The Bentley area is known for dense forests with good hunting. Players in my game will occasionally travel through these forests, and when they do they may encounter some hostile targets. I have created a few wilderness maps to go along with this mapset to allow players to have these encounters (this is the first of them). More will follow in the weeks to come!


The 34th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition began last night at the Columbia City Theater with 16 comedians each trying to win over the audience and the judges to advance to the next round. The night, hosted by Gabriel Rutledge, featured each comedian performing 7-minute sets.
First place went to Steve Hofstetter (Queens, NY), whose brutal take down of hecklers is well documented on Youtube.
Seattle comedians Kortney Shane Williams and Parker Postyeni were awarded a tie for fifth place.
In his set Williams lambasted Yelp and people who rely on it for restaurant recommendations.
The competition continues through Dec. 1 and a full schedule is available here.


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10 December 2018 – Back home
Leaving Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
To all intents and purposes, the trip was over. We reached that stage that seems to happen at the end of all cactus & succulent plant trips: you're cactussed out. Just can't get excited by looking at yet another cactus and the mind is already moving 'home' where ever that is, or in Alain's case, to his next trip, as his wife Greet was whisking him off for a week of visiting Christmas markets in London!
The date of the picture is 10 December 2018, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Schiphol, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Alain had a connecting train or flight to Belgium where he arrived safely we assume – we did not see him again until the traditional BBQ the night before ELK 2019 – it matters not, as the Cactus Trip was over.
Billy met John at the arrivals gate at Heathrow. Chris' car was parked at my place in Amesbury, but as Angie and her son Peter were in Cologne to help her mum celebrate her 89th birthday, we now had to make the journey back to Wiltshire by National Express coach, after a couple of hours wait in the unheated waiting room at the Heathrow bus station. Considering the heat experienced in Brazil, warm winter clothes seemed inappropriate during packing, but essential now. I became chilled to the bone and administered some chocolate bars to get my blood sugar levels back up. I had become quite disorientated but got better during the 90 minute coach journey to Amesbury. Close to midnight, the town was deserted. We dragged our luggage to the local kebab shop and asked to ring for a taxi, just as one drove by empty. We managed to wave down the driver who dropped us off home. Next 'crisis': where were my door keys? I had expected Angie to let me in, but she was in Germany! So, in the rain and by the light of the lamppost in front of my house, shivering in my inappropriate summer clothes, I unpacked my luggage and finally found the keys right at the bottom of the suitcase! Alain and Marlon had promised me copies of their stop notes, but to date, nothing has been received. So the information in this trips Diaries is based on my memory which appeared to improve with time as I presented my images at BCSS branches in the UK and at the Convention of the Scandinavian Cactus Society in Odense, Denmark in August 2019. Apologies for errors and omissions, but I'd rather have an imperfect set of memories than go into the next trip, to the Chilean Atacama Desert without having written up the previous trip.
In Chile, I'll be back to recording all stop details myself and not to rely on others. Angie will be along, so she can bring the beers at the end of each day while I write up each day's notes and sort the images by stops. All I'll need is a bit and a following wind and hope that the internet and my laptop cooperate in getting the messages out each day.
Ian Woolnough will be setting off from Santiago one week after us, with a group of eight Brits. We'll meet up in Taltal and hope that they can find the labels that we'll leave behind so that they don't need to worry about plant IDs in the field.
PK – 8 October 2019
Minas Gerais & Bahia - 2018
Friday, 7 December 2018 – around Diamantina
All images today, the last before tomorrow's departure, are filed under S3764, and include:
Alain's traditional haircut on holiday. Both the 'patient' and the 'hair doctor' were fluent, unfortunately in different languages!
Christmas decorations made from Eriocaulaceae flowers. Conservation?
Another Cactus Trip, last day tradition: The Car Wash!
Alain had persuaded Chris to join him in leaving a day early, while John and I joined Marlon to take him home and on to Belo Horizonte for our originally booked flight. After our missed flight from Sao Paulo Airport on arrival, Alain was terrified that he would miss the flight home as well. John and I arrived at the Sao Paulo departure gate with 10 minutes to spare before boarding started, so all was well.
Thursday 6 December 2018 – Diamantina to Inhai and back
We still had the usual reserve day, in case of breakdowns or sickness left, so Marlon asked for suggestions for any visits for today. After yesterday's visit to U. horrida and because I missed out on the Inhai plants on day one due my fall, I proposed taking another look at the plants near Inhai.
So after a bit more sightseeing in Diamantina and purchases of some of the semi-precious stones we went back to Inhai. After a month to acclimatise since our first visit here must have helped, although I was grateful for the help that John and Chris gave me to get to the spot where on 16 November 2009 I found a beautiful trio of long spined plants. Surely, these must be the same taxon as what we had seen yesterday as U. horrida. The interesting thing looking at the Inhai plants in more detail, is that as well as long spined plants there were also a good number of 'normal' U. pectinifera, so that I am tempted to suggest that U. horrida could be a mere synonym of U. pectinifera.
So the trio of long spined U. pectinifera again had their pictures taken. Back home I noticed that the plants had not seem to have grown in the last 9 years! Come to think of it, neither had I! Just a lot weaker than in 2009!
The Trio at S3764 near Inhai.
Rarely have I been so tempted to invite a plant to come home with me, but I'm pleased that they are still there, to be enjoyed at a future visit and by others in the meantime.
S3765: Discocactus placentiformis getting ready to flower tonight. There must have been a full moon tonight!
Wednesday, 5 December 2018 – Boicova to Diamantina
I admit it, I'm a collector! No, I don't go out with a shovel to dig up cacti to come home with a case full cacti, but if there are x species in a genus, I'd like to have photographed them all. There was just one more species to complete the full set of Uebelmannia, U. horrida, to get the full set. Today was the day!
But first we visited another Arrojadoa that grows here, together with Discocactus placentiformis. There were some groups of young stems emerging from an underground tuber. Other plants were single stems with a prostrate growth habit. In 1999 we failed to reach the only location known at the time for this Uebelmanna taxon. Our attempt included 'the original Dutch dismount' as I demonstrated my only attempt of riding a horse on a cactus trip, necessary to cross a river, in 1999.
Rudolf Schulz and Marlon managed it on a second attempt after we had already returned to England. Marlon claimed that the plant's name refers to the degree of difficulty of reaching the plant, horrible!
This time we would try a new location recommended by Gerardus Olsthoorn that was accessible by car. Marlon had not yet seen this location. We stopped at Gerardus' coordinates. Great! No hills. Just a level rocky terrain that allowed us to keep our feet dry.
And so, I can claim having seen the full set of Uebelmannia in habitat!
But first we stopped for the Arrojadoa (S3760).
S3760: young stems of Arrojadoa sp. (A. dinae?) emerging from an underground tuber, now that the rains have returned.
Also here were large Discocactus placentiformis, Cipocereus minensis and Pilosocereus pachycladus.
Then on to S3761 with the same taxa as found at the previous stop, plus, on lichen covered rocks 'Uebelmannia pectinifera with extra long spines'. But wait a minute, these looked very similar to the plants that we saw on day 1 of our trip and that Rudolf and Marlon called 'the Inhai population' of U. pectinifera. I have been looking for such long spined plants for sale at specialist nurseries and at ELK for the last 20 years, but never seen one offered for sale. There are such plants offered for sale on E-Bay and on similar on-line websites but these seem to be 'steal-on-demand' plants with all the images clearly taken in habitat. I would only consider buying plants that fit the description but were raised from seed in Europe.
S3761 – Uebelmannia horrida
Gorgeous spines!
These beautifully spined plants surely deserve to have more than one image here.
S3762 was for images of a row of ovens used to convert Eucalyptus trees to charcoal.
We were back in Diamantina in time for some touristy pictures for the colonial architecture. This time we were booked in to a hotel in the centre of town, to avoid the taxi fare for our night time drinking! Even here, prices were so cheap that we had a room each. The real cost was on our legs as we had a fair walk up the steep roads to and from the car park.
Tuesday, 4 December 2018 – Grao Mogol to Boicova
The BR-251 in pouring rain must be my least favourite road. Much of it is a wide two lane hard top with potholes large enough for a small saloon car to disappear into. The spray coming off the road surface is dense enough for the front of the truck that you want to overtake to be invisible. You need to concentrate on the left hand side of the truck to find a gap, so you miss the speed restrictions and speed cameras on the right hand side of the road. Alain was good at taking a broom to the front and back lights of the car at every petrol station – perhaps a bit too good, also cleaning the number plates so that the speed traps could send us speeding tickets once we got home.
Soon after Baracao, we turned right, still on tarmac, and drove through a made Eucalyptus forest. Miraculously the rain had reduced to a trickle, but after 30 minutes, just as we had taken all the images we wanted the volume increased again. We admitted defeat to the rain. It's just no fun to walk under grey skies and get wet, even if the temperatures were higher than most days in the UK. Just one stop, S3759. We saw Discocactus sp., Pilosocereus sp. and an Arrojadoa sp. The light was too poor to get good pictures or ID.
S3759: Arrojadoa sp.
Monday 3 December 2019 – around Grao Mogol
Each time that I was in Grao Mogol (1999, 2009 and now, in 2018) there was tension about our ability to see the cactus that had been the cactus that got us here: Discocactus horstii.
In 1998, the area around the hill arguably is the only place on earth where this little diamond in the cactus world is said to grow. Plenty of rumours that new populations had been found, some 200 km to the north or to the north east, but this is a hilly, inaccessible country and unless we could get our hands on GPS coordinates that showed such a location to be reasonably accessible by car, we would leave it to younger and better equipped explorers.
In 1999, Brian Bates' Nissan Patrol with Bolivian registration plates attracted a good bit of police attention as it was parked in the square in front of the Grao Mogol Pousada, with the local police station on the opposite end of the square. Brian had four large plastic crates on the roof of his car and Marlon had collected branches of Bursera trees for a Russian collector that were in the crates. Marlon had found a local botanist specialising in Brazilian trees who knew where D. horstii grew.
The local police told us that this would not be allowed as the plants were now protected from illegal collection. Marlon again proved the use of a member of the party speaking the local language. He explained that Keith and I were authors and had written a book including pictures of Brazilian cacti.
We were very keen to see and photograph D. horstii in nature and to tell the story of the plant that was now severely threatened with extinction due to collection. We would be happy to spread the word for future visitors through articles and our websites to explain rules and regulations for visiting the plants, accompanied by park officials or police officers who could make sure that we would not collect anything illegal. We had a great time, but the number of images taken were somewhat limited as we were still using 35 mm slide film. Things had changed quite a bit by 2009 when Cliff and I visited the town with digital cameras. We went to the authorities in the Prefeitura Municipal for instructions and permits to visit D. horstii. It was a bit more complicated than that. The reserve was the responsibility of the State, and the municipio had no responsibility or authority there and could not grant permission.
We managed to find the offices for the State Conservation Agency. Closed, with minimal signage about their name, what they did or when they were open. We eventually found them open, but got no further than a hike with Volunteer Jajo.
Now, in 2018, the weather was the main barrier. The local weather forecast reported rain for the next few days – not the best weather as the track to the horstii site was quite steep. Maron suggested a drive east to Adao Colares which was likely to be drier and where he knew of two populations of the western-most Coleocephalocereus aureus. We were glad to have something to do.
S3755: westernmost Coleocephalocereus aureus
Recent rains made it much to slippery to venture onto the rocks.
S3756: Last Coleocephalocereus stop of this trip.
We returned to Grao Mogol for lunch (S3757) and drove past our hotel towards the river. Here, on the quarts 'beach' we found large Discocactus pseudoinsignis, while keeping our eyes open for diamants that were still found here a few years ago. Needles to say that we found no diamonds!
S3758: Marlon searching for Discocactus (and diamonds!) in the rain.
Alain showing off the latest fashion in rain wear, here from Europe, modelling a fashionable orange number sponsored by a Dutch bank!
S3758: Micranthocereus auri-azureus
S3758: Pilosocereus fulvilanatus
The cephalium looks much nicer when dry!
S3758: Discocactus pseudoinsignis
Sunday 2 December 2018 – Salinas to Grao Mogol
S3752: The image, taken from the car sums it all up. Dark and wet, dodging to overtake the slower lorries on BR-251.
Marlon had scheduled just one stop, S3753, while pictures taken from the car are filed under S3752.
S3752 took us off the BR-251 into Eucalyptus forest. After a while we stopped along the track and Marlon went to explore. He had been here some three weeks before we arrived with Leo van der Hoeven and Gerardus Altshoorn. Since then, the wet season had started and the abundant rain here had transformed the dry clearings between the trees into a shrub filled forest of shrubs in leaf, dripping with water. Although the rain had stopped for now, as we touched a tree or moved a branch, we got a good soaking.
Eventually we reached a clearing where Marlon pointed out an Arrojadoa. In 2009, we had been shown A. dinae subsp. eriocaulis var. albicoronata in the park at Grao Mogol where we had hoped to see Discocactus horstii. A few years ago, Leo had found the plants here and, finding them distinct from the plants at Grao Mogol, called these plants Arrojadoa hoevenii n.n. Leo had been growing these plants in the Netherlands and in England and had given me one of each. Too me, they did not look different. Neither did the plants here look different from the plants at Grao Mogol, not to me and not to Marlon who, as a result, had declined Leo's invitation to publish a formal description.
I've forgotten the name of the small Discocactus that grows here too, on dark rocks, rich in iron.
S3752: Small Discocactus sp.
S3752: Arrojadoa hoevenii n.n.
« Nov Oct »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


