Best File Format for your Pics?

I found this article and thought I'd pass it on. It doesn't just tell you what formats are best and go into lengthy technical descriptions for professional photographers, but offers a simple explanation of what several different file formats are that the average digital camera owner might come across, and explains why you might or might not want to save your pics in that manner. Enjoy!

What is the Best File Format to Save Your Photos In? PSD * TIFF * JPEG * GIF * PNG

Liberty and Justice for Some

And to think... here I am, 39 years old, and my stand against the Pledge of Allegiance has only been to not say the *under God* part.

This boy amazes me for his courage and conviction.

First-Year Teachers?

Some advice for setting up your classroom!

First Year Teachers: A Guide to Setting Up Your Classroom

This is a very lengthy article and worth reading all of it! Even veteran teachers can get some good advice from here!

Article from Jacqueline!

She's been writing lots lately! Not just lots of articles but lots of words! Here are her latest:

Back to School: What to Do If Your Child is Labeled a Troublemaker
Substitute Teachers: What Not to Do
First Year Teachers: Ten First Day Activities
How to Throw an Old Fashioned Corn Roast - I can't wait for us to be able to do this!

New Articles from Jacqueline!

It's back to school time, and she's got advice for teachers and parents!

First-Year Teachers: Why You Need a Survival Drawer - Even if you're not a first-year teacher, this article has some good advice on why you should have a Survival Drawer. Think of it as something akin to a first aid kit or roadside emergency kit...

Back to School: Ten Reasons to Keep Your Children Home This Year - Yes, you read that right! One might think it contradictory to write articles for teachers and for unschoolers, but it's not. Jacqueline's intent is to improve circumstances for all children, whether in school or not.

Jacqueline has been published again!

These are some great articles!

First a timely article on Lammas: Ten Ways to Celebrate Lughnassadh, a Pagan Harvest Festival

Then another article for teachers: Ten Quick Classroom Management Tips for Elementary School Teachers

Feeling Worthless

Written by Alison Finch at SelfEsteem4Women.com...

This subject is currently topping our poll in the Library section of our website, and for good reason. In my opinion, it's yet another area where the well-intentioned "Self-esteem Movement" has to date done more harm than good.

But more of that later. I want to get straight to the heart of this topic, because I firmly believe that there is a simple three-step approach that can cure feelings of worthlessness, even if you've felt crushed by those feelings for many years.

That's right: a cure.

It may not surprise you to learn that feeling worthless is very common among women. You almost certainly know that. In fact, feeling worthless is possibly the most obvious symptom of low self-esteem. But it's also one of the easiest to overcome.

Let me provoke you for a moment by making a bold statement about worthlessness. You may want to reject it out-of-hand, but I urge you to hear me out on this point because I'm going to show you how to prove this statement is true!

Feelings of worthlessness are entirely subjective. They are all in the mind. They have no basis in reality. They do not constitute a problem that requires "fixing", and you can choose to stop feeling worthless simply by opening your mind.

Fixing your self-esteem as a whole is not quite so easy, but nevertheless it is a reality for every woman.

OK, I know that some of you are now cross with me. You may even want to scream at me "it's all very well for you to say that, but I've been feeling worthless all of my life and I have no idea how to stop and it's driving me CRAZY and, and, oh I'm so sick of being ME!"

Whether you're cross or not, I'd like you to think carefully about what I've got to say next. It's about how we might assess what something is worth.

what's the easiest thing to value?

How about a ten-dollar bill, in pristine condition, uncrumpled, never having changed hands?

It's worth 10 dollars, right? To you, to me, to anybody. Imagine sealing that newborn, crispy ten-dollar bill in a watertight container and dropping it in the middle of a deep lake. What's it worth now? Well, it's still got an intrinsic value of 10 dollars, but in order to hand it over to a storekeeper in exchange for some food, you'd have to rent a pretty sophisticated boat, some fancy detection equipment, and maybe a team of skilled divers to get that box back. And that would cost you far more than 10 dollars.

At the bottom of a lake, your perfect, crispy ten-dollar bill is worth less than nothing.

what's that got to do with you?

You had some intrinsic value when you were born. Everybody does. You had a potential capacity to make the world a better place, to bring joy and happiness to others, to experience a sense of emotional, spiritual, and physical fulfillment.

That was worth something. It still is. Because you still have a potential capacity to do those things.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
- Marianne Williamson -

But what if you're an exception? What if your parents, the other kids at school, your ex-husband, or the rest of society has gradually knocked all of that potential worth out of you?

