On Monday and Tuesday this week, TIDE hosted Our Reefs: Caribbean Connections, a traveling exhibit designed to promote awareness, understanding, and stewardship of coral reefs among all peoples of the wider Caribbean.

Over six hundred students and teachers viewed the exhibit aided by worksheets that encouraged the young people to carefully study the exhibit and by staff and volunteers from TIDE who enjoyed helping the students and answering their questions.  Students came from Julian Cho, TCC, St.Peter Claver, St. Benedict, PG Methodist, Cattle Landing and Adventist schools.

The introduction from the Our Reefs: Caribbean Connection website states:

As the title of this exhibit explains, those of us who live in the area of the wider Caribbean are connected by a precious and fragile natural resource, coral reefs. Just as we differ as peoples, cultures, societies, and economies, our coral reefs also differ as to types, habitats and health.

Natural threats to coral reefs, like hurricanes and disease, are further exacerbated by other human actions. As atmospheric CO₂ levels increase, the oceans are becoming warmer, more acidic, and less hospitable to reef organisms. Overharvesting of edible reef fishes has decimated many reef communities. Inappropriate activities on land, along coastlines, and in shipping lanes are especially destructive of nearshore corals reefs and their associated ecosystems, seagrass meadows and mangrove forests.

Visit the Our Reefs: Caribbean Connections website to view the exhibit shared with our local students. We really need more of this type of exhibit. The feedback from the students and teachers was enthusiastic.

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, but we can extend the sentiment to Belize -  a simple time to be with family and friends, a day when we can step back and consider everything for which we are grateful.

TIDE is thankful -

• for the many people and organizations that support our work;
• for the beauty of Payne’s Creek National Park and the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and grateful that these protected areas are preserved for future generations;
• for the Private Protected Lands that TIDE holds for the people of Belize;
• for the TIDE staff who protect resources, conduct research and monitoring, and provide education and outreach;
• and for all of you, who take the time to read our blog and who care about conserving the protected areas of southern Belize and beyond.

TIDE participated inthe  Social Innovation Projects Fair at San Carlos University in Guatemal. TIDE Education Outreach Coordinator, Norman Budna, and TIDE Operations Manager, Stephene Supaul, joined other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in the display of social innovation projects from November 9 to 13, 2009. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Kellogg Foundation sponsored the Social Innovation Contest in Latin America and the Caribbean where 19 projects were selected for the contest.  Most initiatives submitted to the contest focused on rural development, education, and income generation.

The Experiences in Social Innovation program is based on a contest held annually since 2004 that identifies innovative social development initiatives that focus on communities that come together to solve their problems. Its aim is to disseminate these experiences and contribute to the improvement of practices and policies in benefit of the most impoverished population of Latin America and the Caribbean.

TIDE Fresh Water Cup Booth

To date, almost 5,000 projects have been submitted to the contest, and 60 social innovation initiatives have been awarded. This is the fifth round of the contest. TIDE won first place award in 2008, when the TIDE Conservation Athletes Program was submitted in the contest, better known as (Freshwater Cup). This year 2009 TIDE was invited to return only to share experiences on the FWC program and to learn new innovative ways from other projects that demonstrate cultural, social and economic ways in Development.

With financial assistance provided through the Massachusetts Audubon Society the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) was able to quickly schedule the upgrade and repairs to the solar system at the Abalone Caye Ranger Station. This ranger station, visitor center, and surveillance tower is home to TIDE rangers on duty in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and home to scientists, interns, and volunteers conducting monitoring and research.

On 18 November 2009, TIDE transported members of Southern Solar Solutions (an earned income venture of Plenty Belize) including Mark Miller, Gary Boomgaardt, and Richard Parsons to Abalone Caye to carry out the upgrade of the solar system.

• New 4mm wires were run from the 5 solar panels to the circuit breakers in the combiner box. These wires were run through 25mm conduit on the roof to protect from sun and sea. The conduit was affixed to the roof with pipe clamps.

