Here you go, the Full Moon story from England: Extra police put on the beat for full moon By Paul Stokes Folklore has long associated the lunar cycle with strange happenings. A connection has been identified by a policeman between the full moon and bad behaviour Insp Andy Parr, of Sussex Police, looked at crime statistics for the Brighton and Hove area's nightlife. He said: "I compared a graph of full moons and a graph of last year's violent crimes and there is a trend. People tend to be more aggressive generally." Behaviour was also worse on pay days, Insp Parr discovered. The force is now planning to put extra officers on the streets for key dates during the summer - including the next full moon on June 30. Insp Parr said his findings were also backed up by his experience on patrol. advertisement "When you try to reason with people on a full moon they become more aggressive and less rational," he said. "When you try to reason with them on a full moon they become more argumentative." Peter Davenport, 38, who is a former pub landlord in Hove, endorsed the police findings. He said: "I'm not one to believe in folklore or superstitions or anything, but I honestly believe the full moon sends some people a bit loopy." Some studies have suggested a link between the lunar cycle and criminality. A three-month psychological study of 1,200 inmates at Armley jail in Leeds in 1998 showed a rise in violent incidents in the days either side of a full moon. Research has also been carried out into the association between the full moon and strange behaviour as portrayed in literature. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King's College London who carried out the study, sponsored by Jose Cuervo, the Mexican tequila distiller, concluded: "There is good reason to believe people's personalities do change around the time of the full moon, not because of any astronomical force, but because it creates the optimum lighting conditions for feeling carefree and mischievous." Insp Parr hopes his findings could lead to further research which would be of use to police officers. He added: "When we have the resources and if we can plan for it we will put on an extra officer or two."

Congratulations Michelle! I'll bet that was an interesting class. I'll have to check around in this area and see if a similiar class is offered. Where did you attend class? As far as background plants for design purposes, I have a huge silver dollar eucalytpus tree that needs some serious pruning. I'd be more than happy to ship you some branches if you'd like. (you could pick up the cost of shipping) The only problem that I've dealt with is they seem to dry up and the leaves curl once they're off the tree. If you choose to grow your own silver dollar eucalyptus be very careful where you plant it. The 2' tree I bought about 2 years ago is now approx. 20' tall and the diameter of the trunk went from about 5 inches to 10 inches. Very fast growing. Let me know if you're interested in any eucalyptus branches and maybe between now and then I'll find an efficient way to ship that will retain the moisture. Good luck, Sue

I didn't want to reply to this thread right away because I wanted it to stay at the top for all to see! Sounds like you did a great thing, Michelle! Congratulations on a job well done and many thanks to you for your generosity and kindness. :) Dee

Homemade! That's the real treasure, not TJ's or Penzeys! Lucky you Michele! I'm going to have to look for the high heat spatulas with metal handles. DH and DS refuse to use the spoon rest and melt the handles on the side of the pan. You just cannot replace real vanilla. Such a treat to get such a big bottle, and I can only imagine how beautiful your pies will look in that Le Creuset! Hang in there in the remodel--it's oh so worth it in the end! Great package Karen!