Eating on the Porch Makes For A Good Meal

It’s a veritable rite of spring, and of temperate early evening weather, to have that first meal on the porch out back.  It was a good way to end a particularly busy, social weekend (as Sarah put it), with a few dinner engagements, a baby shower, a visit to the church in Newton, and a nice visit to a graduating law school friend down in Harvard Square.  A reminder of how ripe this time of year is– families and friends gathering, the smell of foods cooked outdoors, children tugging at their parents’ legs and being outdoors long enough to see the light shift.  From late morning to early afternoon, from late afternoon to early evening, and dusk with its lingering conversation.

A very lovely time of year indeed.

A Favorite Sarah Meal... and Why Not, Especially if Lamb is Involved?

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Courtside at the Celtics Playoff Game

There are only a few events in life that cause a lot of people to get in touch with you all at once.  A marriage, a death in the family or perhaps an individual winning the lottery.  Another one?   Getting broadcast on national TV a few times during an NBA playoff game.

Courtside Celtics Playoff Tickets

So as perhaps a cosmic thanks for doing my civic duty the past week and a half at the Suffolk Superior Court, in combination with a very generous fellow juror offering her tickets for the evening game, Sarah and I found ourselves in some pretty choice seats–right behind the TNT announcers courtside.  And every time the cameras went to the announcers, there we were hamming it up.  Nice.

Watching The Local Team Up Close

Game 2, Celtics vs. the 76ers

Chris Webber is a Big (and Very Friendly) Guy

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CEE Survey of the States Report

An introductory letter that Ron Thorpe, new President of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and I co-authored for the Council of Economic Education Survey of the States report recently got published.

Alright!

Guest Post | James Liou and Ronald Thorpe on Survey of the States

POSTED: April 23, 2012 | BY: lrasimas | TAGS: , , ,

James Liou, National Board Certified Teacher, Boston Public Schools

Ronald Thorpe, President & CEO, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

We want to commend the Council for Economic Education for its ongoing advocacy and work related to economic and financial literacy education in our nation’s schools. The Survey of the States report, coupled with concerted action and innovative partnership, could very well lead to practical avenues for meeting the needs of educators and their students across the country.

The Council’s work is especially important today. In our “flat” and technologically connected world, understanding economics and achieving financial literacy are key 21st century skills. But before we get into that, let’s take a quick look back to another time in our nation’s history when these issues were just as critical.

After the American Revolution—and even before the results were assured—the rag-tag collection of colonies, now united, confronted a threat that challenged the democratic ideals the colonists had fought for: what to do about the nation’s debt and what structures to institute in order to stabilize the economy and support the veins of national commerce. While historians can argue the points, it is pretty clear that Alexander Hamilton, with his extensive knowledge of financial systems, especially in England, provided critical leadership with his understanding of debt and advocacy for a central bank. Had his opponents—including Thomas Jefferson—had their way, it is likely that the new country may not have survived its crippling war debts and challenges to its federal legitimacy. So, while we identify an understanding of economics and financial literacy as “21st Century Skills,” they are ones that have asserted their importance since the founding of this country and will continue to do so.

The contemporary Occupy movement, one that seemingly began as a loosely organized but resonant economic and political outcry, both here and around the world, has a parallel to this country’s revolutionary history as well. At this time, to the British, the upstart colonists were little more than a pesky bunch that should be warily tolerated, or if necessary, ‘put in their place’. But economic and political crises, as they did in the late eighteenth century, tend to reverberate in ways that have further reaching impacts. They did then, and they continue to do so today.

Economics and financial stability will be central to the upcoming presidential election as everything—education, physical infrastructure, health care, security, energy development, environmental stewardship and goods and services of every kind—will be derailed or fast-tracked as dictated by the language and framework of our economic well-being.

This economic orientation alone should inform us about the importance of educating our students on the topics of economics and financial literacy in our nation’s schools.