• The charge controller was upgraded to a Pro-Star 30 Charge and Load Controller. This allows not only control of the battery charging, but control of the DC loads that were connected to help ensure longer battery life.
• 9 DC lights were wired and installed. In 8 of these cases, existing sockets were utilized. New wiring was installed to allow for DC lights, and DC compact fluorescents installed in 8 locations. The 9th location had a 2 foot DC fluorescent fixture installed. Each of these lights is switched, and also fused. A spare tube and a spare DC Compact Fluorescent were left with the rangers.
• A ground rod was installed, and the panels and batteries were grounded. Vaseline was left with the rangers to coat the battery terminals to reduce corrosion.
• The basics of the system were explained to the rangers present.

The power system at the Abalone Caye ranger station has been operating for eight years and is a generally good system, but deterioration over time required these needed repairs and upgrades. With care and good maintenance, the system should provide good service.

Here is a page covering the effect of the floods of November 2009 on the old Limerick Navigation from Plassey downstream. (This page complements another about the upper reaches of the navigation.)

This page covers:

• Plassey, including the Black Bridge and the towing-path
• the regulating weir at Corbally
• the upper lock on the Park Canal, the lady’s hole and the 2.4m increase in depth above the lock
• the lower lock and its patented mechanism
• the current in the Abbey River and under Mathew Bridge.

Transparency International annually publishes a list of perceived corruption in countries around the world – perception of corruption, not actual. One may follow the other, but perception often has a life of its own. In the past Belize has not fared so well on this list – this year, Belize was not even on the list!  The good people at Transparency International make it easy to identify a staff person and their contact information and so I sent an email:

The website and FAQS were helpful in determining why Belize was not on the list, specifically: Why are countries/territories no longer covered in the 2009 CPI, and why are new countries/territories added? Countries/territories are only included in the index if at least three sources of data are available. In 2009 a change in the country coverage of individual sources resulted in Brunei Darussalam being included, but Belize had to be dropped from the Index, as there was only one source available.

Belize has appeared on the list in previous years. Can you tell us what sources of data were used during the last year analyzed when Belize did appear and what is the one source currently available?

I received a quick answer saying that the section that dealt with these matters was flooded with queries but that they would follow-up and make sure that I received a response.  And indeed, very quickly I received the following:

Thank you very much for your interest on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The inclusion of a country in the CPI is entirely technical: the only criterion is that the country must be assessed by at least three of the independent sources we use to estimate the index. Moreover, TI has no influence on which countries are assessed by each institution.

Last year Belize was assessed by the following institutions:
EIU: Economist Intelligence Unit
GI: Global Insights (formerly World Markets Research Centre)
MIG: Merchant International Group

In 2009 the Economist Intelligence Unit did not provide an assessment of Belize and Merchant International Group suspended their Grey Area Dynamic service so TI could not use this source for the CPI 2009.

If at some point three assessments on the corruption levels of Belize become available again, the country will be included in the CPI.

So not being listed in the CPI is somewhat clinical and based on information sources. Still does it make a difference in perception of Belize? Is there an impact on the environment? Or on funding for conservation?

Takin’ me back to my childhood… which was the ’80s rather than the ’50s, when the rotary phone was still livin’ large!

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I love that last one. The two female domains of the household: the kitchen and the bedroom. Pff.

On Monday 16 November 2009, the Department of Environment hosted a meeting to explain the process of an Environmental Impact Assessment and to address specific points of the EIA conducted for the Astera Retreat Development planning construction in Punta Negra. Members of the communities of Monkey River, Placencia, Punta Negra, and Punta Gorda participated in the lively question, answer and comment period. A number of issues and concerns were raised:
•    The impact of dredging and plans for mitigation;
•    Area of dredging;
•    Monitoring of dredging and use of silt-nets;
•    The need for risk/disaster planning related to evacuation of the development in the event of hurricane;
•    The proximity of canals to the sea and to the lagoon;
•    The need for conservation education for residents;
•    Amount of water needed to support residents and concern that the plan is insufficient (amounts of rainwater, potential over-extraction from lagoon);
•    Plan for removal of solid waste;
•    Potential for pollution from generators, gas station, and fuel storage;
•    Lack clarity on benefits to the local community;
•    Density of the community (over 400 residents on 30 acres);
•    Treatment of liquid waste;
•    Waste water discharged into Port Honduras Marine Reserve;
•    Restoration of disturbed vegetation;
•    Turtle nesting and importance of beach to nesting;
•    Contamination of water bodies during construction;
•    Plan for workers during the construction phase (accommodations, disposal of waste, disposal of construction waste)
•    Beach erosion;
•    Construction of homes and storage facilities to withstand disaster (hurricane, earthquake);
•    Importance of the Department of Environment working proactively to protect the environment and ensure that the laws of Belize are respected and followed.

