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Department of Neuroscience
Professor Emeritus, Neuroscience
College of Medicine
Department of Neuroscience
Phone: 614-292-5660
Fax: 614-688-8742
Research Interests:
- Neural regulation of intestinal ion transport, coordination of intestinal peristalsis and secretion
- Gene expression of neural and epithelial receptors
- Interactions of the immune system with the enteric nervous system
Current Research: Approximately 9 liters of fluid enter the intestine daily, and less than 0.2 liters is excreted. The large transport capacity is attributed to epithelial cells, which have the ability to absorb or secrete ions and water. Normally, absorptive mechanisms predominate over secretory mechanisms. The balance is tipped from absorption to secretion when the intestine is exposed to noxious agents, enterotoxins or inflammatory mediators, many of which act on the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system — which is like a mini brain in the digestive tract — consists of two interconnecting neural plexuses containing myenteric and submucosal ganglia lying within the external muscle layers and the submucosa, respectively. Neurons in the submucosal ganglia regulate secretion and blood flow, while neurons in the myenteric ganglia are responsible for muscle contraction. Neurons within the plexuses are arranged in reflex circuits. Mapping the neural reflex circuits that are responsible for coordination of secretion and muscle contraction has been a focus of the current research program.
The immune system plays an important role in detecting foreign antigens in the lumen. Once activated, it can release inflammatory mediators that modulate neuronal activity. Some of these mediators — including histamine, prostaglandins and cytokines — activate neural alarm programs resulting in an outpouring of ions and water, resulting in diarrhea. These studies have relevance to food allergies that produce intestinal malaise and diarrhea. They are also relevant to inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Many different approaches are being used to identify neural reflex circuits and their regulation by chemical mediators released by the immune system. Physiological and pharmacological experiments are directed at determining the specific neurotransmitters involved in neural reflexes activated either by physiological or pathophysiological stimuli. Measurement of chloride currents — as an indicator of secretion — is being used in conjunction with recordings from strain gauges attached to the muscle to examine the neural pathways involved in coordination of secretion and muscle contraction. Pharmacological agonists and antagonists in conjunction with ligand binding studies are being used to study the interaction of neurotransmitters with their receptors and their signaling mechanisms. Gene expression and regulation of neural and epithelial receptors in health and diseased states are being studied as well. Techniques used to understand the function of the enteric nervous system span from the molecular level to whole animal studies. These studies are expected to provide important insights into the enteric nervous system's role in health and in diarrheal states resulting from inflammatory bowel disease or food allergies.
Research Techniques:
- Molecular: Cell culture; mRNA and DNA isolation; cloning; reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; northern, southern and western analysis; DNA sequencing; bacterial transformations; and transfections
- Electrophysiological: Voltage-clamp techniques for identifying ionic currents, use of strain gauge amplifiers for measurement of muscle contraction
- Neurochemical: Ligand binding studies
- Other: Radioisotopic flux measurements, gel electrophoresis, immunohistochemistry, radioimmunoassay, enzyme immunoassay
PhD: The Ohio State University


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(NASHVILLE SKYLINE is a column by CMT/CMT.com Editorial Director Chet Flippo.)
So it's come down to this: downloading music is the new Prohibition and the record industry is hiring the modern-day equivalent of Eliot Ness to come in with machine guns blazing to wipe out the evil gangsters. (Historical aside for history-deficient victims of the American school system: "Prohibition" refers to the era in American history from 1920-1933 when alcohol was prohibited. It led to a huge increase in organized crime, widespread disrespect for the law and enormous consumption of illegal alcohol. Eliot Ness was the federal agent most celebrated for hunting down the most notorious criminals who were bootlegging alcohol.)
What I'm referring to is the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) hiring this week of their new G-Man. Their new sheriff is the just-retired director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Bradley A. Buckles (whose nickname should be "Belt") is the new RIAA enforcer. The RIAA press release fairly drips with machismo and braggadocio, noting how Buckles' hiring as head of its Anti-Piracy Unit "should signal to everyone that we continue to take piracy, here and throughout the world, very seriously." Well, yes, piracy should indeed be taken seriously, but you have to wonder if this is the best solution.
A spokesman for Downhill Battle, a defense fund for music downloaders being sued by the RIAA, was quoted in the New York Post as saying, "If they have the same success stopping downloading as the ATF had stopping illegal gun sales, I don't think downloaders have anything to worry about."
I want to state clearly and unequivocally that I am against music piracy, against illegal downloading and against any and all forms of theft of music. That said, the RIAA and the record industry do not have a history of inspiring confidence with their heavy-handed, ham-fisted approach to the problem of recording piracy. Thus far, suing its own customers has been the record industry's major thrust in trying to terrorize and intimidate downloaders. That punitive campaign almost takes on an added cartoon-like exaggeration with this pompously worded announcement of a new tough guy taking on the crusade. What's next: jackbooted agents kicking down your door in the middle of the night and seizing your hard drive?
Unlike with Prohibition, all the record industry had to do when all this mess started was to offer a legal, attractive and affordable downloading system. The fact that it for years never even considered doing so (and still has made no major progress at doing so) is emblematic of the mindset of an industry that for generations has made fortunes off the backs of its creative peons. This is an industry that thought radio would drive it out of business because consumers could hear music on the radio instead of buying recorded music or sheet music. This is an industry that feared that cassette recorders were evil instruments because they could duplicate record albums, and thus the industry forged a crusade out of imposing punitive taxes on the sales of blank tape. It now forgets that it ignored the downloading problem for years and thus allowed consumers to be lulled into thinking that downloading is a right, not a crime. Breaking that mindset can't be suddenly accomplished with wholesale lawsuits and a hint of handcuffs and billyclubs.
If the music industry had asked me about this downloading matter (which it has not), I would have advised that — instead of hiring a big, tough enforcer — there is a saner approach available. I would have gone after the original fox to guard this hen house. I would have hired the guy who developed Napster, which unleashed this whole downloading monster on the world in the first place. Who better to know how to cage or at least pacify the monster? Shawn Fanning was 18 and a college student when he came up with the brilliant concept of Napster. He outwitted the whole recording industry from his dorm room. No reason he can't offer a comprehensive solution in reverse. Who better to thwart or convert hackers than the original hacker? I hear that Fanning has been working on a new technology that uses audio fingerprinting to create a foolproof system of blocking illegal downloading. I have not heard that the RIAA has approached him about that. I do hear that the major record labels are still not talking with each other about a shared download system — they will likely never trust each other enough to do so.
Suing your customers, as the RIAA is now fond of doing, is not cool. Threatening them is even less cool. Illegal downloading will never be eradicated — the plain and simple fact is that the Internet cannot be wrapped in concertina wire (like towns in Iraq) or completely sanitized or policed. What the music industry can do is to make legal downloading the avenue of preference. And make it worthwhile and desirable. There is a good reason why Apple's iPod and iTunes download combination is working. Offer music listeners a carrot instead of a stick. Don't just wave a new big stick threateningly at your customers and expect them to be grateful and obedient and fall into line.

subset: commoncrawl


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Saturday, October 21st
Get into the Halloween spirit at our all ages release party for Molly Knox Ostertag's wonderful new book, The Witch Boy! Join Molly and the SHQ crew for spooky drawing, candy, and costumes! Come dressed up in your Halloween best for a special treat.
Let us know you're coming here.
From the illustrator of the web comic Strong Female Protagonist comes a debut middle-grade graphic novel about family, identity, courage — and magic.
In thirteen-year-old Aster's family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn't shifted . . . and he's still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden it might be.
When a mysterious danger threatens the other boys, Aster knows he can help — as a witch. It will take the encouragement of a new friend, the non-magical and non-conforming Charlie, to convince Aster to try practicing his skills. And it will require even more courage to save his family . . . and be truly himself.


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Today, Sony hosted an event here in New Delhi and they have revealed the Xperia M4 Aqua and along with that they revealed the Xperia C3 successor which is the Xperia C4. Sony maintained their silence on the release date and price of the Xperia C4 and hinted towards mid June launch.
Sony Xperia C4 Specs
For the Sony Xperia C4 specs, it has 5.5 inch display with screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The device is powered by 1.7GHz MediaTek MTK6752 64-bit octa-core processor. Spnxy Xperia C4 has 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage and can be expanded upto 128GB using the micro SD card. The device runs on Android Lollipop out of the box. On the back, there is 13 megapixel camera wit LED flash and on the front there is 5 megapixel camera and the device is good for taking selfies. It has 2,600mAh battery.
Sony Xperia C4 price hasn't been out but from the specs we can see that the device will cost around Rs. 30,000 here in India and will be released in mid June. The hands on video has been recorded and you can watch it in full action on YouTube after some time.


