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Measuring Stage
Appendix A
Dispositional Optimism
Illness Representations
Stephen Sutton
The Transtheoretical Model
In work on the TTM, three main methods have been used to measure stages: multi-dimensional questionnaires; single-item continuous measures of readiness to change; and staging algorithms and self-categorizations. These are discussed in turn.
Multi-dimensional questionnaires. Most studies that have investigated alcohol and drug use from the standpoint of the TTM have used multi-dimensional questionnaires to measure stage of change. In this approach, each stage is measured by a set of questionnaire items, and scores are derived for each individual representing their position on each dimension. Three such multi-dimensional questionnaires have been used in studies of alcohol and drug use: the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA; McConnaughy, Prochaska & Velicer, 1983 xClose
McConnaughy, E. A., Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1983). Stages of change in psychotherapy: Measurement and sample profiles. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 20, 368-375.), the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES; Miller & Tonigan, 1996 xClose
Miller, W. R., & Tonigan, J. S. (1996). Assessing drinkers' motivation for change: The Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 10, 81-89.) and the Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RTCQ; Rollnick, Heather, Gold & Hall, 1992 xClose
Rollnick, S., Heather, N., Gold, R., & Hall, W. (1992). Development of a short "readiness to change" questionnaire for use in brief, opportunistic interventions among excessive drinkers. British Journal of Addiction, 87, 743-754.). Consider the URICA as an example of this approach. The URICA was the first multi-dimensional questionnaire designed to measure stages of change, and is intended for use in clinical contexts. It consists of 32 items, eight for each of four stages (precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance; Appendix A). The items refer generically to the respondent's "problem" but do not specify a particular problem behavior.
In studies using the URICA, there is a fairly consistent pattern of relatively large correlations among subscales representing adjacent stages. The correlations between contemplation and maintenance, which are non-adjacent stages, are also relatively large (Sutton, 2001 xClose
Sutton, S. (2001). Back to the drawing board? A review of applications of the transtheoretical model to substance use. Addiction, 96, 175-186.). The observed pattern of correlations suggests that the URICA is not measuring discrete stages. The same applies to the SOCRATES and the RTCQ. Thus, multi-dimensional questionnaires are not consistent with the assumption of discrete stages.
Single-item continuous measures of readiness to change. Biener and Abrams (1991) xClose
Biener, L., & Abrams, DB. (1991). The contemplation ladder: Validation of a measure of readiness to consider smoking cessation. Health Psychology, 10, 360-365. developed the Contemplation Ladder as a simple measure of readiness to consider smoking cessation. This scale consists of a visual representation of a vertical ladder scaled from 0 to 10, with the scalepoints 0, 2, 5, 8 and 10 labeled as follows: "No thought of quitting"/"Think I need to consider quitting someday"/"Think I should quit but not quite ready" /"Starting to think about how to change my smoking patterns" /"Taking action to quit (e.g., cutting down, enrolling in a program)". In their sample of smokers recruited from two worksites, Biener and Abrams (1991) xClose
Biener, L., & Abrams, DB. (1991). The contemplation ladder: Validation of a measure of readiness to consider smoking cessation. Health Psychology, 10, 360-365. found a highly significant correlation of 0.64 between the ladder score and a single-item measures of intention to try to quit. The ladder and intention measures showed similar patterns of correlations with other variables. With regard to predictive validity, ladder scores were more predictive than were intention scores of participation in cotinine assessment and taking a self-test of addiction to nicotine, which Biener and Abrams interpret as earlier stages of readiness, whereas intention was a better predictor of participation in events that required a quit attempt and of successful quitting. Note that the contemplation ladder does not represent the full set of stages: it does not include the action stage (usually defined in work on the TTM as having stopped smoking for up to 6 months) or the maintenance stage (having quit for more than 6 months). The contemplation ladder has been adapted for use with other behaviors, for example marijuana use (Slavet et al., 2006 xClose
Slavet, J. D., Stein, L. A. R., Colby, S. M., Barnett, N. P., Monti, P. M., Golembeske Jr., C., & Lebeau-Craven, R. (2006). The Marijuana Ladder: Measuring motivation to change marijuana use in incarcerated adolescents. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 83, 42-48.) and gambling (Petry, 2005 xClose
Petry, N. M. (2005). Stages of change in treatment-seeking pathological gamblers. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 312-322.).
Similar measures were developed by LaBrie, Quinlan, Schiffman and Earleywine (2005) xClose
LaBrie, J. W., Quinlan, T., Schiffman, J. E., & Earleywine, M. E. (2005). Performance of alcohol and safer sex change rulers compared with readiness to change questionnaires. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 19, 112-115. for alcohol and safer sex. These readiness- to-change "rulers" consist of a horizontal line scaled from 0 to 10 with five labels (e.g., for drinking: "Never think about my drinking" /"Sometimes I think about drinking less" /"I have decided to drink less" /"I am already trying to cut back on my drinking" /"My drinking has changed. I now drink less than before"). The alcohol change ruler correlated 0.77 with total score from the RTCQ (Rollnick et al., 1992 xClose
Rollnick, S., Heather, N., Gold, R., & Hall, W. (1992). Development of a short "readiness to change" questionnaire for use in brief, opportunistic interventions among excessive drinkers. British Journal of Addiction, 87, 743-754.). Similarly, the safer sex ruler correlated 0.77 with the total score from an 11-item Readiness to Change Risky Sexual Behavior (RTCQ-SB) based on the RTCQ. The rulers showed higher correlations with measures of intentions to change than did the scores from the corresponding multi-item scales. The authors conclude that the rulers may be useful when a quick and simple assessment of readiness to change is required.
Virtually all the studies that have used contemplation ladders or readiness rulers have treated the scores as continuous measures of readiness to change. This approach is inconsistent with the idea that change involves movement through a sequence of discrete stages. Furthermore, the use of measures of behavioral intention as criteria for assessing the validity of ladders and rulers raises the question of whether intention measures could themselves be used as a simple way of assessing readiness to change.
Staging algorithms and self-categorizations. A staging algorithm uses a small number of questionnaire items and a set of rules to allocate participants to stages in such a way that no individual can be in more than one stage. Self-categorizations are single-item measures in which participants are presented with a list of statements, each of which represents a stage, and are asked to select the one that best describes them. Both these methods are relatively brief and simple, compared to multi-dimensional questionnaires. (Staging algorithms could be highly complex but in practice they use a small number of items and a simple set of rules). If the resulting measure is analysed as a set of categories rather than as a continuous scale, this approach is in principle more consistent with the assumption of discrete stages than is either of the other two methods.
The few studies that have compared staging algorithms with multi-dimensional questionnaires have found low concordance between them (e.g., Belding, Iguchi & Lamb, 1996 xClose
Belding, M. A., Iguchi, M. Y., & Lamb, R. J. (1996). Stages of change in methadone maintenance: Assessing the convergent validity of two measures. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 10, 157-166.), suggesting that they are measuring quite different constructs. A study that compared a staging algorithm with the contemplation ladder divided into three categories (analogous to "precontempation", "contemplation" and "preparation") found a correlation of 0.58 between the two classification schemes but also some important differences (Herzog, Abrams, Emmons & Linnan, 2000 xClose
Herzog, T. A., Abrams, D. B., Emmons, K. M., & Linnan, L. (2000). Predicting increases in readiness to quit smoking: A prospective analysis using the contemplation ladder. Psychology and Health, 15, 369-381.). For example, of those who were classified by the algorithm as precontemplators, 49% were in the "contemplation" group as assessed by the ladder, suggesting that the two measures should not be used interchangeably.
A staging algorithm for smoking that has been used in a large number of studies since it was introduced by DiClemente and colleagues (DiClemente, Prochaska, Fairhurst, Velicer, Velasquez & Rossi, 1991 xClose
DiClemente, C. C., Prochaska, J. O., Fairhurst, S. K., Velicer, W. F., Velasquez, M. M., & Rossi, J. S. (1991). The process of smoking cessation: An analysis of precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation stages of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 295-304.) can be found in Appendix B. Precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation are defined in terms of current behavior, intentions and past behavior (whether or not the person has made a 24-hour quit attempt in the past year), whereas action and maintenance are defined purely in terms of behavior; ex-smokers' intentions are not taken into account. Although the phrase "seriously thinking of quitting" is used in Appendix B, different versions of this algorithm have used alternative wordings including "seriously considering quitting", "intending to quit" and "planning to quit". Such apparently minor changes in wording can have a large effect on stage distributions (Sutton, 2000 xClose
Sutton, S. (2000). A critical review of the transtheoretical model applied to smoking cessation. In P. Norman, C. Abraham & M. Conner (Eds.), Understanding and changing health behaviour: From health beliefs to self-regulation (pp. 207-225). Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers.).
