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The Art of the Course Layer
By Steve
Home > Articles > The Art of the Course Layer
We haven't been everywhere, that would be a silly thing to say, however we do get about. During those travels in search of ultimate archery madness we have stumbled across some great shoots and some terrible ones. One place however never fails to disappoint and when these guys announce a shoot it will be booked out in days.
That's because to lay a course which challenges but also offers the opportunity to strut your stuff and more importantly the chance to have some fun is more than just stringing 40 targets together around a wood, it is in fact an art. Like most art the best practitioners have "the eye". At Fleet Ibex it seems they are blessed with 5 course layers that posses "the eye".
We often hear from folks wishing to start laying course at their own club but have little idea where to start. The whole experience can be daunting. For some while we have been intending to catch up with the guys at Fleet and try to find out a little more regarding the black art of course laying. After the recent shoot there which was probably the best laid, most attractive and the most devious I have ever experienced, we cornered Keith Stay and bombarded him with a list of questions as long as your bow and asked him to tell us, in his own words, a little of what goes into a shoot. First though, a little background......
............................I started Field archery 11 years ago now and its the best sport/ pastime you could wish for in my opinion , meeting great people , being out in the elements in all weathers and doing the odd competition along the way. I started with a Longbow and had great times with it until I injured myself quite badly, so the only way I could see to continue in the pastime that I love, I decided to buy a recurve bow which was of lighter poundage , and gradually like most NFAS archers one thing led to another and I now own about 7 bows including AFB's as well which I have done a few comps with ( unsuccessfully , I should add )
What got me into the helping / running of my club ...... well , one day I saw a man staggering down one of the fire breaks with a butt and tools ( this man was Terry , who has become a very good friend , and is now our club sec ) and without thinking , I said the words " DO YOU NEED A HAND ? " and that was it , about 9 years on , the work at our club never stops .!! From general upkeep of our permanent courses , to cabin-making , butt-making course laying and too many others to list here. Many hours of hard work by some in our club , has turned it into a great place to be and many new friendships have developed over these years.
Talking of course laying, what makes a good course layer ?
A good start is , before you ever think of getting involved in course laying , go to as many Open shoots at various clubs and see what others do . Look , take note , talk and listen , much can be learnt by doing this , as some of these courses are laid by archers who have been in this sport a lot longer than you . I'm not saying that all they do is right , and you have to copy them , but it does give you an insight as to how a course layers mind works . So to move on............
We are in the very fortunate position in our club , of having 5 main course layers who set out the course's for our NFAS Open Shoots. Two of which normally set about 14 or 15 targets and the other three (myself included) the rest, to make up the 40 target course.
The first thing we decide , is which part of the woods are allocated to which group , and this immediately decides that no over shoots will come into the other groups section. We then decide which way we will go around the woods and normally we lay 3 separate loops , so as archers will have at least a couple of stops ( if wanted/needed ) at a tea tent. At this point , I would like to add that this is normally done , far in advance of the shoot day , normally 4 – 5 weeks before , and upon deciding the rough routes , this is walked a few times , and gradually the shots are worked out with utmost care about safety ie overshoots , deflections etc etc . At this point some coloured tape is attached to various trees, bushes, to denote target positions and shooting positions. These are replaced later with the appropriate target numbers and directional arrows , which are very important to get right , and notes taken where any targets that will require a backstop net , shooting instructions signs if needed and areas to be taped off to avoid archers from walking into a dangerous part of the course ( with the actual taping off done the day before the shoot ) , it is important that these notes are written down as on the day or day before , there are so many other things to do , that some bits may be forgotten......... Some of the shots/ targets can be decided upon very quickly, but some others seem to come a lot slower , but gradually the course starts to take shape.
Also, I think that variation is a good thing when laying courses , so no archers are faced with, lets say 3 or 4 long shots and then 3 or 4 short ones or 3 turkeys one after the other which would be boring. No targets at any of our shoots are measured out , and that no target has to always be set at the same distance every time you lay a course , as this will again become boring , sometimes a larger 3D set closer than normal ( in the right/ different location ) can be just as difficult .
Another element that can come into course laying is the use of light and dark areas of woodland , as I feel shooting out of dark areas into open light areas can in some cases make an archers slightly misjudge distance , especially if some kind of sights are relied upon. Also another element that can alter shots completely is the weather , some targets that where set out the day before, using overhanging branches , and where just how you wanted them, can be completely unshootable the following day , when rain has fallen , making the branches come down and stop any chance of making the shot . The reverse can happen, as we found out at one of our recent shoots, bracken was cut and manicured the day before , to give a what I thought was just the right gaps/heights etc to make the shot perfect . But as the day was wet , what we didn't bargain for was that on shoot day , it was very warm and with a slight wind blowing all day , the shot that was great looking at 10.30am was virtually unshootable later in the afternoon , as the bracken had dried and lifted so much that many had trouble even seeing the target. So, there is no magic formula to courselaying as even the elements, can catch you out ....!! You never stop learning......
With peg placement , in general the first peg is almost always the most testing , but this does not mean that the 2nd or 3rd shooting pegs should be just moved forward and made easy , far from it , a hit from these other pegs can also be missed if concentration is lacking . At this stage, when placing pegs , it is important that not only the arrow flight route to the target is checked ( to check that weaker poundage bows can get to the target safely ) also look around you and also look upwards to make sure the longer bows do not get impeded by overhanging foliage or branches , and also not too close to trees / stumps etc that could catch the lower limbs of any type of bow on release.
I have found that one topic seems to be talked about many times, and that is whether backstops should be used, ie; butts. In my opinion, if butts are used they should be hidden as much as possible as not to ruin the look of the shot, also if netting is used, it should be placed in such a position that it is still the target that is noticed more than the netting, so a net should be further back behind bushes and natural features if possible so why not leave some trees etc between the target before the netting to break up the outline.
At this point , it must be stressed , never rely on backstop netting as a failsafe way of stopping arrows, yes it will stop certain wooden arrows , ( not all ) and almost certainly not arrows from the more powerful compound bows used today.
In my opinion the shot always looks better with natural backstops , ie mounds or banks , so when an archer comes across a target, it looks as it would in the wild, far more pleasing to the eye than when it has a manufactured backstop behind . I know many would dispute this, and is probably better left to another discussion and as for an apology for not having a butt behind a target, I'm afraid one would not come from me.
Another thing when setting a course is whether to have any one arrow shots, or predator-prey shots or multi-shots. Again personally I don't think any of these variations are a bad thing , but too many can cause problems , especially multi-shots , as you can get build ups of groups at these , and before you realise it there is major problems with groups finishing at one time and others finishing very much later ,so I don't think that more than one of these kind of shots should be included in a course . One shots? again I think that one or two are OK , but no more , as an inexperienced archer could go away from your shoot with a lot of blanks and feel very disappointed , where as a few 4 pointers doesn't feel like a disaster on the day .
At our club we are in a position of being able to lay a complete course of 40 x 3D targets , and at some clubs , all the targets are positioned as you see them in the catalogues , side on and completely visible , why ? ................ Is this how you would chance upon them in their natural environment?..Answer = no , not always , so another good way of presenting the targets to the archers is to quarter them , angle them , call it what you like , and also to have them coming out from behind trees / bushes etc to make them look as natural as possible , but it is important that the animal can still be identified and hittable . I think that the aesthetics of the shot is very very important .
Trust me, archers do remember when they come to their next target and the first thing that is said , is , wow , yes I like that..!! As all archers are different , have different views , bows , styles , it is very difficult to get every thing exactly right for every archer at every target , believe me , this is impossible , you will not achieve this , but try to vary the shots as much as possible , a straight long shot maybe easier for a compound archer than a Longbow , but try a short shot of , say , 3 yrds down a steep bank , and the longbows will find this easier than the compound archers , ( don't think some of the sighted archers have 3 yrd pins ) . As long as the target is achievable with any type of archer and bow, I think you will get a well laid course.
On a final note , I have been asked , " Are you looking ( as a courselayer ) to catch out the archer , and do you lay shots with the intent of fooling them " .......I must answer this honestly I suppose , and yes of course we do ....!!! That is why when an archer stands on a target , thinks , Oh yes its one of them at 25 yrds and then misses and only to then find out about the dead ground or other optical element he / she didn't notice , that's mission accomplished ..!!
Always listen to any body who has had a problem with any course , as you can learn from this , I don't think any courselayer minds constructive criticism , it can help for next time.... and at the end of the day , 1 archer coming up to you and saying thanks , had a great day , makes all the effort worthwhile....
Happy shooting to all , and don't let the courselayers catch you out....................
Keith Stay ........................... Chairman, Fleet Ibex Field Archers
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This necklace was made as a collaboration with my friend Stephanie. She is an avid fossil collector and has a huge array of amazing fossilized teeth and shells that she has found over the years.
She approached me to make her some custom necklaces from several of her treasures and was kind enough to send me some truly stunning specimens to mold and cast in solid sterling silver.
