text:
Phylogeny of the plant genus Pachypodium (Apocynaceae)
- 10.7717/peerj.70
- Published
- Accepted
- Received
- Academic Editor
- Christophe Dessimoz
- Subject Areas
- Biodiversity, Biogeography, Evolutionary Studies, Taxonomy
- Keywords
- Pachypodium , Apocynaceae, Biogeography, Madagascar, Phylogeny, Africa, ITS, trnL-F, Flower color, Taxonomy
- Copyright
- © 2013 Burge et al.
- Licence
- This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Cite this article
- 2013. Phylogeny of the plant genus Pachypodium (Apocynaceae) PeerJ 1:e70 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.70
Background. The genus Pachypodium contains 21 species of succulent, generally spinescent shrubs and trees found in southern Africa and Madagascar. Pachypodium has diversified mostly into arid and semi-arid habitats of Madagascar, and has been cited as an example of a plant group that links the highly diverse arid-adapted floras of Africa and Madagascar. However, a lack of knowledge about phylogenetic relationships within the genus has prevented testing of this and other hypotheses about the group.
Methodology/Principal Findings. We use DNA sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast trnL-F region for all 21 Pachypodium species to reconstruct evolutionary relationships within the genus. We compare phylogenetic results to previous taxonomic classifications and geography. Results support three infrageneric taxa from the most recent classification of Pachypodium, and suggest that a group of African species (P. namaquanum, P. succulentum and P. bispinosum) may deserve taxonomic recognition as an infrageneric taxon. However, our results do not resolve relationships among major African and Malagasy lineages of the genus.
Conclusions/Significance. We present the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of Pachypodium. Our work has revealed five distinct lineages, most of which correspond to groups recognized in past taxonomic classifications. Our work also suggests that there is a complex biogeographic relationship between Pachypodium of Africa and Madagascar.
Pachypodium (Apocynaceae) comprises 21 species of spinescent, succulent, xerophytic shrubs and small trees distributed in Madagascar and southern Africa (Table 1). Pachypodium is well known for its diverse array of growth forms, from dwarf shrubs to tall monopodial 'bottle trees', as well as its showy insect-pollinated flowers (Fig. 1; Table 1; Vorster & Vorster, 1973; Rauh, 1985; Lavranos & Röösli, 1996; Lavranos & Röösli, 1999; Rapanarivo et al., 1999; Lüthy, 2004). The center of diversity for Pachypodium is Madagascar, with 16 endemic species; the remaining five species are restricted to southern Africa (Fig. 1; Table 1). Most Pachypodium species are narrowly distributed, with specialized ecology (Vorster & Vorster, 1973; Lüthy, 2004; Rapanarivo et al., 1999); habitats vary from desert to subhumid grassland, although most species are restricted to extremely arid environments (i.e., 8–34 cm annual precipitation; Rapanarivo et al., 1999). Those species that occur in more mesic habitats (up to 200 cm annual precipitation; Rapanarivo et al., 1999) tend to occupy rocky outcrops that are probably edaphically arid.
|Pachypodium ambongense H.Poiss.
|P. baronii Constantin and Bois
|P. bispinosum (L.f.) A.DC.
|Southern Africa
|P. brevicaule Baker subsp. brevicaule
|P. brevicaule Baker subsp. leucoxanthum Lüthy
|P. decaryi H.Poiss.
|P. densiflorum Baker
|P. eburneum Lavranos and Rapan.
|P. geayi Costantin and Bois
|P. horombense H.Poiss.
|P. inopinatum Lavranos
|P. lamerei Drake
|P. lealii Welw.
|Southern Africa
|P. menabeum Leandri
|P. mikea Lüthy
|P. namaquanum (Wyley ex Harv.) Welw.
|Southern Africa
|P. rosulatum Baker subsp. bemarahense Lüthy and Lavranos
|P. rosulatum Baker subsp. bicolor (Lavranos and Rapan.) Lüthy
|P. rosulatum Baker subsp. cactipes (K.Schum.) Lüthy
|P. rosulatum Baker subsp. gracilius (H.Perrier) Lüthy
|P. rosulatum Baker subsp. makayense (Lavranos) Lüthy
|P. rosulatum Baker subsp. rosulatum
|P. rutenbergianum Vatke
|P. saundersii N.E.Br.
|Southern Africa
|P. sofiense (H.Poiss.) H.Perrier
|P. succulentum (L.f.) A.DC.
|Southern Africa
|P. windsorii H. Poiss.
Taxon, according to revision of Lüthy (2004); Sampled, number of individuals sampled for genetic analysis; Geography, indicates whether the species is endemic to Madagascar or southern Africa; Corolla, indicates the overall color of the corolla (Rapanarivo et al., 1999; Lüthy, 2006).
The showy flowers and unusual growth forms of Pachypodium have made them a favorite of horticulturists, leading to the exploitation of wild plants (Lüthy, 2006). Over-collecting combined with habitat destruction (Goodman & Benstead, 2003) has led to international trade restrictions, highlighting the need for improved systematic understanding of Pachypodium.
In Madagascar, Pachypodium forms a component of the strongly endemic xerophytic flora (Rapanarivo et al., 1999). These high levels of endemism in the xerophytic flora of Madagascar are attributed to the great antiquity of arid conditions on the island (Koechlin, 1972); a climate suitable for the growth of xerophytic plants is thought to have prevailed in at least part of Madagascar throughout the Cenozoic (0–65 Ma; Wells, 2003). In addition, Pachypodium is part of a large group of arid-adapted plants—including many other succulents, such as Euphorbia and Aloe—with representatives in both Africa and Madagascar (Leroy, 1978; Jürgens, 1997); these plants provide evidence for a biogeographic link between arid regions of Africa and Madagascar, many of which are widely disjunct from one-another or isolated by intervening mesic habitats (Leroy, 1978). However, without an explicit phylogenetic framework, it is impossible to decipher the history of Pachypodium diversification in the Afro-Malagasy region.
Several taxonomic classifications of Malagasy Pachypodium have been proposed on the basis of morphological characteristics (Table 2). However, the African species of Pachypodium have been inconsistently treated, leading to a lack of knowledge on their relationship to Malagasy species. Some workers have assumed that the long temporal and wide geographic separation between Madagascar and Africa (Yoder & Nowak, 2006) corresponds to a deep genetic divergence between Pachypodium species from the two regions (Perrier de la Bâthie, 1934; Lüthy, 2004). Indeed, Perrier de la Bâthie (1934) suggested that the two groups might not be one-another's closest relatives. Nevertheless, the implied divergence is not strongly reflected by morphology; Lüthy (2004) cited only one trait—the presence of brachyblasts in African species—to separate the two groups. Overall, the monophyly of African and Malagasy Pachypodium, proposed infrageneric taxa, and Pachypodium itself, has never been tested.
|Species or subspecies
|P. brevicaule subsp. brevicaule
|P. brevicaule subsp. leucoxanthum
|P. rosulatum subsp. bemarahense
|P. rosulatum subsp. bicolor
|P. rosulatum subsp. cactipes
|P. rosulatum subsp. gracilius
|P. rosulatum subsp. makayense
|P. rosulatum subsp. rosulatum
|P. densiflorum
|P. eburneum
|P. horombense
|P. inopinatum
|P. decaryi
|P. rutenbergianum
|P. sofiense
|P. geayi
|P. lamerei
|P. mikea
|P. ambongense
|P. menabeum
|P. baronii
|P. windsorii
|P. bispinosum
|P. lealii
|P. namaquanum
|P. saundersii
|P. succulentum
We reconstruct the evolutionary history of Pachypodium using nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast trnL-F DNA sequence data. Two additional chloroplast loci were included in the project design (trnS-G intergenic spacer and rpL16; Shaw et al., 2005), but proved insufficiently variable to justify further development. However, both ITS and trnL-F have proven utility for species-level phylogenetic reconstruction in plants (Baldwin et al., 1995; Shaw et al., 2005). Our specific aims were to (1) test infrageneric classifications of Pachypodium and (2) determine relationships between the African and Malagasy members of Pachypodium, including patterns of diversification between the two landmasses.
Materials and Methods
Taxon sampling
We generated new ITS and trnL-F sequences from 56 Pachypodium samples representing all 27 minimum-rank taxa (species and subspecies) in the most recent revision of the genus (Lüthy, 2004; Tables 1 and 2). An additional ITS sequence was generated for Funtumia africana—a close relative of Pachypodium (Livshultz et al., 2007)—for use in rooting the ITS tree. Pachypodium and Funtumia tissues for DNA analysis were taken from greenhouse or garden plants (Appendix 1). Tissues were obtained by D. Burge, Walter Röösli, Nicholas Plummer, and Anurag Agrawal. Specimens were identified by W. Röösli, N. Plummer, or D. Burge according to the taxonomic revision of Lüthy (2004) and subsequent descriptions of new taxa (Lüthy, 2005; Lüthy & Lavranos, 2005). Plants were selected based on geographic distribution, with a larger amount of sampling for widespread taxa. Between one and eight populations of each taxon were used (Tables 1 and 2). Additional non-Pachypodium trnL-F sequences, for rooting trees, were obtained from GenBank (F. africana [EF456206], Holarrhena curtisii [EF456122], Kibatalia macrophylla [EF456119], Malouetia bequaertiana [EF456243], and Mascarenhasia lisianthiflora [EF456174]). These taxa were selected on the basis of their close relationship with Pachypodium (Livshultz et al., 2007).
Molecular methods
Total genomic DNA was extracted from silica-dried leaves or seeds using the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Germantown, MD) according to the manufacturer's instructions. For seeds, up to three excised embryos from a single parent plant were pooled prior to DNA extraction (Burge & Barker, 2010). DNA was extracted from seeds when silica-dried material for the same plant was not available, or proved recalcitrant to extraction of high quality DNA. All polymerase chain reactions were performed using Qiagen Taq DNA Polymerase. Amplifications were performed using an initial incubation at 94°C for 10 min and 30 cycles of three-step PCR (1 min at 94°C, 30 s at 45°C, and 2 min at 72°C), followed by final extension at 72°C for 7 min. PCR was performed on a Perkin Elmer GeneAmp thermocycler. The primers ITS4 (White et al., 1990) and ITSA (Blattner & Kadereit, 1999) were used to amplify the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. Primers 'c' and 'f' (Taberlet et al., 1991) or a combination of these with internal primers 'd' and 'e' were used to amplify the trnL-F chloroplast region. For some plants, sequencing of ITS was problematic as a result of variation in length among ITS copies present in individual plants. Consequently, cloning of the ITS region was required for some plants. Cloning was carried out using the pGEM-T Easy Vector kit (ProMega, Madison, WI) according to the manufacturer's instructions. NIA inserts were amplified directly from up to four positive colonies using the PCR protocol described above. For all PCR reactions, excess primer and dNTPs were removed using exonuclease I (New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA [NEB]; 0.2 units/µl PCR product) and antarctic phosphatase (NEB; 1.0 unit/ µl PCR product) incubated for 15 min at 37°C followed by 15 min at 80°C. For sequencing we used Big Dye chemistry (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Sequences were determined bidirectionally on an Applied Biosystems 3100 Genetic Analyzer at the Duke University Institute for Genome Science and Policy Sequencing Core Facility.
