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Evaluating How We Decorate Our Rooms
simple truth:
Learning is more powerful when those involved have ownership.
research tells us:
When is the last time that we moved into a new home and kept all of the decorations put up from the previous owner? A new living space becomes more of our own when we decorate it as just that, our own. This same sentiment is true for a student's new learning space, our classroom. Student ownership in their learning can increase when their learning environment utilizes materials created by them or in their presence. When we look at our classrooms, what do we see? More importantly, when students look around our classrooms, what do they see? Some researchers suggest that students, especially those of early childhood and elementary ages, who work in a high stimulus classroom can have more difficulty staying on task, can be less engaged in their work, and can have lower academic achievement.
try this:
- Start the academic year with a blank canvas, then add materials that reflect learning taking place throughout the year. While the classroom can look barren the first few weeks, it's impressive to visualize all that is learned during our time together with those students.
- Honestly evaluate whether each of our materials and decorations serve a meaningful purpose.
- If we purchase pre-made materials to decorate, do the pictures and people represent all of our students and their families?
- Know that more may not be better. Students are entering our classrooms with an increased amount of stimulus, and an overdecorated room can encourage a child to block all of it out rather than thoughtfully process the material.
- Take a careful look at how to utilize space and lighting in our classrooms to produce a safe, welcoming learning environment.
review & share this:
What do you consider when decorating your classroom? Leave your thoughts/questions in the Comments section below.
For additional reading and referenced research, click here.


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Winners of vital funding for lung cancer research announced at Australian Lung Cancer Conference
Lung Foundation Australia has recognised the vital need for more research into lung cancer with several awards being announced at the Australian Lung Cancer Conference Gala Dinner tonight.
The first of eight two year Deep Manchanda Lung Cancer Fellowships, each worth at least $160,000, was awarded to University of Newcastle's Dr Atiqur Rahman for his work on elucidating and targeting genomic and epigenetic changes in the development and progression of lung cancer.
Lung Foundation Australia CEO Heather Allan said the Deep Manchanda Lung Cancer Fellowships were made possible through a significant donation by the Manchanda family to support early career lung cancer post-doctoral students.
"The University of Newcastle will co-fund the first fellowship as well as an additional PhD scholarship, taking the total value of this award to almost half a million dollars," Mrs Allan said.
"By matching donations with support from academic partners, Lung Foundation Australia is able to extend and increase the value of the award as well as maximising the return for the community," she said.
"We're working closely with our partners to ensure generous gifts given by our donors are used in the best and most effective ways possible."
Other awards announced tonight include the Lung Foundation Australia Grant in Aid in Lung Cancer Research which will be presented to the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research's Dr Pei Ding for her work identifying novel mechanisms of acquired resistance in advanced Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor mutated (EGFR+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Mrs Allan said the Foundation was also announcing two other new co-funded PhD scholarships with the University of Melbourne and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
"We've set the ambitious goal that by 2020 we'll be contributing $5 million a year to support research – both research awards and research platforms, including our lung cancer trials groups and our disease-based registries (IPF and Bronchiectasis)," she said.
"And this year sees us take a significant step in that direction.
For more information about the research awards and Lung Foundation Australia's commitment to building lung health research, visit http://lungfoundation.typeandpixel.com.au/research/

subset: commoncrawl


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MP visits Small Dole business to discuss TATA steel sale
Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert visited Stoba UK in Small Dole on Friday (15 April) to discuss the wider impacts on the business if steel production at plants owned by TATA were to cease.
Matthew Chart, the Managing Director of Stoba Prazisionstechnik UK, invited the MP to tour the factory and to discuss business concerns relating to the possible closure of TATA steel.
Mr Chart set up the Small Dole business, which is now owned by Stoba and employs 60 people, 7 years ago. The factory engineers parts for fuel systems for a number of truck manufacturers such as DAF, Daimler and Volvo. Every DAF road tractor sold in North America since January 2013 has major parts in it made that have been manufactured in Small Dole.
The parts are produced from a specialist steel blend that can handle immense pressures inside the engine. TATA are the only company that makes this blend of steel which has been developed over many years and is low in impurities, making it the most reliable material to use.
Mr Chart explained his concern that if steel production at TATA's Rotheram plant were to cease, manufacturers which rely on their steel would be forced to look elsewhere for supply. Switching to a new product would mean a long period of testing and validation which could be prohibitively expensive.
Mr Herbert reassured Mr Chart that the Government is working hard to find a buyer for Tata's steel business, and he had discussed the issue with ministers. He emphasised that everything possible was being done to protect the UK's steel industry and jobs against the challenges of global overproduction.
Matthew Chart said: "I was very pleased that Nick considered it an important issue and was able to take the time to visit the factory and discuss the potential difficulties that my business could face if some of TATA's UK operation were to close. We have agreed to stay in contact on this issue as the situation develops over the next few months."
Mr Herbert said: "I was grateful to Matthew for showing me first hand the importance of UK steel production to his business and local employment. It shows that the effects of steel plant closures would be felt across the country, not just where the plants at located.
"The Government is committed to doing everything possible to maintain the UK's steel industry, and I will strongly support whatever measures they can take, especially given the potential impact on a local business."
1. Photograph – Left to Right - Brian Bliss, Tooling and Process engineer, Nick Herbert, Matthew Chart at the Stoba UK manufacturing plant.


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Name`s rating: 5.00Number of votes: 4Popularity/views: 1365
Gender of the name Mars: male
Unique code of the name Mars: 209
First name Mars backwards (ananym): Sram
There are multiple origins and meanings for the name:
1. Latin name, meaning - "warlike spirit, fighting, battle, army"
Mars - the Roman warrior god, the son of Juno and Jupiter, husband of Bellona, and the lover of Venus. He was the most prominent of the military gods that were worshipped by the Roman legions. The martial Romans considered him second in importance only to Jupiter. His festivals were held in March (named for him) and October. As the word Mars has no Indo-European derivation, it is most likely the Latinised form of the agricultural Etruscan God Maris. Initially Mars was a Roman God of fertility and vegetation and a protector of cattle, fields and boundaries and farmers. In the second century BC, the conservative Cato the Elder advised "For your cattle, for them to be healthy, make this sacrifice to Mars Silvanus you must make this sacrifice each year". Mars later became associated with battle as the growing Roman Empire began to expand, and he came to be identified with the Greek God Ares. Unlike his Greek counterpart, Mars was generally revered and rivaled Jupiter as the most honoured god. He was also the tutelary God of the city of Rome. As he was regarded as the legendary father of Rome's founder, Romulus, it was believed that all Romans were descendants of Mars.
2. Persian given name (مارس), Swedish etc. form of the given name March
Browse given names by initial letter:


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Science & Research (Drugs)
CDER's mission is to protect and promote public health by helping to ensure that human drugs are safe and effective, meet established quality standards, and are available to patients. In support of this mission, the focus of regulatory science at CDER is on developing improved methods and approaches for evaluating new investigational drugs, manufacturing approved drugs, and monitoring drugs that are on the market.
About FDA's Regulatory Science Program
To accomplish this mission, CDER scientists from multiple disciplines use a wide array of experimental and computer-based approaches. CDER scientists share their research in scientific journals, guidance for drug developers, and tools and resources for the drug development community.
Learn more about the impact of CDER regulatory science and opportunities to work with us.
Publications and Reports
- Regulatory Science Progress Report (FY 2015-2016) (PDF - 1.4 MB)
- Drug Safety-Related Regulatory Science Needs and Priorities
- Scientific Publications by FDA Staff
- What's New in Regulatory Science newsletter
CDER's Science and Research Programs Infographic
Within a science-based regulatory agency, such as CDER, the focus of science and research programs is to obtain knowledge that enhances the efficiency and consistency of the regulatory decision-making process. CDER scientists also strive to remain at the cutting-edge in order to respond quickly to unforeseen public health emergencies when new tools and techniques are required.
Explore the CDER Science and Research Programs infographic to learn about the process that drives CDER science and research.


