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If a majority of submissions said dragons were the biggest risk to our nation's defence, would National change its foreign policy? Such are the questions that arise when a minister shrugs off science in favour of "listening"
When it comes to making it mandatory to put folic acid in our bread, I've kept an open mind these past three years. Mandatory is a pretty big step, one that you should only take if you're utterly convinced of the science urging you in that direction.
Ah yes, science.
In 2009 when the new National-led government stalled on Labour's commitment to fortify all bread with folic acid, there was a fair bit of doubt floating about. Britain and Ireland had delayed their intended fortification because of three pieces of research that raised the possibility of a link with folic acid and cancer.
When you had ACT and the Greens both urging you to jam on the brakes, perhaps it was time to adhere to the old journalists' maxim "if in doubt, leave it out".
So the government set up a working group and spent a long, long three years working through the issue. In that time, so the likes of the Paediatric Society say, further research has down-played the cancer link. Any number of doctors are prepared to say that, without question, folic acid is safe, nothing more than a vitamin with no adverse side effects.
Now some still disagree. They seem to be in the minority, but if after three years of debate that was the consensus, fair enough. Or a minister might say that even the concerns of the expert minority are enough to make her pause. If after three years of working group work remaining voluntary was their considered advice, a minister could point to that as grounds for a difficult decision.
But surely one thing a minister wouldn't do, after all this time spent by the working group, the controversey and the screeds of global scientific research, is say 'meh' to science and that her priority was to listen to submissions in an eight week consultation period.
With the risk of several hundred more cancer cases per year being argued by one side and the potential to save 20 kids a year from spina bifida being argued by more doctors on the other, surely the one thing you don't do is say science doesn't matter.
And yet that's just what Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson has said. Or should we call her Food Choice Minister, because safety implies a focus on scientific evidence as to risk, and that's clearly something that doesn't trouble her.
Wilkinson blithely said on Q+A that:
"The decision that was made was really based on consumer choice rather than the science..."
She repeated the assertion (eg "consumer choice was really the one that made the most difference in terms of the decision"), mentioning that the science was conflicted and as she was no scientist, she wasn't well placed to judge. The cancer risk, however, didn't influence her decision. It really was all about choice and people making up their own mind. She stressed that as minister her job was to listen to consultation. Given that 88 of the 134 submissions favoured remaining voluntary – largely on the grounds of consumer choice – that was what she'd do.
Which is a quite remarkable statement. I'm sure many of you can think of examples when a majority of submissions has been ignored (mention them in comments). For one, if this government is so committed to listening, it'll surely announce an end to its partial asset sales programme today!
Is National now going to make policy simply on the weight of public submissions? Will no judgment be applied? Is all you have to do is convince National now is simply stack submissions? Is that good governance?
There are questions about the decision itself – such as whether "choice" is a sufficient reason when over 50% of people surveyed by her own ministry last year put 0,1, or 2 out of ten when asked if they knew much about folic acid. And there's the point that starting to take folic acid as soon as you learn your pregnant won't save the extra 20-odd kids a year from neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, that could have been saved by mandatory fortification.
But that's not what this post is about; it's about the decision-making process.
As we saw in the debate on the alcohol purchasing age, there can be there intense debate over what evidence means, but it's expected these days that good policy is evidence-based policy. I can't remember ever hearing a minister simply say that evidence wasn't part of her decision making and that she relied entirely on submissions.
So who were the submitters and what did they say? Here's the Ministry for Primary Industries' summary, which noted that 88 of the 134 submissions were against mandatory fortification and 39 were pro:
Submitters who favoured mandatory fortification considered that the benefits of fortification outweighed the costs and said the risks to the general population were minimal or non- existent. Submissions favouring mandatory fortification were mainly from professional medical associations, doctors and families affected by a neural tube defect (NTD) pregnancy.
Those submitters who did not support mandatory fortification were concerned about the risks associated with adding folic acid to bread, questioned the proportionality of the response (fortifying all bread when only a very small subset of the population would benefit) and objected to the lack of choice mandatory fortification would impose on consumers. Submissions favouring voluntary fortification were mainly from individual consumers, industry associations and individual bakery firms.
So the baking industry won the day over the medical folk, not by the strength of their arguments or superiority of their science, but by the weight of numbers.
We're an anti-intellectual enough country at the best of times, but to be so cavalier about science is a terrible signal to send.
Of course Wilkinson may totally understand the science and may be stressing the importance of choice for political gain and to avoid taking sides in the scientific debate. But in a way that's even worse. It's like dumbing yourself down so you fit in with the cool kids.
I suspect politically she's with the majority here; New Zealanders hate being told what to do and public opinion tends stress that people don't want to be "dosed" without their consent or face "mass medication".
And if Wilkinson shared that view and was worried about the risk to the many over the benefit to the few, then she could and should have made that case.
But to simply shrug off the science and choose choice is to abdicate any responsibility as a minister. We might as well just have accountants in that role to tally up submission numbers.


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From time to time a poet is in residence at the Poetry Archive, talking about poetry with anyone who wants to join in the conversation.
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This past November, with my cousin, mother and friends, we hiked into the reservoir of the Muskrat Falls project for one last visit to my late father's trapline at Sand Banks on the rising edge of the Churchill River.
Michelins had been coming here for hundreds of years as hunters, trappers and traders — and there's a good chance that we will be the last Michelins to ever come here again.
None of us had ever seen the water so high. The familiar sandy beaches — from which Sand Banks derives its name — were not to be seen as the water lapped against the base of the polar trees. The long, flowing river we all knew so well is now like a long, still, narrow lake. We were all keenly aware, despite promises from Premier Dwight Ball that the water levels would not be raised before more environmental mitigation measure could be put in place, that this place will soon be underwater.
Under the large Labrador sky we told stories about my father, grandfather, uncles, the traplines and our family history. We visited the remnants of my father's old log cabin, long since fallen in; still, the old iron wood stove stands defiant.
Read the entire series here
It was a sombre atmosphere. I likened it to visiting a dying relative on their deathbed to pay our final respects, but as my mother pointed out it wasn't a natural death — this member of our family is actively being killed, murdered, by Nalcor and our provincial government.
As the Muskrat Falls project slowly moves ahead we have kept telling ourselves surely someone will be the voice of reason, surely someone will hear our concerns about the stability of the dam, about downstream flooding, about methylmercury. Surely someone in power would do something — anything — before it is too late.
And yet, they have not.
No matter how we feel, no matter how scared we are, no matter the scientific evidence we bring to show our concerns are not baseless, no matter the price tag, this project continues unabated. The dam has made me question the role of Labrador in the partnership of Newfoundland and Labrador. It makes us feel like a colony being exploited for the larger population to our south.
Despite the tragedy of this environmental, cultural, and economic disaster — despite the hurt and fear — I can honestly say that I've never been prouder of Labradorians. I've seen people I never would have expected coming out to demonstrations. I've seen communities of resistance form, and I've seen people find their voice while opposing this project.
If anything, Nalcor has energized Labradorians to stand up and speak out for our rights. It has shown us how strong we can be when we stand together. I hope government and industry are paying attention, because once ignited we will not go away. We will demand that our people and our land are treated fairly.
And while it is hard to say goodbye to Sand Banks, I am so thankful to welcome this energized voice.
Ossie Michelin is a journalist and activist from North West River, Labrador, and a proud Labradorian.


text: UFDC Home | Help | RSS Group Title: Government gazette, Grenada Title: Government gazette ALL VOLUMES CITATION THUMBNAILS PAGE IMAGE ZOOMABLE Full Citation STANDARD VIEW MARC VIEW Permanent Link: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00076858/00452 Material Information Title: Government gazette Physical Description: v. : ; 34 cm. Language: English Creator: Grenada Publisher: Govt. Print. Off.Govt. Print. Off. Place of Publication: St George's Grenada Publication Date: March 21, 1959 Frequency: weeklyregular Subjects Subject: Politics and government -- Grenada ( lcsh ) Genre: government publication (state, provincial, terriorial, dependent) ( marcgt )periodical ( marcgt ) Spatial Coverage: Grenada Notes Dates or Sequential Designation: v. 1- 1883- General Note: Includes supplements consisting of bills, ordinances, statutory rules & orders, etc. Record Information Bibliographic ID: UF00076858 Volume ID: VID00452 Source Institution: University of Florida Holding Location: University of Florida Rights Management: All rights reserved by the source institution and holding location. Resource Identifier: ltuf - ABP7269oclc - 01508738alephbibnum - 000271428 Contact Us | Permissions | Preferences | Technical Aspects | Statistics | Internal | Privacy Policy © 2004 - 2010 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries.All rights reserved. Acceptable Use, Copyright, and Disclaimer Statement Last updated October 10, 2010 - - mvs


