Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Prefixes (osteo-)

Remember the Spelling Bee? Big words are easier to tackle when you understand how they're put together. Veterinary terms are composed in the same way. Just like with other words, the main parts of a veterinary term are a prefix, a root, and a suffix. The difference is that they typically come more directly from Greek or Latin.

A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning by providing additional information. It usually indicates number, location, time, or status.

osteo- [ˈɒstɪə] - from Greek - bone, related to bones


Another nice and straightforward one. When you hear this prefix, your veterinarian is talking about your dog's bone(s).

The most well known, and sadly, one of the most common diseases many dogs suffer from, is osteoarthritis. This condition is a degenerative condition of bones AND cartilage in the joints.

Osteopathy is any disease affecting bones. Osteotomy is a surgical procedure involving cutting of the bones, such as common knee surgeries like TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) or TTO (Triple Tibial Osteotomy).

Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) is a disease of the cartilage in the joints. Osteoporosis stands for porous bones, meaning bones with decreased density. Osteosarcoma (OSA) stands for most common bone cancer in dogs.

There are many more examples, but you get the picture.

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Related articles:
Veterinary Suffixes (-itis)
Veterinary Suffixes (-oma) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-pathy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-osis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-iasis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-tomy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-ectomy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-scopy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-emia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-penia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-rrhea) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-cyte) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-blast) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-opsy)
Veterinary Suffixes (-ac/-al)

Veterinary Prefixes (hyper-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (hypo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (pyo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myelo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (spondylo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (cardio-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (cervic-)

Bin Laden's Death is a Dangerous Anniversary

By Alan Caruba

Thursday, May 2, is a day to be especially watchful. Jihadists are particularly fond of celebrating anniversaries and on that day in 2011 Seal Team Six found and killed Osama bin Laden. September 11. 2001 is now an indelible part of U.S. history and on September 11, 2012, jihadists attacked and killed an American ambassador and three others.

The threat that Islam presents to America in particular and the world in general is beginning to influence what non-Muslims think of this death cult.

In a recent commentary, the Dr. Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum, referred to the process by which opinion in democratic nations turns against Islam as “education by murder.”

Dr. Pipes was sanguine regarding the American response to the Boston Marathon attack. He did not foresee any increase in security measures or a greater preparedness for what he called “sudden jihad syndrome” violence. Even so, he said “High profile terrorism in the West—9/11, Bali, Madrid, Beslan, London—moves opinion more than anything else.”

A new report about the Islamist terrorist threat, “Al Qaeda in the United States”, issued by the Henry Jackson Society, a British-based think tank, noted that, of the 171 al Qaeda related or inspired acts of terrorism from 1997 to 2011, 54% were by American citizens, some naturalized, but more than a third (36%) were born in the U.S., concluding that this statistic dispels the myth that the terrorist threat is primarily external.” 

I keep wondering how long it will be before Americans will begin to take seriously the threat that Islam represents. The list of attacks is a long one such as the 1982 attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut and the 1983 attack on the U.S. Marine Barracks after Reagan sent them there as peacekeepers. The first attack on the World Trade Center was in 1993. In October 2000, the USS Cole was attacked. On September 11, 2001, the second attack killed 3,000 Americans. When George W. Bush came into office, he told his national security advisor, Condoleeza Rice, that he was “tired of swatting flies.”

President Obama’s approach to Islam was initially one of outreach and accommodation. The fact that his father was a Muslim and that he had spent his youth in Indonesia as the adopted son of a Muslim no doubt influenced this and many believe he remains a Muslim despite his denials.

Despite the fact that the search for bin laden began following 9/11, Obama took credit for the having found and killed him. No credit was publicly given to Bush who he had relentlessly criticized for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

My friend, Amil Amani, has labored long and hard to educate Americans about Islam. At one point, responding to a critic who defended Islam, he said “Islam is a culture of death. Islam is a comprehensive totalitarian form of slavery. It is the opposite of freedom. Its very name, Islam means submission or surrender. True to its name, Islam strives for nothing short of enslavement of the body of humanity as well as the bondage of its mind. This non-negotiable surrender to Islam requires the individual, as well as the society, to disenfranchise themselves of many of the fundamental and deeply cherished human rights.”

In 1998 the founder of al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, issued a World Islamic Front statement, “Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders”, meaning Christians. He quoted Mohammed. “I have been sent with the sword between my hands to ensure that no one but Allah is worshipped, Allah who put my livelihood under the shadow of my spear and who inflicts humiliation and scorn on those who disobey my orders.”

Bin Laden issued “the ruling to kill Americans and their allies—civilians and military—is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa mosque (Mecca) from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim.”

President Obama labored through his first term to remove American troops from Iraq and has sent 2014 as the year they leave Afghanistan.

Bin Laden’s call and the instructions of Mohammed are the driving force behind the efforts of Muslims in nations throughout the world to wage war and we are witnessing that effort. So long as President Obama remains in office the effort to thwart that war will be muted.

His closest advisors and those in his cabinet such as Janet Napolitano, in charge of the Department of Homeland Security, will continue to tell Americans that a successful effort is being waged. It is not.

On May 2 and every day for a very long time to come, Americans will be on the front lines of the war on terrorism, the war between Islam and America, the war against the world.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Predictive Analytics by Eric Siegel - Book review

Predictive Analytics

The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die

By: Eric Siegel

Published: February 19, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1118356853
ISBN-13: 978-1118356852
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.