For more information

Department of Environment, Belize

The Environmental Impact Assessment of Astera Retreat Development

Other Environmental Impact Assessments on the DOE site

The Astera Retreat Development Website

who's paying attention in dj class?

Hiiiiiiii guys <3

How’s it going?

I guess I’m blogging now when I feel like it, and not on a regular basis. Life has just been too crazy lately.

We have that at home…don’t we?

When living in another country, you are often  pushed into the numb reality of grocery shopping. What makes this a numb reality? At home, you know exactly what you like… you know what brands you trust, which products work well, and which cookies are just sweet/soft enough. However, when grocery shopping in another country, you are forced to make a lot of tough decisions. You have to learn your tastes all over again. I tried so deeply to avoid this on my first few trips to the supermarket.  I brought along my friends in hopes that they would teach me their ways. My friends offered some great suggestions… because most of the things here are unfamiliar. Although unfamiliar, there are some products that are the same, but with a different name. Or, maybe they look just like what you have back home, but it doesn’t exactly taste like it. It’s odd to see…but it’s funny to realize how much you recognize logos, even when the names are changed. Here are just a few of the “imitation” buys in Argentina (on the left) and originals (on the right). *Note- I say “original” in the sense of well, assuming that all these products were made in the USA and then imported. I could be wrong. I can accept that:

sugus

starbursts

Ace

Tide

rocklets

m&m’s

pepitos

chips ahoy

mr. musculo

mr. clean

zucaritas

frosted flakes

blem

pledge

beldent

trident

Encore…

• Things are going well here… between the school, DJ classes and my various projects, I am staying sufficiently busy.
• This country needs change… maybe not just politically, but I’m speaking currency wise. No one likes handing out coins. Coins are considered like gold here. The buses only accept coins, and since EVERYONE and their momma takes the bus, this is a problem.
• DJ class is going well… I recorded stuff for my demo yesterday. It was the best recording I’ve done so far. But, yes, still needs work.

• Teaching is also going well…with the exception of my class on Monday when two students kept repeatedly interrupting me. After more than enough fair warnings, I had to take action. The class was set to do a letter of approximately 150 words. Two students were incessantly interrupting and raised their word count from 150 to 170, then 190, then 220…ALL the way until 500 words. What part of “Do not talk” is difficult to understand? The letter, ironically enough, talks about younger people in contrast to older people…and if manners are lost in our modern society. The letter was decent…up until the very end. The last sentence reads: “I think this letter was a waste of my time”.  My reply reads: “You talking in my class is a waste of everyone’s time. Be respectful, just as you mentioned in this letter.”  pwnd.
• 
• excuse me?

Alright guys… as always, thanks for being such faithful readers.

You guys are quality.

Peace. Fo’ Realzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

<3

Today marks six weeks.
Six weeks since that afternon lying on your bed, playing truth or dare.
Six weeks since you accepted my dare.
And six weeks since i accepted yours.
I loved that afternoon.
I love you so much.
I am loving you more and more every day.
My love is like an ever rising tide.
Its going to flood the place soon.

