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Cephalopod, any member of the class Cephalopoda of the phylum Mollusca, a small group of highly advanced and organized, exclusively marine animals. The octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and chambered nautilus are familiar representatives. The extinct forms outnumber the living, the class having attained great diversity in late Paleozoic and Mesozoic times. The extinct cephalopods are the ammonites, belemnites, and nautiloids, except for five living species of Nautilus.
General features and importance to humans
The cephalopods agree with the rest of the Mollusca in basic structure, and the ancestors appear to have the closest affinity with the ancestors of the class Gastropoda. The best-known feature of the cephalopods is the possession of arms and tentacles, eight or 10 in most forms but about 90 in Nautilus. Except for the nautilus, all living members of the class show great modification and reduction of the characteristic molluscan shell.
Cephalopods range greatly in size. The giant squids (Architeuthis species) are the largest living invertebrates; A. dux attains a length of more than 20 metres (60 feet), including the extended tentacles. The smallest cephalopod is the squid Idiosepius, rarely an inch in length. The average octopus usually has arms no longer than 30 centimetres (12 inches) and rarely longer than a metre (39 inches). But arm spans of up to nine metres (30 feet) have been reported in Octopus dofleini. The shell of the fossil ammonite Pachydiscus seppenradensis from the Cretaceous measures 205 centimetres (6 feet 8 inches) in diameter; it is considered to have been the largest shelled mollusk.
Cephalopods occur in large numbers and form one of the greatest potential food resources of the oceans. They are eaten in most parts of the world and have been accepted as part of the general diet in North America and northern Europe. They also are indirectly important to humans since they furnish a large part of the diet of sperm whales and smaller whales, seals, fishes, and seabirds.
Natural history
Reproduction and life cycles
The sexes are usually separate in the Cephalopoda. Sexual dimorphism is usually expressed in slight differences of size and in the proportions of various parts. In the argonaut and the blanket octopus (Tremoctopus) the males differ in appearance and size from the females.
The female reproductive system is simple, consisting of the posterior ovary and paired oviducts. Nidamental glands exist in species that lay eggs encased in heavy gelatinous capsules.
In males the reproductive system contains a series of chambers or sacs along the course of the vas deferens, which produce long tubes (spermatophores) to contain the spermatozoa. The final sac (Needham's organ) is used for storage of spermatophores. The spermatophores are complicated, containing sperm reservoir, cement body, cap, and a delicate triggering mechanism for releasing the tube and cementing it to the female's body, where the sperm are released when the eggs are mature and ready to be laid. Since spermatophores vary in appearance from species to species, they are important taxonomic characters.
During courtship the male deposits spermatophores in the female, either within the mantle cavity or on a pad below the mouth, by means of a specially modified arm, the hectocotylus. The hectocotylized arm of Octopus bears a deep groove on one side, ending in a spoonlike terminal organ. In Argonauta and Tremoctopus the arm is highly modified and in mating is autotomized (self-amputated) and left within the mantle cavity of the female. In the squids a much larger section of the arm may be modified; often the suckers are degenerate and the distal half of the arm bears rows of slender papillae, although special pouches and flaps may often be found. The modified arm of Nautilus is termed the spadix.
Little is known about the mating habits of most cephalopods. In the common octopus the male and female remain some distance apart while the male caresses the female with the tip of the hectocotylized arm. The male then inserts the tip of the arm into the mantle cavity of the female, where it remains for more than an hour, during which time the spermatophores travel down the spermatophoral groove of the arm. In the cuttlefish (Sepia), according to the Dutch zoologist L. Tinbergen, the pair swims side by side, the male indulging in some courtship behaviour with its arms. Eventually, mating takes place by the pair intertwining their arms and remaining together while the spermatophores are placed on the inner side of the female's mouth membrane. In loliginid squids a somewhat similar type of mating occurs, except that it takes place en masse in schools of thousands of individuals.
Eggs may be laid shortly after mating or after a prolonged period of maturation during which time the sperm remain viable. In loliginids they are fertilized as they are ejected and before being fixed in the egg capsule. In the octopods they may be fertilized as they pass through oviductal glands near the end of the oviduct. In cuttlefishes the eggs are fertilized before the heavy capsule is formed. Egg laying in octopods is accomplished by the female individually fixing the eggs singly or in festoons by a short stalk or thread. In loliginids the eggs in fingerlike capsules often form immense moplike patches, the result of the communal spawning of perhaps hundreds of individuals. Spawning of oceanic squids is very poorly known. The number of eggs laid during a spawning period varies greatly; it may range from only a few dozen in octopuses with large eggs to more than 100,000 in the common octopus, laid over a period of about two weeks. In cuttlefishes the number of eggs is smaller, about 200 to 300 being laid in a season. In loliginids several thousand eggs may be laid by a single female, and the egg mop of the European common squid, resulting from the efforts of many individuals, may contain more than 40,000 eggs.
The eggs of most cephalopods are enclosed within a capsule that may be gelatinous and transparent (the squids of the genus Loligo) or opaque and leathery (Octopus and cuttlefishes). The eggs of oceanic species may be laid in large sausagelike gelatinous masses or singly. The eggs of most coastal species are laid inshore and are attached singly or in clusters, primarily to rocks and shells on the bottom. Parental care is exhibited by some octopuses, in which the female broods over the eggs in the den, and in the argonaut (Argonauta), in which the eggs are carried in a special shell secreted by the female. In most squids and cuttlefishes the eggs are left uncared-for. Squids that attach their eggs to the bottom engulf them in a gelatinous mass that protects them from disease and deters predators. Cuttlefishes squirt their eggs with ink when they are laid to camouflage the otherwise white eggs.
All cephalopod eggs have a remarkable amount of yolk, unlike that in the rest of the Mollusca, so that segmentation is incomplete and restricted to one end of the egg, where the embryo develops. The embryo of a cuttlefish (Sepia), squid (Loligo), or octopus (Octopus) has a yolk sac. In certain presumably archaic Teuthoidea there is less yolk, and the yolk sac is nearly absent. Development of the embryo is direct, without the distinctive larval stages and metamorphoses that occur in other mollusks.
Incubation time varies, but in Octopus young hatch in about 50 days and in Loligo in about 40 days. At hatching, the young may closely resemble the adult and assume the adult habitat or they may differ from the adult and spend a considerable time in the plankton as part of the drifting life. The juveniles of many cephalopods were described as distinct genera before their juvenile status was discovered. In octopods with small eggs (e.g., Octopus vulgaris) the juveniles are planktonic, spending several weeks in the plankton; the "Macrotritopus" stage of Scaeurgus may greatly prolong its juvenile life until a favourable bottom substrate is found. In octopods with large eggs (e.g., Octopus briareus) the young resemble the adult and immediately assume a bottom-dwelling mode of life.
In the order Sepioidea (cuttlefishes and bottle-tailed squids) the young closely resemble the adults and are only briefly planktonic. In the Teuthoidea (squids), especially the Oegopsida, the larvae may differ widely from the adult and the juvenile period may be quite long.
Little is known about the life span of cephalopods. Studies have shown that in Octopus joubini raised from the egg in aquariums, sexual maturity and spawning were reached in five months; in a loliginid squid (Sepioteuthis sepioidea), likewise raised from the egg, sexual maturity and full growth were also attained in five months. It thus appears that the smaller inshore species may have a life span of no more than one year or, exceptionally, two or three. Nothing is known of the life span of the large oceanic squids, but it is presumed that giants such as Architeuthis attain their bulk only after a period of perhaps four to five years. In the smaller octopuses and squids, observational data indicate that many of the males die after mating and females after the first major spawning.
Cephalopods are unique among the invertebrates in the degree of cephalization and cerebralization attained. The uniting of the major ganglionic centres of the central nervous system constitutes a brain of considerable complexity. Studies undertaken at the Zoological Station in Naples by the British zoologists J.Z. Young, Martin J. Wells, and others have demonstrated that Octopus is capable of learning and has considerable intelligence. The behaviour of squids and octopuses differs considerably because of their different modes of life. Laboratory behavioral studies have dealt mainly with learning processes and have centred around food acceptance, reward and punishment, maze work, and shape discrimination. By means of surgical techniques it has been possible to determine the various functional centres of the brain of Octopus and the transmission and receiving pathways.
In addition, field studies in tropical seas near Indonesia have recorded tool-using behaviour in the veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus). In 2009 biologists reported having observed the animals excavating coconut half shells from the ocean floor and carrying them for use as portable shelters. Such behaviour is regarded as the first documented example of tool use by an invertebrate.
Research of a detailed nature has also been concerned with colour change. Most cephalopods possess colour pigment cells (chromatophores) and reflecting cells (iridocytes) in the skin. The chromatophores are expanded by nerves controlled by the brain, and the colours are exposed (brown, black, red, yellow, or orange red). Colours and colour patterns are exhibited according to specific behavioral conditions—e.g., attack on prey, camouflage, rest, and alarm or defense. Alarm patterns are the most readily recognized, consisting of strong contrasting light and dark areas, bars and peripheral dark outlines, or vivid displays of spots, like huge eyes.
