Headline News - page 14

NEW YORK, NY – The role that mathematics plays in adolescent education has been changing for decades. With access now to resources such as calculators or even the internet, the way that schools teach and utilize mathematic computations is always evolving. To combat this, Dr. Bernice Kastner has published a new book titled, The Role of Language in Teaching Children Math, which serves to identify and resolve the problem associated with the language of traditional mathematics and the obstacle it creates for students.

Having three children go through the traditional schooling system while obtaining her doctorate in Mathematics Education, Kastner felt very close to this matter: “During this time, I again taught at the post-secondary level, including at a community college where I became deeply involved in the remediation efforts needed for students whose math background had not prepared them to succeed at the college level.” Understanding the importance of the critical thinking associated with mathematical computations, Kastner has taken it upon herself to resolve this issue at its source. A captivating and thought-provoking resource for understanding the obstacles students face today with the current language of mathematics,
Bernice Kastner’s new book is sure to raise eyebrows among mathematical as well as educational contemporaries across the globe.

The Role of Language in Teaching Children Math, published by Austin Macauley, will be released on February 28^th, 2019. Price: $7.95, ISBN: 9781641825429. It is available in Amazon, Barnes & Noble as well as other bookstores around the country. Advance review copies are available upon request. For more information, please visit: www.austinmacauley.com/us.

About Author: Dr. Bernice Kastner received her BS Honors in Mathematics and Physics from McGill University in Montreal. She is a professor emeritus of Towson University, having received her Ph.D. in Math Education from the University of Maryland. Dr. Kastner has developed curriculum for Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Montgomery College, the University of Maryland, and other universities.

You may not recognize the name Richard Melville Hall, but you likely do know his stage name, Moby. Famous for songs such as “Go” and “South Side,” Hall revolutionized techno music. Today, he still brings his deep vocals and musical skill into all the songs he writes and produces. 

Moby’s Early Years

Born in New York City on September 11, 1965 and raised in Darien, CT, Moby developed an interest in music at a young age. He quickly learned to play piano and guitar. The great-great grandnephew of author Herman Melville, he picked up the moniker “Moby” as a child. The nickname would become a fitting stage name as he entered the music industry. His first foray into performance as a teenager was with a hardcore punk band called The Vatican Commandos and a brief stint singing with the band, Flipper. He also formed a post punk group called AWOL around the same time.

In 1983, Moby graduated from Darien High School. Despite his drive to play music, he let his head guide him after graduation. He attended the University of Connecticut to pursue a philosophy degree. Although he enjoyed working at the campus radio station, WHUS, he grew restless at the university and transferred to the State University of New York at Purchase to study philosophy and photography. He soon found himself less interested in his studies and more interested in his music. He left college in 1984 to focus on his love for electronic music.

In 1989, he moved to New York City. While working as a nightclub DJ, he released several EPs and singles for the independent record label, Instinct. It wasn’t long after that the world started to take note of this new talent.

Moby’s Rise to the Top

Moby’s song, “Go,” became a top 10 hit on the British charts in 1991. The fame that accompanied this success garnered the attention of acts such as The Pet Shop Boys, Michael Jackson, The B-52s, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Brian Eno, and Orbital, all of whom commissioned him to remix songs for them.

Moby’s first full-length album, “Moby,” was released in 1992. At this time, he was performing at raves and parties, building a following of music lovers entranced by the driving, hypnotic rave techno pulse of his music.

Moby’s Singles, Records, and Labels

In 1993, Moby signed a record deal with Mute in the U.K. and Elektra in the U.S. Unfortunately, his first label, Instinct, continued releasing music without his cooperation. However, his first EP, “Move,” debuted with both Mute and Elektra finding success on both labels. His first full-length album under his new labels, “Everything Is Wrong,” came out in the spring of 1995. His next album, “Animal Rights,” debuted in 1996, and Moby released “The End of Everything” under the name Voodoo Child on Trophy Records, his sub-label under Mute.

In 1999, his album, “Play,” hit the charts and went double platinum in the U.S. It also hit number one in the U.K. Subsequent albums include “18,” released in 2002, “Hotel” in 2005, “Last Night” in 2008, “Wait For Me” in 2009, “Destroyed” in 2011, and “Destroyed Remixed” in 2012. Overview of Moby’s music.

The Next Step After Success

Moby’s music, already a stable in Hollywood’s soundtracks, found its way into film. The documentary, Almost Home (2014), featured concert footage from three shows at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles from the album, “Innocents,” which he released in October of 2013, but he stayed true to his roots by continually working on his music and transforming himself. 2005’s “Hotel” included a bonus disc called Hotel Ambient. In 2014, Moby also released an expanded edition of this disc.