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Story highlights
- Mother of two 20-something girls finds dating at 50 a whole new world
- Ronni Berke is accustomed to worrying about her daughters' safety and dating decisions
- Roles have reversed, and now her girls coach her on what to wear and the best approach
- Berke says being open with grown children about your dating is best -- up to a point
The 20-somethings: They're that odd species with lightning-fast fingers capable of texting, e-mailing, chatting on a cellphone and watching television -- simultaneously. And they're hip -- oh, so hip.
A bit too hip for me. No, I'm no cougar. At my age, I could never date a 20-something. For one thing, I'm still mothering two 20-somethings. My girls are doing quite well, mind you. They are in committed, serious relationships with commendable young men.
And their mom? She's playing the field.
Here's some advice for unattached boomers: Beware the 20-something in your own home.
When you are a 50-something parent who's dating, with grown kids around, land mines abound. Those millennials are hip all right -- hip to your dating missteps. They're miles ahead when it comes to the ins and outs of modern dating.
So far ahead, our roles seem to be reversed.
I was a single mother during most of my daughters' teenage years -- that delicate time when things can turn perilous in a heartbeat. Instinctively, I felt that I had to be tougher than most other moms -- the moms who had husbands around.
When my daughters were going out for the evening, I would pepper them with questions: "Where are you going, exactly?" (Most of the time they had no plan. They simply wanted to hang out -- just like I did every weekend at their age.) "Who is coming with you, exactly?" (Their girlfriends, of course. However, if they got lucky, some cute boys would show up. But they certainly weren't going to admit that.)
There was so much to worry over and warn them about: drugs, unsafe sex, violence, drunk driving. I could only hope they'd trust their instincts with strangers and even friends -- especially with young men.
They knew I was vigilant.
"Don't lie," I would say. "You'll get busted."
Some lessons were bittersweet, like: part of growing up is having your heart broken. It's inevitable. You build a more loving heart that way.
I once described raising teenagers to a friend as: "Careening down a hill, at 60 miles an hour, in a car with no brakes. Blindfolded. You do the best you can to steer the thing and pray you don't crash into anything."
To this day, my kids complain about the curfew I imposed: 9:30 p.m. starting in 8th grade and 11:30 p.m. in 10th grade. "Nobody except us had a curfew," my eldest, Nora, told me recently. Her look said it all: "Mom, you're a freak."
A freak who fretted when they stayed out til 4 a.m. without calling. (Thankfully, this was rare.) Who warned them to look out for being followed, kidnapped, or worse. "You're so paranoid! It's because you work in news," they would say. Yet, they listened.
Somewhere between fending off teenage angst and hitting my latest midlife crisis, my world got turned on its head. Now, I'm the one asking for advice and my kids are the ones doing the worrying.
Online dating? They're seasoned veterans who were online dating long before I started.
"Be careful to meet new people in a public place," Nora told me. Both Nora and Sara, my youngest, offered valuable feedback on my profile and photos.
Getting dressed for a date? "Not too dressy," Nora warned. "You don't want to look like you're trying too hard."
My daughters had urged me to get into online dating. "You're a hot mom, go for it," Sara said. After all, they'd managed to meet a few nice boys online. "We tried to set a good example for you," she added, with an air of deep wisdom.
Sometimes, the girls will call me in the evenings when I'm out. They worry when they haven't heard from me for a while. "Are you out on a date?" was the message from Nora. "Call and tell me how it went!"
Oh, and horrifyingly enough, my daughters aren't beneath trying to figure out my sex life. (I so did not want to know about my parents' sex lives. But that was in the prehistoric era, apparently.) The girls can't bring themselves to ask me directly, so they work on deciphering clues together. How many dates has she had with that guy? Did they go away together? Has she met his kids?
Most of the time, I enjoy discussing my dating escapades with my daughters. But clearly, I can't tell them everything.
I live in mortal fear of the question: "Mom, are you having safe sex?"
Deciding when to introduce a new man, even to 20-something children, isn't easy. But there's a difference between bringing every Tom, Dick and Harry home, and letting them know Mom's friend is more than just a friend.
There is a way to do this right. Go slowly. Don't introduce the other person until the idea of your seeing someone becomes familiar to them. In other words -- don't overwhelm them with it, but don't hide it, either.
If you are on good terms with your 20-somethings, talking about dating can be a fun, shared experience.
One word of warning: if you're thinking about "sexting" your latest hot date -- don't. Especially if you have a tendency to leave your phone around with 20-somethings at home.
You'll get busted.
Are you a Baby Boomer who is re-entering the dating world? Share the challenges you've faced in the comments section below.


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DCRTV reports that Phil Wood has been hired by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network to replace Don Baylor as Ray Knight's back-up on the Nationals pre and postgame shows.
Congratulations, Phil, and may I say this is great news for Nationals fans. Not only does Phil know the game as well as anybody in town, he is actually from the area and is a Nationals fan. Imagine that!
Phil, just promise me you'll root for Teddy!
Filed under: Presidents Race | Tagged: Don Baylor, MASN, Phil Wood, Ray Knight |


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Well it may be a case of running before walking but I have just lashed out on a Seaward Supernova Plus and some ancillary equipment , bar code reader, printer and software. etc, to get to try some practice testing of my own although I am not sure that this equipment will be up to the job when doing work for future customers
( Any advise welcome )
I can already see from your posts that my vision of strolling round with my tester etc, and having a trouble free life are far from reality , and my hope of using a little car to get about with is also getting further and further away due to the amount of kit you probably need to keep with you.
I can hear the audience now , laughing and saying what a plonker he has not got a clue what he is in for .
O well we can only try
Cheers all


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LITTLE ROCK � If nothing changes, the state lottery is not expected to generate enough money to continue funding college scholarships beyond early 2014, a state legislative panel heard Tuesday.
LITTLE ROCK � If nothing changes, the state lottery is not expected to generate enough money to continue funding college scholarships beyond early 2014, a state legislative panel heard Tuesday.
The legislative oversight committee on the lottery has been considering a proposal by co-chairman Sen. Johnny Key, R-Mountain Home, to reduce lottery scholarship spending by awarding Academic Challenge Scholarships at different amounts for each grade level.
Under Key�s proposal, freshmen would receive $2,000, sophomores $3,000, juniors $4,000 and seniors $5,000. Currently, students receive $2,250 a year to attend a two-year school or $4,500 a year to attend a four-year school.
Setting scholarship amounts for the next fiscal year will be one of the tasks of the General Assembly when it convenes in January.
Shane Broadway, interim director of the state Department of Higher Education, told the legislative oversight committee on the lottery that if the department continues awarding scholarships in the current amounts it is projected to run out of funds in February 2014.
The lottery, which launched in 2009, had been projected to raise $98 million in the current fiscal year, but state Lottery Director Bishop Woosley told the panel Tuesday that if current trends continue it will not meet that goal.
Woosley told the commission the lottery�s gross revenues in the first four months of the fiscal year that began July 1 totaled $33.9 million, or $4.3 million below forecast. He said the lottery�s net revenues for scholarships during the same period totaled $6.6 million, or $1.2 million below forecast.
�I think at this point you�re probably safe to assume (net proceeds will be) somewhere in the $89 million to $90 million range if sales trends continue to hold as they have,� Woosley said.
That would be at least a $7 million drop from the previous fiscal year, when the lottery raised $97 million for scholarships. Woosley said a hot summer and high gas prices likely contributed to the decline in sales.
While lottery sales are down, interest in the Academic Challenge Scholarship is up, according to Broadway, who told legislators that 1,218 more students received the scholarship this year than last year.
Rep. Barry Hyde, D-North Little Rock, asked Broadway if higher education officials had considered the possibility of reducing expenditures by changing eligibility requirements for the scholarship.
Broadway said the department was waiting to receive more direction from the committee as to what those changes might be before making any projections along those lines.
Sens. Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock, and Stephanie Flowers, D-Pine Bluff, said they were concerned about the idea of limiting access to the scholarships by raising eligibility standards.
�I certainly represent a district that puts a lot of money in the lottery, but we have very few of our students who are awarded these lottery scholarships, so I would just ask we proceed with caution with changing any eligibility that would make it more difficult for my constituents to get lottery scholarships,� Flowers said.
Legislative analyst Heather Tackett told the panel that according to the projections of the state Bureau of Legislative Research, changing the eligibility requirements to make an ACT score of at least 19 a necessity � currently students can qualify with a 19 ACT score or a 2.5 grade point average � would save only a little over $6 million a year.
�Bottom line, it doesn�t really help much?� Flowers asked.
�Right,� Tackett said.
Key and co-chairman Rep. Mark Perry, D-Jacksonville, both said after the hearing that establishing a tiered system of scholarship amounts appeared preferable to changing eligibility requirements. They said the committee was not yet ready to make a recommendation to the Legislature.


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Housing Recovery Increasingly Prices Out First-Time Buyers
Financial Factors Keeping Lid on Initial Purchases
First-time home buyers, long a key underpinning of the housing market, are increasingly getting left behind in the real-estate recovery.
Such buyers, typically couples in their late 20s or early 30s, have accounted for about 30% of home sales over the past year. They represented 40% of sales, on average, over the past 30 years, and accounted for more than 50% in 2009, when recession-era tax credits fueled the first-time market, according to data from the National Association of Realtors....


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The next generation of Apple's iPhone is looking increasingly likely to sport a larger display and possibly a change in shape to be closer to 16:9, the widescreen TV and video format.
—- More on the iPhone 5.
Apart from upping the resolution in the current generation of handsets to 640 x 960 pixels with what Apple called the Retina Display, the screen size and shape has otherwise remained the same since the iPhone's creation – that is 3.5 inches corner to corner and a 3:2 aspect ratio.
According to 9to5Mac, there is more than one iPhone 5 prototype in testing, clad in locked outer shells to hide their design from prying eyes. The website reports that two of the next-gen models have a larger display, so even if certain other features are dropped from the final version, it seems almost certain that screen size will be going up this year.
9to5Mac's source says the new display is 3.999 inches diagonally and that it is also adding further pixels due to the change in aspect ratio. The resolution is said to be 640 x 1136, putting it much closer to native 16:9 proportions. It means videos will play at full screen without compromising in some way, either by zooming or letterboxing.
Naturally the new shape will mean a redesign of the home screen, as it allows for an extra row of icons and other user interface tweaks.
Other rumours flying around suggest that the phone's dock connector will be narrower, reportedly between the size of a mini and micro USB connector. What that means for those who own various speaker docks and other peripherals remains to be seen – maybe adapters will be available?
Finally, in Forbes, Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, is quoted as saying, "We believe the iPhone 5 will have a completely redesigned body style, which may more closely resemble the metallic rear panel of the current iPad."


