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SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't experienced the ending of Mass Effect 3 and wish to forestall the inevitable shock, you may want to leave.
If you have seen the finale and somehow managed to walk out satisfied, I would ask you for a hug. It's what I need after seeing all my hopes and expectations, countless hours of gameplay, and thoughtful decision-making get shredded by the most disappointing ending in recent video game history.
Still, Mass Effect 3 is overall a fantastic game. I won't deny it's a worthwhile gaming experience. All the great elements are there: top-notch visuals, great combat, an engaging story and stellar voice-acting, as well as an outstanding soundtrack.
Nevertheless, instead of delivering the expected grand payoff, the last 10 minutes of the game baffle players with the most bizarre and confusing sequence in the whole Mass Effect saga. Most players, especially those who'd stuck along the series since the very beginning, were left in utter disbelief and frustration.
Views: 440
(did a few edits to sort out the formatting of the text, this post thing doesent like paragraphs apparently!)
@Tayg I'm still feeling the aftershock of that soul-crushing and nonsensical ending. It's like you said, all our choices, all our decisions, all our emotional investment were simply wiped away. I too miss my Liara. Damn you, Bioware.
@Kate I bet 95% of players felt insulted by that ending, and with good reason. As I see it, nothing short of a complete rewrite of the last 20 minutes of the game can fix this franchise.
World just exploded:
very skeptical ....
I am skeptical, as wwll. Bioware seems hellbent on justifying the ending of the game (the Catalyst subplot, the last three "colorful" choices to pick from.) I don't see how "more content" can make it work or bring a satisfying resolution. No idea what they are brewing, but I feel more and more disinclined to give Bioware the benefit of the doubt.
(as well)... Sorry, typo above
I've seen the endings... I am not satisfied... I'll hug you regardless.
It's the least I can do other than going off on a Clark Griswold-like rampage...
@Xiarmethes Thanks for the hug!
Not sure if any of you had seen this:
..and this unofficial but nice:


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Artist biography
In the late 1950s he began to produce reliefs in wood, making use of his carpentry skills and achieving by 1961 a highly formalised abstract language. He responded quickly to the emergence of Pop art, adapting his language of forms to the creation of objects reminiscent of children's toys in their construction, bold colours and schematised imagery. Tilson continued throughout the 1960s to explore the potential both of grids as a structural device and of emblematic imagery linking, sometimes tautologically, the written word with the object quality of the constructed motif.
Although much of Tilson's work in the 1960s retained a handmade look, by the mid 1960s he was making creative use of technology, notably in his editioned screenprints and multiples.
In 1972 Tilson began deliberately to project his adoption of a simpler rural existence. He again favoured traditional craftsmanship in wood. He became interested in the symbolism of the four elements and in natural cycles. In his paintings and prints of the 1980s he often used inscriptions and motifs drawn from pre-Classical mythology. His preference was later for a variety of more traditional techniques, including etching, aquatint, woodcut and carborundum, sometimes combined in displays of impressive virtuosity.
Joe Tilson: Pages (exh. cat., London, Marlborough F.A., 1970)
Joe Tilson (exh. cat., Rotterdam, Mus. Boymans–van Beuningen, 1973) [with texts by the artist]
A. C. Quintavalle: Tilson, preface P. Restany (Milan, 1977)
M. Compton and M. Livingstone: Tilson (London and Milan, 1993)
Article provided by Grove Art Online www.groveart.com

subset: commoncrawl


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on January 31, 2013 - 1:00 AM
If you had asked me to donate blood a year ago, I would have given a very definite, "No way, not in a million years, nuh-uh, no-sir-ee Bob" answer. It's not that I had any trouble with giving up blood, it's just that I, like a majority of the population, do not like needles. They hurt. I still well up when I have to go in for a flu shot. You will never see me with a tattoo.
But in the past year, I learned of several reasons that made me understand why I should donate blood, and why it is so important.
1. It really doesn't hurt that much. That's right folks. It wasn't that bad at all. I went to donate blood at my school, and I sat there waiting for my turn, hands clenched, on the verge of a panic attack. Then, the needle sunk into my arm. It barely registered in my mind that someone had actually just stuck a needle into me. I felt a pinch, then glanced over, and there was a needle in my arm. And that was it. Fifteen minutes later I was done and chowing down on some free food (another added bonus).
2. Now that your needle-phobic mind is cleared, there are actually some really legitimate reasons why you should give up your blood. For one thing, it saves three lives. THREE. The blood that you donate can be divided into four transfusable parts: red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Two or three of these parts are usually found in a pint of donated blood, so this means that each donation can help save up to three lives.
3. Someday, you or someone you love may need blood. Tragic things happen every day, and it can't hurt to start helping others now in case something were to happen in the future.
4. According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds there is someone who needs blood. People who have sickle cell anemia or cancer need blood. If someone gets into a serious car accident, they may need up to 100 pints of blood.
5. There are actually not enough people donating blood, and the main reason is that people aren't being asked to donate. They just don't realize that there is this option out there for them. So please donate. It is a simple way to help someone's life. I am asking you now. I do suggest going with friends. Often, schools will host blood drives, so try to convince some friends to go with you, which will distract your mind from the needle in your skin. Plus, it will help even more people.
For more information, check out www.redcrossblood.org.
Alissa Roy is a senior at Springville-Griffith Institute.


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- Table View
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Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashantiby Gerald Mcdermott
Anansi the Spideris one of the great folk heroes of the world. He is a rogue, a mischief-maker, and a wise, lovable creature who triumphs over larger foes. In this traditional Ashanti tale, Anansi sets out on a long, difficult journey. Threatened by Fish and Falcon, he is saved from terrible fates by his sons. But which of his sons should Anansi reward? Calling upon Nyame, the God of All Things, Anansi solves his predicament in a touching and highly resourceful fashion. In adapting this popular folktale, Gerald McDermott merges the old with the new, combining bold, rich color with traditional African design motifs and authentic Ashanti language rhythms.
Arrow to the Sunby Gerald Mcdermott
A young boy searches for his father, but before he can claim his heritage he must first prove his worthiness by passing through the four ceremonial chambers: the kiva of lions, the kiva of snakes, the kiva of bees, and the kiva of lightning. This book was the Caldecott Book Award Winner in 1975.
Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwestby Gerald Mcdermott
Coyote, who has a nose for trouble, insists that the crows teach him how to fly, but the experience ends in disaster for him.
Daniel O'Rourke: An Irish Taleby Gerald Mcdermott
[from inside front cover] "Poor Daniel O'Rourke! His trouble begins when he goes to a grand party at the great mansion on the hill. He stuffs himself with green cheese and goose liver and dances till he can dance no more. On the way home, Dan pauses to rest by the pooka's spirit's wall--little does he realize his peril! The fine summer night suddenly turns into a nightmare, as a rushing river sweeps Dan off into a series of bizarre adventures." This is a merry retelling of an old Irish folktale. It's enjoyable reading for St. Patrick's Day or for any time of the year.
Jabuti The Tortoiseby Gerald Mcdermott
But his music was a reminder, too, of the mischievous pranks Jabutí sometimes played. His song reminded Tapir of being tricked, Jaguar of being fooled, and time and again it reminded Vulture that he had no song at all. When a concert takes place in heaven, Vulture offers to fly Jabutí there . . . all the while plotting a trick of his own.
The Magic Tree, A Tale from the Congoby Gerald Mcdermott
A Tale of 2 brothers.
Papagayoby Gerald Mcdermott
The mischievous parrot Papagayo spends his days playing in the jungle and disturbing the sleeping night creatures with his raucous cries. But when the ferocious moon-dog begins to devour the moon, only Papagayo knows how to save it. The night creatures learn that he's a good friend to have--even if he is a bit NOISY.
Ravenby Gerald Mcdermott
Raven, the Native American trickster, feels sorry for those who must live in darkness, and he decides to help. He flies over mountains, valleys, and lakes and discovers that light is being kept hidden inside the house of the Sky Chief. Using his cleverness, Raven finds a way to bring light to the world. "The physical environment, oral literature, and traditional life of the Pacific Coast Indians come alive in this amusing and well-conceived picture book. "--School Library Journal
Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk: An Irish Taleby Gerald Mcdermott
Tim O'Toole and his wife, Kathleen are so poor they have not a penny or a potato between them. Even their mice are too skinny for the cat to chase. What Tim O'Toole needs is a job. But when he goes out to find one, he stumbles upon a troop of the little people--laughing, singing, and carrying on. And the little people provide Tim with something better than a job: a gray goose that lays golden eggs, and a linen tablecloth filled with food to last Tim and Kathleen for the rest of their lives. But when the evil McGoons trick poor, guileless Tim out of his fortune, he must team up with the little people once more to regain it. Spirited art by Caldecott winner Gerald McDermott amusingly illustrates Tim O'Toole's plight and his triumphant revenge on the McGoons.
World Religionsby Gerald Mcdermott
An essential introduction to eight of the world's major religions. Gerald R. McDermott explains what you need to understand about major world religions in order to engage people of other faiths while better understanding your own Christian faith and practice. McDermott offers an overview of the central beliefs of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto. Each chapter includes explanations of traditions and rituals. McDermott discusses major figures within each religion. Features include:Insights from members of each religious communityGlossary of important terms
Zomo the Rabbitby Gerald Mcdermott
From Caldecott Award-winning author-illustrator Gerald McDermott's collection of Trickster Tales comes the story of Zomo the rabbit. . . . He is not big. He is not strong. But he is "very clever!