Critics have pointed out a number of problems with this algorithm, some of which stem from the way that contemplation and preparation are defined (e.g., Borland, Balmford, Segan, Livingston & Owen, 2003 xClose
Borland, R., Balmford, J., Segan, C., Livingston, P., & Owen, N. (2003). The effectiveness of personalized smoking cessation strategies for callers to a Quitline service. Addiction, 98, 837-846.; Etter & Sutton, 2002 xClose
Etter, J-F., & Sutton, S. (2002). Assessing 'stage of change' in current and former smokers. Addiction, 97, 1171-1182.). According to this algorithm, a smoker cannot be in the preparation stage unless he or she has made a recent quit attempt. Thus, a smoker can never be "prepared" for his or her first quit attempt. Similarly, the subgroup of smokers in the contemplation stage who intend to quit in the next 30 days but have not made a quit attempt in the past year cannot move to the preparation stage. Thus, the stages are defined in such a way that some smokers cannot move directly to the next stage in the sequence (Sutton, 2000 xClose
Sutton, S. (2000). A critical review of the transtheoretical model applied to smoking cessation. In P. Norman, C. Abraham & M. Conner (Eds.), Understanding and changing health behaviour: From health beliefs to self-regulation (pp. 207-225). Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers.).
A variant of the TTM developed by a group of researchers in the Netherlands (e.g., Dijkstra, Bakker & De Vries, 1997 xClose
Dijkstra, A., Bakker, M., & De Vries, H. (1997). Subtypes within a sample of precontemplating smokers: A preliminary extension of the stages of change. Addictive Behaviors, 22, 327-337.) uses different definitions of the stages that avoid these problems. In this model, the pre-action stages are defined purely in terms of intention: preparation is defined as planning to quit in the next month and contemplation as planning to quit in the next six months but not in the next month.
A staging algorithm for exercise developed by Marcus and Simpkin (1993) xClose
Marcus, B. H., & Simkin, L. R. (1993). The stages of exercise behavior. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 33, 83-88. is in Appendix C. Although this algorithm does not suffer from the logical problems of the DiClemente et al. (1991) xClose
DiClemente, C. C., Prochaska, J. O., Fairhurst, S. K., Velicer, W. F., Velasquez, M. M., & Rossi, J. S. (1991). The process of smoking cessation: An analysis of precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation stages of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 295-304. smoking algorithm, it seems somewhat implausible to treat irregular exercise (preparation) as a discrete stage between contemplation and action, implying that people move from no exercise to irregular exercise to regular exercise and that irregular exercise is qualitatively different from regular exercise.
A problem affecting many TTM staging algorithms is that the time periods are arbitrary. For instance, action and maintenance are usually distinguished by whether or not the duration of behavior change exceeds six months. Changing the time periods would lead to different stage distributions. The use of arbitrary time periods casts doubt on the assumption that the stages are qualitatively distinct, in other words that they are true stages rather than "pseudostages" – arbitrarily created segments of an underlying continuous variable ( Bandura, 1997 xClose
Bandura, A. (1997). The anatomy of stages. American Journal of Health Promotion, 12, 8-10.).
Comparison of the algorithms in Appendices B and C illustrates another problem: TTM staging algorithms for different health behaviors often use inconsistent stage definitions. For example, in the algorithm for adoption of mammography (Rakowski, Dube, Marcus, Prochaska, Velicer & Abrams, 1992 xClose
Rakowski, W., Dube, C. E., Marcus, B. H., Prochaska, J. O., Velicer, W. F., & Abrams, D. B. (1992). Assessing elements of women's decisions about mammography. Health Psychology, 11, 111-118.), action and maintenance are defined partly in terms of intentions (planning to have a mammogram in the coming year). It is possible for a woman to move directly from contemplation to maintenance simply by forming an intention, without passing through the action stage and without changing her behavior.
The Precaution Adoption Process Model
Unlike the TTM, in which a variety of measurement methods have arisen, only staging algorithms have been used in research on the PAPM to date. Appendix D gives a stage classification algorithm that would be suitable for any behavior for which a maintenance stage is not applicable (Weinstein & Sandman, 2002 xClose
Weinstein, N. D., & Sandman, P. M. (2002). The precaution adoption process model. In K. Glanz, B. K. Rimer & F. M. Lewis (Eds.), Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed., pp. 121-143). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.). These include behaviors that, if they are performed at all, are usually performed only once, e.g., having a predictive genetic test for inherited breast/ovarian cancer. Of course, virtually any behavior can be repeated: persons may test their home for radon and then retest it two years later. If a significant proportion of people in the sample have adopted the precaution before, then it may be necessary to take past behavior into account in the analysis and to reword the staging algorithm. Consider, for example, applying the model to participation in mammography screening. If the investigator is interested in first-time attendance for screening, he or she could either select a sample of women who have recently reached the lower age limit for screening and use the algorithm in Appendix D to stage them or select a sample of women who have never been screened and follow them over time until some of them have their first screen, using the algorithm to stage the sample on a number of occasions. Women who have had one mammogram could be allocated to stages with respect to having another mammogram. This would require modifications to the algorithm. Stage 1 would not be applicable for these women. And the statement used to classify women in Stage 2 could be reworded to something like "I haven't thought about whether to have another mammogram". (An alternative approach would be to classify women who have had repeated mammograms in accordance with the recommended schedule as being in the maintenance stage. However, it would be difficult to know how to classify women who have had more than one mammogram but whose pattern of attendance does not conform to the recommended schedule.)
For ongoing behaviors such as the frequency of exercising or the amount of salt consumed per day, it is necessary to define a criterion level of behavior, for example doing at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. In this case, it would be appropriate to specify a maintenance stage, possibly defined in terms of duration as in the TTM, for example having maintained at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day for at least six months. However, as noted above, such time periods are arbitrary and do not have face validity as marking a transition between discrete stages.
Reliability and Validity of Staging Algorithms and Self-categorizations
Although a staging algorithm uses several questionnaire items, it yields a single measure of stage. Similarly, self-categorizations are single-item measures. Indices of internal consistency such as Cronbach's alpha are therefore not applicable. However, test-retest reliability can be assessed, by measuring stage on two occasions in the same sample. A short time interval (e.g., one week) should be used to reduce the likelihood that true change occurs. Several studies have assessed test-retest reliability of TTM staging algorithms over short time periods (e.g., Aveyard, Lancashire, Almond & Cheng, 2002 xClose
Aveyard, P., Lancashire, E., Almond, J., & Cheng, K. K. (2002). Can the stages of change for smoking acquisition be measured reliably in adolescents? Preventive Medicine, 35, 407-414.; Carey, Purnine, Maisto & Carey, 2002 xClose
Carey, K.B., Purnine, D.M., Maisto, S.A., & Carey, M.P. (2002). Correlates of stages of change for substance abuse among psychiatric outpatients. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 16, 283-289.; Donovan, Jones, Holman & Corti, 1998 xClose
Donovan, R. J., Jones, S., Holman, C. D. J., & Corti, B. (1998). Assessing the reliability of a stage of change scale. Health Education Research, 13, 285-291.; Etter & Sutton, 2002 xClose
Etter, J-F., & Sutton, S. (2002). Assessing 'stage of change' in current and former smokers. Addiction, 97, 1171-1182.), yielding kappas that ranged from 0.46 to 0.83 "moderate" to "very good" agreement according to Altman, 1991 xClose
Altman, D. (1991). Practical statistics for medical research. London: Chapman & Hall.). The test-retest reliability of the component questions can also be assessed (e.g., Aveyard et al., 2002 xClose
Aveyard, P., Lancashire, E., Almond, J., & Cheng, K. K. (2002). Can the stages of change for smoking acquisition be measured reliably in adolescents? Preventive Medicine, 35, 407-414.). The reliability of the PAPM algorithm has not been assessed to date.
There are several ways of assessing the validity of a staging algorithm or self-categorization. First, these measures incorporate a measure of the behavior (whether the individual is in a pre-action or a post-action stage). Sometimes it may be possible to assess the validity of this aspect of the stage measure against another measure of the behavior that can be assumed to be more valid. In the case of smoking, for example, a biochemical measure such as saliva cotinine concentration could be used to verify self-reported smoking status (i.e., pre-action versus post-action). Use of this method requires that the algorithm incorporates a clear and precise definition of the behavior. Furthermore, this method provides no evidence bearing on the validity or otherwise of the distinction between the pre-action stages or of the distinction between the post-action stages.
A second way to estimate the validity of the component items of a staging algorithm depends on the availability of suitable criteria. For example, intention to obtain a mammogram in the next 6 months can be validated against screening office records of attendance. Finally, the construct validity of a staging algorithm or self-categorization can be assessed by examining whether the stage measure is related to measures of the other constructs in the theory in ways that are predicted by the theory. Thus, a test of the construct validity of a stage measure is inherent in testing predictions from a stage theory. Because there is no ideal exemplar study in the literature, a hypothetical example is given: If a stage theory makes a particular prediction involving the stages, for example, that variables a, b and c influence the transition from stage I to stage II and variables c and d influence the transition from stage II to stage III, support for this prediction in a longitudinal study of stage transitions also provides support for the validity of the stage measure (and for the other measures). However, if the prediction is not supported, the problem could lie with the theory (it is misspecified in this respect) or with the validity of the stage measure or the measures of the other constructs.
Staging algorithms and self-categorizations differ in the degree to which they are transparent to the respondent. With a self-categorization measure, the respondent can see the full set of stages before selecting the one that best applies to them. By contrast, with a staging algorithm, the rules governing allocation to stages are usually not available to the respondent. This difference may have implications for reliability and validity. For example, compared with staging algorithms, self-categorizations may be easier to understand but more susceptible to social desirability bias.