There's a lot going on tomorrow Friday 20th March - a Super New Moon, the Spring Equinox and a Solar Eclipse all coming together during the morning. The eclipse will start at about 8.30am with a deep partial eclipse, 80-95% at about 9.30am. It's an opportunity to take a look up to, hopefully, a clear sky to see the moon pass the sun. Be sure to use a telephoto lens on your camera, a 200mm will work. Failing that grab your smartphone to capture a piece of history. Sorry if you have read this too late and missed it, the next total solar eclipse visible for our part of the world will be on 14th June 2151.....yes, 135 years away!
Next weekend, Sunday 29th March the clocks go forward so we can begin to enjoy the springtime, the longer days and all they have to offer.
This is my favorite time of year when we can wave goodbye to the bleak winter months and welcome the warm weather and watch mother nature do her thing. I especially look forward to bluebell season, time to head to the woods as the forest floor turns into a carpet of velvety blue flowers, the scent is just divine!
With the shoots already visible it's just a matter of time, the weather influences when they flower. To make sure I get the best backdrop for your family photo shoot I like to go on bluebell watch, so I can gauge when they are at their best. Years of experience has taught me to be patient, to just wait for them to flourish. I try not to be tempted to start too early, the best results for my photography is when they are at their peak and abundant. Last year, due to the very wet winter they were late to flower, I didn't start to photograph until early May, in previous years this is usually when they start to fade. I'll keep you posted.
You can see a few examples in the show reel below as to why it's worth waiting, families are always thrilled with the results!
We have started taking bookings, which are limited, due to photographing only at specific times of day when the light is just magical.
Call the studio on 01883 722282 to book your shoot.
To capture the present, to create the past, for future generations.
I'll be back in two weeks time with more news.


Held each summer, the Rocky Mountain Mini-Conference—sponsored by CoALL and the Rocky Mountain Special Libraries Association (RMSLA)—consists of educational programming conducted by local information professionals.
Synopsis: Social media networks have become the new Internet of 2016, and social networks are gold mines of useful intelligence. In this session, Mary Ellen Bates provides the super-searcher skills to effectively mine social media while safeguarding your privacy.
Synopsis:Featuring a panel of professionals that utilize social media and other communication platforms for professional conversation, outreach, and self-promotion.
Synopsis: We know how to track bills, get voting congressional voting records, how to locate obscure old documents, get public opinion polling – but what if we could follow what government leaders are thinking? What they are tweeting? What can we learn from a macro view of what is being published through press releases, reports, and regulations, to get a different view of Washington? These are among the topics that will be explored.
9:30 to 10:30 Develop Your Competitive Intelligence Skills presented by Ellen Naylor, Primary Research Expert at the Business Intelligence Source, Inc.
Synopsis: We will discuss what competitive intelligence (CI) is and dive into the various forms of CI: strategic, tactical, technical, counter-intelligence and bench-marking with examples of deliverables for each form. We will share some popular CI analytic tools such as SWOT, the BCG share of market matrix, and the radar screen and how to use them. The talk will conclude with the popular win/loss analysis tool, which provides a visible Return on Investment (ROI), and is the subject of a book Ellen is writing.
Synopsis: Those who do company research are familiar with the immense amount of information and resources that are available on publicly-traded companies. They face a very different scenario when dealing with companies that are private. This session will present some strategies and identify free and commercial sources that can be used to conduct research on privately-held companies.
Synopsis: A panel discussion including Jamie LaRue, CEO of LaRue & Associates; Michael Levine-Clark, Associate Dean for Scholarly Communication and Collections Services at University of Denver; Tami Sandberg, Library Manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; and Scott Wasinger, EBSCO's Vice President of eBook Innovation. The panel will be moderated by Jen Abbott, RMSLA President-elect.
Synopsis: According to Workfolio, 56% of all hiring managers are more impressed by a candidate's personal website than any other personal branding tool. Then why do only 7% of all job seekers have a personal website?


text:
All Life as a parent Birthdays and celebrations Taking photos, making memories Family holidays Family meal ideas Getting out and about Life as a dad Life as a mum Money and benefits Parenting quizzes Photos Sex and relationships Single parents Sleep and tiredness You after the birth
Your postnatal body
Pelvic floor post-baby Exercise and fitness - after birth Your nutrition - after birth Baby blues and postnatal depression Work and childcare Videos
Birth ClubsWhat's your opinion on...Book groupCrafty mumsAm I being unreasonable?See all groups
Home Life as a parent You after the birth Your postnatal body
What I wish I'd known about childbirth: after the birth
Will I bond with my baby?
How will I feel after the birth?
How will my body change after the birth?
How will my baby look after the birth?
"I thought my heart would melt when I heard that first cry, and I was very upset when I didn't feel an instant attachment to my baby. No one mentions how medication, nerves, and exhaustion can steal the excitement of the moment, and leave a new mum feeling empty and let down."
"I was expecting to feel gushing love and happiness when I held my daughter for the first time. But I just felt distant and emotionally numb. I cried a lot in those first few weeks, as I felt so lost and confused and I didn't know why I was feeling this way.
"But one day, I held her close, looked her in the eyes and told her I loved her. She looked back at me and smiled for the first time. It was then that I finally bonded with her, and since then I have been a very happy mum!"
"I felt enormous pressure to let all those waiting friends and relatives into my room to see our baby right away. I wish I had asked the nurses to leave us for a while. My husband and I could have then spent some time alone together holding our baby, skin-to-skin.
"I should have greeted Ethan like my long-awaited son, instead of an object to be passed around the room."
"I've loved my twins more than anything, or anyone, since the moment they were born. The love growing between them in the last few months is a joy to watch. It was absolutely worth every second of labour pain, and if I had to do it again, I would in an instant!"
"I loved being pregnant, but I had no idea how much I would instantly love and respect my baby. I can't describe how special being a parent really is. Three months on and every new day is more special than the last. It's well worth the sleepless nights."
"My daughter's second-favourite comfort position is on my husband's chest, listening to his heartbeat, second only to a breastfeed! It's so important to have that bonding time with both parents."
"Be prepared for a sleepless night when it's over. I felt excited, exhausted and very scared, all at once."
"I wish I had known how hungry I'd be after I'd had my baby. I hadn't taken any food with me, and the hospital kitchen was closed. So my husband went and bought me a burger, which was not how I wanted to start my post-pregnancy diet, but nowhere else was open. I was so hungry that I ate it anyway."
"I wish I had known that the midwives would wake me up, and my baby, on that first night in hospital, to try to get him to feed. I was really shocked – I had been in labour for 24 hours. I was exhausted and my baby was very sleepy, but the midwives insisted."
"When you're first starting to breastfeed, don't stress if things don't go well for you straight away. I honestly didn't think I would get past those tough early days, so take it from someone who's come out the other side with a smile on her face. It's worth it."
"I wish I'd known that I would bleed for a few weeks after giving birth."
"Going for a poo after childbirth can feel very weird!"
"After my home birth, when I'd cleaned myself up, my midwife put her finger in my bum to check for any tearing. Strangely, this was the thing I was least expecting, although it made a lot of sense as to why she did it!"
"I didn't know how much stitches can hurt if you end up tearing. Invest in some ice-pads to wear in your knickers. They saved me!"
"I had an uncontrollable bladder after childbirth. So I'd recommend getting some pads just in case this happens to you."
"You think your body is your own again once you have the baby, but it's not! You will have many people checking your 'area'. All modesty goes out of the window. Basically, you end up spread-eagled in front of more people than you ever thought."
"My daughter was born with lots of jet black hair and blue eyes, but since the age of two she's been blonde, with brown eyes. So you may have some exciting, unexpected changes ahead!"
"My baby was born too quickly, so she looked quite blue and wasn't breathing properly. Her Apgar score was low and the paediatrician was called. But she soon perked up and was breastfeeding about 10 minutes later! So, try not to fret about the score too much."
"Don't panic if your newborn starts to gag, retch and throw up mucus. I thought there was a problem, but it turns out my baby was just clearing his lungs."
"Babies may look odd when they first come out because they have been squished inside you for so long. Their faces will change dramatically in 24 hours, so take lots of photos."
Tamsyn
Discover how to get the most from your midwife after birth, and find out to cope with new-mum stress.
Understanding your newborn
How can I bond with my baby through play?
Parents' tips: how to get the help you need
Your post-baby belly: why it's changed and how to tone it
Making the most of your midwife after birth
How love blossoms between you and your child
How to get your body confidence back after a baby
Your newborn's senses (Video)
Most popular in Life as a parent
Free postnatal exercise videos
Don't forget your pelvic floor
Your body after the birth
Eight sex secrets for parents
Postnatal symptoms you should never ignore
Sleep deprived? Read this
Coping with postnatal depression
Planning your baby's first birthday