"Compelled to grow and propelled to the mainstream, predictive technology is commonplace and affects everyone, every day. It impacts your experiences in undetectable ways as you drive, shop, study, vote, see the doctor, communicate, watch TV, earn, borrow, or even steal", writes founder of Predictive Analytics World and Text Analytics World, Eric Siegel, in his groundbreaking and endlessly fascinating book Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die. The author describes the achievements of computer based prediction, and of the people and the science behind meeting its difficult challenges.

Eric Siegel understands that the concept of computerized predictions may appear simple on the surface, but that there are also multiple and complex variables and concepts operating beneath. The author points out that this myriad of factors must come together to reach a conclusion in the form of a prediction. Eric Siegel provides the solution in the form of machine learning where computers actually learn as they add more knowledge and capabilities through the constant infusion of ever increasing amounts of data. The author makes clear that predictions are different from forecasts. Predictions work at the individual level, while forecasts are geared to the macro level of society.



Eric Siegel (photo left) recognizes that predictions are not always accurate, but hre result is always better than decisions based entirely on guesses. As a result, predictions, despite varying levels of accuracy, produce huge dividends. Eric Siegel offers insights into how prediction and learning from data leads to the steps involving the actions taken based on those same predictions.

Eric Siegel guides the reader through the following aspects of predictive analytics, and shares a balanced assessment of the realities and challenges involved in the use of data, machine learning, and predictions:

* The prediction effect
* Liftoff: Prediction takes action - deployment
* With power comes responsibility - ethics
* The data effect: The glut at the end of the rainbow - data
* The machine that learns: Prediction of mortgage risk - modeling
* The ensemble effect: Crowdsourcing and supercharging prediction - ensembles
* Watson and the Jeopardy! challenge - question answering
* Persuasion by the numbers - uplift

For me, the power of the book is how Eric Siegel combines a comprehensive examination of both how and why predictive analytics works, with real world examples of the prediction processes in action. The author presents a complete and balanced view of the basic principles surrounding and the interrelationship between predictive analytics, machine learning, and big data. The author adds to the understanding of the concepts through real world examples of how predictive analytics was used by various organizations. Eric Siegel demonstrates how data is utilized to make predictions, and how through machine learning, the predictions become ever more accurate through the addition of ever more data.

Eric Siegel acknowledges that the predictions may not always be correct, but also stresses how data based predictions are vastly superior to mere guesses. Eric Siegel includes an important chapter on the role of ethics and how predictive analytics and data can be misused by various agencies. As added value in the book, the author includes a list of five effects of prediction, twenty-one applications of predictive analysis, and list of people using the principles. As is appropriate for an academically oriented book, there are extensive notes and acknowledgements as well.

I highly recommend the insightful and enlightening book Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die by Eric Siegel, to any business leaders, marketers, non-profit organization executives, and anyone who may be seeking a thoughtful and informative primer on the basics of predictive analytics. This book presents an opportunity to understand more fully how data is used to predict the actions of individuals, and how these predictions will affect the future.

Kolchak And Kennel Cough

by Jodi Chick, Kol's Notes

Looking back, I wish I had just trusted my gut.

You know that feeling? The one in the pit of your stomach that tells you something just isn't quite right? Why do we ignore it? Maybe if I had listened to the twinge of uncertainty, my puppy never would have gotten so sick.

It all started on a hot summer day.

Excited that our 16 week old puggle puppy, Kolchak, had his final puppy shots and the all clear from our vet to hit the town, we headed the dog park for a romp in the dog pond. We knew he wasn't feeling 100%. A few days earlier, he'd had been vaccinated for a host of canine illnesses: Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo, Parainfluenza, Giardia, and Bordetella (Kennel Cough).

Since then, he'd been a little subdued, something our vet attributed to the hot weather and the vaccinations.

The vet assured us we had nothing to worry about. 

It never even crossed our mind really. We thought that maybe an afternoon of water and fun would bring back that fun, crazy puggle puppy we were already head over heels in love with. As Kol bounced across the park to play, he suddenly sat down and started coughing. HARD.

We bundled him up and headed back to the vet.

The vet gave him a quick once over, chuckled at how new pet owners tend to over-react and sent us home. Kolchak was just “puggy”, he said and that cough was perfectly normal for a brachycephalic breed. I felt silly – and relieved. My puppy was fine. He said he'd give him a Kennel Cough booster “just in case” and sent us off. We went home and settled into life as new puppy owners: puppy proofing, hiding our shoes and bandaging our well-nipped fingers and toes.

Three weeks later, that cough surfaced again, this time at puppy class.

Kolchak was back to his normal, bouncy self and we had started an obedience class in hopes of curbing some of his puppy antics. Every class started with some playtime and we loved watching him chase the other dogs. When he stopped playing to have what sounded to us like an asthma attack, I was crushed. Our instructor was concerned and suggested we leave class and get Kolchak checked out by the vet.

I felt a little sheepish bringing him in after the vet had already told us twice that he was just fine, but I trusted our instructor and she had scads more experience than I did. The vet listened to my story, listened with his stethoscope, snarfed something up his nose and sent us on our way. We had nothing to worry about.

But something was bothering me. 

In the pit of my stomach, I felt like something was just off, but our vet had to know better than me, right? I mean, this was his job. Of course he'd tell me if my puppy was sick? We brushed it off and I resolved to be less of a worry wart.

Over the next few weeks, that cough kept turning up.

Not every day. Not even often – when he exerted himself; when we were out being active; and when he pulled against the leash. I used to give him a stern lecture about leash pulling and how he was “choking himself, silly puppy”.

Over five months, we went to the vet six times. 

Four times, our vet gave Kolchak Bordetella booster to help “ease my fears”. Each time I left $100 poorer and feeling very silly.

