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In recent news, the popular and angling press have seized upon a review written by Professor James D. Rose of Wyoming University (and colleagues) regarding the ability for fish to feel pain.
Unfortunately, the way that the review has been represented is that of a definitive and conclusive work, but for anyone with access to the paper it is apparent that this is not the case.
In effect, the review reads as an opinion piece, with little to add to the current train of thought on the matter. In it, Rose appears to take pains to address the current available evidence, citing numerous experiments that have taken place, drawing upon research performed, and concluding that the available evidence is not convincing in providing ample evidence for pain in fishes.
However, there are problems with this. Most obvious amongst them is that Rose doesn't really state what it is that would make a good case for evidence of pain in fishes. Early on, there are telling lines that seem to slip through, which may reveal a little more on his requirements. By page five, he writes; "pain is a subjective experience that cannot be directly observed.
In response to this, Dr. Lynne Sneddon (pictured) of Chester University, at most of whose work the review is aimed, comments; "One cannot directly prove what an animal feels, but equally Rose has ignored the fact that you cannot then disprove it and it would be unscientific to do so."
This is rather important, as by throwing this into the mix, Rose makes it rather clear early on that the argument is actually in danger of slipping into the realms of philosophy of mind, rather than remaining in that of science. It's almost as though Rose has set a 'safe retreat' position into which he can fall back as the evidence starts to pile up.
To be crude, if we're talking of pain as an entirely subjective experience that cannot be observed, then we have a dilemma. After all, when it comes to individual qualia and sensation, there are few subjects that have as little a study sample in the world of science. If I wanted to be childish, I could even state that the only pain experience in this world I can vouch for conclusively is my own. Everyone else in the world could be faking, and I'd be none the wiser. I have a study sample of one, and that doesn't make my position strong.
Rose seems adamant on insisting for stronger and stronger arguments throughout the work, raising the bar on what can be submitted as evidence for pain in fishes. It's even more than that, as Rose seems to set the bar so high that the only animals he seems happy to ascribe a pain perception to are humans and (possibly) some higher mammals. The criteria he states even leave animals such as birds as incapable of conscious pain perception.
Rose seeks to address five issues throughout the review, and these are:
Proper conduct of pain research with fishes, including matters of experimentally assessing pain with valid measures;
Technical and interpretational problems that undermine studies purporting to have demonstrated a capacity for pain awareness in fishes;
Evidence from a wide variety of experimental and field studies that were not necessarily designed to study pain but offer insights into the possibility of pain experience by fishes;
Claims for conscious awareness in fishes;
Costs to humans and fishes of invalid definitions and mistaken beliefs concerning fish pain and suffering.
Some of these he seems to apply more weight to than others, and the final point, the cost to humans, barely gets a mention at all. Here, it is alluded to that ideas of pain in fish can potentially be damaging to welfare issues, but doesn't really lay down an explanation of how. There's a little flip-flopping about, followed by an attack on the 'benefit of the doubt' position, implying that to give benefit of the doubt to the matter is costly to the organisms involved, though the only example offered is one that states that assuming fish have a capacity for pain perception hinders further scientific progress involving fish.
Rose quite explicitly mentions; "The benefit of the doubt dogma is not benign, nor does it best protect fish welfare." He mentions the risk of mandating welfare policies on a 'but what if they can' basis, and this in itself is rather telling. It certainly suggests to me that in matters of doubt pertaining to an organism feeling pain, Rose suggests that the default position should be that they can't. To me this is troubling, and though some other authorities also feel uncomfortable with the benefit of the doubt position, it is one that is ethically compelling.
The first issue addressed, involving matters of experimentally assessing pain, is seemingly devoted to drawing a clear boundary between nociception and pain. Nociception effectively refers to the ability of the body to transmit harmful events (burning, trauma, etc) to the brain, and pain, here defined, takes place within the brain, which may or may not be based around events involving nociception.
In setting up a case to reinforce the separate nature of pain and nociception, Rose steps into some territory that to me seems a little baffling in its outcome.
He refers to the human model to make these points, and even here the ground is shaky. He cites; "Pain often, but not always accompanies nociception; pain sometimes occurs without nociception." This is all well and good, and there are certainly cases of human nociception activation that cause a response, as he goes on to demonstrate in decerebrate humans, those in permanent vegetative state, and so on. Pain occurring without nociception stimulation is also well known, and anyone familiar with the concept of phantom limbs, where an amputee complaining of pain in a no longer extant leg, can testify to this.
But Rose seems to make much of this point, almost hankering that the two can be mutually exclusive. But pain does indeed often accompany nociception, and perhaps enough to confidently state that the two are rather intimate, though the crux of Rose's argument is that we should be wary of anything identifying nociception and confusing it for pain.
This is fine, but as I've already stated earlier, this is just raising that bar higher and higher, until eventually we hit the point where nothing short of the impossible task of demonstrating the actual qualia experienced by fishes will do.
For myself, a slightly vague line is where Rose says; "When an animal model is being used to investigate some aspect of pain, it is vital to know that the model system is valid for the purpose." This strikes me as rather close to circular reasoning. To take this mentality to an absurd and oversimplified conclusion, I feel it's a little akin to me saying that we can only test to see if an animal feels for pain if we know that animal can feel pain, but that's the very point being contested.
A considerable chunk of the review, which seems somewhat pejorative in tone throughout, is aimed at discrediting existing research on nociception in fishes, frequently aimed at the works of Dr. Lynne Sneddon, and she has much to say on the subject.
She takes a similar view to the one I have formed from reading the review, stating; "the same argument is used with no new perspectives: if fish do not have an identical brain to humans then they are not consciously aware and cannot 'feel' pain. Accepting this opinion means that no animals (except possibly primates) can experience pain, including dogs, cats, horses, birds, reptiles and amphibians." Dr. Sneddon accuses Rose of taking a "biased and highly anthropomorphic view of pain."
Professor Paul Flecknell of Newcastle University also mentions this point. "The main argument made in the review," he tells me, "is that fish lack the neuroanatomical structures currently considered to be required for conscious perception of emotions such as pain in humans."He adds; "This same argument could be made for all non-human animals, since they lack to a greater or lesser extent the structures present in people."
Asked to sum up the review, Prof. Flecknell tells me; "Rose doesn't add much to the debate, and it remains just that – he also doesn't stray into the other reasons why we might want to treat non-humans in ways that assume they could experience pain. I prefer to keep an open mind on the issue of pain and sentience, and when it might emerge as a property of complex nervous systems – especially as I don't know how complex a nervous system needs to be to have these properties."
Dr. Sneddon is also critical of the way she and her work is represented throughout, telling me that the authors "have included a number of incorrect facts in this review about my published studies to fuel their biased opinion."
She also feels it is "important that readers are aware that this is just an opinion piece, as the views of this small number of authors are dangerous should the fish industries use this as a justification to neglect the welfare of these important vertebrate animals."
Aside from attacking the methods used to gain positive outcomes of nociception research in fishes (and using some unusual leaps back and forth between elasmobranchs and teleosts, even though elasmobranch research in this area is precariously thin on the ground) which Dr. Sneddon is quick to note misrepresents her position and cherry picks information useful to Rose's cause, Rose also dwells on his fourth issue of the review – consciousness in fishes.
This is an important point for Rose, and one where a little of a strawman argument is then set up. On page 26, he states that "There seems to be an assumption made by those advocating the belief that fishes are conscious that if this assumption were true, it would automatically be justifiable to assume that their consciousness would be human-like enough to conclude that fishes experienced human-like pain and suffering. There is no basis for this belief other than pure speculation."
Well, no. This again is an opinion, and one that I suspect Sneddon and others would disagree with. At no point am I seeing any research that claims the potential fish experience of pain is like our own, only that they experience something pain-like and 'more than just nociception.' This is, to me, a convenient way of belittling the opposition, suggesting that they are implying considerably more than they are.
Regardless of this position, Rose earlier remarks; "the absence of a clear statement of the proposed nature of fish consciousness renders the construct conceptually amorphous." This is an interesting comment, because it again assumes the very point under discussion. The nature of the research that is taking place is in part to determine what that very nature of consciousness is. To say that it cannot be discussed because it hasn't yet been clarified is rather uncharitable, I feel.
Rose then goes on to discuss differences between fish and human consciousness, and the problems therein. But this also seems to be missing something. Having laid down the criteria that fish consciousness is undefined, and then trying to compare what we don't know about fish to what we do know about humans seems further effort to muddle to two fields together, as though they should be somehow symmetrical. Such anthropomorphism seems to present itself repeatedly during the review.
Dr. Sneddon does have a response to issues of consciousness in fishes, remarking that one of the key features in definitions is that of self-awareness – something troublesome to show in a lot of organisms.
Typical methods of defining self-recognition involve mirror tests, and observable ability for and organism to recognise itself. Fish notoriously tend to attack or retreat from their own reflection when presented with it, and given that the underwater environment lacks reflective surfaces, this is hardly surprising. Unlike terrestrial animals drinking from water, fish have had very little evolutionary opportunity to deal with or somehow comprehend a reflection of themselves.
However, Dr. Sneddon points to an obvious exception here, in "Cichlid fish can recognise their own odour distinct from others but also distinct from closely related kin. Therefore, this is evidence for self recognition and the ability to discriminate one's own smell from others."
Rose concludes the review with some statements that are subjective to the authors, but aired as though authoritative. Rose talks of "the necessity of using definitions and measures that validly distinguish between nociception, the unconscious sensory detection of injurious stimulus and conscious pain. Our examination of the research literature revealed that these requirements have not been met in research leading to claims for fish pain."
He goes on to say: "One of the most conspicuous shortcomings in discussions of scientific evidence for fish pain has been the selective consideration of evidence," the very same point that researchers of the subject are accusing this very review of. Dr. Sneddon mentions several key features of text where Rose has omitted research or results, or failed to adequately explain differences in method before using comparative cases.
To sum up Rose's review in his own words, he says that "prolonged consequences of nociceptive stimulation and injury, especially conscious pain, are highly unlikely." He accepts that nociceptors are present in fishes (albeit in lower numbers than mammals) but concludes "Our consideration of the available evidence leads us to conclude that fishes for which the behavioural, physiological, and neurobiological evidence is available, are unlikely to have the capacity for the full range of nociception that can cause agonizing pain in conscious humans."
Regarding consciousness, Rose states that "Our assessment of these claims leads us to conclude that neither their rationale nor their supporting evidence is compelling, much less neurologically feasible."
So basically, for readers that have followed this article so far, the outcome is 'based on what we have, we don't know,' which is pretty much where we were before the review was published. Rose doesn't feel that there's enough evidence for conscious pain (having picked the parts of research that support this view) but at the same time hasn't performed any actual experiment to show that fish cannot feel pain. There really is nothing new added apart from a tinkering of the facts to fit an outcome.
The simple point is that this is one review amongst many, with a role to play, but having found nothing decisive. A broader analysis of the evidence may have produced something more compelling in either direction, but we don't have a broad analysis, we have a rather closed one.
As a final thought, I offer some words from the concluding remarks of Dr. Sneddon's response. "I am rather surprised that a journal such as Fish and Fisheries would publish a biased opinion piece such as this and since this personally attacks my research I would have thought it only fair that I be given the opportunity to review it before it was published. I could have pointed out many errors and omission of important references to provide a more balanced text. As scientists, many of us are funded by public money and it is important that we take an unbiased view presenting our results, and allowing the public to make up their own minds rather than trying to force through a personal agenda."
The debate continues, it would appear.