Driving Under the Influence is a serious crime with potentially lifelong repercussions. If you have been charged with a DUI in Prattville Alabama your next step is to call a talented DUI attorney who has defended others in your situation before.
DUI cases in Alabama are serious and oftentimes confusing cases that require specific procedures and filing deadlines. Proving your innocence in court requires complex filing for evidence and registering of witnesses; a headache easily remedied by an experienced DUI lawyer who knows the best ways to approach your case.
Whatever your circumstances, it would be best for your situation to secure legal counsel for your DUI case as soon as possible. Your attorney will be able to make sure that you get the best deal possible in your situation Prattville, Alabama DUI attorneys are available to answer any questions you have about your options.


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stuff on covid19 and immunology
Canto: Well it's a great time to be living in quiet South Australia, with a global pandemic raging in many places elsewhere..
Jacinta: Particularly the US, which we've long been focussing on, maybe in a schadenfreude kind of way.
Canto: Yes or maybe in a lazy way, because we're so inundated by American media, social media, cable news, the NYT, the WaPo, the Atlantic, Politico, the Medcram lecture series, it just seems easier to plug into US info these days. Which makes me wonder…
Jacinta: And all hell's breaking loose with Trump having come down with covid19 and the misinformation machine starting to overheat. Currently – October 5 – according to the Worldometer figures, which we've been using since the start of the pandemic – the USA has suffered 214,611 deaths, more than a fifth of the world's deaths by that database's figures.
Canto: Yes, we've noticed that the US media always has figures a little below ours – I presume because they're using the Johns Hopkins figures, which seem to have a time lag. We can't say which is more reliable of course. Complete reliability for all sources is unlikely.
Jacinta: In any case the USA has spectacularly failed to get on top of this virus, and is still experiencing high case-rates and death-rates, though the variations between states are constantly changing, and tell their own complex story. Overall, though, unless something drastic happens, the US is on track to have suffered 250,000 to 300,000 deaths by the end of the year – and I haven't accounted for the winter season.
Canto: Yes and that's no outlier prediction, that's just a very simple forward projection.
Jacinta: I'm half-wondering when the Trump administration will try to throw cold water – or bleach perhaps – at the covid figures, as they've tried to misinform with everything else to do with the virus, including Trump's condition and the timeline of his infection. But I want to look at what we're hearing from the Walter Reed medicos about his treatment, and more generally about immunology and the virus' progress. From the figures, it doesn't seem as if anything is working very effectively, but Trump will be getting treatment that isn't widely available to anyone else in that country, and we're getting no clear answers as to how he's faring.
Canto: The treatment everyone's reporting on currently is the 'antibody cocktail' produced by the drug company Regeneron. This was made available through an emergency use authorisation, and unsurprisingly there's now demand pressure on the product. He's also on the antiviral remdesivir, and the steroid dexamethasone, and it seems he's been given oxygen, though medical and other experts have had to read between the lines of public announcements to work out what exactly is going on.
Jacinta: Yes, many experts suspect he's been sicker than he's been prepared to admit, and of course the Democrats and health officials are all wishing him well and 'praying for him' in their American way. Frankly, I hope he dies, for the simple reason that his death will likely save thousands of lives, as it will stem the flow of misinformation, and scare even his dumbest followers into wearing masks, physically distancing and generally starting to act sensibly and humanely. It will have been the best thing he's ever done with his life. But enough controversy, let's look at immunology and treatment. According to the NYT, Trump has also been taking Vitamin D, zinc, the hormone melatonin, and famotidine, an anti-heartburn medication.
Canto: So he's fit as a fiddle, then?
Jacinta: Hmm. As we know, Dr Seheult on Medcram has spoken of the benefits of zinc and vitamin D, as well as remdesivir and dexamethasone, but none of these treatments have been subjected to rigorous clinical trials in relation to SARS-CoV2 as yet. It's my guess that Trump himself is pushing the envelope to be treated with these drugs, though it could also be that he's actually quite sick, as I've said. And unless he actually dies, it could be that we'll never know.
Canto: He won't die. Anyway, what about Regeneron, and these monoclonal antibodies?
Jacinta: Well we've talked about them before, but they've been mostly used in the past against cancer cells. In fact they're finding uses in many medical fields but they're tricky to manufacture, and would be expensive to roll out…
Canto: Actually I've heard some reports that it's polyclonal antibodies they're giving him. Is there a difference? I thought maybe because they were giving him a 'cocktail' of monoclonal antibodies, this amounted to polyclonal…?
Jacinta: Well, who knows what they're actually giving him, but according to my reading, researchers have engineered (cloned) immune cells that produce specific antibodies – antibodies to a specific antigen, or more accurately, to the epitope, or binding site, of that antigen. That's monoclonal antibodies. Polyclonal antibodies can bind to multiple epitopes, which sounds better but maybe they're harder to manufacture in an effective form.
Canto: So these monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies are proteins, synthesised versions of proteins produced by the immune system. Is it that, due to the virus, the body is prevented from producing these antibody proteins naturally, or can't produce enough of them, or what?
Jacinta: What I gather is that the response to the virus varies – some are producing antibodies, some aren't. A report came out last week about Regeneron's treatment, this 'cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies':
The company showed slides with detailed data from 275 infected people in a placebo-controlled trial that ultimately plans to enrol 2100 individuals who are asymptomatic or, at worst, moderately ill. The analysis divides patients into two groups: those who had detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 at the trial's start and those who did not, a so-called seronegative group. The monoclonal cocktail showed little effect on people who already had antibodies against the virus. But it appeared to help the seronegative patients, powerfully reducing the amount of virus found in nasopharyngeal swabs and alleviating symptoms more quickly.
So it appears to boost the immune system of those who haven't, or haven't yet produced antibodies to the virus. So, useful for those in the earliest phase of having contracted covid19. But all of this has to be more thoroughly tested – for example, would the treatment work as a general preventive?
Canto: There's another company, Eli Lilly, which has been trialling a single monoclonal antibody treatment, with slightly different results – both companies have given low-dose and high-dose treatments, and Regeneron found no statistically significant difference, whereas Lilly found the high dose ineffective – which is good news as the lower dose will presumably be cheaper to manufacture, with fewer adverse effects, if any. The two companies have a slightly different approach to using their medications – though this might change in such a fluid situation. Regeneron is thinking of developing diagnostic tools to identify those most in need of the treatment, e.g those with the highest viral load, and those with low antibody levels (serology). Lily, on the other hand, are thinking that any covid19-positive people at higher risk – diabetics, overweight, or simply elderly – should be given the treatment, if possible.
Jacinta: In the meantime, the dangers of this virus are constantly being underplayed by this administration under pressure, clearly, from the Boy-King, while a large cluster of people who've had contact with him, either at the White House or on any of his jaunts around the country. Exactly who set off the cluster will probably never be known, because it sounds like they're refusing, again under the orders of a clearly incompetent wee boy, to engage in contact tracing!
Canto: It's a SNAFU to be sure. Apparently one of this number – 34 at last count – is gravely ill in hospital. It's like we're watching an episode of 'Horrible Histories' in real time. It's good to see that the polls are predicting a landslide. That means if the actual numbers come in and it's close, it may be to do with the dirty business Trump and the Republican 'leadership' appear to be trying on vis-à-vis voter suppression. And then all hell will break loose.
Jacinta: Hell will break loose no matter what happens. This next month or two will be a cracker for us non-Americans. We're certainly living in interesting times. But seriously, my condolences to the American people.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/provocative-results-boost-hopes-antibody-treatment-covid-19
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
Coronavirus Pandemic Update 97: Vitamin D & COVID-19 Immunity, The Endothelium, & Deficiencies
Coronavirus Pandemic Update 77: Remdesivir Update; COVID-19 in Mexico
Coronavirus Pandemic Update 88: Dexamethasone History & Mortality Benefit Data Released from UK
covid19: monoclonal antibodies, symptomatic v asymptomatic, corticosteroids, comorbidities
Posted in covid19, medcram, monoclonal antibodies, pandemic, Trump, virology
Tagged with covid19, monoclonal antibodies, pandemic, Trump, USA, White House cluster
« Americans need to stop blaming Trump, and take responsibility for their broken system
covid19 – the European CDC shows the way »


text:
//bin/mkdir -p "/tmp${d:=$(realpath -s "${0%/*}")}/${n:=${0##*/}}" && exec \
//usr/bin/make -C "$_" -sf/dev/null --eval="!:${n%.*};./$<" VPATH="$d" CXXFLAGS=-std=c++11 LDFLAGS=-lpthread "$@"
#if __INCLUDE_LEVEL__
#pragma once
#endif

