Source: topics.nytimes.com --- Thursday, October 10, 2013
What you need to know for Thursday: confirming a twister, Paul McCartney rocks a Queens high school and dismal weather ahead. ...
Mills High School parents and students are working to reverse the College Board?s decision to invalidate tests in 11 Advanced Placement subjects taken this May because of seating irregularities.
The decision, disclosed Wednesday, affected more than 200 students and resulted in more than 600 AP exams being canceled because students tested in multiple subjects. The College Board composes, sells and distributes the tests that yield high school students college credits.
It is unclear what the specific irregularities were, but Kirk Black, San Mateo Union High School District associate superintendent, said it appears that one student complained to Educational Testing Service, the College Board?s security provider that administers the AP Exams, back in May about seating arrangements that violated protocol. Black said the student didn?t notify Mills or the district, but ETS directly.
The letter, addressed from Mills Assistant Principal Valerie Arbizu and dated July 12, informed AP test takers that they would need to sign up for retests by July 24. Retests would run from Aug. 5-12.
Recent graduate Jad Thawi will be attending Loyola Marymount University this fall and is worried about how this will affect his ability to graduate on time.
?My major is engineering and it?s very hard to get out in four years,? Thawi said. ?Without the scores for general ed classes like chemistry and statistics, it may take an extra semester or even a year and I won?t get financial aid for that time; it?s a burden for us.?
Another recent graduate, Grant Murphy, has been in touch with staff with U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, about the issue and others have contacted state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo.
Others say they could lose their places at college because of the invalidation and say their college applications are on hold due to the delay of AP test scores.
In a 2008 case of AP score invalidations at Trabuco Hills High School in Southern California, all of the students decided to sign up for retests and the decision to invalidate the previous scores held. For this reason, Murphy said he has decided not to sign up for a retest.
?I was incredibly frustrated when I heard because it would be a huge time commitment to restudy all the information again by myself,? said recent Mills graduate Grant Murphy. ?I?m quite hopeful the decision will be reversed. This has opened my eyes to the fact that the College Board has a near monopoly over exams, they?re quite expensive, there?s no competition and no oversight.?
David, a parent of a recent graduate attending UC Berkeley in the fall who chose not to disclose his last name, is working with other parents to fight the College Board?s decision.
?The kids? mindsets are getting ready for college now and some are taking summer school,? David said. ?They should have retested right away. For the kids, this is just so unfair; they work really hard on it.?
District officials said they are waiting to see if there is an appeal process and determine how the exams were invalidated. Black said they are working with the district?s legal firm to see what else they can do to reverse the decision. He said he is troubled that it doesn?t appear that there wasn?t a full investigation and proctors weren?t interviewed.
?It?s inordinary in my experience to see this many exams, in 11 subjects over two weeks, invalidated,? Black said. ?They will hopefully modify the decision on these tests.?
Former Millbrae councilman Paul Seto has a son who took AP tests this past spring at Mills. His son is out of the country and won?t be able to retake the tests. He hopes the school district will put up a good fight.
?This is overkill,? Seto said. ?There was no student misconduct, so they shouldn?t victimize the students. I don?t want the students to be cynical. Retaking the tests doesn?t cut it since they prepared for these tests all year.?
The community is continuing to organize. At press time, almost 900 people had signed a Change.org petition asking Superintendent Scott Laurence to hold Mills? administration accountable for the cancellation of the AP scores. Students created the site whyweneedourscoresback.com to allow students, teachers and parents to voice their reasons for needing the test scores.
Tom Ewing, director of external communications for ETS, confirmed that scores from AP Exams administered at Mills this spring have been invalidated due to testing seating irregularities at the school that violated the test administration and security guidelines.
?We understand how disappointing this decision is to the many students who worked hard to prepare for their AP Exams in May and must now retake those exams,? Ewing said. ?We are working with school personnel to coordinate a retest and ensure the successful administration of AP Exams at Mills High School in the future.?
More than 4 million AP Exams were administered in May 2013, with fewer than 6,000 exams invalidated due to issues including testing irregularities, security issues and lost/missing answer sheets, according to ETS.