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Larry Hodges' Blog and Tip of the Week will go up on Mondays by noon USA Eastern time. Larry is a member of the U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame, a USATT Certified National Coach, a professional coach at the Maryland Table Tennis Center (USA), and author of eight books and over 1500 articles on table tennis. Here is his bio. (Larry was awarded the USATT Lifetime Achievement Award in July, 2018.)
NOTE - Larry is on the USATT Board of Directors and chairs the USATT Coaching Committee, but the views he shares in his blog are his own, and do not necessarily represent the views of USA Table Tennis.
Eugene, Oregon (Non-Table Tennis)
This afternoon I'm off for Eugene, Oregon for eight days, May 9-18, to visit my dad, who's 76. He recently had a stroke. It's not life threatening, but he's paralyzed on his left side. (And he's left-handed.)
I still plan on doing the daily blog. Edit - Change of plans - it's going to be a bit hectic here, and I have other things on my mind, so I'm going to take the week off. I'll go back to daily blogs after I return to Maryland, on Wednesday, May 18.
Pushblocking with Long Pips (no sponge)
Because of a muscle tear, I'm trying to rest my back. And so yesterday in practice matches with our junior players I decided to play with long pips, no sponge (Tibhar GrassD.Tec5), and covered the entire table with my backhand. As expected, it caused complete havoc. I didn't play our top juniors, mostly ones under 1800, but let's just say it wasn't pretty. As a coach, I need to play more orthodox for my students, i.e. regular inverted. But if my goal was to just win, I'm pretty sure I'd shoot up a bunch with this stuff. My level these days is at most 2200, but who knows what it'll be when my back gets better so I can use my normal forehand (along with my serve & follow), etc.
World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 8-15
Dying to follow the World Championships? Then visit the ITTF World Championships page. Dying to follow every move made by Team USA? Then visit the USA Team Page. Still not enough for you? Then train for 10,000 hours over the next ten years with the best coaches and trainers, make the USA Team, and go to the Worlds in person.
Here's some more coverage of Team USA - eight "Behind the Scenes" videos! If you are a USA Table Tennis fan, how can you not watch these? Brought to you by BayAreaTT, USA Table Tennis, and USA Men's Team Coach Stefan Feth.
Zhang Yining learning English in Wisconsin
Yes, Chinese table tennis legend Zhang Yining (2004 & 2008 Olympic Women's Singles Gold Medalist, 2005 & 2009 World Women's Singles Champion) is learning English at the University of Wisconsin. Here's a good article on her new life in America.
Send us your own coaching news!
A journey of nine feet begins at contact
When you serve, do you just serve? Or do you stop and visualize the serve first? And when you visualize the serve, do you visualize all of it, or just part of it? You should visualize the entire journey the serve takes - the contact height, amount and type of spin, how fast it will go out, where it hits on your side of the table (this is most overlooked part), where and how low it crosses the net, how it curves through the air, where it bounces on far side, how it bounces each time, and where second bounce on far side should be? (A longer version of this might be next Monday's Tip of the Week.)
Brian Pace and Richard McAfee . . . reminiscing
Championship player and coach Brian Pace sits down with longtime friend, coach, and mentor Richard McAfee (USATT Coaching Chair), and they talk about their relationship that has spanned over 25 years. (24:10)
Catty Table Tennis
Here's vintage footage of a cat playing table tennis (0.29) - really! - just for fun. There are actually dozens of videos of cats and table tennis in the video section of the Fun and Games section here at TableTennisCoaching.com - why not have some quality time and take a tour? Who knows what you'll find. Maybe W.C. Fields playing hilarious table tennis from the 1939 movie "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man" (2:33) or a picture of the horse Mr. Ed playing table tennis (for real, not photoshopped, from TV show "Mister Ed").
Send us your own coaching news!
Coaching breakthroughs
Yesterday two of my students - who shall remain nameless - had nice breakthroughs. One, who we shall call "Sammy," who's about 10, has had trouble with his backhand. Yesterday he suddenly figured out how to hit it with topspin (rather than sort of a flat, almost backspin contact), and just like that had a steady backhand. Once he figured that out, his forehand also came alive, and for the first time, we had really decent backhand and forehand exchanges. He also made a breakthrough on service spin. We spent some time serving on the floor, and for the first time he was able to create enough backspin so that the ball would return back to him. You wouldn't believe how fun it is to serve on the floor with spin and make the ball do tricks - use backspin to make it come back, or sidespin to make it go around objects.
Another, who we shall call "Ryan," who's 11, went topspin crazy yesterday. His forehand loop really came alive. For the first time, he was able to really battle with me in backhand-to-backhand exchanges. (I had to really get down low and into "match mode" here.) Even more impressive, right after I explained that it takes a rather high level to backhand loop against a block over and over, he immediately backhand looped against my block over and over! Okay, okay, I'll stop trying to limit my students to low-level stuff. His serves also took a big jump, especially his sidespin. He was able to do what I call "The Journey," which I wrote about recently. You stand on your forehand side, and put a box on the far side of the table, down the line. Then you serve sidespin so the ball bounces on your backhand court, curves around, bounces over the net, and continues to curve until it bounces into the box.
Table tennis going corporate?
Here's a table tennis article that bounces around between Warren Buffett, Susan Sarandon, and Nicolas Sarkozy (with playing pictures of all three!); former U.S. and China table tennis stars Kim Gilbert, Glenn Cowan, and Zhuang Zedong; the "Clash of the Hedge Fund Titans" tournament at Spin Table Tennis; the 19.5 million recreational players in the U.S., a 53 percent increase over the past decade; and has quotes from promoter Alan Williams like, "Everyone should play table tennis. They'll live longer, they'll be smarter, they'll be more attractive," and "I'm talking about Olympians. How often do you get to meet Andre Agassi? You can't do it. Pete Sampras? Not going to happen. But I can have you in front of a national ping-pong team in, like, five minutes." How can any table tennis player not read this, and still look themselves in the mirror later in the day? It's what everyone will be talking about at work around the water cooler. Well, my water cooler; I don't know about yours.
USATT Coaching Certification
Dear USATT Certified Coaches: Good for you!
Dear Non-USATT Certified Coaches: What are you waiting for?
Of course, you can also become ITTF certified, but for that you'll have to wait until the next ITTF Coaching Seminar in the U.S. (I'll announce them here when they come up.)
Tom the Universe
In non-table tennis news, my science fiction story "Tom the Universe" went online recently at Escape Pod, the largest circulation audio science fiction market. You can either read it or have it read aloud - take your pick! I'm told that about 30,000 will read or listen to the story. Here's a short description: "A romp through singularities, universes, and just about everything else as our hero goes from common man to vengeful supreme being. He has a valuable lesson to learn about forgiveness; will he learn it in time?" (I've sold 48 science fiction and fantasy short stories and recently completed two novels which are making the rounds of publishers. Here is my science fiction & fantasy page, which includes links to many of my published stories.)
Send us your own coaching news!
Table Tennis Nets
Not nets for the table, or even nets for robots, but nets for picking up balls! How did the world (or at least table tennis clubs with lots of training going on) operate before we had them for picking up balls? We use Ball Amigos from Butterfly (since MDTTC is sponsored by Butterfly). Paddle Palace sells Stiga Ball Catchers. Newgy sells Pong Pals, a tube for picking up balls, though I prefer nets. (JOOLA also has nets for picking up balls, but their shopping site is temporarily down for maintenance so I can't look it up.) Feel free to comment on other ball pickup devises - there are more. (Addendum: There's also the PingPongBuddy sold at Megaspin, as noted by PipProdigy below.)
One of the funnier moments at MDTTC came about ten years ago when an actual butterfly flew into the club. So one of the kids spent the next ten minutes chasing it with a Butterfly net! (Technically a Butterfly Ball Amigo, but Butterfly net sounds funnier, and it was a Butterfly net being used as a butterfly net.) He never caught the butterfly, but he did chase it out the door.
Team USA Table Tennis News Item
Team USA Table Tennis put up a news item on the ITTF Coaching Seminar I ran in Maryland April 16-17, 23-24. The same article (by Jef Savage) should appear as a USATT News item soon. On their home page, in the blue field (to the right of the large picture box), click on "ITTF Coaching Course in Maryland," and you'll a picture of me teaching, classroom style! (I'm holding the book because we couldn't fit the whole page on the screen without making it too small for people to read, so I used the book for reference so I could see the whole page.)
Are you interested in an ITTF Coaching Seminar? Keep reading this blog; there are some future ones planned which I'll announce here! (Not necessarily by me - there are other high-level coaches who are planning on teaching them. I'll probably teach another one in Maryland next year.)
Table Tennis Tales & Techniques
Now for some crass commercialism. Want to buy a copy of my book, Table Tennis Tales & Techniques? Below are where you can buy copies! (I put the amazon link up, but why not support table tennis and buy from your favorite table tennis distributor?)
If you are looking for a copy of my book Table Tennis: Steps to Success (not to be confused with the book by Richard McAfee with the same title), you can still buy copies from Butterfly and Amazon, and there are currently four copies on sale on ebay. Plus there's an online version.
Two other table tennis books of mine are online:
Plus, of course, there's Pings and Pongs, a collection of my 30 best published science fiction & fantasy short stories! (There's one table tennis fantasy story, and table tennis is mentioned in several other stories.)
Tahl Leibovitz Videos
U.S. Paralympic Champion Tahl Leibovitz - who came within a game or so once of making the regular USA National Team - has put together a series of 21 instructional table tennis videos. There's a 15-second commercial at the start of each (wanna buy some State Farm car insurance?), then they go on to good stuff.
Send us your own coaching news!
How Osama bin Laden really was killed.
He was swatted away at the end of a ten-year cat & mouse game. (The original photo is by Mal Anderson - it's real! Then I got busy in Photoshop...) Send me your own table tennis pictures showing Osama's demise and (if they are in good taste) I'll feature them here.
Do something with the receive
I was watching one of our top cadets in practice matches this weekend. When I coach him, I'm always reminding him to "do something" when receiving. In other words, don't just push the ball back. If you do push it, do so aggressively, i.e. quick off the bounce, heavy, low, and angled. Or aim one way and go another. Or push short. Or flip. And if the serve is long, then you simply have to loop it, period. (Yes, there are exceptions, but they are exceptions. I'm talking higher-level here - but if you want to be good, you'll loop the long serve too. See my March 14 Tip on attacking deep serves.) The cadet, who knew better, was just pushing the serve back, relying on his reflexes and blocking ability to win points - while developing a bad habit. I spoke to him afterwards, and reminded him that practice matches are just that - practice matches, where you practice. Next time, hopefully, he'll use those practice matches to practice. How about you?
ITTF Coaching Seminar in Maryland
The ITTF is featuring the coaching seminar I ran at the Maryland Table Tennis Center (April 16-17, 23-24). I'll probably run another next year, maybe sooner. We'll see. If interested, contact me and I'll put you on my email list when I plan another one.
In an email to the USATT Board, staff, and committee chairs, USATT Coaching Chair Richard McAfee - the one responsible for bringing the ITTF coaching certification program to the U.S. - wrote:
"We now have Course Conductors in each region of the country and the Coaching Advisory Committee is working hard to get more regional courses held this year. These courses are completely self-funded and no USATT funds are being used to support the courses. Hats off to Larry, for demonstrating a model to deliver these courses in a way that makes it cost effective for the Course Conductors. The problem with starting any new program is getting someone to go "first." I believe that once our Course Conductors give their first course and realize that it is not that difficult to do and also the importance of the contribution they are making to the sport, we will see regular regional courses being held."
My thanks goes to Richard, Glenn Tepper and ITTF, and especially to the 14 coaches who braved the horror of me speaking for (it seemed like) the entire 24 hours.
Want to be saturated with table tennis videos?
Reflex Sports, the table tennis video outlet, has figured out how to sell table tennis videos in an age where you can find videos of just about anything on youtube. They are selling access to essentially their entire table tennis video library - just about every major tournament since 1985 - as well as video coverage of the upcoming World Championships. It's only $59/year or $89 for two years. Here's where you go to buy access. One of my students bought me a subscription.
Here are three nice videos:
Send us your own coaching news!
Any big news from overseas last night? Perhaps a major killing?
Yes - the USA Junior Girls Team won the gold medal at the French Junior & Cadet Open! A lot of killing went on. More specifically:
Speaking of killing....
I've hurt my upper back, and won't be doing any hard forehand looping or hitting for a while. It's a muscle strain or tear; we'll see how long it takes to heal. Meanwhile, yesterday I fooled around playing with long pips on the backhand, no sponge, and covering nearly the whole table blocking with the long pips backhand. From my initial rallying with a 1900 player, I have a feeling I'll cause havoc among many players if I show up at a tournament this way, especially since I also have a pretty good forehand, and can flip quickly and use inverted on the backhand when I want. Hmmmm....
Celebrities Playing Table Tennis
Richard McAfee on Ping Pong Planet
Here are two videos of Richard McAfee on Ping Pong Planet, a weekly variety show in Thailand. The director and star is Don Mudtangam, who is the "Director of Coaches" for the Thailand TTA. Richard shows up at 4:17 into the first video (14:22 long), and begins speaking at 4:57. He's in from the start in the second video (13:43 long). The others are speaking Thai. In the videos, Richard uses a Newgy robot to demonstrate serve return drills.
Newgy Robo-Pong Seminar
Newgy's doing a free three-day Newgy Robo-Pong Training Seminar, for Newgy robot owners (2050, 2040, 1050, 1040 or 540). You can sign up for one, two, or all three days. They will be held:
It will be held at the Newgy Table Tennis Center at 805 Teal Drive, Gallatin, Tennessee 37066 USA. Instructors will be USATT Certified Coaches Carl Hardin and Roger Dickson. First come, first serve basis; Men, women, all ages and all skill levels.
The seminar will cover:
Also from their announcement, "See how the Robo-Pong can improve your table tennis skills while having fun and getting a workout all at the same time! This seminar will consist of both demonstrations and hands-on activity with the Robo-Pong and other attendees."
If interested, fill out form and email to Newgy Table Tennis. For more information, call 1-800-556-3949 or email.
Send us your own coaching news!
Table Tennis Troubleshooting by Brian Pace
I spent this morning watching the five-video series by Coach Brian Pace on "Table Tennis Troubleshooting" - and so should you. This goes over how players can identify and fix problems in their games. I'm amazed at how much time he's put into these, both on preparing and organizing what is said and shown in each video, and the nice graphics. Shots are shown both regular and in slow motion. Since Brian has very nice technique (and entertaining besides), every example is great to watch and copy. (Video 4 and 5 are actually listed as episodes 5 and 6; I think there's another one coming later.)
Backspin and Sidespin Serve Exercises
When teaching backspin serves, I've always challenged students to serve so the ball comes back into the net. At first, I tell them to go ahead and serve high, since the goal is to create backspin. This makes it easier to make the ball come back into the net. Once they can do that, the next goal is to serve with just as much (or more) backspin and keep it low. If you barely graze the ball, and put little forward momentum, it'll come right back into the net no matter how low the serve. (In a real match situation, you probably want more forward momentum on the serve, so it might not go into the net; instead, the second bounce would be near the endline, and so it would go off the end after the second bounce, given the chance. This makes it harder to flip, to drop short, or to quick push with an angle.)
I'm now doing a similar exercise for sidespin serves. For the forehand pendulum serve, I have them serve from the forehand side of the table. I put a box of balls (we use Gatorade boxes at MDTTC) on the far side of the table on the right (opponent's backhand side if he's a righty). The goal is to serve the ball with sidespin so it hits on the left side of the opponent's table, then curves around and bounces into the box on the right. I start by demonstrating it. It's much easier than it looks - try it!
The Ping-Pong Song
This piano/ping-pong song is both compelling and relaxing to watch, but it'll play in your head all day! You've probably never seen table tennis played on a piano before, right? (3:40)
Send us your own coaching news!
Changing bad technique
How does one go about changing bad technique? Two recommendations.
First, exaggerate the proper technique. If you don't rotate your shoulders enough on a shot, practice over-rotating until it becomes comfortable to do it the proper way.
Second, drop out of tournaments and match play for a while and focus on fixing the technique. Perhaps hit with a coach a lot for an extended periods as you fix the technique. Playing matches will just reinforce the bad technique. If your goal is to really overcome poor technique and replace it with good technique, then you need to have an extended period where you focus on this. That means only playing with the coach, or doing drills where you can isolate the new technique so you can focus on doing it correctly.
You should be able to play without the coach as long as you keep your outside drills simple and focused in this way. You might also want to use videotape to verify you are doing it correctly when the coach is not around. Bad habits are not easy to change, but if you really want to change them, you need a very focused period of time to do so.
In general it's best to play lots of matches and get as much tournament competition as possible when trying to improve (along with lots of regular practice, i.e. drills), but when you are making major changes to your game, it's often best to take time off from competition. Perhaps make a goal to have your game ready for tournament competition for a specific tournament (or series of tournaments) six months or so away, and train specifically for that. I don't think you need to take six months off from playing practice matches, but perhaps two months off would greatly help you in making these technique changes.
Reflex Sports Videos
They have a sale on videos. You can get much of this on youtube, but the videos they put together are rather comprehensive, so if you can afford it, why not build up your own video library? (I once had an extensive VHS collection of Worlds, Olympics, and other major tournaments, but the entire collection was stolen in the late 1990s.)
Table tennis in "On the Fast Track"
Table tennis is featured in this morning's "On the Fast Track" cartoon.
Cartoon cats playing table tennis
Yes . . . cartoon cats playing table tennis. Because your day cannot begin until you've seen cartoon cats playing table tennis.
Send us your own coaching news!
Crystal Wang: 2031 at age 9!
Recently Lily Zhang became the youngest player to break 2500 at 14 years 9 months. Now I think another record has been broken. Crystal Wang (from Maryland Table Tennis Center), recently achieved a rating of 2031 at age 9 years 1 month. While a few players have broken 2000 at age 10, and possibly even age 9, I don't think any have done so this young.
She could have been rated even higher. In her last three tournaments, she's gone five games with players rated 2329 (up 2-1!), 2260 (up 2-1!), 2210, and 2176 (up 2-0!), and gotten games off players rated 2361, 2280, 2266, 2260, 2176, 2148, and a 2105 player twice. Her best win was a 2144 player in her last tournament. (Hopefully she won't get infatuated by ratings - but we can!)
She started in the summer of 2008. Her first rating was 602 in Sept. 2008. She didn't break 1000 until November 2009. Exactly one year ago, she was rated 1013, and that was her highest rating. Starting in May, 2010, she's been shooting up. At the Nationals in December, Crystal was 8 and rated "only" 1839.
Coached by Jack Huang, she plays a pretty orthodox shakehands inverted game, looping backspin from both wings, and then mostly hitting. She has surprising power - if you think you can beat her blocking or even lobbing, good luck! (I play her regularly at MDTTC.)
Seven minutes of the Best Points Ever?
Here's a compilation of some of the best points ever.
Touring San Francisco with ping-pong balls
Yes, you can tour a toothpick San Francisco with ping-pong balls! It's about four minutes long.
Send us your own coaching news!
National Larry's Not Doing Anything Day
After coaching nearly all day (and often night) for ten days in a row (Spring Break Camp, ITTF Seminar, private coaching), I'm declaring today "National Larry's Not Doing Anything Day." I'm spending the day in bed reading. It's a national holiday so schools will be closed, the government will shut down, no postal service, and fire and police departments are all closed - so don't let your house burn down or get robbed today. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Multiball Training
During the recent ITTF seminar I was thinking about the lack of multiball training in the U.S. In China, players often take turns feeding multiball to each other. In junior programs, the kids all learn to do this, and every Chinese player feeds multiball like a pro, as do most Europeans. In the ITTF seminar, where we had numerous top coaches, few were proficient at this. It doesn't take long to learn, and it's valuable practice. What's faster, learning to loop against backspin one loop per rally, or someone feeding backspin after backspin to varying parts of the table as you loop them all? Multiball allows you to practice just about any combination of shots rapid fire, so you get far more shot practice per minute than with straight drills. (You should do both, of course.) So why not get a box of balls, and next time you practice take turns with your partner feeding multiball? Maybe start the first session taking turns practicing.
Multiball allows you pinpoint specific problems and work on them with maximum repetition in a given time period. In China, multiball makes up about 1/3 of their training.
Basic multiball technique: Put the box of balls by the net, and pick each ball up and toss it backwards, let it bounce on the table, and stroke the ball at your partner just like any other ball. You'll find feeding basic topspin balls easy, while it takes a little more practice feeding backspin.
Here's a seven-video series by Coach Brian Pace that demonstrates and explains multiball training. Not only will you see excellent multiball training, but you'll see lots of high-level technique. Just watching Brian loop should improve your game 100 rating points!
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A Tremendous Metamorphosis: Words Whose Meanings Changed Over Time
Evolution is for real, people! Lest we ruffle quite a few conservative feathers, we're referring to the English language here. Take a look at this incredible list of words that have changed meaning over time.
Renuka Savant
Last Updated: Feb 10, 2018
"If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers."
― Doug Larson
― Doug Larson
The less said, the better it is for the English language and all its idiosyncrasies. As with all other aspects of human life, our languages have also undergone tremendous metamorphosis. And it's perfectly natural, isn't it? After all, human culture has always thrived on change―be it by means of travel, communication, or just plain influence and inspiration.
List of Words With Changed Meanings
Back in the 16th century, the word bully was used to describe a beloved person. Over time, it gained notoriety to be used for someone who was a show off, until today, when it refers to someone who takes pleasure in intimidating and harassing the weak.
The word 'awful' lived a simpler existence in the older times when it actually meant "full of awe". It was used in a reverential manner, just as the language gods meant things to be. Cut to this day, when it has become an adjective used to portray negative feelings. On a slightly different note, hilarity ensues when people tend to confuse 'awful' with 'awesome', which happens to be its antonym.
This one's fairly recent, until a few years ago, 'gay' used to mean 'happy' and 'carefree'. In fact, we still tend to spend a day at the beach with 'gay abandon', know what we're saying? The younger lot, however, only seem to be acquainted with its recent association with male homosexuality.
There was a time when 'egregious' used to be a compliment, referring to distinguished or outstanding individuals or things. But this was the 16th century, and things have changed for worse, especially in the case of 'egregious'. We now use it to describe something that is outstandingly bad or blatantly offensive.
'Garble' actually used to mean the exact opposite of what it's understood as today. We know of the word to mean 'confused or incoherent language', while its erstwhile meaning was 'to sort out', indicating a sense of clarity.
'Cute' was derived from the word 'acute', which originally meant shrewd or sly. But this was the 18th century. Over a hundred years later, American slang shortened and transformed 'acute' to 'cute', even changing its meaning to 'pretty' or 'dainty'.
Just as with 'cute', the word 'nice' had a completely different meaning back during the 13th century, when it meant 'foolish, stupid, or senseless. From then on, its negative associations only grew to include extravagance and ostentation. However, it was the 18th century society's fondness for these qualities that brought it to its current usage.
Myriad was a word coined by the Greeks to denote 10,000 units. Although we still use it to indicate volume or abundance, its mathematical usage has more or less been phased out.
No, it's not the movie. The word 'matrix' reminds us of puzzles or grids that may need some solving. In the actual, 'matrix' has its roots in the Latin word "matr"- or mater, meaning a pregnant being, and went on to be understood as womb.
'Buxom' has indeed come a long way from when it used to mean humble and obedient back in the 12th century. Over time, it progressed to mean 'compliant' (think 'bendy'), to healthy, plump, and down to the way we recognize it today―well-endowed.
This was just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. The English language, or any other language, will continue to evolve alongside the humans who use it. But long words or short, remember to have fun while you learn this amazing language.