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Hunter College - 6, Farmingdale State - 3
Farmingdale,N.Y. - The Farmingdale State men's tennis team suffered a 6-3 loss at home against non-conference opponent Hunter College on Friday night. The Rams dropped to 2-2 overall with the loss, while Hunter picked up their first win and stands at 1-0.
Farmingdale State trailed 2-1 after doubles play, picking up an 8-2 win at 3rd doubles by junior Jimmy Lopez (Medford, N.Y.) and junior Brian Heinlein (Patchogue, N.Y.).
In singles play, the Rams Heinlein won in the fifth spot and another win came from Marvin Beaubrun in the sixth spot. The 2nd and 3rd singles were close three-set matches, sophomore Kevin Palacios (Glen Cove, N.Y.) and senior Judd Bahoui (Long Beach, N.Y.), but Hunter took those two sets for the win.
The Rams will open the Skyline Cconference schedule on Saturday, March 22nd at home against The Sage Colleges at 1:00 p.m.


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Bob's Burgers Exclusive Video: Gary Cole Fouls Up Linda's Valentine's Day Speed Dating!
Feb 8, 2013 4:40 PM EST
Sunday's Bob's Burgers is dedicated to the romantically challenged. On the Valentine's Day-themed episode (8:30/7:30c, Fox), Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) makes Linda (John Roberts) a heart-shaped pancake for breakfast, a gesture that the Belcher children de… Read more


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PARIS (Reuters) - France will pursue operations in Mali to prepare a subsequent African-led intervention to oust Islamist rebels and will step up anti-terrorist security measures on its own territory, President Francois Hollande said on Saturday.
As French aircraft pounded rebel fighters for a second day, Hollande said he had given instructions that the several hundred French troops sent to Mali must keep their actions strictly limited to supporting a West African ECOWAS operation.
"We have already held back the progress of our adversaries and inflicted heavy losses on them. But our mission is not over yet," Hollande said, a day after French forces launched air strikes and reinforced the capital Bamako to pre-empt a feared rebel advance towards the city.
One French pilot was killed in Friday's air strikes, in a blow to the start of a campaign which represents Hollande's biggest foreign policy test since his May election.
France also lost a commando and a secret agent held hostage since 2009 in a raid in Somalia on Saturday, an operation Hollande said had been planned several days ago. His defence minister said earlier that the operations were unrelated.
"This operation confirms France's determination not to give in to the blackmail of terrorists," Hollande said of the Somalia incident. "In the days ahead, we will pursue our intervention in Mali," he told a news conference.
Concerned about reprisals on French soil, Hollande said he had asked his prime minister to reinforce security in public buildings and on public transport as quickly as possible.
Reporting by Catherine Bremer and Mark John; editing by Mark John


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Greetings Leaf Peepers!
We are having a huge clear out to make room for our Winter goodies arriving in November. We have marked down our remaining hand printed organic textile stock up to 50% in our brick & mortar store and HERE on our website, below is a slideshow of JUST a few of our Fall sale items
- Canvas Aprons $22
- Heavy CanvasTotes $35
- Muslin Napkin Sets $24
- Muslin Tablecloths $28
- Canvas Napkin Sets $28
- Muslin Towels $10
- Canvas Towels $12
- Voile Scarves $20-$27
- Lavender Bags $5
Psst: Don't forget we now have our entire brick & mortar store inventory for sale online in our new Square Market online shop here
See you all this Fall!
Jane & Hope xo


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Ready or not, Skaggs could be key for Angels
TEMPE, Ariz. -- It's never about just one guy, so it would be silly to say that 22-year-old left-hander Tyler Skaggs is the most important player the Angels have in camp this spring.
No player should have that kind of pressure, especially a 6-foot-5, 215-pound kid with all of 13 big league starts under his belt and someone who is still trying to figure out all sorts of things. How about giving the guy some breathing room?
TEMPE, Ariz. -- It's never about just one guy, so it would be silly to say that 22-year-old left-hander Tyler Skaggs is the most important player the Angels have in camp this spring.
No player should have that kind of pressure, especially a 6-foot-5, 215-pound kid with all of 13 big league starts under his belt and someone who is still trying to figure out all sorts of things. How about giving the guy some breathing room?
Still, there's no question Skaggs could be a huge piece for the Angels in 2014. If he's not the part that gets them back to the postseason, he could very well elevate a decent starting rotation into a special one. If that happens, the Halos almost certainly will be in the mix for a playoff berth.
"He's very important to our season, very important to our future," Angels general manager Jerry DiPoto said.
DiPoto emphasizes that his top four starters -- Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Garrett Richards and Hector Santiago -- are important, too, that Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton are still fairly big deals, and that free-agent reliever Joe Smith will be a terrific addition to the bullpen.
And yet ...
"Tyler, being that he's the youngest and least experienced of our starters, it's an important spring for him to take that next step and establish himself at the Major League level," DiPoto said.
No general manager knows Skaggs better than DiPoto. He first watched him pitch as a high school junior in Southern California, and he was impressed by the size, stuff and makeup, especially a terrific curveball that complemented a 94-mph fastball.
DiPoto had hoped to take Skaggs in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft while working for the D-backs. He had the 41st pick that year. The Angels had the 40th. Guess who the Halos took?
This is where it gets good. Unable to draft Skaggs, DiPoto has more than made up for it by trading for him twice, bringing him to both the D-backs and Angels. He's hoping the deal he made last December is the one that sticks. It was a three-team trade that got the Halos the back of their rotation in Santiago and Skaggs.
If DiPoto is right, the Angels could be nicely positioned moving forward. When last season ended, they had one young starter, 25-year-old Richards, and no one else even on the horizon. If things work out the way DiPoto hopes, they'll open the season with three starters under 30: Richards (26), Skaggs (22) and Santiago (26).
"We went from having a very veteran and somewhat shallow pitching staff to one with high potential," DiPoto said. "We're really excited about the group. We probably went from one extreme to the other. It's something to look forward to as an organization. We feel really good about the club."
The Angels are handing Skaggs nothing more than an opportunity this spring. He's competing with veteran Joe Blanton for the Halos' fifth rotation spot. When Patrick Corbin beat him out for Arizona's final rotation spot last spring, Skaggs went out and had his worst professional season. Thus, there are questions.
In 17 starts at Triple-A, Skaggs was 6-10 with a 4.59 ERA. In seven starts with the D-backs, he was 2-3 with a 5.12 ERA. More troubling was that Skaggs' velocity declined, and the D-backs seemingly had no qualms including him in the trade that landed them outfielder Mark Trumbo from the Angels and closer Addison Reed from the White Sox.
Skaggs calls it all a learning experience.
"You have to," he said. "You can't dwell on the past. It is what it is. It's a family over here, and I'm really enjoying it so far."
Since joining the Angels, pitching coach Mike Butcher has tweaked Skaggs' mechanics and worked to restore both his velocity and confidence. Skaggs said being around veteran starters like Weaver and Wilson has been a valuable learning experience.
"I've learned 10-fold since I came here," Skaggs said. "C.J. and I play catch every day. He has caught the little things, like not following through enough. You can't beat a veteran like that with a lot of experience helping you out."
Skaggs said being back with the team that originally drafted him has been everything he could have hoped.
"It's been phenomenal," Skaggs said. "[Angels manager Mike] Scioscia, Butch, the guys. It's nothing but amazing. I love the vibe here. It's going to be a fun season to say the least. I'm plugging away here and getting my starts in."
Skaggs breezed through two innings in his first spring start on Tuesday, and then ran out of gas in the third. He got just one out in the third and was charged with two runs in 2 1/3 official innings against the Rangers.
"That stuff is real," Scioscia said. "You can see it. He just got a little tired. It's a good workout for him. He got to 50 pitches, which is where Butch wanted to get him."
All in all, a good beginning.
"I felt really comfortable those first two innings," Skaggs said. "The third inning wasn't the worst inning. It wasn't like I was all over the place. But it was one of those things where I started overthrowing a little bit, and it was hot out there and I got a little tired.
"I liked it. First outing of the year, [you] couldn't ask for anything better. The velocity's back up. It felt good. The strikes were down in the zone. I was just happy to get back on the mound. The season ended kind of sour for me last year. It felt really good to go out there and let it fly."
Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U.


text:
When it comes to sweet decadent snacks on the island of Oahu, you simply can't afford to miss out these sinfully sugary and to-die-for malasada, or malassada (the correct spelling)–a confection of Portuguese origin.
We were lucky. Had I not received two emails and a comment from my loyal reader Burt, we would have completely missed out one of the most delightful sweet treats in the whole world! And when I say this, I mean it because I am not much a sweet tooth and don't even like sweet thing. However, for these puffy, pillowy, fluffy fried dough-balls with outer layer deep-fried to golden crisp and glory, I simply couldn't resist…
So, every morning, we got ourselves some hot-off-the-fryer malasadas (malassadas), made a pot of coffee, sat out in the balcony soaking up the balmy weather of Oahu, looking out to the simmering blue sea fringing the legendary Waikiki Beach. Sometimes, life is just sweeeeeet and beautiful!
1926 S Beretania Street
Honolulu, Oahu
Champion's malasadas is our favorite. At 60 cents each, their plain malasada has perfect textures: eggy, ultra-light and chewy at the same time. Sinking my teeth into their freshly-made malasadas is pure heaven.
Leonard's Bakery
933 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, Oahu
Leonard's Bakery is hard to miss with its iconic neon sign erected on Kapahulu Ave. Leonard's malasadas are good, but the texture is a little soft and less chewy. Their custard malasadas are better compared to Champion's, and they also offer cinnamon sugar coating in addition to plain sugar. If you like varieties, then Leonard's is your answer.