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Plant Shutdown Survival Guide - PLANNING
As previously discussed, plant shutdown is a "vacation from your life". You have to plan the logistics as though you were leaving town, but you're going to be living at work. Like vacations, plant shutdowns are typically scheduled months in advance, which means you have time to prepare. Each of the following bullet points will be discussed in more detail in subsequent blog posts, but this is the basic pre-shutdown planning checklist. Pull out your calendar (or make a secondary Outlook/Google Calendar) and work backwards:
- Pack breakfast/lunch components for the week for entire family
- If not using freezer meals, have meal components prepped for week
- Emergency contacts - at your desk and on the fridge
- Clean out your car and have contents ready
- Pack everything nonperishable for site in the trunk
- Make sure family knows where all important information is (health insurance, et al)
- Drop pets with petsitter / kennel, or ensure petsitter / dog walker has keys and necessities
- Consider dropping stuff at your plant office
- Attempt to relax - popcorn and Netflix
- Set redundant alarm clocks
- Confirm emergency child care, and backups
- Confirm pet care
- Finish lawn care / confirm lawn care
- Finish laundry (including any ironing)
- Have work clothes segregated and at the ready
- Ensure all bills are prepped for the duration / set up to be paid
- Final Grocery Shopping Haul
- Ensure all prescriptions are filled
- Set DVR
- Check UPS on home computer
- Clean out / prepare desk
- Prep / repair / replace PPE
- Clean all tools - find the lost ones
- Clean out the fridge
- Locate sleeping bag, air mattress
- Gather travel toiletries
- Start packing overnight bag
- Make freezer meals for family
- Meal planning
- Complete the household inventory
- Large grocery shopping trip
- Start labeling your meal storage containers with initials
- Check status of household UPS
- Back up all work files to network AND cloud storage
- Start arranging emergency child care for the duration
- Also arrange for backups to emergency child care
- Arrange for pet care
- Arrange for lawn / home care
- Inspect work wardrobe for shutdown-compliant dress code. Shop to fill in gaps as needed.
- Start the household inventory
- Inventory work supplies - place order to fill in gaps
- Start waking up 1 hour earlier than normal
WINTER HOLIDAY SHUTDOWN - adds an extra layer of complication.
In the USA, the site will likely shut down completely for Christmas day, but don't plan on going very far. You will need to be back at zero dark thirty the next morning.
In general:
- Holiday gift shopping needs to be done by November 1. Between Thanksgiving and the run-up to shutdown, you will not have time to shop. No. Kidding.
- Greeting cards need to be done by December 1. Again, you will not have time. You'll be lucky to get them in the mail by December 20 otherwise.
- Gifts to be shipped should also be out the door by December 1.
- As much as it feels like sacrilege, just plan on taking a day during Thanksgiving weekend (if you're not on call) to wrap gifts, write cards, and get to the post office.
- Family picture - may not feel festive, but it needs to be done no later than the third weekend in October.
- Decorating - first weekend in December or earlier.
- Meal preparation - arrange to attend Christmas dinner or Latke night at someone else's house this year - or have your culinarily inclined spouse take over.
- Trunk - add a snow shovel, salt, cat litter, flares, and snow emergency kit
I consider this list to be a baseline guide, and will add to it. I absolutely want to hear readers' suggestions and survival tips, so please, drop me a line.


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Perfect Peaches Spreads
Here are a few photos of me spreading my legs. If you like my tight pussy and tasty twat, please email me!
Only Members Can See The Whole Upload
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A new stable release of the GSVideo library for Processing, 0.8, is available for the Linux, Mac OSX and Windows platforms. This version includes important fixes in memory and thread handling as well as new functionality for media playback and video capture. Follow this link to download the library packages, or keep reading for more details.
Memory handling
Thanks to the work of the Data Arts team at Google Creative Labs (Jono Brandel, George Brower, and Aaron Koblin), which used GSVideo to make a touchscreen video gallery based on the Life in a Day movie, I detected some memory leaks that affected the library when recreating moving objects. Specifically, the following code:
GSMovie movie = new GSMovie(this, "clip1.avi"); ... movie.delete(); movie = new GSMovie(this, "clip2.avi");
would result in the memory used by the first video not being properly disposed. This leak was not noticeable when using a small number of video objects, but in the case of the LIAD installation, thousands of videos needed to be continuously played back over a period of several days, which made the leak apparent. This issue has been solved in this new stable release.
Below you can see a documentation video of the LIAD touchscreen gallery, shown during the Sundance Film Festival this year as part of the Life in a Day premiere. The installation is now being exhibited at the YouTube Symphony event in Sydney, Australia.
Threading issues
Charl Botha found the solution for random crashes that often occurred when capturing live video using the GSCapture class. His patch is now part of the 0.8 release. The issue was caused when different threads tried to access the same video buffer. Although this seemed to affect only the video capture, I applied the improvement contributed by Charl to all GSVideo classes, not only GSCapture. So if you were experiencing random crashes with the GSMovie, GSPipeline or GSPlayer classes, then this release might solve them as well.
Local library path
The GSVideo package for Mac OSX and Windows comes with the GStreamer libraries bundled with it. They are located in library/gstreamer/macosx or library/gstreamer/win. However, in certain situations it could be convenient to place the GStreamer libraries in a different local folder. For this purpose there is a new static variable that controls the specification of this folder:
GSVideo.localGStreamerPath = "/Users/gst/libraries/gstreamer/macosx"; movie = new GSMovie(this, "clip.avi");
This variable also comes handy when using GSVideo from an Eclipse project, to give more flexibility to the placement of the native libraries. Thanks to Charles Bourasseau for his suggestions and code about this issue.
New functionality
- The GStreamer libraries bundled in the Snow Leopard 64 bits package include a new capture plugin called qtkitvideosrc, based on the QTKit media framework for OSX. At this point, the qtkitvideosrc plugin is accessible only through the GSPipeline object, but it will be automatically used in GSCapture as well as it becomes more mature.
- The GSPlayer and GSPipeline classes introduce a new RAW mode that allows to grab the video or audio frames from the stream right after decoding and without any additional transformations (color conversion, for example), just as a byte arrays for custom processing within the Processing sketch itself. Please check the Pipelines/Raw and Player/Raw examples for further details.
- The GSMovie class now has an additional jump() method for moving into a specific frame in the video. It also adds the length() and frame() methods to query the total duration of the media measured in numer of frames, and the current frame, respectively.
- Several enhancements and simplifications in the API of all the classes, as well as many bugfixes. Please check the online API reference and release notes for more information.


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Entry requirements
Please see Entry Requirement section for more info on Entry Requirements.
Months of entry
Course content
Earn a qualification approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Combine theory and practice. Undertake high quality work placements with employers across public/voluntary and private sectors endorsed by the College of Social Work.
Fees and funding
UK fee 3,696 GBP, Intl fee 6,600GBP
Qualification and course duration
full time
24 months
Course contact details
- Phone
- +44 (0)191 515 2000


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Women across the blogosphere are making ready for the annual conference/retreat/weekend known as BLOGHER. Those who are going are shopping, packing, rehearsing their talks, and making a detailed schedule that will of course be tossed out the window the minute we arrive in New York and run into women we didn't even know were going. Those who aren't going are probably getting ready to turn off their computers so they don't have to listen to those of us who are going this week — because it's about to get crazy up in here, peoples.
After shopping with @techsavvymama and @Stimey this morning (Oh, yes. The Gap is dressing us. And we will look awesome for our panel discussions on Friday. Shameless plug: Please come hear us speak on Friday. @Stimey is a speaker in Session 1:
Blogging Autism: Shattering Myths, Opening Eyes, and Finding Your Tribe
@JessicaAPISS, @TechSavvyMama, @Teachmama, and I are facilitating a Room of Your Own panel during Session 3, in the Change Agents track:
Resource Blogging: Serving Your Community One Post at a Time
I am SO excited about the session! Where was I going with this? Oh, right.
After shopping with @techsavvymama and @stimey this morning, we exchanged our new business cards. Theirs look AWESOME. (BlogHer trivia: How many different types of cards will @stimey give out? And with her awesome swag, will anyone care about the cards at all?) I wasn't planning on getting new cards this year. I was barely planning on going, since it's all contingent on my health and we didn't know what to plan for —
But since I am now CANCER-FREE, I'm going to BlogHer with friends. To celebrate, I ordered new cards this morning. They are AWESOME. They promote the Women in Planetary Science Site (which I'm beginning to love), Mothers With Cancer (even those who cannot travel will not be forgotten), Toddler Planet (my home) and include all the appropriate urls and such.
AND they have those two beautiful words on them:
Thank you all for your happy comments on the last post! Responding to each is an impossible job, but may I thank you all together here? I am overjoyed at the news, and overjoyed that you're all here celebrating with me too! HOORAY! And if you see me next week at BlogHer (I'll be resting til then)? YES, PLEASE say hello! Hug me or high five me or something — but gently, 'k?
Disclosure: The Gap is dressing me and many of the speakers; I'm not required to post or anything in return, but I am grateful for the opportunity.


