After three months of conferences and guest presenters we're back to our usual format with Frank, Bex, Mark and Rik talking about all things anaesthesia related. This month that includes live pets on ICU, dead pets in resuscitation science, US military agony rays and the brown note. Bex is back cheerleading for NAP while Frank tells us what (if any) difference our fancy CO monitors are making in big anaesthesia cases. Rik gets overexcited about the isolated forearm technique and Mark, as ever, is not impressed by our profession's lackadaisical approach to the adoption of non-leur spinal connectors.