Select your format based upon: 1) how you want to read your book, and 2) compatibility with your reading tool. To learn more about using Bookshare with your device, visit the Help Center.
Here is an overview of the specialized formats that Bookshare offers its members with links that go to the Help Center for more information.
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- BRF (Braille Refreshable Format) - digital Braille for use with refreshable Braille devices and Braille embossers.
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- DAISY Audio - Similar to the Daisy 3.0 option above; however, this option uses MP3 files created with our text-to-speech engine that utilizes Ivonas Kendra voice. This format will work with Daisy Audio compatible players such as Victor Reader Stream and Read2Go.


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I apologize. This is a rude headline, and I can hear my mother's voice in the back of my brain, "Now Phil, that's rude. Don't say things like that."
My first instinct is to reply to that voice by saying, "But he calls other people a loser all the time." "Yes, I know," my mom's voice says, "but just because he is rude doesn't mean you have to be. We didn't raise you that way."
As usual, Mom is right. I guess it was just my "inner Trump" getting out.
When S.C. politicians start to talk about education, almost immediately it becomes an argument about money.
Before we as a state wade into this political swamp of "spend more – spend less," we should first focus on things that we can do to improve education that cost little or no money. This won't fix our big education problems long term, but it's at least a constructive, positive step forward while the partisan politicians bicker among themselves.
This is a letter to the young woman who rear-ended me around 10:30 Sunday morning, July 24, and fled the scene on Hubbard Drive.
I am writing this letter because I am still in disbelief at your folly. Surely, you are not gloating because you have apparently gotten away with something that you will eventually answer to.
I was en route to church with my 82-year-old mother, who is in ailing health. For the first time in weeks, she felt up to attending service and I was more than willing to oblige.
I want to share with everyone about a scam going around.
It started Tuesday, July 12. We got a call. He said he was from Bank of America. I told him I was not interested in credit cards or loans. He would not hang up.
I hung the phone up.
He called right back. Just listen to me; I've got good news for you, he said. I told him I did all my banking at Founders and not to call again.
It's not yet time to call out Oceana Gold and Haile Gold Mine, as previous letters (June 22 and July 20) indicated.
As a staunch environmentalist and strong opposer of Haile Gold Mine, I can say they are currently upholding their promises.
As a previous environmental manager over open pit mines, I know the initial stage of topsoil removal and stockpiling offers the greatest threat to local waterways.
In this case, it's the Little Lynches River. Heavy rains can now easily cause erosion and carry loose materials down to the lowest point.
I grew up in the 1960s. There was the Midway Theater – 15 cents to get in and see a good cowboy movie. For 25 cents, you got a drink and box of popcorn.
I had a paper route on New Village, the Charlotte News route. After my paper route, I would go to Perry's Pharmacy and have a drink and read comic books. They did not care.
I would go to the 5 and 10 on Midway, maybe to the
café and get a hamburger for 50 cents.
I only knew W.B. Evans for his stories, but I loved his articles and stories.
God bless his family.
The final phase of this political season has officially begun. I think we can all agree to a great big "amen" here.
The presumptive candidates have been selected, and there are less than four months left for the candidates to dazzle us with their brilliant rhetoric, snide remarks, denials of culpability and other as yet unknown items that will surface before November and be thrown as broadsides against the opposition.
Which was it during the July 18 Lancaster County Council meeting? There was much discussion and some opposition to Councilman Jack Estridge's motion to undo or rescind the approval of a June 13 motion to renew a motion that was never made.
The June 13 actions were a clear violation of the council's rules of parliamentary procedures.
Estridge's motion itself was really quite simple – "a motion to rescind (cancel) the approval of a motion to renew an ordinance or, if you prefer, to renew a motion." That was it.
Copyright © 2016
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


text:
Houston Enzymes, AFP-Peptizyde with DPP IV Activity, with Cellulose, 90 Capsules
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Expiration Date:?Aug 2018Expiration Date
The length of time for the expiration date or "best used before" date depends on the type of product, as well as the brand.
Perishable items (such as flax oils or certain probiotics) generally have shorter expiration dates. Although our warehouse is fully air-conditioned, these more fragile items are put in cold storage (freezer or refrigeration unit) for maximum freshness.
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Shipping Weight:?0.18 lbs (0.08 kg)Shipping WeightThe Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
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text:
Colonial of the Week - GW Men's Soccer's Eddie Painter
Sophomore's First Career Goal was Double Overtime Game-Winner at Rhode Island
Oct. 28, 2013
Name: Eddie Painter
Eddie Painter scored the first goal of his career in dramatic fashion in GW's 2-1 double-overtime win at Rhode Island on Friday. In the fifth minute of the second extra period, Painter collected a pass from teammate Tobi Adewole, faked out a URI defender and fired a shot off the underside of the crossbar from 10 yards out to win the game. Painter played 81 minutes in the contest and took a team-high four shots, including two on goal.
Past Colonial of the Week Winners


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EL PASO (AP) - El Paso Independent School District board members have declared a financial state of emergency for the second consecutive year and recommended reductions in staff and academic programs to save money.
The board Tuesday unanimously voted to declare a "financial exigency," which is used by school districts with serious financial difficulties that want to reduce their staffs.
Superintendent Gilberto Anzaldua said the board is trying to free up some funds but expects the money problem to linger for as long as six years.
Anzaldua said next year's budget could include a $2.3 million increase in workers' compensation claims, $3.5 million more in utility bills and another $4 million in maintenance costs.
Anzaldua said he is reluctant to dip into the district's $40 million reserve.
Anzaldua has hired Jim Damm, former Plano Independent School District associate superintendent of finances, as a consultant for next year's $325 million budget.
Under Damm, Plano reported a $23 million deficit caused mainly by miscalculations in money owed to the state in property-tax compensatory funds.
Anzaldua would not comment on his decision to hire Damm, who is paid a $500 per day.
District spokesman Luis Villalobos said Damm came highly recommended by several area and state budgeting experts and that he was hired because "the district needed an experienced person in a short time frame to deal with the budget."
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The Canadians have it all figured out.
They are standing on the roof of a rented recreational vehicle, shirts off, throwing a football into the crowd.
Their plan is simple. If they can get a girl to throw the ball back, they might possibly lure her into a party aboard their luxury motor coach.
Yeah, they're fishing.
These amiable but pale fellows have driven more than 1,000 miles to bid farewell to their friend's bachelorhood at the biggest party in the South. And they are having a blast, according to the half-empty half-gallon of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky they're holding.
No one has the heart to tell them that trying to pick up women on the infield at Darlington Raceway is perhaps the most ludicrous idea ever conceived.
It will be more entertaining if they learn this the hard way.
Folks who have never camped on the infield at Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles' Southern 500 probably think they have a good idea of what goes on there.
NASCAR fans are subjected to a number of stereotypes - many of them unflattering, most of them wrong.
There is only one thing for certain. Once you drive through the tunnel beneath the track at Turn 4, you are entering a different world.
The infield is so large it has named streets: 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, etc. There are no speed limit signs - it is a racetrack, after all - but they aren't necessary. No one here is in any hurry, save for the people whipping around the track at 28 seconds per lap, making enough noise to wake our revered Confederate dead.
Once a year, Darlington's population of 6,200 grows tenfold as people from across the country (and Canada) come to take in the spectacle that is the NASCAR circuit at one of its oldest venues. These people are without a doubt the most hospitable people on the face of the Earth. Just show up and you have thousands of new friends.
And all the beer you can drink without a liver transplant.
People camp in tents along the edge of the track, but the middle of the infield looks like a used RV lot. Most of these oversized motor coaches are rentals, distinguished only by the exterior décor, all sold separately by NASCAR teams.
One of these rides stands out in a sea of sameness. It is an old school bus painted a fierce burnt orange with "01" painted on the side and, if you couldn't guess, "General Lee" written across the top. It looks exactly like the Dukes of Hazzard's 1969 Dodge Charger, if the good ol' boys had been delivering school kids instead of moonshine.
This General Lee may not be as fast as a Charger, but it does have a beer tap mounted on its right flank. And at Darlington, beer is the sole thing that trumps speed.
This is Shawn Krause's bus, and he is Southern only at heart. He and his friends drove 14 hours from Susquehanna, Pa., for the race. They hit a different track on the circuit every year. The bus itself is famous, and has been signed by nearly every cast member from the TV show. You know what the horn is going to play before he hits it.
Krause is a mechanic, has the same '68 GMC wrecker and nickname of his famous Dukes character, Cooter. He drinks his beer from a mug with "01" on the side.
"This bus was Shawn's dream," says Chris Durso of Clarks Summit, Pa. Durso points at the RV parked beside them: "$500,000." Then at the General: "$1,500."
Krause says the infield way of life isn't as cheap as the bus, but it's probably the most reasonable way to see the race. For $325 they got a parking space and two tickets to the race. They have electric and water hookups, and no hotel bill. They invested that saved money in a grand spread of food, lined up under the awning attached to the bus.
