Maze Cartoon self-portrait of cartoonist Yonatan Frimer

Maze Cartoon self-portrait of cartoonist Yonatan Frimer

Self portrait maze cartoon of cartoonist Yonatan Frimer
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Click here for the maze solution to self portrait of Yonatan Frimer

More maze cartoons by Yonatan Frimer at http://teamofmonkeys.com

Kids 'Discover' fun at science camp

Kids 'Discover' fun at science camp

By ANNA GOODWIN MCCARTHY

Correspondent

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Squeals erupt from the children as the black and white rat scurries through a maze of brightly colored foam puzzle pieces and cardboard boxes, searching for the elusive cheese.

Unable to locate the cheese, the rat is at a standstill, prompting Michelle McPherson, director of school programs at Port Discover, to encourage the Port Discover Sensational Science camp-goers to modify the layout of the maze.

Quickly the group of eight to 12-year-olds moves into action in an ultimate display of teamwork using their recently acquired knowledge of positive reinforcement and learned animal behaviors to construct a new maze.

The best way to learn is through hands-on activities, said McPherson, an Elizabeth City State University graduate and former high school biology teacher.

Port Discover is Elizabeth City’s hands-on science museum for children. This summer marks the first series of summer camps since the center moved into its expanded space on Main Street. Port Discover director LuAnne Pendergraft says the larger space is allowing the center to offer expanded activities for the children, such as this week’s science camp aimed at teaching kids a variety of scientific techniques.

Moses McDaniel, Port Discover educator and ECSU research associate, demonstrated “laboratory techniques” on Monday helping campers create their own bacteria slides.

“It is absolutely great to see

them excited about science,” said McDaniel.

Sensational Science Camp attendees were introduced to the themes of microbiology, animal science, space exploration, technology/design and water quality this week. Camper Chaz McDaniel, 11, was excited to design and launch a water bottle rocket during Wednesday’s space exploration day.

McPherson said the space exploration theme was a result of requests for space themed projects on surveys at the end of last year’s summer science camp at Port Discover. The surveys at the end of each camp provide valuable feedback for planning future events.

The success of Port Discover’s programs has been maintained since its creation five years ago through the collaborative efforts of the staff, local government, community sponsors and Elizabeth City State University, according to Pendergraft.

“We wouldn’t be able to do what we are doing without the guidance of the university,” said Pendergraft.

The university’s “expertise of faculty,” “shared resources,” and presence of faculty on the 2010 Port Discover Board of Directors has led to “true community collaboration.”

Pendergraft said Port Discover has also been able to thrive through the recently purchased property that previously contained the Pasquotank Arts Council.

After moving into the larger space in March, the program was able to increase the number of participants in programs, decrease off-site travel and provide children with a “freer space to learn in,” said Pendergraft.

The larger facility contains a computer area with two computers loaded with science software, science board games and an Interactive Gallery that is open to the public. Enticing games like the cell require users “to match organelles with their functions,” by pressing buttons as a large model of a cell lights up with each selection. Another game asks users to pull a lever as they watch two balloon like lungs fill with air in a torso.

Glass habitats provide the onlooker with a glimpse into the activities of fish, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, toads, frogs, tadpoles and snakes. There is also a toddler area with “very basic” activities that provide an introduction to science, said Pendergraft.

Wendy Pierce, Port Discover director of community programs and ECSU graduate, said one of the best aspects of working with the program is the “ability to be creative in an informal learning environment.”

Pierce said the scientific method and North Carolina Standard Course of Study are used in the implementation of lessons and programs.

It is vital that we “spark a continued interest” in the areas of science, math and technology, said Pierce.

Port Discover will provide a Discovery Days camp for five to seven-year-olds June 28 to June 30.

Pendergraft said the Port Discover camps provide “quality fun” in a scientific environment.

Maze of Monkey Illusion - 2009
Optical illusion maze caused by conflicting horizontal and vertical lines.

Maze Illusion - Artwork by Yonatan Frimer

« Back to Article Farmer looks to agritourism to save his business

NEW MILFORD -- On Monday, farmer Dean Schultz finished planting corn seeds that will eventually grow and be landscaped into a haunted corn maze.

Since it opened in 2000, the Larson's Farm Market corn maze has become a local tradition.

The corn maze may also be an integral part of saving Schultz's livelihood. He is hoping he can use agritourism, or bringing visitors to the farm, to sustain the business originally started by his grandfather.