Well, they haven't. I can be sure of that, because it's impossible to take away a living person's capacity to add value to the world.

Only you can suppress that value. Only you can decide to hide yourself away, feeling empty and alone. Only you can put yourself in the position of a ten-dollar bill at the bottom of a lake.

do you see what power you have, right there in your own hands?

No matter how tough your childhood, no matter how rotten your luck, you can CHOOSE to enrich the world every day simply by the way you interact with others, by the way you make caring decisions, and by the way you feel about yourself.

If you're feeling worthless right now, then I'd like to ask you a question. What proactive steps have you been taking recently to overcome those feelings? Many, many women - when I put this question to them - answer with something along the lines of "um, well, nothing really because I feel stuck in a rut".

Those women, all of them, are certainly not happy that they feel like that. But feeling like that is a habit that has become - almost paradoxically - a source of comfort to them. Why? For one of two reasons:

1. Feeling worthless is a safe option because it reduces the amount of pain you suffer when things go wrong. If you already know that you're no good and that no one will fall in love with you, or give you a job, or even care enough to listen to you, then when a rejection wings its way towards you - which it certainly will because it happens to all of us - then you're better prepared than most. You can say: "Ah ha, you can't ruin my life because I already knew this was going to happen; I already knew that you didn't really love me/want me/value me!"


2. Feeling worthless is an easy option; if you're worthless there's no need to try to do well and succeed in the things that matter to you because there is simply no point. Also, if you act as if your opinions and your desires are all worthless then people leave you alone. If you say you have no remarkable skills or talents then there is no need to apply them. If you say that you are a useless, hopeless nobody then people will expect far less from you. And just maybe you could get lots of sympathy and perhaps even another person (on a white horse in shining armour) coming to your rescue to sort your life out for you.

deep down, all of us really WANT to feel valued

But, the harsh truth is, we will feel valued only if we are willing to contribute something to the world around us. And whether we contribute anything or not is a choice. OUR choice.

A few of you might be annoyed with me at this point because you're still feeling worthless but you do not agree that you are either choosing the safe, easy options or looking for a sympathy vote. If so, let's take a look at your logic.

Your annoyance can only be caused by the injustice of my suggesting you are choosing the "safe" or "easy" option. You're saying to me "Don't put me down. I'm not like that. I AM WORTH MORE THAN THAT!"

Exactly my point! Please remember, I am not the one doubting your self-worth, you are. All I'm doing is pointing out that if you're feeling worthless then it simply means that you are not doing as well in the areas that matter to you and therefore you need to invest in your self-esteem. There are no exceptions: if you want to feel like a worthwhile human being then you have to really work at it like everyone else and never give up on yourself.

It's up to you know to acknowledge the fact the all human beings are capable of adding value to society, including YOU. As an adult there are no excuses for saying things like "I'm a worthless, stupid, lazy, ugly, useless, pathetic, helpless woman" because - as an adult - you now have the choice not to be any of these things.

All you have to do is acknowledge your real value, accept it and then make a commitment to retain it and build upon it.

George Bernard Shaw once said:

"The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them."

woolly-thinking in the Self-esteem Movement

Remember that old adage about the road to somewhere nasty being paved with good intentions? Here are just two examples.

• The Self-esteem Movement has attempted to wrap us all in cotton-wool for years now in the hope of protecting our precious self-esteem. It's the "self-esteem is our birthright" argument.
  
  Sadly, the only people who cling to this argument are people with low self-esteem who either have no idea how to improve matters, or lack the will to do so. The argument seduces them, because it appears to hold out hope that "someone else" might somehow take responsibility for their lack of self-esteem and magically confer higher self-esteem upon them, like a court awarding compensation.
  
  Believe me, this won't happen, and nor should it. If you've ever been even slightly seduced by this argument, try asking someone whom you consider to possess strong self-esteem whether she believes it was her birthright or whether she had to earn it for herself. You can guess what she'll tell you.



• The Self-esteem Movement seems to want us to believe that both self-esteem and self-worth are "binary" - that is, they exist in only one of two states like a light-switch that can be on or off. You've either got self-esteem or you haven't. Of course, this fits well with the first point, but it's simply NOT TRUE.
  
  Your self-esteem is more like a mosaic - made up of lots of little pieces, some of which can be damaged or missing to the detriment of the whole. You can make small improvements (baby steps, if you like) in one area, or in several areas at the same time. Either way, the overall mosaic will become more defined, stronger, and more appealing.

the best path forward

Thankfully, I sense that the world is beginning to reject the "teachings" of the Self-esteem Movement. Their good intentions have not delivered the results that were hoped for. There is a far better path to tread, and it leads to somewhere meaningful. It's a path that anyone can follow if they want to. The signpost showing the way is this:

Self-esteem = doing well x feelgood factor

The truth of the matter is that NO-ONE is worthless but some people are worth more than others.