Sequence editing and alignment
All sequences were assembled and edited in Sequencher 4.1 (Gene Codes Corporation). In the case of the five plants for which ITS was cloned, we assessed sequence variation using an alignment of cloned sequences (hereafter 'isolates'). Two plants yielded pools of identical isolates (P011 and P021, Appendix 1), one yielded four different types of isolate (P053), and two were represented by a single successfully cloned isolate (P046 and P048). For the plant with more than one isolate type (P053), we included all four isolates in the phylogenetic analyses of ITS; for the plants with identical isolates, we selected a single isolate to represent each plant. New ITS and trnL-F sequences for Pachypodium were deposited in GenBank (Appendix 1).
The 60 new ITS and 55 new trnL-F sequences, along with additional outgroup sequences from GenBank, were used to create separate alignments for the two regions (Table 3; Alignments S2 and S3). Sequences were aligned in MUSCLE (Edgar, 2004) under default settings. For ITS, several indel- and repeat-rich regions (54 bp total) were excluded due to alignment ambiguity. A portion of trnL-F not available for some taxa (the 3′ trnL intron) was recoded as missing data. Indels were not recoded for analysis.
|Total length
|Included length
|Alignment S1
|156 (226)
|110 (116)
|Alignment S2
|33 (64)
|18 (36)
|Alignment S3
|ITS and trnL-F
|184 (285)
|114 (140)
TotalLength, the length of the complete alignment, counting portions excluded from analysis; Included length, the total number of characters included in the phylogenetic analysis. G + C, the G + C content of the complete (total length) alignment; Variable, the number of variable characters in the ingroup, followed by the number of variable characters in the full alignment (in parentheses); PIC, the number of parsimony-informative characters in the ingroup, followed by the number of parsimony informative characters in the full alignment (in parentheses).
Following individual alignment of ITS and trnL-F, we endeavored to create a combined alignment. Preliminary analyses showed that for the single Pachypodium sample represented by more than one cloned ITS sequence (P053; Table 1), the four sequences formed a monophyletic group. Thus, a single sequence from this group was selected at random. For the final combined alignment (Alignment S2), the entire trnL-F region was coded as missing data for the two Pachypodium samples from which trnL-F was not obtained (P. bispinosum A049 and P. brevicaule subsp. leucoxanthum, P066). To test for conflict between the nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast (trnL-F) portions of the alignment, we used the incongruence length difference test (Farris et al., 1995), implemented in PAUP* v 4.0 (Swofford, 2002) as the partition homogeneity test. The test used 1000 random repetitions of the parsimony analysis described below (see Phylogenetic analyses). Results showed significant disagreement between ITS and trnL-F (P = 0.047; 953/1000 trees). To account for this conflict, we ran all of our phylogenetic analyses on the separate trnL-F and ITS alignments, noting any well-supported conflicts between the results, and compared these to results from the combined alignment (see Discussion).
Phylogenetic analyses
Trees were reconstructed using Bayesian, maximum likelihood (ML), and maximum parsimony (MP) techniques. Bayesian analyses were carried out based on the best fit model of evolution from jModelTest 2, under default parameters (Posada & Crandall, 1998; Guindon & Gascuel, 2003; Darriba et al., 2012; ITS: GTR +I +G; trnL-F: GTR +I). Bayesian sampling was performed in MrBayes v 3.2.1 (Ronquist & Huelsenbeck, 2003), using the models of sequence evolution identified by jModelTest 2; all other parameters of MrBayes were left at default values; for the combined tree, no rate or model constraints were imposed between the two partitions. Analyses were carried out as follows: (1) three separate runs of 1 × 107 MCMC generations, sampling every 1000 generations, (2) examination of run output for convergence (standard deviation of split frequencies nearing 0.001) (3) removal of the first 1000 samples (10%) as burnin after visual inspection of likelihood score plots, (4) comparison of consensus trees for each run, and (5) combination of post-burnin samples from all three runs to compute a 50% majority-rule consensus tree (conducted in PAUP* v 4.0 (Swofford, 2002)). A partitioned model of sequence evolution was used for the analysis of the combined data.
Maximum likelihood analyses were carried out in GARLI v 2.0 (Zwickl, 2006). For each alignment, two search replicates were performed in a single execution. Models of evolution were the same as those described for Bayesian analyses, with a partitioned model applied to the combined alignment. Other parameters were kept at default. Statistical support was inferred with 100 replicates of bootstrap reweighting (Felsenstein, 1985), implemented as in the tree search.
Maximum parsimony analysis was conducted in PAUP* v 4.0 (Swofford, 2002). An initial heuristic search of 100 random taxon addition replicates was conducted with tree-bisection-reconnection branch swapping (TBR) and MULPARS in effect, retaining only ten trees from each replicate. A strict consensus of these trees was then used as a constraint tree in a second heuristic search using the similar parameters as above, but with 1000 random sequence addition replicates, and retaining 100 trees per addition replicate. We used this method due to the excessive number of trees generated by unconstrained searches. This strategy checks for shorter trees than those found by the initial search, demonstrating that the final consensus tree reflects all of the most parsimonious trees (Catalán, Kellogg & Olmstead, 1997). We also ran searches on the three alignments using an unconstrained search with the nearest neighbor interchange (NNI) swapping algorithm, which produced trees of exactly the same length as the constrained searches. In the interest of brevity, we present results only for the constrained searches. We estimated Bootstrap support (Felsenstein, 1985) for our parsimony trees using 100 pseudoreplicates and the same search setting as described above, including use of a constraint tree. We treated gaps as missing data for all phylogenetic analyses.
Topology testing
We used Templeton's nonparametric test (1983), as implemented in PAUP* v 4.0 (Swofford, 2002), to evaluate several key phylogenetic relationships. Templeton's test compares pairs of topologies, measuring relative statistical support for the trees within a sequence dataset (alignment). For these tests, we compared the best tree from the original parsimony tree search (see above) to the best tree from a search using a constraint (e.g., African Pachypodium constrained as monophyletic). For more on these tests, see below (Results).
The ITS region had an aligned length of 658 bp (Alignment S1). Of the 156 (included) variable positions within the ingroup, 110 were parsimony informative (Table 3). The trnL-F region had an aligned length of 961 bp (Alignment S2). Of the 33 variable positions within the ingroup, 18 were parsimony-informative (Table 3). The combined alignment contained 61 terminals, with an aligned length of 1619 bp (Alignment S3). Of the 184 (included) variable positions in the ingroup, 114 were parsimony informative.
Phylogenetic trees
The Bayesian 50% majority-rule consensus tree for ITS contained 13 internal nodes with a posterior probability (PP) of 1.0 (Treefile S4A; Fig. 2). By contrast, the trnL-F-based Bayesian tree contained only five internal nodes with a PP of 1.0 (Treefile S5A; Fig. 2). The combined ITS and trnL-F tree contained 17 internal nodes with a PP of 1.0 (Treefile S6A; Fig. 3).
Maximum parsimony searches based on ITS data alone resulted in 4851 trees of 324 steps (Table 4; Treefile S4B); a total of 12 internal nodes had bootstrap (BS) support greater than or equal to 95% (Treefile S4C). Searches using trnL-F data alone resulted in 8 trees of 71 steps (Table 4; Treefile S5B); only one internal node had BS support greater than or equal to 95% (Treefile S5C). Searches on the combined ITS and trnL-F data resulted in 4582 trees of 394 steps (Table 4; Treefile S6B); a total of 8 internal nodes had BS support greater than or equal to 95% (Treefile S6C; Fig. 3). In all cases, use of a constraint tree failed to find any trees of equal or shorter length that contradicted the respective consensus trees.
|Total MP trees
|Treefile S4B
|Treefile S5B
|Treefile S6B
|ITS and trnL-F
CI, consistency index; RI, retention index.
Maximum likelihood (ML) analyses support similar relationships to those indicated by maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses. The best ML tree for ITS alone contained 14 internal nodes with BS support greater than or equal to 95% (Treefiles S4D and S4E). By contrast, the trnL-F-based ML tree contained only one internal node with BS greater than or equal to 95% (Treefiles S5D and S5E). The best ML tree based on ITS combined with trnL-F contained 10 internal nodes with BS support greater than or equal to 95% (Treefiles S6D and S6E; Fig. 3).
Pachypodium is recovered as monophyletic in the trnL-F tree (Fig. 2A), but lack of broad outgroup sampling for ITS prevents assessment of Pachypodium monophyly based on nuclear DNA; support for Pachypodium monophyly in the combined tree is driven by trnL-F. Six of the 11 minimum-rank Pachypodium taxa (species and subspecies) represented by more than one sampled plant (Table 1) are monophyletic in the combined tree, four with strong support (PP 1.0; MP bootstrap ≥ 95%; P. baronii, P. decaryi, P. rosulatum subsp. rosulatum, and P. windsorii; Fig. 3). The following multi-taxon clades are also recovered with high levels of support in the combined tree (PP = 1.0; MP BS ≥ 95%): (1) the Malagasy P. decaryi, P. rutenbergianum, and P. sofiense, (2) the African P. lealii and P. saundersii, (3) the African P. namaquanum, P. succulentum, and P. bispinosum, (4) an 11-taxon group corresponding to section Gymnopus (Table 2), and (5) a smaller group nested within Gymnopus comprising P. brevicaule subsp. brevicaule, P. densiflorum, P. eburneum, P. inopinatum, and P. rosulatum subsp. bicolor.
Topology test results
Based on the results from our initial tree searches (Figs. 2 and 3), we were interested to know whether the data could reject (1) monophyly of African Pachypodium, (2) monophyly of Malagasy Pachypodium, and (3) reciprocal monophyly of African and Malagasy Pachypodium. These tests were done by comparing the most parsimonious tree from the original heuristic tree search to the most parsimonious tree from a search in which one of the above groups was used as a constraint. We carried out these analyses for ITS and for the combined data. Because the trnL-F region was not sampled for one of the African species (P. bispinosum), we were not able to evaluate these hypotheses on the basis of chloroplast DNA alone. For ITS, the shortest tree compatible with the first constraint (monophyletic African Pachypodium) was four steps longer (328 steps) than the unconstrained tree (324 steps), which was judged not to be significant based on a Templeton test (P = 0.25). A similar result was obtained for the combined data (396 steps in the constrained tree versus 394 steps in the unconstrained tree; P = 0.64). For the second constraint (monophyletic Malagasy Pachypodium), the shortest ITS tree compatible with the constraint was only one step longer than the unconstrained tree, which was also not significant based on a Templeton test (P = 0.71); again, the combined data were in agreement (both trees 394 steps; P = 1.0). Finally, for the third constraint (reciprocal monophyly of African and Malagasy Pachypodium), the shortest ITS tree compatible with the constraint was five steps longer than the unconstrained tree, which was not a significant difference (P = 0.1); the combined data support this result 398 steps in the constrained tree versus 394 steps in the unconstrained tree; P = 0.29.