They are the vultures, sent from the harvester of souls
Born of the flame down below, infernal
Destroy the righteous and the kind
I welcome them to take my life, this night
Come demons, feed upon my soul
Summon the darkness make me whole, evil
I am your instrument of death, the reaper
Horrid blasphemies now take control, becoming more creature than man
Spewing forth from the hell below, possessed by demonic legions
I offer no resistance, the demons now inside
Seduced by the fire, for veil is my….Rock
Drowning beneath the tide of chaos
Tempt and corrupt me to the bone
Savage, infected, a life of darkness
Twisted, unholy, abomination
Slave to the demons
Disciple, horrifying creation
Gorge upon my soul
Become the demon

After a legal battle stretching over the past four years, a federal judge has ruled that well-known sports artist Daniel Moore did not commit trademark infringement by painting notable scenes at University of Alabama football games. Moore authored his first painting paying homage to Alabama football almost 30 years ago; it featured the “Goal Line Stand” against Penn State during the 1979 national championship.

The university filed its lawsuit back in 2005, claiming that Moore infringed upon trademarked images and that the university was entitled to licensing fees and royalties. Specifically, UA alleged that the players’ uniforms are trade dress protected under trademark law. After the suit was filed, Moore assured ESPN readers that he didn’t blame his alma matter: “I don’t consider this the doing of the university or of Alabama nation. . . . It’s not the students, the professors or the majority of the Alabama family. It’s just a few misguided souls.”

In response to the lawsuit, Moore issued a counterclaim asserting that his artwork is protected by both the First Amendment and the fair use doctrine, and that the university’s suit infringed upon his civil rights. The case stalled in 2006 after a court-ordered mediation, but litigation resumed in 2008 when it became clear that the dispute would not settle.

This lawsuit is strongly reminiscent of a 2003 Sixth Circuit decision, holding that artist Rick Rush’s paintings–most notably one commemorating Tiger Woods’ victory at the 1997 Masters Tournament–were sufficiently “transformative” to merit protection under the First Amendment. The Court held that “First Amendment protection of [transformative] works outweighs whatever interest the state may have in enforcing the right of publicity.” Rush’s paintings of Tiger Woods, however, were arguably less of a “literal depiction” of its subject than Daniel Moore’s works–which are remarkably true-to-life.

In the end, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Propst sided with Moore, denying the university’s trademark infringement claims and holding that the paintings constituted protected First Amendment speech. The district court’s opinion in University of Alabama Board of Trustees v. New Life Art, Inc. rejected UA’s argument that Moore’s depiction of players in their official uniforms violated trademark laws. The court concluded that “the depiction of the uniforms in the paintings is incidental to the purpose and expression of the paintings; that is, to artistically depict and preserve notable football plays in the history of University of Alabama football.”

The university further asserted that–unlike Rush’s paintings in the Tiger Woods case–Moore’s paintings aren’t sufficiently “transformative” to merit protection under the First Amendment and fair use doctrine. The court disagreed, holding that “the reality [of Moore’s paintings] is what adds strength to the degree of the artistry, distinction, and secondary meanings of his paintings.” In this blogger’s opinion, Judge Propst’s reliance on the “reality” of the paintings as evidence of fair use and First Amendment protection seems to contravene the traditional understanding that originality and not “sweat of the brow” is what matters in copyright/trademark infringement disputes.

The university prevailed in one aspect. Judge Propst held that:

[Moore and New Life Art, Inc.] have no right to manufacture, sell, distribute, or otherwise deal in mugs, cups, calendars, mini prints or any other products which include [the university’s] marks and are not paintings and/or prints of the same or larger sizes and of equal or greater quality than the limited edition paintings that defendants have heretofore created and produced.

Judge Propst appears to be drawing a distinction between Moore’s limited edition paintings–which he refers to as “fine art”–and other, more commercial, products that display these same works. Considering the court’s earlier finding that Moore’s paintings are transformative, the doctrinal reasons behind this conclusion are unclear.

Readers should note that this game is not yet over; a spokesperson for the University of Alabama has announced that the university plans to appeal the district court’s ruling to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

– Lacey R. Logsdon

Image Source

Elmar Requena and Celia Mahung using the scope

TIDE has completed a second Introduction to Bird Watching class. Elmar Requena, TIDE Terrestrial Biologist, conducted the class with the assistance of Mario Muschamp, Manager of Payne’s Creek National Park, for members of the TIDE staff from the TIDE Private Protected Lands, the Administrative offices and current volunteers. The class was held on Saturday 7 November with the follow-up field trip on Saturday 14 November 2009.

