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A little over a month has passed since we decided Winter camping would be a good idea. We had a few obstacles along the way-it seemed to be the Universe's message to us to re-think this whole Winter camping idea. First a family member was hospitalized, so we postponed. Then our first attempt out resulted in Ruby being towed from a rest stop to the Mercedes dealer in Lynnwood, WA.(very nice people by the way).
Turned out to be a loose battery clamp that resulted in a short in the battery and no power ! By the time we unloaded all the camera and camping gear and food into the loaner car and arrived home, the folks at the Mercedes dealer called us and said -all fixed ! And only $150.00-we have never gotten away from a dealer with a bill that low, so we took it as a sign that we needed to proceed with our Winter camping plan, and we did.
As soon as we reloaded Ruby and took off from the dealer we set Cle Elum, WA as our destination. We arrived just shortly before sunset and found a sweet boon-docking spot in the parking lot of the Wenatchee Ranger Station. No one around, quiet, dark and surrounded by mountains of snow that had been cleared from the parking lot.
We awoke the next morning to knocking-it was the Ranger, asking if we could move to a close-by spot as employees were showing up for work and would need the spot we were parked in. No problem, we moved across the lot, proceeded to make the bed and have some coffee with breakfast burritos that I made at home in preparation for the trip.
The sun was shining beautifully and the skies were as blue as they could be. We took this as a sign from the Universe that we had made the right decision.
We had beautiful weather for most of the day as we enjoyed the views overlooking Lake Coeur d'alene, Idaho and the Clark Fork in Montana.
Before we left the rest stop, I made some delicious hot chocolate to warm us along our journey. Perfect. As we drove along we watched for potential boon-docking spots for the night. We pulled into this spot and had it not been at the bottom of a hill it would have been ideal . But with the falling snow we didn't want to worry about digging ourselves out in the morning so we continued driving.
As we continued on our journey, I remembered that we were in an area where there might be some hot springs. I also remembered reading about Symes Hot Springs. Checking our map we saw that we were about 45 minutes away and it would only take us 20 miles off our route.
The decision was made,-Symes Hot Springs was our new destination. I had read that it was a resort with RV spots available. Fortunately for us, one of those spots was open-all the others were under blankets of snow. We felt like we had stepped back into the 1930's. The folks here were very welcoming. For $30 we had electric hook-up, access to water inside the building and unlimited access to the hot springs until 10pm and then all morning until the 11am check out. As you can see , nothing glamorous about the camp site ,but soaking in those mineral springs sure made up for it.
And before we had left Cle Elum I placed a pork roast in the slow cooker. So all day while driving we could smell the makings of delicious pulled pork for dinner at Symes Hot Springs !
The next morning after a long soak we took off in the direction of West Glacier. We knew we were only about 100 miles away and could barely contain our excitement.
If you haven't winter camped in your Roadtrek, do it ! You have everything you need, it's warm and cozy and if you have solar even better ! Apgar Campground in Glacier National Park is open year round. You don't actually camp in the campground. The park employees carve out about a dozen campsites in the day use area of Apgar. Which is wonderful because you are right alongside Lake McDonald.
Glacier National Park was stunning. We felt so blessed to be able to enjoy the solitude, the falling snow and the surrounding beauty of this jewel of a National Park. And how many people can say they had Lake McDonald completely to themselves ? We can now. Even the cold I had, that kept me inside most of the time, didn't take away any of my enjoyment.
We met a small handful of people who also had made the journey to Glacier to enjoy the Winter beauty of the park. These folks came over and asked to borrow our campsite for a family picnic-our site was the only one with an exposed fire pit ! After they left we discovered this sweet little flower planted in the snow outside Ruby, as a thank you-nice people.
We plan on returning next Winter and spending more time in this glorious Winter Wonderland. The ranger we met on this trip told us a great story about where to backpack in the Winter to possibly see or hear wolves-so we definitely will be returning.
After we left Glacier we decided to take the northern route towards Bonner's Ferry. Initially after about 45 miles we thought we made the wrong decision as we ran smack into the middle of a blizzard with no road pull offs in sight. That blizzard lasted about 30 minutes and Ruby handled beautifully in the snow. But it was certainly nice when it stopped-our stress levels were greatly reduced. We had never been to Bonner's Ferry,Idaho before so we didn't know what to expect. It's a sweet little town and if you ever stop, go to Mugsy's Tavern for the best burgers in town ! They call themselves the "Cheers" of Northern Idaho and they are. They make you feel welcome and that you have been coming there for years. Good food, good company and good beer !
Our journey home was just as beautiful as our journey to Glacier National Park. The wide open plains of Eastern Washington took our breath away. You can see for miles and that feeling of being a small speck in the Universe is truly felt in this space.
You look around at abandoned farms, homes and churches and start to piece together stories of another time. Wondering what made them leave this place ? And where did they go ? We stopped and had lunch along side the road, listening to the quiet and the wind blowing through the abandoned church.
Enjoy a the quiet and beauty of the falling snow…. Happy trails, wishing you all stay toasty and enjoy some warm winter camping !