Other behavioral patterns are found in changes in skin texture, including the erection of branched or spikelike papillae and curling of the arms. These actions often are attempts by cephalopods to conceal or camouflage themselves through imitating bottom objects such as sand, coral, or seaweed.
The ink of cephalopods is used for both defense and escape. In Octopus under attack by a moray eel, the cloud of ink seems to paralyze for some time the eel's senses of sight and smell. In squids the ink is ejected as a spindle-shaped mass about the size of the squid itself, the ink coagulating in the water. With this "dummy" left behind, the squid contracts its chromatophores, becomes nearly transparent, and jets away.
Many cephalopods (but not Nautilus and Octopus) possess special light organs (photophores), which emit chemical light or bioluminescence. Light is produced by the enzymatic reaction of luciferin and luciferase or, in bottle-tailed squids (sepiolids), indirectly, through cultures of luminescent bacteria. Photophores distributed over the body are employed at night or in the mid depths in various ways: mating play, recognition of the sexes, aid in schooling, attracting prey, defense, and camouflage. The light organs of the squid Histioteuthis are highly complicated, consisting of reflector, light source, directive muscles, lens, diaphragm, window, and colour screens.
Octopuses, squids, and cuttlefishes display considerable skill and cunning in hunting, stalking patiently, or luring prey within reach of their arms or tentacles. Both cuttlefishes and octopuses may use the tips of their arms as wormlike lures to attract small fishes, and octopuses have been reported to thrust stones between the valves of clams to prevent their closing. This has not been verified by later observers, but such intelligence is not beyond belief.
Cephalopods move by crawling, swimming, or jet propulsion, mainly the latter. The mantle, which has a passive role in the majority of mollusks, has become involved in locomotion in cephalopods, having almost entirely lost its rigid shell and become highly muscular. Its expansion and contraction produce a locomotory water current by drawing water into the mantle cavity and expelling it through the funnel. The rapid ejection of this jet of water enables the animal to execute quick backward and forward movements.
Water is drawn into the mantle cavity by the relaxation of the circular muscles and resultant expansion of the mantle. It enters around the neck region or aperture of the mantle (through the funnel in some deep-sea octopuses). In the oceanic squids the system is more efficient, with a nonreturn valve that prevents water from entering the wrong way through the funnel. When the mantle is contracted the aperture is closed by locking mechanisms and contraction of the anterior ring muscle, and the water is forced out through the funnel. This flexible tube is constructed similarly to a jet nozzle and may be turned in any direction, giving the animal great flexibility of motion for steering.
Squids also possess terminal or lateral fins used in slow movement or hovering. Locomotion is by the rapid undulation of the outer edges of the fins. Movement through the water is aided by lateral expansions (swimming keels) on the outer surface of the third pair of arms. Some squids (Onychoteuthis, Thysanoteuthis) are able to "fly" for several hundred feet, driven into the air by powerful thrusts from their jets and gliding on their expanded fins and arm keels. This normally occurs when the squids are pursued by predatory fishes and dolphins. When the squid jets rapidly through the water, the fins are often curled tightly around the mantle. Cuttlefishes, because of the large cuttlebone, are less active animals and spend most of their life lying on or hovering slightly above the bottom. Both jet and fins are used, the latter more frequently.
The benthic octopods are bottom crawlers, gliding about the bottom and in and out of crannies with amazing agility through the use of their eight arms and hundreds of suckers. Because of the extraordinary flexibility of the body, they are able to pass through openings hardly larger than the diameter of one eye. When disturbed, octopods swim rapidly by jet propulsion. Mass swimming migrations have been reported.
The finned octopods and the bottle-tailed squids have paddle-shaped fins that probably are most useful for hovering and slow swimming. The female argonaut (Argonauta) propels herself by jet propulsion while encased in her paper-thin shell. The chambered nautilus (Nautilus) is a less active swimmer, partly due to the inefficient funnel, which is composed of two flaps instead of a single fused tube, and to a reduced mantle cavity.
The active swimmers and most bottom dwellers apparently possess no hydrostatic organ. The cuttlefish, however, which swims or hovers above the bottom or rests on the bottom, adjusts its buoyancy through the amount of gases contained in the porous cuttlebone. Nautilus, which swims slowly above the bottom or in midwater, accomplishes this similarly, adjusting the gases in the chambered shell. Inactive oceanic squids, such as some cranchiids, concentrate ions lighter than seawater in the body chamber, while others, such as Bathyteuthis, concentrate buoyant oil in the chambers associated with the digestive gland.
The Cephalopoda are exclusively marine animals. There are numerous littoral species, but few have been reported from brackish water except for the squid Lolliguncula brevis, which occurs along the Florida coast in bays where the salinity is as low as 8.5 parts per thousand (about one-fourth that of the open ocean). Cephalopods are excluded from the Baltic Sea by lower salinities but have been found in areas of the Suez Canal where salinities are higher than in the oceans. There is some evidence that in parts of the open sea that differ only slightly in salinity there may be a varying cephalopod fauna. Grace E. Pickford, an American zoologist, has found that the vertical distribution of young in Vampyroteuthis is governed by water density, and, according to the American zoologist Clyde F.E. Roper, a similar situation exists in the deep-sea squid Bathyteuthis.
The Coleoidea are carnivorous and live principally on other cephalopods, crustaceans, mollusks, and small fishes. In the food cycle of the squid Illex, in which the adults feed upon young mackerel and the adult mackerel feed upon young squid. Squids also are cannibalistic. Octopus feeds upon bivalve mollusks and on decapod crustaceans, sometimes causing severe losses to the lobster fishery by entering the traps and eating the captive lobsters. The smaller oceanic squids probably feed primarily upon small fish, copepods, heteropods, and caridean shrimp. The Cirrata, which have reduced musculature and radula, indicating reduced activity and masticatory power, probably feed on bottom dwellers or small plankton.
The Cephalopoda are fed upon by many marine mammals, large fish, and seabirds. Sperm whales and other toothed whales feed primarily on squids.
The 19th-century French naturalist Alcide d'Orbigny asserted that the Cephalopoda are in general sociable, and this statement is certainly true of Nautilus, which are found together in large numbers. Some authorities, studying the Mediterranean cephalopods, have concluded that only certain pelagic cephalopods are gregarious (Todarodes, Ocythoe). Schools of the large oceanic squid Thysanoteuthis rhombis have been reported at Madeira. Although there is no proof that numbers constitute gregariousness, octopus colonies have been reported.
The breeding season has a marked effect on the local distribution of certain cephalopods. The common cuttlefish comes into shallow water in the spring and summer to breed, and similar migrations have been observed in some squids (Loligo, Alloteuthis, Illex).
The geographic distribution of cephalopods is incompletely known. Some open-ocean pelagic and bathypelagic forms are cosmopolitan in warm and temperate waters (Onychoteuthis banksi, Cranchia scabra). Others may be limited by genera to particular oceans or to continental waters. Even some species of bathypelagic habitat are limited to one ocean. The Octopoda, as a result of their bottom-dwelling habits, show stronger restrictions in their distribution, but Octopus vulgaris and O. macropus, both species with planktonic larvae, have gained worldwide distribution. In general, the pelagic and planktonic cephalopods conform in their distribution to other pelagic animals.
The vertical distribution is also incompletely known. Nautilus moves vertically through the water, living near the bottom, and has been obtained at a depth of about 550 metres (1,800 feet). It is fished in the Philippines when it comes into shallow water. Of the cuttlefishes, the Sepiidae are littoral, whereas the Sepiolidae dwell on or near the bottom, down to considerable depths. Among the squids the Myopsida are coastal forms, whereas the Oegopsida are oceanic, living from the surface to depths in excess of 5,000 metres (16,400 feet). The Octopoda occur from the surface of the open ocean (Tremoctopus) to the ocean floor (Pareledone, Bentheledone, Cirroteuthis) in excess of 5,000 metres (16,400 feet); most are bottom-dwelling forms restricted to the continental shelf and its slope.
Form and function
Cephalopods vary from elongate, streamlined oceanic organisms to saccular, slow-moving bottom and drifting forms. Their body plan is indicative in many ways of the habitat in which they dwell and their mode of life.
The viscera of a generalized cephalopod are covered by a dome-shaped or elongated sheath of muscle, the mantle, which is connected with the head anteriorly. Ventrally, the mantle is free and encloses the mantle cavity, the space into which the gills project and the excretory and reproductive systems open.
Anterior to the mantle is the head-foot, which bears a ventral muscular tube, the funnel. Surrounding the mouth are eight long, prehensile arms, provided with suckers in octopuses and argonauts (order Octopoda), or eight arms and two tentacles, equipped with horny ringed suckers bearing teeth or hooks in squids and cuttlefishes (orders Teuthoidea and Sepioidea). The primitive Nautilus has about 90 small suckerless appendages.
The fossil nautiloids and ammonites (represented today only by Nautilus) were primitive, less-specialized forms, probably leading a rather inactive sluggish life. The modern octopuses, squids, and cuttlefishes have acquired an active, vigorous life that has led to marked departures in structure and function from the type represented by Nautilus. Modern forms are divided into three basic life-styles: the sluggish life in the great depths of the sea, a floating life in the midwaters, and a more active, aggressive existence near the surface. The nautiloids and ammonites were probably shallow-water animals living near the bottom and, like the slow-moving Nautilus, relied for protection on a coiled or curved calcareous external shell.
All cephalopods have an internal cartilaginous covering of the consolidated ganglia of the nervous system. In all except ammonites and nautiloids, it constitutes a cranium. Various other skeletal supports are found at the base of the fins and in the "neck," gills, and arms.