Our study identified significant conflict between the nuclear and chloroplast datasets, based on the incongruence length difference test (see Materials and Methods). However, we elected to combine the datasets for further analysis. Our choice to unite the conflicting datasets is a conditional combination approach (Bull et al., 1993; Huelsenbeck, Bull & Cunningham, 1996), based on the lack of conflict between well-supported internal nodes (also called "hard conflict") in the trnL-F and ITS trees (Fig. 2). Our combined approach should be treated as tentative, despite the lack of clearly conflicting internal nodes in ITS versus trnL-F trees.
Phylogenetic relationships
Our trnL-F trees suggest that Pachypodium is monophyletic, based on sampling of closely related genera. However, because of a lack of appropriate outgroups for the nuclear region (ITS), we were unable to evaluate the hypothesis of Pachypodium monophyly on the basis of both genomes. Nevertheless, the monophyly of Pachypodium is generally uncontroversial, and is supported by other molecular phylogenetic research (Livshultz et al., 2007), as well as a suite of morphological characters, including alternate phyllotaxy (most Apocynaceae have opposite leaf arrangement), a horseshoe-shaped retinacle (the connection between the anther and the style head), loss of colleters associated with the calyx, and stem succulence (Sennblad, Endress & Bremer, 1998).
Overall, our data do not provide sufficient phylogenetic resolution to draw conclusions concerning the monophyly or non-monophyly of African and Malagasy Pachypodium. Despite the recovery of several well-supported lineages in both African and Malagasy Pachypodium, the basal branching relationships among these lineages is not well resolved by ITS, trnL-F, or the combined data (Figs. 2 and 3). However, it should be noted that trnL-F provides some evidence for the cohesiveness of African Pachypodium (Fig. 2B); lack of ITS data for reliably vouchered P. bispinosum makes it impossible to test this hypothesis using trnL-F, although sequence data for samples of P. bispinosum of unknown wild origin (horticultural strains) do group with other African species in trnL-F trees (D. Burge and A. Agrawal, unpublished data). In general, there are four mutually exclusive hypotheses on the relationship between African and Malagasy Pachypodium, each of which may represent a valid interpretation of our results: (1) reciprocally monophyletic African and Malagasy Pachypodium, (2) monophyletic Malagasy Pachypodium derived from within a basal grade of African Pachypodium, rendering African Pachypodium paraphyletic, (3) monophyletic African Pachypodium arising from a basal grade of Malagasy Pachypodium, with Malagasy Pachypodium paraphyletic, and (4) neither African nor Malagasy Pachypodium monophyletic. Topology tests could not reject any of these hypotheses.
A recent estimate of 37–64 Ma for the divergence of stem Apocynaceae from its closest relatives among the Gentianales (Bell, Soltis & Soltis, 2010) implies that the crown age of Pachypodium is probably more recent than the ∼80 Ma timing for the isolation of Madagascar from Africa (Yoder & Nowak, 2006). In fact, a recent review of Madagascar biogeography suggests that most of Madagascar's biotic connections are best explained by long-distance dispersal during the Cenozoic, rather than ancient Gondwanan vicariance (Yoder & Nowak, 2006). Thus, if Pachypodium did not originate in Madagascar, it must have arrived on the island via long-distance dispersal. However, the lack of phylogenetic resolution among major African and Malagasy lineages of Pachypodium prevents preventing reliable reconstruction of geographic range evolution, including dispersal-vicariance scenarios between Africa and Madagascar.
Additional molecular phylogenetic work will be required to obtain better support for basal-branching relationships in Pachypodium, particularly the relationship between African and Malagasy species. This work will likely require the sequencing of additional loci, from both the chloroplast and nuclear genome. Resolution of relationships among species from Lüthy's (2004) section Gymnopus will also require additional work. In Gymnopus, a number of widespread species (e.g., P. densiflorum and P. brevicaule) are non-monophyletic. The lack of phylogenetic cohesiveness among populations in such species is consistent with both hybridization following initial divergence, as well as incomplete lineage sorting (retention of ancestral polymorphisms; Pamilo & Nei, 1988; Maddison & Knowles, 2006), a phenomenon that often occurs during rapid diversification). For future studies on section Gymnopus, rapidly evolving genetic markers such as low-copy nuclear genes may help to discern species-trees from gene-trees, while population genetic markers such as AFLPs and microsatellites might also help to decipher complex relationships, especially in regions of geographic overlap among species.
Testing classification
Our exhaustive sampling of Pachypodium species and subspecies (Table 1) has provided the opportunity to test existing morphology-based hypotheses on infrageneric relationships. Our results support the most recent infrageneric classification of Pachypodium proposed by Lüthy (2004; Table 2). Lüthy's (2004) shrubby, predominantly yellow-flowered section Gymnopus is clearly monophyletic (Fig. 3, PP 1.0; MP & ML BS 100%), as is the shrubby, red-flowered section Porphyropodium (Fig. 3, PP 0.98; MP and ML 98%). Our results also indicate a very close relationship between Porphyropodium and Gymnopus (Fig. 3, PP 0.96; MP and ML BS >86%), a relationship not emphasized by past classifications. Finally, the third section recognized in Lüthy's (2004) classification, the mostly arborescent, white-flowered Leucopodium, is marginally supported in the combined phylogenetic tree (Fig. 3, PP 0.94; ML BS 71%). Overall, our results also support the tradition of using corolla color as a basis for circumscription of taxa within Pachypodium (Fig. 3; Poisson, 1924; Pichon, 1949; Perrier de la Bâthie, 1934; Lüthy, 2004). Nonetheless, we agree with Lüthy (2004) that an ideal infrageneric classification should use multiple morphological characteristics to define groups.
Below the section level, previous classifications of Pachypodium are not well supported by our molecular phylogenetic results. One clear exception is Lüthy's (2004) series Contorta (Table 2), which was defined on the basis of seed morphology to include the arborescent P. rutenbergianum and P. sofiense, as well as the limestone-endemic P. decaryi. Our results show that this group is strongly monophyletic (Fig. 3, PP 1.0; MP and ML BS 100%), confirming the detailed work of Lüthy (2004). However, this contrasts with most previous opinions. Pichon (1949), for example, allied P. decaryi with another limestone endemic, P. ambongense.
Within section Gymnopus, Lüthy's (2004) series Densiflora (Table 2) roughly corresponds to a clade that we recover nested inside Gymnopus (Fig. 3, Clade A, PP 1.0; MP BS 76%). However, Clade A includes P. rosulatum subsp. bicolor and P. brevicaule subsp. brevicaule, both considered members of series Ramosa by Lüthy (2004). Our results indicate that the floral characters used by Lüthy (2004) and others to define groups within Gymnopus (Table 2) are homoplasious.
Most past classifications of Pachypodium have dealt in very sparse detail, if at all, with the distinctive and morphologically heterogeneous African members of the genus. As discussed above (see Phylogenetic relationships), our results suggest that African Pachypodium comprises two distinctive lineages, one containing the morphologically similar P. lealii and P. saundersii (Rapanarivo et al., 1999), and a second containing the bizarre monopodial tree P. namaquanum and the tuberous shrubs P. bispinosum and P. succulentum. The close relationship between P. lealii and P. saundersii (Fig. 3, PP 1.0; MP BS 95%) has been noted for some time, as indicated by a reduction to synonymy under P. saundersii that was undertaken by Rowley (1973). The close relationship of P. namaquanum to P. bispinosum and P. succulentum was less expected (Fig. 3, PP 1.0; MP and ML BS 100%). Vorster & Vorster (1973) did propose a close relationship between P. namaquanum and P. bispinosum based on corolla shape. However, these authors also proposed that the asymmetrical flowers of P. succulentum linked this species to P. lealii and P. saundersii more than to P. bispinosum. Our results clearly show that P. bispinosum and P. succulentum are one another's closest relatives, sister to P. namaquanum.
Conservation planning for threatened flora and fauna must take into consideration the evolutionary potential of populations and taxa (Forest et al., 2007). Ignoring evolutionary potential will lead to losses of diversity that compromise the ability of these groups to adapt and survive in the long-term. In the case of Pachypodium, phylogenetic results presented here show that several species and groups of species are strongly divergent from other Pachypodium (e.g., P. decaryi and most African Pachypodium; Fig. 3). These groups represent important islands of phylogenetic diversity within Pachypodium, the loss of which would drastically reduce the overall diversity of the genus. Many members of the Gymnopus section of Pachypodium, by contrast, are very shallowly divergent based on our results (Fig. 3). The members of Gymnopus are adapted to a great variety of habitats, and therefore may contain much ecological diversity in terms of local adaptation (Lüthy, 2004). However, in comparison to highly divergent taxa such as P. decaryi, each individual Gymnopus taxon represents a very small proportion of the total phylogenetic diversity of Pachypodium. In light of the always-limited resources available for conservation, an effort should be made to prioritize the protection of phylogenetically divergent lineages of Pachypodium as well as the overall genetic diversity of the genus. We recommend stronger conservation measures—including greater restrictions on the trade of wild-collected plants—for very narrowly distributed species having Bayesian PP of 1.0 in the combined ITS and trnL-F tree (Fig. 3). This includes the Malagasy P. baronii, P. windsorii, and P. decaryi. The highly divergent African species are not included in this list due to their relatively wide geographic distributions.
Supplemental Information
ITS alignment
trnL-F alignment
Combined ITS and trnL-F alignment
ITS-based trees
Bayesian (A), maximum parsimony (B, C), and maximum likelihood (D, E).
trnL-F-based trees
Bayesian (A), maximum parsimony (B, C), and maximum likelihood (D, E).
Combined ITS and trnL-F trees
Bayesian (A), maximum parsimony (B, C), and maximum likelihood (D, E).