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Jagmeet Singh says he'll vote against throne speech if NDP requests not met
The No. 1 ask from the NDP will be Liberal support for the immediate creation of a national universal pharmacare program
OTTAWA – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he's prepared to vote against the Liberal throne speech if his party's key priorities are not reflected in some way in the Liberals' policy agenda.
Singh is to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, when he will lay out his priorities in the hopes of using his party's position in a minority Parliament to get policies and laws that reflect New Democrat platform commitments.
Speaking on Parliament Hill Wednesday, Singh said he has three key priorities that he hopes to see in the Liberal throne speech, which will be delivered when Parliament resumes on Dec. 5.
The No. 1 ask from the NDP will be Liberal support for the immediate creation of a national universal pharmacare program.
"That means a timeline, a framework, that means making sure that we've got some clear steps that are going to be indicated in the throne speech," Singh said.
"We know that people are worried about health care. This is something that would unite Canadians across the country."
Singh said he wants to see an "openness" from the Liberals to public dental coverage. He will also push Trudeau to drop the government's legal challenge of a recent Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling that ordered Ottawa to pay $40,000 each in compensation to Indigenous children who were wrongly placed in foster care after 2007, as well as to their parents or grandparents.
The New Democratic leader said he's not issuing ultimatums but he did say his party would be willing and ready to vote against the throne speech – the first confidence vote that Trudeau's minority government will have to pass to hold power – if it doesn't acknowledge the NDP's requests somehow.
"I'm keeping an open mind and I'm not drawing any lines in the sand, but I'm making it really clear I'm prepared to vote against, our party is prepared to vote against, if it doesn't reflect the important things that Canadians sent us here to do."
The NDP was reduced to fourth place in the House of Commons behind the Liberals, Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois after winning just 24 seats in the recent election, down from the 39 it held before the Oct. 21 vote.
But despite these losses, party and caucus members were cheering on election night and have since been viewing the upcoming re-opening of Parliament as a positive for the party.
Returning MP Peter Julian points to past minorities that saw the NDP negotiate progressive initiatives, such as universal medicare and the Canada Pension Plan.
"It's a lot easier to get things done in a minority Parliament, as I think historically minority Parliaments have proven, than it is in a majority Parliament where the (Prime Minister's Office) decides everything and often makes decisions just in the interests of lobbyists rather than in the interests of Canadians," he said.
"In this case it's not only the politically smart approach to take, to work with us, it's also in the best interests of Canadians."
Trudeau has been meeting with all federal party leaders and with a number of premiers over the last week, getting a laundry list of requests and demands as the other leaders flex their muscles against the weakened Liberals. The opposition leaders want spending or policy commitments from Trudeau in exchange for support to keep his minority government afloat.
Trudeau has shunned a formal coalition with any of the other parties, but has indicated willingness to work with parties on a case-by-case basis.
When it comes to Singh's top request, the Liberal platform did promise a $6-billion increase to provincial health transfers over the next five years to help pay for improvements including pharmacare. Singh has said this would not go far enough, despite criticism from the Liberals that Singh's demands are unrealistic.
The advisory panel on pharmacare established by the Liberals during the last Parliament estimated full-scale pharmacare would cost at least $15 billion a year. Singh's platform estimated the price at $11 billion by 2023-24.
When it comes to dental care, Singh appears to be offering the Liberals more leeway. During the campaign, the NDP leader's daily speeches included heavy emphasis on his promise to extend full public dental coverage to households making less than $70,000 a year.
On Wednesday, he said he will be looking for "openness" from the Liberals to help Canadians struggling with dental-care costs.
Conversely, the NDP leader was specific in calling for the government to drop its appeal in the child-welfare case. That may prove to be a harder sell to Trudeau, who has said he believes compensation is warranted but that the time frame given by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal was too tight. The tribunal issued its compensation order Sept. 6, with a deadline of Dec. 10 for submissions on how to handle the multibillion-dollar compensation award. Much of the time in between has been taken up with the 40-day election campaign.
Julian said he sees many similarities in Trudeau's approach to the one taken by Paul Martin when his Liberal government was reduced to a minority in 2004. At that time, Martin initially tried to govern as though he had a majority, Julian said, but eventually had to walk back a proposed suite of corporate tax cuts and instead work with then-NDP leader Jack Layton to increase spending on post-secondary education, transit and housing.
Julian said the NDP is a particularly well-positioned to work with the Liberals now because of their shared progressive ideologies. He noted the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois have "very right-leaning priorities" and that even if Trudeau might not want to play ball with the NDP just yet, this could very well shift.
"I think with minority governments they sometimes, particularly when they've had a majority government before, don't necessarily understand that the dynamic has changed, and I see that as posturing," Julian said.
"But I know that Jagmeet will be putting forward the priorities that he very clearly put out during the election campaign. Ultimately, we're just going to keep pushing and working hard, the way we do, and ultimately I think the reality of a minority government is something that will be very clear to Mr. Trudeau and to the Liberal government."
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Macgregor Roofing, The Roofing Company that Replaces and Repairs Roofs in Willoughby Hills, OH | Providing Professional Gutter Services
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Consumer confidence sinks
Double-dip recession fears grow
NEW YORK — Stung by falling stocks and sick of waiting for jobs to come back, Americans are in a sour mood about the economy. And it's getting worse fast.
Consumer confidence fell dramatically last month, adding to the evidence that the nation is in no mood to spend its way back to growth and raising fears of a double-dip recession.
Businesses have been cautiously building up inventories to prepare for increasing demand as the economy improves. The darkening mood leaves them with a question: Who's going to buy all the cars, dishwashers and clothes heading to stores and showrooms?
"We need the consumer to spend, and right now declining confidence is not the prescription for a stronger economy," said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. "This was a bad report, no matter how you slice it."
The Consumer Confidence Index came in at 52.9 in June, a jarring decline from 62.7 in May, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Conference Board, a private research group. It was the biggest drop since February.
Generally, a reading above 90 indicates the economy is on solid footing. Above 100 signals strong growth. The index, based on a survey mailed at random to 5,000 households, hasn't come in above 90 since the recession began in December 2007.
Economists watch the number closely because consumer spending, which includes not just merchandise but expenses like health care, accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity and is critical to a strong recovery.
The confidence report rattled Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down nearly 270 points, falling below 10,000 for the first time since June 10.
Another new report showed home prices rose in April, but investors mostly wrote it off. April was the last month of a tax credit for homebuyers, and almost all other gauges of the housing market have slowed considerably since it expired.
Businesses from automakers to appliance manufacturers have been slowly replenishing their inventories since late last year, helping the economy to expand.
The confidence report suggests shoppers are clamping down. In fact, Americans saved more money in May even as their paychecks grew.
In another troubling sign, forecasters expect U.S. auto sales to decline for June after growing every month since January. The Conference Board's report showed that fewer people surveyed plan to make many major purchases, from homes and autos to refrigerators, over the next six months.
Jacqueline Murphy, 46, of Ypsilanti Township, Mich., plans to keep her car longer because of the uncertain economy. Murphy, who drives a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, is a leasing agent for an apartment complex in foreclosure. She isn't sure what's coming next.
"I'm not looking for anything that's going to give me a bill," she said while getting a tire replaced on her car. "I'm in a process where my job could end in a matter of days."
The second half of this year is critical for the economy. The impact of massive government stimulus spending will wear off. Two big subsidies, the one for homeowners and another for car buyers, have already disappeared.
That's why many analysts predict the economy's growth will slow in the second half to a subpar 2 percent, from a modest 3 percent in the first half. And an economy that fragile is vulnerable to shocks that could send it into reverse.
"The more evidence that we get that consumers are losing their confidence and growing more tentative about things, the odds of a double-dip recession start to rise a little bit," said Tim Quinlan, economist at Wells Fargo.
He and other economists still think the chances of a double dip are relatively low, but concern is growing. Europe's debt crisis has spooked Wall Street, taking a bite out of Americans' stock portfolios. And unemployment is still stuck at nearly 10 percent.
Unlike other recoveries, this one hasn't been powered by consumer spending. Instead, it has been mostly supported by businesses restocking inventories that dwindled during the recession, and by spending overseas and by the government.
President Barack Obama made a renewed plea to Congress on Tuesday to revive efforts to extend unemployment benefits. The House on Tuesday rejected a $34 billion bill that would have extended benefits through November. It also voted to give homebuyers three more months to complete purchases in time for the tax credit.
The president — following a White House meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke — expressed confidence the recovery will stay on track. He acknowledged the economy faces threats.
"We're now seeing some headwinds and some skittishness and nervousness on the part of the market and on the part of business and investors," he said. "We've still got a lot of work to do."
AP writers J.W. Elphinstone in New York and Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.


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Dangerously Red
by Kristin Miller
A Dark and Dirty Tale #3
Publication Date: July 18, 2016
Genres: Adult, Erotic, Romance, Serial, Entangled: Scorch, Paranormal
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2a5xcng
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/29LJH4J
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/29PUxcG
B&N: http://bit.ly/29LJmPN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/29XWfbq
iBooks: http://apple.co/2a28emB
Synopsis: In part three of the new Dark and Dirty Tale serial by New York Times and USA best-selling author Kristin Miller, the time has come for Red to choose. But things are not always as they seem…
Before the night is through, I'll join the Arcana wolf pack, declare a mate, and transition into a wolf for the first time. I must decide between Reaper, the devilishly sexy huntsman, and Lukas, the fiercely controlling Alpha. Both pleasure me senseless, taking me to heights I've never known. But I can't have both.
Time is up, and I must choose.
But Lukas just dropped a bombshell. If I declare him as my mate, no other person is allowed to touch me. Ever. Not a handshake or a good-bye hug. Talk about stifling. Not to mention, the Omega has all but forbidden me to choose Reaper. As I stand before the pack, I must decide…the man who unleashes dark desires inside me, or the man I'm forbidden to love.
Get ready for scorching hot Alphas, a spitfire heroine, and a breathtaking ending!
The Dark and Dirty tale series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Desiring Red
Book #2 Dominating Red
Book #3 Dangerously Red
Amazon: http://amzn.to/29M0C69
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2a28UbQ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/29M0CCV
B&N: http://bit.ly/29L9IiJ
Kobo: http://bit.ly/29RzoOv
iBooks: http://apple.co/29XWSlm
Synopsis: In part one of the new Dark and Dirty Tale serial by New York Times and USA best-selling author Kristin Miller, you'll meet Red, a wolf shifter with too many choices.
I'm indecisive when it comes to my shoes. Choosing a werewolf mate who'll be with me until I croak? Pardon me while I take some time to think on it. But a steamy encounter before the final ceremony changes everything.
Reaper, the Omega's eldest grandson, is fiercely loyal, scorching hot, and built for pleasure. He brings down my defenses, and before I know what's happening, I succumb to the heat in his touch and the skill of his mouth. I've only just met him, but I need him like no other.
As part of my pack duties, I must parade in front of the Alpha, who has first choice of the pre-shifters. Rumors of his dark desires run deep, and I've always been intrigued. But the forbidden passion blazing between Reaper and me is too primal to deny. By pack law, Reaper can't have me until the Alpha makes his choice…but Reaper's never been one to follow the rules.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/29EYCNq
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2a28KRM
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2a78ELg
B&N: http://bit.ly/29XXkzV
Kobo: http://bit.ly/29LKtig
iBooks: http://apple.co/29Z2Otb
Synopsis: In part two of this Dark and Dirty Tale serial from New York Times and USA best-selling author Kristin Miller, Red has two hot alphas in pursuit. But which one should she choose?
Lukas, the Alpha of the Arcana wolf pack, has chosen to seduce me in his private chamber before I join his pack and declare a mate. But Lukas doesn't intend to rush things. A tantalizing game of cat and mouse uncovers my dark desires, and no matter how I try to resist, I'm lost in him.
Although the sex is so good I forget my own name, I can't deny there's still something missing…Reaper, the Omega's eldest grandson.
He swept me off my feet before meeting Lukas, and I can't get him out of my mind. And now that Lukas has taken me, Reaper is more protective than ever. I'm torn, but I have to choose—the one who has captured my heart or the one who possesses my body. And there is more than passion at stake—lives hang in the balance.
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Kristin Miller writes sweet and sassy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance of all varieties. Kristin has degrees in psychology, English, and education, and taught high school and middle school English before crossing over to a career in writing. She lives in Northern California with her alpha male husband and their two children. You can usually find her in the corner of a coffee shop, laptop in front of her and mocha in hand, using the guests around her as fuel for her next book.
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Angry Little Celtics Fan Gets Into It with Hawks Fans [VIDEO]
Boston Celtics fans have a certain reputation, like an old steak -- tough, tasteless and somewhat overcooked. Check out this little ball of hate as she gets into it with some Atlanta Hawks fans and see if you don't disagree. (Watch out: Language is NSFW!)


