Review of \u3ci\u3eSpirit Matters: Ron [Gyo-zo] Spickett, Artist, Poet, Lay-Priest\u3c/i\u3e by Geoffrey Simmins

Most surveys of modernist art in the Canadian prairie provinces in the 1960s focus on the annual Emma Lake Workshops. These gatherings brought prominent avant-garde artists such as Barnett Newman and Kenneth Noland to Saskatchewan and introduced the controversial American critic Clement Greenberg and his ideas on the development of purity, abstraction, and flatness in painting. Yet not all prairie artists who thought of themselves as modernist followed this path. Many of them have been excluded from published histories. One such artist is Ron Spickett, the subject of a recent retrospective exhibition curated by Geoffrey Simmins. Simmins\u27s complementary book covers Spickett\u27s early period in Regina, his work as a commercial artist, his study in Mexico, his adoption of other media after 1980, and his study of Buddhism, which led him to become a lay priest and adopt the name Gyo-zo

Review of \u3ci\u3eSpirit Matters: Ron [Gyo-zo] Spickett, Artist, Poet, Lay-Priest\u3c/i\u3e by Geoffrey Simmins

Most surveys of modernist art in the Canadian prairie provinces in the 1960s focus on the annual Emma Lake Workshops. These gatherings brought prominent avant-garde artists such as Barnett Newman and Kenneth Noland to Saskatchewan and introduced the controversial American critic Clement Greenberg and his ideas on the development of purity, abstraction, and flatness in painting. Yet not all prairie artists who thought of themselves as modernist followed this path. Many of them have been excluded from published histories. One such artist is Ron Spickett, the subject of a recent retrospective exhibition curated by Geoffrey Simmins. Simmins\u27s complementary book covers Spickett\u27s early period in Regina, his work as a commercial artist, his study in Mexico, his adoption of other media after 1980, and his study of Buddhism, which led him to become a lay priest and adopt the name Gyo-zo

The United States Benefit Deficit for Veterans

Over the last few years the Department of Veterans Affairs has faced an increase of public scrutiny for its handling of veteran health care claims. Allegations that mismanagement created extensive waiting times and appointment scheduling manipulations resulted in veterans dying were made against the VA. This research examined data from the VA Monday Morning Workload Reports, the National Survey of Veterans, the VA Office of Inspector General, and media reports of whistleblowers accusing the VA of mismanagement to determine whether the VA was guilty of a state crime of omission and commission resulting in a social harm to its veterans. This study found that the VA met several indicators identified in previous literature in that the VA 1) failed to act in a timely and appropriate manner in response to the problem, 2) had prior knowledge of the problem, and 3) that there was significant public and political response to the problem. Therefore, this study demonstrates that the VA committed a state crime of omission through its inactions and a state crime of commissions for its direct actions and role in attempting to manipulate records. Furthermore, this study also shows that the VA’s inactions and actions have resulted in a growing social harm to its veterans wherein veterans, their families, and their communities face higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), suicide, intimate partner violence (IPV), homelessness and other criminogenic consequences than those of the civilian population

Motivation to Read in the Middle Grades

This study explored the reading motivations of sixth grade students. Results from the Motivation to Read Profile- Fiction/NonFiction survey (MRP-F/NF) (Marinak et al., 2017; Malloy et al., 2017; Parsons et al., 2018) exposed a decline in sixth grade students\u27 reading motivation in both fiction and nonfiction texts. An item analysis revealed survey items relating to students\u27 desire to tell friends about good books and talk about books in groups were considered items of low motivation. As a result of the noticeable decline in reading motivation for sixth graders and the difficulty in understanding this decline based on the survey results, three problem statements were established. First, gaps in research remain in regard to how students in the middle grades describe what would make reading more enjoyable for them. Furthermore, there are few instruments that specifically measure middle grade students\u27 motivation to read and also focus on discussion. Finally, a gap in knowledge exists from a researcher, practitioner, and design perspective regarding how instructional models of book clubs can support peer-to-peer discussion of books. To address these gaps in research, the researcher selected a multiphase mixed method design in order to explore, measure, and address the problem of low reading motivation for students in sixth grade. A multiphase design examines a central problem or topic of interest through several phases of qualitative and quantitative research that builds on data discovered in earlier phases (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). Each phase then informs or guides the adjacent phases. For the purposes of this study, the researcher separated this study into three phases: Phase I - an exploratory qualitative phase; Phase II – a quantitative instrument design phase, and; Phase III - a design-based case study phase. At the conclusion of this study a retrospective analysis revealed four theoretical assertions: (a) Choice is important; (b) Peer-to-peer collaboration is influential; (c) Time and value are related; and students\u27 (d) Self-concept is complicated. Students\u27 reading motivation is positively influenced by their ability to participate in an authentic reading experience where they are free to select texts that appeal to them; given time to collaborate in peer-to-peer discussion through a format of their choice with conversational topics that interest them; and can openly and honestly review and recommend texts to others. Based on the results of this study, these authentic experiences may have a positive influence middle grade students\u27 motivation to read

