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Bully

The recent release of "Bully" and the controversy over its initial "R" rating (it was eventually released "unrated") has sparked a national conversation over bullying in school. Putting aside the absurdity of the MPAA rating, I’d like to talk about the movie itself, and where we might go from here.

First, the movie is worth seeing. It is an excellent portrayal of what bullying looks like from the perspective of students. It also does a nice job of showing how clueless adults can be, adults within the school system in particular. You can imagine how frustrating that is to both affected students and parents.

It’s probably too much to ask, but where I think the movie falls short is in solutions, which don’t get much beyond insisting that the school, and the public at large, face up to the issue. While that’s a good start, it highlights the shortcomings of traditional anti-bullying efforts: they tend to be reactive, with the focus typically on changing the behavior of the “bully”.  Not enough attention is paid to the behavior of the bystanders, nor on the overall climate of the school.

State College & Centre Region is named a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists

State College – Centre Region

is named a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community

by the League of American Bicyclists

 

Washington, D.C. – May 15, 2012 – May is National Bike Month with hundreds of events and thousands of riders celebrating bicycling nationwide. And a growing number of U.S. communities are taking steps to encourage residents to ride all year round —including the Centre Region. The League of American Bicyclists has announced the latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) and the State College–Centre Region area was named a Bronze Level BFC. The Centre Region COG applied for the designation on behalf of six municipalities (the Townships of College, Halfmoon, Harris, Ferguson and Patton, and the Borough of State College).

 

The Centre Region Council of Governments is holding a brief ceremony to announce the Bronze level award as follows:

 

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2012

Betting with Bennie

Stevieslaw: Betting with Benny
At Stevieslaw, we were surprised today to get a call from Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase. They are trying to replace Ina Drew in their major investments department and Bennie Williams, aka Bennie the Book’s name came up. When I was growing up in the Brownsville-East New York section of Brooklyn (“a great place to be from,” crows the local paper) Bennie made a modest living running the craps game in the local schoolyard. He would also take your bets on the ponies or on the major sports.
“An excellent choice,” I told Jamie, “he has my wholehearted recommendation.” “After all,” I told him, “With Bennie you always knew what you were getting—be it the Knicks and 4 or Our Twig in the 4th at Roosevelt.” “Compare that with derivatives, J (his little known nickname),” I continued. “Even the financial editor of the New York Times doesn’t understand your recent investments in derivatives.” “He can only describe them, again and again, as a complex financial transaction.”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t help Jamie track down my old friend. We lost touch in 1967, when he got shipped to Vietnam and I went off, with guilt and gratitude, to graduate school. It was a time when even poor kids with great math and science skills could catch a break in this country.

Russell Brand discussing addiction and drug policy with British MPs, unexpectedly brilliant

'Out of touch'

He said trials in countries such as Portugal showed decriminalisation of some drugs could prove "useful and efficient".

He described his frequent arrests for possession of drugs as an "administrative blip" and said resources should be shifted away from the policing of drugs to education and treatment.

"As a drug addict, the legal status (of a drug) is an irrelevance," he told MPs. "At best it is an inconvenience."

He added: "There is a degree of cowardice and wilful ignorance about this condition. There needs to be honesty and authenticity on this issue so Parliament does not look out of touch."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17823272

 

BLAVATSKY - original play reading at the State Theatre weds May 16th

 

The State Theatre Hosts New Play Reading Series

 

STATE COLLEGE, PA - May 11, 2012 - Executive Director Richard Biever is pleased to announce that The State Theatre will host a new play reading series called "Start At The State." The readings will take place in the intimate Upper Studio on the second floor of the theatre and are supervised by local playwright Mary Gage.

 

First up, on Wednesday, May 16, is a reading of Penn State professor and author Warren Sylvester Smith's one-woman play, Blavatsky. 2012 marks the centenary of Smith's birth (1912-1984).

 

The life of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, a 19th-century spiritualist and founder of the Theosophist movement, is shown in six conversations set at various points in her controversial career. The performance is directed by Elaine Meder-Wilgus.

 

Summer Solstice Celebration at Tait Farm Sat June 16th

Tait Farm Summer Solstice

We are excited to announce the return of the Summer Solstice Celebration at Tait Farm.  Last year's event drew 750+ people to the farm for a celebration that is based on a mission to "Help Save Farmland".  Plan to attend this year and enjoy local food and beverage sampling as well as Farmland Preservation Artist's exhibition and sale to benefit the Centre County Farmland Trust.  Participating restaurants include Elk Creek Café + Aleworks, Gamble Mill Brewery, Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering, Mt. Nittany Winery, Otto’s Pub & Brewery and Zola Bistro.  Other on-site sponsors include ClearWater Conservancy, PASA, and Buy Fresh Buy Local.  This year’s Summer Solstice Celebration is a “zero waste” through the generosity of Ecoproducts, Roaring Spring Water and the State College Borough who will be composting all materials that day – thank you to our event sponsors!

