Enjoy the warmth of the summer sun.

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"A recent statistical analysis shows that of the 2.1 million students in Ontario schools in 1997, 9.24% were designated as exceptional. Of these, 16% were identified as gifted; this means that approximately 1.68% of the population of learners is officially labelled gifted (Jordan, 2000). What education is provided to these 35,000 students? In order to get a sense of the state of the education of gifted learners across the province, the authors combined their ongoing work as researchers, consultants, and educators at the graduate and pre-service level with interview data supplied by several key educational stakeholders.

Julian Kitchen is a leader in education of gifted learners in the province. He is Past President of Educators of the Gifted, Ontario (a body which includes teachers and consultants for gifted students), a teacher at the University of Toronto Schools, the program co-ordinator and lecturer in the secondary school option in programming for gifted learners for pre-service teachers at OISE/UT. He expressed serious concerns about the education that is being provided for many high level learners. He said, "Overall, I see gifted students being increasingly under serviced in Ontario. Consultants and resource staff have been reduced significantly due to changes in educational funding. Since school boards are being challenged to find resources to meet the needs of average students and students with learning deficits, they sometimes will shortchange gifted programming."

Kitchen expressed particular concern for those students who do not fit traditional high-IQ models of giftedness: 'My main concern is for bright students who are not covered by the current definition or identification policies. Students who are highly able in one or more domains who do not have a high enough IQ score, and students whose domain of ability is not factored into IQ tests are receiving no special programming whatsoever.'

Michelle Worley has considerable in-the-trenches and leadership experience with the issues in the education of gifted learners. The mother of three identified-gifted boys, the Ontario President of the Association for Bright Children (ABC), and a longtime advocate for the education of gifted learners, she thinks that the funding cutbacks, while problematic, are being blamed for decisions that would have been made regardless, that the real problem is a widespread lack of understanding of the needs of gifted learners, coupled with lack of accountability of the boards to the province. Where boards implement vague identification and/or programming policies, and generally resist the legislation and guidelines about giftedness, typically nothing happens to prevent or change it. She said in some areas of the province, people have worked very hard for many years to gain programs for gifted learners, with little or no result. She commented that there is one reason for optimism in this regard, and that is that the Ministry of Education and Training is now keeping a folder for complaints about this kind of practice, and has agreed to keep an eye on patterns of complaints.

Worley's overview of the situation, based on many years of advocacy with parents, educators, and legislators through her work with ABC, is that it depends very much on where you are. She said that if the local board administration understands giftedness, and has the ability to translate that into sound pedagogical practice, then a child has a chance of getting a good program. Nonetheless, she said that in many situations, 'Parents have to be proactive, or the kid gets nothing.' She said that many teachers and board members see the education of gifted learners as an elitist frill that ought to be the first budget item to trim in times of budget cutbacks, and that such officials can play very effectively on parents' social conscience and guilt. She described situations where parents had been told that for their children to receive gifted programs, the board would have to cut services to physically disabled learners. It is a very effective angle: such parents frequently relent in their advocacy for gifted accommodations for their children.

Leslie Joynt is the parent of two gifted teenagers, the past Editor of the Ontario ABC Newsletter, and a Speech and Language Pathologist. She said that her two major concerns at this time were the ongoing public misconceptions of giftedness, and the absence of special education learning in teacher training processes. In her media work for ABC, she said she repeatedly encountered questions like, 'Why should the gifted get ANY special service?' reflecting a complete lack of awareness, even among many educators, that without appropriate stimulation and intellectual challenge, gifted learners can have serious learning, behavioural, and/or psychological problems. She cited in particular problems that are created or exacerbated by some school cultures where there is strong peer pressure to not be bright, and the need for exceptional students to develop positive self-awareness and self-acceptance. She described a flexible programming model as optimal, where students can participate in some gifted courses, and other regular courses, in a climate where the identification/labelling issues are invisible or nonexistent. "

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Ever wonder what happens after the carnage of a suicide bomber blows a bunch of people into oblivion? A special group of volunteers comes along to pick up the pieces – literally.

