Another year of watching parents put unrealistic expectations on their child.

Here are the facts.

Most kids wont play sports in high school.

Almost every kid wont play sports in college.

Theres almost no chance you will know anyone who plays professional sports.

Your child has a better chance of being a brain surgeon than playing baseball for the Cardinals, basketball for the Lakers, or football for the Cowboys.

If you werent a great athlete, the odds of your child being one are slim to none.

Theres no amount of practice, coaching, or throwing money at the situation that will improve your sons or daughters enough if they arent born with special athetic abilities.

Also, screaming at the umpire or referee wont help.  They really arent there to keep your child from being successful (note to self).

The truth is if you were an average athlete, your child will likely be an average athlete.

Parents who are 5 foot 8, seldom have children who are 6 foot 7.  If you were slow, guess what.

If you got cut from your junior high team, dont plan on your son or daughter participating in the Olympics.

This doesnt mean kids shouldnt participate in sports.

It doesnt mean they have to be great to play.

It just means parents need to be realistic.

The truth is, when your child is 40 no one cares if they hit the ball, scored a basket, or even played when they were 7.

Sit in your lawn chair and enjoy it.

Thats it.  Thats all there is.

Theres no college scholarship or huge contract coming your way.

Just ice cream after the game.  And thats good enough.

Scientists led by Dr. Eric Olson (right) and including Dr. Chad Grueter have shown that the heart can regulate energy balance throughout the body. Their discovery eventually could lead to effective treatments for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes affect tens of millions of people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Using mice fed a high-fat diet, researchers found that manipulating a heart-specific genetic pathway prevents obesity and protects against harmful blood-sugar changes associated with type 2 diabetes. The scientists’ findings appear in the April 27 issue of Cell.

“Obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease are major causes of human death and disability, and they are all connected to metabolism. This is the first demonstration that the heart can regulate systemic metabolism, which we think opens up a whole new area of investigation,” said Dr. Eric Olson, chairman of molecular biology at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study. Lead author of the Cell paper is Dr. Chad Grueter, a postdoctoral researcher in molecular biology.

Their study used genetically altered mice and an experimental drug to manipulate levels of two regulatory molecules in the heart. The scientists found that MED13, a crucial part of a gene pathway in the heart, controls whole-body metabolism while miRNA-208a, a heart-specific microRNA, inhibits the action of MED13.

Mice with MED13 levels that were increased either genetically or by a drug were lean and showed an increase in energy expenditure, the researchers said. In contrast, mice genetically engineered to lack MED13 in the heart showed increased susceptibility to diet-induced obesity. These mice also had aberrant blood-sugar metabolism and other changes similar to those of a group of conditions called metabolic syndrome, which is linked to the development of coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

MicroRNAs are small snippets of genetic material once considered of little interest because they do not code for the proteins used in body processes the way larger strands of genetic material do. In recent years, these molecules have emerged as key regulators of disease and stress responses in various tissues. At least 500 microRNAs have been identified.

“Several years ago, our lab focused on this heart-specific microRNA, miR-208a, and then worked with a biotechnology company to develop a drug to inhibit miR-208a. While studying the effects of that drug, we observed that animals treated with the inhibitor seemed to be resistant to high-fat diets but were otherwise healthy,” Dr. Olson said. He is one of five co-founders of the biotechnology company, the Colorado-based miRagen Therapeutics Inc., in which UT Southwestern has an equity stake.

The current study builds on that original observation by identifying the role of miR-208a and its target MED13 in regulating systemic metabolism. How this heart-specific microRNA communicates with cells throughout the body will be the subject of future studies, Dr. Grueter said.

This work was supported, in part, by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Research, the Robert A. Welch Foundation, the Fondation Leducq-Transatlantic of Excellence in Cardiovascular Research Program, and the American Heart Association-Jon Holden DeHaan Foundation. Dr. Grueter received fellowship support from the American Diabetes Association.