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The uniqueness of Himal is that it speaks to the entire region of Southasia. This is a difficult task as it means being in touch with the diversity and local articulation of the region and its specific cultures. Himal does not merely do this but also tries to make lateral link ups that can cross boundaries and enter into dialogues at various levels, with discussion of either common interests or diverse concerns. This makes for a truly vital presentation of parts of Southasia that have not been thought of in this manner before and encourages one to see the communication between them. Today, Himal is essential reading for those either living in, or researching on, Southasia.
Romila Thapar
Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Author of Early India, and A History of India, Vol. 1
We also need more small magazines; the best one is Himal from Nepal.
Pankaj Mishra
Contributor to The New York Review of Books
Contributor to The Guardian
Himal's writers provide a perspective that's off the beaten track, skeptical of conventional wisdoms about the region, and up to date with the issues and concerns that unite – and divide – Southasians. Himal Southasian challenges many Western assumptions about Southasia, while also questioning deeply held local views. Anyone, anywhere, interested in Southasia, reads Himal.
Sheila S Coronel
Stabile Professor of Professional Practice in Investigative Journalism
Director, Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism
As a long-standing visitor to Nepal and a bit of a 'foodie' with regard to Nepali cuisine in general, and the Newari culinary tradition in particular, I really enjoyed this international Southasian feast of writing from across the Subcontinent. The range is impressive, from discussions of agriculture and food production to pieces on food preparation and presentation and, of course, consumption, in both prose and poetry. A tour de force. More please! (On the 'Farms, Feasts, Famines' (Vol 26 No 2) issue).
Dr David Seddon
Honorary Research Fellow
Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
What strikes one the most while going through the best of Himal is the relevance of these essays to our times. Perhaps they do so because the realities they present to the reader impact our politics, society and culture some 15-20 years later. (On The Southasian Sensibility: A Himal Reader, a collection of representative, seminal articles published over the past 25 years in Himal Southasian).
Ajith Pillai
Former Senior Editor at Outlook
Himal is a remarkable and pioneering magazine in the Southasian context and with few parallels elsewhere. In a media sphere driven by shrill sound bites, blogs and tweets, Himal provides long essays that can investigate issues with depth and understanding. While providing a distinctive perspective on a region, Southasia, it bridges the boundary between the academy and the citizenry. It is genuinely and completely non-partisan, showcasing writers of various nationalities, ages, genders, castes, and ideological affiliations.
Ramachandra Guha
Historian, public intellectual, columnist, author of award-winning India After Gandhi
2011-12 Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs, London School of Economics
2009 Padma Bhushan award recipient
Himal Southasian is a forum for intelligent and learned writing, and a platform for interchange of ideas, about a region to which I'm very attached and which accounts for such a large proportion of the world's population. It has covered fascinating themes over the years – including local and country-specific subjects but also themes and ideas which have a resonance beyond the region such as sexuality and censorship. I believe that from its base in Nepal, rather than the dominant powers of India and Pakistan, it provides a unique perspective across the region, somewhat detached from those two countries' debilitating rivalry and able to look dispassionately at matters that concern them and the smaller countries.
I also believe that in its new, semi-book format Himal has found a good and very user-friendly way to move forward.
Charles Haviland
BBC South Asia Correspondent
Let me state without a trace of hyperbole that, in my opinion, Himal is not simply the most informative journal on Southasia currently available but also the most important; important because of its uniquely independent, non-partisan stance on a whole range of political and social issues.
Charles Allen
Popular historian
Author of Ashoka: The Search for India's Lost Emperor (2012), The Buddha and the Sahibs: The Men Who Discovered India's Lost Religion (2002); and Soldier Sahibs: The Men Who Made the North West Frontier (2000)
I have read – and written for – Himal since I first arrived in Southasia in the early 1990s. I have followed its emergence and marvelled at its growth. Himal is like no other imprint in Southasia: it combines a deep commitment to long-form narrative journalism with insightful reporting on and analysis of Southasian regionalism. I regularly set Himal Southasian articles for my students to read, and find time and again that the engaging journalistic form that editors advocate combines the best of scholarly writing with narrative immediacy.
Mark Turin
Associate Research Scientist/Lecturer, South Asian Studies Council, Yale University
Program Director, Yale Himalaya Initiative
Director, Digital Himalaya Project
Fellow, Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge
Over the years, Himal has developed an idea of Southasia that can liberate ordinary people as well as policymakers from the constraints of narrow chauvinisms, and encourage creative cultural, political, social, and economic transactions across states. I have every expectation that Himal will, in times to come, shape imaginaries of Southasia in the region as well as outside, even more than it does at present.
Neera Chandhoke
Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi
2007 International Visiting Fellow, Centre for Civil Society, London School of Economics
I have found Himal extremely useful, for scholars as well as students and lay readers, to better understand the political evolution, cultural trends, and economic prospects of what used to be known as the Indian Subcontinent. The term for the present and the future is 'Southasia', and there is no other publication other than Himal that addresses this entire region as an entity. I believe this view of Southasian regionalism is what is in store for us in the future, which is why Himal Southasian is a magazine with such possibilities.
Laurence Fontaine
Director of Research CNRS Institution, Centre Maurice Halbwachs
1995-2003 Professor at the History and Civilisation department of the European University Institute (Florence-Italy)
Himal Southasian is the only media outlet that stands out by augmenting a regional understanding rather than taking nationalistic positions that unfortunately represent the reality in the media landscape in the countries of the region. Its themes and the fact that it brings in views on a single platform undoubtedly have created a space where big thinkers and policymakers from the region can converge.
Nazes Afroz
Journalist, Photographer, Media Consultant
Contributor for OPEN Magazine
A Southasian 'chamatkar' – I am one witness to the transformation of Himal from a Himalayan publication to it becoming the only journal which talks about Southasia in a compact and collective way, looking beyond national boundaries. It supports the cause of real democracy and equity in the region. Bringing together journalists, writers, filmmakers and intellectuals and compelling them to think big is Himal's finest contribution.
Shekhar Pathak
Editor of People's Association for Himalayan Area Research (PAHAR)
Vice President-Asia/Himalaya, World Mountain People Association (WMPA)
Jawaharlal Nehru Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Contemporary Studies, New Delhi
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I'm really enjoying this video series by Matt Box called Acid Drops. The idea is that he takes a bunch of video footage of skateboarders and then translates them into trippy, watercolored shorts which are nothing short of beautiful. The one you see above features Dylan Rieder, an L.A. based skater who rides for Gravis.
I think Matt has a really good way of describing the video, saying "The second in a series of hand painted studies that aim to psychedelically capture the individual styles of influential skateboarders." It's hard to tell from the still images above, which look like abstract images of a skater, but once you can see the images in motion it really makes sense. I also think it's great how the color shift as Dylan skates, like the horse of a different color from Wizard of Oz.


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Donate your body to medical science
If you want to donate your body to medical science you must contact a university or include your wishes in your will.
Contact a university
You can only donate your body to a university. There are 5 universities in Scotland you can donate your body to:
The university you choose will give you the legal papers you need to sign. They'll also answer any questions you have.
You should speak to the university closest to you. This will save on transport costs for your body after your death.
If you have any health issues you should discuss these with the university you choose. Some health issues mean they wouldn't be able to accept your body.
Include your choice in your will
You can include your wish to donate your body to medical science in your will.
Talk about your choice
Talk to those close to you so that they can follow your wishes when the time comes.
How your body will be used
Bodies donated to medical science are used for:
- teaching medical students
- training surgeons
- research into health or disease
In Scotland, you can't ask for your body to be used only for research into a certain type of health issue or disease. It might be, but the university you choose can't ensure this.
You can find out more about other options in the UK on the Human Tissue Authority website.
You can also find out more on gov.scot or by contacting email@example.com.
Your body might not be used by the university. It depends on whether your body matches the university's needs at the time of your death.


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Salon Vip Hair & Beauty
Closed until Wednesday
10:30 am - 9:00 pm
Shores on Brighton / Shop 413, 413, 1 Como Cres
Southport, QLD, 4215
Salon Vip Hair & BeautyWeddings, Fashion Parades, Special events, Formals , Artistic Colouring,Human Hair extensions,ponytails,fringes and clip-ins, feather hair ,braid cli in. Facial, manicure, waxing.
Salon VIP/ ConnectingHair Australia the best kept secret on the Gold Coast , Southport. We specialise in Weddings, Fashion Parades, Special Events, Formals and Artistic Colouring. If there is a need for you to feel like Royalty, Salon VIP is the place to visit.
Salon VIP uses European products exclusively. Lakme permanent colours are low ammonia and semi permanent are ammonia free, both contain natural plant extracts to ensure that your hair is kept in perfect condition, even after colouring. Lakme products are manufactured is Barcelona, Spain and are not tested on animals. Containing ingredients found from natural plant, marine and vegetable extracts.
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We are a proud owner of Connecting Hair Australia Extensions with memory . This 9 System is for the public and professionals a like. Ponytails,Fringes,Clip-ins,Party clips,Top clip-ins, Tape extensions ,Braid clip-ins, Feather Hair & Keratin extensions.
We whole sale to professionals & sell to the public on special show price. Special introductory nights by appointments to Salons only.
All beauty treatments are available like facial, waxing, eyebrow and lash tint, silk lash extensions, body massage ,manicure. pedicure, gel nails, anti ageing treatments plus much much more.
Please phone for an appointment ...read more
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We absolutely adore Barbara and her team at Salon VIP and look forward to our monthly visits. My son is in the public eye a lot and seen by young teens all over the world and Barbara takes the best care of him and knows exactly what image will suit him, whats in, etc, he loves getting pampered and spoilt each time he comes in for a cut! The salon itself is amazing and so trendy! We can't thank you enough for all you do for us! THANK YOU Barbara xx
Barb is one of a kind !!! Always keeps up to date with latest trends and styles, the BEST hairstylist I have ever met with skills second to none! And what a stunning salon can highly recommend to everyone
Thank you Dana you are not far behind me :))


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5 of 5 starsReviewed July 18, 2013 NEW via mobile
Had a fantastic time with Marine Divers doing the advanced Open Water with my 13 Year Old Son. Debbi, Sean & Jonny were great with us and the course was perfect to enhance our dive Skills. We did Peak Performance Bouyancy,Ssearch & Recovery, Navigation, Deep and Night to round it off perfectly. If Carlsberg did Dive Centers, it would definitely be Marine Divers!
Visited July 2013


