Christmas stuff? Huh, that’s funny. I’m Jewish. I just get the day off. So if anyone wants to join me doing my normal December 24th stuff, let me know. Usually it involves Chinese Food, some form of quasi-legal self-medication, and a variety of marathons on television. I’m holding out for Star Trek: The Next Generation on BBC America, but if I can get Martin on TV One, I can live with that, too. Happy December 24th, everyone!

Wednesday: Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors (7:30 PM PST on ESPN)

Merry Christmas, folks. This year, your only NBA-related gift is the Homer Game, which will pit my beloved (but somewhat perplexing) Golden State Warriors against our hated, whiny rivals from down south, the Los Angeles Clippers. “But Jacob,” you ask, “we get five games that day! How can only one of them be considered a gift?” A good question. My response: have you seen the other games that day? D-Rose-less Chicago versus bum-ass Brooklyn in the first game. No thanks. Same ol’ Oklahoma City versus the bumbling and busted New York Knicks in the second game. Hell no. Massacre-’em-quick-Miami versus no-Kobe-no-Pau Lakers in the third game. Please stop. And while the fourth game — Spurs versus Rockets — is better, it’s still not exactly Christmas quality. So yeah, Warriors versus Clippers is what you get. This is sorta like if Santa awarded 10 kids “good” status a year in advance because of the year they had just had, then checked in a year later only to see a bunch of them had headed to juvie.

Thursday: San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks (5:30 PM PST on League Pass)

It’s funny; even in 2006 and 2007, when these teams were near the top of their games at the same time, I never really enjoyed Spurs versus Mavericks. Sure, there were some classics, but I never was all-in on the rivalry. I was more into Lakers vs Kings of the early 00′s — I had a hard time staying interested in the NBA from 2005-2007 — and I probably took “prime” Dirk and Timmy for granted. I have a feeling that’s changed, though. I greatly prefer the 2013-14 version of Timmy and Dirk, who can concentrate on what they do best (having both won championships) instead of trying to do everything. The supporting casts for both teams are far more exciting than they used to be, with their own unique personalities, and decorated in their own rights. And they’re both still good effin’ teams after all these years. So I’m willing to give this game a shot. Now I can finally let that 2007 guilt go.

Friday: Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks (4:30 PM PST on League Pass)

“Wait a second,” you say, “didn’t you just bash the Knicks on Christmas? What kind of flip-flopping Grinch are you?” And that may be a fair point. It’s just that weekend Knicks are THE comedic high point of the week. It’s not just the game itself, which can feature all sorts of unforeseen hilarity. It’s the they-can’t-top-this recaps on Knickerblogger, and the veritable civil war that rages on Twitter after the Bockers drop another one in tell-tale Knicks fashion, full of bad body language and incredulous thousand-yard stares. I have never been more enthralled by a tire fire.

Saturday: Miami Heat at Portland Trailblazers (7:00 PM PST on League Pass)

If I told you that I’d be telling you a hypothetical “if I told you that” scenario involving the Portland Trailblazers and the Miami Heat in the 2014 Finals, would you believe that I’d be telling you that? Well I would be telling you that. I’d be telling you that, in the near future, I’d be telling you an unlikely “if I told you” scenario. And man, you’d be told. So completely, utterly, told. Anyways, watch this game, should be good. And perhaps telling.

Sunday: Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder (4:00 PM PST on League Pass)

There are times that I stop dead in my tracks, and I look up to the sky, just flummoxed by the fact that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden were once on the same team. Normal folk don’t understand why I just stand there in those moments; fixed in the same spot, staring into the sky with intense focus. But I know. And you know too. And sometimes, when the gravity of that reality hits, all you can do is stop, and think.

Ken Wedding's CompGov Blog: Inside Chinese politics

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Arguing in favor of implementing a nation-state's constitution wouldn't seem to be a controversial position. The people in power in China know better.

Last summer and fall, the country prepared for the installation of new top leaders and the Communist Party cracked down on Bo Xilai and his "left-wing"Chongqing system promoting Mao-style Communist values. Bo and others argued for full implementation of the PRC's constitution, which contains many elements of idealistic Communism.

Since Bo's conviction and jailing, some journalists have continued to argue for "constitutionalism."Most of them are in jail themselves.

Now comes the re-education. And it doesn't involve learning to serve the people or protecting political rights.

