Computer Labs for Kids: Update on SOS Childrens Village

Prior post. Yaaaahhhh! I have some photos from Shira! These tell the story. They are "still shots" that Shira extracted from the video that Lynn Ward took during the class. The kids, of course, are the stars :) It seemed to take a long time, but actually it was a remarkably short time between Millie and Chrystine bringhing the children up to be registered by yours truly and the volunteers arriving in singles, twos, threes and more for Erin to register. Soon, everyone was in the room we had set up as the classroom, and I was sitting outside panting, trying to catch my breath! LOL! But I didn't stay out there for long. Soon I was inside, circulating around, trying to stay out of the way as I watched the action. The class started with everyone (and I do mean everyone, including volunteers and everyone else in the room) standing up and doing a loosey-goosey exercise. With everyone being silly together, kids and adults form an instant connection. Then it's back to our seats and down to business! The first part of the class began with the "values" section, which was led by instructor Greg Molinaro of "The Way to Happiness." It is a common-sense approach to teaching values that does not a religious credo. "The Way to Happiness" video was presented in several sections so that the children could concentrate on one key concept at a time. Every child had an exercise book to work through with his or her buddy (technical instructor), who would ask questions at the conclusion of each video segment to elicit responses from the child that would reveal whether the child "got" the lesson of the video segment. As needed, the buddy would then ask the child questions designed to elicit further responses until the exercise was completed. As the child progressed through each exercise, the buddy would ask the child to place a sticker (the same stickers I had handed out to each child during registration) next to a particular section within the exercise, signifying that the child had successfully completed that part! Above is a photo of the class while Greg went through an abridged video presentation of "The Way to Happiness." The video presented vignettes that dramatized certain every-day situations to help the children understand common-sense values, emphasizing the Golden Rule, that will help the kids keep their laptops safe and also learn how to share it with others. This photo shows a part where the buddies are going through one of the segment's workbook questions with their children. It's intense one-on-one, but also fun, as can be seen by the expressions and body language of the participants! The entire class was designed to be completed in 3 hours, including time for one-on-one instruction after the award of each child's laptop computer for further work with their buddies to familiarize themselves with the programs downloaded to each laptop. The class was designed to keep in mind the ages of the children and time constraints (on a Sunday afternoon) of the volunteers. Shira tried to think of everything when designing this program, her most ambitious yet! Although Shira said that we started the Values Section late, we somehow managed to finish on time. The children were so eager - and so intent - being in that room was like being at a championship level chess tournament, except for the exchanges between the children and their buddies. It was awesome to behold! At the conclusion of the Values section, each child was called to the front of the room by name (in alphabetical order), to receive a Certificate of Completion for that part of the class, and received congratulations from Shira and Greg. It was my job to loudly call out the name of each child, which I did with gusto since I have a naturally big mouth :) and hand the certificates to Shira, who did the actual presentation to the child. I am happy to say I only made one goof, badly mispronouncing the name of one of the children, for which I abjectly apologized to her later. She was very magnanimous and forgave me for being such a screw-up. This photo: Greg on the left, Shira in the center presenting a Certificate to one of the children, and me on the right, looking MUCH stouter than I really am in person, darlings. But I think I must get a new bra, ahem. At the conclusion of the first certificate ceremony, we took a 15 minute break, and then Part 2 of the class began! The computers!

Rare Glass Rhyton Discovered in Southern Bulgaria

Archaeologists Discover Unique Ancient Rhyton in South-Eastern Bulgaria BalkanTravellers.com 19 November 2009 A unique decorated glass rhyton, or ancient drinking vessel, was discovered by archaeologists in a tumulus near the village of Karanovo in south-eastern Bulgaria. The glass vessel is decorated with the image of an unknown animal, Bulgarian media reported today. According to experts, such glass artefacts are extremely rare not just for Bulgaria, but for the whole world. The excavations near Kranovo, according to Bulgarian media, began in 2007, following illegal activity by gold-diggers. As BalkanTravellers.com reported, archaeologists working in the Karanovo area recently discovered an ancient Thracian aristocrat’s tomb, filled with valuable artefacts, such as silver, bronze and clay vessels.

Ancient Writing: Karnataka Copper Plate

From The Hindu Online November 19, 2009 Copper plate inscription throws new light on Alupas Pramod Mellegatti SHIMOGA: A rare copper plate inscription collected by a numismatic expert and retired lecturer of Shimoga Khandob Rao throws new light on the Alupas who ruled parts of the Malnad and coastal districts of Karnataka for thousand years from 450 AD making Udyavara, Mangalore, Barkur and Mudbidre as their capitals. Mr. Rao is said to have collected the inscription from a copper vessel dealer of Kollegal in Chamrajnagar district. S.G. Samak of DVS Pre-University Independent College in Shimoga and archaeologist, who has deciphered the inscription, says that the Alupas, who ruled today’s districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and a part of Shimoga, are credited with having the longest reign in Karnataka for nearly a thousand years. He says that the inscription is written on a copper plate measuring 20 x 20 cm. At the top is the figure of twin fishes, the royal emblem of the Alupas. There are 14 lines written in typical Rashtrakuta characters. “Hence, it can be assigned to the 8th century AD,” he says. Dr. Samak says that the inscription belongs to Aluvarasa II of Alupa family. “It mentions that Aluvarasa and Ereyyaparasa made a grant to Belmannu Sabha, free from tax to be paid to Shivalli on the day of the Solar eclipse. This grant was made in the administrative sub-division of Manideva of Kantavara and the document was prepared in the presence of Chokkapadi Bhatta. The grant was to be protected by Boygavarama of Kapu, Nanda of Bela, Nanda of Kolunur, Medini of Santuru and Urapppana. An interesting feature of the copper plate inscription is that the contents are similar to that of Belmannu copper plates discovered in 1973 by Late Gururaj Bhat of Udupi. Belmannu copper plates are claimed to be the earliest copper plate inscriptions in Kannada. “But the difference is the Belmannu inscription is written on five copper plates in 28 lines, whereas the present inscription is written on a single plate in 14 lines,” says Dr. Samak.

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What struck me about this image right away was the "double fishes" at the top - they reminded me so much of Indus "fish" symbols. Of course, this copper plate was inscribed at least 2,000 years after the height of the Indus civilization - but I wonder - is there a connection that was passed down from generation to generation as the original Indus Valley settlers migrated south and east?