The alimentary system consists of a buccal mass with a pair of jaws (mandibles) and a rasping tongue (radula), esophagus, salivary glands, stomach, cecum, digestive gland ("liver"), intestine, and anus. In the Octopoda the esophagus may be expanded to form a crop, while in the deep-sea Cirrata the radula may be degenerate or lacking. Except in Nautilus and certain deep-sea Octopoda there is an ink sac located near the anus. This secretes a dark fluid, the sepia or ink, which is forcibly ejected through the funnel.
All members of the Coleoidea (octopuses, squids, and cuttlefishes) possess a closed circulatory system of blood vessels; in Nautilus it is partly lacunar (i.e., made up of sinuses). The blood contains a blue respiratory pigment, hemocyanin (a copper compound), dissolved in the plasma. There are three hearts, the main systemic heart and the two branchial hearts, one at the base of each gill. The rhythmical contractions and expansions of the mantle cause a circulation of water over the gills where gas exchange takes place between the seawater and blood. The featherlike gills, consisting of a central axis with a row of lamellae on either side, are suspended in the mantle cavity from the mantle wall.
The excretion of nitrogenous wastes is carried out exclusively by the kidneys. There are four kidneys in Nautilus and two in the coleoids.
The central nervous system is highly developed, the major ganglionic centres being concentrated in the head. In some of the cuttlefishes (Sepioidea) the cerebral centres are subdivided for specialization, with the pedal ganglia divided into brachial and epipodal elements that innervate the arms and funnel respectively. In active squids the mantle is innervated by giant paired dorsal axons. Much of the present knowledge of mechanisms of nerve impulse conduction has come from the study of these giant axons. The sense organs of the cephalopods are eyes, rhinophores (olfactory organs), statocysts (organs of equilibrium), and tactile organs. In Nautilus the eyes are open pits without lenses. In the Coleoidea the eyes are complex and approach those of some lower vertebrates in efficiency.
Evolution and paleontology
The first cephalopods were probably provided with a simple, caplike shell. With elongation of the shell and the formation of septa or partitions, the nautiloid shell could be formed (Late Cambrian, 510 million to 488.3 million years ago). The primitive elongate shell of Orthoceras became unmanageable and coiling resulted, as in the Gastropoda.
The Ammonoidea are usually considered to have evolved from Devonian (416 million to 359.2 million years ago) straight-shelled forms (Bactrites) with certain nautiloid traits. Coiled ammonites appeared in the Late Devonian Epoch (Goniatites). The subclass became extinct in the Cretaceous.
Modern cephalopods possess an internal and partly degenerate shell, straight except in Spirula. The state of the shell in modern forms is due to the progressive overgrowth of it by the mantle, probably accompanying the evolution of an active swimming life. The first evidence of the modification of the shell is in Aulococeras in the Triassic Period (251 million to 199.6 million years ago). The belemnites, with their modified, internal shell, gave rise to Spirula (coiled shell), to cuttlefishes (calcified phragmoconal septa, forming a thick shell), and to the squids (only the proostracum as a horny "pen"). These forms appeared in the Jurassic Period (199.6 million to 145.5 million years ago) and were probably derived from belemnite-like ancestors.
In the Octopoda the shell persists as cartilaginous stylets or fin supports. Palaeoctopus newboldi, the oldest known octopod, from the Cretaceous of Syria, was already too advanced to provide a clue to the derivation of the Octopoda. The Vampyromorpha are considered to be a possible connecting link between the Teuthoidea and the Octopoda.
Distinguishing taxonomic features
In fossil cephalopods, reliance is placed upon shell details (general shape, type of coiling, external sculpture, and sutures). In living forms, except for the Sepioidea, the shell is strongly degenerate or missing and the characters used consist of details of the soft parts: presence or absence of an eyelid, tentacles retractile or contractile or both, shape and size of fins, number of arms, number of sucker rows, presence or absence of teeth and hooks on arm and tentacular suckers, radular dentition, structure of funnel organ, spermatophores, details of the hectocotyles, number of gill lamellae, and the presence, patterns, and types of photophores.
Annotated classification
The following classification has gained considerable acceptance among modern specialists. Groups indicated by a dagger (†) are known only as fossils.
- Class Cephalopoda
- Mollusks in which typical molluscan foot surrounds head and forms arms and tentacles; mantle surrounds mantle cavity and is part of locomotory system; central nervous system highly developed, forming true brain encased in cartilaginous cranium; mouth contains pair of parrotlike jaws (or beak); body usually somewhat streamlined; eyes highly developed, most closely resembling in acuity those of some vertebrates; about 650 living species.
- Subclass Nautiloidea (nautiloids)
- Cambrian to present; now living only in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly East Indies; external coiled or straight chambered shell present, chambers connected by median siphuncle; smooth septa; sutures simple, little or no external sculpture; tentacles suckerless, adhesive; living and supposedly fossil forms with 4 gills; funnel formed of 2 nonfused flaps; about 5 living species, in genus Nautilus.
- †Subclass Ammonoidea (ammonites)
- Devonian to Cretaceous; fossils only; external, coiled or straight chambered shell with marginal siphuncle, last chamber protected by single horny plate or 2 calcareous plates; septa wrinkled; complex sutures; external sculpture.
- Subclass Coleoidea (octopuses, squids, belemnites, cuttlefishes)
- Triassic to present; shell internal, reduced, vestigial, or lacking; 2 sets of gills; 8 or 10 arms, having suckers or hooks.
- †Order Belemnoidea (belemnites)
- Triassic to early Cenozoic; fossils only; shell consisting of solid rostrum, small chambered phragmocone and anterior, broad proostracum; 6 to 10 arms bearing hooks in 1 or 2 rows; total length 5 to 210 cm.
- Order Sepioidea (cuttlefishes and bottle-tailed squids)
- Early Cenozoic to present; worldwide with family exceptions; shell coiled and chambered (Spirulidae), straight with vestigial chambering (Sepiidae), vestigial, or lacking; eyes covered with transparent membrane; 8 sucker-bearing arms and 2 tentacles retractile into pockets; total length 2.5–90 cm.
- Order Teuthoidea (squids)
- Early Cenozoic to present; shell thin, horny gladius; 8 arms, 2 tentacles, which are contractile only; worldwide; total length 1.5 to at least 1,800 cm (0.75 in. to 60+ ft).
- Suborder Myopsida
- Eye covered by transparent membrane; neritic, inshore animals.
- Suborder Oegopsida
- Eye open to water, completely surrounded by free eyelid; open-ocean animals living from the surface down to at least 3,000 m.
- Order Vampyromorpha
- Purplish-black gelatinous animals with 1 or 2 pairs of paddle-shaped fins at various stages of growth; 8 arms and 2 small retractile filaments not homologous with tentacles; deep web between the arms; worldwide; 1 species.
- Order Octopoda (octopuses)
- Cretaceous to present; shell lacking or vestigial, nonhomologous shell or egg case in female argonautids; fins absent or present; body generally saccular, with 8 mobile, highly contractile sucker-bearing arms; worldwide; total length 5–540 cm (2 in. to 18 ft); maximum arm spread to about 900 cm (30 ft).
- Suborder Palaeoctopoda (finned octopod)
- Cretaceous, some living.
- Suborder Cirrata (Cirromorpha)
- Holocene; soft-bodied, deep-webbed forms with cirri on arms and small to large paddle-shaped fins; primarily deep-sea.
- Suborder Incirrata (common octopus)
- Holocene; compact, saccular to round bodied, finless forms with muscular, contractile arms; somewhat secretive; pelagic to deep-sea and shallow waters.
Critical appraisal
The elucidation of higher classification of the cephalopods is fraught with difficulties. Early specialists divided the living cephalopods into Octopoda and Decapoda without relation to their internal structure; these were both placed in the Dibranchia, in contrast to all fossil forms, which were considered as Tetrabranchia because Nautilus has four gills rather than two. This unnatural classification, accepted by the French zoologist Alcide d'Orbigny in 1838, was gradually modified through the efforts of the Swiss zoologist Adolph Naef and the German zoologist Georg Grimpe and later workers to the form given above. Phylogenetic linkages are still highly theoretical, but, with X-ray techniques that reveal soft parts in fossils and with new paleontological finds, the unfolding of the evolutionary history is in sight.Gilbert L. Voss Clyde F.E. Roper
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
muscle: Molluskscephalopod mollusks also swim by jet propulsion. They draw water into the mantle cavity (the cavity that houses the gills) and expel it rapidly. Vigorous movements of this kind provide jet propulsion, but gentler ones serve for breathing by circulating water, and thus oxygen, through…
nervous system: Complexly compartmentalized systems…system is attained by the cephalopods (squids, cuttlefishes, and octopuses) among the mollusks and by the insects and spiders among the arthropods. Although the basic plan of these nervous systems is similar to that of the annelids, there are several advances. First, there is a high degree of…
circulatory system: MolluscaThe cephalopods are more active than other mollusks and consequently have higher metabolic rates and circulatory systems of a higher order of organization. These systems are closed with distinct arteries, veins, and capillaries; the blood (6 percent of body weight) remains distinct from the interstitial fluid…
reproductive behaviour: Mollusks…advanced courtship behaviour in the cephalopods, particularly the squids, involves complex visual displays of movement and changes in colour pattern. Males signify that they are ready for breeding by assuming a distinctive zebra-striped pattern, displaying their fourth arm in a flattened manner, and approaching other individuals with a jerky motion.…
photoreception: Pinhole eyes>cephalopod group that has changed little since the Cambrian Period (about 541 million to about 485 million years ago). These organisms have eyes that are large, about 10 mm (0.39 inch) across, with millions of photoreceptors. They also have muscles that move the eyes and…
More About Cephalopod19 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- annotated classifications
- characteristics of mollusks
- complexity of mating behaviour
- hydraulic propulsion in locomotion
- chromatophoric structures and coloration
- circulatory system
- muscle system


