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Headache Channel
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Headache Articles
Browse eMedTV's wide range of articles related to headache including topics such as feverfew, migraine medications, and temporal arteritis. Use the search box at the top-right corner of the page to find information about other health topics.
Featured Headache Articles
Select a link from this list to read the article, or scroll down to see a short description of each article.
Descriptions of Featured Headache Articles
- Migraine
Migraines are the second most common headache syndrome in the United States after tension headaches. This eMedTV article takes a detailed look at migraine headache triggers, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.
- Headaches
A headache can involve pain or aching that occurs in the head, face, mouth, or neck. This eMedTV article takes an in-depth look at headaches, describing their causes, the various types, how they are diagnosed, and treatment options.
- Lavender
Lavender is a flowering plant used for aromatherapy, as an herbal remedy, and for various other uses. This eMedTV article explores the purported benefits of lavender, discusses the product's effectiveness, and lists some of its potential side effects.
- Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches cause severe pain that may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms. This eMedTV resource discusses these headaches in detail, including their causes, triggers, symptoms, and treatment options.
- Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are marked by intense pain that begins around one eye or temple. As this eMedTV page explains, the pain can then spread to the entire side of the face. This page covers the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment of these headaches.
- Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are generally triggered by stressful situations. As this eMedTV page explains, they are characterized by the contraction of neck and face muscles. This page further discusses these headaches, their causes, symptoms, and treatment.
- Temporal Arteritis
Temporal arteritis is characterized by swelling in the arteries of the head, neck, and arms. This eMedTV article discusses this condition in detail and explains how it may be related to aging and the importance of quick treatment.
- Imitrex
Imitrex is a prescription medicine used to treat migraine headaches that have already started. This eMedTV page discusses how Imitrex works and when and how to take it, as well as its potential side effects, dosing guidelines, and available strengths.
- Maxalt
Maxalt is a prescription drug often used to treat a migraine headache as it occurs. This page from the eMedTV Web site explains in detail how this drug works, its potential side effects, tips on when and how to take it, and more.
- Relpax
Relpax is a prescription medicine that is used to treat a migraine headache as it occurs. This eMedTV article explains how Relpax works to relieve migraine symptoms, outlines some of its potential side effects, and offers tips on taking the drug.
- Feverfew
Feverfew is an herbal supplement that is most commonly used for preventing migraines. This eMedTV resource explores how feverfew may work, explains what you should know before taking the supplement, and lists possible side effects that may occur.
- Migraine Relief
Various classes of drugs can provide migraine relief. This eMedTV article lists some of these drugs, as well as a number of alternative and complementary treatments that are also available (such as biofeedback, herbs, and vitamins).
- Topiramate
A prescription medicine, topiramate is used for treating epilepsy and preventing migraines. This eMedTV page further describes topiramate, explains how the drug works, offers dosing information, and provides a list of possible side effects.
- Migraine Symptoms
People with migraines often have a moderate-to-severe headache affecting one side of the body. This eMedTV page describes other common migraine symptoms (like a lack of appetite), as well as the "auras" some people have before their migraines start.
- Zomig
Zomig is a prescription medicine approved to treat migraine headaches as they occur. This eMedTV article describes how Zomig works to relieve migraine symptoms, lists its potential side effects, and gives tips on when and how to take the medicine.
- Migraine Medications
Pain relief and the prevention of future migraine attacks are the goals of migraine treatment. This eMedTV resource discusses in detail the different migraine medications that are available, including triptans, NSAIDs, caffeine, and antidepressants.
- Causes of Headaches
Strokes, injuries to the neck, and high blood pressure are just a few causes of headaches. This eMedTV segment discusses these and other causes in detail and explains how healthcare providers classify headaches into three different groups.
- Spinal Headache
A dull or throbbing pain and blurry vision are among the possible symptoms of a spinal headache. This eMedTV article lists other symptoms and also discusses what may cause this type of headache and how it can be treated.
Headache Presentations
Presentations are collections of articles about one topic.
- Almotriptan (Axert)
- Alsuma Medication Information
- Butterbur Supplement Information
- Valproic Acid Delayed Release Info
- Feverfew Herb Information
- Frova Drug Information
- Frovatriptan (Frova)
- Inderal LA Drug Info
- Sumavel Medication Information
- Amerge Medication
- Cambia Drug Information
- Information on Headaches
- Maxalt Medicine
- Relpax Drug Information
- Axert Medication
- Divalproex Sodium
- Imitrex Info
- Migraine Information
- Lavender Aromatherapy
- Cluster Headache


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text: In a sea change for both the LGBT community and American society as a whole, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage become legal in all 50 states. Same-sex couples can now be recognized as husband and wife. That said, a recent study shows that gays and lesbians still face workplace discrimination. (READ MORE)


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Thefloydspin has learned that Sean Spicer used to be the White House press secretary, a stunning revelation that comes on the heels of the stunning revelation that Sean Spicer has resigned his position as the White House press secretary. A source close to the "president" says news of Spicer's previously undisclosed role comes as a complete surprise.
"Until now, I thought he was just another liar. Hell, that describes the entire Administration, from the vice-president to cabinet secretaries to the shirtless guy who empties the waste baskets. We're all liars. There are two things the president demands from his team: absolute loyalty and utter contempt for the truth. You'd think someone would tell the president those two don't go together. Of course, that would be a lie. Unless I'm lying to you right now. Which I am. Not. Not not. Not not not not not. Mind blowing, huh?"


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Brigid Brannagh is an Irish-American actress (also credited as Brigid Brannagh, Brigid Walsh, and Brigid Conley Walsh).
She has been a guest star on various programs, including a recurring role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Tammy Felton in the first and second seasons. She starred in Kindred: The Embraced and Over There.
Brigid Brannagh had the recurring role of Virginia Bryce, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce's girlfriend, during the second season of Angel. Brannagh guest starred on Charmed and Angel in the second seasons' sixth episodes.
She currently stars on Army Wives as Pamela Moran, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Justin Lyons.