 

Penn State’s "forgotten" First African American Football player Immortalized with Bust

Dave Alston Penn State's first black football player.
David S. Alston, the first African American Penn State football player (along with his younger brother, Harry), was immortalized in a bust that was unveiled on April 21, 2012 during the Penn State Black Alumni Reunion "Blue White For the Future Scholarship Gala" at the Nittany Lion Inn.

The bust, sculpted and donated by Penn State Professor of Art Blake Ketchum, will have a public home in the All-Sports Museum, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. In addition to the sculpture, a scholarship fund is being established in Alston's name.

Charles Dumas for Congress 5th District Pennsylvania

See the new website design:

Charles Dumas For Congress

A revolt against high-stakes testing?

Perhaps it's the arrival of spring, but I'm catching a whiff of optimism in the air: there appears to be the makings of a revolt against our national obsession with high-stakes testing.  And it's originating in Texas of all places!

Even more encouraging, it's not just educators who are standing up (which begs the question: why weren't teachers consulted in the first place?); it's also parents who are beginning to say, "enough is enough!"  Some parents have gone so far as to not allow their children to take these high-stakes tests. Just saying.

Truthfully, parents were never really on board in the first place. When you ask parents what they want from their schools, they've never supported the inevitable shrinking of the curriculum that occurs when you test only a narrow band of the curriculum, place enormously high stakes on those tests, and then cut resources.

From the parents' perspective, it's not just about being prepared to get a job, either. Parents have always believed that schools should also prepare students to be citizens - the original justification for public schools, by the way  (ask Ben Franklin); to discover what interests them, and to be exposed to the arts.

More cool pics from the Co.Space benefit dinner

New Leaf Cospace 2012 Benefit Dinner Album New photos by Chantal Plank

Greenmore Gardens honcho - sat at my table, and mentioned growing the greens for the salad. One of the speakers as well.

New Leaf honchos Spud and Eric.

EcoVent honcho Erin

The three main New Leaf guys, Spud, Eric, Christian.

The telesmatic house model. A symbol of community ownership of the project.

 

Prisoner in solitary confinement unit at SCI Rockview dies after cell extraction

Published as a letter to the editor.
Alleged homicide at SCI Rocvkiew

Prisoner in solitary confinement unit at SCI Rockview dies after cell extraction

 

Contact: hrcfedup@gmail.com (412) 654-9070

 

Central Pennsylvania Native Plant Festival Sat May 5th Shavers Creek

Central Pennsylvania Native Plant Festival
 
 
Saturday, May 05 2012, 10:00am - 3:00pm  

Come celebrate the arrival of spring, the return of wildflowers, and the beginning of another gardening season at the Central Pennsylvania Native Plants Festival at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center! Sponsored by PNPS and Shaver's Creek Environmental Center in conjunction with the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners. This is our second year of partnering with Shaver’s Creek. Come on out for a hike, a picnic…and enjoy one of the scheduled educational walk/programs on native plant gardening. In addition to expert speakers, there will be native plants for sale; local seasonal prepared foods and breads for sale; and educational resource tables where you can have native plant and gardening questions answered. Admission to the festival is free but please come prepared to support one of our vendors through purchases of plants and/or food.

Schedule of events:

10 am - Plant and food sales begin
11 am - Guest speaker (lower classroom): Gardening for pollinators

The Rich Give Back

Stevieslaw: The Rich Give Back

The NYTimes reported today in its magazine on the publication by Edward Conard of Bain Capital(former home of Mitt Romney) of “Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You’ve Been Told About the Economy Is Wrong,” to be published in hardcover next month by Portfolio. The book, he hopes, will change the way we think of the superrich forever. He argues that income inequality is a good thing—the driver of innovation, industry, and the small pittance you may be lucky enough to get as a salary. The article, however, is incomplete. In fact, we, at Stevieslaw, find that more and more the NYT leaves out the essential ingredients—the hooks—of their stories. Sadly, they’ve done it here—even though the piece ran some seven columns, more space than the Times has dedicated to Noble Prize winners in Physics, since 1959.

The deal is that Eddie, who wants nothing more then to get his message out, will loan you the money to buy his book! And considering what a boon this book will be to your pitiful existence, the daily interest rate of 33% is more than reasonable. Contact him at iwantitall.com. Be sure to have the birth certificate of your first born son handy when you write.

Voices has a gay cousin

Linking LGBT Communities In Central Pennsylvania And Beyond

http://thecentralvoice.ning.com/

 

 

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