Chinese journalists face Marxist ideology exam
Chinese journalists will have to pass a new ideology exam early next year to keep their press cards, in what reporters say is another example of the ruling Communist party's increasing control over the media under President Xi Jinping.

It is the first time reporters have been required to take such a test en masse… The exam will be based on a 700-page manual peppered with directives such as "it is absolutely not permitted for published reports to feature any comments that go against the party line", and "the relationship between the party and the news media is one of leader and the led"…

China has also intensified efforts to curb the work of foreign news organisations. The New York Times Company and Bloomberg News have not been given new journalist visas for more than a year after they published stories about the wealth of relatives of the former premier Wen Jiabao and Xi…

Traditionally, Chinese state media has been the key vehicle for party propaganda. But reforms over the past decade that have allowed greater media commercialisation and limited increases in editorial independence, combined with the rise of social media, have weakened government control, according to academics…

Journalists will have to do a minimum 18 hours of training on topics including Marxist news values and socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as journalism ethics, before sitting the exam in January or February. Reporters who fail the test will have to resit the exam and undergo the training again. It is not clear what happens to reporters who refuse to take it…

Reporters had little doubt about the aim of the exam. "The purpose of this kind of control is just to wear you down, to make you feel like political control is inescapable," said a reporter for a newspaper in the booming southern city of Guangzhou.

Teaching Comparative blog entries are indexed.

The Second Edition ofWhat You Need to Know: Teaching Toolsis now available from the publisher

The Fifth Edition ofWhat You Need to Knowis also available from the publisher.


Allie Schwartz '10: Milwaukee Forge

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I know it’s been a while since I have posted about clay, but you forgive me, right?seletti_desktructure_warehouse_1_web_dr

I am obsessed with this: the Deskructure Desktop Organizer. It’s an industrial porcelain landscape for your desk junk! I love these kinds of buildings (’cause I’m a good Milwaukee girl) so I am totally smitten with this piece. There are more (a boat, a London-esque city), but the one that most appeals to me is the factory. Milwaukee was once part of the Manufacturing Belt, which has since deteriorated into the periperhy of the Rust Belt. Most of the factories have closed, but the city is still littered with incredible industrial buildings. They’ve been converted to apartments, shops, offices, etc. but they still have the look of severity and purpose that a factory or warehouse has.

I live quite close to the Milwaukee Forge (see below!), which celebrated its 100th birthday this past summer. It is such a delight to walk past and look in to see all that complex industrial machinery. It’s one of the few places that isn’t post-industrial but industrial-industrial. This ceramic organizer reminds me so much of all the component parts of the forge. If only the organizer lit up at night with big open windows in the summertime because then it would be perfect.

Milwaukee Forge

Via: Swiss Miss (whom I lovelovelove).


John Tischer '71: Waiting To Go Onstage

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Every night I go out,
say my piece, hide behind
the curtain. Every night he 
kills me, slays me,  if only

he was a better actor.

Kurt Kohlstedt '02: Pet Tech: 13 Goofy Gadgets For The Dogs (& Cats)

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[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery& Technology. ]

Pet Tech Main

We’ve all wondered what our pets are thinking, but would you believe a gadget that claimed it could translate their thoughts into human language? Some gadgets for pets are fairly practical, tracking their location or the amount of exercise they get every day, while others veer into the absurd, like stair lifts for fat dogs or devices that tweet their activities.

No More Woof Translates Animal Thoughts

Pet Tech No More Woof

This goofy-looking headset called ‘No More Woof’ by Scandinavian research lab The Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery uses micro computing and EEG technology to read a pet’s brain waves and spell them out in English through the attached speaker. Specific brain wave patterns are associated with feelings like fatigue, hunger, anger and curiosity. Of course, there’s no way for the consumer to verify that the readings are accurate.

Takara Bowlingual/Meowlingual Pet Translation Device

Pet Tech Meowlingual

These cute little gadgets – one for cats, one for dogs – also claim to break down the communication barrier between humans and our pets.‘Meowlingual’ and ‘Bowlingual’ supposedly work by listening to the sounds pets make and then providing a human translation.

Monitor Your Pet’s Every Move with Whistle

Pet Tech Whistle Dog Monitor

Attach this little device called The Whistle to your dog’s collar and you can monitor walks, play and rest. Why would you need to do that? Well, there is a practical reason for this one: you can analyze whether your dog is getting enough exercise every day. It also acts as a tracking device if your pet is ever lost. An accompanying app gives you all the information.