Of course it's true that some people are born with physical features that are generally considered more beautiful than the average person's physical features. Other people are more intelligent, some are more athletic but none of this is anything like as important as whether you make the most of who you are today and what you've got going for you right now. If you do this, and keep doing this day-in, day-out for the rest of your life, I can guarantee that you will never feel worthless again. You'll be far too busy adding value here, there and everywhere to stop and wallow in self-pity.

Right at the beginning of this article I promised you a cure for worthlessness. Here it is, in three straightforward steps:

1. Acknowledge your real value by writing a list of your strengths, attributes and the good things that you do each day. If you've taken the Ultimate Self-esteem Test, then refer to your Self-esteem Profile and the Self-help Programs recommended to you to remind yourself of both your strengths and the areas you still need to work on. Accept this list as your starting point.


2. Make a commitment now to build your self-esteem and keep adding positive things to your life every day and find it within yourself to eliminate things from the negative side. Do more smiling, share more kind thoughts and caring emotions, be curious, optimistic, and courageous, work hard and have fun. And reduce the time and energy you expend in whingeing, moaning, or feeling sorry for yourself.


3. Be your own judge. You know yourself better than anyone and now that you're an adult it is up to you to decide your worth and to attempt to live up to realistic expectations of yourself.

When I was living and working in Australia a few years ago I heard for the first time the expression "tall poppy syndrome". It captures the notion that small-minded people often like to put down those who strive to do well because "tall poppies" make little weeds seem even smaller!

Don't be afraid to be a tall poppy and enjoy the sun shining down on you.

Articles by Jacqueline!

We've been very busy preparing for my very best friend and her family to stay for the weekend, but Jacqueline found some time to write!

Unassisted Home Birth: Pros and Cons
What is Conn Syndrome?

A Review by Jacqueline

Jacqueline posted an article on AC reviewing the diner we had lunch at a few weeks back. It wasn't fantastic food, but it was pretty good in my opinion. And you certainly got enough for the money paid...

Review: J.B.'s BBQ Chick N Chop in Fulton, New York

Randomness

It has been a long tiring week for me... Ok, so it was only 3 days of actual work, but I still feel like I shoved the whole 5 days into those three.

Wednesday I covered collaboration meetings (where all the teachers in one grade get together to discuss curriculum, etc.) and spent 1/2 a day in 5th grade and the other 1/2 in 4th. They really weren't too bad at all.

Thursday I covered CSE meetings. (No I really am not sure what the CSE stands for, but they are the meetings between the classroom teachers, special ed teachers, parents, and administrators to discuss the student's progress and goals, etc. ETA: OMG they have rules that include the offering of beverages: CSE - During the Meeting) I spent about 30 minutes in each room basically babysitting until the teacher returned. Again not too bad.

And yesterday I got a nice change of pace and worked in the library all day. Only 3 classes at the end of the day, K, 1st, and 3rd, only for about 40-45 mins each. The morning was spent chit chatting with the other librarian, checking shelves to make sure they were in order, and scanning books in & out for a few random students. Of course those 3 classes were *SO* out of control; I was glad when they left and the library was quiet again...

Of course this means a short paycheck. And for last week too, because I didn't work Thursday or Friday. And there's so little time left in the school year, I assume a lot of teachers are *not* going to need subs... Hopefully I can find something for the summer that doesn't mess up our plans for fun!

Speaking of money.... Here are a few things from AC; the first is from Jacqueline and I have been waiting FOREVER for it to post so I could read it! The second is a short story from Jaie which is very good IMHO.

10 Films to Teach World War I in the Social Studies Classroom
Joleene's Mama (Hmmm... the end of the story's been cut off... :\ )

So we got 2 chairs and a king-sized mattress from FreeCycle the other day, and Jacqueline and the kids did a huge amount of work cleaning up the living room and moving our old sofa out. I can't wait to finish up all the organizing; it looks great so far! Today's project is to make room for the mattress in here - hehehe... I'm off!

Articles from Jacqueline

I remember now the randomness from yesterday... hehehe... It was the bit about the Pangea movies, and these two articles from Jacqueline:

Lesbian Sex: 10 Ways to Keep the Romance Alive
Lesbian Sex: Five Books to Improve Your Sex Life

Although they both are aimed at the lesbian community, these tips could also be applied to heterosexual and other relationship permutations, and who couldn't use a little improvement in their relationship!

