Upcoming Events

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327732029 18 Upcoming Events1.2.7 Marriage Ministries Events

Bowling Party: Have you been married seven years or less? Then join us for a January social time planned for you! On January 15, the 1.2.7 Marriage Ministries is hosting a bowling party which will begin at 3:30pm at Papio Bowl. This is an off-week for CFF so we hope you will be able to join us. The cost is $5.50 per person for two games including shoes. Childcare will be available at the church beginning at 3:00pm. Advanced registration for childcare is required.

After we bowl, we will meet at Jeremy & Karin Haselhorst’s home (707 Fenwick St, Papillion) to enjoy a nacho bar and a time of fellowship. Feel free to join us for the bowling time, the time of nachos, or both. Questions? Contact Daniel Bear at .

Valentine’s Day Event: The 1.2.7 Marriage Ministries is planning the 2nd annual 1.2.7 Valentine’s Day Banquet. Details are still being finalized so watch for more information which will be shared soon.

1.2.7 Bible Class: On January 8, we will begin a new series in our Bible class for newly married couples; a series on the New Testament book of James. Sometimes called “the Proverbs of the New Testament,” the book of James practically and faithfully reminds Christians how to live. From perseverance in trials, faith in action, to controlling one’s tongue, submitting to God’s will, and developing a patient, joyful character, this book aids readers in living authentically and wisely for Christ. Many have claimed that James and the apostle Paul differed on the question of faith versus works, but in reality the spiritual fruit that James talks about simply demonstrates the wisdom that can only come to us in the life of faith, prayer, and study of which Paul wrote. Their writings are complementary rather than contradictory. The book is generally accepted as written by Jesus’ half-brother James (Gal. 1:19) and is probably the earliest of the New Testament writings (A.D. 35-45). We hope you can join us as we go through this meaningful book together. We will meet each Sunday in Room 201A at 9:30am.

Apple’s new apps revealed, potential student reaction?

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327729630 53 Apples new apps revealed, potential student reaction?

Apple announced the release of iBooks 2, iBooks Author and an iTunes U application today in New York.

Apple’s announcement has the potential to disrupt the textbook industry, current educational software use and may change the fabric of how K-12 students and above learn both in the classroom and outside of it.

How could the new applications potentially affect students and academic institutions?

There are over 200,000 educational apps available on the iPad, and more than 1.5 million iPads are reported as in use by academic institutions. Apple wishes to ‘reinvent the textbook‘, and therefore, this will have repercussions on the current — perhaps outdated — publishing industry.

The software giant is already working with McGraw-Hill and DK Publishing to offer a selection in the digital textbook store — books such as My First ABC and Life on Earth are available, with more to come.

The new iBooks 2 app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. It offers a number of new features for students that can offer a more interactive and organised learning experience, including a more interactive ‘digital material’ system. iBooks Author allows self-publishers to create this kind of interactive digital content.

The iBooks 2 application itself is focused around students being able to engage with up-to-date curriculum content. Several features announced today include:

  • A quicker means of study being able to swipe to different pages and links;
  • Rich, engaging layouts that make books far more engaging than print media;
  • The ability to embed movies into textbook pages;
  • An additional dictionary component. If a student does not understand a word on a page, they are able to bring up a glossary definition immediately;
  • Toolbar search facilities;
  • Review questions to help students test their knowledge on a book chapter or film;
  • A portrait and landscape mode switch feature;
  • Users ‘own’ the book for life, enabling them to re-download texts at any point from the cloud.

The iBooks 2 app is designed not only to make learning more engaging for a generation who have grown up with iProducts, but to make revision and immediate feedback more easily achieved, through one Apple product.

A constant request of students is a way in which to more easily annotate digital textbooks. The iBooks 2 update makes students able to highlight portions of text, and from this, convert their notes in to flashcards.

This is currently missing from other eReader devices, and is likely to become an invaluable tool for K-12 students and above. As a former student, I would have killed for this feature — especially for university students, when exams beckon, this feature will be a great time saver.

Apple sees textbooks as a non-portable, inflexible means of study. Students having to carry oversized backpacks is a scenario most of us can relate to — and Apple wishes to change this. Mobile devices such as an iPhone and iPad are obviously far more portable means of carrying large volumes of information.

However, textbooks used through the app are going to be 1GB, so it seems predictable that users will have to invest in 64GB iPad 2’s or iPad 3’s if they wish to use this application on a frequent basis. The books on offer will be priced at $14.99 or less. Apple hopes that self-publishers, organisations and academic institutions will use the new services to create a wide variety of digital books and expand the popularity of iBooks.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s vice-president of worldwide marketing, said at the event:

“We think there should be an area just for textbooks in the store. You’ll see every subject, every grade level, for every student.”

As a new tool, is it required?

Students already have a plethora of tools available at their disposal, whether sharing and storing services like Dropbox and Google Docs, or applications tailored to make schedules, take notes or summarizing articles in order to make studies quicker and more efficient.

Google Scholar is also a popular service available to students, offering an immediate avenue to find links to content that they can utilize in their studies. It does not, however, enable students to create or publish content.

The advances Apple have revealed could potentially cause a transition from simply searching for content, to creating and distributing it.

Will academic institutions want to explore this technology?

Apple’s announcement means that the company view textbooks as an outdated means of learning. However, in order for the apps to truly have an affect within academic institutions, schools would have to universally implement the software.