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Today's antiphon for the beginning of the Mass reads "Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me; save the servant who trusts in you, my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long."
I'd like to start this homily by sharing a story with you that relates to this antiphon in particular, and it starts with this little thing I'm holding in my hand – an oil stock.
You all are aware that every Holy Thursday the (arch)bishop blesses the oils that are used throughout the year. There is the Oil of Catechumens which is used for those to be baptized, there is the Sacred Chrism which is used at baptisms, confirmations, and ordinations, and there is the Oil of the Infirm, which is used to anoint the sick.
Most of us priests have what are called oil stocks, which is this little metal container that has a little cotton swab soaked with the latter oil – if you were to look closely you could see the little 'OI' engraved in this oil stock. We carry these around, usually in our cars or our pockets for the emergency call or request from a parishioner.
This particular oil stock has a special significance for me, because it was given to me under special circumstances that I'd like to share with you.
The story of this oil stock starts back at my first pastorship, at the parishes of Saint Joseph and Holy Rosary in Tacoma [Washington]. If you've ever drive up I-5, you'll see near the Tacoma Dome a giant steep just south of the dome – that's Holy Rosary parish. Four blocks south of Holy Rosary is Saint Joseph parish, where I also lived (we had nuns living at the rectory of Holy Rosary).
Let me just say, the commute was awesome! Quite a difference from my current assignment where my commute from end-to-end was closer to 100 miles.
The two parishes were great communities and fairly old in comparison to many of the churches in our archdiocese. Both communities were over a hundred years old, with the buildings being around the same age. Built in the gothic style, these are impressing buildings, with arches that go on forever, stained glass windows brought from Europe, and a classical beauty in the altars, statues, and architecture in general.
However, that kind of age doesn't come without some history – and the burdens that may have been picked up along the way. Holy Rosary had over half a million dollars in debt, struggled mightily to make ends meet, and the building was old.
Here in Lewis county, we know about rain and the devastation that so much water can wreak. In Tacoma this generally isn't as urgent as we don't get that kind of volume there in flat land. But old buildings are, well, old, and a few years ago we had pretty big rains. To boot, at that time I was a fairly new pastor, still getting my feet wet (hah!).
Around the same time, a dear friend from seminary – who had discerned that God was calling him not to the priesthood but to married life – asked me to baptize the second of his four daughters in Everett at the end of the weekend. This was the weekend that the rains hit, pouring down all weekend.
Now church design seems to have gone through a phase where there was a principle that nothing should be placed on the outside of the church so that nothing would mar the outside appearance of the building. So instead of having gutters and drain pipes around the roof and down the side of the building, the walkway of the tower was lined with special material that would direct rain water to a drain and pipe that went down the center of the tower. The pipe would go down the middle of the tower and then exit through the wall at the bottom of the tower to finally carry water away from the building. This system worked well for about 80 years.
And then, at this parish that had significant debt and no money to speak of – on a day I was about to drive 100 miles to baptize my best friend's child – it failed.
The first sign that something wasn't right was a call through our parish emergency line. I've got this set up to ring to my phone with a big red cross on the screen, which always gets my heart pumping. It's our alarm company, calling to alert me that there is a fire alarm (and possibly a fire) in the library in my church….which is located at the base of the tower.
Rushing all four blocks to the church, I barrel into the building. Thankfully there is no smoke and apparently no flames. Making my way to the back of the church to the library, I open the door and …. splash. I step into inches of water. There are inches of water covering the entire floor.
Looking up, I see that the ceiling tiles are coming down – but hanging from two wires, along which water is streaming down before falling to the floor, is the fire alarm that had shorted out after sending a false alarm to our company.
I'm just looking in disbelief at the room. I follow in the footsteps in carpenter, but I don't know to fix any of this! So I call parishioners, beg and plead a number of them to come help place buckets and move what might be saved. A very gracious contractor even came and climbed the tower to assess the problem! No small task this, as the ladders are not a little sketchy – just before Jesus ascended He told the disciples "I expect the ladders at Holy Rosary to be replaced before I get back" ….. I guess the good news is that we still have time? But this contractor braved them nonetheless and effected a temporary fix.
Satisfied that at least we have temporary reprieve, I go off to celebrate the baptism of my friend's baptism. Coming home the next home, I brace myself to face the music. And what a cacophony it was – the smaller church, built with the same design principle, had the same flaw and had also suffered a catastrophic leak.
So we spend go through weeks going through insurance claims, dealing with repair bids, assessing the extent of the water damage, heaters, blowers, and sealed off areas while it all gets fixed. But praise God, after all that, it is all fixed.
And the week after it gets fixed, the rains come back – not as bad as the first time, but pretty darn bad. And now conscious of how this could go, I am paying attention throughout the entire Mass, listening for any telltale sound of dripping. I was relieved by the end of the weekend to find that everything seemed to be fine.
On Monday, I am awakened to a phone call. This time, it wasn't on the emergency line, but nonetheless it is from my groundskeeper at the smaller church. My groundskeeper at this smaller (still poor) church is a faithful woman, but 80-hundred years old: she's not fixing anything. And she has a request:
"Father would you check the garbage can in the choir loft?"
"what do you mean?"
"Well, didn't you hear the dripping during Mass?"
"you need to go up there, Father – it was dripping the whole time"
So I go up into the church, and sure enough there is a garbage can in the choir loft – just above a river of water that is flowing down the steps. The can had indeed caught all of the water – that had subsequently drained out a small hole a few inches above the bottom of it.
I have to admit that I had a bit of a melt-down right there with God. I want to say that we had words, but really, I had words – words that aren't really repeatable in a homily.
Of course, the water is still there and needs cleaned up, so I go into the rectory and gather every towel in my possession while calling my secretary to cancel all the appointments of the day. Upon returning to the church, I open the door to see white footprints, about my size, that had been tracked from the choir loft to the door.
The paint on the floor of the loft – softened and liquified from the sitting water – had adhered to my shoes and was providing a clear path marking where I had walked out of the church.
….. cue more words that can't be repeated.
So I get it all cleaned up, throw the towels in the washing machine, change my clothes (clean my shoes), and go down to the office, a complete wreck. The nuns at Holy Rosary call somewhere in the midst of this to report several small leaks at the rectory and oh by the way, the Holy Rosary church had some water issues again too.
If you've ever worked at a church you know that if the priest suffers, you're suffering too. Because I'm calling around to get things fixed, my staff are calling everyone, and I've cancelled all my appointments except for one.
This particular appointment was made because a longtime and dear parishioner had passed away some time prior and his sister was handling the estate. He had some pretty significant medical and financial difficulties before he died and she was looking for some support.
So she comes in, and the first thing she does is hand me a box of religious items that had been recovered from among his belongings. Unsure of how they were supposed to be disposed of, she was hoping that I could do that for her, which I was happy to do.
And then she tells me that things are actually going quite better than when the appointment was originally made – the hospital bills were negotiated down and the house sold for more than anticipated. And Hal (the name of the deceased parishioner) had directed that if there was any money left over, a certain percentage would go to the church. This was a rather pleasant surprise, but I wasn't expecting much as Hal wasn't especially wealthy.
She writes a check and hands it to me – it's for $34,000. And I look at her and said "Miriam, I think you've made a mistake." ….which she assumes is an accusation of holding back, so she pulls out this big ledger and starts to justify the amount on the check. To which I quickly assure her: "no, no – I think you added a zero!".
She calms down and explains that it turns out that Hal had more than expected and that this was the amount according to the percentage that he had set, it was to go to whatever needs the parish had. And shortly thereafter we ended our meeting and she left, me sitting there afterwards in stunned silence.
If this is what God gives when I curse at Him – twice – I wonder what it would be like if I just trusted Him?
So I, well, I played a little prank on my secretary, who was frantically calling around. I put the check face down on her desk and left so as to not interrupt here. And then I sat in my office and waited. Sure enough, the little red light on my phone blinks off as she hangs up and I hear as she picks up the check "FATHER MAURER IS THIS REAL?!?!" ("Yes it is, and you'll be off to deposit that right now.")
That one gift, that one response of the Lord, covered the nuns' roof replacement, helped out with the leak at Holy Rosary, and helped us with a budget shortfall in that year (Saint Joseph's insurance came through especially well for even the second leak).
This oil stock that I carry came from that box of religious goods of Hals, and I carry it with me as a reminder of that day, of this lesson: that the Lord does hear us when we cry out to Him.
All of that to ask you this question: how is that going for you?
I'm confident that I'm not alone in having those moments when I stand before the Lord and question what is going, what we're doing. I still wonder this at times! Especially in light of my age and the great responsibilities of pastorship, I often joke with my staff "whose dumb idea was this?".
I suspect many of us have that thought in our own lives – who thought up this putting me in charge of my work, of my family, of the souls of my spouse and children? What are you doing Lord that I should be in this position?
We can see this even with Saint Peter! When we look at the disciples we see a collection of guys who, well, they weren't the brightest of bulbs. They were fishermen, so they weren't well-educated to start off with, though dedicated and faithful to a degree. And Peter especially just didn't get it. Every time that Peter opens his mouth and speaks to the Lord, he's kind of like that kid in school who would raise his hand and everyone else thinks 'here we go…'.
And so many time this proves to be true. Peter sees Jesus and asks Him to invite Him onto the water (which He does) and then he starts to sink, Jesus explains His Passion and Peter decries it so vehemently that Jesus has to rebuke him ("get behind me, Satan"), and even at the Last Supper when Jesus speaks of His death Peter gets a special warning of the trial he is to face – and Peter not only abandons Christ along with the rest of the disciples but goes on to indeed deny Christ three times.
And what does Jesus do when He returns? "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church"
…. 'are you sure about this?'
And yet, Jesus sticks with that. While we may not be the foundation of the Church (Peter gets to keep that role!), we are indeed the foundation of our own lives, of the life that Christ has entrusted to us. And we do feel that way from time to time – 'this is too much, it's overwhelming, how is this going to work?'
I wonder if the Lord doesn't put in charge, give us these responsibilities to emphasize first of all His trust in us: "I give you this not to test you, not to try you, but because I want you to know that I believe in you, I know you to be good, I know you can accomplish my will."
And for the second reason: "Because I will support you – even as you are weak, I am strong. And if you allow me to fill you in your life, to be present to you, to send you even unknowingly and unwittingly these gives, you will be a firm foundation, you will build up in your life a beautiful structure that will glorify Me."
So I ask you again: how is that going for you? Where are you in that story?
Maybe you have stories like I do with this oil stock, maybe you're still crying out to the Lord, maybe you don't know how to cry out to the Lord or fear that if you do, it will go unanswered.
I'd like to offer that encouragement to you, that the antiphon and its psalm does offer to us today, to cry out to the Lord even right here in the Mass, especially in the petitions and at the altar.
'Lord I want to do the good things you ask of me, I want to treasure the gifts of my life, my family, my friends, my vocation. But it's a lot, Lord. Please give me what I need! Help me so that I might do well, and glorify your name'
The Lord does hear the cry of all, not just the poor or the rich, but all of us. May we at this very Mass today pour out ourselves to the Lord – and perhaps find to our delight that the Lord not only chooses those who are weak, but also supports them.
May we cry out to the Lord, that He might have mercy on us, that He might shower us with gifts, and in glorifying our lives, He might glorify us and demonstrate through us His glory to not only us but to all those in need.