“You’re My Parent but You’re Not”: Dialectical Tensions in Stepchildren’s Perceptions about Communicating with the Nonresidential Parent

The nonresidential parent plays a role in the lives of stepchildren and in stepfamily households. The focus of the present study was on the interaction between the nonresidential parent and his/her child who resides as part of a stepfamily household. Grounded in relational dialectics theory, the researchers performed an interpretive analysis of 50 transcribed interviews with college-aged stepchildren. Stepchildren’s perceptions of communication with the nonresidential parent were animated by two contradictions: parenting/nonparenting and openness/closedness. These two contradictions form a totality, interwoven with one another. The parenting/nonparenting contradiction reflected stepchildren’s ambivalence over parenting attempts of nonresidential parents. Stepchildren wanted nonresidential parent involvement and parenting, and at the same time they resisted it, often finding communication to be awkward and challenging. In addition, stepchildren wanted open and intimate communication with their nonresidential parents, yet they found openness to be problematic and managed these contradictory demands via segmentation. Implications of these findings are discussed, along with insights to guide professionals working with stepfamilies and adults co-parenting children to better understand and interact in ways that promote healthy stepfamilies

A 10-year content analysis to assess research theme areas in agricultural education: gap analysis of future research priorities in the discipline.

The field of agricultural education relies on multiple research journals to disseminate findings. This study focused on a 10-year content analysis of research published in premier journals in agricultural education. The study ascertained primary research themes, types of research conducted, prolifically published authors, frequently cited authors, and frequently cited referenced works, and discussed how the formation and usage of research in agricultural education has changed from 1997 to 2006. The study sought assistance from agricultural educators to narrow the focus of the study and to ensure study content validity. A conceptual model, based on a thorough review of literature and a focus on the peer discipline areas of agricultural education, guided the study. The study utilized a field study and employed descriptive statistics. Premier agricultural education (AGED) journals were identified: the Journal of Agricultural Education (93%); Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education (67%); Journal of Extension (63%); North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Journal (48%); Journal of Applied Communications (41%); and Journal of Leadership Education (41%). The study identified primary and secondary research themes, prolific authorship, research methods and types, and frequently cited authors and referenced works in each of the identified premier AGED journals. The research used compiled data, from each of the research journals, to analyze the frequencies and gaps identified in the National Research Agenda [NRA]: Agricultural Education and Communication 2007-2010 (2007). Agricultural education in domestic and international settings: Extension and outreach was the research priority area noted as the most frequently identified in past research and no gaps were identified in the NRA. To continue to strengthen the agricultural education discipline, research from this study should be used to adjust research priority areas in the NRA and on the regional and state levels

How should a DEXA scan be used to evaluate bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporosis?

If bone density is evaluated after initiating bisphosphonate drug therapy, it should be tested no earlier than 2 years (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, based on case series of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry [DEXA] scanning precision and bisphosphonate efficacy). Currently no prospective, randomized trials investigate the impact of bone density follow-up testing on osteoporotic patients receiving bisphosphonate therapy

Turning Points in the Development of Blended Families

A modified retrospective interview technique (RIT) was employed with members of 53 blended families to determine the types of turning points they reported experiencing and the developmental trajectories of their respective blended family’s first 4 years. Findings revealed 15 primary types of turning points, of which “Changes in Household Configuration,” “Conflict,” “Holidays/Special Events,” “Quality Time,” and “Family Crisis” were the most frequent. A cluster analysis revealed five basic trajectories of development for the first 48 months of family development: Accelerated, Prolonged, Stagnating, Declining, and High-Amplitude Turbulent. The trajectories differed in the overall positive-to-negative valence ratio, the frequency of conflict related events, the average amplitude of change in feeling like a family, and the current reported level of feeling like a family

Types of Communication Triads Perceived by Young-Adult Stepchildren in Established Stepfamilies

This study was an analysis of the kinds of residential parent-stepparent-stepchild triadic communication structures expressed in interviews with 50 college-aged children from established stepfamilies. In an interpretive analysis of the interview transcripts, four communication structures were identified. In the linked triad the stepchild relied on indirect communication with the stepparent through his or her residential parent. The outsider triad was characterized by the stepchild communicating primarily with the residential parent with limited awareness of interdependence with the stepparent. In the adult-coalition triad the stepchild perceived that the residential parent and stepparent had formed a coalition, leading to cautious and distrustful communication with both adults. The complete triad featured the stepchild experiencing a “real family” with open communication with both the residential parent and the stepparent. Contributions of studying stepfamilies from the perspective of triadic communication structures versus stepfamily dyads are discussed