In Israel, Zuhi Korbanot Ason or Zaka for short, is a part of the Jewish police force and an organization of about 600 Jewish male volunteers who in pairs work at explosion sites to take part in a gruesome cleanup. Only Orthodox males are allowed because of the shock and psychological trauma it can cause. Religious people are seen to be more adept at handling the task and males are less traumatized and emotionally drained than women. A deep reverence for the dead and a necessary clinical detachment are essential to do the job. The men are carefully selected based on strength of personality and trained by police and rabbis. They handle about 50-60 or more victims each year.

When they are given permission, they go into the explosion scene and pick up all the body parts they can find – ANYTHING human, to the tiniest pieces – teeth, bones. Even blood is mopped up. Pieces of the suicide bomber are also gathered.

The body parts are collected, forensically identified by DNA testing, and returned to the families of the dead for proper Jewish burial in keeping with religious and time-honoured tradition. Proof of the identified remains of a spouse enables widows to remarry.

The Zaka team may spend 4-5 hours searching and sometimes go back a second time because they don’t want to leave anything to dogs and ants. A collection of ants on the ground is often a clue to the presence of tissue. The ability to tell the difference between burnt rubber and burnt flesh comes with experience.

To be a "detective of the dead" takes a special strength and religious conviction as well as great reverence for the dead.

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Autofest

Canadian Canoe Symposium

Caribana

Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games

Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Festival

Hot & Spicy Food Festival

Toronto International Film Festival

Vegetarian Food Fair

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Aquarticles (collection of articles about fish & aquariums for aquarium clubs)

Beautiful Fonts (and they are…very beautiful!)

British Lard Marketing Board (pretty crazy but real!)

Burger Me (everything about hamburgers!!)

Cat Manual (very funny. Courtesy of M. McCooey, Orillia, ON, Canada)

Cheat Code Central (enhance your play of video games)

Dogs in Cars (hundreds of photos. Really odd!!)

Live Wire (very interesting!! Help site for teens, peer answers, peer support, quizzes)

Mind Glitter (e-zine that reveals talent of young junior-high to college-age writers and artists )

Spark Notes (very useful online subject study guides, SAT information)

Storm Chasing (Canadian tornado chaser who does it as a hobby)

Swordswallowing

Tricks with Hats (over 40 of them!)

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August 12 – Full Moon

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142857 is a cyclic number - its digits always appear
in the same order but will rotate around when
multiplied by any number from 1 to 6:
142857 x 1 = 142857
142857 x 2 = 285714
142857 x 3 = 428571
142857 x 4 = 571428
142857 x 5 = 714285
142857 x 6 = 857142
Pretty cool, huh? Now multiply 142857 by 7,8,9.
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- there are 8000 known computer viruses and 100 new strains break out every month.

-at present we educate most people up to a point where they can earn a living and marry; then education ceases completely as if they were fully mentally equipped. Vast numbers of people then spend their entire lives in complete ignorance of the most important things. – Carl Jung

-about 90,000 women enter American prisons each year.

-the average food molecule travels about 2,000 kilometers before hitting a grocery cart. A summer BBQ supplies 1/10^th as much energy in food calories as was used to transport the ingredients.

-it is suggested by many freedom fighters in North America that the war on terrorism is being used as a way of undermining and eliminating many freedoms and rights of citizens that took centuries to achieve. Here is a book to read on this subject: Gore Vidal’s "Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: How We Got to Be So Hated." Are we sleep-walking into slavery?

-if outer space is secured by the placement of military technology all around the world, the country that "owns" it will be able to watch anybody, control any country, and make any demands of any government.

-TRUE STORY! A small group of birds were found to go into the change return hole of a vending machine and retrieve quarters. The owner of the vending machine followed the birds and discovered a cache of over $4000 in change on the roof of his building and under a nearby tree.