"You can sit up in the stands and pay $7 for beer or you can be out here where you can cook steaks," he says. "In here, you don't even have to care about racing. It's just camping for the weekend."
Of course, people can carry beer into the stands, too, but no point in quibbling because Krause soon offers a beer from the General's tap. Because they are from Pennsylvania, the brand is Yuengling.
It would be rude to say no.
The Dukes are infectiously friendly. Kevin Dooley, another Krause friend, helps some neighbors park their rented RV in the tight space allotted to them. Dooley is good at this; he's a truck driver.
The parking-challenged couple shows their gratitude by delivering an entire tray of chicken wings. The Duke boys munch on these while watching their other neighbors, the Canadians, who promise to be an endless source of amusement all weekend.
The Canadians are having little luck fishing. The football is most often tossed back by bearded men in Jr. race caps. The boys from the Great White North good-naturedly keep trying.
Durso laughs, shakes his head and makes the most astute observation of the weekend: "There's no geographical line for redneck."
* * *
'Redneck" is not a pejorative word here.
It's a term of endearment, a badge of honor. Rednecks are merely people who love the simple things in life - racing, family, beer. Not necessarily in that order.
It is also a state of mind among NASCAR super fans, one that is not recognizable at first. A golden retriever is wandering between campers on 1st Avenue, and the woman trying to corral it doesn't seem too red until she calls out for the errant dog.
"Here, Danica."
Danica is probably searching for the source of all the wonderful smells wafting across the track. There is, not surprisingly, no shortage of fried chicken at a race sponsored by Bojangles'. But the infield crowd eats much better.
Fifty yards down from the General Lee, David DiLeo is cooking ribs and Boston butt on his "Big Dog Hogs" grill. DiLeo, a local, has parked his oversized cooker in front of Todd Arnwine's 1970 camper, which isn't much bigger than the grill. All day they have been feeding the security staff, pit crews and, well, anyone who walks by.
Last year, Arnwine won "Tailgater of the Year" and he hopes to repeat. The odds are looking good. The North Charleston resident is without question a most gracious host. He offers beer and ribs.
Who could say no?
This is Arnwine's fifth trip to the infield. This year he has come to honor his father, who recently passed away. Several drivers have already signed a checkered flag "To Ray." It is a touching tribute.
Arnwine has spent much of the day scouting for Nationwide drivers - the minor leagues to the Sprint Cup's majors. They race Friday night, a warm-up to Saturday's main event.
"Friday is my favorite day," Arnwine says. "The Nationwide guys are more accessible."
Just then, a young blond woman in a Coors Light jumpsuit passes by. Arnwine explains that she hands out the Nationwide trophy. He runs over for a picture.
Coors Light obliges and scoots in close to Arnwine. Before the camera snaps, however, she looks down at Arnwine's Bud Light and frowns.
"Hide that," she says.
Sponsorship is serious business here.
NASCAR is not as hard core with the merchandising as the NFL, but it is particular with its image - and that, like many things, doesn't sit well with the infield. Fact is, some of them don't care too much for the organization. Their first allegiance is to their drivers, followed closely by an unflagging loyalty to Darlington.
They believe NASCAR has tried every way in the world to mess with their track.
Darlington Raceway used to host two races a year - one in the spring, another in the fall. Years ago, NASCAR moved the fall race elsewhere. And then, most people here tell you, it tried to sabotage the track's one remaining race.
For a while, the annual Darlington race was scheduled for Mother's Day. And if there is one thing Southerners love more than racing, it's their mommas. Infield folks believe the scheduling was a conspiracy to retard ticket sales so that NASCAR could rid itself of the old track forever.
But the Track Too Tough to Tame has Fans Too Loyal to Give Up. Relegated to one race a year, they flocked to the Southern 500. The race doesn't quite sell out, but attendance is more than respectable.
NASCAR has also left the infield in the dust of political correctness. The campers rarely get any TV time, probably because so many of them are flying flags - many of the Confederate variety.
As Bubba Watson was pulling off another Masters victory a couple hundred miles away, the infield was talking about how NASCAR wouldn't let the golfer drive his very own General Lee - one from the show - at a race out West. The reason: it has a Confederate flag painted on the roof, as all real General Lees do.
Talking about the flag is as political as the infield crowd gets. They insist it has nothing to do with the Civil War. Racing is as inclusive as a sport gets, and they can recite drivers who have stood up for civil rights. Here the flag stands for moonshine runners, racers. That is NASCAR's roots, after all.
There is nothing on the infield that suggests anything except inclusiveness, as J.D. Denton and Thaddeus McNeil can tell you. They are down from Raleigh, have been coming together for years. As Denton talks about the joys of infield camping, he offers canned chili off the grill, hot dogs and, well, beer.
It is getting hot out.
The biggest difference between Denton and McNeil is that Denton likes Jr. and McNeil prefers Hamlin.
McNeil insists he was welcomed warmly into the infield family. If you love racing, nothing else matters.
"I take it as a sport," he says. "I'm not here to change anything. I'm just out to see what's going on. This is for all Americans."
Denton points out it is not the infield, but the town that needs to be more inclusive.
"They need a lot of shopping around here, like in Concord," he says, referring to the Bass Pro Shop shopping center visible from space outside of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "Wal-Mart is the biggest thing happening here, bro. Bet those shelves are cleaned out by the end of the weekend."
On the infield, there is only one form of discrimination, and it is universal. Everyone has an undisguised disdain for the fans in the bleachers.
"Look at those losers in the stands," says Jake Frazier.
Those folks are suckers, to hear the infielders tell it, jammed into small seats while they get to stand around grilling, drinking and socializing.
Frazier and his buddy, Dan Meyer, offer beer while they explain that, when they were students at Coker College, someone sold them "front row" seats for $15.
"We thought we were doing great," Meyer says. "Front row!"
"Then on the first lap we got pelted with rubber," Frazier says. "Now we know where the fun is."
* * *
As the Nationwide race begins Friday night, the Canadians have joined the Duke boys atop the General Lee.
The Canadians have put on shirts, but are still carrying their half-gallon of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, which is almost empty. It's a good thing the platform atop the General has rails.
The Canadians insist everyone try the Fireball. Resistance is futile - no one wants to look like a hoser. The drink, a favorite among frat boys, tastes suspiciously like liquified candy.
"Yeah," one of the Canadians says, "that's why we're drinking it!"
It's going to be a long night.
Although the liquor is flowing and the party is at a dull roar, nothing gets out of hand. The infield is not nearly as wild as it used to be.
Back in the day, the stories go, you would find all-out brawls, random nudity and more than a few people toking on the wildwood flower. These days it is much more laid-back. That does not mean there isn't still some harmless fun that would make the moonshine-running forefathers of NASCAR proud.
This year the ESPN mobile studio is set up overlooking 1st Avenue. Like all the other national media types, the ESPN folks dart around the infield in six-seater golf carts, a surprising number of which sport mags.
On Thursday, someone noticed an unattended ESPN golf cart with the keys in it. A couple of fans decided to take it for a little joyride . and stayed gone all day. No one noticed, or bothered to complain. Just one of those things.
Most of the craziness used to happen in the tent city around Turn 4. Back then one group even set up an Army tent with a disco ball and checkerboard floor, where they would rock and roll all night.
"It used to be butt-ass wild," says Barbara Busey of Johns Island. "If somebody acts up, we take care of them. We're family here."
Mama B, as she is known, pretty much runs Turn 4 these days. On Friday evening her friends have joined her to drink beer and talk about tomorrow's dinner - beef stroganoff and butter beans. Mama B says she will eat like she's at home. She offers cold Miller Lite.
It's hard to refuse a fellow Charlestonian.
Mama says the people who camp around her may not talk to each other for an entire year, but call to make plans about a week before the race. This is her once-a-year family: the boys from Myrtle Beach, the guys from Little River.
Mama B believes in creature comforts. She has paid $100 for her own port-a-potty - just for her and her friends. When another man attempts to use it, the trouble begins.
She explains that this particularly potty is hers, but the man notes it looks just like the dozens of others that Darlington has placed around the infield. Yes, Mama B says, but this is hers.
She will prove it by putting a padlock on the door.
The man decides Mama B is kidding and attempts to step inside the port-a-potty. But she's not pulling his leg.
Instead she hauls off and kicks it.
The man limps off to make other arrangements.
For years, Mama B told her son that no one under 21 was allowed. When he finally came of age, he spent his first day on the infield pointing out the families that were going to get in trouble. The Myrtle Beach boys finally explained that he had been duped.
"I wouldn't let anyone under 16 come here," she says.
But plenty do and it's fine. There are no long roving packs of drunks badgering women to lift their shirts. Some people don't even drink.
Arthur Hamer camps on the outskirts of tent city with his son every year. Hamer, from Bennettsville, is glad the race has been moved to April - it's cooler. He offers water.
Huston, Hamer's son, is studying to be an engineer and wants to be car chief for one of the NASCAR teams.
The Hamers pass the day playing a board game with Hot Wheel cars that is meant to simulate Darlington. They use magic markers to give their track and their cars "Darlington stripes."