Pet’s Eye View Camera

Pet Tech Pet's Eye View Camera

If you’ve ever wondered what the world looks like from your pet’s perspective, here’s your chance to find out. The Pet’s Eye View Camera hooks onto your pet’s collar and can store up to 40 photos. It’s got a waterproof housing, and can be set to take shots at various intervals.

GoDogGo Fetch Machine

Pet Tech GoDogGo

Whether you’re just too lazy to play with your dog, or you’ve got the sort of demanding pet that you just can’t keep up with, an automated pet fetch machine might be a tempting proposition. The GoDogGo Fetch Machine is an automatic ball launcher that can throw balls up to 45 feet with 7 to 15-second intervals between launches. It retails for $119.99.

Puppy Tweets

Pet Tech Puppy Tweets

We all know those people who think their pet (or child) is simply the most fascinating pet (or child) that ever lived, and that everyone around them wants to hear every mundane detail of their daily lives. Here’s the perfect gift for that person: Puppy Tweets, a medallion that attaches to a dog’s collar and tweets its ‘thoughts’ to the designated Twitter account of your choice. Engadget tested it out and said the tweets were “cute, and yes, humorous, but completely irrelevant to what was happening in reality.” So your pet’s Twitter account might not be too different from your own.

Woofer: Dog Vest with 30-Watt Speakers

Pet Tech Woofer Dog Coat

Put your dog to work in a different way with the Woofer, which basically turns her into a walking music player. This waterproof dog vest comes with a pocket and USB connector for your iPhone, iPod or other music player, and is fitted with two speakers.

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Kurt Kohlstedt '02: Lego Blocks + iPad = Classic 1984 Macintosh Computer

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[ By Steph in Technology& Vintage & Retro. ]

Lego iPad Classic Macintosh

Technology comes full circle thanks to an iPad and a creative usage of Lego blocks. Oslo-based designers Jason Kinsella and Charlotte Bakken recreated a classic 1984 Macintosh computer with a modern twist, turning the light and sleek tablet into a bulky retro monitor.

Lego iPad Classic Macintosh 3

The stop-motion film above shows how the technology/toy mashup was created, complete with a floppy disk slot and old school Macintosh logo.

Lego iPad Classic Macintosh 2

The iPad simply slides in from the side, making the Lego housing a cool-looking place to dock the iPad so you can read or watch a movie.

Lego iPad Classic Macintosh 4

The project brings Apple back to its early years, emphasizing how the brand has evolved over the past three decades. Of course, the Lego monitor is actually much smaller than the original, since it has to accommodate the comparatively miniature screen of the iPad.

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Ken Wedding's CompGov Blog: in·ter·mit·tent

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in·ter·mit·tent
Pronunciation: \-ˈmi-tənt\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin intermittent-, intermittens, present participle of intermittere
Date: 1601 :

coming and going at intervals : not continuous ; also : occasional — in·ter·mit·tent·ly adverb 

Source: Mirriam-Webster Online Dictionaryhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Intermittent Retrieved 2 December 2010

The last time I suggested that blog entries might be less than regular, big ideas kept falling in my lap and Internet access was more available than I thought it would be.

This time, I'm pretty sure I'll be distracted and otherwise engaged in things non-academic. I hope you will be as well.

For the next couple weeks, you're on your own. But then most of you won't be in class.

Happy new year.

If you find a bit of information that might be useful for teaching comparative politics, post it at Sharing Comparative or send me a note with the information.  
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The Second Edition ofWhat You Need to Know: Teaching Toolsis now available from the publisher

The Fifth Edition ofWhat You Need to Knowis also available from the publisher.

COMING SOON:Just the Facts, a short and quick review for Comparative Government and Politics

Chet Haase: Santa's Mantel

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I've always made my own Christmas cards, partly because I prefer my own jokes over store-bought ones. But mostly because I'm a cheap bastard.

Here's one of my first card covers, from way back in 1989.

Kevin Draper '10: Why do so Many Fret the Three-Ball?

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Capture

One of the dominant trends in basketball over the last several years is the increasing rate of 3-point attempts. Ten years ago, for every ten shots an average NBA team took, 1.96 of them were 3-pointers. Today that rate is 2.54, and nearly everybody agrees it will continue to grow as teams strive to reach the still-unknown “optimal” number of 3-point attempts.