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The purpose of this site is to show my knifesculpture. Work that is anchored in the traditions of knifemaking but more and more finds itself colliding with other worlds.
By removing the the day-to-day functionality of a knife I hope to encourage the viewer to re-examine and challenge their own expectations and preconceived ideas.
Depending on the hand that holds it… the knife is both a tool and a weapon . A Shakespearian slayer… or one of many utensils in constant use in the home and kitchen.
However by combining this history and these traits with unpredictable images and idiosyncratic associations I set out to transform a knife into something that might make the viewer see our oldest cutting implement in a new light.
Barry Salter
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Monthly Archives: November 2014
homemade peppermint foot cream and scrub
Feet. Our poor, tender, hard-working feet. Don't they deserve a break?
Between a summer of heat, hiking and sandals, jobs that keep me on my feet 12 hours a day and the moment I smashed my big toe on the crush pad this fall (toe is fine, but toenail is gone), I know mine have certainly earned some pampering.
So, I went searching for some ways to treat my feet and was enticed by these pepperminty options. It only takes 9 ingredients to make both the cream and the scrub, several of which may already be sitting on the bathroom and/or kitchen shelves.
1 T. Cocoa Butter
1/4 cup Shea Butter (I used a little more)
2 T. Coconut Oil
1 T. Avocado Oil
1 t. Vitamin E Oil
1/4 t. Tea Tree Essential Oil
1/4 t. Peppermint Essential Oil
1-2 t. Peppermint Extract (optional)
My process:
1. Soften/melt cocoa butter. (Mine is in a microwavable container)
2. Combine all ingredients
3. Place container in freezer for 5 minutes.
4. Stir well and enjoy!
I am including the original instructions below as my process was a little more simple, but created more of a heavy lotion than a cream. Though I love what I created, I look forward to following these steps more closely and making a nice fluffy cream.
1.In a double boiler, melt the cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, and avocado oil. Mix well and remove from heat.
2. Let cool until it starts to set up. Put it in the fridge or freezer to help this process go a little faster. Once cooled, add in remaining ingredients.
3. Using a hand mixer, whip lotion and then pour into desired container.
found recipe via pinterest on Robyns View
3.5 T. Sea Salt (I used Epsom Salt)
1 t. Vitamin E Oil
1/2 t. Olive Oil
5 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
Combine Ingredients in bowl. I made double the recipe, so that I had enough for a few uses.
To Use:
Massage scrub all over feet and then rinse off.
found recipe via pinterest on The Sensible Mom
I had such a great time creating and using these simple and delicious foot treatments. One of my favorite things about the process was the minty smell that filled the house on a rainy Monday morning. I also loved the results and look forward to using these products often.
Treat your feet and enjoy!!


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Satanic Cults in Fashion in Rome, Says Priest
Satanic cults are on the rise in an unexpected location – Rome, says a Catholic priest.
"There is a greater openness towards the devil," said Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's Chief Exorcist, to the Christian Broadcasting Network.
Father Pedro Barrajon, a Catholic priest in Rome, stated, "Satanism and the occult are in fashion."
The overwhelmingly Roman Catholic nation of Italy has an estimated 800 satanic cults, with more than 600,000 followers. But Rome, home to Vatican City and the pope, is where the fiercest spiritual battle is taking place.
Last year, the Vatican started to offer courses to bishops on how to perform exorcisms – freeing a person of evil spirits.
When Father Amorth, 81, performs an exorcism, he uses oil for mass or baptism, and the cross.
"If a person is not violent I let them sit in this armchair, and I do the exorcism here," said Amorth, showing CBN the small room that he uses. "If they are violent I lay them down and if necessary I also tie them down."
The priest commented that medicine and science can't solve all illnesses, but some are resolved by exorcism.
In recent years, gruesome murders have been linked to devil worship in Italy including a case several years ago involving members of a heavy metal band named the Beasts of Satan. Band members had stabbed, clubbed, and buried alive two teenagers in northwest Milan.
One of the victims was allegedly killed because she resembled the Virgin Mary.
Then there is Marco Dimiti, who heads the Children of Satan, which reportedly has more than 1,000 members.
In 1996, Dimiti was accused of raping a 2-year-old boy and a teenage girl in satanic rituals in 1996. He was jailed for 14 months before being pardoned by the Italian courts.
"True Satanism puts man at the center of the universe – and is a noble expression," Dimitri said. "I want to say to Father Amorth what I say to all exorcists. Leave people in peace!"
Vatican priests now work with Italian authorities to confront the increased number of satanic crimes.
"We invite the police to sit-in on the exorcism classes so that they can understand the spiritual and theological dimensions of this phenomenon," said Father Barrajón.
Barrajon has trained 300 priests in exorcism, and says that he teaches them how to distinguish between psychiatric problems and satanic possession.
"This is the key but I can tell you that those who perform exorcisms, they just have this sense, they just know," he said. "Sometimes they look for signs like if the person is afraid of the cross or baptismal water or pictures of Christ. They shake a lot or start screaming and they may possess extraordinary strength. The priests know what to look for."
Barrajon encourages Italians to pray more, attend church, and be conscious that the devil is very real.
"The actions of the devil are not just limited to here in Italy – his evil spirit is roaming the earth, tempting people," he said. "We are trying to educate the society and families about the dangers of his influence."


