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Making Our Voices Heard
As we all know, this is a time of great upheaval in our country. Some of that is related to the changes in federal government, but much of it is heavily influenced by other events and trends in our country and around the world. Health care certainly has its share of change and uncertainty. It is easy to focus on the threats that this upheaval brings and they are real. However, this kind of upheaval also brings opportunities that are easy to ignore and even when we don't ignore them, it is sometimes hard to figure out how to take advantage of them.
As I've gotten somewhat involved in this kind of advocacy recently, I've discovered opportunities and ways of giving input that I really had no idea about.
Myth #1 that I believed is that it is very hard or even impossible to give input on government regulation or proposed rules. Simply untrue. Virtually all proposed federal government regulations are open for public comment on line before final versions are adopted. Many meetings are open to the public. I am one of two chaplains who sit on the National Quality Forum's Standing Committee on Palliative and End of Life Measures. All of our meetings are open to the public in person or by phone and anyone so attending gets an opportunity to comment usually at the end of the meeting. Our minutes are available to the public on line. Many other health care related proceedings are also open to public comment. Admittedly, finding out about these opportunities is not easy, but over time one can learn.
Myth #2 that I believed is that legislators have no real interest in hearing from constituents. All one has to do these days is follow the trials of members of the House of Representatives especially when they return home, and you know they do provide opportunities to hear from constituents and most know they should pay attention especially if they have two year terms. For a while, Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, had a phone line open to gather comments on the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). It was shut down apparently after being flooded with pro-ACA calls.
So there are opportunities but how best to take advantage of them? First, don't undersell the expertise we have and how much we know. We know the obstacles that people face in coping with illness and injury and we know a lot about what would help them. Stating clearly and succinctly who we are and what we do generally gives us instant credibility on health care issues. We should never be timid about claiming our authority to speak.
Second, educate yourself on the issues of interest to you on the state and federal level that you might want to give input on/support/oppose. This again can be complicated but with some searching over time, one can get connected to information sources that specialize in issues we as chaplains care about. As an example, here in California where I live a bill that would mandate palliative care (and thus potentially spiritual care) for all recipients of Medi-Cal- the state Medicare system- passed the legislature some time ago but is now held up in the legislature's budgeting process. The bill known officially as SB1004 is only one page so very easy to understand. Following its progress is difficult. The way I have been doing it is to be in the media lists for an organization called the Coalition for Compassionate Care California (http://coalitionccc.org) that has championed palliative care as well as advance care planning. Again, this is a natural issue for health care chaplains and we should be weighing in on it The HealthCare Chaplaincy Network has been a co-signer of several letters supporting the implementation of this bill but this is a case of "the more the merrier." Certainly, similar issues and pathways exist in other states.
Finally, be clear about the "ask". At the end of the day, legislative agency staff who read your input want to know what you want them to do. Just complaining or just asking that "something" be done is a waste of time. So, on SB1004 we want them to implement the bill and make sure that spiritual care is a mandated service as part of that implementation. Being able to quote one or two studies here about how attending to spiritual issues is what patients want is helpful.
Yes, all of this takes time and effort. But it SB1004 is implemented, it will be a huge benefit to many Californians and a model for Medicare providers in other states.
Its time to make our voices heard.


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Scrappin' Out Loud – Blog Giveaway
Scrappin' Out Loud is having a blog giveaway. Deadline is December 1st. Details can be found here.
November 20 -22nd
The holiday season is upon us, which means time to shop for the Holidays! We know that everyone will be looking for super deals and making their Black Friday plans soon! The Design Team and Croppin Paradise wants to help you practice your ability to make lists, compare prices, search for coveted items, fight crowds and spread holiday cheer with a Black Friday inspired crop! There will be shopping related challenges and games; and of course some fun prizes and great deals!
We are going to sh(cr)op till we drop so we hope you will come join the fun!
A Walk Down Memory Lane – Chat with Pink Paislee
Join A Walk Down Memory Lane for a chat night with the owner, Rebecca, of Pink Paislee.
November 16th, 2009 at 9 PM EST
Scrapbook News and Review Magazine– Family Tradition Challenge
The Studio – Online Charity Event
We are holding an event on our site over this weekend from Friday 13th at 7pm GMT until Sunday 15th 7pm GMT. We are trying to raise lots of money for a US based charity that work all over the world called charity:water. They work extremely hard to provide clean fresh water to millions of men, women and children that do not have access to this most basic of needs.
Create It Green – Design Team Call
I'm looking for 9 members to be on a design team (3 card, 3 layout and 3 altered projects). I will be posting a monthly card and layout sketch and would like to have some inspiring GREEN projects to post with the sketches. As well, I'd like to have 3 altered projects to post monthly.(When I say GREEN, I mean a recycled, repurposed or reused item)
~create a GREEN layout or card using one of these sketches and email to me and tell me the GREEN material/s you used in your creation. If you are applying for the altered project, simply make a new project for the call and let me know what GREEN item/s you used. Use the sketches on Create It Green when applying for the design team.
Full details on this call can be found here.
Susiebee Studios – Christmas Love Campaign
We are running a contest at Susiebee Studios until January 4, 2010 and we are trying to get as many scrapbookers and crafters involved. We have many sponsors involved and at the end we will be giving out a few nice prize packages. We want to the world to know that we care. Let's make some noise and show some CHRISTMAS LOVE! People can find out more information on our website and we are encouraging people to join the 'facebook group' – CRISTMAS LOVE CAMPAIGN to share their work & ideas.
Practical Scrappers – Guest Designer Call
Practical Scrappers is looking for one sketch designer. All interested applicants should e-mail Christine at [email protected] by November 20th.
Practical Scrappers – Online Crop
Practical Scrappers will be hosting an online crop from November 20th-22nd. Go here to check out all the details.

subset: commoncrawl


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June 21-23rd
There's a lot going on, here's a link listing all the event details in one place.
Ladyfest Friday Night After Party!
Ladyfest Friday Night After Party at Lavish Nightclub, downtown on Dundas St. Featuring DJ EMMA PACE!
Admission by donation to My Sisters' Place, pay what you can.
Ladyfest Afternoon Fair – Saturday!
Saturday June 22nd – 10am – 4pm
East Village Arts Collective – 757 Dundas St.
Vendors: Catstache, Msmediafrenzy, Paula Planted, Thorn'n'Thistle Decorative Arts, Shameless magazine & VDay Western: Until the Violence Stops + pieces by dozens of local artists.
Performances by: The Beamers, Chutney Sessions, Diane Morrow, Emily Whiston & Allison Brown.
Admission by donation to My Sisters' Place.
LADYFEST ROCKS & SPINS at The APK
Saturday June 22nd – Doors at 7pm
Cover is $5-10 Donation to My Sisters' Place
10% of menu sales to My Sisters' Place!
Feisty Feminist Fashion Show 8-9pm
Holly Painter Poetry – Spoken Word between sets
9:30pm – 10pm – High School Sweetheart
10:15 – 10:45pm – Amanda Lewis
11:00 – 11:45pm The Alcohollys
12-12:15am – Miss Sixty Lashes
12:15 – close – dj mediafrenzy
Summer Solstice Ladyfest Launch!
Summer Solstice Ladyfest Launch
Friday June 21st, 7-10pm
East Village Arts Collective
757 Dundas Street
Performances by: Awasis, Samantha Gail, Elsie Richmond, Carly Thomas, Lindsey Burns & Asker
Artwork by Holly Brown, Katherine Chapman, Sarah Curran, Yara El Safi, Jen Hamilton, Jenelle Madison, Diane Morrow, Pauline Moss, Melissa Parrott, Mila Petkovic, Beatrice Shilton, Cindi Talbot & many more!
Cover by donation to My Sisters' Place (suggested $5-10)
It's time for the 5th Annual Ladyfest London happening June 20th – 23rd!
This is our time to celebrate female creativity in our community. This year we are raising money for My Sisters' Place! All of our events are $5-10 pay what you can, (suggested donation). Folks identifying as any gender are welcome to attend the shows! Detailed line-up and artist list to be announced later this week! There is still time to get involved!
Kicking it all off Friday afternoon we have a Womyn's Burlesque Workshop from 4-6pm with Miss Sixty Lashes at EVAC, 757 Dundas St.
The festival will officially launch Friday June 21st, with a Solstice Celebration! There will be an art exhibit featuring dozens of local female artists accompanied by live acoustic music at East Village Arts Collective from 7-10pm. Plus, the Ironically Feminist Bake Sale will be back with scrumptious goodies! Yum!
All day Saturday, Ladyfest Eats at Veg OutRestaurant, since they will be donating 13% of their menu sales!
The fun at EVAC continues with a Vendor's Fair from 10am – 4pm Saturday, showcasing art, jewellery, clothing & more from local crafters and artisans.
Then Saturday night we head downtown to The APK for a Ladyfest Feisty Fashion Show at 7pm & Ladyfest ROCKS, Live Music & DJ's until 2am. There will be Ladyfest art gracing the walls and portion of menu proceeds going to the Ladyfest cause.
Sunday June 23rd is the Groovy Ladies Open Mic at Grooves Records from 1-4pm. Contact us to secure a spot! Free admission, donations accepted.
Closing the festivities on the eve of the full moon will be the Surreal Women Story Slam, hosted by Paula Planted, She Fire Keeper Radio. Sign up at 8:30, show at 9pm. All welcome, anything goes.
More workshops announced soon!
Visit ladyfestlondon.ca or LadyFest London on Facebook for more details. E-mail us at email@example.com to get involved!
SAVE THE DATE – JUNE 20th – 23rd, 2013!!!
MIAOW! It's time for the 5th Annual Ladyfest London June 20th – 23rd, 2013!
This is our time to celebrate female creativity in our community. There will be an art exhibit at EVAC on Friday June 21st, a Vendor's Fair Saturday 22nd 10am – 4pm. Saturday night The APK hosts Ladyfest Feisty Fashion Show at 7pm & Live Music until close. Sunday 23rd is Ladyfest Groovy Ladies Open Mic at Grooves Records. Folks of all gender identities are welcome to attend.
Proceeds raised go to My Sisters' Place.
Weekend Women's Workshops include Burlesque, Writing, Recording, Storytelling & Yoga sessions.
E-mail email@example.com or visit us on Facebook to get involved.