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Voice of the Library with Shannon
Sometimes I am amazed at how many new resources come to us over the week through our social networks, connections and other resources. Now, more than ever, we can learn each and every day through these different avenues and bring amazing ideas and resources back to our students, other teachers, the school community and to the world.
Over the last few days, three awesome Edmodo resources have come to me.
These are resources that you will not want to miss!
The first one is the iPad app Edmodo has created (there is an iPhone app too).
I have only had my iPad 2 for a few weeks. Since school got out last week I have been able to finally spend some time researching the best apps, organization and use for my iPad. I was so excited to find the Edmodo app.
It is just so convenient to be able to click on the blue "e" in my "Personal Networks" folder and receive updates, read students comments and share feedback directly from my iPad. I can't wait to add the Edmodo app to our new iPads and iPods at school. The students will find this very useful in the library and classrooms.
The second one is the Google Doc that I created for my Edmodo post last week entitled Ideas For Using Edmodo….Lets Create a List Together. We all have so many wonderful ideas for using Edmodo so I thought we should share them.
I created a Google Doc entitled "Ideas for Using Edmodo". You can click on the link and add to the Google Doc too.
There are already 67 incredible ideas, so lets keep this going. At the end of the summer, I will share this with everyone and we can continue to refer back to it throughout the year. I have already highlighted so many of these ideas for next year and have emailed several to different teachers at Van Meter.
THANK YOU so much everyone for sharing on the list.
And the third came to me through a tweet from my new friend and fellow Edmodo blogger Bianca Hewes (@BiancaH80).
She tweeted that the Google Doc of Edmodo ideas would be perfect for the Edmodo Teacher Hub. This is a great new wiki that Bianca and Nordin Zuber created a few months ago.
It is described as,
"Edmodo Teacher Hub is a wikispace created by Bianca Hewes and Nordin Zuber to provide a working repository of ideas, experiences and resources working with Edmodo. We work at two different NSW (Australia) Department of Education & Community secondary schools so the initial articles and contributions will probably reflect this context, however given Edmodo's international reach, it is likely this wiki will go beyond our school system and locality. This space is open to all contributors – create a wikispace account and apply to join the wiki – everyone is welcome."
I was so excited that Bianca told me about this amazing resource and have spent some investigating the information and ideas contained on it. This will be one site that we all want to follow as it grows into a valuable resource for all of us.
So once again my charge to you is this….
Let's keep sharing our ideas, the projects that we have done and the connections we have made using Edmodo.
Let's make a difference!
Shannon McClintock Miller is the district teacher librarian and technology specialist at Van Meter School in Iowa. You can find her on Twitter at @shannonmmiller and blogging at Van Meter Library Voice http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/
1 comment. Leave new
Great post! I've taken a look at your Google Doc 'Ideas for using Edmodo…' and I found it very inspiring as well. Thanks for sharing!


text:
Aug. 23, 2005
Bethel College scored a pair of second half goals in a 2-0 shutout at Lipscomb University in an exhibition game Monday night.
Junior forward Malang Jarju scored the first goal at the 43:39 mark. Sophomore forward Sean Fraser scored the second goal with 6:47 remaining in the game.
Jarju worked his way through the Bisons defense to set up a shot from 18-feet out. The ball went on low to the right side of the goal as Bisons goalkeeper Jake Georgen was moving in the opposite direction.
Fraser scored when a pass from the left side of the goal hit him in the head and went into the net.
The Bisons held a 13-8 advantage in shots .Both Josh Cline and Jorge Suarez recorded shots on goal for the Bisons, both in the second half.
"I was pleased in that I think we dictated how the game was played," Morrow said. "We had some opportunities. We just need to execute better."
The Bisons play their second exhibition game Saturday night at 7 when Vanderbilt University visits.
Morrow praised the play of Cline, but is looking for someone to step up as the leader on the field against the Commodores.
"We are looking for someone to step forward and put their mark on the game," Morrow said.
The game's Box Score and play by play can be seen on the schedule page.


text:
She's done it again.
Regina Jaquess, 29, of Santa Rosa Beach has brought home yet two more gold medals � this time from the World Games in Cali, Columbia.
Skiing as part of team USA, Regina captured the gold in slalom and jumps a few weeks ago.
"It was great," Regina said, noting she was one of six skiing for team USA. Out of the six skiers, three were from the Panhandle, Adam Pickos of Santa Rosa Beach and Andrew Adkinson of Chipley.
"The competition was from all over the world," she said. "I had a lot to beat, but I came out really well."
The USA had only one skier in each event with Regina taking on slalom and jump.
"It was a real honor just to make it to the games," said Regina, who's been skiing since age 2. "Slalom is my strongest."
Regina holds the current world record in slalom, skiing "3 at 41-feet off."
In 2010, Regina tied the World Record in slalom that had been held by Kristi Overton Johnson for 14 years.
"Later that year I broke it and have held it ever since," she said.
In addition to her recent World Game accomplishments, Regina has a long list of accomplishments such as two-time World Overall Champion, two-time World Slalom Champion, World Trick Champion, four time World Slalom Record Holder, and two time World Overall Record Holder to name a few.
Setting records is nothing Regina takes for granted.
"It's hard to be at the top. You don't have a goal to chase," she said. However, "You have to keep looking behind because you always have three or four in the hunt right on your heels."
To stay current and on top of her game, Regina will be competing this weekend in Jackson, Miss.
"I'll try to bump up my world record there," she said.
Regina, who's been skiing before she could swim, skies in about two tournaments a month.
She also skies every morning before going to work at Emerald Coast Compounding pharmacy, where she is a pharmacist and owner.
She hits the ski lakes at The Pickos Ski and Wakeboard School in Santa Rosa Beach about 7: 30 a.m. and can be found at the pharmacy from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at their new location on Hwy. 393, less than a half-mile from County Road 30A.
Regina's compounding pharmacy was located at Gulf Place, but recently made the move to 393.
"It's a lot bigger," she said, noting it's almost double the size of their old location.
"It's been great and we have great visual space," she said. "To be a business owner in the community that's so unique is great.�


text:
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Religious War
Hamas spokesman: Resurrection "will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them"
Hamas spokesman, Dr. Ismail Radwan: "'The Hour [of Resurrection] will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them, and the rock and the tree will say: 'Oh, Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, kill him!' We must remind our Arab and Muslim nation - its leaders and people, its scholars and students - remind them that Palestine and the Al-Aqsa mosque will not be liberated through summits nor by international resolutions; rather, it will be liberated through the rifle. It will not be liberated through negotiations, but through the rifle, since this occupation knows no language but the language of force... O Allah, strengthen Islam and the Muslims, and bring victory to your Jihad fighter worshipers, in Palestine and everywhere. Allah strike the oppressor Jews and Americans, and their supporters!"
Official Palestinian Authority TV
Mar. 30, 2007
(2 min)
View chronologically
Hamas to Palestinians during rocket attacks on Israel: "Set out on the path of Jihad and resistance"
May 4, 2019 (1min)
Islam has guaranteed Paradise for us as Martyrs - song on PA radio
Dec. 19, 2018 (1min)
Jews pass on evil in their genes: "Humanity will never be able to live with them... count them and kill them one by one," says PA TV preacher
Dec. 14, 2018 (1min)
The Quran says Jews have inherently negative characteristics
June 9, 2009 (1min)
PA cleric: Jews are behind all world catastrophes
Sept. 24, 2004 (1min)
Abbas' advisor: Islam's religious war to destroy Israel has started, Israel is the "culture of Satan"
June 30, 2018 (1min)
Fatah libel: Israel destroys the Al-Aqsa Mosque, "it is a completely Islamic site to which the Jews have no right"
July 26, 2018 (1min)
Abbas' advisor demonizes Judaism, claims Jews "prophesize" the Messiah will "kill everyone who is not a Jew"
Apr. 20, 2018 (1min)
Lebanese cleric: Greetings to Palestinians who "throw blessed rocks at the Zionist snake… Land is waqf land from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Jordan] River"
May 14, 2018 (1min)
We'll take Jerusalem "if not peacefully then by force… Allah, drive out the Jews" - PA TV preacher
Apr. 13, 2018 (1min)
Abbas' advisor: "This nation will awaken and uproot the evil from its land"
Jan. 5, 2018 (1min)
PA TV: Jews are "evil... satans," Palestinians descend from Canaanites
July 6, 2017 (1min)
Antisemitic preacher at the Al-Aqsa Mosque: The Jews worship Satan and the Antichrist, represented by 9 and 11
Feb. 21, 2017 (1min)
Fatah official: Jews are donkeys
Mar. 21, 2017 (1min)
Hamas cleric: Allah gathered the Zionists in one place "so that it will be easier to slaughter and kill them"
Aug. 22, 2014 (1min)
Hamas member of PA Parliament promotes murder of Jews, "mankind" and "everything on earth" hates Jews – "members of this impure religion"
Jan. 6, 2017 (1min)
PA Mufti: "Jerusalem and all of Palestine is Islamic land," encourages Palestinians to continue religious conflict: The Palestinian people "will continue to carry out Ribat at the gates of the Al-Aqsa [Mosque]"
Dec. 10, 2016 (1min)
Head preacher at the Al-Aqsa Mosque: US recognition of Jerusalem "as capital of the Jews," will be "a new war against the Palestinians, the Arabs, and the Muslims"
Dec. 16, 2016 (1min)
Abbas' advisor on religious affairs: If the US moves its embassy to Jerusalem it is "a declaration of war on all Muslims"
Jan. 6, 2017 (1min)
PA TV Ramadan lesson teaches that Islam prohibits Israel's right to exist: "Holy Palestine is a waqf... It is forbidden to relinquish a single grain of its soil"
June 11, 2016 (1min)
Official PA TV preacher calls for genocide: "Allah… kill them to the last one... punish the wicked Jews"
Apr. 22, 2016 (1min)
Prayer for extermination of Jews at funeral of 2 Palestinians
Nov. 16, 2015 (1min)
Allah could kill all Jews, but Allah wants Palestinians to carry out Ribat (religious conflict)
Oct. 27, 2015 (1min)
Al-Aqsa Mosque preacher: Jews will worship the Devil and then be exterminated by Muslims
Oct. 16, 2015 (1min)
Jews have no connection to Jerusalem
June 9, 2009 (1min)
PA cleric: Israel's destruction is Islamic imperative
Sept. 8, 2000 (1min)
PA Min of Religion: Allah chose us for Ribat
Feb. 12, 2010 (2min)
PA Chief Religious Justice: Muslims who don't defend Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa are sinners
Mar. 14, 2010 (1min)
Religious war –"Ribat" - against Israel's creation and existence since 1917
May 14, 2010 (1min)
Hamas cleric: "Destruction of Israel and Jews will bring blessing to world"
July 13, 2008 (2min)
Hamas: Every Muslim fetus seeks Jihad
Apr. 24, 2009 (1min)
Palestinians are in Ribat [religious war] until Resurrection
June 6, 2008 (1min)
Fatah MP: All Israel is "land of Ribat" [holy Islamic land] that must be "liberated"
Aug. 25, 2008 (1min)
PA libel: Israel wages religious war against Palestinians, according to PA TV song
Feb. 24, 2012 (1min)
PA TV to kids: Christians and Jews are inferior, cowardly and despised
June 2, 2012 (2min)
Abbas applauds following call for Jihad in Jerusalem
Jan. 13, 2014 (1min)
PA cleric says Allah cursed the Jews for killing prophets
Sept. 21, 2001 (1min)
Hamas spokesman: Resurrection "will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them"
Mar. 30, 2007
"Jews are enemies of Allah and humanity - Kill them"
Jan. 29, 2010 (2min)
Flotilla participants chanted Islamic battle cry invoking killing of Jews
May 29, 2010 (1min)
Hamas: Kill Christians and Jews "to the last one"
Dec. 3, 2010 (1min)
PA cleric calls for genocide of Jews and killing of Americans
Oct. 13, 2000 (1min)
PA cleric says Allah destined Palestinians to fight Jews until Resurrection
July 28, 2000 (1min)
PA cleric: Jews are evil and should expect their death
Feb. 8, 2002 (1min)
PA cleric Ibrahim Madi: Kill Jews, Allah will make Muslims masters over Jews
Aug. 3, 2001 (2min)
Islamic University professor Radwan says Quran foretells the Muslim victory over the Jews
Feb. 11, 2002 (1min)
PA cleric: Stones and trees order Muslims to kill Jews, who are "pigs on the face of the earth," that destroy everything and are universally hated
Sept. 10, 2004 (1min)
PA Mufti calls for the killing of Jews quoting Islamic Hadith
Jan. 9, 2012 (1min)
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text:
Among all sports, golf has the most consistently evolving technology. Every year there are lighter irons; softer, more forgiving putters; futuristic hybrid clubs; and the "softest wedges you'll ever hit" until newer, softer ones pop hit the market in six months. As as product industry, golf is all about re-designing the future to convince the amateur golfer that they need that a new club in their hands right now.
Few companies have done this better in the past 10 years than Nike, which has used their all-encompassing endorsement with Tiger Woods to push a golf product that, before him, barely existed. Tiger wears Nike Dri-Fit shirts, hits Nike balls, and, like one of those mythological heroes who has custom-made swords sent to him by the gods, he swings a club made just for him.
But where does all the stuff come from? As the NBC DFW video at left shows, the answers are in a small, unassuming little factory in Ft. Worth, Texas. The designers are less the intense Swedish alchemists you might assume (or maybe we've seen too many IBM commercials during the U.S. Open this weekend) and more like the neighbors in your home town.
Their finished products are a result of computer design, machine tool work, and three-ring binders full of analysis. The result? Irons that look like Transformers and putters have obscure patterns across their faces. Asked to explain details of the technology, the designers just laugh.
And why shouldn't they? Jobs are all about sense of accomplishment, and being able to go home and say "I built a new iron for Tiger Woods today," has to feel pretty good.
Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.


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It has been a nasty few years for gold prices. But there are signals that the worst may now be over.
After peaking at around $1,900 an ounce in 2011, the precious metal lost about 35% of its value until bottoming around $1,200 at the start of 2014.
Since January, gold has crept up steadily and is sitting on a 6% gain, double the return of the S&P 500 Index in the same period.
So what's going on with gold? Is this just a dead-cat bounce, or the beginning of a rally that could bring real profits to traders?
I think it may be the latter — because there are signs of a bottom in sentiment, because of global uncertainty fueling a "risk premium," and because of a lack of enthusiasm regarding the alternatives.
For the record, I am no Peter Schiff here with delusions of gold hitting $5,000 as the stock market implodes and inflation runs wild. Rather, I think a swing trade chasing 10% to 15% upside — with a $1,470 target at the very high end — is reasonable, even if gold could very well finish the year right where it started.
Here's why I'm watching gold:
Sentiment couldn't be worse
There are no shortage of bears out there on gold prices. In fact, just two months ago Goldman Sachs GS, -0.13% warned that this little rally is a head fake and gold would finish the year at $1,050. Also, renowned commodities trader Jim Rogers warned last year gold could fall to as low as $900 an ounce before it truly bottoms.
Here's the thing, though: At the beginning of 2013, the "smart money" at Goldman initially predicted a $1,600 target on gold prices by year's end, which it kept revising lower and lower over time, as it became clear how wrong that prediction was.
So let's not read too much into "expert" predictions. Just as we've seen so many times with equity analysts, price targets are often not worth the paper they are printed on.
What is worth noting, however, is the glut of negativity regarding gold prices. The sustained three-year downtrend has spooked investors and the cascading redemptions out of bullion-backed ETFs like the SPDR Gold Trust GLD, +0.56%. And beyond that, the vocal minority of conspiracy theorists who insist gold prices have long been manipulated mean many upside targets for gold are greeted with eye rolls and comments about tinfoil hats instead of an honest look.
As the saying goes, the time to buy is when blood is in the streets — and after a beating like this and such derision for investors, it is hard to imagine how the sentiment on gold could get much worse.
A sweetener is that behind the scenes, technical analysts are starting to point to the potential of a swing in sentiment on commodities writ large, and gold in particular. Charts over the past few months have shown a "double bottom" in gold, and hint at bullish consolidation right now as a pause before another leg up.
Sure, the relief rally of the past few months could be a fake-out. But if you're a swing trader looking for a contrarian call, don't overlook the potential of gold right now.
Because if we see just a little more strength in the precious metal, we could see a virtuous cycle of buying pressure that builds momentum considerably across the summer months.
Gold and the "risk premium"
A wild card that could continue to lift gold is the unfortunate persistence of unrest in many corners of the globe.
Pro-Russia separatists continue to clash violently with Ukrainian forces. Syria is still a hot mess more than three years after the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011. The U.S. is saber-rattling about Islamic extremists that kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, a renegade general is making a power play in Libya, and Thailand is dealing with the fallout of a recent military coup.
Oh yeah, and there are still suicide bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan in case you forgot about troubles there.
This kind of environment, when many developing nations have unstable governments as Western nations are grappling with how best to avoid the damage, is when gold tends to shine best as a "safe haven" investment.
When you can't trust the currencies of governments in flux and when it's not safe to invest in tumultuous emerging markets, gold is a logical place to stash cash — and given the fact that few of these geopolitical issues are near a resolution, the buying pressure for gold should persist for some time.