Like anything else in life there are numerous critics of this trend, and as Zach Lowe demonstrates they mostly fall into the anti-analytics camp as well…but not exactly.  The league office is concerned that games might start to look like pickup games, while former coach Jeff Van Gundy worries that, “’we are eliminating a certain segment of NBA players’” and promoting an unwanted uniformity.

I’ll get to Van Gundy’s comments in a minute, but the league’s worry is a bizarre one. It is widely accepted in American professional sports that more scoring = more ratings. Before the whole steroids thing blew up, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and their roided up colleagues rescued baseball from its post-strike malaise, and the NFL’s rating dominance continues to grow as the spread offense and pass-happy attacks become standardized. Similarly, most would agree that a mixture of rule changes and fecund bounty of stars has led to the most attractive basketball since the days of Michael Jordan. Why would the NBA be worried about that?

Similarly, the complaint about unwanted uniformity makes very little sense. Once upon a time Mike D’Antoni’s offensive principles were unique to the league; now every team makes some use of them. The same can be said of Tom Thibodeau’s emphasis on loading up defenders on the strong side and zoning on the dead side. Innovations have always only lasted for only a short while before their lessons are diffused throughout the league. Once they become commonplace, the really smart basketball people that are paid a lot of money figure out the counter to the trend. This Hegelian back-and-forth is the lifeblood of a dynamic sport, and we’re already seeing reactions to 3-point attacks like teams altering rotations to prioritize defending corner threes. It seems obvious that there will never be a singular dominant strategy in the NBA.

Which leaves Van Gundy’s concern that certain NBA players are being eliminated. At first I was confused by this statement; who cares if mid-range shooters are eliminated at the expense of 3-point shooters? Rule changes and stylistic ebb and flow have always made certain skillsets more valuable than others: where is Van Gundy’s concern about the reduction in back-to-the-basket scorers, “pass first” point guards or others? A comment by Josh Levin on Slate’s excellent Hang Up and Listen podcast shed some light (at the 30:22 mark):

But I think there is still kind of an aesthetic argument in the NBA that teams are abiding by maybe unconsciously…We have players like JR Smith who shot 17 threes in a game making 5 the other day, and he is seen as an unconscious chucker. But it’s actually not that bad of a game that he had, but it just offends us, and I think the reason why is that when the NBA came in with the 3-point line, it was only guys who were great at it who shot it. Larry Bird, Dale Ellis, guys like that. Nobody else would even attempt the shot. And then when you have somebody like Antoine Walker, whose more of the volume 3-point shooter who makes it at like a 33% clip, it offends us aesthetically.

I’m not sure if Levin’s analysis is “right”, but it resonates with me as the true reason many feel uncomfortable with the trebucheting Houston Rockets and their ilk. The NBA has always had a regimented belief in what players are supposed and not supposed to do, and a 6’8” power forward like Antoine Walker shooting eight 3-pointers a game violates those conventions. It’s why Shaq and Chuck harp on Dwight Howard for not being a post-up player, why for years analysts insisted Stephen Curry was a shooting guard and why tall guys that shoot threes are called “soft” or “Euro”. The NBA has a stay in your lane mentality, and the 3-point reliance threatens to turn the game into open swim.

With the understanding that even contested 3-pointers are better than any other shot besides layups, the repository of NBA truisms is under threat. No longer is the goal on offense to “find the open man”, but to find the guy standing in the corner. No longer do teams run the weave on fast breaks, but instead find the guy for the pull-up three. No longer should teams pound the ball inside during their first few possessions to “establish a post presence”, but instead let the threat of the three free the paint.

Perhaps ironically, the best way to understand the modern NBA is through one of life’s oldest clichés: the only thing that is constant is change.


Kurt Kohlstedt '02: Encyclopedic Landscape: Artist Carves 24-Volume Book Set

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[ By WebUrbanist in Art& Sculpture & Craft. ]

book landscape encyclopedia set

In his most voluminous undertaking to date, this book artist bids farewell to the long legacy of printed Encyclopedia Britannica sets with a mountainous tribute to their 244 years of history.

book landscape 24 volumes

book landscape design detail

book landscape close up

Guy Laramée, book artist and author of this piece titled Adieu (French for goodbye), has done similar works at smaller scale, sometimes carved into single books and other times made from whole sets or entire series. A range of fascinating examples can be seen below and certain pieces are available for purchase from the Foster/White Gallery.

book art carved cavern

book art cave inside

book art mountain landscape

book art landscape detail

The act of gouging into a book seems almost violent, making the idyllic and often nature-centric compositions this artist creates via that destruction seem strikingly peaceful by contrast.