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The Recording Studio at The Original Music School of Morristown serves 2 important purposes:
- It is a Recording Studio lab for students to get real-world instruction in the operation of recording studio, audio production, and sound reinforcement equipment, giving the student a thorough grounding in the theory, techniques and practices of professional multi-track music recording. (In parent-speak, it's where your kids record their own songs and make you extremely proud of—and amazed at—their skills.)
- It is a state-of-the-art, "ProTools 10†recording facility for the serious musician, producer, or audio/video professional. Our work has been heard on the WB's Dawson's Creek, MTV's The Real World, MTV/Asia and radio stations across the country. Our chief honcho, Anthony Vitale, is a card-carrying member of ASCAP has had music published in the United States and as far off as India and Pakistan. He's recorded and written with an eclectic array of musicians from India, France, England and all over the United States.
Two Full Recording Studios in one facility
Our building houses two full blown studios, both with Pro Tools 10 and a great analog mixing board.
Recording Studio A has the renowned workhorse Mackie 32.8 and Studio B has the fantastic sounding Allen and Heath ZED R-16 which actually has 28 analog inputs (not 16 as you'd expect by the name)
Whatever mics you want, we got 'em (Sennheiser, Cascade, Oktava, Studio Projects, Sure, AKG, Neumann to name a few).
Amps include, Vox, Hartke, and a top-shelf boutique amp, Sommatone (Earl Slick, guitarist for David Bowie and John Lennon, has two of these babies and says they're the best amps ever built.)
Haven't heard enough? Well, we have vintage Telefunken Beatles-era preamps for that great warm-yet-open sound; a long list of plug-ins and outboard gear; as well as Reason, Abelton, Logic Pro and more; plus keyboards from Kurzweil, Roland, and Alesis; and more.
If we still haven't satisfied your highest-maintenance diva desires, we can get anything you want on a moment's notice. Just name it.
The either recording studio is available for hire by the hour or day. Producers and engineers are also available, including Grammy-winning producer John Rollo (The Kinks, Joe Cocker, Southside Johnny) and Emmy-winning engineer Tom Root (ABC, NBC, FOX, Nickelodeon).
Please call for rates and/or to discuss your project.


