Editorial Cartoon Utopia

I have no idea what readership is of written editorials, but it doesn't come anywhere close to the readership of editorial cartoons. ~ Paul Conrad

Whose eyes do not gravitate first to the cartoon on the editorial pages? Great cartoonists are as valuable to a newspaper these days as are the editors who write cogent, seasoned editorials. Cartoonists not only need to be artistic, of course, which is a rare skill. They need to have a grasp of the complex issues, with a sense of humour and often a satirical wit.

- The New York Times provides a selection of recent cartoons of Tony Auth, Jeff Danziger, Glenn McCoy, Pat Oliphant, Ben Sargent, and Tom Toles.

- The Guardian U.K. features artists Steve Bell, Martin Rowson, David Austin, Nicola Jennings.

- The Globe and Mail includes the work of Brian Gable.

- The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) has 16 samples of the day's cartoons and a list of over 150 cartoonist members with a portfolio of their work.

- The Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists (ACEC) provides a list of over seventy artists for newspapers across the country with samples from their portfolio.

- Daniel Kurtzman provides a 'Roundup of the Week's Best Political Cartoons.' See the week of August 23-29 with over 1,200 cartoons!

Editorial Cartoon Credit:

Directory of Newspaper Book Sections

I am part of all I have read. ~ John Kieran

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. ~ Francis Bacon

A pleasant weekend activity for many is checking out the book section of a newspaper. Here are six you may peruse:

The New York Times, Books, and Sunday Book Review An interesting article is 'Students Get New Assignment: Pick Books You Like' by Motoko Rich

The Globe and Mail, Books Alice Munro's remarkable new stories may be her best ever.

Guardian, Book Reviews Several Canadian authors Margaret Atwood, and Douglas Coupland get lead reviews in a British newspaper.

Chicago Tribune, Books Check out the questionable future of the book jacket.

Los Angeles Times, Books Crayola presents children's author Eric Carle with a five foot crayon.

USA Today, Books Check out the week's Top 150 Bestsellers.

Did any book reviews catch your eye and interest?

Photo Credit: David Banks New York Times, a middle school class hooked on a book they selected themselves

Keeper of the Island

Imagine that you have been entrusted with the honour of taking care of a small oasis. That's exactly what 70 year old Dick Loomer, a semi retired orthopedic surgeon, does on the Fraser River 15 kilometers upstream from Vancouver and a kilometer away from the airport.

Swishwash Island is a 29 hectare site with families of bald eagles and otters; it's also a resting place for 50,000 migrating snow geese, harbour seals, and juvenile salmon migrating down the Fraser River to the sea.

Loomer's main duty is trying to control the non-native or invasive species of plants growing on the island including Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry. As well, he encourages the native growth of trees including Sitka spruce, western red cedar, Douglas Fir, and cottonwood. Loomer enjoys kayaking to the island where he is the resident nature guardian.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is 'a private non-profit organization working for the direct protection of Canada's biodiversity through the purchase, donation, or placing of conservations easements on ecologically significant lands.'

Loomer has even been given a hat by NCC as a badge to counter those who ask, "What is that old geezer doing wandering around on the bushy sand-bar?"

In the midst of many self serving leisure time options, it is commendable to read about Loomer's volunteer stewardship efforts.

Photo Credit: Mark Lazenby for The Globe and Mail

CNN Omnipresent News Diety

CNN (Cable News Network) was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and now owned by Time Warner. It has 24/7 news coverage. A New York Times quote reads,

"If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a moving picture is worth many times that, and a live moving picture makes an emotional connection that goes deeper than logic and lasts well beyond the actual event."

For many, images of O.J. Simpson being tracked in a white Ford Bronco, the initial hours of bombing in the Persian Gulf war in 1991 and 2003, and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks are indelibly etched in our memories. CNN was there to provide real time coverage.

How about the CNN website? Here are several selected links:

Which countries are reporting the most H1N1 deaths?

Michael Jackson's death is ruled a homicide.

What is Ted Kennedy's legacy?

The sad details around the horrific kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard in California.

Soup kitchen, Loaves and Fishes, sees a rise in clientele. "There's hunger in our communities; it's just not in Africa."

My wife and I have limited satellite coverage and have never received the CNN station or the weather channel. Our news media bubble is not as extensive as for some.