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Great Ceilidh in Barrowby village hall with Charlies Ant.
We premiered a couple of my tunes, the Naked Turtle and Silly Shoes. Good fun but a bit of a punishing strip the willow.
Great band though a couple of p-bones, horn, trumpet, snare, bodhran, a couple of whistles, a mandolin, a guitar, hordes of violins and a cello... Epic.
People should ceilidh more, it's great for working out stress and just generally amazing fun!


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A brave youngster who underwent a lifesaving kidney transplant has named his new organ after Doncaster Rovers ace James Coppinger - after the footballer sent him a video get well message.
Daniel Calow, seven, met up with his soccer idol to say thank you and collect a pair of signed boots from the long-serving midfielder who admitted he was "humbled" by the youngster's plight.
Coppinger, who is close to beating Rovers' all-time appearance record, was so moved after hearing of Daniel's op last November that he sent a video message as he recovered in hospital.
And Daniel, who lives at Westwoodside with dad Darren and mum Sandra, repaid the compliment - by dubbing his new kidney Copps, in tribute to his favourite player.
Said James: "I got a call asking if I would send a video message. I've got kids myself so I could relate to it.
"It was humbling to hear that Daniel had named his new kidney after me. I don't think there's many footballers out there that can say that!"
Daniel's health problems began at birth when he stopped breathing for six minutes - causing many of his major organs to fail.
And while he otherwise recovered from the early setback, his kidney failed and his parents were told by medics that he would have to undergo a transplant operation.
Last November, after a suitable donor was found, Daniel underwent the procedure in Nottingham at the Queen's Medical Centre and since then has made a remarkable recovery, enjoying the chance to run around Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium pitch with the boots Coppinger used to score a brace against South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley.
Proud mum Sandra said: "He was absolutely overwhelmed. He has made fantastic progress since his operation and he has been a fighter right from the very beginning."
Season ticket holder Daniel, who attends games with his family, was urged to come up with a name for his new kidney by medics and had no hesitation in plumping for Copps after the star's message.
She said: "His favourite player has always been Coppinger and when he got the message after his operation, he was absolutely beaming. The smile he had on his face when he saw the message was amazing."
The Westwoodside Academy pupil was presented with the boots on the Keepmoat pitch by the player who has now clocked up nearly 450 appearances for Rovers in an 11-year career.
Dad Darren said: "They try and make it a bit more personal by encouraging kids to come up with a name for their kidney, and Daniel had no hesitation in choosing Copps. The man is amazing for what he has done - a true gentleman footballer and we are extremely grateful to him."
It was humbling to hear that Daniel had named his new kidney after meJames Coppinger


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So we built a product that helps companies align goals, give instant feedback to peers and make sure reviews are done well.
Since 2001, we've been striving to revolutionize the world of employee evaluations by creating user-friendly yet powerful performance management tools. Today, with over 1000 companies worldwide using Trakstar to streamline performance appraisals and build strong goal-setting cultures, we're proud to say we've achieved our mission... and we're not slowing down.
Our Seattle-based team works hard to constantly improve our performance management system, so we can continue to offer the most user-friendly, customizable and affordable product for our client base, which includes organizations of all sizes and industries.
January 2018
We launch Trakstar Team: Applicant Tracking.
Now customers can recruit and hire the best with Trakstar Team, and manage performance with Trakstar.
December 2017
Trakstar has a record year, growing more
than 50 percent overall with 80 percent growth in new sales.
May 2016
Trakstar releases a clean, modern user
interface— making Trakstar really, really ridiculously good-looking software.
May 2015
Trakstar says goodbye to a much-loved
co-founder and CEO, David Martin. Julie Rieken steps into the role.
September 2014
Another major release of our performance review software. It's even more feature rich and easier to use.
June 2014
Trakstar now has 1000+ companies around the world using it's platform.
January 2013
The best software isn't enough, we need the best support on Earth too. We start hiring and building this team.
November 2012
After two years of planning, designing and building our platform, we launch our vastly improved system.
June 2012
Our team keeps growing and we need more space - time to move into our new office!
June 2012
From "Promantek" to "Trakstar". Customers called us by our product "Trakstar" anyway, and we like it better too.
August 2010
We want to build the best Performance Appraisal Software in the world. With 7 years of customer hearing needs, we decide it's time to re-build our product line with the goal of building the best system on Earth.
June 2010
As a result of our improved product, our business is growing fast
August 2009
With a growing team, we release a major update to our initial product line.
June 2006
David finishes college, moves to Seattle and we open our first office.
March 2003
We release the first version of our software and our first customers sign up.
January 2001
David starts building the first version Trakstar working from his dorm room on weekends and at home over the summers.
Trakstar has allowed Christian Health Care Center to transform an antiquated paper-based performance evaluation tool into an efficient and reliable on-line system.


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About Globus Group
Globus Group is at the forefront of the packaging industry across Australia and New Zealand. Whilst our background is in the meat and smallgoods industries, we have diversified to cover participants in the dairy, seafood and pet food industries. We also service a number of customers in manufacturing industries with their packaging and clipping requirements.
Globus Group is at the forefront of packaging and equipment advances, continuing our long history of innovation. We partner with world class suppliers of quality products and support them with our technical expertise and unmatched resources and support in the field. Because of our broad product range, coverage across Australia and New Zealand and the experience and expertise of our staff, Globus Group is able to offer our customer base an unrivalled experience in dealing with the challenges and innovation required in today's market.


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Requirement: A minimum of three years of work experience, applicable to product management, is necessary.
The Product Manager directs, coordinates, or manages all activities related to the assigned products. The product manager develops strategic plans to increase product revenue and profit of mature products and assures that new products are brought to market in a timely, cost-effective manner. This includes assuring that the current products are properly supported by all functional areas of the organization. This position reports to the Director of Product Management.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
LOCATION AND HOURS OF WORK Typical hours for this position are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and possibly some weekend hours if applicable. There is minimal to moderate domestic and international travel. This is a full-time position.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: none.
QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Matheson is an Equal Opportunity Employer that complies with the laws and regulations set forth under EEOC.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, Religion, national origin, sex, protected veteran status, or disability
EOE AA M/F/VET/Disability
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
Here are a few good reasons:
Compensation package including:
Software Powered by iCIMS