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The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has called on the government to do more to protect the poorest and most vulnerable from the likely consequences of an economic downturn.
His comments, made late last week on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, in other interviews and in the House of Lords, came as the government was forced into a partial backdown over compensation for vulnerable groups hit by the abolition of the 10p tax rate.
The move by Gordon Brown and the traesury has infuriated anti-poverty groups and sections of the PM's own Labour Party, but he insists that his actions are best for the country as a whole.
Meanwhile, speaking in the Lords, Dr Williams, head of the Church of England, highlighted the fact that government targets on alleviating poverty, particularly child poverty, risked not being met and warned that in a period of economic decline the poorest in society, who carry a higher proportion of personal debt, were most at risk.
In the debate, called by the Archbishop, he suggested ways in which government might help low income families avoid entering into cycles of unsustainable debt -by improving financial education in schools, enforcing tighter controls on doorstep credit agencies and by helping to foster responsible alternatives to doorstep lending, such as those offered by Credit Unions.
In his speech on "the impact on the family of economic inequality, credit and indebtedness" the Dr Williams talked about the 'poverty trap' and the effect this has, particularly on children.
He declared: "One of the matters I wish to underline in this debate is that, because of a variety of problems around debt and credit, children in poverty are in fact caught in a particularly toxic version of the 'poverty trap': families with children face heavier pressures in regard to basic expenditure, pressures that push their outgoings beyond their weekly income levels. And this is not to do with purchasing luxuries: it is a matter of school uniforms, adequate diet and heating in the home, access to routine leisure activities (how much does it cost to travel to the nearest swimming pool?) and so on – never mind the extra expectations around Christmas or birthdays. ... "
The archbishop also called for greater financial education to help prepare young people understand the risks of borrowing, declaring that "[t]here is an urgent case for more support for financial education in schools and FE institutions. Young people are vulnerable to considerable pressure – sometimes from banks themselves – to embark on risky and costly ventures into borrowing. They need skills in assessing risks, in interpreting borrowing conditions, in factoring in to their decisions some better awareness of the uncertainties of the whole system. And this needs to start early. The present situation is not good. It is estimated by Credit Action that less than 5% of secondary schools in this country give anything like adequate priority to education in money management as part of their citizenship and PHSE curriculum."
He spoke of how Credit Unions provided a better, alternative source of credit for borrowers, encouraging the government to do more to foster their growth.
Dr Williams said: "[O]ne of the most effective agencies we have in reducing unmanageable debt and developing the skills that help people avoid the worst traps of the credit business. I refer of course to Credit Unions ....... The work of Credit Unions is still all too little known in most of the UK – though there are 172,000,000 members of unions worldwide, with over a quarter of the populations of the US, Canada and Australia being members. The potential is enormous. It is evident at the simplest level in terms of the financial burden involved in the arranging of a loan: the Credit Union makes no charges for arranging this, includes loan insurance at no extra cost and has no penalties for early repayment. Even the most reputable home credit company will be about a third more expensive than a Credit Union. Increasing numbers of Unions organise Child Trust Funds and ISAs, and provide special Christmas accounts to help prevent seasonal debt. Some have effective partnerships with local CABs and housing associations, and there is some highly imaginative work through schools to promote financial literacy."
The Archbishop warned of the dangers of the doorstep lending in relation to excessive charges and rates of interest, and praised the campaign 'Debt on our Doorstep' for their work in calling for "tighter regulation of the lending market, with a proper investigation of payday lending and a cap on charges."
He went on: "The Consumer Credit legislation of 2005 built helpfully on the last review of practice in this area by the DTI and other agencies, but shied away from a ceiling on interest rates. While there is debate about the effects of capping interest rates in the world of home credit, with some arguing that it could encourage unofficial practice even worse than what now prevails, there is a growing consensus that a situation in which charges can legally be as high as they are in the world of doorstep lending is indefensible: it gives the message that borrowing is a business in which you can only be a long-term loser, and so gives a further turn to the despair and low self-esteem that afflicts those caught up in the debt spiral"
Dr Williams said that more could be done to regulate the worst excesses of parts of the industry, suggesting that: "a sharper regulation of the terms and methods of advertising for doorstep credit, which at present is often deliberately unclear about charges and rates of repayment, would bring some checks upon what is increasingly seen as an open scandal
The Archbishop also welcomed government attempts to combat poverty but pointed out that current targets were unlikely to be met on child poverty - an issue likely to be taken up by over 45 major NGO's in 2008 under the umbrella coalition of the 'Get Fair' campaign.
"We can applaud the declared aim of the Government, stated in 1999, to halve child poverty by 2010, but we have to recognise that this goal is sadly unlikely to be attained on present showing. So serious is the prospect that over 45 major NGO's are launching later this year a national campaign, 'Get Fair', aimed at galvanising once again the commitment to end child poverty by 2020, the date originally set – and at tackling the negative and unjust image of people living in poverty that prevails in a worryingly large percentage of the population," he concluded.


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We take on all kinds of renovation projects in new and traditional homes. We also will build your extension to get that extra space you need. We have worked on all sorts of project in both new and old houses in the Bath and North Somerset area.
There is no project too small – that said, if we can help you to do a project yourself and save some money, we will. After all we are the team behind DIY Doctor, the leading DIY and Home Improvement website in the UK.
We can work with you from concept to completion of your project. We have experts that can help with every step of the way. These are the key steps that we will help you with:
- Understanding your project: We will work with you and your architect, if you have one, to understand what you want and ensure that it can be built
- Delivering Value for money: When we understand what you want, we can ensure that you get it and at a great price. However we will not compromise our standards, ever
- Keeping you in the driving seat: This is your home and we work for you. We will ensure that you always know what is going on and why we are doing what we are doing
- Keeping flexible: Wherever possible we will be flexible, and where it is not possible we'll explain why not or what are the impacts of making late changes
- Lifetime guarantee on craftsmanship: When we work, we expect it to last so we will guarantee any work that we do
If you have any questions we would be happy to answer them, so please get in touch. You can find out how to reach us here.
Here are some of the things that people tend to ask us:
- Where do you work?
- We work all over Bath and North Somerset. We are based between Frome and Shepton Mallet, and have worked on projects from Trowbridge to Wells and from South Bristol to Wincanton. See the map on our home page for a better idea.
- What type of work do you do?
- We do all kinds of work on old and new houses. We build extensions and complete renovation projects. We genuinely mean it when we say, "No project too small", but we also will explain how you can do it yourself and save spending your money when you don't need to. We have a full range of tradesman at our disposal so there is no part of a project that we cannot do.
- Do you have experience with period or listed properties?
- Most of our work is with period properties. We are very experienced with working on renovation projects in listed buildings and understand the constraints involved. It adds an extra dimension to the project that we enjoy, particularly where we are preserving traditional building techniques.
- How long will the work take?
- This will depend on the project and how much work needs to be done. We will explain the project plan and timelines with you before we start. As a guide a ground floor extension will typically take around 12-14 weeks to plan, including surveying and designing, submitting the planning application and structural calculations and drawings. The actual build will take a similar length of time after this. This is a broad estimate for a typical ground floor kitchen extension – if there is such a thing!
- Do I need Planning Permission?
- This will depend on what you are wanting so we will advise you as part of your quotation process. If you would like us to prepare all the necessary applications for you this is something that we can do too. If we work with you for the planning and design process there is no obligation for us to complete the build if you would prefer someone else to do it. Obviously we hope you do want us to complete the job, but understand that you might want flexibility here.
- Can I make changes as we go along?
- Yes, of course. We will accommodate changes as far as possible, but we will also tell you in advance when we need your confirmed decisions so that you know when we will pass the point where changes can be made. The more warning that you give us, the easier changes can be made. However insignificant your changes are, please mention them or places where you might be wavering on your decision so that we can explain the implications and help you get to a firm decision.
- Will you decorate, fit the kitchen, etc?
- Yes, we will. However we would treat this as a separate part of the project. Our quotation will be to complete the build, including final sign off from Building Control. It will not include any form of decoration or finish unless you specifically requested it. By taking this approach you can keep flexible or even do the decorating yourself – something we will whole heartedly support from our sister company DIY Doctor. Obviously we hope that we can finish the project for you, but this is an area where there are a huge amount of options so there is no need to commit immediately. We will discuss how you want to proceed at an appropriate time.
- Can I have a testimonial or visit a project you have completed?
- Yes, we will try and find a project like yours and near you that you can visit. We can provide you references from recent customer too. They will be able to tell you exactly what it is like working with us.
- Are you insured?
- Yes, so you and your home is protected and, more importantly from our point of view, so is our livelihood. Before the start of your project your project manager will show you a copy of our insurance. At this point he will also work through our contract with you, so both parties are further protected.
- When can I start?
- We can come and see you straight away – please get in touch here to book an appointment. Usually we can start a project in 2-3 weeks, but this will depend on what your project is and how ready you are. When we come and see you we will discuss the timeline with you to ensure that all the planning and design for the project is in place before we actually start work.
- Who will manage my project?
- You will be given a dedicated project manager and there will be a foreman on site to run the teams working on site. If you have any questions about the project please speak to your project manager, but he will ensure that you have regular meetings during the build to make sure that you are up to date with everything that it happening.
- How do I get started?
- Get in touch with us, or arrange for us to call you back at a time which is convenient for you. We'd love to hear about your project and how we can help you get it done. Once we have a rough idea about what you want, when you want it and how we can help, we'll book a time to come and see you to discuss the project in more detail, and for you to see if you think we're the right people to help you realise your dream.