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For the tenth consecutive year, patients and advocates will run as members of the Running for Rare Marathon Team in support of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). NORD is dedicated to supporting individuals and families impacted by rare disease and the organizations that serve them through programs of education, advocacy, research and financial assistance services. Rare diseases impact the lives of 30 million Americans – two-thirds of whom are children. On average, it can take a patient 5-7 years to receive an accurate diagnosis, at which time 95% will be told there is no FDA approved treatment or ongoing research to learn more about their disease. The funds raised from the Running for Rare Team will support NORD's Undiagnosed Diseases Program; helping individuals to receive a diagnosis from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Martha Staples is running the L.A. marathon for The Adam Boys and the Jansen's Foundation. She has raised $1,702 for Rare Diseases! Thank you Martha for all your love, dedication and commitment to the cause of rare diseases.


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Fugitive polygamist leader escapes feds by using olive oil
By Josh King, Veuer
Lyle Jeffs, head of the notorious polygamist Mormon sect the FLDS, has managed to escape authorities by using olive oil.
He rubbed the oil onto his ankle bracelet and slipped it right off while on pre-trial release.
SEE ALSO: Poll spells good news for Trump
A car reportedly pulled into the home where Jeffs was staying in Short Creek, Utah when he was picked up and driven away. Authorities still do not know who was in the vehicle or what the license plate number was.
The FBI believes he has at least one accomplice who will provide him with bodyguard protection, and should be considered dangerous.
RELATED: See historical and modern Mormon churches
See Gallery
Jeffs is on trial for a massive fraud scandal where he and fellow members of his group were accused of defrauding the government for over 12 million dollars in food stamps. Prosecutors requested the defendant remain in jail prior to his trial, arguing he was a flight risk.
Jeffs has been the churches de-facto leader since his brother, Warren Jeffs, was imprisoned in 2002 for child-sex charges.
With no leads on his whereabouts, Jeffs remains at large.


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The was no Easter Break for many Lisburn PSNI officers as they had a very busy 24 hours, arresting seven people.
The arrests were made thank to the good work of the eagle-eyed Citywatch CCTV team who directed police to the incidents.
A Citwatch spokesperson said: "It started on Thursday morning when we received a report that staff from a store at Bow Street Mall were attempting to detain a male for theft who did not wish to be detained. "Police were tasked and the male was detained. The male was then arrested for theft of a hooded top but was also found to be wearing the matching bottoms under his own track bottoms which were also stolen.
"We then received another report of a female having been detained for theft at the other end of Bow Street. While CCTV Operators kept an eye on the police vehicle a drunk male was then seen to be trying to get into the police vehicle having tried his best to get out of it the previous day.
"Other police callsigns were informed and the male was then arrested for Breach of Bail while the female was issued with a Community Resolution Notice for theft.
"We then received a request for police as a pair of drunk males were refused service at a local bar and that one of the males became aggressive and was refusing to leave. Police were informed and directed to the male who had since left the bar; he was then arrested for Breach of Court Bail having consumed alcohol.
"Just after 1am we received a report that two males had made their way into a closed area of a bar and had helped themselves to a bit of self servicing of drinks and shots. Prior to the report we had been observing the 2 males rolling about the ground in a very drunken state and now we know why. Police were informed and tasked to the males who were both arrested on Suspicion of Burglary."
Then on Friday morning CCTV Operators observed a female known for theft in the Bow Street area. The spokesperson added: "The female then made her way into a store on Bow Street and staff at the store made aware. The female then left the store and staff reported that she had stolen cosmetics. Police were informed and directed to the female who was then stopped and arrested for theft.
That afternoon CCTV staff had received a report from Security at Bow Street Mall that a male had attempted a theft at a unit within the Mall.
They said: "The male was then observed by CCTV Operators running into the grounds of the Parochial House on Chapel Hill and then led police in a game of hide and seek that was until the arrival of Oscar 44 or more affectionately known as the doggy man who managed to flush the male out. After another brief foot chase the male was then detained and arrested on Suspicion of Theft and £215 of other stolen items were recovered."