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Signing up is easy! Click the event calendar at the top of the page. Select which painting you would like to paint and click "Add Painting to Cart." Follow the on-screen directions to complete the order. Contact us if you have trouble completing your order and we will walk you through the process.
Do I need to pre pay or can I just walk in to a class?
For us to guarantee you a seat, we do ask that you pre-register for any event you wish to attend. This also allows for our studio to be prepared for your arrival!
My friends are painting but I just want to come watch, is that okay?
For the courtesy of all guests, every person entering the studio must pay for a seat whether painting or not. The only exlusions to this are for parents accompanying children during non drop off events.
What days are classes held?
Classes are usually held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings as well as Saturday afternoons and Sunday afternoons. . We often have classes on other nights during the week as well. View our class calendar to find out more!
What does a class cost?
Most classes cost $37 for a 2 hour event and $47 for a 3 hour event. However, we sometimes offer specially priced classes for All Ages Events and Ladies Night Out. Please see our calendar.

subset: commoncrawl


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Two UD professors assess habitat degradation in wake of Hurricane Sandy
University of Delaware researchers Greg Shriver and Chris Williams have been awarded funds from a $162 million U.S. Department of the Interior project that will be invested in 45 restoration and research projects to better protect Atlantic Coast communities from future powerful storms by restoring marshes, wetlands and beaches, rebuilding shorelines, and researching the impacts and modeling mitigation of storm surge impacts. Shriver and Williams will begin multiple projects to assess habitat degradation and restoration efforts with a focus on tidal marsh birds such as Nelson's and saltmarsh sparrows, the American black duck and the Atlantic brant. Shriver, associate professor and assistant chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology (ENWC), and Williams, associate professor of entomology and wildlife ecology, were awarded funding in large part because of work that occurred before Hurricane Sandy and the amount of pre-storm data that they collected. "We were both well positioned," said Shriver. "The challenge with determining the effects of disturbances is having the pre-disturbance data; Chris and I both have that so we can go back to the same place after the disturbance and assess the effects." SHARP continued Shriver's work will build off of the pre-Sandy work that he is conducting as part of the Saltmarsh Habitat and Avian Research Project (SHARP) research. SHARP aims to provide the information necessary for all states in the bird conservation region stretching from coastal New England through the Mid-Atlantic to protect regionally important habitats for tidal marsh birds. Of particular interest is the saltmarsh sparrow, which is listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and has a limited breeding range from Virginia to Maine. "The SHARP surveys are conducted at over 1,700 locations from Virginia to Maine where we are sample breeding tidal marsh bird populations and vegetation communities so we have a nice extensive survey that goes all the way through the hurricane impact zone, from the most intense area all the way to Virginia and Maine," said Shriver. Another goal of the project is to provide a regionally consistent platform for tidal marsh bird monitoring in the face of anticipated sea-level rise and upland/watershed development to produce population estimates for all bird species found in the high tidal marsh — including a global population estimate for saltmarsh sparrow — and identify regional population centers. Shriver said the research team has two years of pre-hurricane data from 2011-12, and explained that this project will last until 2016 with a big part aimed at assessing the effects of Hurricane Sandy restoration projects. "A lot of them will be happening on places we already surveyed, and we will survey new sites that are identified as tidal marshes that are going to be restored. We will complete pre- and post-restoration sampling so that, as we get into 2015-16, the focus will be on the 'before and after' restoration sites." Black duck, Atlantic brant Williams' research focuses on the American black duck, which has been a bird of priority concern in the Atlantic flyway and the Mid-Atlantic, as well as the Atlantic brant, which is a small goose. Explaining that he has been working with Southern Illinois University and the state governments of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia, Williams said that his research has many facets. "We monitor the populations of these two species, how they're using the habitat, how productive the habitat is in the way of feeding," he said. "All of this work has been going toward the greater goal of assessing the potential on the landscape at a very large macro scale over a long period of time for the populations of black duck and Atlantic brant." Williams said his research is looking at the initial impact of habitat loss and the secondary effects, such as loss of food supplies and the impact that might have on population. "For the black duck, we can come in a year later and we can measure how much habitat there is, and whether the food has responded or not, and we can do that at all of these sites that we previously measured," said Williams. The research is a little bit more complicated for the brant. Williams explained that the brant mainly eat sea lettuce, algae and eelgrass, and it is likely those food supplies were severely impacted by the hurricane. "Part of what we're trying to do is better map and predict where those foods are on the landscape," said Williams. "If the models we have created work well using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS), we can apply them to a series of aerial photographs that were taken pre- and post-Sandy. The goal is a really nice pre- and post-storm scenario to evaluate the effect that a destructive storm can have on the brant food supply." Williams said the researchers are both just happy that they can be of service to those communities impacted by the hurricane in any way possible. "From an academic standpoint, we're lucky that we can help," said Williams. "While we can only minimally help with the human component, we have a well developed program at UD to provide assessment of the ecological and wildlife community and provide recommendations for future landscape planning." Article by Adam Thomas Photos by Danielle Quigley and courtesy of Chris Williams This article can also be viewed on UDaily.


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Luke Roundy has not received any gifts yet
Hey Luke, I'd love to but I injured my shoulder yesterday and need to slow down for a few days...maybe next weekend if you're available?
Sorry. I cannot make it at 9AM. May be another time. Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com
Luke: Got to work on Friday. Sorry. How about Saturday at 9AM at Leghorn?
Hi Luke, I'll be in SF tonight but around day sat/sun if you want to play then? Casa would work fine, let me know... you can email me at firstname.lastname@example.com
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|Birth Date:
|Folsom, Calif.
|High School:
|Political science
|Residential College:
2013: Yale's captain in 2012-13 … All-Ivy League First Team selection … Made 36 appearances with 34 starts, including 32 starts at catcher, one at second base and one at shortstop … Finished with a .262 batting average (27-for-103) with two doubles, nine RBIs and eight runs scored … Recorded a .981 fielding percentage as Yale's primary catcher with 175 putouts, 36 assists and four errors in 215 chances … Recorded six multi-hit games including a 4-for-5 outing in a 9-3 win vs. Brown on April 26.
2012: Appeared in all 45 games with 45 starts, including 44 starts at third base … Finished with a .175 average (24 hits in 137 at-bats), including a team-high two triples, five doubles, 13 RBIs and 16 runs scored. … Recorded four two-hit games … Went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in the first game of a doubleheader with Hartford. … Also made two relief appearances, allowing four hits and three earned runs with one strikeout in 1? innings of work.
2011: Made 12 appearances, including nine starts, and finished with a .206 batting average (seven hits, 34 at-bats), with one double and three RBIs. … Finished fourth on the team in sacrifice bunts (3).
2010: Appeared in 13 games, making 5 starts... Batted .304 (7-for-23) with a double and three RBI.
At Yale: Resident of Saybrook College. Political Science major.
Stuper Says: "In high school, Chris was an extremely versatile ballplayer who found time in the outfield, behind the plate, and in the middle infield. I look forward to Chris bringing the same versatility and hard-nosed style of play to the Yale baseball program."


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The 58th Venice Biennale, May You Live In Interesting Times (11 May–24 November 2019), certainly benefitted from low expectations, given the lacklustre curatorial of the previous edition, when different segments of the show were conceptually framed with titles like 'Pavilion of Joys and Fears' and 'Pavilion of Colours'. Add to this the...
Hong Kong-based artist Zheng Bo's social, ecological, and community-engaged art practice has, in recent years, focused on moving beyond a human-centred perspective to an all-inclusive, multi-species approach. He takes up marginalised plants and communities of people as subjects in his large-scale interventions, which reintroduce wildness into...
The weather was clement for the annual Auckland Art Fair (2–5 May 2019), which was again at The Cloud on Queens Wharf. This year's edition was a get-together of 41 galleries, mostly from around Auckland and across New Zealand, with 5 spaces hailing from Sydney and the rest from Cook Islands (Bergman Gallery), Hobart (Michael Bugelli Gallery),...
Ultrachrome inkjet print mounted on Japanese paper stretched on a panel, edition of 5
90 x 60 cm
35 7/16 x 23 5/8 inches
Courtesy Zeno X Gallery
31 new artworks have recently been added by Zeno X Gallery.
Sign up now to be among the first to know when new artworks are added.
Scan the QR Code via WeChat to follow Ocula's official account.


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Lunch Lady Rolls
We got into a short discussion during the testing period for Stan and Norm's upcoming book. It was a recipe for lunch Lady rolls. As I recollect Allabubba (Allan) was experimenting with the two recipes. It's cold and raining here today in Omaha and good old-fashioned pot roast is on the menu. The lunch lady rolls would be perfect with this menu and it's a great day to bake! Allan - I sent you a PM regarding which recipe you preferred and what your final formula was. If you're out there today (or anyone else for that matter) I'd appreciate some pointers on these rolls.