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You are here
CVB welcomes pheasant hunters to Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, S.D. - Hunters from across the country will be streaming through the Sioux Falls Regional Airport for the opening of pheasant hunting this weekend. The Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), along with local businesses will be welcoming hunters who use the state's largest airport to travel to the best pheasant hunting land in the nation. The CVB has been hosting the Hunters Celebration to provide information on Sioux Falls hotels, restaurants, and attractions for over 19 years.
Media is encouraged to cover the event. Staff from the CVB will be rolling out the red carpet to hunters Thursday, October 13, 2016 from 12pm-7pm and Friday, October 14, 2016 from 9:30am-7pm.
Teri Schmidt, Executive Director
Sioux Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau
Phone: 605-373-2030
Cell: 605-366-5590
Website: www.VisitSiouxFalls.com

subset: commoncrawl


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It's official, Harry Anderson is no longer an Imp. After an impressive loan spell he has been recalled by Peterborough, with speculation mounting he is on his way to Notts County to get some league football.
I think it is easy for fans to immediately jump on Peterborough's back, claiming they're doing us no favours and lamenting the loss of Anderson. For us football is an emotive and involved game where the club means as much to us as say, our Mum and Dad, or our kids. Lincoln City are part of the family, in my house I have more pictures related to the Imps on my walls than I do the family. They are my family.
However, for many football is simply a business, and players are a commodity within that business. Peterborough have an asset that has grown in value over the last six months, but for further growth he has to be playing league football. That is fact, whether we like it or not. We know the standard is high down in this league, but many think the National League is just a division of has-beens, wannabes and chancers. If Harry Anderson plays well at our level he gets noticed by clubs at our level, but for real commercial value he has to be in the 'big leagues'. It doesn't matter that Lincoln City could beat 95% of League Two on their day, we're still non-league.
Barry Fry and the guys at Posh are hedging their bets. They'll realise his development here has been good, but they also know if he's featuring in the Football League he will probably accrue value. If he continues to develop, then he might end up a first team player at Posh. Even if he plateaus and just achieves a level of consistency, he become visible to a whole new market. Six months performing in League Two makes him more saleable than another six months in our league.
We are not the team that discovered Anderson, we're not the team the developed him from a youngster and brought him through the ranks. We've had his help for six months and that is purely through the generosity of the Peterborough staff. There's no need for bitterness or anger, I'm afraid that is football.
If a Football League club has expressed interest in the player then it is a good move for him. We may be on the up, we may have the best current form in all of Europe, we may have our best management team for a decade, but we do still play in the National League. With the greatest of respect we do still have to travel to places such as Nantwich and play in front of less than a thousand fans. Unfortunately for us the positivity surrounding the club at the minute is localised, until we get promoted in May then we are still a non-league club and in business terms, Harry Anderson has accrued all the value he can here.
I'm sure the Cowley brothers have (Tur)gott someone in mind to come in anyway, a player akin(ola) to Anderson, fast and direct who can play on either wing. We'll wait and see.
Thank you Harry for everything you have done for the club, and thank you to Peterborough for loaning him to us.
There is just one way to buy 'Who's who of Lincoln City 1993-2016':
If you want to buy direct from Amazon then click here


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Research Report on China Avian Influenza Vaccine Industry, 2013-2017
- Report Description
In the current stage, many countries choose to cull all infected poultry to control avian influenza, instead of immunizations. The total volume of the poultry in China is over 10 billion, but more than 90% raisers only have less than 2,000 broilers. In case of epidemic diseases, it is hard to control them, which will result in huge losses. Therefore, it is quite necessary to immunize the poultry with avian influenza vaccines.
Avian influenza vaccines have been used for more than 10 years in China. More than 10 years ago, some poultry raising farms in China used the H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. They were not forced but voluntary to use vaccines. Between 2001 and 2005, when China avian influenza vaccine industry just started, various problems frequently emerged. To resolve these problems, Ministry of Agriculture of China set up an entry barrier of the avian influenza vaccine producing market and tightly supervised it. It established strict regulations on the production and sales of avian influenza vaccines. For example, avian influenza vaccines must be produced in workshops that are in compliance with GMP and must be inspected every year.
In China, the subsidy provided by the government over culling the infected poultry is CNY 10 per bird. In case serious epidemic diseases occur, the subsidy amount will be higher.
In 2012, the live stock volume of laying hens in China was about 1.45 billion, and that of broilers was approximate to 10 billion. The output volume of eggs in China was 28.61 million tons in 2012, increasing by 1.76% YOY. According to National Compulsory Immunization Plan of Animal Epidemic Diseases 2013 issued by Ministry of Agriculture of China, the government conducts compulsory immunizations against 4 diseases, including highly pathogenic avian influenza. The government is responsible for appropriations. In 2012, the scale of China avian influenza vaccine market was over CNY 1 billion.
With the increasing living standards of Chinese people, the demand for eggs and poultry meat is growing accordingly. In China and other neighboring countries, avian influenza, especially highly pathogenic avian influenza, has not been effectively controlled yet. For example, H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza out broken in North Korea in May 2013. In addition, besides H5N1, H5 and H7 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza are also possible to outbreak.
Therefore, it is predicted that the scale of China avian influenza vaccine market will keep increasing and many animal healthcare enterprises will attach attention to this market.
Through this report, the readers can acquire the following information:
- Incidence status of avian influenza
- Poultry raising status in China
- Policy environment and government procurement of avian influenza vaccines in China
- Supply and demand status of China avian influenza vaccines
- Major avian influenza vaccine producing enterprises in China and their performance
- Perspective of China avian influenza vaccine industry
The following enterprises and people are proposed to purchase this report:
- Animal vaccine production /trade enterprises
- Poultry raising enterprises
- Management organizations of livestock husbandry industry
- Investors and research institutes concerned about the avian influenza vaccine industry


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What is a Life Group and why is it important?
We believe Life Groups are the lifeline to community! Our Life Groups are small groups of people who gather together on a weekly basis to discover, discuss, and be discipled. We talk through the sermons from Sunday, we eat together, build deeper relationships, and share our struggles. Life Group sessions run for eight weeks in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. There is a group for everyone -- make plans to join one this season.
Sign up for a Life Group
We'd love to get you connected to a Life Group in your area. Fill out the form below to get started, or click here to see a list of all our life groups.
Our groups take place throughout the week in different neighborhoods,
so use this form to find a group that's right for you. We'd love to have you join us!
so use this form to find a group that's right for you. We'd love to have you join us!