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The Noble Society of Celts, is an hereditary society of persons with Celtic roots and
interests, who are of noble title and gentle birth, and who
have come together in a search for, and celebration of, things Celtic.
"Spring 2011"
Tam O'Shanter
Tam o' Shanter
is about an old Scottish legend. It is a wonderful, epic poem in which the famous Scottish bard Robert Burns paints a vivid picture of the drinking classes in the old Scotch town of Ayr in 1790. This story is about a farmer called Tam O'Shanter. It is populated by several unforgettable characters including of course Tam himself, his bosom pal, Souter (Cobbler) Johnnie and his own long suffering wife Kate, "Gathering her brows like gathering storm, nursing her wrath to keep it warm". We are also introduced to Kirkton Jean, the ghostly, "winsome wench", Cutty Sark and let's not forget his gallant horse, Maggie.
The tale includes humour, pathos, horror, social comment and in my opinion some of the most beautiful lines that Burns ever penned. For example, "But pleasures are like poppies spread, You sieze the flower, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white--then melts for ever".
It was very late on a dark and stormy night when Tam, who had been to Market to sell his wares and had called at the local inn afterwards for a few drinks, began his journey home. Tam was riding his old mare Meg down a lonely road, when he drew close to the church at Kirk Alloway.
Through the cold night air he heard a strange and scary sound, and as he looked into the night sky he saw the glare of fire!
There, in the churchyard, dancing around a huge bonfire was a coven of witches and warlocks. Tam sat on his horse, rigid with terror! The witches danced on and Tam noticed that one of the hags was younger and more beautiful than the others. Her name was Nannie, but Tam didn't know this; all she was wearing was a short petticoat so he called her 'cutty sark', which is an old regional Scottish name for this garment.
Well, the dancing became wilder and wilder and Tam became more and more engrossed. At last, he could bear the suspense no longer and he shouted out,
"Weel done 'cutty sark'!"
With a flash the bonfire went out, and a soul-tearing howl went up from the witches and warlocks, as they began to race towards Tam, desperate to get to this mortal who had ruined their revelry.
Poor Tam. He was in fear of his life, and for a moment just sat there, but after a few seconds that seemed like lifetimes, he managed to spur Meg on, in a desperate race to save his life.
Now, witches cannot cross running water, and fortunately for Tam, the river Doon was nearby. He set Meg galloping madly towards the bridge, with the witches in hot pursuit.
Nannie, being younger and faster than the rest, was the closest to him, and was reaching out to grab Meg's tail, just as the mare reached the bridge.
Luckily for Tam (although not so for Meg), the horse's tail came away in Nannie's hand just as the mare galloped over the bridge. Tam was saved! The witches and warlocks stood on the river-bank cursing and screaming at Tam who had had a very narrow escape.
This was the story that inspired the naming of 'Cutty Sark' (the famous British square-rigger 'clipper' ship that broke so many sailing records bring tea to Britain from China). Although we do not know why the name was chosen, Jock Willis was a well-read man who enjoyed poetry. During his time as a ship's captain, he would read French novels in his cabin. He also named one of his other ships the Hallowe'en, the title of another Burns poem. Although "cutty sark" was a little unusual, it certainly suits a sleek, swift tea clipper, giving her an air of magic and mystery.
Enjoy "Tam o' Shanter - a Tale"
"Tam O'Shanter" painted by Abraham Cooper 1814
Tam o' Shanter (Translation)
When the peddler people leave the streets,
And thirsty neighbours, neighbours meet;
As market days are wearing late,
And folk begin to take the road home,
While we sit boozing strong ale,
And getting drunk and very happy,
We don't think of the long Scots miles,
The marshes, waters, steps and stiles,
That lie between us and our home,
Where sits our sulky, sullen dame (wife),
Gathering her brows like a gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath, to keep it warm.
This truth finds honest Tam o' Shanter,
As he from Ayr one night did canter;
Old Ayr, which never a town surpasses,
For honest men and bonny lasses.
Oh Tam, had you but been so wise,
As to have taken your own wife Kate's advice!
She told you well you were a waster,
A rambling, blustering, drunken boaster,
That from November until October,
Each market day you were not sober;
During each milling period with the miller,
You sat as long as you had money,
For every horse he put a shoe on,
The blacksmith and you got roaring drunk on;
That at the Lords House, even on Sunday,
You drank with Kirkton Jean till Monday.
She prophesied, that, late or soon,
You would be found deep drowned in Doon,
Or caught by warlocks in the murk,
By Alloway's old haunted church.
Ah, gentle ladies, it makes me cry,
To think how many counsels sweet,
How much long and wise advice
The husband from the wife despises!
But to our tale :- One market night,
Tam was seated just right,
Next to a fireplace, blazing finely,
With creamy ales, that drank divinely;
And at his elbow, Cobbler Johnny,
His ancient, trusted, thirsty crony;
Tom loved him like a very brother,
They had been drunk for weeks together.
The night drove on with songs and clatter,
And every ale was tasting better;
The landlady and Tam grew gracious,
With secret favours, sweet and precious;
The cobbler told his queerest stories;
The landlord's laugh was ready chorus:
Outside, the storm might roar and rustle,
Tam did not mind the storm a whistle.
Care, mad to see a man so happy,
Even drowned himself in ale.
As bees fly home with loads of treasure,
The minutes winged their way with pleasure:
Kings may be blessed, but Tam was glorious,
Over all the ills of life victorious.
But pleasures are like poppies spread:
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed;
Or like the snow fall on the river,
A moment white - then melts forever,
Or like the Aurora Borealis rays,
That move before you can point to where they're placed;
Or like the rainbow's lovely form,
Vanishing amid the storm.
No man can tether time or tide,
The hour approaches Tom must ride:
That hour, of night's black arch - the key-stone,
That dreary hour he mounts his beast in
And such a night he takes to the road in
As never a poor sinner had been out in.
The wind blew as if it had blown its last;
The rattling showers rose on the blast;
The speedy gleams the darkness swallowed,
Loud, deep and long the thunder bellowed:
That night, a child might understand,
The Devil had business on his hand.
Well mounted on his grey mare, Meg.
A better never lifted leg,
Tom, raced on through mud and mire,
Despising wind and rain and fire;
Whilst holding fast his good blue bonnet,
While crooning over some old Scots sonnet,
Whilst glowering round with prudent care,
Lest ghosts catch him unaware:
Alloway's Church was drawing near,
Where ghosts and owls nightly cry.
By this time he was across the ford,
Where in the snow the pedlar got smothered;
And past the birch trees and the huge stone,
Where drunken Charlie broke his neck bone;
And through the thorns, and past the monument,
Where hunters found the murdered child;
And near the thorn, above the well,
Where Mungo's mother hung herself.
Before him the river Doon pours all his floods;
The doubling storm roars throught the woods;
The lightnings flashes from pole to pole;
Nearer and more near the thunder rolls;
When, glimmering through the groaning trees,
Alloway's Church seemed in a blaze,
Through every gap , light beams were glancing,
And loud resounded mirth and dancing.
Inspiring, bold John Barleycorn! (whisky)
What dangers you can make us scorn!
With ale, we fear no evil;
With whisky, we'll face the Devil!
The ales so swam in Tam's head,
Fair play, he didn't care a farthing for devils.
But Maggie stood, right sore astonished,
Till, by the heel and hand admonished,
She ventured forward on the light;
And, vow! Tom saw an incredible sight!
Warlocks and witches in a dance:
No cotillion, brand new from France,
But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels,
Put life and mettle in their heels.
In a window alcove in the east,
There sat Old Nick, in shape of beast;
A shaggy dog, black, grim, and large,
To give them music was his charge:
He screwed the pipes and made them squeal,
Till roof and rafters all did ring.
Coffins stood round, like open presses,
That showed the dead in their last dresses;
And, by some devilish magic sleight,
Each in its cold hand held a light:
By which heroic Tom was able
To note upon the holy table,
A murderer's bones, in gibbet-irons;
Two span-long, small, unchristened babies;
A thief just cut from his hanging rope -
With his last gasp his mouth did gape;
Five tomahawks with blood red-rusted;
Five scimitars with murder crusted;
A garter with which a baby had strangled;
A knife a father's throat had mangled -
Whom his own son of life bereft -
The grey-hairs yet stack to the shaft;
With more o' horrible and awful,
Which even to name would be unlawful.
Three Lawyers' tongues, turned inside out,
Sown with lies like a beggar's cloth -
Three Priests' hearts, rotten, black as muck
Lay stinking, vile, in every nook.
As Thomas glowered, amazed, and curious,
The mirth and fun grew fast and furious;
The piper loud and louder blew,
The dancers quick and quicker flew,
They reeled, they set, they crossed, they linked,
Till every witch sweated and smelled,
And cast her ragged clothes to the floor,
And danced deftly at it in her underskirts!
Now Tam, O Tam! had these been queens,
All plump and strapping in their teens!
Their underskirts, instead of greasy flannel,
Been snow-white seventeen hundred linen! -
The trousers of mine, my only pair,
That once were plush, of good blue hair,
I would have given them off my buttocks
For one blink of those pretty girls !
But withered hags, old and droll,
Ugly enough to suckle a foal,
Leaping and flinging on a stick,
Its a wonder it didn't turn your stomach!
But Tam knew what was what well enough:
There was one winsome, jolly wench,
That night enlisted in the core,
Long after known on Carrick shore
(For many a beast to dead she shot,
And perished many a bonnie boat,
And shook both much corn and barley,
And kept the country-side in fear.)
Her short underskirt, o' Paisley cloth,
That while a young lass she had worn,
In longitude though very limited,
It was her best, and she was proud. . .
Ah! little knew your reverend grandmother,
That skirt she bought for her little grandaughter,
With two Scots pounds (it was all her riches),
Would ever graced a dance of witches!
But here my tale must stoop and bow,
Such words are far beyond her power;
To sing how Nannie leaped and kicked
(A supple youth she was, and strong);
And how Tom stood like one bewitched,
And thought his very eyes enriched;
Even Satan glowered, and fidgeted full of lust,
And jerked and blew with might and main;
Till first one caper, then another,
Tom lost his reason all together,
And roars out: ' Well done, short skirt! '
And in an instant all was dark;
And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellish legion sallied.
As bees buzz out with angry wrath,
When plundering herds assail their hive;
As a wild hare's mortal foes,
When, pop! she starts running before their nose;
As eager runs the market-crowd,
When ' Catch the thief! ' resounds aloud:
So Maggie runs, the witches follow,
With many an unearthly scream and holler.
Ah, Tom! Ah, Tom! You will get what's coming!
In hell they will roast you like a herring!
In vain your Kate awaits your coming !
Kate soon will be a woeful woman!
Now, do your speedy utmost, Meg,
And beat them to the key-stone of the bridge;
There, you may toss your tale at them,
A running stream they dare not cross!
But before the key-stone she could make,
She had to shake a tail at the fiend;
For Nannie, far before the rest,
Hard upon noble Maggie pressed,
And flew at Tam with furious aim;
But little was she Maggie's mettle!
One spring brought off her master whole,
But left behind her own grey tail:
The witch caught her by the rump,
And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.
Now, who this tale of truth shall read,
Each man, and mother's son, take heed:
Whenever to drink you are inclined,
Or short skirts run in your mind,
Think! you may buy joys over dear:
Remember Tam o' Shanter's mare.
Tam o' Shanter (Original)
When chapmen billies leave the street,
And drouthy neibors, neibors meet,
As market days are wearing late,
An' folk begin to tak the gate;
While we sit bousing at the nappy,
And getting fou and unco happy,
We think na on the lang Scots miles,
The mosses, waters, slaps, and styles,
That lie between us and our hame,
Where sits our sulky sullen dame.
Gathering her brows like gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.
This truth fand honest Tam o' Shanter,
As he frae Ayr ae night did canter,
(Auld Ayr, wham ne'er a town surpasses
For honest men and bonie lasses.)
O Tam! had'st thou but been sae wise,
As ta'en thy ain wife Kate's advice!
She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum,
A blethering, blustering, drunken blellum;
That frae November till October,
Ae market-day thou was nae sober;
That ilka melder, wi' the miller,
Thou sat as lang as thou had siller;
That every naig was ca'd a shoe on,
The smith and thee gat roaring fou on;
That at the Lord's house, even on Sunday,
Thou drank wi' Kirkton Jean till Monday.
She prophesied that late or soon,
Thou would be found deep drown'd in Doon;
Or catch'd wi' warlocks in the mirk,
By Alloway's auld haunted kirk.
Ah, gentle dames! it gars me greet,
To think how mony counsels sweet,
How mony lengthen'd, sage advices,
The husband frae the wife despises!
But to our tale:-- Ae market-night,
Tam had got planted unco right;
Fast by an ingle, bleezing finely,
Wi' reaming swats, that drank divinely
And at his elbow, Souter Johnny,
His ancient, trusty, drouthy crony;
Tam lo'ed him like a vera brither--
They had been fou for weeks thegither!
The night drave on wi' sangs and clatter
And ay the ale was growing better:
The landlady and Tam grew gracious,
wi' favours secret,sweet and precious
The Souter tauld his queerest stories;
The landlord's laugh was ready chorus:
The storm without might rair and rustle,
Tam did na mind the storm a whistle.
Care, mad to see a man sae happy,
E'en drown'd himsel' amang the nappy!
As bees flee hame wi' lades o' treasure,
The minutes wing'd their way wi' pleasure:
Kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious.
O'er a' the ills o' life victorious!
But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You sieze the flower, its bloom is shed;
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white--then melts for ever;
Or like the borealis race,
That flit ere you can point their place;
Or like the rainbow's lovely form
Evanishing amid the storm.--
Nae man can tether time or tide;
The hour approaches Tam maun ride;
That hour, o' night's black arch the key-stane,
That dreary hour he mounts his beast in;
And sic a night he taks the road in
As ne'er poor sinner was abroad in.
The wind blew as 'twad blawn its last;
The rattling showers rose on the blast;
The speedy gleams the darkness swallow'd
Loud, deep, and lang, the thunder bellow'd:
That night, a child might understand,