The next step for Moby was the release of a free download, called “Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep.” Later, in 2015, he formed a collaborative with other musicians called Moby and The Void Pacific Choir. In 2016, he wrote a book to accompany a two-disc collection. The book, called Porcelain: A Memoir was about his life in the 1990s. You can read about some sleeping tips here or read more about Moby’s Long Ambients 1 & 2 on his official website.  The Mirror reported the Ambients first.

Despite the success of his memoir, Moby didn’t neglect studio time. He and the Void Pacific Choir released “These Systems Are Failing” in 2016 and “More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse” in 2017. In March of 2018, “Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt,” Moby’s fifteenth studio album, was released. Its intriguing title comes from the Kurt Vonnegut novel, Slaughterhouse Five. His most recent release is “Long Ambients 2,” which debuted in 2019. Moby is one of the few artists that allow non-profit filmmakers to use some of his music for their needs.  

Life Outside of Music

Like most other musicians, Moby lives on both coasts. Moby lived in New York City from 1989 to 2010. That year, he moved to the Hollywood Hills, but he couldn’t leave the Big Apple completely. He keeps an apartment in Little Italy in NYC. His first home in LA was a castle called Wolf’s Lair. After four years there, he sold the home and moved to the Los Feliz neighborhood.

Moby finds an escape from stress in meditation, having practiced the disciplines of Metta, Vipassana, and transcendentalism. As a boy, Moby had a pet cat named Tucker. His love for this animal inspired him to become a vegetarian in 1984. Then, in 1987, he realized he would never want to cause harm to any animal and became vegan. He is involved in animal rights campaigns to this day, working with the Humane Society, Best Friends, and Farm Sanctuary – all organizations committed to the rights and protections of animals.

Moby’s big heart doesn’t just stop with helping animals. Other charities and non-profit organizations that Moby has been involved with include MoveOn.org, Amend.org, Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, Songs for Tibet, and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Outside of music, Moby has always had an affinity for the art of photography. In 2010, he displayed some of his work at the Brooklyn Museum and the Clic Gallery in New York City. Until then, he had kept his work private. Along with his “Destroyed” album in 2010, he released a photography book of pictures taken during his 2010 “Wait for Me” tour. In the fall of 2014, he exhibited “Innocents,” a photographic collection at the Fremin Gallery. This show featured large-scale photographs with a post-apocalyptic theme.

Photography isn’t his only passion. Writing has also been a fulfilling practice for Moby. In 2010, he worked with animal rights activist, Miyun Park, to release Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (Thinking Twice About the Meat We Eat). It is a collection of essays regarding the consequences of factory farming. In addition to his memoir published in 2016, he published, Then It Fell Apart, in 2019. This book is a follow-up the Porcelain: A Memoir, and covers his life from 1999-2009.

It is clear that Richard Melville Hall, or Moby, as we all know him, has led a life of varied interests and fascinating works of music and art. His love for animals and his determination to make the world a better place both admirable and inspiring. His music is sure to keep us dancing for generations to come, but his words will stay in our minds – and maybe change our hearts.

SEATTLE – January 22, 2019 – Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine (BBI) today announced the launch of the Seattle Flu Study (SFS) to better understand how influenza and other contagious diseases spread and to gather information about how they might be better detected, monitored and controlled. The SFS will recruit 10,000 Seattle residents and visitors who show influenza-like symptoms in the current flu season to create a first-of-its-kind citywide network for early detection and tracking of influenza.

Volunteers who agree to participate at one of the study’s designated kiosks will be asked to provide a simple nasal swab as well as basic personal and health information to facilitate project analysis. Pathogens found in the samples will undergo genetic sequencing and be compared genetically and geographically to better understand how illnesses spread throughout the community.

The following kiosk sites are open:

• University of Washington Hall Health Center, 4060 East Stevens Way University of Washington Campus
• University of Washington Magnuson Health Sciences Center, 1959 NE Pacific St.
• University of Washington Husky Union Building, 4001 E Stevens Way NE
• UW Medicine Pioneer Square Clinic, 206 Third Ave. S
• St. Martin’s De Porres Shelter, 1561 Alaskan Way S
• Hutch Kids Child Care Center, 1210 Valley St.

“A century after the great flu pandemic that sickened one third of the world’s population and killed more than 50 million people, influenza remains a potent threat to global health,” said Dr. Trevor Bedford, Fred Hutch’s research and lead data scientist for the study. “The Seattle Flu Study will provide a more detailed understanding than we have today of how the flu virus spreads, allowing us to develop guidance and tools to curb or even prevent transmission.”

Dr. Helen Chu, lead clinician of the study added, “Our hope is the study will also help inform efforts by public health officials to prepare for potential pandemic threats.”