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French Eric Conge, one of the three candidates for the primary vote... NachrichtenfotoDemokratie,Frankreich,Französische Kultur,Gemeinschaft,Kandidat,Lot-et-Garonne,Militante Gruppe,Politik,Politische Gruppe,Politische Partei,Politische Wahl,Porträt,Sozialistische Partei Frankreichs,Stimmabgabe,Vertikal,VorwahlPhotographer MEHDI FEDOUACHCollection: AFP 2013 AFPFrench Eric Conge, one of the three candidates for the primary vote of the French Socialist Party for the next June local parliamentary election in the third constituency of Lot-et-Garonne, poses after the vote of the militants on April 30, 2013 in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, southwestern France. The June election will be held after socialist MP and former French Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac, who was charged for tax fraud after admitting to have an undeclared Swiss bank account, resigned. AFP PHOTO MEHDI FEDOUACH (Photo credit should read MEHDI FEDOUACH/AFP/Getty Images)

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Andrew Darby
Andrew Darby is the Hobart correspondent for Fairfax Media. His focus is on Australia's interests south of 40 Degrees South - Tasmania, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. He is the author of the internationally published Harpoon: Into the Heart of Whaling
Apology from Liberals in Tasmania over Mantach failure
Andrew Darby The Liberal Party has moved to clear its record with the Australian Electoral Commission over a $48,000 debt repaid in Tasmania by former director Damien Mantach, as Labor calls for a police...
Eric Abetz distances himself from Mantach scandal, as debt comes under scrutiny
Andrew Darby Senior federal Liberal Eric Abetz has distanced himself from the Mantach funds scandal, as the Australian Electoral Commission confirms it is examining a $48,000 debt repaid to the party.
Pressure on Liberals over funds scandal
Andrew Darby Pressure is rising on the Liberal Party over its funds scandal, with Labor calling for a cover-up over a $48,000 debt in Tasmania to be investigated by the Australian Electoral Commission.
Abetz knew of Mantach debt, says Tasmanian premier
Andrew Darby Senior Federal Liberal, Eric Abetz, has been drawn into the party's funds scandal with a claim he was briefed on a Tasmanian debt long before disgraced state director Damien Mantach's alleged $1.
Russian arrest of Greenpeace Arctic 30 activists illegal, tribunal says
Andrew Darby The Greenpeace Arctic 30, whose protest was criticised by the Abbott Government, were illegally arrested by Russia and should be compensated, according to an international tribunal.
Damien Mantach's Liberal debt not questioned by Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman
Andrew Darby Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman did not ask, and was not told, how former Liberal executive Damien Mantach incurred a $48,000 debt to the state party, ahead of his alleged $1.
Tony Abbott lifts ban on frontbenchers appearing on the ABC's Q&A program
Andrew Darby Federal government ministers have been given a green light by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to appear on the ABC program Q&A again.
Christine Milne's Greens Senate seat goes to Nick McKim
Andrew Darby The widely tipped Nick McKim will take over the Tasmanian Greens Senate seat vacated by former federal leader Christine Milne, the party announced on Thursday.
Government-dominated tax deductibility inquiry out to get green groups, says Bob Brown
Andrew Darby Environmentalist Bob Brown has accused the Abbott government of a vendetta against green groups, describing threats to strip the groups of their charity status as "an assault on the rights and...
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Andrew Darby Outspoken Tasmanian independent senator Jacqui Lambie is coming for mainland Australia with plans to run Senate candidates around the country at the next election.
Alexander Spirit tanker stand-off as seafarer jobs go overseas
Nick Toscano and Andrew Darby A tense waterfront stand-off is developing over the manning of one of just two coastal fuel tanker ships still crewed by Australians.
Jacqui Lambie likens the Greens to Islamic State in joke to mining industry
Andrew Darby Maverick independent Senator Jacqui Lambie has deepened her attack on the Greens, likening the party to the terrorists of Islamic State.
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Cadbury to axe 80 jobs, but failure of Tony Abbott's $16m election grant 'not to blame'
Andrew Darby Cadbury is to sack 80 people in Hobart, as the venerable chocolate maker's rocky road rolls on following the loss of a $16 million Federal Government grant.
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State Greens MP Nick McKim confirms bid for Christine Milne's federal Senate seat
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Vote for Former Winslow Resident in Super Bowl Commercial Contest [AUDIO]
'Locally Laid Egg Company' from Wrenshall, MN. is in the running for a free Super Bowl commercial. One if it's owners, Lucie Amundsen (Lucie Belanger back in her high school days) grew up in Winslow, ME. Lucie joined us on the Moose Morning Show to talk about a chance to have their commercial air during the Super Bowl!


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Read: What Ryan Callahan's Injury Will Do To His Olympic Chances
At NHL.com, Adam Kimelman wonders what kind of impact the broken thumb Ryan Callahan suffered against the Capitals will have on his Olympic chances.
Callahan will be out for 3-4 weeks and has the potential of missing up to 12 games during that time.
Kimelman notes even if Callahan misses the entire 4 weeks, and returns in mid-November he will still have upwards of 15 games to solidify his spot.
He notes that Callahan's spot on the roster isn't really in jeopardy and that he is likely to fill the role of third line RW behind Patrick Kane and Bobby Ryan.
Callahan is part of GM David Poile's leadership group for Team USA.
For more on the Olympics, CLICK HERE.


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Save On Summer Fun With 'SuperMoms360's' Stay-Cation Tips
Links & NumbersInformation & Resources On Dangers Of Marijuana Use Covered California Enrollment Methods Hire LA Youth Hospital Ratings Stradivarius Fest Tell Us Who's Hiring!
STUDIO CITY (CBS) — We are fortunate to live in Southern California with so many great stay-cation options to choose from! Deborah Stumm, founder of SuperMoms360.com, has compiled a list of family-friendly hotel packages and activities within easy driving distance from home.
Stumm stopped by KCAL9 Thursday to spill her secrets to saving on stay-cations.
Hotel Packages
– Shorebreak Hotel (Huntington Beach): Billabong Surf Package: Includes room accommodations, private 2 hour surf lesson, Endless Summer DVD and wine hour.
– Red Lion Hotel (Anaheim) – Disneyland Resort Package: Kids under 10 eat free, free parking, discounted hopper tickets available at the resort
– Bowling – 300 Anaheim is offering "Kids Bowl Free" all summer when you register on their website and Irvine Lanes offers $2.50 games weekdays after 5 p.m.
– Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach) – Extended hours during the summer until 9 p.m. and admission after 5 p.m. is only $14.95 per person. They also have a family sleepover on July 27 where you spend the night at the aquarium – space is limited.
– Pirates Dinner Adventure (Anaheim) – Kids tickets are up to 50% off for the summer.
– K1 Speed (locations throughout Southern California: Irvine/Anaheim/Carlsbad) – Coupon on SuperMoms360.com for $5 off your next race.
Hotel Packages
– Manchester Grand Hyatt (Downtown San Diego) – Old Town Trolley package: A great way to experience San Diego with 2 free trolley tour tickets. Tour will take you to Balboa Park, Gaslamp Quarter, Old Town, Seaport Village and more!
– Hyatt Regency Mission Bay – Explore Family Adventure Package. Receive breakfast for 2 kids and 2 adults and 20% off admission to the Zoo, SeaWorld and LEGOLAND
– The Dana on Mission Bay – You Belong in the Zoo Package. With a 3 night stay, receive 2 free adult San Diego Zoo tickets
Theme Parks
– LEGOLAND California Resort (Carlsbad) – Save up to 20% on admission and receive a 2nd day free when you book online in advance.
– SeaWorld San Diego – 2012 Fun Card; pay for a day and come back all of 2012
For more tips on stay-cations, visit the "Where To Go, What To Do" section on SuperMoms360.


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Entries open for Virgin Money Cyclone Challenge ride 2013
Big weekend of cycling returns to the North East... hopefully with better weather for the Tyne 6 Bridges Ride next year
Previous News
Next News
Entries are now open for the 2013 edition of one of the UK's top sportives, the Virgin Money Cyclone Challenge, which takes place on Saturday 29 June and forms part of what has become established as one the biggest weekends in the British cycling calendar.
The four-day cycling festival gets going on the evening of Thursday 27 June with what will be the inaugural Tyne 6 Bridges Ride, aimed at families and novices – the first edition should have been held this year, but was cancelled due to freak storms that battered the North East. There are two distances on offer, 9.5 and 14.5 miles.
The evening of Friday 28 June sees the return of the popular Leazes Criterium races, with a programme ranging from youth to elite riders, and the latter will be back again on the Sunday for Premier Calendar race, the Beaumont Trophy.
In 2011, that race doubled as the national road championship, with Bradley Wiggins coming out victorious, while Lizzie Armitstead took the honours in the women's race, which proved such a success that it led to a new race this summer, the Curlew Cup - that returns next year, too.
Sandwiched between those is the Virgin Money Cyclone Challenge ride on the Saturday, with 4,000 riders taking on one of three routes – 33 miles, 63 miles, or 104 miles. Full details of those rides, plus how to sign up, can be found on the Virgin Money Cyclone website.