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The absolute terror of the first time I walked into an Ashtanga Yoga Mysore class is something I will never forget. The room was silent and steamy and the teacher did little more than grunt and nod to acknowledge my existence. The students looked like professional athletes carrying themselves like some hybrid contortionists-ballerinas through each graceful move. I felt short and stout in comparison and without the right clothes or yoga gear to join this sacred club.
But I was already in the room.
I had two choices and they both seemed equally horrifying. I could turn around and leave which would definitely not go unnoticed, or I could stay and fumble my way through my poses in the room to which I certainly didn't belong. As I made the decision to stay an incredible courage came over me. I would do this thing, for myself and nobody else, the best I could, despite my inner assurance that the whole room would be laughing at me.
I put down my mat and I took my first Ujjayi breath.
Fifteen years later I am now the proud owner of my own yoga studio, Land Yoga, Executive Director of Three and a Half Acres Yoga nonprofit, co-producer of SOULFest NYC, and author of My Bliss Book as well as several published articles. I speak all over the world about yoga, yoga service, and goal achievement, including presenting for companies such as Halstead, Estée Lauder, the JCC and more.
How did I make the leap from sheer terror and utter embarrassment to becoming a respected leader in my field?
Here are the five simple techniques I used to turn my embarrassment into a success story:
- Remember that EVERYONE is in their own heads about how they are being perceived. They are way too involved in sorting out their own insecurities to be judging YOU! We think we are much more important to others than we are and that is because we are each the lead character in our own story. Once you remember that each person is the lead in her own personal story, you will realize how little others are thinking about your performance and how much they are focused on their own.
- Focus intensely on your task. When you are truly, 100% focused on what you are doing, you have no time to be worrying about what anyone else is thinking. That is wasted energy that could be channeled into your project. How can you land a handstand, master a closing argument or complete any challenging act if a part of you is thinking of something else? You can't. Focus on your job and your job only and you won't only block the others out, you'll be better at what you do!
- Play out the worst case scenario. When all else fails to allow yourself to go there. See yourself making the most embarrassing mistake possible and consider the worst possible outcome. If it's a yoga class, perhaps your worst fear is you slip on your mat falling over on someone. What would happen then? Do you really think they would kick you out of class? Stop speaking to you? Do you confidently believe that no one has ever made this mistake before? Think it through and ask yourself if it is really worth not taking a shot at something you want to learn if the worst thing happens.
- Consider the people whose judgments are holding you in your tracks. Are they really worth going into your shell for? If those around you fault you and treat you harshly when you try something new and make a mistake, are they, in fact, the people whose opinions you really should be trusting? If those you trust are that harsh with their response to failure, they are not the right people to be looking to. Leaders know that failing is a critical part of discovery and advancement and they encourage calculated risk-taking around them. How do you respond to people around you taking a chance and trying something outside their comfort zone? I hope with encouragement and praise. Surround yourself with people who will do the same for you.
- Finally, the best way to get good at risk-taking is to make it a habit. Get in the pattern of taking chances and embarrassing yourself with abandon. Learn to laugh at yourself, dust off the dirt, evaluate and get right back up each time you make a mistake. The more you get used to taking chances, the easier it is to put yourself out there the next time and time after that. One of those times the chance you take is going to pay off into an embarrassingly big WIN.
Here's your BONUS tweetable final motivator inspired by the excellent book Grit:
Success comes from stick-to-itiveness, not from innate talent.
Use that one any time you're tempted to give up!
So now it's time for you to comment and commit. Which one of these methods will you be using to get yourself out of holding back? Do you have other tricks? Share with me in the comments and share the blog with someone you know it could help!

subset: commoncrawl


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Dangerous Driving in Glasgow
Every year around 5,000 people are charged with dangerous driving in and around Glasgow. Many choose not to fight their case and end up as yet another road traffic crime statistic.
At Dominic Sellar & Co, we believe in questioning the facts, fighting for a fair trial and achieving the best outcome for all our clients.
Dangerous driving is a very serious offence and carries a potential sentence of two years in prison. It is vital, therefore, that a motorist who has been charged with dangerous driving contacts an expert as soon as possible.
Section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 defines dangerous driving as the following:
"A person who drives a mechanically propelled vehicle dangerously on a road or other public place is guilty of an offence."
For an offence to have occurred, two things need to have taken place: the way a motorist drives needs to have fallen far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver; and it needs to be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving in such a way is dangerous.
Unless these two conditions are met, a conviction of dangerous driving cannot be achieved.
Dangerous driving is a serious offence and thus normally prosecuted at a Sheriff Court. Justices of the Peace are not allowed to preside over these cases.
Defences to Dangerous Driving
When deciding whether a motorist's driving amounts to dangerous driving, consideration must be given to any explanation that shows the quality of recklessness was not actually present.
For example, a motorist can deny the event took place or claim that the event has been exaggerated.
If an unknown mechanical issue caused a motorist to drive the way he did, this may also act as a defence.
For example, the unexpected failure of brakes or tyres could cause a motorist to drive in a way perceived as dangerous.
Often a driver will accept that his or her driving fell below the acceptable standard but will deny that it was dangerous.
In these situations, it may be possible to persuade the court that a motorist's driving amounts to careless driving rather than dangerous driving.
Our Recent Cases
Get in Touch
Dominic Sellar & Co
First Floor
102 Bath Street
Glasgow G2 2EP