NASCAR drivers earn their Darlington stripes, literally, when they brush up against the wall or other drivers on the notoriously tight track. Everyone likes to brag about the stripes.
Well, not everyone. After the Nationwide race, Darlington crews kept the floodlights on most of the night, painting over the fresh stripes on the track wall.
The raceway has to look good for TV the next day.
* * *
A few years back, one of the regular families missed the race. They'd been coming for years and, when their plot sat empty all weekend, folks got worried.
The next year the man was back, this time with a new girlfriend. He and his wife had divorced, he explained, but the final decree was held up by one point: who got custody of the infield campsite.
The judge told them to work it out. When they couldn't, he finally awarded the spot to the man.
The wife, infielders joke, got everything else.
Camp sites at Darlington are like season tickets in other sports. Some people return to the same patch of grass year after year. There are rumors that some spots have been handed down from one generation to the next. This, after all, is hallowed ground.
"You feel like you are part of the race down here," McNeil says.
He's right. Even the race crews camp on the infield, which is why Darlington tells everyone they have to quiet down at midnight. Some people are actually here to work.
Saturday morning it seems a lot of people have not gotten their requisite eight hours. They are moving slow. Maybe it's the hot sun beating down. Perhaps it is day's plodding pace - there is little scheduled until the 6:30 p.m. race.
Or maybe it's the two-day hangover.
At the General Lee, Krause is tired. He had been looking forward to the Nationwide rigs leaving Friday night so he'd have a better view of the track. But late Friday, other tractor-trailers came in and took their place - and ran their engines all night. It kept him up til nearly 5 a.m.
He eventually complained to security - "What about the after-midnight quiet time?" The security guys could only apologize.
"They're NASCAR, they do what they want."
The Dukes spend the morning watching the Canadians execute their newest scheme. They found an old blue tarp, folded it into a rectangle and are pouring water down it.
Now they are begging everyone who passes to try their "slip and slide." They get a few takers but, much to their chagrin, mostly old men.
Durso, in his Dale Jr. game shirt, finds this hilarious.
"These Canadians don't get out much," he says. "Must be cause it's so cold up there."
The slip and slide doesn't look like a bad idea. It is getting hotter on the infield and most people are looking for any relief they can find.
Jonathan Smith and his brother Jeff, from Orangeburg County, take the edge off the heat by sitting in their own blow-up swimming pool.
"Cold beer and fast cars - it doesn't get any better than this," Jonathan says.
Jonathan is the reigning champ of the Darlington Belly Flop contest, which looks like it could lead to serious injury. The pool has only a foot of water in it.
Still, most folks don't have such luxurious accommodations. They simply sit in the shade of their RV awnings, watching TV. Many of them will end up following the race on those same TVs, even though the real thing is happening barely 500 feet away.
Some of that is the hypnotic allure of TV. But, truth is, the view is fairly limited from most parts of the infield. In fact, it seems like a waste of time to park at an event you can't see. But these folks are here for the camaraderie, the party, a little fellowship at the church of NASCAR.
* * *
The amateurs show up on Saturday.
Amateur is a harsh word. They are simply hard-core in a different way. Some of these folks are willing to shell out $150 for three laps in an actual race car - all the fun you can stand for about $2 a second.
The infield crowd, for the most part, won't pay that. That's mostly for the people who hang out in the hospitality section around Turns 1 and 2. Some of these sponsors' guests are NASCAR savvy, while others tell the pit crews that the cars wouldn't need to change tires so often if they'd quit giving them bald ones.
The infield crowd prefers its brushes with fame from running into drivers who venture onto their turf. Jeremy Ragan - who is hanging out in Turn 4 with David Schaeffer and stringing Natty Light cans like caught fish - even met his namesake, David Ragan.
"He asked where I was from, but said he didn't have any family from up New York, where I'm originally from," Ragan says. "But we're probably cousins. Some people say we look alike."
"You're both just skinny is all," Schaeffer notes, before offering a Natty Light.
Arnwine has found a few other drivers to sign his flag by Saturday afternoon, but has not yet seen the committee judging the "Best Tailgater" contest. They must not be doing it this year, he decides.
Arnwine is not terribly disappointed. He gets to hold on to the title another year.
Around 6 p.m., the PA begins announcing the drivers - each one walking out to his own theme music. Jr. gets the biggest round of applause. The Duke boys have retired to the General's roof to watch along with two-dozen new friends.
Krause is the perfect host, pouring beers from the topside tap. He chats with the newcomers while keeping one eye on the race.
Durso and his wife stand alone, focused on the track.
The Canadians join the party, amazingly enough, with guests: two age-appropriate young women.
Krause explains that they finally convinced the blonde to try the slip and slide. They gave her clothes to slide in and she decided to stay and join the party. Her friend declined the slide, however.
The Canadians cannot contain their glee. Somehow they have managed to find the only two unattached women on the infield - and they agreed to hang out. The guys exchange high fives, one shouting, "We did it."
Jr. is in contention, and Durso watches in rapt attention. But he cannot completely ignore the party behind him, a ruckus nearly as loud as 40 cars running in circles at 140 mph. He glances back at the young guys chatting up the girls and distributing Fireball. Like so many things on the Darlington infield, this simply makes Durso shake his head.


text:
Created in this Craftsy class
Brooches, pearl bursts and bling cover your custom cake for that special day. Marina Sousa makes it look easy!
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I love that! Beautiful!!
Awesome..can we see the whole cake?
Hi, Zaneblane, and Thank you!I did post a photo of the entire cake. Look for my other projects; it's listed as Demo Cake somethingorother. :)


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Jockey® Smart Thermal Y-Front® Pant
$50.00 $36.99
product details
- enjoy more warmth with less bulk in our must-have thermal pant
- lightweight and unique cross-stitching creates warming air pockets
- the body-contouring fit is perfect for layering
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- this pant is a perfect match with our Smart Thermal Crew
Fabric Content: 60% polyester/ 34% Vialoft® rayon/ 6% spandex. Machine wash and dry. Imported.
5.0 / 5.0
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Just the ticket for the tundra
These hold up under extremely cold temperatures and the sweat you build up working in cold weather temperatures. They wick out the moisture very well leaving your skin dry which is crucial to keeping from freezing or getting into trouble quickly under these kind of conditions
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EU Conducting Public Consultation on Agriculture and Forestry
September 2010: The EU has launched a public consultation on the role of EU agriculture and forestry in achieving the EU's climate change commitments. The consultation is open from 10 September-5 November 2010.
The objective of the consultation is to collect views from citizens, organizations and public authorities on: how land use activities may contribute to climate change mitigation; if land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) should count towards the EU's greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction commitment; and, if so, the ways in which this could be done. [Consultation Website]


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French Stocks: Carrefour, PPR, Manitou, Technip Move in Paris
France's CAC 40 Index gained 3.2, or 0.1 percent, to 4,005.5 at the 5:30 p.m. close in Paris. The broader SBF 120 Index lost less than 0.1 percent.
The following is a list of companies whose shares rose or fell in the French equity market today. Stock symbols are in parentheses.
Carrefour SA (CA FP) surged 5.3 percent to 35.79 euros. The world's second-largest retailer, with the backing of major shareholders, may create separate stock-exchange listings for its Dia discount chain and real-estate units, Le Figaro reported, without saying where it got the information. Carrefour said it had yet to decide whether to split off the units.
Manitou BF (MTU FP) soared 8.4 percent to 20.99 euros. The industrial-vehicle maker said fourth-quarter revenue jumped 35 percent to 243 million euros ($333 million) and forecast 20 percent revenue growth in 2011.
PPR SA (PP FP) advanced 2.9 percent to 116.75 euros. Steinhoff International Holdings Ltd., Africa's largest furniture maker, agreed to buy Conforama Holdings SA fir 1.2 billion euros from the French owner of the Bottega Veneta luxury brand and the FNAC chain of bookstores.
Technip SA (TEC FP) gained 1 percent to 70.97 euros. Europe's second-largest oilfield-services provider said it bought all the assets of Subocean Group Ltd., a Scottish supplier of cables for offshore wind farms.


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Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Anyone who's lived in the Lowcountry for any length of time will remember the old radio station, Q107. But even more memorable was the morning team of Michael D and Kato. Back in the day, the Michael D and Kato radio morning show "The Rude Awakening" was kind of a big deal. WKQB "Q107" was considered the No. 1 hit music station in Charleston in 1988, before Hurricane Hugo all but destroyed the station one year later.
They were considered hilarious, but obnoxious shock jocks, Michael D went to the dogs and is now a veterinarian. Kato, real name Chris Watson, is now a published author.
A Mount Pleasant resident, Watson has just released a paranormal murder mystery set in Charleston, titled "The Handyman," published by Holladay House. It's a partly dark comedy about a redneck psychic who lives right here in Mount Pleasant – on Six Mile Road, in fact. Watson figured locals were overdue for a good story and said it's the first in a series, all of which will be buried up to their necks in the Lowcountry.
"I appreciate Pat Conroy, Dorothea Benton Frank and Karen White as much as anyone, but I feel it's time we had a protagonist who saw Charleston through a less SOB (South of Broad), more blue-collar perspective," he said, "with sarcasm and swear words and rednecks who talk to dead people."
