February 2012
7 posts
4 tags
Crossword Kathy : Core O’Nations →
Just posted my thoughts on Sunday’s NYT crossword puzzle.
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Penn class teaches students how to live like monks →
Looking for a wild-and-crazy time at college? Don’t sign up for Justin McDaniel’s religious studies class.
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Crossword Kathy : Additional Reading →
Just posted my thoughts on Sunday’s NYT crossword puzzle.
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Educators criticize proposed Pa. schools funding →
Educators who say they are still grappling with about $860 million in state cuts this year are criticizing proposed school funding levels in next year’s budget, which they contend will cause more hardships on districts statewide.
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Pa. universities face steep cuts in gov's budget... →
State universities still trying to recover from deep cuts last year would have their public funding slashed even further under a budget plan unveiled Tuesday, leading some institutions to warn of a choice between maintaining buildings and offering academic programs students need to graduate.
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Earlier abuse claims to be allowed at Philly... →
Prosecutors overseeing a child sex-abuse case involving three Roman Catholic priests can reference molestation claims against more than 20 other clergymen to try to establish a pattern of how such allegations were handled, a judge ruled Monday.
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Crossword Kathy : State Annexation →
How good are you at U.S. geographic trivia? Because this puzzle is predicated on state postal abbreviations, of all things.
January 2012
13 posts
4 tags
Crossword Kathy : Networking Event →
Channel surfers will have a field day with Sunday’s NYT crossword puzzle.
Swarthmore sunset
jimmacmillan:
I caught this sunset as my train pulled into the Swarthmore SEPTA station tonight.
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Pa. teacher policies get D+ from national... →
Pennsylvania has made moderate progress compared with other states in preparing, retaining and rewarding effective teachers, but it is particularly bad at getting rid of poor instructors, according to a report released this week.
Snow White’s Employment Agency :: Crossword Kathy →
Thank you, Will Shortz and puzzle creator Adam Fromm, for giving me an awful earworm today: “Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work we go …”
Photos: Icy coating in Philadelphia today
jimmacmillan:
The overnight snowfall looked beautiful from my rooftop in the Center City section of Philadelphia this morning but it was a cold, wet mess at ground level, and left an icy coating on every sign of summer recreation. ©2011 Photos by Jim MacMillan jim@jimmacmillan.com http://jimmacmillan.com See the full gallery on Posterous
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Pa. officials clear some school districts in cheat... →
State officials looking into possible cheating on state standardized tests have cleared more than 20 districts and several charter schools of wrongdoing, though the investigation is not yet over, an Education Department spokesman said Wednesday.
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Weather Report :: Crossword Kathy →
A weather report? I gotcher weather report right here: I was 60 degrees warmer at this time yesterday.
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Doing Without :: Crossword Kathy →
Sorry for the late post! I was in Aruba last week and had to “do without” — as today’s title serendipitously puts it — the NYT crossword puzzle. I know, poor me.
On Vacation « Crossword Kathy →
On vacation! Back with two posts on Jan. 15!
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48 Catholic Schools In Philly To Close, Reorganize →
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia plans to shutter about a quarter of its Roman Catholic high schools and close or combine nearly 30 percent of its elementary schools mainly because of rising costs and low enrollment, officials said Friday.
Addendum « Crossword Kathy →
Hmmmmm. I think today’s fairly easy NYT crossword puzzle was constructed with hangovers in mind. Happy New Year!
December 2011
14 posts
6 tags
Advocates: More gay-friendly senior housing needed →
At age 62, Donald Carter knows his arthritis and other age-related infirmities will not allow him to live indefinitely in his third-floor walk-up apartment in Philadelphia. But as a low-income renter, Carter has limited options. And as a gay black man, he’s concerned his choice of senior living facilities might be narrowed further by the possibility of intolerant residents or staff members.
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Penn State, historic flooding top Pa. news in 2011 →
Though historic flooding, power outages and a nationwide protest movement made numerous headlines in 2011, two words sum up the biggest story of the year: Penn State.
Ain’t He Sweet :: Crossword Kathy →
Mmmmm! The NYT crossword puzzle has a hidden Christmas treat in it!
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Philly district posts more data on school violence →
Local education officials have begun releasing more detailed information about school violence in an effort to address an issue that both administrators and parents say has plagued the learning environment for too long.
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Again? :: Crossword Kathy →
Sunday’s theme kept it plain and simple, like my weekend in Amish country.
