text:
All of our records were
printed on little cards in the wooden drawers of our oaken card catalog
that sat against the wall in the center of the reading room. This was the
main access point to our collection and it covered formats such as monograph,
pamphlet, microform, microform guides, and newspapers, as well as our small
rare book and pamphlet collection. A letter or series of letters after
the accession number differentiated the formats and doubly served as the
call number for each item.
The distinctive nature of
the collection made it possible to fend off the dominating culture of technology
and remain a peaceful island of antiquity for much longer than it probably
should have. The only electronic offerings that we had for our patrons
were a Web site with a description of our collections, e-mail reference
for distance patrons, and a few searchable CD-ROMs. Compared to some of
the larger, but less specialized, collections such as those at the Library
Company of Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the
American Philosophical Society, we offered very little online presence.
On numerous occasions we received inquiries as to when our collections
would be available electronically, and when we might install an online
My predecessor had begun
the process of automating the David Library, and I inherited the project
with the position back in June of 2000. I arrived right out of library
school with a fresh perspective and a feel for the cutting-edge technology
that was currently permeating the field. The project thus far had consisted
of a proposal from the automation software company, SydneyPLUS (http://www.sydneyplus.com),
which was used to give the board a sense of the costs involved, and applications
to two grants to aid in the project's funding.
The two grants in process
were a large federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for
first-time automation projects, which we did not receive, and a state grant
from the Access Pennsylvania project, which is a large database of Pennsylvania
libraries' holdings. We were awarded the Access Pennsylvania grant and
were told that Brodart, the folks doing the retrospective conversion, would
contact us in approximately 8 weeks.
I was disappointed that
we did not receive the LSTA grant, which would have been very beneficial
to us financially, but we were fortunate to have a generous endowment,
which would easily fund the project. I found that without the confines
of an LSTA grant, I had much more freedom in molding the automation project
into something cost-effective and appropriate to our needs as a special
collection library.
Devising a New Strategy
I rethought the automation
project, and being the sole person on the project, I had little dispute
among the ranks. I had only to answer to the director, who suffered from
an overall aversion to technology, and the board of trustees, whose majority
consisted of people who weren't professional librarians and who had trouble
differentiating between the acronyms OPAC and OCLC. Two individuals on
the board were library professionals and were able to act as interpreters
for the rest of the board members, and also to keep me in check.
I reviewed the SydneyPLUS
figures and decided $60,000 was just too expensive for a basic system with
the OPAC module. We would still need to run our acquisitions from a bare-bones
MS Access program created by a volunteer, as well as our patron records,
and continue to have our cataloging outsourced. Another issue was that
SydneyPLUS catered its software to its corporate library clients,
which did not fit our needs. We fell into the special library category,
but not corporate.
I took this opportunity
to delve into the literature to research other automation systems. I solicited
suggestions from colleagues, but with the unique nature of the David Library's
collection, I had difficulty finding a good match. One reference that I
used extensively and highly recommend is Pamela Cibbarelli's book, Directory
of Library Automation Software, Systems, and Services.
Zeroing In on the Target
Flipping through the Cibbarelli
book, I was able to narrow down the available systems significantly. The
two major qualifierswere that the system had to be Z39.50 compatible (a
prerequisite for our Access Pennsylvania grant, so that we could share
our holdings information with other Pennsylvania libraries) and willing
to accept a collection of fewer than 10,000 volumes.
I narrowed down the search
to eight software systems, and then sent each of them a somewhat informal
request for information (RFI) via e-mail. I then sat back and enjoyed being
schmoozed by salespeople anxious to satisfy all my automation needs.
The information poured in,
and I eagerly perused each colorful packet to determine which software
company would make it to the next level. I also took the time to review
the sample OPACs from each vendor to see how user-friendly the systems
were. Since we were open to the public as well as to professional researchers,
we required both simple and advanced search functions.
The samples I reviewed were
generally the working OPACs of current clients. The vendor simply provided
a Web address and a guest login to access each one. Reviewing them was
key to narrowing down the large pool of potentials. Three of the eight
did not fit our needs, being either geared more toward a school library,
too expensive, or cheap but lacking key features such as an acquisitions
Five Companies Promoted
The five companies and products
that I chose to enter into the final process were:
The David Library does not
have a circulating collection, so we did not require that module of the
software, though it became apparent that the circulation module functioned
as the core module in most automation systems. We also have a small collection
with many unique resources, so we needed a system flexible enough to accommodate
our idiosyncrasies.