Schultz sells sweet corn to a local farmers market and is getting ready to open his own produce stand in a couple of weeks, but his main focus is expanding the agritourism part of the business.

He plans to have two mazes next year and perhaps start a garden where people can pick their own produce.

Schultz tried to start a community supported agriculture program, commonly referred to as a CSA, at the beginning of the season to bring in income. In a CSA, community members buy shares of the crops before the season starts. In return, they are given part of the yield every week during the growing season.

Initial interest was strong, Schultz said. More than 300 people inquired about joining.

"But when it came time to sign on the dotted line, we didn't get enough of a response," Schultz said. Only 40 people made a commitment, so Schultz has had to scrap the CSA idea for now.

"I don't see how anyone could survive on crop sales alone," said Stephen Paproski, who owns the 100-acre Castle Hill Farm in Newtown. "A third of our income comes from agritourism."

Agritourism has been growing for the last 10 years and has become more popular in the past five years, said Jane Eckert, the president of St. Louis-based Eckert Agrimarketing.

Agritourism can include all types of activities, from pick-your-own crops to hunting, Eckert said.

"When people step into our personal properties, they're willing to pay for the experience," Eckert said. "There is a growing category of people who have their weddings or large group picnics on farms. Farms have large spaces that can accommodate large numbers of people."

Castle Hill Farm has a maze, a hay ride, a pumpkin patch and bonfires in the fall. Paproski is a third-generation farmer, but the first who has had to turn to agritourism to survive.

Schultz is also a third-generation farmer. His grandfather owned Larson's Farm, where New Milford High School was built. Schultz now leases land because it is too expensive to buy. He used to farm the cornfields on Junction Road in Brookfield, until that property was sold to the Steiner family for development.

He is hesitant to invest too much money in his current farm, out of fear it will be sold as well.

"This is my last shot, but if this piece goes I'm done for sure," Schultz said.

Contact Vinti Singh at vsingh@newstimes.com or 203-731-3331.

Check out some cool maze art by Yonatan Frimer

Maze of Monkey Illusion - 2009
Optical illusion maze caused by conflicting horizontal and vertical lines.

John Lennon Psychedelic Maze Portrait

Imagine All The Mazes

Maze Rushmore

Maze of Gilad Shalit Wearing Uniform and Rifle

Maze of Gilad Shalit wearing Uniform and Rifle

Maze cartoon of the Flotilla Ordeal being milked by Iranian and Turkish hands by Yonatan Frimer

Milking the flotilla ordeal for all it's worth;
Maze Cartoon by Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon maze of a cow being milked. The utters are labeled "Flotilla Ordeal" , the arms that squeeze the milk out are labeled "Iran" and "Turkey" and the pail that has the milk says on it "Got PR?" Created by Yonatan Frimer

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Articles on the maze's topic:

Joel HillikerColumnist

A Good Excuse to End a Bad Relationship

Israel could see what was coming. Before the convoy set sail, Israeli leaders pleaded with Turkish officials to stop it; they offered to allow the supplies to be delivered through an Israeli checkpoint. But Erdoğan’s government let it go anyway. Thus, Israel had no choice but to intervene directly. And those on the boat made sure it turned violent.

Now, Turkey is milking the event for all it’s worth. It accused Israel of state-sponsored terrorism. It compared the psychological impact of the incident on Turks to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Americans. Turkish President Abdullah Gül called the Israeli raid a crime against humanity and said Israeli-Turkish relations will never be the same. Erdoğan labeled it a massacre. Turkish armed forces announced several cutbacks in cooperation with Israeli forces. The government also offered to supply Turkish naval protection for the next “aid” convoy to Gaza; “This would be, in effect, an act of war,” wrote Mark Steyn, “—more to the point, an act of war by a nato member against the State of Israel.”

(Read the full article on The Trumpet)



What do the Swedish Gaza activists hope to achieve?

.....Who actually profited from what happened? Well, most analysts agree that the biggest beneficiaries are the radical Islamists of the Middle East, notably Hamas, the terrorist organization which currently rules Gaza. Hamas won a major PR victory and gained valuable international legitimacy at the expense of moderate Palestinians and the Fatah leadership of the West Bank. Politically this is a boost for those Palestinians who object to peace negotiations with Israel, and prefer the more violent path of jihad, the so-called holy war against Israel and the non-Muslim world.