Although the profile of British cycling has never been higher internationally, concerns have been raised about the amount of top quality domestic racing, with the Premier Calendar, for example, comprising just six races in 2013, the lowest number since it started two decades ago.
Despite that, Virgin Money Cyclone organiser Peter Harrison reckons an exciting 12 months lie ahead for cycling in Britain, whether it's the top domestic teams battling it out for honours, or the chance for the less speedy among us to take part in the ever-growing number of sportives and similar rides.
"The elite team changes for this year will really mix things up," he said. "With Endura racing abroad, the new Madison Genesis team launching and some exciting changes with other teams, it will be fascinating to see how the 2013 season pans out.
"There is a really strong programme of sportives and mass participation events yet again for 2013 and I think the Premier Calendar elite racing series will be really strong with new and established teams such as Madison Genesis, Raleigh, Team IG Sigma Sport and Team UK Youth bringing in a mixture of youth and domestic and international experience.
"In a time of so much cycling success at an elite level, it is really important that we continue to do everything we can to use racing to inspire more people to get on their bikes. That's the aim of the Virgin Money Cyclone weekend, and I'm really excited to have the pros riding alongside all sorts of riders – from beginners and families to committed club riders – for 2013."
You can keep up to date with the latest news about the Virgin Money Cyclone weekend on the event website as well as through its Facebook page or Twitter feed.
Being local to this I am sorry that I will miss out this year, but on the other hand being in Corsica/Nice for the Grand Depart should compensate.
onward ever onward
posted by bikecellar [264 posts]
28th December 2012 - 10:42
Got my entry all ready filled in and waiting to fly through the ether of online applications
There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
posted by stumps [3238 posts]
28th December 2012 - 13:31


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Israel, a New Decade
I turn on the television just before dinner. Prime-time. An Israeli series: "The Pilots' Wives" ("Meet the Women behind Our Heroes", said the promo), interrupted occasionally by a commercial depicting a soldier missing his mother's soup ("disclaimer: the actor is not a soldier"). After the series, a short public service broadcast showing a group of young men, each in turn boasting his military service, until they notice one of them – a violent zoom-in – keeps quiet; the message is clear. Then the news, with at least one public relations item pushed by the military: "teen-age girls eager to become fighters", "a remote-control watch-and-shoot system on the Gaza fence", "a unique glimpse into a top-secret air-force base" or the like. Not to mention the real news, be it about the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Iran, or even the billions of terrorists disguised as miserable African refugees allegedly waiting on the Egyptian border to inundate Israel: all these issues, and many more, are predominantly managed and framed by the military.
The military service has been made a major issue in Israeli public discourse. Not that the army is short of soldiers: on the contrary, the number of recruits requesting "to serve their country" in combat units is at record level. Nevertheless, uniting the nation around the military as the ultimate good is a goal in itself, especially when it implicitly excludes the Israeli-Palestinians, who are not conscripted. Thus the stage and screen actor Itay Tiran was removed from Israel's official propaganda website when someone noticed he had not served; And, following the Zeitgeist, "national left-wing" playwright Shmuel Hasfari said he would refuse to work with Tiran "just like with any murderer or rapist."
Most Israeli artists are careful not to express themselves critically about Israel's policies, definitely not to say a word against the country's deep militarism and racism; Scander Kobti, co-director of Ajami, nominated for an Academy Award in Best Foreign Language Film, caused a scandal just for saying he didn't "represent Israel" in Hollywood ("I cannot represent a state that doesn't represent me", the Israeli-Palestinian claimed) – even that is more than the selectively sensitive Israeli ear can bear. Every Israeli is expected to be an ambassador abroad – no wonder that in a highly popular Israeli reality show just a few years ago, candidates competed on who would best represent Israeli propaganda abroad (a former Israeli army spokesman was among the judges). Remember it next time you talk to an Israeli: especially outside Israel, you might hear not the truth, but the official state propaganda. Though many Israelis sincerely believe the two are identical.
The deep racism of the Israeli psyche is on the rise. The 1990s, at least in hindsight, marked some liberalization of the public discourse; the first decade of this century crushed it, and now the mildly critical, left-liberal discourse hardly exists in the mainstream. No wonder the liberal left has just 3 seats out of 120 in the Knesset; all the other parties are various shades of right-wing, far right, or fascism (except the small outcast "Arab" parties). The racist mindset can be observed in the most trivial daily situations, like my elderly neighbor, when told I saw someone peeping at my window the other night, instinctively reacting with a single question: "Have you seen whether it was a Jew or an Arab?"
Ever more often, when I mention the Netherlands, I am told that all the Dutch were anti-Semitic and collaborated with the Nazis; my already ritualized reaction – that my grandparents and my mother owe their lives to Dutch Christians who risked their own lives to save them – is met with a shrug, expressing something like "don't challenge my precious prejudice" or "don't be so naïve, we all know everybody hates us." And this is not just the case of Holland: from Sweden to Ethiopia, from Turkey to Argentina, no matter how Jewish-friendly (and Israel-friendly) a nation has been historically, Israelis are encouraged to view all non-Jews ("Goyim" is the pejorative term used uncritically by most Hebrew speakers) as inherently anti-Semitic and therefore anti-Israeli. Every criticism of Israel's policy is automatically dismissed as yet another incarnation of an endemic, incurable hatred of Jews. Just like anti-communism was the national religion of the USA during the Cold War, the fanatic belief in an eternal world-wide anti-Semitic conspiracy is the true national cult of Israel. The voices portraying even President Obama as anti-Semitic are just one undertone in an ear-deafening choir of incitement against every dissenting voice, within or without.
The younger generation knows little else. How could it? As the Jerusalem Prof. Nurit Peled-Elhanan shows, Israeli schoolbooks – their text, maps, and pictures – are inherently racist, especially against Arabs; but whereas the racism was sophisticatedly disguised in the 1990s schoolbooks, in the last decade it's overt and explicit. Arabs are consistently represented as primitive, threatening, and untrustworthy; the Palestinian narrative is either distorted and denied, or simply ignored. The Occupation, says Peled-Elhanan, is never mentioned, the Green Line does not exist; many Israelis no longer know what it means, let alone where it is.
Even the language retreats: if the term "occupied territories" sounded rather neutral just a few years ago, when even Ariel Sharon used the term "occupation", now the sickening euphemism "liberated territories" has made a comeback. At the same time, hypocrisy and double-standards are cultivated: right-wing parties outside Israel are regularly termed "extremist", "xenophobic" or "racist", terms never applied to much more extreme Israeli parties. Official Israel is shocked and outraged by naming a street in Ramallah after a Palestinian terrorist Ayyash (assassinated by Israel in 1996); At the same time, the Israeli far-right leader Ze'evi (assassinated by Palestinians in 2001), whose main political platform was ethnic cleansing ("transfer") of all Palestinians, has several streets, three promenades, two settlements, a highway, a bridge, and an army base named after him, and a law to commemorate him and even educate future generations with his "legacy."
Is It Too Late?
This is the present atmosphere in Israel – one of a rising, violent nationalist self-righteousness, especially among the younger generation. A recent poll shows that while 35% of Israelis over the age of 30 said they would vote for right-wing parties, this number almost doubled for youths up to the age of 29, and stood at 61%.
Does this mean there is no chance for peace? A difficult question. Despite all of the above, polls also show 60% support among the general public for removing the majority of settlements. As always, this 60% majority of Israeli Jews overwhelmingly believes it is a minority – only a third of respondents said such an evacuation had the support of the Israeli majority. This last figure – the majority being persuaded it is actually a minority – is one of the greatest achievements of the official Israeli brain-wash, and has been consistent for many years.
One can therefore understand Zeev Sternhell's call on Obama's Washington to implement an imposed solution: "Were Israeli society prepared to pay the price for peace, its government would not be fanning the flames of conflict […] The conclusion is that […] the only solution is an imposed one", writes the prominent Israeli political scientist. This is no rosy scenario either, needless to say. In clear imitation of Nazi calls to try the German politicians who signed the "humiliating" Treaty of Versailles (1919), the Israeli right-wing has already demanded to "put Oslo criminals on trial" for signing the Oslo Accords. One can recall European history and imagine how Israeli fascists would react to an "imposed peace." Luckily, they are just a minority; but given the current atmosphere in Israel, as well as the demographic advantage of the right-wing (Orthodox Jews have much more children), it might not remain a minority for long. Time, if there still is any, is running out.
Read more by Ran HaCohen
- Yet Another War of Deceit – August 1st, 2014
- Purim and Genocidal Phantasies – March 3rd, 2013
- Israel Between Eritrea and Iran – October 4th, 2012
- Tel Aviv 'Race Riots' Reveal Much About Israel – May 27th, 2012
- Was Elliott Abrams Hitler's Senior Advisor? – September 15th, 2011
3 Responses to "Israel, a New Decade"
How crazy is it that anyone would call upon the US to resolve the Conflict? Don't folks get it? We are already doing EXACTLY that, by backing Israel's hard line to the hilt (oh, yeah, with occasional pr stunts supposedly showing that we are 'pressuring' Israel, which everyone dutifully falls for). And don't folks see that we are on the same curve that Israel is on, only a bit behind Israel? Here in the US, with the Democratic Party increasingly controlled by the Right Wing, there are virtually no major left politicians, and the liberals are clearly right wing (as they really always have been, only now they barely pretend otherwise). Here in the US too, public opinion is consistently at variance with government policy, yet most people think they are isolated in their opposition! Like Israel, we are a militarized, increasingly fascist state, in which the population has been manipulated into thinking that they are fighting a lonely battle for 'liberty' against a hostile and threatening world.