This partially eroded Turritella shell fossil is cast in solid sterling silver and hung on an 18" (45.7cm) 1 mm wide sterling sterling venetian box chain. Turritella can also be purchased on it's own without chain (please see chain options). Both pendant and chain are partially oxidized black. The turritella measures roughly 48mm high x 9.5mm wide & deep (at widest part).
I find these spiraling , millions of years old gastropods to be fascinating and beautiful. Apparently, in the areas where these types of fossils are found, the cliff matrix is softer than the gastropod shells....so the shells are somewhat preserved.
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TERMITE, the name applied to a group of insects with four wings which are developed outside the body (a large proportion of the individuals become adult, however, without wings appearing at all). The wings are of nearly one size, of long, narrow form, of paper-like consistence, and in repose are placed flat on the back of the insect so that only one wing shows. After a short time the wings are shed, and only small stumps remain as evidence of the individual being a winged form. The mouth has strong mandibles. Formerly termites were classed as a part of the order Neuroptera, but more recently they have been separated by certain zoologists from the true Neuroptera, and associated with some other forms as an order Corrodentia. By Packard they have been associated with Mallophaga, and called Platyptera. They now constitute with the Embiida a small and obscure family - the order Isoptera, of which about 300 species are known. Termites are., more widely known as white ants, but as they are extremely different from true ants, and as they are rarely white, this designation is very deceptive, and should be abandoned.
Termites are found only in warm climates, where they are sometimes very destructive. They are vegetarian, but occasionally eat, or destroy, dry animal matter. The basis of their alimentary regimen is woody matter. Some of them make use of fungi growing in their abodes as food; some cut and store grass; others prepare a peculiar kind of food, which is stored in a tough, dry form, so that it has to be moistened before it can be eaten. Termites are social insects; many of them construct large edifices called termitaria and often spoken of as nests. A termitarium frequently contains an enormous number of individuals forming the society or colony. Termites are totally different in structure and development from all other social insects, but their social existence exhibits numerous analogies with that of the ants and other social Hymenoptera. The most remarkable of these analogies is that the reproduction of the species in each community is confined to a single pair, or to a very limited number of individuals. The mem bers of one society or colony, however numerous or dissimilar they may he, are the descendants of a single pair. The colony is - so far as is known, and 1® on this, as well as on many .other points, authentic in ?? formation is scanty - first started by a pair of winged individuals that cast their wings, secrete themselves wane?' in a suitable place, produce young; the colony, however huge, A B being subsequently deve- Nor loped by the extreme ferhatched termite; B, tility of the reproductive Termes nemorosus. pair. Very little is known as to how long a colony endures, and, as there is great variety in the social conditions of different kinds of termites, it is probable that there is considerable difference as to the point in question. As a rule a family or colony has only a single termitarium, but there are cases in which a single family has several separate abodes, though usually only one of them is a real home containing reproductive individuals. The social life in termites, as well as in all other social insects, is clearly a development of the family life. It is accompanied by extraordinary modifications of the forms of the individuals constituting the society, and by a great division of labour. As regards the forms, or castes, termites differ totally from / other social insects; in. _ ! - the latter case there are great differences between the males and females, and the whole of the castes are of the female sex, whereas in termites the males and females are extremely similar, and the castes are in no way correlative with sex. As the termite life is a family life, and as there is normally only a single pair of reproductive individuals in each community, it is easily comprehensible that if anything goes wrong with this pair, the community is at once thrown into a state of complete disorganization. But this misfortune is mitigated by a method which termites have of keeping individuals in an undifferentiated state, and of turning some of them speedily into reproductive individuals, whereby the community is restored to something like a natural condition of activity and growth.
Apart from the forms that are merely juvenile, the following kinds of adults are normally present in a colony: (I) workers, (2) soldiers, (3) winged individuals ready to leave the nest, (4) king and queen.
(I) The worker termite resembles the young in general appearance, and, like the young, has no trace of wings (fig. I). The two segments behind the head are more contracted, so that head, thorax and abdomen are more differentiated than they are in the young. The colour too is different, the young being milky-white, whereas the adult worker is variously pigmented according to its species, but is never milky-white. The worker is generally blind, and in only a few species does it possess rudimentary eyes. The species of the group Calotermitides have no workers. In the other species the workers look after the eggs and young, and perform most, if not all, of the industrial work of the community. They are also, in some cases, effective combatants, though quite destitute of any special structures to suit them for this purpose. The sexual organs do not undergo development, but it has been satisfactorily ascertained that both sexes are represented amongst the workers. In certain species the workers seem to be dimorphic, so far as size is concerned, but this point has apparently been only very inadequately considered. Workers form a very large but variable proportion of the members of a community.
(2) The soldier termite is the most extraordinary feature of termite biology. It is more varied than any of the other castes, so that most of the species of termites can be best distinguished by their soldiers. The chief feature of the soldier is an extraordinary development of the head, or of the head and mandibles. There are two very distinct kinds of soldiers: (a) the flat-headed or mandibulate soldier, and (b) the nasute or rostrate soldier (fig. 2). In the first kind the head is usually developed out of all proportion to the rest of the body; the mandibles are frequently enormous, and, being in many cases asymmetric, give the appearance of deformity. In the nasute soldier the head is thick or convex, and may be described as unicorn - that is to say, it is prolonged in the middle so as to form a single pointed horn; the mandibles are never largely developed. No species of termite has both mandibulate and nasute soldiers, although the reverse is sometimes still FIG. I.-A, newly hate worker termite; Ter FIG. 2. - A, mandibulate soldier of Termes nemorosus; B, nasute soldier of T. hospitalis. stated in books. The soldiers of some species are, however, dimorphic to the extent that larger and smaller forms occur in the same nest without intermediates. In other cases soldiers of simply variable size exist. The soldier is blind and wingless, though in a few soldiers minute wing-rudiments can be detected. As in the worker, the development of the sex organs is arrested, but both sexes are represented. The function of the soldiers is probably, as stated by Haviland, defence. The mandibulate soldiers use their heads as blocks to stop gaps in the nests, and employ terrifying but somewhat theatrical devices, making threatening motions and producing noises by movements of the head and thorax. The nasute soldiers emit a fluid from the tip of the rostrum, and dab it upon their enemies with some skill. Soldiers are present in all species of termites except the South American genus Anoplotermes. It is a remarkable fact that in the group Calotermitides soldiers exist although there are no workers, but in this case the function of the soldier seems to be very much that of a worker. Grassi says that in Calotermes flavicollis all the individuals of a community work for the common welfare. Moreover, in the Calotermitides no very great development of the heads or mandibles occurs.
(3) Adult or Winged Termite. - Such of the young as do not become workers or soldiers grow and develop after the fashion usual in exopterygote insects. Moults take place, the wing-pads gradually increase in size, eyes appear, and finally pigmentation takes place, and the winged insect is perfected at the last moult (fig. 3). In prosperous colonies these winged insects are produced in large numbers and emerge at intervals as swarms. They have extremely feeble powers of flight, and apparently scarcely any other capability. They are a favourite food of a large number of animals, including even man. They have well developed eyes and ocelli, and differ from all the other forms by their greater pigmentation. The function of these adults is to diffuse the species, and to favour crossing outside the family circle. Attainment of this second end is, in some cases, favoured by the fact that the whole of the indiWinged viduals constituting a swarm consist nemorosus; of one sex only. This extraordinary ht-hand fact is attested by Grassi, but has not yet received the attention it merits. If a termite colony be compared with a tree or plant, the winged forms, it is clear, functionally correspond to the flowers and seeds of the tree; indeed, Fritz Moller and Grassi go further, and conclude that the modes of diffusion and reproduction of termites are analogous to the modes of plants of continuing the species by means of cleistogamic as well as ordinary flowers. The force of this comparison will be better appreciated after the reader has made himself acquainted with the facts connected with the neoteinic forms of termites.
(4) King and Queen. - As a rule each community includes only a single pair of individuals apt for reproduction; these are the royal pair, or king and queen (fig. 4). They are adult termites that have shed the wings they formerly possessed. The queen usually undergoes an extraordinary increase in the size of the abdomen, which may be distended to many hundred times its original capacity (fig. 4, A). In many species the king and queen are confined in a royal cell, out of which they cannot move, though the workers, owing to their smaller size, can get in and out to tend them. In other cases the queen only is so imprisoned, the king being able to leave the cell. In still other cases neither king nor queen is effectually imprisoned. Much discrepancy of opinion exists as to the invariable presence of a king in each nest; this, however, is explained by Haviland's observation that the king is active and timid, and when a nest is opened seeks safety by running away and concealing himself, so that he is sometimes only discovered when the very last fragment of the nest is brought under scrutiny. Another point on which extremely diverse opinions are expressed is the copula of the sexes. It is usually stated that the swarming of termites is analogous to that of bees and ants, in which groups of insects the conjunction of the sexes takes place at this period, and at this period only. In the termites the reverse is the case. The swarming is not at all a nuptial flight; indeed, at that time the sexes are not apt for reproduction. Copulation only takes place after a pair have cast their wings and have established themselves together. It is repeated at intervals, and is thus quite dissimilar from the corresponding phenomenon in Hymenoptera. The male has no intromittent organs, so that copula during flight is impossible. Grassi has actually witnessed the act in subsequent life. Haviland is of opinion that in some cases the male fertilizes the eggs without connexion with the female.