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Former New Zealand player Daniel Vettori has heaped ultimate praise on the Indian bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The pacer, who has taken 17 wickets in the World Cup, has bowled with control and aggression. The former kiwi skipper feels Bumrah is unplayable at this stage of his career.
The Indian pacer is tied at the third place with Lockie Ferguson, who has also claimed the same number of wickets. Only Australia's Mitchell Starc (26 wickets) and Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman (20) are ahead of Bumrah.
Bumrah has been economical as well. His economy of 4.48 is the best amongst the leading wicket-takers in the tournament.
"Jasprit Bumrah is basically unplayable at this stage, and against England he was his usual economical self," wrote Vettori in his column for the ICC.
"But despite that, England targeted everyone else. They were aggressive from the off against the spinners, against Hardik Pandya and they even got to Mohammed Shami at the death as well.
"I am fairly confident Shami will come back into the side to face New Zealand, he had a very good series down there at the start of the year.
But New Zealand have got all the ingredients in place to put on a big total. I know they haven't done it yet," he added.
Former Indian batting coach, Sanjay Bangar has made a big prediction about Rohit Sharma in Test cricket. He is of the opinion that Rohit Sharma will help India chase difficult targets in Test cricket if he bats as an opener in his own trademark style.
"At the moment, there is no place in the settled middle order in the Test team. Opening will be a new challenge for him, since he has rarely done it in the longer formats. But the advantage is that he will get to bat against a hard-ball with plenty of gaps in the field. He will also not have to wait for his turn to bat, which will save his mental energy," Bangar told ESPNcricinfo in an interview.
"If he succeeds, his style of play will be extremely helpful to the team. It might result in being able to successfully chase down targets that we haven't achieved in the past, like in Cape Town and Edgbaston," he added.
Rohit Sharma has featured in 27 Tests so far, scoring 1,585 runs at an average of 39.6. The swashbuckling opener has been an underperformer outside home. But, he has been picked as India's no.1 choice opener for the home Test series against South Africa. The first Test against South Africa will take place in Visakhapatnam from October 2
"The key to his success will be if he maintains his individual style of play. He has to maintain his individuality," Bangar added.
Pakistan Cricket Board and its fans were left disappointed after 10 Sri Lankan cricketers opted out of the tour of Pakistan citing security reasons. The likes of Dimuth Karunaratne (Test and ODI captain), Lasith Malinga (T20I captain) and Angelo Mathews were few of the biggest names to have backed out from the tour.
Lahiru Thirimanne will lead the ODI side while Dasun Shanaka has been named skipper for the T20I side in absence of the regular stalwarts.
Sri Lanka are scheduled to lock horns with Pakistan in ODI and T20I series at the National Stadium in Karachi and Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. The tour will commence from September 27.
Pakistan captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was retained as Pakistan's skipper for the home series after speculations that he will be removed from captaincy, has said that Pakistan has always been supportive of other teams.
"Pakistan has always supported other countries by touring. Recently, Pakistan sent its junior team to Sri Lanka a couple of weeks after bombings took place," the 32-year-old Sarfaraz was quoted as saying in Pak Passion.
India and South Africa will take on each other in a three-match T20I series starting from September 15 at Dharamshala. A lot of eyes will be fixated on Rishabh Pant, who had a largely unimpressive tour of West Indies as India's first-choice wicket-keeper batsman across formats. But, T20 format is something that Pant has impressed us the most, especially in IPL.
Former Indian cricketer, Gautam Gambhir has a warning for Rishabh Pant. Gambhir wrote in his column for Times of India that Pant needs to perform better so that he can counter challenges thrown at him by Kerala wicket-keeper batsman, Sanju Samson, who recently awed one and all with a brilliant fifty against South Africa A.
"It is another opportunity for young Indian batsmen to cement their place in the side. Manish Pandey looks much younger than his age of 29. Shreyas Iyer explained enough in the West Indies that he is a great deal more than the 'South Bombay' swag. KL Rahul is a force in white-ball format. Rishabh Pant is always exciting but he has to watch his back as my favourite Sanju Samson is throwing some serious challenges at him. It is an exciting series as there are a lot of individual battles going on considering the T20 World Cup next year," wrote Gambhir.
Gambhir also compared Quinton de Kock with Kumara Sangakkara and Brian Lara.
"In the context of South Africa's tour of India, the visitors may relate to this as this is their first international engagement after a forgetful World Cup campaign. I like Quinton de Kock. He is one of those gorgeous left-handers which I always aspired to be but could never be. In full flow, he reminds me of Kumara Sangakkara and Brian Lara. Hopefully, he delivers as a captain but not at the cost of curtailing fluidity of his batting," Gambhir said.
There has been never any doubt regarding Jasprit Bumrah's ability in limited-overs cricket. In fact, he made a name for himself with his yorkers and great death bowling in T20 cricket. But, he made a great transition to ODIs and now Tests as well.
More than skills, it has always been Bumrah's sharp cricketing brain and strong temperament that has helped him do well in cricket. Using these virtues, he impressed one and all with his displays even in the longer version of the game, a format, where people had question marks about him.
The Indian pacer recently had a brilliant tour of West Indies, where he ended up with 13 wickets in two Tests which included two five-wicket-hauls and a maiden hat-trick. The right-armer also rose to no.3 spot in ICC Test rankings, which is simply amazing given he has hardly played 12 Tests. His ability to move the ball was one of the best sights in West Indies.
Bumrah revealed that it was the England tour, which helped him gain lethality in swing bowling. "I always used to have out-swingers. I have not used it a lot but playing in England did give me a lot of confidence. The Duke ball does swing for a longer period of time. So, because I got more and more confident as I played the Test matches, I could execute it well," he said at a promotional event here.
He added, "In white-ball cricket, the ball doesn't swing for a long period so you have to assess what kind of delivery works every time. I was working on it (the out-swinger) for a long period. I used it in England as well when we were playing against county teams. You can't use everything in one match. You just try to assess the conditions on the given day and see what could work."
Even as South Africa undertake the important tour of India beginning with a three match Twenty20 internationals, questions remain about the future of the most prominent member of the squad missing from the lineup.
Quinton de Kock might be reasonably excited about the possibility of captaining South Africa in India, albeit for only the Twenty20 internationals part of the tour. Under normal circumstances, it would have been reasonable enough to raise expectations under a new leadership. Yet given the kind of change that Cricket South Africa (CSA) have embarked upon since the debacle that was their campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England, there is some skepticism as well as a great deal of uncertainty about how South Africa move forward.
The end of South Africa's ICC Cricket World Cup did not anticipate the idea of the cricket board doing away with the coaching position and instead bringing on a team manager a la football. Furthermore, while it was expected that questions would be raised about the practicality of continuing the journey with Faf du Plessis at the helm given his age and also, the fact that the next major fifty overs World Cup is four years away, there was little doubt with so many retirements and changes on the anvil, Faf could be the perfect foil as a catalyst to lead a new team and leadership in the transition.
Yet, it would appear South Africa have arrived in India without having taken people into confidence and with another round of shooting-in-the-dark strategies that could make or break them. If that became apparent as Cricket South Africa made the announcements, those doubts would have been exacerbated after the comments that have come forth from the team management after the team landed in India.
CSA acting director of cricket, Corrie van Zyl insisted Faf du Plessis was very much in the mix even as the team for the tour of India was announced with Faf named only as South Africa's Test captain and not even included in South Africa's Twenty20 squad. On his part, Faf, who led the latter half of South Africa's campaign with a century and near century, albeit after the ship had sailed, insisted that he would still be South Africa's Twenty20 captain for the 2020 ICC World Twenty20 event in Australia next year and that South Africa were merely using the time as opportunity to experiment in order to find a worthy successor.
But while Faf flits from one Twenty20 tournament that got scuttled to another before coming to India to take charge of the Test team, the words of the team management would not have given him any comfort either with regard to his future as South Africa's limited overs captain or his place purely as a batsman.
Enoch Nkwe, the team director, upon landing in India, almost put the nail in the coffin, particularly as far as Faf's career as South Africa's limited overs captaincy is concerned by stating that the team was intent on looking forward while acknowledging his past contributions, the emphasis being on past.
With the likes of AB de Villiers having retired of their own volition, with South Africa losing players to Kolpak deals and the such, can South Africa afford to lose not only an experienced captain but also, a valuable mentor and member of the dressing room this close to another World Cup challenge, albeit in a different format?
While Faf du Plessis may have little choice but to build up a string of performances in the opportunities outside South Africa's cricket and prepare to take on South Africa's Test challenge that kicks off their ICC World Test Championship, it will be interesting how this experiment with a new management and a new captaincy trial works out and whether Faf du Plessis then becomes the one holding the key should South Africa's experiments fail to yield the desired results close to the ICC World Twenty20 2020. Anxious times for Faf du Plessis and South Africa.
Steve Smith is having a record-breaking 2019 Ashes series. Due to his exceptional batting and Australia's excellent bowling, the Kangaroos have already retained the Ashes. If Australia manage to win this Test or draw the game, they will win the Ashes series in England for the first time since 2001.
But Australia got bundled-out on 225 runs after England made 294 runs in the first innings. Barring Smith, who made 80, no other batsman could even touch the fifty-run mark. Smith has a total of 751 runs in the series. Apart from Smith and Labuschagne, who has 339 runs at an average of 56.5, no other Australian batsmen has averaged even 30. On the second day as well, it was only Smith (80) and Labuschagne (48), doing well for the visitors.
Steve Smith, however, has defended his teammates despite their poor show. The former Aussie skipper said, "We haven't seen any huge totals really throughout the whole series so it's not been easy. There's always been something there, I felt. If you bowl in good areas for long enough then I think we've seen you'll get rewards. Playing in England is completely different from playing back home and you've got to find ways to play away from home.
"Sometimes you need to change certain little things that can help you play in certain conditions and adapt accordingly but I think it will be a good learning curve for all of our batters," added Smith.
Steve Smith is batting like a dream for Australia in the ongoing Ashes series. He was out of action for more than a year. But right in the first Test series since his comeback to the format, he snatched back his no.1 position in ICC Test rankings. But his exploits against England knows no bounds. Smith is turning out to be an Ashes god. Don't believe me? Read this stat.
Smith has 1,251 runs in last ten Ashes innings. In last ten innings, his scores read 239, 76, 102*, 83, 144, 142, 92, 211, 82, 80. His lowest score has been 80, which he made in the first innings of the Oval Test. The right-hander has five centuries and fifties each with two double-centuries. Now, he has even bettered Sir Don Bradman's record of most runs in 10 successive Ashes innings.
Between 1937 and 1946, Bradman had made 1,236 runs in ten successive Ashes innings with scores of 212, 169, 51, 144*, 18, 102*, 103, 16, 187, 234.
Smith is batting like a beast in the ongoing Ashes series. He now has 751 runs in the series at an average of 125.17. And this is Smith's comeback to Test cricket after a long lay-off that too in high-pressure situations but he doesn't feel pressure, he is an Ashes god, after all. Smith now has 2,777 runs in Ashes cricket after 47 innings that with 11 centuries.
The South Africans start their short tour of India with the first of three T-20 internationals at Dharamsala on Sunday and this format gives them their best opportunity to win in India. There is very little chance of the visitors winning the three-match Test series that follows going by their past record in this country. In the first place it is the one format in which they are above India in the ICC rankings being third to India's fourth. Secondly it does appear that they have the team personnel to challenge India.
In skipper Quinton de Kock they have one of the leading players in the world in the shortest formats of the game. He loves to strike the ball hard and high and is equally proficient in ODIs. He has a particularly good record against India and who can forget his three hundreds in successive ODI's six years ago. He followed this up with two more hundreds in India a couple of years later.
David Miller is another player the Indian bowlers will be wary of. The 30-year -old has class, skill and experience and his career strike rate of 140 in T20 internationals is among the best in the format. Both de Kock and Miller have been regulars in the IPL for years. Miller has been one of the stalwarts for King's XI Punjab while the skipper has turned out for Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils. Little wonder then there have been reports that other team members have been picking the brains of the duo to find out more about Indian players and conditions.
Pace bowling has a major role to play in T-20 cricket and here the visitors are well served. Kagiso Rabada heads the department and he has the likes of Andile Phehlukwayo, Beuran Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorious and Anrich Nortje for company and South Africa will be hoping that the bowling can cover up for any weaknesses in the batting which to be candid lacks depth.
In fact with India either resting their main pace bowlers or not considering them for the shortest format South Africa are better served in the department. In the absence of the regulars it will be up to the likes of Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Navdeep Saini and all-rounder Hardik Pandya to come up with something special. Of course India has the better spin attack with Ravindra Jadeja and Krunal Pandya so things sort of level out in the bowling department. But where India should have the decisive edge is in the batting. In Virat Kohli they have the best batsman in limited overs cricket and the support cast too is of the top drawer – Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey and KL Rahul.
England pacer Jofra Archer took 6-62 as Australia was dismissed for 225 on Day 2 of the fifth Ashes test, with star batter Steve Smith out for 80 in his lowest score of the series.
England had a first-innings lead of 69 — after scoring 294 when it was put into bat in a gamble by Australia captain Tim Paine — and reached stumps Friday on 9-0 in its second innings to lead by 78 runs overall.
Smith was trapped leg before wicket by a straight delivery from Chris Woakes and has now made 751 runs from his six innings this series. Marnus Labuschagne hit 48 before he was out lbw to Archer, who took the first three wickets of the innings. Sam Curran also proved a significant threat with 3-46 in his first appearance of the series.
Smith took his sequence of 50-plus scores against England to 10 in a row, but this time he was unable to fully make up for the mediocrity of his teammates.
Smith was only really troubled when Jonny Bairstow's arrival at the stumps led to him diving awkwardly to beat a throw that was instead collected at the non-striker's end.
Smiles were exchanged with the seemingly mischievous England wicketkeeper, Smith dusted himself down and passed 50 by carving Leach for six.
"He got me there, didn't he? Dirtied my clothes. He didn't say anything, I don't think, but he got me. I didn't know where the ball was. Bloody thing, faked it. He got me. I don't know what else to say," Smith said during the press conference after stumps.
Jofra Archer has been making the right noises that too in his first Test series. The English paceman has taken 22 wickets so far. He scalped a six-fer in the first innings of the ongoing Oval Test as well. But, England's leading pace bowler is finding it extremely difficult to get the world's no.1 Test batsman, Steve Smith out.
Smith continued his insane run of form as he made 80 in Australia's first innings despite suffering from flu. "Steve Smith didn't look himself today, he didn't look as nailed on, he didn't seem the same way," Archer asserted.
"It's weird, you know. Every time he bats, I don't know what it is. He literally cannot get out. If he plays a bad shot, the ball lands in no man's and. For the whole series. Obviously he's a good batter, he's got a good temperament, but I don't know what it is: the ball never ever goes to hand," the pacer said.
"We know he's going to miss one, though, and today just proves it. Funnily enough, the last person he missed one-off was Woakes [at Lord's]," he added.
Australian opener David Warner had a sensational 2019 IPL followed by an equally good Cricket World Cup campaign. But, he has failed to make a smooth transition to Test cricket and has continued his poor track record on the English soil.
He added an unwanted record to his name during Australia's first innings in the ongoing Oval Test when he got out for 5 runs off 8 balls to become Jofra Archer's first of six scalps on the second day of the final Test.
Notably, this was Warner's eighth single-digit score in the ongoing Ashes series. With this, he has become the first batsman to achieve this unwanted feat (most single-digit-scores) in Ashes cricket.
Warner has scored 84 runs in nine innings at an average of 9.33 and if it was not for 61 in the Headingley Test, his numbers would have been even poorer. Interestingly, Steve Smith has hit more fours (88) than Warner's run-tally in the series.
Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is still counting on Sri Lanka turning up for a limited-overs tour this month despite alleged terrorist threats.
Sri Lanka Cricket said it was warned of a possible terrorist threat during the scheduled tour of Pakistan, and sought a reassessment of the security situation before the first of three one-day internationals on Sept. 27 in Karachi. There's also three Twenty20s scheduled in Lahore from Oct. 5-9.
"Inshallah (God willing) they will come, we should hope for the best," Sarfaraz said on Friday in Karachi.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board is trying its best and we should all pray that international cricket should come back to Pakistan."
Sarfaraz added the International Cricket Council and other national boards should come forward and support Pakistan more in its bid to revive international cricket.
"The way PCB has worked over the last 10 years, it's a tremendous effort," he said.
He also noted how quick Pakistan supported Sri Lanka after the Easter Sunday bombings there by sending a junior team to tour.
Major teams have avoided Pakistan since the Sri Lanka team bus was attacked by terrorists in 2009. Over the past three years, Pakistan has successfully hosted Zimbabwe, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and a World XI in limited-overs matches amid intense security.
Sarfaraz was confirmed as captain on Friday for both limited-overs series. Babar Azam was named as vice-captain and PCB chairman Ehsan Mani hinted the middle-order batsman could be Pakistan's future captain in the shorter formats.
"This is part of Babar's gradual development as a future captain and in line with our strategy of introducing a succession plan across the board so that there are no gaps," Mani said in a statement.
A stand at Feroz Shah Kotla ground was named after Indian captain Virat Kohli on September 12. The stadium was renamed after former DDCA President, Arun Jaitley. Team India along with the family of Virat Kohli attended the ceremony.
Virat took to social media to thank the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
"Thank you @delhi_cricket and @BCCI for bestowing this honour upon me. The pavilion will remind me of my journey in life and in cricket but most importantly I hope it will serve as an inspiration for the next generation of young cricketers of our nation," Virat wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, Virat Kohli's teammates were asked questions related to him.
Shikhar Dhawan, the left hand batsman, was asked to reveal the type of songs Kohli likes to listen.
"Before marriage or after marriage?" was Dhawan's response.
He went on to add that Kohli likes to hear Punjabi songs.
Men in Blue were present at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in the national capital to attend an event where a pavilion at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground was named after Virat Kohli.
The Indian skipper was honored by the Delhi and District Cricket Association and the governing body of Indian cricket for his contribution towards cricket in India. Virat's teammates were asked questions related to their skipper.
Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder, who was recently selected for the upcoming T20 series South Africa, was asked about Kohli's superstition. According to him, Virat Kohli is not superstitious.
Hardik was rested from the tour of West Indies considering his workload. He will play a key role in the home season where India have couple of important assignments lined-up.
Shubman Gill was finally selected in Inia's Test team after being overlooked from all formats for the tour of West Indies. He replaced KL Rahul for the three-match Test series against South Africa. He has been selected as a back-up opener with Rohit Sharma likely to open the batting with Mayank Agarwal.
The 20 years old has acknowledged the contribution of Yuvraj Singh in his growth as a cricketer so far and had words of praise for him. "Yuvi paji keeps telling me what needs to be done. A few years back, he told me I shouldn't sign any company, I should just go and play. I didn't sign anyone. He keeps guiding me, keeps tells me what to do what not to do," he said. "There are a lot of people who keep guiding me. In our team (Punjab), we have Yuvraj Singh, Gurkeerat Mann, my father. I'm very close to my father. He keeps telling me, guiding me."
Shubman also told how his father has helped him in his career. He said, "I've learnt (to be patient) from my father - he had the patience and calmness to keep throwing 200-300 balls at the nets when I was a kid. From my early days my mindset was such that if I am set, batting on a hundred, I have to go on to a big one. I should not lose my concentration and should not play any loose shots. This is one habit I have adopted when I was young and it has helped me."
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Easiest - Easy
This easy Coromandel ride offers close encounters with small towns, verdant countryside, and a bushy gorge rich in mining history.
One of New Zealand's easiest Great Rides, this trail follows old railway lines between the historic gold towns of Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha and Waihi. It offers contrasting scenery from the salt-licked Firth of Thames and verdant Hauraki Plains, to a rocky gorge strewn with intriguing gold mining relics.
The trail's main gateway is Thames at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula, where the Trail Trust office provides advice, bike hire and transport for day-trips or the full three-leg ride taking 2–3 days.
From Thames, the trail begins with a leisurely half-day ride through lush farmland to Paeroa, with memorable views across the Hauraki Plains and forested Kaimai Ranges. The Matatoki cheese factory is also a highlight. The trail continues in a similar vein through to Te Aroha, a small rural town with historic mineral hot pools – a great way to soothe pedal-weary muscles.
Riders will discover a distinctly different landscape along the third leg from Paeroa to Waihi. Following the Ohinemuri River through the dramatic Karangahake Gorge, its highlights include a gushing waterfall, photogenic gold mining sites and the charmingly old-fashioned Victoria Battery Museum, as well as the freaky Windows Walkway that burrows through a shadowy side-gorge. The pièce de résistance is an amazing 1100-metre long railway tunnel, wobbled through with the aid of a torch.
Karangahake Gorge offers the ultimate day-ride when started from Waikino Station, 11km from Waihi and reachable by vintage train in season. Waikino Station has a bike hire depot and a quaint cafe, but the trail also passes the Falls Retreat, an atmospheric spot for lunch.
View trail map here.
Click on the link below for more information and detailed maps about this cycle trail.
The trail's wide, smooth surface and gentle gradient make it a primarily grade 1 (easiest) trail, suitable for riders of all levels. A hybrid bike is suitable for the terrain.
Although well signposted and seldom far from roads and settlements (some with cafes), riders should carry a map, sufficient food and water, basic tool kit and cellphone (although coverage may be patchy). Toilets are located at convenient intervals.
A temperate climate makes this an all-season trail. A lack of shade on the Plains makes sunblock essential in summer, and riders should always check the forecast and take appropriate clothing for the conditions.
The Hauraki Rail Trail Trust is a convenient one-stop shop for advice, bike hire, shuttles and luggage transfers, with guided tours also available. Their main office is in Thames, but there are also bike hire depots at Paeroa, Te Aroha and Waikino Station.
Pedaltours includes the Hauraki Rail Trail in its fully supported North Island cycle tours.
A wide range of accommodation can be found near the trail in Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha, Waihi, and dotted through the surrounding countryside. Accommodation providers partnered with the trail are listed on the Hauraki Rail Trail website.
Hauraki Rail Trail - the official trail website
Other tracks and trails around Hauraki Rail Trail
Destination Coromandel
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism


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"Steady and vibrant" 94 West Steak & Seafood in Orland Park Celebrates 10 years
94 West Steak & Seafood Restaurant celebrates 10th Anniversary
Owner says restaurant is "steady and vibrant"
Orland Park, Il -- Brian Sord is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of his popular steak and seafood restaurant, 94 West, predicting the next 10 years will be even better.
Raised in a restaurant family, Sord opened 94 West Steak & Seafood in 2003 at 15410 S. 94th Avenue in Orland Park at a time when everyone said the economy would make it a real challenge.
But Sord said he used what he learned working side-by-side with his parents, and combined it with one of the best gourmet chefs in the Midwest to create a restaurant that prides itself on serving the best tasting prime steaks and seafood anywhere.
"My parents owned the Candlelight Restaurant which was located at 55th and Spaulding on Chicago's Southwest Side and was opened in 1957," recalls Sord, who notes that the Candlelight was famous for its Green Noodles.
"I learned from my mother, Mary, and father, John, that the key to a great restaurant is to serve great tasting great quality food as if you were cooking for your own family. That's what they did and that's what we do here at 94 West."
Sord said that he opened 94 West as a tribute to the culinary talents of his parents, who have both since passed away.
"In addition to serving only the best, I also learned that a restaurant was not just about serving the best food. It was also about how you served the public. You respected them. You treated them like they are a part of the family. You make them feel like they are special and to me, they all are," Sord said.
Sord said that during his nearly 50 years in the restaurant business at his parents' side and now with his wife operating 94 West Steak & Seafood, he always took his business responsibilities seriously.
"That's why I was so disturbed when it was wrongly reported a number of weeks back that I was having financial and mortgage problems at 94 West. It has nothing to do with 94 West. We don't have any business or property issues there. It was a financial issue involving another property in Will County and Marquette Bank. The bank didn't want to renew the mortgage on that commercial property. That caused all kinds of rumors and stories about the restaurant 94 west," said Sord, noting the issues are in the process of being worked out.
"People are asking me if I am closing my restaurants and the answer is no. We are not closing. I expect 94 West to do even better during the next 10 years."
Sord's restaurants have been recognized as among the very best by several regional news media.
"When people come to 94 West, they expect and they get the best quality steak and seafood anywhere. Our Sunday brunch is a phenomenal success because of the assortment of food and the quality," Sord said of the brunch which runs every Sunday from 10 am until 3 pm.
"My wife, Maria, and I understand the concerns that might be out there but the rumors are not true. What is true is that 94 West is the best steak and seafood restaurant in Chicagoland. No one even comes close and the people who say that are our customers. We're so grateful for their support and I promise that this next decade will be even better than the first."
Sord says 94 West continues to host and book banquets and private parties, and he stresses bookings remain "steady and vibrant."
For more information on 94 West, visit their website at www.94WestRestaurant.com.