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S&P 500 drop for 4th straight day; Fed a concern
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[December 05, 2013]
NEW YORK (Reuters) — The Dow and the S&P
500 finished lower for the fourth consecutive session on Wednesday
after investors found few reasons to make big moves, with
uncertainty remaining over when the Federal Reserve will start to
slow its stimulus.
Stocks fell for much of the session, but edged closer to break-even
levels in the last hour of trading. Still, the losses were broad,
with eight of the 10 S&P 500 sector indexes ending lower for the day
on concerns that the market's recent rally to record levels was not
About 60 percent of the shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange
closed lower for the day, while 56 percent of Nasdaq-listed stocks
closed down.
Many market participants expect the Fed to announce a cut in its $85
billion in monthly bond purchases in March, but recent economic data
increased expectations that the move may come sooner. The Fed has
said it would slow its stimulus program when certain economic
measures meet its targets, including a decline in the U.S.
unemployment rate.
The ADP National Employment Report showed private-sector employers
added 215,000 jobs in November, more than expected. This was the
latest in a string of reports suggesting that the economy's outlook
was brightening.
"Stronger economics means earlier tapering, which is a negative for
the market. On top of that, we've surged to new highs with a lot of
optimism, and that normally calls for a pullback, if only briefly,"
said Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank
in Cleveland, Ohio.
"If the decline is mostly about sentiment, we should work through it
quickly and be back to seeing better action," he added. "But the
pullback could be more pronounced, the more people focus on the
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slipped 24.85 points, or
0.16 percent, to end at 15,889.77. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index
<.SPX> declined 2.34 points, or 0.13 percent, to finish at 1,792.81.
But the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> inched up just 0.80 of a
point, or 0.02 percent, to close at 4,038.00.
In the Fed's Beige Book, a collection of anecdotes from the central
bank's business contacts across the nation, the Fed said employers
had stepped up hiring in some parts of the country in October and
early November, and the economy had expanded at a "modest to
moderate pace."
Other signs of strength in the economy were figures showing that the
U.S. trade deficit narrowed in October and new home sales recorded
their biggest increase in nearly 33 1/2 years in October. The home
sales report suggested that the housing market's recovery remains
intact despite higher mortgage rates. Shares of KB Home <KBH.N> rose
1.1 percent to $17.26.
[to top of second column]
But the economic picture was muddied after the Institute for Supply
Management said its services index fell to 53.9 last month from 55.4
in October. A forecast called for a November reading of 55.0. A
figure above 50 signifies expansion.
U.S. crude oil futures prices advanced 1.2 percent, up for a fourth
straight day as government data showed an unexpected drop in U.S.
stockpiles. Crude is up 5.3 percent over the past four sessions.
Shares of Marathon Oil <MRO.N> rose 1.4 percent to $36.74. The stock
of Hess Corp <HES.N> added 1.3 percent to $82.21.
Among decliners, shares of clothing retailer Express Inc <EXPR.N>
tumbled 23 percent to $19 after the company forecast quarterly
earnings below analysts' estimates because of weaker-than-expected
Thanksgiving sales.
OmniVision Technologies Inc <OVTI.O> slid 2.9 percent to $15.52
after the chipmaker forecast current-quarter revenue well below
analysts' estimates.
After the market closed, Aeropostale Inc <ARO.N> fell 3.6 percent to
$9.01 following the release of its third-quarter results. The stock
ended regular trading at $9.36, down 3.9 percent.
Oculus Innovative Sciences Inc <OCLS.O> shares surged 103.4 percent
to $4.74 after the company got the go-ahead from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration for its anti-scar gel.
About 6.54 billion shares traded on all U.S. platforms, according to
BATS exchange data.
[By Ryan Vlastelica © 2013 Thomson
Reuters. All rights reserved.]
(Editing by Jan Paschal)
Copyright 2013 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2013 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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How often do you hear a new medical treatment, or any scientific or technological innovation, as "It sounds like something out of science fiction but WonderDrug X will cure Deadly Disease Y…." ? Too often, in my humble opinion, and, in my suspicions, by people who don't read that much science fiction (or fact). But there are some cancer treatments coming up that have been mooted (or at least something similar has) in science fiction. Let me throw some catchphrases at you: "Personalised medicine", "Biological therapy", and, best of all, "Nanobots!!!" Which obviously deserve three exclamations all of their own. Amidst the headline tags, there's a welter of confusing terms: "Targeted therapy", "Immunotherapy", "Oncolytic therapy," "proton beam therapy," and, my personal favourite, "Cyberknife". Now I'll go through some of the newer cancer treatments that come with these labels attached: some in use, some in development, and see if they do the justice hype – and if science fiction really did say it all first.
Biological therapy, biology, cancer, Explainer, genetic modification, Opinion piece, Radiotherapy, science fiction, science news


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Our Top 5 Summer Makeup Finds
FOR THE GLOW on the Go – Fast and easy glow worthy products.
Number one on our list this summer is the NARS ILLUMINATOR.
What they say: Light the skin from within. (WE agree!) Light reflecting liquids that glide on to refresh and enhance the complexion with shimmering incandescence. (yes and yes) They say this can be worn all over the face (nooo!) or as a highlighter. Wear under or over or mixed with your foundation.
What we say: Comes in several radiant shades. This one is Shimmering Champagne – a light pearly color great for highlighting and all around glow. I also have the Orgasm which is a beautiful sunny apricot – golden shade. We suggest tops of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and the temples.
Available at narscosmetics.com
Pair the Illuminator with The Balm Betty-Lou Manizer
What they say: They call it the bronzing bandit. Betty-Lou is a silky smooth, all-in-one bronzing highlighter, shimmer and shadow.
What we say: Use this glowy warming bronzer on your cheeks with a large fluffy brush for an all over warming of the skin. We love it on the eyes as well. This powder creates a gorgeous highlight on a darker skin tone and a healthy warmth to lighter skintones. Use on the cheeks, forehead, bridge of your nose for that sunkissed look.
Available at thebalm.com
And for the eyes – NARS Larger than Life Long- wear Eyeliner in Via Appia
What they say: Takes liner to the next level. Rich, creamy color that glides on smoothly with a completely smudge proof finish. (Yes and yes!) Incomparable 12-hour wear with no smearing and no caking. Deeply dramatic shades named for the most iconic streets in the world. (cool!)
What we say: WE love this shade – a copper brown (subtly metallic) gives a nice pop to blue eyes, green eyes or hazel/brown eyes. Softer than a black liner for the summer. We agree, this is the softest pencil liner around. This will not budge! Worth the higher price tag.
Available at narscosmetics.com
Tarte Lights Camera Splashes Mascara
What they say: Our lights, camera, splashes™ mascara could be considered a push-up bikini for your lashes—a 4-in-1 (lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning) plus it's dermatologist-tested and clinically-proven to increase the appearance of lash volume after applying giving dramatic, thick and sexy lashes and guaranteed to stay put through rain, sweat or tears.
What we say: WE love Tarte for their cruelty free products. This is a great waterproof version of their Lights Camera Lashes formula and is great for swimming and all outdoor activities this summer. A must for our summer brides and their tearful bridal party!
Available at tartecosmetics.com
And lastly. Our lips. Liz Margin Luxury Gloss
What they say: The ultimate in beauty luxury, this formula combines the payoff of a sheer lipstick with the superior shine of a gloss. A unique blend of oils help to condition and hydrate the lips so vertical lines and wrinkles appear less noticeable while lips look smoother and younger.
What we say: We love the yummy scent and it's not sticky! Best summer shades – Skinny Dip – a sheer almost bare gloss with a hint of gold Amazing alone or with your favorite nude lipstick. Blossom Rose – the perfect warm peachy pink.
Available at sedonabeautyteam.com and Favorite Clothing in Sedona.


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Mary grew up in Mackay. Starting work as a junior dental assistant with Dr Phillip Deane, Mary gained her Proficiency Certificate in 1984. She gained valuable dental assisting experience in general dentistry. Mary's role has evolved over 30 years within the same practice, helping the practice grow and is now Practice Manager. She has the overall responsibility for all non-clinical matters at Plaza dental, and if anyone has any concerns Mary is the person to contact.
Mary enjoys keeping active by walking on any of the local beaches with her husband & also attending the gym.


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One of my favorite Seattle food events will be here again soon!
The Seattle food community's repeatedly sold out premier networking event, with tastes from Tom Douglas Restaurants and many more restaurants and companies, Foodportunity, created by Seattle event planner and food blogger Keren Brown, is open to food journalists, bloggers, public relations professionals, restaurateurs, farmers, companies and all food-passionate people.
I have written here before about my foodportunity, and how this blog was born. But the why is something that means even more to me.
This blog, and my foodportunity, is about being able to learn and share. To be able to connect. Over food.
Food connects us to our history and to others. For me, food is something that seems to have a recurring appearance in my own personal narrative.
Sometimes when I eat a really sweet, cold grape, it takes me back to one particularly enjoyable hot day at the park when my kids were younger. One of those carefree summer days with sun, friends and a thrown together picnic. How many times have you tasted something where the sensation of the flavor hitting your tongue takes you back to a memory of a time spent with people dear to you?
The mere mention of pickles can at times, for a second, make me feel that I am in my grandmother's apartment again for one of our weekly lunches (when I worked close by) listening to a lifetime of stories over bread & butter pickles and liverwurst sandwiches – before she got sick with Alzheimer's and didn't remember that I was even coming for lunch.
It's also in the reading of the recipes in the old tattered church cookbook that were written by another generation of ladies and imagining my great-grandmother in her kitchen making the cookies contributed by her and appearing on page 23.
And it was when a recent family member passed. I mused on the times we visited her beach-side home and the meals we shared – how she loved her crab cakes and was always on the lookout for the best crab-to-breading ratio.
Food just tastes better when it is shared. And shared food makes memories. The lovely thing about my foodportunity is the opportunity to make many more of them.
The Foodportunity event will take place on Monday, July 28 from 6-9 p.m. with tantalizing bites from many of Seattle's top restaurants. Northwest restaurateur and entrepreneur Tom Douglas will provide his Palace Ballroom facilities to host the event and serve tastes from his newest venture, Hot Stove Society (a cooking school offering the ultimate connection between food lovers and the best food instructors). The lineup also includes tastes from Loulay Kitchen and Bar, Luc, Lark, Old Sage, Von Trapp's, Poquitos, Six Seven and many more.
This year's networking event has a splash of tech added to it. It is being sponsored by Kitchenbug.com, an online recipe box, that offers nutritional and calorie information for any recipe on the web, in real time and allows you to share your collection of recipes with others in the Kitchenbug community.
This year is also filled with a star-studded line-up of food entrepreneurs and leaders, who will present their new innovations to the Seattle scene. Representatives from Kitchenbug.com, Beechers' Handmade Cheese, Farmstr and more will be available to answer questions, talk about their journey and offer food related business tips from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Advanced pricing is $25 per person and will change to $32 per person at a future date. Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/680259. Get your tickets today as space is extremely limited!
I'm curious, what's your Foodportunity?
Maybe it's the dream job you have that involves food, perhaps it's an old family recipe that connects you to your ancestors each time you make it, or it's the lengths you will go to make sure that your family sits at the dinner table each night together?
I want to hear. Tell me in the comments below – I'd love to connect!