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Thomas Glessner Weaver '69: Annual Pre Solstice and Holiday Gathering - St Cloud Weaver Food, Games and Story Telling

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Our annual St Cloud Weaver Gathering occurred on Dec 7, 2013 at the home Jesse has worked on for at least four years. Jesse and Amy wanted an Easy Does It time with the family this year, their first after their May Wedding of 2012 and free of renters. Wonderful open energy as the reflection of their growing life together. 

  Jesse with a morning up of coffee, giving me the early tour of his home, my being the first parent on the scene, Here is a moveable cart in the basement that works for him for one of his many computer screens. 
 
Jesse with coffee in hand, giving me the upstairs tour soon after I arrived. 
 Jess and Amy in the kitchen around 10:30  AM or so, prior to Sue and Nate arriving for preparing for for our easy does it grazing and card playing gathering.   My parents portable roaster from 1945 sitting on the counter with an organic turkey from the Wedge Coop in Minneapolis  I stuffed it with cornbread stuffing at my apartment and started it heating at 4:30 AM, and what a great smell to have in my van. 
 
Amy was busy, making meringue  whipping egg whites. For her lemon meringue pie - Nice and tart!  Perfect!  Thanks Amy..
   Fun to sit with Amy as she was cooking and noticing her homemade newspaper, cat-resistant Christmas Tree, with mushroom ornaments.  Very sweet. Cool to see the creative art all around . Sitting on the table is the book I made for Jesse on the Macrorie Family history, back to Scotland.  It has not yet occurred to him the source of his middle name!  Great to have the smells of cooking food
 Fun display of photos and artwork in the living room alcove .....

Sue arrived and for a while, Jesse and Tom, Sue and Amy played a game of cribbage and after Nate arrived driving his Jeep, Sue and Nate followed with a game as well. (see in the background Nate is looking a a MacBook with Sue on the couch.   Jesse has several computers and screens around the home,  and he helped me discover that my MacBook  had a bad hard drive.  So wonderful he had a back up he installed in my laptop and I was able to re load all my saved programs and data at home, as I have been using Time Machine to back up my files regularly. Thanks A & J, Amy and Jesse for being such open and generous  hosts again!  
One the table are both genealogy books I created for Nate and Jess, regarding the Blair and Macrorie family trees from their mom's side of the famil.


 Here is a general overview of the kitchen and first floor, with Amy looking her colorful triptych 
 Amy shared her awareness of the element is her evolving art, something about earth, air, fire and water as I recall.  Fun to see her creativity reflected in their home, and such great colours!!

 Amy testing out one of the desserts as Nate and Sue focus on their cribbage gane.
Jesse supports his brother and mom with their cribbage progress..Thanks everyone for the peaceful and healing gathering.  Easy Does it vacation...Glad not to be so tightly wound and less type A...And loving the family stories and connection of genealogy. Mitakuye Oyasin "we are all connected" 

Thomas Glessner Weaver '69: Honoring Paul H Weaver on his 103th Birthday - Legacy of Natural Learning and Curiosity for coming generations

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Here is my dad, Paul Henry Weaver, as age 8, likely before his 9th birthday. This is labeled 1919 Christmas in my grandfather Noah Elwood Weaver's album and I note the books and toys under the tree.  He was the only child of Edna Eicher and Noah Elwood Weaver. She had been a country school teacher and always encouraged, Paul Henry to further his eduction. Edna's older sister Esther in her diary sometimes commented on how shy Paul Henry was from her view when he was a teen. Emma lived with her father, Henry Eicher and in her diary she mentions him stopping by often in his youth.  I remember that my dad cared deeply about his aunt.  I remember visiting her in a group home later in her life in Ohio. See else where on this blog for more about Emma Esther Eicher. 
Paul Henry Weaver 1928 Portrait for his graduation from West Carrollton High School.