SFS is made possible by the unique cooperation between the Brotman Baty Institute’s co-founders at UW Medicine, Seattle Children’s and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

“BBI was created for projects like these that demand deeper levels of cooperation between Seattle’s major research institutions,” said Dr. Jay Shendure, Scientific Director of the Brotman Baty Institute and professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Together, we are making real strides in precision medicine research and public health.”

To find out more about the study, visit the Seattle Flu Study website or read frequently asked questions about the study.

A map of Seattle Flu Study kiosk locations is here. The kiosk sites will run through the conclusion of the current flu season, approximately at the end of April.

ABOUT THE BROTMAN BATY INSTITUTE

The Brotman Baty Institute combines the research strengths and capabilities of UW Medicine, Fred Hutch and Seattle Children’s to accelerate both the basic sciences of precision medicine and the delivery of benefits to patients. For more information, visit the Brotman Baty Institute online at https://brotmanbaty.org.

People who are truly creative are a rare breed.  There are numerous people that try and fail to make it in Hollywood. It is a tough town to make a living in and for most people their dream dies soon after they make an attempt. Scores of screenwriters flock to the epicenter of the entertainment desperately hoping to be successful. For screenwriters, getting a chance to write for a major television show is a dream come true. The odds of two screenwriters making it as a writing team together in Hollywood are almost unheard of. The creative team of Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg, often times just know as Berg and Harberts, is one of those rare success stories in Hollywood. These two have a long history together and one fateful meeting let to one of the most imaginative duos in the industry.

These two individuals could not be more different in their dispositions and upbringings but their creative and imaginative natures brought them together. A chance meeting while both were in college through a creative writing program led the pair to become one of the most sought after writing and producing teams in entertainment. It was not creativity at first site but their relationship grew over a period of time and ultimately led to such iconic episodes in popular shows like 90210, Roswell, Star Trek Discovery, Reign, Off the Map and many more. Their producing credits included some very popular shows on channels like CBS, NBC, and ABC. They have a total of 14 producer credits to their names.

They have worked on numerous shows that have included medical dramas, comedies, science fiction and teen dramas. Their creativity has spanned multiple genres and they have won such awards like the Peabody Award Nomination, the Saturn Award, the GLAAD Award Nomination and the NewNowNext Award from Logo. It’s no surprise that this dynamic duo has racked up the awards and praise for their writing and producing. So what’s the story behind these two?

Gretchen J. Berg is from the east coast of the United States. A native to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she loved growing up during the 70’s and being able to spend so much time outdoors in the woods. You can see from her Instagram page that she is a huge Steelers Fan. She loved to wander through the woods with friends, daydreaming and expanding her imagination. She credits this time spent as a child daydreaming and making up stories as the beginning of her long journey into creative writing. Her imagination would run wild during her childhood and that was the very beginning of her desire to create fantastical stories and characters.

Growing up as a daydreaming child who loved to be creative didn’t make her super popular once she got to High School. She was more of a loner at her high school, North Allegheny High, than anything else. The school had a very intense focus on athletics and being a non-athlete, she did not fit in as well as some of her peers. She soon, however, found her passion for acting when she joined the drama club. The school also had a TV studio that she definitely took advantage of during her time at North Allegheny High. She found her calling and other likeminded individuals who helped her to grow and become the talented individuals she is today. She was able to stretch her creative wings during her time at North Allegheny High and ultimately it led her to Northwestern.

Most people when looking to break into the entertainment industry end up moving to Los Angeles or New York. Colleges like New York University and USC have excellent media programs and are the most popular among future screenwriters.  People flock there with their hopes and dreams to become a famous screenwriter. Gretchen Berg decided to take the path less traveled and decided to attend Northwestern University. It was here that her whole life trajectory would take a fantastic turn.

Aaron Harberts had a very different upbringing than Gretchen. He was also born in the early 70’s just like Berg but was born and raised in Iowa. He spent most of his childhood in the church listening to her father’s sermons since his father is a Presbyterian minister. Like Berg, he writing was greatly influenced by childhood spent in the pews of his father’s church daydreaming about stories and characters. He traveled often between three different states to spend time with his family.

He would create imaginative and inventive stories that he would later write down. His thoughts would run wild during the service and he believes that this is the beginning of his long career in writing. Even from a young age, Harberts was writing stories. He even wrote books that focused on a variety of themes. Harberts would later work on such amazing shows like Roswell, Beverly Hills 90201, and Revenge. Also, as a gay man, he incorporated LGBTQ characters into his shows, which is something he is very proud of. After high school, he then attended Northwestern University which is where his career would get it’s beginning.