-there are more donut shops per capita in Canada than in any other country.

-Wayne Gretzy of hockey fame paid US$451,000 in 1991 for a Honus Wagner baseball card. In 2001 it sold for US$1.26 million.

-how can anybody even comprehend these numbers in the absolute farthest stretch of the imagination? Scientists have recently suggested they have confirmed the big bang theory and that the universe is 13.7 BILLION years old. The stuff in the universe we call matter is less that 5% of everything that is out there. To think, we only live up to about 80-90 years and are only part of less than 5% of known matter that has existed for billions of years. The next big question they might try answering is where did the material and ignition of the big bang come from.

- a University of Waterloo math professor has worked it out that if Canada were to have an 83 cent coin, Canadians would handle one less coin on average in every change transaction. Specifically, 4 fewer coins in every 3 transactions.

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(from a letter by Kelley Robertson, Toronto Star)

Here are few suggestions for car shoppers from a professional sales trainer. Practicing these can help greatly in getting a good deal in the purchase of a new or used vehicle:

-when talking to a salesperson, increase the value of a competitor’s car by making constant comparisons

-buy a car late in the month. If the salesperson has had a slow month, he/she will be more willing to cut a better deal

-give lots of positive buying signals, then appear to change your mind. This is somewhat manipulative, but no less than the tactics dealerships use

-be prepared to walk away from any deal

-shake your head and say, "You’ll have to do better than that." If the salesperson responds with, "How much better?" remain silent and continue to shake your head.

-always ask for more than you think you’ll get. Urge the dealership to throw in as many extras as you can come up with. You won’t get them all, but you might get some.

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Hot Water Music, The Dole Tinkers, Caution Jam, The Tijuana Bibles, From Autumn to Ashes, Further Seems Forever, Bowling for Soup, Sick Lipstick, Found Missing, Pomegranate Squad Klezmer Band, A Static Lullaby, Autopilot Off.

Where do they get their inspiration? Send us some more!

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(from an article in the Toronto Star)

What are the chances of dying in Canada (from selected years 1997-2001):

-SARS 1 in 1.3 million

-air accident 1 - 508,000

-railway accident 1 - 318,000

-AIDS 1 - 232,000

-asthma 1 - 69,000

-murder 1 - 57,000

-suicide 1 - 8,500

-diabetes 1 - 5,500

-injuries 1 - 3,700

-pneumonia 1 - 3,500

-heart disease 1 - 548

-cancer 1 - 467

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So begins the Feature Topic "Teen Activism."

If you have ever wanted to make a difference in the world but didn’t know in what area to start, check out this topic on the DT home page. All entries have been selected to give you the most amount of information in the shortest time possible. There are probably very few activist causes that aren’t covered. Some of the unusual ones are: arts activism, bicycle activism, censorship issues, junk mail issues, dermatology issues, human milk banks issues, puppets for protests & parades, school breakfast club activism and more. "Zenotransplants (animals to humans)" is worth investigating as one of the newer topics of protest.

If you don’t know anything about activism, check out "Activism, Lessons and Instructions," "Non-Violence, Training & Instructions" or "Blockades Training." Every skill you might want to develop is available under "Communications": Debating, Letter Writing, Speech Making, Video Making." Learn also about "Lobbying, Organizations & Groups." "Propaganda, Effective Use of" is also worth checking into. There are even sites that will help you make posters and signs – "Signs & Posters of Protest." How about "Songs & Chants for Protesters." For those not afraid of heights: "Strategic Climbing" might be a fun way of protesting.

If you want to get into it a little slower, go to "Conferences for Activists." There is also "Contacting Government Leaders" around the world which gives addresses and phone numbers.