In Turkey, Islamist extremists are milking the incident to win easy points against secular and modernising forces. Iran is delighted that the world’s attention is being diverted away from its nuclear programme and arms deals with Hezbollah and Syria. As so often before in the Middle-East, the rhetoric of peace and freedom becomes a tool to strengthen despotic, terror-sponsoring regimes which scoff at both. This happened largely because, as Israeli author David Grossman put it, Israel acted like a puppet on strings pulled by a small fanatical Turkish organization......

Read the full article on The Local, a Swedish paper in English

Maze Of Monkeys jumping off a building in 3-D maze goodness

Mushroom Maze

Maze-a-delic by Yonatan Frimer

Hizbullah wants to gas Israel, I mean take gas from Israel - Maze Cartoon by Yonatan Frimer

Hizbullah wants to gas Israel, I mean take gas from Israel - Maze Cartoon


Maze Cartoon - Jewish monkey reading a newspaper with the headlines, "Hizbullah Claims Israel's Gas Belongs to them" says, "In World War 2, the anti-semites put us into gas chambers. Now they want to chamber our gas" Created by Yonatan Frimer

Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
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Visit these links for more Yonatan Frimer maze cartoons and other mazes:
TeamOfMonkeys.com Political Maze
Ink Blot Mazes - Maze Art
Buy Maze Art
Daily maze cartoons on Go Comics
Maze Blog

Hizbullah: Israel's gas belongs to us

Marine law expert Adv. Amir Cohen-Dor: The Dalit and Tamar gas fields are within Israel's economic zone.

Adi Ben-Israel and Uzi Blumer14 Jun 10 17:41

Hizbullah claims that that the natural gas fields recently discovered in the Mediterranean, belong to Lebanon and warned Israel against extracting gas from them. Iranian English language paper "Tehran Times" quotes Hezbollah's executive council chief Hashem Safieddine as saying that it would not allow Israel to loot Lebanese gas resources.

Earlier this week, Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri told "AFP", “Israel is racing to make the case a fait accompli and was quick to present itself as an oil emirate, ignoring the fact that, according to the maps, the deposit extends into Lebanese waters. Lebanon must take immediate action to defend its financial, political, economic and sovereign rights."

Click here to read the full article on Globes

Rodent of the Week: How habits are formed

June 11, 2010

When I was in high school, I had to drive a long distance on a freeway to get to school. After arriving, I often wondered how I got there. I didn't remember the drive or even thinking about driving.

This feeling is a common (and, yes, somewhat scary) experience that a group of neuroscientists think they can better explain. In an experiment with rats, researchers at MIT identified two distinct neural circuits in the brain that show distinct changes when the rats were learning to navigate a maze and, later, after they mastered the task.

The rats were placed in a maze that had chocolate sprinkles at the end. The activity in specific parts of their brains was analyzed as they learned the maze, which included a T-juncture where they had to stop and choose to turn right or left. The rats performed the maze repeatedly until they had learned it.

The study showed that one specific neural circuit became stronger with practice. A second neural circuit showed high activity occurring at times when the rats had to make a decision in the maze. But as they learned the maze, activity in this circuit declined. The task had become habitual.

So, arriving at school in one piece wasn't just a matter of luck. "It is good to know that we can train our brains to develop good habits and avoid bad ones," the lead author of the study, Ann Graybiel, said in a news release.

Understanding how specific regions of the brain change through learning could help in developing new treatments for brain-based diseases. The study was published Thursday in the journal Neuron.

-- Shari Roan

Photo credit: Advanced Cell Technology Inc.

Some cool mazes, maze art and maze cartoons

Mushroom maze

Maze of Mushrooms by Yonatan Frimer 2006

Maze Portrait of Albert Einstein.

"Genius Maze" - By Y. Frimer

Maze Cartoon of Erdogans comparison of Flotilla raid to September 11th.

Maze cartoon of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan comparing the Flotilla raid to September 11th. Someone from the crowd asks how it would "stack up against the Armenian Genocide." Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here or on the image for the maze solution.