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By traditional music industry standards, Toronto experimental R&B act the Weeknd are doing everything wrong - and yet everything's going so right. They (or is it just one guy?) refuse to do press, but that hasn't stopped the whole world from begging them for interviews over the past six months.
They don't have an official release or even a label, yet they've made it onto the Polaris Prize short list (the first free album to do so). They're booked to play their debut gig July 31 at the Molson Amphitheatre opening for Drake and Rick Ross (!), but then announced a last-minute headlining show at the Mod Club Sunday (July 24), which sold out immediately despite the fact that you could only buy tickets in person at a shoe store.
With this much mystery and hype, there's a real chance that the group's official unveiling will disappoint. But that won't stop fans from lining up outside the club all day for a chance to get in. Easily the most anticipated first show by a Toronto act. Ever.


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Tickets can be purchased here: http://rachaellust.bigcartel.com/product/rachael-lust-workshop-little-rock
This will be a 3 hour workshop on breaks. We will explore as many break variations as possible and go over ways to clean up existing breaks. This workshop is suitable for all skill levels.
Participants under 13 need instructor permission.
Paper tickets will not be mailed but you will need to provide the name on the card used to place the order.
Tickets are non refundable but can be transferred to another person.


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As a private mental health practice Parkview offers a broad range of clinical services to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families in a confidential setting. Focused specialty groups are also offered as needed. Employee Assistance Services are provided as well.
Treatment areas addressed cover a broad range of psychological problems in a generalist practice. Public Service in the forms of seminars, workshops and public speaking is also available.
Services Offered
- Individual Therapy (Children and Adults)
- Maritial Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Specialty Group Therapy
- Substance Abuse Evaluations
- Employee Assistance Treatment & Consultation
Treatment Areas
- Addiction
- Abuse & Neglect
- Adjustment Disorders
- Anxiety, Worry, & Panic
- Aging
- Anger Management
- Behavior Problems
- Depression
- Developmental Disabilities
- Divorce and Separation
Public Service
- Seminars/ Workshops
- Public Speaking
- Employee Assistance Training
- Domestic Violence
- Fears and Phobias
- Grief/Loss
- Marriage & Family Problems
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Pain Management
- Personality Disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Trauma Effects (Physical, Sexual, Emotional, Verbal)


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Chelsea are expected to field a full-strength side for Saturday's Premier League clash with Leicester.
Captain Gary Cahill was rested for the midweek Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg with Arsenal and could return in defence.
Ross Barkley is expected to be fit to make his debut following a hamstring injury in Chelsea's FA Cup third round replay with Norwich next Wednesday.
Jamie Vardy is fit again after missing Leicester's FA Cup trip to his former club Fleetwood.
The striker will travel to Stamford Bridge after recovering from the groin injury which made him sit out the goalless draw at Highbury Stadium last Saturday.
Wes Morgan and Danny Simpson (both hamstring) and Robert Huth (ankle) are out but Christian Fuchs (illness) and Vicente Iborra (hamstring) are fit.
Source: PAR


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urban arts mag features asheville to miami mural
urban arts magazine has included an image of the mural that we painted in miami, florida for art basel.
the mural was a collaborative piece between ishmael, molly rose freeman, avery duncan, court mccracken, scott myers, luke brousard, and myself.
check out the video of it going up.


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Walk, Talk and Rock Like a Leader
Creating a positive climate where everyone belongs
What does a caring school look like, sound like and feel like? These questions are explored and answered in this highly engaging, honest and open workshop. Students learn to recognize, refuse and report bullying. To create a culture of acceptance and belonging, students practice the interpersonal S3 communication skills: smile, shake and share. Individual leadership styles are identified to promote positive teamwork.


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Tess Huber of Port St. Lucie won the overall girls championship at the South Florida PGA Junior Tour Championship in Jupiter. The competition was held Dec. 3-4 at Jonathan's Landing at Old Trail in Jupiter.
Huber claimed her second title in a row with her playoff win over Claudia De Antonio of Weston. Both players finished with a two-day total of 159. Jamie Freedman of Miami finished third at 163.
Jeffrey Cunningham of West Palm Beach won his second title of the year in the boys 12-13 division with a two-day total of 143. Ty Strafaci of Davie finished second at 144, and Andrew Kozan of Palm Beach Gardens was third at 149.
Michael Conforti of Palm Beach Gardens finished third in the boys overall division at 148. Story Shaw of West Palm Beach tied for second in the girls 12-13 division at 160.


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Care.com Interview with Carley Roney: My Work-Life Balance
We asked the co-founder The Knot and Editor-in-Chief of TheBump.com to give advice to fellow working moms.
What is your childcare situation-and how is your spouse involved?
Havana is my 14-year-old daughter and Cairo, 7 years old, and Dublin, now 3, are my two sons. My amazing nanny Sue is my savior. I don't know what I'd do without her! [My husband] David also helps with the kids and loves to stay in, order food, and watch movies with them. We both agree that there's no such thing as spoiling your children with too much time or attention.
The word "balance" has become taboo due to overuse, but for good reason: What is your favorite working mom time-management tip?
My secret to survival is that when I'm home, I'm home. If I'm home and my kids are awake, I'm 100% there. I completely shut off the e-mail, Blackberry, cell phone, etc. But when they go to bed, the work me turns on again.
If you can't do it all-but everything feels important-how do you choose what to let slide?
You definitely can't do it all, and things will slide, but it's important to split responsibilities with your partner. We recently conducted a survey on TheBump.com and ForbesWoman.com that found that 92% of working moms feel overwhelmed by work, home and parenting responsibilities. Take a business-minded approach at home. Lay out all the tasks by day, week, and month, and make clear who, between yourself and your husband, is accountable for them. Also, make confirmed plans for yourself and stick to them. Set aside scheduled time to do the things you love; for example, take a bath every Thursday and tell your husband you need that "me" time from 7-7:30, so he'll have to watch the kids.
Can women have it all?
It's ingrained in most of us to want to be Super Moms and that feeling is especially felt by working moms who feel the added guilt of being away from their children for a number of hours each day. But you have to accept that you can't do everything and be in 10 different places at once. If the laundry has to wait one more day or you order pizza for dinner instead of cooking, it's not the end of the world. It's not easy to have a career and a family, but it's not impossible either. Accepting that you'll never be the perfect mom is key to having a happy balance.
What else would you like to say to fellow working moms?
Relax and trust your instincts. Even though I am in the advice business, I think that moms can feel and know deep down inside what's right for them and their kids. Mostly when they consult books or come online they are looking for someone to validate their feelings. Still reach out to friends and community because it is important to have many points of view, but only you can know what's best for balancing your working and home life.
Get advice from more CEO Moms on work-life balance »
Read our interview with Stella & Dot's Jessica Herrin »
Read our interview with Vistaprint's Wendy Cebula »
Read our interview with Joyus.com's Sukhinder Singh Cassidy »
Read our interview with Sonesta Collection's Stephanie Sonnabend »
Read our interview with GeniusCrowds.com's CJ Kettler »
Carley Roney and her husband, XO Group, Inc. CEO David Liu, launched TheKnot.com in 1996. They live with their three children in New York City.
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Property Reference 115381
Located in the heart of Limassol city centre is this spacious and bright penthouse apartment, on the top floor of a 4-storey luxury building. It is for sale in one of the beautiful coastal cities of Cyprus, and in turn is near spectacular Mediterranean beaches. This modern-design building is located in the Simillidi area in Limassol, near all services and conveniences which meet the needs of a contemporary lifestyle. Even though this apartment is for sale in a central Limassol location, the particular neighbourhood is especially quiet and at the same time offers direct and easy access in an out of the city.
On each floor of this four-storey building there are 2 apartments, which have been designed in such a manner as to guarantee maximum privacy from the surrounding properties. A primary luxury that this penthouse apartment for sale in Limassol enjoys is its exclusive access to the remarkable 70 square-metre roof garden, which grants unparalleled panoramic views of the sea, city and mountains.
For sale at a reasonable price, this 80 square-metre property in Limassol, Cyprus, is characterized by an elegant design and ultimate functionality, which are significant factors to consider when deciding to buy properties in Cyprus, whether it is for permanent residency or a holiday home. The apartment for sale in Limassol has 2 bedrooms, an open plan living space with a kitchen, a storage room and a parking place. The large terrace doors of this penthouse property capture breathtaking images of the beautiful backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea, giving it an irresistible advantage over other properties for sale in Limassol - Cyprus.
Excellent location, modern architectural design, a reasonable price and well-appointed interiors are the main features of this penthouse apartment, which combines comfort and luxury under one roof. Consequently, it is a unique opportunity amongst many properties for sale in Limassol, and definitely a brilliant investment in Cyprus real estate.