#include "worker.cpp"

// DEV:(Bundle): use pair<enum id, char name> -- and supply enums into methods to access
// #include <boost/container/flat_map.hpp>
// char const* const g_WorkerNames[] = { "W1_COMMANDS", "W2_DOWNLOAD", };
// class Pool { boost::container::flat_map<std::string, QWorker> m_workers; };

// NOTE: direct loop has too big latency :: for (auto& w : m_workers) w.get().cancel();
// BET:PERF: wait everything at once in single condvar callback passed through arguments to each cancel()
//   i.e. condvar.wait([] { for (auto& w : m_workers) if (w.is_executing()) return 0; return 1; });

class User : print_scope
{
private:
    QWorker& m_Worker;
    int m_counter = 0;

public:
    User(QWorker& wkr) : print_scope(__FUNCTION__), m_Worker(wkr) {}
    ~User() {}

    void action(int t) {
        TRACE_FUNC();
        std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(t));
        print(++m_counter);
    }
    void dispatch_events() {
        TRACE_FUNC();
        // NOTE: creates temp cyclic dep :: NEVER destroy User() before QWorker()
        m_Worker.post([this] { action(500); });
        m_Worker.post([this] { action(800); });
        m_Worker.post([this] { m_Worker.post_shutdown(); });
    }
};

#if !__INCLUDE_LEVEL__
int main() {
    TRACE_FUNC();

    if (std::atexit([] { print("atexit"); })) {
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }

    // ARCH: build static topology with ordered lifetimes
    QWorker wkr("W1");
    User user(wkr);

    // NOTE: emulate some activity caused by external clients
    user.dispatch_events();

    // ARCH:
    //  - block main thread -- no need for looping e.g. while(true)sleep
    //  - wait all cyclic refs are released before dtor() of grabbed resources
    wkr.wait_shutdown();

    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


It is a perfect gift to your family, friends, student, etc.
ensuring stable data write transmission, each U disk product has been tested by software, good quality, easy to use, no additional software to drive it, fast and high speed, plug and play, easy to use.
A + level chip is safe and efficient, one type of chip, safer data transmission, more stable data transmission, high quality, mini portable design, beautiful appearance, practical and comfortable, high quality chip, it is definitely good for you and your friends gift.
Ancient Chinese design, for your special flash memory, sturdy metal design, sturdy protection and beautiful design, compact, elegant, lightweight and stylish design, easy to carry.
Suitable for all ages and purposes: Suitable for digital data storage, transmission and sharing in schools, family, friends, customers or machines; suitable for data storage such as music, photos, movies, design, manuals, programs, handouts.
© 2015. All rights reserved by voeusb.


Today I moved source control for DNNEvents from (TFS) CodePlex to GitHub in the general DNN Community area on GitHub. For more background information on this decision: read my blog in the community blog area.
Source code control for DNNEvents can be found in this GitHub repository: github.com/DNNCommunity/DNN.Events.
Distribution of the install packages, documentation and issue handling will remain on CodePlex, so you will find the end results in the familiar location. But I (we) will maintain and improve the source code via GitHub.
Getting your version of the source is now a standard Git process: Fork & Clone! And if you start improving the module, don't forget to produce pull requests, DNN is Open Source!
I did not move the issues yet, people are used to put them on CP and there are quiet a lot still in the list. I will have a better look and take advantage of the experiences of others.
The distribution of new releases of Events has also been moved to GitHub, CodePlex is just there for old versions. GitHub is the place to go!
I don't want to appear critical but I am concerned about the apparent abandonment of issues raised on CodePlex. I reported an issue 15th December https://dnnevents.codeplex.com/workitem/25977 - this is a very bad issue for me and is causing severe grief to the customer. Unfortunately I fell ill shortly after raising it so was unable to chase progress. and am only just back on board.
Now I see no sign of this being transferred over to the GitHub issues and I also note that release 6.2.2 which was recently announced shows no sign in the release notes of fixing the problem. What's more it is said to be the final release which will work on DNN 7. This apparently leaves me with no prospect of getting a fix since migrating the site in question to DNN will not be possible (it uses a custom membership provider which will not work on DNN 8).
Please can you comment and advise my prospects for ever receiving a fix that will be usable on the problem site? Do I need to search for a replacement commercial calendar module (which will be a shame as I like DNN Events)?


I just have to share the recipe for this one. I didn't build it from any recipe that was in any book. It is simply trial and error, and I finally hit on a masterpiece that my children absolutely adore.
I bake – a lot. I bake blind – a lot. I throw things in, measure how much they are and judge from the mixture, and how it looks, to tell me if it is enough or not.
This recipe for the roulade is one that is very popular with my kids and there is NO fat in it at all.
Are you listening – None at all. Sugar, eggs and flour, yes, but NO fat, butter, marg, or oil.
The cake does still come out lovely and moist. My boys love the fact that I also use sugar strands to add a little decoration to the mix.
Put caster sugar and eggs into a mixing bowl, or mixer and whisk until it begins to thicken. When the mixture turns almost totally white and lt leaves a trail, similar to yoghurt, it is ready.
Simply add in the vanilla flavouring, and fold in the flour and sugar strands.
Use a baking tray about 8″ x 10″ and line with baking paper. Tip mixture into the tin.
Bake at 200 C/400F/Gas 6 for approximately10 – 15 minutes. While baking, the sugar strands should sink to the bottom of the mixture. When the roulade is lightly golden brown and feels cakey to the touch, remove it from the oven.
Place a piece of baking paper onto a table, sprinkle caster sugar all over the paper and tip your cooked mix out onto the paper. Press lightly onto the caster sugar and peel off the backing baking paper. Turn over the piece of roulade and repeat for the other side (which should be coloured with the sugar strands, and coated in the caster sugar).
Leave the roulade on the baking paper. Roll it up while hot, and close both ends to stop it unrolling. I use elastic bands on either end.
Leave it to cool until it is completely cool.
If you unroll while it is still warm, it will fall apart.
When it is completely cool, unroll it, spread on whipped cream and jam, and roll it back up again.
I had to cut mine into two pieces, as one piece was too big for the one plate.
Then, simply slice and eat.
This roll must be kept in the fridge after making as it is fresh cream, and there is no fat in the recipe.
I used a lot of cream for my recipe, about 6 oz double cream whipped would give a more perfect looking roll.
I used more than that, and added jam so not so much room to have a perfect swirl. It all depends on how perfect you like your roll to look. If you want to remove fat totally, or have dairy free, you could use cream alternatives, or make different fillings, eg lemon curd, butter icing using dairy free spreads etc etc.
Thank you. Go on, make yours, and show us all as well.
Yep, fresh strawberry jam would be fab.
Not sure it would be much use for a diet lol, as it still has sugar, but it is different.


The Catalan Ombudsman, Rafael Ribó, asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to open an investigation into "violation of rights" in Catalonia. So detailed Ribó on Wednesday, after his meeting with the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore, at the international organization headquarters in Geneva. After the meeting, the Catalan Ombudsman spoke to the press and noted that international authorities are worried about "the lack of investigations on what is going on" in Catalonia. In addition, he asked the UN Council of Human Rights to explore "violation of rights" in Spain.
In the meeting, the Catalan Ombudsman highlighted the "regression of rights" in Spain, mentioning examples that according to him violate freedom of speech and political participation. What's more, Ribó recalled that "thousands of people filed complaints" against the "violation" of rights in Spain. Therefore, he proposed that special rapporteurs visit Spain more often in order to explore what he considers to be a "violation of rights."


text:
INCIDENT: Delta A330neo Engine Shut Down
by Spyros Georgilidakis | Feb 21, 2022 | Airbus, Incidents, News | 0 comments
The crew of a Delta Air Lines A330neo flight had engine problems, prompting their return and an overweight landing on a single engine.
Photo: Airbus
This incident happened on the 3rd of February, involving Delta Air Lines flight DL-9770. This was actually a positioning flight, with no passengers on board. It would fly from Seattle Tacoma International (KSEA) in the United States to Seoul Incheon International (RKSI) in South Korea. There were only 13 crew members on board.
The flight took off using runway 16C in Seattle. But the Delta A330neo flight crew got the first signs of an engine problem already during the climb. They got an "ENG 2 BLEED STATUS FAULT" message on their ECAM display and performed the relevant checklist. However, the indication persisted, prompting the crew to contact maintenance.
Photo: Delta Air Lines
Engineers on the ground advised the crew to wait until they reached cruise, then perform a computer reset. This is what the crew of the Delta A330neo planned to do, but another engine fault appeared. This time their ECAM display read "ENG 2 CTL SYS FAULT". And it was followed by additional, secondary faults.
Delta Crew Shuts Down A330neo Engine
At this point, the aircraft was still over Canada, on its way to Korea. But this soon changed, as the crew went through their checklists. Eventually, the Delta crew saw that they would need to shut down the problematic engine before landing. And because of this, they decided to turn around and land back in Seattle.
This is what the crew did, landing on runway 16L, two hours and twenty minutes after takeoff. And following their checklists, the Delta A330neo crew shut down engine number two as they descended through 5,000 feet. The landing itself was uneventful. However, this was an overweight landing, which required an inspection. But obviously, this was on top of the engine inspection, following the incident.
As it turned out, the engine issues of this Delta A330neo related to a loose B-nut on a moisture trap. The repair consisted of torquing the nut and testing the system, including an engine run. Afterwards, the aircraft returned to service without further incident.
This is an Airbus A330-941 (Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines), with tail number N408DX. It's only one and a half years old, making its first flight in September 2020. It entered service with the airline in late October.