Philly abortion doc charged with running pill mill →
A doctor charged with severing the spinal cords of babies born alive at his abortion clinic also wrote thousands of illegal prescriptions for painkillers and sedatives out of the now-closed business, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
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Abu-Jamal: I'm off death row, surprised by DA move →
Convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal said he was surprised and somewhat disappointed that he did not get a new sentencing hearing in the racially charged murder case that had kept him on death row for nearly 30 years.
Holiday lights in Philadelphia
jimmacmillan:
I grabbed this picture of holiday lighting recently, also showing Philly’s landmark clothespin sculpture and the William Penn statue atop the city hall tower in the background. ©2011 Photo by Jim MacMillan.
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Taking Half Steps :: Crossword Kathy →
Is that music I hear? Today’s puzzle is another reason to thank my mom for making me take piano lessons when I was young.
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Widow OKs no death penalty for Mumia Abu-Jamal →
Maureen Faulkner waited nearly 30 years for her husband’s murderer to be executed. But following a seemingly endless cycle of legal appeals, she said she realized it would never happen. On Wednesday, Faulkner gave her blessing to the decision by Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams to stop pursuing the death penalty for Mumia Abu-Jamal.
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Philly controller: 8 empty schools threaten safety →
Eight vacant schools pose public safety risks because of on-site drug use, vandalism or structural issues, and at least one should be demolished immediately, city Controller Alan Butkovitz said Tuesday.
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Swapping Partners :: Crossword Kathy →
Today’s puzzle was hardly as racy or exciting as the title “Swapping Partners” implies.
November 2011
13 posts
Yin/Yang :: Crossword Kathy →
If you didn’t figure out today’s theme from either the puzzle title (“Yin/Yang”) or the beautifully designed grid, you need to spend more time doing NYT crosswords.
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Mayor gives Occupy Philly 48 hours to move camp →
The mayor on Friday notified members of Occupy Philadelphia that they have 48 hours to dismantle their tent encampment at City Hall to make way for a long-planned $50 million renovation project. Mayor Michael Nutter would not specify what actions officials would take if protesters did not remove the approximately 200 tents and other items from Dilworth Plaza by 5 p.m. Sunday.
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Penn State recovery gets boost from Freeh's hiring →
As a dyed-in-the-wool Penn State alumnus, Jeff Jubelirer watched helplessly as his beloved alma mater became engulfed in an explosive child sex-abuse scandal this month. As a crisis communications specialist, he cringed.
Figure It Out :: Crossword Kathy →
Today’s crossword had a semi-bizarre, puzzle-within-a-puzzle. Meh.
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Pa. gov. pushes vouchers during Philly school... →
Gov. Tom Corbett visited a Philadelphia charter school Wednesday to rally support for his education reform initiative, which includes vouchers for students at the state’s worst-performing schools and a new teacher evaluation system.
Either Way :: Crossword Kathy →
A Facebook meme came through my news feed the other day — something about National Palindrome Day – but I didn’t bother to click on it.
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Calls grow for Penn St president's exit in scandal →
Calls for the ouster of Penn State President Graham Spanier over for his handling of a child sex abuse case on campus grew on Tuesday as a top state lawmaker and two newspaper editorial boards joined online groups and petitions in demanding his removal.
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Philly mural will show brotherly love to The Roots →
As a teen, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter got busted for graffiti and was ordered by a judge to perform 150 hours of what he called “scrub time” — cleaning up such vandalism by painting murals. More than 20 years later, it seems all is forgiven in his hometown. Philadelphia is showing some brotherly love to Trotter and the Grammy-winning band he co-founded, The Roots, by...
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Baker’s Dozen :: Crossword Kathy →
You don’t need a sweet tooth to solve today’s NYT crossword puzzle, but it might help.
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Philly plans 9 school closings amid low enrollment →
City education officials on Wednesday proposed closing nine public schools and reconfiguring more than a dozen others in an effort to save money and streamline operations in the face of major enrollment declines.
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Occupy Philly arrests made at Comcast headquarters →
Nine demonstrators from Occupy Philadelphia were arrested Wednesday at the headquarters of cable giant Comcast Corp. in a protest of what they called corporate greed.
October 2011
17 posts
7 tags
Pa. researchers unable to unearth Irish mass grave →
The Irish immigrants building a stretch of railroad near Philadelphia in 1832 had been in the U.S. only a few weeks when they died - ostensibly of cholera - and were unceremoniously dumped in a mass grave. Their families never knew what happened to them. Nearly 180 years later, local researchers say they have a clearer picture of the men’s fate.
Crossword Kathy :: Hollywood From Right To Left →
Got Sunday’s NYT crossword puzzle a day early and a dollar cheaper. What a country.