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Updated 06/13/2017
"Fake it until you make it" isn't a
viable path to being confident. You
build confidence in yourself through
a series of successes you make, not
anyone else.
5 Ways Powerfully Confident People Gain Mental Strength | Inc, Matthew Jones
One aspect of confidence that is rarely discussed is a mental strength. While you may be able
to identify a confident person based on their presence--the way that they carry themselves
as they enter a room--you may not as easily pinpoint the mentality that aids their self-trust.
And while everyone wants to be confident, many people overlook the fact that genuine
self-assurance isn't just about looking the part, it's also about having the mental fortitude
to persevere through difficult circumstances.
7 Traits of Highly Confident People | AdvancedLifeSkills.com
Do you marvel at people who seem highly confident and self assured? Would you like to be
one of those highly confident people? Achieving that may seem impossible if you are struggling
with feelings of worthlessness, but believe me when I tell you that anyone can become more
9 Little-Known Habits of Confident People | TheBlog, Susie Moore 05/05/2014
"With confidence, you have won before you have started." — Marcus Garvey
Confidence is often the single differentiator between people who get what they want and
people who don't. Those who think and believe they can do something — run a marathon,
start an entrepreneurial venture, ask someone out (and have them say yes), win a competitive
promotion, fit into their pre-pregnancy jeans, build a fun social circle, well... they do it.
9 Qualities of Remarkably Confident People | Inc., Jeff Haden
I'm not particularly confident. Scratch that. I'm situationally confident: sometimes, very
much so; other times, not at all. So I spend a lot of time thinking about how to gain confidence.
And that makes me wonder. In a world of "fake it till you make it," how can you tell when
someone is truly confident--in his or her ideas, plans, and self--and, just as important,
that the person's confidence is justified?
10 Things Confident People WON'T Do | Ladders, Dr. Travis Bradberry 07/21/2017
In The Empire Strikes Back, when Yoda is training Luke to be a Jedi, he demonstrates
the power of the Force by raising an X-wing fighter from a swamp. Luke mutters, "I
don't believe it." Yoda replies, "That is why you fail."
As usual, Yoda was right—and science backs him up. Numerous studies have proved
that confidence is the real key to success.
Studies exploring the performance gap between men and women in math and spatial
skills have found that confidence plays a huge role. Women who were asked to identify
their gender before taking a spatial skills test performed more poorly than those who
12 Things Truly Confident People Do Differently | Forbes, Dr. Travis Bradberry 04/01/2015
Confidence takes many forms, from the arrogance of Floyd Mayweather to the quiet self-
assurance of Jane Goodall. True confidence—as opposed to the false confidence people
project to mask their insecurities—has a look all its own.
When it comes to confidence, one thing is certain: truly confident people always have the
upper hand over the doubtful and the skittish, because they inspire others and they make
things happen.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right" ~ Henry Ford
15 Habits of Highly Confident People | Care2. Michelle Schoffro Cook
No one is confident all the time, but some people seem to exude a healthy level of self-
assurance. That confident look can leave others wondering "what's the secret?" Here are
some of my observations about the habits of highly confident people.
15 Things Highly Confident People Don't Do | Lifehack.com, Daniel Wallen
Highly confident people believe in their ability to achieve. If you don't believe in yourself,
why should anyone else put their faith in you? To walk with swagger and improve your self-
confidence, watch out for these fifteen things highly confident people don't do.
ZLABS > 000 You Start Here > 020 People Types >


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The nominations for the 17th Costume Designers Guild Awards were just released, and Mockingjay Part 1 scored a nomination in the "Excellence in Fantasy Film" category. Read More »
Costume: Kurt Swanson
Bart Mueller and Kurt Swanson Confirmed for 'Mockingjay' Movies
Bart Mueller and Kurt Swanson will take the lead in costume design for the final two films in the franchise. Read More »


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Trafford, AL 35172
Call Us
Phone: (205) 427-4479
Mon: 8:00am - 5:30pm
Tue: 8:00am - 5:30pm
Wed: 8:00am - 5:30pm
Thu: 8:00am - 5:30pm
Fri: 8:00am - 5:30pm
Sat: appt only
Sun: Closed
600 Beacon Parkway Suite 400
Birmingham, AL 25309
Call Us
Phone: (205) 427-4479
Mon: By Appointment
Tue: By Appointment
Wed: By Appointment
Thu: By Appointment
Fri: By Appointment
Sat: By Appointment
Sun: By Appointment
Thank you for visiting the website of Sign Source. Our talented graphic designers love watching small businesses in Trafford, Alabama and the surrounding areas grow and thrive. We provide high-quality decals, murals, vehicle wraps and signs for business owners in the area. Call 205-427-4479 right now to order promotional materials for your business.
Please use the form on this page to email us.


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Now that 2014 is well underway, it's time to implement the whole New Year, New You program. And while a healthy diet and active fitness plan are always a great idea, we were thinking of something a bit more instant. Like a bold new haircut.
Easier said than done, we know, which is why we've rounded up these celebrity photos to inspire your new look. Here's to 2014 and a fresh new do!


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The application for tourists visiting India can be found online at indianvisaonline.gov.in. The application is offered online and can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the page and selecting Apply Online.
The site directs you to the online application page where you enter personal information, such as the country you are applying from, your nationality, date of birth and visa type. After completion of the first page, you are required to enter details of your country of origin, religion, nationality and passport. After you finish entering your details, the site takes you through the document submission process and your eventual reception of the visa.


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After New Year, it is always a challenge to finish the mochi. Although I bought the smallest bag of mochi available at the Japanese grocery store, we had several pieces leftover. We are probably not the only ones ending up in this condition because there are many recipes for leftover mochi. This is a variation of mochi and cheese I posted before. This one developed a more crispy crust than the previous recipe. This may be because I used too much heat. It may look better and a little less burnt if I used a very low flame and was more patient. I served it with kinpira gobo きんぴらごぼう, my potato salad ポテトサラダand datemaki 伊達巻 for a weekend lunch.
This one adds crushed nuts (the original called for peanuts but we used roasted pecan as per my wife's suggestion).
I made my datemaki again after the New Year. This time, I put the darker side inside the roll which looks better to me rather than the other way around.
The original recipe came from the Internet.
Ingredients (for 4):
Mochi cakes, 2
Melting cheese (I used smoke mozzarella), several slices, finely chopped (grating may work better).
Crushed nuts (original recipe calls for peanuts, we used roasted pecans), amount arbitrary.
Soy sauce and Japanese hot pepper flakes or ichimi tougarashi 一味唐辛子.
1. Soften the mochi by microwaving for 20 seconds in the plastic wrapping.
2. Cut each mochi into small cubes (I cut one mochi into 8 cubes, wetting the knife blade to prevent the mochi from sticking).
3. Place 4 cubes together in the pan on low flame (I used a small amount of olive oil, the original recipe does not use oil). Put on a tight lid.
4. When the cheese is melted and the bottom becomes brown, turn the pieces over (#1).
5. Put the lid back on and keep cooking for several more minutes (#2).
6. pour a small amount of soy sauce mixed with Japanese hot pepper flakes over the mochi (#3).
7. I served two (one mochi cake equivalent) per serving (#4).
The visual could have been better. I should have used a lower flame. In any case, this was good. Very crunchy crust on both sides and soft and chewy center with the taste of cheese, soy sauce and nuts. This might be a reason to make left over mochi on purpose.


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Cygnett Unison i-X5 iPod Speakers Review
This review looks at the Cygnett Unison i-X5 iPod speakers and docking station. We've been looking to buy a set of iPod speakers for some time now and finally opted for these. We bought the black speakers, but they are also available in red and white. Box Contents This is what you get in the […]


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According to a report prepared for the OCFC:
"Components of the financing plan include General Obligation Bonds secured by Hotel / Motel Tax revenues and annual County commitments from the general fund." (page 11)
"A tax-exempt general obligation bond issuance is planned to generate $52.0 million in proceeds for the construction of the Project. The issuance will be secured by an increase to the existing hotel / motel tax as well as an annual contribution from the County's General Fund." (page 18)
"The financing plan includes a $12.0 million contribution from the Lucas County Capital Projects fund. While the current fund balance of $26.9 million is sufficient to support the contribution, the County has made no formal commitment to assign or allocate $12.0 million of the fund to the Project. The formal commitment on the part of the County is a recommended condition necessary for the payment of State funds."
Side note: this report is dated June 2008 and there is no reference whatsoever to the $20 million in CIP funds already allocated to the arena, and those dollars are not listed as part of the financial commitments the county provided to the OCFC.
From a June 4, 2008, Blade article:
"But the cost has swelled to $105 million from the initial estimate of $85 million .
Commissioner Pete Gerken said the cost increase is due to the increase in the structure's size - from about 235,000 square feet to 275,000 square feet.
The additional space allows for extra party rooms and viewing suites, which are expected to increase revenues, he said.
The increased cost will be covered by revenues generated by the arena , Mr. Gerken said.
The arena will be paid for by an increase in the hotel-motel tax, state contributions, revenues from ticket sales, rental fees, sales of naming rights and luxury suites, and borrowing on the bond market."
Interestingly, nothing in this article or the comments by the Commissioners reflect the information they'd provided to the OCFC about county general and CIP funds. The OCFC report is dated June 2008. Did Gerken NOT know, on June 4, that the information submitted to the OCFC contradicted his statement?
Perhaps Gerken has forgotten what he said on Oct. 10, 2007:
"I don't want to get tied down with a specific price and wind up getting shortchanged. We know what our base budget is, so as we go beyond that, the arena has to pay for itself."
Obviously, the arena isn't paying for itself if the financing plan the County submitted to the state includes provisions for annual commitments from the general fund in addition to $12 million in CIP dollars.
But the most damning part of the report are these two statements:
"The Consultant considers the County to be proceeding at significant risk by commencing construction without having confirmed the Project resources or executed the leases and managements agreements noted above."
"Formal and irrevocable commitments for all sources must be provided at terms equal to or better than that provided to-date to meet Commission Guidelines and support approval of the Project. These risks are compounded by the County proceeding with construction without confirmed funding or agreements in place."
The consultants for the OCFC make the following recommendations as conditions to be met prior to approval for State funding of the Project:
1. Demonstration by the County of full funding for the Project through the identified sources. Full funding would include:
* The sale of the planned taxable and tax-exempt general obligations bonds;
* Verification of the anticipated investment income;
* Documentation of the receipt of the anticipated hotel tax equity;
* Executed luxury suite leases under the Founders Program; and
* A commitment from the County to allocate $12.0 million in capital funds.
All funding documentation should include terms equivalent to or better than those shown in any draft materials provided to-date.
4. Documentation of formal agreements that ensure the collection of parking revenues from 1,000 spaces by the Facility.
What's that about parking? Oh, yes ... the County has projected parking revenues even though they own no parking spaces and are not building any as part of the arena project. They've projected a "$5 per event fee for a third of the turnstile attendance per event, including both tenant and non-tenant events."
But the report also includes this:
"It is unclear, however, where the spaces are located, who owns the spaces, and what agreements are in place to ensure that parking revenues associated with events at the Facility are collected..."
Perhaps they're expecting all the private parking lot owners to 'be generous' with their revenues, as originally stated back in 2006? I can only wonder which parking lot operators will charge an additional $5 in order to give that money to the arena - and how many people will actually pay that additional amount. But then, I tend to ask those pesky questions...
Bottom line: the cost of the arena has skyrocketed to more than $108 million and the revenue to fund the original cost of $80 million was questionable to begin with. Despite assurances by the commissioners, they have secretly (as in not volunteered the information or made any announcements) stated that county general funds dollars are scheduled to be used to pay for this facility.
Especially on this one, I had hoped I would be wrong - but I did warn you that the devil was in the details.
***My Eye On Toledo discussion of this earlier tonight will be podcast.