Watson currently works as managing editor and senior producer for a very large New York-based radio network whose reputation he swore he wouldn't tarnish by revealing their association.
The book
John Wright is a tattooed, pick-up-driving, beer-drinkin' son of the South. He swaggers when he walks, twangs when he talks and doesn't much care what anyone thinks about it. And lately, he's also finding he can see ghosts and talk to the dead. It's putting a real hitch in his plans to kill himself.
A year ago, John was a new husband and father, a young construction contractor in Charleston, South Carolina working hard to build a future. Then came the accident that killed his wife and infant daughter. Now he makes ends meet as a handyman, struggling with post traumatic stress, drowning his guilt in bourbon every night, planning the way he'll end his suffering. Until he meets an old Charleston blue blood who suspects her daughter's apparent suicide was actually murder — and the victim herself calls on John to avenge her death. Either John is going mad, or he truly can speak to the dead. And he realizes the only way to find out the truth is to put aside his own pain and listen to the ghostly voice that will lead him to a murderer.
Watson loves this character because John Wright is the last person in the world who would believe in psychic phenomena and the last person in the world anyone would expect to be a psychic. "You take someone who doesn't believe in something and drop it in their lap and watch how they deal with it," Watson said.
Watson said his character has a very gritty, blue collar, redneck humor that is evident, even when things get really dark.
"The Handyman" puts a new twist on a familiar genre with the unforgettable character of John Wright. His no-nonsense redneck outlook and dry Southern humor both lighten the novel's darker themes and anchor the supernatural elements, making for a rollicking read with an unexpected ending. "The Handyman" is engaging, suspenseful, frequently moving and always fun. "The Handyman" is available from Holladay House Publishing in stores and online. Visit www.holladayhousepublishing.com and www.amazon.com for more information.
The writer
Watson was an Airforce brat who was born in Alaska and moved around so much that he lived in eight states and two foreign countries before graduating from high school. He went on to college in North Carolina and got a radio job to work his way through college. Watson moved to Charleston in 1986 to take the job with Q107. His on-air name, Kato, came about because Michael D liked the reference to the Green Hornet's sidekick. That name grew into Kato the Wonder Puppy.
Watson still uses the name Kato professionally depending on the circumstances.
He went on to get married in 1989 and moved to Buffalo, New York a month after Hurricane Hugo hit.
He worked in New York City for 12 years at a large network, but by 2003, he and his wife began missing the Lowcountry.
They moved back to town and Watson still works for the network and telecommutes. Watson did work locally for a while upon his return at Coast 92.5 with Janet Walsch.
Watson holds a degree in theatre and has always been a writer. "I wanted to be an actor," he said. He wrote plays and essays, and says, "I was the guy in class that when teacher announced a term paper, I said 'Oh good.' I could bring my grade up if I needed to."
He started in radio in high school and after college, realized radio would be his career. It allowed his creative juices to flow because he could still write and produce comedy and act. "It all sort of fell together in a big pot and I could use all three to make a living," Watson said. "Q107 was consistently the top-rated pop station in town because the radio hosts did things over 25 years ago that radio stations to this day can't believe we a did in first place. In a "B" market like Charleston, it is unheard to be that outrageous. It sounds cliche, but we really were outrageous."
Watson has seen radio change. He said most people in the industry point to 1996 when President Clinton signed the Radio Telecommunications Act (revised) and removed the limit on the number of stations and media properties a single company could own. When that happened, larger companies bought smaller companies consolidating resources and laying off staff, he explained.
"Local personalities were let go in favor of syndicated shows – some of which are quite good," he said.
"Local radio, more than anything, suffered." For example, he said, Q107 was successful because they kept it local, talked about local issues and local people. "I love Charleston. I love the way it smells, it looks ... I love how wonderfully, elegantly screwed up it can be," he said.
"The Lowcountry is such a microcosm of different backgrounds and deep histories from traditional downtown snobs to rednecks to Gullah. You can hear half a dozen southern accents within 20 square miles in Charleston. It's fun to write about and you can find anything you need and no end of things to explore."
For more updates from the desk of the Moultrie News editor, Sully Witte, please follow Sully's Scoop on Twitter @SullysScoop and like Sully's Scoop Facebook page.
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Originally Posted by LiamForeman
Can anyone make sense of Plushenko the last ten years?
Plushenko's Carmen was actually one of the best I've seen. He's still the only man to have switched gender roles mid-program. It was awesome.
Originally Posted by LiamForeman
Jason's SP to Prince this year was a perfect example. I grew up with Prince music, but even I thought it was risky until I saw it. So yes, a great choreographer can make all the difference. I hope Rohene Ward gets all the praise and clients he deserves. He's brilliant.
When the music was announced, I went straight to Youtube to check it out. I was horrified. "Rohene, what are you doing?!" I cried. "THIS IS AWFUL!" And I still didn't like the program until its rework into the Senior masterpiece.
Of course, Rohene always knows what he's doing. But I still hate that music.
Originally Posted by LiamForeman
So, IMO, choose music that means something to you and not just do choreography because you are told to.
ITA. Which brings me back to Max and Carmen. I wonder how much input he had into that program?
Originally Posted by golden411
Saw an oblique reference on Twitter that I think means that Max Aaron is at DSC at the moment .... so fingers crossed that his new FS choreo is from Camerlengo.
Originally Posted by karne
ITA. Which brings me back to Max and Carmen. I wonder how much input he had into that program?
To me, there was nothing wrong with Max's Carmen program except that it had too many quads. A quad takes a lot of preparation and soaks up a lot of energy. If you attempt three quads and two triple Axels, that takes its toll on the choreography, and if you flub one of your big jumps it is hard to get back on track. I think Max was determined to go for broke on the tech side, so in that sense, yes, I do think he had a lot of input.
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NFL replacement ref remix of 'Whistle Baby'
Erika and Logan got quite a chuckle from this video, poking fun at the referee replacements with a fun dance and song. Scroll down to watch.
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New financing will apparently prevent foreclosure
LONDON — Terra Firma appears to have raised the funding it needs to prevent lender Citigroup from foreclosing on embattled music giant EMI Group, according to unconfirmed reports on Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal is claiming that Terra Firma chairman Guy Hands succeeded in persuading 75% of his fund's backers to inject a further £105 million ($156 million) so that EMI could meet banking covenants agreed to with Citigroup.
However, Terra Firma is remaining tight-lipped, with a spokesman reiterating to Daily Variety that there would be no comment on the outcome of Monday's vote by investors.
Nevertheless, citing unnamed sources, the WSJ says EMI plans to inform Citigroup on Friday that it will be able to raise the money it needs by mid-June to prevent the company from breaching loan agreements.
Financial experts note that no matter what agreements Terra Firma has secured, the fact that EMI has already breached a number of loan covenants with Citigroup means it is not in the clear. However, it would be highly unusual for a bank to call in its loans if interest payments are being met.
Hands apparently has a bigger plan to try to secure nearly $550 million from investors, which could keep EMI safe until 2013, when Terra Firma's loan commitments with Citigroup could be renegotiated.
In the meantime, Hands and Citigroup are due in court this fall after the Terra Firma boss filed a lawsuit accusing the bank of tricking him into paying too much for the music company.
Until either Terra Firma or Citigroup confirm what has happened, EMI's staff face an anxious wait — reports claim the bankers have appointed accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in case it needs to put EMI into administration and break it up for sale.
But if Hands has convinced his backers to reach a little deeper into their pockets, it could be that they have been tempted by his projected 58% return on their investment should Terra Firma successfully exit EMI by 2015.


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Judge refuses to throw out DUI evidence in fatal crash
A judge has refused to throw out the charges against an Edinboro woman accused of killing a man in a drunken driving crash in July.
Defendant Kristin Graves had sought to suppress blood-alcohol testing evidence that indicated she was intoxicated at the time of the crash that claimed the life of 29-year-old Kyle Rohan. She also said police improperly interviewed her after the crash on the Bayfront Parkway.
However, Judge Shad Connelly ruled that Graves, 30, consented to having her blood drawn for testing. He said she was not in police custody when she talked to police the night of the crash, so police were not required to notify her of her right to remain silent.
With the ruling, the case remains on track for trial, which has been scheduled for May.
See Friday's Erie Times-News and GoErie.com for more coverage.


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Kids being treated at the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison got a special visit on Saturday. Supermodel Cindy Crawford met with some of the young patients at the hospital. Her brother was treated there before he died of leukemia at just four-years-old.
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OrigenAE X15e HTPC ATX Case
Published: 5th July 2006 | Source: OrigenAE | Price: |Specification
"The Origen AE X15 home theatre pc chassis sets new standards in HTPC aesthetics and functionality.
Exquisite contemporary design coupled with an all aluminium construction, and the introduction for the first time in a HTPC chassis of an integrated 7" TFT touch screen Origen AE brings you, what has already become, a design classic and one of the most sort after pc chassis in the marketplace today."