The Deil had business on his hand.
Weel mounted on his gray mare, Meg--
A better never lifted leg--
Tam skelpit on thro' dub and mire;
Despisin' wind and rain and fire.
Whiles holding fast his gude blue bonnet;
Whiles crooning o'er some auld Scots sonnet;
Whiles glowring round wi' prudent cares,
Lest bogles catch him unawares:
Kirk-Alloway was drawing nigh,
Whare ghaists and houlets nightly cry.
By this time he was cross the ford,
Whare, in the snaw, the chapman smoor'd;
And past the birks and meikle stane,
Whare drunken Chairlie brak 's neck-bane;
And thro' the whins, and by the cairn,
Whare hunters fand the murder'd bairn;
And near the thorn, aboon the well,
Whare Mungo's mither hang'd hersel'.--
Before him Doon pours all his floods;
The doubling storm roars thro' the woods;
The lightnings flash from pole to pole;
Near and more near the thunders roll:
When, glimmering thro' the groaning trees,
Kirk-Alloway seem'd in a bleeze;
Thro' ilka bore the beams were glancing;
And loud resounded mirth and dancing.
Inspiring bold John Barleycorn!
What dangers thou canst make us scorn!
Wi' tippeny, we fear nae evil;
Wi' usquabae, we'll face the devil!--
The swats sae ream'd in Tammie's noddle,
Fair play, he car'd na deils a boddle.
But Maggie stood, right sair astonish'd,
Till, by the heel and hand admonish'd,
She ventured forward on the light;
And, vow! Tam saw an unco sight
Warlocks and witches in a dance;
Nae cotillion brent-new frae France,
But hornpipes, jigs strathspeys, and reels,
Put life and mettle in their heels.
A winnock-bunker in the east,
There sat auld Nick, in shape o' beast;
A towzie tyke, black, grim, and large,
To gie them music was his charge:
He scre'd the pipes and gart them skirl,
Till roof and rafters a' did dirl.--
Coffins stood round, like open presses,
That shaw'd the dead in their last dresses;
And by some develish cantraip slight,
Each in its cauld hand held a light.--
By which heroic Tam was able
To note upon the haly table,
A murders's banes in gibbet-airns;
Twa span-lang, wee, unchristen'd bairns;
A thief, new-cutted frae a rape,
Wi' his last gasp his gab did gape;
Five tomahawks, wi blude red-rusted;
Five scymitars, wi' murder crusted;
A garter, which a babe had strangled;
A knife, a father's throat had mangled,
Whom his ain son o' life bereft,
The gray hairs yet stack to the heft;
Wi' mair o' horrible and awfu',
Which even to name was be unlawfu'.
Three lawyers' tongues, turn'd inside out,
Wi' lies seam'd like a beggar's clout;
Three priests' hearts, rotten, black as muck,
Lay stinking, vile in every neuk.
As Tammie glowr'd, amaz'd, and curious,
The mirth and fun grew fast and furious;
The piper loud and louder blew;
The dancers quick and quicker flew;
They reel'd, they set, they cross'd, they cleekit,
Till ilka carlin swat and reekit,
And coost her duddies to the wark,
And linket at it her sark!
Now Tam, O Tam! had thae been queans,
A' plump and strapping in their teens,
Their sarks, instead o' creeshie flannen,
Been snaw-white seventeen hunder linnen!
Thir breeks o' mine, my only pair,
That ance were plush, o' gude blue hair,
I wad hae gi'en them off my hurdies,
For ae blink o' the bonie burdies!
But wither'd beldams, auld and droll,
Rigwoodie hags wad spean a foal,
Louping and flinging on a crummock,
I wonder did na turn thy stomach!
But Tam kend what was what fu' brawlie:
There was ae winsome wench and waulie,
That night enlisted in the core,
Lang after ken'd on Carrick shore;
(For mony a beast to dead she shot,
And perish'd mony a bonie boat,
And shook baith meikle corn and bear,
And kept the country-side in fear.)
Her cutty-sark, o' Paisley harn
That while a lassie she had worn,
In longitude tho' sorely scanty,
It was her best, and she was vauntie,-
Ah! little ken'd thy reverend grannie,
That sark she coft for he wee Nannie,
Wi' twa pund Scots, ('twas a' her riches),
Wad ever grac'd a dance of witches!
But here my Muse her wing maun cour;
Sic flights are far beyond her pow'r;
To sing how Nannie lap and flang,
(A souple jade she was, and strang),
And how Tam stood, like ane bewitch'd,
And thought his very een enrich'd;
Even Satan glowr'd, and fidg'd fu' fain,
And hotch'd and blew wi' might and main;
Till first ae caper, syne anither,
Tam tint his reason ' thegither,
And roars out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!"
And in an instant all was dark:
And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellish legion sallied.
As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke,
When plundering herds assail their byke;
As open pussie's mortal foes,
When, pop! she starts before their nose;
As eager runs the market-crowd,
When "Catch the thief!" resounds aloud;
So Maggie runs, the witches follow,
Wi' mony an eldritch skriech and hollo.
Ah, Tam! ah, Tam! thou'll get thy fairin'!
In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin'!
In vain thy Kate awaits thy commin'!
Kate soon will be a woefu' woman!
Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg,
And win the key-stane o' the brig;
There at them thou thy tail may toss,
A running stream they dare na cross.
But ere the key-stane she could make,
The fient a tail she had to shake!
For Nannie, far before the rest,
Hard upon noble Maggie prest,
And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle;
But little wist she Maggie's mettle -
Ae spring brought off her master hale,
But left behind her ain gray tail;
The carlin claught her by the rump,
And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.
No, wha this tale o' truth shall read,
Ilk man and mother's son take heed;
Whene'er to drink you are inclin'd,
Or cutty-sarks run in your mind,
Think! ye may buy joys o'er dear -
Remember Tam o' Shanter's mare.
"Tam O'Shanter" - Royal Doulton, 1973 – 1980
This is the poem of which the author, in a letter to Mrs. Dunlop, dated April 1791, announcing the birth of his third son, William Nicol Burns, remarked as follows:- "On Saturday morning last, Mrs Burns made me a present of a fine boy - rather stouter, but not so handsome as your godson was at his time of life. Indeed, I look on your little namesakes to be my chef d'oeuvre in that species of manufacture, as I look on Tam o' Shanter to be my standard performance in the poetical line. "Tis true, both the one and the other discover a spice of roguish waggery, that might perhaps be as well spared; but then they also shew, in my opinion, a force of genius, and a finishing polish, that I despair of ever excelling."
"A finishing polish!" - This is one characteristic of the poem which from Cromek's time downwards, we have been told, on the authority of Mrs. Burns, "was the work of one day." - "One day between breakfast and dinner," according to some annotators; and, taking such things for granted, the late Alexander Smith waggishly declared that "Tam o' Shanter is the best day's work ever produced in Scotland, since that day THE BRUCE win BANNOCKBURN!". The poet never plumes himself on the rapidity of his powers of composition; but with much force, he says in one of his letters on that subject - "Though the rough material of fine writing is undoubtedly the gift of genius, the workmanship is as certainly the united effort of labout, attention, and pains." It was the 23rd of January 1791, before he announced the completion of this marvellous poem, although we find him, in the November previous, saying to Mrs Dunlop, "I am much flattered by your approbation of my Tam o' Shanter." His words to Alexander Cunningham in January, are these - "I have just finished a poem - Tam o' Shanter." To the same friend he writes on 12th March, 1791. "A thing I have just composed always appears through a double portion of that partial medium in which an author will ever view his own works. I believe, in general, novelty has something in it that inebriates the fancy, and not unfrequently dissipates and fumes away like other intoxication, and leaves the poet patient, as usual, with an aching heart." With something of this same feeling, in sending a copy, apperently of the present poem, to Mr Dalzell, on 19th March, 1791, he says "I have taken the liberty to frank this letter to you, as it encloses an idle poem of mine; and God knows, you perhaps pay dear enough for it if you read it through. Not that is my own opinion; but the author, by the time he has composed and corrected his work, has quite pored away all his powers of critical discrimination."
These quotations in support of the views we are now expressing, certainly would apply with more force to the artistic skill and labourious finish required in the composition of an effective lyric, than the production of a metrical tale like Tam o' Shanter; for we would rather believe all that has been said of the rapidity with which it was composed, than credit by the idle tale that Mary in Heaven was written down by the poet in the presense of his wife, "precisely as it now stands" immediately after having been composed on a frosty harvest midnight in the open field, where he had been found lying on his back gazing at "a star which shone like another moon!"
Professor Wilson argues thus, reasonably, in favour of Tam o' Shanter having been rapidly composed:- "The fact is hardly credible, but we are willing to believe it. Dorset merely corrected his famous 'To all ye ladies now on land' the night before an expected sea-engagement - a proof of his self- possesion; but he had been working at it for days. Dryden dashed off his 'Alexader's Feast' in no time; but the labour of weeks was bestowed on it before it assumed its present state. Tam o' Shanter is superior in force and fire to that Ode. Never did genius go at such a gallop - setting off at score, and making play, but without whip or spur, from starting to winning- post. All is inspiration. His wife with her weans, a little way aside the broom, watched him at work as he was striding up and down the brow of the Scaur, and reciting to himself like one demented - 'Now Tam, O Tam! has thae been queans,' etc. His bonie Jean must have been sorely perplexed; but she was familiar with all his moods, and, like a good wife, left him to his cogitations."
All the world knows that this poem was produced by the author, and presented to Captain Gross, as an inducement to that antiquary to publish some account and give an engraving of Alloway Kirk in his work, called Grose's Antiquities of Scotland, published at the end of April 1791. The poet also supplied three interesting witch-stories in prose, as traditons concerning Alloway Kirk, and these stories are found to contain the groundwork of the narrative portion of Burns' inimitable poem; but little indeed do they supply of what "the poet has unveiled in penetrating the unsightly and disgusting surfaces of things," as Worsworth finely and phiosophically remarks.
A political cartoon using the 'Tam O'Shanter' tale - 14 November, 1896
A Tam o' Shanter is also a Scottish-style of hat originally worn by men. However, women have adopted a form of this hat known as a "Tam" or a "Tammy." The hat is usually made of wool and has a 'toorie' (pom-pom) in the centre. It is a floppy type of hat with the crown sometimes twice the diameter of the head. Originally, the hat was made only in blue due to the lack of chemical dyes ("blue bonnets"). The hats are now available in tartan and a wide variety of colors. Tam o' Shanters are a casual alternative to the Balmoral and the Glengarry in Highland dress, and are part of the uniforms of a number of military units.
Tam o'Shanter (TOS) headdress, as worn by the Royal Highland Fusiliers Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, featuring a unit badge on a tartan backing and surmounted by a feather hac
A modern Balmora
in black wool, with black grosgrain headband, cockade and ribbons, a red yarn toorie, and a clan crest badge on the cockade
Soldiers of the Scottish Division wearing the Glengarry
A form of Tam o' Shanter called the General Service Cap was worn during World War two by the infantry regiments of the British and Canadian armies instead of berets (which were made standard in the postwar years). They were plain khaki in colour and were stiffer than civilian Tams. Today, the British army's Scottish Division and some regiments of the Canadian army continue to wear the Tam o' Shanter (abbreviated to TOS) as their "battle headdress"; it has a narrower, flat crown, with Highland battalions shaping theirs sloping down from back to front and the Lowland battalions wearing theirs with the excess material pulled to the right side, similar to a beret. The different battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland identify themselves by wearing distinctively coloured hackles on their Tams, and soldiers of The Black Watch of Canada wear a red hackle on both their duty Tams and dress balmorals.
General Sir Neil Ritchie wearing the Tam o' Shanter in France during World War II
Some regiments of the Canadian Army wear different coloured toories: the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada have traditionally worn dark green; The North Nova Scotia Highlanders wore red toories during the Second World War; and the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders wore blue. Most regiments wear a khaki toorie, matching the hat. In many regiments it is traditional for soldiers to wear a Tam, while officers (and in some cases senior non-commissioned officers) wear the Glengarry or the Balmoral.
The Tam o' Shanter was traditionally worn by various regiments of the Australian Army which had a Scottish connection. B (Scottish) Company 5th/ 6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment wore both a khaki and blue bonnet at various stages. It appears this has now been superseded by the Glengarry.
Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada traditionally provides every first-year student with a Tam when they first enter the university. Each faculty has its own coloured toorie on the top (red for Arts, gold for Engineering, blue for Medicine, etc.). This tradition reflects the school's strong Scottish origins.
A very large, floppy sort of Tam is often employed as part of academic dress (e.g., in graduation ceremonies), especially in the USA. It is worn by a holder of or candidate for a doctorate degree as an alternative to the mortarboard or Tudor bonnet. In this context, the cap usually has four, six or eight side gores around the head, and may not have a circular crown, but one with angles where the gores meet.
The traditional Irish Aran Tam (short for TAM O'SHANTER) has been around for a long time.
Chinese Tam's ????
Tam O'Hare is a character created in 1998, complete with a green bonnet, sword (a variation on the circa 1520
Venetian Serenissima Rapier), and a Scottish plaid mantle. The doublet Tam O'Hare is wearing was loosely based
on the doublet worn by Charles I of England. All that to say that Tam O'Hare, while costumed by historical reference,
is quite original. Oh, and his name was inspired by the old Scottish legend, Tam Lyn. and Rabby Burns's, Tam O'Shanter.
Tam O'Hare is an Irish Lord of the 16th century, and the vocal patterns for him are very refined, with a smack of Irish turn-of-phrase. The pirate racoons in the book are written with what has come to be thought of as "pirate slang," such as "...a ship the likes o' ours, what is engaged in the buisness o' piratin'..." or: "Cap'n sez, ye're to stay in yer cabin! And we're here t'make sure ye stays!" Pirate speak. heh.
Tam O'Hare is set in historically recognizable locations in England, Ireland and Scotland.