But when Kolchak started to get “weepy eyes” that I had to wipe clean multiple times a day, that gut feeling that something wasn't right just wouldn't go away. We went back to the vet, who I could tell was losing patience with me.

Not to be denied this time, I insisted something was wrong. 

The vet wrote a prescription to “help take care of that cough” and diagnosed Kolchak with blocked tear ducts, recommending a pricey surgery to open them up.

We were confident that we would finally get our puppy well again.

We were excited about a surgery, but we were ecstatic that with this new medication, the cough stopped. He was healthy! We stopped worrying and started enjoying him. He was settling down into a calmer puppy that napped, relaxed on the couch and didn't run 24/7.

Until one day, about 6 months after that first coughing fit, he refused his breakfast and then his lunch. 

He half-heartedly licked at his dinner and I knew something was wrong. Kolchak has always be intimately involved with his food. This is a dog that once barked at the credenza in the dining room for three hours because a single kibble had fallen behind it!

Given a treat he loved, he'd run around the room throwing it in the air and rolling on it before gobbling it up. He had never refused food before and certainly not three meals in a row. He wasn't coughing, but he seemed short of breath and his nose was weeping, just like his eyes did.

Despite the fact that it was a Saturday night and the nearest ER vet was 25 minutes away, we packed him into the car.

I just knew he was sick.

We told the ER vet everything we knew about Kolchak's mystery illness. We showed her the medication he took and a video of his “coughing fits”.

She told us that our dog had Kennel Cough.

He had Kennel Cough and as far as she could tell, he'd had a very long time. (The video was from his second or third coughing fit, months ago.)  The medication our vet had prescribed wasn't an antibiotic, like I thought it was. He had actually prescribed cough suppressant that had likely made the illness worse!

While it's annoying, coughing serves an important bodily function of trying to expel the bacteria & secretions from your body. 

This illness had gone so long unchecked that ER vet felt it had developed into something worse. Our puppy was very, very sick. I hated subjecting him to anesthetic in that condition, but we needed to know what was wrong, in order to fix it. We did a tracheal wash to get a bacteria culture, lung x-rays to rule out a foreign object as a cause of the infection, an airway endoscopy and a blood gas analysis to determine his oxygenation levels.

The diagnosis? Chronic Bronchitis.

Watching my puppy go through all this broke my heart.

He was sick and I could have prevented it. He didn't have to go through this. If I had trusted my gut, I could have saved my dog a lot of heartache. My little guy needed IV electrolytes and antibiotics before we were allowed to take him home, promising to keep him hydrated with an electrolyte solution and feeding using a nutrient paste. We ran a humidifier with an herbal remedy in it around the clock and I took a lot of time of work, unwilling to leave him alone for even a few hours at a time, terrified that something bad could happen.

We were incredibly grateful when we saw him start to get better.

We had to attack the underlying respiratory infection with 4 different antibiotics over 50 days!

Combined with steroids, the cough slowly disappeared, though the meds made me very nervous. We sought a holistic vet to help detox his system from these harsh, but necessary drugs.

As he started to feel better and our crazy puppy returned, I realized just how sick he had been. 

What we thought was him growing up and settling down was really him showing us that he was very ill. How could we have been so blind?

A lasting reminder to trust my gut.

Worse than the all the tests and the weeks of treatment, Kolchak will always bear a permanent reminder of his illness and my failure to protect him: the months of coughing has left him with scar tissue covering a portion of his lungs and chronic bronchitis.

It doesn't much affect his day to day life, but it means we have to be careful. In the extreme cold or hot, we stay home and limit his time outdoors. We walk the fine line between good exercise and over exertion or he has breathing attacks that break my heart.

Hot, dry summer weather especially seems to irritate his lungs, so we have an air conditioner. Our friends think we're kidding when we say we run the AC 24/7 for the dog's sake, but it's the truth. Living in damp Vancouver, we're vigilant about controlling molds in our basement, as even a small spot of mold in a window frame is enough to irritate his lungs and set him off on a coughing jag.

Dusting and vacuuming are frequent chores and we wash all of our bedding and the dog bedding at least once a week. We use natural cleaning products and other household items because chemicals can irritate his breathing. It's a lot of work, but he's worth it. Thanks to our household management and our amazing holistic vet, these days, we're surprised if we hear him cough more than once a month. Some months, he doesn't cough at all.

I never want one of my dogs to be sick again.

At least not with an illness I could have prevented by being a better educated pet owner.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have known that giving my dog 4 bordetella vaccinations in 6 month was crazy and dangerous. I would have known that a cough suppressant wasn't a cure, it was a band aid to hide the problem.

The gift that Kolchak's illness gave us was knowledge and a thirst to learn more.  

I want to be an educated owner and the paths this has led me down: canine nutrition, naturopathy & holistic health have forever changed the way we treat our dogs – and our whole family. If I had known then what I know now, this all could have ended very differently.

I knew one thing all along though – trust your gut.

***

Kolchak is the driving force behind Kol's Notes blog; one dog's blog about good food, good friends and good life.

You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.

Adoption Monday: Simon, Retriever Mix: Deerfield, NH

Check out this adorable boy at Mary's Dogs Rescue & Adoption!

Simon says: he's looking for a family just in time for summer! 

This very handsome, 4 month old pup is sweet, loving, and playful. 

He has your typical puppy energy and enthusiasm to learn all that will make him the best member of your family. Simon requests rides in the car, trips to the park, toys to fetch, and maybe even giving swimming a try!

Simon says: give us a call. 


