Chess Benefits New York City Children

January 19 2011 by KSN in North America |Comments Off on Chess Benefits New York City Children

The New York City Schools Chess Program Report

“The New York City Schools Chess Program Report is impressive, here is what Chrisine Palm writes in1990. In its four-year existence, NYCHESS has proven that:”

“a. Chess instills in young players a sense of self-confidence and self-worth

b. Chess dramatically improves a child’s ability to think rationally

c. Chess increases cognitive skills

d. Chess improves children’s communication skills and aptitude in recognizing patterns

e. Chess results in higher grades, especially in English and Math studies . . .”

(KSN) Some of the benefits of chess, for children, may be related to the tactical combinations that often happen in the chess middle game. Mental calculations are essential in these complex chess positions, for chess players need to imagine future positions of pieces on the board.

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Smithsonian Blog Post Blasts Potential Discoverers of Living Pterosaurs

January 13 2011 by KSN in North America, Southwest Pacific |1 Comment

(KSN) According to Wikipedia, “The Smithsonian Institution was founded for the ‘increase and diffusion’ of knowledge.” But a blog post on the Smithsonian site seems to condemn any person involved with searching for living dinosaurs or living pterosaurs. The author of the post, Brian Switek, mentions “hucksters,” “overly-credulous wildlife enthusiasts,” and “showmen,” not mentioning names at first. When he does mention names, they are “Jim Blume” and “David Woetzel,” and he dismisses them because they are “creationist explorers.” Switek’s post is evaluated on another blog: “Ropen Dismissed by Smithsonian.”

At the end of the Smithsonian blog post, after seeming to condemn anyone who has searched for living pterosaurs, Switek admits the possibility that a long-tailed pterosaur might still be living.

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Chinese Leader Surprised by Jet Test

January 11 2011 by KSN in Asia |Comments Off on Chinese Leader Surprised by Jet Test

During the visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, appeared surprised to learn that the Chinese military had just conducted a test of their new stealth fighter.

(NY Times, Jan 11, 2011) Staging the test flight of the long-secret J-20 while Mr. Gates was in Beijing amounted to an unusually bold show of force by China. But the demonstration also raised questions about the degree of civilian control of the Chinese military, as President Hu Jintao and other civilian leaders gave their American visitors the impression that they were unaware that the test had been conducted only hours before they received Mr. Gates . . .

The new Chinese jet may be similar to the U.S. F-22 Raptor.

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Long Beach, California, licensed child care

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Houston Chronicle Denies Dinosaurs in Texas

January 8 2011 by KSN in North America |1 Comment

(KSN) One of the largest newspapers in the United States, the Houston Chronicle, printed an article dismissive of dinosaurs flying over southwest Texas (mid-December, 2010, by Claudia Feldman). It did admit that something strange causes Marfa Lights. But a cryptozoologist from California answered that dismissal with a bit of philosophy:

“Major newspapers rarely take any position directly opposing a basic cultural tradition of their society. It comes as no surprise that a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle would avoid giving credence to the idea that “dinosaurs” are flying in the respectable state of Texas.”

That cryptozoologist, Jonathan Whitcomb, wrote a book that included the suggestion that the mysterious Marfa Lights are caused by bioluminescent flying animals that may be extant pterosaurs. The Houston Chronicle prefers extinction.

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Another Earthquake Hits Chile

January 3 2011 by KSN in South America |Comments Off on Another Earthquake Hits Chile

Although not nearly as massive as the earthquake that hit Chile one year ago, Sunday’s shaker measured 7.1.

(CNN) The quake, which stuck around 5:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m. ET), was felt as far away as Santiago, roughly 595 km (370 miles) north of where the USGS said the quake occurred. The epicenter was more than 10 miles underground, the USGS said.

. . . people ran into the streets, but did not report any major damage. . . . The temblor cut some telephone and electricity lines, according to Chile’s national emergency office . . .

In February [2010], an 8.8-magnitude quake hit Chile near the nation’s second largest city, Concepcion, killing hundreds. Sunday’s quake struck roughly 100 miles south of Concepcion.

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