Being A Contributing Citizen — Stocking The First Aid Kit
I look in my car and I notice that I have no First Aid Kit on board. I find it amusing because I do carry jumper cables. I know what I will do if my car battery dies, but what is my plan if I get injured or if one of my passengers is injured? So I am off to the drug store to stock up a First Aid Kit for my car. I will be checking to see if our Town Meeting Place is equipped as well. I encourage us to continue to do our part as contributing citizens in our community. Let’s make sure we are prepared to help our family, our friends, and our neighbors in the case of a First Aid emergency.
The American Red Cross recommends these items:
- 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
- Control bleeding (this can also be controlled effectively with roller bandages below)
- 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
- Cover cuts
- 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
- Secure bandages (bandages can also be tied off)
- 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
- 5 antiseptic wipe packets
- 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
- Some folks cannot take asprin (administering drugs should be left toEMS)
- 1 blanket (space blanket)
- Good for the winter and to help treat for shock
- 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
- Protection against contracting germs
- 1 instant cold compress
- Reduce swelling
- 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
- Protection against contracting germs
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
- insect bites, poison oak/ivy
- Scissors
- helpful if tape is included in your kit
- 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
- For bleeding and for splints
- 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
- Open wounds
- 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
- Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
- Care can be given without knowing the victims exact temperature
- 2 triangular bandages
- Very useful for splinting
- Tweezers
- Splinters and the like
- First aid instruction booklet
Use your judgment and your knowledge of first aid to determine how your first aid kit is supplied. Many of these items are inexpensive. Having them at hand can prove very useful.
Marcos Levy
The New Learning Project
Language As It Applies To Reading Music
Lost In Translation? or What’s in a name?
To be fluent is the ability to translate what we see or feel instantly into language. So it should be with the reading of music.
When we read a note on the staff such as this one. We are taught that name of this note is “G”. When learning to play piano, for instance, we learn that the there is a key called “G”. So we match them up and play the correct note. I am not convinced that this method of translation is the most effective one for reading music for your instrument. Translating a note on the staff into English and then re-translating the English letter to a particular key (or string, or fingering) is unnecessarily complicated and slow. Better that seeing the placement of the note on the staff is directly followed by the striking of the correct key without any regard as to what the note may be called.
While knowing note letter names remains important in the studying of music, a stronger and clearer connection between the music on the page and the playing of the instrument can be forged. I believe it is worth future study. To that end, I am near completion of a virtual piano and staff to practice this connection online. Keep in touch, and check back soon.
Marcos Levy
The New Learning Project
Marcos Levy’s Favorite Shortcuts for Windows Machines
To Mouse or Not To Mouse — That is the question…
The answer is up to your own personal preference. I am a big lover of Keyboard Shortcuts. I find them faster than the mouse in many cases, and I don’t have to interrupt my work flow to use them. Here are my TOP TEN most used (and then some)
Windows + D – (hold the windows key down and then tap the “D” key) – this shows desktop by minimizing all your open windows. Pressing it again will bring the windows back.
Windows + E — this opens the “My Computer” window. I find this helpful when I have just plugged in a memory stick and need to find it. Also a great place to start when trying to find anything on your computer. Continue reading “Marcos Levy’s Favorite Shortcuts for Windows Machines” »
Coming Soon – online music lessons
Marcos Levy is working on putting up a series of lessons to teach the Fundamentals of Music Theory. These lessons are meant to propel musicians, would-be-musicians, and non-musicians alike into the world of music theory.
Learn or rediscover the elements of music:
- How to identify the Half Step, the fundamental building block of all Western Music
- Using the Half Step to build intervals, scales, and chords
- What makes a Major Scale sound that way?
- How to build a Major Scale on any note by stringing together a series of Half Steps and Whole Steps.
- The story behind the Circle of Fifths. It starts over 2000 years ago with Pythagoras and a piece of string!
- How to use the Circle of Fifths to predict chords and key signatures
- How are the notes named?
- Naturals, Sharps, and Flats
- The story behind reading notes on a staff. It starts over 1000 years ago withe a Pope called Gregory!
- How to read music on its system of Clefs, Lines, and Spaces
Join your instructor, Marcos Levy, on this journey, as you master the Fundamentals of Music Theory.
Coming Soon,
In the meantime,
Enjoy Life!
Music Lessons 2011-2012
Music lessons at The New Learning Project are underway. From Classical Music to the harpsichord solo from “In My Life” by the Beatles; from Scott Joplin to Tom Petty; students here are learning how to play these pieces while working on a sound foundation of music theory. Contact us to arrange a lesson time. See you there.
We are updating our site as we celebrate 15 years of service!
Week of September 19th 2011
We are in the process of updating the site. You can find all the info you need at
Our Previous Site
American Sign Language Classes
A new beginner’s ASL I course will be starting on October 5th, 2011
Click here to find out more.
People want to learn sign for a variety of reasons: to sign with deaf family members, clients or co-workers; to sign with infants and toddlers; to aid communication with people who have a language inhibition or delay; because they themselves have lost hearing or speech ability; or simply because they’re curious and attracted to the language itself.