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The Couple
Meg, 48, PR manager
John, 54, sales director
Married 11 years
Kids: Alex, 6; Kim, 4
The Counselor
Marlene Gershman Paley
Cold Spring Harbor, New York
The Background
Meg wants to quit her job to spend more time with her family. But she thinks she can't work less than full-time because John spends so much. John insists that's not a real issue. He feels neglected and thinks Meg puts career before family.
Meg: If John really wants me to quit my job, why won't he stop spending like crazy? Buying lots of expensive stuff means I have to stay in my job so we can pay the bills. When I tell him I'm scared about money, he rolls his eyes and says I'm being "ridiculous." Really? I think he's being selfish and inconsiderate.
John and I have our own credit cards and separate checking accounts for personal expenses. We don't review each other's bills, but the other day, when John bought a $600 briefcase, I took a closer look at our finances and learned he'd spent $17,000 on stuff for himself over the past two years. I freaked out when I saw the debt he's carrying. How can I downsize my job when he's spending like that?
John: By "review our finances," Meg really means that she snooped through my credit card statements. Yes, I've got debt. But she didn't even know about it until she flipped out over the briefcase and started poking around. Here's the thing: Meg acts like we're living on our last dime, but we're not broke — not by a long shot. And I'm not mortgaging our future. I'm saving 20 percent of my salary in my 401(k), we have two 529 plans for our kids' college educations, and I make triple payments on my credit card debt every month. Over and over, I've assured Meg that I can support our family. We don't need her income to meet our financial goals. But Meg would rather blame me than believe me. I think she's looking for an excuse not to leave her job, so she pins it on me because it's easy and convenient.
Meg: That's not true. I'm uncomfortable running up credit card debt under the best of circumstances. John and I have really different approaches to finances. Money was tight in my family, so I learned to shop sales — or do without. I don't need expensive things to be happy. He does. John has great taste and high standards. He drinks only the finest wine and he's always the best-dressed guy in the room.
But John isn't just materialistic — he's a secret spender, too. He'll go clothes shopping on his lunch break and can easily spend $2,000. Or he buys antiques online and I don't know about it until boxes show up at the front door. Three years ago John bought a bedroom set on eBay without telling me about it until the day before it was delivered. I was livid! I'd never buy something big for the house without consulting him first. To this day I'm still angry that he didn't ask my opinion.
John: Suddenly Meg wants all our financial decisions to be mutual. The irony here is that, in keeping my financial life separate from hers, I've been playing by her rules. We got married late in life — Meg was 37, I was 43. We had decent nest eggs and long histories of credit. So Meg insisted we keep our credit separate. Fair enough. But then when Meg freaked out about my briefcase and my personal debt, it pissed me off. "Don't demand a full accounting from me now," I told her. "We're not changing the rules because you don't like them anymore."
Look, I don't blame Meg for hating her job. The hours are awful, the workload is outrageous, the clients are never satisfied. And I hate it, too. Meg comes home exhausted and stressed, still stuck in work mode. She doesn't have energy for the kids and she's too tired to help me straighten up the house. Meg is the love of my life. But lately I feel like our relationship is an afterthought. To me, our problem is that Meg's a workaholic, not that I'm spending too much.
Meg: John's really not seeing the big picture here. He's constantly on my case about my job. Sure, my schedule is insane: I work 70 hours a week to meet brutal deadlines and please impossible clients. My department lost half its staff in the past three years, so I'm doing the work of five people, and I have to stay late, finish projects at home, and take client calls on weekends.
John does most of the parenting and chores, which is great, but he never lets me hear the end of it. It's true that I love doing PR work and I'm proud of what I've accomplished in my career. But believe me, I'd rather drive Alex and Kim to their activities and do laundry than be stuck at the office until 8 p.m., redoing a project for the 15th time because a client keeps changing his mind. I want to be more involved in everything at home, but — this is the part that John's not getting — I can't cut my hours while he's collecting cashmere sweaters and vintage wine. I love John, but he doesn't take me seriously when I bring up quitting, and I'm tired of it, plus I'm worn out from fighting. My job is killing me and hurting our family. Something's got to give.
John: For all Meg's whining, you'd think she'd at least update her résumé and start networking. But she's done nothing. Meg has two options: Stay in the job and suck it up. Or do something about it! I'm not big on counseling, but maybe a therapist can talk some sense into Meg — and help us get the family life we waited so long to have.
The Counselor: Many couples clash over their different financial styles, but money often is a surface issue. The root problem tends to be about the feelings — love, security, self-esteem — that have become attached to money. So in our first session, I wanted to uncover what was really behind Meg and John's conflict. As I listened to them describe their upbringings, it was easy to see why he'd become a big spender and why she'd become a workaholic.
John came from an upper-middle-class family that never lacked for money or nice things. John's father suffered from depression and expressed affection by lavishing his son with gifts. John didn't feel valued in his marriage because Meg was wrapped up in her career, so he repeated a pattern from childhood. "You're buying expensive things to feel loved and fill the emotional gap," I told him.
Meanwhile, money was tight and praise was scarce in Meg's blue-collar family. She had a critical and cold mother, so she became a worker-bee perfectionist who tried to do everything to the nth degree to please her mother and feel good about herself. Meg glowed when she spoke about her career and accomplishments, making it clear that she didn't work long hours just to pay the bills — she worked hard because it made her feel good. Over time I helped Meg see that she was wrongly blaming John for her own issue: "You're a workaholic. Your job may be physically and emotionally exhausting, but it's filling an emotional need. This isn't about money and John's spending, it's about your self-esteem."
The couple had talked often about whether Meg should go part-time, but they'd never done a spreadsheet to see if they could afford it. Both argued their positions from emotion, not fact. They needed to discuss their money differences calmly, without Meg criticizing John's materialism or him sniping about her frugality. I recommended a thorough review of their finances — preferably with an accountant or financial adviser — to determine whether they could maintain their lifestyle and meet their goals on John's income alone. "Even though Meg is a workaholic, she has a legitimate concern about what the loss of her full-time salary would mean for your family," I explained to John. "Don't tell her she's wrong — prove you're right." Their tax accountant's number crunching showed that not only could the couple make ends meet on John's salary and save for the future, but there would be enough money for John to buy what he wanted. "If you stay in your job, it's because you want to — not because you have to," I told Meg.
Faced with hard numbers, she acknowledged that she'd made John a scapegoat. Meg took responsibility for her workaholic ways and set a date to give notice. But when she submitted her resignation, her boss made a counteroffer she couldn't refuse: a part-time position, with no evening or weekend work. She took it.
Meanwhile, though John denied being materialistic, he agreed to scale back his spending. He apologized for buying the bedroom set and promised to seek her input on all large household purchases. They also followed my advice to set a budget and review their finances monthly. "We're talking about money openly and honestly for the first time in our marriage, and I trust John with our finances now," Meg said.
Meg and John worked out a system to split the chores so he doesn't feel like everything is on his shoulders. I also discussed the importance of couple time. They started making a point of hanging out together after the kids are asleep and occasionally going out to the movies or to dinner. These simple changes really strengthened the connection between the two of them. Meg still slips into workaholic mode at times, and John's spending still bugs her. But overall, the couple is back on track. John is much happier now that his wife is spending more time with the kids and with him. And Meg is thrilled with her lifestyle change. "I have the best of both worlds: I'm busy while Alex and Kim are in school, but I'm home to meet them at the bus stop," Meg told me in the last session. "I love being more involved in their lives."
Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, March 2012.