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No Longer Missing out on Childhood
Davis Silcox hated how eczema and food allergies made him feel. For four and a half years, he and his family struggled with sleepless nights and a severely restricted diet. After a 10-day appointment at National Jewish Health, he and his family have a "new life."
'Every day is the greatest day of his life.'
Haden Bakk's life – and his family's – revolved around his allergies, eczema and asthma. After coming to National Jewish Health, Haden has been able to 'leave his bubble.' Now, his days are filled with activities like tee ball and hockey.
'We are in a much better place now'
The Karazim family spent two years searching for answers for their daughter's eczema, food allergies and eosinophilic esophagitis. After a two week appointment at National Jewish Health, Lucie Karazim is thriving.
Taking Back the Reins on Life
Cindy Roper's hands "hurt every hour of every day of every week." National Jewish Health found the simple answer to her skin condition, and now she is back in the saddle.
A food allergy miracle
By the time Jack Littauer was four, he had already been rushed to the hospital four times for allergic reactions to food, once landing in the intensive care unit. By the time Jack and his family left National Jewish Health, the Littauers felt like a cloud had been lifted.
'Dr. Fleischer gave me my food back'
By the time Jamie Hanley was 3 and half years old, the list of foods she couldn't eat had ballooned to 16. Then, the Hanleys found the National Jewish Health Pediatric Day Program. Learn more about Jamie's story and how the Hanleys are raising money for the Child Life Program.
"Look Papa, they fixed me!"
A chance encounter led the Balay family to National Jewish Health, where they were finally able to find a successful treatment for atopic dermatitis.
She couldn't eat and didn't know why
Mikka White averaged two E.R. visits a week because she couldn't swallow, a symptom she later learned was due to eosinophilic esophagitis.
Screaming over a painful, red rash
When Jorden was 7, a doctor in Greenville, S.C., told Rochelle about National Jewish Health in Denver. "Off we went for two weeks. We began wet wraps and never looked back."
They had no quality of life, and neither did we
Rachel Princes' two sons both suffered from eczema since they were about six months old.
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Innovation Academies
While other students around the state begin their day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or listening to announcements in traditional classrooms with four walls, the 85 students at Halau Ku Mana charter school chant in Hawaiian under a tree-shaded tent in upper Makiki.
Respectfully, they ask permission to begin a day of classes – math and reading, hula and Hawaiian language, history and maybe work in the loi or repairing the school's small, double-hulled canoe. The traditional chant "sets a tone for their day," says vice principal and kumu hula Kawika Mersberg. "It helps them focus."
Meanwhile, down the mountain in gritty Kakaako, Voyager charter school welcomes 230 students into classes that include two grade levels in each room. The mixing lets children mentor younger pupils and bond with older ones.
In a school where the Golden Rule is part of the mission, parents join teachers in art projects, read to the class or help with math. "This school helps kids have a better opportunity to progress at their own speed," says Layla Dedrick, a parent also active on the board. "They have pride in being Voyager students."
Two hundred miles away in Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii – an area struggling with poverty – yet another charter is preparing students to care for 2,000 acres of virgin forest or to clear invasive mangrove from ancient fishponds.
At the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science, endangered and indigenous plants are part of the lessons, along with an understanding of living sustainably. "Our kids are really proud of their campus," says HAAS director Steve Hirakami of the 460 students from K-12. "There's no vandalism. If you turn it over to kids, they're going to take care. If you make it like an institution, they treat it like that."
Regular public schools have their own buildings, but start-up charters pay for their facilities. Director Sue Deuber, inset, says Voyager's rent is $360,000 a year.These are not your father's public schools. Or maybe even your own. Launched more than a decade ago, Hawaii's public charter schools have given families new options, established a safety net for students, and created a pool of flexible centers willing to test ideas. The three highlighted here, along with 28 others throughout the Islands, offer students and families choices based on the idea that children learn in different ways. Advocates say charters create many other benefits by innovating – including a stronger economy.
"If you give kids a great education – and charter schools can – it's the best path to future economic growth," says Nelson Smith, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, based in Washington, D.C. "Because of their flexibility and ability to innovate, charters can try out new things hard to accomplish in big systems. They're kind of an R & D source for education.
"If some of our global economic problems can be traced back to low-performing schools in the U.S., that's the place to start. There are other direct economic benefits as well – we've seen communities revitalized because of bringing in strong new charter schools."
While charters survive with less money per pupil than regular Hawaii public schools, most have managed to keep children in class during Furlough Fridays by economizing elsewhere.
"I told everyone, 'If we work hard and stick together and waste no time, we can squeak through,' " says Hirakami, of the Big Island's HAAS. "Our program budgets are cut in half and each teacher gets money for curriculum. But I said, 'Just because you have it, don't spend it.' And our teachers have been real frugal."
This year, 11 percent of the state's 177,800 public school students were enrolled in charters – a proportion that is increasing by about a full percentage point annually. Kamehameha Schools is so enthusiastic about the culturally based charters that it provides an additional $1,500 per student above state funding to those with 40 percent or more students of Native Hawaiian ancestry.
But the picture isn't all rosy. Like regular public schools, the 31 charters face money and facilities challenges. Many schools worry about their survival, or are pondering further cuts, including turning away students, as funding continues to shrink. Also, because they are all different from each other – sometimes radically different – some are doing better than the average public school on measures such as math and reading tests, and some are doing worse. On average, math scores for charter students are far below those for students in regular schools, and last year, a lower proportion of charters hit their No Child Left Behind standards than regular schools.
"System change is not 'Cup o' Noodles,' where you put in hot water and boom!" declares Rep. Roy Takumi, chairman of the state House Education Committee. "But we're getting there and we're going to get there. Charters have to be nurtured and encouraged. Once they get to be mature and you don't see results, then revoke. But we're far, far from there. The jury is still out."
Many of the issues faced by charters are also faced by regular schools: facilities, funding, support from the state, accountability and, of course, scores. Here are areas to consider in weighing the advantages and disadvantages of charters:
"It's the facility cost that's the huge disparity between regular neighborhood schools and charters," says Sue Deuber, director of Voyager, which spends $360,000 a year on rent in a strip mall in an industrialized Kakaako neighborhood near downtown. "I could hire six more teachers with the amount I'm paying in rent. That's our biggest single challenge as a movement. The conversion charters have buildings. But there are about six to 10 of us that are in private facilities where we pay top-dollar rent."
Regular public schools that transform into charters are called conversion charter schools and they continue to have free use of their state Department of Education buildings and playgrounds. But startup charter schools must pay rent for their buildings – and they get no extra money for it.
Halau Ku Mana has had four sites in 10 years and now offers classes in nine portable buildings and several tents pitched on leased state land just below the Hawaii Nature Center in Makiki. "Facilities are a major issue for all charter schools," agrees Deenie Musick, Halau Ku Mana director. "We had to put up tents because we didn't have enough room. All of us are scrambling for grants."
When charter schools were established a decade ago, the legislation did not include facilities money. It still doesn't. But that was the price of getting the law approved by the Legislature.
"In the beginning, they (the charters) were very optimistic they could find benefactors," says Takumi. "But, as the years went by, they realized you can only meet in a Quonset hut for so long. But what's the tipping point? How do charters get a fair share of facilities money? On the other hand, how do you maintain the current levels for regular schools? Right now we have a $400 million backlog in repairs alone and eventually the charters would want maintenance money as well."
A bill is moving this session to allow charters to be housed in underutilized regular DOE schools, especially in areas where the student population has dropped. "You could have a charter school within a school, but the DOE has to be open to it," says Takumi.
The charter-school law includes a funding formula, but, in the last two years, funding has been cut, just as it has been for regular schools. But the charters started with less funding per pupil and the numbers went down from there.
"We've seen a 37 percent income loss in two and a half years," says Hirakami, of HAAS on the Big Island. "This year, we're getting about $6,200 per student. Last year it was about $7,400. The year before it was about $8,150. Last year it was do-able, but this year we're just squeaking by. Next year, it's going to be virtually impossible at $5,300 per student. You can't give us that and expect us to survive. Somewhere in the $7,000 range could be sustainable."
A study done several years ago by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute reviewing charters in 16 states found on average they were funded 22 percent below regular public schools. In the 40 states that now have charters – there are about 4,900 charter schools nationwide with about 1.6 million students – only a handful receive funding comparable to regular public schools. According to the 2009 Hawaii Superintendent's Report, which has the latest figures, regular public school students were funded at an average of $9,876 a year in 2006. Since then, funding has increased: to $11,060 in 2007, about $11,800 in 2008 and an estimated $12,399 in 2009, according to the DOE. This is much more than Hawaii charters receive; however, DOE spokespeople say these dollar amounts include additional monies and are not comparable to the per pupil money given to charter schools.
It's virtually impossible to tease out a comparable figure because the funding formulas for charters and regular public schools are different. Regular school funding per pupil includes state general funds, special and trust funds, Title 1 and other federal funds, and monies covering fringe benefits and risk management. By comparison, charters generally receive a lump sum from the Legislature that's divided among them. They also receive federal funds, grants for which they apply, and this year, stimulus funds.
The Weighted Student Formula allots additional money to special-needs students at regular schools. The charter schools receive services for special needs students from the DOE or on contract from an outside agency, on top of the standard charters funding formula.
Test scores
So far, Hawaii's data does not prove that charter school students do better or worse on tests than regular public school students. In Hawaii during 2008-9, 29 percent of charters achieved Adequate Yearly Progress – AYP, a measure based on test scores – while 36 percent of all public schools did. However, in 2007, 67 percent of charters met testing standards, while 65 percent of all public schools did. In looking at student achievement, students in charters surpass the state averages for reading as they reach higher grades, but fall below them in math.
"The Rand Corporation just did a study in Chicago and Florida and found a significantly higher chance of kids in charter schools finishing high school and going on to college," says Smith, the national charter advocate. "Charters are particularly effective for kids left behind their peers in achievement. They move them ahead faster."
Flexible, responsive, accessible
"What separates charters is you're not bogged down in minutiae and bureaucracy," says national charter school consultant Margaret Byrnes, who coaches seven Hawaii charter schools on leadership but is based in Florida. "You don't have to go through 1,000 channels to get things done."
For example, when Hirakami of HAAS wants to add a program to the curriculum, it can happen in a few months. He presents a proposal to his local board by May, a decision is made in June, the program is developed in the summer and the children are involved by fall.
"We're adept at making quick changes," says Hirakami. "There are no layers. In developing a stewardship program to care for 2,000 acres of virgin forest and cleaning up and helping restore fishponds, within months I did a cost analysis, gave it to our board, and put it into effect. That program is now finishing its second year and is very successful. We attract a lot of Native Hawaiian students and that program provides a lot of learning about native forests and invasive species."
Parent Steve Nottingham says his ninth-grade twin sons are thriving at HAAS – a far different story than in their previous school. "They do 'bottom up' curriculum, giving students input in how it should be run," he says. "They say, 'This is your school, how do you want it run? Are teachers meeting your needs? Are they receptive to your questions?' That's a complete difference: The children decide what's happening for them. There's a lot of group decision-making rather than top down."
The school has also responded to parents' desire for more emphasis on core subjects. The result: Morning instruction includes two-hour blocks of social studies, science, math and language arts, while afternoons are left open for electives – things like aikido, yoga, art, music, swimming, health.
"We have a board here – a stakeholder group including a teacher, staff person, administrator, student, parent and community member – that can make quick and efficient decisions at the local level," says Hirakami. "We involve the community, too, and usually pick someone with business expertise or who works for the County. Being right here in the community, being able to make efficient decisions and being accessible, that's something lacking with the other public schools."
Small schools with involved parents
Many studies show that most children do better in small schools where everyone knows their name. They also do better when their parents are involved in their education. "Where parents are helping and volunteering typically their children do better," says consultant Byrnes. "Whenever parents are involved in their child's education it brings everybody to the same focus."
Rep. Takumi agrees. "The research is persuasive that smaller schools are better than big. Just by that mere factor alone you have the ingredients for success."
You don't have to tell that to Dedrick, a former public school teacher who has a third grader and a fourth grader at Voyager. "Because charters tend to be smaller theoretically, they have a lot going for them. You have to have parents and community people dedicated to making it work. If you think about it, the ingredients for an optimal learning environment are there: small class size, parent involvement and community involvement. Those ingredients will make any school better."
The future
Currently, the number of conversion charters is capped at 25 – there are now five – while the overall number of charters is 31. Twenty-six charters are startup charters. The law allows a new charter to open each time one of the existing charters receives accreditation; the lengthy process of accreditation is ongoing. However, the Charter Review Panel, which oversees the law, has suspended applications for new charters until rules for charter revocation are approved by the Board of Education. That process is almost complete.
Takumi envisions eliminating caps and allowing charters to blossom naturally. "The whole point of charters was they were meant to be experiments, to have flexibility and autonomy and freedom from red tape. The feeling was that was hampering achievement of the school."
But he says some rules are needed to rein in failing charters. "We need to promulgate rules not just to revoke but to issue and review. One of my goals was to put some accountability into it. We want the good schools to succeed and to stop those schools that aren't succeeding, to give someone else a chance. On average nationally, about 10 percent of charters are revoked annually. Then new charters spring up. It makes sense. These are experiments and some succeed and some don't.
"The Board of Education is close to finalizing rules for revoking charters and in the next few months everyone will know what the rights are and what they'll be held accountable to. If this is finally getting done, then by all means we should lift the cap. The Legislature would be very interested in lifting the cap. And we should have multiple authorizers.
"No matter how you slice it," says Takumi, "they're all our kids and we have a moral obligation to provide them with options and opportunities to learn."
How much money do charters get per pupil?
2010 $5,300*
2009 $6,200
2008 $7,400
2007 $8,150
2006 $8,000
*expected level
Source: charter schools
Charters want to partner with businesses
By Beverly Creamer
"All of our expenses are going up and our funding is going down," says Sue Deuber, director of Voyager charter school in Kakaako. "Some of the smaller charter schools are in danger of closing this year. What saved us was the extra federal money we got through the stimulus act."
Voyager has geared up fundraising to bridge the money gap – a concert is planned for May 14 at Aloha Tower – but is also one of many local charters looking for business partners.
"Education-business partnerships are popular on the Mainland," says Deuber.
A business can help a school by:
• Encouraging employees to read to students or work on school-beautification projects;
• Allowing employees to volunteer as speakers, mentors or tutors;
• Setting up a job-shadow program;
• Paying for or donating new technology.
"There are all kinds of partnerships that involve businesses, ranging from providing pro bono help for back-office functions to directly making grants for playground facilities or equipment," says Nelson Smith, head of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. "Very often you see community leaders and business people on charter school boards where their expertise is really needed."
"It's a win-win," agrees Deuber. "The school benefits and businesses do so much better when their employees are involved in some effort to give back to the community. They've actually seen their bottom lines go way up. The employees feel valued; they feel like they're making a difference."
How to help
• Mentors: The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii encourages business leaders to mentor high school seniors at any school on projects that lead to a special recognition diploma. Go to helphawaiischools.com
• Voyager: To volunteer at Voyager charter school, call 521-9770 or go towww.voyagerschool.com
• Other schools: To volunteer at other schools, call their front office. For a list of charter schools, go to http://www.hcsao.org/hicharters/profiles
More Coverage:
Grading Our Schools
+ Top State for Schools
Hawaii Business magazine's sister publication, HONOLULU, covers Hawaii's public education system annually. Its May issue has two major stories on the subject.
First, "Grading the Public Schools," is HONOLULU's exclusive ranking of 257 public schools statewide. Using official Department of Education data, the magazine scores each school on five measures: student performance on reading and math tests, plus satisfaction scores given by the teachers, parents and students.
We often hear that our public schools consistently rank as some of the lowest performing in the nation. But which state has the nation's best public schools? Education Week magazine and other national rankings say it is Maryland. In HONOLULU'S second education feature this month, "The Maryland Lesson," senior writer Michael Keany finds out how that state turned its schools around and identifies solutions we have yet to try here.