The most difficult part
for me was relaying in the RFP what we required in terms of hardware. We
needed to network our computers and have a place to house the automation
software, so we needed a server. This was new territory for me, and I was
terrified to make a costly mistake, so I petitioned some outside help from
a loyal volunteer, who happened to also work in the computer industry.
Big lesson: Never underestimate the power of volunteers in your library,
especially ones with strong technology backgrounds.
Someone suggested that I
contact one of the vendors and have it send me a sample RFP. I did that
and received an 80-plus-page document from SIRSI. It was very detailed,
probably too much for our needs, but it served as a template for the one
that I created, and it covered a good bit of the strange new world of servers.
After I had whittled down the 80 pages to 50 or so, adding and removing
parts, I gave it to the director for final approval.
In late September of 2000
I sent out five copies of the RFP to the five chosen companies, giving
them a month to return their proposals to me. In the interim I received
numerous phone calls for elucidation on certain aspects of the proposal.
Awarding the Top Honors
By the deadline, I had
received three proposals, and letters from both Sanderson and SIRS stating
that they were unable to meet too many of the requirements for the proposal
and so declined to submit. This automatically narrowed my choices to three.
I reviewed each proposal
in detail and found all three to be very good systems for our requirements.
I then arranged them in price order, with SIRSI's Unicorn being the least
expensive, then VTLS' Virtua, and EOSi's Q Series last. Both Virtua
and Q Series greatly exceeded our price range. My suggestion to the director
was that we go with Unicorn, as it met all of our needs and was the least
expensive. I sent rejection letters to the other two vendors stating that
they were too far outside of the budgeted amount for the project. VTLS
sent us good wishes, but EOSi countered the rejection with an offer
that underbid SIRSI.
The Q Series system looked
fabulous, and we couldn't pass up a deal that nearly halved the original
price. I had not yet accepted SIRSI's proposal, so at my recommendation
we went with the Q Series automation system. Everyone at the library was
very excited, and I developed a strong relationship with an EOSi
representative who was assigned to help us with the setup and implementation
of the system. Our representative ordered the server, so we only had to
wait until we had our card catalog put into electronic format on a CD-ROM
for implementation.
Retrospective Conversion
The last time I had heard
from Brodart was in July of 2000. In early November, soon after we signed
the contract with EOSi, I contacted Brodart, as 8 weeks had passed
with no word of when our catalog would be converted. The staff there had
no idea who I was or what the David Library was when I called, which put
a bit of a damper on all our excitement. Eventually they found our work
order from the state, and then put a questionnaire and a list of directions
in the mail, along with the boxes for our shelflist.
We had begun using OCLC's
cataloging services for original and copy cataloging back in 1994. Part
of our contract with OCLC had allowed us to supplement our printed cards
with the corresponding MARC records in electronic format on a 3.5-inch
disk. Those records obviously did not need to be converted, so we concentrated
on records prior to 1994. Since we had arranged our collection by accession
number in lieu of Dewey or LC, the process was very simple for us. In the
end I sent approximately 4,500 cards to Brodart for retrospective conversion.
A difficulty arose when
I received a phone call from Brodart after it had received our shelflist.
Evidently nearly the first half of the cards I had sent there were so old
that they were not present in OCLC's union catalog. Brodart did basic retrospective
conversion by using records present in OCLC and then making additions to
the records as needed. Since many of ours were not in the union catalog,
the company would not be able to convert them with the state money they
had received. We would have to pay for the process ourselves, which was
too expensive to consider at that time. So we would have to input the data
ourselves once our automation system had been installed.
Communications in the
Once we received our CD-ROM
from Brodart, I packaged it up along with the post-1994 OCLC floppy disks
and sent it all off to EOSi in Carlsbad, California, to await my
implementation training, which was scheduled in Carlsbad for early April.
Until then I needed to focus on networking the library and finding a broadband
Internet connection, preferably a DSL or cable modem.
Our main issue with broadband
was location. The David Library is housed on farmland (that is still farmed)
on a tract of land that was once part of the land commissioned to William
Penn in the 17th century. The location is somewhat rural, and DSL would
not be available for quite some time. Cable modems were available in some
areas around the library, but not directly in our area. The local cable
company told me that broadband would be available in March, and so I decided
to wait until then to move further on connecting our library to the Internet.