Want more info on Simon? Call Mary's Dogs: 603.370.7750 or send along an email: marysdogsrescue@gmail.com

Ready to bring Simon home? Tell us about yourself and your interest in Simon in the adoption questionnaire. Check out all the wonderful dogs on Mary's Dogs Facebook Fan Page.

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Mary’s Dogs rescues and re-homes dogs and puppies from Aiken County Animal Shelter, a high-kill shelter in South Carolina, USA. They also serve as a resource to communities in Southern New Hampshire and pet owners nationwide by providing education and information on responsible pet ownership, including the importance of spay/neuter, positive behavior training, and good nutrition.

Benghazi Lies

By Alan Caruba

At an April 17 session before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the new Secretary of State, John Kerry, lightly dismissed the assassination of a U.S. ambassador and three security personnel in Benghazi, Libya, saying “I don't think anybody lied to anybody. And let's find out exactly, together, what happened, because we need -- we got a lot more important things to move on to and get done.”

This has been the party line of the White House since the attack occurred on September 11, 2012. The initial response was to send out the hapless lackey, then-US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, to tell absurd lies about a video that incited the attack. Even the Libyan president dismissed that.

Operating on the belief that the longer the attack recedes into the past, the less likely it will be a political problem, the administration continues to stonewall. That’s not going to happen. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), speaking on Fox News on April 27 promised “explosive” congressional hearings regarding the Benghazi attack, saying they are “coming soon.”

 Larry Bell, a Forbes columnist, noted that “The House interim report states that ‘reductions of security levels prior to the attacks in Benghazi were approved at the highest levels of the State Department, up to and including Secretary Clinton.’”

A group, Special Operations Speaks, recently sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, raising the following questions:

Why was there no military response to the events in Benghazi?

Were military assets in the region available? If not, why not? If so, were they alerted?

Were assets deployed to any location in preparation for a rescue or recovery attempt?

Was military assistance requested by the Department of State? If so, what type?

Were any US Army/Navy/USMC assets available to support the US diplomats in Benghazi during the attack?

What, if any, recommendations for military action were made by DOD and the US Africa Command?

What, if any, non-military assistance was provided during the attack?

How many US personnel were injured in Benghazi?

Why have the survivors of the attack not been questioned?

Where are the survivors?

Who was in the White House Situation Room (WHSR) during the entire 8-hour period of the attacks, and was a senior US military officer present?

Where were Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey during the crisis, and what inputs and recommendations did they make?

Where were Tom Donilon, the National Security Advisor, Denis McDonough, his deputy, Valerie Jarrett, and John Brennan during the attacks, and what (if any) recommendations or decisions did any of them make?

Why were F-16 fighter aircraft based in Aviano, Italy (less than two hours away), never considered a viable option for disruption (if not dispersal) of the attackers until “boots on the ground” (troop support--General Dempsey’s words) arrived?

Were any strike aircraft (such as an AC-130 gunship) in the area or possibly overhead that would cause former SEAL Tyrone Woods to laser-designate his attacker’s position and call for gunship fire support, thereby revealing his own location that led to his death?

Who gave the order to “STAND DOWN” that was heard repeatedly during the attacks?

   

What threat warnings existed before the attack, and what were the DOD and DOS responses to those warnings?

What data (which will reveal exact timelines and command decisions) is contained within the various SITREPS, records, logs, videos and recordings maintained by the myriad DOD, Intelligence Community and State Department Command Centers that were monitoring the events in Benghazi as they unfolded? 

Why did the Commander-in Chief and Secretary of State never once check in during the night to find out the status of the crisis in Benghazi? 

What was the nature of Ambassador Stevens’ business in Benghazi at the time of the attack?

What guidance has been provided to survivors and family members since the time of the attack, and who issued that guidance?

Why are so many agencies now requiring their personnel who were involved in or have access to information regarding the events that took place in Benghazi sign non-disclosure statements?

“As veterans of Special Operations, we find this deeply troubling.” All Americans should find the Benghazi attack and the total lack of response and seeming indifference to it at the highest levels of our government deeply troubling.

If it turns out that the alleged witnesses to the attack begin to turn up dead that would be especially troubling.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Misto Box Coffee Club

Misto Box on the Shark Tank

Coffee of the Month Club - season 4 - Episode 421

Samantha Meis and Conor Riley
Inventors of the Misto Box Coffee Club

 Have you ever seen a new business that you just know it will succeed? It's not very often that a product coming to the Shark Tank is one I cannot wait to try before I even see them on the show. The Misto Box full of gourmet coffee from around the world is such a product that I'd swear was made just for me. In fact, I have already registered with Misto Box and look forward to my first cup of coffee from a roaster I very well may of never tried any other way.

The Misto Box Coffe Club was first started by two very ambitious entrepreneurs Samantha Meis and Conor Riley from Tucson, Arizona. They started with a great idea and received the needed capital to start Misto Box with a Successful Kicktarter Campaign that ended exactly one year ago today. With almost $10,000.00 raised during the campaign, they have now solidified themselves as coffee connoisseur's with a taste for unique blends found all around the world.
Read More Here-->>>

Squirrel Boss Bird Feeder

Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder on Shark Tank

Squirrel Shocker - Season 4 - Episode 421 - 5/3/2013

The Squirrel Boss Bird Feeder

  Now here's a Bird Feeder where you really are the Boss when it comes to who gets fed and who WILL stay away from your bird feed. Until now, squirrels have always been a major pain in the neck when it comes to bird feeders not only causing a big mess but devouring the costly feed in the process. Mike DeSanti from Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania, finally had enough feeding the squirrels in his neighborhood and devised an very unique and very effective way to keep them at bay, he'll just shock them.