So sad that the founding father's efforts to ensure our freedom and democracy have failed. The judicial branch has completely failed to prevent the power grab by the executive and legislative branches of our government. Depressing, maybe it's time for drugs and a shot of Victory Gin.
A poignant reminder for what the world is up against. Israel appears to have morphed into the Frankenstein's monster that feeds on blind support from the US in perpetrating the same injustice that the Nazis visited on the hapless folks including Jews in Europe. A people dispossessed of their ancestral homes cannot be wished away. Having failed to resist the usurpation of their home or prevent the ethnic cleansing that marked the establishment of Israel, the Palestinians deserve the highest approbation for accepting less than 20% of their original land for a state of their own – leaving 80% to the Jewish refugees who make up Israel. It's hard to find any parallel in history. And, yet, today, Israel refuses to even concede the 20% territory it forcibly occupied in wars to its original inhabitants. If Israel fails to comprehend the magnanimity of their Palestinian hosts, perhaps they should be required to return to their homes in Europe (and elsewhere). Why should the uninvolved Palestinians pay the price for the crimes of Hitler and his European lackeys? Why, indeed, should they be vilified in their own land, and subjected to an utterly inhuman existence under threat of annihilation?
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"When our family started to learn about family history, it led us on a journey which helped us in so many other ways.... We thought we were blessing the lives of our deceased family members. That work ultimately saved our marriage.... Doing family history work blessed my family and may have saved our children and our children's children."
"Doing this work and going to the temple has taught me that Heavenly Father really wants all of his children back. Not just ones that grew up in the Church…he wants them all. He wants his whole family. Including me."
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|Journalism is a second career for Ann, who began her professional life in new product development for American companies expanding their business overseas, when she lived in several countries in Europe and Latin America. She is a Durango native who joined The Durango Herald in her mid-40s as the Neighbors columnist in 2000 and enjoys helping to build community by reporting on the nonprofit, service club and human interest stories in La Plata County. In 2004, she became a full time staff writer and columnist. She is proud to be on the obituary beat, helping families tell the life stories of people connected to Southwest Colorado who have died. Wearing many hats, she also covers the weather and breaking news as well as writing features for the Religion Page and other parts of the paper. She was one of many members of the Herald staff who contributed to the Herald's Sigma Xi Award for coverage of the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002 and also won a Colorado Press Association Award for first place for sustained coverage about a proposed Health Services District in 2007 with several reporting colleagues.Ann enjoys reading, playing bridge and Scrabble and exploring the history and natural wonders of Southwest Colorado.
Ann Butler
(970) 375-4584 | firstname.lastname@example.com |


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Walter Sulym from the Cisco IPS team explains the signature retirement process and how the default configuration is determined.
Walter Sulym from the Cisco IPS team explains the signature retirement process and how the default configuration is determined.
How many times have we encountered a situation where some part of the software industry starts small, in a closed environment, then grows and attracts a lot of attention before realising that things were not designed properly for this changed environment? On a large scale, I would say three times. It happened with the Internet, operating systems, and system and industrial control systems (also referred to as SCADA). This transition from a closed environment to an open environment inevitably exposes aspects that were overlooked during the development phase. The speed of this transition will only exacerbate the situation. Because SCADA systems are currently going through this transition I will call this a "SCADA Syndrome."
The Cisco 4Q11 Global Threat Report has been released. The report covers the period from 1 October 2011 through 31 December 2011 and features data from across Cisco Security Intelligence Operations. This quarter's contributors were Cisco Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), Cisco IronPort, Cisco Security Research and Operations (SR&O), and Cisco ScanSafe.
Tags: quarterly threat report, security
In this short article the reader will first learn what NetFlow is and how it works. Next the reader will understand how it can be as an important security tool. Finally, a technique for correlating NetFlow results with public sources of Internet reputation, along with the tool "Netoriety," which implements the technique, will be introduced and explained.
Read More »
Tags: netflow, reputation, security
The threat landscape is an ever evolving environment that must be addressed with constant iteration. Since the Cisco Intrusion Prevention System signature configuration has grown over the past few years, the Cisco Security Research and Operations IPS Signature Development Team performed an exhaustive review of the default IPS signature settings currently shipping. As a result of that analysis, the team will be releasing changes to the default signature set via signature updates in a two-phase process over the course of several months.
Tags: intrusion prevention, IPS, security


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This workstation defines small. Found on the USS Pampanito, a World War II submarine moored in San Francisco, it took us a minute to even realize it was a cubicle.
Photo: Deepak
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Setback for Wyoming diocese, college in struggle against HHS mandate
Catholic World News - May 16, 2014
A federal district court judge has refused to issue an injunction preventing enforcement of the HHS mandate against the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming Catholic Charities, Wyoming Catholic College, and two other Catholic institutions in the state.
"While Plaintiffs hold very strong religious views that [the mandate] should not provide (or be forced by federal law to provide) contraceptive coverage," the mandate's "provision of such coverage cannot be said to be a substantial burden on Plaintiffs' religious exercise," ruled Judge Scott Skavdahl, an Obama appointee.
"Since the challenged regulations take effect on July 1, 2014, and would force the plaintiffs to violate their deeply held Catholic beliefs or face crippling fines and penalties for noncompliance, we will appeal this decision and seek relief from the appellate court," the state's sole diocese said in a statement, as quoted by the Associated Press.
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Need Information?
Dr. Joel C. Rosenfeld
Chief Academic Officer
Senior Associate Dean
Do you find your greatest satisfaction when you are serving others with your knowledge, skills, and talents? Are you excited by the challenges of scientific discovery and application? Do you enjoy communicating with others, listening, empathizing, as well as sharing and educating? Do you aspire to the highest standards in the tasks you undertake?
If you answered yes to these questions, then medicine may indeed be your calling. I recommend you look closely at the regional campus of
The Medical School of Temple University/St. Luke's University Health Network (Temple/St. Luke's School of Medicine).
Temple/St. Luke's School of Medicine seeks bright, academically talented, highly motivated men and women who are committed to service and are eager to become physicians of the highest caliber. At the Temple/St. Luke's School of Medicine, you will find an enthusiastic faculty, eager to share their knowledge and skills with the next generation of physicians. You will find cutting edge medicine and technology in a friendly, collegial setting. You will find the energy and excitement of a new, innovative program firmly grounded in outstanding practices that come from decades of experience. With our small class size, you will find an intimate and interactive learning environment that will inspire you to achieve your full potential.
The first year of the program begins at the Temple University School of Medicine Campus in Philadelphia. Students then complete years 2, 3, and 4 of their medical degree program at St. Luke's University Health Network in Bethlehem.
Browse this web site. Drop us an e-mail or call us directly to visit our campus. We would love to talk more with you about medical education at the regional campus of the Temple/St. Luke's School of Medicine.
Warm regards,
Joel C. Rosenfeld, MD, MEd, FACS
Chief Academic Officer
St. Luke's University Health Network
Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Surgery
Temple University School of Medicine
Maps & Directions
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Rachel had been working in her first job, after finishing school, now for four weeks; it was a summer job until she left for college. She enjoyed the work and the people there except for Mr. Falconer, the middle-aged manager of the section she worked in, who was rather stern and prone to outbursts of irritation and anger when silly mistakes were made by the girls in his office. Rachel had not been on the end of one these tirades yet, he was usually polite and helpful to her but sometimes Rachel caught him looking at her with a strange look in his eyes, when she caught him staring at her it made her blush and feel uncomfortable. Rachel was not very sexually experienced but could recognise desire and lust when she saw it in a man, she was proud of her body and kept in shape by continuing her dance classes from school. But with Mr. Falconer the intensity of his gaze and the feeling he could see her soul, and body, laid bare was very unnerving.
Then on Friday disaster struck! While inputting some data Rachel accidentally deleted some very important files, without these files there would be major problems for the office on Monday. It had not really been Rachel's fault, she had not been fully trained on this computer program but Mr. Falconer was very angry and told Rachel she would have to work Saturday to re-input the missing files, the girls in the office offered to help but Mr. Falconer said no, Rachel must do the work herself, he would be in to supervise her. Without the other girls help Rachel knew the work would take almost all day, she was not looking forward to this as the weather forecast said Saturday would be very hot and sunny.
Rachel woke up and cursed the fact she had to go into work but this job was important to her and she grumpily got up for a shower. The weather forecast had been right and the day promised to be hot and sunny. She put on a matching set of white bra and knickers which were quite skimpy, but nice and cool, and a lovely pale blue summer dress, which buttoned up the front. Not her usual office attire but ideal for the hot weather and going into town after work.