I began researching my networking
options right away. The David Library had five computers at the time, all
dispersed throughout the building. The architecture of the building included
a lot of open space, and the library itself was not all that large. Initially
I leaned toward a wireless network because of the openness of the building,
the potential for researchers in the future to be able to access the network
via wireless LAN adapter cards, and no need to hide ugly CAT 5 wiring.
Unfortunately, all the quotes I got on the wireless system were twice as
much as a wired network, so I began to reconsider.
I eventually received a
more modest quote from a local computer consulting company. I took the
itemized quote and (using my super librarian skills) researched each piece
of equipment. I found the quote to be very close to the mark, had I bought
each item myself. I negotiated a bit with the labor cost, preaching the
virtues of nonprofit organizations, and we received a slight discount.
I only had to call them in to do the installation.
Moving into Formation
In early April I flew out
to California to have my implementation training. For 2 days I sat in a
conference room with our EOSi representative who went over every
aspect of the server as we set up each parameter together. It was
absolutely amazing. I could not have formulated a more efficient means
by which to set up a server exactly to the specifications and needs of
our library than to sit with our EOSi representative and do it together.
The training eliminated any mistakes, any second-guessing, and any tedious
phone calls from California to Pennsylvania and vice versa. Not only did
I have a major hand in setting up the server and the automation software,
but I also learned many of its intricacies, and it instilled a great sense
of anticipation for having the final product in-house.
Soon after I returned from
Carlsbad, I reviewed the project budget and noticed that I had saved nearly
$6,000 with my savvy pricing, expert negotiations, and wise decision making.
Rather than lose the money, I purchased four desktop units from Dell Computers,
one to act as the main patron access to the catalog, and the other three
to replace the three seriously obsolete beasts that were currently taking
up space in the library.
Important Connections
We received the server
first, and after checking the packing slip for accuracy, I called the network
people to make an appointment for our installation. I left everything boxed
for the installation day, figuring that my lack of experience with servers
might prove detrimental to everything. I received the computers from Dell
within the same week and got them up and running.
Soon thereafter, our network
people sent out a lone young man to spend the day networking the David
Library. In just a few hours he had set up our server and had each computer
intercommunicating without a blue CAT 5 cable to be seen. He even installed
the Q Series software, which worked fabulously. The only thing left to
do was to get the OPAC up and running through the cable modem and to have
our week of in-house Q Series software training, which was scheduled for
the first week in May. This was a very exciting time for our little library.
On the Internet connection
front, I had been in contact with the cable company on numerous occasions.
I talked to at least five different people with five different stories,
until finally someone told me that a cable modem would not be available
to our section of the township for quite some time. DSL was still out of
the question, and a T-1, even a fractal, was just too expensive for us.
So I entertained my last two options: a satellite system or an ISDN line.
I researched the satellite
option, but found that we would only be able to download from the satellite
dish, not upload data, which was important in order for us to be able to
provide service to our remote patrons. A dish with both capabilities was
not going to be available until August, so I called up Verizon and inquired
about ISDN. It was inexpensive and effective. They sent someone out the
next week to install the line, and we kissed our analog modems goodbye.
Our Automation Revolution
The first week in May,
a very vociferous woman from EOSi came to our library to train our
part-time library assistant and me on the nuances and intricacies of the
Q Series software. The system was absolutely impressive, and I was nearly
moved to tears to see our MARC record of The Writings of George Washington
pop up on the screen right before my eyes. It had taken nearly a year,
but there was all my work manifested in that record displayed on the computer
The automation of our holdings
gave us more freedom than we could have ever hoped for. We were no longer
dependent upon OCLC to do our copy cataloging for us. We no longer had
to use a simple MS Access database for our acquisitions records. The best
thing about the automation system was the fact that we could now offer
improved services to our patrons, even patrons who lived a thousand miles
awayat least once I managed to get our OPAC up and running.
My last task was to research,
purchase, and have installed a router specifically for the OPAC. Unfortunately,
I left the David Library before that task was completed, but I took with
me the wonderful feeling of having automated a library that had been dependent
upon a wooden card catalog since its inception in 1973. Having won technological
independence in the automation revolution, the David Library of the American
Revolution entered into the 21st century unscathed and all the better.