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|Winnebago County Sheriff's PoliceNews Media Release
|News Release Number2008 - 042
|Information: Restrictions For The Rock River For "ON THE WATERFRONT"
|Date: 08/29/08-08/31/08
|Time: 5:00 PM
|Page of 1
NARRATIVE:Sheriff Richard Meyers is announcing the placement of certain restrictions on the Rock River in Winnebago County this weekend. These restrictions are due to the number of activities planned on or adjacent to the Rock River during the LABOR DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND and "ON THE WATERFRONT FESTIVAL," which is a State Of Illinois, Department of Natural Resources permitted event. A "NO WAKE" restriction will be in effect on the Rock River south of the Whitman Street Bridge beginning at 5:00 PM, Friday, August 29th, and remaining in effect until midnight on Sunday, August 31st, 2008. On Saturday, August 30th, and Sunday, August 31st, the Rock River will be restricted between the Jefferson Street Bridge and the State Street Bridge for approximately ½ hour at 12:00 P.M., 3:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. for performances by the Ski Broncs. Also, there will be a floating green for a hole-in-one contest located just south of Beattie Park approximately 120 yards from the west shore. Golfers will be hitting colored golf balls from the west shore. Water craft operators should use caution in this area. The floating green will be marked and will be in the water during the entire time of the festival. Additionally, the Rockford Park District will be closing the boat ramp at the Riverview Ice House to the public beginning Thursday August 28th through Sunday August 31st, 2008. The Rock River will be closed each night (August 29th, 30th, and 31st) from south of the Chestnut Street Bridge to the Fordam Dam and from the Morgan Street Bridge north to the Fordam Dam for a fireworks display. As always, recreational users of the river should exercise caution when operating on the water. For current river conditions, and any further updates, contact the Sheriff=s Office at (815) 319-6300, or the Rock River information telephone line at (815) 316-8888. You may also visit the Sheriff=s Department=s website at www.winnebagosheriff.com


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This past Monday evening I, along with my wife and daughter, had the opportunity to see the 1966 Batman movie on the big screen. We often visit the Kiggins Theatre, which lies across the Columbia River from us in Vancouver, Washington. The Kiggins (or "The Kig") is a historic theater, first opened in 1935, that has recently been renovated and screens a variety of quirky, different and cult films and television series. We discovered the theater earlier this year when they were airing Doctor Who episodes and we fell in love with the place. And, this past weekend, they screened Batman.
I grew up on this incarnation of Batman as it was still heavily in syndication when I was a kid. The series, along with SuperFriends and the 1968 Filmation Batman cartoon, are largely responsible for entrenching Batman as my favorite super-hero. So, having the opportunity to see this movie on the big screen was quite the treat. I haven't seen the movie, or the show, in many, many years. Yet, I was amazed of how much of it I still remembered even beyond the now iconic "Some days you just can't rid of a bomb" scene.
Now, my wife and daughter had never been exposed to this version of the not-so-Dark Knight, so I warned them that this was done with tongue firmly implanted in cheek. So, my wife found the movie pretty hilarious. However, my 8 year old daughter just thought it was weird. But, right now if it doesn't have something to do with Littlest Pet Shop or Doctor Who she's not interested. The dialogue, while on one level is just incredibly hokey, is really genius as parody.
For me it was a fantastic throwback to my childhood, and a time when superheroes were fun and not taken as seriously as they are today. I had such a great time. If you live in the Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA-area then you owe it to yourself to check out the Kig. It's a great place. You can check them out at kigginstheatre.net
They are also in the midst of a Kickstarter (or, Kigstarter) campaign to covert to digital. You can check that out at Kickstarter/Kiggins
3 Comments »
theatres like the kiggin are made for cult cheesy films like the batman one for how better to not only hear adam west go someday's you just can't get rid of a bomb. but also the legendary scene where batman gets out the old bat shark replant too.
Jeff, sounds like you had a great time.
Jeff… that's awesome to hear! Even more awesome is the fact that you have an 8 year old daughter that loves Doctor Who!!! 😉
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|Near Grafton- 8" x 10" oil by Greg Newbold
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Near Grafton Finished
Posted by Unknown at 10:22 AM 2 comments
Friday, January 25, 2013
Terabytes T-Shirt Design
|L to R- Mascot Dave, Will, Sterling, Britton
|My team shirt design- Photoshop
Posted by Unknown at 9:56 PM 0 comments
Labels: First Lego League, FLL, Robotics, T-shirt design, Terabytes
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Tallest Illustrations
I am just finishing up one of the tallest illustrations I have ever done. The above artwork is for he Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge. This piece will be reproduced as a growth chart poster and will measure 18" x 72". Aside from a number of pieces of mine that have been blown up for billboards, buses and banners, this is one of the few pieces I have done with the express purpose of being printed LARGE. This meant I had to consider the smaller details like the cars and people on the bridge below when rendering things.
I created a similar poster a few years back for this same client who also oversees the giant redwood forest at Muir Woods which incidentally, was the very first illustration I ever painted in Photoshop. So, this was not altogether new territory for me but it has still been a bit of a challenge. I wanted it to be crisp and accurate to the architecture without it feeling to graphic and posterized or looking too much like a photo. I hope I have struck the right balance.
I took a few artistic liberties including making the bridge structure slightly taller to fit the format, removing some of the extraneous ladders, leaving off all the thousands of rivets that polka dot the bridge surface and most importantly, giving the bridge a fresh flawless paint job (which I understand it could use in a few places. And yes, those are some huge pelicans. I am still awaiting word on whether my painting matches the distinctive "Golden Gate Red" of the bridge closely enough. If not, a few digital adjustments will probably do the trick. Times like that make me grateful for Photoshop.
Posted by Unknown at 11:32 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Wendell Berry Sketch
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
— Wendell BerryWendell Berry is considered by many to be one of America's greatest living poets. I was approached a few weeks back to create artwork for an interesting project that sets Berry's poems to music in a double CD package. The challenge was to come up with a scene that combines the best of portrait and regionalist landscape and throw in a couple of nuggets for Berry fans. The painting will be used on two different discs as well as a biographical and lyric booklet, so I needed to come up with a composition that allows for three separate crops. The plan also includes making collector prints of the painting as well which I am painting in oil. I will post more as the project moves along.
Posted by Unknown at 9:26 PM 1 comments
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Ron Spears Paints Zion National Park
Regulars here probably saw the posts I did about my two trips to paint in Zion National Park last year. Well on the first trip I had the privilege of painting with my good friend Ron Spears who was spending time as the park's artist in residence. He is an amazing artist and teacher at Southern Utah University.
Ron did some incredible paintings in those two weeks as well as the ensuing months and it has been documented in a nice short film. If you love painting outdoors, or simply love visiting places like Zion, have a look at this 8 minute film.
Here are a couple of my posts from that painting trip to Zion National Park:
Painting in Zion Part 1
Painting in Zion Part 2
Painting the Virgin River-Zion Part 1
Painting the Virgin River-Zion Part 2
Ron did some incredible paintings in those two weeks as well as the ensuing months and it has been documented in a nice short film. If you love painting outdoors, or simply love visiting places like Zion, have a look at this 8 minute film.
Here are a couple of my posts from that painting trip to Zion National Park:
Painting in Zion Part 1
Painting in Zion Part 2
Painting the Virgin River-Zion Part 1
Painting the Virgin River-Zion Part 2
Posted by Unknown at 11:24 AM 2 comments
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Lessons from the Klimt Puzzle.
It was a beautiful thousand piece puzzle that took a few days but we were all bummed when there was a piece missing. I guess it really was a 999 piecer. To ease my disappointment, I cracked open the 250 piece puzzle of Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" that I got in my stocking. I began later in the evening with no intention of completing the puzzle in one sitting, but everyone was heading to bed and it was quiet. I decided to push through. As I sorted the pieces and began to assemble it, I noticed a few things about the composition and hierarchy Klimt used which made "The Kiss" such a successful painting.
I began by gathering the dark pieces that made up the man's head of hair, the darkest area in the painting. It was also easy to sort out most of the pieces that made up the heads and arms and those were assembled next. After that I continued on to the profusion of pink and red flowers at the bottom of the painting. The distinct patterns of the fabrics were next with the brown tones of the background were left for the end. I searched for the edges that defined the silhouette of the figures and assembled them and picked out the geometric shapes and swirls.
What I realized was that I had assembled the puzzle in the order of visual hierarchy that I think Klimt intended. Klimt wanted the viewer to look at the heads first so he placed the most value contrast there. Also, the relative smoothness and lack of texture in the flesh tones contrast starkly with the busyness of the surrounding patterns. They act as areas of rest in the composition and therefore draw attention. It was a simple revelation but if I had not assembled the puzzle in one shot, I doubt I would have thought through why Klimt's painting is so appealing. So there you go. I guess art lessons are everywhere is you are looking for them.
Posted by Unknown at 8:31 PM 1 comments
Labels: composition, Gustav Klimt, Klimt Puzzle, The Kiss, visual hierarchy
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year!
Angel- Digital 9"x9"
Posted by Unknown at 4:25 PM 5 comments
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The American Civil War left an undeniable legacy in Alabama, where ideologies ranged from fiery secessionism to ardent Unionism. The first capital of the Confederacy was located in Montgomery. Union supporters in Winston County threatened...
Alabama was the site of many key events in the American civil rights movement. Rosa Parks's stand against segregation on a public bus led to the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the violence targeted toward the Freedom Riders of the early...
The accomplishments of Alabama women resonate across the state, the nation, and the world. Three famous women from the state have received the nation's highest civilian awards: Helen Keller, the Congressional Medal of Freedom; Rosa Parks,...
Alabama's history, culture, geography, and natural environment are covered in a wide selection of books. Here are a few we think you will enjoy. Several of the authors listed have written entries for the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
EOA in the classroom! The Alabama Department of Archives & History has lessons plans using EOA content.
New to EOA? For an introduction to EOA's content, please read historian Wayne Flynt's essay on Alabama.
Visit the new homepage for Alabama's Bicentennial Celebration!