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Esper et al (Global Change Biology, in press) "Trends and uncertainties in Siberian indicators of 20th century warming" is relevant to our present consideration of Briffa's Yamal, which I will get to shortly. The cutline in their abstract declares in effect that the divergence problem is not as "bad as we thought":
Despite these large uncertainties, instrumental and tree growth estimates for the entire 20th century warming interval match each other, to a degree previously not recognized, when care is taken to preserve long-term trends in the tree-ring data. We further show that careful examination of early temperature data and calibration of proxy timeseries over the full period of overlap with instrumental data are both necessary to properly estimate 20th century longterm changes and to avoid erroneous detection of post-1960 divergence.
However, it doesn't seem to me that this is supported very convincingly by their data analysis. They analyze the (archived) Schweingruber to 1990-1991 plus a considerable number of recent measurements, all of which are unarchived – non-archiving seems to have become standard practice among Esper and Euro dendros. Esper et al also comment on the instrumental record, worrying about adjustments to a degree that would not be out of a place in a CA thread. Here are a few excerpts.
Here is an excerpt from Esper's Figure 3, showing the effect of different standardization methods (Hugershoff, Negative Exponential, RCS and 300-year spline) on the average of over 70 chronologies. As you can readily see, on an overall basis, there is a decline in both RW and MXD for a very large population of Siberian sites since 1940 or so. Esper's abstract and conclusions emphasize the fact that the post-1940 decline in the RCS version (red) is somewhat less than the post-1940 decline in the Hugershoff version (purple) – and also that the 19th century RCS rise is greater than the 19th century Hugershoff rise. However, in our consideration of Yamal, the slight difference in post-1940 decline is irrelevant: once again, the large population doesn't show the huge Yamal rise. The issue, as stated on many occasions, isn't just the "divergence" of Briffa's Yamal chronology from Khadyta River, but its "divergence" from growth patterns throughout western Siberia – making one wonder about possible inhomogeneity in the Yamal population, an issue that I'll return to.
Esper Fig. 3 Lower Panel Effect of tree-ring detrending… Lower panel shows the same arithmetic means (RCS) together with the mean timeseries derived from HUG, EXD, and SPL detrending. All timeseries were normalized over the 1881–1940 period. RCS, regional curve standardization; TRW, tree-ring width.
Esper specifically showed results from a "new" (and Euro-unarchived) west Siberian network, summarized in the next graphic. The "new" network ends up at a z-score in 2000 of almost exactly zero, while Briffa's Yamal is exploring stratospheric multi-sigma deviations.
Esper Fig. 6. Updated WSIBnew tree-ring data and coherence with regional temperatures. Top panel shows the seven new MXD and eight new TRW RCS-detrended site chronologies together with their mean (WSIBnew) and the mean of all records in the WSIB clusters C1-3 (WSIB). While the latter extended only until 1990, WSIBnew reached 2000. Middle panel shows the WSIB and WSIBnew tree growth data scaled over the 1881–1990 (WSIB) and 1881–2000 (WSIBnew) periods to regional JJA temperatures. JJA and WSIB data have been decadally smoothed. Bottom panel shows the WSIBnew MXD and TRW timeseries together with JJA temperatures over the 1970–2000 period. Details on the updated WSIBnew sites, and all other tree-ring locations, are listed in supplementary Table S2. RCS, regional curve standardization; TRW, tree-ring width.
Esper also questions a variety of issues in the station histories, mentioning UHI, regional inhomogeneity in adjustment practices (see the Discussion and Conclusion for these) and GHCN adjustments. On regional adjustment to temperature records, they say:
In addition, the homogenization methodologies currently applied particularly in large-scale approaches, have difficulties in identifying and correcting for systematic biases that simultaneously affect data across larger regions (Parker, 1994; Frank et al., 2007a; Thompson et al., 2008). If we, for example, consider the substantial changes of instrumental summer temperatures that were recently applied to early station data in Europe and elsewhere (see both Frank et al., 2007a; Bohm et al., 2009, and references therein), it appears premature to solely use early temperature readings for proxy transfer and evaluation of DP in remote high latitude regions
The top panel below shows a graphic displaying GHCN adjustments of the sort that I did here a couple of years ago in connection with Hansen's Y2K problem, emphasizing that the adjustments are as large or larger than the temperature changes being measured (a familiar CA point.) In the caption to the bottom panel, he says: "Negative deviations were inverted, combined with positive values, and decadally averaged." I don't understand the purpose of this procedure and had enough needles in my eyes for a while.
Esper Fig. 8 Differences between raw and adjusted (GHCN) temperature station records. Upper panel shows the single June, July, and August adjustments of all 13 Siberian stations and their mean timeseries (bold). In the lower panel the adjustments were averaged to mean JJA mean timeseries and sorted by stations in WSIB, ESIB, and NESIB. Negative deviations were inverted, combined with positive values, and decadally averaged. Ust is Ust'-Maja, Sur is Surgut, and Dud is Dudinka (see Table S3).
For our present consideration of Yamal, the evidence from the Esper networks in western Siberia is one of declining ring widths in the last half of the 20th century. Briffa's Yamal is an exception to this general pattern – a point that is not discussed or reconciled in Briffa's response thus far. Esper cautions in respect to RCS standardization:
It seems important to note, however, that RCS-detrended data generally contain greatest uncertainties, require large datasets, and are prone to biases caused by inhomogeneous sample collections (Esper et al., 2002, 2003a). Particularly relevant to the Siberian data analyzed here could be biases due to (i) the tendency that the oldest trees often grow most slowly (Melvin, 2004; Esper et al., 2007b; Wunder et al., 2008), and (ii) the composition of data from only living trees and relatively homogeneous age-structure (Esper et al., 2007a, 2009). The former bias is likely more relevant for TRW than MXD – because of the greater amount of variance contained by the agetrend (Schweingruber et al., 1979) – and would ultimately increase positive long-term trends in RCS chronologies.
In his response, Briffa made no effort to defend the methodology of the original Yamal chronology beyond declaring that it was done in good faith, instead moving on to argue that they can "get" a similar chronology from a somewhat larger data set, as presented last week. The most important issue – as stated here and elsewhere by Esper – is the potential "bias caused by inhomogeneous sample collections", an issue that I'll consider in connection with the new Yamal data in a forthcoming post.