Photo Credit:

Ted Kennedy: Pivotal Social Conscience

Every American should have the opportunity to receive a quality education, a job that respects their dignity, and protects their safety, and health care that does not condemn those whose health is impaired to a lifetime of poverty and lost opportunity. ~ Senator Edward M. Kennedy (1932-2009)

For five decades virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health, and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. ~ President Barack Obama

With 47 years in the Senate, Edward Kennedy had a part in 2,500 pieces of legislation many of which resulted in the social betterment of American society. Most American citizens have been positively affected by Kennedy's political initiatives.

The Christian Science Monitor lists Kennedy's top ten legislative accomplishments:
- Immigration Act of 1965
- The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
- The Voting Rights Act of 1970 which lowered the voting age to 18
- Education for All Handicapped Act of 1975
- The Refugee Act of 1980
- Amendments to Voting Rights Act, 1982
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, prohibited discrimination
- The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1994
- The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) 1997
- Increase in federal minimum wage in 2007

Senator Kennedy did not live to see his dream of universal health care fulfilled which also would have immense social implications. Certainly Kennedy advanced many of the initiatives and visions of his two brothers, John and Bobby. President Obama will deliver a eulogy at the funeral on Saturday.

Pictured above is Kennedy at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Kennedy had endorsed Barack Obama earlier as the next great hope for America.

U. 0. U. / WHY US?

On a billboard I saw an advertisement for a new sports car (BMW 6 Series) with the slogan U. O. U. Shortly after, I saw the vanity license plate WHY US. The juxtaposition seemed to carry mixed signals for me.

The U. O. U. (You owe you) reinforces the consumer ethic of work hard and play hard. You deserve to pamper yourself through your financial gains and extended credit by acquiring some luxurious item. Happiness is tied to ownership, status, indulgence.

On the other hand, the WHY US license plate encourages introspection and humility. Do we deserve the many good things which come our way? What can we do in our life to help those who are less fortunate?

Advertising is a bit like playing make-believe. ~ Hartman Jule

Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self. ~ Charles Spurgeon

Photo Credit:

Art Holds a Bright Candle

We toured the extensive collection of The Art Institute of Chicago, the second largest art museum in the U.S. behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. As one curator told us, Chicago is an 'encyclopedic' art museum with notable works in most historical time periods and regions from classical to modern.

As we walked the various galleries there were delightful encounters throughout. For example, we happened upon an art critic leading a talk of Grant Wood's American Gothic painted in 1930. Wood entered the painting in a competition at the Art Institute but only placed third. Fortunately a patron saw the value of the painting and convinced the institute to buy it.

There are a number of interesting aspects of the work which have provoked discussion including the Gothic style window and architecture, the pitch fork, and the relationship of the characters depicted in the painting. The younger woman could be the spinster daughter. The artist's dentist and sister posed for the painting.

A wide selection of Impressionist works are also on display. Renoir's 'On the Terrace' 1881 captures well the mood and endearing relationship between mother and daughter with its soft brush strokes of warm colours depicting the vibrant nature motif throughout.

It's interesting to peruse the website of the institute as well. It provides an idea of the extensive collection with 'Discover the Collection.' The site also provides an interactive dimension in which a person can create his/her own online gallery of favourites which can be shared with friends, fellow students, and teachers.

Many of the works of art left the impression that they are a reflection of human nature and the wide range of human experience. They are candles of vision and enlightenment of their time.

Chicago: World Class Destination

My wife and I are spending several days in downtown Chicago. This is a wonderful city with some breathtaking attractions:

- It rests on a beautiful expanse overlooking Lake Michigan. It boasts an 18 mile stretch to bike, jog, or saunter along where one can admire the cityscape with hundreds of beautiful skyscrapers each architecturally unique. We took the hour and a half long boat tour along the Chicago River with a very informed host. We also rented bikes for several hours to enjoy the warm summer day and the scenic vistas.

- Once you are in the center of the city you are in comfortable walking distance of many public sites including the famous Golden Mile shopping district on Michigan Avenue, art galleries, museums, Navy Pier, aquarium, and parks. Millennium Park boasts some dramatic sculptures designed by Frank Gehry and it hosts regular free concerts and performances.

- There is little wonder that Chicago has been shortlisted to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. It has the infrastructure in place to welcome the world as a memorable destination spot.