Squirrel Boss Bird Feeder comes in a complete kit with everything you need and where you really are the Boss when it comes to your bird feeder. If you have a wondering squirrel (or any unwanted animal) visit the feeder, using a remote control from the comfort of your home, you can send the bird feeder's solar powered top a harmless low voltage static shock that's guaranteed to get his attention and decide maybe there is an easier meal out there. It may take a few time's for the squirrel to learn, but they always do and they will eventually move on eliminating your bird feeding problem. Read More Here-->>>

Rose Fass: The Chocolate Conversation - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Leadership strategist, founder and CEO of fassforward Consulting Group, and author of the interpersonal connection building and organizational transforming book The Chocolate Conversation: Lead Bittersweet Change, Transform Your Business, Rose Fass, describes the crucial importance of communication in the overall success of a company. Rose Fass provides evidence that even though people may think they are having the same conversation, their perception of the words, content, and message may be completely different. Rose Fass shares the idea of the chocolate conversation as a metaphor for how words have very different meanings for different people. Rose points out that different worldview of the big picture in our minds, the standards of the way that big picture is interpreted, and concerns that appear when those standard fail to align with our world views. Rose Fass presents the techniques and practices that incorporate these three important elements into all conversations to ensure complete understanding. Learn how to share conversations that build trust, are not misinterpreted, and support real organizational change.

Rose Fass is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, April 30, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Leadership strategist, founder and CEO of fassforward consulting group, and author of the interpersonal connection building and organizational transforming book The Chocolate Conversation: Lead Bittersweet Change, Transform Your Business, Rose Fass, describes the crucial importance of communication in the overall success of a company. You will learn:

* Why effective communication is so critical to business success

* Why chocolate conversations lead to misinterpretations

* How to improve conversations through incorporation of worldview, standards, and concerns

* How to utilize effective communication skills to create real and positive change



Rose fass (photo left) is the founder and CEO of fassforward Consulting Group, a leading edge business transformation boutique. She is the author of the newly released book, The Chocolate Conversation: Lead Bittersweet Change, Transform Your Business. Rose works with executive teams from fortune 500 companies. Her work delivers thought leadership along with methodologies, and tools that enable clients to address tough challenges, solve complex business problems, execute on their strategies, and deliver bottom line results.

She had over 35 years of corporate experience in technology and consumer-based industries. During her career she has opened new business in the United States, been a general manager with full P&L responsibility and led major corporate transformations. As the Chief Transformation Officer at Xerox Corporation, Rose led the transition to the global industry and solutions business. She integrated acquisitions, diverse cultures and operating units to develop and execute the new enterprise strategy.

Prior to starting fassforward Consulting Group, Rose was a corporate SVP at Gartner where she was responsible for creating the new business model, and working with the business units to execute on the global strategy.

A dynamic speaker, Rose is frequently invited to speak at private and public sector events. She has been a guest on CNBC, is quoted in several bestselling business books and she is listed in Forbes’ 2012 Top 10 Women Business Leaders of New York. Her firm has been awarded the Inc. 500/5000 for three consecutive years. Rose has a bachelor’s degree from Boston University’s School of Management and completed the Advanced Executive Studies Program at Harvard Business School.

My book review of The Chocolate Conversation: Lead Bittersweet Change, Transform Your Business by Rose Fass.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with leadership strategist, founder and CEO of fassforward Consulting Group, and author of the interpersonal connection building and organizational transforming book The Chocolate Conversation: Lead Bittersweet Change, Transform Your Business, Rose Fass, as she describes the crucial importance of communication in the overall success of a company. Rose Fass provides evidence that even though people may think they are having the same conversation, their perception of the words, content, and message may be completely different. Rose Fass shares the idea of the chocolate conversation as a metaphor for how words have very different meanings for different people. Rose points out that different worldview of the big picture in our minds, the standards of the way that big picture is interpreted, and concerns that appear when those standard fail to align with our world views. Rose Fass presents the techniques and practices that incorporate these three important elements into all conversations to ensure complete understanding. Learn how to share conversations that build trust, are not misinterpreted, and support real organizational change on Blog Business Success Radio.

Toxic Syria

By Alan Caruba

A protocol to the Geneva Convention outlaws the use of gas in warfare. This did not stop Iraq’s Saddam Hussein from using it during his eight-year war with Iran. In one infamous incident Saddam ordered the use of poison gas against Kurdish guerrillas and civilians in the border town of Halabja, killing 5,000 people at the height of the Iran-Iraq war. His cousin earned the nickname “Chemical Ali” and was later hanged after Saddam was overthrown.

During the course of the Syrian civil war, charges from both sides that poison gas has been used were traded. The latest, aired April 24, is the first time the U.S. confirmed that poison gas, most likely Sarin, was used by the forces of Bashar Hafez al-Assad, the president of Syria. He keeps referring to the forces arrayed against him as terrorists even though Syria has been ruled by the use of terror for decades and has supported Hezbollah, an organization widely identified as terrorist and which currently is in charge of Lebanon.

President Obama went on record not long ago saying that the use of poison gas was a “red line” that would subject Assad’s forces to possible intervention by a coalition of national forces, presumably led by the U.S., NATO, or as a UN mission. In its wars against Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. may have done most of the fighting, but was accompanied by other nations, primarily from Europe.

A report in the April 27 edition of the Telegraph, a British newspaper, noted that “the fight for al-Safira is no ordinary turf war…Inside what looks like a drab industrial estate is one of Syria’s main facilities for producing chemical weapons—and among its products is sarin, the lethal nerve gas that the regime is now feared to be deploying in its bid to cling to power.” Moreover, “among the rebel lines in al-Safira flutters the black flag of the al-Nusra Brigade, the jihadist group that recently declared its allegiance to al-Qaeda.”