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Hello all!
I am in the process of attempting to plan my wedding to my fantastic fiance. I have trouble deciding what to have for lunch most days, so I am pretty much terrified at the prospect of planning such a huge event! At this point, I am in the beginning stages of planning. I am hoping that chronicling my journey here will help me organize my thoughts and maybe help someone else who feels as overwhelmed as I do, and I welcome any (positive and constructive) suggestions you may have!
Last week, I made a few forward steps to get started!
1. I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up these to help myself get motivated and organized! I picked this organizer because it has an actual 3-ring binder as well as a 3-hole punch inside, and I thought that could help me keep organized more easily. However, after looking more closely at the content, it doesn't seem as helpful. I'm considering exchanging it for one that is better suited to my wedding style and budget.
2. I checked out my first wedding venue with my mom! I found the experience a little overwhelming, but overall very helpful! It feels good to have gotten a tangible start to the process and feel like something has been completed. Although I plan to continue looking at a few more options since this was only the first, I think that this particular venue is a real possibility. It combines a classy feeling with the option to add some fun and personal touches. In addition, the wedding coordinator is AMAZING, which I think will be an extremely helpful thing in the long run. She seems to be on the same wavelength as I am when it comes to ideas, so that's really going to come in handy if we choose this venue. In addition, she spent nearly THREE hours with my mom and me, discussing options, ideas, decorating plans she had previously implemented, helping choose tentative color schemes, touring the facility, etc. She was SO wonderful, that I could consider choosing the venue based on her alone. In short, I feel MUCH better about the next steps in planning after checking out the first venue and meeting with the wedding coordinator. Here are some lessons that I've taken from this experience:
- Choose a venue that has a vibe with which you connect.
- Look into the details, too, not just the overall look of the venue. For example, this particular venue's banquet rooms are names for Founding Fathers and other famous historical figures from the American Revolution, which I think is cool because it ties into our Washington, D.C. proposal!
- Make sure the wedding/event coordinator goes through the package information and pricing with you. Find out where you can cut corners, what options can be customized, and what can be changed. For example, if the package includes an open/hosted bar for the entire reception, but you only want to have it for the cocktail hour, find out if the venue can accomodate this preference and what change it will make with the package price.
- Ask about extra fees, taxes, and gratuity!
- Take a look at the bridal changing area and see if you like it.
- Check out the ceremony site, if there is one, even if you aren't really planning to use it. You never know what you might find!
- Choose a wedding coordinator who "gets" you! If he or she doesn't like the same ideas you do, it's going to make things much more stressful and difficult. If you LOVE every idea that he or she suggests or tells you they've done in the past, you've got a winner!
I'm sure I'll have more to add to this list as time goes on, but these are a few things that I noticed during the appointment and thought would be important!
3. I chose my dress!!!!!! Sorry for all the exclamation points… but not really 🙂 My mom and I really went just to look at a bridal salon that a family friend recommended to see if we would be interested in scheduling an appointment. But, it turned out that they weren't that busy, so they had me try a couple things on. The first dress was pretty, but just not quite my style. But the second one… It's perfect! Obviously I can't post a photo just yet, but I am so excited to have found a dress that I love and by such happy accident! I cried, my mom cried, even the consultant cried! I was a little reluctant to say "yes" right away, but once they had me completely try it on (it wasn't actually available in-store in my size, so it took a little consultant magic) and they reminded me that it was on sale for nearly half off, I just couldn't pass it up! Let's just say that the dress incorporates some of my favorite things in the world, and I can't wait for MY dress to come in so I can try it on over winter break!
Okay, well, I think that just about covers it for now! I hope that you have enjoyed this first installment, and please let me know if you have and questions, comments, or suggestions!


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Latest posts by Fiona Richardson (see all)
- FEKO Website Content Migration to Altair Locations - March 25, 2018
- Designing EMC Compliant Products for a Connected World - February 26, 2018
- Why Join the Electromagnetic Support Forums? - September 20, 2017
4G/LTE provides a comprehensive and secure all-IP based mobile broadband solution to all kinds of mobile communication devices. WiMAX, HSPA+ and first-release Long Term Evolution (LTE) have been the dominant technologies in this market. These technologies have been designed for channel bandwidths of 5 to 20 MHz (optionally up to 40 MHz) and offer peak data rates of ~ 100 MBit/S for high mobility devices and 1 GBit/s for low mobility devices.
Challenges that typically influence the design of an LTE antenna for a mobile device are:
- Minimal antenna size and tight integration with other device components.
- Mutual coupling between different antennas have to be minimized.
- Compliance with radiation hazard restrictions have to be maintained.
- Phone dimensions:
- Thickness ~ 1cm (slim phones ~ 0.5cm)
- Width ~ 6cm
- Length ~ 12cm
Dual-Port Antenna
Initial design
A thorough investigation lead to the decision to use a dual-port antenna configuration for this design. Dual-port antenna designs have the following advantages that are appealing to the current design [1]:
- Two orthogonal radiating elements are used to achieve pattern diversity.
- No additional neutralization stubs or hybrids are used to provide port isolation.
- Zero separation between elements leads to size reduction, which is required for a compact design.
A novel design is proposed in the current work, featuring symmetric radiating elements to keep the radiation characteristics identical for both elements, while enhancing pattern diversity as mentioned above.
The initial design provided good port-port isolation (S21 < -10dB), even thought the ports are physically connected.
This performance is unfortunately not good enough as low correlation is required, while providing good impedance matching at the same time. The current design is considered to be the correct topology, but has to be optimized for a good combination of low port-port isolation and input impedance matching.
The initial design was optimized in a two-step process:The initial design is optimized with a combination of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Nelder-Mead (Simplex) methods that are available in FEKO. PSO is a good optimization method for large unknown solution spaces, but takes a rather long time to converge. The Simplex method converges much faster, but success of the method depends on a good starting point for the optimization.
- PSO was run for a few iterations to find a rough global optimum for the antenna geometry.
- The optimum result of the PSO optimization was then used as starting point for Simplex optimization, which converged to the optimum result quite rapidly from this position.
This optimization process resulted in good matching (S11 < -10dB) as well as acceptable isolation (S21 < -10dB) at the desired center frequency.
When considering the surface current distribution in the case where both ports are excited, it becomes clear that although the two elements are connected, there is a clear voltage null between the two ports (isolation).
The phase of the two radiating element currents are also in opposite directions, indicating polarization diversity of the antenna.When considering the surface current distribution in the case where both ports are excited, it becomes clear that although the two elements are connected, there is a clear voltage null between the two ports (isolation).
Phone Integration
Modern mobile phones tightly integrate many components, all of which influence the performance of the antenna. It is with these effects in mind that the new antenna was integrated in a model of a phone to test the antenna's performance in its operating environment. The following phone structures were included in the model:
- Plastic casing
- Battery
- LCD display
Both ports excited: The antenna acts as a dual-feed antenna for MIMO applications.The dual-port antenna in the phone was investigated in three typical modes of operation:
- Both ports excited: The antenna acts as a dual-feed antenna for MIMO applications.
- Port 1 excited, port 2 terminated in a matched load: Port 1 is transmitting while port 2 is receiving.
- Port 1 terminated in a matched load, port 2 open circuited (high impedance): Either antenna can be receiving a signal, giving the device the option of switching between them based on polarity and strength of the incoming signal.
In all 3 cases the radiation characteristics of the antenna mounted on the phone proved satisfactory.
As a final test, the phone was simulated in operating state 1 (both ports excited) in close proximity to a human head, as the phone would typically be used. The human head acts as a large dielectric load, which can significantly influence the radiation characteristics of the phone. This simulation showed that for far-field radiation patterns both azimuth (horizontal) and elevation (vertical) scan patterns for the phone in proximity to a human head are still acceptable.
SAR Compliance Testing
Does the phone result in acceptable energy absorption by users of the phone?
- Define SAR
- FCC regulations for SAR, Europe (10g cube) vs. US (1g cube)
A common requirement for mobile phones is that energy dissipated in the head of the user has to be below certain limits. These limits are referred to as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the phone and is measured in Watt per kilogram tissue (W/kg). SAR is measured in three ways:
- Whole body average, which is the total amount of energy dissipated in the human body, expressed as an average of the total mass of the human body.
- 10g cube localized peak, which is the highest level of energy dissipation in any 10g cube of tissue in the human body.
- 1g cube localized peak, which is the highest level of energy dissipation in any 1g cube of tissue in the human body.
Different legislative bodies apply different limits that manufacturers of mobile phones have to adhere to, e.g.:
- European regulators require a 10g cube localized peak SAR < 2 W/kg.
- United States (FCC) regulations require a 1g cube localized peak SAR < 1 W/kg.
Mobile phones typically control the transmitted power of the device dynamically to transmit as little power as necessary for a good communication link. As such, average levels of transmitted power is likely much lower than the maximum possible transmitted power of the device. It then also follows that a SAR investigation at the maximum transmitted power of the device is pessimistic and may serve as a good "worst case" investigation. Assuming a maximum power transmission of 2 W, the novel mobile phone antenna presented here conforms to both European and United States SAR regulations and the phone may therefore be distributed in both regions.
A novel design for a mobile antenna was presented here, satisfying all the requirements for modern mobile phones. It was also demonstrated how FEKO was applied in the design process, from design prototyping and optimization to integration in a handset and compliance testing of the handset.
In summary, FEKO proved to be an invaluable tool through the entire design cycle of mobile phone antennas.
Original publication of this work in Microwave Journal, March 2012: "Compact Antenna for MIMO LTE Mobile Phone Applications."
[1] Rao, Q., and Wang, D., "A Compact Dual-Port Antenna for Long-Term Evolution Handheld Devices", IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, Vol. 59, No. 3, March 2010