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Blog: Consumer research demonstrates need for pet food label reform
Attention, veterinarians: Do your clients read the labels on the food they feed their pets—the list of ingredients, the feeding guide or the "guaranteed analysis"? Do these labels influence how and what they feed? Do they make sense and are they easy to understand?
According to recent research conducted by a major U.S. pet food manufacturer, most pet owners would answer "no" to all of the above questions. Most consumers do not read pet food labels, and when they do, they often find them overwhelming and confusing. As a result, the information provided is not meaningful and is not used as intended to guide consumer purchasing and feeding decisions.
Look at the typical ingredient list, for example. Many ingredients listed are a mystery to consumers (i.e., pyridoxine hydrochloride, sodium tripolyphosphate), and it's not clear what purpose each ingredient serves.
The "guaranteed analysis" table on the back of pet food labels can be equally confusing. Unlike the nutrition facts panel on human food products, the guaranteed analysis table says nothing about how much of each nutrient a pet needs daily and how the particular food product stands up to those requirements. Instead, minimum and maximum levels of nutrient content are provided, leading to even more consumer confusion as to what those levels are meant to represent.
Another point of confusion is the manufacturer's statement. Right now, many pet labels indicate only who distributes the food product, not where it's actually made. In recent years, more than ever before, consumers are looking for information about where a product is actually made, and this should be easy to find on product packaging.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to release proposed regulations later this year to update pet food labels. This will be a prime opportunity for the FDA to reform pet food labels so that they're not only easier for the consumer to understand but at the same time provide consumers with the information they really need to choose the right food for their pets. If this recent consumer research is any indication, there's a clear need for clearer pet food labels.
Mark Cushing, JD, is founding partner of the Animal Policy Group, providing government relations and strategic services for various animal health, veterinary and educational interests. He maintains offices in Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., and is a frequent speaker at veterinary conferences.
The Veterinary Policy Notes blog on dvm360.com helps veterinarians and other animal health professionals keep abreast of the growing number of issues, political challenges and regulatory initiatives affecting the veterinary profession, animal health industry and animal welfare movement.