The photo above depicts just one segment of the dramatic Chicago cityscape. (The tall silver skyscraper near the center right is the new Donald Trump Tower standing beside the Wrigley building.)

Hog butcher of the world
Tool maker, stacker of wheat
Player with railroads and
Nation's freight handler
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of big shoulders. ~ Carl Sandburg, 1916

Of course, cities continually have to reinvent themselves to stay viable, dynamic, and people friendly. I marvel at how so many factors have come together to make downtown Chicago such an attractive place for its citizens and tourists.

Classical Music: Meet the Future

Deutsche Grammophon was one of my dearest friends as an older teenager and young adult. I enjoyed going to the record stores to pick up vinyl recordings of the Berlin Philharmonic. Of course, after that came the CD with similar rich selections. However, for today's younger generation there are many who have never bought a CD. Digital downloads are the only option.

Several symphony organizations are trying to keep pace by offering live digital recordings with creative fee structures. For example, the Boston Symphony Orchestra offers selections at their 'Digital Music Store.' (Their website receives 7.6 million visitors per year.) The Berlin Philharmoniker provides music at their 'Digital Concert Hall.'

I guess I am several musical movements behind the latest trend, content to listen to a variety of classical musical programs at CBC Radio. The Ipod is still an acquisition I have to make, if ever. What am I missing?

What did you Learn Today?

As the new school year begins for many, parents have hopes that their children will receive a vital education. Leo Buscaglia, author and lecturer about love, family, and growth, tells the story that as a boy his father would always ask, "What did you learn in school today?" Talk about pressure. Maybe there was nothing that Leo cared to talk about, but it was a question he had to grapple with often.

Will Richardson asks a similar question in a recent blog post, "What did you create today?" and he invites readers to suggest their own questions for their children upon returning home from school.

What are the important dimensions of learning that could serve as goals for teachers as they embark on a new school year?

Teachernet suggests six areas:
- personal, social, and emotional development
- communication, language, and literacy
- problem solving, reasoning, and numeracy
- knowledge and understanding of the world
- physical development
- creative development (echoes Will's point)

Learn Quebec has five broad areas of learning beginning in elementary school which address the issues of our times:
- health and well being
- personal and career planning
- environmental awareness and consumer rights and responsibilities
- media literacy
- citizenship and community life

I like Richardson's focus and hopes for his children. "I hope to hear more excitement this year, more passion about learning, more thinking and doing."

School should be about engaging young minds, stringing up pinatas and letting students take wacks at concepts, theories, and questions in hopes of retrieving delightful bits of knowledge. With this knowledge they can build their own wonderful thought creations and share with others.

What important questions about a child's education would you ask?

Photo Credit:

Benjamin Franklin: Renaissance Man

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was the quintessential humanist who excelled in many areas: author, inventor, printer, politician, satirist, scientist, civic activist, statesman, diplomat, and one of the founding fathers of America.

He also provided many pithy quotations for living which arose out of his Puritan background; he believed in doing good every day:

- A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.
- Beware of small expenses. A small leak can sink a great ship.
- An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
- Anger is never without a reason but seldom with a good one.
- By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
- Do good to your friends to keep them, to your enemies to win them.
- Half a truth is often a great lie.
- He that lives upon hope will die fasting.
- He that's secure is not safe.
- If you would be loved, love and be lovable.
- Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

Maria Kalman fuses engaging folk art and script in her blog at The New York Times to provide an endearing look at Franklin. She also provides a challenge to us all. Can you find it?

Alternative Journalism at its Best

Are you happy with the centralization of the media in a few corporate hands? Media companies getting bigger and more cost efficient, employing fewer good journalists, and directing points of view and biases?

David Beers, a former chief features editor and columnist at the Vancouver Sun, was not happy and began an alternative journalist site at The Tyee.ca in 2003, a weekly news and views portal from British Columbia featuring independent political and cultural analysis with dynamic reader discussion and solutions. Today his site musters some 250,000 hits a month and his efforts at encouraging good online alternative journalism is making progress. Fiona Morrow provides an enlightening article about the site. (Tyee is a feisty chinook salmon which grows to 30 pounds or more.)

Beers comments, "The whole idea was to modify - to change-the media ecosystem, not to dominate or replicate what other people are doing, but to see if that changed the conversation...In 2002 there was not enough diversity of voice, not enough free-flowing dissent and debate, too much control and command and not enough bottom up....I would like to become an alternative hub, a home to revolving set of journalists with expertise."

