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To home educate or send them back (Opinion piece)
Many parents have been fretting over whether to send their children to school in-person or to have them continue home-based online learning offered by the schools. For some parents it’s a matter of the coronavirus and having somebody that is immune-deficient at home. For other parents it is a matter of the parents need to work and they work in person and they need somewhere to send their child so that their child is not home alone. These are two situations where the parents do not have as much a choice. There are other situations where the parent does have a choice and it is to these parents that I am writing this essay. What are some of the issues that these parents are facing? One of the issues is socializing with other students of their age. A second is the quality of person-to-person education versus distance-education. Thirdly, is the feeling of inadequacy on the part of the parent. And finally, it is the level of patience of the parent when dealing with educational matters. Socializing with other students of their age. Having peers around you that are going through the same things as you are seems very important to…
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A quick review of using ARGweaver-D to map gene flow in ancient hominins
Having read the paper “Mapping gene flow between ancient hominins through demography-aware inference of the ancestral recombination graph”, which used ARGweaver-D, I would like to explain some of the subjects discussed. I am an amateur in the field but find it fascinating. The research performed in this paper took genetic information from other studies and ran the information through a new(ish) computer program to attempt to find the amount of genetic material that transferred from one human ancestral group to another. The groups that were investigated were homo sapiens (us), Neanderthals, Denisovans, and multiple unknown ancient ancestral groups (super-archaic humans). They used a new extension of a computer program, ARGweaver, called ARGweaver-D, using Bayesian algorithms. ARG stands for ancestral recombination graphs which is a way of saying there is a common ancestor, a number of generations pass, and some descendants of the common ancestor have children together. The genes of the descendants have re-combined to form a new set of genes. The difference is that the number of generations that pass can be counted over some number of millennia. This study was intended to see if the new ARGWeaver-D computer model update will work as accurately as hoped. The mixing…
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Homeschooling in 2020
Parents have been “homeschooling” their children for the past five weeks, and it seems like they will continue to do so till the end of the school year. How many of these parents will decide to continue homeschooling next year.
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Writing poetry on demand
Here I sit, pen in hand Writing poetry on demand Some is good, some is bad Depending on what drink I’ve had Root beer, tea, or ginger ale, Each of these makes it fizzy Others make it sound so stale Weaving words makes me dizzy Rhyming is a lot of work Lists of words in your head Worth it though for a smirk When the poem at last is read. April is National Poetry Month. If you’d like to read poems by other budding poets, honor the folks at NaPoWriMo.net with a visit, and peruse their participants’ sites.
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The Right to Say It
Desolation is all around No consolation to be found An empty desk before my eyes “Papa est parti.” a young girl cries Men who twist a Prophets words Turn sublime into absurd A soulful journey is undertaken My faith in man to reawaken A million candles do I see Lit in honour of Charlie Whether or not I agree with what you say, you still have the right to say it.
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Thinking summer, feeling winter
The skies are cold and gray, The snow refuses to fall I miss the days of May And the sound of the red bird’s call Winter is making me yawn I long for springtime heat Walking across the lawn With flowers at my feet A gentle wind will blow While I’m relaxing in the sun But now I’ve got to go My toes are feeling numb
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Someone Else’s Poem
If I were put on the spot and had to recite someone else’s poem, the only one that comes to mind quickly is one I read in a book from the 1800’s. I don’t know the name of the author. The poem can speak for itself. Sin is a beast of such hideous mien As to be hated needs but to be seen. But seen too oft familiar its face We first endure, then pity, then embrace.
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In This Book
In this short book you will find Attempts at poems on every line Some for fun some to inspire And lift you up when you tire Will you like them, I cannot say But that you read them I do pray
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A Short Interlude
Quiet fields of green And the water so clean Clear, crisp and cool Flowing gently to a pool. Warm sunshine on my back. Following a dirt track As I take a stroll So healthy for my soul Melodies wafting through the air Recalling friends no longer there Remind me to return To get some sweet kisses From the one who misses Me during my sojourn. I’ve run out of time To wander ‘midst the pine.
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No Thanks, I’ll Pass
There are some things I will not eat That others think are such a treat I do not understand their thoughts What they enjoy leaves me distraught The morsels they desire most Are nothing about which to boast It just does not seem right to me That these things are delicacies