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We would love to hear from you!
Whether you are looking for your dream house in the sun, a valuation of your property or general information about today's property market conditions in Greece our lines are open.
Feel free to contact us via phone on +30 210 968 1070 or simply by completing the contact form below:


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Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, our society has dubbed certain rights to be "inalienable," but the right to arbitrate is not among them. A contractual right to arbitrate is not absolute and can be waived by the parties. "The waiver of the right to arbitrate may be expressed in terms or be implied from the acts, omissions and conduct of a party." Hall v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 189 So.2d 224, 225 (Fla. 4th DCA 1966).
By default, parties often commence litigation in courts even if there is a contract containing an arbitration clause. In responding to the complaint, the defendant must act expeditiously and cautiously in order to preserve the right to arbitrate. Florida courts have broadly held that active participation in litigation in court or otherwise engaging in actions inconsistent with the right to arbitrate will constitute wavier of the right to arbitration. In Andre Franklin, Inc. v. Wax, 2014 WL 5002130 (Fla. 2d DCA Oct. 8, 2014) (NOT FINAL SUBJECT TO REVISION OR WITHDRAWAL), the Second District Court of Appeal of Florida recently examined the type of conduct that would be tantamount to waiver of the right to arbitrate.
In that case, Mr. and Mrs. Wax entered into a contract with Andre Franklin to restore a historic home, and the contract contained an arbitration clause. When a dispute arose over payment, Mr. and Mrs. Wax filed a complaint against Andre Franklin in a Florida state court. In response to the complaint, Andre Franklin simultaneously filed (1) a motion to compel arbitration, (2) a motion to abate the state court case, (3) a motion to dismiss the state court case on technical grounds, (4) an answer and affirmative defenses, and (5) counterclaims for foreclosure of lien and breach of contract. At a subsequent hearing, the trial court granted the Andre Franklin's motion to dismiss, and Mr. and Mrs. Wax filed an amended complaint to cure the pleading defects. Unfortunately, the opinion does not explain how the trial court disposed of or addressed the motion to compel arbitration at the hearing.
In response to the amended complaint, Andre Franklin simultaneously filed (1) a motion to compel arbitration, (2) motion to abate the state court case, and (3) an answer and affirmative defenses to the amended complaint. At a hearing on the motions, Mr. and Mrs. Wax argued, and the trial court agreed, that Andre Franklin had waived its right to arbitrate by filing counterclaims and arguing its motion to dismiss the original complaint at the previous hearing, perceiving such conduct as being inconsistent with the right to arbitrate.
In reversing the trial court's finding of waiver of the arbitration clause, the Second District concluded that the defendant's filing of the counterclaims, motion to dismiss, and a motion to compel arbitration, without more, did not constitute a waiver of the right to arbitrate. Because Andre Franklin had not engaged in any discovery, there was no evidence of waiver of the right to arbitrate. As noted by the Second District, waiver often hinges upon whether the party seeking to compel arbitration engaged in any discovery. On this point, the court analyzed two cases from a sister court in Florida. For instance, the defendant was found to have waived the right to arbitrate in Coral 97 Associates, Ltd. v. Chino Electric, Inc., 501 So. 2d 69 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987) where the defendant simply filed a notice of taking deposition of the plaintiff prior to the hearing on its motion to dismiss. A year after the Coral case was decided, the Third District clarified the Coral holding in Concrete Design Structures, Inc. v. P.L. Dodge Foundation, Inc., 532 So. 2d 1334, 1335 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988), explaining that "it was the act of implementing discovery [in the Coral case], following the simultaneous filings of the counterclaim and motions to arbitrate and dismiss, that was held inconsistent with and thus a waiver of the arbitration right."
Parties desiring to arbitrate their disputes must expeditiously file a motion to compel arbitration with the court and must refrain from taking any action inconsistent with the right to arbitrate, particularly engaging in any kind of discovery. Failure to follow these general principles may result in a judicial finding of waiver of the right to arbitrate, thereby negating all of the reasons why the arbitration clause was included in the operative contract in the first place (e.g. the fact that arbitration is generally quicker to resolution than litigation, generally less expensive than litigation, permits more streamlined discovery, allows the parties to have a voice in selecting the person(s) to preside over the dispute, provides for less formal rules of evidence and procedure, resolves the dispute in a more private forum, etc.).


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We teach at retreats, Bible studies and lead tours to Israel.
We consciously set out to teach the word of God in the retreat format. It is here, as if on the mountain, that we have found the Spirit moves in powerful ways. God has honored this way of presenting His message by changing countless lives. If your church or organization would like us to speak at a retreat please see our calendar for openings in our schedule on the Events page and Contact Us to book a retreat.
Bible Studies
We will custom design studies for your group on the three topics we teach. If you are located near one of our ministry leaders, we can facilitate a Bible study in your area. We also facilitate our twelve week study from our study guide, "The Feasts of Yahweh, The Mysteries of God" or you may purchase the study guide from us for $15.00 (excluding shipping).
Tours to Israel
We started leading study tours to Israel and Petra, Jordan about 10 years ago. Our focus in teaching is to reveal God's work still evident in the land of Israel and to walk in the footsteps of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our knowledge of the Jewish customs and culture lead us to visit many sites that other tours never visit. Over the years we have developed many special contacts which in turn has given us opportunities to grow trusted relationships with many people living in Israel. When you travel with us you really experience Israel! See our Tours page for our next trip.
Located in Salem, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; and The Woodlands, Texas.