Beers' site is modelled after the U.S. online site salon.com, an independent online magazine featuring lively original reporting and commentary on news, politics, culture, and life.

In a sense a huge media corporate acquisition is like a Walmart coming to town. One should not forget the small entrepreneur who has been in the community for generations, who has something unique and valuable to provide. Let's pay heed to the struggling small guy whose voice also needs to be heard and who has fresh, vital perspectives to share.

Radiating Silence

Silence nurtures our nature, our human nature, and lets us know who we are. Left with a more receptive mind and a more attuned ear, we become better listeners not only to nature but to each other... But silence cannot be imagined, although most people think so. To experience the soul-swelling wonder of silence you must hear it. ~ Gordon Hempton

Gordon Hempton, The Sound Tracker, is an Emmy Award winning acoustic ecologist. In other words his life has been devoted to capturing authentic nature sounds free of human interference.

Hempton has said, "The extinction rate of quiet places vastly exceeds the rate of species extinction." In answer to this threat Hempton has recorded an extensive digital bank of nature sounds and is a publisher of award winning environmental soundscapes such as Dawn Chorus, Cedar Creek, Ebb and Flow, Old Growth, and Rolling Thunder.

He has declared a place in Olympic Park in Washington State as a one inch square space of quiet. Hempton has said, "When you're in a quiet place it forces you to see who you are." He has just published a book, One Square Inch of Silence: One's Man's Search for Natural Silence in a Noisy World (Free Press)

Edward Readicker-Henderson wrote an excellent article about Hempton in AARP. He is writing a book about the world's quietest spots.

See Hempton in a three minute video gathering nature sound bites.

Just having come from a camping vacation to remote Killarney Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada Hempton's work resonates for me. There were times during our hikes that the cacaphonous bowling balls of 'civilization' were happily extinguished by the whisper of wind and water, and the chant of flora and fauna.

The photo above depicts a quiet moment of nurture on the Chickenishing Trail, Killarney Provincial Park.

Twitter Honeymoon Over?

Has the bloom faded from the Twitter rose? I've been reading more blog posts about frustrations with Twitter which echo some of my own concerns.

A survey by Pear Analytics splits tweets into six general categories:

40% Pointless Babble: my breakfast cereal is too sweet...

38% Conversational: When should we meet for lunch?

9% Pass Along Value: Your life can be whatever you imagine.

4% Spam: Follow this link to untold riches.

6% Self-Promotional: My speech covered the key issues...

3% News: Health care needs a new perspective...

In keeping with these luke warm statistics about Twitter posts, Ari Herzog at Ariwriter wrote 'How Unfollowing May Increase Twitter Productivity.' He unfollowed 7,000 people and now his day is far more efficient by following 100 or so highly respected individuals which match his Personal Learning Network.

Doug Johnson at Blue Skunk shook his edublog community with his post 'I Killed My Twitter Account.' He writes, 'There is too much noise; too little value...' And later in his comments to responses he suggested that he wouldn't rejoin if Twitter paid me.

I'm a big fan of Doug's blog including his latest Blue Skunk charicature of the lovable mascot picking tomatoes. I live in Leamington, Ontario the tomato capital! Doug knows how to balance sound educational perspectives with a little fun and whimsy and I suspect this post about Twitter was meant to generate controversy and debate.

Many of the comments to Doug's post rose in Twitter's defence: the content of your Twitter stream is entirely up to you; it's useful as a search engine of topics; it's essential in developing a PLN and a really useful learning community; it's all in who you are following; screen out people who are there just for commercial self interest; institutions are beginning to use Twitter for updates; Twitter has exciting educational possibilities; using software packages such as Tweetdeck help you to build a circle of close friends and colleagues...

Currently I have 766 followers and 729 following. I have a circle of people I follow on Tweetdeck which eliminates some of the noise and distraction but I am tempted to perform some major dissection. Do I really want to follow people who are offering psychic advice, land in Costa Rica, and dance classes in LA?

In defence of Twitter, '100 Twitter Tips and Tools to Stay On Top of Your Field' at Online College provides numerous tips to build your Twitter community.

Photo Credit:

In Praise of Parks and Camping: Top Ten Reasons

What does a threatening Massasauga rattlesnake, a wacking beaver, and a piping red squirrel have in common? They were part of our memorable adventure in Ontario's parks over the last ten days at Killarney Provincial Park, and Bruce Peninsula National Park.