Article from Jacqueline

I suppose this article isn't too timely, as the SU students have gone home for the summer, but there will be a fresh batch coming in for summer classes and in the fall! Let the partying begin!

The Five Best Bars for Syracuse University Students

Article from Jacqueline

Too bad she didn't get paid for this article; they said it was just a website review...

Use SocialSpark to Make Money with Your Blog

Another from Jacqueline...

This article was interesting to me as I didn't know a single thing about this!

Tomatis Listening Therapy: Hope for the Autistic Child

Another article from Jacqueline!

This one she wrote in an effort to find information for a friend of our who has a Quaker parrot. It's such a cute little bird, but has been picking at her feathers and squawking loudly too early in the morning. I hope this is some help!

How to Keep a Quaker Parrot Quiet and Happy


Ugh... I've got to figure out why semagic doesn't put these on the correct time...

Last of the kitty breed profiles...

She'll be moving on to bunnies next!

Turkish Van Cats: Breed Profile

More from Jacqueline...

In her cat profile series:

Norwegian Forest Cat: Breed Profile

Oriental Cats: Breed Profile

Ragamuffin Cats: Breed Profile

Russian Blue Cats: Breed Profile

Selkirk Rex Cats: Breed Profile

Siberian Cats: Breed Profile

Somali Cats: Breed Profile

More articles by Jacqueline!

Teaching Kindergarten - What Not to Do - "They are people, not your vision of ideal students. Let go of that ideal along with the small things, and you’ll all get along much better." The quote from the article is SOsososososo true!!! At ANY grade level, not just Kindergarten. I think more teachers really need to remember that.

European Burmese Cats: Breed Profile - pretty kitties!

LaPerm Cats: Breed Profile - I had never heard of these; omg they're cute! ^_^

Use Deep Mulch Gardening Technique to Eliminate Tilling and Weeding - I can't wait to try this!

WOW

I am so behind in posting these! Jacqueline's been so busy writing...

I broke them into groups of 2 or 3 with a similar topic area; hopefully it makes it easier to find things you're interested in...

Colorpoint Shorthair Cats: Breed Profile - this one reminds me a lot of my mom's cat... I wouldn't be surprized if the pet shop lied... :\
Egyptian Mau Cats: Breed Profile - And these remind me of my little TenKitty, but TenKitty doesn't have such lovely spots...
Havana Brown Cats: Breed Profile - Ooo... a kitty for the true chocolate connoisseur! Hehehe...

Ten Tips for Rabbit Owners - Excellent! She remembered everything I taught her... ^_^
Raising Free Range Chickens for Better Tasting Eggs and Meat - Why yes, we are considering it...
Beekeeping: The Advantages of Choosing the Top Bar Hive - Very interesting if you're considering beekeeping like we are!

The Advantages of Using Gardening Design Software - Designing your garden on the computer is sometimes easier than pencil & paper...
The Many Uses of Oswego Tea - We're hoping to grow some in our yard!

The Five Best Coffee Shops in Oswego, New York - Oh such lovely delicious places...
The Best Places to Fish in Oswego County, New York - For the fishing enthusiast who may be looking for some place new...
Review: Bombard Rustic Cabins in Saranac Lake, New York - Such wonderful memories of this place!

Kids Do Their Chores with the Ticket Method Reward System - Seriously!  It works!  I was impressed with how well!
Juno: Teen Pregnancy Discussion Opener for Parents - Such a good movie, I cannot recommend seeing this enough...
Bisexuality - Not Just a Phase - Living proof here...

Best Sites for Substitute Teacher Resources - A top ten list of sites chock full of tips for people like me!  ^_^
Joint Compression, Brushing: Tactile Stimulation Technique for the Special Education Classroom - One of the classrooms I worked in used this method which was new to me...

Are Cold Medications Safe and Effective? - Short answer: safe, but not any more effective than plenty of fluids and rest.
Using Nutrition to Treat Fibromyalgia - Good nutrition works here too!

More articles from Jacqueline!

A diverse group this time...

Is Indoor Formula Cat Food Better for Your Indoor Cat? - Short answer is no, not really...

Bombay Cats: Breed Profile - Another in her cat breed series...

Ten Films to Teach World War II in the Social Studies Classroom - Social Studies was never my favorite subject; perhaps if there had been more movies...

Ten Advantages to Being a Single Parent - bet no one mentioned the advantages; did they?!