(5) Neoteinic and Substitution Forms. - When a colony of termites is deprived of king and queen it can replace them by forms specially prepared. These substitution forms are of two kinds - (a) normal adult individuals, and (b) neoteinic forms. The latter may be described as unnatural kings and queens possessing reproductive powers, though the wings have never been developed and some other parts of the body have not taken on the fully adult state. Haviland removed the royal pairs from nests of Termes malayanus, and after three or four months again examined the nests: in three out of the five cases substitution pairs exactly resembling the original ones, with well-formed wing-stumps, were present; in the other two cases he failed to find the royal cell, and believes that the loss had not been repaired. In other species the bereavement is made good by means of neoteinic instead of normal individuals, and in certain species neoteinic forms are abundantly found. In the case of substitution forms there is usually more than one pair present in a colony, and sometimes numerous pairs exist. Grassi says that in Sicily the colonies of Termes lucifugus are kept up entirely by neoteinic kings and queens; in other words, the swarms are nearly or quite useless. The neoteinic forms are compared to cleistogamous flowers; and this curious case is parallel with that of a species of plant whose reproduction should be accomplished entirely by its cleistogamous flowers, though at the same time it produced perfect flowers in abundance. The condition recorded by Grassi is probably extremely exceptional. Fritz Mtiller found once a colony in which a true king was acting as consort to a considerable number of neoteinic queens, no true queen being present.
In order to understand the curious phenomena presented by the castes and variety of forms of a single species of termite, it is necessary to become acquainted with their food habits, which are very peculiar and may be described as communistic. Termites have the habit of eating their cast skins and even their dead companions, and in fact their system of keeping the nest clean seems to be that of eating the refuse of their own bodies till it no longer contains any digestible matter. This cannibalism is the more remarkable, as they will not eat other termites. The most curious part of their dietary is their complex system of feeding from the matters contained in the alimentary systems of their fellows. When a termite wishes food it strokes the body of another individual with its antennae, and the specimen thus caressed exudes from the posterior or from the anterior part of the body a drop of matter, which is eaten by the hungry one. The matter exuded from the posterior part of the body appears to be very different from that yielded by the mouth, so that there are at least two kinds of this excretory food. The proctodaeal food (that which comes from the posterior part of the body) is in great favour with adult termites, but so far as is known it is not used for feeding the newly born young, which are believed to be fed on matter elaborated in the bodies of the adult workers and communicated by their mouths. Subsequently the young take also proctodaeal food, and triturated vegetable matter.
When termites are hatched from the eggs none of the remarkable differences that are manifested in the individuals in subsequent life can be detected. The sexes are in termites extremely similar in external characters. When the young are hatched they all appear nearly exactly alike, though on careful examination the sexes can be distinguished.
FIG. 3. - Adult Termite: T. nem wings of the rig side expanded.
FIG. 4. - A, queen; B, king: nemorosus. But no other difference than that of sex can be detected. In the article ANT in the ninth edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica it was stated that "the distinction between soldier and worker can be easily seen in the egg." This is contradicted by all modern observations, and is certainly erroneous. It is true that considerable difference of opinion exists as to when the distinction between soldier and worker first becomes evident, but all are agreed that it is not till after the growth is to some extent accomplished. The discrepancy that exists in opinions on this point is due to the facts: (I) that different species have been under observation; and (2) that the modification of the larva to form a soldier may begin at more than one period of the development even in the same species. It being ascertained that all termites begin as undifferentiated larvae, the question arises as to what causes the differentiation into castes. This question is the more important as two of the castes (the worker and soldier) do not at all resemble their parents. Grassi, from an examination of the individuals of a large number of nests of Termes lucifugus, arrived at the conclusion that all start as undifferentiated larvae, and that the regular development of Termes up to the perfect insect may undergo a deviation at various periods of life leading to the FIG. 5. - Termitarium of Termes malayanus: f, fungus-chamber; formation of workers, of neoteinic forms, or of soldiers, the last passing through the stage of the young worker. He attributes this deviation, which may take place at various periods, to the influence of food, and attaches special importance to the salivary food. The soldiers have no wings; nevertheless a larva, or young nymph that has the rudiments of wings, can be made into a soldier. Grassi has found juvenile specimens that have already assumed the soldier form, although they possess the rudiments of wings. It appears from his observations that the worker may be considered as a form with arrested development, and the soldier as a form with arrested and much diverted development, while the neoteinic forms are individuals in which the reproductive organs are perfectly developed, while some of the bodily structures have suffered arrest of development and even some amount of atrophy.
The soldier form of termite presents most difficult questions to the biologist, its special structures bearing no approximation to any characters possessed by the parents. Various theories have been proposed to account for this fact, but they are mere guesses. We may, however, mention that it is possible that soldiers and workers occasionally produce young. This has never been actually observed, but specimens have been found with the sexual organs partially developed, and F. Silvestri has recorded the occurrence of workers with some of the characters of the females, in South America, in a nest of Termes strunchii. Termitaria. - There is nothing in which termites display more variety than in their dwellings. These are sometimes not constructions at all. The primitive Calotermes flavicollis - in which there is no worker - frequently inhabits rotten places in trees; at most it increases these a little by excavation, and modifies the passages by slight and imperfect barricades. In the case of this species the community never attains a greater number than one thousand individuals, and even this is comparatively rare. On the other hand, we have the huge solid structures, Io or 20 ft. high, delineated by Smeathman with cattle standing on their summits. Saville Kent has observed termitaria in Australia 18 ft. high. In equatorial Africa termitaria are frequently 12 to 25 ft. high and sharp-pointed. As a rule large termitaria do not occur in considerable numbers in a restricted area, but there are exceptions even to this. At Somerset, Cape York, there is one of the most remarkable termite cities of the world. Viewed from the sea, it appears as if the plain for a mile or more in extent were covered with pointed pillars, varying, according to different accounts, from 6 to 13 ft. in height, broad at the base and tapering to the summit, forming regular symmetrical pyramids. In this part of Australia there is also found the "compass," "magnetic," or "meridian" termite, the mounds of which have somewhat the shape of a tombstone, and have always the same orientation, the wider face of the structure always extending north to south. It has been suggested that this is connected with the necessity of regulating the temperature or the amount of desiccation of the nest, but there is no evidence whatever on the point. A termitarium on being opened displays a vast number of irregular chambers separated by thin partitions (fig. 5, f), the royal cell being placed in the middle (fig. 5, c) . The material used is of an earthy nature, but the interiors of many earthy termitaria are largely composed of woody fibre, the refuse proceeding from the alimentary canals of the insects being used for this purpose. A considerable number of the larger termites use fungi for their foodstuff. There are special cham bers where these are cultivated, the matter on which the fungus is grown being of a woody nature and sponge-like in its structure. The fungi make their appearance as small globules. Probably the spores or mycelium are placed in the mass when it is formed by the termites; but very little is yet known as to this fungus and its mode of treatment by them.
Authorities. - H. Smeathman, "Termites," Phil. Trans. (1781), pt. i. lxxi., pp. 139-192; H. Hagen, "Monograph of Termites," Linnaea Entomologica, 1855 and 1860, x. and xiv. G. D. Haviland, "Observations on Termites," J. Linn. Soc. Zool. (1898), xxvi., 358-442; B. Grassi. and A. Sandias, "The Constitution and Development of the Society of Termites," Atti Acc. Gioenia (4), 1893 and 1894, vi. and vii.; translated by W. F. H. Blandford in Q. J. M. S. (1897), xxxix. and xl. Y. Sjostedt, "Monographie der Termiten Afrikas," K. Svenska Vet.-Ak. Handl. (1900), xxxiv., No. 4; W. W. Froggatt, "Australian Termitidae" (three parts), P. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, 1895, 1896, 1897; W. S. Kent, The Naturalist in Australia (London, 1897), iv. Extensive bibliographies are given by Hagen and Sjostedt. (D. S.*)
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FTZ Board Considers Production Authority for Louisiana Ship Facility
The Foreign-Trade Zones Board has received from Gulf Island Shipyards LLC a notification of proposed production activity for its facilities within FTZ 279 in Houma, La., which are used for the repair, maintenance, and fabrication of tugs, barges, dredges, offshore drilling rigs, and other vessels. FTZ activity would be limited to the specific foreign-status materials and components and specific finished products described in the notification and subsequently authorized by the FTZ Board. In addition, production activity under FTZ procedures would be subject to the standard shipyard restriction applicable to foreign-origin steel mill products, which requires that GIS pay all applicable duties on such items.