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Review of Eclipse Bulletin: Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 August 21/
By Joe Rao
Eclipse Bulletin: Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 August 21 by Fred Espenak and Jay Anderson
Astropixels Publishing, 2015. ISBN 978-1-941983-05-8 156 pages
Black and White or Color Editions can be ordered here at: http://astropixels.com/pubs/TSE2017.html
There can be no denying the value of this book. Fred Espenak – better known to eclipse chasers around the globe as "Mr. Eclipse" – is the established authority on eclipse calculations; before he retired from NASA/Goddard, from 1993 to 2008 he published 13 similar eclipse bulletins (with coauthor Jay Anderson). This latest bulletin was published sans NASA funding and is by far the biggest and most extensive eclipse circular that he has ever produced. Amateur astronomers even just vaguely interested in the subject of eclipses should have come across his work by now. If not, now is the time to start.
The title accurately describes the aims and objectives. Anybody who intends to witness firsthand the long-awaited 2017 "All American Eclipse" may have already given some thoughts as to where they intend to be on eclipse day, but I would regard this book as essential reading at any time. If, for example, on eclipse day I'm driving along an unfamiliar road within the path of totality, I would want this book within arm's reach.
As a broadcast meteorologist and eclipse chaser with ten totalities under my belt, I always consider the first problem (apart from money), as to how to deal with the weather prospects. Few have the necessary expertise to make a balanced judgement, and that is where this book is particularly valuable. Jay Anderson, formerly with Environment Canada (Canada's national meteorological service) has written extensively on the climatology of places along eclipse tracks for nearly four decades and is eminently suited to be your guide; as such, much space is devoted to the merits of each practical region along the totality path.
Each region is treated to a detailed critique, finishing with some specific recommendations. Mr. Anderson, however, goes further than that, to list statistics on the climate and then summarize them in the form of diagrams, maps, graphs and tables. I especially found the tables containing cloud-cover statistics most valuable.
Over the years, I've used a simple formula which provides a representative percentage value for the chance of seeing the Sun in a blue sky. For this I use the average percentage of total cloudiness, as well as the percentages of a clear and partly cloudy sky. Usually, I've had to dredge these statistics up on my own, but Mr. Anderson's tables has saved me the work. Of the 38 locations within the totality path, my own subjective percentages ranged from a high of 85.1 for Ontario, Oregon to a low of 43.8 for Charleston, South Carolina.
Of course one must also remember that any statistical climate analysis is not absolute, as is evidenced by the oft-quoted axiom by the late Robert Heinlein: "Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get!" (As so many who headed to the Big Island of Hawaii in 1991 painfully learned!)
I particularly enjoyed the section dealing with the travelogue along the umbral path undertaken by Mr. Anderson and fellow Canadian, Stan Runge. I got a chuckle out of the anecdote concerning the owner of the farm closest to the point of greatest eclipse in Kentucky. According to the unnamed owner, he already is getting dozens of people who visit his property each week "looking for the eclipse track." When Mr. Anderson told him that he'll have "quite a crowd" on eclipse day, the owner replied: "Maybe I'll let my grandkids set up a lemonade stand. Except the bureaucrats will want them to get a license."
Here is something which should be looked upon not as a criticism but a suggestion:
The possibility of a tropical cyclone when speaking of weather prospects for South Carolina and its adjacent coastal waters was not considered. While the odds for a full-blown tropical storm or hurricane situated near the South Carolina coast exactly on August 21 is rather small, the prospects for any sort of tropical system does increase rapidly after August 1 and "E-day" comes only 20 days before the traditional peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic basin. Recent systems that have passed relatively close to South Carolina in late August/early September include "Irene" (8/27/11), "Hanna" (9/6/2008), "Ernesto" (8/31/2006), and "Gaston" (8/29/2004).
Of course, nobody in Charleston will ever forget Hurricane "Hugo" (a Category 3) which scored a direct hit there, but in late September (9/22/89). And even a tropical system that makes landfall hundreds of miles away (say, along the Gulf Coast), might adversely impact the totality zone by spreading clouds and remnant rains to the north and east into the eclipse path. Old-timers in southern New England, for instance, will recall the total eclipse of October 2, 1959 which was unfortunately ruined by the remnants of Hurricane "Gracie."
The remainder of the book is crammed with tons of information on the 2017 eclipse and how to predict the shadow path, how the saros (#145) has changed over time and how it compares with other cycles, and much, much more. About three dozen maps depicting the totality path as well as the visibility zone of the entire eclipse are included. I love the stereographic projection map on page 13. Now if only concentric contours for the semi duration of the partial phases – a personal preference – could also be added. The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) has always used stereographic projection for their eclipse maps, but discontinued the practice of depicting semi durations in 1983.
Local circumstances for more than a thousand cities across North America, as well as northern South America, northwest Africa and Western Europe are provided with times for each phase of the eclipse along with the eclipse magnitude, obscuration value and Sun's altitude. For any specific location that has not been listed, a good compromise can be obtained by means of simple interpolation. For those places inside the eclipse track, the duration of totality is provided as well as the umbral depth.
It is good that on page 32, Mr. Espenak explains the reason why the Bulletin departs from the International Astronomical Union (IAU) convention, adopted in August 1982, of using a slightly larger value for the mean lunar radius, noting that to employ it ". . . guarantees that some annular or annular-total eclipses will be misidentified as total" (A good case in point, would be the recent eclipse of 2013 Nov. 3). As such, the 2017 Bulletin adopts a smaller value (k = 0.272281) which produces a shorter central duration and a narrower path of totality. This explanation is important for those who decide to utilize the eclipse predictions by the USNO, which bases its computations on the IAU's larger value.
The USNO has recently posted a web page which allows anyone to generate local circumstances for the 2017 eclipse (athttp://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Eclipse2017.php) and indeed, the duration of totality ends up slightly longer and the path width is somewhat wider. As an example, at the point of greatest eclipse duration, the Bulletin gives a value of 2m 40.3s compared to 2m 42.5s for the USNO, a difference of 2.2 seconds.
There is a section providing valuable tips on eclipse photography and perhaps most important of all for eclipse neophytes, a section concerning eye safety, written by Dr. B. Ralph Chou, Professor Emeritus, School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada, and Past President of the Toronto Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. It was Dr. Chou's pioneering research in the effects of solar radiation on the eye that confirmed that aluminized Mylar was safe and effective for use in observing solar eclipses and which helped lead to its widespread adoption by the astronomical community, and therefore, by the public at large. Notes Mr. Espenak: "Dr. Chou's contribution should help dispel much of the fear and misinformation about safe eclipse viewing."
The 2017 Bulletin finishes with a thorough bibliography as well as a chapter titled Eclipse Marketplace, which provides a listing of products for safely viewing the Sun and solar eclipses as well as companies who will be running eclipse tours for the March 2016 eclipse as well as the August 2017 event.
In any book of this detailed statistical nature, it is to be expected that there will be typographical errors. While there may be some who delight in finding such things, that effort should not be allowed to detract from the true value of this book.
I myself ran across a couple of very minor typos, but as Mr. Espenak recently commented on the Solar Eclipse Mailing List (SEML): "One of the great things about the print-on-demand process I'm using for the '2017 Eclipse Bulletin' is that I can make corrections and updates to the manuscript whenever necessary." So the typos I found in my copy are likely to be gone for anyone who now purchases their own copy.
In fact, to augment the plethora of data already provided, Mr. Espenak has just created a web page (http://www.eclipsewise.com/solar/SEnews/TSE2017/extra.html) which contains links to additional tables, information and yes . . . errata.
Lastly, I was happy that in the Acknowledgements, Mr. Espenak gave a "shout out" to the great Belgian celestial mechanic, Jean Meeus, who stimulated many of us into the world of eclipse calculations with his 1966 classic Canon of Solar Eclipses. Indeed, without Meeus' incentive, the 2017 Eclipse Bulletin might not exist.
What more can I say? If you plan to "bask in the shadow of the Moon" in 2017, this book is for you!
Joe Rao
Senior Meteorologist
News 12 Westchester/Hudson Valley