Mobile device use and increased technology dependence is beginning to slowly creep in to classrooms at a younger stage. For example, K-12 learners studying at the Burris Laboratory School have been using iPads as a learning tool since last year — both the school’s kindergarten through to fifth grade students and their teachers have been equipped with their own iPads through an educational grant.

At the announcement, teacher interviews were conducted and released on video. One comment stood out by a teacher who was impressed by the interactive levels of the application:

“They’re going to want to go to school, they’re going to want to learn.”

Perhaps by offering more engaging methods of learning, it may improve student performance and enjoyment.

It is likely many schools will find this a challenge, due to a lack of technical knowledge and budget constraints. Perhaps if Apple introduces large-scale academic pricing agreements with schools for hardware, then it will increase the rate of institutions adopting the practice and change in learning methods.

If educators become enthusiastic about creating books and course materials using iBooks Author, and distributing it through the new iTunes U app and iBooks 2, then Apple will almost certainly eventually own a dominant share in educational space.

The digital publishing industry is one in which different parties are still feeling their way around, and various companies are jostling each other for market share percentages. Adding new levels of interactivity aimed at school learners has the potential to change the game irrevocably — as well as potentially creating brand loyalty at a young age.

E-book purchases are not always suitable for students. What is available online as an e-book is not necessarily the required edition for classes at university, but budgeting students may choose to take the cheaper option. However, if educators decide to implement this technology and make materials for a particular class, this could end up replacing current software like PowerPoint or Keynote, and allow for better distribution of relevant learning material.

The new Apple apps could make the learning experience from K-12 to university more relevant and engaging. Not only that, it could mean that students can annotate and contribute on digital content together to improve the overall quality of material available to students coming after them.

Related:

Weapons of Mass Pigmentation – In the News - Truthdig

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327728429 13 Weapons of Mass Pigmentation In the News TruthdigPosted on Jan 3, 2012

In this simple, delightful installation, thousands of kids armed with thousands of colorful stickers turned a completely white room into a work of art.

Here’s an explanation from the museum:

The obliteration room 2011 revisits the popular interactive children’s project developed by Yayoi Kusama for the Queensland Art Gallery’s ‘APT 2002: Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’. In this reworked and enlarged installation, an Australian domestic environment is recreated in the gallery space, complete with locally sourced furniture and ornamentation, all of which has been painted completely white. While this may suggest an everyday topography drained of all colour and specificity, it also functions as a blank canvas to be invigorated — or, in Kusama’s vocabulary, ‘obliterated’ — through the application, to every available surface, of brightly coloured stickers in the shape of dots.

As with many of Kusama’s installations, the work is disarmingly simple in its elemental composition; however, it brilliantly exploits the framework of its presentation. The white room is gradually obliterated over the course of the exhibition, the space changing measurably with the passage of time as the dots accumulate as a result of thousands and thousands of collaborators.

Find more images here.

—PZS

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Children’s Games: ‘Disney Universe’ (Xbox 360) – A Button Mashing, Playground Adventure

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327727259 69 Children’s Games: ‘Disney Universe’ (Xbox 360) – A Button Mashing, Playground Adventure

Disney Universe is the kind of game I imagine would be my own personal wonderland as a child. The game allows you to dive into some of Disney and Pixar’s top rated animated and CG films of the past two decades. There’s a lot of playful button mashing fun to be had when you are not struggling with manipulating various puzzle objects. Yet, the puzzles are a nice introduction for younger audiences to some of the more complicated puzzle games that they will play as they get older. Tons of unlockable wardrobe pieces and upgrades help to switch up the action. Unfortunately, some upgrades only last for a limited time. So just when you get into the mode of freezing mini-enemies, the fun will evaporate.

The Disney Universe is under siege and it is up to you to save it. A narrator gives you the storybook rundown on what’s going on and motivates you to pick up arms and win back the Disney Universe for its guests. In game dialogue is relegated to Sims-speak that you would find in any of the Lego or Sims games.

When you first power on the game, you will see that there are six worlds to explore: Alice in Wonderland, The Lion King, Monsters Inc, Aladdin, Wall-E, and Pirates of the Caribbean. However, Pirates of the Caribbean is the only world that is open at the beginning. In order to unlock each of the remaining boards you will need to collect 2000 coins per world. It is not hard to collect these coins as you play. Since each world has three stages, it is nearly impossible to miss the mark. However, you definitely want to pay attention to this number before you start playing. The boards are short and a player can easily come up just shy of the 2000 mark if he or she is not cognizant of the number. Then the player will have to play through one of the boards again to reach the number.

Disney Universe does have its fair share of puzzles to solve. However, there is also a lot of hand holding involved for kids. An arrow will always be available telling you where to go and what to do. So puzzles that would less apparent – like rebuilding a canon or using Triton’s sword to unlock an area – are made easier. It is a nice feature that gently helps kids to learn more about puzzles and thinking non-linearly. After solving the first few puzzles with help, they will soon start to solve the puzzles without being aware of the arrow.

Costumes are great to look at. You can wear a Timone outfit from The Lion King or even a Stitch costume from Lilo and Stich. The costumes don’t affect gameplay (it would have been awesome if Timone had a stench or flatulence power), but they do offer 40 unique looks for your character. There are actually more character costumes than there are worlds in this game. So while you can dress up as Nemo, you won’t find yourself playing through a Finding Nemo world.