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Coming soon!
Ames, Iowa
Upcoming events
Forget the days of having to check a dozen different places to see what is happening this weekend. We'll do that for you!
Classes & Camps
Looking for after school activities, extra-curriculars, spring break & summer camps? We've got 'em!
Special Guides
We also curate the best, special edition guides, just for you! From birthday party ideas to preschool & daycare guides and more!
About the Kids Calendar
The Ames Kids Calendar is brought to you by Ana DelCorazon, local Ames mom and Curator of Fun. When launched, it will feature an incredible, comprehensive events calendar full of fun activities in Ames. The Kids Calendar also publishes a monthly Classes & Camps Guide, Birthday Club to help plan for your kid's big days and more! Best of all, the Kids Calendar is COMPLETELY FREE to use! Just sign up with your email in the box above to get alerted when the site is launched!
Also published in Lawrence KS and Iowa City, IA, the Kids Calendar was founded by Beth McKeon in 2011. In August 2014, Beth moved to Cedar Rapids to participate in the first Iowa Startup Accelerator class. Both Ana and Beth are thrilled to bring the Kids Calendar to Ames this summer!
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Balfour Beatty has reaffirmed its rejection of a second £3bn merger proposal from rival construction firm Carillion, publishing the detail of its doubts over the cost savings that could be achieved from any combination.
Balfour, which built the aquatics centre for London 2012 and is transforming the Olympic stadium, has rejected two proposals by Carillion to create a group that would be better placed to compete for large international contracts against the likes of Spain's Ferrovial.
The two companies revealed they were in talks last month, but Balfour walked away only days later after Carillion insisted it cancel the planned sale of Balfour's US engineering and design business, Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Since then the companies have been engaged in a battle of statements and counter-statements, with Balfour continuing to argue that Carillion's proposals will fail to deliver as much value to shareholders as it can as an independent company.
Under takeover rules Carillion has until 21 August to make a final offer.
Balfour Beatty said on Friday it had further considered Thursday's announcement from Carillion, and continued to reject its suitor's assessment of potential cost savings.
"The proposal remains unchanged to that rejected on August 11 2014. The board reaffirms its rejection of the proposal," Balfour said in its statement.
Balfour said it believed the proposal involved reducing its British construction revenues by up to two-thirds, which would in turn reduce the potential synergies available.
Carillion, whose contracts range from maintaining the London Overground system to operating site services for Shell in Qatar, has said it could save more than £175m a year by the end of 2016, more than some analysts expected, by streamlining offices, supply chains and IT.
"Cost savings driven by shrinking the business should not be confused with synergies," Balfour said.
Balfour, which generates £10bn in revenue from work in 80 countries, also said that any shrinking of its British construction business as part of a merged group would deny shareholders the benefits from a recovery in that sector, signs of which it was already seeing.
Carillion has said it would refocus a combined group's business in the UK to make two-thirds of its profits on services and investments, with just one-third from construction.
Balfour said it would pursue its own cost efficiencies by cutting management layers and streamlining supply chains. It expected to sell Parsons Brinckerhoff for between £580m and £650m.
"The board believes this is the right time to sell Parsons Brinckerhoff, but believes Carillion's approach for the entire group at this stage of the construction cycle is opportunistic," it said.
The approach from Carillion in July followed a difficult 18 months for Balfour Beatty, which has issued a series of profit warnings and lost its CEO, Andrew McNaughton, in May. Its shares have slumped 22% over the past six months.
A construction analyst at City firm Investec, Andrew Gibb, said Balfour's rejection was a "missed opportunity" for shareholders.
"Carillion has already proved it can create synergies with its acquisition of both Mowlem and Alfred McAlpine, where it comfortably exceeded initial expectations," he said.
With the group in search of a new chief executive, he said the war of words between the two companies was "unhelpful" and shareholders should ask themselves whether Balfour had the "right team and the right strategy" to turn its business around. ¬