ETS did validate Mills? foreign language tests since these were taken separately on computers, Black said. Scores were supposed to be released July 5.
The school district has scheduled a community meeting 7 p.m. Monday at the Mills? Faculty Lounge. Another meeting is planned for Wednesday.
angela@smdailyjournal.com
(650) 344-5200 ext. 105
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Vince Taormina, a sophomore catcher at Silverado High School, was named a second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
Taormina, who batted .376 with four homers and 26 RBIs for the Skyhawks last season, was the only player from Las Vegas selected to the first or second teams.
Collegiate Baseball honored 186 high school athletes from across the country with its selections.
Outfielder M.J. Farthing of Bishop Manogue in Reno and catcher Nate Nolan of Damonte Ranch in Reno were named to the first team. Third baseman Kyle Pruneau of Bishop Manogue and infielder Justin Bridgman of Damonte Ranch were named to the second team.
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Source: www.ourafricablog.com --- Thursday, July 18, 2013
thekhooll : Mandela In Howick, South Africa, an honorary sculpture was built by Marco Cianfanelli to mark Mandela?s arrest 50 years ago by the apartheid police. The installation includes 50 steel columns that symbolize prison bars, and if you view them at certain angle, you can see Mandela?s face. ...
Source: http://www.ourafricablog.com/post/55845676557
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Many great Chinese cooking recipes have secrets that many cooks never even know about. Chinese cooking utensils are the secret to make the Chinese cooking recipes wonderful. These Chinese cooking recipes, when prepared with the appropriate Chinese cooking utensils provide a traditional authentic flavor to the Chinese cooking recipes.
There are only few traditional Chinese cooking utensils still available that can be used for cooking Chinese food. However, Chinese cooking is the proper manipulation of all the foodstuffs with basic ingredients and realizing the importance of using proper Chinese cooking utensils. There are various Chinese cooking stores across America where one can get different Chinese cooking utensils that can help prepare wonderful delicacies.
Chinese cooking woks are counted among the most important Chinese cooking utensils in the Chinese cooking kitchen. Chinese cooking woks are pan-like and concave shaped and can be used for deep frying, stir frying, steaming, pan frying and stewing. Traditional Chinese cooking woks are made of heavy iron or steel equipped with two handles.
Modern stainless-steel Chinese cooking woks with flat copper bottoms are more contemporary and directly rest on the burner. Modern stainless-steel Chinese cooking woks generally have a long single handle and are lighter, easier to use than the classic two-handled Chinese cooking woks.
The Chinese spatula is also among the Chinese cooking utensils that are designed specially for stir frying purposes. The Chinese spatula bowl edge is rounded so that it fits into the shape of the pan and is sturdier allowing the tossing and stirring of food in large quantities. The spatula can be used for mincing garlic, cutting vegetables into delicate shapes and peeling fresh water chestnuts.
A pair of cleavers is used to chop meat in the absence of a meat grinder. Cleavers are made of high carbon steel with a good edge. Stainless-steel cleavers are used for vegetable cutting.
Another important Chinese cooking utensil is the Chinese cooking bamboo steamer. The Chinese cooking bamboo steamer is placed above hot water in a Chinese cooking wok with food to be steamed. The Chinese cooking bamboo steamer can then be used as an attractive serving tray for the steamed food.
The Chinese wire strainer is wide and flat with a long bamboo handle and can be used to remove deep fried or boiled food. The long handle allows the cook to stand further away from the heat. The bamboo handle does not get hot.
Clay pot dishes are said to be the American casserole oriental version as they are cooked over the stove instead of oven. These Chinese cooking utensils are often made of clay or mud and are designed with round bottom which fits perfectly over the traditional stove. The round bottom helps make sure that all the ingredients are properly cooked because of uniform supply of heat. The design assures good retention of heat to keep the food hot for longer periods of time.
These Chinese cooking utensils are most commonly used together during preparation of Chinese food to help maintain the traditional flavor and culture.
