Blogs

You are invited to a Middle School Open House at Boulder Country Day School on Tuesday, March 15 beginning at 9 am.  RSVP for the event online.

Middle School is a critical passage.  We make it a journey of exploration.  Our International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum, experienced faculty, and small class size allow Boulder Country Day School students to find their passion in the classroom and in the world. Come tour our campus and meet our faculty, students, parents and administrators.

Boulder Country Day School is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), is a member of the Association of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS), and is an Approved Middle Years International Baccalaureate School.

Discover the difference at Boulder Country Day School!

RSVP with Patti Lemlein at 303.527.4931 x248

Please preview our Viewbook and visit our Website!

Six CAR members met at Jewel Mountain and Plainview Road in Golden and worked for three hours collecting Gayfeather (Liatris punctata) Seeds.  This dotted Gayfeather is a forage or browse species that is eaten by deer, antelope and domestic livestock.  This species taproot system is remarkably extensive; its lateral branches can spread 3- 4 feet.  The seeds we collected will be used in an re-vegetation effort at the old Rocky Flats site that formerly manufactured components for nuclear weapons.  Cleanup of chemical and radiological contamination was completed near the end of 2005. 

Great Essentials Exhibit

 Children of the American Revolution leader Mrs. Caroline Carlson put on a wonderful interactive power point presentation about the history behind the Great Essentials Exhibit located at  Independence Hall in Philadelphia.  This is the CAR National President’s project.  Through question and answers, with tootsie rolls as a quick prize for the right answer, the members learned about the historical background of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.  Using some great slides, the members explored the importance of the original colonies, the Stamp and Tea acts, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.  They learned that only one person signed all three essential documents found in the exhibit, namely Roger Sherman (1721-1793). 

 CAR members learned that Phillip Syng was an assistant to Ben Franklin.  The Syng Inkstand was used to sign the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution.  It is one of only four things that were present during the signing which is still in existence today.  The other three are the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and George Washington’s chair. The presentation also explained how to make quills from goose feathers and make ink.  For a fun hands on interactive experience, the members made their own ink by mashing fresh blackberries.  The juice from the berries was collected and a little vinegar was added to preserve color and a salt to keep it from spoiling.  Then, using real goose feather quill pens, the members practiced writing as the framers of the Declaration and Constitution would have done.  Calligraphy ink was provided for a comparison.  The kids really enjoyed writing with the quill pens and they quickly realized how difficult writing was in the 18^th Century.

As a martial arts and fitness fanatic (maybe sometimes even too meticulously), I try to read and find as much information as I can.  Some of my favorites are ‘Essentials of strength training and conditioning’ of the Human Kinetics series or ‘Periodization‘ by Tudor Bompa etc.  Part of my reading includes magazine subscriptions as well, which are often good resources and enjoyable to read - that is if you can keep a critical eye while weeding through all the correct and incorrect information provided.

Many magazines do an excellent job of educating people and creating awareness;  however, certain magazines tend to not set the bar high enough.  When a ‘prominent’ magazine keeps dropping the ball and acclaims itself to be the best martial arts magazine, I have to raise an eyebrow.

As a personal trainer and martial arts instructor who loves what he does, I try to educate people about well being, techniques, health, sports and so on.  Seeing the misunderstandings that are circulating (and unfortunately from so many trainers), it is important to rectify these.  The media is a great way to do this so when a magazine slips up multiple times, it is very unfortunate.  

I do not wish to name the magazine in this post, nor do I want to claim my knowledge is always correct.  I do want to create some awareness though it’s good to be critical!

A few examples out of this specific magazine:

• A knife attack was staged to demonstrate a life saving technique, at least that is what they intended to do.  In this situation, there is a straight knife attack, the victim defends and places the hand on the wrist to control the motion of the knife.  Great!  Until the victim takes away the hand from the wrist to move it up to the neck.  Wrong!  Why give up the chance to control the wrist?  If you control the wrist, you directly control the knife and the whole body of the attacker.  Leaving this opportunity to attack the neck is a big mistake.

• A reader’s question involved the timing of taking a protein shake: before or after the workout?  The editor’s answer was resolute: after the workout!  Wrong, many studies have shown that taking a protein shake before and during the workout may give your body a jump start in recovery.  Also, the editor did not know what type of protein shake.  Was it whey protein, did it have creatine, was it casein, did it contain BCAA’s, what was the protein/carb ratio?  You cannot give such a confident answer if you don’t know the facts.

I could give many more of these examples but I don’t think it is necessary.  As I said, many magazines and other media do a great job of spreading reliable information.  Nonetheless, you need to be critical!  The more you read and learn, the more you will realize what are good sources and what aren’t.  That being said, I hope you all learn many great things to improve your health and performance.  If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them here or contact us!

I wanted to dedicate this post to explaining more about belt ranks in martial arts (and yes, also to show off our own belt rank system...)