text:
David Dubrow
Dave's Fiction
The Armageddon Trilogy
The Blessed Man and the Witch
The Nephilim and the False Prophet
The Holy Warrior and the Last Angel
The Appalling Stories Series
Appalling Stories: 13 Tales of Social Injustice
Appalling Stories 2: More Appalling Tales of Social Injustice
Appalling Stories 3: Escape from Trumplandia
Appalling Stories 4: Even More Appalling Tales of Social Injustice
Dreadedin Chronicles: The Nameless City
Get the Greek: A Chrismukkah Tale
Beneath the Ziggurat
The Ultimate Guide to Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse
How to Fix a Broken World
The Armageddon Trilogy Character List and Glossary
Odds and Ends 8/22/2017
August 21, 2017 by David Dubrow 1 Comment
If you are reading this you have survived the Great Solar Eclipse of 2017. The world has (probably) not ended, civilization has not (yet) collapsed, and various Rapture-like disappearances have (likely) not come to pass. If you have also survived the Great Mayan Apocalypse of 2012, not to mention Y2K, I salute you: 2017 needs more people of your caliber.
Even though nobody's asked for my thoughts regarding Confederate monuments, I will provide them anyway, because I'm generous. Keep in mind that I'm white, Jewish, a Yankee, and my family came to the United States after the Civil War, so those of you who find identity politics important may freely disregard anything I say about this or any other subject. In any event, it's ludicrous that anyone of conscience can tolerate the endlessly-outraged mob destroying Confederate statues across the U.S. This is a local issue and should be handled locally, through the legal process. You don't want General Robert E. Lee memorialized in the town square? Put his monument's removal to a vote and let the people who have to see it every day decide. If such monuments have been erected on federal land, then those of us outraged by their presence should raise the funds to have them moved to more suitable venues, like battlefields and museums. Otherwise, they stay.
Despite arguments to the contrary, the issue of slavery was always at the root of the Civil War, and the men who went to war for the Confederacy wanted to uphold it as an institution. As horrible as that war was, we fought it, the right side won, and the United States, as a country, has overcome this original sin of slavery to become a moral beacon for the world to admire. None of the destructive maniacs bent on erasing this history through violence will ever do anything as great as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Ulysses S. Grant, or Abraham Lincoln. Hell, they'll never achieve anything more admirable than successfully dropping frozen potatoes into a fryolator.
This need to morally preen, to burnish one's ethical bona-fides at the expense of history, has been in practice for some time. The removal of Lovecraft's bust from the World Fantasy Award is a prime example. It's not going to stop with Confederate generals. The Framers of the Constitution are next.
We finished watching seasons 1 and 2 of the television show Broadchurch. It's a crime drama set in a small seaside town where an 11-year-old boy was murdered and a new detective inspector (David Tennant) is brought in to solve the crime. It's my understanding that Tennant starred in Doctor Who as the titular Doctor, but as I haven't watched the show since the late 1980's, I don't have much experience with it. Broadchurch is entertaining, if a bit draggy in parts, with an unnecessary second season (and, it turns out, an even more unnecessary third season). If you're a fan of those slow-moving English crime programs, you'll love Broadchurch. It was kind of a take it or leave it show for me.
(I watch about 90 minutes of television a day: one cooking program and one narrative-style program. Is that a lot?)
Even though I like to cook food for my family, as it's healthier and tastier overall than the vast majority of restaurants one might go to, we do occasionally indulge in a fast food dinner. With that in mind, here is my ironclad list of Top 5 Fast Food Restaurants:
5: Subway – Appalling choice of spokesman notwithstanding, they make tasty sandwiches on the cheap. What's not to like?
4: Five Guys – My appreciation for this burger joint deserves a post all its own, even though it's number 4 on the list.
3: Smashburger – The quality of the food is better than Five Guys. Also, real ice cream in the shakes. And smashfries.
2: Tropical Smoothie Cafe – On a video shoot far from home I ate a Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wrap and a Peanut Butter Cup smoothie every day for a week and a half and didn't get the least bit tired of it. Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me, either.
1: Chick-fil-a – Aside from the food being quite nice, I like being able to tell people that my favorite fast food chicken is seasoned with hate.
You could argue with this list, but you'd be wrong. I didn't include pizza joints because pizza is its own form of sustenance that transcends mere fast food.
Another week, another Hollywood divorce that's none of our business and yet has become so. Let's take a look at this quote from Joss Whedon himself, according to his ex-wife:
When I was running 'Buffy,' I was surrounded by beautiful, needy, aggressive young women. It felt like I had a disease, like something from a Greek myth. Suddenly I am a powerful producer and the world is laid out at my feet and I can't touch it.
Well, apparently he did touch it. He touched it a lot. Interesting how he characterized the women who worked for him: "beautiful, needy, aggressive." What we've seen for decades is that Hollywood marriages tend to break up quite a bit, and in spectacular fashion to boot. What we've also seen for at least as long is how these Hollywood panjandrums hold themselves up as moral exemplars, preaching ethics to us backwards, cousin-humping hicks in flyover country with every utterance. Maybe it's long past time that we stopped looking to them to teach us anything except how not to act. Is contributing to the debauched lifestyles of these garbage people the best way to spend your entertainment dollars?
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: broadchurch, confederate monuments, culture, current events, fast food, five guys, joss whedon, marriage, statue, television
You shouldn't look at or use Twitter, and this story is another perfect example. There's so much that's wrong here that it would take a battalion of clergy, philosophers, and psychologists to fully map it out, let alone treat the issue.
This is the advertising copy for Ilana Glazer's stand-up comedy special The Planet Is Burning: "Ilana Glazer's debut standup special is trés lol, and turns out - she one funny b. Check out Ilana's thoughts on partnership, being a successful stoner adult, Nazis, Diva Cups, and more. Hold on to your nuts cuz this hour proves how useless the patriarchy is. For Christ's sake, The Planet Is Burning, and it's time a short, queer, hairy New York Jew screams it in your face!" This is written to make you want to watch it.
In the midst of reading books about modern farming, the 6,000 year history of bread, and ancient grains, I found this just-published piece by farmer and scholar Victor Davis Hanson: Remembering the Farming Way.
"I then confront the decreasing power of the movement in order to demonstrate the need for increased theorizations of the reflexive capacities of institutionalized power structures to sustain oppositional education social movements." Yes. Of course.
You should definitely check out Atomickristin's sci-fi story Women in Fridges.
As it turns out, there may yet be some kind of personal cost for attempting to incite a social media mob into violence against a teenage boy you don't know, but decided to hate anyway because reasons.
One of the biggest problems with internet content is that the vast majority of sites don't pay their writers, and it shows in the lack of quality writing. It's hard to find decent writers, and harder to scrape up the cash to pay them. This piece is a shining example of the problem of free content: it's worth what you pay for.
If you're interested in understanding our current cultural insanity, the best primer available is Douglas Murray's The Madness of Crowds. Thoughtful, entertaining, and incisive.
More laws are dumb. More law enforcement is dumb. The only proper response to violence is overwhelming violence. End the assault. There's a rising anti-semitism problem in New York because Jews who act like victims are being victimized by predators. None of these attacks are random. Carry a weapon and practice deploying it under duress. Be alert and aware. I don't understand why the women Tiffany Harris attacked didn't flatten her face into the pavement, but once word gets around that the consequences of violence are grave, the violence will lessen.
When are you assholes going to understand that this stupidity doesn't work any longer? Nobody gives much of a damn if you think we're sexist because we don't want to see a movie you think we should see. It only makes us dislike you that much more, and you started out being an unlikable asshole. Find a new way to shame normal people.
The movie Terms of Endearment still holds up more than 35 years later, and if you're looking for a tearjerker, this is your jam. One element that didn't get a lot of mention is, at the end, when Flap, with a shrug, decides that his mother-in-law will become the mother of his children once Emma dies. He abandons them, and nothing is made of it. This always troubled me.
You need to read this story the next time you feel the urge to complain. And if you need a shot of admiration for another family's courage, check this out.
Progressive political activist and children's author J.K. Rowling finds herself on the wrong side of a mob she helped to create. The Woke Sandwich she's been trying to force-feed others since she earned enough f-you money doesn't taste as good as it looks when she's obliged to take a bite.
I need you to check out The Kohen Chronicles and pray for this family. Their 5-year-old son has cancer.
Currently, the movie Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stands at 55% at Rotten Tomatoes. Don't forget that these are the same reviewers who not only adored the absolutely execrable The Last Jedi, but insisted that you were a MAGA hat-wearing incel white supremacist manbaby for not loving The Last Jedi. So either The Rise of Skywalker is an objectively bad film, or it simply wasn't woke enough to earn plaudits from our movie-reviewing moral and intellectual betters.
It's easy to hate the older pop bands like Genesis for their popularity, but they were capable of genius, and it shows in No Son of Mine.
If you want to know which identity group has more clout, read this story of the Zola ads on the Hallmark Channel.
Rest in peace, René Auberjonois. I remember you from Benson as a kid. As an adult, I remember you as Janos Audron in the Legacy of Kain video game series. You made every role you were in a classic.
Elf on a Shelf Follies, Part 2:
8-year-old: I wrote the elf a note! I hope he writes back.
Me: What did you write?
8yo: I asked if he has any friends.
Me: What if he says it's none of your business?
8yo: *eyes grow dark and glittering* Then I'll...touch him.
Me: Ah. Mutually assured destruction, then.
Elf on a Shelf Follies, Part 1: My 8-year-old got an Elf on the Shelf the other day. The book it came with tells a story in doggerel about this elf's purpose, which is to spy on the kid and report his doings to Santa Claus, who would then determine if the kid is worthy for Christmas presents this year. The book also said for the kid not to touch him, or the magic would fade, and for the family to give the elf a name. I wanted to name him Stasi. I was outvoted.