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Kirchhoff's Voltage Law and Kirchhoff's Current Law
In the previous section on Resistors in Series & Parallel, we built up a lot of intuition about how to think about current & voltage in a circuit. (If you haven't read that section, please go back and do so now.)
The resistor-specific combination rules for resistors in series and parallel will not generalize to other circuit elements. However, there are two basic principes that will generalize:
- Two components in series will have the same current through them. We'll make this statement a bit broader and it will become Kirchhoff's Current Law.
- Two components in parallel will have the same voltage across them. We'll make this statement a bit broader and it will become Kirchhoff's Voltage Law.
These two Kirchhoff's Laws will then become our basis for how to write the equations that describe how current and voltage behave in any electronic circuit.
In this section we're only concerned with how to write these equations. In other sections, including the Systems of Equations section from the previous chapter, we'll discuss how to solve those equations once written.
Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL)
Kirchhoff's Current Law is a statement of conservation of charge: what goes in must come out at every junction (node) on a circuit network.
Under the Lumped Element Model, charge can't be stored at any node on the schematic, so if charge flows out of one element at node A, the same amount of current must instantaneously flow into a connected element's terminal at node A.
As intuition for why this must be true, remember that electrons can't enter or leave the system anywhere (there are no "leaks"), and electrons can't "pile up" anywhere because they'd repel each other.
This is just like the hydraulic analogy with the flow of water in a pipe network: at any pipe junction there are 2 or more connections, and any water that goes in must go out!
The direction of current is important too: we have to define currents with arrows going in or out and label them carefully. (We'll discuss this more in the next section, Labeling Voltages, Currents, and Nodes.)
Consider this circuit network with three nodes and four elements:
In the circuit above, we have three nodes. We can write Kirchhoff's Current Law at each of the three nodes.
Mathematically, one way of writing it at each node is:
This says that all the currents at a node sum to zero.
We have to keep track and use a positive sign if the current flows into the node, and a negative sign if the current flows out.
In the example above, going through each node, the KCL equations are:
Another way of stating Kirchhoff's Current Law is:
In the example above the three equations would be:
In this formulation, we are saying that the sum of the currents into a node equals the sum of the currents out of that node.
This is mathematically identical to the first way of stating the KCL, because those currents would just have negative sign.
Be sure to be careful of direction! It doesn't especially matter which direction you choose to label each current, but it is absolutely critical that it be consistent; current into one node is current out of another.
We can write the KCL at every node in a circuit. A node is just a place where elements connect.
Note that nodes may be bigger than they first appear: we can name nodes and refer to these names multiple places on a schematic, even if there aren't wires drawn explicitly between them. Additionally, the ground node is a special case of a named node, and is also connected together everywhere.
We can write the KCL equations without knowing anything about the components; it only specifies the topology (the shape) of how things connect to each other.
Here's a slightly more complicated example with 5 nodes and 7 edges. Notice that we label all the nodes, and then we label all the currents and their directions:
Here are the KCL equations at each node that result when you sum all currents to zero:
And, for completeness, here are the KCL equations at each node that result when you sum all currents in equal to all currents out:
These two systems of equations are algebraically the same. Look closely at whichever one makes more sense to you, and observe how you can transform one into the other.
In the next section we'll talk about labeling currents so they're done consistenly with respect to direction and sign – a common trap for beginners.
As we've hinted in Linear & Nonlinear and Systems of Equations, it is useful to develop some linear algebra intuition. The above series of KCL equations for the five-node example could be written as:
This alone isn't yet a solvable system of equations, however it contributes a big part to the overall system of equations that make up a solvable circuit.
Exceptions to Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL)
There are no exceptions to Kirchhoff's Current Law – by definition.
Note that while electrons within conductors would repel each other, for an insulator, the electrons might be "stuck" – a static charge. It is possible for static charge to accumulate on and within a circuit; however, instead of considering the KCL to be broken, this effect is best modeled by adding capacitances at the nodes in question.
One Too Many Nodes
If we have nodes in our circuit, we can write KCL equations – one at each node.
However, those equations will not be linearly independent. (For a review of linear independence and why it's critically important, review Systems of Equations.)
Consider this simple circuit with two nodes:
We can write the KCL at node A:
And next we can write the KCL at node B:
It should be obvious that these are, in fact, the same equation written twice; we've just multiplied one of them by -1.
Writing it down twice (once per node) didn't actually add any information. The second equation didn't add any new constraints that the first equation didn't already include.
That's because every edge in the graph adds a current term to one node's KCL equation, and subtracts that current term from another KCL equation. We're double counting the flows in and out everywhere even though all charge is conserved, which leads to this useless extra equation.
This extends to more complicated examples just as well. Consider again the three node example we looked at above:
We can write the KCL at each node as we did above:
In this slightly more complicated case, it's less "obvious" that these aren't linearly independent, but it's still true. To see that, add equation #1 and equation #2, then multiply by -1, and you'll get equation #3.
This is a common trap for beginner problem solving, so keep an eye out for it.
In practice, the solution is to not write the KCL equation for the node picked to be the ground node. We'll talk more about that in the next section.
Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL)
Kirchhoff's Voltage Law can be framed in a few different ways with the same underlying meaning.
We've already discussed in Voltage and Current how voltage is always a difference across two points. Even when we define a ground node for convenience, we're still looking at a voltage difference to that arbitrarily defined ground.
The first way of stating Kirchhoff's Voltage Law is that the total voltage difference between two points A and B is the same no matter what path you take.
This is like saying that the difference between a 5 foot tall person and a 6 foot tall person is always going to be 1 foot. It doesn't matter if we:
- Put the two people back to back and measure the difference from the top of one head to another, or
- Measure both from head to toe and do the subtraction, or
- Measure them both from the ceiling and do the subtraction,
- Have both people stand on a box and measure from the bottom of the box and do the subtraction.
In all four cases, we'll get 1 foot as the height difference.
Let's put these two people in a room and say that the x-y plane is the floor, and the z axis points toward the ceiling.
Now, imagine in your mind that all four of these ways of measuring are different paths in space between points A (first person's top-of-head) and B (second person's top-of-head). We're going to walk along the curve of each path and add up only the z-axis vertical distance – keeping track of positive and negative – as we walk along those four paths. We'll always get 1 foot as the vertical difference regardless of which path we take between A and B.
We can ignore the motion in the other directions because only the height difference matters. (And, in the same way for voltages, only the electric fields parallel to the path matter.)
It may sound simple, but that's really all there is to Kirchhoff's Voltage Law.
There's a second common way of stating the KVL: the sum of voltages around any loop is zero. A loop is defined as any path that starts and ends at the same point.
To apply to our height analogy, now it's saying that if you start from the top of the 5 foot tall person's head and make any loop in space, and you add up the changes in height (z-axis) as you go, you'll get zero when you return back to the starting point.
The "every loop sums up to zero" and the "every path between A and B has the same voltage difference" statements are mathematically identical, because you can always take a path from A to some point Q, and then add any path back from Q back to A to make a loop.
If you've studied multivariable calculus, this is a version of a line integral in a vector field – in this case, the electric field – and a potential function exists (the voltage itself), so the line integral is path independent, and the electric field is the gradient of the potential function. (We discussed this more in the Electrons at Rest section.)
We've just talked a bunch about measuring people's heights, but what's that got to do with electronics?
Well, just as height is a way of measuring the gravitational potential energy of a mass in a gravitational field, similarly voltage is a way of measuring the electric potential energy of charge in an electric field.
Let's say we have height A (higher) and height B (lower) and a bunch of little steel ball bearings. On the left, we've built a box that takes in balls from height B and raises them up to height A. On the right, the balls that come out from the box go down a high-friction ramp, where they roll down and eventually stop back at the bottom, at height B. From there, they go back into the box on the left to continue their cycle.
If we map the masses to charges, and map the heights to voltages, we've just described something like this very simple circuit with one voltage source and one resistor:
Kirchhoff's Voltage Law says that the voltage difference between the two points we've labeled A and B is the same whether we take the path through the voltage source or the path through the resistor. Here are a few interchangeable definitions in mathematical terms:
Pay close attention to the signs and definitions of path directions. We'll explore these issues more closely in the next section.
The box on the left is like a voltage source: it takes the ball bearings (charges) and moves them from a lower potential energy state to a higher one.
The ramp on the right is like a resistor: it takes ball bearings (charges) from a high potential energy state back down to a lower one, dissipating that energy as heat along the way.
Kirchhoff's Voltage Law tells us that the potential energy (per unit charge) gained in going "up" the voltage source is equal to the potential energy (per unit charge) lost going "down" the resistor. That's the way of formulating that sentence as a loop: you see that the ball bearings (charges) make a complete loop.
We could make the loop version of the KVL by saying:
If it helps your understanding, another reason why Kirchoff's Voltage Law must be true is because of conservation of energy: if it weren't true, than a charge could follow a path around a circuit, flow through a few components, end up back where it started, and have gained potential energy! This would be absolutely great for perpetual motion machines, but not so great for the laws of thermodynamics.
Note that Kirchhoff's Voltage Law is determined in terms of summing up voltage differences. As discussed previously in Voltage and Current all voltages are relative, but sometimes we (for convenience) define a ground which is our reference. In our height measurement example, this is like saying that it doesn't matter whether we say at the floor, or at the shorter person's belly button. It's arbitrary. No matter what, the z-axis differences we add up will be the same.
Exceptions to Kirchhoff's Voltage Law
The fascinating thing about Kirchhoff's Voltage Law is that we've just argued so strongly for why it must be "obviously" true…
However, it may surprise you to learn that in the underlying physics of Maxwell's equations, the KVL is actually false! Faraday's law of induction is:
This says that the voltage induced in a loop is equal to the rate of change of magnetic flux through the surface enclosed by the loop. So the voltage around a loop is zero only if there's no time-varying magnetic flux through that loop.
We referred to this problem in our discussion of Electrons at Rest. To summarize: our Lumped Element Model requires that we assume that Kirchhoff's Voltage Law holds, but we make some adjustments sometimes.
For example, every inductor and transformer generally has time-varying magnetic flux, but we just include these in the model of the circuit element itself. The voltage of an inductor is in fact the same as the right-hand term in Faraday's law, but instead of considering it an adjustment to the KVL, we consider it as a voltage source itself.
If there are external time-varying magnetic fields, however, we may have to worry about them. This can a source of interference in electronics. This is a reason why large electronic systems with loops inside can be a problem, and one of the reason why ground loops are a problem as well: they form a large surface for time-varying magnetic flux to cause spurious voltages in our system. However, we can usually model this effect as an additional voltage source if we like.
For now, though, you should assume that Kirchhoff's Voltage Law is true in your study of electronics. Just store this detail in the event you start working with time-varying magnetic fields at a later point!
A Brief Review
We're now at the point where we are starting to put together many of the pieces we've built in earlier sections:
- The Lumped Element Model and Thermodynamics, Energy & Equilibrium provide a high level conceptual framework for looking at systems including circuits.
- Systems of Equations provides the tools to know when and how we can solve many simultaneous constraints.
- Electrons at Rest gives us an understanding of electric forces, fields, and potentials (voltages).
- Electrons in Motion helps us think about how those forces get charges moving to create currents.
- Voltage and Current are the basic variables of potential energy and flow rate within electric circuits.
- Resistors in Series & Parallel gives us the intuition about how voltage and current behave when we combine multiple elements.
- And finally, Kirchhoff's Voltage Law and Kirchhoff's Current Law (this section) formalizes that intuition and allows us to describe the constraints on voltage and current within the architecture of any circuit network.
The next pieces of the puzzle are to combine the KCL and KVL equations with specific circuit element equations (like Ohm's Law), while carefully labeling all currents and voltages, and then solving those full systems of equations to understand how those constraints and components interact to produce a particular circuit's behavior.
What's Next
In the next section, Labeling Voltages, Currents, and Nodes, we'll discuss how to properly label the names and directions of all the voltages and currents within a circuit, which is essential for setting up a consistent set of circuit equations.


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So what's a sweaty endurance athlete supposed to do during prolonged exercise?
We've all heard the stories about ultra-marathoners, triathletes, and soldiers who have died as a result of consuming too much water. Clearly, over-hydration can be as dangerous to your health as under-hydration. So what does a sweaty athlete need to know about staying adequately hydrated without stomach sloshing?
Here are a few "droplets" of hydration information to help you quench your thirst, perform well, and stay out of the medical tent when you are engaging in extended exercise in hot weather.


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RAFAEL BEJARANO, WINNING PRIZE, WINNER: "The last time I rode him at Del Mar, we were on the lead the whole way. This time, I wanted to try something different because I knew there was some speed in here, especially (trainer Steve) Asmussen, with his two horses. I thought he would send one to the lead and let his other come from behind. I decided to let whatever horse wanted to go to the lead and I would just follow right behind. I just tried to get him relaxed and he did, the whole race. When it came to the stretch, I just let him go. You learn something new everyday! He always liked to be on the lead but you try something new, and it worked."
JOE TALAMO, SUGGESTIVE BOY, 5-2 FAVORITE, FIFTH: "He just got a little tired today. He was coming off a long layoff. I was very happy with my position. I was only a length off the winner, so I was happy with that but the last part of the race they just out-quickened him. So, he was just tired and I think it sets him up for his next race."
NEIL DRYSDALE, WINNING PRIZE, WINNER: On instructions to Bejarano: "I just told Rafael 'If one of the Asmussen horses wanted to go, both are speed horses, just let them go.'
"There wasn't anywhere to run (explaining his absence since the Citation Handicap Nov. 29). Plus, it's going to be a long year for him, so there was no rush. He'll come back in the Kilroe (Grade I, $350,000, one mile on grass on March 8) if everything is all right.
"The owners decided not to rush him and it's working out well, because you have a long year this year. It started out right (winning last August in his U.S. debut) and then it all went south in Kentucky (fourth in the Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 5, which was taken off the grass due to heavy rain). I've never seen it rain so hard in my life . . . The whole thing was submerged."
JIM CASSIDY, TOM'S TRIBUTE, SECOND: "You know, when you have Mike (Smith), or Gary (Stevens, on Regally Ready) riding you don't tell them what to do. They pretty much figure it out and get it done. They ran so fast today. It was a great performance by him though. I'd actually like to go a little further (than a mile) but I'll have to go back into the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (1 Mile on turf, March. 8.)"
NOTES: The winning owners are David Heerensperger of Bellevue, WA, and Jose Nelson.


