The Real Mitt Romney

Four Year Olds Have Brains Too

No matter how much we may disagree, here's proof!

Meet a 4-year-old girl whose IQ is just one point shy of Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. Legos first, the theory of relativity next.

Heidi Hankins, from Winchester, England, is the newest kid on the block to join Mensa, the intellectual organization, with an IQ of 159. At the age of 2, Hankins was reportedly already reading at an 8-year-old level. There are no standardized IQ tests for children under the age of 10, so the toddler was psychologically evaluated.

Back in 2009, Oscar Wrigly joined Mensa at the age of 2 with an IQ of 160 to become the youngest child to ever join the organization. The average IQ in the general population is said to be about 100.

Mensa only recruits members whose IQs belong into the top 2% of the population. According to the Toronto Star, Heidi is one of approximately 90 children under the age of 10 who belong to the British chapter of Mensa.

“She will remember times and events and things you wouldn’t even notice,” Hankin’s father told the Star. “She has a really good memory for times and places and details.”

Erica Ho is a contributor at TIME and the editor of Map Happy. Find her on Twitter at @ericamho and Google+. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

URL Submitter - Submit your URL to Search engines and Directories for FREE!

Candidates Show their Money trail

By Scott Smith
Record Staff Writer
April 01, 2012 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - Mayoral candidate Jimmie Rishwain has kick-started his campaign with a $100,000 loan to himself, saying he wants to make sure he can respond to his opponents as the race gets hot.

"I want to be competitive," he said. "I want to be able to answer any comments that other candidates are going to be putting out."

That sum also puts him ahead of incumbent Mayor Ann Johnston and Tony Stevens, two other candidates who have money backing their candidacies.

Johnston has $57,792 on hand from contributions, and Stevens has $39,000, including $30,000 loaned from his Elk Grove auto dealership.

Mayoral candidates who have raised $1,000 or less are James Butler, Gregory Pitsch, Anthony Silva and Ralph Lee White.

The seven candidates will square off June 5 for the mayor's seat. A candidate can win in the primary with 50 percent of the vote, plus one. If there is no clear winner, the two top candidates will move on to the Nov. 6 general election.

Rishwain, who served as mayor in the 1960s when City Council members voted on the position, said he has pledges from other supporters.

Johnston in her 2008 race for mayor spent $310,000, according to campaign records at City Hall. In 1996, Ed Chavez spent $236,143 to win his mayoral race.

In three Stockton council races to appear on the June 5 ballot, each of the incumbents has outpace their opponents in fundraising so far.

Vice Mayor Kathy Miller has $60,540, while challenger Randy Hatch's filings indicate he has no campaign funds. The two are vying in Council District 2.

In District 4, Councilwoman Diana Lowery has $66,407, while challenger Moses Zapien reported $13,754, the most of any council challenger. Theresa Velazquez reported no money.

In District 6, Councilman Dale Fritchen has $36,372 on hand, and challenger Michael Tubbs reported having $5,694.

Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or ssmith@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/smithblog.

RON PAUL'S REVOLUTION IS GETTING STRONGER!

Move by Lodi Unified official signals curriculum transition

By Keith Reid
Record Staff Writer
March 23, 2012 12:00 AM
LODI - Lodi Unified School District Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Odie Douglas filed a request for reassignment last week, opening a window for the district to transition into a new philosophical mind-set at the high school level under new leadership.

Douglas, 54, was hired in Lodi Unified seven years ago as associate superintendent - second in command to then-Superintendent Bill Huyett. He has worked much of this time introducing a new level of "academic rigor" in Lodi Unified high schools under an all-college preparation model, meaning all students are enrolled in the courses colleges want to see on transcripts.

The Board of Trustees has declared recently that the district is to transition from an all college-prep model to the introduction of more career and technical education courses for students who believe a trade school or the work force is more likely to fill their needs than college readiness.

Douglas will be reassigned in July. The job he moves to could be within Lodi Unified, but Douglas said he has an open mind.

"I am looking forward to a new opportunity," Douglas said. "It's known that I've been pursuing a superintendency. I am going to continue searching for new opportunities."

Douglas was a finalist for Stockton Unified's superintendent search in 2010 before the district decided to hire the retired Carl Toliver on a two-year contract. Douglas also interviewed for the top spot in the Natomas Unified School District.

Superintendent Cathy Nichols-Washer said Douglas submitted his letter requesting reassignment within his credential area. She said the district has posted the assistant superintendent job without any replacement candidates in mind.

The position will pay between $105,000 and $135,000 annually according to an online classified advertisement. Douglas, who has his doctorate degree, is earning $164,000 annually.

Douglas was one of several administrators who were "re-shuffled" into new positions in 2010 after Nichols-Washer pledged to streamline services at the district office to coincide with other layoffs and budget cuts. The associate superintendent's office was purged in that shuffle. Douglas stayed in the superintendent's cabinet as an assistant superintendent.

"(Douglas) has a wealth of experience and knowledge. He's a very good person and a good administrator," Nichols-Washer said. "He is always going to do very well."

Click here to finish reading this story!