Teacher's College - NYC (Oct. 1940) ... FSU - Custodians are not 'just' janitors (Feb. 29, 2012) ...item 2.. American memory champion reveals secrets to his incredible total recall (24 March 2012) ...

Teacher's College - NYC (Oct. 1940) ... FSU - Custodians are not 'just' janitors (Feb. 29, 2012) ...item 2.. American memory champion reveals secrets to his incredible total recall (24 March 2012) ...

Image by marsmet451
To be fair, contemplating the trials of being a custodian is not something that constantly crosses our minds or, when it happens to flit through our thoughts, is a dramatic or news worthy event compared to a shootout involving police or firefighters saving peoples’ lives.
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.....item 1).... FSU News ... www.fsunews.com ... Custodians are not 'just' janitors ...

Written by Adrian Chamberlin
Staff Writer

FILED UNDER FSU News
FSU News Views

Why custodians and other service professionals deserve more respect
4:44 PM, Feb. 29, 2012

www.fsunews.com/article/20120301/FSVIEW03/120229028/Custo...

There are many unsung heroes in our society who do jobs for little or no thanks and recognition. Everyone knows to revere firemen and police officers, but one is hard pressed to find people who proudly voice their admiration or sincere respect for custodial staff or waste management professionals. To be fair, contemplating the trials of being a custodian is not something that constantly crosses our minds or, when it happens to flit through our thoughts, is a dramatic or news worthy event compared to a shootout involving police or firefighters saving peoples’ lives. Though the realization may not have ever occurred to us, the truth is that custodial staff, here at FSU and anywhere else, actually plays a very important role in keeping our society running smoothly.

I am no expert on what it is like to be a custodian, but even my own limited observations have shown me just how much crap they have to put up with—no pun intended. There are standard job requirements for a custodian, such as mopping or sweeping and basic cleaning, but there are often unnecessary tasks they must spend time on created by us, the people they are cleaning up after, which unfairly burden people who already work with little to no thanks given by those they are helping. Those burdens would include time-consuming tasks, such as dealing with the mess left by residents in the same hall in which I live. Messes such as: shaving cream on a door, done as retribution for an earlier prank; dust all over the floor of the hallway, left behind when a rubber balloon or ball filled with flour or powder exploded while being used for catch; and, as the proverbial cherry on top of this oh-so-wonderful sundae, a person who serially sh*ts in the showers. Yes, you read that last one correctly; a serial shower sh*tter.

Sanitary concerns and ridiculous immaturity aside, the seeming laundry list of time consuming and extraneous tasks serve to throw the difficulties of custodial work at this university or anywhere into what I hope is sharp relief. The custodial staff and resident assistants’ jobs are difficult and under appreciated as it is, and we all do not need to add to that with insensitivity and stupid antics that leave messes in our wake.
Whether you are one of the people guilty of that casual and insulting indifference who adds to the problems, or an office worker who only bumps into the custodians when working late, or someone who simply who does give much thought to janitors, showing them the respect they deserve is surprisingly simple.

Ask the custodian his or her name when you see them; stop for a quick chat about sports or something on the news; spare 30 seconds out of your day to thank the person who makes sure the building you live or work in is clean and pleasant to be in. The custodians will likely thank you for it, and you will be able to go about your day knowing that you did a basic courtesy and made yourself all the better for it.
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.....item 2).... Mail Online ... www.dailymail.co.uk/news ... 'Everyone can do this': American memory champion reveals secrets to his incredible total recall

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
UPDATED: 10:38 EST, 24 March 2012

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119747/USA-memory-champ...

He can memorize the order of a full deck of shuffled cards in 63 seconds and more than 300 numbers in just five minutes, yet Nelson Dellis claims he has no special or photographic inherent memory.

The 2011 USA Memory Championship winner, who is defending his title in New York today, says that anyone can do what he does.

The 28-year-old from Miami claims that all it takes, like any other physical challenge, is training and practice.

Scroll down for video
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img code photo ... Nelson Dellis, 28

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/24/article-2119747-125031...

Nelson Dellis, 28, the 2011 USA Memory Championship winner is defending his title in New York today

CNN

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img code photo ... 2011 Championship adjudicator Tony Dottino ... Nelson Dellis

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/03/14/article-0-0B26F8690000...

2011 Championship adjudicator Tony Dottino holds up a card for Nelson Dellis, who recites from memory the order of two full shuffled decks

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One of Dellis' goals is to convince people that they can do the kinds of things he does. Another is to raise money by climbing mountains for Alzheimer's disease research.