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Took the train to Kamakura, a sleepy little town full of cemeteries and shrines and pudgy cats and ramen shops.
It was absolutely beautiful.
We went through this trail through the forest to reach this giant buddha statue and it took about 2 hours to get there.
This little Sweet Potato shack was at the town at the end of the trail.
They had sweet potato ice cream, chips, croquettes and pastries. So awesome.


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List of Publications
Grants and Research (pdf) (2007 - Present)
1990, Ph.D. in Social Policy, Brandeis University
1978, MS in Gerontological Nursing, University of Massachusetts Lowell
1977, BS in Nursing, Salem State College
Karen Devereaux Melillo, Ph.D., A-GNP-C, FAANP, FGSA, is the Interim Dean and Professor, School of Nursing, College of Health Sciences. She has served as Director and Chair of the School of Nursing (2013-2014), Chair (2005-2013), and Coordinator of the Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Specialty (2013-2014) and Coordinator of the Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Specialty (1985-2005).
She earned her Ph.D. from Brandeis University's Florence Heller School for the Advanced Study of Social Welfare in 1990, where her studies focused on aging, long-term care and health policy. She received her Master of Science Degree in Gerontological Nursing from the University of Lowell in 1978, which prepared her as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner. In 1998, she was awarded the Francis Cabot Lowell Outstanding Alumni Award for the College of Health Professions at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In 2009, she was selected as a Fellow in the Gerontological Society of America. She was also selected as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and for the Distinguished Alumni Award from Massachusetts Bay Community College, both in 2001. Since coming to the University in 1982, she has established an active research program on the utilization of Nurse Practitioners in institutional long-term care, for which she received the American College of Health Care Administrators Long-Term Care Research Award.
Her research has focused on health promotion, specifically physical fitness and exercise activity of older adults, as well as the application of a wandering technology device for older adults with Alzheimer's disease. She is Principal Investigator on a 3-year competing continuation funded study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing, Nursing Workforce Diversity (D19HP009221, 2012-2016; D19HP08221, 2008-2012) and from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities: Workforce Development grant (2007-2014), for the Bring Diversity to Nursing project, totaling over $2M.
She was also Principal Investigator on a Mass. Department of Higher Education Nursing and Allied Health Grant, "Increasing Nurse Practitioner Preceptor and Faculty Capacity", 2014-2015. She served as Co-Investigator on a HRSA-funded Advanced Education in Nursing grant, "DNPs Caring for Underserved", with Co-Principal Investigators, Susan Houde, Ph.D. and Angela Nannini, Ph.D., (D09HP19005-01, 2010-2013) Advanced Education Nursing Grant, in the amount of $732,044. She was a Co-Investigator with Jacqueline Dowling, Ph.D., PI, on a HRSA Workforce Diversity Equipment Grant, 2010-2011, "On the move for nursing's future: Bring diversity to nursing mobile simulation laboratory", $299,980. She was a Co-Investigator on a 5-year, $3.5M National Institutes of Health, NIOSH-funded study on "Health Disparities Among Healthcare Workers," where she led the qualitative case study research effort in two nursing homes. She was Principal Investigator on the Mass. Department of Higher Education's Nursing and Allied Health Initiative grant, "UMass Lowell/D'Youville Partnership in Establishing Dedicated Education Unit in a LTC Transitional Care Setting" (2011-2012).
Melillo has over 60 peer-reviewed publications. The second edition of Melillo, K.D. & Houde, S.C. (Eds.) Geropsychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (2011) received the 2011 AJN Book of the Year Award, placing first in two categories, mental health and gerontologic nursing. She is a manuscript reviewer for a number of journals, including Geriatric Nursing, and is an Editorial Advisory Board member for the Journal of Gerontological Nursing. She is an abstract reviewer for the Gerontological Society of America, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Nationally, she has served as an Expert Panel member on the American Academy of Nursing/Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, Geropsychiatric Nursing Core Competency Workgroup and on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing's, Transitioning to Adult-Gerontology APRN Education: Ensuring the APRN Workforce is Prepared to Care for Older Adults, NP Expert Panel. She is active in a number of national professional associations and state task forces, and has served on local Boards, including D'Youville Life and Wellness Community. She is Past-President of the Eta Omega Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International. Melillo is nationally board-certified as an Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.