Other investigators involved were Brett A. Johnson, a doctoral candidate of molecular biology; Susan DeLeon, graduate student; Lillian Sutherland, senior research scientist; Xiaoxia Qi, research scientist; Dr. Laurent Gautron, instructor of internal medicine; Dr. Joel Elmquist, professor of internal medicine, psychiatry, and pharmacology; Dr. Rhonda Bassel-Duby, professor of molecular biology; and Dr. Eva van Rooij of miRagen Therapeutics.

His statement also included his often-repeated support for measurement as it applies to education.

Our students must know how to read and write, and our education system must be able to measure and benchmark their progress so we can set clear education goals, Scott said.

Floridas superintendents also want a review of what happened. A statement from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents executive director called the results statistically questionable and asked for a thorough analysis.

The statement listed a series of questions that superintendents think should be answered. They are:

*        When was the new scoring mechanism communicated to school district personnel?

*        What information was communicated to school district personnel regarding the new scoring mechanism and to what specificity?  Were there examples for district personnel to use in informing teachers and principals?

*        Was there sufficient time for professional development of principals and teachers in order to modify curriculum or teaching strategies?

*        Did the Department of Education provide any professional development, curriculum modification, additional teaching strategies for use by school districts?

*        Was there sufficient time to incorporate these modifications and inform students of the changes?

*        Was the testing company (Pearson) provided the same guidelines as school districts?  Were their scorers retrained based on the new scoring mechanism?

Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer The National Summer Learning Association

What is our recommendation to prevent summer learning loss? The award winning Summer Bridge Activities™ series! These workbooks have been embraced by parents and educators alike and are continually updated to provide the best in supplemental education.

Parents and teachers have trusted these books for over 10 years books because they work. Students really do retain their classroom skills over the summer when using these. The Summer Bridge Activities™ was created by classroom teachers and is based on national and state standards.

Summer Bridge activity books by Carson Dellosa consists of daily activities in reading, writing, mathematics, and language arts with bonus activities in science and geography. Full-color Summer Bridge activities make summer learning fun and easy.

There is a new section, Building Better Bodies and Behavior, which contains interactive prompts and activities on character and fitness. 160 pages. Summer is also a great time to prepare your students for the standarized tests that they will take in the spring. We offer a complete line of test prep workbooks for various states and grade levels.

UC Riverside Chancellor Timothy P. White in a video sponsored by the NCAA

RIVERSIDE, Calif. () — University of California, Riverside Chancellor Tim White joined fellow board members of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors to discuss the decisive action necessary to change college athletics.

Joining White in the video are Cornell University President David Skorton and University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft.

View the video on YouTube.

Cambodian garage rock meets
neo-surf music

Five horses were stolen from the SAU stables in November. Four were found malnourished but alive in McCurtain County, Okla. A fifth horse, named Credit Card, was shot to death and had its throat slashed.

The sheriff says Hamilton is considered a fugitive because he failed to pay restitution in an unrelated cattle theft conviction. Authorities did not know if he had an attorney.

An SAU rodeo team member is charged with animal cruelty in the case.

Buying a jump king trampoline is a big step to keep your children on their way to the physical and mental development. When teaching young children to swim, there are many toys available that can help you. Some toys can be fun for the child and easier for you to teach him or her swimming. There are also plenty of toys, such as diving rings, that can strengthen and improve their swimming technique.

Owning an outdoor toy in your garden not only provides unlimited outdoor fun but also a way to implement all your child’s dreams.

Wooden houses and tree houses are fantastic during summer hot and rainy days. They create magical memories for years to come. Cared for properly, they can be passed from brother to brother, in fact some of you have had the chance to share your own treasured childhood toys to your own children.

The first and most important points on any product you buy for your children is reading all the information first, and if there is a label saying not for children under three, do not use it for a toddler. When searching for a toy to play either outside or inside the house, make sure there are no small parts that can choke your child.