text:
Werfen/Austria (2013). – Remember the time when kids in soap boxes raced down the streets?The tradition of soapbox races is a very cool one and reaches far back to the beginning of the last century, depending on the country also even further. The soap boxes from
earlier years were handmade gravity-powered vehicles without a motor, originally
made out of discarded wooden soap crates and roller-skate wheels. Today the "cars"
are constructed with metal and fiberglass and designed for the need to speed.
In the Austrian village of Werfen in Salzburg members of the local traditional music band revitalized the tradition of soap box racing in the past year with the intent to create a fun event
not only for the kids but for the whole village. The second annual soap box race was again
a great success. And it was more than just fun for the participants and spectators,
it was also proof that old traditions still have room in our modern society.


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AW VolumeShare 7
Today's diagnostic imaging technology provides an amazing breadth of information in a wide variety of ways. However, analyzing it, compiling what's relevant, and reporting your findings can put a serious crimp in your workflow, causing your operating costs to soar, and possibly even affecting your diagnostic confidence. VolumeShare 7 offers an elegant solution to your workflow challenges.
AW VolumeShare 7 is a multi-modality image review, comparison, and processing workstation with simplicity and power at its core. This workstation features 64-bit technology that allows processing of up to 5K images in a single dataset. With significant improvements in workflow processes and clinical features that will increase your productivity, AW VolumeShare 7 can elevate your practice to a whole new level.
- The Postfetch tool retrieves historical exams for comparison.
- Preference Sharing enables exchange of settings and protocols among users.
- The Key Images feature allows you to flag images and create key objects.
- Tracks how often applications licenses are used and by whom.
- Supports remote updates and software downloads.
- Simple drag and drop action for networking, media interchange, and filming.
- Multi-tasking capabilities.
- Enterprise Authentication with Microsoft Active Directory* (2000, 2003) and Novell* eDirectory (v 8.7.3) for security.
- Patient list to manage images from local workstation or remote systems.
- Postfetch feature, designed to optimize your reading workflow by automatically gathering a patient's prior exams according to your pre-set criteria.
- Connectivity with RIS.
- Support for Key Images.
- End Review automates routine filming and networking tasks with just one click.
- Search Advantage for fast and easy search of a patient's exam history on PACS or any other DICOM-compliant device.
- Enhanced Quick Filters of the Patient List filters studies by Modality, Date, End Review status or Exam Description.
- DICOM CD/DVD/USB Creation Tool.
- High-performance database management system.
- 2D Viewer for image display, manipulation, annotation, review. Integrated Filmer with enhanced flexibility to perform all filming and data exporting tasks.
- Access to a wide variety of applications for greater diagnostic flexibility.
Industry Standards
AW VolumeShare 7 complies with a wide variety of industry standards to facilitate adoption of features and performance improvements as the computing and medical imaging industry evolves.
Computer Industry Standards for Workstation Class Products
- Novell Suse Enterprise Linux 11
- ANSI C / ANSI Draft Standard C++ / JAVA
DICOM Conformance Standards
- DICOM 3.0 Storage Service Class for RT, CT, MR, CR, X-ray (Angio and R&F), Digital X-ray (DX), MG, NM, PET, U/S, Secondary Capture, Secondary Capture Color DICOM Image Objects. (Service Class User (SCU) for image send and Service Class Provider (SCP) for image receive).
- DICOM 3.0 Query/Retrieve Service Class (SCU and SCP). DICOM 3.0 Storage Commitment Service Class (SCU).
- DICOM Print (Color and B&W).
- DICOM Media Interchange (CD-R, DVD+R(W)).
Filming Protocols
- DICOM Print (Color and B&W) and Adobe Postscript (Color and B&W) for supported printers.
Safety Standards
- Safety: UL1950, CSA 950, TUV EN 60950.
- IEC 601-1-2 Edition 2.
Intended Use
AW Server is a medical software system that allows multiple users to remotely access AW applications from compatible computers on a network. The system allows networking, selection, processing and filming of multimodality DICOM images. Both the client and server software are only for use with off the shelf hardware technology that meets defined minimum specifications.
The device is not intended for diagnosis of mammography images. The device is not intended for diagnosis of lossy compressed images. For other images, trained physicians may use the images as a basis for diagnosis upon ensuring that monitor quality, ambient light conditions and image compression ratios are consistent with clinical application.
Related Content
AW VolumeShare 7Download


text: Terms of Use Privacy Policy Hide Fashion Advice Men's Hairstyles: Summer Men's Hairstyles: Summer Introduction David Gandy Tom Ford Mario Lopez Bradley Cooper Andy Grammer David Beckham Enrique Iglesias Matthew McConaughey Rafael Nadal Pharrell Williams Men's Hairstyles: Summer, Part II Jared Leto Richard Branson Luke Pasqualino Joe Manganiello Demian Bichir Dave Franco Sean O'Pry Novak Djokovic Adam Levine Usher Men's Hairstyles: Summer, Part I Zachary Quinto Olivier Martinez Nacho Figueras Jack Dorsey Pedro Andrade Jon Kortajarena Victor Cruz Tom Brady Taio Cruz Olivier Giroud Bradley Cooper Octavio Molina August 26, 2014 Share Tweet Flip 0 Shares This guy defines the new Hollywood Cool -- whether a little hungover in Vegas or playfully messed up in Play Book, his look is always a touch rough on the edges but romantically defined. This a great haircut for those with natural curls and tons of texture; ask your stylist to leave it long and heavy at the nape. Use a salt spray and a bit of mud, then run your hands through and you're done. Prev Next Recommended Reading Appearance Keep Your Hair Looking Amazing At All Times, Even When You're Traveling Appearance If You're A Guy Growing Out Your Hair, These Are Your 10 Basic Must-Haves Fashion News The Hottest Trends In Men's Hair, According To Google Appearance Two Hairstyles You Can Pull Off In Two Minutes Appearance The Surfer's Guide To Healthy, Effortless-Looking Hair


text:
Michael Tanner Cusumano
- Burbank US-CA
- [email protected]
Though still in high school, film director Michael Tanner Cusumano has already won acclaim for his short films "Sage" and "Amanda," two hard-hitting films that tackle topics relevant to today's adolescents, such as drinking and driving. The Burbank International Film Festival named "Sage" Best Noir Film, while "Amanda" picked up numerous festival awards, including Best High School Film, Best Drama, Best Crime Film, and Best Youth Film. "Amanda," Cusumano's most recent work, showed at close to 20 film festivals across the country and abroad and brought Michael Tanner Cusumano to the attention of Canadian judges, who declared the young director-producer a Rising Star in the film industry. Michael Tanner Cusumano will soon enter his junior year at Sierra Canyon School, a private school located in Chatsworth, in the Los Angeles area.
At Sierra Canyon, Michael Tanner Cusumano has been deeply involved in the film and theater departments. He enrolled in the yearlong class Elements of Film and earned the school's Technology Department award. In May 2010, Michael Tanner Cusumano helped launch the first annual Sierra Canyon School Film Festival, taking on the role of Festival Director. Furthermore, Cusumano was instrumental in directing video segments of his school's production of the modern musical Rent. To bolster his skills as a filmmaker, Michael Tanner Cusumano attended five sessions of the advanced high-definition summer program at the New York Film Academy. Michael Tanner Cusumano directed his first film, "Missing," in 2008, closely followed by "Sage" and "Amanda." He now attends the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts summer program and is in the midst of producing a new film entitled "Impetuous." During his final year in high school, Michael Tanner Cusumano plans to continue as Festival Director while also running his film production company, Tanner Films.