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Utilizing IBM's advanced 32nm SOI technology; Semtech has developed 64GSPS ADC and DAC cores at 6.3 ENOB, optimized for integration in high performance System on Chip (SoC) solutions
CAMARILLO, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — September 15, 2014 — Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC), a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, today announced that 64GSPS ADC and DAC cores are available utilizing IBM's 32nm SOI technology for integration in high performance Digital Microwave System on Chip (SoC) solutions.
Microwave radio systems are currently being revolutionized by advanced data converters with sampling rates at millimeter-wave frequencies and analog bandwidths extending through Ku-band. These compact and highly-efficient analog-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-analog converters (DACs), integrated into versatile chipsets with digitally programmable poly-phase filtering and interpolation techniques, allow extremely wide bandwidths to be digitally processed. Specific spectral regions extending as high as 34GHz may be selectively processed, for dramatic increase in system SNR and SFDR performance. Digital tuning with fine frequency resolution and channelization may then be performed in an extremely efficient manner, thus fully leveraging the performance and integration advantages of deep-submicron CMOS SOI technologies.
Semtech's high performance ADCs and DACs allow the analog/digital boundary in advanced microwave systems to be moved to the RF frequency, thereby enhancing flexibility, reducing analog distortion, and enabling more stable and higher-performance systems to be realized. This 'Digital Microwave' architecture revolution fully leverages commercially-available CMOS IC technology, disrupts more traditional analog-based microwave architectures, and is predicted to become the new implementation standard for most microwave radio applications over the coming years.
Semtech Corporation has been chosen by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) as a subcontractor on its Arrays on Commercial Timescales program (ACT), which is intended to develop the key technologies for affordable, next-generation active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs) by designing a reusable digital common module that contains the critical integrated circuits required for next-generation AESAs. As part of the program, NGC was selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and demonstrate advanced wideband digital antenna technology for the next generation RF sensors using active electronically scanned arrays. NGC will integrate Semtech's ultra-high speed ADC and DAC technology into the project.
"Our wideband digital common module design is a breakthrough in AESA capability, enabled by the application of commercial system-on-chip technology with integrated high speed data converters that enable direct RF sampling," said Dr. William Phillips, Director of Advanced Technology at Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector.
"Our disruptive ultrahigh speed analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converter technology will help revolutionize phased array technology," said Craig Hornbuckle, Semtech's chief systems architect. "With an input bandwidth extending through K-band, these data converters enable increased flexibility and functionality, reduced power, and enhanced performance over traditional architectures, supporting next-generation radar, electronic warfare and satellite communications applications."
Semtech's highly-efficient converters, developed in IBM's 32nm silicon on insulator (SOI) process technology, will be available as cores in November 2014 and operate from 42GS/s to 68GS/s. Semtech is also designing significantly lower power and higher performance converters in 14nm FinFET technology, with availability of these cores expected in early 2016.
About Semtech
Semtech Corporation is a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors for high-end consumer, computing, communications and industrial equipment. Products are designed to benefit the engineering community as well as the global community. The company is dedicated to reducing the impact it, and its products, have on the environment. Internal green programs seek to reduce waste through material and manufacturing control, use of green technology and designing for resource reduction. Publicly traded since 1967, Semtech is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol SMTC. For more information, visit http://www.semtech.com.
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
Semtech and the Semtech logo are registered marks of Semtech Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
Semtech Corporation
Pauline Cadena, 805-389-2755
Email Contact


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Although the economic statistics that tell us where we are and where we've been are black as night, a growing number of forward-looking indicators suggest dawn is imminent.
The New Year looks to be a lot better than the old one, because lots of stimulus is in place today that was missing a year ago.
For one thing, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates fully 11 times in 2001, bringing its key federal funds rate down below the rate of inflation for the first time since 1994.
And it's pumped up the money supply too. The money measure known as M2 is, adjusted for inflation, growing at the fastest pace seen in about 30 years.
On the fiscal side, there's been help as well. A $40 billion tax cut was disseminated over the summer, while spending on defense, national security and other items has gone up, both before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
After peaking at more than $275 billion late last year, the government's 12-month budget surplus is now down to $98 billion. That sharp a drop in such a short period of time means lots of stimulus has been injected into the economy.
Last but not least, energy prices have retreated. Since May, gasoline prices have fallen by over 50 cents a gallon. That alone has put another $50 billion in our collective pockets.
So it should come as no surprise that, while the economy still appears to be listing, those indicators that tend to look ahead give a suggestion that recovery is nigh.
More reasons to be cheerful
The most influential leading indicator is the stock market. The major indices have jumped more than 20 percent from their intra-day lows of Sept. 21. And while still below their peaks, they're headed in the right direction.
Then there is consumer sentiment. The University of Michigan's survey has climbed three months in a row, suggesting that consumers will soon be spending more -- even if they didn't during the holiday shopping season.
Initial claims for jobless benefits, another leading indicator, have been trending lower for most of the past two months. That's a sign that unemployment may peak sooner rather than later.
Housing starts have been climbing as well -- and it's not just the unseasonably mild weather (see my Dec. 21 column). Low interest rates also have supported this vital sector in no small measure. As homes are occupied, they trigger additional spending on furnishings, and other consumer goods.
Summing up: The leading indicators in general have risen for two months in a row and for five of the past seven months. This sends an unmistakable signal that better times are ahead.


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We suggest for our clients a phased training program often you will find yourself with new questions during and after your first reporting period. While MAGNA is easy to use it is still a highly sophisticated and complete software system that requires some introduction to be utilized to its maximum.
The importance of training should never be underestimated.
During the Initial Training a MAGNA specialist will train and help with data entry, give on-site support, help in research of discrepancies throughout or after data enry, as well as consult to help work flow issues in connection with MAGNA.net. The specialist will also train your staff in using the pre-written reports provided by MAGNA.net and optimize the use of the provided reports.
Additional Training should be requested for the following:
- Training of New Staff
- Training of Yearly Updates of the Software
- Training of New Procedures or Reports
- Training after the Project is Approved by the State or Local Authorities
- Training for Optimum Use of the Software for your Specific Needs
- Training in Connection with Changes of Business Procedures
- Training in Connection with a New Lender or Changing Lenders
- Training/Consulting with New Marketing Procedures
- Training/Consulting with Implementation and Design of Marketing Campaigns


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C. difficile symptoms: Antibiotics and C. difficile bacterium
BOSTON — Illness related to C. difficile, a bacterium commonly found in hospitals, is becoming more widespread, more severe, and harder to treat, reports the April 2007 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch. Health experts are worried that a new, more virulent strain may be to blame.
Antibiotics and C. difficile Bacterium
Certain strains of C. difficile produce toxins that attack the cells lining the colon. Those strains can cause symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to severe colitis if they enter the gastrointestinal tract of a person who is taking antibiotics. Although antibiotics kill off many types of harmful bacteria, they can also wipe out the good bugs in the large intestine that keep C. difficile in check.


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It has been 11 years since Skoda Octavia made its debut in India. In 2002 only a handful of people had heard of the car company from the Czech Republic. Many believed the Octavia, priced then a shade over Rs 10 lakh, was doomed before it could make a mark as the brand was virtually unknown and the company's service network was nonexistent. But the notchback was not only a success, it also earned the respect of owners and snobs alike. In 2010, the Octavia assembly line ceased operations. Three years later, we have the fresh 2013 Octavia. Skoda has declared the Octavia is going to be the standard in terms of safety, space and comfort, a direct challenge to its closest rival, the Elantra from Hyundai.
Practical comforts
Often, cars look big from the outside but turn out to be cramped inside. This is not the case with the Octavia. This sedan has the highest interior length and most rear head room when compared with any other car in the segment. The width ensures three adults can sit at ease, even on long drives. So, as imposing as the Elantra feels, the Hyundai car is actually much shorter. Clever designing has made the Octavia's interiors airy and roomy. It also has a lot of space for legs in the rear.
Octavia's notchback design has always given it an edge when it comes to boot space, and the new-generation sedan carries on the tradition. The 590 litres of trunk space is equivalent to that of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. And if you fold up the rear seats, you can even employ the Octavia to shift furniture with 1,580 litres at your disposable.
Pleasing interiors
The Octavia's dual-tone, beige-black interiors with wooden trims add a sense of solidity to the build. What the cabin lacks is the wow factor. It has a boring, Volkswageny appearance. However, it has an endearing five-spoke steering wheel that gives you the correct feedback. The star of the cabin is the 5.8-inch touch screen, which is as responsive as a smart phone. The multi-media display has a sensor that ensures its buttons light up only when your finger nears the screen.
In comparison, the Elantra does not have the quality of the Octavia, but it feels much more youthful and dynamic. Its centre console looks like it belongs to a Star Trek space ship, far removed from Skoda's philosophy of keeping things simple. Both have comfortable seats, but the Octavia's are slightly bigger.
Behind the wheel
With four variants, Octavia buyers will find most of their requirements met. The most affordable option is the 1.4-litre petrol engine, which is mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox. This is more than just a workhorse because it actually pumps out a healthy 140PS of power. The gears are precise, though there is an initial lag. Once the rpm needle crosses the 1500 mark, there is no looking back. However, on inclines and twisted roads, one needs to change gears on a regular basis. The other petrol variant is the 1.8-litre TSI engine, an invitation to speed away at an insane pace. The beauty about this is its 7-speed transmission, which allows easy driving at slow or regular speed.
The 2-litre diesel is the bread-and-butter variant, and Skoda is hoping this will help the Octavia break into the Top 10 list. The manual 6-speed gearbox keeps the diesel model kicking. It accelerates smoothly at your wish. With 143 PS under the hood, this sedan is far from being a penny saver, but be warned, the diesel avatar will not allow you a lot of freedom because it is specifically tuned to return a high mileage.
Final word
In one word, the Octavia, priced between Rs 13.95 lakh and Rs 17.75 lakh, is a very down-to-earth car that flirts with luxury. The muscular looks and the solid built and interiors are fabulous, but they somehow lack the element of class. Its competitor, the Elantra, might not have the space and feel like a light weight, but it wows everyone. Performance wise, the Elantra's 1.8-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engines provide great thrust initially, but tire on reaching the 150 kmph mark. We would say, go for the sensible Octavia, even though Hyundai has a much better service network.