Plans to Display Karanovo Thracian Finds

Story at Novinite Bulgaria Archaeologists Present Unique Thracian Tomb Finds November 17, 2009 A team of Bulgarian archaeologists led by Veselin Ignatov formally presented Tuesday their finds from the tomb of an aristocrat from Ancient Thrace near the southern town of Nova Zagora. In October and November 2009, Ignatov’s team found a burial tomb of dated back to the end of 1st century and beginning of 2nd century AD, located outside of the village of Karanovo, in southern Bulgaria. The finds at the lavish Thracian tomb include gold rings, silver cups and vessels coated with gold and clay vessels. Those include two silver cups with images of love god Eros, and a number of other ornate silver and bronze vessels. According to Ignatov, the finds are sufficiently varying and rich to be used for the forming of a small museum dedicated to provincial Roman-era art. The aristocrat belonged to a rich family descended from the ruling strata in the Odrysian Kingdom (5-3rd century BC). The previously unknown tomb was discovered after in 2008 the archaeologists started to research area damaged by treasure hunters, and found a Thracian chariot at a nearby spot. The archaeologists from the Nova Zagora History Museum are going to continue their exploration of the Thracian tomb on the spot even during the coming winter months after a special shelter is built on the site. Ignatov said a total of six two-wheel and four-wheel chariots have been discovered in the region, and that he had the idea of creating a center for the study of ancient chariots in Nova Zagora.

World Blitz Championship 2009

There are two chess femmes playing in this elite of the elite championship of 22 players: GM Judit Polgar (HUNG 2680) and GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS 2517). So far, the ladies have scored some telling wins through Round 28 (which gives you an idea of how fast and furious this BLITZ Championship is going), but both of them are out of contention for a medal. There are 42 rounds altogether. What are the odds that they can stage a second-half comeback? Hmmm.... This news is probably a bit old (from The Week in Chess), after 17 rounds: 1. Carlsen, Magnus g NOR 2801 21.0 2. Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2788 20.0 3. Karjakin, Sergey g UKR 2723 18.5 19. Polgar, Judit g HUN 2680 11.5 20. Kosteniuk, Alexandra g RUS 2517 11.0

More on that Indus Measuring System

Some spectacular headline claims are made in this article from the Telegraph.co.uk! It makes sense to me though, since we know there was sustained trade among the Indus Valley civilization, Sumer (Mesopotamia), parts of Iran (Elam) and even Egypt, too. The entire trade netword would have collapsed unless the producers, the transportation people, the traders, and the sellers at the other end had a method of converting relative values of goods and services. I applaud Dr. Wells for arriving at this brilliant and yet - when you think about it - utterly common sense conclusion! This man deserves a Nobel Prize in Archaeology (is there such an award???) Indus Valley's Bronze Age civilisation 'had first sophisticated financial exchange system' The Indus Valley's Bronze Age civilisation may have developed the world's first sophisticated system of wage labour, financial exchange and measurement, a Canadian mathematician has discovered. By Dean Nelson in New Delhi Published: 6:00AM GMT 17 Nov 2009 According to a new study of clay pots and ceramic tablets discovered almost 70 years ago in Harappa, now in Pakistan, the people of the Indus Valley had a detailed system of commodity value, weights and measures. Dr Bryan Wells, a researcher based at India's Institute of Mathematical Sciences, told The Daily Telegraph he had begun work on his thesis ten years ago when he first saw photographs of the clay pots with markings which appeared to be in proportion to their relative size. But he was not able to test his thesis until he visited New Delhi earlier this month where the original pots are stored in one of the city's Mughal era forts. The three pots each had different markings, the smallest with a 'V' to indicate 'measure' and three long strokes. The medium vessel had six strokes and the largest had seven. When he measured them he found they were in proportionate capacity: 3:6:7. The inscriptions on the pots matched those on bas relief ceramic tablets which he believes are tokens of exchange for fixed measures of grain or other commodities. The size of the pots – the largest is 2.7 metres in circumference, and contains 65 litres – indicates an organised system of exchange for large scale transactions, he said. The bas-relief tablets are "definitely some kind of exchange token. These pots are more than one metre wide. You're not going to be carrying them around. The chits or tablets have representative value and they are being used in an economic context," he said. In his paper Indus Weights and Measures, to be published in the archeological journal Antiquity next year, Dr Wells suggests the tablets may be the equivalent of 'wage slips' or credits for work representing fixed volumes of food. "It is possible that wages were paid with grains dispersed from a centralised storage facility or in the case of incised tablets material for construction projects and other short-term projects," he wrote. Although older coins and ingots have been discovered from the Mesopotamia, but Dr Wells' findings amount to a more detailed decoding of an ancient value system.

More on that Lost Persian Army Found

From Time Magazine Online The Vanished Army: Solving an Ancient Egyptian Mystery By Ishaan Tharoor Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 In 525 B.C., the Persian Emperor Cambyses dispatched 50,000 of his soldiers to lay waste to an oasis temple in the Sahara because its oracle had spoken ill of his plans for world domination. The punitive expedition proved to be one of antiquity's most dramatic episodes of imperial overreach. One morning, while the army was having breakfast, writes the ancient historian Herodotus in The Histories, it was set upon by "a violent southern wind, bringing with it piles of sand, which buried them." The Greek continues, "Thus it was that they utterly disappeared." For centuries, this little anecdote — like many others in Herodotus's famous text — seemed to be a myth. The Histories is lined with rumors and fantastical hearsay of ants that dig for gold, rings that make their bearers invisible and winged serpents that patrol remote mountain passes. But recent excavations in western Egypt by a team of Italian archaeologists may have unearthed traces of this long-lost army, entombed in the desert for some 2,500 years. Rest of article.