When Rachel got to work there were the usual mix of people in on a Saturday morning but she and Mr. Falconer were the only people in the office, Mr. Falconer started Rachel on her recovery task and then went out to the factory floor, coming back later. The morning drifted by and at twelve o'clock one of the supervisors came into the office and told Mr. Falconer that he was the last to leave the factory floor and would lock up the factory except for this office were Rachel and Mr. Falconer were working. Mr. Falconer said he would lock up the offices once they had finished their work and said goodbye to the supervisor. Realising it was lunchtime Rachel told Mr. Falconer that if it were OK she would go for lunch; Rachel then took her lunch and went out into the brilliant sunshine.
At the back of the factory there was a secluded area were the office girls spent their lunch breaks when the sun was shining, it give the girls privacy from the young men in the factory who would sometimes shout humorous comments and lewd remarks to them, especially when the girls hitched up their skirts to catch the sun on their legs. After eating her lunch Rachel lay on the soft grass and daydreamed about the happy future she hoped lay ahead for her. Rachel pulled up her dress to around mid thigh, the sun was very hot and she wanted to catch some sun, Rachel soon began to doze of in the hot sunshine.
"Rachel! Are you coming back to work today? " Mr. Falconer said standing above her, " it is nearly one-thirty now". Rachel hurriedly got up and pulled her dress down, God, she thought, how long had he been there, Rachel was uncomfortable with the thought that Mr. Falconer could have seen up her dress while she was dozing. Ugh! how horrible she thought to herself. When they got back to the office and Rachel was back inputting the missing files she could feel Mr. Falconer's eyes staring at her, again she could not help but blush and squirm under his gaze.
At three-thirty Rachel finished and, with a quiet cheer, she began to gather her things together. "I am going now Mr. Falconer, see you Monday" Rachel said. Mr. Falconer then said in a matter of fact voice that Rachel would not be going just yet, she would have to be disciplined for the initial mistake that had caused them to come in on a Saturday morning.
"What do you mean? Disciplined? " Rachel said.
"You have rectified your mistake but now I have decided that further punishment is in order, I am going to spank you " Mr. Falconer said in a calm, natural voice which unnerved Rachel.
"You have got to be joking! That's not right, I will report you! " Rachel spluttered, shocked at his statement of a spanking, "you must be mad! "
"There really is no choice, " Mr. Falconer said standing up, " I am going to spank you and then maybe fuck you". Rachel stood rooted to the spot as he approached; in her worst nightmares she had never contemplated such a scenario. Physical attacks, rape occurred late at night in bad parts of town, not in the workplace, in the middle of the afternoon.
"Put your things down and lean over the desk, Rachel" he said in a calm voice. Rachel snapped out of her shocked state and turned round and headed for the door, she had not gone two steps when Mr. Falconer grabbed her and threw her to the floor.
"NO! " She screamed, "I will call the police! GET AWAY FROM ME! ".
"I have decided this is going to happen Rachel, how this happens, easy or hard, is up to you. Now get up and lean over that desk! " Mr. Falconer said with emotion now entering his voice as he glared at her. Rachel had been to the self-defence classes and knew the theory of how to react in these situations but this was actually happening to her and she desperately tried to think of how to get out of this.
"Lets stop this now and we will forget about it, OK? ' Rachel said shuffling backwards on the floor, trying to create space between her and Mr. Falconer. As she moved away the skirt of her dress rode up her thighs exposing her legs and knickers, panic started to rise in Rachel's mind as she tried to both move away and cover herself up.
Mr. Falconer moved quickly and grabbed her and picked her up, he held her close and attempted to kiss her. Rachel screamed loudly and then Wham! Mr. Falconer hit her across the face, her scream cut short. Another slap across the face stunned Rachel; she tried to fight back and attempted to knee Mr. Falconer between the legs but he avoided the blow and punched Rachel in the stomach. This took Rachel's breath away and she fell to the floor, gasping for air.
"FUCKING BITCH! You fucking sluts are all the same, showing of your bodies! I saw you outside, showing me your legs; you knew I was there didn't you! ' Mr. Falconer was now breathing heavily as he stood over Rachel, his fists clenching and un-clenching, his emotions of lust, hate and anger rolling like waves across his face.
"I didn't know you were there, please stop this, let me go home. I won't tell anyone, I SWEAR! " Rachel said, her mind now a jumbled mess as she tried to come to terms
with the situation she was in, her calm and sheltered life now falling apart.
He reached down and picked her up, inside a voice was screaming at her to fight and kick but Rachel did not fight, another voice in her head was telling her to survive, she would have to get through this somehow. This time when he attempted to kiss her she did not fight, but she also did not respond except she started to cry, tears rolling down her face as he assaulted her mouth with his tongue.
"That's better; you know you really want it. How many men have you fucked Rachel? How many men have had a taste of this? " He demanded as he reached down and placed his hand on her cunt. Rachel squirmed under his touch, his groping fingers hurting her. She was not a virgin but had only been with one boy, they had sex twice and then finished. His other hand now started to squeeze her breasts and he pressed his body against her, with a silent scream her mind registered the feel of his erect cock rubbing against her.
"Leave me alone, please" she sobbed, "this cannot be happening to me".
" Yes it fucking is, now take your dress off, quick! ' Mr. Falconer demanded releasing her and stepping back. Rachel was horrified to see that he had un-zipped his trousers and was slowly stroking his erection, his cock was bigger than the boy she had slept with and her stomach turned at the thought of the coming rape. Rachel slowly started to un-button her dress, when she had finished the buttons the dress hung like a coat around her, she did not have the will to take it right off. Mr. Falconer stood in front of her and pulled dress open and her body was revealed to him, his eyes crawling over body. "Nice tits" he crudely stated" I like your knickers; you are dressed to be fucked! " Rachel was quietly sobbing as he pulled the dress of her shoulders and it fell to the floor.
'Have you ever sucked cock? No? You had better start now so my cock will be nice and wet; I want it to slip nice and easy in to that sweet cunt of yours. Remember no teeth or there will be trouble" Mr. Falconer said pressing on her shoulders, forcing Rachel to her knees. He put one hand on Rachel's head and with the other hand grasped his cock and pressed it against Rachel's lips, "OPEN UP, CUNT! " Mr. Falconer shouted. Rachel shook her head, she could not do this, and she was rewarded with a smack to the head. He pinched her nose causing her to stop breathing, her mouth opened gasping for air and he thrust his cock into her, causing her to gag as her lips closed over his member. With both hands now either side of her face Mr. Falconer proceeded to fuck her mouth, tears streaming down her lovely face, now contorted with fear and revulsion.
"OH YEAH BITCH! TAKE IT ALL IN! YOU'RE MY LITTLE FUCKTOY NOW! " He shouted. Rachel thought someone must come and help her, save her from this, but the factory was empty, no one could hear. The Mr. Falconer she had known had now been replaced by this monster, what had happened to her life of this morning? Everything in her life was now this moment, this cock, sliding in and out of her mouth.
With a triumphant shout of, "YES! YES! ' Mr. Falconer exploded in her mouth, spurts of cum filling her mouth, she had to swallow to stop from choking but still some escaped down her chin. Mr. Falconer pulled his wilting cock out of her mouth and pushed her away, Rachel fell to the floor and rolled into a ball, coughing and spluttering as she tried to get rid of the taste of his cock and cum. Mr. Falconer was standing watching her, one hand caressing his cock, "I am going to get undressed now, we have not finished yet. I am going to enjoy fucking your cunt and if I feel like it I may do your ass as well. Would you like that? ' Rachel looked tearfully at him and watched as he took his clothes off and folded them neatly on a desk.
"Come here Rachel, stand next to me" Mr. Falconer said patting the desk next to him. With a last vestige of will and courage Rachel jumped up and made for the door, Mr. Falconer moved quickly and blocked the door. Rachel was confronted by him standing in front of the door, naked and with horror she noticed his cock becoming erect again.
"Ah! Still got some spirit, that's a good little girl! Now take your bra off and show me those delightful tits, " said Mr. Falconer with advancing towards her. Rachel retreated backwards but came an abrupt halt when she was stopped by a desk. Mr. Falconer was now standing directly in front of her, he reached out and pulled the straps of her bra down of her shoulders, he then pulled the cups of her bra down and revealed her tits, "Lovely! ' He said and lowered his mouth down onto her left breast, sucking noisily, her body responded to his assault with her nipple becoming hard and proud, he moved on to the right breast with the same result.
"Liking this are you slut? I thought you would like it a little rough, little sluts like you are all the same, say you don't want it but all the time craving it! ' Mr. Falconer said as he pinched and mauled her breasts. In response Rachel picked up a book she felt under her hand on the desk and swung it at Mr. Falconers head, connecting with a thud he stumbled to the floor with a cry of anger and pain. "BITCH! ' He shouted as Rachel made for the door, she was out of door and into the reception area before Mr. Falconer was up and after her. So there she was, Rachel, a 'nice and quiet' girl clad only in brief white panties, her mouth still tasting cock and cum being chased by an angry naked man with a raging erection. Rachel made it to the front entrance to the factory but she screamed when the door would not open, it was locked! Any one driving or walking by would have seen a very attractive, semi naked girl screaming and banging on the glass door before a man grabbed her and dragged her away.