For a very long time, there were no colored belt ranks in martial arts.  Judo was the first art that introduced colored belts to indicate ranks.  Knowing that Judo originated in the late 19th century, the colored belt rank system is a rather new development in martial arts.

Many stories have circulated about why and how the colors we use today came to be.  One theory is that martial artist a long time ago did not wash their belts.  This means that, the more they practiced the dirtier it became and eventually became a black belt. Fortunately this is not the case anymore since I am pretty sure some would go take a hike on the muddiest day of the year wearing their belt...  

Although many people believe this theory is true, it is (most likely) not.  

The most accepted explanation about colored belts is simply that martial artists in that period of time dyed their belts.  Since it is much easier to dye a lighter colored belt darker than vice versa, our current increasingly darker rank colors came to existence.  

After this method had been practiced in Japan, other martial arts all over the world adapted since it was a practical way to indicate ranks.

Every martial art has its own belt system with often different colors or variations.  Often you will find yellow, orange, green, blue, brown etc.  However in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you will find fewer levels: white, blue, purple, brown & black.  This does not mean it is easier to obtain a black belt though.

Just as there are differences in belts, there are also many differences in curricula and testing as well.  No martial art style and even studio is the same.  Unfortunately, the popularity and commercialization has often led to lower standards and quality since some organizations give away belts without quality control.  I have experienced this firsthand; let me explain.

Being a student of the Flemish Budo Federation was extremely strict and their curriculum is first class.  We have several extremely professional individuals who make sure of that.  For example, there are a few people who are chief instructors of the police arrest teams and special police teams.  Anyway, being a student in my teenage years was a great experience.  I joined national and international tournaments in which I had to compete with students of other organizations.  Often, I had to compete against other individuals who were 3 belts ahead of me.  Even though I had the odds against me on paper, most of the times I won.  This was a clear sign to me that belts do not always matter, what matters are your skills and the quality of instruction.  Since then, I realized I would rather have a lower belt and know that I am worthy than having a higher belt just to show it around and (falsely) impress people with it while being unable to protect myself and others.

With this in mind, I have created a strong curriculum with quality instruction that is achievable for everyone!  We diversify within our classes and we offer a wide array of programs so nobody will miss out.  Everyone will be able to advance at their own pace.  I promise all off my students that they will progress quickly and be a well rounded martial artist that is worthy of his/her belt.  You will never have to worry about whether you are capable enough.  Every class you attend, you will be a huge step closer towards a higher rank.  Our main focusses are quality, diversity, safety and providing a workout you will remember for a few days!  

Take a look at our different programs as our priorities shift between all these different curricula in order to provide the best instruction for everyone.  It is truly our mission to be the best in what we do!

At Define Defense, we strive towards incorporating the best and most effective training methods into our lesson strategies and training sessions.  We use both traditional and alternative equipment and techniques.  One of these unorthodox machines we use is the vibration plate.

Vibration training actually increases the frequency of the muscle contraction.  On the plate your muscles will contract 30-50 times per second, which increases the intensity of the workout.  Studies have shown that conventional exercises engage approx. 40% of the targeted muscle fibers, while vibration plates engage approx. 97% by involuntary muscle contractions.

There is a wide variety of exercises you can do on the vibration plate, for both upper and lower body.  Simple exercises such as planks and squats will become more intense and efficient.

Vibration training was first developed by Russia somewhat 40 years ago, trying to combat the effects of space travel with zero gravity for astronauts.  Soon after, it was taken into the field of sports.  Since then, it has been proven that vibration training can be a vital training tool to increase strength, flexibility and improve balance.

Other benefits are:

• Optimize recovery from injuries
• Improve the mass and mechanical capability of bones
• More flexibility, strength and hormone release
• Improve your motor skills
• Reduce cellulite
• Enhance blood flow
• ...

The real question is, to what extent does vibration training help an athlete reach his/her goals?  Can a person neglect other training aspects and replace it with a vibration plate?  Some claims suggest that 10 minutes of vibration training can have the same training benefits as 30-40 minutes of conventional training.  However, we at Define Defense realize the potential and have experienced the magnificent results ourselves but feel that vibration training is a supplement more than a replacement.  The human body needs variety in order to grow and improve.  That is why we continue to use many different training tools and always try to improve our programs.  One thing is sure though: a well guided training session on a vibration plate will boost your training and you will absolutely feel the results!

If you have never experienced training on a vibration plate, you have the opportunity in our facility during our private training sessions and even in our martial arts classes!

Arapahoe Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution sponsored an American History Essay Contest.  The topic, in honor of the 275th anniversary of the birth of Paul Revere, was for the students to write an essay in the first person pretending to be Paul Revere writing his memoirs and relating the various accomplishments he wanted to be remembered in the anals of American History. 