This is a great opportunity for members of the administrative staff to have the opportunity to join their colleagues in the field; “students” included Executive Director, Celia Mahung; Development Director, Ruth McLean Dawson; Financial Staff Danny Hun and Kimberly Coleman and volunteers Alastair Daly and Chris Hamley and members of the staff and volunteers at the Rio Grande Ranger Station.

The field trip began with participants gathering at the TIDE Office at 6:00 am for a trip down Dump Road and quick boat ride to the TIDE Private Protected Lands. Birds sighted on the trails included:

Eastern Wood Pewee, Ochre Bellied Flycatcher, American Redstart, Pale billed Woodpecker, Summer Tanager, White Crown Parrot, Black-headed Trogon, Rufous Tailed Hummingbirds, Magnolia Warbler, Banana Quit, White Bellied Emerald, Brown Jay, Black and White Warbler, Montezuma Orependula, Brown-crested Flycatcher and the Red Lore Parrot.

The group then traveled to Miss Celia’s farm in Big Falls with several stops to view birds on the way including – Sun Grebe, Squirrel Cuckoo, Collared Aracari, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Egrets and Vultures. Once at the farm, we sighted the Olive-throated Parakeet, Great Kiskadee, Melodious Blackbirds and a Yellow-billed Cacique.

The activity was enthusiastically received and interest in birding amongst staff has become keen, with discussion of sightings shared on a daily basis.

BBC Scotland reporter Fiona Walker travels to Thailand to see how the country is being affected by climate change…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: travel trip. The blog is also related to: london airport.

There is no argument that withstands a flood.  Stop here, I said to the waves.  And then I made a cross in the sand and said, God, help.  Soon my foot was gone.  And so I went walking on the stump.  You may say, O.  Or instead take note of my weeping and my limp and fear for your life.  It may be coming for you, and that it hasn’t yet doesn’t mean it won’t.  But I am safe today.  I am like a seal in a cove.  The sun is glistening everywhere like truth.  If I turn my head this way, glittering.  If I look up, only blue.  The tide draws in and out.  Sometimes it feels like a convenience.  Sometimes it smells like despair.

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

Nyctanassa violacea OTHER NAMES: King Carpenter

Identification: 22.5” (54.5 cm). More common than Black-crowned in most areas. Slimmer overall, with slightly thicker bill, smaller head, and larger eyes. Proportionately longer neck more frequently held extended than in the Black-crowned. Flight: feet and lower portion of legs project beyond tail. Darker remiges contrast more with the rest of upperparts than in Black-crowned (but not as much as in the bitterns). Adult: distinctive blue-gray plumage with bold black and white head pattern. Juvenile: duller brown plumage than Black-crowned; bill all black; small triangular white sports in wing coverts; more pronounced streaking on neck.

Voice: 1. Harsh kaow; 2. Shorter kow

Habitat: Towns, lawns, shores of rivers, estuaries, ponds, swamps, marshes, mudglats, mangroves. Roosts communally in large trees and mangrove forests.

Distribution: Nests from NW Mexico and eastern US to central South America. Northern most populations withdraw south in winder

Status in Belize: Fairly common to common resident in lowlands nearly throughout, including cayes, but confirmed nesting sites relatively few. General more common in coastal areas than inland.

NOTE: Picture taken in Boom Creek Village

16 November 2009
Jones, H. Lee (2003) Birds of Belize, University of Texas Press

by Kelly Salasin

I dream of a beachcomber–

a truck

dragging its rake across the sand,

Removing my life’s debris

Exposing jewels

of all colors and shape

Rising out of my

breath-filled days.

I wake to the delight of this dream, sensing my life’s work in this metaphor as my mind drifts back to a jeweled moment from the sands of time….

I sit in a single booth at the edge of the restaurant from where I make schedules and plan meetings and talk to staff.