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EA CEO Put the Mirrors in Mirror's Edge, Likes Risks
As part of a Gamasutra interview series, Riccitiello revealad he was "a little freaked out" over making a first-person game that wasn't a shooter. Instead, Mirror's Edge is a first-person game inspired by parkour running.
"I was really wrong about the third-person thing," he admitted in the wake of rising hype for the game. But he got what he wanted in the concession of adding mirrors. "I got mirrors so you can see [Faith, the game's protagonist]," he said.
The CEO touted parts of the publisher's holiday portfolio as signs of progress. Games like Mirror's Edge and EA Redwood Shores' Dead Space "bookend a degree of risk for a large publisher," Riccitiello claimed.
As for 2009, EA is looking to push those bookends further outward, even if Riccitiello is a smidge conflicted about it. "I agonized about that one a little bit," he said in reference to the publisher's partnership with boutique Japanese developer Grasshopper Manufacture.
Ultimately, Riccitiello wanted to be a man of his word: "As a general thesis, I talk a lot about trusting creative people and supporting them."
Riccitiello dodged a question about possibly picking up Double Fine's Brutal Legend in the wake of abandonment by former publisher Activision Blizzard. "I am well aware of what the game is. It's a very significant creative risk," he said of the new effort from the Psychonauts developer.
Whether that fits between EA's bookends of risk is undecided: "Spore was also a significant creative risk. So was The Sims. Portal, BioShock. But so was Grim Fandango," he concluded.
Where is the old creaky, scary, horrible evil empire EA that I always knew and loved? This new fangled, risk-taking, crappy game axeing, good choice making stuff is freaking me out. We fear change!! We need more EVUL!!
Next thing you know.. Sony's gonna start speaking the truth or something...................... nah... not gonna happen.


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Like a lot of Bears, Charles Tillman's entering the final year of his contract.
But the veteran cornerback said his mindset hasn't changed because of it, and his goals remain the same.
"Just to make plays and help this team win and try to get us a parade down Michigan Avenue, . . . that's the mindset that I have, whether this is my last year or whether I have three years left on my contract," Tillman said, via Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune. "It's all the same. We just want to win a Super Bowl. At the end of the day, that's what it is about.
"That's how I am approaching this season. [General Manager] Phil Emery made the decision to hire a new coach so this coach could take us in the direction. My role as a player is to buy into that system and do whatever I can to help this team to win a Super Bowl. I think myself and the rest of the players have bought into coach [Marc] Trestman's scheme and his system and we want to win and we want to win now. We're not in a rebuild mode. We don't have time to rebuild. We're in the winning now business. The win RIGHT now business."
With so many high-level contracts up, including quarterback Jay Cutler and franchise-tagged defensive tackle Henry Melton, the Bears are in an interesting spot. All of those deals are ones that Emery and Trestman inherited, and if the Bears don't win right now, the organization might decide to part ways with a lot of veterans.
They already made one calculated business decision with linebacker Brian Urlacher this offseason, and if the results don't come, that's not a good sign for any of the long-time Bears looking for new deals.


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Funny Photo Maker is a clever tool which makes it incredibly quick and easy to add fun effects to your photos.
Open a portrait shot of a friend or family member, for instance, then position the selection rectangle around their face, and you're ready to go. Just choose one of the 200+ templates on offer for instant results.
Click one frame and it'll show your friend on the big screen in Time Square, for instance. Another might show them as the face on a dollar bill (as well as many other currencies and denominations). And you can add their face to movie posters (Avatar, Iron Man, Lord of the Rings and more), magazine covers (Cosmo, GQ, Details, Vogue), put their face on an animal's body, display them on calendars, and more.
This is just the start, though. Maybe you'd like to turn that picture into a work of art? Select the Artistic tab and you'll find more filters, each of which can transform your image with a click. So you can add rain, snow or dew drops to the picture, say; give it an oil, water painting or pastel look; add all kinds of colour or lighting effects, turn it into a collage, add some neat distortion effects, and more.
Browse the menus and you'll find even more tools to play with. So "Expression", for instance, will take the picture of a face, distort it to look happy, angry or sad, even animate it.
You can also edit an image in more regular ways, perhaps removing red eye, sharpening a shot, adding a text caption or some clipart.
And when you're done then you can save the image locally, or share it directly via your Facebook or Twitter account.
You do have to keep your editing expectations fairly low here, as the program is more about ease of use than trying to rival Photoshop. So you don't get advanced selection tools to try and precisely separate a face from the image background, for instance, and there aren't 100 hi-tech ways to adjust your image colours (or really any at all).
That doesn't matter, though. Funny Photo Maker works because you can have the basic setup complete within seconds, then there are a huge range of quality effects to explore, and applying them mostly only takes a click. If you want a fast and fun way to get more creative with your images then this tool is an absolute must.
Version 2.4.2:
- •Added the category Template Collage, with 30 templates in it.
•Removed the drop down menu from the template tabs.
•Added the function "click on the frame to adjust source image and double click the frame to add photo" to MultiFrame Templates.
Easy to use and with hundreds of quality effects, Funny Photo Maker is a great way to get more creative with your digital images


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"RPT" for Congress (50 + 1)
Ballot # 23
Richard Torregano
Independent Candidate for Louisiana's 6th District
My Core Values: Fairness - Innovation - Real Reform
My Priorities:
Defending the Middle Class Legislating Innovation in Government
Promoting Job Creation Supporting Fair Taxes and Fair Trade
Diversifying Our Energy System Reforming Our Political System
Restoring Louisiana's Coast
We must break out of the gridlock and logjam of the two major parties, and the special interests that have bought our political process to the brink.
The incumbent Congressman, Dr. Bill Cassidy, has put the interests of his political party and campaign contributors ahead of those of the people of the 6th District. The incumbent Republican supports a "Voucher" system for Social Secuirty without specifing the amout to be paid. (What insurance company will want to provide insurance for senior citizens?) He has signed the Grover Norquist pledge for "No New Taxes". This is not practical given our current economic dilemma.
My pledge is to work with other Independents and independent-minded Democrats and Republicans to create innovative policies that break the logjam – but we must elect an Independent to get this done.
We need real reform, such as reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act to control the large banks and financial interests who triggered the Crash of 2008.
New "Flat Tax" (Federal Income Tax). However, no-one below the defined poverty level to pay Federal Income Tax.
No more "amortized" home loans, government to float Federal "T" bonds with simple interest and money made on loans will go to offset MediCare and Social Security.
New Health Care Program... or.... the "American Total Health Plan" based on income and age and all legal US citizens included.
New business organization, the Co-Operative Business Organization, owned by the employees, to bring back lost over-seas and "out-sourced" jobs.
A plan to provide adaquate funding for Louisiana Gulf Coastal Restoration
Eliminate the "Carry Interest" Tax Brake
Also a plan to accomplish the above proposals (stuff)......(The 2nd part)
Please do not vote the status-quo, don't vote Democratic or Republican, the Democrats & Republicans are the status-quo and the status-quo..........Must Go.
Support the ideas, policies, and candidate behind "RPT 50 + 1"*
and vote Independent
"50+1" means you don't need all of Congress to pass a law or bill - you only need 50% plus 1 vote in Congress or a total 218 votes to pass legislation.


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Department Directory
CURRENT PATIENTS: 303-436-4949, or login to MyChart to schedule follow-up appointments or select services.
Do I need a referral to see a specialist? See which specialties require a referral here.
Download the MyChart mobile app for access to your healthcare information. Managing your healthcare has never been more simple. Download for iPhone and Android.
Learn about MyChart features, and sign up for an account.


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Make the batter: place the rice flour, coconut milk, water, turmeric, sugar, salt, curry powder and scallions in a bowl and stir well to blend. Set aside.
Make the filling: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1/4 each of the onion, the pork and the shrimp and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Whisk the batter well, and ladle about 2/3 cup into the pan. Swirl so the batter completely covers the surface. Neatly pile about 1 cup bean sprouts and 1/2 cup mushrooms on one side of the crepe, closer to the center than to the edge. Reduce the heat slightly, cover the pan and cook until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Uncover and cook until the crepe is crisp and the pork and shrimp are done, another 2 to 3 minutes. Slip a spatula under the crepe to check on the bottom of the crepe. If it?s not brown, cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Lift the side of the crepe without the bean sprouts and mushrooms and fold it over the covered side of the crepe. Using a spatula, gently slide the crepe onto a large plate. Wipe the pan clean and make the remaining crepes in the same way. Be sure to oil the pan before beginning the next crepe.
To serve, place the crepes, Vietnamese Dipping Sauce and some lettuces, mustard leaves, and herbs on the table. To eat, tear a piece of the banh xeo and wrap the lettuce or mustard leaves and herbs. Roll into a packet, then dip into the sauce and eat.
Cut the chiles into thin rings. Remove one-third of the chiles and set aside for garnish. Place the remaining chiles, garlic, and sugar into a mortar and pound into a coarse, wet paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add the water, lime juice, and fish sauce. Stir well to dissolve. Add the reserved chiles and carrots. Set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe courtesy Mai Pham from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table HarperCollins 2001