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Speaking Emojis – Parlerai #4
In this episode, Kendall looks into the art of emojis and why they could be considered a language. By analyzing it's history, popularity, and grammar structure, this episode seeks to reveal the debate around those little faces on your phone.
Produced by: Kendall Fahey
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS


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I swear, these flourless chocolate chip cookies can talk…
Yes they can.
Do they ever talk to you, too?
Every time I pass a chocolate chip cookie, it calls out to me, informing me that I want to eat it. As if I needed a reminder. Chocolate chip cookies symbolize everything that is good in the world: love, comfort, and… melty, gooey chocolate!
And these flourless chocolate chip cookies are even more delicious than normal cookies, because I've taken out the flour and replaced it with soft and chewy rolled oats. Without all that starchy flour to weigh the cookie down, each distinct flavor really shines.
The sweet chocolate chips literally do melt in your mouth!
Yes, flourless chocolate chip cookies can talk. And warm chocolate chip cookies, straight from the oven, can scream.
Are there any particular foods you can't walk by without eating? If there's a bag of chocolate chips open on the counter, my hand automatically reaches into it every time I pass by. But chocolate chips aren't the only food that talks to me. Brownies, ice cream, crunchy peanut butter, and even roast veggies all speak to me as well. I speak many languages. 😉
P.S. If you want a more traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe, be sure to try my Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
For More Recipes: Healthy Cookies – 100 Recipes
Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar, unrefined if desired
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp oil or melted buttery spread
- 2-3 tbsp milk of choice (start with 2)
Preheat oven to 375 F. Blend the first 4 ingredients together in a food processor, blender, or Vitamix until it looks like flour. Mix with remaining ingredients to form a dough. If too dry, slowly add the third tbsp milk. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll or form into balls, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Press down a little to flatten. Cook 6 minutes, then take out when still a bit undercooked. Let sit 10 minutes before handling, and they firm up. Makes a small batch, so feel free to double the recipe!
Link Of The Day:
More Healthy Recipes:
Healthy Vegan Marshmallow Fluff


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Reports monitored on the Hausa Service of the BBC indicated that members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect have abducted no fewer than 200 girls in a secondary school in Maiduguri, Borno State.
It was stated in the report the girls were abducted on Monday nigh in Chibok, a part of the state located close to Adamawa State. .
According to the report, the insurgents started shooting sporadically as they arrived the school and they ordered the girls to get into four lorries. Some girls were however said to have escaped through the back of a lorry.
The report had it that two members of the school's security officials were killed while some properties within the school premises were burnt down.
The abduction came less than 24 hours after a car bomb, believed to have been detonated by the sect killed over a hundred people in Abuja.


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Massages can be amazing. It brings great health rewards too. At times, everybody needs a great massage to reduce the everyday life stress. The following information will provide you with everything you need to know about massages.
You should have an open mind when getting a massage. If you have never gotten a massage before, you might think some of the methods used are strange. Don't be put off. Relax and allow the professional to work their magic.
Try to use all of your hands when you engage in your massage, including your thumbs. This area can elicit a great feeling on those you massage. Do not push with too much force, which can actually cause discomfort for the massage recipient.
Each person you massage is going to differ, so it is important to make adjustments according to your customers likes. If it seems that your subject is responding well to a particular technique, extend it. Stay aware of body signals and solicit feedback.
An ideal to shoot for is to have a therapeutic massage twice a week. A lot of people find regular massages helps their mood as well as their overall health. That's because it reduces stress and eases pain. Try to go to the massage parlor twice a week, or more.
Stretch Marks
If you do not like the stretch marks you received from pregnancy or weight fluctuations, you will likely have given most removal options a try. Massaging them with coco butter can help you with this! The tissues will regenerate as a result of the massage and the stretch marks will fade over time.
Don't worry about your body when you get a massage. Your massage therapist will find it easier to work on your aching muscles if you aren't wearing clothing. Masseurs are trained on how to sheet-drape, so you will always have your most intimate parts covered while you receive your massage. Don't be bothered by what a masseuse might think about your body.
It can be very relaxing to get a massage. There are so many benefits to massage, including asthma relief, stress and tension inhibitors and a guard against headaches. To increase the effectiveness of massage, it is important to relax completely while the therapist works.
Massages are truly incredible. Everyone, male or female, can get one today. Everyone should get the benefits of a great massage. This article has given you some valuable information about the process of massage. It's time to enjoy a great massage!


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This whimsical lakeside bridal shoot comes to us from Catherine Smeader Photography, based in Houston, Texas! Here's Catherine to tell us more:
When you have a gorgeous day, a beautiful model and a fun location, a styled bridal shoot is in order! The inspiration behind this warm lagoon bridal session was really drawn from the location. We shot at a hidden gem located outside of Houston, Texas that is known and loved for its pristine water. The lagoon is a cool shade of blue – almost turquoise – which makes for a stunning backdrop. I chose it for the hues of beautiful blues and greens + the landscape of the location, knowing I wanted to keep the details classic and simple.
See more after the cut!


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If the UK has one thing in abundance, it's entrepreneurship. According to the 2015 Legatum Prosperity Index , the UK ranks 6th in the world for Entrepreneurship and Opportunity.
The Legatum Prosperity Index is a an annual assessment of global wealth and well-being, comprised of 80 separate indicators. It's a robust and comprehensive report that is also trackable, showing changes in fortunes and attitudes worldwide. The other results it shows may come as a surprise:
- 88% of Britons believe that working hard will get you ahead, up from 78% five years ago
- 70% of those surveyed think the UK is a good place to start a business, up from just 48% in 2012
- The UK is the best place to start a business in the EU
So much enthusiasm for business, and the level of business confidence rising, must be good for UK business as a whole. However, it does shine light on the need for businesses to nurture those employees with entrepreneurial skills and give them the opportunity to shine, or risk losing them as they set up on their own. Employees who feel undervalued, not consulted about key issues, or excluded from decision-making may vote with their feet, only to emerge as your competitors in years to come.
Retaining your entrepreneurs
Employee engagement can give businesses the opportunity and methodology to allow entrepreneurial staff to do what they do best - be creative and innovative. By creating an active and engaging employee network, businesses can offer challenges based on real business goals to be discussed, worked on and (hopefully) resolved. Such challenges allow those with that entrepreneurial streak to suggest new ways of doing things, and then to become involved in the analysis, planning and delivery of the best ideas. With this outlet for their creativity and drive, entrepreneurial staff should be more likely to stay in your business, and less likely to set up on their own.
UK: generous and reliable
Other revealing data from the Productivity Index findings may also help employee engagement managers identify other areas where employees might want to engage that are not directly linked to day to day activity.
- The UK is the most generous major economy in the world: Employees might wish to volunteer time, or donate, or organise fundraising events. These kind of activities can be discussed through an online employee network and the most popular policies adopted.
- 91% of those surveyed said they could rely on others in time of need: This again supports the role of employee engagement as being the catalyst for employee co-operation and co-create of ideas. Note the word 'rely'. This infers trust and mutual respect, each of which take time to build. Engaged employees will know that they can rely on management to support them, listen to their ideas, and deliver on changes and improvements. Equally, a transparent system of ideas management encourages trust that both parties are 'doing their part', and that improvement can and will be delivered.
While the UK has some way to go to rise from its current 15th overall world ranking, it could be that the Index offers a glimpse into the future, where British entrepreneurship is recognised worldwide - and be much sought after as a result. If UK businesses want to keep some of that energy and enthusiasm for itself, it needs to recognise that sometimes the most innovative and entrepreneurial employees they need are the ones they already have.


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The gray skies, heavy snows and subzero temperatures of this winter have kept me inside more than I would like. Evening's darkness falls early and I find myself wanting to snuggle deep into a warm blanket and binge watch old tv series. My current binge has been watching the goofy spy series, Chuck, full of fancy parties, sunny locations and dramatically danced tangos. It was following one of those episodes that I fell asleep and had a dream I was in a vibrant red dress, dancing a tango, wearing a very distinctive silver necklace.
When I woke up, the dream was still vivid and I couldn't get the image of the necklace out of my mind so I drew sketched it out and decided to make this my next project.
Using a scribe, I outlined my design onto a piece of sterling silver sheet and began to hand engrave the details of the pendant I wore in my dream. It is a fairly substantial piece and the largest piece of jewelry I have engraved to this point.
In order to give the neckpiece a bit of a delicate touch, I removed sections within it by hand using a hand saw, then filed all of the edges into smooth curves. The result was the piece I wore in my dreams, exactly as I had recalled it, flourishes seeming to move and dance in a fluid wave. Perhaps those late night binge watches aren't so bad. After all, inspiration can be drawn from anything, at anytime, and likely when you least expect it...even from a dream.


