Just got tagged – via trackback feature – by my friend Kevin (guiding light of the Youth Radio project) to share 5 things about myself others might not know. Hmmmm…..

1. I am a 4th generation Californian. My paternal great-grandfather arrived after the Gold Rush, but in time for the tail end of the Comstock Silver Rush. On my mother’s side, it was the Southern Pacific Railroad that great grandfather to California. And I wish I knew more about my great-grandmother Carrie, who left Ireland on her own in search of a more promising future.
2. I have strong ties to NewOrleans. Having spent 4 wonderful years there while my husband completed his degree in architecture from Tulane and I completed requirements for an elementary credential, I have shed a few tears over Katrina’s horrifying aftermath. And I have since adopted my wonderful dog Nola, whom my daughter rescued from under an abandoned hotel in Port Sulphur.
3. I love to garden. Last summer I grew 14 varieties of sunflowers, along with vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
4. When I was a kid, I saw Elvis Presley live- really! He was performing at the Oakland Coliseum, along with the Platters.  Unfortunately, I was too young to really understand why the audience was full of screaming teenage fans (girls).  Years later, I’m glad I had the opportunity to witness the young and talented “King.”
5. My goal for the New Year is to write a children’s story: Nola Finds Her Bark

Found some good news posted on David Thornburg’s blog:

Andy Carvin writes a fine summary for the Deleting Online Predators Act at Learning Now.

TeacherSource | learning.now . DOPA Dies on the Vine | PBS:

But the final nail in DOPA’s coffin came with the switch of Congress from Republican to Democrat. Legislation that doesn’t get signed into law by the end of a congressional term has to start from scratch during the next term. In January, the Democrats will be in charge of both houses of Congress, and there’s no sign that they’re going to rush and re-introduce DOPA. Key DOPA critics in the House and Senate, including Reps Ed Markey, John Dingell and Sen. Patrick Leahy, will soon be in leadership positions. With the Republican losses in November, it will be harder for their caucus members to re-introduce DOPA, especially since Fitzpatrick is gone and they lacked Democrat co-sponsors in the first place.