Most of the main action involves button mashing your way through hordes of enemies. However, there will be boss battles that require you to either puzzle solve or use environment pieces to battle a bigger enemy. For instance, in the Pirates of the Caribbean stage you will need to battle a pirate ship using canons. As the pirate ship sails by, it will attack the buildings. So if you don’t destroy the pirate ship the first time around (you won’t), you will have to pick up water balloons to put out the fires and then get back on the cannons for the pirate ships next lap around the port of London.

Controlling moveable objects is the biggest point of frustration in this adventure. It is extremely difficult to move around non-stationary objects like the canon and aim it at the desired target.

Each world has its own unique feel. So fighting through an Elephant Graveyard in The Lion King will be starkly different from Wall-E’s robot and junk filled stages.

There is a no fail policy in this game so if you lose all of your power you will respawn. While power-ups will be taken away, you will maintain your collected coins. It’s actually fairly easy to lose all of your energy during the course of a board, even for an adult gamer. If you don’t have any power-ups, your close range weapon will leave you vulnerable. Also, since the combat is fairly mindless you can easily fall into the bad habit of button mashing and ground pounding enemies without caring about how much damage your character is taking.

Overall, Disney Universe is a fun adventure for children and will provide them with an exciting, imaginative adventure through their favorite Disney movies. It would have been nice if there were more worlds to explore that encapsulated the broader Disney Universe. Am I the only one that feels like Fantasia or The Jungle Book should be in here somewhere? However, I should note that since the release Disney added a Nightmare Before Christmas download pack which is really awesome.

*Games denoted “Children’s Games” are designed and reviewed FOR CHILDREN. The scale should not be looked at as a comparison to Triple-A games like Call of Duty, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, or Fifa 12. These games are not about blood, violence and trash talking competition, but rather about a simple thing called FUN for Kids.

Foreign job-seekers use bogus credentials

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327724842 11 Foreign job seekers use bogus credentialsMICHELLE DUFF

Fake teachers, pastry chefs and economists have been caught trying to land jobs with qualifications they did not complete or which never existed, the Qualifications Authority has revealed.

Since 2007, dozens of foreigners have been caught out by NZQA attempting to lie their way into employment. People from China and Fiji were the most common offenders, with degrees the most-forged qualification.

Details disclosed under the Official Information Act show people attempted to claim they had degrees in subjects from computer science to childcare, business management and information technology.

In one case, a man was employed as an automotive mechanic before questions were raised about fake references and qualifications.

The circumstances of this case are being investigated by the office of the Ombudsman.

In 2006, a 33-year-old man from Bulgaria attempted to gain a job with a master of computer science degree from Tehniceski Universitet Sofia. But the university told NZQA the student had flunked in 1997 because of poor results.

Another job applicant, 29, from India, claimed to hold a bachelor of education before investigations showed he attended teachers’ college for only seven weeks.

Applicants caught by NZQA had tried to forge signatures and seals on qualification documents, and in some cases drew up certificates that bore no resemblance to originals.

The number of fakes detected was highest in 2008, when 14 fraudulent qualifications were exposed by NZQA – a figure that had dropped to nine in 2009 and was at eight for the period from July 2010 to March last year.

NZQA said attempts at qualification fraud were growing rapidly internationally, but it was confident that enough was being done in New Zealand to detect this type of fraud.

Strong, effective networks of information and intelligence were maintained across countries and within agencies to combat the issue of bogus qualifications, NZQA chief executive Karen Poutasi said.

“New Zealand is not immune to forged qualification problems. However, the quality assurance, regulatory frameworks and qualification evaluation practices in place provide effective protections.”

All documents are checked by evaluators who have received document training from the police forensic unit. If found to be false, cases were passed to the Immigration New Zealand fraud office and Interpol for prosecution if necessary.

Some migrants who enter New Zealand under the skilled migrant category do not have their qualifications checked by NZQA. This is because their qualifications are on a list of recognised qualifications, established by the Labour Department in 2001.

A guide: how to age well for each decade of your life

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327723642 26 A guide: how to age well for each decade of your life

To keep your car running for as long as possible you have to treat it properly: service at regular intervals, use quality fuels and keep it clean.

So why would you treat your body, itself the ultimate machine, any less carefully?

Alas, too many of us do. A recent University of Miami study found that heart disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol levels and artery inflammation, can start as early as age 3.

In the United States, 19 percent of children 2 to 18 are obese and 30 percent are overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“By the fourth grade, 13 percent of American children already have abnormally elevated cholesterol, with a total cholesterol of 200 or higher,” said Dr. Steven E. Lipshultz, one of the study’s authors and the chairman of the pediatrics department at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The numbers are disproportionately higher among Hispanic and African-American children who tended to have higher inflammation levels and lower levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol.

“There are three really important pieces that go into exercising across the ages from childhood to the 90s: the need to do aerobics, strengthening and stretching exercises,” said Dr. Neva Kirk-Sanchez, an associate professor in the department of physical therapy at the University of Miami.

Here, then, is a lifetime guide to good health.

Good nutrition begins at birth.

•  Breast feed your newborn.

“In long-term studies, breast feeding truly does benefit children, including lowering cholesterol levels and having lower weight and a lower prevalence of Type 2 diabetes.”

The official recommendation is to breast feed baby for the first year, with breast milk the exclusive source of nourishment for the first six months.

•  Limit fat to 30 percent of a child’s total calories after age 2. After age 2, switch from whole milk to non-fat milk and have your toddler drink lots of water.