Make sure that ride ons for 1 year olds are safe and robust. You must choose a ride on toy that is hard to break. Children can easily destroy their toys so make sure you do not choose one that is very robust. Apart from that, a delicate toy could hurt your child.

An April Fools guide to college and grad school admissions

Where you choose to go to college or grad school will define what you do in the future. Itll set you out on a certain career path; itll be where you meet lifelong friends; and it will influence the way you think, the books you read, and the professors you connect with.

Some smart people (who clearly have loads of time to just sit around and THINK) choose a college or grad school based on fit – that is, where theyll fit in culturally and academically. They choose a school based on professional and educational goals, curriculum, intellectual rigor, extracurricular opportunities, social or religious diversity, location, cost…and the list goes on and on. Who has time to think about all that?

Here – weve made this silly decision-making process easy for you by boiling down your decision points to the following 4 criteria:

1. Published rankings – If U.S. News or BusinessWeek say that Harvard or Stanford or Princeton (or whatever school they choose this year) is the best, then it really must be, for you and for everyone…no questions asked. The rankings should be the most prominent guide in helping you decide which schools are best for you. Dont even consider applying anywhere thats not in the top 5. Imagine what people will think of you if you dont end up at one of the worlds best schools?
2. What your parents or best friend or the most popular kid in school want – Your dad went to Penn, your best friend is a freshman there this year, and the most popular kid in school just got in Early Decision. You would be a fool to consider going anywhere else. After all, if Penn was the best choice for these super important people, then its obviously the best choice for you.
3. Which school has the best weather – Obviously sunshine implies educational excellence.
4. Where youll get the best grades doing as little work as possible – Ever hear of grade inflation? You want to choose a school thats known for making its students work as little as possible. College/grad school isnt the place to work; its the place to slack off and party! Go with the school that will challenge you the least.

I know, I know. The above points still require you to think a bit more than you may like. If this is causing too much of a brain-ache, then I would recommend the following for you: Slap together an application, do a Find and Replace to change the name of the school youre applying to, and send it off to 20-30 schools whose websites feature the best looking people. One of them is bound to accept you. And who knows, maybe after youve partied your way through the first year, youll earn a spot on the schools website too!

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

The study proposed a new model to explain how mammalian cells establish the sense of direction necessary to move, as well as the mechanism that a disease-causing form of E. coli bacteria employ to hijack that ability. Cells need to orient themselves for several basic processes, such as keeping biochemical reactions separated in space and, in the case of immune cells, pursuing pathogens. Importantly, disruption of the cell’s sense of direction often leads to human disease.

Dr. Neal Alto (left) and Robert Orchard are investigating how a disease-causing form of E. coli bacteria hijacks a cell’s sense of direction.

“This is a great example of scientists from different fields of research coming together to solve a complex and important biological problem,” said Dr. Neal Alto, assistant professor of microbiology and senior author of the study, published Feb. 17 in Cell.

Systems biology aims to discover and understand a “circuit theory” for biology – a set of powerful and predictive principles that will reveal how networks of biological components are wired to display the complex properties of living things. The rapidly emerging field requires experts in several scientific disciplines – including biology, physics, mathematics and computer science – to come together to create models of biological systems that consider both the individual parts and how these parts react to each other and to changes in their environment.

Scientists from UT Southwestern’s microbiology department and the newly expanded Cecil H. and Ida Green Comprehensive Center for Molecular, Computational and Systems Biology teamed up to examine the problem collaboratively. They initially conceived a mathematical model for their hypothesis of how the cell would respond during an E. coli-induced infection and then tested their computational predictions in living cells.

“Bacteria inject protein molecules into human cells with a needle-and-syringe action,” Dr. Alto said. “The human cell responds by producing a local actin-rich membrane protrusion at the spot where the bacteria attaches to the cell.”