Computer Labs for Kids: Update on SOS Childrens Village

A photo of part of the SOS Children's Village in Chicago, taken from the parking lot outside the Community Center that hosted the project). Sunday was the day for Computer Labs for Kids Foundation's latest project! It started earlier than usual for me. I arose at 5:00 a.m. I am having this room (my former bedroom turned into the den/library) painted and I was still in the middle of clearing out mountains of piled-up print-outs, spread-eagled books and dozens of journals and magazines, scattered all about the floor! I cleared out some more piles, and then headed downstairs to enact my all-important early-morning rituals (my one cup of coffee for the day, two slices of rye toast, put out plenty of in the shell nuts for the squirrels, fed the birds). I managed to read through the first section of the Journal/Sentinel before it was time to run upstairs and get myself ready. I left the house at 6:32 a.m. and did the 12 minute hike to the bus stop. Standing at the bus stop in the chill morning air at 6:45 a.m. for my ride to the train station. It was a bit eerie to be out so early on a Sunday morning, when the sun was just pressing above the horizon to the southeast. There was next to no traffic – two cars on 76th Street when I pressed the "Walk" button to cross – unheard of! While I waited at what is normally a zoom-zoom-zoom intersection during the work week, I saw squirrels dashing back and forth across the six lane divided highway, a hawk and a gull playing tag-team about 30 feet above my head, watched a flock of geese flying toward Jackson Park and was entertained by a chorus of crow calls in the last patch of woods behind me (it surrounds a very small condo complex where a lot more trees, survivors from the time before the area got "developed," were cut down for the condos to go up) It was in the 30’s with a persistent breeze from the northeast, brrr! The bus arrived and got me downtown close to schedule, about 7:25 a.m. I walked the four blocks to the recently remodeled "Intermodel Station" which houses the Amtrak station and Greyhound and other buses stations. It is a very nice space now – but not gigantic like Union Station in Chicago and has no pretensions to being "grand" like that space is! Unfortunately, during the fervor of "urban renewal" in the early 60’s our lovely 19th century red sandstone train station near the lakefront was torn down and the tracks re-located. That wonderful place, preserved in photographs replete with ladies and gentlemen in late 19th century dress, can be found in our local museums. The building was lovely and would have been a great landmark for Milwaukee. Well, hindsight is always 100% accurate. I arrived at the station, located the new counter where one purchases Amtrak tickets and got my roundtrip tickets. Right around the corner a line had already begun forming for the call to board the Hiawatha to Chicago. I got some V8 juice from a handy little store right across the hall and then staked out a place in the line. Perhaps 10 minutes later the conductor called out ALL ABOARD THE HIAWATHA SERVICE FROM MILWAUKEE TO CHICAGO as he released the chain that was the only thing separating us from the door to the elevated platform along the track where the massive train sat waiting for its passengers to board. I had my choice of seats, as there were not many travelers to Chicago as during the work-week (or on Friday, when people go for a weekend and come back Sunday night). As per usual, I managed to pick a backwards seat thanks to my inerring sense of direction (cough cough), but travelling backwards doesn’t bother me as I usually spend my time napping anyway, which I did most agreeably during this trip! We left promptly at 8:00 a.m. (A look back across the Chicago River toward the train station exit I took on Adams Street - this looks west). (A look to the north across Adams. Beautiful!)We arrived in Chicago right on time at 9:30 a.m. As I did the three block walk to the McDonalds on Adams and Wells from the Union Station exit that is right on the Chicago River, I stopped to take these photos just the other side of the Chicago River, wisely anticipating that they might be the very last photos of the day I'd manage to grab! There was the McDonalds, beckoning to me - FOOD, FOOD! I walked toward the corner of Adams and Wells and could see Shira inside. I waited for the light and crossed Adams. Then I had to wait for the light on Wells to change! There was Shira, standing outside the entrance (she'd seen me coming at about the same time I saw her inside), ready with a big hug. Our first face to face meeting after all these years! (This is the very same McDonalds that Mr. Don and I have fond memories of from our 2006 expedition to the University of Chicago's Oriential Institute one fine Sunday morning in early October. We had breakfast there shortly after arriving at 9:30 a.m. Later in the day as we headed back toward Union Station after a very interesting bus ride, we took a late lunch break. As we left, we walked into a fierce storm headed directly our way from the west, the direction we had to go! A tornado was reported to be headed straight toward us as Mr. Don dragged/pulled me through vicious winds those three blocks from the McDonalds at 186 West Adams toward that very same Chicago River exit/entrance into the relative safety of the underground labyrinth that is Union Station and the METRA combined!) Shira is even lovlier in person than she is in her photographs! And she is model tall and thin. It was great to see her at last! We went into the McDonalds. I was surprised by the number of people around! The last time I'd been there, I recall the place being relatively deserted, and there was nowhere near the street traffic of cars and people in 2006 that there was in 2009. But I digress -- I was famished and wanted to eat something - anything! While I stood in line, Shira told me that another friend of hers - Erin - had flown in just for a short weekend all the way from Los Angeles to help out too! She identified Erin -- I had actually seen Erin - sitting at a table outside a Starbucks right across the street from the McDonalds, enjoying a cigarette in the chilly air! I remembered thinking to myself as I waited for the walk light to change "That poor woman must be freezing out there!) I was no more than 15 feet away from Erin as I waited for the next walk light to turn so I could cross Wells Street where Shira was waiting, hopping with impatience! Erin quickly joined us as I waited in line and Shira performed the introductions. I ordered an Egg McMuffin and OJ (please do not lecture me on fat and cholesterol). We happily chattered away as I ate my breakfast. It wasn't long before Shira, Erin and I piled into Shira's car for the day (a Smart Car? I can't remember what it's called, but it's sort of a communal village approach to car ownership/sharing - I remember reading about the launch of this enterprise some years ago - in major cities - and wondered idly if it would ever work. Since I do not know how to drive and do not own a car, it was only of academic interest to me. The car was roomy - it looked sort of like a gigantic boxy modern interpretation of the old station wagon that was popular shortly after the babyboomers started being born. Shira programmed the GPS coordinates for the SOS Childrens Village into that app on her iPhone and we were off! Shira has some fabulous friends, let me tell you! After a call for help, Erin flew in from Los Angeles specifically to help out Shira with this project, in Chicago for less than 48 hours! She’s flying back to LA today at 7:00 a.m. The plan was for Erin to catch the train (METRA?) to O’Hare at 5:00 a.m. (just a short walk from where she was staying with Shira) to catch her flight back to LA. (As it turned out, Erin missed her flight, but was able to book one leaving at 11:00 a.m. I hope she made it home okay).