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This policy covers the naming of both major and smaller university facilities. Major facilities include buildings, wings of buildings, recreational fields, plazas, fountains, roadways, walkways, malls, quadrangles, and similar facilities on the campuses of the University of Colorado. Smaller facilities include classrooms, seminar rooms, lecture halls, laboratories, and interior portions of buildings, service facilities, and vest pocket parks, patios, and steps. This document was approved by the Board of Regents on February 28, 1973, and subsequently amended on January 23, 1974, May 17, 1984, September 15, 1988, and September 10, 1998.
A. Guidelines for Functional Designations
1. Each new major facility shall have a functional designation as a part of its name.
2. The chancellor shall approve the functional name for each new major facility, with the concurrence of the president. As appropriate, program plans for construction and acquisition of facilities are approved by the Board of Regents.
3. The chancellor shall approve the functional name for all smaller facilities, with the concurrence of the president.
4. The chancellors shall develop a process for categorizing campus functions and for developing appropriate functional names. The campus Long Range Facilities Master Plan may provide guidance in developing the functional names of major facilities.
B. Guidelines for Honorary Names
- In addition to the functional designation, both major and smaller facilities may also have honorary names. Honorary names for major facilities shall require the approval of the Board of Regents. Honorary names for smaller facilities must be approved by the chancellor, with the concurrence of the president.
Honorary names include concepts, places, flora and fauna, natural landmarks, etc. Honorary names also include the names of individuals and groups.
- Both major and smaller facilities may be named to honor individuals or groups, although it is not necessary that all facilities be named to honor individuals.
- Persons proposing to name a major facility for an individual or a group (e.g., corporations, foundations, or other entities) must establish that the individual or group meets one or more of the following criteria.
- The individual or group shall have rendered outstanding academic and/or professional service to the university community. Names of individuals may not be proposed under this criterion earlier than five years after the date of the individual's retirement; or if the individual is deceased, the name may not be proposed earlier than five years after the date of death.
- The individual or group must have contributed in his/her/their own or in another's name substantial funds toward the construction, renovation and/or maintenance of the facility for which the individual or group is recommending a name. A contribution of at least 50% of the construction or renovation cost of a major facility is deemed to be substantial. A lesser percentage may be deemed to be substantial if that contribution made possible the construction, renovation, or maintenance of the major facility. An endowment sufficient to provide for 75% of the maintenance and operating cost of a major facility at the time of the endowment is deemed to be substantial.
- Any existing or planned major or smaller campus facilities which have not been given an honorary name may be named if funds substantially equivalent to the cost of the facility to be named are contributed. Such funds may be designated to another campus fund or program related to such facilities in exchange for an appropriate naming opportunity for such facilities.
- The individual or group has historical or social importance to the state of Colorado or to the University of Colorado.
C. Name Changes
- If there is a change in the function of either a major or smaller facility that is not named for an individual, the functional name may be changed on the approval of the campus chancellor.
- If a major facility is named to honor an individual under this policy the facility's honorary name may not be changed unless the chancellor, with the concurrence of the president, and the Board of Regents approve the change. In such cases, any pre-existing agreements with the donor(s) will be taken into consideration.
The honorary names of smaller facilities cannot be changed unless approved by the chancellor, with the concurrence of the president.
D. Implementation and Administration
- When a major facility is named for an individual or group, it is expected that there will be suitable ceremonies of formal dedication and that appropriate prominent plaques and signs will be installed and will be maintained to recognize the individual or group who is being honored. When a smaller facility is named for an individual or group, suitable signage will be installed and suitable ceremonies of formal dedication shall be held.
- Each campus chancellor shall develop procedures for implementing this policy, including policies and procedures for naming facilities on the campus, the list of functional name categories, the actual names of all campus facilities, and the interior space names.
Last Amended: September 10, 1998
Approved: February 28, 1973; revised January 23, 1974, May 17, 1984, September 15, 1988, and September 10, 1998


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Directory of Commercial Property Services
Find property companies in the UK offering the services you're after in the commercial property directory. Click on any of the sectors below or on the left side of every page in Propertymall.com to find a company.
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Advertising on Propertymall.com will bring you more business because:
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Advertising menu:
- Prime Site : Increase your company's exposure and visitor numbers with a Prime Site
- LogoLink : Get more visitors to your website from a LogoLink
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Find information on common issues.
Ask questions and find answers from other users.
Suggest a new site feature or improvement.
Check on status of your tickets.
Course Catalog
A five-week course on the basic physics that govern materials at atomic scales.
An introduction to the fundamental physics required to describe materials at the molecular level. Course will include modeling...


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A nearly $1000 innovation grant from the Bulloch County Foundation for Public Education is helping fund a new literacy program at Portal Elementary. Literacy Backpacks will support the school's goal of increasing student reading levels and providie home reading resources for families. The school launched the new initiative Feb. 9, during Portal Elementary's Family Literacy Night.
PES's Reading Intervention Specialist Betsy Mallard wrote the grant to help support the school's goal of increasing reading skills. Mallard's vision is to help provide literacy support for families by providing children with a literacy backpack. Children take the backpacks home, enjoy the reading resources and then return them and replace them with another backpack.
The backpacks include grade-appropriate books and directions in English and Spanish if needed. The resources allow parents to work with their children at home. The grant is allowing Mallard to initially serve 45 students in kindergarten – second grade. The backpacks include these children's books: Angela's Airplanes; Arthur Meets the President; D.W.'s Library Card; Duck, Duck Goose; Froggy Gets Dressed; Is Your Mama a Llama; Click, Clack, Splash; and The Stray Dog.


text: I was fortunate to have met Kristin through Lindsay and Hunter and I am so very excited to shoot Kristin and John's upcoming wedding next year. The two will be getting married at a family friend's amazing property, complete with a lakeside ceremony and intimate backyard reception. We dodged cow patties, got some gun handling tips from the owner, and had a near run-in with the property's resident cow, Oreo. What more could a girl ask for?


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Was scratchin my head enough to frighten the bugs earlier. Tried to post a link on the Co-op with anchor text again & again & again & still it wouldn work.
Than after a while... after a long while... I saw the ' character that I'd put in the anchor text (I being a pretty cool grammar nut) & I tried deletin it. And it worked.
The moral is:
Don't put this character into your anchor text: '


text: Perspective: A Time For History-Across All Fields April 3, 2013 06:00 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By John Phipps Farm Journal Columnist Email In all the realm of academic learning, perhaps the one discipline most ignored by farmers is history. In this issue of Top Producer, where we look back at a mere 30 years, I count numerous surprising recollections that are a testament to my own tendency to disregard the importance of accurate records and serious reflection on our past. We are a relatively undocumented profession. Can you name an ag historian? As a result we rely upon our favorite chronicle: memory. Study after study shows this to be perhaps the worst source of history, as we refine and amend memories each time they are recalled. This might be why our idea of history often devolves into nostalgia. Much of our sense of who we are and how we got here is shaped by how we want the past to be perceived. In a sense, we constantly rewrite our history to suit our needs. In an accident of boredom, I have found a new respect for good historical information. On my weekly commutes from my Illinois farm to South Bend, Ind., for the U.S. Farm Report taping, I have in desperation resorted to history courses on audio CDs to fill in the three-hour blocks of interstate driving. The Great Courses from The Teaching Company have proven to be just that. If you Google them you'll see a wide array of subject matter, but for driving I have found history to be the ideal accompaniment. I began with war history—Revolutionary, Civil, WWI.I expanded to medieval, English, ancient, colonial and numerous other offerings such that I am now a colossal bore on more than 38 topics. "The human aspects of history, rather than simple chronologies, tend to shade our belief systems more than we think." Rhyme Reflection. I have developed a new respect for how knowledge of our past, even the distant past, can be helpful in dealing with our present, as well as helping to predict our future. While history might not repeat itself, it might, as Mark Twain put it, "rhyme" from time to time. Many situations I have thought unique to the present are eerily similar to the past. The surprising prosperity of the last few years for grain farmers has similarities to the fabled 1910-14 period of parity fame. Crop failures in Ukraine and a domestic boom led to windfall profits for American farmers. As an extreme example, farms were paid for with one crop. Indeed, it is curious that it has been almost a century since farmers have enjoyed the level of success of the first two decades of the twentieth century. More importantly, good history brings to light the power and persistence of cultural influence on farmers themselves. To better understand our values, we need to know more about our preceding generations and what they considered just or harmful. With our continuing structure of family businesses, farms are unusual in modern commerce in their abilities to transmit values through the years. For that reason, examining the origins of our agricultural traditions can be enlightening. As Americans, one example would be the history of immigrant inflows. The Napoleonic Code and the United Kingdom's Corn Laws influence modern debate on the rights of tenants and landowners because of their impact on those who left Europe as a consequence. A New Chapter. The human aspects of history, rather than simple chronologies, tend to shade our belief systems more than we think. Within these moral frameworks, we construct economic models to fit. Unless we appreciate how these values arose, we might not be able to cope with economics that seem to violate them. We have not arrived at this moment in time accidentally, despite the seeming randomness of events. Looking back a mere 30 years, which coincides with my career, is a valuable exercise in self-knowledge. Consider how we have shifted from tradition as a guiding principle to economics. The last 30 years also demonstrate a narrowing of differences between farmers and non-farmers, which perhaps calls into question our unique relationship with government. Studying our history might also temper our judgment by reminding us our action will be similarly scrutinized by future generations. We have the opportunity to write an honorable, perhaps even notable, chapter in the ongoing story of agriculture. I find myself wanting it to be a good read for those who follow. John Phipps is a farmer from Chrisman, Ill. He is the TV host of "U.S. Farm Report." Contact him at email@example.com. For local station listings, log on to www.USFarmReport.com. Back to news