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I really am not sure if are aware of the various ways to shut down your Windows XP computer. I just thought I would share a few. Feel free to add if I left any.
- The standard approach - Click the Start Button with your mouse (obvious eh?), then select the Turn Off menu and finally click the Turn Off icon on the Turn Off computer dialog.
- Press CTRL+ESC key or the Win key and press u two times - the fastest approach.
- Get the Shutdown utility from download.com - It add the shut down shortcuts for you. Else create them yourself using approach 4 (the one mentioned below).
- Create a shutdown shortcut on your desktop by a Right click on the desktop, choose New Shortcut and type shutdown -s -t 00 in the area where you are asked to specify the location of the program file. Now you can just double click this icon to turn off the computer. The best location would be your quick launch bar.
- Press the WIN key + R key to open the run window. Type shutdown -s -t 00. [s means shutdown while t means the duration after which you want to initiate the shutdown process].If some open processes or application won't let you turn off, append a -f switch to force a shut down by closing all active processes.
- WIN key+M to minimize all windows and then ALT+F4 to bring the Turn Off computer dialog.
- Open Windows Task manager (by right clicking the Windows Task bar or ALT+CTRL+DEL) and choose Shut down from the menu. Useful when the Windows are not responding.
- Open Task Manager, Click on the Shutdown menu, hold the CTRL key and Click on Turn-Off. Your PC will be turned off in 3 secs. This is the fastest method than hard shutdown.


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"Saturday Night Live" looked like a different show compared with the last live episode we saw a month ago, pre-Olympics.
In the Feb. 1 episode, Andy Samberg, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen all visited the "Weekend Update" desk to say goodbye to their old friend Seth Meyers. In this weekend's episode, in which Colin Jost made his debut as "Update" co-host, one got the sense that this is a new generation on "SNL," and that from now on it might be awhile before the audience sees cameos from the old guard, because the old guard has all definitively moved on.
That's not a bad thing. Instead of relying on lots of recurring sketches or the news that's built up since the show last aired, "SNL," helmed by Jim Parsons (who was a good and game host but didn't seem quite as relaxed and silly as one might have expected a TV veteran like him to be), led with some weirder, non-topical sketches that in another episode might have been left for those special 10 minutes at the end of the show, where some of the most wonderful and weird scenes are typically hidden.
Take, for instance, Aidy Bryant as "Tonkerbell," Tinkerbell's half-sister who talks like … well, it's hard to describe exactly what she talks like, but she says things like "My dad is a housefly.…He did trick my mom and that's whassup," or, whenever she proves someone wrong, "You just got Tonked." The sketch teetered into an uncomfortable territory as Tonkerbell talked about her attraction to a 9-year-old Lost Boy whom she thought was 22 ("That's a damn, then"), but that added an unpredictability to the sketch. Besides, we all know what it's like to feel like we're fairies who just ate our way out of a human-sized hamburger, right?
If Tonkerbell wasn't weird enough for you, there was "The Bird Bible," a commercial for a "cool" children's Bible that's illustrated with photos of birds instead of the characters from biblical stories. A bizarre premise, boosted by Kate McKinnon's scary dead-eyed mother stare ("The birds make it seem more real"), made it into the sketch that a viewer would either love or hate, depending on his or her preference for "random" humor.
The episode did feature a few timely sketches in honor of the Oscars. McKinnon brought back her Ellen Degeneres ("So good to see all your 42-year-old faces," she greeted her talk show audience) which was a platform for Jim Parsons to demonstrate that he looks exactly like Olympics commentator Johnny Weir, borrowing a well-used but still funny bit from "Conan," where the camera cut away and back to Parsons as he added more outrageous elements to his outfit.
The Oscars also got their due during a bit about casting "12 Years a Slave," wherein white actors were encouraged to improv and let loose during their auditions, but they were reluctant to read the racist dialogue, especially with cameraman Jay Pharoah in the room. It was a clever way to send up a very serious movie, but it also felt like previously trodden ground for "SNL"; the Feb. 1 episode also featured a video that played up white guilt for laughs. (Not that it isn't funny, but it would be good to explore new territory.)
How did Colin Jost do on "Update"? After Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers and Cecily Strong at the desk, it's been awhile since the show featured someone hosting the news segment who was not already a familiar face on the show (about thirteen years, to be precise, since Tina Fey stepped from the writers' room to the desk.) After a sincere on-camera welcome from Strong, Jost settled into the role, with arguably his best jokes being that Piers Morgan is slowly morphing into a potato (with a photo to prove it) and that Paula Deen's publicist leaves statements via suicide note.
It will take awhile before the viewers start to figure out Jost's tone and sense of humor, but eventually he and Strong will be the old guard moving on to greener pastures (when Jost inevitably replaces Seth Meyers who will replace Jimmy Fallon who will go join Jay Leno in classic car retirement heaven.) After all, many years ago, musical guest Beck was just the guy who did that song "Loser" and now he's appeared on the show seven times and is considered by many to be a musical genius. Plus, he barely ages:
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Borkoldoj and Southern Kokshaal-Too, Pik 5,471 (Mt. Letavet), first ascent; Krylia Sovetov (Wings of the Soviets), second ascent. In the summer of 2003 our group—Mikhail Daineko, Dmitrii Konilov, Mikhail Ageev, Anna Perever-zeva, and myself as leader—visited the ranges of Borkoldoj and Western Kokshaal-Too on the border of Kyrgyzstan and China. Because of international disputes between the USSR and China for many years the region was practically closed and impossible to visit. Only beginning in the 1990s did groups of Russian, American, and European alpinists and tourists start to come to the area. We flew from Moscow to Bishkek. Then, we traveled by jeep along the mountain roads from the southern shore of Issyk-Kul' through several mountain passes to reach the river Naryn, to the border outpost Karasaj. From there we organized our cache into the valley of Uzengikush. Before us, until the Uzengikush valley, lay about 130 km of a difficult mountain road, which for several years had been left in neglect. Automobiles cover this stretch in 6-10 hours.
Visiting Borkoldoj, located to the north of Kokshaal-Too, we prepared to acclimate and to attempt to reach the highest point of the range: the unclimbed peak 5,171. Through several mountain passes (just lower than 5000m) we came out onto the largest glacier of the range Borkoldoj Dzhegolomaj and approached peak 5,171 from the southeast. Peak 5171 from the south-east abruptly ends with a rocky wall. The ascent of the mountain turned out to be more complicated than we had calculated drawing on available cartographic information, and could require three days. Since the fundamental part of the route was planned for Kokshaal-Too, we descended into the Uzengikush Valley to our cache.
We climbed along the Ajtali Glacier to the main range (Kokshaal-Too). Here an unclimbed peak 5,471 is located. Crossing the main ridge from a branch of the Rudnev glacier, located on the southern slopes, along a simple rocky-snowy south-eastern rib (500 meters vertical, steepness up to 40°, 2B) we climbed to the summit. We decided to call the peak Mt. Letavet in honor of the Russian geographer, alpinist, and scientist Avgust Letavet, who organized the first detailed expeditions in region before the Second World War.
In order to accomplish the second ascent of the peak Krylia Sovetov (Wings of the Soviets, 5,560m) (first ascent by E. Monaenkov in 1998; one of the highest points in the Kokshaal-Too range), we continued through several mountain passes along the axial line of the main ridge to the glacier Sarychat Eastern. We began the ascent of Mount Wings of the Soviets along the western ridge across peak 5,120 and the false summit 5429. The route is rocky-icy-snowy (5A) and took 4 days. While crossing some of the key parts: circumvention of peak 5,120, ascent of the false summit (5,429) and the summit (5,560), 20 ropes were hung. During our overnight near the false summit a strong wind arose which destroyed the frame of one of the tents. We descended along the northern ridge onto the Pal'gov glacier, from where the approach route of the first-ascent team continued. After this we climbed to the upper reaches of the glacier Grigor'ev and continue by traversing peak Friendship (3A, 5,330 m., first ascent probably was done from the north in the 1960s, and in 1995 the traverse was first done by the group led by O. Chkhetiani), and descended (500 meters, steepness of 45-40°) onto the largest glacier of the Western Kokshaal-Too: the glacier Korzhenevsky. We concluded the expedition after 25 days at the border outpost Karakoz, where an auto collected us and took us to Issyk-Kul'.
Danil Popov, Russia (translated by Henry Pickford)


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Beefing up instructional time may not be the best way to boost students' academic skills. According to a new study in Pediatrics, adding physical activity to academic instruction can dramatically increase students' math and language skills.
The Pediatrics study, "Physically Active Math and Language Lessons Improve Academic Achievement: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial," examined the effects of active academic instruction. Elementary students at five schools in the Netherlands were randomized to either the control group, which received usual academic instruction, or the intervention group. Students in the intervention group received "Fit & Vaardig op School" (Fit and Academically Proficient at School, or F & V) lessons three times per week. The F & V lessons covered the same academic content but also included physical activity. For instance, students jumped on the spot eight times while studying 2 X 4.
Students in the control group received 20 to 30 minutes of activity-laden instruction three times per week. That time was divided between math and language arts, with approximately 10 to 15 minutes devoted to each. The main focus, the study authors wrote, "was on constant practice and repetition."
What the study found
Researchers followed students for two years and discovered that students in the intervention group scored significantly better on math speed tests than students in the control group. This, the authors wrote, "equates to >4 months more learning gains after 2 intervention years compared with the control group." Students who participated in the physically active lessons also did better on general mathematics tests and spelling tests. The gains in spelling were also estimated to be equivalent to about 4 months of learning gains.
The reading scores of students in both the intervention and control groups were similar. "This discrepancy," researchers wrote, "might be caused by the content of the intervention program and the academic tests. The F & V program mainly focused on repetition of concepts that children had learned in earlier classes and memorization of these concepts. More concretely, the main focus was on solving arithmetic problems and the spelling of words and less on reading speed."
This study is the latest to highlight the benefits of physical activity on learning, and it calls into question the practice of increasing seat time to boost instructional time (and test scores). According to a survey by the Center of Education Policy, nearly half of the surveyed districts increased instructional time for math and English/Language Arts from 2001 to 2007. At the same time, many districts also cut or decreased recess time; many slashed PE as well.
Yet the Pediatrics study and others suggest a strong link between physical activity and academic learning. "How we interact with the environment physically is incredibly important for cognitive development and learning," says Indiana University researcher Karin H. James.
Dr. James was one of the first to notice the link between the motor systems of the brain – the parts of the brain that become active when the body is moving – and reading. She found that when literate adults and children look at printed words, the part of the brain that normally handles motor activity "lights up." She further discovered that the physical process of writing letters by hand activates the same area of the brain. And while no one yet fully understands the link between motor activity and cognition, it's clear that "those systems are highly connected, so it's very important for teachers to keep in mind that doing with the hands is important," Dr. James says.
How to add movement to instruction
Of course, adding in physical activity can seem nearly impossible when you're already facing an over-stuffed schedule. The beauty of the Pediatrics study and F & V lessons is that it suggests ways to seamlessly weave activity into academic instruction. The teachers of the intervention group did not add periods of physical activity to their day. Instead, they included physical activity with their academic instruction.
Such an approach can actually save time, says Kelley King, an educator with 25+ years of experience in public and private schools and author of Writing the Playbook: A Practitioner's Guide to Creating a Boy-Friendly School. "You get more bang for your instructional time in the end because kids are more engaged and more focused," King says. "They're not zoning out, and you're not dealing with discipline as much."
Teachers can concentrate the benefits of physical activity while minimizing the potential for distraction by setting guidelines in advance. Let students know, "if we do this activity, you have to stay on your feet. Or, you can't touch anybody else while we do it. Or, when the music goes off, you have five seconds to be back in your seat," King says.
Increasing the amount of activity in your classroom, even a little bit, can dramatically improve your students' learning. "All ships will rise on the tide of movement in a classroom," King says. "Right now, most of us talk at kids too much. We need to have direct instruction that's frequently broken up by opportunities for kids to stand up, find a partner, process and move."
Jennifer L.W. Fink is a freelance writer who frequently writes about education, health and parenting. See her work at www.jenniferlwfink.com and www.buildingboys.net.Learn More: Click to view related resources.
- Marijke J. Mullender-Wijnsma, Esther Hartman, Johannes W. de Greeff, Simone Doolaard, Roel J. Bosker, Chris Visscher, "Physically Active Math and Language Lessons Improve Academic Achievement: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial," AAP Gateway
- "Time out: Is recess in danger?," Center for Public Education