Despite an unexpected detour and some fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants instant navigation to reach the expressway on-ramp (we managed to successfully navigate by applying logic and intuition in female group-think), we arrived at the SOS Children's Village about 10:40 a.m. Even though the program wasn’t scheduled to begin until 2:00 p.m., there was a LOT to do and there was hardly any down time for the rest of the day. First we unloaded the car - 28 boxed laptops accompanied by a very large, very heavy "tool" tub (fortunately it had rear wheels and a retractable handle, so it weighed about as much as my 19 inch carry-one does when I go to New York) that contained all of the supplies needed for the program and Shira's audio/visual equipment. (Erin's table arrangement before the photographer changed everything around about five times!) Once we got everything up to the meeting room on the second floor of the Community Center for the Village, there were tables to arrange. The day before, Millie, who is the Director of the Village facilities, and her assistant(s) had wiped down everything with disinfectant – just a Swine Flu precaution, etc. However, there were the inevitable smears of poster paint and white glue that didn't come off in a routine swab-down. After a brief discussion, Erin had come up with a good lay-out for the tables, giving all of the participants a good view of the area where the projected video would be. But because of the constraints we were under with respect to photographing the children, once the photographer got there (who volunteered his time, spent the entire day, and took us out to dinner afterwards - more about that later) - soon the tables were dancing around and around. Ultimately an arrangement was decided upon that was good for photographing the proceedings, complying with the restrictions on photographing the children. Unfortunately, the lay-out was not the most advantageous for the volunteers who would be working with the children. The children were seated across from their volunteers, with their backs to the photographer's set up, instead of being seated side by side with their volunteer with the lap-top in between. It was awkward, but it worked out pretty much okay once everything got underway. Everyone was so engrossed in the program, it really didn’t matter who was sitting where. By the end of the program, some of the kids were laying halfway across the tables working on the notebooks, and other creative volunteer "buddy" and child arrangements were seen, too. Once Shira, Erin and I got everything up to our second floor location (there was an elevator, thank Goddess!), all of the laptops had to be unboxed, unwrapped, and the power cords and AC adaptors had to be unwrapped, connected, the twisty ties removed from the cords (we did not want the children hassling with THEM!) and the convenient rubber stretchy "hold band" was closed to hold the cords in place to form a neat bundle. The notebooks were stacked with identifying labels on each one so that each volunteer could find his or her child’s computer and grab a cord/AC adaptor pack at the same time. While Erin and I were busy getting the notebooks ready, with the assistance of Millie, the Director of the SOS facilities, and another young woman who also works at the SOS Village (I never did catch her name, unfortunately, and they did not wear name tags, but I will get her name and insert it where it needs to be), the speaker who would be delivering the first part of the program and a photographer arrived and began their own set-up! I'd had no idea about these aspects of the program (check out The Way to Happiness), and was really impressed with how quickly Shira had been able to pull things together and get it all organized! She had only just arrived in Chicago when we played our three-game Shira Chess Challenge Match over Labor Day weekend at the end of September, and now she was leading the way for her Foundation's most ambitious project yet! Soon Shira and the motivational speaker (I will also supply his name, what a great guy!) set up Shira's A/V equipment. The tables were being shoved around to satisfy the photographer (see above). Millie and her assistant put up Computer Labs for Kids banners. I did a toilet paper and hand-towel check in the ladies' room (LOL!) Erin was in charge of the volunteers. She was to get the volunteers checked in on our Master List, get media releases signed, make sure the volunteer’s training had already been completed (or would be completed at one of two computers we had standing at the ready), and make sure that each volunteer was filled in by Shira's IT volunteer assistant (Joe) regarding the particular programs that the children would be working with during the second half of the program. I was in charge of registering the children. My job was to make sure each child had a name tag and a supply of stickers that would be used to mark off completed exercises on worksheets that they would go through with their volunteers, and was checked off the Master List, then matched up with his or her volunteer. Originally part of my duties was also to obtain signed releases (media and computer) from the foster-parents of the children. However, before things started to get really hectic, Millie and her assistant took charge of getting the necessary signed releases from the foster-parents as they brought their children to the first floor of the center. (This was a requirement of the program - the foster parent must bring his or her foster-child to the center by 2:00 p.m. and return to take his or her foster-child home at 5:00 p.m.) This change in the original plan worked like a charm, as Millie and her assistant obtained the foster-parents' signatures on the necessary releases as the children were brought to the center and I was afterwards free to greet each child one-on-one and get them signed in. After the computer equipment was declared ready, Erin worked on the volunteer folders and name tags as we went over our respective duties again and again while I worked on assembling the name tags for the children. During this time, there were interim meetings with Shira, Millie, the motivational speaker and the photographer. The center was abuzz with activity - and it was yet a couple of hours before the foster-parents and the kids would arrive! Until today, I had no idea just how much behind-the-scenes work goes into organizing a three hour event that was designed to host 28 children, 28 volunteers (one for each child), a photographer, a motivational speaker, additional volunteers (in case some volunteers did not make it), foster-parents, additional children (non-participants), and additional support volunteers working with the children and the IT people (for instance, accompanying a child to the restroom or to get a drink of water). Whew! I was already exhausted by noon, and our day had not even yet begun! Shira called a lunch break about 12:30 p.m. The volunteers were scheduled to arrive at 1:45 p.m., 15 minutes before the start of the program. Shira had thoughtfully provided lunch for Erin and I - delicious chicken sandwiches and cheese plates from Starbucks. Absolutely delish! It was a nice break. While we munched we also talked about how things had gone thus far, and what was left to face – and do – as people started to pour into the center. Millie and her assistant went to McDonalds (I could have gone for a Big Mac, but good manners prevented me from slipping Millie money on the side for a sneak Big Mac). After lunch we continued taking care of last-minute details, and going over the after-program items – DVDs and books to be handed out, connections to be made and contact info to be exchanged, etc. Always primary were the children. I like kids, and I usually get along with them just fine. But I was worried - would I be overwhelmed with these duties? How would the equivalent of a classroom full of young children behave at the peak of excitment? I didn't have long to fret, though, because the volunteers who would be working with the children started arriving in twos and threes, fours and fives! They needed to be checked in, releases signed, last minute instructions issued, and then the volunteers met with an IT expert who did a quick review of the programs with them. We should have expected that it would not be the smooth and easy process that was outlined in our "Volunteer" materials! But those materials did prepare us for what we needed to do. . While early-arriving children were being marshalled downstairs by the able Millie and assistant, I helped Erin out as best I could with volunteer check-in. It was hectic but we made a good team. All went relatively smoothly, except that some volunteers didn't arrive early enough to have their full review with Shira’s IT people to go over the programs. With some foresight, Shira had set up two separate computers in the registration area where volunteers could go through an online training program (about 15-20 minutes in length) if they had not previously completed their training. We had three (maybe four?) volunteers go through their training at those computers.

(The Community Center, a quick photo I took from the parking lot shortly after we arrived. The second floor area houses an open area where several computers are housed that the kids of the Village can use during designated hours (strict rules apply). Those computers are the property of the SOS Childrens Village and not part of Computer Labs for Kids' project, but we did use two of those computers to help give last-minute training to some volunteers who had not completed a short online "course" (an outline designed to familiarize the volunteers with what they would be doing while working with the children during the program). Millie and her assistant were soon bringing the children upstairs to get signed in! There was one line of girls and one line of boys. Except for the usual exuberance one would expect from excited five to eight year olds, and one young man who will clearly make an excellent chess grandmaster some day, the children were very well behaved, on their best behavior, and they were all so sweet and shy! The girls went first (because there were fewer of them and courtesy dictates ladies first), and then the boys. All waited mostly patiently in line to give me their names and be checked in. I just wanted to hug them all, but hugs are not appropriate from a stranger, so I gave them what I hope was my best smile as I scrunched myself down to their height and learned the correct pronunciations of their names. Sometimes I had to ask them again because they were so shy and soft-spoken. I tried to commit their names to memory (which would become important later on), although I did make one mistake, which I gravely apologized for later on! Then I put their name tags (suspended by a stretchy sort of shoe-string thingy poked through two holes of a vinyl casing that held a name tag) over their heads and gave them their stickers, explaining that the stickers would be needed for the program. More tomorrow -

Jane Austen and Chess

A watercolor portrait of Jane Austen, c. 1815, artist unknown. I was cleaning out some old papers in my den/library tonight and I came across something I printed off on July 13, 2000: It was a url link that I wrote "Rewrite of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice interwoven with historical chess games!" The old url no longer worked but the site still exists (that's amazing, in and of itself), and provided a search directory for relocated articles. And thus, I found the new url. I haven't read it - I've no idea how long it is but I expect it's plenty long. It was written by "Bill" - I don't know who Bill is, and I never did get to those chess games. But for what it is worth, here is A Worthy Opponent.

Were Indus Symbols Used for Measures?