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Hi! It's been a long time since I was in this space. I was slightly shamed I haven't been more diligent in blogging this weekend when I was honored to meet Bubblesknits from Alabama Fiber Dreams. (Hi!) Lest you think she did the shaming, let me assure you the shame was all internal. So, I have decided to try spending more time in this space. (I know I've said it before; but like dieting, I will continue to start anew until it takes.) I had forgotten how nice it feels to share my knitting projects and plans with like minded people. So, let me get started. Here is what I have on the needles:
Project #1: Creature Comforts Cardi
(photo credit: Madelinetosh via Ravelry)
I'm using the wonderful Madelinetosh Vintage in the Brair colorway.
(photo credit: Eat.Sleep.Knit)
I can not even begin to describe my love for this yarn. It knits up so smoothly and has a wonderful drape. Another bonus is how light it feels even though being 100% wool.
Project #2: Cecilia by Elin Berglund (Ravelry Link)
(photo credit: Elin Berglund via Ravelry)
I'm using another Madelinetosh yarn. This time, it is the Tosh Sock in composition grey.
(photo credit: Eat.Sleep.Knit)
While I know I will love this sweater and will wear it to death, I've had a hard time getting started. You'd think that when you start a project 4 times, it would be a breeze. I'm sure it is just me since many other people have finished it with no problems. I've decided to just fudge where I need to and keep going.
Project #4: Pampas by Rowan
(photo credit:Rowan Yarns)
I'm using a new yarn we have in the shop, Creative Focus Linen by Nashua in chocolate.
(photo credit: WEBS)
It is so great. I've been wanting to work with linen for awhile, but I find it hard on my hands. I love the way linen feels worked up, but I can't work with it. Granted the CFL is 50% cotton, but it is going to be so light and great for summer.
Those are the only things on the needles right now. I have plans for several more, though. Maybe those projects will be motivation for me to finish these. As soon as I get my camera up and running, I'll try to get some in progress photos up.
SAFF take 2
With the help of my wonderful friend Suzanne, I was able to make my second trip to SAFF this past weekend. We drove up Thursday afternoon. On Friday, we got up bright and early in order to get first dibs here:
After her loss of stock, we knew if we waited too long, it would be slim pickings. Miss Babs was one of the two things on my list for this trip. I did good, too.
On the bottom, that is Yowza in Mahogney. In the middle is Yowza in Turquoise Mine (left) and A Day Picking Red Grapes (right). On the top is yummy Superwash Sock & Baby – 2 ply in Cadet (left) and Bamboo Baby in Changling (right).
Miss Babs also had these cute bags on sale. I also found these 2 cute stitch markers in the bottom of my bag, too.
This was our next stop … Blue Ridge Soap Shed. The owners are a husband/wife team. He is a retired chemistry teacher. Their soaps are wonderful. When I bought some last time at SAFF, I didn't know what to expect. As soon as I used it for the first time, I wished I had gotten more. So, this time I did. I stocked up. I am not sad I did, either. Yummy!
I was not expecting this, but I could not pass this up. It is Wolle's Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton in Pecod (bottom) and Silver Navy (top). She had the Sweet Jazz Shawl knit up. The yarn is transitioning, so the top of the shawl was the lightest color and gradually changed to the darkest at the bottom. It was gorgeous! The best part … it is 100% cotton. That is perfect for year round wear in Alabama. The bigger of the two was only $18! Yes, $18 for a shawls worth of yarn.
Once we had seen everything we could see at SAFF, it was long past time for lunch. We decided to head out to find something to eat. After being ignored Thursday night, having 4 parties come in after us but sat before us & deciding to walk out, we decided to give them another chance and had an early dinner/late lunch at the Laughing Seed.
Sadly, I forgot to take photos of out meals, but I ended up having the Omega Hempnut Burger with Jalapeño-Onion Fries. Yummy! Suzanne had the Indian Thali Plate, which she said was very spicy. We also had a special lemongrass-dill hummus plate as a start. I could have bathed in that hummus it was so good. The staff was a little flaky, but the food was good.
Just down the street was a little yarn shop. Neither of us found anything, but again, we were ignored. Asheville is definitely a different environment than Birmingham.
On Saturday, I was honored to take Suzanne on her first trip to the Biltmore. This is one of my most favorite places, and I was so happy to share it with her.
After we finished our tour of the house and the wine tasting & buying, we decided to head back into town to check out another yarn shop, Yarn Paradise. Again, I stuck to my budget and didn't pick up anything. However, they had a great selection.
From there we decided to eat dinner at The Lobster Trap. Now, I do extensive research before a trip, especially for local cuisine. This was one of the few places I had picked out. Most of the reviews I saw online were positive. The menu looked good, too; so I was excited. What a HUGE disappointment. After a wait (at 5 pm) we were sat at a table next to the front door. When I say right next to the door, I'm talking so close that I could have sneezed on the people waiting for a table. Shortly after we were sat, a group of very drunk, very talkative "ladies" were shown to the table next to ours.
We both ordered the black bean and crab soup as an appetizer. It had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. Their website claims they are "using fresh produce from local farmers." That is a lie. There was nothing "fresh" about that soup. The beans were mush. Suzanne couldn't even eat hers. For our entrees, I ordered the Drunken Pumpkin Salmon (Baked salmon filet with vanilla-bourbon puree, crushed pecans, local goat cheese) with lobster macaroni and cheese and mushroom wild rice. Suzanne tried the Shrimp and Grits. These too were a complete disappointment. My rice was overcooked so was the salmon. The flavor of it was nice, but I pulled out a bone. Now, I eat salmon a good deal. It is my favorite fish. Since I have been eating it, I have never found a bone. I also ended up picking out a shell from my mac & cheese. After that, I stopped eating.
Suzanne's meal was not any better. Everyone I know will tell you that Shrimp and Grits are presented as follows: perfectly cooked grits with large juicy grilled shrimp on top. What was brought to her was a sickly orange-colored mush with small shrimp stirred in. It looked like someone had been sick on her plate. seriously, we thought they had brought her the wrong plate. Needless to say, we did not stick around much longer. I am so surprised that people like this place. It was seriously awful.
Even with all the trouble we had with the food, it was a wonderful trip. The weather was perfect. The company was great. The yarn was squishy. I can't wait to go again.
Love, Socks & Bread
Okay. So I've been a bad little knitblogger. I'm sorry. It seems like I can't keep my life organized lately. All that mental energy needs to be devoted to work. That is all I can manage. As penance, I'll try to catch you guys up on things that have been going on lately.
Do you remember making Valentine's mail boxes in grade school. You know, the ones you set on your desk and watched like a hawk hoping that guy would put a card in it? 'Cause if he did, you were like "going out." Remember? Well, Boy Child needed to make one for his class' party, and Hubby decided it would be a great family project.
It was so much fun! I'd forgotten how much I enjoy making school projects.
I finished Grandmamma's very first pair of hand knit socks.
I finally took photos of them, and mailed them off. I received a call from her the other day. She loves them, and I couldn't be more happy!
I finally broke down and bought myself a bread maker. I wanted to try all the goodies out, so I made the basic recipe that comes with the instruction book.
It came out well. Too bad we don't eat white bread. My luck since then has not been great. I've made attempted to make whole wheat bread three times. It did not go so well. I was so upset I didn't even take a picture. I did make cinnamon swirl bread. Boy child loved it & gobbled up two whole loaves. Hubby spit his out. Sigh. I'm starting to wonder if I made a mistake. I'm going to give it a couple more tries using recipes from this book. I'm hoping it is just user error. I love the smell and taste of fresh baked bread. I also want to save a few $$ and I like knowing what is going into my food.
Much more to come … later.
For the first time since I have been knitting, my disappointment with Interweave Knits overwhelms me. I saw a few patterns from the Spring 2010 issue pop up on Ravelry, so I clicked over to their website to take a look. Now, to be fair, I love IK's website. I appreciate the extra photos that show all sides to the knit. For some reason, I prefer photos to the video Vogue Knitting does; but I'm strange that way and is beside the point. As I was scrolling through, my mouth dropped open. There is not one patter I would knit. Not. One. Pattern. I expect this from Vogue, but not IK. Oh the disappointment!
The Ringlet Tank is okay. So is the Tissue Cardigan. But nothing jumps out at me as "have to knit." Even worse, I can think of a bunch of knits in my queue that I'm more excited about. Like the Gallery Jacket (Rav link), Pintuck Tee (Rav link), or the Man's Cable Cardigan (scroll down under Boy Meets Purl, the brown one on the left). Maybe the articles will be outstanding. Or maybe, I will grow to love the new patterns after my infatuation with other things recedes. That does happen with me, so only time will tell.
To end on a happier note, I can tell you what doesn't disappoint – SNOW! I LOVE snow! I love snow so much that even the mention of snow flurries gets me excited. Here in Alabama, snow is an anomaly, so the recent abundance is cause for celebration to me. I love looking at it. I love watching it fall. I love how it makes everything look pretty. I love, love, love snow! I'll even go as far to hope it keeps up for awhile longer. I LOVE SNOW!
Stolen Owls
So, before Christmas, I was looking around Etsy and I found a really cute pattern for an owl. Now, I really have a thing for owls right now; so I didn't think anything of purchasing it.
See! How cute is that pattern! I can't wait to make one for myself!
Well, today, I received an e-mail from Tina Whitmore explaining that the person I purchased the pattern from had actually stolen the pattern from her! Can you believe it!?! I offered to repurchase the pattern from her. She kindly said that all she wanted was for me to tell family and friends about her site. So, I'm doing that here.
If you like this pattern, please visit KnitWhits for your own copy.
Merry Christmas
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me….
Twelve yummy tea bags,
Eleven hours baking,
Ten cookie tins,
Nine family visits,
Eight gifty cards,
Seven books to read,
Six leafy buttons,
Five Harry Potters,
Four hand made gifts,
Three rubber duckies,
Two hand knit sweaters,
And a baby who saved us all.
Friday Fill-ins and Knitting Deadlines
1. Good times: horseback riding, tickle fights on the couch, stories at bedtime, messes in the kitchen while baking treats, snorkling on the island.
2. My sanctuary is my home.
3. Sleigh bells ring incessantly at my house.
4. People had more respect for other people when I was little.
5. Once more, there are other people in this world beside you! Please learn some manners people!
6. When is this day going to end?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing up Christmas knitting project 2/5, tomorrow my plans include making Christmas candy and Sunday, I want to finish up Christmas sewing projects 1, 2, 3, & 4!
Most days at work, I can get my actual work knocked out before lunch. That leaves the remainder of the day to knit, read, balance my checkbook and pay bills. I admit that I often wish I had more work to do; however, I'm pretty content listening to my audiobooks and knitting. Now, in keeping whith my luck in the past few months, I am getting a little behind in my knitting/sewing projects. I've realized that Christmas knitting project #5 will not be the original new pattern I was hoping it would be. Instead, I will just finish up a project that has been put on hold since October.
That is fine. It's okay. The real problem is that I've been counting on all the knitting time I usually have during the day. This week, I have only been able to knit at home after work, after I make dinner, after I clean up the house, after I get onto Boy Child for not doing homework in a timely fashion, after nagging Boy Child into the shower, after visiting with Hubby. Needless to say, this has been a very knitting light week, and I'm behind.
I am scheduled to finish KP #3 tomorrow. Technically, it is still possible if I do nothing today and tomorrow but knit. That, however, is not goinging to happen. I am looking at 4 huge stacks of papers that I need to go through, organize and file. Nope. There will be no knitting today. Sigh. I'm sure everything will be okay. Santa knits, right?
Thanksgiving Holidays, an Itenerary
Thanksgiving Day
7:30 am – get up and get ready for trip
9:00 am – travel to North Carolina & grandparent's house. amazed at how well Boy Child travels.
3:30 pm – arrive & visit with family
6:00 pm – dinner – Yum!
8:00 pm – look at Black Friday ads
11:05 pm – Toys-R-Us opens at midnight & decide to go ahead & go to the store in Ashville, NC. leave Boy Child sleeping with Papa B, Nana, Aunt S & Uncle R. (lucky ducks!)
11:45 pm – reach Toys-R-Us and see a line of about 300 people. decide it is not worth it. drive to Toys-R-Us in Greenville, SC (@ 45 min away) thinking that by the time we arrive, there would be no line.
12:30 am – arrive @ Toys-R-Us in Greenville, SC & find a line of 600-700 people.
12:32 am – decide there is no way we are waiting in that line & go off to find the other stores on our list.
12:40 am – find Target. see people already lined up even though the store does not open until 5:00 am. astounded that people have set up tents in front of store. leave immediately.
12:50 am – go back to Toys-R-Us to check out the line. decide to wait in the car where it is warm. amazed by the orderly people who live in Greenville. ponder that there would be no way on Earth that this type of orderliness would happen in Birmingham. watch in fascination at both the store employees & customers.
3:00 am – make it inside store.
3:15 am – realize there is a second line to electronics, right where we need to be.
4:30 am – finally find & purchase Christmas gifts
4:50 am – arrive back @ Target. line is longer, but does not rival Toys-R-Us.
4:55 am – decided to go next door to Academy Sports first.
5:10 am – realize Academy does not have it all together in the staffing department. go back to Target.
5:15 am – get into store & find our gifts. debate whether we want to stand in the checkout line which extends all the way from the front of the store and winds around the back of the store. discover people working in jewelry. cut our check out waiting time by about 1 1/2 hours.
5:45 am – go back to Academy. realize they still don't have it together.
5:50 am – decide to skip other stores on our list. exhaustion setting in.
6:00 am – grab breakfast before driving back.
6:30 am – head back to grandparent's house.
7:30 am – fall into bed.
2:00 pm– wake up. get dressed. still sleepy.
3:00 pm – have lunch/dinner. more shopping. hit LYS & bought gorgeous lace yarn in autumn reds, greens and golds.
some time after that, visit with the family. watch a movie. go to bed late. (It's all a little blurry.)
10:30 am – wake up.
11:15 am – have lunch. more shopping. pick up Hubby his present (he needed to try on first). have milk shakes.
3:00 pm – pack up stuff. drive to aunt's house. visit with family. Boy Child goes fishing in the pond. have dinner with family. try to convince Boy Child the pork roast is really turkey. fail. aunt pulls out left over turkey for him to eat.
7:00 pm – roast marshmallows over a bon fire. Boy Child has more fun throwing things into fire that making s'mores.
8:00 pm – drive home.
12:00 am – arrive home. fall into bed asleep while Hubby unpacks car. (Sorry for sticking you with all the work, baby. You are a good man.)
9:00 am – wake up. put up & decorate Christmas tree. put up remaining decorations. impressed by Boy Child's initiative in putting up decorations. clean house. do laundry. watch tv. go to Hancock Fabrics & pick up $1 patterns. go grocery shopping. have dinner. laugh & general merriment with Hubby & Boy Child.
9:00 pm – put Boy Child to bed
fall asleep some time, can't really remember.
7:45 am – drop off Boy Child @ school. forget how awful it is to drive car pool in the rain.
8:30 am – reminded about the sheer amount of work that waits for me after a holiday. work like a fool.
12:30 pm – go to Panera Bread for Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. am calmed by the meal & time away from work.
1:30 pm – contemplate not going back to work. go back anyway. work some more.
4:45 pm – awsome friend (that's you Suzanne) picks up a knitting book for me that is on sale @ her LYS. am cheered.
5:00 pm – leave work. think about going to the grocery store for forgotten items. decide I'm too tired. go home. laugh with Hubby. watch tv. finish Christmas knit on time. start another project. hope that the big project that's almost finished but can't travel with gets done soon. according to my schedule, it's late.
11:00 pm – finally go to bed after all the caffeine that kept me awake all day has finally run its course.
Rhinebeck, Part 4
It's Friday. I'm tired. So, I'm just going to flash the new additions to my stash.
More glass needles from the Ernsts.
Sock yarn from The March Hare.
I can't really remember where I got this sock yarn from, but it is in a lovely Rhinebeck colorway.
Gorgeous stuff from Jennie the Potter.
Stop off at WEBS before heading home.
Clearance Cascade 220 – sweaters worth
Sock yarn for over-the-knee socks.
Valley Yarns from left to right: Amherst (balsam), Lenox (grape jelly), Deerfield (chocolate) – a sweaters worth of each
Mrs S and I trying to get all my yarn packed away for the trip home.
Rhinebeck, Part 3
Sunday was soooo much better than Saturday! I'm not sure if it was the weather or the normal course of things, but there was hardly anyone there!
After we were finished, we went to eat downtown.
We walked around and found this cool paper store.
We also found the Beekman Arms, where we will probably be staying next year. The Quality Inn was B.A.D. Take a look:
Those are the keys to all the rooms we were shuffled into during our 3 night stay. We checked into room 219 Friday night. After we had unpacked our clothes and gotten ready for bed, Mrs S discovered there was no hot water in the sink. After several minutes of running, it still felt like ice. Deciding this was not too terrible a problem, we decided to use the tub instead. It was then we discovered the tub did not drain – at all. There was 2″ of standing water. Needless to say, we had to move. The front desk quickly brought us the keys to room 210.
We stayed in room 210 Friday night and Saturday night. Though, the shower was a little on the chilly side. Sunday morning, Mom was in the shower and the water completely shut off! I called the front desk and asked that they check our room. When we returned from the festival Sunday evening, we got a call from the front desk. They said our toilet was leaking into the room below us. They said we needed to move to another room. Now, this was not such a big deal; however, they did not offer to compensate us for all the trouble. We had to ask. They acted like it was no big deal.
Once again, we moved. Now in room 212, we began unpacking, again. The room felt very chilly and a little loud. After a few minutes, I asked if the window was open. Mom & Mrs S thought not, but I asked them to check anyway. Sure enough, not only was the window open, the latch was broken and would not close. Now, the temp was dipping into the 30s, and we were only on the 2nd story.
We finally ended up in room 213 late Sunday night. Yes, they finally did compensate us; however, I think next year a B&B is in our itinerary. There is no way I will risk another experience like this one again.
Tomorrow: WEBS and stash addition