- 7" TFT touch screen display
- 8mm aluminium front face plate
- 2x 80mm exhaust fans
- Front usb, audio and firewire ports
- Matched cd/dvd drive bezel
- Blue illuminated power button
- Vibration isolation grommets
- MCE compatible IR module
- Support for 3 hard drives
- Enclosure dimensions: 435mm X 155mm X 420mm
- Construction materials: All aluminium chassis
- Mainboard support: ATX, Micro ATX
- PSU support: ATX
- PCI / AGP card support: Full size
- Drive bays:
-- 3 X 3.5" internal drive bays
-- 1 X 3.5" external drive bay
-- 1 X 5.25" external drive bay
- Cooling system:
-- 2x 80mm rear exhaust fans
-- 1x 80mm PSU cage fan
- Expansion slots: 7
- Front I/O ports:
-- 2 X usb ports
-- 1 X firewire (1394) port
-- 1 X line in
-- 1 X line out
-- 1 X microphone
- Net weight: 4.54kg
- Available colours: Black, Silver
- TFT specification:
-- 7" screen size
-- 15:9 ratio
-- 1024 x 768 max resolution
-- 1 x svga input
-- 12v dc input
-- 9w power consumption
In many respects the specifications of the X15e are similar to that of the X10. However, it's good to see that OrigenAE have upgraded the cooling on the X15e by adding an 80mm fan to the hard disk cage.
At this point, the largest difference between the X10 and X15e enclosure appears to be the inclusion of the 7" LCD display, however when we take a look at the layout over the next few pages, we'll see some even greater changes emerging.
Most Recent Comments
Review HereQuote
I've got one of these so if you need to know anything additional then let us know.Quote
Originally Posted by name='specialtech'
Thats what makes it unique. If a porsche was the same price as a fiesta, for example, then it would get the same reputation.
But yeah the case is very nice
If you had a helluva lot of money you'd buy it but not otherwise I don't thinkQuote
As the saying goes: "You get what you pay for".Quote
With a case like this its one of those things to put the cost aside. If someone really wants it then cost is irrelevant to them. Like people who buy expensive cars that cost about 100k, the arent going to worry about the price of petrol.Quote
seeing as I've spent a small fortune on my TV and Surround sound system, I guess I'd stump up the cash as it'd fit in nicely with the rest of my stuff.
Not for everyone I guess but then again is anything?Quote
i can think of more greater ways to spend 500 billz
nice reveiw tho jim,as alwaysQuote
Originally Posted by XMS
I think we'll just put it down to the fact that Porsche's cost a lot more to build and are made in smaller quantities which is why they are more expensive.
As the saying goes: "You get what you pay for".
Great review though, m8 Quote


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Members of the SQUIRE Development Group who provided input during the development process and endorsed the SQUIRE guidelines are listed in the Appendix.
From the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice Center for Leadership and Improvement, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Some of the work reported in this article was done at the SQUIRE Advisory Committee Meeting, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 35 April 2007.
Note: A slightly different version of this article is being published in Quality and Safety in Health Care, 2008;17(Suppl 1):i3-10, as well as in other journals. This article is therefore not copyrighted and may be freely reproduced and distributed.
Acknowledgment: The authors thank Rosemary Gibson and Laura Leviton for their unflagging support of this project, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement for their gracious help in hosting the review meeting in Cambridge, and Joy McAvoy for her invaluable administrative work in coordinating the entire development process.
Grant Support: The SQUIRE project was supported in part by grant 58073 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.
Requests for Single Reprints: Frank Davidoff, MD, 143 Garden Street, Wethersfield, CT 06109; e-mail, email@example.com.
Current Author Addresses: Dr. Davidoff: 143 Garden Street, Wethersfield, CT 06109.
Dr. Batalden and Stevens: 30 Lafayette Street, Lebanon, NH 03766.
Dr. Ogrinc: 215 North Main Street (170), White River Junction, VT 05009.
Dr. Mooney: Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, 125 Mascoma Street, Lebanon, NH 03766.
In 2005, draft guidelines were published for reporting studies of quality improvement as the initial step in a consensus process for development of a more definitive version. The current article contains the revised version, which we refer to as Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE). This narrative progress report summarizes the special features of improvement that are reflected in SQUIRE and describes major differences between SQUIRE and the initial draft guidelines. It also explains the development process, which included formulation of responses to informal feedback, written commentaries, and input from publication guideline developers; ongoing review of the literature on the epistemology of improvement and methods for evaluating complex social programs; and a meeting of stakeholders for critical review of the guidelines' content and wording, followed by commentary on sequential versions from an expert consultant group. Finally, the report discusses limitations of and unresolved questions about SQUIRE; ancillary supporting documents and alternative versions under development; and plans for dissemination, testing, and further development of SQUIRE.
A great deal of meaningful and effective work is now done in clinical settings to improve the quality and safety of care. Unfortunately, relatively little of that work is reported in the biomedical literature, and much of what is published could be described more effectively. Failure to publish is potentially a serious barrier to the development of improvement science, because public sharing of concepts, methods, and findings is essential to the progress of all scientific work, both theoretical and applied. To help strengthen the evidence base for improvement in health care, we proposed draft guidelines for reporting planned original studies of improvement interventions in 2005 (1). Our aims were to stimulate the publication of high-caliber improvement studies and to increase the completeness, accuracy, and transparency of published reports of that work.
Our initial draft guidelines were based largely on the authors' personal experience with improvement work and were intended only as an initial step toward creation of recognized publication standards. We have now refined and extended that draft, and present here the resulting revised version, which we refer to as the Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence, or SQUIRE (Table). In this narrative progress report, we describe the special features of quality improvement that are reflected in SQUIRE and examine the major differences between SQUIRE and the initial draft guidelines. We also outline the consensus process used to develop SQUIRE, including our responses to critical feedback obtained during that process. Finally, we consider the limitations of and questions about SQUIRE; describe ancillary supporting documents and various versions currently under development; and explain plans for dissemination, testing, and further development of the SQUIRE guidelines.
Unlike conceptually neat and procedurally unambiguous interventions, such as drugs, tests, and procedures, that directly affect the biology of disease and are the objects of study in most clinical research, improvement is essentially a social process. Improvement is an applied science rather than an academic discipline (2); its immediate purpose is to change human performance rather than generate new, generalizable knowledge (3), and it is driven primarily by experiential learning (4–5). Like other social processes, improvement is inherently context-dependent; it is reflexive, meaning that improvement interventions are repeatedly modified in response to outcome feedback, with the result that both its interventions and outcomes are relatively unstable; and it generally involves complex, multicomponent interventions. Although traditional experimental and quasi-experimental methods are important for learning whether improvement interventions change behavior, they do not provide appropriate and effective methods for addressing the crucial pragmatic (or realist) questions about improvement that are derived from its complex social nature: What is it about the mechanism of a particular intervention that works, for whom does it work, and under what circumstances(2–3, 6)?
Using combinations of methods that answer both the experimental and pragmatic questions is not an easy task, because those 2 contrasting methodologies can sometimes work at cross-purposes. For example, true experimental studies are designed to minimize the confounding effects of context, such as the impact of the heterogeneity of local settings, staff and other study participants, resources, and culture, on measured outcomes. But trying to control context out of improvement interventions is both inappropriate and counterproductive because improvement interventions are inherently and strongly context-dependent (2–3). Similarly, true experimental studies require strict adherence to study protocols because it reduces the impact of many potential confounders. But rigid adherence to initial improvement plans is incompatible with an essential element of improvement, which is continued modification of those plans in response to outcome feedback (reflexiveness). We have attempted to maintain a balance between experimental and pragmatic (or realist) methodologies in the SQUIRE guidelines; both appear to us to be important and necessary, and they are mutually complementary.
The SQUIRE guidelines differ in several important ways from the initial draft guidelines. First, as noted, SQUIRE highlights more explicitly the essential and unique properties of improvement interventions, particularly their social nature, focus on changing performance, context-dependence, complexity, nonlinearity, adaptation, and iterative modification based on outcome feedback (reflexiveness). Second, SQUIRE distinguishes more clearly between improvement practice (planning and implementing improvement interventions) and the evaluation of improvement projects (designing and carrying out studies to assess whether those interventions work, and why they do or do not work). Third, SQUIRE now explicitly specifies elements of study design that make it possible to assess both whether improvement interventions work (by minimizing bias and confounding) and why interventions are or are not effective (by identifying the effects of context and identifying mechanisms of change). And finally, SQUIRE explicitly addresses the often-confusing ethical dimensions of improvement projects and improvement studies (7–8). Other differences between SQUIRE and the draft guidelines are available at http://www.squire-statement.org.
The SQUIRE development process was designed to produce consensus among a broad constituency of experts and users on both the content and format of guideline items. It proceeded along the following 6 lines. We first obtained informal feedback on the utility, strengths, and limitations of the draft guidelines from potential authors in a series of seminars at national and international meetings, as well as from experienced publication guideline developers at the organizational meeting of the EQUATOR network (9). Second, authors, peer reviewers, and journal editors road tested the draft guidelines as a working tool for editing and revising submitted manuscripts (10–11). Third, we solicited and published written commentaries on the initial version of the guidelines (12–16). Fourth, we conducted an ongoing literature review on epistemology, methodology, and the evaluation of complex interventions, particularly in social sciences. Fifth, in April 2007, we subjected the draft guidelines to intensive analysis, comment, and recommendations for change at a 2-day meeting of 30 stakeholders. Finally, following that meeting, we obtained further critical appraisal of the guidelines through 3 cycles of a Delphi process that involved an international group of more than 50 consultants.