5th grade first place: Morgan Brantmeyer, High Peaks Elementary

6th grade first place: Evan Laugen, Centennial Middle School; second place Ben Gorgemans, Centennial Middle School

7th grade first place: Kaya Tone, Centennial Middle School; second place Alexandra Erickson, Centennial Middle School

8th grade first place: Natalie Oberer, Centennial Middle School; second place Tanner Shioshita, Centennial Middle School

Special Award for supporting American History: Pete Rosato, teacher at Centennial Middle School

Arapahoe Chapter DAR American%20History%20winners%20final.JPGAmerican History Chairman, Caroline Carlson

First off, please remember The Peably stories and coloring pictures are free for you to use on my website. 

http://sammyandrobert.tripod.com

It is important to know that the Peably stories will be going through time faster than we do. They will go through 1 year and be having winter holidays during our summer. They will go through a 2nd year before we will be back at the same time. We will go through the winter holidays together again this year with all new stories. The Peablys are in the months of March and April for the next few stories.

Story 31, a Peably story about fun in the snow, up to read on 2/20

Story 32, Bub Peably has a birthday, will go up to be read on 2/27

Story 33, a story about April Fool's Day

Story 34, A Peably story about Easter.

There are St. Patrick's Day pictures to print and color. There will be new ones every Sunday up through St. Patrick's Day.

I have made available 2 autographed book sets and a chance to enter a drawing for a copy of the 5th Sammy & Robert book.

Happy Reading!

Darcie Mae

sammyandrobertbooks@yahoo.com

Darcie Mae's Website

STEP RIGHT UP! TRUE CIRCUS STORIES

OF HIGH ADVENTURE and LOW COMEDY!

“CIRCLE OF SAWDUST: The Mud, Myth, Mayhem, and Magic of Circus!”

with Rob Mermin

          Rob Mermin, founder of the international youth company Circus Smirkus, will entertain with an evening of personal anecdotes and film clips on circus history at the Boulder Circus Center on Saturday, March 19 at 7:30PM. Included in the presentation will be clips from 25 Hollywood circus feature films. Come hear his illustrated tales of wacky characters and wild escapades!

          Mermin is an award-winning performer, with Copenhagen’s Gold Clown, Russia’s Best Director Prize, and the Governor’s Award of Excellence, Vermont’s highest honor in the arts. Mermin trained with the renowned mimes Marcel Marceau and Etienne Decroux, and is also a former Dean of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

          Mermin ran off to join the circus as a teen in the late 60’s. During the next forty years his circus adventures took him clowning with tent shows in Wales, mule wrangling in Lapland with Sweden’s Circus Scott, riding with the Magyars in the Hungarian State Cirkusz, three years with the famous Benneweis Circus Building in Copenhagen, and entertaining royalty in the circus palaces of Europe and Russia.

          In 1987, he founded Circus Smirkus, which The Boston Globe called “one of New England’s most treasured cultural and educational resources.”

Donations accepted at the door; no reservations but space limited.

Address: 4747 N. 26^th St.

For directions to BCC & information on “Circle of Sawdust” see www.bouldercircuscenter.com 

***The organizers of the BCC recently performed at Broomfield Library as Lazer Vaudeville!

Leadership Broomfield – Not Your Ordinary Leadership Program

Beginning March 4th the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce will present Leadership Broomfield. This interactive program is designed to provide participants with exposure to the leaders and organizations of the community as well as to develop their Leader within.

This is an accelerated program that takes place over 4 months.  Participants will become informed in areas of current issues and opportunities facing the community.  They will meet personally with local leaders in a variety of areas. Focus Trips have been planned throughout the community featuring Criminal Justice, Media, Broomfield City & County Government (including Public Safety), Education, Health & Human Services, Economic Development & Transportation.

Leadership Broomfield will begin with The Leader Within which includes the completion of a Myers Briggs Type Indicator Step 2 and determining your leadership style.  It will end with a 2-Day course that will focus on how through influence one person can create lasting change.  This program is valued at over $2,000!  There is a special Broomfield Chamber Member rate of just $795 and we also welcome non-members for $995.

If you are interested in being involved with Leadership Broomfield contact Jennifer Kerr at the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce at 303.466.1775, ext. 4.  Space will be limited to the first 24 applicants.  Application Deadline is February 25^th.

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For more information concerning upcoming events and information about the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce please visit our website: www.BroomfieldChamber.com.

Everyone is talking about “green jobs.”  While many people are eager to become employed in the sustainability sector, there are naysayers who don’t believe that they actually exist.  As part of the ongoing, healthy dialogue about what and where green jobs are, it’s important to make an important distinction.  While there are bona fide positions that can be appropriately defined as a green job, there are thousands of other careers that are simply changing in the new energy economy.  The truth is, workplaces are shifting to more sustainable models, with or without the catchy phrase. 