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Ok, so I promise we will have the remaining Speedlight Series videos up shortly, but we are just posting what we have finished...so here is the latest and greatest!!
The MacGyver shoot!!!
So here´s the story! We were trying to finish the Flash to Subject Distance Video since it was raining in Medellin and all of a sudden...SUN!!! So screw the Flash to Subject Distance Video (For Now) and let´s go shoot!!!
An amazing sunset is about to happen, so we head to the hills. The mirador which is basically a flat piece of land on the side of a mountain which overlooks Medellin would be the spot. It´s only 5 minutes from our apartments and the view is amazing. Besides, Michael loves his Chorizo, so that was it. We had NO model of course, but Michael being the problem solver said " If we don´t find a model up there, we´ll just shoot my chorizo". Thankfully we found a couple models as you saw or will see.
Pictures, Shooting Diagrams and Michael´s Chorizo after the break...
The first model was Alejandro. A guy that looked like he was contemplating just a little too much of his life. We really thought, or we shoot this guy or he´s gonna jump. So to save his life we had Cata approach him and say"Andale foto conmigo por favor si senor cerveza y donde esta el bano" or something like that. Just kidding, she knew where the bathroom was.
So setting up took us a little longer than necessary because we kept trying to order a chorizo from the chorizo stand, but the lady kept bringing it out to us. We were trying to tell her that after the pictures, but she kept interrupting us with the chorizo´s. She must have done this 4 times!!
The sun was leaving us quickly...in fact so quickly we didn´t even realize it until it was too late. So what do we do...recreate the sun with the flash.


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They may be totally diet-conscious. But when it comes to their babies, Delhi's preadolescent mothers get it all in the wrong. Such babies, when they germinate up, may refine enlarged consumption conduct. These newborn women get everything wrong-timing, mass and lucidity in liberal distinct food to infants involving six months and two age.
In 83 per fractional monetary unit cases, the intermediate age for protrusive different eating is far down rota. Instead of the great six months, it start at 13 months. Despite eight per subunit mothers wise how to do it right, lonesome 3. 5 per cent of them contribute complementary diet at the fitting time, in mediocre quantity and next to sameness. The amount is adequate to in mere 25 per cent brood. The supreme rife
reason bringing up the rear deferred commutation was an failed make an effort.
Children embezzle clip to fall into place sense datum for distinct sustenance. Initially, they will flip it out. Mothers error this for ejection and halt feeding. The frequency intake was less than recommended in something like 60 per rupee cases patch the feeds specified by 62 per subunit mothers were too bladed in property. Many mothers go false in selecting the well-matched stores.Post ads:
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According to the doctor, centering should be home-made semi-solid food. But most mothers prefer packaged material or watery feed arranged at habitation. Such family change up not soft spot ghar ka khana. An appropriate fare is obligatory for the biological process and step up of children, specially in the most basic two time of life of time. World Health Organization(WHO) recommends sole breast-feeding for the premier six months and fixture of distinct feeds after that. Breast-feeding should be unbroken work the minor reaches at smallest two time of life.
The recommendations, if followed, can decline newborn impermanency by 19 per cent and preclude starvation. Complementary feeds footbridge the life gap, nutrition A gap and robust gap which uprise in nursed infants after six months. The research was conducted on the mothers visiting the Department of Pediatrics in Guru Teg Bhadur Hospital. Over 89 per sri lanka rupee mothers were breastfeeding. The maximum customary causes for fastener bottle-feed were need of milk and different maternity.Post ads:
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slurry drive :P
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fertilizer time :)
forest time :)
John Deere 8345R Power!!!!!! :P
The wrap baler on progres :)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/44409881145/in/dateposted-public/
New Holland T7.315 on the field with Horsch
silage :P
Starting up on some grass https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/29767274037/in/dateposted-public/
Driving Slurry :) https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/43822489924/in/dateposted-public/
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What are lichens?
Have you ever seen a lichen and knew that it was a lichen? Not many people know what lichens are, and who would? They seem as though they are from another planet! Lichens are bizarre organisms and no two are alike.
Lichens are a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an alga. The dominant partner is the fungus, which gives the lichen the majority of its characteristics, from its thallus shape to its fruiting bodies. The alga can be either a green alga or a blue-green alga, otherwise known as cyanobacteria. Many lichens will have both types of algae.
What are fungi?
Fungi are a diverse group of organisms that are in their own kingdom (Fungi), separate from plants. Fungi do not contain chlorophyll or any other means of producing their own food so they rely on other organisms for nutrition. Fungi are widely known for their role in the decomposition of organic matter. They are also necessary for the survival of the ecosystem around them, such as partnering with plants and trees for nutrients and survival.
Lichens are another such partnership for fungi to gain nutrients from another organism. The algal partner photosynthesizes and provides food for the fungus, so it can grow and spread.
What are algae?
Algae are in another kingdom (Protista) separate from plants and fungi. There are several types of algae: green, brown, red, gold. They can survive in salt water and in freshwater on their own, and in any environment when part of a lichen relationship.
Although cyanobacteria are called blue-green algae, they are actually bacteria, and are part of the bacteria kingdom, Monera. The "blue" in the common name refers to the fact that they need to live in water, and "green algae" refers to their photosynthetic abilities, like green algae.