My wife and I have come back with a hamper load of dirty laundry, a dull axe after splitting a cord of fire wood, and some wet gear after several over night torrential rains, but the experience was worth a little discomfort.

It occurred to me that parks and camping need to be given their moment in our modern era of competing suns. Here are the top ten perks of parks and camping:

- The silence: Most provincial and national parks are off the beaten path. Once you get there the din of traffic, the omnipresent artificial lights, and the presence of nearby stores are a physically distant memory. Walking the trails to some memorable natural wonders seems methodical at first but after several days the silence provides a fountain of rejuvenation.

- The night: The trek into the parks are well worth the hour long side route on bumpy paths. Once we got to our camp site most campers are there to enjoy the rugged outdoor adventure. By eleven they are seeing their fires turn to ashes and feeling their thoughts turn to star dust with the thought of a cozy night in a sleeping bag.

- The waters: Most parks have a water feature and it's not a chlorinated pool with a giant slide. We swam in breathtakingly clean waters. George Lake, Georgian Bay and the northern part of Lake Huron were bracingly cold and clear but most rejuvenating.

- The trees: Similarly, parks boast a protected area of native trees and shrubs. We saw some virgin growth Jack Pine, steadfast in their persistance in harsh conditions, stately oaks, and maples. We could only imagine the brilliant colours that would begin in a few weeks. Also we marvelled at how moss and lichen, and tiny evergreens take hold on barren rock. We are convinced that if nature were left alone without human interference, it would get along quite well thank you and green the earth.

- The animals: We were warned about the bears and fortunately didn't see any. But we did see a rattlesnake as it slithered away from a nearby path, a timorous red fox, curious red squirrels and chipmunks, and a confident beaver who wacked his tail when he swam past our kayak.

- The park: Campers enjoy coming to a park to celebrate its wonders. Small or large there are some natural wonders to behold. For us it was seeing some beautiful Sandhill cranes, viewing the natural rock formations, and being cooled by the canopy of mature trees along extensive hiking paths on a hot summer day.

- The trails and paths: Most campers have an idea of what they want to experience. Our memorable experiences include a hike into remote A.Y. Jackson lake, kayaking into protective coves with lily pads, and swimming in a gigantic grotto of one hundred foot Precambrian cliffs.

- The food and evening: Minus the electricity and omnipresent media diversions (including blogging) we enjoyed grilling our food, enjoying the fires, and playing Scrabble in our screened dining tent with Coleman lantern before heading to our trailer for a peaceful night.

- The adventure: Camping and parks involve experiencing a connection with an earlier world where people felt an affinity to nature and its beauty and challenges. And, yet, we have comfortable vehicles to take us there and well designed outdoor conveniences to enhance our stay. We 'play' at our adventures.

-The serendipity: And, if one is lucky, there are some experiences which one never expects. For us, it was enjoying 'the first week of real summer' as the locals said. After a rainy cool season, the weather cleared and provided ideal temperatures to enjoy this northern setting.

It was also a place for Judy and me to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary, another natural wonder, with gains in growth rings and strengthened perspectives.

(The photo above is a picture of us atop 'the crack' mountain climb, a truly exhilerating experience in which the climax is squeezing through gigantic cliff rock faces at Killarney.)

The Call of the Loon Beckons

I'm off for a holiday in northern Ontario at Killarney Provincial Park. The 120 sites at this park fill up early and we were lucky to reserve our spot four months ago. It's a spectacular 50,000 hectare site located in the northern reaches of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. The park has been called a crown jewel of the Ontario Park system with its bold limestone rock faces, sapphire lakes, and jack pine ridges. The site was immortalized with the paintings of A.Y. Jackson, a member of the Group of Seven.

My wife and I are hoping for some great hiking, kayaking, and simply enjoying the park's natural splendour. And we hope to be serenaded by the ululating call of the loon.

'A loon’s mournful cry piercing the stillness of the night conjures up images of mist shrouded shorelines surrounded by deep primeval forests.

Luckily, loons are not so secretive that they don’t reveal their beauty to us. The Common Loon is a resident of many cottage country lakes, keeping a safe but visible and audible distance from human activity. For many of us, the loon provides that magical first connection to nature, making it a fitting subject for artist and naturalist Robert Bateman.