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As you know if you have perused my humble site, most of my posts have very serious tones of both temporal and eternal importance, mostly eternal the last couple years. But occasionally I like to post something random just for fun, or "JFF" if it's added to the drop down menu above.
As my friends and family know I spend time on twitter, sometime too much time if I'm not careful, posting or interacting on the same two things, temporal (usually political) and eternal. On twitter I continue to post more on political themes as social media all too often devolves into conflict and I try to not have conflict with my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in that setting.
Occasionally I'll see something that's just plain funny. Yesterday a young gal "followed" me as the term goes. Any time someone follows me I check out their recent posts, called a "timeline" or "TL" on twitter to determine if I will follow back. The reason for this (if you aren't Twitter savvy) is that following someone will result in their posts showing up on your TL (or page if you will). So in the process of determining what kind of "tweets" (as they call it on Twitter) will show up on my TL if I follow this gal I came across a tweet she posted as follows:
Of course a tweet like this begged a response
Ok ok it was utterly silly of me but hey, that's how I "roll."


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Gallery: Bartender's Choice: Tom Lindstedt On What to Drink at Little Bird in Portland, OR
Havane ($10)
"The Havane is a house-favorite cocktail," says Lindstedt. "It's both bright and bitter and perfectly balanced." What's in it? Aveze (a bitter gentian liqueur), lemon juice, Gordon's gin, Bärenjäger honey liqueur, and Rothman & Winter apricot liqueur.
Yellow Smoke ($10)
"I really like savory components in cocktails," says Lindstedt. "While mezcal isn't for everyone, the cocktail makes for a great introduction to the smoky spirit," he says. Fidencio mezcal lays the smoky foundation accompanied by the lighter, bittersweet aperitif Lillet and a tiny splash of chocolate Mud Puddle vodka.
Cepage ($10)
The Cepage is Lindstedt's take on the equal-parts Sidecar cocktail, traditionally comprised of one part lemon juice, one part orange liqueur, and one part cognac. Lindstedt uses a Peychaud's cordial made from the bitters and simple syrup, plus Combier Orange liqueur, and verjus instead of lemon. "The lack of citrus means this cocktail doesn't require constant re-balancing for acidity like the traditional Sidecar, making the cocktail both consistent and time efficient", says Lindstedt.
Gambit ($10)
"Creme de Cassis doesn't make its way into a lot of cocktails, and I wanted to work it into a new drink," says Lindstedt. "Lustau Los Arcos Dry Amontillado sherry leaves a really great finish, and our housemade Picon works in harmony with the Barbancourt 8 year rum. We took a gamble with these flavors, but the risk was well worth it," says Lindstedt.
La Vie En Rose ($10)
"La Vie En Rose is our 'vodka drink', without having any vodka," says Lindstedt. "It's an approachable cocktail that introduces many people to pisco, a spirit they may have never experienced." The cocktail is made with Cocchi Americano Rosa, Alto Del Carmen pisco, Combier pamplemousse liqueur, and lemon.
Pégoud ($10)
The Pégoud is Lindstedt's riff on the Aviation cocktail. For this drink, he mixes together Citadelle Gin, Crème Yvette, Peychaud's bitters, simple syrup, and lemon.


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If you feel that you are addicted to gambling, it is not too late you are trying to stop gambling. Gambling is one of the oldest addictions that is existent since ages and has been responsible for ruining many people's lives. It can lead to dreadful consequences that one cannot even imagine. So, it is very vital for the addict to stop gambling sooner rather than later.
Addiction to gambling doesn't discriminate; it doesn't matter whether a person is rich or poor, educated or uneducated. Gambling can addict any person irrespective of his class or status. An addiction like problem gambling can send people to jail, cause major social and occupational problems, mental instability, and financial desolation that can last for years.
How To Stop A Gambling Addiction
- How To Stop A Gambling Addiction
It is very important that before you become a problem gambling addict, you should take precautions and stop yourself from going on the path of total destruction. There are many steps that be taken to prevent one's self from going to the level of addiction, a few of which are described as follows.
1. Have a short break
On one particular day, just promise yourself that you will not gamble for that one day. Try to keep your promise as far as you can. Structure your daily schedule in such a way that you don't have ample time on your hand to go to a casino.
2. Replacement activity
Find an alternative activity like exercising, going shopping, going to a movie, listening to music or reading a book. In other words, keep yourself busy enough to avoid and replace gambling. Do whatever it takes you to stop gambling. Find any replacement activity to stop gambling anyhow.
3. Remind yourself the failure
Just remember how it feels to lose a lot of money that is hard-earned by you. Make yourself feel that depression when you think about gambling. This will help you remove the thoughts of gambling out of your mind. Not every time, but many a time this tool helps in motivating one's self to stop gambling.
4. Take education on gambling addiction
Educate yourself on the addiction of gambling. Read as much as you can about gambling and its consequences. Read the case-studies of other people who have gone through this hell in their life and inspire yourself for not going through the same in your life.
5. Take self-help materials
See for gambling addiction help for yourself. Get books on it and read about the destructive side effects of gambling addiction. Consider joining an online gambling addiction forum. You also can look for self-hypnosis with help books or courses. It is very important that you realize that you are not the only person who has become a gambling addict.
6. Seek for a support group
You can attend a Gamblers Anonymous meeting for group support. This involves a 12-step program and if you do not want to go for it then you may also join an online program called Smart Recovery. It motivates more when you get support from other gamblers who also want to quit gambling.
7. Monitor control over your money
In this case, you can ask your family member to handle your finance. So, you will not be able to spend on your wish beyond the limit. There will always be an eye on your hand when you use your money. This can help you keep a hand over your money and will also prevent you from gambling.
8. Cons of gambling and pros of quitting
Analyze the whole process of gambling and see for the negative points gambling along with the consequences. Also, list the positive points if you quit gambling. This will help you see the whole scenario from a practical viewpoint.
9. Financial planning
Consult a financial advisor or a debt counsellor and discuss with him about your debts and the solutions from coming out of your debts. Also, consult him about clearing your debts and relieving yourself from the same.
10. Hire a good counselor
Look for a good counsellor who specializes in addictions, especially gambling and talk to him about your addiction and the ways of coming out of it. You need to have great support to stop gambling if you are a severe gambler.
Gambling is considered as one of the most fatal addictions as it causes to lose one's life. Stop gambling and don't let your hard-earned money waste in your addiction.
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Love, love, love...but wait.....
Friday, November 19, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
A start of a new project: "Bronski"
In the next few weeks I will be sharing pages from the new story that I am working on and studies from a Transmetropolitan project that I have been invited to participate. I'll be only contributing one page, but I ended-up with a bunch of ideas for it :)
So the first penciled Bronski page: Soviet Union 1938 "The Dawn of Communism".....
So the first penciled Bronski page: Soviet Union 1938 "The Dawn of Communism".....
Posted by Alex Sheikman at 7:13 AM 2 comments:
Monday, November 08, 2010
A Strange Ebay Auction
I have inked one of the Dr. Strange drawings and have put it up for sale on Ebay...I think it's a fun drawing that goes along with Strange's mystic. Pass it on to all collectors of original art that you know :)
Here is the ebay link : HERE
Here is the ebay link : HERE
Posted by Alex Sheikman at 7:27 AM No comments:
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This part of the Garden has elegant parterres, topiary and rare plants and are a delight for the gardening enthusiast and for those wishing to spend a quiet time in idyllic surroundings. Designed to be viewed from the first floor of the House, the East Garden is only open to the public on one day each week during the visitor season.
Only open on Thursdays, this garden on the private side of the house consists of formal box beds in front of the house and the seventeenth century 'New Pond'. The famous maze can be seen from a raised platform on the west side, but is not accessible to the public.
You can also visit the lovely garden at Cranborne, Dorset.