Article at The Hindu Online edition of India's National Newspaper Sunday, Nov 15, 2009 Indus civilisation reveals its volumetric system T.S. Subramanian Combination of ‘V’ signs and linear strokes were used to indicate volumes The three pots from Harappa with volumetric inscriptions on them. Calculations indicate that the Indus volumetric system is based on multiples of 9.24 litres. (Below) A reconstruction of broken bangles from the Moneer area of Mohenjo-Daro. The number of reconstructed bangles (17) matches the number from the sealing text on the pot that had the broken bangles inside. The other photo shows Indus fish signs. CHENNAI: The Indus civilisation had a volumetric system with inscriptions on ceramic vessels (glazed pots from Harappa) indicating that the sign ‘V’ stood for a measure, a long linear stroke equalled 10, two long strokes stood for 20 and a short stroke represented one, according to Bryan Wells, who has been researching the Indus script for more than 20 years. These markings on the pots are identical to those found on the incised tablets and bas-relief tablets also found in Harappa, said Dr. Wells, who earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University for his thesis on “The Epigraphic Approaches to Indus Writing.” It is to be published as a book in 2010. Besides, a ceramic vessel from Mohenjo-Daro, which had fragments of blue-coloured bangles inside, had one long stroke and seven short strokes inscribed on it. When these broken pieces were reconstructed with a computer, they turned out to be 17 bangles. This again established that one long stroke equalled 10 and each short stroke one, Dr. Wells said. He described the findings as “an important discovery” and “very interesting.” Dr. Wells has proposed that “these sign sequences [sign ‘V’ plus numerals] are various values in the Indus volumetric system. The bas-relief tablets might have been used as ration chits or a form of pseudo-money with the repetitive use of ‘V’ paired with , , relating to various values in the Indus volumetric system. The larger the ceramic vessel, the more strokes it has. This postulation can be tested by detailed measurements of whole ceramic vessels with clear inscriptions.” For instance, he recently measured the volume of the three pots from Harappa, which are now with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Purana Quila in New Delhi. While the smallest of them had three long strokes and a ‘V’ sign, the bigger one had six long strokes and a ‘V’ sign and the biggest seven long strokes and a scale inscribed below it. When he measured their volumes, Dr. Wells found that the pot with three long strokes had an estimated volume of 27.30 litres, the vessel with six long strokes 55.56 litres and the one with seven 65.89 litres. Thus, the calculated value of one long stroke was 9.24 or approximately 10 litres. Dr. Wells (58), who is now a Senior Researcher in the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Taramani here, has also focussed on creating an adequate sign list and corpus for the Indus script and the structural analysis of the Indus texts. He said he first saw the pictures of these pots with markings in the “Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions,” edited by Asko Parpola and his colleagues. When he learnt that the pots were with the ASI at Purana Quila, Dr. Wells travelled there to measure their volumes. No coincidence It was Michael Jansen, another researcher on Indus civilisation, who discovered the pot with broken bangles at Mohenjo-Daro in 1987. What intrigued Dr. Wells was the text of one long stroke and seven short strokes inscribed on it. When he reconstructed these broken pieces, using their internal circumferences, with a computer, he found that 17 bangles must have remained intact inside. Besides, the rake sign in the Indus script had a value of hundred and the double rake sign, 200. “This is completely regular” and “not a result of coincidence,” he said. When the ‘V’ sign with linear strokes that occurred on the Harappan tablets were found repeated on a number of ceramic vessels, “it gave me the idea that the ‘V’ sign is probably a measure,” Dr. Wells explained. It was possible that wages were paid in grain (from these vessels) dispersed from a centralised storage facility, or in the case of incised tablets, material for construction projects and other short-term projects was distributed. He asserted that “there is archaeological evidence bearing on this issue in the form of standardised ceramics with texts describing their contents.” “Fish” for weights Dr. Wells agreed with another Indus scholar Steve Bonta’s (Pennsylvania State University) theory that the “fish” sign in the script stood for weights. According to Dr. Bonta, the fish sign occurred frequently with numbers in the script and in clusters too. He later found that the Akkadian Sargonic texts referred to the weight systems of Dilmun (Bahrain) as “minus.” The system of weights from Dilmun was exactly the same as that of the Indus system. Dr. Bonta, who speaks Tamil, realised that “min” in Tamil meant fish. “So our theory is that the term “minus” is derived from the Indus and that the fish are weights,” Dr. Wells said. There were fish signs with one long stroke, two long strokes, a single rake or a double rake. “So the sign graph is doubling and the value is doubling. I think this is too much of a coincidence. But I am aware that a lot of people will disagree with me on the fish sign,” he added.

Beautiful Images of the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy

Earth is located within a miniscule solar system on an outer "arm" (leg? swirl?) of the Milky Way Galaxy. Here is a picture of our Galaxy, with our Sun's relative position marked. Fibonnaci, anyone? Our galaxy is an awe-inspiring and incredibly beautiful thing to behold in, relatively speaking, "close up" photography. Take a look at the photos published on November 12, 2009 at The Daily Mail Online. I like to see images like these given broad publication because they serve as an important reminder of how ridiculous is our human self-importance (i.e., WE ARE THE CENTER OF ALL THINGS - barf!) when faced with the location of our Sun just within the framework of one midling galaxy. And then, of course, there is the entire Universe, composed of billions of galaxies...

Friday the 13th

Hola darlings! I am in a whirlwind of activity. On Sunday I will be in Chicago from practically dawn to well after dusk helping Shira Evans with the SOS Childrens Village Computer Labs project -- and so everything must get done tonight and tomorrow. Raked tonight, clean-up is next, I've got meetings scheduled with two brokers tomorrow because I decided to investigate selling this place and benefit from the $6,500 credit if I can ink a deal by 4/30/10 and close by 6/30/10 and hopefully put away a tidy sum in doing so by downsizing; on Monday I've got a painter coming to do the upstairs bath and big bedroom. I have much to do to get ready for the painter! Carpets and furniture being cleaned next weekend in preparation for Mr. Don's Christmas visit. I must schedule estimates for quotes on painting the great room, which soars two stories tall and I assume will take a crew working on scaffolding just to get paint on, and that's after some minor drywall repairs are done first. Whew! I also have miscellaneous repairs (such as doggy-chewed drywall from many years ago on the basement steps that I never repaired or replaced) to be completed. The huge old mirror in the bathroom is GOING! I'm getting a framed oval mirror that will match the finish of the new light fixture I had installed in the spring. I've finally decided to have a new floor put in the upstairs bath too - got to talk to the handyman about that. I expect the place will look so great when I'm finished I won't want to put it on the market after all :) Today is Friday the 13th, the Day of the Goddess. It was probably not a coincidence that the very first time I set eyes on my sister-of-the-heart, Isis, was on Friday, August 13, 1999, in Las Vegas when I flew in to watch the FIDE Knock-Out World Chess Championship at Caesar's Palace. Here's an old post from The Goddesschess Weave that Isis did way back when! Georgia Albert - 08:33am Jul 11, 1999 MST (#1086 of 1107) Reminder: We will be having a meeting at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada, August 13th, 1999, 8 PM. For further information please E-Mail me or Jan for details. Remember more the merrier. LOVE G May Manna Always be with You. It was the first time Isis and I met face to face, and the first time I'd been to Vegas since 1983. I may as well have travelled to Mars, it was that changed. I didn't recognize a single thing! I arrived the morning of Friday, August 13, 1999. I had a wonderful time there with Isis and Michelle, and watched many games of the FIDE Knock-Out World Chess Championship at Caesar's Palace while I was there (and got a sore butt doing so. Almost all of the games I watched went a full six hours). I did a whole series of posts covering that World Championship which we incorporated into its own archive. I'd intended this post to be a sort of review of some of the posts we did in The Weave at Goddesschess about the number 13 and the history of Friday the 13th (i.e., why some cultures consider it an unlucky day while others consider it fortuitous), but I'm too tired now to do it. I wish I was 33 again :)

Absolutely Hilarious!