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The Vermont Foodbank and its network of 270 food shelves, meal sites, shelters, senior centers and after-school programs are experiencing record demand for our services. Thousands of families are finding it harder to make ends meet, struggling with only one wage earner or reduced hours and wages. And as the need for food assistance dramatically increases, the charitable food system is working with fewer and fewer resources.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is an income-based federal program that provides food at no cost to low-income Americans in need of short-term hunger relief through organizations like the Vermont Foodbank. During FY 2012, the Foodbank saw a 50% reduction in its allotment of TEFAP food; that is over one million pounds of food.
"This lack of food is having a ripple effect," said John Sayles, Vermont Foodbank CEO. "Many of our partners are struggling to keep food on their shelves while providing for those in need walking through their doors. And while grocers, food manufacturers and financial donors have been generous, the Foodbank still struggles to fill the void of the 1.2 million pounds of food that we were counting on."
In Chittenden County, the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf relies heavily on TEFAP to meet the growing demand for food assistance. Each year, the Food Shelf serves more than 12,000 Vermonters who are struggling with hunger. TEFAP provides the Food Shelf with foods high in protein, fruits, vegetables, and staple food items such as cereals, pastas, with special foods for vulnerable populations including children and seniors.
According to Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf Director Rob Meehan, "We are seeing more working families in need at a time when our food donations this past year (mostly TEFAP) were down 500,000 pounds from the previous year." Meehan says he is worried at how this will impact those who are most vulnerable such as children, seniors and people with disabilities.
With a reduction in TEFAP and potentially devastating cuts to SNAP or 3SquaresVT and other harmful policy changes as currently proposed in the Farm Bill, the Foodbank and its network will likely see even more demand for food assistance. Difficult decisions about reducing services to the most vulnerable Vermonters are likely.
"At a time when many Vermonters are struggling to make ends meet, many low-income households – including working families, the elderly and children – rely on emergency food shelves for short-term hunger relief, said Senator Bernie Sanders. "It is simply unacceptable that in this day and age, Vermont children go to bed hungry. And, it is unconscionable that the federal government would cut back on food and nutrition assistance to states as our nation struggles to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression."
"The Vermont Foodbank and our partner food shelves and meal sites need help to close the gap," said Sayles. "Financial donations to local food shelves and meal sites and to the Foodbank allow us to fill that gap with nutritious foods purchased by the truckload at wholesale prices. Purchased food allows the charitable food network to replace the lost USDA foods with what the network needs, when they need it."


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It has been a week today that my hubby and I, along with two of our daughters, spent a memorable day with our friends at a cottage three hours south of us at Long Point on Lake Erie. The travelling through Norfolk County was wonderful as we passed many rural villages and beautiful countryside with a variety of agriculture, very different from our area. The soil was sandier and the crops ranged from lavender fields, fruit orchards, ginseng farms, tree nurseries, tobacco fields, potatoes, watermelon, pumpkins, squash, and zucchini fields. Of course we had to make a 'pit stop' at the half-way point at our favourite coffee shop for a bathroom break and a tall dd coffee and muffin to go.
We arrived at Long Point to see the waves on Lake Erie, the miles and miles of sandy beaches, and sunbathers, cottages and boats. Our friends were so gracious and welcoming, so thankful that we came! The cottage they stayed at was situated on a canal within walking distance to the beach (5 minutes away)
This was our greeting at the cottage door:
...and the walkway around to the back deck where we spent some of our time; a beautiful pathway with driftwood arbour...
There was a table set near the large picture window and on it were supplies to last the week with three busy children.
...and a lovely butterfly on a Buddleia bush to greet us:
Inside, the cottage was decorated with many images and stunning photographs of the lake and surroundings, along with books about the history of the area. The cottage had an open concept design with plenty of room for two families and a great layout.
...and a lovely butterfly on a Buddleia bush to greet us:
Inside, the cottage was decorated with many images and stunning photographs of the lake and surroundings, along with books about the history of the area. The cottage had an open concept design with plenty of room for two families and a great layout.
My friend Marianne is a teacher, so she had projects, children's books, crafts and activites to do with the three younger children she has 'adopted' as her own grandchildren and they are so proud to call her Oma.
After a delightful lunch of assorted breads, meats and veggie tray, we headed to the beach as the children were so eager to spend time in the wavy water.
While the group went swimming, I strolled along the water's edge, capturing images of the beach as I went along.
beautiful driftwood:
floating devices:
sand toys:
beach tube:
colourful umbrellas:
eager boys:
bright beach towels:
cottage decor:
adirondack chairs:
After several hours at the beach, it was time to head back to the cottage for a time of relaxation for some, canoeing and fishing for others. I confess that I spent that part of my time in a lounge chair reading then sleeping...absolute bliss!
This was the backyard scene:
My dear and patient hubby teaching the boys to fish...
...and my daughter fishing from her perch on the dock:
...and fabulous grilled maple-flavoured salmon as well as filet mignon wrapped in bacon on the BBQ done by the famous griller himself:
After our decadent dining experience, it was time to bid farewell, and make our way slowly home again. We passed these boat houses as we drove along the lake so I had to take one final photo opportunity, before focusing on navigating the driver home again.
Our day at the cottage was a wonderful experience and a favourite memory of summer.
Thank you to our dear friends, H&M and their adopted family, for making our time so enjoyable and for giving us such a lovely vacation day!


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If you've been looking for work without much success it may have crossed your mind to try out a staffing agency. If so, it's definitely worth looking into. There are so many advantages to using this type of service. Looking for employment on your own can be a daunting task, but with the help of trained professionals it's much more manageable. Not to mention, it also increases your chances of success. A staffing agency can typically help you with three types of employment: temporary staffing position, temp to hire, or direct hire. Of the three, a temp to hire offers significant benefits to both you and the employer. Here are some ways to determine if a temp to hire position right for you?
Do You Have a History of Changing Jobs Often?
If you're one of those people who are having a hard time deciding what to do with their life, then it's possible that you haven't found the right job for you. A staffing specialist can help you identify areas of interests to maximize your chances of finding fulfillment in the workplace. More importantly a temp to hire position allows you the opportunity to test-drive a position. It allows both you and the employer to decide if it's a right fit before making a long-term commitment.
Does the office environment matter to you?
We already know that one of the main benefits of a temp to hire position is that you can test-drive a job before making a long-term commitment. But what about the office environment? For many, that is of equal importance. Sure, you may love the work, but do you get along with your coworkers or your boss? Sometimes certain personalities just don't work well together. A temp to hire position allows you to get a feel for the office environment as well as the work. A lot of our time is spent working, so it might as well be in a positive environment.
What are your career goals?
If your goals are to work in upper management one day, it would be ideal to work in a place that either has opportunities for growth or fosters professional development. Often times a job looks great on paper, but when you start working you learn that the opportunities you were hoping for don't exist. A temp to hire position allows you to see first hand what opportunities may be available. Maybe the opportunity presents itself in the form of mentorship. But the point is, you wouldn't know unless you tried it out.
Do you fear you don't have what it takes?
If you're someone who would love to try new opportunities, but fear that you don't have the right skill set, a temp to hire position is a great way to test the waters. We often don't give ourselves enough credit. Chances are you have what it takes. But if you aren't sure let the employer decide. Maybe you don't have the specific skills required for the job, but if you're a hard worker and are easily trainable, employers are likely willing to give you a chance. It's up to you to prove yourself and make yourself invaluable.
Think of a temp to hire position as an audition. You are holding an audition for the employer and they are holding an audition for you. This type of employment can be a little riskier, but the rewards can be great. If that's not your style, not to worry, you can look into a direct hire position or a temporary staffing position. Regardless of what you're looking for a staffing agency can help.