Deliis was motivated to improve his memory after seeing his grandmother Josephine deteriorate and gradually lose her memory to Alzheimer's.

'I have this memory of sitting at a table having dinner with her, my grandfather and me. And she said, 'When is Nelson coming here?'' Dellis recalled, reports CNN.

'I was sitting right in front of her. ... It never hit me like that.'.

Scroll down for video
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img code photo ... Charity climb

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/03/14/article-1366212-0B2C75...

Charity climb: A keen mountaineer, Mr Dellis plans to climb Mount Everest in a bid to raise money for research into Alzheimer's disease

climbformemory.com

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Dellis began researching methods to improve the mind online and learned about memory competitions.

Mental athletes claiming to have average memories would use mnemonics - such as associating numbers with images - to quickly memorize vast amounts of words, cards and numbers.

'For people to say, 'I have an average memory and can memorize a deck of cards,' I needed to see if I could do it,' Dellis told CNN.

He began using audio books by past champions and entered the 2009 USA Memory Championship, where he failed to make an impact.

Then Josephine died in the summer of 2009.
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img code photo ... Family incentive

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/03/14/article-1366212-0B26F9...

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/03/14/article-1366212-0B2C75...

Family incentive: Mr Dellis, with his championship trophy at the weekend, started memory training and his charity after his late grandmother developed Alzheimer's

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'It really struck me (when she died) that my memory was something I had to take care of. I was suddenly afraid for myself ... I wanted to do something for myself, for her.' he told CNN.

At the 2010 USA Memory Championship, Dellis surprised everyone by finishing in the top-three.

And in 2011 he broke his old speed numbers record, getting 248 in five minutes as well as breaking the 87 second speed cards record of two-time U.S. champion Ron White, memorizing a deck in 63 seconds.
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img code photo ... Preparing for today's 2012 competition

i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/24/article-2119747-125032...

Preparing for today's 2012 competition, Dellis has been training for five hours daily

CNN
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'My message is: Everyone can do this,' said Dellis, who tells people he used to be horrible with names, reports CNN.

'People, names, dates, numbers - put it all together, it's almost like I have different weapons to fight against things that come into my head all day long.'

Regarding his fight against Alzheimer's, Dellis plans to make another attempt at climbing Mt. Everest in 2013, with a goal of raising 0,000.

Preparing for today's competition, Dellis has been training for five hours daily.

In practice, his best speed cards time is now 33.13 seconds, and his best five-minute digit number is 340 - still far from the world records of 21.19 seconds and 500 digits, reports CNN.

Watch video here:
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52.45 - Bra face cake!

Image by dichohecho
This is what the lovely lingerie girls gave me as leaving presents. I feel very loved :)
I wasn't expecting anything, maybe a card or a hug. But I got amazing cake and chocolate and flowers!
The bra in the picture is a Mid-length Doreen :D
(Asda(and Sainsbury's I think) will print photos onto cakes for you)

Monday: Bank Holiday and a day off! Yay! Sat about at home, possibly tidying?
Tuesday: Went and picked up Amy and drove us to Exeter, where we parked and rode. Unfortunately Lydia was in Barnstaple and not there, but we did manage to find Meg and have lunch with her during her break (she commutes from Taunton). We looked about and investigated Debenhams. I bought some strange foot tube things that stop you getting injured by flip flops. They're not the most attractive things, but neither are great big rubbed patches. And they were only 75p for 2 pairs...
We saw an evangelist (with American accent and a megaphone) and gospel choir in the city centre, it was quite amusing but they were talking about local shopping, not Jesus. It was a good idea for promoting local shops, but they needed placards and comprehensible speech to get their message across properly...
We tried to find me exciting pre-raphaelite things to wear at a garden party thingy that I'm going to on Saturday and ended up with a Primark beach dress (£2).
Wednesday: 10.30-5 Kate made nice chicken for supper, can't remember what else happened!
Thursday: Bought Leibniz Zoo biscuits from the reduced section in the County Stores as a keep-me-going snack. Worked 10-2. Then went to the library to read Which magazine for travel insurance and money tips, and to Tesco for bread. Was really tired and hungry when I got home. And Dad, Kate and Grandma hadn't eaten the bacon which was going out of date. And I couldn't smell it to see if it was safe to eat, and it dripped bacon water everywhere. I had a BLCucumber in the end but couldn't taste it very well because of my (still) blocked nose :(
Friday: Mum went to London to see Anna by bus. 1.05-6.05. Sheila gave me a goodbye cuddle as I wasn't going to be working with her again. I bought travel insurance.
Saturday: I went to Tesco on my way to work and bought Celebrations (big box for Saturday and a little one for Sheila on Monday) and Peach Schnapps for the evening. Worked 8.50-3.20. Julie turned up early so I wasn't on my own at all which was nice. I got viciously attacked by a staple so I have a rip across the back of my hand now. When Hannah came in at 2 they all gave me my presents! Clearly not slacking.
When I finished I went back round to make sure my strapless bra was right and pick up my cake. I took photos of the others posing behind the counter and pulling faces like the models in the display photos :)
Thennn I went home and changed, had supper and went out again. Drove to Meg's and got ready/had a few drinks there, then (rather later than intended) Amy drove us into town where we met Abby and Hannah from work. In Perkin we bumped into the creepy old cleaner who's obsessed with Hannah (ohfun!), then we saw a fire engine outside Debenhams on our way to Mambo. Meg's ex-boyfriend and his friends were all there celebrating someone's birthday so we joined in. After a while we decided we'd had enough for the night and Amy dropped us back at Meg's house.
Sunday: Had a very nice breakfast with Meg. Then decided to go home and see Mum (who came back on Saturday evening) instead of embarking on a big trip to the beach (Lyme Regis). Had barbecued things & salad for lunch, made flapjack in the afternoon. We went to the pub quiz and didn't do as well as last time, our (4/5) family team came 5th or so.