For healthy cells to move normally, these actin polymers push against a cell’s membrane, protruding and propelling the cell in one direction or another. When E. coli molecules are injected, however, actin polymers rush to the site infection and help bacterial molecules both move within the cell and establish an internal site of infection.

Robert Orchard, graduate student of microbiology and the study’s lead author, said: “By asking ‘How does a bacterial pathogen from outside the cell regulate the host cells’ actin dynamics within the cell?’ we have uncovered a fundamentally new molecular circuit involved in mammalian cell polarity and bacterial infection. These findings provide new insight into the regulatory mechanisms that control both disease-causing agents and normal mammalian cell behavior.”

Other UT Southwestern researchers from the Green Center involved in the work were Dr. Steven Altschuler and Dr. Lani Wu, both associate professors of pharmacology; Dr. Gürol Süel, assistant professor of pharmacology; and Mark Kittisopikul, a student in the Medical Scientist Training Program.

The National Institutes of Health, the James S. McDonnell Foundation and The Welch Foundation supported the study. The researchers also received assistance from the UT Southwestern Live Cell Imaging Facility, which is supported in part by the National Cancer Institute.

The Republican budget reduces critical support to ensure every student has access to a high-quality K-12 education.

• The Republican budget reduces funding for Title I by $2.7 billion, eliminating crucial support for teachers, tutors, and afterschool programs for more than 3.8 million low-income and disadvantaged students in over 9,000 schools. With this reduction, 38,000 teachers and other staff could lose their jobs.
• The Republican budget reduces funding for special education by $2.2 billion, decreasing critical support for over 6 million students with disabilities. With this cut, over 30,000 special education teachers and other staff could lose their jobs.

The Republican budget takes a dramatic stance against students receiving a quality, affordable, post-secondary education.

• The Republican budget allows interest rates to double on student loans for nearly 7.5 million students and families, costing the average borrower as much as $5,000 in higher loan repayment costs.
• The Republican budget eliminates in-school interest payments on Stafford Loans, forcing students to go deeper into debt before they graduate.
• The Republican budget scraps the expansion of Income-Based Repayment (IBR); removing protections which help ensure students have reasonable student loan payments.
• The Republican budget permanently damages the Pell Grant program, eliminating all mandatory funding for Pell Grants and cutting planned –and already paid for – inflationary increases.

The Republican budget decreases college access and workplace training.

• The Republican budget cuts $500 million in annual job-training funds, eliminating mandatory funding for the Community College/TAA grant program.

Free trips.  Fame for Buddy the Dog.  A cool nickname for the Evil Spawn.

The occasional free t-shirt (maybe the greatest benefit of all).

But this week may have been the oddest experience of all and I have this mediocre blog to thank for it (or blame).

My school interviewed for a TV show.

Yes, a TV reality show.

This goes against everything I hold sacred and pure.

I am the last remaining person in America who does not want to be on television.

Ive never understood why people feel the need to be on tv.  I find the need for fame a little disturbing.

People (especially young adults) seem willing to do anything and everything to get themselves on television.

I dont get it, but realize Im probably in the minority.

But as luck (good and bad) would have it, people seem to stumble upon me when they Google for educators.

A production company did just that a couple of weeks ago.

They contacted me and asked if we would be interested to going through some pre-interviews with the possibility of being on a reality show about high schools.

My first thought of course not.  What type of idiot wants to be on tv?

But then I thought, what the heck.  Maybe this is my entry into movies. 

Or maybe even better.  Maybe, just maybe, my dream of remaking Threes Company will actually happen (if you are under 40 click the link).

So several members of our staff were interviewed by producers.

And it was odd.

Really odd.

There is no chance they will be making a tv show about us.

Why?

I think we are way too normal.  And we are far from normal.

But “reality” tv is exactly what I expected.  I dont think it is “real” at all.

I think they want people who they can mold in to characters.

They are looking for big personalities that can be encouraged to be even bigger on tv.