Should you be more of a thinker, go to "Discussions & Forums on Protest Issues" to find out what people are saying about various causes. The "History of Activism" is fascinating because it lays out for you the attitude and energy that have gone into causes in the world. Along with that goes "Newspapers & Magazines of Protest" which gives you current information. "Political Parties of the World" is a truly remarkable site with hundreds of world political parties and their beliefs.

"Nobel Peace Prize Awards" and "Biographies of Activists" should inspire you.

For a bit of humour, there is "Strange & Bizarre Activist Causes." Some are truly far out!!

Whatever the interest, there is a cause for you. Get involved in making the world a better place.

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(from an article in the Toronto Star)

Baby Boomers were born in the 1940’s-50’s. World War II was over and soldiers came home to get on with their lives. There were a lot of marriages, home buying and a lot of baby-making. Boomers came of age in the 1960’s and started to make an impact on society. Here are some of the most famous boomers:

George W. Bush – US President, born July 6, 1946

Bill Clinton – former US President, born Aug 19, 1946

Atom Egoyan (Canadian writer/movie director) July 19, 1960

Ernie Eves – Premier of Ontario, born June 17, 1946

Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) Feb. 15, 1954

Tom Hanks – Oscar winning actor, July 9, 1956

Ron Howard – actor & movie director, Mar. 1, 1954

Madonna – rock singer, Aug. 16, 1958

Steven Spielberg – movie director, Dec. 18, 1947

Oprah Winfrey – TV show hostess, Jan 29, 1954

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(from an article in Readers’ Digest)

It is estimated that about 4% fewer college graduates will be hired in 2003 compared to 2002. Here is what unemployed graduates might consider doing:

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(from an article by Cindy Rennie, in "There’s No Place Like Home")

In a city, most people never think about their water supply. We trust municipal governments to provide an endless supply. However, if you lived in a rural setting, water becomes your personal responsibility. You have to find it and bring it into your home.

So how do you find water? One way is through water witching. Grab a forked stick and start moving around until it twitches and jabs toward the ground. Voodoo? No, not really, or so we are told.

Other names for water witching may be dowsing, divining, or doodlebugging. In any case, a Y-shaped stick made of rowan, ash or willow – trees believed to be magical – is used. Besides wood, a dowser could use metal angled rods or a coathanger. The stick is held horizontally at first and then when water is below, the stick will be "magnetically" drawn down to it.

The search for water is very important throughout history. Ancient cave paintings in Africa show a figure holding a forked stick. Documented divining appears in writing in the 1500’s. Over the centuries, dowsing has been outlawed, decried and passed off as quack science. Regardless, the method of finding water continues to be used.

Nobody really knows how it works but some dowsers have almost perfect accuracy rates over many and many witchings. Many of us have the ability but never use it or don’t even know we have it.

Dowsing societies are everywhere around the globe. Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein were all witchers and all were scientists who simply accepted it. If it is there, use it. Who cares if you can’t explain it.

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In front of a coffee shop: "Coffee so fresh, you’ll want to slap it."

In front of a church: "Under the same management for over 2000 years."

Sign above a school clock: "This clock will never be stolen. Too many students are always watching it."

In a baker shop: "Say it with Flours."
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(from several websites)

The wealthiest people will tell you that you will never get rich by working for somebody else. By observing carefully, spotting needs and opportunities, even you can get ahead a lot faster by being an entrepreneur.

Someone starts a new home-based business in the United States every 10 seconds. In the past 14 years alone, the number of home-based businesses has grown from 6 million to 32 million with no slow down in sight. In fact an estimated 8,493 new home business open everyday.