think of sixteen things

Image by osiatynska
ONE
The only thing I cannot think of for this exercise.

TWO
The number of variants of an item I tend to select; for instance, when buying clothes and accessories I follow an urge to get two of a kind in two different colors. I derive satisfaction from balancing or completing phenomena by forming pairs—the most basic of sets or classes.

THREE
The number of children I think I want, possibly named Lily, Lucy and Lena.

FOUR
A palpably favorite digit since forever and [as I eventually discovered] my numerology number. To my symmetry-loving mind—the pinnacle of elegance.

FIVE
My age during a first-ever visit to America, when three months must have seemed like a grown-up’s decade and the memories formed would undermine some of my inner Pole.

SIX
The number of people I spoke to before talking to my first [and last] future and former boss Claudia during a courtesy interview with the ad agency DDB New York, when I was fresh out of grad school and looking for my first real job.

SEVEN
The age Polish kids are when they start first grade. Not six, seven. And we finish school and start university one year later. After that we tend to go straight for a five-year MA track, and that makes up the difference. But I went to college in the US. Colorado College and Syracuse.

EIGHT
Is also a very symmetrical number. A cube and a Möbius strip. And the perfect quantity of items to have in one’s kit. [Collapsible titanium chopsticks, minty toothpicks, moo flickr cards...]

NINE
Is a word that would make a fantastic invented brand name [were it not already a meaningful number]. It has patterns and brevity, no wishy-washy curvatures and lively angles and diagonals. It’s stuff like this I notice constantly as a professional namer.

TEN
The number of minutes by which I’m off when calculating my estimated times of departure from home. It’s as if the momentum necessary for leaving the house can be sourced and re-distributed, so that by leaving a little later you save yourself an instance of momentum-generating on another occasion. Dishwasher. Dryer. Sweep. That e-mail. Change Kanika’s water. Garbage.

ELEVEN
The age my sister Magda was during that visit in America. [See number 5.]

TWELVE
The number of years ahead of me before I turn 43, which is unimaginable to me at this time but will no doubt make plenty of sense eventually. The passage of time can be impossible to fathom, or to accept, one minute—prosaic the next.

THIRTEEN
A baker's dozen, of interest for its wealth of cultural etymology and a satisfying read for the linguist/semiotician.

FOURTEEN
Possibly half of the number of spokes on a bicycle wheel, which comes to mind merely because I love riding a bike around Warsaw for transportation and dog purposes, and I’m anxious for warmer weather so I can get back on the saddle. Or saddles, more accurately, because there are two.

FIFTEEN
The number of items on a list I made recently of the things I have baked that I will bake again and thus can consider my own arsenal of recipes and culinary ideas. From the easiest slow-risen breadsticks and yeasted rose-petal coffee cake to certain chocolate cookies I’ve made three times just last week, it’s all there. Some kind of presentation is in order.

SIXTEEN
The number of months that have passed since I went pro on flickr, and the number of hours I spent on flickr in the average week during the first year. I love this curious community and testing site, and I’ve learned more here about noticing the form and content of photographs, synthesizing thoughts and the principles of reciprocity than I have from any other activities.