Record high temperatures in my backyard

Arctic temperatures at record highs, report says - USATODAY.com

"Changes in the Arctic show a domino effect from multiple causes more clearly than in other regions," said James Overland, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle. "It's a sensitive system and often reflects changes in relatively fast and dramatic ways."

University Pay Scales

Evolving Thoughts: This is a disgrace

Fish in a barrel

Friedman: Palin's kind of patriotism - International Herald Tribune

Criticizing Sarah Palin is truly shooting fish in a barrel. But given the huge attention she is getting, you can't just ignore what she has to say. And there was one thing she said in the debate with Joe Biden that really sticks in my craw. It was when she turned to Biden and declared: "You recently said paying taxes is patriotic. In middle-class America, where I have been all my life, that is not considered patriotic."

Sleeping in

Should kids sleep in parents' bed? - ParentDish

Having kids in the bed disrupts our sleep and God knows that parents with five kids need their sleep. On the other hand, we know that this stage is limited (our nine year-old no longer comes to our bed at night ) and that we will one day pine for the days when our kids loved to crawl in our bed and cuddle.

Free internet - nationwide!

FCC Clears Free National Internet Plan | Epicenter from Wired.com

The FCC plans to auction off a chunk of airwaves to a carrier who will set aside some of the space for free national Internet access. The costs will be offset by advertising and a subscription-based plan for consumers willing to pay for faster access.

...

The decision is a blow to the telecoms, as the FCC could begin
auctioning off the airwaves as soon as the first quarter of 2009. The
proposed network would have to reach 50 percent of the U.S. population
in four years and 95 percent within a decade.

Mammalian diversity declining

1 in 4 mammals faces extinction, scientists say - USATODAY.com

The report due Friday in the journal Science says that of the world's 5,487 mammal species, at least one in four land species and one in three marine species face extinction in the foreseeable future.

To do: buy myself a pay raise

In Most School Districts, the Doctor Is in Charge, but Some Question Degree

Nationally, the percentage of superintendents who hold an education-related PhD or the education doctorate known as an EdD rose from 36 percent in 1992 to about 51 percent in 2006, according to the American Association of School Administrators. An exception to this trend in the Washington area is D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, who holds a master's degree in public policy.

Superintendents and many academics say the doctoral programs teach vital management and statistical skills while providing an intellectual challenge. But critics say the programs mostly provide financial rewards -- for the universities that collect tuition and for educators who pick up a credential that helps them earn a higher salary and a "doctor" title.

Oh noes! I can't haz a spelling test!?

Learning spelling lists too 'distressing' for kids: UK school - World

"We have taken the decision to stop spelling as homework as it is felt that although children may learn them perfectly at home they are often unable to use them in their daily written work.

"Also many children find this activity unnecessarily distressing."

Internet use is OK during Australian exams

Top News - Digital debate: Prepare kids for exams or life?

Students at Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC), a private girls' school in Sydney, Australia, are participating in a pilot project in which they can use cell phones, the internet, and can even call a friend or relative to help them with an exam question.

Learning environments make a difference in math

Girls love math, too!  Please be sure to praise them for it.

A recent report

... found that while girls can be just as talented as boys at mathematics, some are driven from the field because they are teased, ostracized or simply neglected.

Buzz, Buzz.

Bees Can Count - Yahoo! News

Honeybees are clever little creatures. They can form abstract concepts, such as symmetry versus asymmetry, and they use symbolic language - the celebrated waggle dance - to direct their hivemates to flower patches. New reports suggest that they can also communicate across species, and can count - up to a point.