No chess involved! Well - perhaps just a bit, because of the "nightmares" references... I just stumbled across this tonight at You Tube and got great stress-relieving laughs from it. I'm surprised SNL didn't come up with something like this. Absolutely brilliant! WARNING: YOU MUST BE TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO VIEW THIS VIDEO. DOUBLE WARNING: YOU MUST BE POLITICALLY IRREVERENT TO WATCH THIS VIDEO. TRIPLE WARNING: FOX NEWS FANS - GAG ME. Obama Does Thriller

Has the Lost Kingdom of Yamataikoku Been Found?

Fascinating article on an aspect of the ancient history of Japan. A kingdom ruled by a Queen - lost in the mists of time. 3rd-century building fuels debate over lost country BY YOSHITO WATARI AND KAZUAKI OWAKI THE ASAHI SHIMBUN 2009 11/12 SAKURAI, Nara Prefecture--The site of a third-century building found in the Makimuku ruins here has reignited debate over the location of Yamataikoku, a mysterious and powerful country once ruled by Queen Himiko. The discovery, announced by the Sakurai city board of education Tuesday, has strengthened the theory that the Kinai area was home to Yamataikoku, a country described in "Gishi Wajin-den," part of the Chinese book "Sanguo zhi" (History of the Three Kingdoms) written by Chen Shou in the late third century. Proponents of the theory say the building, estimated at 19.2 meters by 12.4 meters with a floor space of 238 square meters, could have been a central facility in Yamataikoku. However, those who back the theory that Yamataikoku was in Kyushu argue that a big building alone does not prove the Makimuku ruins were the center of the ancient country. The lack of major buildings in the Makimuku ruins, which date back from the late second century to the early fourth century, had been considered a "weak point" in the Kinai theory. That is because "Gishi Wajin-den" described Yamataikoku as having a palace, a watch tower and castle fences. The recently found building is not only the largest found at the site; it is also the biggest discovered in Japan from the early third century, which was during Himiko's reign. According to the Sakurai board of education, the building was aligned with three smaller buildings from the early third century, whose sites had been earlier discovered to the west in the Makimuku ruins. The central axis of each building forms a straight line. Each building is believed to have faced the same direction. Such careful planning for buildings was common for palaces and temples during the Asuka Period from the late sixth century to the early eighth century. But it had not been found at sites from the early third century. "The orderly alignment of the buildings from east to west is sure proof that they were part of the Yamataikoku royal palace," said Taichiro Shiraishi, director of the Chikatsu Asuka Museum in Osaka Prefecture. "They likely hit the jackpot this time." Part of the site of the large building was destroyed by an L-shaped ditch believed to have been a gravesite. Archaeologists determined that the large building was from the early third century because pottery found in the ditch was dated from the mid-third century. Only 5 percent of the Makimuku ruins has been excavated. But work is now under way in a 390-square-meter area to shed light on the central part of the ruins and, archaeologists hope, to uncover sites of more buildings. Despite the finding, Biten Yasumoto, editor in chief of the Yamataikoku periodical and a former professor at the Sanno Institute of Management, remains skeptical of the Kinai theory. "Researchers backing the Kinai theory tend to date pottery about a century too early," he said. "And the sites of large buildings have been found in Kyushu, too. They alone cannot be associated with Yamataikoku." Yasutami Suzuki, a professor of ancient history at Kokugakuin University, said the Kyushu theory used to be popular, but the Kinai theory has gained momentum in recent years thanks to archaeological research. However, he noted that specific artifacts symbolizing royal power need to be unearthed to prove the site was indeed the center of Yamataikoku. (IHT/Asahi: November 12,2009) Resources: Wikipedia entry on Himiko also known as Pimiko - there appears to be good documentary evidence in early Chinese sources supporting the historical existence of this Queen. What I found most striking in the brief histories given is the long line of female shamans associated with the royal family of Japan. Permission from authorities to conduct further excavations on a burial mound that archaeologists believe may be that of the legendary Queen Himiko has been denied thus far.

A Litle Bit of Chess Femme News

The New York Times Leaving a Bank for a Foundation Proved Rewarding November 11, 2009 Why would investment banker Marley Kaplan, who was pulling down big bucks in the early 1990's, go to work for a mere $25,000 a year at a non-profit? Read about The American Chess Foundation - now known as Chess-in-the-Schools - and the volunteers and financial supporters who make it tick. Great article! The Brownsville Herald Local chess story seeks national audience November 7, 2009 A documentary about the chess triumphs of predominantly Latino students in Brownsville, Texas, is in the works, along with a feature film! Both sound like winners to me. Chesslife Online Abby Marshall Previews the World Youth By Abby Marshall November 11, 2009 Denker winner Marshall (first female to win the title, but not the last) is going for the Gold in her age group. I'm trying to picture a 7-year old chess femme she mentioned meeting who has a 1700 rating - and here I am, having played chess off and on for 40 years, puttering around in the unrated 800-900s! Truly scary stuff! Article from SouthCoastToday.com No board-om here; girls excel at playing chess By MOIRA E. MCLAUGHLIN The Washington Post November 10, 2009 12:00 AM A first-ever girls-only tournament was a great success! The ladies say MORE MORE MORE! (Hosted by the U.S. Chess Center, serving Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia)