Obama will now likely be assailed if he does commit U.S. fighting forces and if he does not.

I don’t much care for anything Obama has done while in office, but I like his reluctance to get the U.S. involved in a civil war or an insurgency that will turn out badly no matter who emerges as the winner. Assad is getting a lot of help from both Russia, who wants the use of Syria’s port on the Mediterranean, and by Iran for whom it has long been an ally. Let them waste their resources there.

This is not to say that Assad has not been utterly ruthless in his effort to put the insurgents to flight and retain the power he inherited from his father, Hafez al-Assad who had ruled Syria for thirty years since 1971. The son has ruled since 2000, having been reelected in 2007, thanks to no opposition.

Syria, of course, poses problems for its neighbors Turkey and Jordan, both of which have had to absorb and provide humanitarian aid to what is likely more than a million Syrians who fled for their lives. An estimated 80,000 to 90,000 Syrians have been slain in the conflict that began on March 15, 2011 with popular demonstrations that were nationwide by April. Suffice to say, both sides of the conflict have engaged in brutality, sparing neither women nor children.  

The nations of northern Africa, also called the Maghreb, erupted into protests that have come to be known as the “Arab Spring.” Tunisia, where the initial protests in 2011 against an autocratic president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, led to his overthrow, has done the best job of transitioning to become a functioning democracy, but in Libya a low level conflict continues and, in Egypt, the population is having serious regrets after having elected a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Morsi, to replace the ailing and imprisoned Hosni Mubarak.

Complicating things further in Syria is the presence of elements of al Qaeda as part of the force opposing the Assad regime. This accounts for the reluctance of the U.S. to arm those forces even as Russia and Iran sends arms to Assad and, in the case of Iran, military assistance as well.

Syria is a rat’s nest even if the U.S. had the ability to identify who among the opposition to support. Then there is the question, if the opposition were to prevail, whether that would encourage elements of the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda to overthrow the Jordanian monarchy, leaving Israel even more vulnerable. It would not surprise me to see Israeli forces join with the Jordanians to sustain the monarchy.

After the United States withdrawal from Iraq it has been experiencing an increased level of internal conflict as the Sunnis seek to punish the Shiites who replaced their control under Saddam. Bombings are a daily event. Scheduled to leave Afghanistan in 2014, the U.S. can ill afford the cost of a military involvement in Syria, nor can the European member nations of NATO. The United Nations, as always, is totally useless. Their so-called peacekeeping forces have all abandoned Syria, exiting via Israel.

The human toll is appalling, but there are few good reasons for the U.S. and others to be drawn into the Syrian conflict. If Bashar al-Assad survives, he will still be an ally of Russia and Iran. Lebanon will still be a Syrian satellite. It would take years to rebuild the nation reducing a military threat to Israel.

There is, however, a compelling reason to mount a mission to secure Syria’s poison gas arsenal. If nothing is done, it would further embolden Iran to continue its nuclear arms program. A limited show of force to isolate and remove its poison gas arsenal would be a warning to Iran whereas further sanctions are of little value.

If al-Qaeda gains access to Syria’s stores of poison gas, no city in America would be immune from an al Qaeda attack using it.

For now, the “red line” that Obama spoke of is likely to have been written in invisible ink, disappearing with every passing day.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Vermont Butcher Block

Vermont Butcher Block on the Shark Tank

Quality Butcher Block's and Accessories - Season 4 - Episode 421 - 5-3-2013

David Glickman in front of the
Butcher Block and Board Store


  If there has ever been a business on the Shark Tank that I would LOVE to visit in person the Butcher Block and Board Company based out of Burlington, VT would definitely be at the top of the list. David Glickman is the owner of this custom wood company that specialises in quality made butcher blocks, knife blocks, Lazy Susan's, trays, bowls and rolling pins to name a few. All products are made out of premium quality wood found mostly in the Vermont area and are one-of-a-kind functioning pieces of art. If you love just about anything made out of wood a much as I do, then your going to be interested in what David has to offer.

The entire line of product that the Vermont Butcher Block and Board has to offer is mostly made out of walnut, cherry or maple wood. These hardwood tree's that all produce human editable fruit's' and nuts, do not have the toxic natural oils associated with other trees. Each unique cutting board or utensil is deigned for the natural grains and pattern in the wood to be highlighted and make for a one-of-a-kind functioning tool. They Never use any paints, stains or veneers to cover up the natural beauty of the wood and only use a clear finish that compliments the natural beauty.
Read More Here-->>>

Me-Ma's Gumbo Brick

Mee-Ma’s Louisiana  on the Shark Tank

Gumbo Bricks - Season 4 - Episode 421

Authentic Louisiana Gumbo in a Brick

  Mee-Ma's Gumbo Bricks is coming to the Shark Tank with authentic Gumbo from Louisiana and a southern flair from California. Carol Estella Foster is the proud owner of this unique dish that thousands of folk are going to love after this episode. What makes Mee Ma's Gumbo Bricks so special is the fact this is the most authentic gumbo roux that you could possibly buy with the exception of going directly to the State of Louisiana.

 The gumbo base comes in a brick form packed with all the vegetables, spices and seasonings for the beginning of the perfect gumbo meal every time. You can then add shrimp, crab, chicken or sausage to your gumbo base and make the ultimate Gumbo to your tasting. If you have ever tried to make this authentic dish from scratch, then you already know how much of a time saver the Me-Ma's Gumbo Bricks will save you and guarantee a perfect meal every time in 90 minutes or less.Read More Here-->>>

Primer On Papillomas

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Dr. Becker is the resident proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian of HealthyPets.Mercola.com. 