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William D. Block Memorial Law Library
The Lake County Law Library has had an electronic catalog since 1998. Since then, it has provided library staff and patrons a way to search the library collection by title, author, or subject when patrons express an interest in locating legal research materials. However, the catalog had previously only been available on the library's public computers, which meant you still had to visit the law library in person to search the library's catalog. The law library is pleased to announce now that the law library's catalog is now available to search via the internet at http://lccatalog.lakecountyil.gov/ics-wpd/. The link to the catalog can be found on the law library's home page: http://19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/services/Pages/LawLibrary.aspx.
Having the catalog available through the internet now means that you can search the library's catalog from the convenience of your office or from home. Whereas before, you had to visit the law library to search the catalog, you can now save time and search the catalog from your office or your home, which is especially valuable if your office is far from the courthouse and you don't have time to take out from your busy schedule to stop by.
There are fields available to search by title, author, subject, or publisher. On the results screen you can bring up additional information about a particular title, such as the volume's range of subjects. This can be especially helpful when trying to see which volume of a particular title you'd be interested in seeing. The catalog, however, does not provide access to law review articles or case decisions. For those resources, you can use WestlawNext on our public computers.
If you have questions about the library's catalog, please don't hesitate to ask any of the library staff.
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Inside PokerSnowie's brain reveals the work of the Snowie AI Team. It explores first hand how the brain of PokerSnowie evolves and learns advanced strategic concepts, on its own.
PokerSnowie's ultimate aim is to produce the perfectly balanced game, find the ultimate un-exploitable equilibrium for all No Limit Hold'em configurations. Join us on this fascinating journey, which is just starting, into the future of poker.
The PokerSnowie Video Quiz series aims to answer the question: "what is the right play?" It is a set of poker coaching videos presented by French professional poker player Sharp. In each video, Sharp sets up an interesting hand in the "Scenarios" tool of PokerSnowie and explains how to analyse the situation and learn from PokerSnowie's advice, based on the Game Theory Optimal model.
PokerSnowie team at the Battle of Malta: an admirable performance and a spectacular exit.
Sep 27, 2013 | Posted by PokerSnowie
Team PokerSnowie performed admirably on the first day of the Battle of Malta, with 3 out of 5 players still in the tournament. The average chip stack of those still in is at an impressive 40k (starting chips were 20k), with Karsten leading the pack with a respectable 51k chips.
Marko had the most spectaculor exit: he was at 32k in first position with a pair of 9s. He raises to 700, and the 4th position raises to 2100 with everyone else folding. The Flop brings up 9-8-2 rainbow. Marko checks, and opponent bets 2500. The turn reveals a 3 of clubs - Marko checks again and the opponent bets another 2500, to which Marko raises 7500. The river brings up a 6 of clubs; the opponent only has 9000 left so Marko goes all in. Opponent reveals an AK of clubs.
If you're gonna exit, make sure it's spectacular!
Tomorrow PokerSnowie Team 2 will battle it out against 400 additional players - let's wish them all the best!


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Reviewing The Service at Café de Paris
Legendary Leicester Square club Café de Paris has been hosting wild nights since 1924. Many stories have unfolded in this basement venue and now, this astonishing history is told at its new Friday night cabaret show, The Service. We went along to check it out.
The club is renowned for drawing famous revellers and performers in its time, including Frank Sinatra and Princess Margaret. It stayed open despite The Blitz during World War Two, when the dance floor was hit by a bomb. The attack killed 80 people, including the renowned swing performer Ken 'Snakehips' Johnston.
Through exhilarating performances and high production values, The Service draws on all of this history: Marlene Dietrich's appearances here are reimagined as slow, skilful burlesque strips; a 1990s-style clubber wears a dayglo outfit and spins flaming hula hoops.
With its chandeliers and curving staircases, the two-storey space also lives up to the glamour of its past. The dance floor is filled with large dining tables during the show, so you can choose to eat as you watch, or smaller tables on the balcony offer a great, elevated view without dinner.
Whether you choose to go for the full dinner option or just drinks, we highly recommend The Service as one of London's better cabaret experiences, which delivers the most fun history lesson you'll ever have.
Café de Paris opens for The Service on Friday nights at 6pm, and the show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets range from £20 to £80. www.cafedeparis.com


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When NASCAR auto racers step unharmed out of smashed cars, we see clear proof that it is possible to build cars with occupants' safety as a foremost priority. While the ordinary car is not designed for racing, it has repeatedly been shown that auto manufacturers often take unnecessary risks with drivers' and passengers' lives by failing to build vehicles with sensible protective features.
The Ohio auto defect attorneys of Lowe Eklund Wakefield Co., LPA take on big auto manufacturers on behalf of people whose lives have been deeply affected by catastrophic injuries as a result of auto defects. Often, defective auto design or malfunctioning parts are determined to have played a key role in the injury of a driver or passenger. Our law firm vigorously represents victims in auto defect cases.
Cutting corners in order to streamline assembly or enhance profits at the expense of people's health and well-being is not acceptable or justifiable, in our view. We have seen up close the loss and devastation occasioned by that type of corner-cutting.
Auto defects that have been proven to have contributed to or caused serious injury to occupants of a vehicle include the following:
Was your loved one burned after a rear-end collision broke a gas line, igniting an auto fire that trapped people in the car? When we show that the automobile industry ignored ways to keep drivers and passengers safe even in collisions, we have made a giant leap toward helping our injured clients obtain the compensation that they need and deserve. And we go a long way in making it too expensive for manufacturers to continue to ignore critical safety features, thereby making travel safer for everyone.
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|What an adorable face this cute snowman has!
These patterns came from a kit and looking at the selection I have photos of, I see that there are several more I don't have on the tree. More for the "to do" list and perhaps I'll adapt some of them to incorporate the beading.
Come to think of it I can think of several others in this series that I have made, so they must be on somebody else's tree.
They all have very happy little faces, I'd definitely like to make some more.


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I have one projected from last summer that I haven't blog about yet, and that is because the photos I took aren't that good. Even though Anita has worn the dress a lot I haven't gotten around to take new photos so I'm just going to go ahead and post the ones I have.
The dress is The Fawn Lily a pattern by Rock the Stitch for Willow & Co.


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Christmas is a difficult time for the Harveys.
Ten years ago, their son Joshua suffered a devastating asthma attack just four days before Christmas.
It left him unconscious in intensive care, and ultimately took his life.
Up until this point Joshua had been a normal, healthy boy who loved football and never let his mild asthma stop him from getting stuck into sports and activities.
This video tells their story, and how Acorns Children's Hospice made it 'almost bearable to say goodbye'.
Today, the family are helping Acorns with their Christmas campaign to try to raise money for other families facing illness and tragedy.
"The boys were super excited about Christmas," recalls mum Joanne, 47 and a nail technician from Studley, Warwickshire. She and husband Richard also have Max, 14, and Isaac, eight.
"They had broken up from school that day. They were hugging us and saying they couldn't wait for Christmas – neither could we for that matter.
"It was just going to be a normal family Christmas, that most families have and still do have.
"Unfortunately for us it's not like that anymore."
Joshua's asthma attack happened on December 21, and he spent Christmas in hospital in Stoke.
Although he regained consciousness, doctors delivered the heartbreaking news that Joshua had suffered brain damage.
"The doctors told us that, with brain damage, it can take a few days for the cells to die so it would be about 10 days before we knew what was happening.
"We took him the present he'd been asking for, a robotic dinosaur. We got a little smile out of him for that but he wasn't able to speak.
"We still have that toy."
The family are grateful that Joshua's last few days were spent at Acorns in Selly Oak. He sadly passed away on January 18, 2007.
"When we came to Acorns it was clear Josh was going to leave us at some stage during his stay," says dad Richard.
"The time we had with Joshua at Acorns was precious. Those last three days of Joshua's life could have been totally different had it not been for Acorns."
Joanne adds: "At Acorns he had his own room, his own quilt cover, it was just like his own bedroom.
"He was comfortable, he wasn't suffering. It was just calm and relaxing.
"Family and Joshua's friends came to see him and ultimately they just saw Joshua asleep in bed because that's how he looked – he didn't look like that in hospital. If he'd died in hospital they wouldn't have had that opportunity."
Since Joshua's death, Joanne and Richard have raised more than £50,000 for Acorns through gruelling treks and fundraising events.
It costs £9.6 million a year to run Acorns' care services for children and support for their families. Acorns relies heavily on the community to fund the majority of its activities.
"I think it brought it home to us that Joshua was just a normal and healthy boy, that it can happen to any family," says Joanne.
"I used to drive past Acorns every day and took it for granted as a children's hospice and didn't really know what went on inside.
"A lot of people regularly experience the hospice if they have children born with disabilities.
"We've never been in that scenario and then bang – overnight our child is not a normal healthy boy anymore.
"I think a lot of people reflect on losing someone at Christmas.
"Ultimately you lose your parents and grandparents – you don't expect to lose a child, that's tough."
Richard adds: "Acorns just made it almost bearable to say goodbye to Joshua and allow us to carry on with our lives as a family with another child.
"That's what Acorns did for us, it kept us together as a family, and that is priceless."
Louise Arnold, from Acorns, says: "Christmas is a time when families come together to share in the celebrations, but some very sadly have to face the reality that they will have to use Acorns during the festive period.
"We make sure we're here for those families, even on Christmas Day, but can only do this through the donations that support our vital work."
To make a donation in time for Christmas, visit www.acorns.org.uk
• For more inspiring parenting stories, like this one, visit our Brummie Mummies Facebook page


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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Day 22 ~ My Rant
3 comments:
- Unknown said...
I could have written this myself!!!!!
SO agree on the holding the door open for people thing - how hard can it be to say thank you?!!
I started the "ranting" post thinking that I wasn't a ranter, apparently I am LOL ;) XX
- May 22, 2013 at 9:25 AM
- Blondie's Journal said...
You've said all of this in a very nice way so you are not a rude person at all in my book, just honest. My hubby always says there is no excuse for rudeness and I think he is so right. And selfish people...that's a toughie, some people refuse to believe they are and if you can't eliminate them from your life, what to do?
- May 22, 2013 at 1:18 PM
- Leslie Harris said...
Lori I agree with you on all these, especially rudeness. But this post made me think of another rant I have about the topic of humility. Being humble. Especially when it comes to the social media world. But honestly, what ever happened to being modest and humble about one's self? Today, it seems like everyone feels entitled to have followers and an audience. Like twitter for instance. I don't get it. Am I the only person who thinks I'm too boring to be sending tweets out into the world? haha..is being modest an outdated quality? that's my rant for the day :)
- May 24, 2013 at 8:29 PM