There is no question that this additional pressure falls upon our schools when they too are experiencing significant shifts—from a heightened era of standards and accountability, to Common Core implementation, to the impending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. At a time when schools seem over-burdened and under-resourced, how can we possibly ask them to take on even more? But in this regard, education is no different from other professions. Doctors can’t sit back and say “enough already, we can’t take on anymore ideas about how to make people healthy,” nor can lawyers, accountants, and engineers think that way about the developments in their fields. Each profession must find ways—new, creative and sustainable ways—to keep on the road of continuous improvement.

To determine what some of the most accomplished teachers in America think, we conducted a survey of nearly five hundred National Board Certified Teachers in social studies and business education—among them elementary, middle and high school teachers from urban to rural settings. In response to our questions about the obstacles that teachers face with economic and financial literacy education, the most cited responses were: lack of time, lack of prioritization and lack of meaningful professional development. Among these teachers, 74% felt somewhat successful or less with integrating economic education in their social studies classes, and 82% felt similarly regarding the integration of financial literacy topics. A full two-thirds of these teachers cited moderate to limited access to quality curricular materials related to either topic.

Knowing the conditions that now exist is the first step toward making the kinds of changes the Council urges schools to make. But there is also reason to be hopeful that these gains can be made. A strong through line in the survey responses suggested that teachers strongly valued and were similarly committed to finding ways to increase student learning of and experiences with these topics.

At the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, we propose to build on these sentiments, particularly in the related content areas where we have standards and a certification process. NBPTS would be happy to partner with the Council for Economic Education. Perhaps more importantly, National Board Certified Teachers stand ready to help as well. By first identifying a cohort of innovative teachers, and then through a strategic offering of curricular resources, professional development and compensation, best practices of integrating these topics could then be disseminated and shared more widely to other teachers locally, and then nationally. Who better to lead the efforts of improving our schools than our nation’s most accomplished educators?

http://www.nbpts.org/about_us/news_media/web_feature_releases?ID=683

http://www.councilforeconed.org/2012/04/23/guest-post-james-liou-and-ronald-thorpe-on-survey-of-the-states/

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Full Sun and a Walking Day in Old San Juan

Sarah Navigating the Streets of Old San Juan

I think that the pictures are going to suggest a different journal title—something along the lines of ‘Sarah visits Old San Juan!’  Heh.  But I happily revisited Old San Juan again, too … I just happen to be the person snapping away on the camera and handy I-phone throughout the day.

A leisurely start at the excellent Andalucia Guest House first, only about five minutes from the Ocean Park beach area east of Old San Juan.  A great neighborhood to use as a home base with local restaurants, the Kasalta bakery (superb) and even a frozen yogurt shop (we hit that up) nearby.  An easy $.75 bus fare to head into the historic part of the city.

And a hot, sunny day it was.  I think we must have gotten spoiled with the ocean breezes along the Vieques and Culebra beaches because the Caribbean sun was going full force.  Sorry, more fashionable visitors and San Juan residents—I had to bust out the hiking sombrero through must of the day.

A really good, full day of city exploration, though.  Using the routes from a borrowed walking map (thanks,

Drinks at El Picoteo at the El Convento Hotel

Esteban and Emeo!), we made our way along the Paseo de la Princesa along the muralla (fortication walls) to the oldest door through which sailors and merchants used to enter the fortified city.  Hot but still enjoyable to walk along the Old San Juan streets, poking into shops, pausing for drinks at the El Convento hotel and of course, our obligatory we’re-visiting-another-city-so-let’s-eat-a-hotdog-there worldview.  (It’s a happy way to live).

Great to take in the historical fortification sites of El Morro and San Cristobal as well.  It was a bonus to get the national park ranger tour and to also explore their multiple levels, sentry port holes and soldiers’ quarters.  Quite a view over the city on one side and what for hundreds of years was a strategic harbor point for protection and fortification– from the times of the Spanish conquistadors and their interest in controlling access to the riches of the ‘New World,’ to the early 20th century during WWI when the U.S. modified and occupied the fortifications (renamed Fort Brooke) as a base to look out for German U-boat submarines.  Pretty impressive.