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Find out more about our global platform. We facilitate collaboration on key food safety issues for the development of common solutions to make food safer for consumers everywhere.
Our benchmarking process provides confidence in food sourcing through the harmonisation of existing food safety certification programmes.
A step-by-step recognised capability building programme for food safety systems that supports governments and regulators, suppliers, consumers, retailers, food service providers and brand manufacturers alike. A pathway to GFSI- recognised certification.
We regularly organise global and regional events to bring together experts in food safety, share knowledge and grow our global network.
As food safety professionals and scientists, we often are preoccupied checking equipment, reviewing lab stats and talking to suppliers and staff, and fail to share both our stories and successes. The same is true on an industry level with GFSI in Washington, D.C. and state capitals where casual reference to GFSI in the marketplace often triggers a blank stare among government regulators and legislators, who are similarly talking to one another in their own silo-ed conversations.
But, that's changing.
Recently, GFSI developed materials to share with government officials and journalists covering the industry as well as for retailers and manufacturers to share with their suppliers who are learning about GFSI for the first time.
GFSI recently met with members of the National Restaurant Association who are interested in learning more about the new catering and food-service scope. GFSI also met with representatives of the Society of the Plastics Industry regarding the packaging scope, and with members of the American Bakers Association, too.
Readers of this blog probably know of other organizations that GFSI should be engaging. We want to recruit each of you as 'global GFSI ambassadors" to share this information with your colleagues and suppliers as well as to help us identify other organizations we should be engaging.
We also want to encourage you to speak up as well. Materials are readily available on the GFSI website for you to step up to the microphone!
One organization that is by far more important to engage than others is the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
GFSI Board members have met with FDA Dep. Commissioner for Food Mike Taylor and his senior staff regarding the alignment between GFSI and the new U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
Later this year, GFSI also intends to publish a study demonstrating that the requirements of GFSI and FSMA are closely aligned. And, furthermore, that GFSI is aligned with the food safety principles of the international food safety-standards setting body, the Codex Alimentarius. GFSI-recognized schemes have undertaken similar analyses with similar conclusions.
We hope our discussions and yours will lead FDA to formally conclude, as we do, that GFSI is a B2B FSMA operating in marketplace between customers and their suppliers helping to ensure "Safe Food for Consumers, Everywhere." In fact, I hope you will join me at the upcoming FDA public hearings* and ask FDA about GFSI. Please introduce yourself. I look forward to seeing you there.
*Costa Mesa, California on June 7; Rutherford, New Jersey on June 15, and Detroit, Michigan on June 21.
This post was written and contributed by:
Karil Kochenderfer
GFSI North American Representative


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My boss at one of the restaurants I work at - and have been working at for quite some time now - convinced me that we have to make a wine geek out of me... Hence the formal title of the entry. Well, that and the fact that WWWBW is closing in on me, I thought I'd make an extra gesture and taste some other wine!
It has to be said that boss-man is SERIOUS about wines - he's the kind of guy that'll make your head spin talking about terroir, this or that fields, merchants etc. etc. - at the same time he's the type of guy that will open a bottle of 1969 wine at 2.30 in the morning "just because this is excactly what we need now!" As you might imagine I consider myself lucky indeed for having a teacher like this.
We started out in Franken, Germany. Some place to start, eih? The thing is, we do a wine menu at the restaurant and naturally, I'd have to learn about those first - the star tonight being a "2002 'Sommerhäuser Reifenstein', Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken, Schloss Sommerhausen".
And now, a word of warning: I am NOT, and I stress, NOT a wine-knowing woman. Believe me, I love a nice wine as much as the next guy, and having sampled a bit here and there (an evil you can hardly avoid working in the restaurant business for 4 years) I have an idea of how I'd describe a wine - I've just never actually done it in public. I know that Bourgogne is a region in France, that Germany is making it's way in the whites these years and that you should use a clean glass when sampling - but I'm doing this to learn more. Please correct me if I make serious mistakes!
Anyway: My breath was almost gone from just saying the name, but it dissects down to: vintage: 2002 ( I bet you got that one right?) Sommerhaüser - the city (cool name!); Reifenstein - that's the field; Riesling - the grape - and then it got tricky.
Kabinett halbtrocken - okay, so there are different classifications according to when you harvest the grapes - kabinett is the early harvest, then comes spätlese, then auslese - what it tells you is how much sugar is in the grapes, hence (supposedly) something about how sweet the wine may be. Kabinett is the drier version, auslese (or to be excact, Berenauslese, but we'll return to that in another session) the sweetest. That said, there are different sub-groups: trocken (dry) and halbtrocken (half-dry), so if you have, say, a Spätlese halbtrocken, it might be just as dry as a Kabinett. Well, at least I think that's how it was?
Schloss Sommerhausen - that's the producer. This is what the bottle tells you - and this is what boss-man told me - as Clotilde so cleverly said in her WWWBW-intro the other day, this is probably what is going to make you REMEMBER the wine: the story:
Schloss Sommerhausen is a family-run business, that for the last decade or so relied more on the improving and making of new vines, rather than actually selling wine. Martin Steinman, the son, grew up and took an interest in the wine and all of a sudden started sending out these amazing Rieslings - in the words of boss-man he's an up and coming star, and that at the tender age of 29.
As for the wine itself - there's no mistaking it, it's a riesling. It's slightly acidic, balanced by a alcohol content of (I think?) about 11%, and a quince-lemon taste. The minerally thing you might find in some (French, Alsace) rieslings is not really present here, because the terroir of Franken does not matter that much to the vines - it's just not distinctive enough to impart a flavor.
I'm really looking forward to doing this - I've never actually sat down and tried to put the words that sprang to mind when drinking a wine on paper - or should I say screen - but I think it works! Can't believe I missed the first wine-blogging event... ah well! I'll be there for the next!
picture of bottle to come...


text: February is National Heart Month! The American Heart Association suggests lots of ways to keep your heart in good shape: increase physical activity, follow a balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight, manage stress, and avoid tobacco. Great advice. I'd like to offer one more: do things that make your heart happy! Of course, that could mean different things to different people. To me, it means taking my dogs to the park or grabbing lunch with a girlfriend. Whatever "heart happiness" means to you, go ahead and pursue it! As you put on your Balance Bead today, set an intention to make your heart happy. :)


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1 Poem
by Elizabeth Tornes
Deer Story
For my father, Jim Tornes
I remember the story you told us
about the deer that wandered onto the property
wearing an orange ribbon around her neck,
as if someone meant to say, don't shoot!
You went in the cottage, grabbed a carrot—
she sidled up to you, nibbled it down.
In your time, you'd shot plenty of her kind.
But she became your pet, appearing In the evenings
near the house, where you'd drop old apples
and dried-up carrots. After several days,
you were able to stroke her neck. One day
you festooned her with orange survey ribbons
crisscrossed around her belly, her legs,
and tied a double bow beneath her chin.
Amazing how still
she stood while you wrapped her
like a peace offering
for all the world to see.
"Deer Story" was noted as Honorable Mention for our 2017 Up North Poetry Prize.
Elizabeth Tornes
Elizabeth Tornes has published three chapbooks, Between the Dog and the Wolf, winner of the Five Oaks Press Winter Chapbook Prize (2016), New Moon (2013, Finishing Line Press, New Women's Voices winner), and Snowbound (Giiwedin Press, 2011, Wisconsin Fellowship of Poetry Chapbook Contest First Prize winner). Her poems have been appeared widely in journals and anthologies, recently in Ariel Anthology 2016, Blue Heron Review, bornmagazine.com, Bramble, In the Absence of Something Specified Anthology, Illuminations, Main Street Rag, The North American Review, Up North Lit and Yellow Medicine Review. She has won many awards and prizes, including the Academy of American Poets Prize and residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell. She holds a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from the University of Utah. She has also published a collection of Ojibwe oral histories, Memories of Lac du Flambeau Elders (University of Wisconsin Press, 2004) and lives in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.


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In Southeastern Pennsylvania, the name Franklin Mint continues to be associated with what type of institution?
A). Candy Store
B). Credit Union
C). Coin Producer
D). Ice Cream Parlor
The American Treasure Tour blog is committed to telling the story of the pieces in our collection, sometimes one item at a time. Our challenge is that items occasionally require a backstory to make any sense, but we are brave. We tackle that challenge. Today, we are going to tell you about an institution that existed not so far from Oaks, Pennsylvania where the art of collectibles became a business: The Franklin Mint. The Mint was located in the nearby town of Wawa, Pennsylvania, the namesake of the rapidly expanding gas station/convenience store chain. Many people confused the Franklin Mint with one of the federally-controlled mints that pressed coins used in general circulation (quarters, dimes and the like) as well as official commemorative medals. There can be little doubt that its founder, Joseph Segel, had that confusion in mind when he founded the Franklin Mint in 1960. Segel founded the Mint with the intention to sell commemorative and collectible items in all shapes and sizes to the public, often in limited editions.
Segel's vision began with the production of gold and silver medallions, then moved into legal-tender coin sets - often including international coins that were not otherwise easy to obtain in the United States such as uncirculated Panamanian currency. They expanded into die-cast cars, knives, high-end reissues of public-domain classic novels, commemorative plate sets (in 1990, they introduced a series of decorative plate sets dedicated to the popular cartoon program The Simpsons), and dolls. The line of products produced by Franklin Mint complemented another of creator Joseph Segel's ambitions, and in 1986 he founded the QVC home shopping channel, where many of his Franklin Mint items were sold off the television. Alas, the Franklin Mint closed their doors in 2000. The brand continues to be marketed by Sequential Brands Group, but the Wawa plant is no longer producing items. Join us next week when we talk about a few of the Franklin Mint items on display at your favorite American Treasure Tour!
ANSWER: B). Credit Union. They were founded in 1970.


