Denver teacher Gerardo Muñoz sits in front of the bookcase in his home office, faces his computer and makes small talk with his World History students as they log on for class.
It’s easy banter. Muñoz tells the kids he’s a Selena fan, and chuckles as they respond on Google Chat. He’s taught for 21 years, mostly at the Denver Center for International Studies, where he now instructs middle and high school students.
Last month, he was named Colorado’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, representing 60,000 Colorado teachers who, like him, are grappling with how to do their jobs in the midst of a pandemic.
The students get down to business, writing essays in preparation for the advanced placement test they’ll take in a few months to earn college credit for the class. When they’re done, Muñoz switches up the mood with a true or false quiz about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. He calls it “Fact or Crap.”
Throughout the hour, he refers to the toll the COVID-19 pandemic is taking on everyone. He acknowledges students who’ve told him they can’t get their homework done, noting how complicated peoples’ lives are right now. When a student chats him to make a suggestion about the class, Muñoz quickly buys into the idea.
“We need to do everything we can to make this as bearable as possible, am I right?" he said.
Speaking to Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner a few days later, Muñoz
said there’s no point sugar-coating things for his class.
“I joke with my students, you got all the worst parts of school with none of the good parts. You're doing a whole bunch of work, you're by yourself and you don't even get to see your friends,” he said. “I think it’s critical to be honest about this and how hard it is.”
easy.indah.link It was like this all afternoon. Deebo Samuel bouncing off defenders and gaining chunks of yardage. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
You’d have to say the 49ers’ season has been a disappointment.
Super Bowl participants are supposed to roar out of the gate the next year, establish themselves as one of the favorites and then expect to do some damage in the playoffs.
Instead, the Niners lost the opener to Arizona and have been on a frustrating quest to get to .500 for most of the year. It has begun to look like the enduring image of this season will be Nick Bosa, rolling off the field in a golf cart. Done for the year.
And that is why, right here in public, we should salute and praise Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Rams. That was as gritty and impressive an effort as you are likely to see. And, just like when they accurately said the week five loss to Miami was “embarrassing,” the players and staff knew this was a game to put a pin in and remember.
“I’m just very proud to be these guys’ coach,” Kyle Shanahan said.
Granted, the team probably has to win every game from here on in. They still aren’t at .500. The playoffs remain a mathematical possibility and a logical long shot.
But still. For a team that has been fed extra helpings of adversity this year, that was pretty damn impressive.
Of course, the fate of a 5-6 team looks pretty small in the face of a world health crisis. The Coronavirus is spreading across the country, so naturally it is spreading in the NFL too. If any good can come out of it, at least we can say that football teams are reinforcing the point that the virus is real.
Denver played without a quarterback because all of theirs were isolating. The Baltimore Ravens have so many players (12) and staff (8) testing positive that their practice facility was closed and the upcoming game with Pittsburgh was moved to Tuesday. Tuesday?
But as always this year, the 49ers topped them all. The Broncos lost a quarterback. The Niners lost their home.
According to Shanahan, the team was just boarding the plane for Los Angeles when they got the word. Santa Clara Country was putting a three-week ban on “all contact sports.” No games, no practices. The team was essentially kicked out of town.
As word spread, Shanahan described an airport scene where “I have an entire plane coming up to me, wives, girlfriends, kids” all wanted to know what was going to happen. Because as he said, that meant they would not only need a practice field, “we need a stadium to play in.”
(Today it was announced that the 49ers will play two games at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium where the Cardinals play. A practice facility and location of same has to be worked out.)
Which is a roundabout way of saying that was the backdrop for this team flying into Los Angeles. They’d lost three in a row. Their list of players on injured reserve — including stars like Bosa, George Kittle and Jimmy Garoppolo – is the longest in the league.
And now, to throw this in, a possible move out of town and into a “bubble” for the foreseeable future. It would not have been a surprise if the cumulative effect of all the adversity began to affect players’ attitudes.
Instead, they came out and made it exactly the kind of game Shanahan said he was hoping for. It was a shut-down defense, combined with a healthy dose of comin-right-at-you with the running backs and then, when they absolutely had to, a pass.
The game made two points:
First, good players make a difference. Duh.
Raheem Mostert, Richard Sherman and especially, Deebo Samuel all made splash plays that reminded you of what you liked about this team. Defensively, the Robert Saleh head coaching job interview is just about complete. Put this game at the top of the resume, Robert.
Shanahan once said he’d wear Jimmie Ward’s jersey if the NFL would let him, and he was an inspiration. Guys like him and Sherman — an underrated tackler — set a tone.
Also, just saying, there were hints that a couple of the players not only tested positive but had some symptoms. It might have been more serious than we thought. The team was lucky to get them back for the game.
Second, this is Shanahan’s offense. He insists on running the ball. And even when he’s throwing, a lot of times the passes are just long handoffs.