"Oh my! You have really fucked it up now! I was going to let you go after we have had our fun, now I think I will call some friends of mine to come round for a little party, are you up for a gang-fuck? ' He whispered in her ear as he pulled her away from the door. The roller-coaster ride of emotions Rachel was experiencing came to a shattering halt as the implications of what Mr. Falconer said sank into her battered mind, this was bad enough but not a gang-rape! Parts of Rachel's mind were shutting down in shock at the what was happening to her, her calm, settled life was being torn apart by this man who only a few hours before had been an insignificant part of her life. But now he was her life, her very existence revolved around this naked man, his cock and his threat to call some friends to come and gang rape her.
Mr. Falconer held onto her tightly and took Rachel into the office rest area and threw her down onto one of the sofas. Holding onto his head were Rachel had hit him Mr. Falconer said in a cold, calm voice "I am so going to fuck you now" and with that he reached down and tore Rachel's panties right off, he held her panties to his face and inhaled deeply, "Ah! The sweet smell of young cunt, I love it! Shall we see if you are wet? Not that it makes a difference to me but you may prefer a wet fuck to a dry fuck" With that Mr. Falconer gripped her legs by the ankles and pulled her legs apart, Rachel's tried to cover herself up with her hands, to hide her secret place. Mr. Falconer laughed, "If you had had such modesty when you were sunbathing this would never have happened you little cock teaser, I followed you outside when you went for lunch. You girls never see me watching, but I see you, talking about sex and the size of your boy-friends cocks. Showing of your legs and flashing your knickers! ' Mr. Falconer said gripping her ankles tight enough to hurt.
"I saw you today and when you dozed off I moved closer, looked up your skirt and saw your little white panties. I decided then to have you, to get inside those little pants of yours and fill your cunt with my cum! God I had to stop myself taking you there and then you looked so hot! But I decided to wait, let you finish your work first. If you would have let me spank you none of this would have happened. I would have kept your little knickers as a souvenir for a wank later but that would have been all, but NO! You had to fight me and say no, STUPID BITCH! ' Mr. Falconer finished his outburst practically spitting the words out. Rachel knew what was coming, she was going to be raped by this man, he was going to put his cock inside her, this was not how it was supposed to be for her!
Mr. Falconer slid his hands down her legs until he was gripping her thighs and forced her legs further apart. Her cunt was spread wide for him as with one hand he removed her hands from her pussy, and started to fondle her cunt lips with the other hand. Rachel was dry and it hurt when first one and then two fingers were pushed into her tight vagina, as a defense mechanism her body betrayed her and her vagina began to get wet and soon Mr. Falconers fingers were sliding in and out smoothly, "Fucking slut, you're all wet! Ask me to fuck you! Beg me to fuck you! COME ON, BEG, SLUT! ' He shouted triumphantly. . All the while Rachel was sobbing and tears were running down her face, but Mr. Falconer had no pity in him, he had to fuck this girl!
Mr. Falconer put his face between Rachel's thighs and licked her cunt from top to bottom, sucking noisily on her cunt lips and invading her with his tongue, after a few minutes he came up for air and with his face and mouth covered in Rachel's juices he attempted to kiss her, Rachel shuddered at the taste of him and her juices as he thrust his tongue into her mouth.
While he was kissing her she felt the full weight of his body on her, she could hardly breath. Rachel could feel his cock rubbing against her pussy and legs. He reached down and grasped his erect cock, guiding it towards Rachel's wet cunt. Rachel let out a despairing scream as Mr. Falconer found the entrance and forced the tip of his cock into her, with her last ounces of energy she tried to push him out, push him off her. It was no use, Mr. Falconer just laughed and said, "That's right bitch, struggle and squirm but it want help you because I am going to fuck you good! ' And with that he was fully inside her, her tight, nearly virgin cunt full of Mr. Falconer. Rachel's legs shot out straight and her body shook with shock as his cock thrust into her, she could not look at his face and shut her eyes tight.
With his cock embedded deep inside her Mr. Falconer stopped and stared at Rachel, drinking in the sight of this young girl lying beneath him, her pretty face bruised and red from the slaps and her crying, her sexy body shaking with the sobbing she could not stop. He started to slowly slide his cock in and out, everything in his, and Rachel's, life now focused on this moment, whatever the future held for them forgotten as their joined world, their existence, was this cock sliding in and out of this young cunt.
Mr. Falconer's cock thrusting into Rachel soon began to speed up, his lust for her taking over from every other thought in his mind. He was brutally fucking her with his cock, his body slamming into her with every thrust, her tits bouncing with every thrust. Mr. Falconer was saying over and over again, his voice rising as he approached climax, "Cunt, Bitch, Whore, CUNT, BITCH, WHORE! ' Then with a final massive thrust he came inside her, his cock spurting load after load of his cum inside her, filling her cunt. Rachel let out a despairing wail as she felt him cum inside her, even though he had cum he continued to thrust his cock into her, forcing his cum to leak out and run down her thighs and into the crack of her ass.
Mr. Falconer fell on top of Rachel his breathing ragged and heavy as he recovered from his climax; she lay there staring into space. Rachel felt his cock flop out of her bruised cunt as he got up. "Lick it clean" was all he said as he pushed his cum covered cock against her mouth, wiping it across her lips. When he raised his hand as if to hit her she opened and took his cock into her mouth and licked his cock clean of cum and her juices, her resistance and will completely broken.
As Rachel lay there, cum leaking out of her abused body she heard...
"Bob? Hi, it's me. Can you get the boys together for a party? I've got just the thing for our usual party games. Yeah she's a pretty one. No not a virgin, not now anyway, HA HA! But she has got one hole that's virgin, know what I mean? OK, OK you can have first shot at her; now hurry up with the van. Her name? Rachel. See you soon."
Vaginal Pictures Of Post Rape Damage To Vagina
Sex Rape


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Thank you, Rodney Johnson for that introduction. Thank you to everybody.
Greetings to Consul-General Prato, Consuls-General Danny Lopez and Phillip Scanlan, to Senator Pamela Wallin, to Commissioner William Castro, to Victor Stewart, to members of our protective services and of course to family and friends of those whose memory is honoured here today.
As Prime Minister of Canada it is my honour to accept the offer to include in this beautiful place an official commemoration of the Canadians whose lives were taken so cruelly ten years ago today.
On behalf of the people of Canada, I thank Her Majesty The Queen, and I thank Mr. Stewart, Mr. Johnson and the officers and directors of the Trust, for this gracious gesture. We warmly welcome the decision to also include here other Commonwealth countries, and we support wholeheartedly the plan to rename this garden The Queen Elizabeth II Garden, to reflect this decision.
It is fitting that the Canadians who perished on 9/11 should be remembered here, alongside the Britons, Australians and other Commonwealth citizens who were also killed in that atrocity.
In the global conflicts of the past century, our countries have been champions of freedom together. On September 11, 2001, together we were attacked by the enemies of freedom.
Their primary targets that day were our American cousins. But as we have seen in London, Bali, Madrid, Mumbai – and, let us not forget, Toronto, where the plotters were thwarted – we are, all of us, in their sights. All of us, but especially innocent civilians – and it is the innocent whom we honour here today.
To you who mourn their loss most profoundly, to their family and friends, I offer my respect and condolences, and my hope that you find on this day at this place and in this ceremony some measure of comfort.
At your initiative, we are pleased to have designated this day in Canada as a National Day of Service. Just as Canadians welcomed American travellers grounded on that terrible day, just as both countries remember still these acts of simple decency, let us take this solemn anniversary as an inspiration to serve selflessly, to do good for those around us.
In the shadow of the evil of September 11, 2001, we must not forget our capacity for goodness, and our knowledge of what is right, which is written in the hearts of all men.
Yes, on September 11, 2001, lives were taken, in an act of heartlessness beyond words. But in response, lives were given, freely, nobly, in acts of courage beyond compare. Brave Canadians, in the company of other heroes among our friends and allies, have made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan. They have helped ensure that that country is no longer a safe haven for those who plot to kill the innocent half a world away.
Let us honour our fallen countrymen also, in our reflections today. Let us offer our praise and thanks to their colleagues, and to our law enforcement and intelligence personnel and to the countless others who work each day to keep us safe. And let us renew our resolve that no more dates on the calendar should become a symbol of the wounding of a nation.
For if we are to honour the innocent, we must not only remember them. We must remain vigilant – to protect all those they left behind, to thwart all those who would do them harm.
This unceasing effort is our government's most solemn duty. Together with our friends and allies, we are committed to carrying out that duty, in the hope of a more secure and peaceful world.


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The Education of Michelle Rhee preview(0:31) FRONTLINE examines Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of the Washington, DC public schools.
StudentsFirst Gives 11 States Failing Grades on Public Education
Follow @azmatzahraJanuary 7, 2013, 1:16 pm ET
When chancellor of D.C. public schools Michelle Rhee left her job in 2010, she took the policies she'd pushed for in the district — using student results to evaluate teachers, merit pay, restricting tenure policies and expanding charter schools — and made them part of the platform [PDF] of her new organization, StudentsFirst.
Today the advocacy group released a report grading states based on adherence to that platform, giving 11 states failing grades of F. The highest grade any state received was a B-.