When at Antioch College in nearby Yellow Springs, he seemed to bloom in his independence and creativity.  The bas relief of Mozart that I have on my apt wall is a product of how his creative juices were encouraged here at Antioch.  He became on oil painter and when I spent time with Addie Langevin his office assistant at the East Side Faribault medical Center Building in the late 50's  early 60's remembered him painting and working on his stamp collection between seeing patients. It was while he was a student at Antioch he was hospitalized in nearby Xenia, where after having his appendix removed, he got curious about learning about medicine.  As Antioch did not have the curriculum to support his interests, he transferred to Ohio State, where he received is BS and MD the same day in 1938 .
Paul H Weaver and Margaret Mary Glessner wedding photo Sept 1935 Findlay OHIO

Paul H Weaver MD, intern at Swedish Hospital Minneapolis MN 1938.
Here is my mom, Peg Weaver, in 1958 working on their hobby of stamp collecting.  She relates in her memoir that he first showed her his stamps while they were dating in Columbus when they took the interurban to West Carrollton.  This hobby then grow after he completed his training an they moved to Faribault in 1939. 


For me, postage stamps have provided an education about nations, their history, their heros, how the economy is doing and they are expressions of art and culture of the times.  Here on a sheet given to me for my kids, by Eric Hoopes of MKP Washington-Baltimore Community of the over run nations in WW II.  All but Korea are in Europe. Curious that China and others we not included from the view of the US Politics at the time. 
The first airplane on a stamp for airmail 

Peg was a Camp Fire Girl in Findlay Ohio in her youth. This is a stamp when a first class letter was 4 cents in 1960 that I collected.
Also, the first automated Post Office around the same time in the 60's. The beginning of the automated systems that have expanded until today. 

 Commemorative Stamp Scott #1159 with 2 colors and the Washington Monument in Washington DC and  Cherry Blossom symbol of Japan issued for a centennial in 1960. 
When first postage went up to 5 cents and later 6 cents by 1969, the US Postal Service chose to commemorate  Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Nation. I like the art statement here as well.
My parents encouraged a liberal arts education.  Emerson, one of the classic writer of 19th Century America is honored in 1940 in this 3 cent mono colored purple. From my Al Anon courage to Change meditation book "Nothing Can Bring you peace but Yourself” Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
James Whitcomb Riley is a poet who according to Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Whitcomb_Riley

James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writerpoet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively. His poems tended to be humorous or sentimental, and of the approximately one thousand poems that Riley authored, the majority are in dialect. His famous works include "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man".
Riley began his career writing verses as a sign maker and submitting poetry to newspapers. Thanks in part to an endorsement from poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, he eventually earned successive jobs at Indiana newspaper publishers during the latter 1870s. Riley gradually rose in prominence during the 1880s through his poetry reading tours. He traveled a touring circuit first in the Midwest, and then nationally, holding shows and making joint appearances on stage with other famous talents. Regularly struggling with his alcohol addiction, Riley never married or had children, and created a scandal in 1888 when he became too drunk to perform. He became more popular in spite of the bad press he received, and as a result extricated himself from poorly negotiated contracts that limited his earnings; he quickly became very wealthy.

Here are a couple of post cards in young Margaret Glessner's post card collection from the early 20th Century that clearly affected her in her youth. 
Hoosier Poet with little friends.  "Riley never married or had children, and created a scandal in 1888 when he became too drunk to perform. He became more popular in spite of the bad press he received, and as a result extricated himself from poorly negotiated contracts that limited his earnings; he quickly became very wealthy."
Another of my mom's post card collection.  The Indiana Swimming hole?

Another poet of Leaves of Grass Fame. On a 1940 Blue 5 cent stamp.
Alway found this 3 color interesting back in 1957 when I learned about the endangered species . The baby chicks seemed to glow... My parents were avid bird watchers.  I did see sandhill cranes that are common in Minnesota and I continue to follow the story of the whooping cranes and there guided migrations despite the continued encroachment of the 2 leggeds in North America 

Back in 1961, the US press was filtered to consider Taiwan, The Republic of China as the only China  I just loved the mystery that is China and its long civilization.  As a boy, I subscribed to getting Taiwan Stamps from the Philatelic Agency directly, so I would purchase stamps at the face value....and learned about history the way the Taiwanese told it.  Not until Deng and Nixon did any opening happen for the common people of America.  Dualistic thing of the time  Red China was "bad" ROC was "good".... It always stuck me humorous that there was a huge nation of Chinese on the mainland that shared the the long culture.  The long civil war (no wars of the 2 leggeds seem to be very Civil) between the KMD and the Red Army, like all civil wars just seemed be fanned by resentments, quest for land and power..the usual drama.  Sad so many people continue to suffer with this continued drama and addiction to the "illusion of control " in my humble opinion.  Lots of fear based rhetoric all around. (do it our way, or we will hurt you! Poly tics as usual??)


