From the Archive: As Republicans and the Tea Party seek todismantle the New Deals social contract, one of their heroes, Dick Cheney, concedes that his personal success traces back to the federal governments intervention against the depredations inflicted on Americans by free-market capitalism, writes Robert Parry.

By Robert Parry (Originally publishedSept. 16, 2011)

Former Vice President Dick Cheney would agree that he is about as right-wing as an American politician can be, openly hostile to the federal governments intervention in society. But one surprise from his memoir, In My Time, is that Cheney recognizes that his personal success was made possible by FranklinRoosevelts New Deal and the fact that Cheneys father managed to landa steady job with the federal government.

Ive often reflected on how different was the utterly stable environment he provided for his family and wondered if because of that I have been able to take risks, to change directions, and to leave one career path for another with hardly a second thought, Cheney writes.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney

In that sense, Cheneys self-assuredness may be as much a product of the New Deal as the many bridges, dams and other public works that Roosevelt commissioned in the 1930s to get Americans back to work. By contrast, the insecurity that afflicted Cheneys father was a byproduct of the vicissitudes from laissez-faire capitalism.

So, it is ironic that as an adult, Cheney has contributed as much as almost anyone todismantlingthe New Deal, the social compact that pulled his family into the American middle class and opened extraordinary opportunities for him.

In sketching his familys history, Cheney depicts the hard-scrabble life of farmers and small businessmen scratching out a living in the American Midwest and suffering financial reversals whenever the titans of Wall Street stumbled into a financial crisis and the bankers cut off credit.

After his ancestors would make some modest headway from their hard work, they would find themselves back at square one, again and again, because of some market crisis or a negative weather pattern. Whenever there was a financial panic or a drought, everything was lost.

In 1883, as the country struggled through a long economic depression, the sash and door factory that [Civil War veteran Samuel Fletcher Cheney] co-owned [in Defiance, Ohio] had to be sold to pay its debts, Cheney writes. At the age of fifty-four, Samuel Cheney had to start over, moving to Nebraska.

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Dick Cheney: Son of the New Deal

Published 20 Aug 2012 09:45

TWELVE talented young people were told 'you're hired' as the award winning-personal development programme The Recruit ended for 2012.

At a glittering awards ceremony held at Greenock Town Hall on Friday night, Megan Duffy from Gourock was announced as the overall winner of the enterprise competition.

Megan receives a position paying 14,000 with T-Mobile, plus a course of driving lessons.

A further 11 recruits also secured jobs with a number of local organisations and businesses, including five more roles at T-Mobile, as well as jobs at Inverclyde Council, HP, ISS and three at the RBS Mortgage Centre.

This was a great surprise to The Recruits who expected seven jobs in total.

The successful candidates were selected based on their performance, attitude, potential, personal drive, determination and employability skills throughout the programme of Recruit activities, which saw 35 fifth and sixth year pupils from across Inverclyde devote up to 500 hours of their time to take part in a number of Apprentice-style challenges.

They also recruits received talks, tasks and lessons from a range of businesses based in the area, including T-Mobile, RBS, Kip Marina, Stepwell (Cookschool & Fresh), Texas Instruments, Dominos Pizza and IBM.

Councillor Terry Loughran, convener of education for Inverclyde Council, said: "Friday night was the culmination of five months of hard work, commitment and sheer determination, which has been demonstrated by all of the recruits who have taken part.

"The process has seen the candidates develop both personally and professionally, standing them in good stead for their future, as they take away valuable life and business skills, increasingly important in the current, competitive job market.

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Youngsters become new recruits

TCS Communications workers prepare a conduit for connection on West 20th Avenue in Lakewood last week. In many far-flung and urban districts, the digital divide centers on sufficient data-streaming capacity to allow students to take the kinds of classes that many small schools can't offer in a bricks-and-mortar classroom. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

On Colorado's education landscape, the "digital divide" looks something like this: While one classroom streams online coursework to students, others log off the Internet so a school's meager bandwidth can handle the load.

The gap between the technological haves and have-nots, once defined by access to the computer hardware that drives high-tech learning, now centers on an information superhighway that too often recedes to the digital equivalent of rutted rural back roads.

As a result, classes ranging from Advanced Placement to world languages to credit-recovery courses may not be available in areas with lagging local Internet connections denying many students the same instructional options as their better-connected counterparts.

"If a kid on the plains has good broadband access, he can mitigate those differences with online courses," said John Watson, founder of the Durango-based Evergreen Education Group and co-author of a study for the Colorado Department of Education. "When you don't, it's difficult or impossible."

And as the state moves toward online assessment, such as some high-stakes testing slated for 2014, questions remain about whether the technological infrastructure will be able to handle it.

