Daring Robber Does Daylight Disappearing Act

I'm not in favor of bank robbery - or any other kind of crime, for that matter. But you've got to admit that this still free at large Seattle bank robber did have a certain style. Here's how it all shook out.

At the end of September, 2008, an unknown person put an ad for a job interview into the local Craigslist. As a result, he (or she) got several dozen people to all show up at the same time at a local bank. All of them agreed to all wear safety goggles, a yellow vest, and a respirator mask. And many of them wore the blue shirt they were asked to wear "if at all possible".

The robber also showed up as they all arrived, wearing the same outfit. Although he looked like he was part of the crowd, he had one other thing with him - a can of pepper spray. Using the crowd as a camouflage, the robber first squirted the pepper spray at an armored car guard. When the guard was temporarily subdued and disoriented the robber grabbed several bags of cash and ran.

Now, if this wasn't enough, just like in a grade B movie, the robber dove into the nearby river. But he had a well prepared plan. He swam over to and un-tethered an inflated inner tube. After hoisting himself into it he just paddled away. Last time he or she was seen was floating down the river.

So, what would you do if you ever find yourself in the midst of a bank robbery? The most important thing is to protect yourself. Don't be a hero. Let the robber have what he wants. Your money is insured, so why risk your safety?

You might be angry, you may be scared, but you've got to control yourself. There's a good chance that the robber is desperate. After all, don't you have to be a bit desperate to try to rob a bank? If that's the case, why mess with someone that's in that psychological situation?

If you still want to be heroic you can try to notice and remember details about the robbers. Their physical characteristics, like their weight, height and the color of their hair and eyes. Look for tattoos or scars. See if they have any unusual mannerisms.

Don't stare, though, because the bank robber does not want to be caught and he probably will know why you're looking at him so intently. Again, the best thing to do is to keep a low profile and let the robber take what he wants so you and everyone else can be safe.

And, if you see the bank robber driving away, try to remember what the getaway car looks like and the direction it headed.

After he's left don't touch anything. You don't want to destroy the evidence or alter the scene of the crime.

Making the Most of Your Music Classroom

Although at a glance the music classroom may not seem like the most important classroom in the school it's essential to your student's development.

You may have a room you already use as a music classroom, but have you ever considered a dedicated portable classroom. Most schools are struggling for space which isn't surprising as most school buildings weren't built to accommodate the quantity of students we're seeing today.

Portable Classrooms are the most obvious solution to schools struggling with space, as beneficial as having a dedicated music programme is, the most obvious drawback is going to be the noise, asking students in a music classroom to be quiet isn't going to be practical, having an additional portable classroom just for music away from the main school building means the students can make as much noise as they like without the worry of disrupting the other classes.

Space is already a problem for a lot of schools, the music classroom comes with the added worry of finding space for the instruments as well as the students, from tambourines to drum kits, they all take up a lot of room and unfortunately most pianos don't fold away into a cupboard.

All this extra equipment may also pose an extra security risk, portable classrooms can have their own security system, any windows can be fitted with security blinds and all windows can be toughened, making our portable classrooms safer than some school buildings!

So why is music so important?

It's impossible not to get your students motivated in the music classroom, the first thing they do in the morning is turn the radio on, you spend most the day trying to prise their MP3's headphones out their ears and you can't turn on the television or visit the cinema without tripping over the latest music orientated programme or film, whether they realise it or not, their lives are dominated by music!

It's not practical to have a music classroom full of students trying to sing the latest pop song but take the lyrics away and let them hear the music and they'll still be interested. There are so many reasons why you want your students to be interested in their music classroom:

The music classroom provides the perfect creative outlet, whether you've got a shy student who never opens their mouth during their other classes or you've got a disinterested student who struggles to even show up to their other classes, they might surprise you with a gift talent in music.

Basic rhythm and rhyme can cross from the music classroom to other subjects, most people learn the alphabet with the same generic tune, and you could even apply a basic rhythm to Shakespeare's work to help your students learn his plays.

Harmonious music requires discipline and concentration, getting a whole class to produce an entire tune or sing an entire song requires great team work, this teamwork can again be taken to other subjects too. The music classroom can inspire all students to get along peacefully, something that may not happen in the playground.

Every culture has its own unique music genre, different periods in history favoured different music styles, the music classroom is a great place to bring these all together, Bhangra and Punjabi music can teach students about Indian culture in a more productive fashion than reading straight from the text book