Production under FTZ procedures could exempt GIS from customs duty payments on the foreign-status components used in export production. On its domestic sales, GIS would be able to choose for specified foreign-status inputs the duty rate (zero) that applies to cargo vessels, passenger vessels, tankers, refrigerated vessels, offshore service vessels, fishing vessels, tugs and pusher crafts, dredgers, offshore drilling or production platforms, floating docks and similar structures, lifeboats and military vessels, and hulls. Customs duties also could possibly be deferred or reduced on foreign-status production equipment.
Comments on this notification are due no later than Oct. 11.


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Checkout this gameplay footage from Capybara Games' upcoming Below at E3!Wiley Wiggins - June 22, 2015
Ridiculous Fishing is one of the most visually original and mechanically polished games on the app store. This dedicated retooling of a free flash game by Vlambeer managed to survive being cloned early in its development and emerged triumphant last night to impressive early sales. Even if you don't get the game, stop and check out the brilliant use of animation on their trailer page. With game design by Vlambeer, programming by Zach Gage, art by Greg Wohlwend, and music by Eirik Suhrke, Ridiculous Fishing is about the closest thing you get to an indie game dream team on the app store. It's surprisingly deep and a lot of fun once you start zapping fish into outer space with lasers and talking to birds on a satirical social network accessed via a smartphone that looks suspiciously like a wooden plank.Wiley Wiggins - March 14, 2013
I just posted about the fantastic PS3 title Journey by That Game Company over at my blog. -WWiley Wiggins - March 14, 2012
The Virtual Art of 80′s Game Worlds - Sci-Fi-O-Rama.Wiley Wiggins - March 14, 2012
In 1987, 3D gaming generally meant fixed-camera isometric arcade adventures, a style popularised by Ultimate Play The Game with titles such as Knight Lore and Alien 8. Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond had already dabbled in this style with a little remembered game licensed from the Batman franchise. Batman was a strong game in its own right, with clever room design melding exploration with puzzles and pixel perfect jumps.
With Head Over Heels the pair took their existing Batman game engine and with a simple twist completely revitalised the genre. You see, in Head Over Heels you control not one, but two characters and can swap back and forth at will. Quick-footed Heels can run fast, pick up and move objects, and use the game's population of Hush Puppies as platforms to climb to inaccessible location. Spring-footed Head can leap to impossible heights, glide through the air, and stun enemies with his doughnut launcher. The game's fiendish puzzles must be solved by either bringing Head and Heels together to work as a team or by splitting them up to take on challenges that rely on the unique skills of one or the other.
The greatest strength of Head Over Heels, and indeed something that inspires us to this day, is the two character mechanic. Figuring out how to combine the abilities of both to solve problems is a truly engaging and rewarding experience, and something we hope to bring to Thunderbeam. Head Over Heels also shy from gameplay that's strictly linear. The main quest is to escape from the Blacktooth Empire, but the daring can attempt five side quests, all of which are optional and which may be tackled in any order. Each of these secondary missions involves visiting one of the emperor's enslaved worlds and finding the crown, thereby liberating the planet. The crown rooms, of course, tend to be amongst the trickiest in the game.
While not without its faults (the ability to get trapped in a loop of permanent death being amongst the biggest), Head Over Heels remains a charming and entertaining game with some well-designed puzzles that lead to genuine "ah hah!" moments. You could do worse than download a copy of the excellent remake (Windows, OSX, Linux, BeOS) [1]. Or, you know, play one of the original 8-bit versions, of which the Amstrad CPC release was oddly the best.[1] In the interests of full-disclosure, I should note that I beta-tested this remake a few years back. James Curry - September 15, 2011
Our lead developer James gets all nostalgic about the good ol' days. He totally wears a hat like that when we get together to work on code.Wiley Wiggins - August 17, 2011
While we are waiting for the coming XBox version of Derek Yu's Spelunky (with all new art and goodies), there's now finally a Mac port of Spelunky 1.0- the original version. For those of you not in the know, Spelunky is a sort of procedurally generated Montezuma's Revenge- every level is randomly cooked-up so all sorts of unexpected things can happen.
I really love this game. It takes me back to a weird epiphany I had as a kid playing River City Ransom, when my friend grabbed a stick and I grabbed a rock, and when I threw it at him, he managed to knock it out of the air. It was the first time that a game had let me do something that felt like maybe the programmers hadn't anticipated it, but that the world they had made was robust enough that something cool happened anyway. Spelunky is full of stuff like that- Instead of saving the damsel in distress you can be a jerk and throw her in front of a poison dart trap, triggering it but saving yourself, then you can pick up the spent dart and toss it at an attacking spider. There are so many beautiful surprises in this game, and I am incredibly excited about the new versionWiley Wiggins - July 14, 2011
Luftrauser - Gameplay Video from Rami Ismail on Vimeo.
I've been playing Luftrauser from (not)vlambeer all morning- It's a scrolling shooter with a really great hook- you can cut your thrusters and turn in mid-air to shoot pursuing planes without changing course. Also, you can bounce off the water and the top of the skybox without taking damage, but enemies die. There's something about this game that's super-addictive, and the cool restrained color palette and vaguely fascist chiptune march that serenades you as you play make the whole thing a delightfully well-rounded little time-waster.Wiley Wiggins - July 04, 2011
Wiley Wiggins -
May 14, 2011
Rene Laloux and Roland Topor's animated classic Fantastic Planet has always been one of my favorite animated films. The film is based on a 70's Czech novel that many considered to be an allegory for the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia, but I really feel like the film is way too broad to have such a specific political reading. If any of you read my blog you may already know I am obsessed with Roland Topor, the polymath French Surrealist who provided the illustrations for this movie. The score by Alain Goraguer is a lounge-y psychedelic classic as well.
"Welcome to Super Platform World! You can walk forward by pressing the Right button". "Uh oh! There's a small pit in your way. Try jumping over it with the X button". "Want to backtrack? Press the left button to head the other way". "Oh, good job! You went left! Well done you, you big dullard you. Have an achievement!".
Ah, the tutorial level. Originally a nice touch, it has since evolved into a crutch for designers and worse, an expectation, as if the player couldn't carry out the most basic of tasks without hand-holding. Another World (Out of this World in America) was the opposite. You're thrown into the game without a clue as to your objective or even the controls, and left to figure things out. Another World credited the player with some intelligence, and was all the better for it.
Attempts to bring a cinematic experience to the systems of the 1980s and 1990s were by and large failures; efforts to emulate visuals far beyond the hardware's capabilities would result in a slow, garbled mess or an adventure with limited interactivity and no replay value. Eric Chahi, on the other hand, resisted the urge to attempt the impossible and instead developed an original art style that could both convey that cinematic quality and work within the limits of the systems available. Dark and muted colour palettes with ocassional splashes of colour perfectly depict the stark alien landscape in which you find yourself.
There are so many great touches: Background details that become important later on, the constant howl of the wind during the outdoor stages and very brief in-game cut scenes that maintain the game's visual style while showing key events from another angle. It all adds up to make the whole thing incredibly atmospheric and to foster a sense of wonder that never lets up.
It's hard. If I wasn't afraid that children might be reading, I'd even say "bastard hard", but it's rewarding. You'll be forced to retry the same sections again and again, but you'll forever strive to find out what's next. Along the way you'll explore an alien city, escape from jail and make a friend. There's more to be said for Another World than I could hope hope to cover in this short write-up. I suggest you play the game or listen to Eric Chahi talk about it in his own words. A triumph!James Curry - May 30, 2011
In some ways Maniac Mansion was the seed that started us on this project (well, that and some exuberant binge-drinking and ranting about classic games from James and I that alienated everyone sitting around us). I really liked the idea of putting together a team of kind of archetypical kids, and then switching back and forth between them in order to manipulate puzzle elements in different locations. Maniac Mansion was one of the first games to have cutscenes, and while charming at the time, the practice eventually got out of hand. We're consciously avoiding cutscenes over a few seconds, or long bits of exposition, which we feel can take the player out of the game experience. Additionally, contextual menus and multitouch will replace the big palette of verbs that took up so much of many of the early Lucasarts games' screens. Maniac Mansion was fabulous for its sense of humor, the depth of its interactions, and the freedom that it gave players to absolutely bork themselves. It was entirely possible to paint yourself into a corner where the game became unfinishable, and a huge amount of time and energy were spent scripting out results for interactions that didn't have anything to do with the plot or the main tasks at hand. This made for a lot of exciting exploration, and it's a treasured early gaming memory for us.Wiley Wiggins - May 11, 2011
Parasol Stars is to a large extent the Bubble Bobble game that history forgot. Never released in North America and sent straight to home systems in Japan and Europe, Taito themselves seem to have forgotten its existence, effectively retconning it away with the release of Bubble Memories in 1995. Nonetheless, it remains a worthy successor to the much beloved Rainbow Islands.