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I guess I've gone, for good But I love to come here to read
you still play on ss65?
+ rep as soon as I am able to give it to you again.
Ok cool will do..
Hey bro where have you been hiding ?
Hello Kris. Just a question, would you like your original Reports thread cleaned up big time?
I was proposing deleting all non reports in between all your old reports and moving all the discussion to another thread. What is your idea on this? Or you want to just close it and archive it?
Hey, I heard a rumour that you were back playing???
If you are, drop me a line and say Hi you lurker!
rofl!!! that is awesome
I love how in the thread people take tiny ideas of what is being said rather then look at the big picture/point. Thank you for providing a thread that keeps me entertained at work
Hehe, pretty creative How's it going bud?


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MH390 Malaysia: identified the aircraft in the jungle of Cambodia?
On Google Maps found a wreck that would be compatible with the B-777
The place where the wreck of the Boeing B-777/200 plane of the MH370 flight of Malaysia Airlines disappeared from the radar on March 8, 2014 is one of the greatest mysteries of civil aviation, but a British technology expert may have found it. Ian Wilson has shown through the "Daily Star" the exact point where he believes the aircraft is located, or in a jungle in Cambodia located at high altitude. To find it he relied on the research carried out on Google Maps where he identified what would appear to be the wreck of an airplane.
To validate his hypothesis Wilson has made a measurement discovering that the fuselage is about 70 meters long, or about 6 meters more than the measures of the B-777, but in the images it seems that there is a space between the tail and the central body of the aircraft that could be created at the time of impact with the ground.
To try to put an end to the mystery of that flight, Wilson would be thinking of organizing an expedition to the place. If it was indeed that plane would finally be possible to shed light on the causes that led to the death of the 239 people on board the connection between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing, completely overturning the hypotheses that determined the crash site of the Southern Indian Ocean.
© AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency Srl


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*This post contains affiliate links for See The Light, a Christian art education company. Clicking on these links can help my family but in no way does this association affect the opinions that you will read below. See the Light provided me with DVDs for reviewing purposes and is giving another set away to one of you.
When we were offered the opportunity to review See the Light's Pointillism Fruit Art Project, I jumped at it. We've loved our See the Light Art Class DVDs, and I had high hopes for the lessons in the Art Project series. To see our review of Art Class 1 & 2, click here.
We were not disappointed.
This DVD features the work of George Seurat, a French painter who developed the pointillism technique. It contains four lessons, all of which are more than twenty minutes long and instruct in history, science, technique, and a devotion. Who knew a few simple art lessons could do so much?
The first lesson begins with a biography of George Seurat. It contains information about his life and the science that makes pointillism work. Four of us viewed each of these lessons together: My Little Man, a six-year-old boy; My Big Helper, an eight-year-old girl; our friend A, who's ten, and me, a grown-up of undetermined years. ;-)
The kids were a bit impatient with this first lesson - mostly because they couldn't wait to start painting. They wanted to get messy! The information contained in the lesson was fascinating to me, though, and I think it would be perfect for older students. I loved how easy Pat's - the master artist's - presentation was and friendly she appeared. This lesson alone would make it possible for this DVD to be used with a unit study about France, George Seurat, pointillism, color, or optic science!
In the second lesson the paints come out. Over the course of the next three lessons the viewer is taught how to create a still life using the pointillism technique. The kids liked this part the best. Demos continued throughout the lessons, although the kids' attention varied during this part. They tended to watch just a bit to get a feel for Pat's technique and then to charge ahead on their own.
Each child listened to the directions, though, and tried to follow them. This little guy wouldn't draw big fruit for anything, but being willing to draw a certain thing is new for him. I didn't push it, and it turned out that the smaller size of his drawing, although it prevented the pointillism technique from working out perfectly, matched his attention span for making the dots. Since this lesson is geared for kids ages ten and up, he did well.
My Big Helper was excited to see the color wheel throughout the lessons and excitedly shared what she remembered from former art lessons. This definitely activated prior knowledge for her and was a point of interest. I appreciated Pat's depth and the way that she continually referred to the color wheel to explain her color choice throughout the lessons.
Even when we thought there was nothing else we could do to make our pictures any better, Pat would break out the color wheel again and show us how to add even more detail to our work. The girls each got a bit tired of this by the end, but I loved it. It was very detailed information and fun to learn. Again, if the girls were just a bit older OR hadn't done all of the lessons in sequence, they probably would have used this information a bit more. As it was, they followed Pat's directions and added more detail for each step.
Our completed work demonstrates how specific and detailed the lessons are, as well as the ability of each child to follow the directions. For this Little Man, following any kind of specific art lesson is a new thing. He enjoyed the lessons and is very proud of how identifiable his fruit is. Since he has frequently complained about his lack of artistic ability in the past, I'm happy to see him enjoying art.
My Big Helper is also very proud of her work.
A said that she enjoyed completing the lessons. She worked diligently and did a great job with her fruit.
I had fun, too. I love being able to get lots in the mixing of colors. I would've been happy to hang out at the table, making more and more dots, but the kids were calling .... sigh. It's easy to see how engrossed Seurat became in his pointillism - though I don't think I could do work on a single piece for three years at a time. I'd really like to be able to see his work after learning about it, though.
I would definitely recommend Pointillism Fruit with George Seurat. These art lessons were well planned, detailed, and complete in that they pulled in the art history and science along with the actual technique. The kids were thrilled with the 'professional' looking art that they made - and I think I need a house with more wall space to house it all!
Pros to Using Pointillism Fruit, in random order:
- easy-to-understand techniques
- a devotion in each lesson
- short, child-friendly lessons
- interdisciplinary lessons - included art history, science, geography, and biography, as well as art technique and extension ideas
- uses common household supplies - no special materials needed
- affordable price
- meets content standards for Visual Arts
- they're fun!
Cons to Using Pointillism Fruit, in random order:
- Truly, I can't think of any.
There's more good stuff to know about See the Light, though, and it's really important. See the Light exceeds the National Visual Arts Standards. They can be used as Fine Arts credit for any state in the US, and completing the video instruction alone - with all of their DVDs - satisfies 1/2 of a credit according to the Home School Legal Defense Association.
What makes it even better is that See the Light will provide you with the information that you need to turn that half credit into a whole credit easily. How great is it that they'll provide the plans necessary to get you all the way to a whole credit?
All in all, we loved these pointillism lessons, and I can't recommend them highly enough.
Have you tried See the Light yet?
I received a free copy of Pointillism Fruit from See the Light as part of the Mosaics Review Program in exchange for an honest review.


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As you can see, these have the same makings as most of my muffins. I just swapped out a few of the flavors.
These Coconut Banana Muffins came out moist and full of coconut flavor, without being dense or overly sweet. The Tequila Lime Glaze added a little tang to balance the sweetness of the coconut. If you just want to add a lime glaze, you could just replace the tequila with water.
Just looking at these muffins has got me thinking of summer; sitting by the pool with a margarita in hand. Oh yeah, baby! I am ready. Are you? Perhaps you should make some muffins to get you going.
Coconut Banana Muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Keywords: bake bread breakfast dessert snack coconut coconut oil banana tequila Cinco de Mayo muffins bread American spring summer
Ingredients (12 muffins)
- 2/3 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract
- 2 medium bananas, mashed
- 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon tequila
- 1 teaspoon water
- sprinkles
- toasted coconut flakes
InstructionsFor the muffins
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Place solid coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds until melted.
In a stand mixer bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, and coconut extract. Mix on low speed until completely blended.
Then add mashed bananas and mix until smooth.
Next add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well blended.
Lastly, add the shredded coconut to the mixer bowl and mix on low until completely incorporated.
Spoon batter into greased/lined muffin tins until about 3/4 full.
Bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Cool completely before adding glaze.For the glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lime juice, tequila, and water until smooth.
Brush the glaze over the tops of the muffins.
Let the glaze set.For the optional toppings
If you add sprinkles or toasted coconut flakes to the tops of the muffins, do so before the glaze sets.Notes
To make toasted coconut flakes, lay out 1/2 - 1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 325°F for about 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring them around half way through. Let the toasted coconut flakes cool before adding to the muffins. You can keep any extra flakes in an air tight container and use it over ice cream, waffles, etc.
If you do not want to add tequila to the glaze, simply replace the quantity with water.
If you want to add more glaze, let one layer of glaze set before brushing on another.
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These bespoke wedding invitations are little treasures that will last a lifetime.
A woodcut illustration of a whale graces the rear of each invitation.
Archival materials were selected to ensure the integrity of the wedding invitations over time. Local artisans were sourced for woodcutting and printing.
Formal for their restraint, these invitations are designed with a modern style in mind. They are neither ornamental nor decadent, but classy and refined. Truly timeless pieces of design.
The wedding invitations were designed and printed in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Local materials and methods were sourced when available.