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Looking to find out more about adoption? You've come to the right place.
Our next First Thursday Adoption Information Evening is on:
Thursday 3rd October
with a presentation starting at 6pm.
This is an opportunity to find out about the adoption process and how to apply.
We're based at 7 Colwick Road, West Bridgford, NG2 5FR.
We are pleased to announce we have been awarded
by Ofsted for the sixth consecutive inspection (since 2005!)
Faith in Families are now part of Adoption East Midlands – an organisation comprising of voluntary adoption agencies and local authorities operating across the East Midlands to improve the prospects for children needing to be adopted and people looking to adopt. By working closely together, Adoption East Midlands can more effectively find the best matches for children across the region.
Our patron and adoptive parent Jayne Torvill OBE, International ice skating champion, is helping us to spread the important message about adoption.
News & Events
Find out what we've been up to and what's happening next
Donate Online
Spare a pound or two? Help us by donating online
Quotes from our latest Ofsted Report...
There is a high level of satisfaction from people who use the service
We had an amazing service, I can't fault it
Adopters are exceptionally well supported
..very high levels of customer satisfaction
..the quality of the service, from the first contact with the agency, are outstanding
Staff are exceptionally knowledgeable, skilled, passionate and committed to providing a service of high quality
Faith in Families
7 Colwick Road,
West Bridgford,
Tel: 0115 955 8811
Please use the form below to send us your query and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Alternatively, please call us on 0115 955 8811. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5pm.


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Extra-Bold Chex Mix
It's no secret that I have a bit of a thing for homemade Chex Mix.
It's been my favorite snack to munch on ever since I was a kid. I make huge batches each year (including four this past weekend!) to give out as gifts to friends and family around the holidays. And as of now, I've posted — not one, not two, not three, but now — four Chex Mix recipes here on the blog, including my Slow Cooker Chex Mix recipe that continues to (um, surprisingly!) be one of the top recipes on Gimme Some Oven.
So much Chex Mix!!!
That said, of all the flavors I've tried, I've gotta be honest and say that about 90% of the time I stick with my own original recipe. Which is based off of the original Chex Mix recipe on the box, but — ahem — kicked up a big notch. Because when it comes to good Chex Mix, I'm a big believer that the more of that magical, zesty, bold sauce — the better.
So for anyone looking for a killer Chex Mix recipe this season, allow me to introduce you to my go-to recipe.
I call it my EXTRA-Bold Chex Mix. ?
Extra-Bold Chex Mix Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Like I said, I literally made four batches of this stuff over the weekend. So I figured I'd snap a few photos during a batch to show you how zee Chex Mix and I roll.
First off, you've gotta start with the rockstar ingredients — All The Chex.
Well, back in the good ol' days, these were the only three kinds of Chex. Now there are apparently all kinds to choose from at the store. But for my extra-bold mix, I prefer to stick with the holy trinity of Chex — wheat, rice, and corn.
You're welcome to add whatever other crunchy ingredients to the mix that you'd like. Or you can definitely add in chopped dried fruit, M&Ms, or crackers after the mix has baked. But I tend to stick with what I grew up with — Cheerios, pretzels, and party peanuts. (Pro tip — I especially recommend adding those O's. They tend to soak up tons of the sauce and get extra flavorful. ?)
Then, they key to this "Extra-Bold"-ness is all in the sauce. I don't know about you, but I always felt like the original recipe was good, but never quite included as much of that zesty, buttery worcestershire-garlicky-seasoned-salty sauce. So over the years, I've upped and upped my amounts of sauce until I feel like I've found my happy sauce place.
And the result?!
Seriously the most irresistible batch of Chex Mix you've ever tried.
So give it a try! :)
Extra-Bold Chex Mix
This Extra-Bold Chex Mix recipe is made just the way I like it — with lots and lots of extra-zesty sauce.
- 9 cups Chex cereal (I used equal parts corn, rice, and wheat Chex)
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 1 cup Cheerios
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and hot
- 1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Add the Chex, pretzels, Cheerios, and peanuts together in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, and gently stir a bit to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and garlic powder together until combined. Drizzle half of the sauce evenly over the Chex mix. Then give the mix a gentle stir to combine. (I like to stir with a rubber spatula, to help prevent breaking the Chex.) Repeat by drizzling the remaining sauce over the Chex mix, and stir again until combined.
- Microwave uncovered on high 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes.
- Spread the mix out on parchment paper or paper towels until it has cooled to room temperature. Store in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #gimmesomeoven. I'd love to see what you cook!
Leave a Reply
41 comments on "Extra-Bold Chex Mix"
Yes! I totally agree. Chex Mix almost never has enough of the super salty buttery sauce as is needed around the holidays :) Pinning this now to make later!
Oh yummy, I love things like this that you can just nibble away at :)
Rachael xx.
We're happily eating our way through the test batch we snatched from the GSO test kitchen
I'm such a weirdo about Chex Mix- I make mine with only Corn & Rice Chex. Period. No other crunchy add ons. I think of it as minimalist Chex…..but really, I'm just ridiculous. And I have plans to make myself a batch today!
I make this every year (was going to skip this year due to holiday travel, but I'm craving it now). These proportions are what I use too, but I also add in 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon celery salt! That last one is my mom's trick. Sooooo good! Totally agree on o's. This is also great for road trip car snacks, and whatever's left can be shared.
You should try a small amount of Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper and Curry Powder makes a wonderful change; Also I have added Celery Salt and Onion Salt for variations as well…..Enjoy them all :)
I make Buffalo Chex mix. Try doing 4T Franks Wing sauce and 2T Worcestershire sauce. Add 2tsp celery seed and 1.5 packages dry ranch dressing mix. I use parmesan goldfish too. Holy Grail of Chex Mix. #justsayin
Yum! I love Chex Mix.
Tabasco…you forgot the Tabasco. Less Worcestershire, more Tabasco. Trust me.
Love your blog, tweets, 'grams.
Keep up the good work!
I totally agree! I sometimes double the sauce for the mix. I love your addition of Cheerios and will try this recipe this year.
Question Ali, what kind of seasoned salt do you use? In my mind, I am seeing 25 kinds of seasoned salt at the grocery store, what have you found to be best? I want to make your delicious snack mix for the holidays.
I can't wait to try this!
This sounds delicious!!! I want to make some this weekend for the holidays and I stumbled across your slow cooker post and then this EXTRA bold post, which quickly caught my attention (who doesn't love EXTRA flavor?!).
Would you recommend the microwave or crock pot method? I am wondering if using the crock pot makes it taste/crunch better than the microwave?
Any tips for making this in the oven? I don't have a microwave :(
Don't forget the hot sauce! I also use Cheez-Its and either pecans or cashews (I don't like peanuts unless they're enrolled in chocolate), and the batch I baked yesterday, I added Bugles and tripled the sauce. O.M.Gee! So good!
Help !!! I followed the instructions exactly. Even using the rubber spatula. But mine have come out soggy. Any suggestions ??
Where do you find Seasoned salt? . I've been to a couple stores no luck. The last time I made this was in 8th grade Home Ec class!
I'm going to try this recipe tonight ad it sounds wonderful all the bold flavors…yum!!! Have you tried it using the oven?
Delicious thanks for sharing
Just answered my own question. I must be crazy. I use a bottle of worstershire sauce, two sticks of butter, Goya Adobo, garlic and onion powder and Everyone loves it!
For extra flavor, add ranch or honey mustard pretzel pieces instead of plain pretzels. SO GOOD!
I've done this for over 20 years, I always doubled the seasonings, butter and Worcestershire sauce, it makes it soon much better. I agree it was always missing something. Just try it.


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A Lifetime of Creation
Jeff Hays is a serial entrepreneur and filmmaker with a long colorful history of visionary projects. In the mid-nineties he started Capstone Entertainment, a film and television production and distribution company. Within its first year the company generated over $10 million in revenue and received numerous awards in the children's programming category. Since then he has started over twenty companies including DealsthatMatter.com, NextFitness, Podfitness, Zingback, MyCompanyRecords.com and Talk 2 Technologies. The companies he's founded have collectively raised over $100 million in capital through both private investors and VCs. Recently he's also launched several wildly successful crowd-funding campaigns, in addition to personally funding several ventures. He holds eight patents in the tech industry.
"Michael Moore nemesis Jeff Hays…"
– The Hollywood Reporter
He has been producing films for over twenty years and is best known for his controversial documentary "FahrenHype 9/11," which was the response to Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11." In his film, Jeff involved such high-profiled individuals as Ron Silver, Dick Morris, Senator Zell Miller, Mayor Ed Koch and a host of others. This film received rave reviews from the NY Times, Variety and other media outlets.
Jeff then produced "On Native Soil," working as both producer and executive producer. "On Native Soil" received rave reviews from both critics and viewers, culminating in Jeff being short-listed for an Academy Award nomination in 2005. The film was sold to Lions Gate and continues to sell today, 8 years after it was made.
Following his passion for sharing truth, and exposing the controversy that all too often surrounds it, Jeff produced "Doctored" in 2012. Doctored, following a deep and troubling investigation, reveals the unseen tactics of the medical establishment and exposes deception and criminality at the highest levels of the American Medical Association (AMA) and finally shares the stories of victims left in it's wake. Doctored has sold over 200,000 DVD copies since its release in theaters in September of 2012, making it one of the most successful independently distributed DVDs of 2013.
Following up on themes uncovered in interviews for "Doctored", Jeff produced a follow up film "Bought", taking a deep dive into the business of Big Pharma, the controversies with vaccines and the truth about GMOs in America's food supply. The film has already developed the support of some of the world's most acclaimed experts in research, medicine, holistic care and natural health. Jeff believes that each person has a right to the truth and be empowered by the facts in order to make educated decisions about their own health, food and medicine.
Jeff has also worked in network television as the executive producer for "My Workout," a program that aired on Lifetime Network.
Jeff considers his most important role in life as father of 9, and is active with 10 grandkids. When not filming, Jeff maintains offices in New York City and Salt Lake City, UT. He is an avid hiker and fitness enthusiast.