•  Limit fruit juices, even 100-percent fruit juices, to no more than four ounces per day for ages 2-21.

• Trans fats should be avoided and TV time should be limited to one to two hours “of quality programming” per day, he said. “Avoid ever putting a TV in a child’s bedroom.”

•  Lower sodium intake. “It’s never too early to limit sodium in a child’s diet,” Lipshultz said. “Elevated blood pressure is a major contributor to heart disease.”

•  Begin blood pressure checks at age 3.

•  Tests to screen for cholesterol should begin by age 9 to 11 and again at 17 for all children.

Children and adolescents should have at least one hour or more of physical exercise every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aerobic activity such as running, brisk walking and playing sports should make up the majority of the exercise.

Children 10 and under don’t need formal muscle strengthening programs, such as weight lifting, as the development of muscles begins at puberty, but muscle strengthening should be done via fun activities, such as playing on the jungle gym, swimming or gymnastics.

•  Exercise, exercise, exercise — at least an hour daily, and include bone strengthening activities such as jumping rope and running games like tag or sports.

Aussie families struggle with back-to-school blues

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327721232 67 Aussie families struggle with back to school blues

Heading back to school with new shoes, new uniforms and new books is supposed to be an exciting time for children.

But according to Australian charities, the start of a new school year is becoming an increasingly stressful event for families.

With the first day of term only weeks away, welfare groups are predicting a rise in the number of parents seeking help to equip their kids with the basics.

State Schools Relief is a charity which has been operating in Victoria for more than 80 years. It offers school shoes and uniforms to families struggling to provide for their child's education.

Its CEO, David Schmidt, says in the past 12 months his organisation has had a 26 per cent increase in applications for assistance.

“In Victoria particularly the economic downturn started with the drought and really the impact of that hasn't subsided yet,” he said.

“That was followed by the bushfires and then the floods also. So we've had a whole range of things in the rural communities that have impacted on people.

“There's been a slowdown in retail and manufacturing, the disposable income of families has dropped off, so we've had less casual work, mums not getting the work they had before, and that really impacts on what families can do with their finance.”

Mr Schmidt says it is not just Victorian families who are struggling.

He says with mortgage rates, housing inaffordability and other financial pressures, even families who would not previously have needed assistance are finding it hard to meet the most basic education costs.

He says his organisation aims to boost the self-esteem of students belonging to “poor families”.

“We do good quality stuff, we don't have any poor quality material going to disadvantaged kids,” he said.

“The idea is to have them looking the same as everyone else in the school, so they're not bullied because they're poor.

“We had a 14-year-old girl not long ago in a rural school who was not coming to school. The welfare coordinator got to her and found out it was a uniform issue. So that afternoon the mum went up and picked up the clothes and the girl was back at school the next day.”

'Urgent support'

Other charities, like St Vincent de Paul Society and The Smith Family, are also forecasting a rise in demand for assistance as children head back to school.

“The additional cost of purchasing school uniforms, shoes, pencil cases, lunch boxes and other school essentials can be crippling for those families already doing it tough,” Julie McDonald from St Vincent de Paul Society said.

“Many families will find it impossible to ensure that their children have what they need to begin a new year of learning.”

The Smith Family, who provides financial assistance for education essentials as well as access to learning support programs, says it is a time when families and children need “urgent support”.

Dr Barbara Spears from the University of South Australia, who specialises in school bullying, says having the right clothing and equipment certainly affects a child's self-esteem.

“Bullying is about acceptance and rejection, based upon an intolerance of difference and the notion of power, and how one looks and what is worn is one component of that,” she said.

But Dr Spears says ultimately, the power of school bullying runs far deeper.

“The argument about wearing uniforms to make all kids appear the same, and feel good about themselves, is an old one, but does not take into account that when out of uniform, the difference can be really apparent,” she said.

“That is, providing good uniforms and shoes will avert some of the problem at the superficial level, but it cannot change the ways that peers accept or reject others. It is always about power, who has it and who doesn't.”

Mr Schmidt says State Schools Relief recognises that it is not just the outer wear that makes children feel confident and comfortable at school.

He says his charity also assists families in sending their children on school camps and excursions.

Calendar of events

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327718837 49 Calendar of events

MLK Day Ecumenical Service: 1:30 p.m., First Baptist Church of Athens, 355 Pulaski St.; the Ecumenical service is a formal tribute to the life and goals of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; community clergy-members are invited to give reflections on Dr. King, his quest for justice, and being of service to one’s community.

Blood Dive: 3-8 p.m., Winder Wesleyan Church, 64 E. Midland St., Winder; (770) 867-5629.

Fit for Life: 6-7 p.m. today, Wednesday and Friday, East Athens Community Center, 400 McKinley Drive; a program of basic exercise and weight control for ages 18 and older; free; (706) 613-3593 or athensclarkecounty.com.

Domestic Violence Support Group: 6 p.m.; call Project Safe’s hot line for locations; dinner for participants and children at 6 p.m., meeting from 6:30-8 p.m.; childcare provided; held the first and third Monday of each month in Madison County; (706) 543-3331 or (706)-613-3357, ext. 771.

Holy Yoga Gentle: 6-7 p.m., Watkinsville First UMC, 1331 New High Shoals Road, Watkinsville; for all levels, ladies only; bring a mat and block; free with a toy donation; holyyogaofathensga.com.