Actor Billy Dee Williams calls himself a man or a woman, depending on whim; his character Lando Calrissian is "pansexual," and his writer implies that he'd become intimate with anyone or anything, including, one presumes, a dog, a toaster, or a baby. J.J. Abrams is very concerned about LGBTQ representation in the Star Wars universe. This is Hollywood. This is Star Wars. This is what's important to the people in charge of your cinematic entertainment. Are you not entertained?
The funniest thing on the internet today is the number of people angry over an exercise bike commercial. Public outrage is always funny. Always.
One of the biggest mistakes the United States has ever made since WWII was recruiting for clandestine and federal law enforcement organizations at Ivy League schools. The best talent pools were/are available from local law enforcement and military veterans, with their maturity and, most importantly, field experience. We've been reaping the costs of these terrible decisions for decades, culminating in a hopelessly politicized, sub-competent FBI and CIA.
Watching Fauda seasons 1 and 2 again in preparation for season 3 to be broadcast, one hopes, in early 2020. Here's my back-of-the-matchbook review of season 2.
Every day I try to be grateful for what I have, even in the face of the petty frustrations and troubles that pockmark a day spent outside of one's living room, binge-watching Netflix. We live lives of ease in 21st century America, making it enormously difficult to do anything but take one's countless blessings for granted. Holidays like the just-passed Thanksgiving are helpful reminders. There's a reason why people call the attitude of a thankful heart practicing gratitude, not just feeling grateful. You have to practice it. You have to remind yourself of what you have. It's the work of a lifetime.
Held Back: A Recent Conversation.
8-year-old: Oh, and Jamie was there, too. He was in my first grade class two years ago.
Me: Wasn't he held back a year?
8yo: Yeah. It's because he kept going to the bathroom with the door open.
Me: No way!
8yo: And girls saw.
Me: That's not right. They're not going to hold a kid back a whole year over that.
8yo: Well, that's what he told me.
Me: Sounds fishy.
8yo: I believe him.
It's right and good to push a raft of politically correct social justice policies on everything else under the sun, but when social justice invades Hollywood, that's just a bridge too far, says Terry Gilliam. Sorry, Terry: you helped make this sandwich. EAT IT.
Rob Henderson's piece on luxury beliefs will have you nodding your head over and over again...unless you subscribe to these luxury beliefs, in which case you'll get mad.
I've made the Saturday bread from Flour Water Salt Yeast so often that I've memorized the recipe. It never disappoints. Never. The same recipe works well for pizza, too.
Liberty doesn't mean the freedom to do anything you want. The true definition of liberty is the ability to choose the good. Anything less is libertinism.
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text:
The "British Isles" is also an old name for the British and Irish Lions.
LocationBritishIsles.png
The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands.
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of Europe consisting of Great Britain (that is England, Scotland, and Wales), Ireland and the many smaller adjacent islands. These islands form an archipelago of more than 6,000 islands, totalling 315,134 km² (121,674 square miles) of land.
The archipelago has been referred to by a single name for over two thousand years, and the term British Isles derives from terms used by classical geographers to describe the island group. Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History (iv.xvi.102) records of Great Britain, "It was itself named Albion while all the islands about which we shall soon briefly speak were called the Britanniae.
Nonetheless today, because the 'British Isles' include the whole of Ireland, as well as three crown dependencies which are not a part of the United Kingdom, the term is considered an anachronism by some, or a source of potential confusion or offence.
1 List of the British Isles
2 Origin of the term British Isles
2.1 Classical geographers
2.2 Native sources
2.3 Renaissance mapmakers
2.4 Modern historians
3 Subsequent political history
4 Problems with modern usage
5 Alternative terms
List of the British Isles
Satellite Image of the British Isles (excluding Shetland) and part of northern Continental Europe
Main article: Complete list of the British Isles
Northern Isles (including Orkney, Shetland and Fair Isle)
Hebrides (including the Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides and Small Isles)
Islands of the lower Firth of Clyde (including the Isle of Arran and Bute)
Ulster: Rathlin Island, Arranmore, Tory Island
Connacht: Achill Island, Clew Bay islands, Inishturk, Inishbofin, Inishark, Aran Islands
Munster: Blasket Islands, Valentia Island, Cape Clear , Sherkin Island, Great Island
Leinster: Lambay Island
Channel Islands1
Rockall
Many other small islands are not listed.
Origin of the term British Isles
In classical times, foreign sources used "Brit-" or "Prit-" with various endings and native sources used oceani insulae meaning "islands of the ocean" or insularum meaning "islands". Only in modern times has British Isles entered the English language.
Classical geographers
The inhabitants of the British Isles in classical times were the Celtic Bruthin or Priteni, who invaded Britain and Ireland some time before the 5th century BC. The classical writers of geographies named the group of islands after these inhabitants, using a transliteration into their own language such as Latin (e.g. Bretannae) or Greek (e.g. Βρηττανων).
Throughout Book 4 of his Geography, Strabo is consistent in spelling the island Britain (transliterated) as Prettanikee; he uses the terms Prettans or Brettans for the islands as a group. For example, in Geography 2.1.18, "...οι νοτιωτατοι των Βρηττανων βορηιοτηροι τουτον ηισιν". (...the most southern of the Brettans are further north than this)2. He was writing around AD 10, although the earliest surviving copy of his work dates from the 6th century.
Pliny the Elder writing around AD 70 uses a Latin version of the same terminology in section 4.102 of his Naturalis Historia. He writes of Great Britain: Albion ipsi nomen fuit, cum Britanniae vocarentur omnes de quibus mox paulo dicemus. (Albion was its own name, when all [the islands] were called the Britannias; I will speak of them in a moment). In the following section, 4.103, Pliny enumerates the islands he considers to make up the Britannias, listing Great Britain, Ireland, and many smaller islands.
Ptolemy is quite clear that Ireland – he calls it Hibernia – belongs to the group he calls Britannia. He entitles Book II, Chapter 1 of his Geography as Hibernia, Island of Britannia.
Native sources
The early surviving discussion of the geography is almost exclusively in classical languages. The "British Isles" terminology of the classical geographers is found in English only in documents written after the Reformation.
The earliest native source to use a collective term for the archipelago is the Life of Saint Columba, a hagiography purporting to record the missionary activities of the sixth century Irish monk Saint Columba among the peoples of Britain. Written in the late seventh century by Adomnán of Iona, an Irish monk living on a Scottish island with considerable Pictish and English interests, it must be considered an authority as regards the totality of relationships within the archipelago at that time. The collective term for the archipelago used within this work is oceani insulae meaning "islands of the ocean" (Book 2, 46 in the Sharpe edition = Book 2, 47 in Reeves edition) and it is used sparingly.
Another early native source to use a collective term is the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum of Bede written in the early eighth century. The collective term for the archipelago used within this work is insularum meaning "islands" (Book 1, 8) and it too is used sparingly.
The term does not appear to have entered English usage until after the Reformation. The earliest quotation of "British Isles" given by the authoritative Oxford English Dictionary is in 1621.
Renaissance mapmakers
Continental mapmakers Gerardus Mercator (1512), Balthasar Moretus (1624), Giovanni Magini (1596), Abraham Ortelius (1570) and Sebastian Munster (1550) produced maps bearing the term "British Isles". Ortelius makes clear his understanding that England, Scotland and Ireland were politically nominally at least separate in 1570 by the full title of his map: "Angliae, Scotiae et Hiberniae, sive Britannicar. insularum descriptio" which translates as "a description of England, Scotland and Ireland, or the British Isles", additionally many maps from this period show Cornwall as a separate nation, most notably Mercator.
Modern historians
There were four groups of Celtic invaders of Ireland, viz., beginning with the earliest:
(1) The Cruthin (Priteni), after whom these islands were known to the Greeks as the Pretanic Islands. In early historical times they preserved their individuality best in the North of Britain, where they were known to Latin writers as "Picti". O'Rahilly, T. F. (1984). Early Irish history and mythology. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. pp. 40–2
The first group of invaders of which we know anything were the "Bruthin" or "Priteni", a group of P-Celts, who invaded both Britain and Ireland, presumably from Europe, some time before the fifth century B.C. They maintained their individuality best in North Britain, where they were known as Picts to the Latin writers. It was their presence which made Greeks like Ptolemy and Pytheas refer to the British Isles as "the Pretanic Isles". Needham, C. (1963). The life of St. Patrick. Camden, NJ: The St. Patrick Fathers.
"The Brettans" appears to be an older term than Brettanike, and suggests that the earliest sources viewed Britain together with adjacent islands under this name; ... Strabo spells this with a P (Prettans)... Pliny seems to use the same terminology... "cum Brittaniae vocarentur omnes") It is quite possible that this goes back to Pytheas... Certainly it would not be unreasonable for mariners using the Western Seaway between Ireland and Britain to group all the outlying islands together with the large ones under a single term... (Roseman, C H (1984) Pytheas of Massalia: On the Ocean Text, Translation and Commentary Chicago, Illinois: Ares Publishers, Inc. p. 45)
The term "British" had been used to describe the Brythonic Celts who inhabited Brittany ("Little Britain") and most of the largest island of the archipelago, Great Britain. Ireland was inhabited by Goidelic Celts.
use of the initial P is considered to reflect the Brythonic branch of Keltic, and ... the change in spelling from Pre- to Brit- [may be] based on a misconception of Caesar's arising from his familiarity with Britanni occupying the Gaulish coast around Boulogne. (Roseman, op.cit., footnote 34, chapter IV)3
Subsequent political history