That’s why I think we should change how we think of the 49ers quarterback. We’ve been lamenting the fact that Garoppolo or Mullens isn’t Patrick Mahomes. They aren’t, and they aren’t likely to become him.
A better comparison would be Alex Smith. Under-appreciated throws a tight spiral and works the short and intermediate areas. (He also doesn’t throw interceptions, which the 49ers QBs need to work on.) But Smith is also considered a good guy, down to earth and popular with his teammates.
It’s been a long road for Smith. He’s been booed, doubted, and badly injured. But he’s come through it and is now one of the NFL’s feel-good stories in Washington. People are rooting for him.
I could see that happening with the Niners’ QBs, who are also good guys. It’s all about hanging in there and then making some throws when you absolutely have to. You can win everyone over again.
Because grit, as demonstrated Sunday, has its rewards.
You’d think an online search would be reliable, quick and easy. You type a few words or a question into a search engine, and you immediately get your answer. Unfortunately, you have to deal with a bunch of useless links clogging up your search.
If Google is your search engine of choice, there are plenty of things to like. In fact, there are a ton of features you may not even know about. Tap here for 10 advanced features that you’ll use all the time. Unfortunately, Google Search doesn’t always return helpful results if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.
Luckily, there’s a way for you to make the most out of the Google Search engine. If you’ve been having problems getting trustworthy Google Search results, give these five clever tips a try.
1. Filter search results by date
With this trick, you can tweak the dates of your results. Let’s say you’re researching, and you only want to find results from the past five years. If you filter by date, you can make sure old links aren’t clogging your search results.
This is also a helpful filter if you’re looking for news articles. You can make sure you’re getting timely news instead of reading old articles. It’s easy to miss a date and think a story happened only yesterday. In reality, you could be reading a story from 10 years ago!
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Here’s what to do. First, type in your phrase. Then, tap on Tools, click on Any Time, and click on Custom range.
Then, a little box called Custom date range will pop up, along with a calendar. You can insert the start and end dates. This way, you’re filtering results to make sure you don’t get a single search result outside of these time boundaries.
From there, hit Go, and you’re one step closer to your perfect result!
2. Search within a specific website
Are you having trouble using a website’s search engine? For example, Reddit is a website that’s notorious for its terrible search tool. You can type in something specific, and you’ll still get unrelated results.
In cases like this, Google Search can save the day. All you have to do is search by a specific domain. To do this, add site: and the website’s URL to the front of your search. Here’s an example:
This tool is a life-saver when you’re researching. It cuts down on time you’d otherwise spend stumbling through confusing websites. This way, you can get what you need faster than ever before.
3. Want files instead of website links? You can search for that, too
So, typing site:URL in front of your search can make sure results are only from that specific website. But what if you’re not interested in articles, videos or other website links? What if you want PDFs or other types of files?
Here’s another secret that could save you hours. Just write filetype: at the beginning of your search. For example, if you want PDFs, write filetype:pdf in the search, along with your keyword.
Don’t forget that keyword, since this makes sure you’re receiving a specific type of PDF. Otherwise, you’ll get results for any PDF file on the internet!
This is useful if you’re looking for other file types, too. Need an Excel spreadsheet? Just hit filetype:xlsx along with your keyword into the search engine. Now you have access to any file on the web you could need. (As long as it’s publicly available, of course.)
4. Want even more specific filters? Run an advanced search
That’s right: Google’s got an advanced search that lets you narrow results by absolute specificity. You can search for results by language, region, last update, exact words or phrases and even more.
Fun fact: Google automatically filters results by your local region. If you’re in the U.S., you’ll probably only get results from North America. With the advanced search, you can change your filter to anywhere in the world.
You can even find images you have the right to reuse — which will save you from future copyright troubles!
All you have to do is tap Tools and then hit Advanced search.
5. Exclude keywords you don’t need
We saved the best for last with this one. If you’ve ever searched on Google and gotten results you don’t need, this is a life-saver.
With this trick, you can exclude keywords you don’t need. Just put a – before the words you want to exclude, and put a + before the words you need. Basically, Google matches words that have a plus at the beginning. The search engine will exclude any word with a minus sign.
Let’s say you want to see what the Komando site has to say about search engines that aren’t Google. Here’s what you’d type:
Here’s another tip: If you’re looking for a specific phrase, wrap it in quotation marks. This makes sure your results contain the full phrase — instead of just a tidbit of that phrase.
The New York Times’ Thomas L. Friedman warns Joe Biden, “This is not the Middle East you left four years ago.” President Trump’s “most significant foreign-policy achievement” was forcing “Israel and the key Sunni Arab states to become less reliant on the United States” and “cooperate among themselves over new threats — like Iran — rather than fighting over old causes — like Palestine.” The “prospect of Iran having a nuke is not what keeps them up at night,” because using it would “be suicide, and Iran’s clerical leaders are not suicidal. They are, though, homicidal,” and Tehran’s “new preferred weapons for homicide” are precision-guided missiles. Iran’s neighbors will balk if Biden gives up “the leverage of extreme economic sanctions” before using it “to secure some commitment to end Iran’s export of these missiles” to its proxies. Those hoping to see a quick return to the nuclear deal should “keep the champagne in the fridge.”
