Computer: Whatcom's Cyber Team Conquers Bigger Schools

There is no better feeling than being a little team from a small school who out shines some of the biggest teams in the State. In April, our IT Professionals of Tomorrow team went to the first annual Pacific Rim Cyber-defense Competition taking third place beating teams from the UW and other 4-year colleges.

The competition was to see which team was better at protecting a computer network from a series of hacker attacks. Seems Corrine Sande and crew do a pretty good job of teaching students cyber-defense.

UWTV just released a short 20 minute documentary of the event. Use the link below to view. Go Orcas!
picture by Giopuo (flikr)

http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=27982

ART: Pottery Class Video

Here is a bit of video from our pottery class this quarter. A little taste of what it's like to spin clay. Enjoy!

I Read it on the Internet, It's Gotta Be True....Right?

The Internet can be an amazing source of information on any imaginable topic. Except, information on the Internet is like a handful of pistachios. Pistachios are great, except for the occasional bad one, and the bad one is so bad it ruins everything else! (Eat a bad pistachio nut and you will know what I mean.)

Dumb Little Man Blog came up with a great article, Can You Trust What You Read Online, with 5 steps to knowing the legitimacy of what your are reading.

1. What's the author's purpose?
2. Who's the author?
3. Are there any citations?
4. Are examples given?
5. Does the article counter what you already know?

I really like step 5 as some people don't give themselves enough credit for what they already know. If you have learned something, just because something you read counters your knowledge, don't assume you are the one that's wrong.

The article goes into the details of each step and is also a handy guide to anyone who is thinking of writing for the web. If you want people to believe what you write, it needs to be backed up with evidence. Check it out.
picture by bourgeoisbee (flickr)

Music: An Evening With David Lanz

A sneak-peak at the wonderful class with David Lanz that was held on campus. David is a truly gifted performer. His blending of classical, new age, and rock reflects his background and the musical tastes of his audience. I truly enjoy listening to his music.

The video of David playing was not very good, so I went for some special effects. Seems the really cool red spotlights we had on the piano wreaked havoc on the video. The music in the video is pure David.

For the piano players and composers we have one more class this quarter with David. Composing With David Lanz on Friday November 7th. This workshop allows you to work with David on your own compositions! Click here for more information.

FOOD: The Willows Dinner Class and the Mystery Raspberries

We had a very successful farm tour and dinner at the Willows Inn a couple weeks ago. Seems there was one question that the chef/tour guide couldn't answer...What variety of raspberries were growing at Nettles Farm?

The answer....{insert drum roll}.... Dinkum raspberries from Cloud Mountain Nurseries near Sumas. This variety is a everbearing fruit and according to Judy at Nettles Farm they are still producing berries even as Halloween approaches. Cloud Mountain is sold out of plants at the moment, but will have some in the new year. Click here for more information.