According to the Colorado Cleantech Action Plan, “Cleantech is growing in Colorado and creating thousands of jobs.”  Citing the Pew Center’s report, The Clean Energy Economy:  Repowering Jobs, Businesses, and Investments Across America (http://bit.ly/dIpWGM), “Between 1999 and 2009, Colorado’s cleantech industry grew at an annualized rate of 18 percent, more than twice the rate of the Colorado economy as a whole (8 percent).”  

And Colorado isn’t alone.  However, while wind, solar, energy efficiency and additional sustainable fields are rapidly growing, they are not the only industries presenting green jobs to the workforce. Many career paths are taking a turn, requiring new thinking and skill sets to keep up with the changing environmental landscape.

Architects, engineers, electricians and machinists will continue to be in demand, yet their job descriptions may be continuously altered. Electricians will need to understand the new utility landscape; machinists will be required to install and maintain new technologies; engineers across all industries will be asked to channel their knowledge towards designing sustainable systems.

Here are some examples of changing industries outside of the traditional cleantech sector:

Utility companies. “Powerful trends are transforming the U.S. utility sector, including climate change, energy security, and energy price volatility concerns; increasing deployment of alternative resources like energy efficiency and renewable energy; and shifts in natural gas and other fossil fuel industries. Utilities that respond most effectively to these key trends – and whose regulators and legislators support them in doing so – will be best positioned to succeed in the 21st century.” (The 21st Century Electric Utility: Positioning for a Low-Carbon Future, a Ceres report published by Navigant Consulting. 2010.)

Real Estate.  From architects to real estate appraisers and agents to top executives, real estate professionals are under pressure to recognize efficient building techniques, gain awareness of green design elements and effectively value and incorporate them in today’s marketplace.

Corporate real estate executives are illustrating commitment to making sustainable decisions within their real estate portfolios, which requires knowledge of Green Building certifications, Energy Labels, the costs and benefits of retrofitting buildings and much more.  According to the third annual CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle sustainability survey conducted in September and October 2009 (http://bit.ly/hjgKm0), research shows that sustainability remains a key agenda item for corporate real estate executives.

The report states, “Sustainability is a critical business issue today for 70 percent of respondents and 89 percent consider sustainability criteria in their location decisions.”

Law firms. With an influx of sustainable activity, there will inevitably be legal issues.  Well-prepared law firms have lawyers and paralegals on staff who have the knowledge and confidence to perform highly complex environmental legal research; draft, analyze, and manage complex legal documents and correspondence about environmental topics; and prepare environmental filings, reports; real estate documents and more.

Agriculture.  While windmills have been used on farms for decades, farmers and the overall agriculture industry are taking great strides that are good for the earth, crops and business.   Farming is actually among the original green jobs, but new technologies are coming to market, requiring agricultural business leaders to sell, install and maintain systems that keep our food supply moving and meet consumers’ desire for a sustainable food system.

In Workforce Management magazine (http://bit.ly/gFQVHj), Raquel Pinderhughes, a professor of urban studies at San Francisco State University, “identified 22 economic sectors with green-collar opportunities, including food production (using organic agriculture), manufacturing (making energy-efficient and recycled products) and auto repair (servicing alternative-fuel vehicles).”

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics hasn’t yet defined “green jobs,” there are businesses, HR directors, career services departments and educational institutions invested in fostering sustainable careers across all industries.

Whether a career is given the term “green job” or fits within the confines of the green landscape, changes are inevitable.  They are already beginning to be reflected in educational and job training options.  For example, Ecotech Institute, based in Aurora, Colorado (a suburb of Denver) has opened its doors as the first and only institution solely focused on renewable energy and sustainable design.  Launched in April 2010, future graduates are already in demand according to the college.

“We’re consistently receiving phone calls from businesses who can’t wait for our first graduating class,” said Alison Wise, Director of Career Services for Ecotech Institute.  “We speak with representatives from a wide range of industries, all seeking people who can serve as the future leaders of their changing workforce.”

For more information on how Ecotech Institute sees the future of green jobs and education, visit www.ecotechinstitute.com. 

The Women’s Wilderness Institute is gearing up for its 9^th annual Gear & Cheer fundraising event to be held March 16 from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder. The event benefits The Women’s Wilderness Institute’s Girls Wilderness Program, and is traditionally one of Boulder’s best parties of the year for outdoor enthusiasts and Front Range residents who value supporting programs that improve self-esteem, self-efficacy, and leadership skills in today’s girls.

Gear & Cheer features live entertainment, local beer, wine and food tasting, as well as an amazing auction of high performance outdoor gear, great local services, and excit­ing trip packages.  The Women’s Wilderness Institute’s goal is to raise $40,000 from the event.

Gear & Cheer is sponsored by Rally Sport and the Boulder Daily Camera.

Register today at www.womenswilderness.org!