Walls of El Morro Overlooking the San Juan Bay

And to end our day and our excellent week-long trip to Puerto Rico?  Take out burritos from the B de Burros shop near our guesthouse and sleepily snacking on them on the second floor of the Andalucia under some low palm fronds and an open San Juan night sky.

Maravilloso.

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From Culebra to El Yunque Rain Forest

Getting Supplies at the Local Colmado Milka in Culebra

Why not?  We had talked about the possibilities of visiting the islands of Vieques or Culebra so instead of the either/or proposition, we went ahead and decided to do both.  There’s always the chance of feeling rushed with busier travel plans, but with Culebra being so close (via puddle jumper flights from Vieques to Ceiba to Culebra), it worked out just right.

And Culebra was definitely worth the day’s visit.  Smaller and less developed than Vieques, this island also boasts one of the world’s best beaches-Flamenco beach.  We’ll tell you–from flying overhead it, to sitting on its shores (in stately, borrowed plastic lawn chairs) to jumping through its rolling waves, this beach was pretty spectacular.  Spectacular in a way that makes you suspect that this place must be man-made (it’s not).

Flamenco Beach? It's okay I guess...

More island exploration too from our homebase at our Melones beachside cottage rental (rustic and idyllic).  We stopped roadside to look at some of the protected mangrove areas and we talked to both a local family doing some fishing/crab catching and another ebulliently, happy young couple (wearing matching Red Sox hats).  A short drive to the undeveloped Zoni beach on the eastern part of the island, where we walked the entire shoreline and hoped to see egg-laying leatherback turtles go to their protected, nesting sites (we didn’t, unfortunately).  A ‘boricua’ pizza take out to eat from Culebra’s only town, Dewey.

And best of all, a first snorkeling experience for the both of us, where we explored the coral reefs right off of the shores of our rental.  It took a little getting used to at first, but quite the experience to be able to float/virtually fly above another world.  Too bad my natural vision is so terrible, but from Sarah’s excited underwater yelpings to the ‘blind man’s discount’ the rental shop owner gave us (cool), it was absolutely worth it.

Going for the Self-Guided Snorkel Experience in Culebra

Then, a reluctant departure from the islands to mainland Puerto Rico, which unsurprisingly, is anything but a disappointment.  A relaxed ferry ride over to Fajardo from Ceiba (helped along by some scoops of coconut ice cream and a hot pressed Cuban0 sandwich) where we picked up our rental car from the overly luxurious Conquistador resort and headed towards our homebase at the Ceiba Country Inn.  Beautiful grounds and animals-aplenty (the lie-in-front-of-your-door dog Shakira, a front pawless white cat…) to take in the sunset.

Stumpy of the Ceiba Country Inn

The following day, a visit to El Yunque rainforest, the only rainforest in the National Forest Service.  Slow, windy roads and a nice, short hike to Mina Falls where crowds waded in the waterfall’s inviting lower pools, and where we took about 3,000 pictures (voluntarily) for a large group of women sporting matching t-shirts (’2012 The Best Vacation ever!’), smiles and vocalized pride at being from Connecticut.

Visit to El Yunque National Forest

Looking forward to the final day in San Juan!

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Buen Dia, Puerto Rico!

Lamp at the El Fortin Conde De Mirasol

Oh, Puerto Rico.  It’s only been a year since I was last able to visit, and that already seems too long.  It’s easy to tell why expatriates of all kinds, but especially those luckier ones from island climates and cultures, always think of home.

Very lucky to be spending the April break back in Puerto Rico then, especially since the flights here were less expensive than comparable ones to Florida.  But you can’t even really compare those choices, right?  (Sorry, Florida)

Perfect idea, Sarah, to wait the extra pre-dawn hours after our red eye 2:45 AM arrival in San Juan, to take the earliest possible connecting flight directly to Vieques, one of the islands off the eastern coast of mainland Puerto Rico.