UN Bombs Iran with sanctions, Maze Cartoon by Yonatan Frimer

Maze Cartoon UN Bombing Iran with Sanctions By Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon maze of a UN fighter jet dropping bombed marked "Sanctions" on Iran, while he has other with the name of known targets and the pilot says, "If these don't work, then we drop the real ones!" Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
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More cartoon mazes by Yonatan Frimer:

• Political Maze on Go Comics
• Team Of Monkeys Maze Comics and Cartoons
• Buy maze art of Yonatan Frimer
• Trippy Maze Blog
• Maze Art on Ink Blot Mazes

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U.N. imposes another round of sanctions on Iran

UNITED NATIONS -- After several months of grueling diplomacy, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran's military establishment -- a move that the United States and other major powers said should prompt the Islamic Republic to restart stalled political talks over the future of its nuclear program.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the foreign ministers of allied nations asked the European Union's chief diplomat to pursue talks with Iran at the "earliest possible opportunity," and President Obama asserted that "these sanctions do not close the door on diplomacy."

"We think that the sanctions send a kind of message to the entire Iranian leadership, which.... (Read Source Article)

Political Maze Top Ten List by Yonatan Frimer

Bellow is a list of the Top Ten Political Maze Cartoons by Yonatan Frimer

#10

Cartoon Maze: Which Islam is the true one? By Yonatan Frimer

Maze cartoon of a muslim preacher at the pulpit exlaiming "Islam is the only true religion." A voice from the crowd asks, "Shi'a or Sunni?" The speaker responds, "INFIDEL!!!" Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
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#9

Bill Gates' Microsoft iPad - Cartoon Maze

Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution
Editorial Cartoon Maze of Bill Gates telling his team of monkeys to make a microsoft version of the iPad.

#8

Editorial Maze Cartoon - JFK vs Obama on NASA

Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution
Editorial Cartoon Maze contrasting JFK to Obama on the issue of traveling to the moon and NASA.

#7

Editorial Maze Cartoon - Eyjafjallajökull

Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution
Editorial Cartoon Maze of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland that erupted an ash cloud over European airspace causing havoc.

#6

Editorial Maze Cartoon - Iran Geophysics

Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution
Editorial Cartoon Maze of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland that erupted an ash cloud over European airspace causing havoc.

#5

Maze Cartoon on the Economy of Greece.

Maze Cartoon for Editorial use on the Economy of Greece. A 747 marked "Economy of Greece" flys while chained to two bags of debt that are carried by the IMF and EU. Created by Yonatan Frimer

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Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution

#4

Maze Cartoon - Effects of Human Error on Stock Market

Maze cartoon editorial showcasing how stocks are effected by human error, buy having a bull represent stocks and a cowboy wrangling him to represent human error.

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Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution

#3

Cartoon maze of how the Tea Party started. By Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon maze editorial of a bunch of sheep in a field. One sheep stands up and exclaims, "I will no longer be a follower!" The rest of the flock yells, "Me too!" and the group in the front explaim "If this catches on, we got to get that fox on board."

Click here for the maze in larger, printable format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution

#2

Cartoon Maze of Erdogan and comparison of Flotilla raid to September 11th.

Maze cartoon of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan comparing the Flotilla raid to September 11th. Someone from the crowd asks how it would "stack up against the Armenian Genocide." Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here or on the image for the maze solution.

#1

Editorial Maze Cartoon on Arizona Immigration laws.

Cartoon maze editorial bunch immigrants sneaking into America. Leader tells them "We are almost there folks, make sure you have plenty of water and get your fake birth certificate from Sanchez before the border." As they stand near a road with a sign that says, "Arizona 50 Miles." Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
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Cartoon Maze of Israel's PR team. Barrel of Monkeys and 3 Stooges By Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon Maze of Israel's PR team. Barrel of Monkeys and 3 Stooges

Maze cartoon of Israel's incompetent public relations team. A barrel of monkeys and the 3 stooges. Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
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For more Yonatan Frimer Mazes, visit:
Team Of Monkeys Political Maze
Political Maze on Go Comics
Ink Blot Mazes Maze Art
Maze Art on Fine Art America
Maze Blog


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Ben-Eliezer says Israeli PR 'disgrace'

Labor minister says faulty PR management during flotilla raid affair 'led us into the bad situation we are in,' but party chairman Barak says incident complex, making it 'difficult to defend'

During a meeting of Labor ministers on Thursday, Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer leveled harsh criticism at the management of Israel's public relations outlay during the recent flotilla raid affair. He called the PR layout surrounding the incident a "disgrace," and said "it has led us into the bad situation we are in."

Read the entire article on ynet