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[Shout Out to 2018] Top 100 Songs of 2018 Part 1: 100-51
Qualifications: Released December 10th to December 15th In 2018, social justice and health took center stage in Kpop and Korean Entertainment. The year started in mourning following the suicide of SHINee's Jonghyun and the passing of Seo Minwoo of 100%. Simultaneously, the #MeToo movement reached South Korea and sparked the reopening of the late actress Jang Ja Yeon's case that followed her 2009 suicide. We … Continue reading [Shout Out to 2018] Top 100 Songs of 2018 Part 1: 100-51


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3A Assembly
From 2010.igem.org
3A assembly (which stands for three antibiotic assembly) is a method for assembling two BioBrick parts and selecting for correct assemblies with antibiotics.3A assembly is now the preferred assembly method at iGEM HQ and the Knight lab at MIT.
It differs from Standard Assembly in that it relies on three way ligation (between the two parts and the backbone vector) for assembly rather than two way ligation between a part and a part + vector. It uses effective antibiotic selection to eliminate unwanted background colonies and eliminates the need for gel purification and colony PCR of the resulting colonies. In theory, about 97% of the colonies should be the desired assembly.
More recently, the Registry has been providing iGEM teams and Registry labs with linearized backbone plasmids to further improve this assembly method. This page has been updated to reflect the most modern approach.
3A assembly was designed such that gel purification of the digested parts is unnecessary. Incorrect assemblies are selected against via either positive or negative selection. The motivations for eliminating the gel purification step are as follows
- Gel purification is slow and not easily susceptible to automation and scaling. As the Registry moves to larger scale assembly of parts, gel purification can be a limiting step in terms of how many assemblies can be done in parallel.
- Gel purification tends to be inefficient especially on small pieces of DNA. It can be difficult to isolate small pieces of DNA (< 200 bp) from a gel. Thus, when assembling two small pieces of DNA, 3A assembly might prove advantageous.
- The left part is in a plasmid with an antibiotic resistance cassette for antibiotic A.
- The right part is in a plasmid with an antibiotic resistance cassette for antibiotic B.
- A construction plasmid is selected with neither resistance A nor B. It has antibiotic resistance C.
- The left part's plasmid is cut with EcoRI and SpeI.
- The right part's plasmid is cut with XbaI and PstI.
- The construction plasmid backbone is a linear piece of DNA. It has a few bases beyond the EcoRI and PstI restriction sites. It is cut with EcoRI and PstI.
- All 3 restriction digests are heated to heat kill all of the restriction enzymes.
- An equimolar quantity of all 3 restriction digest products are combined in a ligation reaction.
- The desired result is the left part 's SpeI overhang ligated with the right part's XbaI overhang resulting in a mixed site that cannot be cut with any of our enzymes.
- The new composite part is ligated into the construction plasmid backbone at the EcoRI and PstI sites.
- When the ligation result is transformed into cells and grown on plates with antibiotic C, only colonies with the correct construction(*) survive.
- Two parts in BioBricks format to be assembled. The parts are in a plasmid or they can be generated via PCR.
- A construction vector that has a different resistance marker from either of two parts.
- These construction backbones are available from the Registry.
- <partinfo>pSB1A3</partinfo>
- <partinfo>pSB1C3</partinfo>
- <partinfo>pSB1K3</partinfo>
- <partinfo>pSB1T3</partinfo>
- Miniprep your two parts.
- Digest your two parts and construction plasmid backbonedestination vector with the following enzymes
- Left part with EcoRI and SpeI
- Right part with XbaI and PstI
- Construction plasmid backbone with EcoRI and PstI. Also digest the construction plasmid backbone with DamI if possible to eliminate any plasmid remaining from the PCR.
- (?) Purify the restriction digest.
- (?) For parts < 200 bp in length, do a Knight:Micropure EZ and Microcon purification (or alternatively an Ethanol precipitation of small DNA fragments). All other parts and the construction vector can be purified using a QIAquick PCR purification kit or Qiagen Minelute PCR Purification Kit (elutes in a smaller volume giving greater concentration of the DNA).
- Combine 1 ul of each restriction digest reaction with 1 ul of ligase in a 25 ul reaction.
- Transform the ligation product. (See also Electroporation or another chemical transformation.)
- If the input parts are good, almost all colonies will be correct.
- If desired analyze the transformation with single colony PCR followed by agarose gel electrophoresis.
- In rolling, large scale assembly, this step is often omitted.
- Miniprep clones that generated a band of the appropriate size.
- Sequence the clone.
- Record the sequence information in the Registry.
Obtaining materials
- All listed vectors are available to iGEM teams and Registry labs and courses through the Registry of Standard Biological Parts.
- As of spring 2010, we recommend using linear construction plasmid backbones that are available from the Registry or that you make yourself using PCR.
- In our experience, most problems with 3A Assembly come from the transformation process. Because 3A Assembly uses a triple ligation, the concentration of assembled DNA is about 10% of that produced by a double ligation process. Particularly, if your lab makes its own competent cells (and particularly chemically competent cells) it is important to test the competency. If you are having trouble obtaining colonies, we suggest that you try commercial competent cells. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Do not add more ligation product than specified and be careful when resuspending the competent cells.
- The second most common problems are caused by defects in the DNA entering the ligation. We find ligation to be a very reliable process. However, the sticky ends of the cut parts can be destroyed by enzymes. Also, the original DNA may be incorrect or defective.
- Another common mechanism for failure involves a piece of genomic DNA being cloned into the construction plasmid. This result typically occurs when the assembly is somehow unfavorable to the cell. This issue can be partially checked via the colony PCR step in the protocol though if the genomic DNA is of the same size as your assembly, then the single colony PCR screen is ineffective. A careful purification of the construction plasmid can help to avoid this result as can phosphatase treatment of the linear construction plasmid.
- Since the transformed cells are plated on plates supplemented with the antibiotic corresponding to the construction plasmid, only cells containing the construction plasmid backbone should survive.
- Since the construction plasmid itself has been reduced in quantity by PCR and digestion by DamI, few colonies will contain the original construction plasmid.
This assembly technique was formulated by Randy Rettberg and implemented by Tom Knight and Reshma Shetty.


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Tag Archives: olive oil packets
No More Self-Serve Olive Oil Dispensers in Spain
In many ways Spain is still a very quaint country, retains many old-world charms, and puts higher value on quality of life rather than the quantity of life or the size of your bank account. But this is sadly changing. … Continue reading
Posted in About Spain, Food, Health, Money Tagged aceite, aceite de oliva, aceitera, aceiteras, aceiteras rellenables, European Union, extra virgin, olive oil, olive oil packets, olive oil pitchers, packets, pan tostado con aceite, single serving, Spain, Spanish breakfast, typical breakfast in Spain, typical Spanish breakfast, virgin olive oil 7 Comments


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A Positive Step Toward Fitness
Are you having second thoughts about exercising?
The way you think about exercise can be the crucial factor in sticking with your fitness program. If you look on it as a disagreeable chore, it becomes one. But if you develop an image as an active, dynamic person, you'll be more likely to stick to your fitness program.
Some exercise advice:
Find an exercise partner. If you work out on your own, you may end up being less active. If your spouse or a friend goes with you, you'll have a commitment to honor. You won't want to let the other person down by not exercising.
Break it up and set attainable goals. Cruise through a short jog, for instance, instead of struggling to run three miles. Too often, people starting a fitness program set unrealistic goals. They build in failure because they have expectations that are too large .
Reward yourself. Complete a half-hour walk five days in a row? That could mean a trip to the mall to buy some new clothes. Make something that otherwise could be boring fun instead.
Before your workout, visualize what you'll be doing. Try to imagine what you'd look like doing an exercise. It lets you see in your mind's eye that exercise is beneficial.
Realize that only you can control your well-being and your destiny. The best way to change your attitude about exercise is to just do it. Do something a little more each time and recognize that you accomplished something, something to feel pleased about. You build on your accomplishments. You feel pleased with every little step.