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Thursday, September 13, 2012
First PT session + Giveaway winner!
16 comments:
HUGS AND PRAYERS.ReplyDelete
and Ill help upperbodyBRAINSTORM if you need it.
- AnonymousSeptember 13, 2012 at 7:18 AM
Hopefully the time will go quickly! Maybe you could do a walking/elliptical/cycling circuit so you don't have to put up with any one of them for too long!ReplyDelete
omg. im laughing so hard that you put an "fml" label on this post! haha. i love you, but seriously, hang in there, girlie! you're gonna make it through this and come out on top even greater!!! you can do it!!! spa love!ReplyDelete
ah, I hate if I'm told I can't workout. Good luck with PT!ReplyDelete
awww. I'm sorry you are bummed! I guess it could be worst though! So keep your head up and enjoy what you can do! (:ReplyDelete
Don't you worry about a thing...you'll totally get through it! I'm currently going to PT, too. ART....ouch! One of the trainers told me in the gym yesterday, "Isn't it funny - the things that are most painful are often those things we need most?" Such a great LIFE lesson in general! Happy healing!ReplyDelete
Sending healing thoughts your way! Really hoping the PT works and surgery can be avoided.ReplyDelete
I'm sorry about your knee. It's a huge bummer and I totally empathize. I've torn my meniscus twice. No fun at all. But, as much as it sucks now, listen to your PT and do your exercises. 4 weeks will go by before you know it and that first kickboxing class you take afterwards will feel that much better.ReplyDelete
I can totally understand how frustrated you must be. But keep the bigger picture in mind and you will be back to your kick ass self in no time!ReplyDelete
I hear you girl. I had to do PT for my knee this past summer and I think i just bummed it again by pushing too hard... and now my ankle hurts tooReplyDelete
but think :) You'll be better before you know it and then that kickboxing class will be better than you remembered!!
- Tracey SSeptember 13, 2012 at 8:28 PM
The beginning of the holiday season (Halloween, T-giving, Christmas, etc). Just love that feeling in the air! Oh and FOOTBALL!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 13, 2012 at 11:17 PM
Now, I'm biased, but spinning can't be THAT terrible, can it? ;-) Here's hoping for quick healing for you!ReplyDelete
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text:
Usually, dance that attempts to explain science is a disaster. The complexity of scientific knowledge is difficult enough to express through language. A single formula can represent a chapter's worth of assumptions. Movement is abstract. It can evoke multiple interpretations. While science is not uncomfortable with plurality, it is most powerful when clear.
Chaos and Contingency, however, uses the beauty of dance to illustrate a series of simple mathematical concepts. Although a palindrome is embedded into the choreography, and the elegance of the formations depend on precise numerical grouping, it is the elaboration on the basic idea of fractal patterning that is most obvious throughout. Fractals are most popular when reduced to psychedelic postcards. In Chaos, Janis Claxton reveals how these are generated.
The basic movement vocabulary is exact and not spectacular. In the Kelvingrove, viewed from above, the floor is divided into sections. The dancers move through these sections, marking out the stage's geography and blossoming into complex patterns. Yet the simple rules of the dance are always evident. Claxton simply allows the gentle stye to iterate its possibilities.
The style is sparse and caters little to gender difference. In place of flashy male leaps or subtle female nuances, the movement is almost restful and consistent. In measured display, the dancers plot the various patterns inspired by eight bodies in space. And while there is no traditional partner work, the integration of the company is complete.
Both male and female dancers have the gentle authority of tango experts. The occasional burst of solo activity is supported by a precision of group movement. More than an exercise in mathematical form, it does reveal how repetition can build complex narratives and evokes the subtle rise and fall of complex organisations. Without boasting of its intelligence or hooking abstract ideas onto a more personal story, Chaos and Contingency is a technical triumph.


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[News] Mega Man Gets a 25th Anniversary Game From the Fans
Okay, while it might not be a big Capcom announcement concerning Mega Man, this might be something just as good. Mega Man is all but missing from the collective minds at Capcom and every project Keiji Inafune did work on that would have been released recently has been long burnt to the ground. That likely means that besides silly games like Mega Man Xover, we likely won't be getting anything worth getting in the near future. Seeing as how it's Mega Man's 25th and that is something to celebrate, the fans are working hard on something.
Team Reaverbot has just revealed their preliminary trailer for the Blue Bomber's freshest new fan game. In a pleasantly surprising twist, this seems to connect the two worlds of Mega Man and Mega Man Legends by pitching the main bosses as the Bonne family. With only two stages shown so far, we can only guess how the rest will play out. This however shows some promise and looks to have some nice touches that could make this an interesting game to play through.
Just check out the trailer below and see for yourself.
A preview of the build will release on the 17th of December and the game has been worked on since August.