Lewis Chessmen Back in the News

This cropped up a few days ago - haven't had time to post it until this evening. I think the title is a little misleading; an alternate theory of how the pieces got to (or never left) the Isle of Lewis is proposed. Is it credible? Hell, is the original theory that the pieces were buried there by some travelling salesman credible? Beats me! Personally, I don't care how the pieces came to be on Lewis - I'd like to know more about the methods of production, see close-up photographs of ALL of the pieces instead of the piecemeal stuff one can find on the internet and in various books, learn more about whether more exact dates for the creation of the individual sets can be pinpointed with the latest dating methods (and the various problems associated with such dating techniques). It seems to be the consensus that the Lewis pieces were most likely produced in Trondheim in the late 12th century (c. 1170 ce). But - would Trondheim craftsmen have had a long enough time after chess was introduced to the area to develop a certain "school" of artistic tradition? I would like to know how it has been (if it has been) determined which pieces form sets, etc. For instance, this image from the article of two "berserkers" -- are they from the same set (representing the two different sides)? From different sets? What is up with the bug-eyed expression on these pieces and the shorter dude chewing on his shield? Are these actually Hnefatafl pieces that were pressed into service as chess pawns? Or meant to be used as both? So, I'm glad to see that more indepth research about the many pieces (93, from four different sets) is being done. I tried to track down the journal the article will be published in but I did not have much luck - seems they don't offer online subscriptions (not that I could afford it in any event, LOL!) or one-off purchase of articles of interest. Sigh. Article from the BBC News Doubts cast on Chessmen origins Page last updated at 10:38 GMT, Tuesday, 10 November 2009 New research has cast doubt on traditional theories about the historic Lewis Chessmen. The 93 pieces - currently split between museums in Edinburgh and London - were discovered on Lewis in 1831. But the research suggests they may have been used in both chess and Hnefatafl - a similar game that was popular in medieval Scandinavia. It also casts doubt on the traditional theory that the ivory pieces were lost or buried by a merchant. The research was led by Dr David Caldwell of the National Museum of Scotland, who believes the Lewis chessmen were more likely to have belonged to a high-ranking person who lived on Lewis. Dr Caldwell told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that many of the pieces could have doubled for Hnefatafl, another conflict game which also pitted a king against pawns or warriors on the other side. The ancient game has not survived into modern times. For the first time, they also tried to work out which pieces were made by the same groups of craftsmen by measuring the chessmen's faces, looking at their clothing, and studying details of the workmanship. Dr Caldwell added: "We certainly still believe the pieces are Scandinavian in origin, perhaps made in a workshop by several masters in a city like Trondheim. "But one of the main things I think we are saying in our research is that it is much more likely that the horde is in Lewis because it belonged to somebody who lived there rather than being abandoned by a merchant who was passing through. "To take a relatively easy example, there is a praise poem written in the middle of the 13th century to Angus Mor of Isla, and the poem says that he inherited his ivory chess pieces from his father Donald - that makes Angus the very first Macdonald, and the poem also makes him the king of Lewis. "Now you of course you would be foolish to implicitly believe everything in a praise poem, but nevertheless it gives you some idea that we are dealing with a society in the west of Scotland - great leaders like Angus Mor, bishops, clan chiefs - who really valued playing chess and saw it as being one of their accomplishments." He said that the analysis tried to recognise the work of different craftsmen, and home in on pieces which may be replacements for ones which had been broken or lost. They used a forensic anthropologist, Caroline Wilkinson based at Dundee University, to do a photogrammetric analysis of the faces as they believed individual craftsmen would have given their faces different characteristics, just like a modern-day political cartoonists. Plenty of mystery Dr Caldwell said the chessmen suggested that there was a reasonable amount of wealth in the western Isles in the 13th century, perhaps because the medieval economy placed greater value on fairly barren land that could be used to raise cattle. He added: "It was certainly leading men there, people who could make a lot of money either by raising cattle or frankly by going raiding - there was still in some ways a Viking way of life surviving into the 13th century." Despite the extensive research, Dr Caldwell said he still believed there was plenty of mystery surrounding the chessmen. "I would be very disappointed if we have written the last word on the - what I hope we have done is opened up the debate and shown it is possible, even with something very well known, to discover new things," he said. The research will be published this week in the journal Medieval Archaeology. Of the 93 pieces found, 82 are kept at the British Museum, with 11 held by the National Museum of Scotland. Calls have been made for all of the pieces, which were made from walrus ivory and whales' teeth, to be returned to Lewis. Here is a bit more information in an article from The Press and Journal. Famous figures may have been used to play hnefatfl rather than chess, researchers claim New light shed on origins of Lewis Chessmen By Joanna Skailes Published: 11/11/2009 Research has shed new light on the world’s most famous chess set. A major study involving Tayside researchers has revealed a different interpretation of the origins and uses of the iconic Lewis Chessmen. The figures, believed to have been made in Scandinavia, were found in 1832. The majority are in the British Museum’s collection and 11 are owned by the National Museum of Scotland. The study challenges the widely-held view they were part of a merchant’s hoard when they were buried in Lewis and finds they may have belonged to a bishop or a clan chief. The research, led by David Caldwell, Keeper of Scotland in Europe at National Museums Scotland, was yesterday published in the journal Medieval Archaeology. He worked with Mark Hall, of Perth Museum and Art Gallery, and Caroline Wilkinson, a forensic anthropologist at Dundee University. The accepted version of the hoard’s discovery is that it was recovered by a local man, Malcolm MacLeod, from the sand dunes at Ardroil on the south side of Uig Strand. Mr Caldwell and his co-authors believe it is more likely they were found at Mealasta, a few miles south of Uig Strand, where there was a mediaeval settlement. This could mean, they argue, that they could have belonged to a significant local figure. The researchers also found some of the pieces may date from the early 13th century rather than the 12th century and they may have been used for games other than chess – primarily hnefatfl, popular in the medieval Scandinavian world. Their work showed the pieces could be divided into groups, possibly representing the work of five different craftsmen. Mr Caldwell said: “These are arguably the most famous treasures to come out of the ground in Scotland, and have worldwide recognition, so the danger is that we assume we know all there is to be known about them. “We hope that this research proves it is always possible to cast new light on these fascinating pieces.” Western Isles SNP MSP Alasdair Allan said: “It is certainly interesting to hear that they have may belonged to somebody relevant on Lewis rather than somebody passing through. “If that is the case it even further strengthens the case for their return to Scotland.” The research will feature in the major touring exhibition on the Lewis Chessmen, held in partnership with the British Museum and with funding from the Scottish Government, which will open in Edinburgh in May, 2010, and then be on show in Aberdeen Art Gallery in October, 2010. Shetland Museum will host it in January, 2011 and it will move to Stornoway in April that year.

9 Queens - Upcoming Events!

That fabulous organization, 9 Queens, which teaches femmes and hommes of all ages skills needed to enable them to get control of their lives through learning the skills that chess teaches us, has some upcoming events: Tucson, Arizona Ladies of Tucson…get ready for the next 9 Queens Chess Academy! When: November, 15 from 2-4 pm Where: The Bookmans Low Lounge of Sahuaro Girl Scout Resorce Center (located at the corner of Broadway and Columbus). Don’t know how to play chess? Come and learn the rules and how the pieces move in a fun, non-competitive environment. Already know the rules and how to play? Learn new tactics and strategies to improve your game. Meet other female chess players in Tucson and join the growing community of Tucson chess queens. Many thanks to Bookmans and the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council for their continued support of 9 Queens and our chess programs for women and girls. For more information email Jean Hoffman. This free chess workshop is exclusively for women and girls of all ages and abilities.

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Tucson, Arizona 9 Queens and Kings Southside Library Tournament When: November 21 from 10-4 pm, 9 Queens Where: Valencia Public Library, 202 West Valencia Road The Pima County Public Library and 9 Queens host the 9 Queens and Kings Southside Library Tournament. This free chess tournament is open to chess players of all ages, and is a perfect first tournament for anyone new to the game. For more information please email Jean Hoffman.