My younger sister sits across from me. She is a waitress.  It has been a choppy summer with me as her boss–sinking back into familial roles, shouting at me across the bayside dining room when I give a command.

Our lives together have been similarly choppy, though laughter filled. There was the time when we shared not only a room, but a bed, and I– at the precipice of puberty– could not stand the touch of her foot beside me, though we spent the evenings tickling each others backs in a game that made you the  “scratcher” once you succumbed to a laugh.

At ten years old (or was it nine?), Robin insists on bringing her large collection of stuffed animals into our double, crossing the imaginary line I draw to divide us. As our family Aquarian, our water bearer, she can’t bear the thought of her friends on the floor and so, it is she, who sleeps there instead,  while they share our bed.

When our family moves from the mountains to the shore, our lives drift apart~ separate schools, separate beds, separate rooms. I thrive in our move as I’m expected to do, and Robin suffers, coming home from school each day crying until she learns to navigate the social sail of pre-teen days.

We are both deep in adolescence when our parents’ marriage begins to falter. Perhaps that explains, in part, the violent turn of our interactions. I dominate with stoicism while she turns volatile.

Clogs are flung, and chairs. Once even scissors. I dig my nails down her back. Blood.

Once again, we are rescued by distance—and then by need. I head off to college and she takes over the wheel of our captainless home.

When she comes to visit me at school, the energy between us begins to shift from sisterly angst to friendship.

When our parents divorce, and our mother begins drinking–again–Robin’s role at home grows overwhelming. Perhaps for the first time, she reaches out to me– for support– and I finally open enough to respond.

I receive many tear-filled and fear-filled calls at my apartment, finally placing an ocean between me and my family as I escape to study abroad.

Robin visits me there too. I force her to walk the Heath at Hampstead and she forces me to rescue her from the two bobbies she flirtatiously “picks up” at a nightclub in Camden without knowing what to do with them once she does.

But it was that moment in the booth at the edge of the restaurant when our relationship took its final turn. There at the end of the summer –and the end of our youth– we realize that we are the only ones holding on to our family.  Everyone else has let go.

For the first time, I succumb to the tidal wave of grief, and it is Robin who reaches across the table of our sisterly divide and takes my hand in hers while we hold the surrendered gaze of each others’ tear-filled eyes.

This is the jeweled moment when all that pained and separated us

is swept away

by the tide,

and what remains

is our shared treasure–

a lifetime

of sisterly devotion

and familial love.

The original concept for The Positive Slant was to highlight businesses that are “doing it right.”  Honoring their employees and their customers, and giving back to the community or the planet.

Maybe it’s the holiday season.  I like to think it’s the Age of Obama, when we’re going to start taking better care of each other. Recently, I’ve come across a few companies maintaining their corporate brands and giving to others; generating good will, good deeds and new customers.  Good for them!

Burlington Coat Factory is running a “Warm Coats, Warm Hearts” campaign.  Bring in a coat to any Burlington Coat Factory and get a 10% discount.  Working with OneWarmCoat.org, the coats will be distributed to local charitable organizations.

Post Shredded Wheat has “Bowls of Hope.”  Their web site says, “In the fight against hunger, Post Shredded Wheat has partnered with FeedingAmerica.org. For each box of Post Shredded Wheat you buy, Post will donate one bowl of Shredded Wheat.  Help us donate almost 15 million bowls.”  Feeding America sounds like a really good cause!  It is, PRNewswire claims, “the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief charity.”  And Post is helping to “supply a balanced breakfast to struggling Americans.”

Tide Loads of Hope web site tells us, “In times of disaster people turn to the most basic of human needs—and one of those is clean clothes. The Tide Loads of Hope program provides relief by means of a mobile laundromat. One truck and a fleet of vans house over 32 energy-efficient washers and dryers that are capable of cleaning over 300 loads of laundry every day. We wash, dry and fold the clothes for these families for free. Because, as we’ve learned, sometimes even the littlest things can make a big, big difference.”  Feeding America is partnering with Tide, as well.

Even Starbucks is getting in on it.  They’ve got a new blend of coffee and in promoting it, are encouraging their customers to “make a great impact in their communities.”