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Recent Posts
Colorful Creations
Hey kids, download, print and color your favorite Sportsational characters right here! Use your imagination and your favorite colors to bring the Sportsationals to life in your own special way!
Tag Archives: "artificial grass"
The Fields Of Football
Posted on June 7, 2013 by Spike
Hey lil' buddies! My favorite place to be is on a football field. It's where I get to have fun and get plenty of exercise playin' my favorite sport. Football fields are either made up of natural grass or … Continue reading →
Posted in Characters, Education, Football, playing surfaces, Spike, Sports | Tagged "artificial grass", "football fields", "natural grass", football, spike | Leave a comment


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All copyrights and trademarks of this game are held by owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. If you believe we violating your copyrights, please advise us at racinggamer at gmail dot com in order that we can solve the problems.
In this game you are a real Jockey. Train your own horse so that he becomes strong and fast enough to win the race together with you. For every race you win, you get a goblet and a moneyprize, with this money you can buy better food and vitamines for your horse which can result in you winning the next races as well. After every race you won, you get to do a harder race. Fly around the world and collect all the goblets.


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All three of us are huge Netflix fans and we constantly recommend different documentaries, films and series to each other to binge on. As we're sure you know it can be such a minefield out there with so many options available. At least once a week our Facebook feed is filled with people searching and asking for recommendations so we thought it would be great for us to share what we're currently loving on Netflix and leave the comments open for more mini reviews and recommendations. We hope it's of some help!
Lyndsey's Netflix Picks
Orange is the New Black has been a favourite of mine since it first burst on to Netflix with rave reviews. It definitely has it's ups and downs with some seasons being stronger than others but let me tell you season 5 is AMAZING. I sat down on a rare day off at around 10am and I binged watched the entire season. This season is set over around 48 hours during a prison riot in Lichfield and this premise just creates such an intense, high energy atmosphere. I couldn't turn it off and it was comparable to me reading the latest Harry Potter as a kid. If you like hilarious, sometimes racy, often shocking and really intelligent TV with a strong mostly female cast OITNB is 100% for you.
Guilty Pleasure
Ru Paul's Drag Race is not just a guilty pleasure but also the only series that I will watch over and over without getting bored. Drag queens, drama, Michelle Visage & lip syncing; really, what more could you want? Apart from the fact it's super entertaining, the queens on the show are super creative and talented. It's amazing some of the looks they pull out of the bag. If you have never watched before start with season 5 and you won't be sorry.
Clueless. A total cult classic has been a favourite of mine since I was about 9 and I first saw the best chick flick ever! I fell in love with Cher and Dionne and would quote them at school on a daily basis and nobody had a clue what I was on about #clueless! The costume design is incredible and between Brittany Murphy and Alicia Silverstone you will have a brand new 90's girl crush. If you like Mean Girls with its witty scripting and hilarious cast you will love Clueless.
Secrets of Selfridges seems like a strange choice but honestly it is fantastic and super interesting. I feel in love with the story of Selfridges watching TV programme Mr Selfridge on ITV earlier. The story of the American entrepreneur who had it all then lost it all is sad and uplifting in equal measures. The entire 'Secrets of..' series is fantastic and great Sunday night viewing.
Toni's Netflix Picks
You Me Her is a bit like a rom-com but in a series...basically a married couple try to get out of their boring rut by having a threesome. Obviously it isn't as simple as that and in this case they end up in a 3-way relationship. Series two has just been released and I am so excited to see what happens!
Guilty Pleasure
For me it has to be Pretty Little Liars. To be fair I did start watching this when I was 16 and I absolutely loved it, couldn't put it down. I have to say that as the series have gone on I haven't been quite as enthralled with it as its a little bit samey but they know how to keep you watching with all the unanswered questions and twists along the way. Final EVER episode is out on the 28th of June and I soo hope it's the end that I have been waiting for.
Ugh so many, Ant Man has been put up recently which is hilarious. It stars Paul Rudd who plays a very witty ex-con who is trying to cut his bad/illegal habits so he can build a relationship with his daughter. Of course he manages to get himself back into trouble and ends up getting his hands on a shrink-suit. This new addition to the universe of Marvel is funny and clever with a few little surprises in there to keep you on edge.
Anything David Attenborough - Africa, Life, Planet Earth, The Hunt. All exceptionally and equally beautiful. They are by far the most interesting documentaries I have ever seen, you will learn so much from watching any of them! Most of the time I cannot believe what I am seeing/hearing, they are just such a treat to watch.
Zoë's Netflix Picks
For me, it just HAS to be House of Cards. Let me apologise for being late to the party but i'm writing this with only one episode left and can't believe that so much believable drama happens in the White House. From hidden murders, corruption, fake news and everything in-between this is a series I can only urge you to watch and keep going. It just gets better and better and grips you on each episode. Please do be careful when watching as your'e very likely going to binge watch.
Guilty Pleasure
Riverdale. I can already feel your judging eyes and sigh as you read but I literally couldn't get enough of it. Sorry in advance to Toni but i'll happily admit to binge watching it at Toni's flat after uni when people thought we were doing group work. IT'S SO ADDICTIVE. Yes, the story line is totally ridiculous, yes, it's unrealistic and would never happen but there's definitely that tiny bit in all of us that thinks 'what if'.
The Big Short. So this one is all about the lead upto the economic crash in New York. The cast is solid gold with Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Steve Carell and Christian Bale with every fresh face in Hollywood. It's based on a true story and as it unfolds it makes you understand how it happened and why so is actually surprisingly informative too. It's Oscar winning and honestly just a genuinely really really good film.
If it counts, The people V.S OJ Simpson. I know it's not really classed as a documentary because it was dramatised but it in a style that made it feel like it. From start to finish its amazing. It looks into every tiny detail and one episode you'll be thinking he didn't do it then the next your'e feeling disappointed in yourself because how could you NOT think he did it. It's a tough one to try explain but i'm sure you've read and heard everywhere it's totally eye opening to multiple issues including gender, equality and race during a pinnacle time in American history.


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A large percentage of small businesses don't use their bookkeeping to help them run or grow their business. In fact many small businesses don't even update their bookkeeping enough to use their bookkeeping as a business tool. The bookkeeping for a business is one of those items that often gets pushed to the back burner behind more critical tasks. Many business owners look at their bookkeeping as a means to filing their tax return and that is all. However, successful companies know that maintaining their bookkeeping and using the information to help the business grow is crucial. So how do successful businesses use their bookkeeping to grow?
Tight Deadlines And Consistent Bookkeeping
The first step to any good bookkeeping system is regular updates. If you update your bookkeeping on a consistent basis you can actually use the data. Set expectations of when you want your bookkeeping updated and hold yourself or your bookkeeper accountable to meet those deadlines. Maybe you want updates done once a week, twice a month or just on a monthly basis. No matter what schedule you set just make sure updates are done regularly and consistently. The most important step in your bookkeeping process is reconciling QuickBooks. If you reconcile all of your accounts then you at least know you have entered all of your transactions. Putting things in the right account is up to you and your bookkeeper and may require feedback from your CPA. Remember to reconcile all your accounts not just your bank accounts. You should reconcile bank accounts, credit cards, loans, lines of credit and any other accounts that get a statement with a beginning and ending balance.
Good Financial Reporting
Strong financial reporting for your small business is important to have in place regardless of the size of your business. Taking advantage of the financial reporting that your bookkeeping can provide is the first step in finding value in your bookkeeping system. Good customized QuickBooks reports can provide eye opening moments for business owners. Financial reporting can show a business owner a lot about the health of their business. Is the business meeting or exceeding its goals? Are there any opportunities or areas that can be improved upon?
As a business owner you should communicate clearly to your bookkeeper what customized reports would help you make business decisions. Have your bookkeeper create a set of financial reports tailored specifically to your needs. You should have a set of memorized reports at your fingertips at all times. Analyzing those financial reports on a regular basis can help you keep the business on track to its goals.
QuickBooks As A Tool
QuickBooks can do a lot more than just tracking your day to day bookkeeping; it can also be used as a business tool. We have already discussed the importance of financial reporting and how to use your QuickBooks financial reports to help you run the business. You can also use QuickBooks as a cash flow tool. By keeping your books updated regularly and entering transactions into QuickBooks before they clear your financial institutions you should be able to get a firm handle on cash flow. Printing checks from QuickBooks, entering bills, creating invoices and receiving payments before they are deposited in your bank will help you determine your real cash balance and allow you to manage your cash flow. Cash flow is extremely important for many small businesses so it is crucial to get control of it.
QuickBooks can also be used to identify profitable customers and problem customers. You can use QuickBooks for job costing but you need a good bookkeeper that is knowledgeable and very detail oriented. Creating a bookkeeping system that incorporates job costing and is 100% accurate can be difficult. A clear system of communication needs to be put in place between management, operations and accounting in order for the system to work properly. However, if you use QuickBooks for job costing you can tell which customers are profitable and which need a price increase.
Lastly, your bookkeeping can provide valuable marketing and advertising information. By tracking sources of income in QuickBooks you can tell where your business is coming from. By using classes to represent your sources of income you should be able to identify where every penny you have ever earned has come from. This can be valuable information for your marketing team. Your bookkeeping system can at the very least tell you where your money is coming from. This information on income sources can show you where opportunities may lie in your marketing efforts. If it looks like networking is really bringing in the money but inbound marketing has not performed to your expectations then you can shift your marketing efforts. You should compare your income sources to your advertising expenses as well as employee non-billable time. If you are spending a lot of money or time on a particular marketing task and it is not translating into income it might be time to evaluate your marketing efforts.
Successful companies find ways to use their bookkeeping system to do more for their business than just file taxes. For business owners that don't understand or simply don't like accounting it may take more of an effort from the bookkeeper to show them how to find value in the bookkeeping system. However, a good bookkeeping system can add value to the business and once shown how to use it the business can exceed financially.