"Without an adequate pipeline, information may not reach teachers or students in a timely manner," said Dan Domagala, chief information officer for the Colorado Department of Education. "I think access is no longer the issue. It has shifted toward speed and bandwidth and usage and cost."

Those costs present a potentially daunting challenge.

A key 15-year-old federal program called E-Rate, which discounts Internet access for most Colorado school districts, finds itself fast approaching a financial crisis. That could cause more budget headaches for districts already scrambling to provide basic services.

Colorado has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to narrow the digital divide. But those efforts struggle to keep pace with classroom innovation.

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Education's digital divide more about bandwidth than computer hardware

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -08/20/12)- Although many have no doubts that the education industry will survive, many experts believe that the way the world implements higher education is changing. According to a recent CBS News report, elite universities have responded to these concerns by expanding their curriculum to the Internet. Although online education has been previously doubted as a legitimate way to earn a degree, the creation of free online courses by Harvard, MIT and Stanford has given the practice more credibility. In addition, these programs that are still in their infancy will most likely lay the foundation for how many people approach college in the future. As a private school that prepares students for strong collegiate experiences, York Prep has responded to the rising trend by observing the widespread impact of online education growth.

According to CBS, many international students have responded favorably to the online curricula offered by these noted institutions. Residing in India, Ashwith Rego, a 24-year-old engineering student, explains his education experience, "I never imagined that I would be taught by professors from MIT, let alone for free." While the article pinpoints ways that these programs are beneficial for low-income students or those with busy schedules, York Prep Headmaster Ronald Stewart believes that these programs should also be looked at as a way to enhance every citizen's education.

Stewart explains, "I have listened on my home computer to the complete online lecture series by Michael Sandel of Harvard on Justice, and it was intellectually stimulating and enjoyable. This is the potential of online courses; to provide people from all walks of life the opportunity to hear superb lectures by the best professors in the country. Whether the courses are rigorous enough to deserve college credit or if they can prevent cheating seems secondary to the fact that all of us can enjoy and learn from the best."

However, the education industry is currently in a transition period in which professionals are determining whether online education programs will replace the traditional university altogether or simply expand that experience. While the future remains unseen, the article explains how the shift has benefited universities, "The proliferation of so-called massive open online courses, or MOOCs, has the potential to transform higher education at a time when colleges and universities are grappling with shrinking budgets, rising costs and protests over soaring tuition and student debt."

Having realized the diverse potential York Prep students have in higher education, Ronald Stewart responds to these observations by noting that online education does not necessarily have to be an alternative to the way people learn. He concludes, "Online education can be immensely successful without being considered necessarily as an alternative to a regular college experience. However, for those who do not have the resources of money or time to have that personal college experience, then online courses are a better option than anything else that is currently available."

ABOUT:

York Prep, a private school, was founded by Ronald and Jayme Stewart. Located in New York City's Upper West Side, York Prep offers educational resources to students in grades six through 12. Currently, York Prep has 340 enrolled students, to whom it provides individualized curriculum and course offerings. To learn more, visit yorkprep.org.

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York Prep Reacts to New Online Course Offerings by Elite Universities

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has partnered with Pearson to launch USGBC's online workforce education program for the LEED Green Associate credential. The program includes online courses to help learners successfully prepare for the LEED Green Associate exam and learn green building strategies and techniques.

USGBC's LEED green building rating system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. Nearly 190,000 professionals have earned LEED professional credentials, demonstrating their knowledge of green building and the LEED program. The new online education program will annually target 3,000 first-time LEED learners and more advanced students seeking their LEED credentials.

Pearson is providing nine LEED online courses in healthcare, business, construction and hospitality and tourism. Course content covers knowledge assessment, remediation, self-paced material and practice exams. All online courses will be available in fall 2012.

Pearson is also providing two of USGBC's print titles to prepare students for the Green Building Certification Building Institute's LEED Green Associate Exam: Green Building and LEED Core Concepts, which explains the fundamental tenets of green building, offers strategies for implementation and provides specific case studies; and USGBC LEED Green Associate Study Guide. These titles are available now.

"Buildings across the globe offer us a significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85 percent of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs," said Beth Holst, VP of Strategic Alliances for USGBC. "Partnering with Pearson ensures proven content and substantial market reach so that together we can equip an eager and enthusiastic workforce to meet green building demand head-on."

"The rapid growth in green energy and building underscores the strong need for workforce training in this area," said Leah Jewell, President of Pearson Health Science and Careers. "We're honored to partner with an organization that is helping to spur job growth while contributing to a healthier environment in communities across the nation."

About U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building certification program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org.