Prenatal Yoga: 6:30-8 p.m., Full Bloom Center, 220 N. Milledge Ave.; learn postures and breathing practices; everything taught in class can be applied to all stages of labor and postpartum adjustment; $14; (706) 353-3373 or fullbloomparent.com.

Open Mic with Kyshona Armstrong: 8 p.m., Hendershot’s Coffee, 1560 Oglethorpe Ave.; hendershotscoffee.com.

Art Class: 9:30 a.m.-noon, Winder Library, 189 Bellview St., Winder; bring your own supplies; (770) 867-2762 or prlib.org/winder.

Athens Mothers’ Center Support Group: 9:30-11:30 a.m. today and Friday, St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 3195 Barnett Shoals Road; meet other moms experiencing similar joys and challenges; casual chat and activity groups, social events, and information about community resources in a non-judgmental, non-denominational setting; open enrollment all year-round; athensga.motherscenter.org.

Toddler Story time: 9:30-10:30 a.m. today and Wednesday, Athens-Clarke County Library, 2025 Baxter St.; for children ages 18 months to 5 years old; (706) 613-3650 or clarke.public.lib.ga.us.

Toddler Time: 10:30 a.m.-noon, Full Bloom Center, 220 N. Milledge Ave.; (706) 353-3373 or fullbloomparent.com.

Blood Drive: 11 a.m.-5 p.m., University of Georgia Vet School, 501 Brooks Drive; (706) 542-5728.

Alzheimer’s Support Group Lunch: Noon, Bentley Adult Day Care, 135 Hoyt St.; group meets the third Tuesday of each month for lunch and networking; provides an opportunity for people caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias; fellowship with other caregivers, participate in educational programs, ask questions and gain knowledge from health care professionals; care for loved ones and lunch are provided for free; pre-registration required; RSVP by calling (706) 549-4850 or email .

Crafty Reader: Snow Day: 4:30 p.m., Commerce Public Library, 1344 S. Broad St., Commerce.

Exhibit opening reception: “Historic Structures Report: Process and Product”: 4:30-6 p.m., Circle Gallery, Owens Library, ground floor of Caldwell Hall, UGA; exhibit explores the best management practices with regards to historic buildings and their care. The practices are laid out for each building through a historic structure report; the exhibit draws on 18 years of historic structure reports produced by students in the building materials conservation course; through Feb. 17; free and open to the public; (706) 542-8292 or ced.uga.edu.

Holy Yoga Level 1: 6-7 p.m., Tuckston UMC, 4175 Lexington Road; for all levels; class is co-ed; bring a mat and a block; free with a toy donation; holyyogaofathensga.com.

“How American Jews Helped Shape and Preserve American Traditional Music and Their Role in the Folk Revival”: 7 p.m., Lyndon House Arts Center, 293 Hoyt St.; an evening of story and song featuring musician, artist and folklorist Art Rosenbaum; he will talk about Jewish Americans who have been key players in keeping traditional American music alive; program will be partly autobiographical as Rosenbaum comes from a family steeped in music where his grandmother, originally from Poland, sang Yiddish labor songs and his father grew up in New Jersey where he heard street ditties. His brother is a classical pianist; the talk is in conjunction with the traveling exhibit, “A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965” now on display at Congregation Children of Israel; (706) 613-3650.

Athens Rock and Gem Club: 7:30 p.m., Friendship Christian Church, Tallassee Road; short business meeting; members and guests can bring their treasures in for a “Show and Tell”; a person at the meeting can identify unknown mineral specimens; meeting is for anyone interested in minerals, gems fossils or lapidary crafts; free and open to the public; (706) 549-8082.

The Kenney Blackmon Band: 7:30 p.m., The Melting Point, 295 E. Dougherty St.; $5; (706) 254-6909 or meltingpointathens.com.

State Ballet Theater of Russia presents “Romeo and Juliet”: 8 p.m. today and Wednesday, Fine Arts Theater, Baldwin and S. Lumpkin streets; $45-$55; $5 for student with a valid UGA ID Card; pac.uga.edu/mastercalendar.

Connor Pledger, Street Rhythm & Rhyme, Boomfox: 9:30 p.m., Caledonia Lounge, 256 W. Clayton St.; $5; $7 for ages 18-20; caledonialounge.com.

Ike Stubblefield and Friends: 8 p.m., Hendershot’s Coffee, 1560 Oglethorpe Ave.; $5; hendershotscoffee.com.

Employment workshop for veterans: 10 a.m.-noon EMC office, 842 Highway 78, Monroe; focuses on employment-related services provided by The Georgia Department of Labor’s career center, including how veterans should market themselves to employers, resume-writing, information on re-training programs, and job search and development; information will be provided on services of the Georgia Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including veterans’ benefits and health care services; register; (770) 207-4111 or email gov.

Full Bloom Center, 220 N. Milledge Ave.; (706) 353-3373 or fullbloomparent.com:

• Crawlers Group: 10 a.m.-noon; informal group for parents and their growing babies that are not “new” but are not toddlers either; sitters, scooters and early crawlers welcome.

• Mama Baby Yoga: 10:30-11:30 a.m.; for moms and babies ages 6 weeks old to “too wiggly”; $14.

• Story Time: 4-4:30 p.m.; open to all ages; free for Full Bloom members, $3 for nonmembers.