subset: commoncrawl


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CCRMA User Group
The CCRMA User Group aims to present short practical presentations by expert users of tools available at CCRMA in hopes of enhancing the community research and creative experience.
CUG will be held each Tuesday: noon - 12:50.
October 23, 2007 : Ardour Intro, Advanced Jack, JMess, Process Management
This weeks CCRMA User Group presentation will feature these topics:
12:00-12:15 : Process Management in Linux, an Introduction to these commands: ps, top, kill, killall and kill -9 : Carr
12:15-12:30 : Advanced Jack : Fernando
12:30-12:35 : JMess : Juan Pablo
12:35-12:50 : Ardour Intro Toot: Mic In : Miriam
October 9, 2007 : "You don't know Jack!"
This weeks CCRMA User Group presentation will feature two main topics:
1) A more in-depth look at the architecture and configuration of Jack and Qjackctl by Fernando.
He'll give us an overview of the Jack API and how it relates to the operating system kernel and audio applications. He'll also talk about optimizing Jack settings both in Qjackctl and with the command line. Take a look here for more info:
Jack block diagram:
2) GNOME Desktop Tweaks
- Configuring your panel with application start icons and monitoring applets: CPU and network monitoring.
- Configuring and using 'Workspaces' and workspace switching
- Screensaver, mouse, keyboard and theme tweaks.


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I've tested this modification by myself between 5-12 mph winds. Seems to work just fine, just don't sue me if this change voids the warranty of your trainer kite or you got injured by following my suggestion. After all, you will be performing the changes yourself.
Yeah, this might be over the top, but I have seen folks just getting started on kiting riding their 3 meter trainer kites, and then later on see them get dragged because the wind got gusty.
They let the bar go, instead of the kite flagging, the kite takes off with them still attached to the leash.
Here's a modification suggestion 3 meter trainer kite that people could do to make the kite safer. I've thought about suggesting on not using a leash, but that introduces a problem on where the kite will land on a windy day. The kite may hit a beach goer, or hit a car and cause an accident.
All you need to do is get two stainless steel rings and attach them to one of the lines as shown. Make sure that the two steering lines are even before you fly the kite.
Images to follow


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The Honors College is a separate and distinctly unique college-wide initiative within Miami Dade College. It is designed to meet the needs of a select group of goal-oriented, academically talented students who can endure substantially more intellectual examination, who would benefit from more faculty-student interaction than is typically possible in the regular or traditional classroom setting and who would, therefore, thrive from collaborations in an intensely focused, multi-dimensional learning environment as well as diverse and alternative curricular offerings.
Each year more than 500 scholars in the Honors College gain a new global perspective through special opportunities for intellectual collaborations, leadership, travel, career explorations, and scholarships.
First-time in college students must meet one of the following:
For the honors dual language program only:


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Hello everyone.....thsi is my first posting. I'm glad that I found this site. First, thank you and bless you all for being here and for your stories. I was diagnosed about a month ago, am going to have my lymph nodes removed under my arm on 3/23.....I've read all the studies on Chemo, Interferon...etc...What's the point of those treatments?
I'm a little scared and still dismayed with all of this....any advise, thoughts would be welcomed...
Re: First posting here, scared to death right now, just...(3/23/2014 - 4:37am)
Glad you found us, it is the best site for melanoma out there. I can say that with confidence seeing as I am officially an "old timer" here. Sorry you had to join.
The best way to help us help you is to get a copy of your pathology results from your original biopsy and a brief history ex. where it was found, how, how deep, ulceration or not, how many sentinal nodes were positive (I assume you are at least stage III if having your lymphnodes removed, that is unless you are speaking about having a sentinal node biopsy).
IMHO - interferon is useless but there isn't much out there for stage II / III. Clinical trials are always popping up, and within the past 3 years we have seen miraculous progress in the understanding and treatment of advanced melanoma.
You can look up the melanoma basics and understanding all the lingo to get up to speed on this website, I just forgot what tab it was under. When I was first diagnosed as stage 2A 12 years ago, it was much easier since there wasn't much out there to treat it.
Best of luck with your surgery, let us know how it goes.
Cancer Sucks Shit Happens Nothing is ever 100% bad, there is a reason and silver lining in everything. Sometimes I need a good light and my glasses to find it though. You can't fix stupid.
Re: First posting here, scared to death right now, just...(3/23/2014 - 7:04am)
You have come to the right website where you will learn valuable information and be supported and loved! I understand your fears and can only say that there is hope, even for stage 4 patients, such as my husband who is presently NED. Don't let your fear consume you and stay positive mentally. You will be in my prayers.
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done."- Philippians 4:6
Re: First posting here, scared to death right now, just...(3/23/2014 - 10:03am)
Welcome to the site where there is much help and support from people that have been through what you are going through and tried many treatments. In the last 3 years there have been many advances.
I see you are stage III and that gives you less treatment options but there are still some and some clinical trials. Posting your pathology report would be helpful and I also recommend you see a melanoma specialist as they know about more clinical trials and what to look for as far as side effects or other treatments much more so than the regular doctors and oncologists.
Always for your sake get a copy of scans, reports and start yourself a file in case you ever are going for a second opinion as it is much easier to have them then to have to wait to go and get copies for future use.
Judy (loving wife of Gene Stage IV and now NED ((no evidence of disease)) since 2012)
Live 4 today. Thank God for all he has done for us. Looking forward to enjoying tomorrow.
Re: First posting here, scared to death right now, just...(3/23/2014 - 2:08pm)
Sorry you had to join our group but glad you found the support. I read you profile, thanks for filling that out, it helps. You should know that at under 1mm your tumor is not too deep. But obviously it must have been deep enough to have already gotten to your lymph nodes if you are have ALL you lymph nodes removed. Oh, it appears you are having that done as I write, well good luck! When You post again, I hope you do, if you have any questions about drains, healing etc post them.....we have all been through it.
I am stage 3a, now 4 years with No Evidence of Disease (NED). I had all the lymph nodes under my arm removed and them no further treatment. I agreed with your assessment, Interferon was a waste of my time and money. But it is a very personal decision. Some people feel they must do something to fight back.
If you're active and health, then hopefully you will have good results too. I have been religious about both my Oncologist and Derm. follow-ups. I try to eat a little healthier.
Take Care,
Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.
Re: First posting here, scared to death right now, just...(3/23/2014 - 4:04pm)
I, too, have just recently been diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma, so I know how you are feeling. But you are luckier than I because yours was only 1mm in depth, whereas mine was 6.5, and I've learned that that size qualifies my melanoma as "THICK" melanoma which has a much lower anticipated survival rate :( So by comparison you are LUCKY :) My thoughts and prayers will be with you as you go for your surgery tomorrow. I will be looking forward to how it goes and how you are doing afterwards, as the same surgery appears to be in my future.
Re: First posting here, scared to death right now, just...(3/24/2014 - 5:54pm)
hi Jim, sorry that you had to join this forum, Because melanoma is a beast. Stage 3 is a real limbo. Not many choices, and there is much uncertainty. My husband is the 3rd stage since 2012 (38 years), his options were, watch and wait or pegylated interferon, he decided to do something about it, and decided to do interferon pegylado. Some people feel better doing something, but there is no assurance that melanoma does not return.
Treatment with interferon is hard but it is possible to lead a fairly normal life.
Take care
Re: First posting here, scared to death right now, just...(3/24/2014 - 6:29pm)
Jim, my husband was diagnosed at stage III as well and his was 10.5 mm. He was first diagnosed in 2008. He has never had his lymphnodes removed only the SNB and it came back negative. He had 3 more surgically removed before his 1 unresectable as it was pushing on the cervical spine at C1-C2 and metastisis in his liver and lungs . That surgery could have left him as a paraplegic so he did a clinical trial instead and is now NED.
Judy (loving wife of Gene Stage IV and now NED)
Live 4 today. Thank God for all he has done for us. Looking forward to enjoying tomorrow.
Re: First posting here, scared to death right now, just...(3/30/2014 - 9:36am)
Hi Jim,
I am also diagnosed stage 3, just recently had all my scans done (all clear, thank God), and I will have my superficial inguinal lymph node dissection on Wednesday (April 2nd). I think we are all scared, but know that this is an AMAZING place to find support/answers to your questions, and advice. I was EXTREMELY distraght when I first found out about 2 months ago (at 31 weeks pregnant), sentinel node biopsy and WLE done at 34 weeks, with one node positive. I then had to wait 7 more weeks to be induced with my daughter, so now I am on the road to recovery. The waiting SUCKS. You just want to do SOMETHING to make it all a little better. As for interferon, I have heard mixed reviews on it, but my oncologist, Dr. Andrew Poklepovic at VCU in Richmond, VA, does say that for stage 3, esp. stage 3A, interferon works. Whether it delays a recurrance (IF a recurrence was bound to happen), or if it kills off any stray cells entirely, we don't quite know. I may take it, I may not. I will have to see after the pathology reports from my next surgery. I do want to say that the anxiety gets a little easier to handle. It does not go away, but gets better. Best of luck to you, you will do great :)