About Pearson

Pearson, the world's leading learning company, has global reach and market-leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing (PSO). The company provides innovative print and digital education materials, including personalized learning programs such as MyLab/Mastering, education services including custom publishing, and content-independent platforms including the EQUELLA digital repository and Pearson LearningStudio online learning platform. Pearson Workforce Education offers comprehensive workforce education solutions, including jobs market research analysis, curriculum design and development, customizable, modular online courses, and professional development for instructors, that enable workforce education program managers to offer courses that match the specific employment needs of their local area.

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USGBC and Pearson Partner to Launch Online Program for LEED Green Associate Credential

(Relaxnews) - Yoga may help women cope with depression during pregnancy, as well as boost maternal bonding, according a new study from the University of Michigan in the US.

One in five pregnant women experience major depression, the researchers noted. "We hear about pregnant women trying yoga to reduce stress but there's no data on how effective this method is," said lead author Maria Muzik, assistant professor of psychiatry, in an August 8 university press release.

"Our work provides promising first evidence that mindfulness yoga may be an effective alternative to pharmaceutical treatment for pregnant women showing signs of depression," she added. "This promotes both mother and baby well-being."

While antidepressants have proven to effectively treat mood disorders, many pregnant women are reluctant to take these drugs out of concern for their infant's safety, said Muzik.

"Unfortunately, few women suffering from perinatal health disorders receive treatment, exposing them and their child to the negative impact of psychiatric illness during one of the most vulnerable times," she noted. "That's why developing feasible alternatives for treatment is critical."

Evidence suggests that pregant women should opt for non-traditional treatments, such as herbal medicine, relaxation techniques and mind-body work, including mindfulness yoga, which combines meditative focus with physical poses, the researchers report.

For the study, women who were 12 to 26 weeks pregnant and showed signs of depression participated in 90-minute mindfulness prenatal yoga.

The findings were published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Copyright (AFP RELAXNEWS), 2012.

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Prenatal yoga may ease depression, boost bonding

2012 College Football Preview: What to expect from OU, OSU and TU this football season.

"Angie would kind of shut it down," Bill Blankenship recalls. "She wanted something else to be talked about."

OK, so when Angie and Bill and their three sons - Josh, Caleb and Adam - would convene for a meal, what was discussed other than football?

"Not much," Bill replied with a smile. "It usually got around to football."

Some families are football participants.

The Blankenships are football lifers.

Bill was a quarterback at Spiro High School and the University of Tulsa. Before joining the Golden Hurricane staff in 2007 - and becoming TU's head man last year - he coached all three of his boys at Union High School.

When Angie says, "I can't even estimate how many games I've attended," she's not exaggerating. She and Bill were high school sweethearts, and they've been married since 1978.

"They are still in love and that's incredible to see in this day and age." Caleb Blankenship told the Tulsa World last year.

Bill has coached for three decades. Angie was in the bleachers for all of his games, and she was there for the great majority of their sons' games - from sixth grade through varsity at Union and even at out-of-state games involving Josh and Adam.

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Blankenship boys follow their dad into coaching

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeehfdC2tMA

18-08-2012 18:24 Subscribe Now: Watch More: The best circuit training routines will all share a few key characteristics with one another. Learn about the best circuit training with help from a health and fitness expert with fifteen years of experience in this free video clip. Expert: Jeremy Shore Bio: Jeremy Shore is a health and fitness expert with 15 years experience in the fitness industry. Filmmaker: Jeremy Shore Series Description: Staying fit and being healthy is all about what exercises you're doing and how you're doing them. Learn about the basics of fitness and put together a routine that works for you with help from a health and fitness expert with fifteen years of experience in this free video series.

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The Best Circuit Training : LIVESTRONG - Exercising with Jeremy Shore - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IlKODuYG1g

17-08-2012 13:36 Eating for Energy review of Yuri Elkaim raw food diet program can be found on my site, click the link above. Yuri is not new to the health and fitness scene. He has create numerous products and all of them are considered top of the line and provide great value. See the review on my website and decide for yourself if Eating for Energy works and if its right for you.

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Eating For Energy Review - Is Yuri Elkaim Program Good? - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GwaQVSIAkQ

18-08-2012 13:20 Indian cricketer VVS Laxman who retired from international cricket on Saturday said his exit will give ample opportunities to budding youngsters to prepare for the upcoming overseas tours. Laxman said in a press conference, "I have always kept my country's success and need ahead of my personal aspirations. The Hyderabadi batsman surprisingly chose to hang his boots with immediate effect without taking the opportunity to bow out of international cricket in front of his home crowd. Laxman, who was picked in the Indian squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand beginning here from August 23, surprisingly chose to hang his boots with immediate effect without taking the opportunity to bow out of international cricket in front of his home crowd.

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VVS Laxman Announces Retirement From International Cricket - Video