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My Sponge experiments have moved to my new experiments website. Please read them here. www.DrAnniesExperiments.com.
I don't use a kitchen sponge because I've always thought they make great homes for bacteria. They hold onto food and moisture and have a welcoming surface. However, lots of people like to use a sponge to wash dishes. They often keep that sponge for a week or two until it STINKS! You can google and find several methods for disinfecting sponges. However, I wanted to test them myself to really know which disinfecting methods are sponge worthy. (Yes, I am quoting Elaine from Seinfeld). I went around to my neighbors and collected their stinky kitchen sponges and put them to the test. If you don't want to read this entire page, use the Table of Contents to skip to the results summary.
About the Scientist
If you are new to my website, let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Annie Pryor. I have a Ph.D. in biochemistry from The Ohio State University. Yes, I went to some football games. After a few years working in a research lab, I "retired" to be a stay-at-home mom. When my first baby got a terrible stomach virus that required a trip to the ER, I decided to research the subject and created this website dedicated to reducing the prevalence of the stomach "flu" in the world. My 3 little kids keep me busy, but I still get a hankering to do experiments now and then. I've tested cleaning products, hand sanitizers, produce washing techniques, essential oils, Norwex Cloths, SteriPens, laundry, lunch box coldness, the Phone Soap, and even sunlight. I also happen to be the inventor of a really useful drying rack. I invented it because I needed a convenient place next to the kitchen sink to hang baby bibs up to dry between meals. It is also perfect for drying sports water bottles, dish cloths, food-storage bags, cleaning cloths and many other items. I have a shorter 12.5 inch drying rack and a taller 15 inch rack. The Mommy Genius® Drying Racks are manufactured in the USA and are available on Amazon. If you would like to be informed when new experimental results are posted, please like my Facebook page.
I am also very proud of my daughter, Katie Scarlett. At age 8, she has written, illustrated, and published the first 3 books in a delightful series! Princess Katie and the Fairy Tea Party , Princess Katie and the Mermaid Lagoon , and Princess Katie and the Kitty Club are available on amazon. The stories are so sweet and teach about kindness, forgiveness, including others, and doing the right thing. I think every little girl would love them! Please consider buying them for a little girl that you love. Katie gets about a $2 royalty from amazon for each book sold that is getting deposited into her college savings account.
Microwaving a sponge is fast and easy. But how well does it actually kill germs? To test this, I pressed a damp, dirty sponge onto an agar plate.
If you would like to repeat any of my experiments, you can buy your own agar plates here on amazon. These are the same agar plates that I buy.
Then I got the sponge wet and microwaved it for 2 minutes on high.
I let the sponge cool for a few minutes in the microwave, and then I pressed it onto another agar plate.
The plates were incubated for about 48 hours in my warm incubator (about 90 degrees F).
If you don't have much experience looking at bacteria on agar plates, let me explain. The white/yellow dots are colonies (or piles) of millions of bacteria. I single bacterium on the plate will double and double and keep doubling while in the warm incubator. After 24-48 hours you can visually see the pile of bacteria. Not every kind of bacteria will grow on these plates, and viruses don't grow on these plates. So, just because a plate looks clean, doesn't necessarily mean that no germs were present. I'm also not determining what kinds of bacteria are present. That is too much work and requires more equipment than I have. It is likely a mix of harmless and harmful bacteria.
As you can see, the microwaving killed some bacteria but not enough in my opinion. I repeated the experiment with another sponge and used my neighbor's microwave and got similar results.
Just for comparison, I pressed a brand new sponge that I wet with tap water onto an agar plate. I also rubbed some tap water onto an agar plate as a negative control.
I had previously tried very hard to sterilize Norwex cloths using the microwave and did not have much luck. You can see those results here. So, I vote NO on using the microwave to sterilize sponges.
Dish WasherI have also heard of people putting their sponges in the dish washer. To test this I used more of my neighbor's dirty, stinky sponges. I'm so lucky to have such great neighbors who put up with my research. Although, I admit that I sometimes confiscate biohazard sponges without even telling the owner. First, I pressed the wet dirty sponge onto an agar plate.
Then I put the sponge into my whirlpool dishwasher in the silverware section.
I used Palmolive Eco Dishwasher Detergent and the heaviest cycle that I had with high temp wash, sani rinse and heated dry. The cycle was 4 hours. I doubt that the type of detergent plays a significant role in reducing germs. I haven't found any laundry detergents yet that make a significant impact on the amount of bacteria.
As you can see, the dishwasher did a great job killing bacteria in the sponge. No colonies at all grew on the plates from the sponges that had been in my dishwasher. However, please remember that some types of bacteria don't grow on these plates and viruses don't grow on these plates. So, just because a plate looks clean, doesn't necessarily mean that no germs were present. Also, it is possible that some bacteria could have remained alive in the middle of the sponge. However, I pressed the sponges down hard on the agar plate so water from the inside came out onto the plates. So, germs from the middle of the sponge should have shown up on the plates, but I can't guarantee that there was no bacteria hiding in the middle of the sponge that I didn't detect.
I also swabbed the dishes before and after the dishwasher. They got very clean in my dishwasher, too. There was 1 colony.
I repeated the sponge experiments in my neighbor's dishwashers. I always used a hot cycle with heated dry. I tested their sponges before and after. I also tested their dishes before and after.
Bethany's dishwasher
Kelly's sponge and dishes had a few colonies. So, the sponge wasn't always perfectly clean in every dishwasher tested, but there was a big improvement. My dishwasher is new and the 4 hour cycle was much longer than anyone else's so maybe that is it.
Is heated dry necessary?
I wanted to determine if the heated dry in my dishwasher was necessary. So, I put a dirty sponge in the dishwasher on just the normal cycle without the heated dry. It was a 2.5 hour cycle.It was not quite as clean as it was on the longer cycle in my dishwasher, but it was still quite good.
I have not tested the other dishwashers with sponges WITHOUT the heated dry. The bottom line is that the more heat you can use in your dishwashing cycle, the more germs you are going to kill. Overall, I think putting your sponge in the dishwasher when you run it is a great idea. You can also check out my page of dishwasher testing here.
Washing Machine
I already have a long page of laundry/washing machine experiments. You can see that laundry page here. So, I already know that the I haven't found anything that really kills most bacteria in the laundry besides the addition of a half cup of chlorine bleach. (Obviously you can only use chlorine bleach on laundry that you don't mind fading.) The hot sanitize cycle on a new front loader machine comes in second place to chlorine bleach. But you can't do that to your nice clothes either. HE top loaders are the worst in my experience. So, I've accepted that most of our clean laundry has germs. However, there is no reason that a sponge or dishcloth can't get nearly sterile. Here is an experiment where I tested dirty dish cloths and a sponge before and after washing on the hot sanitize cycle with chlorine bleach in my Whirlpool duet HE front loader.
First, I blotted the dirty cloths and the sponge onto their own agar plates. Then they were washed on the hot sanitize cycle, heavy soil, with an extra rinse (almost a 2 hour cycle). I blotted them again on another agar plate after they were done in the washer.
If you are not using chlorine bleach, then the washing machine would be a BAD place to clean your sponges. They will still be disgusting and spread their germs to other laundry if you just wash them in a normal load.
BoilingI've already done experiments to show that boiling for 10 minutes (and it must be the full 10 minutes) is a great way to disinfect cleaning cloths and dish cloths (like Norwex). You can see those results here. So, I expected the boiling to work great for the sponge unless the fact that the sponge floats caused a problem. To do these experiments, I pressed the dirty sponge onto an agar plate, boiled it for 10 minutes, let it cool a few minutes, and then pressed it onto another agar plate. To make sure that the sponge got hot enough even though it floated, I put a lid on the pan while it was boiling and kept the lid on for the whole 10 minutes.
As you can see, the boiled sponges were very clean. There was not a single colony. Boiling sponges is a pain because it is an extra chore you have to do. However, it is the most effective disinfecting method. Dishwashers and washing machines can vary greatly in performance and ability to disinfect but boiling is always the same. If you want to be sure your sponge or dishcloth is perfectly sterile, boil it for 10 minutes with the lid on. In the Little House on the Prairie books, they used to boil their laundry.
Soaking in 3% hydrogen peroxide
Soaking a sponge is a huge pain because sponges float. So, I already didn't recommend this disinfecting method before I even got the results. For this experiment, I soaked a dirty sponge in a container of 3% hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes. I had to hold it down with a beer can. I pressed the sponge onto an agar plate before and after the soak. The hydrogen peroxide was bubbling wildly as it worked to kill the bacteria in the sponge. After 5 minutes, I rinsed the sponge in tap water, squeezed it out, and pressed it onto the agar plate.
After the 5 minute soak, the hydrogen peroxide was still bubbling like crazy. That means that there was still bacteria in there. The results also show that there was still a ton of bacteria in that sponge after the 5 minute soak. So, it is possible that a longer soak in hydrogen peroxide would have worked. However, soaking is a huge pain, so I just don't recommend it. Also, I did test a brand new sponge with hydrogen peroxide and it did not bubble at all.
Soaking in 10% chlorine bleach
Chlorine bleach is the gold standard in germ killing, so I expected chlorine bleach to do very well. For this experiment, I soaked a dirty sponge in a 10% solution of chlorine bleach in water for 10 minutes.
As you can see, the chlorine bleach did a great job disinfecting the sponge. It was annoying because the sponge floated, and I didn't like how the sponge smelled strongly of bleach afterward. However, bleach certainly works.
What do I use at the kitchen sink?
I have never used a sponge at the kitchen sink. I use cotton or microfiber dishcloths and thin Scotch-Brite Scour Pads. I put out a clean dish cloth at least once day. At the end of the day, it goes into a laundry basket reserved for only kitchen stuff. Every few days, I wash that laundry (cloths, towels, and scour pads) on the hot sanitize cycle with chlorine bleach. The scour pads are easier to clean because they are thinner. However, they still scratch all the food off of a pan. Yes, my dish towels fade, but I don't care. I prefer them to be clean.
The scouring pads also get really clean in my washing machine when I use chlorine bleach. There was not a single colony, just some marks left on the agar caused by the scratchy surface of the pad.
Results SummaryMy official recommendation is don't use a sponge at all. They harbor too much bacteria. But if you insist on using a sponge this is what I learned from my experiments. Microwaving is not a good way to disinfect a sponge or cloth. Washing machines can vary greatly in performance, but washing dirty dishcloths and sponges on hot with a half cup of chlorine bleach usually does a great job disinfecting. However, if you don't use bleach in your laundry, don't bother putting your sponge in there. Soaking sponges is a pain because they float. However, soaking in 10% chlorine bleach for 10 minutes with a weight on the sponge to keep it down is an effective way to kill germs. Boiling for 10 minutes with the lid on is the best way to disinfect a sponge or cloth. However, boiling is an extra chore that you have to remember to do. I rarely find the time to make my bed. All dishwashers aren't perfect at killing germs. However, getting into the habit of putting your sponge, bottle brush, or scrubber into the dishwasher every time you run it would keep it very clean AND does not require any extra work from you. I have a neighbor who keeps her scrub brush in the dishwasher all the time when it is not in use. It doesn't sit by the sink. She actually keeps it in the dishwasher. I think that is brilliant! If you have a bottle brush for baby bottles, you should get in the habit of putting it in the dishwasher every day (unless you boil it).
My thoughts on being "too clean".
Many people are confused and think that I want to kill all the germs in the world. This is not true. There is good bacteria in our bodies and our environment that is extremely important. I consider myself a "norophobe" and not a "germaphobe". I mainly detest stomach viruses and anything that will kill you. I also detest toxic chemicals. So, I don't want to waste my time using a toxic cleaning product that isn't really doing anything or isn't necessary. That is why I wanted to test so many products and disinfecting methods and figure out what is best. So, I don't think you need to sterilize your entire house. It would be impossible anyway. Our bodies, produce, carpet, floors, clothing, and environment are full of germs. Most of them are harmless or even helpful. My kids come inside covered in dirt every day and snuggle with our dog. Everyone gets PLENTY of germ exposure. If you have ever taken a toddler outside to play, you know that they get dirt in their mouths, and it is pretty much impossible to keep them "too clean". However, from my schooling and research I have learned that most nasty illnesses are spread through poop. If you have norovirus, influenza, or countless other illnesses, your poop is full of those germs. So, leaving a toilet seat with a few poop particles on it is a great way to spread your illness to others. I wipe off our toilets with 3% hydrogen peroxide every single day. Raw meat is risky because of the germs in the animal poop that it may have come in contact with. So, I see no harm in having a clean toilet, clean food preparation surfaces, clean dish cloths, and washing hands before eating. Washing your hands before eating and keeping these key places clean is not going to make a dent in the total number of germs that you are exposed to every day. It will just reduce the likelihood of you coming in contact with a terrible germ.
Future Work
I have many more experiments to do! If you would like to suggest a product or experiment, please e-mail me email@example.com. If you would like to be informed when new results are posted, please like my facebook page. I always post on there when new results are up. If you would like to help support my work, please use my Amazon links when you shop on amazon. I have an Amazon affiliate account. If you use any of my Amazon links when you shop on Amazon, I get a small percentage of the sale. For example, you can click to Amazon using the link for my daughter's book and buy something. It doesn't matter what you buy, but I will get a small percentage of the sale. I use that Amazon money to buy agar plates and all the supplies that I need to do these experiments. If you really want to brighten my day, please buy one of my daughter's books. They are excellent! If you don't have a little girl to give them to, buy a copy for your local elementary school library or children's hospital.
If you want to read more of my experiments, please check out this list.
Lastly, before you leave, please brush up on your knowledge of stomach bugs so you can help decrease their spread by reading this page of my website. Thank you!
--Annie Pryor, Ph.D.