The Common Loon has four distinct calls. The tremolo sounds like a crazy laugh and is used to signal alarm, annoyance or greeting. It says, “I’m here, so take note!” or, “Danger, Danger!”

The wail is perhaps the loveliest of loon calls. It is used frequently during social interactions between loons. The wail may be used to regain contact with a mate during night chorusing and in answering other loon tremolos. It says, “I’m over here….how’s everybody doing?”

The yodel is given only by the male. It is a long, rising call followed by a loud repetitive note. It is used by the male to defend territory and can be stimulated by another male entering a loon’s territory. It says, “Watch it buddy, you’ve crossed a line!”

The hoot is a one-note call that sounds more like hoo. It is mainly used by family members trying to locate each other and check on their well-being. It asks, “Are you okay?”' - Ontario Parks Blog

Photo Credit: Scene / Photo Credit: Loon Painting

Web Site Literacy: Key Criteria and Questions

One premise of the American sitcom Mork and Mindy (1978-1982) was that alien Mork played by Robin Williams was often confused by Earth culture. Everything we take for granted Mork had to learn.

Imagine that you are a newbie to the Internet and just typed in your first search on Google. How literate would you be in finding the information you want and assessing the websites you come across?

For teachers, web site evaluation is a strategic area of study for students involving a wide range of skills.

What are the key questions and considerations one makes as you surf the Net for website gold?

Let me suggest a framework of questions for students or adults:

- What is your first impression of the site? What is the look and feel? Consider layout and design, colour, and graphics.
- What is the tone and perspective of the site? Look for a slogan, a statement indicating point of view. What are the articles about? Can you detect any bias?
- How navigable is the site? Can you find useful information easily? Are the headers and other organizers clear and user friendly?
- Do you feel manipulated, delayed, or distracted in any way from finding useful information?
- Are you confident that the information is credible, current, and well researched? Check the profile, history, and archives of the site.
- Think about the intended target audience. How does the site try to engage them?
- Reflect upon your general experience at this website. What features do you like, dislike? What suggested improvements would you make? Would you bookmark this site? Why or why not?

Here are several helpful sites which explore the dimensions of web site evaluation:

- 'The Five W's of Web Site Evaluation' by Kathy Schrock.

- 'Five criteria for evaluating web pages' include: accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage published by Cornell University Library

- Evaluating Web Sites (Purpose, Authority, Objectivity, Appropriateness, Currency, Responsibility, Clarity, Accessibility) by Lesley University

-'Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask' published by Berkeley U.

- 'Web Site Evaluation Criteria' (Superstructure, Graphics, Use of Colour, Content, Readibility, Page Layout, Hyper links, Promotion) by Reinken Information Solutions

- 'Developing Critical Literacy Skills for the Internet: Web Site Evaluation' by Kathy Schrock

- 'Internet Research Skills' by Library and Archives Canada

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Website Literacy: Evaluating 10 Sites

As a follow up to the previous post about how to evaluate a web site, a good exercise is to apply the questions below to ten diverse sites. Let's pretend we are in the midst of a gold rush and we're panning for nuggets of information. This exercise certainly has potential for adults as well as for students. I chose sites which range in topic and perspective.

Website Evaluation of 10 Sites

- What is your first impression of the site? What is the look and feel? Consider layout and design, colour, and graphics.
- What is the tone and perspective of the site? Look for a slogan, a statement indicating point of view. What are the articles about? Can you detect any bias?
- How navigable is the site? Can you find useful information easily? Are the headers and other organizers clear and user friendly?
- Do you feel manipulated, delayed, or distracted in any way from finding useful information?
- Are you confident that the information is credible, current, and well researched? Check the profile, history, and archives of the site.
- Think about the intended target audience. How does the site try to engage them?
- Reflect upon your general experience at this website. What features do you like, dislike? What suggested improvements would you make? Would you bookmark this site? Why or why not?

- Adbusters

- Treehugger

- Seventeen

- Boing Boing

- TVGuide

- New York Times

- Maclean's

-1000 Awesome Things

- World Digital Library

- 1Up.com

What perspectives, impressions have you gained from this exercise? Any favourite websites of the ten? What other criteria should be part of web site analysis?