"We didn't say in any way that we want to show people how bad it is," Rhee told The New York Times. "We wanted to show the progress that is being made, but in places where progress is slower to come, be very clear with leaders of that state what they could do to push the agenda forward and create a better environment in which educators, parents and kids can operate."
The harsh grades — which were based on state laws and policies and not on student test scores — highlight Rhee's reputation as a radical, polarizing figure admired by some and reviled by others for her get-tough reform policies.
Tomorrow night FRONTLINE correspondent John Merrow examines Rhee's legacy in Washington, with unprecedented access to her as she attempted to fix a broken school system. Check your local listings to find out when the film will be broadcast on your local station.
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Obituary & Guest Book Preview for Randall Gumpert
Randall Gumpert Obituary
Published in Reading Eagle from Nov. 27 to Nov. 28, 2008
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: Randall Pennington Gumpert, 90, Monocacy, died peacefully Nov. 25, 2008, with his extended family at his side in the Highlands of Wyomissing, where he resided...
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Heidi Andrews
University of Phoenix – Psych 545
Dr. Meghan Kelley
August 2, 2010
Legal Aspects of Professional Psychology
The legal aspects and issues are a large part of the world of psychology. This topic covers a vast area such as assessments, testing, diagnosing, HIPPA, confidentiality, written consent, case studies, and many more. Professionals struggle with making sure they are not breaking any laws every day and still caring for every patient to the best of their abilities. There are various ways of legally mistreating a patient and this will also be covered in this paper. Throughout this paper, the different legal aspects will be covered and some statistics will be brought to light and examined as their relation to the field of psychology. Legal Issues Related to Informed Consent and Refusal
The definition of informed consent is the result of a process of reaching an agreement to work collaboratively. The process of informed consent provides the client and the therapist a chance to get on the same page. The client needs to understand what treatment that the therapist has in mind for them. This also tends to be a recurrent process. The patient can consent to an initial psychological assessment but then months later it should be altered based on the results of reactions of the patients progress. (Rosenfeld, 2010)
In 1972, the case of Cobbs v. Grant this was quoted "It is the prerogative of the patient, not the physician, to determine for himself the direction in which he believes his interests lie. To enable the patient to chart his course knowledgeably, reasonable familiarity with the therapeutic alternatives and their hazards becomes essential". There is case after case with quote after quote giving patients the right to choose their own treatment or refuse their treatment. (Pope and Vasquez, 2007)
Legal Issues Associated with Assessment, Testing, and Diagnosing
Assessments, testing, and...


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Isys 12" Tilt Touchpanel Media Center
Crestron 12" video touchpanel for tabletop use. Features incredible 24-bit color graphics with embedded PC applications for Web browsing, streaming audio and video, and viewing and presenting digital multimedia with interactive annotation. Extensively programmable for any custom application.
The Isys TPMC-12 delivers a stylish and powerful touchpanel control solution, featuring blazingly fast performance with native capabilities for browsing the Internet, streaming multimedia, intercom, and more. A brilliant 12" active-matrix SVGA display, 24-bit color depth and 8-bit alpha channel transparency combine to produce stunning 3D graphics using DNav dynamic menu objects, dynamic graphics and text, animations, multimode objects, full-motion or streaming video, and exclusive Synapse image rendering - all with astonishing speed.
Isys Touchpanel Control
Crestron touchpanels offer an ideal user-interface for multimedia presentation, home automation, and much more, providing a wide-open canvas for the creation of custom control screens tailored to the needs of the end-user. Touchpanels do away with piles of remote controls, cryptic control panels and cluttered wall switches, simultaneously expanding and simplifying control over a broad range of complex devices and systems.
Crestron's exclusive Synapse Image Rendering Algorithm enables system programmers to produce amazing graphics - faster and easier. Advanced antialiasing delivers crisper, sharper objects and text. Enhanced 3D effects add new depth and style. And because Synapse is native to the touchpanel, memory requirements and upload time are substantially reduced.
Embedded PC
The power of Isys is in its embedded PC engine, combining rock solid touchpanel performance with built-in Windows Media® Player and RealPlayer®, Internet Explorer, Adobe® Acrobat® Reader, and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint® document viewers. While simultaneously controlling your home, boardroom, or lecture hall, the TPMC-12 provides everything needed for enjoying online music and movies, viewing Web pages and accessing most types of digital media without necessitating a separate computer.
VNC Viewer support delivers enhanced cross-platform interaction with remote computers over the network or Internet, allowing access and control of desktop applications with live presentation capability.
Built on the Windows XP Embedded operating system, the TPMC-12 delivers a powerful and secure platform for touchpanel control with integrated PC capabilities. Programmatic control erases the lines between control system and PC, allowing programmers to customize each application's behavior within the touchpanel environment to create a truly powerful and user-friendly interface.
Integrated Video
For presentation preview, surveillance, or pure entertainment, the TPMC-12 provides multiple ways to view video signals from security cameras, movies, and other sources right on the touchscreen. Video images can be displayed full screen as well as in a fully-scalable window. High-quality, full-motion video is supported via a direct wire connection from an external AV source. Streaming video is also supported in a variety of formats over the LAN connection, enabling access to everything from online streaming videos to personal media servers to live Web cameras and servers like the Crestron CEN-NVS100.
Interactive Annotation
Built-in annotation capability allows presenters to write or draw over video images right on the touchscreen using a finger or stylus. Remote annotation capability allows multiple touchpanel users to draw over the same image, supporting interactive annotation between several participants in a courtroom, classroom, or similar environment.
High-Quality Audio
Built-in amplified speakers provide clear audio for external AV sources, streaming media, and internal PC applications, and enable 2-way intercom and VoIP communications in combination with the integrated microphone. New Crestron IP intercom capability facilitates direct panel-to-panel intercom and monitoring right over the LAN without requiring any additional AV wiring. Customized WAV files can be loaded on the touchpanel to add dimension to the touchscreen graphics with personalized sounds, button feedback, and voice prompts.
Crestron Home® CAT5 AV
Connecting external audio and video sources to the TPMC-12 is facilitated using inexpensive CAT5 wire, enabling direct connection to Crestron's popular CAT5 balanced audio and video distribution switchers. A single video input port accepts signals from composite, S-Video, and standard-definition component sources over wiring distances of up to 750 feet. A bidirectional audio port receives stereo program audio and intercom signals, and outputs audio from the internal PC and microphone. To facilitate the connection of conventional video and audio devices, an external interface module is included.
The TPMC-12 is also equipped with a single QuickMedia input port. Through QuickMedia (QM), the TPMC-12 interfaces directly with Crestron's QM-based MediaManager products using a single CAT5e type cable. Over wiring distances of up to 450 feet, the QM Input port accepts video signals from composite, S-Video, and standard-definition component sources along with discrete audio signals from one (1) stereo program source and up to two (2) microphones.
High-Speed Connectivity
Both Cresnet and high-speed Ethernet are standard on the TPMC-12, providing for easy network integration and seamless communications with Crestron control systems, media servers and computers. Two USB 2.0 ports are also included on the rear panel to support a mouse and keyboard, and external storage devices.
Slimline Tiltcase Design
The stylish tiltcase housing allows smooth tilt adjustment from 45 to 90 degrees, and features an integral cable strain relief system and rear cover to secure and hide the connections at the back of the touchpanel. Four backlit pushbuttons are also provided, allowing for quick access to commonly used functions.
Last Updated: Dec 17, 2014


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Big Tuna is a versatile, four man rock 'n roll covers band which has established itself as one of Scotland's top live acts.
The band's set list features a mix of classic rock (including Rolling Stones, Clash, Lynyrd Skynryd, AC/DC); great 80s and 90s artists (The Knack, Guns & Roses, Lenny Kravitz) and more contemporary bands (Killers, King of Leon, Mumford and Sons and Strokes)
Along with the numerous live performances at live music venues, private parties and festivals across the nation, Big Tuna is also an experienced and accommodating Scottish wedding band.
Formed in 2003, the band's line-up includes Fife-based Neil Ferguson (lead guitar/vocals) and Lee Wood (guitar/vocals) and Canadian born drummer, Bill Shaw who now lives in Edinburgh. The three, who previously worked together in their 'day jobs' at a Scottish marketing business, started the band after they discovered that they shared similar tastes in music and were keen to play it themselves. A year later they recruited bassist Graeme Jackson to complete the line-up and were ready to roll.
After much debate and a few false dawns, the band opted for the name Big Tuna, which is inspired by the fictitious town in the David Lynch film 'Wild at Heart'.
In 2004 Big Tuna then began regular gigging, playing pubs and clubs in Fife, Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland, establishing itself as a formidable and entertaining live act.
In 2013, after nine years with the original line-up, the band recruited Falkirk native Derek Grant to be its new bass player. Derek is a highly capable and experienced musician who, despite his relative youthfulness, joined with 20 years of live music experience under his belt.
As they have demonstrated time and time again at live music venues, festivals, private parties and Scottish wedding performances, the band has a proven ability to get a crowd jumping on the dance floor. Big Tuna continues to play regularly around Scotland. In addition to gigging in the main central belt cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow, the band also play further flung parts of Scotland including Mull, the Isle of Skye, Perthshire and Inverness. There are simply no no-go areas for the Big Tuna boys!
Bill Shaw on 07974 720669 or email: email@example.com