And an absolute gift of a first few days on the island, only 21 miles long and 4 miles wide, and mostly protected as the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge.  Plenty of roadside food stops in our rented two door jeep (a requisite for the battered, potholed roads).  Pasteles, empanadas of all sorts

Lining up at the Sol Food Truck, Roadside in Vieques

and cold drinks roadside, and richer fare at a few places along the loud, Malecon beachside strip in the town of Esperanza.  Unexpectedly gorgeous weather, as I had read we were supposed to get showers throughout the day.  A day and then night time visit to the town of Isabel Segunda’s El Fortin Conde de Mirasol—hilltop views and museum wandering at first and on our evening return, a cultural festival filled with music and milling families and visitors.

And the beaches.  Hey, it is the Caribbean after all, right?  Playa Plata (Orchid Beach), Playa de la Chiva (Blue Beach), the Sun Bay beach and the stream walk to Black Sand Beach.  All worth visiting and many more we didn’t even get the chance to see.

Wide, Blue Waters of the Sun Bay Beach

But the highlight of Vieques?  The late night kayak tour of the bioluminescent Mosquito Bay, where under a full night canopy of stars, every movement of our paddles, as well as the ripples from the darting fish by the mangroves along the shores of the bay, literally sparkled with responsive and mesmerizing shimmers of light.  The results of glowing dinoflagellates and the unique conditions of those Caribbean waters (now protected).  What else to do but paddle, trail your hands by your kayak and not get too far behind the others in this unbelievable place?

We were told that the saying goes like this:  if you happen to find yourself visiting Vieques for the third time, you’re expected to pack up your former life and start a new one on the island.  After a taste of these few days, it’s not too hard to see why that might be appealing.

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Education Champions Fellowship Applications

Just heard word about the application deadline coming up for the Education Champions Fellowship.  Take a look at the information below and pass on the word (or nominate!) for anyone who might be interested.

Apply today for the outstanding opportunity to join the second cohort of the Education Champions Fellowship. Fellows receive a stipend and will be provided with unique opportunities to advise top education leaders at a conference where they will also work with other excellent educators to help find solutions to some of the education system’s greatest challenges. All travel and lodging expenses are covered for the fellows. If you are unable to apply, you can also refer people to the fellowship by filling out this quick nomination form: bit.ly/FRA0JG

The Education Champions Fellowship is hosted by is America Achieves, a new non-profit that aims to help America become a global leader in educational excellence and equity and prepare all young people for success in careers, college, and citizenship. The Education Champions Fellowship leverages the voice of a diverse group of the nation’s most effective principals and teachers to improve national education policy and increase the practical tools available to educators nationwide. Education Champions was formed to identify transformative educators, learn from their successes and bring their voices into the public discourse on education. Current members of the group have advised such leaders as the U.S. Secretary of Education, mayors and superintendents of major cities and have played a crucial role in both of NBC’s nationally televised Education Nation summits. The group is doubling its size in order to expand the fellowship to 100 outstanding educators, which will include 80 teachers and 20 principals. Applications are due May 7, 2012.

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Will Always Love You, Commodore 64

Just saw that Jack Tramiel, the man behind the Commodore 64 computers, passed away recently.  Man.  Talk about the best video game memories as a kid— with that rigid joy stick and orange ‘mash’ button and those 5.5 inch floppy disks.  And the games.  Summer and winter games, Bruce Lee where I always got frozen climbing up and down those weird, pixelated waterfalls, and many, many more.  Good times.

The Beloved Commodore 64

Jack Tramiel, father of the Commodore 64, passes away at age 83

Jack Tramiel, the man who helped to create the Commodore 64 and shaped the world of video games that we know today, passed away Sunday. He was 83.

Tramiel was born to a Jewish family in Poland. In 1939, he and his family were sent to Auschwitz. Tramiel was rescued in 1945 by the U.S. Army, but not before his father perished. Not long after, he immigrated to the United States and joined the U.S. armed forces, where he learned to repair office equipment. Upon leaving the army, he set up a small business repairing typewriters in New York City. He later relocated to Toronto, Canada, to form a bigger operation, one that would eventually produce the Commodore 64.