The game, like the first two in the series, was constructed around a unique play mechanic; both original yet a natural evolution of its predecessors. Bubbles flood the screen and can be collected on your parasol, then thrown at enemies to either stun or eliminate them. Gather five bubbles of the same type, for instance water or fire, and you can unleash a special attack. Your parasol can also stun smaller enemies directly, which may then be thrown at each other or even used as a parachute to slow your decent when falling. It's an orginal concept, but totally intuitive; capturing the essence of the classic platform game while feeling fresh and offering something new.
Taito's hallmark throughout the 1980s and early 1990s were instantly addictive games, with deceptive simplicity masking hidden depths. Parasol Stars is no exception, replete with the secret levels, false endings, and endless special items that brought such replay value to the earlier games. The sheer variety (and in some cases scarcity) of the special items alone are a reason to keep playing, with new things to discover even months after you first play the game. This ongoing journey of discovery is an experience that only becomes richer when you realise that nothing is truly random. Whether it's your score, your kills, your speed at clearing levels, or the number of times you've jumped, every item appears for a reason, and a truly adept player can learn to manipulate the game for the right item at the right time.
Bright and colourful cutesy graphics, incessantly cheerful music and a surreal collection of end level bosses round out the experience. Parasol Stars is how an arcade platformer should be done.James Curry - May 10, 2011
So much has already been written about Fumito Ueda's Ico that it's hard to know what else to add. If you haven't played the game, it's a pretty fundamental piece of work. Sony is doing an HD re-release for the PS3 as a buildup to Ueda's new, highly anticipated The Last Guardian, but you can generally pick up a used copy for the PS2 online.
What I found the most striking about this game was the incredible restraint that it had in terms of music, 'editing' or other mediation- letting the atmosphere and sound design of the world speak large- the situations of the game are incredibly emotionally evocative in ways that games and movies so rarely are, even when they hammer you in the face with fast cuts and John Williams' scores.
The game has a dreamlike, simplistic plot; you play a boy born with horns- an occurrence viewed as an omen in your village. You're taken to a crypt in a vast, deserted castle, and sealed into a tomb as an offering. You manage to escape, and find another inhabitant in the castle- a luminous girl who you are unable to communicate with, who is being constantly threatened by shadowy, amorphous figures. That's another powerful omission in this game- the lack of exposition adds to the stark feeling of the gameplay. I can't say enough about the feeling of immediacy that this creates as you make your way through the game.Wiley Wiggins - June 16, 2011
Earthbound (Originally titled "Mother 2" in Japan) is a scrappy JRPG with psychic kids slinging yo-yo's instead of dreary anime tropes swinging swords. It's got a consistently goofy sense of humor, and great touches like a Madlibs-style setup where you name things like your favorite food and your family dog, and a perpetually absent salaryman father who supports you on your adventures by talking to you on the phone and making deposits into your ATM account. I love this game for the fun character design and writing (of course I've only played the English version, but I'm told it's very faithful), and for the cool music and battle-screen backdrops, which pushed what the Super-Nintendo's GPU could do in interesting, psychedelic ways.Wiley Wiggins - May 16, 2011


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It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education – Albert Einstein
It's the superficial differences you notice first, of course. Sarawakian schools are better landscaped; British schools are better resourced. British schools have a greater sense of structure; Sarawakian schools have a greater sense of community.
There are superficial similarities, too – it seems that teachers all over the world have parallel concerns about government interference and volumes of paperwork. But after 18 months mentoring English teachers here in Sarawak under the new KSSR curriculum, I hope I've started to get (ever so) slightly under the skin of the primary education system here, and as an outsider looking in, this is what I've learnt about…
…classroom pedagogy
KSSR classrooms are pedagogically chaotic. Sadly that is not to say that teachers are reflectively experimenting with different approaches, but that nobody seems to know what to do for the best with the incoherent textbooks and conflicting advice foisted upon them since January last year.
The KSSR was intended to help teachers move away from chalking-and-talking by introducing contemporary methodologies such as synthetic phonics and communicative language teaching, but teachers were given no training, and the textbook authors often seem as confused as the teachers.
My favourite Year Two speaking activity reads, bafflingly: "A chicken gives us meat and eggs. Talk about camels and ostriches."
Having a 'native speaker' (many of us are native-level rather than native speakers but the assumption endures) in their classrooms has barely helped my mentees to untangle the mess of the KSSR. How can it? Teachers are being asked to embrace a 180-degree culture change by spending two to three hours a week with a mad foreigner banging on about group work. What I've actually done for the last year and a half is deliver a piecemeal CELTA course in an attempt to compensate for the lack of theoretical foundations laid down by the MoE – but intensive four-week CELTAs (or their equivalent) could and should have been delivered by qualified local tutors before the KSSR was rolled out. That way, I might have been more of a mentor than an instructor. It's a shame.
It's also a shame that those in power don't recognise that constantly using teachers as political guinea pigs makes huge dents in morale. Which leads me to…
I've met some fantastically hard-working teachers in Sarawak who take their professional development seriously and who really care what happens to their charges. I've also met some unpardonably poor ones who've long since lost the will to teach, who arrive late to class or not at all, who never plan lessons and whose classroom management skills extend only to wielding (and occasionally using) a cane.
Cane aside – corporal punishment in state schools has been illegal in the UK since 1987 – I wouldn't suggest for a second that British teachers don't also fall into these two camps, and many in between. The difference in Sarawak seems to be that, once you've entered the teaching profession, it's almost impossible to be dismissed. Incompetent teachers might receive verbal or written warnings, or be unhelpfully shunted to another school, but fired? No.
In rural areas especially, legends of sacked teachers and petrol bombs abound, so perhaps it's not surprising that the system is clogged with poorly-performing staff who do nothing to merit their salaries. But education reform is not possible without a workforce of committed educators.
Children shouldn't move through any school system encountering just a handful of dedicated, capable teachers. The best I've worked with, here and in other countries, have been intrinsically motivated. They (we) enjoy their (our) work and see the value of it. Carrots such as bonuses, and sticks such as unpaid suspension of duties, are often rubbished as ineffective, short-term solutions to a lack of employee motivation, but in this context the absence of sticks is disastrous.
Let those who are jaded (for nobody could blame you), those who would rather be somewhere else, be somewhere else. And let those who can, teach.
From the moment you enter a school and see the huge display board counting down the days to the UPSR examination, it's clear that education in Sarawak is driven by testing. Sadly, this drive swiftly and routinely breaks down the natural inquisitiveness that new pupils and new teachers bring to the classroom, and without it barely any real learning can take place. Teachers say; pupils repeat. Teachers write; pupils copy. Scoring highly on the UPSR English paper requires very little in the way of understanding.
Although the MoE has wisely recommended (rather than mandated… or has it? A definitive answer is hard to find) that testing should be abolished under the KSSR and replaced with continuous assessment, this is not happening. Why?
In addition to the lack of ministerial clarity on the subject, the data entry requirements of the fledgling continuous assessment system are arduous, and at present there's a disconnect between the communicative focus of the KSSR and the grammatical focus of the UPSR.
There also seems to exist amongst headteachers an unshakeable belief that parents will not accept any means of progress testing other than, well, tests.
The UK is hardly more sensible on this front, with children sitting standardised tests at four 'Key Stages' during their school careers (at ages seven, 11, 14 and 16). Finland, however, widely accepted as having one of the most successful education systems in the world and from whom many of the KSSR's principles were appropriated, does not test its students at all until the end of their final year of secondary school.
Until practice follows policy here in Sarawak, children continue to be force-fed information they can parrot but not manipulate.
…the broader learning culture
The behaviour we expect from children must be modelled by the adults around them.
We expect children to read, yet a 2012 straw poll of teachers in the Padawan district (where I've been working) revealed that, in the last year, only one person of 30 had read a whole book for pleasure themselves and only two had read stories to their kids.
National statistics suggest that the average Malaysian reads just two books per year.
We also expect children to develop critical thinking skills, yet schools offer scant opportunities for them to do so. The hidden curriculum of the Sarawakian education system teaches pupils over and over again that unquestioning adherence to hierarchy – being silent or speaking (reciting) only at the command of someone higher up the food chain – is the single acceptable model of behaviour, and that deviation from this 'norm' is likely to land you in hot water.
On a related note, we expect parents to take an active interest in their children's learning but insult their intelligence at every turn. Whilst a lack of parental engagement is the commonest reason offered for low student attainment, parents' imagined beliefs are still allowed to dictate educational practice. Pupils must complete every exercise on every page of their workbooks, even those with nonsensical instructions and grammatical errors (there are several), otherwise parents will complain. Pupils must take monthly tests and have letter grades on their report cards otherwise parents will complain.
Has there been a consultation? Are Sarawakian mothers and fathers really so immovable on these pedagogical matters in which they allegedly take no interest? It doesn't make sense.
…the learning environment
Environment affects learning. It's certainly not the most critical thing, but when you have a class of fifty in a crowded room with no soundproofing, a fan that only works between 10:45 and 11:10 on a Tuesday, nothing on the walls and holes in the floor, it's much harder for learning to take place. Sarawakian school architecture seems not to have changed in the last thirty or forty years, although a growing body of research suggests that both teachers' and students' achievement is linked to the buildings in which they work. What to do?