Computer Labs for Kids: Update on SOS Childrens Village

Getting ready - it will be here on November 15th! Some photos from several that Shira Evans sent. First photo: The venue where we will be teaching the kids how to use the Dell notebook computers. It's beautiful! Second photo: Starting set-up and testing. Third photo: Further along in set-up and testing - a double row of notebook computers. This is the largest project yet that Shira's Foundation has undertaken, and the very first in which teaching-chess software (generously contributed by GM Susan Polgar) is being downloaded to the 28 computers that will be donated to the children at the end of the CL4K class.

Iran Bitches About Scholarship in Name of Neda

Story from Yahoo News, reported by Associated Press (AP)(c). Iran condemns Oxford for honoring slain protester By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press Writer – Wed Nov 11, 4:01 pm ET TEHRAN, Iran – Iran has protested to an Oxford University college over a scholarship in memory of the slain Iranian student who became an icon of mass street protests sparked by the disputed June election. In Tehran, a small group of hard-line women demonstrated Wednesday against the scholarship in front of the British Embassy. The women chanted "Death to Britain," the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Oxford's Queen's College established the Neda Agha Soltan Graduate Scholarship in Philosophy earlier this year, named for the 27-year-old student fatally shot on June 20 on the sidelines of a Tehran demonstration. Her dying moments were caught on a video viewed by millions on the Internet, and she became a potent symbol of the opposition's struggle. "It seems that the University of Oxford has stepped up involvement in a politically motivated campaign which is not only in sharp contrast with academic objectives" but also linked to British interference in Iran's post-election turmoil, Iran's Embassy in London said in a letter to the provost of the British university's college. Queen's College confirmed it had received the letter dated Tuesday. Iran has in the past accused Britain of playing a role in the protests following the June 12 presidential election and meddling in its internal affairs. The opposition said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the election by fraud. But hard-liners have described the massive protests as a plot by Iran's enemies to overthrow the system of clerical rule through a 'velvet revolution.' The Iranian letter said Soltan's "suspicious death" is still a criminal case being investigated by the police at home. It said she had been shot on an isolated street far from the protesters and her "murderers" had filmed her and her companions for 20 minutes before the killing. The letter also mentioned Arash Hejazi, an Iranian doctor who was with Soltan at the time she was shot and said he tried to save her life. Hejazi is studying at Oxford and was visiting Iran at the time. "Surprising, an Oxford fellow, Mr. Arash Hejazi, who had arrived in Iran two days before Neda's killing, was present on the scene when she was bleeding to death and immediately left for London the day after her horrible death," the letter said. "There is further supporting evidence indicating a pre-made scenario and other complications yet to be investigated. In July, a couple weeks after Soltan's death, Iran's police chief said intelligence officials were seeking Hejazi. That came after Hejazi returned to London and told the BBC that Soltan apparently was shot by a member of the volunteer Basij militia, which is linked to Iran's powerful and elite Revolutionary Guard corps. Hejazi said protesters spotted an armed member of the militia on a motorcycle, and stopped and disarmed him. Iranian police claimed this was a fabrication and the incident had nothing to do with the street riots. Police did not say why officials want Hejazi, but the regime repeatedly has implicated protesters and foreign agents in Soltan's death. The protesters in Tehran Wednesday accused Hejazi of being behind Soltan's killing and demanded his extradition, even though he is not facing any charges in Iran. "We want you to extradite Neda Agha Soltan Murderer" read a placard carried by the women. They also chanted "U.K. and U.S. perpetrators." The provost of Queen's College, Paul Madden, said the names of scholarships were decided, "within reason," by donors. The college did not disclose the donors behind the Soltan scholarship, but said the key individual was a British citizen who is well known to the college. The scholarship is open to all philosophy students, with preference given to Iranians and those of Iranian descent. The first holder is Arianne Shahvisi, studying for a master's degree in the philosophy of physics.

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I found it interesting that there were no photographs accompanying this AP article showing the women protestors against the UK and USA. Makes me wonder - how many were there? One? Two? Couldnt' the ruling regime bribe more of them to come out and parade around in their burkas? Compare to the photo I found at The Wall Street Journal's coverage of the Iranian 30th anniversary of the "revolution" and takover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. During the government-sponsored photo-ops, anti-government protestors took to the streets and their images were captured and broadcast world-wide via cell phone and You Tube videos. The photo I published above shows several women (I counted ten) in the midst of the protests with Iranian police threatening them with batons, etc. on November 5, 2009. Here is the link to the article and the caption to the photo: European Pressphoto Agency Iranian riot police clash with protesters criticizing the government in Tehran on Wednesday, the same day as an annual anti-American rally organized by the state.

Chess Training - 4

I have won another game by resignation - but under duress! This was my most recent game with Shira. She resigned - I didn't even realize it until tonight, duh, since once again the email notification from redhotpawn.com was not working. Damn! I was somewhat pleased with how this game was progressing and thought I had good battling chances. I thought Shira and I would be in for further battle and I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately for my training (selfish Jan), Shira is super-busy right now getting ready for the November 15, 2009 class with the kids at SOS Childrens Village of Illinois in Chicago for her Computer Labs for Kids Foundation, in addition to performing her current work assignment for her employer. Shira was distracted, not playing her best, and just didn't have the time to play this game. So - this was a cheap victory for me. [Event "Challenge"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2009.10.29"] [EndDate "2009.11.10"] [Round "?"] [White "shira"] [Black "Shakerjan"] [WhiteRating "1385"] [BlackRating "1167"] [WhiteELO "1385"] [BlackELO "1167"][Result "0-1"] [GameId "6842016"] 1. d4 d5 2. Ng1f3 Nb8c6 3. Bc1g5 Bc8f5 4. c3 Qd8d7 5. e3 O-O-O 6. Bf1b5 f6 7. Bg5f4 g5 8. Bf4g3 h6 9. Nb1d2 e6 10. O-O h5 11. h4 g4 12. Nf3e1 Ng8e7 13. Qd1e2 Ne7g6 14. e4 dxe4 15. Nd2xe4 Bf8e7 16. Ne1d3 e5 17. dxe5 Qd7e6 18. Bb5xc6 Qe6xc6 19. Rf1e1 Qc6xe4 20. Qe2xe4 Bf5xe4 21. exf6 Be7xf6 0-1 You know, I prayed recently for some chess victories - but I didn't expect victories this way. My new coach, Brian Wall, defaulted on TWO games we were playing at chessgames.com when he went for a long weekend visit out of state and missed the three-day time limit on moves. Great, just great! Now my rating is grossly inflated at chessgames.com and no doubt next Anand will be looking me up as a sparring partner. Ha! So, B and I arranged last night via email to play a new game. Except - before I had a chance to challenge him when I got home from work this evening (I don't make it a habit to play chess online while I'm working), he challenged me to not one, but TWO games. This time, I'm black in both games. At least the first time around I was white in one of our games. I could have rejected one or both of the challenges to play, but I accepted both. A sucker (me) is born every minute. So, I challenged B to a game where I would be white, except I didn't press the right button or something, so I now have no idea what color I'll end up being (three guesses - BLACK!) LOL!