Athens-Clarke County Library: 2025 Baxter St.; (706) 613-3650 or clarke.public.lib.ga.us:

• Adult Book Discussion Group: 10:30 a.m.; this month’s title is “South of Broad” by Pat Conroy.

• Wildcard Wednesday: Game Day!: 4 p.m.; play the library’s games or bring one from home to share; open to teens ages 11-18.

Blood Drive: 1-6 p.m., Jefferson Fire Department, 129 Athens St., Jefferson; (706) 387-7400.

National Popcorn Day: 4:30-6 p.m., Rocksprings Community Center, 105 Columbus Ave.; movie, popcorn, beverages and create popcorn crafts; $1 per child; (706) 613-3603.

Emotional Abuse Support Group: 6:30-8 p.m.; call Project Safe’s hot line for locations; held every Wednesday; childcare provided; (706) 543-3331 or (706) 613-3357, ext. 771.

Amy Ray (of the Indigo Girls) and Lindsay Fuller with guest Jeff Fielder, Roxie Watson: 8 p.m., The Melting Point, 295 E. Dougherty St.; $12; (706) 254-6909 or meltingpointathens.com.

Caleb Darnell: 8 p.m., Farm 255, 255 W. Washington St.; (706) 549-4660 or farm255.com.

Lullwater, Taste Like Good, The Resistance: 9:30 p.m., Caledonia Lounge, 256 W. Clayton St.; $5; $7 for ages 18-20; caledonialounge.com.

Kenosha Kid: 8 p.m., Hendershot’s Coffee, 1560 Oglethorpe Ave.; hendershotscoffee.com.

Zoso: 8 p.m., Georgia Theatre, 215 N. Lumpkin St.; $10; georgiatheatre.com.

Full Bloom Center, 220 N. Milledge Ave.; (706) 353-3373 or fullbloomparent.com:

• New Mama’s Group: 10 a.m.-noon; meet other new moms and get non judgmental support; donations appreciated.

• Yoga Crawlers: 10:30-11:30 a.m.; for moms and their babies that are ages 8 to 18 months old; $14.

• Music Time: 4-5 p.m.; area musicians and music lovers share their music with guests in an interactive, fun way; babies welcome.

• Prenatal Yoga: 5:45-6:45 p.m.; $14.

• Yoga Flow: 7:15-8:15 p.m.; a challenging and fun yoga class that combines foundational yoga poses with flow sequences; for moms and dads; for all levels.

Baby Music Jam: 10:30 a.m., Athens-Clarke County Library: 2025 Baxter St.; a sing-a-long for children ages 1-3 and their caregivers; play instruments, sing and dance; (706) 613-3650 or clarke.public.lib.ga.us.

Pre-K Story Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m., Winder Library, 189 Bellview St., Winder; stories, music and crafts; (770) 867-2762 or prlib.org/winder.

Tai Chi: 11 a.m.-noon, Rocksprings Park, 291 Henderson Extension; $3 for Athens-Clarke County residents, $5 for non-county residents; pre-registration required; (706) 613-3603.

Blood Drive: 2-7 p.m., Liberty First Bank, 1901 W. Spring St.

Drawing in the Galleries: 5-8 p.m., Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St.; sketch in the galleries; no instruction provided; pencils only; georgiamuseum.org.

Winder-Barrow FFA Alumni Chili Challenge: 5:30-8 p.m., Winder-Barrow High School Cafeteria, 275 N. Fifth Ave., Winder; open to the public; $5 for 5 cups of homemade chili and 2 drinks; ballots for voting issued with each ticket purchased; door prizes; silent auction; proceeds will be used to sponsor Winder-Barrow FFA members in CDEs, trips, and livestock shows; (770) 867-4519 or email .

Young Adult Game Night: 6:30 p.m., Commerce Public Library, 1344 S. Broad St., Commerce; (706) 335-5946 or commercega.org.

Art opening reception for “DRAWN: from Athens” and “Look for Light”: 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Gallery@Hotel Indigo-Athens, 500 College Ave.; “DRAWN: from Athens” by Didi Dunphy explores drawing as the essential creative act where ideas are played with, investigated, and edited; work from 11 North Georgia based artists: Kathryn Refi, James Barsness, mie Bull, Lauren Gallaspy, Susan Hable, Clay McLaurin, Michael Olieri, Jeff T. Owens, Art Rosenbaum, Leslie Snipes, Jessica WohI; “Look for Light” by Michael Oliveri features butterfly-inspired chandeliers suspended from the ceiling; h’or dourves, beer, live music, indigoathens.com.

The Less, The Habit: 8 p.m., 40 Watt, 285 W. Washington St.; $5; $7 for ages 18-20; (706) 549-7871 or 40watt.com.

JazzChronic & Vertigo Jazz Project: 9 p.m., The Melting Point, 295 E. Dougherty St.; $5; (706) 254-6909 or meltingpointathens.com.

Ruby Kendrick, Monahan, Rebecca Van Damm, Sleep Dance: 9:30 p.m., Caledonia Lounge, 256 W. Clayton St.; $5; $7 for ages 18-20; caledonialounge.com.

Vincent the Dog: 10:30 p.m., Farm 255, 255 W. Washington St.; (706) 549-4660 or farm255.com.

Olde Skool Trio: 8 p.m., Hendershot’s Coffee, 1560 Oglethorpe Ave.; hendershotscoffee.com.

Lunice, Mimosa: 8 p.m., Georgia Theatre, 215 N. Lumpkin St.; $15; georgiatheatre.com.