• 84% recommend working from home to others
• 86% of home-based business owners are happier running their own business instead of working for someone else
• 20% of home entrepreneurs reported that their businesses grossed between $100,000 and $500,000 last year 14% paid themselves annual salaries of $50,000 to $250,000
• 29% work at home with other family members
• 83% spend more time with their families
• 60% think their businesses are doing as well or better than they expected
• 76% expect their home-based business revenues to grow this year

The Internet is being seen as the next big business workplace. It is revolutionizing how we communicate, distribute information, and the manner in which we spend our money. There are approximately 34 million homes in the U.S. alone that use the Internet for a total of 65 million hours per day. According to Forrister Research, the number of online accounts in the U.S. alone, will grow from the current 34 million to 77.6 million by the year 2002. The Internet has been doubling in size for the last 11 years and there are currently over 300 million people online worldwide!

The projected growth for Internet sales in 2003 is 978.4 billion dollars and it is predicted that in 5 years, 1 Billion people will be connected to a trillion dollar electronic commerce market. E-commerce is anticipated to grow 2651% over the next 12 - 18 months. The e-commerce market is definitely a gold mine industry and is the perfect business for everyone for the new millennium!

In the business world, all successful business people surround themselves with coaches. The reason these individuals are so successful is because they listen to their coach and act on what they are taught. This helps them break through the barriers that normally would have stopped them. Your coach is committed to teach you how to build a successful home-based business and will be available to help you as often as necessary. Your ability to be teachable and your actions will determine your coach's commitment to you.

Being an entrepreneur does not mean you do things alone. It requires constant self-discipline, foresight, motivation, attention to detail and the right people around you to support and get things moving.

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Bunny Picks Up a Parking Ticket
(from Reuters News Service)

In England, a lop-eared rabbit has picked up a parking ticket that is well beyond its means.

Pet shop owner Cliff Chamberlain said he drove off before a traffic warden could slap the ticket on his van outside the shop. The frustrated official then stuck the ticket to the creature's hutch on the pavement.

Chamberlain said zealous traffic wardens made loading and unloading animals from his pet shop in Eccles, near Manchester, extremely difficult. "Somebody makes up all these rules and they have messed up," he told Reuters.

A parking official said tickets were only valid if they were handed straight to the driver or stuck to the vehicle.

The bunny's sudden fame has encouraged a number of potential buyers but Chamberlain insists it is not for sale.

When rich people who love their animals die, their pets are sometimes given unbelievable wealth:

-in 1968 Eleanor Ritchley, of Quaker State Oil wealth, left US$4.2 million to

Auburn University for the care of her 150 dogs

-in 1996 Sydney Altman of Beverly Hills, California left US$1 million to his purebred Cocker spaniel

-Ben Reya left his cat, Blackie – the last of 15 cats – US $24 million

-in 1931 Ella Wendell of New York left her poodle US$15 million. He was served prime lamb chops by personal butlers and slept in his own bedroom that had hand-carved miniture four-poster beds with silk sheets

-Jim Crovetti of Iowa had his cremated remains and those of his Rotweiller buried in separate urns in the Loving Rest Pet Cemetery

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"I’m doing the best that I can" is typically translated into "what you see is all you’re going to get."

Life is not just an opportunity to maximize your dreams, it is an opportunity to choose among dreams.

Watch out for the tug-of-war between gratitude for what you have versus rage for what you want to have.

I never liked anyone who didn’t have a temper. If you don’t have any temper, you don’t have any passion. – Michael Bloomberg.

Don’t confuse needs with wants. Needs are true to the self; wants are full of the self.

When it happens more than once, it’s usually on purpose.

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A woman's perfect breakfast.
She's sitting at the table with her gourmet coffee.
Her son is on the cover of the Wheaties box.
Her daughter is on the cover of Business Week.
Her boyfriend is on the cover of Playgirl.
And her ex-husband is on the back of the milk carton.
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Adam and Eve had an ideal marriage. He never had to hear about the other guys she could have married. She didn’t have to hear about how good his mother’s cooking always was.
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A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was? The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."

The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied "They will in a minute."
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A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honour" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill.

You will receive a ticket if you don’t park in this spot next month. Bye.

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Courtesy of DiscoverTeenergy.com
All Rights Reserved