Lack of finances is the oft-cited explanation for crumbling classrooms, but it appears that money can always be found for projects such as ours with which political points can be scored, and for the fountain of 1Malaysia chocolate milk which never seems to run dry. Cynicism aside, I'm not doubting the budgetary constraints at both government and school level, but a more even allocation of whatever meagre budget there is would go a long way towards improving the environment of most schools.
The real business of a school is teaching and learning and this is surely where money needs to be directed. Style is consistently prioritised over substance – in the cultivation of immaculate gardens while classrooms remain unfit for purpose, for example. Of course it's not realistic to expect interactive whiteboards (or even whiteboards) in every room, but there ought to be sufficient time and money for staff to make attractive, educational decorations for their schools.
Displaying pupils' work, especially, is motivating and requires almost no effort on the part of teachers, but audible encouragement is needed from the top for teachers to spend less time on, say, testing, and more on creating places where kids are excited to learn.
Perhaps what you've learnt about me from this article is that I'm some neo-colonialist busybody who'd do well to go back to England and stop meddling in your education system. I've heard it before, and I'd struggle to argue with you at this point.
But the most significant thing I'd say I've learnt about myself from my experience here is that I'm a teacher first and a mentor, trainer, whatever else second.
Being an outsider looking in to other people's classrooms has fuelled my desire to get back inside one like nothing else in the past nine years, which is why I've left the project in spite of a deep-seated affection for Sarawak.
I'd like to thank you for having me, apologise for the very little impact I've been able to make, and I hope for everyone's sake that my successor is a vocation mentor with a fondness for chocolate milk.
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5) After form 5, my English was improved via the English RNE class which was intensive English daily for 3 consecutive months. This was prior to A-level.
6) While in the British university, I found a bit of problems in listening to English speakers there especially the Scottish lecturers. Luckily, most lectures are accompanied by written notes which I can read well and any words that I did not understand, I can refer to a dictionary except one time when one lecturer whose assent I did not cathc very well, lectured on human resource and economics without giving any written notes. This created a problem for me so I had to ask notes from friends. When starting frist year, I did try to improve my English by joining an English class and the English teacher did suggest to find an English girlfriend if we really want to improve our English up to the native-level. I was not handsome so did not manged to get one though. I should get one I think and brought her back home like some of the ministers!
7) After graduation, when started working in the oil and gas industry back home, only English was spoken in office. All project and contract documents, applicable codes and standards, rules and regulations are in English. Here I realize how lucky I was for being able to join the Rancangan Bersama to study overseas.
So where are the weaknesses for improvement?
Is it because English medium was replaced by bahasa completely except the English class? This might have discouraged students o speak English inside and outside class.
My lower secondary school English teacher did try to force us to speak English by penalizing those who spoke other languages except English while in English 10 cents each time but this did not improve my English a lot or change the culture towards speaking English in daily life.
I was quite happy when Malaysia implemented the policy to teach Math and Science in English but was dismayed when it removed, so back to square one.
Recently, I read about SK Ulu Lubai where primary school students can speak English including some parents. This is definitely a good news to me. I wonder how did they manage to do it?
I am quite happy to know about English native speakers in Sarawak schools like in this KSSR programme. Did they teach or just supervise?
Knowing the basics of English language at any level of the education seems to be very important before mastering the English language. Do you agree?
Read the article above. My response is as follows if it can hep further the cause at all, otherwise please forget about it.
I got the worst grade for my English subject which is Grade 4 for PMR and SPM.
Those in Malaya used to think that Sarawakians can speak English better because the English medium was removed later than in Malaya but this lateness resulted in some or most students got the worst grade for English subject during the test or examination while those in Malay managed to score good results perhaps due to their realization of English importance and the more rapid development and progress in Malaya compared to Sarawak.
When I managed to join the RB (Rancangan Bersama) or Joint Programme by PSD (Public Service Dept), Petronas, etc. at Centre for Preparatory Education at ITM Shah Alam, we were tested for English proficiency after which I almost failed mine and thus put into among the worst English RNE (Remedial and Enrichment ) class. So I learnt quite a lot from the RNE class to score above average result for the post-RNE class test using the same set of questions. A close friend asked how I manage to score the good result. So replied I just learnt as much as I can. Then pass my IELT above average before starting my degree in UK after passing the A-level. For A level, we started studying Mathematics in English straight away while studying other descriptive subjects like Physics and Chemistry after finishing the RNE class.
My mum told me that I can only speak and understand English when I was a child because my dad was the manager for a government rubber plantation scheme who was of course educated in English medium.
Why was my English was poor before the English RNE class?
Possible reasons could be:
1) I could not read even bahasa until at the end of primary 4. I started to able to read by reading the bahasa Melayu textbook and I would my chinese friend any words that I could not read eg gua where I started to know how recognize the syllables eg gu and a for gua.
2) After that, I found it hard to learn English in class because I didn't understand the meaning of the English words so it was quite pointless and meaningless to learn all those grammar in class when the students did not understand what the English teacher said. I remember one trainee teacher from Maktab Perguruan Rajang taught us in primary 6 the English word of Above using a colourful sketch of a bird flying above a tree.
3) This problem continue into lower secondary school, form 1, 2 & 3. The English teacher was the same person for the 3 years but I could remember he made any intensive attempt to improve our English proficiency.
4) In form 4, I moved to Tanjong Lobang College in Miri after getting good SRP results and after my form teacher personally help to apply to transfer and was plced into science side. Here the English teacher taught the Communication English for form 4 and 5. Again, the same problem persists ie I did not really understand the basic English from primary school and the English teacher did not also try to remedy the basics of English. When I applied for Shell scholarship, I asked the English teacher to translate for me but she said I should try myself first and I did try and sent my form to get the scholarship. I used to get poor results for English during the term exams. So what to do towards the end of form 5? How to improve my English result in SPM? I bought the Oxford English book (I hope still on sales until today) and read that book myself to self-teach. As a result, I managed to score the highest mark in my class for English during the trial/mock SPM exam. This gave me a bit of confidence for SPM. Finally I got credit 4 for my English subject in SPM. I did the same hardwork tactic to improve results for my additional maths and modern maths by doing pass-year questions which were available upto 10 years back. I used my scholarship money to buy the reference books for the book shops in town. I repeated answering and checking the answers my self a few times in preparing for the trial/mock exams myself a few time. Is this a tried and tested method to score good grades for exams? Now I wonder any other ways to do it?
Split and to be continued below.
The government of Sarawak has no money? Ask Taib and his family what they have done with the nearly US$2 BILLION robbed from the same people you are working with. http://www.sarawakreport.org/2011/08/taib-highly-…
And you assume that education is the issue rather than an excuse to keep millions of Bumiputera employed/distracted so that they will mindlessly continue voting for the same crocks who keep robbing them and their children of any decent future, and their crony friends continue getting the juicy contracts (paid for by the oil and massive rainforest destruction around you).
As Jong mentioned above the real issue is a RACIST government that holds onto power through its racist polices, ensuring one race controls all no matter what. So we have the situation where position and power are not due to ability (as in most places) but your RACE. Hence as you correctly pointed out incompetence, stupidity, laziness and out and out criminality is of no issue – your race is. The education system is a microcosm of the whole country. The sad thing is this a MASSIVE recipe for disaster as Jong pointed out and history clearly shows us. British Empire to a certain degree fell due to this rather myopic view of reality (class and race being the issue there) and many of the corrupt, racist, criminal dictatorships of the Middle East went/are going the same way.
All the current policies are just window dressing, distracting us from the real elephant in the room with regards to Malaysia, a racist government and its racist policies distorting the true potential of its people.
And I won´t even touch the issue of how the independent countries of Sabah and Sarawak have been raped and colonised to pay for this madness all with the collusion of their leaders (how of course were they allowed to amass such insane wealth?!)
I too am a mentor, but based in Sabah and completely agree with many of the issues you point out. I work with amazing people and in the same poor desperate and shockingly sad situation you describe (for a country as potentially rich as Sabah – from one school we can see all the gas terminals pumping all the wealth to KL/Putrajaya), Though I work knowing that this madness will end and that ordinary Malaysian will realised the extent to which they have been robbed and abused by their own government and take the decent steps to put them out of power and behind bars where they belong….
Shame you will not be here to see it…
When you are inside then you know what is really happening in this country. What Laura experienced is just the tip of the iceberg! In actual fact the whole country is in total mess. Just take a look at the civil service (the teaching profession is part of the civil service) More than 90% of the civil servants is from a single race. As long as you are from that particular race you will be in. Intelligence and knowledge doesn't matter. Smart individuals from other racial groups are side lined and totally ignored. So where they go? They leave their country and everything and start life else where. (The main cause of brain drain) So the top key posts are controlled by people from a single racial group, where most are idiots and fools. So this this apartheid country is mostly run by idiots and fools! It's a classical case of "the blind leading the blind" where the country is heading towards the abyss.