Blood Drive: 8 a.m.-1 p.m., University of Georgia Physical Plant, University of Georgia Chicopee Complex, 1180 E. Broad St.; (706) 542-8925.

Holy Yoga Level 1-2: 9-10 a.m., Oconee SpeedFit, 1260 Greensboro Hwy., Watkinsville; fundamental postures in an up beat class with an emphasis on strength, alignment and perseverance; for ladies only; bring a mat and block; free with a toy donation; ocspeedfit.com or holyyogaofathensga.com.

Fantastic Friday: 9-10:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.-noon, Gymnastics Academy, Bishop Park, 705 Sunset Drive; parents and kids have fun in a non-structured environment; parents required to stay for the program and lead children through various obstacle courses; for children ages 10 months to 4 years old; $5 per person/per day for 1 hour and a half or $10 per person/per day for 3 hours for Clarke County residents; $7.50 per person/per day for 1 hour and a half or $15 per person/per day for 3 hours for non-county residents; (706) 613-3589 or athensclarkecounty.com/bishop.

Author Dr. C.B. Skelton Book Signing: 3-5 p.m., Winder Library, 189 Bellview St., Winder; Dr. C.B. Skelton will sign his newest release, “A Simple Seller of Noodles,” a memoir focusing on the life of SamSan Ouch; (770) 867-2762 or prlib.org/winder.

Willson Center Cinema Roundtable Discussion: 4 p.m., Zell B. Miller Learning Center, Lumpkin Street, UGA campus; discuss Terrence Malick’s film “The Tree of Life” moderated by Richard Neupert, film studies; panelists include Hugh Ruppersburg (English), Jennifer Baker (Georgia State University), Michelle Schreiber (Emory University) and Deron Overpeck (Auburn University); (706) 542-3966.

Writers’ Circle: 7-9 p.m., Athens-Clarke County Library: 2025 Baxter St.; read an excerpt of your work (poetry, fiction, screenplay, etc). for feedback from your peers; there will be writing games; light snacks provided; open to teens ages 11-18; (706) 613-3650 or clarke.public.lib.ga.us.

Observatory Open House: 7-8:30 p.m., fourth floor, Physics building, UGA; Jupiter and Venus will be visible if the sky is clear; visitors can view the planets through the 24-inch telescope in the dome on top of the building as well as through several smaller telescopes on the roof; faculty and students from the department will point out sightings and answer questions; if the sky is not clear, a faculty member will give a lecture in room 202; physast.uga.edu/observatory/schedule.

Randall Bramblett Band: 8 p.m., The Melting Point, 295 E. Dougherty St.; $15; (706) 254-6909 or meltingpointathens.com.

New Madrid, Holy Liars, Woodfangs, The Interns: 8 p.m., Georgia Theatre, 215 N. Lumpkin St.; $5; georgiatheatre.com.Langhorne Slim, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Matt Hudgins & His [filtered word]-Hot Country Band; 9 p.m., 40 Watt, 285 W. Washington St.; $10 advance; (706) 549-7871 or 40watt.com.

Life Coach, Bambara, Wade Boggs: 10 p.m., Caledonia Lounge, 256 W. Clayton St.; $5; $7 for ages 18-20; caledonialounge.com.

Cicada Rhythm: 11 p.m., Farm 255, 255 W. Washington St.; (706) 549-4660 or farm255.com.

Sandy Creek Nature Center, 205 Old Commerce Road; (706) 613-3615:

• Naturalist’s Walk: 10-11 a.m.; hike around the property in search of seasonal happenings; bring a camera and binoculars; free for all ages.

• Nature’s Trading Post: 11 a.m.-noon; trade objects found in nature for points or other nature objects in the nature center’s collection; free and open to all ages.

Full Bloom Center, 220 N. Milledge Ave.; (706) 353-3373 or fullbloomparent.com:

• Saturday Parent’s Group: 10 a.m.-noon; meet other parents and talk about raising babies; donations appreciated.

• Cloth Diapering Class: 1-3 p.m.; learn different cloth diapering systems, laundering, accessories and practical tips; pre-registration required; $10 per family.

Kids Clay Classes: 10-11:30 a.m. for ages 5-7 and noon-1:30 p.m. for ages 8-12, Jennifer Jangles Gallery and Studio, 10 Barnett Shoals Road, Watkinsville; call for fees; (706) 207-9032 or jenniferjangles.blogspot.com.

GMOA Family Day: Let’s Move! Art, Animals and Yoga: 10 a.m.-noon, Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton St.; event to celebrate art and movement in conjunction with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move! Museums and Gardens” initiative; Yoga instructors will teach animal-inspired yoga poses; animal imagery on view in the permanent collection and a crafts room to make animal-themed art; (706) 542-4662.

UGA HEROs Bulldawg Brawl: 11:30 a.m., Georgia Theatre, 215 N. Lumpkin St.; UGA HEROs will use funds to raise awareness for HIV/Aids; at the Bulldawg Brawl student-boxers will represent organizations or a fraternity by duking it out in an all day event sanctioned by USA Boxing and benefitting the largest student-run philanthropy on campus, UGA HEROs; $25; georgiatheatre.com.