 Interesting another famous writer on Famous American issue of 1940. The bright pink "red violet" color here is seen to  be remarkable for the time  "In 1940, the U.S. Post Office issued a set of 35 stamps, issued over the course of approximately ten months, commemorating America's famous Authors, Poets, Educators, Scientists, Composers, Artists and Inventors. The Educators included Booker T. Washington, who now became the first African-American to be honored on a U.S. stamp. This series of Postage issues was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. These stamps were larger in size than normal definitive issues, with only 280 stamp images contained on the printing plate (400 images was standard for the Presidential series). Notable also is the red-violet color chosen for the 3¢ stamps, a brighter hue than the traditional purple."

In conclusion for today, Christmas Eve 2013,  I honor both Peg and Pete Weaver for their long term curiosity on this planet. 

When Peg got "hooked" on Mushroom identiffication in the early 1960's they gradually shut down their extensive world exchange of stamps and letters.  Here in 1967 are the two of them with the trailer they began to pull behind the 1965 Chrysler Station wagon they purchased through Schreyer Motors in Faribault. They camped all over the mid west and wrote notes in travel logs...Always curious ------Remembering the times and life of Paul H Weaver 1910 - 1982. Thanks dad for the memories...




Kurt Kohlstedt '02: Rough Sleeper: Mobile Backpack Shelter for Urban Homeless

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[ By WebUrbanist in Design& Products & Packaging. ]

homeless-animated

Amid the various conceptual designs for addressing large-scale homelessness, this working prototype stands out as refreshingly realistic, practical and applicable to the everyday needs of those sleeping on the streets: mobility, storage and shelter.

homeless shelter backpack design

homeless portable micro shelter

Ragnhild Lübbert Terpling, who studied both design and journalism, created the pack both for homeless populations and ordinary campers, the latter purchasers subsidizing the former group that is in greater need.

homeless shelter backpack

On its functionality: “the hybrid backpack expands into a fully retractable tent-like structure, providing extensive shelter for both those in need or for encampment purposes. Once compressed, the bag supplies enough space for storing essential living supplies; blankets, shoes, and other toiletries.”

homeless backpack contents open

Additional items, like spare shoes or a sleeping roll, can be lashed to the exterior of the pack, while more essential and personal possessions are tucked into compartments that are less easily accessed or removed for additional security.

homeless backpack extras lashed

homeless shelter tent deployed

While it by no means ‘solves’ the problem of homelessness, this product adds a layer of comfort and durability absent from typical de facto shelters like cardboard covers or sleeping bags. In short: it is more short-term patch than long-term problem solver, but at least it is a place to start.

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Allie Schwartz '10: Rennes ceramics

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I was looking at a gift guide on Miss Moss (whom I lovelovelove. Not to be confused with Swiss Miss, whom I also lovelovelove) and she included this stripes cup from Rennes:

Rennes stripes cup

I was salivating instantly. Look at those stripes! Look at that exposed clay! Look at the speckles! It has so many lovely beautiful things I want/love. Their ceramics collection (pictured below) is beautiful and subtle: matte glazes, simple colors, clear forms. Even though the cups, mugs, and jars are minimal, there is a lot of complexity there too. On the mugs, the handles have squared edges, extending pretty far off the surface and connecting symetrically close to the top and bottom of the form. The speckled matte glazes are another beautiful touch. The speckles let you know that the glaze isn’t uniform, that it doesn’t behave the same way on every cup in every firing. I love the squared off edges of the handles because the glaze doesn’t sit evenly there. It makes a line, emphasizing the curve of that handle, letting a little more of the clay body show through. Boy howdy, do I ever like this collection.

Rennes ceramics

Rennes, I learned, is a design studio based in Boston. They are named for Rennes-le-Château, a chateau in southwestern France that is apparently the center of some conspiracy theories about the Holy Grail! They comically note that they “were into [it] way before the Da Vinci Code.” Their ethos is to make things, close to home, with beautiful details and excellent craftsmanship. Their (too small! Gimme more!) ceramics collection fits right into that. Rennes also means reindeer, and you know how I feel about antlers.


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