Im okay with that.  Im just not that.  And my school isnt that.

I still think there is a tv show about schools that needs to be made.

But its not about fights.  Or gangs.  Or wacky teachers.

Its about good students.  And committed teachers.  And all the good things that happen in schools every day in small towns all across this country.

It would be about kids and families who are doing the right thing in a world that gets more complicated by the day.

I would watch this.  But once again, I realize Im in the minority.

One benefit to not getting a TV Pilot I now consider myself an out of work actor.  So if you need me, I will be waiting tables at Applebeess.

One example is NBC’s sitcom “Community,” about a band of misfits who attend the fictional Greendale Community College.  

Insidehighered.com points out that the show, in its first season, did a parody on priority registration. The campus dean held a paintball match to determine who got to register first among the crowds competing for classes.

UCR Alumnus Michael Huerta inside the Federal Aviation Administration. Photo by Marty Katz. Licensed for use. http://washingtonphotographer.com

President Barack Obama has nominated UC Riverside alumnus Michael Huerta to serve as the chief of the Federal Aviation Administration for a five-year term.

Huerta holds a bachelors degree in political science from the University of California, Riverside and a masters in international relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Huerta has been serving as Acting Administrator of the FAA since December 2011. He is  responsible for the safety and efficiency of the largest aerospace system in the world, overseeing a $15.9 billion dollar budget and over 47,000 employees.

“The FAA couldn’t be in better hands,” said Kyle Hoffman, assistant vice chancellor for alumni and constituent relations at UC Riverside. “He is incredibly capable and successful and a tremendous representative of this campus.” Hoffman said that Huerta won the Outstanding Young Alumnus award in 1986 and then was invited back last October to speak on campus. “He has served on the board of the UCR Alumni Association and he has always been there for us when we need to engage alumni in the Washington DC area.”

Huerta is an experienced transportation official who has held key positions across the country. His reputation for managing complex transportation challenges led him to the international stage when Huerta was tapped as a Managing Director of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The Olympics drew 2,400 athletes from 78 countries to Salt Lake City. Huerta was critical in the planning and construction of a variety of Olympic transportation facilities, as well as the development of a highly successful travel demand management system that insured the transportation system operated safely and efficiently.

Before joining the FAA, Huerta held senior positions at Affiliated Computer Services from 2002-2009 rising to the position of President of the Transportation Solutions Group; ACS is now a Xerox company specializing in business processes and information technology.

Huerta was commissioner of New York Citys Department of Ports, International Trade and Commerce from 1986-89. He then served as the Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco from 1989-1993. From 1993-98, he held senior positions in the U.S. Transportation Department in Washington, D.C., serving under Secretary Federico Pena and Secretary Rodney E. Slater.

Photo of Michael Huerta by Marty Katz
Large format file available to media from UC Riverside

6:30–9:30 p.m. Flowers and Gardens

Now, with the price hovering near $4.50 a gallon, the 21-year-old junior at California State University, Northridge, acknowledges that she shudders every time she watches the needle on her aging Honda’s fuel gauge move toward “E.” And she’s not alone.

Gorrocino is a member of a group that numbers in the tens of thousands: college students who commute to classes from their homes by driving, some as much as 60 or more miles a day, in a state where the automobile is still often the only quick way to get from Point A to Point B.

After seeing their tuition more than double in recent years, they have now seen gas prices increase more than a half-dollar a gallon in just the past 2 months. It is something that has many of them thinking less about studying and more about how they’ll get to school.

“With the rising cost of tuition coupled with the rising cost of gas prices and the rising cost of textbooks, it’s hard to focus on much more than that,” says Gregory Washington, a senior political science major at California State University, Fullerton, who plans to become a lawyer. Washington, who has seen his tuition more than double to about $6,700 a year since he enrolled at Fullerton, drives 30 miles each way from his home in California’s Inland Empire.

Students