I raise a glass and send my dollar vote to all those corporations making an effort to give back.

The beautiful plastic simplicity that is the Holga has scored a big hit with my heart. Shooting the seemingly ‘normal’ always yields unexpected results, often capturing that which is not there, creating a scene that my own senses cannot sense, making this cheap toy camera such a joy to use.

Holga 120 CFN

www.christopherjonesphotography.co.uk

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Holga Abstracts, Isle of Man

Once again were not talking about the NFL, were looking again at the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama. Tonight the Tide takes on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State in Starkville before a sold out crowd. Dan Mullen (the former offensive coordinator for Urban Meyer) took over the head coaching job for the bulldogs this year, bringing the Florida spread offense with him. Alabama player are hoping to use this game to help prepare them for the SEC Championship game since Florida is still running the same type offense (Just sub Anthony Dixon, Miss. St. Powerhouse back, with Tim Tebow). Don’t let this fool you. Alabama is still focusing hard on the Bulldogs. While they may not admit it openly, every player knows that one loss could cost them a shot at the National Championship. Typically against a spread type offense, Alabama head coach Nick Saben has used the nickel and dime packages, rather then the typical 3 – 4 defense he runs, meaning nose tackle Terrance Cody would spend time off field. With this game there are rumors of just leaving the big man Mt. Cody in the game. With the speculation between the coaches, look for Mississippi State to employ some offensive maneuvers slightly different from the playbook and some defensive line ups that have not been seen before from the Crimson Tide.

Rolling around to my opinion of it all…. Alabama has had a bad habit of not playing on the national championship level that there team really is. The Tide has a tendency to bring their game down to the level of the team they are playing (see: Alabama vs. South Carolina and Alabama vs. Tennessee). I’m hoping that Alabama bring the running game with them. Mark Ingram is a fantastic back who can get the ball up field to move the chains. Quarterback Greg McElroy proved to be a lot better with the passing game last week but seemed to really be over throwing his target A LOT. If McElroy can settle down and make his assignments and the offensive line give him time to get his passes off, I think we stand to see a good passing game. If Mark Ingram can continue to get at least four yards a carry in combination with McElroy, I see no reason why Alabama could not cover the spread. Alabama has also had some issues in the red zone. (see past 3 games and you might see it) but fortunately we’ve had our field goal kicker Leigh Tiffin who has pretty much been a machine when it comes to getting the ball between the uprights (I got to give it to this kid, he has greatly improved since he first came on the scene choking at every important field goal attempted during the season). As long as Alabama plays their typical hard core defense and stops the run game, and the offense pulls together to move the ball down field and finishes in the red zone, Alabama should have no trouble beating the Bulldogs. The game will be at 7 ET/ 6 CT on ESPN.

Staff meetings at TIDE are a time to bring together staff who work in several locations – the Abalone Caye Ranger Station where rangers and staff conduct monitoring and research and resoure protection if the Port Honduras Marine Reserve ; the Rio Grande Ranger Station from which TIDE patrols and protectst he TIDE Private Protected Lands; the Payne’s Creek National Park where staff and rangers conduct biodiversity research and monitoring and resource protection through curveillance and patrols; and the main office at One Mile San Antonio Road where work is accomplished to support the field staff.

TIDE staff start off the day with a meeting where we spent a bit of time getting to know each other better and then managers share updates from all of the locations and all of the programs. Staff ask great questions and it is a good opportunity for staff and volunteers to make sure they are aware of all the activities that TIDE undertakes.

The day continued with a trek down a nature trail – part of the many tasks that rangers undertake that took the staff from the Rio Grande to Port Honduras.

We boarded boats for the trip to West Snake Cay where staff was able to enjoy a wonderful lunch of bar-b-que chicken, potato salad, chips and juice, with brownies for desert.

Staff then spent time in the beautiful water of West Snake Caye enjoying the chance to swim and play. Other staff engaged in a tug of war contest. ALL had fun.

TIDE knows how to work hard and knows how to play when it is time.