Succinctly written, thanks.
Same issues here in urban Penang, except for issues crumbling schools and fan operating hours.
I wish those parents rallying for PPSMI would understand that the issue with our education system is more fundamental than the use of English in Science and Maths. I'll support/start?/join a group that rallies for fundamental and committed overhaul of our public education and removes politicisation and racial polarisation.
Grateful thanks everyone for the comments and shares. It means a lot to me that you took the time to read, and I'm in some small measure relieved (if that's the right word) that Malaysians share many of the same concerns. Here's to the future…
Hi Laura,
I'm from Malaysia and will be pursuing my doctorate in Sydney in May 2013. My research is related to the native speaker mentor programme that you were involved in. Would you mind if I get in touch with you personally via email to get more details regarding the implementation of this programme? I'd be very grateful.
Hi Wendy – I'd be very happy for you to get in touch. You can email me at lauraphelps2(at)yahoo.com. Best wishes, Laura
Thank you very much, Laura. Will get in touch with you soon. Regards, Wendy
My child studies in an urban school in the klang valley and the issues you mention afflict urban schools as well. And yes, I'm appalled by the mistakes in the standard two English language textbook. And till today I'm clueless on how the new assessment works. If my child hasn't achieved the desirable band, will the system try to help him improve or just continue along its merry way as what's happening now.
Trouble is Sarawak is at the mercy of KL where Education is concerned. Sad to say, our Education policies are politically-connected/controlled. Many of the teachers are where they are because they have no better choice, while those who are qualified and competent have not been given the opportunity to get into the profession. The selection process has to bee done through racial quota and the like for far too long.
The poor kids have been kept backward by incompetent teachers and non-conducive environment. Parental interference is not a critical problem in most rural schools, although there are some overbearing parents.
Yes, I agree with most of what Laura has shared.
Education in Sarawak needs a massive overhaul!


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Wiped out from the holidays? Kick back with the most relaxing song ever. If eight minutes aren't enough for you, give it a try on infinite loop.
How tongue twisters work
The University of Chicago received a mystery package - for Indiana Jones. Mystery solved, thanks to the internet.
Google - Mad Men style. This is fun to play with but only reaffirms my amazement at the thought that anyone got anything done before the internet.
Folding origami house. For people who want to take redecorating to a whole new level.
Creepy critter close-ups. Nature is insane.
Meet Peggielene Bartels - the secretary who's also a king.
American Girl doll music videos. Kind of creepy, also kind of cool. Check out the Ke$ha video in panel 6.
And here's a kitten playing ping-pong:


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Chocolate Haupia (Coconut)
School Kine Cookies
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Condition: NewUPC: MPN:


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Dear Carolyn: Last year, for my husband's job, our family (with three teenagers!) had to move suddenly and permanently, not just across the country but to an entirely different continent. The kids are adapting reasonably well but I'm having a hard time.
Our new location isn't the problem — it's that I can't get over what I've lost. I'm missing my good friends, social structure, our community and the house I loved. Because our move was so sudden, I also had to downshift to a lower-paying, non-managerial position.
I know with the right kind of positive energy and just a little bit of enthusiasm, I would easily make new friends, rebuild my career, decorate our new home and eventually feel at home again. I'm just really struggling to find that positive attitude.
I feel I worked so hard to build everything that is now lost, I'm sad, resentful and burned out — as if I was too tired and old to start over (I'm youthfully in my mid-forties). Can't help feeling "traumatized," while fully realizing it's ridiculous to compare the move to a traumatic experience. How do I get my "can do" spirit back? — Dislocated
Dear Dislocated: What, please tell me, is not traumatic about losing your friends, your home, your community, and your career, with very little warning and for reasons you couldn't control?
They still exist in some form, so, yes, we're not talking about mass death or destruction, mercifully. But having your circumstances fall beneath that threshold doesn't mean your feelings of loss are a frill.
So stop treating them as if they are.
And stop flogging yourself for not bucking up or can-doing or blooming where planted or clicheing where you think you're supposed to cliche.
I'm not suggesting you wallow. The point of respecting the scope of your losses is to allow you to address those losses appropriately — and their emotional symptoms. Sadness, resentment and burnout aren't going to be shamed or ridiculed away by the part of you acculturated to scoff at such pain. Or else they would have been by now, right?
And would you be as tough on a friend in your position as you've been on yourself? People with "good friends" seldom would.
So be that friend to you and nurse the pain. Express your sadness, and get screened for depression. Dig to the source of the resentment and see whether and how you can fix it.
Most important, give yourself extra rest, extra self-care, and extra patience as you recover from this shock to your emotional system. If you're used to feeling settled in after six months, then set a goal of two or three years, longer even, before you start to feel rooted again.
If you remain unconvinced of the healing properties of patience, time and rest, then try this oddball exercise: Give your brain a challenge, like doing a crossword or writing an essay or making complicated plans. Something doable except for some sticking points.
When you hit those points, walk away. Do other things. Forget about it.
Then return to see how many sticking points are "suddenly" unstuck.
This isn't an argument against mental-health care, obviously — still make the screening appointments. It's just a demonstration to yourself of the kind of behind-the-scenes problem-solving a resting brain can do.
Send email to Carolyn Hax at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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what personal growth looks like with us
Job Readiness: Veterans learn or hone a skill set that can be used in future employment or working in the community. Additionally, veterans learn how to translate skills learned in the military to a civilian context.
Leadership: Veterans reapply and/or increase their leadership skills and have opportunities to successfully manage a team.
Purpose: Veterans feel an increased sense of purpose or motivation in their life.
Empowerment: Veterans feel more confident and self-assured in their ability to set goals and meet them.
Communication: Veterans feel confident they have the tools to confidently communicate their experience as a veteran—to other veterans as well as to non-veterans.
Wellbeing: Veterans observe an increase in resiliency and ability to pursue and accomplish goals.
- Majken Geiman, US Army Reserve
the need is clear
Several studies of returning veterans show they often come home unprepared for civilian life. A 2014 study conducted by the University of Southern California found that nearly two-thirds of veterans in Los Angeles County reported feeling unprepared when they left the military.
Additionally, 80% of veterans leave the military without a secured job, and at least 40% depart without a permanent housing plan. The lack of preparedness can lead to a host of problems once veterans return home, including un- or under-employment, economic distress, homelessness, and physical and mental health issues.
The American Psychological Association reports that among returning OEF and OIF veterans, about one-third report symptoms of mental health or cognitive problems. And because many veterans are often reluctant to report mental health issues, real numbers are likely higher. The APA also indicates that on a single night, there are approximately 50,000 homeless veterans in the United States. Homelessness is often compounded by undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues.
A study of Massachusetts-area veterans conducted by RAND found that most un- or under-employed veterans were not so by choice, but were constrained by a variety of factors that impeded their ability to get a well-paying, meaningful job. The most commonly cited barriers included not having the right experience, skills, or education and being constrained by health limitations, child care responsibilities, and access to transportation.
Another barrier is the struggle with translating the skills learned and honed in the military to civilian obligation—something one study found 40% of returning veterans struggle with.
- EJ Delpero, US Navy
how we fill the gap
Internal research indicates personal growth is a top motivator for veterans who participate in TMC programs. In a 2017 survey of all program participants, a majority (55.5%) alluded to personal growth as one of the reasons they participated in TMC programs. Nearly two in five (39%) cited finding a purpose as their reason for participating. Moreover, many participants reported being motivated by an interest in furthering their careers/employment opportunities: 25.7% said they participated for professional development, while 15% sought a new career opportunity.
Internal research also reveals that TMC programming effectively answers veterans' needs for personal growth. Among TMC program participants responding to the 2017 annual survey, 75.6% report feeling a stronger sense of purpose, and more than two-thirds (69.7%) say they are better able to achieve the goals they set for themselves. Nearly half (47.5%) indicate they feel more equipped to work in the civilian world.
TMC programs have the potential to teach or bolster leadership skills. A study of the Service Platoon Program (2014-2015) found that more than three in five (62%) participants report that their participation helped them become a leader. Additionally, employment of participants increased 14 percentage points after participation in the program. 32% of participants reported improved job performance and 28% said their participation improved their chances of finding a job.
Our internal research suggests personal growth through skill building, sense of purpose and achieving goals they have set for themselves (resiliency) are top motivators for veterans who participate in TMC programs, and is an observable outcome that is produced through participation in TMC.
- Luke Merideth, US Navy


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2011 Goaty Hill Riesling
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- Cellar 3 - 4 years (2015-2016)
- Closure: Screw Cap
Brilliant very pale straw colour with watery hue. The nose displays aromas of ripe lime, orange blossom, mandarin and a hint of mineral. Medium dry the palate possesses flavours of ripe lime, tropical fruits and mandarin along with a hint of honeysuckle. Clean crisp finish with aftertaste of ripe lime, tropical fruits and honeysuckle.
Drink over the next 3-4 years.