From the right: Schools Woke But Broke
Dozens of elite schools across the country are sparing no expense for diversity transformation, so “the perceived need to announce sweeping changes in leadership and curricula has been a boon to the growing diversity-consulting industry, which is designed to profit from racial discontent,” reports The Washington Free Beacon’s Charles Fain Lehman. It’s a nice gig, if you can get it: The wokeness urge perpetuates “witch hunts,” impelling schools to hire more diversity experts, and as “accusations of racism and bigotry only grow,” they fuel still more demands “for new positions and pricier consultants.” And all the schools get in return are outrageous reports suggesting that practices like “averaging grades over a semester or grading homework unacceptably perpetuate inequality.” But the real agenda is clear: “Teachers and administrators press an increasingly progressive line, agitating students into demanding ever more change” in hopes of ballooning their own budgets and one day joining the ranks of overpaid consultants.
Israeli centrist: Obama’s Revisionism
Barack Obama’s new memoir “is filled with historical inaccuracies,” charges Israeli politico Dov Lipman at JNS.org. The ex-president claims that Britain was occupying Palestine when it issued the Balfour Declaration in support of a Jewish national home in the Jews’ historic homeland. That framing undermines Britain’s “legitimacy to determine anything about the future of the Holy Land” — when, in fact, the League of Nations granted London a mandate to determine Palestine’s fate after World War I and specifically recognized a Jewish right to a homeland there. Obama’s omission “misinforms the reader, who will conclude that the movement for a Jewish state in Palestine had no legitimacy or international consent.”
Education beat: Bailing Out ‘Brahmins’
Lefty economist Thomas Piketty calls the educated voters liberal parties have gained worldwide the “Brahmin left,” Zaid Jilani notes in The Wall Street Journal — adding that “a blanket forgiveness of student debt would be a Brahmin bailout” that wouldn’t “help the workers who once formed the backbone of the Democratic Party.” Contra Sen. Elizabeth Warren, it would be no economic stimulus: As lefties like Matt Bruenig point out, it would leave “households with no extra liquid cash to spend.” And since college degrees translate to higher income, Jilani warns, the move mainly gives “economic benefits to the upper class.” Other ideas, like making schools liable for part of debt that students can’t repay, address the problem without “a large transfer of income to some of the wealthiest people.”
Conservative: Down With Libertarians
“Everyone knew some husky chap in college who smelled like onions and called himself a libertarian,” snarks Michael Warren Davis at Spectator USA. Now a few thousand of those Ayn Rand- and Hayek-obsessed chaps have “spoiled the election” for President Trump by throwing their support behind the hopeless Libertarian nominee. “Of course, some of these neckbeards may be pleased with the result. They surely knew [their candidate] wouldn’t win but might have felt that Mr. Biden came nearer to the libertarian ideal than Mr. Trump. Some people also drink gasoline. And they all get a vote.”
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SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — The Women’s Economic Ventures annual celebration of small business has launched a Virtual Shop Local Market to safely bring shoppers to local small businesses this holiday season.
The marketplace features more than 50 women-owned and minority-owned small businesses who are part of the WEV community.
The 26-day shopping portal will be open online until December 13th.
This year, holiday shopping is expected to start earlier, generate more online purchasing activity, and focus on non-traditional gifts for home, health, and beauty.
“Small business owners in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties need our community’s support this holiday season more than ever,” WEV CEO Kathy Odell said.
“Fourth quarter sales may determine which of our favorite local shops will survive into the new year.”
Local businesswoman Caleigh Hernandez is participating in WEV’s Virtual Shop Local Market.
“Shopping small and locally is so important, this year especially,” she said. “Consumers can buy unique, handmade and intentional gifts that support a community.”
Her passion for social change on the African continent led her to develop RoHo, offering one-of-a-kind Kenyan beaded leather sandals, bags, African beaded jewelry, Binga Baskets, and home goods.
Through her partnership with artisan groups across Kenya, RoHo creates consistent, fair paying work for their artisans, most of whom are women.
“We are grateful for our WEV community who has showed up and continues to support us during this challenging time,” Hernandez added.
Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and consulting to more than 17,500 women and men throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
The certified community development financial institution has made over $6 million in business loans and helped more than 5,000 local businesses start or expand.
WEV-supported businesses generate more than $300 million in annual sales revenues and have created nearly 9,400 local jobs.
Watch tonight on KEYT NewsChannel 3, KCOY News Channel 12 and KKFX Fox 11 news.
(More information, video and pictures will be added here later today.)
California / Community / Coronavirus / Economy / Events / Health / Holidays / House & Home / Lifestyle / Money and Business / Outdoors / Santa Barbara - South County