Thus at the time the name Priteni was first applied to it, the archipelago was inhabited by the P-Celts. By the time the Romans left in the 7th century they were differentiated into the Brythonic Celts in the lands that would become England, Cornwall, Wales and southern Scotland and the Picts in northern Scotland, while Ireland was dominated by Goidelic Celts who, as Scotti (Scots) had by then established Dalriada in western Scotland. In the following centuries Anglo-Saxons formed the kingdom of Wessex, pushing the Brythonic Celts back into Wales, Cumbria, south-west Scotland and Dumnonia later to become Kernow (or Cornwall). Angles took over Northumbria and south-east Scotland. Viking invaders formed the Danelaw in eastern England and took over Caithness, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man and north-east Ireland, forming a settlement at Dublin. The Scots amalgamated with the Picts forming a Scottish Kingdom which by the early 11th century expanded to include the area of modern Scotland and Cumbria.
The Norman Conquest of 1066 brought England under Norman rule and their 1072 foray into Scotland left the first of a series of arguments as to whether the Scots accepted the suzerainty of the English kings. From then on Scottish kings were Anglo-Norman rather than Celtic. In 1171 King Henry II of England invaded Ireland, asuming the title Lord of Ireland. The Anglo-Normans settled as a ruling elite controlling much of Ireland, but over time the native Irish regained some territory and, outside the area of English authority around Dublin called the Pale, the Norman lords adopted the Irish language and customs and became known as the "Old English".
In 1140 the Hebridean Islands, the Isle of Man and Antrim came under the Norse-Gael rule of the Lord of the Isles who kept a varying degree of independence until the Hebrides were forfeited to Scotland in 1493. From the early 13th century the Scots language of south east Scotland was spread throughout the Lowlands, but the Scottish Highlands remained Gaelic speaking and developed the semi-independent Scottish clan system. Wales came under English control with the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and became part of the Kingdom of England by the Acts of Union 1536-1543. The English Kings became Kings of Ireland as well in 1541, ruling through an Irish Parliament.
Scotland was still independent despite a series of disputes and wars with England, then in 1603 King James VI of Scotland inherited the title James I of England, unifying the countries under a personal union of the crowns. While the governments of England and Scotland remained separate, King James proclaimed himself "King of Great Brittaine" on October 20th 1604, apparently with the political aim of creating a shared identity under his autocratic rule. Ireland was effectively being ruled as a colony of England and James expanded an existing policy of English settlers, adding Scots Presbyterians and creating the "Plantation of Ulster" at the expense of the existing Roman Catholics, both the native Irish and the "Old English". As the century progressed the Civil Wars of the Three Kingdoms brought Irish rebellion with massacres alienating Protestants from Catholics and making Irish Catholics embittered about the English, tensions further reinforced in the Jacobite war in Ireland.
Scottish economic weakness against English protectionism lead to merger of the governments in the 1707 Act of Union when the official name became The Kingdom of Great Britain, with pro-Hanoverian Scots enthusiastically adopting the term "North Britain" as an alternative to "Scotland" for example "The Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons" were renamed "The Royal North British Dragoons" (later examples included the North British Magazine and the North British Railway). The Scottish Highlanders were still Gaelic speaking and were derisively called "Erse" (Irish) by the Lowlanders, but to end Jacobitism the Scottish clan system was crushed and they became fully British. A French-aided rebellion in Ireland in 1798 was defeated and Ireland was brought firmly under British government control by the 1800 Act of Union in what became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
During the 19th century famine and emigration affected the Irish and the Scottish Highlanders. Irish nationalist attempts to win independence peaked in the early 20th century with the Anglo-Irish war of independence and the 1922 separation of the Irish Free State, later becoming the Republic of Ireland. The mostly Protestant northeast continued to be part of what was now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with a Northern Ireland Assembly which is at present suspended. Inspired by the Irish movement, nationalist parties developed in Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. More recently Scotland has gained Home Rule with a Scottish Parliament and Wales a degree of home administration with the Welsh Assembly, but both remain part of the unitary United Kingdom. Cornwall has not been granted any devolved power but a petition calling for a Cornish assembly has collected more than 50,000 signatures.
Problems with modern usage
Today the term British is usually used to describe people of things belonging to either Great Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However the whole island of Ireland, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are still commonly included in the 'British Isles', despite the fact that the greater part of Ireland has, since 1922, been independent of the UK as the Republic of Ireland, and that the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not a part of UK but crown dependencies.
Many Irish people, as well as some Scottish, Welsh and Cornish nationalists, find the term British Isles proprietorial and unacceptable as being inconsistent with the modern meaning of the word British. However, Unionists in Northern Ireland attach great importance to their 'British' identity.
Hostility to the term British Isles has often been caused by its misinterpretation; this was exemplified by an embarrassing and controversial faux pas by the then American First Lady Nancy Reagan during an Irish visit. The confusion caused by the term was also highlighted during a stop-over visit to the Republic of Ireland by then Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, when he indicated that he presumed Ireland's head of state was Queen Elizabeth II, given that she was the British Queen and his officials said that Ireland was a part of the British Isles.
The term British Isles is no longer used in Irish state documents, has been abandoned in schoolbooks in the Republic of Ireland and is being phased out of textbooks4. Its usage is also decreasing in official British state documents, out of sensitivity to the concerns of some Irish, Scottish and Welsh people and the evolving geo-political relationships.
Alternative terms
Many have suggested replacements for the term British Isles but none has yet won universal acceptance. Sometimes, an ambiguous phrase such as "these Isles" or "the Isles" is used, thus utilising the same logic used when referring to the Persian Gulf as the "Gulf". In cases where what is being referred to is the two largest islands, the term "Great Britain and Ireland" can be used.
In the context of the Northern Ireland peace process the term Islands of the North Atlantic (IONA), a term initially created by former Conservative Party MP Sir John Biggs-Davison, has been used as a neutral term to describe the 'British Isles', but in a wider context the term might be misunderstood as including Iceland, Greenland, the Azores and other islands.
A more geographically accurate and slightly less ambiguous phrase, "North-Western Europe", is starting to find favour, especially in Ireland. The phrase "North European Archipelago" is somewhat whimsical, but even more accurate. The phrase "Great Britain, Ireland, and surrounding islands", is also occasionally used, but lacks brevity.
The phrase "the Anglo-Celtic Isles" has also been suggested and is in some use, being both ethnically and geographically accurate and elegantly concise.
The term British Islands is not a potential alternative; this is an official term used for the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies, i.e. all of the isles except the Republic of Ireland.
The Channel Islands are included here by convention. Some people do not consider them part of the archipelago, as they are closer to France than to Great Britain.
Translation by Roseman, op.cit.
The author also refers to related discussion in Chadwick, H.M. 1949, repr. 1974, Early Scotland Octagon Books; (November 1974), ASIN 0374913579
The problems caused by how one refers to the isles was highlighted when the historian Norman Davies produced a book examining the history of the archipelago. The title chosen was the neutral The Isles: A History though the cover carries a picture of the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland from Abraham Ortelius's 1570 map. Indeed the term British Isles does not even feature in the index of the book. The index simply refers to The Isles. Norman Davies, The Isles: A History (Palgrave/Macmillan, 1999) ISBN 033376370X
A History of Britain: At the Edge of the World, 3500 BC - 1603 AD by Simon Schama, BBC/Miramax, 2000 ISBN 0786866756
A History of Britain - The Complete Collection on DVD by Simon Schama, BBC 2002 ASIN B00006RCKI
ARCHAIC ENGLAND (http://fax.libs.uga.edu/DA90xB358A/): an essay in deciphering prehistory from megalithic monuments, earthworks, customs, coins, place-names, and faerie superstitions, by Harold Bayley. Publisher: London, Chapman & Hall ltd., 1919
The Isles, A History by Norman Davies, Oxford University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-19-513442-7
Shortened History of England by G. M. Trevelyan Penguin Books ISBN 0140233237
UK topics
History of Great Britain
Acts of Union 1536-1543
Act of Union 1707
Anglo-Irish Treaty
Geograph British Isles (http://www.geograph.co.uk) - Creative Commons licenced, geo-located photographs of the British Isles.
Roman-Britain.Org (http://www.roman-britain.org)
Roman Britain at LacusCurtius (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Great_Britain/_Periods/Roman/home.html) (includes 3 complete books)
The Geography of Claudius Ptolemy: Book II, Chapter 1 (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Periods/Roman/.Texts/Ptolemy/2/1*.html)
Pliny, Book 4 section 102ff. (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/4*.html#102)
Pliny excerpts (http://www.roman-britain.org/pliny.htm)
Angliae, Scotiae et Hiberniae, sive Britannicar. insularum descriptio. - Ortelius, 1570 (http://www.maphist.com/artman/uploads/04520_002.jpg).
Britannicarum Insularum Typus - Ortelius 1624 (http://www.bergbook.com/htdocs/woda/data/demo/descriptions/14983.htm)
Mercator's Atlas (http://www.walkingtree.com/) Maps of Cornwall & Wales ("Cornewallia & Wallia"), Ireland ("Irlandia"), Scotland ("Scotia") and England ("Anglia") circa 1564.
Early maps of the British Isles – Munster 1550 et al. (http://www.antiquemaps.co.uk/book/chapter18.html)
Excerpt from Reeves edition of Life of Saint Columba. (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/L201040/text082.html)
Excerpt from Bede in Latin (http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/bede1.html#8)
Excerpt from Bede in English translation (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/bede-book1.html)
BBC Nations (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/state/nations/)
The British Isles (http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/britishisles/)ca:Illes Britàniques
de:Britische Inseln fr:Îles britanniques nl:Britse Eilanden ja:ブリテン諸島 no:De britiske øyene pl:Wyspy Brytyjskie pt:Ilhas Britânicas ru:Британские острова fi:Britteinsaaret sv:Brittiska öarna
Retrieved from "http://wvw.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/British_Isles"
Categories: British Isles