Alc 11.9%


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Bonza Word Puzzle iOS FAQ
Some problems can be fixed by updating to the latest version of Bonza Word Puzzle. Please ensure that you're using the most recent version by downloading any updates from the App Store. Hopefully the content on this page can resolve your issue. If not, please email us at email@example.com.
- What do I use coins for?
- Can I disable video ads?
- I no longer get offered free hints.
- I bought a puzzle pack but it didn't appear.
- I bought a coin stack but it didn't appear.
- My progress was lost.
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I woke up thinking about lists. Specifically my to-do list for this weekend. Naturally, after such a rude awakening, I needed tea. After all, that overflowing Moleskine of notes and thoughts and general ramblings won't take care of itself. Now I'm contemplating student accommodations. The logistics involved in negotiating toilet roll for 6 girls. So simple, so disastrous. (1. Buy more toilet roll). I can't wait to be out of halls and into my own place. It must be a sign of my control freak tendencies that I'm looking forward to being in a place where I can have full control over my environment (and the state of my cooker). Mostly, I'm looking forward to having someone there to make me tea in the morning, because you can usually measure my level of exhaustion by the number of attempts I make to put the tea bag in the sink instead of the bin.
At least today is a duvet day. Also an extremely busy one, but I am in perfect proximity to my duvet and my kettle so I will manage. Also, they got mad at me the last time I tried to take my duvet into the computer lab.


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And yet another idea for a very good and heavy portion of a chocolate cake.
You know what I think about Brownies… I've said it so many times… Baking this cake only confirmed what I thought before – Brownies The King of Chocolate Cakes :)
And let me underline (subjectively so) that this cake is way better than the oatmeal one :)
Adding prunes made the cake more creamy and wet, which is really really good :)
You know me, I tend to panic for no reason. At first I thought the cake was not ready yet… as if it were still raw… And then it occured to me that these are prunes which give this creamy feeling… Gosh, one day I'll be totally lost in this world ;P
I've got my own bakelist and I'm trying to keep it up-to-date… This time I also decided to check to exact date of adding this recipe to my list… and it turned out it was a year ago… Time flies ;)
Maja made a richer version of this cake. Me, the lazy one, tried to make it simple ;)
Read more


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Georgia Soul to Host Atlantic Region Tournament
Posted July 20, 2017
Augusta Ga,...
Welcome to the Georgia Soul New Home Page.
The Georgia Soul is a group of hard working young ladies who come together through basketball to form a sisterhood. The Georgia Soul believes in hard work, integrity, dignity, community involvement, and representing the CSRA.You may see a Georgia Soul during your everyday living in this city. We are hardworking professionals. We blend into the soul of our community. We love the game of basketball.
The Georgia Soul Basketball Professional Developmental Organization is a newly founded women's Basketball Organization. We are seeking the finest basketball female players and role models in the CSRA. We are dedicated to helping fulfil childhood dreams of playing professional basketball.
Mission Statement
The mission of Georgia Soul Basketball Women's Professional Organization is to inspire women and provide opportunities to reach individual and team potential by providing members with mentorship, leadership, encouragement, sisterhood, community outreach and a passion to inspire others. This organization provides support and resources to encourage young female athletes to excel, both athletically and professionally.
Our Vision
Our vision exceeds beyond the reaches of basketball; we want to bridge gaps and transform young girls into women by providing mentorship, educational and scholarship resources, and teaching life skills to girls' basketball programs in the surrounding area.
The Georgia Soul Women's Professional Developmental l Basketball Organization is delighted to announce its partnership as a community empowerment partner with the Georgia Sting Lady Basketball Youth Organization, a Columbia County based non-profit organization that builds character, confidence and self-esteem in young ladies through the use of "old fashion" team work. The partnership will provide the Georgia Soul an opportunity to support the Georgia Sting Lady Basketball Youth Organization through mentorship, leadership, community involvement, and outreach activities that will inspire the youth to become leaders in every aspect of their lives.


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A retired chronobiologist, who spent much of his career investigating the internal clocks that guide our lives, was stirred from sleep in the early hours of the morning by a most welcome call. Jeffrey Hall had received the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with Michael Rosbash and Michael W Young.
Their research revolutionized what we know about "how plants, animals, and humans adapt their biological rhythm so that it is synchronized with the Earth's revolutions."
Yet even Nobel prize winner and professor emeritus of biology like Dr Hall, who left science almost a decade ago, had a difficult time receiving funding during his years as a scientist. In time, he became disenchanted with the status quo of American academia and funding.
In a 2008 interview with Current Biology, Dr Hall noted that this was one of the reasons he decided to leave.
"I admit that I resent running out of research money... recent applications from our lab have had their lungs ripped out, often accompanied by sneering, personal denunciations – perhaps reflecting the fact that this old-timer has lost his touch. But I still love the little flies [used as model organisms] and claim that my colleagues and I could continue to interact with them productively."
He added that there are times when scientific luminaries receive funding for less-qualified work just because of their status – and that this is preventing quality research.
"Here's what: they receive massive amounts of support for their research, absorbing funds that might be better used by others. As an example, one would-be star boasted to me that he'd never send a paper from his lab to anywhere but Nature, Cell, or Science. These submissions always get a foot in the door, at least."
Although he received a good amount of funding from the government over the course of many years, he's worried about the up-and-coming generation.
"What props up biological research, at least in the vaunted US of A, involves a situation so deeply imbued with entitlement mentality that it has sunk into institutional corruption."
He added: "A principal symptom of this state of affairs involves the following: People are hired after they have undergone long stints of training; and a potential hiree must present a large body of documented accomplishments... now the CV of a successful applicant looks like that of a newly minted full Professor from olden times. Notwithstanding these demands, and the associated high quality of a fledgling faculty-level type, the job starts with some 'set-up' money for equipping the lab; but next to no means are provided to initiate that 'research program' and to sustain it during the years to come."


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Short Film: The Black Falcon
Reading time: about 1 minute.
The Black Falcon is a custom motorcycle built by Ian Barry and his team at Falcon Motorcycles in Los Angeles, it's one of the most highly-respected and detailed custom bikes of the modern era – and the fact that it's powered by a 1950 Vincent Black Shadow V-twin only adds to its appeal.
This film offers a look into the remarkable functionality built into the Black Falcon, features that still images never quite capture effectively. Besides all of its built-in mechanisms, it also happens to be one of the most beautiful customs of the modern age – certainly in my humble opinion.
Official Summary
The Black Falcon is the most revered custom motorcycle in recent history. Designed by Ian Barry and built with his crew at Falcon Motorcycles in Los Angeles, the Black Falcon is more than a motorcycle; it's a collection of ideas filling a motorcycle's 3 dimensional space, challenging our definitions of both 'art' and 'motorcycle'. It is simply magnificent.
What's never been seen, though, is the remarkable functionality designed into the Black. It can be converted from full-race to touring mode without any tools, via Ian Barry's ingenious designs for adjusting the handlebars, footrests, fuel tanks, seat, forks, and rear subframe.
This film corrects what has not previously been visible; all the hand-made, Ian Barry-designed tricks built in.
Via The Vintagent
This article and its contents are protected by copyright, and may only be republished with a credit and link back to Silodrome.com - ©2020


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- lifestyle -
Men's Eyebrow Salute
Chest up, shoulders back and tweezers down.
09 . 24 . 14
So let's discuss men's eyebrow grooming and the overlooked brow themselves. Eyebrows are prolific and can be quite delicate. Don't believe me? Just ask anyone who made one false move with a tweezer. They do an awful great deal for us on the daily but rarely do we credit them for being down right awesome. Most of the time we are plucking, threading, waxing, cutting, lasering and shaving them (wait, men please don't shave your brows).
We curse their rapid ability to sprout new growths so darn hastily and those pesky ingrown hairs that torment us with their frustratingly provoking presence that an incredibly skilled surgeon wouldn't even be able to remove.
Oh Eyebrows. Although they have the potential to possibly grow into some of our foreheads and completely take over our face, they're our secret weapon. Could you imagine a world without eyebrows? That expression-less, eyebrows-less world where sweat running down your forehead would completely stop you in your tracks? Working out would be an impossible task and we would all be out of shape and cranky. I bet there would be a lot more mustaches too. Luckily this world doesn't exist.
I personally hated my bushy brows for the longest time. Growing up with extremely bushy brows that in their natural state, before my grandmother finally helped me wax them, were two connected jungles.
But since the season of the Meterosexual has finally shed its last leaf, and with Spornosexuals running ramped and fresh face looks trending for fall, why not keep our brows o'natural? Think of them like a great statement piece perfectly contrasting your slick suit, shaved face and slicked back hair.
Now, with my current routine of minimal effort, I love my brows more then ever. Elvis, George Clooney, Robert Pattinson, Chace Crawford, Justin Theroux & Benedict Cumberbatch know what I'm talking about. Guys fire your eyebrow stylist, drop the wax and put down the tweezer and walk out of the bathroom.