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Pandemic Quarrel

by MarkTwain© | Creative

True Bipartisan

For the good of all…

We ride together

But first, we must agree on the vehicle.

And then…

our destination!

The Moth’s Story

by MarkTwain© | Creative

The humans are talking, I understand every word. The cat eyes me like missile-guiding radar, interested but too far to pounce.

I know these humans — dumb that they are — cannot hear me, but I talk to them anyway. I have trained myself to understand the humans, so it is very frustrating that they have not done the same.

Reciprocation is a two-way street, you know!

BCTV Schedules – Week of 4/13/20

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 / 1075 schedule for the week of 4/13/20

Monday, April 13, 2020

4:00 am All Things LGBTQ – Interview with Fantasy Author Kathrin Hutson
5:00 am Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium Virtual Learning – ‘Freezing and Boiling’ (Grades 3-8)
6:02 am Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium Virtual Learning – ‘DIY Home Projects’
6:30 am Winston Prouty presents – Family Matters Ep 26 – Community Collaborations

Friday Night Videos – COVID-19 Edition

by cgrotke | Entertainment

Here are a few videos you might find useful. One is a good demonstration of washing hands. Paint is substituted for soap so you can watch how to best get it in all the right spots. Another is on exponential growth, which uses the virus as a jumping off point for a short math lesson. Our third video is a short visual explanation of how social distancing works to keep the number of cases down low enough so that hospitals don’t overflow. Our final video helps you determine the day of the week.

Windham Southeast School District Board Remote Meeting Agenda

by Not Signed In | Education

NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING

The Windham Southeast School District Board will meet remotely at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Please note that this meeting will take place remotely via Zoom:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/99535501176?pwd=Y0dnTnpMYkhUL2dKK2pnMTEybERPZz09

Meeting ID: 995 3550 1176

Password: 7E7Faj

Time To Read

by RDavis | Books

Some people see opportunity in a crisis. If we put in even a little bit of effort we will find many opportunities to pursue endeavors we have put off, or have never made enough of an effort to engage in, in this time of quarantine and pandemic.

On the less glamorous side, house cleaning may be at the top of the list for some. Gardening and yard work have the potential for a special kind of soulful renewal and I suspect more people are now doing outdoor projects they have been putting off for a long time.

Another opportunity is for people to read more books. In this age of online access there are some who embrace platforms such as Kindle and find that kind of access to books satisfying. I have always been someone who needs to have a physical book in hand. I don’t think I will ever change that habit because it fulfills a unique kind of need.

Plethoras & Myriads

by MarkTwain© | Entertainment

For the duration of the current crisis, Mark Twain© would like to ask challenging questions, requesting your answers. Here are 2 questions for today.

How are the meanings of these two words similar, how are they different?
When would you use “plethora?” when, “myriad?”

BCTV Schedules – Week of 4/6/2020

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 / 1075 schedule for the week of 4/6/20

Monday, April 6, 2020

5:00 am Winston Prouty presents – Family Matters Ep 26 – Community Collaborations
5:30 am Winston Prouty presents – Family Matters Ep 27 – Adverse Childhood Experiences
6:00 am Dummerston Conservation Commission – An Archaeological History of Vermont 10/23/18
7:15 am Dummerston Conservation Commission – Maps of Dummerston 11/12/19
7:55 am The Quarantine Sessions from Next Stage Arts – Online from Next Stage – The Quarantine Sessions and Cooped Up Kids

Historical News – 1918-19 Influenza Epidemic Waning in Brattleboro

by cgrotke | History

Here’s a bit of historical news from the Brattleboro Phoenix, January 3, 1919. Most of the print space around this time was spent on news of the war in Europe, but this tidbit highlights a local issue.  It’s a story that suggests the influenza epidemic was winding down a bit in Brattleboro, but also gives some numbers and information for how it had progressed.

WSESU Board Announces Appointment of New Superintendent – Andrew Skarzynski

by Not Signed In | Education

The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union School Board is thrilled to announce that Andrew Skarzynski has been offered the position as our new Superintendent of Schools. After an extensive four-month search process, the Board chose Skarzynski in part for his strong management skills, his experience with diverse student populations and his commitment to student centered learning. His start date is July 1, 2020.

“The Board looks forward to welcoming Andrew to our organization and to the families that we serve,” said WSESU Board Chair Kerry Amidon. “Andrew stood out among a highly qualified field of candidates for his passion and proven track record in making student-focused decisions. His strength as a communicator and a collaborative leader focused on building positive relationships will benefit our school community. We want to thank our entire community who played an active role during this very public process.”

WSESD Virtual Board Meeting Scheduled

by Not Signed In | Education

The Windham Southeast School District Board will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at the Dummerston School. Please note that this meeting will take place remotely via GoToMeeting. It can accept up to 150 people, online or on the phone. The instructions to access remotely are listed below:

BCTV Schedules – Week of 3/30/20

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 / 1075 schedule for the week of 3/30/20

Monday, March 30, 2020

4:00 am All Things LGBTQ – Interview with Fantasy Author Kathrin Hutson
5:00 am Windham World Affairs Council – Can Democracy Be Saved? (and Why Bother?) 2/21/20
6:30 am Montpelier Happy Hour – COVID-19 and the Cracks in the System
7:30 am Yestermorrow – Tiny House VT 2019 – Alexandre Landry and Jeremy Aranoff
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast

Vermont Schools Dismissed For 2019-2020 School Year

by Not Signed In | Education

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today directed schools to remain dismissed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Districts will close schools for in-person instruction and be required to implement continuity of learning plans for remote learning. This extends the Governor’s previous directive dismissing PreK-12 schools from March 18 to April 6. 

This decision was made in consultation with the Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Education in the continued effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. To minimize disruption to students’ learning, the Governor’s order directs school districts to come up with plans for distance learning by April 13. 

Bubblewrap Live on WVEW 107.7fm Tonight

by cgrotke | Media

This Wednesday evening (tonight), Lise and I will be hosting our radio show, Bubblewrap, live on WVEW-LP 107.7 FM. You can listen in over the air, or stream the signal from www.wvew.org.

We won’t be violating any stay at home orders, either! We will be attempting to host our show from our home, send a stream of that signal to the station, and then have the station pick it up and broadcast it to you.

BCTV Schedules – Week of March 23, 2020

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 / 1075 schedule for the week of 3/23/20

Monday, March 23, 2020

4:15 am 1st Wednesdays – Adventures In Looking At Art with Mara Williams
5:00 am Current Topics in Science Series – Leslie Kanat, Ph.D.
6:15 am Current Topics in Science Series – Anthony D’Amato, Ph.D.
7:30 am Call to Action COVID-19 – Panic buying – will our food chain hold up?
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Daily Episode

Rabbi Weiss Was Not Billy Graham

by MarkTwain© | Philosophy

Rabbi Weiss Was Not Billy Graham

The Rabbi was our synagogue’s spiritual leader for a decade or more. Since it was my childhood, it seemed like forever. Then he got fired. My parents were not happy. The governing board soon replaced Rabbi Weiss with a younger guy, who wore a United States Air Force uniform at his very first public appearance at the Jewish Community Center of Bayside Hills.

Holy Coincidence, Batman – Scientists Modeled Hypothetical Pandemic

by tomaidh | Sci-Tech

“Scientists at… Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security modeled a hypothetical pandemic on a computer as part of research last October- three months before the deadly outbreak in China. The exercise was not intended as a prediction – but rather served to highlight how governments and industry would respond in the case of a very severe pandemic.”