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12:32pm PT by Tim Goodman
Tim Goodman's 11 Best Network Dramas
I like watching a lot of network dramas. I even love watching a couple. But clearly I didn't think any of them were truly great in the same way so many cable dramas are -- and that has quite a bit to do with the playing field of broadcast television. When you're going after, literally, the broadest possible audience, the rules for success are different. The game is changed before it's begun -- no network was ever going to air Breaking Bad because of the content and no network would air Mad Men because, well, it wouldn't draw a fraction of the audience needed to support it.
So if there really are two playing fields -- even two business models -- then there need to be two lists for dramas (in my opinion -- which I note here even though that should be self-evident).
STORY: Tim Goodman's 20 Best Cable Dramas of 2013
Being on cable doesn't mean a show is inherently better. There are tons of crappy cable dramas -- every series on this list would be significantly better than a lot of cable dramas I could mention but won't. Being able to swear or to feature nudity or sex also doesn't make a show inherently better, but I do believe that wider boundaries allow for more mature, sophisticated storytelling that has more grit and realism than what's permitted on a broadcast network. More chances can be taken in the writing and depiction of dramatic events on cable -- that's just my take on it. I find less pandering, fewer instances of excessive expository scenes and a whole lot more ambition on cable.
That's a good part of why I think the playing fields are different. And thus, two lists. So here we go. Oh, wait. I'd better answer this before people scream that I "forgot" it: Scandal isn't on this list because it doesn't interest me. Onward:
1. The Hollow Crown (PBS). You can never have enough Shakespeare, and credit PBS for this wholly engaging, exceptionally well done collection of performances surrounding the Bard. (And, yes, in all honesty, this could have been on my other Best Drama list -- having regrets is part of list making at this time of year.)
2. The Good Wife (CBS). This is not a series that has, in past years, made me flip for it like some others, but it's always been good. And this season it was very good -- building up to something grander in the same way that, say, Boardwalk Empire did on the cable side. Hats off for exceeding the constraints of the system.
3. Elementary (CBS). This is a perfect example of an excellent broadcast drama and, by far, my favorite network drama to watch each week. And maybe it's just the right show to further illustrate why two drama lists were needed. Elementary is my comfort food on broadcast -- because it's a procedural and plays by many of the restrictive rules of storytelling that are necessary to produce a hit, it's not on the same tier as, say, Sherlock, nor those 20 cable shows I listed earlier in the week. And yet, I do love it. The performances of Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu keep me coming back, as does their relationship/connection.
4. The Blacklist (NBC). James Spader is this show, period. But there's a lot of creativity to the storytelling and in the concept. And whatever its shortcomings, Spader just covers them up by being riveting.
5. Hannibal (NBC). It sure seemed like the network didn't know what it had on its hands as Hannibal faced the possibility of cancelation. And maybe Hannibal will never be a smash hit. But it's creepy good, like a weirdly lucid dream you wish you weren't having -- until it's over and you can't wait for next week.
VIDEO: Full Uncensored TV Executives' Roundtable
6. Person of Interest (CBS). Credit CBS for being masters of the procedural -- to the extent that it can also allow creators to go beyond what the formula allows, as Person of Interest does (see also: Elementary). Another solid series you can rely on each week.
7. Parenthood (NBC). No surprise here -- Parenthood has been pretty great since the first episode. And yes, it's a crime that more people aren't watching it and plowing through Kleenex. That said, the show does drain you, and at some point there will have to be an end.
8. Sleepy Hollow (Fox). Crazy. Just … crazy. I've written before that the more outrageous this show gets the better it is and the more fun it is to watch. That hasn't changed at all.
9. Almost Human (Fox). Broadcast television needs a good sci-fi show. This one certainly qualifies and gets my nod over ABC's Agents of SHIELD (which had a lot higher expectations -- and hasn't quite met them). Excellent visuals, engaging cast and entertaining as hell.
10. Grimm (NBC). Is this the most underrated drama on broadcast television? It certainly gets slighted and ends up outside the proverbial water cooler chatter. But it's funny, creative, scary and has enough backstory to keep it all interesting.
11. Nikita (The CW). Bye, Nikita. You'll be missed, you skinny bad-ass. Hours of high-gloss, mindless fun. Sometimes that's the most necessary thing at the end of a day.
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text: Let's face it: some of us just aren't born with patience. We like to get things as quickly as we can. And that can sometimes keep us from planting a garden because we think it will take months and months to get the fruits and vegetables we want now! Well, no need to avoid gardening


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It's a little weird to think that I've been with my husband for more than a third of my life. We started dating at 19, engaged at 21, and married at 22 (literally a week after graduating college — yes that was crazy!). Today marks eight years of being married. I feel very fortunate to have met my husband so early on in my adult life and yes, I'm that annoying girl that just knew. I never went through my 20s worrying about dating and guys and stressing over when I would get married? Which is funny because prior to being in a relationship with my Mr., I thought I'd get married in my 30s (I thought I'd be in New York City working my ass off and too busy to bother with a relationship). But of course, you can't plan when you fall in love.
Even though you can't really plan it, I do think you can do things to help your odds of finding the right person. At the time I met my husband, I was focused on myself. I was a college student, and I just wanted to figure myself out and be the best version of myself I could. It seemed like right when I told myself I wasn't going to focus on guys and focus on myself is when my Mr. came into my life. I know it doesn't work that way for everyone, but it worked for me.
I feel so lucky that I'm so happy in my marriage, and that we have such a mutual respect for each other. We are very different and independent, and that works well for us. I don't take my happy relationship for granted at all (for any of you thinking, blah blah I hate you and your happy marriage) — I know how lucky I am and I think about it constantly. We've had our share of ups and downs like any marriage (insert car accidents and neck injuries here). But when you make it through hard and stressful times, usually it makes your relationship even stronger, at least for us I felt it did.
Even after eight years of marriage (11 years together!) the man continues to surprise me. And when you think you couldn't fall in love with someone any more, you do — and that's the coolest feeling. I can only imagine what the next eight years has in store for us…
Photo from the wedding of Ashley & Michael, photographed by Chris Humphrey, featured on Brides of Oklahoma


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3 months ago
Once upon a time, when I used to do makeup everyday for work, I absolutely loved this product and somehow wound up purchasing like four of them at once (probably when Sally Beauty had some sale going on) and I had them sitting around when I stopped doing makeup for a while. Now that I am back on with doing makeup everyday for work, I have rediscovered these. The shade I use is Cypress Beige …Read more
About reviewer (85 reviews)
SkinCombination, Fair-Medium, Neutral
HairBlack, Straight, Medium


text: One of the most common pieces of advice from teachers, doctors, and concerned family and friends is to drink more water. Hydration is essential to healthy living, and you would be surprised to learn just how many people around you at any given time are actually dehydrated and might not even be aware of it! Continue reading


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Szechwan Chicken & Cashews
Did you stuff yourself with latkes or what? So, Christmas is right around the corner. It's time to get ready for Chinese food and a movie, a true Jewish tradition. You might be feeling ambitious and want to cook this year instead of ordering take out.
Here is a great chicken and cashew recipe to whip up! It's yummy comfort food with a whole lot of soul!
Nosh on,
Szechwan Chicken & Cashews
4 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
1 tb soy sauce
1 tb Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tb soy sauce
1 tb cornstarch
2 ts sugar
1 ts white vinegar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
1 tb minced fresh ginger
1/2 c unsalted cashews
Marinate chicken in 1 Tbsp soy sauce and rice wine for
30 minutes.
Combine 2 Tbsp soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar and vinegar and set
aside. Heat oil in wok or skillet. Add red pepper to taste and cook
until black. Add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove chicken.
Add green onions and ginger and stir fry for 1 minute. Return chicken
to wok. Cook 2 minutes. Stirring constantly, add soy sauce mixture
and any remaining chicken marinade. Add cashews. Serve over cooked


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Instead of beer and wine from a bartender, how would you feel about nice drink dispensers with sangria, hard lemonade, or other alcoholic beverages? Beer would be in bottles on ice.
Our wedding is not super posh, but not quite backyard barbeque. About 50 people, ceremony outside in our synagogue courtyard, indian buffet dinner under a covered porch at the same place. Would this kind of set up A) upset you in some way, B) scream cheap or tasteless C) something else terrible?
I just feel like this would save us the cost of a bartender (beer and wine was other option; fully stocked bar is not on the table) and his accoutrements and pricier bottles of wine, but still give people options for getting their buzz on.
Yay or Nay? If you're down, what would you want to drink on a mid May evening?