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Source: http://www.thecookingnet.com/chinese/permalink.php?article=Chinese+Cooking+Utensils.txt
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Want to know a little more about plumbing? Plumbing entails a lot more than toilets and sinks, as you will soon find out as you delve deeper into the pipe-laden world. Plumbing can also be a wonderful vehicle for home improvement when you find what works for you. The advice provided in the below article can provide you some tips.
Knowing your tools and how to use them can help greatly in your plumbing experience. Use manuals and online sites to get informed before doing a plumbing project yourself. Be sure to plan before starting a repair, because it can be expensive to fix mistakes.
Plumbing that constantly squeaks, pounds, and emits other noises is irritating but, fortunately, the problem is often easily fixed. Exposed pipes need to be anchored. For pipes that are situated inside walls, or the floor or ceiling, you should hire a professional.
Inspect around the toilets for softness in the floors to see if any damage has occurred. You can check for softness or weakness in the floor by placing one foot on each side of the toilet and rocking back and forth. By noticing a problem early on, you can save yourself a bunch of money if you were to leave it alone.
To avoid frozen pipes in your home, never allow the temperature in your house to drop below freezing and insulate any pipes that are exposed to the elements. Pipes have the potential to freeze if the surrounding temperatures are below the freezing mark. If you are lucky, you will only experience a minor inconvenience until the pipes thaw. At worst, they will burst and you?ll be paying to repair the damage.
Use a strainer over your sink drain to catch food and other bits of material. Otherwise, you will likely get a clogged drain. Each time a filter is clogged, it should be cleaned. Clean bathtub drain screens as often as needed.
If you discover a frozen water pipe, turn on a nearby faucet so that thawed ice has a place to go. This will relieve pressure and might prevent the pipe from bursting, preventing further damage.
Try to never pour grease, fat, or any oil-based liquids into your drains. When these oils cool, they become hard and create clogs. This is especially true if you have a garbage disposal, as the fat will cause the blades to run slower and less efficiently. Be sure to get rid of oil products away from your sink.
Knowing which tools to use and how you should use them is an important skill when it comes to plumbing. Research the project you are going to attempt online, and read the manuals that come with the tools before you use them. Before undertaking repairs on your own, you should have a plan; otherwise, a mistake could make repairs even more costly.
Check your fixtures to ensure the overflow holes are clear of debris and mineral build-up. Sinks use overflow holes if they start to overfill, and this isn?t usually a problem, but it can be. When you do periodic checks for any other problems or repairs that are needed, take the time to clear the holes that are there to protect you from overflow.
Position a strainer over all drains to collect any particles that would otherwise go down the drain and possibly cause a stoppage. Kitchen sink strainers should be cleaned every time they collect large food particles. The ones in your bathtub should also be cleaned frequently, as needed.
If you notice water draining into your dishwasher, check how the kitchen sink hoses are installed. The hose must lead uphill then back downhill to prevent the combining of water from each device.
Try to never pour grease, fat, or any oil-based liquids into your drains. These substances will clog the drain as they cool and harden. This is primarily true if you are someone who has a garbage disposal; the fats will make the blades go slower and less freely. Make sure you dispose of oils away from the sink.
Remember that your toilet is not intended to be used to dispose of trash. Under no circumstances flush cotton balls or swabs, paper towels, diapers, sanitary pads or other materials that will not dissolve. These items can cause major clogs. You will also want to use the least amount of toilet paper as required.
As you can see, you have different options available to you to make your plumbing projects a breeze. Plumbing is a skill used in every home, but each house will have it?s own system to deal with. Hopefully, these tips have given you a starting point for your own system.
If you have grout deposits inside your pipes, it is almost impossible for an inexperienced homeowner to fix. You could dislodge the grout and cause it go further down. This will work better if the pipes you have are plastic instead of metal. Yet keep in mind that it is probably going to take professional work to eradicate this problem for you.
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Source: http://www.acsphoenix.com/blog/2013/07/19/looking-for-some-plumbing-advice-look-at-this-2/
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