Informal input about the draft guidelines from authors and peer reviewers raised 4 relevant issues: uncertainty as to which studies the guidelines apply; the possibility that their use might force quality improvement reports into a rigid, narrow format; the concern that their slavish application might result in lengthy and unreadable reports that are indiscriminately laden with detail; and difficulty knowing if, when, and how other publication guidelines should be used in conjunction with guidelines for reporting quality improvement studies.
Publications on improvement in health care are emerging in 4 general categories: empirical studies on the effectiveness of quality improvement interventions; stories, theories, and frameworks; literature reviews and syntheses; and the development and testing of improvement-related tools and methods (Rubenstein L et al. Unpublished data.). Our guideline development process has made it clear that the SQUIRE guidelines can and should apply to reports in the first category: original, planned studies of interventions that are designed to improve clinical outcomes by delivering clinically proven care measures more appropriately, effectively, and efficiently.
Publication guidelines are often referred to as checklists because, like other such documents, they serve as aide-mmoires, which have proven increasingly valuable in managing information in complex systems (17). Rigid or mechanical application of checklists can prevent users from making sense of complex information (18–19). At the same time, however (and paradoxically), checklists, like all constraints and reminders, can serve as important drivers for creativity. The SQUIRE guidelines must therefore always be understood and used as signposts, not shackles (20).
Improvement is a complex undertaking, and its evaluation can produce substantial amounts of qualitative and quantitative information. Adding irrelevant information simply to cover guideline items would be counterproductive; on the other hand, added length that makes reports of improvement studies more complete, coherent, usable, and systematic helps the guidelines meet a principal aim of SQUIRE. Publishing portions of improvement studies in electronic form only can make the content of long articles publicly available while conserving space in print publication.
Most other biomedical publication guidelines are designed to improve the reporting of studies that use specific experimental designs. The SQUIRE guidelines, in contrast, are concerned with the reporting of studies in a defined content areaimprovement and safety. These 2 guideline types are therefore complementary, rather than redundant or conflicting. When appropriate, other specific design-related guidelines can and should be used in conjunction with SQUIRE.
The written commentaries provided both supportive and critical input on the draft guidelines (12–16). One suggested that the guidelines' pragmatic focus was an important complement to guidelines for reporting traditional experimental clinical science (12). The guidelines were also seen as a potentially valuable instrument for strengthening the design and conduct of improvement research, resulting in greater synergy with improvement practice (15), and increasing the feasibility of combining improvement studies in systematic reviews. However, other commentaries on the draft guidelines raised concerns: that they were inattentive to racial and ethnic disparities in care (14); that their proposed Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) structure might be incompatible with the reality that improvement interventions are designed to change over time (13); and that their use could result in a dumbing down of improvement science (16). Our responses to these concerns are as follows.
We do not believe it would be useful, even if it were possible, to address every relevant content issue in a concise set of quality improvement reporting guidelines. We do agree, however, that disparities in care are not considered often enough in improvement work, and that improvement initiatives should address this important issue whenever possible. We have therefore highlighted this issue in the SQUIRE guidelines (Table, item 13.b.i).
The study protocols traditionally described in the Methods section of clinical trials are rigidly fixed, as required by the dictates of experimental design (21). In contrast, improvement is a reflexive learning process; that is, improvement interventions are most effective when they are modified in response to outcome feedback. On these grounds, it has been suggested that reporting improvement interventions in the IMRaD format logically requires multiple, sequential pairs of Methods and Results sections, one pair for each iteration of the evolving intervention (13). We maintain, however, that the changing, reflexive nature of improvement does not exempt improvement studies from answering the 4 fundamental questions required in all scholarly inquiry: Why did you start? What did you do? What did you find? What does it mean? These same questions define the 4 elements of the IMRaD framework (22–23). Although some authors and editors might understandably choose to use a modified IMRaD format that involves a series of small, sequential Methods plus Results sections, we believe that approach is often both unnecessary and confusing. We therefore continue to support describing the initial improvement plan, and the theory (mechanism) on which it is based, in a single Methods section. Because the changes in interventions over time and the learning that comes from making those changes are themselves important outcomes in improvement projects, in our view they belong collectively in a single Results section (1).
The declared purpose of all publication guidelines is to improve the completeness and transparency of reporting. Because it is precisely these characteristics of reporting that make it possible to detect weak, sloppy, or poorly designed studies, it is difficult to understand how use of the draft guidelines might lead to a dumbing down of improvement science. The underlying concern here therefore appears to have less to do with transparency than with the inference that the draft guidelines failed to require sufficiently rigorous standards of evidence (16, 21). We recognize that those traditional experimental standards are powerful instruments for protecting the integrity of outcome measurements, largely by minimizing selection bias (21, 24). Although those standards are necessary in improvement studies, they are not sufficient because they fail to take into account the particular epistemology of improvement that derives from its applied purpose and social nature. As noted, the SQUIRE guidelines specify methodologies that are appropriate for both experimental and pragmatic (or realist) evaluation of improvement programs.
With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we undertook an intensive critical appraisal of the draft guidelines at a 2-day meeting in April 2007. Thirty participants attended, including clinicians, improvement professionals, epidemiologists, clinical researchers, and journal editors, several from outside the United States. Before the meeting, we sent participants a reading list and a concept paper on the epistemology of improvement. In plenary and small group sessions, participants critically discussed and debated the content and wording of every item in the draft guidelines and recommended changes. They also provided input on plans for dissemination, adoption, and future uses of the guidelines. Working from transcribed audiorecordings of all meeting sessions and flip charts listing the key discussion points, a coordinating group (the authors of this article) then revised, refined, and expanded the draft guidelines.
After the consensus meeting, we circulated sequential revisions of the guidelines for further comment and suggestions in 3 cycles of a Delphi process. The group involved in that process included the meeting participants and roughly 20 additional expert consultants. We then surveyed all participants as to their willingness to endorse the final consensus version (SQUIRE).
The SQUIRE guidelines have been characterized as providing both too little and too much information: too little, because they fail to represent adequately the many unique and nuanced issues in the practice and evaluation of improvement (2–4, 12–16, 21, 24–25); too much, because the detail and density of the item descriptions might seem intimidating to authors. We recognize that the SQUIRE item descriptions are significantly more detailed than those of some other publication guidelines. In our view, however, the complexity of the improvement process, plus the relative unfamiliarity of improvement interventions and of the methods for evaluating them, justify that level of detail, particularly in light of the diverse backgrounds of people working to improve health care. Moreover, the level of detail in the SQUIRE guidelines is quite similar to that of recently published guidelines for reporting observational studies, which also involve considerable complexities of study design (26). To increase the usability of SQUIRE, we plan to make available a shortened electronic version on the SQUIRE Web site, accompanied by a glossary of terms used in the item descriptions that may be unfamiliar to users.
Authors' interest in using publication guidelines increases when journals make them part of the peer review and editorial process. We therefore encourage the widest possible use of the SQUIRE guidelines by editors. Unfortunately, little is known about the most effective ways to apply publication guidelines in practice. Therefore, editors have been forced to learn from experience how to use other publication guidelines, and the specifics of their use vary widely from journal to journal. We also lack systematic knowledge of how authors can use publication guidelines most productively. Our experience suggests, however, that SQUIRE is most helpful if authors simply keep the general content of the guideline items in mind as they write their initial drafts, then refer to the details of individual items as they critically appraise what they have written during the revision process. The question of how publication guidelines can be used most effectively appears to us to be an empirical one, and therefore we strongly encourage editors and authors to collect, analyze, and report their experiences in using SQUIRE and other publication guidelines.
A SQUIRE explanation and elaboration document is being published elsewhere (27). Like other such documents (28–31), this document provides much of the necessary depth and detail that cannot be included in a set of concise guideline items. It presents the rationale for including each guideline item in SQUIRE, along with published examples of reporting for each item, and commentary on the strengths and weaknesses of those examples.
The SQUIRE Web site (http://www.squire-statement.org) will provide an authentic electronic home for the guidelines and a medium for their progressive refinement. We also intend the site to serve as an interactive electronic community for authors, students, teachers, reviewers, and editors who are interested in the emerging body of scholarly and practical knowledge on improvement.
Although the primary purpose of SQUIRE is to enhance the reporting of improvement studies, we believe the guidelines can also be useful for educational purposes, particularly for understanding and exploring further the epistemology of improvement, and the methodologies for evaluating improvement work. We believe, similarly, that SQUIRE can help in planning and executing improvement interventions, carrying out studies of those interventions, and developing skill in writing about improvement. We encourage these uses, as well as efforts to assess SQUIRE's impact on the completeness and transparency of published improvement studies (32–33) and to obtain empirical evidence that individual guideline items contribute materially to the value of published information in improvement science.
The following people contributed critical input to the guidelines during their development: Kay Dickersin, Donald Goldmann, Peter Goetzsche, Gordon Guyatt, Hal Luft, Kathryn McPherson, Victor Montori, Dale Needham, Duncan Neuhauser, Kaveh Shojania, Vincenza Snow, Ed Wagner, Val Weber.