You can learn holistic ways of preventing illness in your pets by subscribing to MercolaHealthyPets.com, an online resource for animal lovers. For more pet care tips, subscribe for FREE to Mercola Healthy Pet Newsletter.

The Chocolate Conversation by Rose Fass - Book review

The Chocolate Conversation

Lead Bittersweet Change, Transform Your Business

By: Rose Fass

Published: April 16, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 168 pages
ISBN-10: 1937134490
ISBN-13: 978-1937134495
Publisher: Bibliomotion









"for leaders to make a difference all through the levels of their organizations, they must listen to, and understand, where people at each of those levels are coming from and communicate in language the teams understand so they can build consensus", writes leadership strategist and founder and CEO of fassforward Consulting Group, Rose Fass, in her interpersonal connection building and organizational transforming book The Chocolate Conversation: Lead Bittersweet Change, Transform Your Business. The author describes how communications between leaders and employees often break down due to a lack of common understanding, and provides the tools for becoming an effective conversational translator to ensure full comprehension of all involved.

Rose Fass understands the importance of conversations that really connect people in deep and meaningful ways. The author presents the concept of the chocolate conversation. People may think they are discussing the same topic and ideas, but may mean and interpret very different meanings, just as there are many different types and tastes of chocolate.

With the importance of clarity in conversations, especially those communications regarding organizational change, there is is a high level of danger through misinterpretation of the message. As a result, care must be taken to establish clear interpersonal conversation between leaders and teams.Rose Fass shares the tools and practices necessary to ensure that communications are clear and understood correctly by eveyone involved in the discussion.



Rose fass (photo left) recognizes that recognizes the power of words, and their myriad of different meanings and interpretations. The author uses the word chocolate as an effective metaphor for words that mean different things to each person. On the surface, a misunderstanding over types and flavors of chocolate may seem inconsequential, but as Rose fass points out, the lack of clarity over misunderstood messages can spell disaster to an organization.

Rose Fsss demonstrates how companies in the process of a merger or acquisition, or one seeking to make internal change, can be derailed by failed communications. The author offers a comprehensive blueprint for finding clear and concise conversations that not only are interpreted correctly, but engage everyone involved in the process as well. The author provides the following overview of importance of understanding the implications and consequences of misunderstood chocolate conversations, and how to transform them into clear messages:

* Death by chocolate: Unwrapping chocolate conversations
* Mergers and acquisitions: A petri dish for chocolate conversations
* Addicted to relevance
* It starts with you
* Why good people have bad conversations
* Go there
* Message discipline
* Extending your reach
* Change is bittersweet

For me, the power of the book is how Rose Fass combines a complete analysis of the problems resulting from misunderstood communications, with a practical guide to establishing clear and effective conversations at all levels of the firm. The author presents an excellent overview of the challenges faced by leaders and teams when bad communications results in damaging misinterpretations. Rose Fass makes clear that great leaders are also great communicators, and shares proven ideas for enhancing communication skills. With a challenge for leaders to improve their own conversational abilities first, the author demonstrates how leadership takes place within the conversation itself.

Through two way conversation, that includes at least equal proportions of listening to the other person, a leader increases their message clarity and effectiveness of the team. Rose Fass practices clarity within the book itself, through the use of graphics and drawings to illustrate the concepts. At the same time, the author also invites the leader to ask themselves some probing and challenging questions to strengthen their own communication skills.

I highly recommend the clarity building and relationship strengthening book The Chocolate Conversation: Lead Bittersweet Change, Transform Your Business by Rose Fass, to any leaders seeking a concise and hands on guide to improving communication competencies within themselves, and for all employees of the organizations. This book will create more meaningful and effective conversations within the company, deepen trust levels, and strengthen the overall organization.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Idiot

By Alan Caruba

What kind of idiot would write, “Until we fully understand what turned two brothers who allegedly perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings into murderers, it is hard to make any policy recommendation other than this: We need to redouble our efforts to make America stronger and healthier so it remains a vibrant counterexample to whatever bigoted ideology may have gripped these young men.”

“Whatever bigoted ideology”? This is what Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times wrote on April 21.

Friedman had spent years in Lebanon, first as a reporter for the United Press International from 1979 to 1981. From 1975 to 1990, Lebanon was convulsed by a civil war between its Christian population and Palestinian forces aligned with Syrian-backed Muslims. In 1981 he was hired by the New York Times and won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon after years of Katyusha rocket attacks on northern Israel. He also won the George Polk Award for Foreign Reporting.

He would serve as the Times Bureau Chief in Jerusalem from June 1984 to February 1988, receiving a second Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the first Palestinian intifada. He witnessed Islamic terrorismfirst hand and learned nothing from it.

If that is not sufficiently moronic, his column, “How to Put America Back Together Again”was devoted to “healing our economy” and his answer was higher taxes in general and a carbon tax in particular. “We need to raise more revenues, in the least painful way possible.”

No, Mr. Friedman, what we need to do is stop spending more than the nation takes in by reducing spending, fixing the tax code, and reforming entitlement programs, but that is never part of the liberal agenda.

He called for a “‘radical center—one much more willing to suggest radically new ideas to raise revenues…the best place to start is with a carbon tax.”  This tax is based on the false assertion that greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, are causing global warming and/or climate change. It would raise the cost of the use of energy for everyone. It would raise revenue for “investment” in more failed solar energy companies and other crony capitalism that has become the hallmark of the Obama administration.