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Tags: website analysis, assessment, evaluation criteria, characteristics of a great website, internet media literacy

Buick Ends Dynamic Partnership with PGA

It's official; GM pulled the spark plugs on its PGA sponsorships. For fifty years GM's association with the PGA fired on all cylinders. At its height it hosted four tournaments a year: the Buick Classic in New York, the Buick Challenge in Georgia, the Buick Open in Michigan, and the Buick Invitational in California.

Of course, General Motors has paid Tiger handsomely since 1999 for his Buick endorsements. Last year Tiger's income from winnings and endorsements totalled $110 million.

To add a fitting dramatic and ironic touch to the announcement, Tiger Woods won the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan last weekend with a three stroke lead. At the end of the tournament, which he won for the third time, he heaved his golf ball toward the massive gallery after his final putt.

Three years ago I attended the Open with Noah and we enjoyed watching Tiger and Vijay Singh play the round together. We were even fortunate enough to pose for a picture with Tiger in the midst of the exciting tournament (in a digital photo shop). How exhilarating!

GPS Website Gold Rush: Update

Three members of the Green Pen Society have already posted about our theme for August. Two are on the other side of the world from me. Tania is from Australia and Ken from New Zealand. How fitting to have GPS! Susan is a fellow Canadian.

Read about their website gold recommendations. Ken posts about Sue Waters and her two 'golden blogs.' As well, he posted about Live Science, a subject close to his heart. Tania provides an overview of The English Companion Ning. (As a 'retired' English teacher but still always learning, I have been motivated by Tania to join this community.) Susan writes about a great book review site.

New members are welcome to join the Green Pen Society where we write at least one post on a monthly theme. Please leave a comment here or email me if you posted on a GPS theme.

28 Top Websites: GPS Gold Rush

PCMag provides a comprehensive list of the top 100 websites. With the GPS theme for August being Website Gold Rush I thought I would educate myself about some of the unfamiliar sites for me. Hopefully you will gain some interesting perspectives from the list as well. I must say that this two hour exercise was well worth the time spent for me. Call it extending the learning curve.

1Up.com is the leader for expert game reviews, news, and videos.

BoingBoing is 'a directory of wonderful things.'

The Onion is America's finest (satirical) news source.

Mint is 'the best free way to manage your money.'

Simply hired is 'job search made simple.'

Snopes is the site to debunk urban legends and rumours.

Tree Hugger is the ultimate resource for green news, culture, design...

BBC is news of the world in 32 languages.

Digg provides links to most popular posts voted on by readers.

EW.com is Entertainment Weekly which features news, reviews, columns...

The New York Times is 'all the news that fit to print.'

Science Daily is 'your source for the latest research news.'

Slate is The Washington Post's online current affairs magazine.

Etsy is 'your place to buy and sell all things handmade.'

Engadget features tech gadgets.

Lifehacker - 'tips and downloads for getting things done'

PCMag provides expert tests and reviews of tech hardware

Tech Crunch - the latest tech news

Giza Page - social network organizer

1000 Awesome Things is currently on #708

Book Army features recommendations, reviews.

Shorpy features retro photographs from 1850 -1950.

Academic Earth features lectures from the world's top scholars.

Bikely helps cyclists share knowledge of good bicycle routes.

Meehive - 'you are unique; your newspaper should be too'

Wisebread - 'living large on a small budget'

World Digital Library - features images and information of priceless treasures, maps, and documents

148 Apps from the Apple store

What sites attract your interest and fancy? Thanks to Noah for the link to this best 100 list.

Photo Credit: Westbound Freight, 1943, from Shorpy

Nostalgic Moment: Transparent Apples

My sister in law brought over some yellow transparent apples today, the first apples of the season. Ken and Shelley have a small organic orchard and it's a treat to receive gifts from them. You see, this is very special for me because I love apples, apples of every stripe and variety. Delicious, MacIntosh, Johnathon, Ida Red...but the most special apple is the Transparent.

Why? It's the first apple of the season. During the barren several months between old crop and new it's a wasteland of possibilities for devout apple eaters. Of course, grocery shelves these days will make sure they have apples for every month of the year, even if they have to ship them in from Peru, or Argentina, South Africa, or New Zealand. But it negates any move to going 'green' and eating local.

The yellow transparent was imported from Russia in 1870. This variety is very hardy and cold resistant, Its tender melting flesh is a favourite for pies and sauces, and ideal for early summer eating. It's also especially good for apple sauce and pies sprinkled with fresh cinnamon.