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I kept thinking I would be able to upload the pictures from Halloween, when my beehive looked fab, but alas, it looks like it's not to be. Enjoy the little I have.
go-go [goh-goh] adjective Informal
1. full of energy, vitality, or daring
What's more energetic than a bumblebee?
This wasn't really that difficult, but it was time consuming. I used S3833 as a base, then went ape. Took out the front seam, made a mock-up, drew all over said mock-up, then chopped it up.
Which means each of those bits needed to be cut out again and sewn to the other bits. I ended up with nearly fifty seams on this. And only seven of them were straight.
Ring was found on Etsy, go-go boots were purchased online, shirt and tights were from the closet. My hair was 'beehived' up in five ropes with yarn twisted in. Lifted right out of the pages of Martha Stewart's Halloween magazine, which I think is where the whole idea came from. Wings were made with hangers and nylons, mostly held together with safety pins as I made the frames then forgot to attach the harness and nylons until I was nearly out the door.
Odd, walking-up-a-hill picture, but it sort of shows you how the wings and 'hive looked.
Thanks for looking!


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New Jersey spends $60 million a year to keep its three main youth prisons open at half-capacity at best, says a coalition of organizations seeking to close at least two of those facilities and spend that money to better rehabilitate and help young offenders.
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is spearheading a campaign, along with 47 other groups and individuals, to close the New Jersey Training School for Boys in Jamesburg and the Female Secure Intake Facility, also known as Hayes, in Bordentown. About 300 people kicked off the effort on Wednesday, the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Jamesburg facility, at a rally outside it.
"The #150yearsisenough campaign seeks to transform New Jersey's youth incarceration system into a community-based system of care by closing Jamesburg and Hayes," said Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, spokeswoman for the NJISJ. "We must make sure that our youth receive the rehabilitation they need, so that they can grow into responsible adults."
Not just kids
It's important to understand that the state facilities hold more than just youths. The Juvenile Justice System's June 23 report indicates the average age of those incarcerated was slightly higher than 18, with about 35 percent under 18.
Data from the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission shows that last Friday, 524 people were in the state juvenile justice system. A little more than half, or 274, were in one of the three prisons – Jamesburg, Hayes, and the Juvenile Medium Security Facility, also in Bordentown — or 11 less restrictive community-based homes. Of the others, 63 were on probation and 187 in aftercare, or supervised parole. Camden County had the largest number in the system, 109, while Essex County had the greatest number incarcerated, 52.
That data does not specify where those who are incarcerated are being held. According to NJISJ's report on the system issued late last year, March 2016 data showed that 140 males were being held in Jamesburg, which has a capacity of 330, and Hayes was at less than 20 percent of capacity, with 8 females being held. A March 2017 audit of the medium security facility stated that it was less than half full, with a population of 70 and capacity of 163.
Cutting the inmate population at youth facilities has been a priority for the state for more than a decade, and New Jersey's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative has been cited as a national model by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. According to the JJC, the state's total daily population in detention facilities dropped by 65 percent between 2014 and 2015. Only three counties — Hunterdon, Morris and Salem — are not participating in the initiative. The JJC has saved about $7 million over the past several fiscal years, the report stated.
The cost of incarceration
Still, the institute's "Ain't I A Child" report also showed that incarceration is much more expensive than community placement. The current state budget appropriated about $63.6 million for the maximum and minimum security facilities, according to the report. It pegged the cost of confinement at $537 per person, per day, while community placement had a daily per-person cost of $75.
"The fact that 60 million dollars is still being poured annually into our largely empty three youth prisons — and that over 200K is spent each year to incarcerate each child — shows that there has to be a better way from an economic perspective," wrote Andrea McChristian, the institute's associate counsel and primary author of that report, in response to an email question.
She said the state is spending only $8 million on community-based programs that include intervention and prevention, alternatives to incarceration and re-entry.
"We are calling for a transformation of our system, which includes closure of youth prisons and reinvestment of funds into these community based programs," McChristian said. "We are going beyond JDAI's success at the pre-detention stage to make sure that our kids never become system-involved in the first instance and, when they do, every attempt is made to keep them in their communities near family and other prosocial supports."
Money is only one reason for the campaign. The institute and its partners argue that recidivism rates for those in confinement are too high and a disproportionate number of those kept incarcerated are minorities. Community placement does a much better job of helping youth offenders, they contend.
"Our youth prisons are a revolving door of recidivism," said Weill-Greenberg, citing 2012 data that found 80 percent of 500 youths released from commitment in 2012 were re-arrested or otherwise wound up back in court and almost a third were back in custody within three years of their release. "Studies show that long-term youth incarceration actually increases recidivism. Children who are incarcerated are more likely to be imprisoned and to live in poverty as adults."
Minority in the majority
They are also predominantly minority, despite data showing that white and minority youths offend at similar rates. Last Friday, just 7 percent of the males and females held in youth facilities were white. Almost three quarters were black.
"(New Jersey) has had great success in reducing its population of kids in secure commitment, as well as its young people in detention centers" because of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative," McChristian said. "However, as a racial and social justice organization, our concern is with the kids who are left behind and ensuring kids don't become system-involved in the first instance. Currently, in New Jersey, we have the third worst black/white youth incarceration disparity in the entire nation: A black child is 24.3 times more likely to be sent to a secure juvenile facility than a white child. And this is in the face of recent national research that shows that black and white youth commit similar offenses at similar rates."
"It's time to stop using black children to feed the prison economy and start using those same dollars to invest in the mental, spiritual, behavioral, and educational economy of black children," said Rev. Charles Boyer, founder of Salvation and Social Justice, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Woodbury.
Boyer is one of the signatories to a letter the campaign sent asking Gov. Chris Christie to close Jamesburg and Hayes.
"By shifting focus away from youth incarceration toward community-based programs — supported by state funding through the Juvenile Justice Commission's state/community partnership program — we can ensure that our youth receive the rehabilitation they need to mature and grow," that letter states.
The campaign accepts that some young people may need to be held in a secure environment for public safety reasons, but wants those facilities should be small, developmentally appropriate, and treatment-centered and be close to a youth's home and family support.
The JCC did not address the request to close the two maximum-security facilities, but issued a more general statement about its work.
"The JJC has a long history of working with community partners and advocates, and has received national recognition for its efforts in juvenile justice reform, having been designated by the Annie E. Casey Foundation as its national model for implementation of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative," read the statement provided by spokeswoman Sharon Lauchaire. "The JJC is proud of the progress made thus far, and will continue to do everything in its power to further improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system."


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The managing director for Colombian side Millionarios told a local radio network on Thursday that a deal to land Fredy Montero on a six-month loan is all but complete, with all eyes on using the Seattle Sounders star forward to help them in the upcoming Copa Libertadores tournament and possibly beyond.
"Everything is settled on word, but there are some papers needed to finalize the transfer," Eduardo Silva told Caracol Radio in Colombia on Thursday. "The club's desire is to have the player throughout the year 2013 - Copa Libertadores and two league tournaments - although there are some clauses where [Seattle Sounders] want to have him back after six months."
Silva also told Radio Caracol that the only thing holding back the deal is "missing signatures, because all parties agree to the transfer."
Momentum surrounding Montero's rumored loan move to the Colombian giants began on Thursday when Colombian soccer news website Futbol Red reported that Montero was headed to the Bogotá-based club on a six-month loan with a option to extend the stint to a full year and make the transfer permanant. Should the Colombian champions decide to sign Montero on a full-time basis, reports indicated the striker would cost the team $4.5 million, the highest transfer for an incoming player in Colombian football history.
US-based soccer web site Soccer By Ives reported later on Thursday that the transaction is all but a done deal.
A source based in Colombia told FutbolMLS.com on Thursday that the deal is "98 or 99 percent done," but the Sounders had no comment when contacted by MLSsoccer.com. Millonarios declined to comment when contacted by FutbolMLS.com.
Montero arrived in Seattle on loan from Deportivo Cali before the club's inaugural season in 2009 and signed permenantly in Dec. 2010. With 47 goals in 119 regular-season games, including a career-best 13 strikes during 2012, and 60 goals and 43 assists in all competitions, the Colombian striker is the Sounders' all-time leading scorer in MLS.
And although he has a penchant for spectacular plays, Montero has been criticized for his streaky goalscoring record and lack of production in the playoffs. In 10 postseason starts, he failed to score and registered just two assists.
Meanwhile, Millionarios' motivation behind the move surely centers around their participation in this spring's Copa Libertadores, in which the club has drawn Corinthians (Brazil), San José (Bolivia) and Club Tijuana (Mexico) in a brutal group stage. They'll also attempt to defend their first Colombian title in 24 years after capturing the crown in December.
Montero led the Colombian league in scoring during the 2007 Apertura and 2008 Clausura seasons while with Atlético Huila and Cali.