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P2P radio goes mobile
But Windows only, for now
Popular P2P music sharing service Mercora has released a client for mobile devices. Mercora allows members to play each other their own songs and playlists across the network - it's legal, and royalties are collected and distributed to rights holders.
Mercora dropped its subscription fee last year in favour of a revenue stream from contextual ads. The mobile service, however, will be priced at $4.99 a month, with discounts for one year or two year sign-ups. A free trial will be available until the end of the month.
Unfortunately the initial mobile client, called Meriden, will only be for Windows Mobile 5.0 or PocketPC devices, which have negligable market share outside the USA. That's not where the listeners are, according to Mercora. More than two thirds of its streams go outside the United States.
Mercora says it will consider versions for Symbian and Java.
Apple has shunned building wireless connectivity or radio functionality into its hit iPod player. Mercora is just one of a number of start-ups seeking to bridge the gap between home media collections and mobile devices, each in its slightly different way.
Michael Robertson's MP3Tunes Music Locker allows you to sync your music library across devices, including PCs, Nokia S60 smartphones, and even to a TiVo. Orb Networks allows you to listen to your home music collection on a phone, but also shares your home TV stream, or photo album, to another PC or mobile device. Orb recently signed a deal to bundle its software with a £99 Hauppauge TV tuner card, turning it into a low cost Slingbox.
Mercora provides a fascinating parallel with News International's MySpace, which owes its success to on-demand streaming music. Recording rights holders and composers are keen to see MySpace pay a share of royalties, which News International doesn't believe it should do. Mercora's decision to build its technical infrastructure around paying rights holders - albeit in tiny amounts each time - makes MySpace's stance harder to maintain. And News International is a lot wealthier than Mercora... ®


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For the best experience on the Abcam website please upgrade to a modern browser such as Google Chrome
synthetic peptide corresponding to a region within N terminal amino acids 107-156 (
RLFGEKTYLFLQKYLDYVEKYYHASLEPVDFVNAADESRKKINSWVESKT) of Human SERPINB13 (NP_036529)
Our Abpromise guarantee covers the use of ab97943 in the following tested applications.
The application notes include recommended starting dilutions; optimal dilutions/concentrations should be determined by the end user.
|Use a concentration of 1 µg/ml. Predicted molecular weight: 44 kDa. Note: Optimal concentration of antibody depends the protein level in a given sample. Our recommended concentrations are the starting point for general use. Customers are advised have to do a series of titration tests to determine optimal concentration. Good results were obtained when blocked with 5% non-fat dry milk in 0.05% PBS-T.
ab97943 has not yet been referenced specifically in any publications.
Please note: All products are "FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY AND ARE NOT INTENDED FOR DIAGNOSTIC OR THERAPEUTIC USE"