My Aunt Helen won a pie contest at the Leamington Fair using Transparent apples from their backyard. She was even featured in a national woman's magazine Chatelaine for her delicious pie recipe and for her use of Tenderflake. The crusts of her pie melted in your mouth.

On my father's farm we had a large Transparent tree behind the greenhouses. After a hot day of harvesting potatoes and tomatoes I'd climb the tree to pick the sweetest, biggest apples tinged orange by the sun.

It's funny how childhood memories can be triggered so powerfully. What nostalgic memories have you had recently?

Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why. ~Bernard Baruch

With an apple I will astonish Paris. ~ Cezanne

Nortel Sale: Taxpayers Say No

Why do I feel so strongly about stopping the Nortel sale to giant telecom company Ericsson of Sweden? Let me paraphrase Roger Martin's excellent argument made in the Globe and Mail today. Martin is dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

- Nortel, once a giant multinational telecommunications company, filed for bankruptcy protection in January. In order to restructure its debt it is in the process of selling off its various business units. Ericisson was the successful bidder in the auction for Nortel's valuable intellectual property related to the next-generation wireless standard, known as long-term evolution or LTE.
- Those intellectual property assets were created by Nortel with millions of dollars of support from Canadian taxpayers through the Scientific Research Tax Credit program.
-If the successful bid goes through, Ericsson gains rights to 125 LTE patents.
- Had crucial Swedish telecom intellectual property been up for sale instead, there would be no chance that any foreign company would have even had a chance to bid.
- Research in Motion or RIM, Canada's world class telecommunications company and maker of the Blackberry, is encouraging the Canadian government to use the Investment Canada Act review provisions to stop the sale. It argues that this Canadian made intellectual property should stay in Canada and empower the high tech Canadian sector.
-"The Canadian people who financed the R&D behind the intellectual property won by Ericsson must be assured that it will not be used to the detriment of their own Canadian companies."

Is blocking this sale protectionist or just playing hardball in a very competitive global telecommunications environment? Should taxpayers have their say when it comes to financing valuable research and development for the country and its legacy? Certainly the bailouts in the last few months made by governments worldwide come with some strings attached.

Exercise Machines:Trials and Joys

I am an avid squash player and prefer the high impact components of the game. The strategies are diverse but it's basically trying to control your position at the T or the center of the court while your opponent struggles to catch up in the corners.

To complement that exercise we still have a Nordic Track skier which is folded neatly under the pool table in the basement. It hasn't been used for a few years, but there is still hope that it may enjoy a renaissance some day. One has to get a rhythm going of legs and arms and keep up the intensity for a good twenty minutes. It gets a little tedious after a while.

My son in law just purchased a Concept 2 rowing machine. I tried it out today and am impressed by the workout I received. It was invented about 25 years ago by Dick and Pete Dreissigacker, two Olympic rowers, who perfected a design with Models B,C,D, and E. The Concept 2 is found in most first rate gyms, and is used by Olympic athletes, cardiac rehab patients, and every caliber of rower. The design is a masterstroke of efficiency and engineering and the exercise utilizes just about every muscle group. (See the use of the machine in the link above and diagrams of muscle groups.)

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. ~Carol Welch

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato

I am pushing sixty. That is enough exercise for me. ~Mark Twain

What are your exercise machine trials and joys?

Catch and Release

I love fishing. You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. Your imagination is under there. ~Robert Altman

I spent Saturday morning with my two son in laws on a chartered fishing boat on Lake St. Clair that connects Lake Huron with the Detroit River. The shallow lake with an average depth of about twenty feet is noted for some good fishing including the musky which is the largest member of the pike family. Its name comes from the Ojibwe word maashkinoozle meaning ugly pike. The French derivation is masque allonge. Musky are ambush predators with an elongated body. They range from 2-5 feet in length and can weigh up to 66 pounds. Pictured here with Noah is a 3 footer, about 20 pounds.

The charter knew how to troll for this sleek marauder, what lure and tackle to use. For us inexperienced anglers it was a pleasure to enjoy the lake and wait for the strike. Then there was an exhilerating adrenalin rush to fight the fish and the rod to bring it into the net. For someone whose closest fish was about five times smaller than the one I caught, it was one of those thrills of a lifetime. Of course, the most cherished memory is that I could enjoy the day with these two adventurers.