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June 24, 2011 8:47:00 AM
STARKVILLE -- Hand shakes aren''t enough for Vann Stuedeman.
Ann Carr had an inkling about Stuedeman''s enthusiasm and reputation for being a "people person," but she had no idea what was in store when she met her latest candidate for a job.
"I picked her up at the hotel and extended my hand to shake and she said, ''I don''t shake,'' " said Carr, Mississippi State''s senior women''s administrator/senior associate athletic director. "She gave me a big hug. That took me off guard, but I was like, ''Oh, OK.'' It started from there and you''re just drawn into her. I think she is wonderful."
MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin agreed, which helped set the scene Thursday for Stuedeman''s introduction as MSU''s new softball coach.
Stuedeman wasted little time fitting in. She donned a MSU cap, rang a cow bell in response to a question about how long it would take the team to beat her old school -- the University of Alabama -- and then won over the people inside the Bryan Building.
First, though, Stuedeman had to convince Carr, who Stricklin charged with navigating the search to replace Jay Miller. Carr said she spoke with numerous people who told her Stuedeman was ready, was knowledgeable, and was full of energy. She also received plenty of unsolicited e-mails from individuals who encouraged MSU to go after Stuedeman as its new coach.
Watching Stuedeman work a room, it is easy to be impressed. She set the bar high on her first day, saying there is "no reason" MSU can''t win right away at softball. She believes she is the right coach, the right recruiter, and the right leader to help MSU climb the ladder in the Southeastern Conference and join Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, and others that have helped the league become a force on the national scene.
To reach those heights, Carr wanted someone who could represent the school in a first-class manner and who could sell their vision, sell the program, and sell MSU.
Stuedeman threw strikes at all three.
"She is going to be able to sell this institution based on her knowledge of the sport and the area," Carr said. "The state of Mississippi isn''t as strong in softball (as other states), but she is going to be able to look at the talent here and she is going to know how to go out and get the other talent here. With her background, when she opens her mouth you''re going to listen. That is part of a salesman''s tactic. Once I can get you to focus on me, I can probably sell you a blue shirt. I think Vann has the ability to do that."
Carr admitted coaches at MSU have to do things differently, in large part because the school doesn''t have as many resources as its peers in the SEC. But she said that shouldn''t stop any coach from attacking their job with the passion, intensity, and enthusiasm of a champion. She feels Stuedeman fits the bill in each of those areas.
"She exudes (energy)," Carr said. "There is nothing about her that doesn''t draw people in to her."
Carr said Stuedeman reinforced that point when they were at breakfast by walking up to somebody and starting to talk to them. She said MSU needs that vibrancy and the ability to attract people and student-athletes to the campus.
"They''re going to see Vann, they''re going to know Vann already, and they''re going to know what she has been able to do in her 11 years at Alabama (as pitching coach), when she was with her sister at Huntsville, Ala., and when she was (a coach) at a high school. She was successful at each of those places.
"We needed someone with passion, we needed someone who had a lot of energy, we want someone who is going to be very committed to our institution, our young ladies, and our program. I think anybody can see that in Vann."
Carr doesn''t believe Stuedeman''s lack of experience as a head coach will be a liability. She pointed to another coach -- Dan Mullen -- who didn''t have experience as a head coach and has had tremendous success in Starkville. The hope is Stuedeman''s energy can jump-start a program that has missed the NCAA tournament the past two seasons.
In the process, she just might coin a phrase -- possibly "the school to the east" -- as she builds MSU into a program that realizes her goals and beats Alabama to gain supremacy in the SEC.
MSU senior pitcher Misty Flesher hopes to be a part of that transformation. She was in attendance Thursday and said Stuedeman is a perfect fit.
"That''s exactly what this team wants and exactly what we needed," Flesher said. "We''re going to put all of our trust in her. The hard work is here with this team. We''ve always been hard working, but we needed a new leader to take us to the next level."
Adam Minichino is sports editor of The Dispatch. You can reach him at: [email protected]
Adam Minichino is the Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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1. Boland notches first win of 2019 at Columbus Speedway LOCAL SPORTS
2. Freshman Cole Ketchum shuts out Wayne Academy to complete state title sweep HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
3. Ryan Burt hurls one-hit shutout as New Hope claims 4A state title over Sumrall HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
4. MSU takes series with South Carolina, falters in Game 3 COLLEGE SPORTS
5. QB Tommy Stevens transfers to Miss. State COLLEGE SPORTS


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Awareness of Post-Exposure HIV Prophylaxis in High-Risk Men Who Have Sex With Men in New York City
The team designed the current study to assess factors associated with knowledge of non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. The study's subjects were 554 MSM clients of two New York City (NYC) bathhouses; the men were given a standardized survey on nPEP and PrEP at the time of HIV testing.
Sixty-three percent of the men reported unprotected sex with a male partner in the preceding 90 days, while 7 percent reported any sex with a known HIV-positive male partner. Fewer than half the men reported having a primary care provider who was aware of their MSM behavior. Awareness of nPEP or PrEP was reported by 201 men (36 percent).
In univariate analyses, the following factors were each significantly associated with being aware of nPEP or PrEP: race/ethnicity; previous HIV testing; self-identifying as gay; higher education level; having a primary care provider who was aware of their MSM behavior; reported interaction with the health care system; use of the Internet for meeting sex partners; reporting unprotected sex in the previous 90 days; reporting any sex with an HIV-positive male partner in the previous 90 days; and having a higher number of sex partners.
Multivariate analyses found that having a higher number of sex partners was significantly associated (odds ratio 5.10, p=0.02) with post-exposure prophylaxis/PrEP knowledge. Disclosure to a primary care provider also was associated, though less robustly (OR 2.10, p=0.06).
"Knowledge of nPEP or PrEP among sexually active MSM in NYC is low and is associated with having a primary provider aware of their patient's same-sex behaviors," the authors concluded. "These findings show the need for improving education about nPEP among high-risk MSM in NYC and the role of providers in these efforts."


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Advent Calendar, Gifts: You Bought Me What?
Against my better judgement, or some might say total lack there of, I have fallen victim to HOLIDAY MARKETING. HOLIDAY MARKETING is why rational people, myself included, buy stuff at Christmas time that they would never consider purchasing at any other time of the year. You know what I'm talking about--Snuggies, soap on a rope, fruitcake, the Pocket Fisherman, fruitcake. You get the idea. And not only do we buy these things for ourselves, but then we give them to other people.
I once remember hearing someone refer to the 1970s as "the decade that taste forgot." As someone who spent her teen years in the 1970s, I have to agree. There were some pretty ridiculous Christmas gifts back then. The 70s brought us the mood ring (got that), the pet rock (got that), the bead curtain (yup, got that), and the lava lamp (didn't get that, but really, really wanted one). Do you remember the Buttoneer? It was a little gizmo that popped buttons onto clothing without a needle and thread. Mom, who was a wonderful seamstress and a sewing perfectionist, wanted and got one for Christmas one year. The Buttoneer was going to make her life easier. No more fussing over buttons. Let's just say the product didn't live up to her expectations. It was about a refined as putting buttons on your disco dress with a staple gun. We gave, and got, our share of fruitcake too.
And what is with all of the clothes and stuff for pets? Christmas hats and antlers for the dog? Even rather staid, conservative L.L. Bean gets into the act. Notice how every year they feature all of those pet products at Christmas time in their catalog? Of course I too have been a victim of L.L. Bean's HOLIDAY MARKETING. Three years ago we got our dog from a rescue society in Arkansas that specializes in placing animals in the New England area. I was concerned that our new dog, a southern girl, would be cold in the winter after being use to the warmer climate in Arkansas. To ward off the chill of our harsh New England winters I bought her a doggie coat for Christmas from Bean's. It's a cute little coat made out of the same sturdy canvas as their barn coats for people. My husband thought I was being ridiculous. I think he was annoyed because the dog got the same coat that he did.
But as far as I'm concerned, that Twelve Days of Christmas thing is the biggest HOLIDAY MARKETING ploy ever. Even bigger than fruitcake. Every year at Christmas someone on a TV news or chat show adds up the cost of all that stuff and figures out would it would cost in today's dollars. Other than the five golden rings, even if you could afford to buy all of that stuff, what's the point? For one thing, who in their right mind would even want all of those birds? Seven swans, six geese, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and don't forget the partridge who started all the trouble. Twenty three birds. After those six geese get done a-laying, what do you get? Either way too many eggs, or worse yet, more birds. Then you've got the drummer's drumming and the piper's piping, and the ladies dancing. No one is working here except for the eight maids a milking, and those lords leaping all over the place are probably distracting the maids from their milking duties anyway. And what the heck are you going to feed all of those people? Dairy products?
On Christmas morn, after all our gifts are open, my family and I will put on our Snuggies and join the "cult of the Snuggie people." As for antlers for the dog, that's just silly. Now, does anyone know where I can get a good deal on a Chia Pet?
Other Posts You Might Like:
Advent Calendar, Food: What the Dickens, Or How to Blow Up a Duck
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Me and My Doll
The Stories My Grandmother Told Me
Advent Calendar: Christmas Cards from Poland and Germany
5 comments:
- Nolichucky Roots said...
Thanks for the giggles this morning. I've yet to fall prey to snuggiemania (though if our fireplace doesn't get fixed soon I may) but I'm right there with the pet stuff. I do have to say, though, I LOVE fruitcake. Feel free to send on your rejects...
- December 10, 2010 at 1:14 PM
- A rootdigger said...
You must have forgot about the chia head. The snuggie thing and amacho man makes sense as you said. Or no sense?But surprising, husband says he likes it. I just saw a photo today of a grown man in pajamas with feet in them. He looked funny, but warm! wonderful post.
- December 10, 2010 at 7:37 PM
- Greta Koehl said...
We avoided Snuggiemania by getting caught up in blankiemania, but some of that other stuff sure is tempting.... And I'm glad to find out that we didn't miss out on anything by not getting the Buttoneer.
- December 10, 2010 at 8:51 PM
- Cynthia Shenette said...
Thank you all for your comments.
Susan - I must say you are the first person I've ever met who said they LOVED fruitcake. Good to know. When mine comes around again I'll know who to send it to next.
Rootdigger - I might, just might, get my husband into a Snuggie. Jammies with feet? No way.
Greta - Believe me, the Buttoneer wasn't anything to write home about. But boy, I still have dreams about getting that lava lamp. Maybe some day...
- December 14, 2010 at 4:43 PM
- Tonia said...
I so wanted a buttoneer (although I had completely forgotten they existed until reading this! I'm disappointed to learn they didn't live up to the hype. : )
- December 22, 2010 at 9:41 PM