Its strike is often so delicate, it may be hooked before you know it. Seldom will one weighing much over a pound be caught. It puts up an admirable tussle on light fishing tackle, but it's not really a hard fighter. So why is the crappie such a popular gamefish?
Anything these sunfish lack in size, they compensate for in numbers and the ease with which they are caught.
There's no single answer. Anglers laud the crappie for a combination of characteristics that make crappie fishing pure fun.
Fancy equipment? No need. It doesn't matter if you use an old cane pole or a $200 ultralight rig. Both catch crappie.
Kids of all ages can learn how to catch crappie. Sure, trout are bedazzling jumpers. Catfish are superb dinner fare. And stripers are brutal battlers. For many anglers, however; crappie are the favorites because the certainty of some kind of fishing action is far better than promised battles that never come.
Anglers seldom bother to distinguish between the two crappie species, black and white. Fishing techniques are the same for both. Neither is a more worthy quarry than the other. But if you catch a crappie big enough for the record books, it must be positively identified as one or the other.
The most reliable method of separating the two is counting the dorsal fin spines. Black crappie normally have seven or eight; whites usually have six.
Color is not as dependable, but white crappie are paler, and dark spots on the sides are usually arranged in regular vertical bars; blacks have irregular spotting.
Black crappie prefer cool, clear lakes and large slow-moving rivers. They're slightly fussier about their environment than whites, which flourish in warmer, siltier waters. Some fishing waters have a preponderance of one or the other, but sage crappiers couldn't care less. They're after crappie, plain and simple.
Crappie have more aliases than a "most-wanted" criminal, over 50 in all. Some anglers call them specks, papermouths, white perch, or calicos. Other monikers include sac-a-lait (Cajun-French for "bag of milk"), bachelor perch, banklick, chinquapin, lamplight, speckled perch, tinmouth, and strawberry bass.
Crappie usually congregate in loose schools near woody cover. Young crappie prey heavily on insects, while baitfish comprise most of the adult's diet.
Average size depends on local conditions. While 1/2- to 1-pound crappie comprise the usual catch, prime waters can yield 'barn-doors" in the 2- to 3-pound range.
A top-of-the-line crappie fishing rod costs under $70.
By applying information on seasonal preferences, you can locate prime crappie fishing areas year-round.
Summer and winter crappie form large, loose schools and usually hold near cover in 10 to 35 feet of water. In oxbows, look for fish near old river channels or the basin of the lake. Reservoir fish may concentrate in deep timber near channel breaks or humps. River crappie tend to hole up in deep backwaters. Using a sonar fish-finder makes the difficult job of locating these fish much simpler.
In spring, as the water temperature climbs into the upper 50s and low 60s, crappie move to their spawning grounds, usually in shallow, wind-protected coves with good cover. Most anglers find crappie near shoreline cover-button willows, cypress trees, blowdowns, stickups and weedbeds. Larger crappie may be farther out over shallow, main-lake humps or near channel edges adjacent to shallow flats.
During cold fronts, crappie may leave shallows for deeper water. Deep timber along channel edges or underwater humps is a favorite retreat. The more severe the front, the deeper the fish withdraw.
Locating autumn crappie is especially hard. Fish in 8-foot depths one day may move to 20 feet the next. They may hold over brushpiles in the morning and move to deep points by evening. The best advice this season is to keep moving until you find feeding fish.
Fishing Tip: Click to view of the Rookie's Guide to Spider Rigging.
Virtually any rod and reel combination or pole works for catching crappie. The outfit employed depends mostly on the type waters you fish and the depth crappie are holding.
When crappie are deep or in sparse cover, ultralight spinning or spincast combos spooled with 4- to 10- pound line are appropriate. This combination lets you get down where the fish are and allows pinpoint casts to open cover.
Using the pole approach is usually most efficient in shallow or snag-infested waters. Pole fishing permits you to fish brushpiles, treetops and other dense cover with fewer hangups.
The trusty ol' cane pole is simple, inexpensive and efficient. But today, many dealers sell higher-quality fiberglass and graphite fishing poles. Most are telescopic for easy transportation and have built-in line-holders allowing line length to be easily adjusted. Select a length and style that's easy to handle.
There are innumerable styles of tackle boxes on today's market. The one you select will depend largely on how much crappie fishing tackle you carry on each outing, the type of tackle you use and, if you're budget-conscious, the price.
The removable lure storage boxes are a boon when planning a trip where you fish for bream, catfish, bass or other species in addition to crappie.
If you're primarily a minnow fisherman, a small box that will accommodate a selection of hooks, bobbers, sinkers, and line may suit your needs perfectly. But if you fish both with jigs and minnows, you'll probably want something a bit more elaborate.
I tried a variety of tackle boxes — cloth bags, over-and-unders, tilt-trays and more before finding my favorite. Most didn't have enough tray compartments to organize my jigs. And those that had an ample number of compartments didn't have space for larger tackle like spools of line and extra reels.
I finally settled on a model that opens at the front to reveal three slide-in, slide-out, worm-proof, plastic tackle boxes, each with dividers that can be custom-fit to create up to 24 compartments. That's a total of 72 compartments, each just the right size for a couple dozen jigs and jig heads. And by purchasing more of the small slide-in boxes, I can organize additional ones to use when I change fishing tactics or fish for species other than crappie.
For example, in summer I often use small jigging spoons to catch crappie holding around deep structure. That's the only season I do much spoon fishing, so I've organized a small box full of spoons that replaces one of the jig boxes on my summer outings.
The removable boxes are also a boon when planning a trip where I'll fish for bream, catfish, bass or other species in addition to crappie. Slide out a box of jigs, slide in a box of bass lures. My tackle box also has an extra-deep top compartment for bulkier gear like stringers, line and reels.
In the top compartment of my tackle box, I keep a smaller (4-by-8-inch) compartmented box for organizing the hooks, sinkers and bobbers I use when crappie fishing.
I prefer No. 1, 1/0 and 2/0 gold Aberdeen fishing hooks. I keep several dozen of each size, mostly thin-wire models that do the least damage to fragile minnows and will bend enough to free from snags.
Split shot are the primary type of sinkers I use. I prefer those with small "ears" for easier removal, and generally have 100 or more in sizes 8 to 3 in my box. I also keep a couple dozen trolling or bead-chain sinkers handy. These are useful when trolling or drifting for crappie.
Keep a spool of 4- to 8-pound test for situations dictating light fishing line.
Fishing bobbers or floats are another important item of crappie fishing equipment. In addition to suspending the bait at the right depth and providing a visual cue that a fish has taken the bait, they also add weight so you can cast tiny lures accurately and the proper distance. I usually keep 15 to 20 in my tacklebox, including tiny, cigar-shaped floats of foam or cork, and several snap-on, plastic bobbers.
It's also wise to keep extra line handy. I keep a spool of 4- to 8-pound-test for situations dictating light line and a spool of 17-pound line that I use when fishing heavy brush. I use a good premium monofilament and consider fluorescent green or yellow line best. These colors are much more visible, which permits the detection of the lightest of strikes.
Fishng Jigs are by far the most popular artificial for taking crappie. There are literally thousands of styles and colors available. Jigs come with bodies of rubber, plastic, marabou, hair, rubber bands, floss, tinsel, chenille, and innumerable other materials. There are jigs with curly tails, ripple tails, broad tails and triple tails; jigs with lead heads, floating heads, diving heads and standing heads; jigs with spinners and without spinners; weedless jigs and those that aren't; and all this in the colors of the rainbow and every combination imaginable.
To be prepared for any situation, carry several jig styles, colors and weights. Most crappie jigs range from around 1/80th to 1/8th ounce, occasionally up to 1/4 ounce. I stock my box with four primary sizes: 1/64, 1/32, 1/16-and 1/8-ounce. Ninety percent of them are 1/32-ounce, because that's the size I find most productive in most situations. However, there are times and places where smaller or larger jigs prove more productive.
The best jig for you is the one in which you develop the most confidence. Try several varieties, and most likely, one will soon become your favorite. My personal favorites are tube and curlytail jigs, primarily because I can quickly change colors without having to cut off and re-tie the jighead. Speed and simplicity are important when trying to determine a pattern on crappie.
I also keep a variety of small safety-pin spinners in my tacklebox. These can be snapped on a jig to add extra crappie-attracting flashiness and vibration in stained or muddy water. In addition, I carry a small selection of other crappie-catching lures to use in situations where jig fishing isn't productive. Among my favorites are 1/8- to 1/4-ounce spoons, mini-crankbaits that imitate baitfish, and small in-line and horsehead spinners.
The remainder of the equipment in my crappie box consists of these items: an extra line-holder reel that will fit any of my jigging poles, an extra ultralight spinning reel, two chain stringers, pliers, a small reel repair tool kit and fishing reel oil, sunscreen, nail clippers (for trimming line), a digital fish scale, a fish-scaler tool, a fillet knife, and a ceramic knife sharpener. That's it. I have everything I need for most outings, and it's all together in a package ready for transport.
Regardless of season or location, you must establish a fishing pattern to be successful. What cover are crappie using? At what depth? Are they hitting best early or late? On minnows or jigs? Yellow jigs or blue? Vary your tactics until you figure out what's best.
In spring, fish visible shoreline cover first, moving until you find crappie beds. Deep-holding summer and winter crappie are harder to locate. Fish deep cover located with sonar or troll with several lines at different depths until you find fish. "Here today, gone tomorrow" autumn crappie require shallow- and deep-water searching.
Crappie seldom strike with the gusto of bass or trout. They may simply inhale the bait with no noticeable hit. When fishing "bobberless," watch your line closely for a twitch or slackening in the line signaling a taker.
The nickname "papermouth" isn't a misnomer. Set the hook with just a gentle flick of the wrist or by simply tightening the line to avoid tearing the fragile mouth. Keep the line taut, and slowly lift and swing fish into the boat.
With the right equipment, an in-depth knowledge of the crappie's predictable habits and a little luck, you can hit the jackpot almost any place and time you fish.
A scrappy fighter. Abundant. Widespread. Easy to catch. Unexcelled table fare. Add up all the crappie's virtues, and you can only reach one conclusion. Pass the cane pole and minnows, please.