The following participants in the consensus process also provided critical input on the guidelines, and endorsed the final version. Their endorsements are personal, and do not imply endorsement by any group, organization, or agency: David Aron, Virginia Barbour, Jesse Berlin, Steven Berman, Donald Berwick, Maureen Bisognano, Andrew Booth, Isabelle Boutron, Peter Buerhaus, Marshall Chin, Benjamin Crabtree, Linda Cronenwett, Mary Dixon-Woods, Brad Doebbling, Denise Dougherty, Martin Eccles, Susan Ellenberg, William Garrity, Lawrence Green, Trisha Greenhalgh, Linda Headrick, Susan Horn, Julie Johnson, Kate Koplan, David Korn, Uma Kotegal, Seth Landefield, Elizabeth Loder, Joanne Lynn, Susan Mallett, Peter Margolis, Diana Mason, Don Minckler, Brian Mittman, Cynthia Mulrow, Eugene Nelson, Paul Plsek, Peter Pronovost, Lloyd Provost, Philippe Ravaud, Roger Resar, Jane Roessner, John-Arne Rttingen, Lisa Rubenstein, Harold Sox, Ted Speroff, Richard Thomson, Erik von Elm, Elizabeth Wager, Doug Wakefield, Bill Weeks, Hywel Williams, Sankey Williams.
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text:
Pistol tracer rounds?
Tools and Technologies
Handguns: General Discussion
> Pistol tracer rounds?
April 26, 2004, 09:26 PM
Do they exist? If so, for what calibers and where can I find them? Links anyone? Thanks
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April 26, 2004, 09:40 PM
Can't answer your question - but interesting that apparently others enjoyed "Quiggly Down Under" as well. I'd have to say the reverse is true for me though - never had much use for a rifle .... didn't say I don't know how to use one though.
Joshua Hutchison
April 26, 2004, 10:03 PM
:confused: That was odd......
April 26, 2004, 10:43 PM
I've seen tracers in 9mm Parabellum and .45ACP. I don't know of anyplace that stocks them, though I've seen then occasionally on GunBroker.com.
Mr. Mysterious
April 27, 2004, 12:49 AM
We use 9mm tracers in the army as AT4 simulators.
April 27, 2004, 03:33 AM
The US Military has tracers for both .45 7 9mm. I usually buy mine at the Knob Creek shoot since the price it a little better.
GunBroker has a guy who sells new commercial tracer ammo in several calibers. But it's pricey though.
Hornady has sadly discontinued their Vector tracer ammo. It wasn't quite as bright military stuff but it was quite useable. You can occasionally still find some at gun shows.
Missouri Mule
April 27, 2004, 01:46 PM
Doesn't or didn't Hornady sell their version of handgun trainer tracers to the public. I haven't seen or heard much about them for a while now.
Jim K
April 27, 2004, 04:44 PM
Tracers were made for both .45 and .38 Special during and after WWII. Tracers are currently made for 9mm. .45 tracers were sometimes used in submachineguns (more in training demos than in combat) but both calibers were mainly intended to be issued with pistols and revolvers carried by aviators. They would be used as a means of signalling search and rescue aircraft if necessary.
Pappy John
April 27, 2004, 05:07 PM
I have a package of 10 in .45 ACP that a friend gave me last year. I haven't used them yet, but the others that he was using at the time worked well. The packaging lists a web site of http://www.hi-vel.com (www.hi-vel.com). The company is in Delta, Utah.
Mr. Mysterious
April 27, 2004, 09:28 PM
Thanks for that webpage, they have some neat stuff on there!
April 27, 2004, 10:50 PM
Delta, Utah huh? That's only about an hour's drive from where I live. I'll have to check them out. Thanks for the link, Pappy John.
I've heard of people using Hornady Vectors in their carry mags. The jist was that you would put one of your regular rounds in the mag, then a vector, then the rest with your regular rounds. Then, if you ever need your gun, you have a visual reminder that you've only got 1 left (time for a tac-reload).
Don't know much about all that, but it sounds like some good thinking to me.
Mr. Mysterious
April 27, 2004, 11:19 PM
Thefumegator, that is pretty common in the military. I know that I load my last 3 rounds so that they are tracers, same rational that you stated.
I also ocassionally have a magazine with all tracers that I'll use if on patrol, if we would make contact it would give the sense that there is more firepower than there really is. The reason for that being that normally you have 1 in 4 tracers, and if you go cyclic with an entire magazine of tracers it appears like more firepower on a small patrol.
Speaking of other neat tracers they have IR tracers that can only be seen with NODs on. Those are pretty neat!
Also a lot of times a squad leader, platoon leader, or a platoon sgt will have a few magazines of all tracers to direct fire towards a certain target. This really isn't used as much now because of the advent of paq4's you have the ability to do that using a laser that is invisible to the naked eye.
April 28, 2004, 11:56 AM
I've seen tracer rounds in different calibers in the Cabelas catalog. you might try their website for a more complete selection.
April 28, 2004, 12:11 PM
Cabela's has some .22 tracer ammunition. Here is the link:
Cabela's .22 tracers (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml?id=0024233215331a&navAction=push&navCount=2&indexId=cat20839&podId=0024233&catalogCode=IE&parentId=cat20839&parentType=index&rid=&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fitem-link.jhtml.1_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20712&hasJS=true)
April 28, 2004, 07:06 PM
Like Mr. Mysterious said... I've used 9mm tracers in AT-4 simulators. Holy man, did that make me aware of how much those bullets arc!! :what:
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text:
GRAND RAPIDS -- Donna Isner was certain the moles on her body would kill her because that's what Dr. Robert Stokes kept telling her.
Ten times he dug moles out of her -- off a breast, her back, shoulders, the back of her calf.
"Boy, we caught this just in time," the Hudsonville woman, now 45, recalled Stokes saying. "He said I had the beginning stages (of cancer) and it was just a matter of time."
Then, she sought the opinion of a second dermatologist.
"I said, 'I'm not going to die, am I?'" she recalled asking him. "He said, 'No, honey ... I can't guarantee you won't go out and get hit by a bus, but this won't kill you.'"
Nearly 15 years later, Isner has learned that Stokes not only scared her into likely unnecessary medical procedures that left her body scarred, but he also risked infecting her through less-than-sanitary practices.
The health department said the risk is slight, but that tests are needed because patients potentially would have no symptoms.
• Those who wish to make an appointment or have questions are urged to call a special information line, (616) 632-7260.
"That man is a horrible man," said Isner, who sued Stokes in 1995 and got a small out-of-court settlement -- the first of more than a dozen medical malpractice lawsuits filed against him, including 10 this year.
"He's so money-hungry, to torture people like that to keep up his fancy house in East Grand Rapids."
The Kent County Health Department on Wednesday advised that any of Stokes' patients over the past 15 years undergo tests to determine whether they've been infected with viruses, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
Richard Genautis, 74, plans to have blood tests run as soon as possible. He estimates he saw the dermatologist 75 times over a five-year span that ended last year when Genautis sought a new doctor.
Stokes performed at least 30 procedures on Genautis that required the use of scalpels and sutures, the instruments that could have been inadequately sterilized. The Sand Lake patient, a former Army medic in the Korean War, can't recall seeing Stokes take items from packaging.
"It all just laid out there on a tray in a room," Genautis said. "Who knows how many people had those used on them before me. There could have been a lot in between.
"It grinds me, and if one person gets something from this guy, as far as I'm concerned, he should hang."
Stokes told Genautis that he had numerous moles and skin growths that tested positive for basal cell carcinoma and melanoma.
"My new doctor said nothing in my records show any cancerous growths," he said. "This whole thing is disturbing."
William Blaesing, of Sparta, whose wife, Kathryn, sued Stokes for medical malpractice in 1999, said they had not received a notice from the health department.
The Blaesings accused Stokes of misdiagnosing a lesion on her lip. He told them it was herpes; doctors at the University of Michigan Hospital found it was cancer, the Blaesings alleged in the suit filed in Kent County Circuit Court.
"It became cancerous because he didn't treat it," leading to disfigurement and seven or eight surgeries, her husband said.
"I think his ambition got in front of his oath," William Blaesing said.
Blaesing said they settled out-of-court for an undisclosed sum.
Since April 2007, 10 former patients have filed medical malpractice lawsuits against Stokes and his medical assistant, Ann Portner, claiming he performed unnecessary procedures, some of which have left lasting scars.
One woman claimed he performed 104 unnecessary biopsies.
Attorney William Mills, who filed the lawsuits, refused to comment pending the outcome of Stokes' sentencing in federal court on fraud charges.
It's unclear how much the patients could receive in damages, since the federal government is seeking Stokes' assets.
Over the years, Stokes performed 10 or 11 surgeries on Dorothy Hesselink to remove cancerous growths.
He removed them from her jaw, face and legs -- the last time about five years ago, she said.
Hesselink, 83, of Byron Center, is not among patients who have sued Stokes and, instead, recalls a good, but odd, doctor.
She said she hadn't received a health notice about getting tested.
"If the health department is concerned and they're contacting people, maybe I should know more about it, too," she said.
-- Press reporter Nate Reens contributed to this story.