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Good God...what an ordeal. Four days to get logged on here. That's some fun for you. Finally, it seems to have been an update to the firewall that doesn't get on with Blogger.
So, of course, now that I'm on I have no time. Story of my life...and probably a lot of your's too.
Anyway, for my thousands - or several - fans, I'll be back shortly. Hope you're all doing well.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Free to speak at last
Good God...what an ordeal. Four days to get logged on here. That's some fun for you. Finally, it seems to have been an update to the firewall that doesn't get on with Blogger.
Posted by Shawn at 10:33 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Thursday, January 26, 2006
That's entertainment...
I've only got two words today...Australian Open. It's been a great tournament. I love watching tennis.
First off...the return of Martina Hingis. How do you retire from the sport due to injuries, sit out three years and then come back to make the quarters of a slam? That's just too awesome.
It's been fun to watch the joy she's brought back to the game. It's a bit like watching Agassi play. There's a enjoyment of the game that is just obvious and that makes it just that much more fun to watch.
I'm glad she's back. Hope she can get to the top of the sport again. And, is it my imagination, or is she looking pretty amazing?
And then there's the crazy Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis. What a romp he's having. I was up all night last night because I couldn't turn off the amazing comeback he was making to reach the finals.
You just don't come back from two sets down to win in five when you're playing a highly-ranked player like David Nalbandian...unless you're Baghdatis that is. And talk about having fun and enjoying the game. He certainly fits that bill.
And you just have to love his Greek fans. I heard that he had to teach them how to behave at a tennis match when he was playing in the early rounds out on the outer courts. Most of them are soccer fans, not tennis fans. So that's how they thought you behave at a tennis match. You can just tell that some of these guys closed up their deli to watch and cheer for the young guy from Cyprus.
I'm pulling for him to win the whole thing. Long shot? Very long...but it would sure be a kick if this young guy could pull it off.
Posted by Shawn at 8:12 PM 6 comments Links to this post
Monday, January 23, 2006
Nice day...
The snow is white enough to make me squint. Blue shadows fall across it. The sky above is a matching pale blue. Some days it's just nice to look out the window and doing so makes you happy. Today is one of those.
Just a few guestions...
Why do people with NASCAR stickers on their cars drive like crap?
Why, when everyone on the entire freeway system is driving 35 MPH because it's dumping down snow and the roads are awful, is there always one person who thinks that they can surely pull off 65 MPH no problem? Is it wrong to be happy when you see them spun out in the ditch a few miles later?
Do people from Illinois drive bad on purpose?
And a couple of thoughts...
I've decided that I don't hate the whole Tom Cruise and Katie Hlomes thing after all. I'm jealous of course, but I don't hate it and am, in fact, sort of heartened by the whole thing.
Also, I don't find him jumping over Oprah's couch that odd. If I was sleeping with Katie Holmes, I would probably jump over Oprah's couch and Oprah too. I would clear them both by at least five feet. I could do that because I'm still a couple years younger than Tom.
That's it...peace out.
Posted by Shawn at 1:37 PM 6 comments Links to this post
Saturday, January 21, 2006
I've got nothing.
It snowed yesterday. That was nice. After a cold, cold start, this winter got all tropic on us here and the snow has been gone with cold weather since just after Christmas. Then came a couple of cold days again and finally some snow yesterday.
It came down pretty good for a while and left maybe 3-4 inches. Not much - to be sure - but enough to make the world look frosty and clean and also to mess up the traffic flow for a while.
Well, today it's mostly gone from the streets and sidewalks since it warmed up again. It's still hanging around everywhere else though.
Hmmmm...what else? Um, there's been work. That's better than no work I suppose. Or at least better than unplanned no work. But working odd hours has left me feeling like I have no time. What it's really meant is that I don't have much 'normal' time and not so much time available for being social. It's also left me tired.
There you have it...not much going on here. Hope more excitement is pumping through your life.
Posted by Shawn at 8:15 PM 5 comments Links to this post
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Judge this...
It's interesting to watch the Senate Judicial Committee hearings and then hear commentary about them from the pundits and pushers of political agendas.
Let me start by saying a watched the whole damn first day on C-Span and didn't watch the second - and, yes, it was pretty boring. I saw a pretty polite questioning of a man up for a pretty big job promotion. Mostly of the Democrats asked some questions and blah blahed a bit. Then the Republicans mostly lobbed up softball questions and blah blahed a bit - most of it for the benefit of the cameras and directed at the Democrats.
What's been mostly missing is the kind of questioning posed by Russ Feingold. He just kept asking the same thing until he got an answer. He was never disrespectful, but he kept asking. During the whole day I watched, there were maybe a few truly probing questions posed to Alito. I found that bothersome, but I couldn't help but appreciate that over all the committee was respectful of each other and Alito.
Anyway, hearing conservative talk radio later in the evening, it seemed like a whole different set of hearings than I had seen. Obviously, most of these people hadn't even watched the hearings. It was spin this and that and had no relation at all to what actually happened. The need for some to politicize the whole process is beyond me. Oh well, I guess that's just how some people like to roll.
My take on Alito is that he is a qualified candidate. He's far more pro-big business and far too supportive of an overly powerful executive branch than I would like to see, but I don't believe that where he fits on the political spectrum is really a reason to not give him the nod. I'm not comfortable with his seeming anti-abortion views, but as long as he's able to objectively look at laws that's okay with me.
There's more to see and hear, but I think it's all gone pretty well for him. He seems pretty intelligent and hasn't shown himself to be an ass.
I would like to hear actual tough questioning from both sides, but I don't think that will happen. This guy is applying for a job that will allow him affect the fabric of society far more than any President - any nominee for such a job should be hammered and scrutinized and going easy on them is really just a disservice to the American people.
Posted by Shawn at 12:47 PM 9 comments Links to this post
Monday, January 02, 2006
Scouting made fun...
Hmmm...how does one say this politely? Answer - one doesn't. So, let me just say that Monday Bowl games blow. Personally, I'm all for bumping the pro games and playing the college games on the weekend. That's just me though.
That said, it's been a pretty good day of football so far. And it's not over yet.
Eileen will be pleased to know that my standard handicapping system is holding up pretty well. It's a pretty easy way to predict the winning team...simply choose the team with the best looking cheerleaders. Laugh if you want, but it makes scouting a lot more fun.
Look at today's games. Texas Tech shouldn't have even stayed in their game, but despite having a backup QB in for a while, they had a good chance against Alabama. Why? Hot cheerleaders...obviously. What was their stumbling block - besides a hobbled QB? Well, unfortunately for Texas Tech, the Crimson Tide is a powerhouse of hot cheerleader recruiting.
Next up? Wisconsin and Auburn. The game I was waiting for. I had two hats. I changed them every change of possession. It was plenty of hat changing and a good game. I was really pretty worried for Wisconsin and was afraid they wouldn't get a final win for outgoing coach Barry Alverez. It wasn't Auburn's powerful offense that had me worried, but the sight of a group of not-so-hotties on the Badger's sidelines. Unkind? Perhaps, but I was concerned...until they finally cut to closeups of the Badger's varsity squad - cuties one and all.
In all fairness, I can't claim my method was true on this one though. They never showed the Auburn cheerleaders all game...or at least not while I was watching.
Now, it's Notre Dame and Ohio State. Not surprisingly, it's a close game. Both cheerleading squads are good looking and feisty. Almost too close to call. But I think the Buckeyes have a bit more pep depth.
Well, back to the Irish and Buckeyes...I've got cheer...er...a football game to watch.
Posted by Shawn at 4:52 PM 15 comments Links to this post