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Libertarians: Quietly plotting to take over America – AND LEAVE YOU ALONE !
HAPPY EASTER from Paul Revere !!!
"When the road looks rough ahead, remember the Man Upstairs and the word Hope. Hang on to both and tough it out." – John Wayne
'It will change absolutely everything': Glenn Beck reacts to new hate speech bill in the House and Senate
"This [radio] has the German swastika on it, the German eagle is on it. This was an S.S. approved radio. It would only pick up the right radio stations, so you couldn't tune into to the BBC or anything else. They just took those frequencies away," Glenn explained. "I love the people who say the Nazis are extreme right. No, they're not. The battle of World War II in Europe was communist versus Nazis – communists versus the national socialists… Both of them wanted world domination… Both of them were socialist… It's the same group of guys."
REMEMBER: NAZI is a nickname for NATIONAL SOCIALISM
That is what the Progressives are trying to establish in America !!!
Shocking flyer orders Jews to register in Eastern Ukraine
"And so it begins !" – Glenn Beck
"Methinks I could not die anywhere so contented as in the king's company; his cause being just and his quarrel honourable." – Shakespeare, Henry V
Jews urged to flee Ukraine by Holocaust survivor
ALL Jewish people should leave Ukraine at once, a Holocaust survivor warned last night, after "grotesque" anti-Semitic leaflets were handed out in the country.
Ukraine Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Find anti-Jewish 'bastards'
Russia says reinforced troops on Ukraine border as precaution
U.S. Plans Military Drills in Eastern Europe
'Chris, Don't Put Words in My Mouth!': MSNBC Host, GOP Assemblywoman Clash Over Bundy Ranch
Live From Bundy's Nevada Ranch: The Funny Way Supporters Are Responding to Harry Reid Calling Them 'Domestic Terrorists'
"It is better for someone to think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." ― Will Rogers
Western lawmakers gather in Utah to talk federal land takeover
'It's time' » Lawmakers from 9 states gather in Utah, discuss ways to take control of federal lands.
Iran Gets an Unlikely Visitor, an American Plane, but No One Seems to Know Why
What do OBAMA and Sgt. Schultz have in common ?
Both at Home and Abroad, Obama's Presidency is Floundering
Obama Signs Ted Cruz's Anti-Terrorist Ambassador Bill
SIX YEARS in the White House and the man has done
Obamaland: Where Cowboys are Villains and Race-Baiters, Gay Radicals and Marxists are Heroes
"There are men running governments who shouldn't be allowed to play with matches." ― Will Rogers
Obamacare's "Unfolding Fiscal Disaster"
On Second Thought, Maybe HealthCare.gov Is at Risk from Heartbleed
"If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." ― Will Rogers
Milton Friedman demolishes Obama's equal pay argument
Justice Antonin Scalia to students on high taxes: At a certain point, 'perhaps you should revolt'
Obama White House Indefinitely Delays Keystone Pipeline Decision
ANYTHING to assure that America's energy prices "NECESSARILY SKYROCKET" !!!
What Common Core Proposes to Teach N.Y. Students on 'Unintended Consequences of American Capitalism,' 'Fairness' and the Progressive Era
The proposed framework adds, "A degree of regulation, oversight, or government control is necessary in some markets to ensure free and fair competition and to limit unintended consequences of American capitalism."
Trouble for Democrats: More Senate seats are at risk
"A liberal paradise would be a place where everybody has guaranteed
employment, free comprehensive healthcare, free education, free
food, free housing, free clothing, free utilities, and only law
enforcement has guns. And believe it or not, such a place does,
indeed, exist: It's called prison." – Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Is THIS America's newest top-secret spy plane? Clearest picture yet of mystery aircraft spotted flying over Kansas just weeks after being seen in Texas
High school senior forms petition with over ONE THOUSAND signatures against Michele Obama speaking at their high school graduation 'because it would overshadow the students' big day'
Gun Supporters Lose Huge Battle in New York
A Pro-Gun Group Stole Bloomberg's Gun Safety Group's Name On Facebook
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." – Thomas Jefferson
The folks who are getting the free stuff don't like the folks who are paying for the free stuff, because the folks who are paying for the free stuff can no longer afford to pay for both the free stuff and their own stuff.
And the folks who are paying for the free stuff want the free stuff to stop.
And the folks who are getting the free stuff want even more free stuff on top of the free stuff they are already getting!
Now… the people who are forcing the people who pay for the free stuff have told the people who are RECEIVING the free stuff that the people who are PAYING for the free stuff are being mean, prejudiced, and racist.
So… the people who are GETTING the free stuff have been convinced they need to hate the people who are paying for the free stuff by the people who are forcing some people to pay for their free stuff and giving them the free stuff in the first place.
We have let the free stuff giving go on for so long that there are now more people getting free stuff than paying for the free stuff.
Now understand this. All great democracies have committed financial suicide somewhere between 200 and 250 years after being founded. The reason?
The voters figured out they could vote themselves money from the treasury by electing people who promised to give them money from the treasury in exchange for electing them.
The United States officially became a Republic in 1776, 236 years ago. The number of people now getting free stuff outnumbers the people paying for the free stuff.Failure to change that spells the end of the United States as we know it.
A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!
Obama: Gone!
Borders: Closed!
Language: English only
Culture: God, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!
Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before Welfare!
NO freebies to: Non-Citizens!
Yours for a FREE AMERICA,
Paul Revere
"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." – Margaret Thatcher
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
OUR FAVORITE SONG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAYPN-1Yjt0


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From my desk at Dell, I have a unique perspective. In addition to a constant stream of deep customer interactions about our many cloud solutions (even going back pre-OpenStack to Joyent & Eucalyptus), I have been an active advocate for OpenStack, involved in many discussions with and about CloudStack and regularly talk shop with Dell's VIS Creator (our enterprise focused virtualization products) teams. And, if you go back ten years to 2002, patented the concept of hybrid clouds with Dave McCrory.
Rather than offering opinions in the Cloud v. Cloud fray, I'm suggesting that cloud success means taking a system view.
Platform choice is only part of the decision: operational readiness, application types and organization culture are critical foundations before platform.
Over the last two years at Dell, I found seven points outweigh customers' choice of platform.
- Running clouds requires building operational expertise both at the application and infrastructure layers. CloudOps is real.
- Application architectures matter for cloud deployment because they can redefine the SLA requirements and API expectations
- Development community and collaboration is a significant value because sharing around open operations offers significant returns.
- We need to build an accelerating pace of innovation into our core operating principles
- There are still significant technology gaps to fill (networking & storage) and we will discover new gaps as we go
- We can no longer discuss public and private clouds as distinct concepts. True hybrid clouds are not here yet, but everyone can already see their massive shadow.
- There is always more than one right technological answer. Avoid analysis paralysis by making incrementally correct decisions (committing, moving forward, learning and then re-evaluating).