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cause(redirected from 'cause)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Encyclopedia.
That which produces an effect or condition; that by which a morbid change or disease is brought about.
[L. causa]
Etymology: L, causa
any process, substance, or organism that produces an effect or condition.
causeLaw & medicine That which creates a condition or results in an effect. See Immediate cause of death, Necessary cause, Proximate cause, Sufficient cause, Underlying cause of death.
in diseases, an agent, event, condition or characteristic which plays an essential role in producing an occurrence of the disease. Because there is nowadays much less certainty about what actually establishes a disease state it is becoming more common to use terms such as disease determinants, causal association, causal relationship. koch's postulates are no longer the sole criterion used in establishing causality.
constitutional cause
an inherent characteristic of the patient. Usually a systemic defect, e.g. protoporphyria.
direct cause
there must be no known variable intervening between the suspect factor and the disease.
endogenous cause
the cause comes from within the patient. See also constitutional cause (above).
exogenous cause
the cause comes from outside the patient, e.g. a virus infection.
indirect cause
all causes other than the direct cause (see above).
host cause
see endogenous cause (above).
necessary cause
a factor which must be present to produce disease; the disease does not occur unless the factor was or is present.
precipitating cause
the trigger mechanism that initiates the commencement of the disease state.
predisposing cause
a mechanism that makes a patient more susceptible to the precipitating cause.
primary cause
the principal factor in causing the disease.
secondary cause
a factor that assists the primary cause. A cause of secondary importance.
specific cause
the single cause in a single cause-single disease relationship.
sufficient cause
a minimal set of conditions and events which inevitably produce disease.
Patient discussion about cause
Q. What Causes Dizziness? My husband is 55 years old. Lately he's been experiencing dizziness when he gets up from sitting for a while. What could be the cause?
A. We often feel dizzy when we are very tired, however real dizziness could indicate on a variety of problems: neurological, cardiovascular (for instance low blood pressure), nutritional (for example lack of glucose), dehydration and more. When someone complains about experiencing dizziness when getting up from sitting or lying down, the cause is usually a sudden drop in blood pressure (called orthostatic hypotension).
Q. What causes dizziness? I'm a 55 years old woman with 2 children, and in the last few weeks I have a feeling of dizziness every time I stand up from my bed. What cause this feeling? Does it mean I have some serious thing? I also have hypertension and diabetes that are usually stable.
A. If this feeling appears solely on standing up, it maybe related to drugs you take to treat your hypertension (It's called "orthostatic hypertension"). You should report this to your doctor and maybe changing your treatment can make this feeling disappear.
Q. What causes asthma? My 5 year old son has trouble breathing sometimes after he runs around too much. My friend suggested he might have asthma. What causes this disease?
A. Another consideration is that food sensitivities can exacerbate asthma.More discussions about cause


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Hearts & Reminders
Posted by Kim @ Peace of my Heart on Monday, December 17, 2012 |
I miss Kristen every single day, but there are days when I just miss her more deeply. Those days aren't always the days one might expect. Seeing all the little ones in the Christmas program at church made that still-tender spot in my heart ache. I should have had another daughter up there to video. She would be 3 1/2 now, though I most often still think of her as a baby.
Recently, I received a precious package from "A Heart to Hold." This beautiful ministry makes weighted heart-shaped pillows for families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss. I requested one that weighs 6 pounds 14 ounces, the birth weight of my Kristen. When I first cradled it in my arms, I was surprised at how heavy it felt. I remember that little girl of mine seeming so light in my arms. It's all in what you're used to, I guess, and my arms have been empty for over 3 years now. What seemed like a feather at one time felt much different now.
Seemingly forgetting how she felt in my arms made me wonder what else had slipped from memory. So I found myself recounting her days with us, re-reading old Caring Bridge entries and facebook status updates. That's all fine and good until I get close to August 2009. At that point I find myself in a very sad place, a place I don't often go on purpose. Last night I came across the slide show my dear sister-in-law made for Kristen's service. It was beautiful, but left me feeling heartsick and in a puddle of tears.
The reminders that Kristen isn't here are everywhere. They are in her sisters' faces. They are in the picture frames that don't have new pictures to go in them. They are in the fifth stocking that hangs on the fireplace. They are in every little bear that is sent to a grieving family. They are even in the kitchen chairs. As we rearranged the living room after Thanksgiving to make room for the Christmas tree, I had to move our "God Bless America" bear that my father-in-law carved out of a log from a corner in the living room to a corner in the kitchen. That corner was previously occupied by one of the two extra dining chairs we keep near the table (but not at the table). Quickly moving it to a spot at the table, I didn't realize until I went to set the table for supper that we now have five spots at the table instead of four. Kristen was so little that she never had her own "spot" at the table. Seeing that fifth chair made me wonder if we would have had squabbles over which sister wanted to have Kristen sit next to her. Yet another reminder.
The reminders can be tearful, but they are good to have. They make me feel closer to her. After the Christmas tree has been put away, and the living room has space again for the "God Bless America" bear, I may just leave that fifth chair at the table. Our family of five will never gather around that earthly table together, but having another spot there helps me picture what our heavenly table might feel like.
Any reminder of heaven is most definitely good for the heart.
Monday, December 17, 2012 3 comments
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Wordless Wednesday: My son's first football card featuring him
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Link up your posts here so we all can see:
Posted in Wordless Wednesday by PricousinsEmail this post
very handsome! i can see why you are proud :) happy ww!!! have a great rest of the week!
so handsome. they grow too fast huh..
I can see why you're proud! Fantastic!
He is quite handsome and I can see why you are proud. :) Happy WW!
He is a good looking boy. I would be proud too!
That is so cool! I too would be proud!
That is awesome. He looks good in that uniform.
Happy WW!