Art Opening Reception: “Southern”: 7-9 p.m., Athica, 160 Tracy St.; participating artists are: Stanley Bermudez (Athens), Drék Davis (Bernice, LA), Hope Hilton (Winterville), Ted Kuhn (Athens), Michael Lachowski (Athens), Judy Rushin (Tallahassee, FL), Sam Seawright (New York, NY), John Seawright (Athens) Steven Thompson (Brooklyn, NY) James Perry Walker and the family of Washington Harris of the Saint Paul Spiritual Holy Temple (Memphis, TN); through March 4; (706) 208-1613 or athica.org.

Contra Dance: 8-11 p.m., Memorial Park, 293 Gran Ellen Drive; free lesson at 7:30 p.m.; no experience necessary and no partner needed; live band and caller; $7 for ages 18 and older; free for ages 17 and younger; athensfolk.org.

Old 97’s, Those Darlins: 8 p.m., 40 Watt, 285 W. Washington St.; $16 advance; (706) 549-7871 or 40watt.com.

Tony Rice with Mountain Heart: 8:30 p.m., The Melting Point, 295 E. Dougherty St.; $21; (706) 254-6909 or meltingpointathens.com.

Easter Island, The Empties, The Romans: 10 p.m., Caledonia Lounge, 256 W. Clayton St.; $5; $7 for ages 18-20; caledonialounge.com.

“A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965” opening reception: 3 p.m., The Sisterhood of Congregation Children of Israel, 115 Dudley Drive; exhibit celebrates American popular song influenced by Jewish songwriters and composers between 1910-1965; the open reception will feature a medley and sing-along of Broadway songs featured in the exhibit performed by keyboardist Jim Sherman; through Feb. 24; (706) 613-3650.

Northeast Georgia chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Athens Music Teachers Association, Northeast Georgia chapter of the American Guild of Organists Concert: 3 p.m., First Baptist Church, 355 Pulaski St.; members of each group will come together in concert featuring various combinations of organ, piano, bassoon, flute, trumpet, and violin; free and open to the public; (706) 542-0807.

It is not only hazardous, but it robs him of the comfort he requests. I am very displeased with respect to that. According to some experienced mothers, 10 to 20 introductions will require for a baby to totally eat and accept the new food. The Child Care series provides you highly professional and scientific information and will also deal with the difficulties commonly faced by the parent on bringing up the infant. This clause, however, does not apply to children who are less than 19 years of age or are full-time students whose age is less than 24 years. Once trust is established, a child is more likely to confide in you and let you inside his world. Talk to friends and family to see if their children would benefit from your services. Many parents tend not to know much about babies and may end up blundering parenthood. But it certainly can be made easier by ensuring that your children are safe and loved with high-quality daycare.Child Care Apprenticeships They say to never work with kids...but working with children can provide you with some of the most rewarding and fulfilling moments in your life let alone your career. In "Science Spectrum" you will belearning active preschool science lessons. Being able to step into programs confidently requires students to think about what careers they would like to enter, what level of training they want to complete, and what colleges to attend. This was a generic collection but let's make like a baby and head out. Check out the centre's policies on payments, whether they use direct debit, whether you are charged for public holidays and how much notice you may have to give if want your child to leave the centre.

Acquire Exceptional Variety of Children’s Clothes FROM ONLINE Keep

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327717626 42 Acquire Exceptional Variety of Children’s Clothes FROM ONLINE Keep

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GMC TV Presents World Premiere Music Special ‘The Song That Changed My Life’ With Steven Curtis Chapman

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments

1327716454 34 GMC TV Presents World Premiere Music Special ‘The Song That Changed My Life’ With Steven Curtis ChapmanPosted on January 27, 2012 by The416project

News Source: Merge PR

GMC, America’s favorite channel for uplifting music and family entertainment, will present the world premiere of the network’s new reality series “The Song that Changed My Life” with Steven Curtis Chapman. This first episode, focusing on GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his song “When Love Takes You In,” depicts how this particular song influences a family’s decision to adopt from China. The premiere is set to air Tuesday, January 31st at 11:30 p.m. ET. There will be an encore broadcast on Sunday, February 5 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Meeting the family impacted by the Chapman-penned tune, the Pace’s from Greenville, South Carolina, Chapman shared about the experience,”I’m so grateful for God’s orchestration to use this song as part of the Pace family’s story. Even more miraculous is God’s weaving a child into this family.”

Before adopting their daughter Sophie, Chuck and Shelley Pace already had three biological children – Kylie (14), Zach (12), and Brody (7). Sophie, now age 3, was adopted from Nanchang, China when she was 14 months old. Shelley always had her heart set on adopting a little girl from China but her husband’s heart wasn’t in the same place. Yet in April 2005, Chuck went to a Steven Curtis Chapman concert in Greenville and saw the video for “When Love Takes You In.” At that show, he had a complete change of heart about adoption.

The family began paperwork that same year but encountered a number of excruciating “delays,” typical and known to happen in international adoptions. The family eventually received word at the end of 2009 that their adoption was ready to proceed. During delay process, the Pace’s applied for and received a $3,000 grant from Show Hope, the Chapman family’s adoption ministry, to help make the adoption possible.

Chapman was able to spend time with the Pace family before heading out on his “The Songs & Stories Tour.” He also shares, “It was really a privilege to meet the Pace’s who have stepped up with courage. This show is about God’s power working through music, and I’m humbled to be a part of the storyline. GMC tells it so well. Thanks to everyone at GMC. I loved being a part of this fantastic program.”

Watch a trailer of the show here. “The Song that Changed My Life With Steven Curtis Chapman” is narrated by John Tesh.

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