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LinkedIn Endorsements – like them or not are here to stay it appears. They could be a good thing if it weren't for the abusers in the crowd who give out endorsements to people they don't even know or have never even worked with.
I have a few rules I like to follow. I do not give endorsements if:
- I have not worked with you in some capacity, and I only endorse for what I know you can do.
- I have not consulted with you and feel confident in your ability to perform.
- You are a complete stranger and I know nothing about you.
Yes, there are times that complete strangers are on your profiles. They asked for a connection and sometimes you connect with them, or sometimes you ask complete strangers for connections. This may be done for various reasons. I know some say they don't do this and would never do this, but if you are fortunate enough to be so big that you have a huge circle of influence, then perhaps you don't need to do this. But for the small business, meeting perfect strangers could be a new and welcome avenue of growing your business.
LinkedIn already has some pretty good directions on how to go about doing these things. So I'm going to direct you to the articles provided by LinkedIn.
Currently, there is no way to opt out of endorsements all together, but you may do the following.
You can choose Hiding and Unhiding a Skill Endorsement. These are not the individuals though just the actual skills and expertise you are endorsed for. So if you've been endorsed for Project Management and you don't do it, you can hide that skill endorsement.
Hiding All Skill Endorsements is another option, but with all of its controversy, I'm not sure hiding is really the way to go. I will admit I considered it, but after reading up on other's thoughts and opinions and thinking it through, I think the option for now might be just hiding the irrelevant skills and check to see if your profile might need some updating to help avoid some of these irrelevant skill endorsements in the first place. I realize no matter how good your profile is, you will still get these irrelevant endorsements from time to time, but controlling them is fairly simple to do.
Just click the links in the paragraphs above and follow the directions. It's very simple to follow.
For a more complete list of articles and directions provided by LinkedIn on Skill Endorsements click here.
What do you think of LinkedIn's Endorsements? Do you utilize them on your profile or do you wish they were never created in the first place? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
Rhonda Holscher
Latest posts by Rhonda Holscher (see all)
- Top 5 Barriers to Delegation - January 1, 2017
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Tags: cupcakes, Fondant, Halloween, happy cake studio
With lots of Banana! ;p
Tags: banana, basket, cupcakes, happy cake studio, minions
Congrats to Allen & Jhoyce for their sweet & wonderful Union! =)
Tags: cake, cake stand, cupcakes, dear daniel, Fondant, happy cake studio, Hello Kitty
Specially design by a sweet husband / father for his wife and daughter! 😀
Tags: cake, candy, happy cake studio, house
Tags: Cakes, customized, elephant, Fondant, giraffe, happy cake studio, Jungle, lion
For Ernest's 1st Birthday!
Tags: birthday, Cakes, customized, ernie, Fondant, happy cake studio
For Li Shuen's 11th Birthday! =)
Tags: Cakes, customized, Fondant, happy cake studio, my little pony, rainbow
Tags: cupcake, cupcake bouquet, customized, flowers, Fondant, happy cake studio, purple
For Faith's 7th Birthday!
Tags: cupcakes, customized, Fondant, happy cake studio, my littly pony
Tags: cake, customized, elmo, Fondant, happy cake studio
Happy Cake Studio


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In the South Asian region, countries have long started protecting their forests in recognition of their important role as water catchments, as homes for biodiversity and indigenous peoples, and as carbon storage. Even poor Himalayan countries, like Bhutan, have a remarkable forest cover of 72 per cent, while Nepal has 39.6 per cent of its total land under forests (this includes 29 per cent dense forests). India has also successfully increased its forest cover to 23 per cent, while our forests are fast disappearing.
The Global Forest Watch initiative of the World Resources Institute was recently launched and it includes Global Forest Cover Change Mapping. The forest change for Pakistan is an eye-opener because the total tree cover loss between 2000 and 2013 is shown as 10,022.4 hectare (ha), while the gain is 847.3 ha. According to Ahmad Khan of WWF-Pakistan, who has served on the research team of the Global Forest Cover Change Mapping, "This comparison indicates a loss of forests that cannot be recovered over time. This warrants a higher level of actions by the public, NGOs and private organisations."
Khan adds, "Looking at a finer scale map of the loss, it appears that most loss is in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) followed by Azad Jammu and Kashmir." Khan's findings contradict the results of a study done by the government's Pakistan Forest Institute in Peshawar, which was optimistic that forest cover is growing in K-P. The study "Land Cover Atlas of Pakistan 2012" stated that K-P's total forest area, which was only 17 per cent earlier, had now jumped to 20.3 per cent "due to the government's effective strategies and regular plantations". The 2012 study also showed the total covered forest area of Pakistan as 5.1 per cent. However, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says that forest cover in Pakistan is only 2.2 per cent (1.687 million ha), of which just 20.2 per cent (340,000 ha) is primary forest.
There is actually no need for all this confusion or contradiction given the advances in remote imaging via satellites that are easily available to researchers. The Global Forest Watch, for example, is an online forest monitoring system (with over 40 partners) that uses cutting-edge technologies to map the world's forests with satellite imagery, detect changes in tree cover in near real-time, and makes this information freely available to anyone with internet access. Our policymakers only need to visit its website to see the forest change maps for Pakistan (http://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/6/30.13/72.54/PAK/).
According to the Forests IG, Syed Mahmood Nasir, "Everything is now the responsibility of the provinces. The duty of the IG Forests office is to give an opinion only when asked, so I can't impose." It seems like the only good news when it comes to forests is that thanks to the IG Forests office, Pakistan has recently won $3.8 million though the Readiness Fund of the Norwegian funded Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) to combat climate change and tropical deforestation. This is a readiness preparation grant to set up systems to make Pakistan ready for the ambitious UN programme Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2014.
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Trees in the US Are Moving North, West to Escape Climate Change
If you like trees, don't move to Georgia anytime soon.
As man-made climate change is forcing human populations to migrate inland, inanimate life forms on Earth are also trying to escape changing weather patterns.
Trees in the Eastern United States are moving north and west because of rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, according to a new study by Science Advances, published Wednesday.
Take Action: Tell the US to Preserve Its Commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement
Scientists examined 86 species of trees in the Eastern US and found that 73% experienced a westward shift, while 62% experienced a poleward shift during the past 30 years. On average, abundance centers moved more than 25 miles (45 kilometers) west and 20 miles (33 kilometers) north.
Changes in precipitation had a greater effect on trees than temperature, at least in the short term, the study said. The poleward shift had been predicted as trees prefer consistent temperatures, but scientists didn't foresee how changing rainfall patterns would cause a greater westward migration, thanks to an increase in precipitation in the central US coinciding with a decrease in the southeast.
Left: Changes in temperature across the eastern U.S. between the recent past (1951–1980) and the study period (1981–2014). Right: Changes in precipitation.
Trees aren't physically uprooting themselves and moving. Rather, saplings are thriving in new areas that are more hospitable as older trees are dying. Lead author Songlin Fei of Purdue University said to think of it as a line of people from Atlanta to Indianapolis: though nobody moves, if more people join the Indianapolis end and those at the Atlanta end leave, the center is going to shift.
Some species experienced massive migrations. The scarlet oak, for instance, has moved more than 127 miles to the northwest from the Appalachians, Fei told the Associated Press.
The shift could cause certain species of trees to go extinct in some forests, according to the study.
Forests are crucial for the survival of more than 2 billion people around the world, according to World Wildlife Fund. They provide habitats for humans and animals and natural resources, not to mention oxygen. Furthermore, they prevent soil erosion and flooding, and help reduce climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Even so, 46-58 thousand square miles of forest are lost each year.
The study accounted for people cutting down trees and planting new ones, but acknowledged other non-climatic factors could have contributed to tree species shifts (like fires, invasive species, and conservation efforts).
"Nevertheless, we observed clear broad-scale evidence of the impact on climate change on forest tree spatial dynamics, where changes in mean annual precipitation alone explained about 19% of the variability in species abundance change," the study said.
"Management actions to increase forest ecosystem's resilience to climate change should consider the changes in both temperature and precipitation."


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/ Published March 09, 2012
Lt. Col. Kenneth Kleid, acting commander of the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 146th Air Support Operations Squadron, presents the Bronze Star Medal to 2nd Lt. Christopher Schutte of Las Vegas, an air liaison officer for the 146th ASOS, at Officer Training School March 1. Schutte, who earned his commission as a second lieutenant in the Oklahoma Air National Guard from the Academy of Military Science March 2 , is the first OTS student to receive a Bronze Star Medal during his commissioning training. Schutte earned the medal for actions he took while serving as the enlisted battalion air liaison officer and lead joint terminal attack controller in support of the 1st Battalion, 179th Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He and his team engaged in ground combat in the Laghman and Nuristan Provinces, Regional Command-East, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom from July 13 to Dec. 12, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo/Melanie Rodgers Cox)


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**Hey everyone, Yunari here!
We've been trying to get a second static together, as many of you already know. Just discussing it didn't seem to get it going, so I sent the in-game mails (I'm sure some of you read them), to direct as many of you here as I can. I'd like to really get a second static group off of the ground, so as many people get a shot in The Binding Coils of Bahamut as possible.
As well as endgame raiding content, I thought it would be great to get a sort of Primal event started. I know that many of us are at various points in defeating the Extreme-mode Primals, but want to be on the same page. Getting used to it as a group will help everyone learn in a more relaxed way instead of having to deal with elitists, impatient group members, or strangers.
If this event starts up, we will begin with the original three Primal threats (extreme mode). If we can catch enough people up, we can discuss moving on to Leviathan EX, Great King Moggle Mog, or farming for mounts! ( :D )
My idea on this was to start a particular night each week in which we spend an hour or two (or more, if everyone is up to it!) working toward defeating a Primal (or Primals). We could set it to a particular day or night, like the statics, on a first come/first serve basis. Alternatively, we could do it at different times each week, as works best with everyone's schedules. However, given how unset events see, to have worked with us in the past, I think the set date/time is the best call.
With that being said, I would like everyone who can to post here (or contact officers/send me an in-game response) to inform everyone of the times you are MOST available for either of these events, and LEAST available. Once we get enough responses, I will edit this post and announce the decided upon date and time. I'll just ask that people respond if that's okay, and then start a new thread for said static or Primal event for any communications about it.
Sound good? Awesome.
Let's rock'n'roll!**
~ Do not wait for the iron to become hot; make it hot by striking. ~
If you need help, or have questions, let me know! I'm friendly, and I don't bite…too hard.