“A phased-in carbon tax of $20 to $25 a ton could raise around $1 trillion over ten years, as we each pay a few more dimes and quarters for every gallon of gasoline or hour of electricity.” This is easy to say if you are a highly paid Times columnist, author, and public speaker. It is also a formula for inflicting pain on an economy that is dependent for its growth on the use of energy; a nation in which its total recoverable oil, along with Mexico, exceeds 1.7 trillion barrels. That’s the equivalent, based on current use, of enough oil for the next 242 years.

He covered his proposal saying “Yes, a carbon tax is not painless. We would have to, and easily can, cushion the poor from its impact.” Nonsense! Even the poor must purchase gasoline and electricity. And the poor to whom he refers includes the millions of Americans who are unemployed because of Obama administration policies that restrict economy growth. Obama isn’t helping the poor; he is increasing their numbers and increasing more government spending and dependency with food stamps and comparable programs.

Obamacare is already causing companies and businesses to not hire and to put existing staff on a part-time basis. It is driving up the cost of health insurance premiums. It will cause hospitals to close and physicians to stop practicing.

This is typical of the pie-in-the-sky liberal answer to all problems; suck more money out of the pockets of Americans in the name of “infrastructure, preschool education, community colleges and research…” Preschool education is liberal code for earlier indoctrination of a new generation raised to believe that America is the cause of the terrorism directed against it.

His column was laudatory of President Obama and his recent budget proposal, the first since he took office in 2009, but America is suffering as the result of his policies and Friedman thinks he is the answer to our problems, not the cause.

How can a reporter look at Obama’s America where one out of every five families is on food stamps, the actual number of unemployed is estimated to be twenty million or more, and see a nation in need of MORE taxes? Little wonder one of his books is titled “The World is Flat.”

A reporter who spent years covering the war between Muslims and Christians in Lebanon and then later reported from an Israel under siege from the PLO, still cannot comprehend “whatever bigoted ideology” is killing Americans and others around the world and should not be writing columns giving out advice on raising our taxes in the name of an utterly deceitful, environmental attack on energy use.

To understand everything that is wrong with liberalism in America, by all means, read Thomas L. Friedman.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

The Gross Factor: When A Dog Vomits In Your Hands

by Kimberly Gauthier, Keep the Tail Wagging

What is the measure of the gross factor?

If you really take the time to think about what we do on a daily basis, living creatures are gross. We’re pretty gross. Dogs are gross and don’t care. While I’m burying my farts in the sofa, Sydney and Rodrigo are having a Fart Off during their afternoon nap. We spend $4.50 on a bottle of air freshener and our dogs stick their noses in dog poo, because they’re curious to know who walked by today. And have you been in a ladies restroom recently? Wow!

The point is that there are so many things humans do that make me cringe, but when our dogs do it, I don’t bat an eye.

The other day the dogs were napping after a morning of running, playing and exploring (we live on 5 acres, surrounded by wooded areas). Blue sat up and started the dry heaving – I jumped into action, grabbing as many tissues as possible ... only to end up with vomit in my hands; a lot of it.

I saved the carpet though!

When Your Dog Vomits

Part of me recognizes that this is gross, but I don’t take the time to dwell on it, because I have mental work to do. Whenever one of our dogs vomits I…

• Make sure they’re okay – is it over, is there more coming, are they comfortable? Are they behaving listless or do they seem to be in pain?
• Check the vomit – yep, grossssss; but I have to check the vomit for blood or foreign objects.
• If there’s blood – what color is it?  If it’s bright red, then they probably broke a vessel during the heaving; if it’s dark, then something may be wrong.
• If there’s a foreign object – what is it? Rodrigo likes to swallow the squeaker from toys – we take them out before he gets a toy, but we’ve missed one.
• What did they eat recently? – Sydney tosses her cookies after eating raw bones, so she doesn’t get raw bones.
• What time is it? – Is the veterinarian’s office still open?

Our veterinarian trained me well; she’ll ask all of these questions when I call so I get prepared.

Over the past three years, we learned that sometimes dogs vomit. Blue was fine moments after clearing his stomach contents in my hands and once we confirmed this we had our gross out moment as I washed my hands then chased my boyfriend around the house screaming “I love you, I want to touch you!!!”

Why Dogs Vomit

Dogs vomit (or regurgitate food – food hasn’t reached the stomach yet) for various reasons:

• eating something that’s indigestible (Sydney has trouble with raw bones)
• over eating or eating too fast (this happens with Blue when he drinks water too fast)
• exercising / playing too soon after eating
• motion sickness (we give our dogs doggy frozen yogurt after a trip to soothe their tummies)
• stress

Is it Serious when a Dog Vomits

It can be serious, which is why I go through the mental routing I shared above. If our dogs vomit once and then they’re fine, I don’t worry about it. But if it’s ongoing, it could be a symptom of something more serious and it’s time for a visit with the veterinarian. 

The one thing I’ve learned not to do is to diagnose by Google. I do research for my own blog, but I try and stay away from the Internet when we’re in the midst of health drama with our dogs, because every search freaks me out.

What’s the grosses thing your dog has done recently?

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Kimberly Gauthier is The Fur Mom behind Keep the Tail Wagging.  She shares everything she’s learning as a dog mom in a multi-dog household.  Kimberly lives with three dogs (Rodrigo, Sydney and Blue) and two tolerant cats (Jaffrey and Cosmo).  She and her boyfriend live with their pack in the Pacific Northwest. You can also connect with Kimberly on Twitter or Facebook.



Related articles:
Vomiting in Dogs: Is He Actually Vomiting?
Causes of Vomiting in Dogs
What’s In the Vomit?