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Melvin G. Vallo, 94
Melvin G. Vallo, 94, formerly of 2nd Street, Minster, passed away at 9:42 p.m. Friday, April 12, 2013, at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.
He was born on April 24, 1918, to Arthur and Margaret (Knostman) Vallo, both of whom preceded him in death.
On May 18, 1946, he married Florence Thieman in Minster, and she resides at Dorothy Love Retirement Center in Sidney, where they have been residents the past three years.
She survives along with their children, Steve and Judy Vallo of Tipp City, Mark and Sara Vallo of New Albany, Mary and Tim Ahrns of Beavercreek, Joe and DeAnne Vallo of Loveland, Tom and Jennifer Vallo of Kohler, Wis.; and Martha and Jeff Barlage of Minster. There are 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Surviving sisters and brother include Connie Meyer of Minster, Audrey Meyer of Minster and Myrle and Betty Vallo of Kettering.
He was preceded in death by his siblings and spouses, Rosella and Nick Hogenkamp-Mehmert, Maurice and Julia Vallo, Velma and Harold Frierott and in-laws Julian "Bud" Meyer, Wilfred Meyer and Paul Mehmert.
Vallo was a 1935 graduate of Minster High School and served in the U.S. Army from July 1941 until November 1945. He spent more than three years of that time in foreign service in the countries of Iceland, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.
From 1946 through 1950, he was employed by a public accounting firm in Dayton and in 1951 left there to go with the St. Henry Bank in St. Henry. He was there for almost 12 years as the cashier and member of the board of directors. While there, he also served on the board of directors of the Ottoville Banking Company in Ottoville. In May 1962, he came to The Minster Bank,where he was the president and chief executive officer until his retirement in May 1982.
Vallo was an ardent church choir singer, joining the St. Augustine choir in Minster in 1935 and retiring in 2004. While he was in Dayton and St. Henry he sang with the choirs there. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Minster Civic Association and former member and president of the Kiwanis Club of Minster, Minster School Board, 20-year volunteer at Joint Township Hospital in St. Marys and was recognized as Citizen of the Year from the Minster Civic Association.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Minster, the Rev. Rick Nieberding, officiant.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery with full military honors.
Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Hogenkamp Funeral Home in Minster.
Memorial donations can be made to the St. Augustine Choir.


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(Reuters) - Roger Federer's hopes of adding to his record grand slam haul got a boost as he beat Spain's David Ferrer 6-3 1-6 6-2 to win the Western and Southern Open title in Cincinnati on Sunday in the last key U.S. Open tune-up event.
It marked the sixth Cincinnati title for the Swiss second seed and, coming off last week's runner-up finish in Toronto, will give him plenty of confidence going into the year's final grand slam.
Federer recorded the only break of the opening set for a 5-3 lead over his sixth seeded opponent and then did well to fight off four break points in the next game before wrapping up a tidy first set in 31 minutes.
But Ferrer quickly stole the match's momentum when he staved off four break points en route to prevailing in an 18-point game to open the second set.
Ferrer raced out to a 5-0 lead before Federer finally held serve but the 33-year-old Swiss was unable to avoid being pushed to a third set.
Federer found his groove in the decisive set, getting his second break of serve to open a 3-1 lead and then capping the match with yet another break to remain undefeated in 16 career meetings versus Ferrer.
The 17-times grand slam winner has not captured one of the sport's blue ribband events since Wimbledon in 2012 but is playing at a high level.
The U.S. Open is from Aug. 25-Sept. 8.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Mark Meadows)


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I got a guy or two dropping my Pathfinder game in the Tacoma area, one of the guys is the host. I'd love to keep a group going and am looking for a few players and maybe some suggestions on a good new place to convene (I live in Oly but work up here and its middle ground for a player in Fed Way).
I'd be interested in meeting up and getting to know new players and seeing who might fit. We're 30-45 year old guys. Open to whomever.
The most natural place to join us would be in March/April. I'll be transitioning the group to run Red Hand of Doom converted for Pathfinder.


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Restoring Passion for Youth Ministry
CIU Youth Ministry Alumni Retreat to Alma Mater
"Restoring Your Passion" was the theme of the annual retreat of Columbia International University alumni who serve in youth ministry. It's hosted by the CIU Youth Ministry, Family and Culture program and held each winter on the CIU campus.
The keynote speaker this year was Jeff Baxter of Youth Ministry Architects who focused on a "Passion for Jesus."
Other topics this year included "Passion for Creative Leadership," "Passion for Evangelism & Discipleship" and "Passion for Connecting." The seminar on Connecting was led by CIU alumnus Terrace Crawford, a youth minister in York, Va., and the author of the new book, "# Going Social" which challenges churches to develop an effective social media strategy.
Other activities during the three-day retreat included worship, communion and round table discussions.