Commodore International was formed in 1954, and produced calculators up until the late ’70s. Convinced by an engineer that personal computers would be the next thing, Tramiel’s company produced the Commodore PET, which was a huge hit for the educational market. But it’s the Commodore 64, introduced in 1982, that Tramiel is best known for. It offered impressive sound and graphics for its time, and coupled with it $595 price tag, was an economical alternative to other 64K computers on the market.

The Commodore 64 was part of Tramiel’s mantra of creating “computers for the masses, not the classes.” The competition was stiff, including Atari and Apple, but the C64 would end up becoming one of the most successful computers of its day.

One quotient of the populace that warmly accepted the C64 were video game players and makers. After the home video game market crashed in the early ’80s, the C64 stayed relevant with new games produced by major publishers or enthusiasts.

Due to an internal power struggle, Tramiel was ousted from the company that he founded in 1984. From there, he purchased what was left of Atari from Warner Communication, after a home-gaming market crash had greatly devalued the gaming brand. Once in charge of Atari, Tramiel released the Atari ST. The move was meant to combat the Amiga home computer, which his former company was launching as a C64 follow-up.

The Atari/Commodore rivalry raged for much of the ’80s, a direct precursor to the Nintendo/Sega battles and Sony/Microsoft platform wars that have become the fabric of video games to this very day. Those who were around to play the games that the war produced have fond memories. While support for the Commodore diminished over the years, it is still recognized as an invaluable and beloved part of video game’s heritage.

Gaming has become a cultural phenomenon, with artwork and various forms of music often dipping liberally into the past for inspiration. The look and feel that many Commodore 64 games embodied is part of this mix. A more specific example is the demoscene, in which contemporary artists create music videos using the same technical constraints that authors of the C64 during its heyday were forced to deal with.

Many games of today employ an 8-bit, retro vibe, and even though many of today’s younger gamers may not know who Jack Tramiel is, his legacy lives on in every pixel and byte of sound produced to this very day.

Matthew Hawkins is an NYC-based game journalist who has also written for EGM, GameSetWatch, Gamasutra, Giant Robot and numerous others. He also self-publishes his own game culture zine, is part of Attract Mode, and co-hosts The Fangamer Podcast. You can keep tabs on him via Twitter, or his personal home-base, FORT90.com.

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Family Easter Visit 2012

Forsythia in Bloom at the Arnold Arboretum

Wonderful to have Sarah’s mom and D come up for a visit over this three-day Easter weekend.  Perfect timing to make full use of our freshened bathroom space, and for Sarah and her mom to bust out some impressive culinary moves for the big Easter meal:  fresh lamb from the local butcher served rare, potatoes au gratin, a balsamic asparagus and tomato dish, and a few bottles of pinot noir.  With a homemade coconut cake to finish it off.  Kind of decadent.

All the better reason for our early spring walk through the arboretum this morning, with the camera-friendly ‘soft light’, other families walking about and the spring colors vivid and right.

Very glad for the beginnings of spring!

Sarah and Her Mom Prepping Up the Easter Meal

A Toast to A Fine Meal

In Case The Similarities Aren't Apparent... Matching Vests to Boot

Spring Colors at the Arnold Arboretum

Flowering Trees at the Arboretum

A Morning Walk Worth Savoring

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Bathroom Renovation Done!

I tell you, finishing up a home renovation project is pretty satisfying.  And sure, while a close observer might suggest that it’s especially satisfying when someone else is getting the major stuff done with expertise (certainly true in this case), it was good to add a bit of ‘sweat equity’ into it as well.  I’m thinking that Sarah’s and my process of shopping and selecting the right ‘furniture’ at the local Lowes and Home Depot, as well as doing the bathroom painting, counts towards what can be called a participatory effort.

Our stuff is already back in the bathroom (thankfully ‘de-piled’ from its temporary, resting place in the corner of our small living room).  I wanted to capture some of the clean lines and spaces though, just as a reminder of its gussied-up glory.  Next up?  Kitchen!

New Kohler Throne, Closet Door, Tile Baseboard and Re-Grouted Bathroom Floor

New Vanity, Medicine Cabinet, Towel Holder and a Few Coatings of Shoreline Gray

Cleaned and Regrouted Shower Tiling

 

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