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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
It's Like Herding Cats...LITERALLY! The Anderson-Ericksons Sit Still for Their Family Portrait!
67 comments:
I think the girls in this litter are going to have to write a sequel to "How I Tell My Brothers Apart," by Tressa Lovejoy.ReplyDelete
I have no idea how you can get them all lined up like that and looking up at the same time.ReplyDelete
The "white kitty bookend" effect is nice too. What an adorable litter!
Adorable, has that been said enough?ReplyDelete
- JasonInIllinoisMay 26, 2010 at 12:06 PM
How do you tell the middle three boys apart? They all have beards and booties. At least if they're adopted in pairs they can go with a sibling with more obvious differences.ReplyDelete
JasonInIllinois: Well, Ambrose is quite a bit floofier than the other two. Ferris and Emory will probably come down to personality. ;-)ReplyDelete
What pretty babies!
- Cat SkyfireMay 26, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Clement still looks irritated.ReplyDelete
- NadineMay 26, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Ferris and Emory have different amounts of white on their front feet, I think :)ReplyDelete
All six of them are adorable!
In person, it's easy to tell them all apart. Everyone has their own distinguishing marks, and they differ in size too. I'll try to get some shots highlighting their differences so it's easy for you to tell them apart.ReplyDelete
- Anne BoleynMay 26, 2010 at 12:23 PM
That's just not possible.ReplyDelete
- CristinaMay 26, 2010 at 12:24 PM
You really made my evening! (From Romania, my day is probably more than 7 hours "older" than yours, so it is late in the evening by now...)ReplyDelete
I was indeed waiting for this photo for what seemed to be a very long time, I think I checked your site about 50 times in the last couple of days. Marvelous little kids!
They're so organized. LOLReplyDelete
We would have to keep them all!!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 26, 2010 at 12:37 PM
With the mittens and the shirt fronts and the Holsteinedness and the blueberry eyes and the whiskerswhiskerswhiskers...
It's our most fave litter since the dear Darlings!
Baxter's Mom
- AnonymousMay 26, 2010 at 12:42 PM
I couldnt resist.
The little wave in Ambrose's bib fur... Oh my goodness... I'm so in love!ReplyDelete
Awwwww Cute as can be!! Those tuxcedo kittens remind me of my kitty Socks that I lost a couple of years ago.ReplyDelete
I'm smitten. I tell you. Just plain ole smitten. Does kittenage get any more amazingly beautiful and cute as the AE bunch? Heck, no!ReplyDelete
Clement. Sigh.
"Herding cats" made me think of that commercial where the cowboys are actually herding cats. Makes me laugh after all these years.ReplyDelete
those 2 in the middle are identical!ReplyDelete
Oh squee! What a passle of pretty pussycats! Charlene will have her paws full with this grouping.ReplyDelete
- scooterMay 26, 2010 at 12:56 PM
are you kidding me??? i mean really.ReplyDelete
i may not be able to come here and look at the photos any more. this is just entirely too much. i guess i could avert my eyes from the pics and just comment randomly on the weather or something. this is just crazy adorable and they look so puffy and clean and happy!
Laurie, how do you do this - posing so that the black on whites as bookends! Sooo adorable. *sigh*ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 26, 2010 at 1:11 PM
how BEAUTIFUL!ReplyDelete
(I am shocked and amazed you got them ALL to sit still long enough) o.O
You absolutely amaze me with your skills. It took almost an entire bag of treats and 20+ attempted shots to get my two ADULT cats to sit still under the Christmas tree for one useable picture for our card. Maybe, must maybe, mine are brats. :)ReplyDelete
I love your herd!!!!
Facepalm. I mean, honestly. Are you trying to kill me here? Squee infinity.ReplyDelete
Okay, never ever commented here before but I have to see these babies have plastered a huge grin on my face today! This is a special bunch and I bet they'll get snatched up in a hot minute. 100% snorgle-able.ReplyDelete
Oh, oh, oh, be still my heart! I almost can't take it!! After today's earlier post of wee Clement, I didn't expect to see anything else today. But "something" told me to just check back, and I'm so glad I did!! I could not be any more smitten with these kittens... :)ReplyDelete
P.S. I don't think that Clement looks irritated, as was alleged. Maybe just a tiny bit impatient and/or questioning. Not irritated. No.ReplyDelete
- amandaaaaaaaMay 26, 2010 at 1:57 PM
this picture is perfect. i didn't think after the lyttletons any other batch of kittens could possibly measure up to their cuteness but here i am proven wrong :]ReplyDelete
i think it's not too difficult to tell the three tuxedo boys in this picture apart. ambrose is the floofy one, and ferris seems to have less white on his hands than emory.
Ok, this one resulted in an honest-to-goodness SQUEEEEE!!ReplyDelete
Could they be any cuter?! Obviously not. They're perfect.
Laurie- I am constantly impressed at your photo-taking abilities, this has to be in the Top 3 most awesome group shots!
I have just one single word. Three syllables.ReplyDelete
Just kidding, Laurie. :) This may be best family portrait EVAH! Look at their sweet little eyes -- you obviously have the answer to all of life's deepest questions or are wearing a catnip wig.
Would it be just plain wrong to hope for a FALSE positive test result of some kind (with later testing showing that the kittens are perfectly healthy) that makes this herd of dreamboats have to hang around longer than the other litters seem to? Prolly!
Thanks, Laurie.
- OldcatMay 26, 2010 at 2:07 PM
I suspect those stick-on Velcro strips are Laurie's real secret.ReplyDelete
Cynthia, where can I buy one of these catnip wigs you speak of?ReplyDelete
ADORABLE !!ReplyDelete
I so wished I lived closer I would take one in a second.
- WebbthistleMay 26, 2010 at 2:27 PM
Absolutely amazing - the kittens AND your ability to get them to pose like this, Laurie.ReplyDelete
A beautiful family portrait!
- Webbthistle - againMay 26, 2010 at 2:34 PM
Ambrose, Emory and Ferris:ReplyDelete
They play alike:
They purr alike:
They even picture-pose alike.
You can lose your mind
When kittens are three of a kind!
And if you don't get the reference, you are much younger than I! :)
What a beautiful photo!!! How did you get them to line up and stay like that!! It's wonderful!! They are so sweet and cute!!!ReplyDelete
sooooo precious! i have no idea how you do it, but your pictures are always so sweet - AND CLEAR! almost every picture we have of our cats is blurry - they move too much! haha!ReplyDelete
I don't know what's with me today, but this photo is so funny for some reason. Their expressions are all "is that... bacon?"ReplyDelete
SQUEE!!! I just want to hug them all. ^___^ReplyDelete
- SylvestermiasmommaMay 26, 2010 at 3:15 PM
Love the intense stare on these adorable kittens! How to tell the Tuxie's apart is hard except by the amount of white on their paws and bibs. Love the blue eyes too. Oh I want to come and play with them.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 26, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Aww, Emory and Ferris are little twins.ReplyDelete
- chanponMay 26, 2010 at 4:30 PM
OMG, overdosing on tuxie cuteness!! ahhhhhhhReplyDelete
Clovis (an orange tiger adopted from our local shelter) and I are bowled over by the cuteness! We check in at least once a day (usually more!) to get our daily "itty bitty" dose. Thanks!!!!!ReplyDelete
Holy crap, woman. Will wonders never cease?ReplyDelete
A HUGE awwww from Mommy AND Dad! Good thing we live too far away...we already have 12 cats.ReplyDelete
They look like four waiters and two chefs.ReplyDelete
oh. my. goodness. so cute, it's...it's... unspeakable! I am so in love with little Clement. I just loved his grumpy bath picture. oh clement, if only i was closer... I'd love you forever!!ReplyDelete
ps - love the "4 waiters & 2 chefs" comment! hilarious!
It's like seeing my cats cloned -- this litter looks so much like four of mine did when they were kittens, if my two tuxes (one fluffy, one shorthair) had been cloned. Louise especially reminds me of my CMY, right down to the black on her chin.ReplyDelete
Speaking of Louise, she got left out of the post tags.
I think the 3 boy's all look like they're wearing white fuzzy slippers!!!!ReplyDelete
This just HAS to be the jewel of the future AE card set! Everything is just so right...ReplyDelete
Would it be wrong to adopt all of them together and have 6 cats? *swoon*ReplyDelete
Bernice has long, white gloves on her front paws. The one on the right has slipped down around her wrist.ReplyDelete
omg OMG omg OMG omg OMG omg OMG omg OMG omg OMG omg OMG
'nuff said
I.can't.stand.it. I MEAN it! If I look into the eyes of these absolutely precious itty bitties one second longer I'll be making travel plans to Tacoma to adopt every single one of them. Ack!ReplyDelete
omg..omg...I am soooo in love..they are all soooo lovely..Just looking at this pic I have joy tears...and speechless..to describe the cuteness..ReplyDelete
Great shot again Laurie !
Oh, you guys are just the cutest bunch!ReplyDelete
Bernice, you are wearing the same off-the-shoulder evening gown my Mae has!
- AnonymousMay 27, 2010 at 6:23 AM
Berniece, pull up your other sock please.ReplyDelete
OMC! Yoo deserve a medal for getting ALL those little cuties in ONE photo. We are SO impressed!ReplyDelete
And as for the kitties they are TRULY AORABLE!
Love the references to patty Duke and Bernice's mismate socks!ReplyDelete
I'll take all of them, pleaseandthankyou. I have a soft spot for those little tux babies. Inez is still my favorite ever (other than my own of course!)ReplyDelete
Bernice's smudged lipstick sure is precious!
Love this pic. But all I can think of is HOW long it took to get them all looking at you at one time and staying still!!!!ReplyDelete
All the kittens on this blog are impossibly cute, but this photo is probably one of my favorite doses of cuteness ever. What adorable little kittens!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 30, 2010 at 2:20 AM
Waat have you promise them to keep them so still ?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 2, 2010 at 6:09 AM
they are so cute...i have 2 tuxedos and 3 black cats! Gilda the youngest (tuxedo) is 8 weeks old!ReplyDelete
The advantage of stopping by a bit later in the day: I can just say "Yeah! What THEY said!" But it's all true. What a lovely thing, knowing that there are households in which live happy, bright, cherished babies, graduates of Miss Charlene's School of Etiquette and Elegance. Someone famous (I'll look it up later) said that the Cat is the Soul of the Home. If I asked "who agrees" the breeze from all the hands going up would bend branches all over the world, I'm sure. For this bunch? Thank you, Laurie, with love.ReplyDelete
Little mini Emory looks exactly like my 12 yr old cat Puffy (pic on my blog) right down to his eensy bitty feeties. So darling!!!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 18, 2014 at 8:50 AM
ahhhhh the Anderson-Ericksons! <3 <3 <3ReplyDelete
I love revisiting the cutie kitties from the past via "you might also like"...


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bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. One of the best known and most important is the sod-forming Kentucky bluegrass, or June grass (P. pratensis), believed to have been introduced from the Old World and now widely naturalized in the United States; Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State because this species is so prevalent there. Others are rough bluegrass (P. trivialis), used for shady lawns; Sandberg bluegrass (P. secunda), the most common native species; and big bluegrass (P. ampla), an important range grass. Bluegrass is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order Cyperales, family Poaceae.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Plants


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There's plenty to like about Windows 8. It boots quickly; synchronises your data to the cloud; mounts ISO files for easy image browsing; provides thousands of free Windows 8 apps in the Windows store and has some excellent system repair options. The list goes on…
What really matters this time, though, isn't just what Microsoft have added to the Windows mix: it's what they've changed, or taken away.
And that's because this is no gently incremental upgrade. Rather, Windows has undergone a major redesign which sees the Start menu scrapped, the desktop demoted, and years of interface conventions thrown away.
Can you learn to live in a Windows 8 world, then? That all depends on how you feel about what Microsoft has done. Let's take a closer look.
The Start Screen
Log on to Windows 8 for the first time and you'll notice that the Start menu has been replaced by the colourful Start Screen. This looks great, but it works very differently, and you'll soon notice some issues.
The Start menu provided easy access to every aspect of your system, such as search, Windows tools, settings, installed programs, recent documents and more. There simply isn't room to display all of this on the Start Screen, though, and so many functions have now been scattered around the system, making them much harder to find.
After launching Windows 8, for instance, you might want to customise it − but there's no Control Panel tile. The Start Screen does provide some shortcuts, but they're so well hidden that many users will probably only find them by accident (press Win+X, say, or move your mouse cursor to the top-left corner of the screen to launch the Charms bar, and click Settings). And even then they may be disappointed, as plenty of key settings now have to be accessed elsewhere.
Move to installing applications and you'll find that's easy enough, as your programs extend the Start Screen with tiles of their own. What you won't find is a Documents menu, though, or a clear way of pinning files to the Start Screen (third-party tools like Pin to 8 can help with the latter).
And it's not even obvious how to perform a simple task like shutting down or restarting your system. In Windows 7 clicking the Start button was enough to point you in the right direction. In Windows 8 you might move your mouse cursor over to the top-left corner of the screen, hit the Settings option (not the most obvious location), and click Power before choosing the option you need.
It's not all bad news, though. The Start Screen does include a simple menu which provides easy access to some system tools: Control Panel, Task Manager, the Command Prompt, shutdown options and more. Press Win+X, or move your mouse cursor into the bottom left corner of the screen and right-click to see it.
Better still, if you just start typing at the Start Screen then you'll launch the Windows 8 search tool. Type "Note", say, to see a link for Notepad, or type part of a recent document name to list that file. And if you ever find yourself unable to figure out how to perform some task, just type a relevant term − "shut down", say − and click Settings for more helpful links.
If this still isn't enough, though, Windows 8.1 can boot directly to the desktop, rather than the Start Screen (right-click the taskbar, check "...go to the desktop instead of Start"). You'll still need to access the new interface occasionally, but these tweaks should reduce your initial frustrations, and if you still run into problems then the Search tool will quickly point you in the right direction.