Berg had already been at Northwestern for almost four years when she met Harberts. He was just ending his first year at the university when she was directing a student film. He started work on that film as a P.A. and ultimately they worked closely on a variety of projects that didn’t necessarily bring them closer together. They worked together on multiple projects during the two- year program called the Creative Writing for the Media. During this time spent together, they both learned each other’s creative styles. They meshed well together in that way but their friendship did not actually take off until after Berg had graduated from Northwestern.

Berg left the university and moved to the west coast to the hub of the entertainment, Los Angeles. Harberts soon followed after he graduated but his original housing plan fell through so he moved in with Berg. He reached out to her when he realized that he didn’t have a place to live. When he first moved in her she was in the middle of writing a sitcom spec. She was struggling with the rewrites. She then asked Harberts if he could help her write the script as a team. She remembered how much she enjoyed his sense of humor and she felt like his creative humor would be the perfect fit for this script. And this was the defining moment of not only their professional career but also their friendship.  The Team is known today as Berg and Harberts.

Six months later, they finished the script. It was not their favorite but it was the beginning of something amazing. They took as many assistant jobs as they could in Hollywood hoping to try to make the right connections. They wrote constantly during this time and spent hours watching all different genres of films and TV shows to help sharpen their analytic skills and writing. They were broke and did what they could to get by. They sent their scripts to multiple agents and got lucky when one of their scripts got in front of the right agent at the right time. The agent signed the duo in a matter of weeks and soon their career as a writing team took off.

It was not long before they had numerous hit television shows under their belts and became one of the most sought after creative teams in Hollywood. From very humble beginnings, the two worked hard and was ultimately able to come out on top. From the first script together (that they ended up burning) all the way to 90210, these two have come together to create scripts, characters and story lines that are thought provoking, inventive, and progressive.

Hope you enjoyed this story of Hollywood’s two lifelong friends Berg and Harberts.

Seattle Center Winterfest

November 23rd-December 31st in the Seattle Center, join along as Seattleites bring in the holiday cheer. Festivities, performances, arts, and activities flood the levels of Seattle Center and ground areas surrounding. The Winterfest website holds access to the Winterfest 2018 Handbook– entailing every event’s details. Highlights of the 2018 Winterfest include the winter train and village, ice rink, student showcases, ice sculpting, and musical performances. Dozens of free events are available to the public, as well as a few low-cost activities. 

Woodland Park Zoo Wildlights

Woodland Park Zoo’s WildLights exhibit lights up the Puget Sound this holiday season. Friends and family are welcomed to stroll around the zoo’s grounds, decorated all in lights, and holiday decorated animal exhibits. This picturesque scape sponsored by Sound Credit Union, includes a carousel, indoor snowball fights, 700,000 LED lights, food, drinks, and a holiday gift shop. Wildlights runs November 23rd, 2018-January 5th, 2019 from 5:30-8:30pm. Tickets are available for purchase here. More information regarding events and details of Woodland Parks Zoo’s WildLights exhibit can be found on their website. 

Snowflake Lane 

Bellevue’s annual Snowflake Lane parade runs November 23rd-December 24th, 2018. One of the Northwest’s most famous holiday festivities parades through the streets from NE 4th to NE 8th between Lincoln Square and Bellevue Square at 7pm nightly. Dancers, drummers, snow flurries, musical performances, and a meet and greet are available to the public at no cost or entry fee. This year’s meet and greet showcases the Snowflake Lane princesses. New this year, Santa will be attending every evening parade along the streets of Bellevue. Be sure not to miss the Jingle Belles Dance Line that is even bigger and better this year than ever before. 

Nutcracker 

The Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s, “The Nutcracker” runs November 23rd-December 28th at McCaw Hall in Seattle. This performance includes world renowned scoring by Tchaikovsky, choreography by George Balanchine, and beautiful costume design by Ian Falconer. The Nutcracker has a run time of approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes with one 25 minute intermission. Make it dinner and a show by stopping by the Prelude in the McCaw before settling down to watch the ballet. 

Volunteer Park Conservatory 

Seattle’s Volunteer Park’s Poinsettia Display and Holiday Express Train have arrived. Within the conservatory located within the park’s grounds, holds rooms filled with poinsettias of all kinds, decked out in holiday lights, with tracks winding through as the train display makes its rounds. Conservatory hours for the Poinsettia Display and Holiday Express Train are 11:00am-3:00pm, Tuesday-Sunday. This display is set in the Conservatory’s Seasonal House, November 16th through January 1st. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for youth, and free for children under 12. This relaxing and traditional scene makes for an easy breezy last minute holiday event perfect for all ages. Community members can even sign up to be a Volunteer Train Engineer.