MGTutoring.com. A Rational Perspective on Education.

December 31, 2008

“Success” by Berton Braley

Filed under: Art,Holidays & Greetings — Administrator @ 3:38 pm

A poem for a prosperous but happy new year; a poem for a focused but balanced life. –Michael

If you want a thing bad enough
To go out and fight for it,
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it

If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it,
Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it

If life seems all empty and useless without it
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you’ll sweat for it,
Fret for it,
Plan for it,
Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you’ll simply go after that thing that you want.
With all your capacity,
Strength and sagacity,
Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,
Nor sickness nor pain
Of body or brain
Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
You’ll get it!

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“Success” taken from the Berton Braley Cyber Museum, which says this poem was published by the George H. Doran Company, New York, in 1916, in Braley’s work Things As They Are.

Happy New Year!!

Filed under: Holidays & Greetings — Administrator @ 3:09 pm

May you and your loved ones have health, wealth, wisdom and happiness in the year ahead.

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Nutrition and Education: A Link?

Filed under: Exercise, Health & Nutrition — Administrator @ 1:08 am

For what it’s worth — i.e., I report, you decide. As for myself, I have neither done scientific research on this issue, nor have I studied it. But Wiley Long (M.S., Nutrition and Exercise Science), writing in the Paleo Diet Update (of which Mr. Long is editor), says:

There is growing evidence that the Paleo Diet can be beneficial to children with Down’s Syndrome, autism, and other genetic disorders affecting cognitive functioning. Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a very rare and complex genetic disorder that typically causes low muscle tone, short stature, incomplete sexual development, cognitive disabilities, problem behaviors, and a chronic feeling of hunger that can lead to excessive eating and life-threatening obesity. You can read the account by a mother who put her 4 ½-year-old child with PWS on a Paleo-type diet about a year and a half ago at http://www.pwsnotes.org/User:PWSMom.

The Paleo Diet Update is a service of Dr. Loren Cordain‘s Paleo Diet Website.

December 30, 2008

O. Henry: Master Wordsmith and Master Story Teller

Filed under: Art,SAT, ACT, ETC. — Administrator @ 2:22 pm

In “The Hiding of Black Bill,” O. Henry has a story with some twists and turns, an amazing use of diction, and a few uses of the wrongs words…on purpose in a way which actually makes sense in context of the story. It is a joy to read. And O. Henry is good to read in general for learning vocabulary, SAT words, grammar, story-telling, and writing.

Here are some excerpts:

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December 29, 2008

The Rules of Definition: For the SAT and Beyond

Filed under: Logic,SAT, ACT, ETC. — Administrator @ 3:05 pm

To properly grasp a concept (beyond a certain level of abstraction), it needs to be defined. “Table” is pretty clear by looking; “republic” is not. To properly define a concept, one needs to (1) follow the nature of reasoning and logic in (2) identifying facts and aspects of the real world. That is, one needs to recognize that a definition has specific characteristics, that there are rules or norms of proper definition. (You don’t get a proper definition from most dictionaries; they give usage.)

For the SAT takers or takers-to-be out there: using the rules of definition to properly define a concept — even trying to use the rules to properly define a concept — will help you better retain and assimilate your SAT words. You’ll be better able to use the words in the vocabulary (fill-in-the-blank) section, you’ll be better able to make sense of the words when you read them, and you’ll be better able to use those words to enrich your essays.

In fact, some essays call for a definition of terms. And, remember, the SAT and ACT essays are scored primarily on “critical thinking” skills. Give good definitions and give a good, logical defense of your definitions, and you’ll get “bonus points.” Some essays can even be structured around developing a definition of a term!

So now what are the rules, or norms, of proper definition?

What good fortune to have H.W.B. Joseph’s An Introduction to Logic (Clarendon Press, 1906) available online at Questia in their Free Books section to help us! You can also download Joseph’s Logic from Google Books, or you can read and download the Logic from the Internet Archive. Joseph does a masterful job of discussing the nature of definition and the rules of proper definition.

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December 28, 2008

SAT Words

Filed under: SAT, ACT, ETC. — Administrator @ 10:05 pm

For those of you preparing to take the SAT — and those of you who will some day; start learning the words now!! — you can find lists of words on the Internet, at such places as FreeVocabulary.com, MajorTests.com (which also has some practice SAT tests by section), SparkNotes.com, and SuperKids.com. Copy. Download. File away. And start learning.

The lists would be good for anyone seeking to make his writing better or to expand and refine her conceptual awareness.

SAT words: they’re not just for kids.

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“Genius” by Victor Hugo

Filed under: Art — Administrator @ 4:37 pm

Woe unto him! the child of this sad earth,
Who, in a troubled world, unjust and blind,
Bears Genius–treasure of celestial birth,
Within his solitary soul enshrined.
Woe unto him! for Envy’s pangs impure,
Like the undying vultures’, will be driven
Into his noble heart, that must endure
Pangs for each triumph; and, still unforgiven,
Suffer Prometheus’ doom, who ravished fire from Heaven.

Still though his destiny on earth may be
Grief and injustice; who would not endure
With joyful calm, each proffered agony;
Could he the prize of Genius thus ensure?
What mortal feeling kindled in his soul
That clear celestial flame, so pure and high,
O’er which nor time nor death can have control,
Would in inglorious pleasures basely fly
From sufferings whose reward is Immortality?
No! though the clamors of the envious crowd
Pursue the son of Genius, he will rise

From the dull clod, borne by an effort proud
Beyond the reach of vulgar enmities.
‘Tis thus the eagle, with his pinions spread,
Reposing o’er the tempest, from that height
Sees the clouds reel and roll above our head,
While he, rejoicing in his tranquil flight,
More upward soars sublime in heaven’s eternal light.

from: Odes and Ballads

Translated by: MRS. TORRE HULME

(DEDICATED TO CHATEAUBRIAND.)

[Bk. IV. vi., July, 1822.]

Poem from Victor Hugo Central.

December 27, 2008

“Holiday Inn”

Filed under: Art,Holidays & Greetings — Administrator @ 7:08 pm

This movie (1 hr 41 min.s) starring Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale made its US premier in August 1942. Director/producer Mark Sandrich started filming in Oct/Nov 1941 and finished in February 1942 — the movie was being filmed around the time the Imperial Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor.  The movie featured the song “White Christmas,” written by Irving Berlin, who wrote the lyrics and music for all the songs in the movie.

The DVD cover describes the movie: “Crosby plays a song and dance man who leaves showbiz to run an inn that is open only on holidays. Astaire plays his former partner and rival in love. Follow the two talented pals as they find themselves competing for the affections of the same lovely lady (Marjorie Reynolds).”

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Christmas Music

Filed under: Art,Holidays & Greetings — Administrator @ 6:56 pm

Before the Season is over and gone, listen to “Christmas Favorites from the World’s Favorite Tenors.” It contains songs like “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” “Joy to the World,” “Jingle Bells,” “Ave Maria,” and “White Christmas,” done by the great tenors: Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti. It’s music in the hands of masters.

It’s worth a listen. But if you are big on deadlines, and December 25th is past, over and done for you — then wait until next year! But remember, historically, end-of-year celebrations last five to twelve days… :)

December 26, 2008

“Bridal Veil Falls” by Albert Bierstadt

Filed under: Art — Administrator @ 3:51 pm

Picture from the Art Renewal Center.

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