1. Cibbarelli, Pamela and
Shawn E. 2000. Directory of Library Automation Software, Systems, and
Services (Medford, N.J.: Information Today, Inc.).
Further Reading
Swan, James. 1996. Automating
Small Libraries (Ft. Atkinson, W.I.: Highsmith Press).
"Automated System Marketplace"an
annual review of vendors, software, and automation trendsin Library
Journal (for the 2000 Marketplace, visit http://www.libraryjournal.com/automated-marketplace/2000/delivering.asp).
SLA's Solo Librarians' "Survey
of Library Automation Systems in Use at Various Libraries," http://www.alrc.doe.gov/library/autosurv.html.
ALA's Library Technology
Reports, http://www.techsource.ala.org/products/index.shtml#LTR.
The LITA division of ALA
(an incredible help to me, including the listserv, which I highly recommend),
Integrated Library Systems
Reports' Sample RFPs
Centre for Indigenous
Environmental Resources:
Library System Request
for Proposals (RFP)
You may also consider
contacting the David Library and asking for a copy of the RFP that I prepared:
The David Library of
the American Revolution
P.O. Box 748
1201 River Rd.
Washington Crossing, PA
EOS International
Q Series
One Carlsbad Research Center
2382 Faraday Ave., Suite
Carlsbad, CA 92008-7258
800/876-5484, 760/431-8400
Level 13, 33 Berry St.
North Sydney, New South
Wales 2600
SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Mandarin M3
P.O. Box 272348
Boca Raton, FL 33427-2348
SIRSI Corp.
101 Washington St. SE
Huntsville, AL 35801-4827
VTLS, Inc.
1701 Kraft Dr.
Blacksburg, VA 24060


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Anecdotal vs scientific evidence
Does cannabis help with sleep problems?
I love sleep.My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know.Ernest Hemingway.
Sleep is the best meditation. His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Although most people might take the ability to get a good nights sleep for granted. Let's spare a thought for people who have sleeping problems. Some patients report that cannabis has a postive effect on their sleep and claim cannabis helps them relax and sleep better.
Do we have scientific research to substantiate these claims?
Cannabinoid Scientist will pose this question to the science communty for insights and discussion on up to date research.
Watch this space.


text:
Hello everyone!! I am so excited to share the beauty gifts I received this Christmas in this quick haul post. First of all I got two perfumes : Midnight Poison edp by Dior and Coco Mademoiselle edt by Chanel.
I would describe Midnight Poison as an insufficiently feminine scent, with patchouli, amber and damascus rose extract, probably in the oriental perfume family.
On the other hand, Coco Mademoiselle is a very fresh and girlie scent. My nose "catches" the citrus, musky and patchouli undertones, not really getting the floral tones of the perfume, but that's totally personal.
On to the make up.. I got the Dior Celebration Collection Multi-look Makeup Palette (as a collector I adore it). It contains everything you need for a complete make up look. I also got 3 Dior Vernis in no 607 (blue denim) , no 483 (pink kimono) and no 887 (purple mix).
Then from my favorite lip line, Serum de Rouge I got no 345 in Coral Crystal, which is going to be great for the summer, though it was really good worn with smockey eyes last week! (Please ignore my chipped nails :P ). I was running out of my favorite mascara Diorshow Blackout, thankfully I got it as a present too, and a brand new lip maximizer.
Finally, to my surprise, my beloved aunt brought me Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. I was looking for it all over in Athens but couldn't find it. I am not sure if it is availiable yet. The packaging is so cute, isn't it?
Did you get beauty staff for Christmas? Let me know in the comments! Let me know if you want a review on any of the products :)
Thanks for stopping by


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text: Stanislava Repar, PhD., (born 1960, Bratislava) is Slovak and Slovene literary scientist, publisher, translator and writer. She writes in both Slovak and Slovene languages. She is the author of 3 printed scientific monographs; the last one was Úzkosť dokorán. Nové čítanie poézie Viery Prokešovej (Anxiety Widely Opened. New Reading of Viera Prokešová Poetry, 2012). On-line she has published 3 analyses made within research project "Gender Quality + Equality Policies" (QUING) supported by the EU commission, and 1 analysis for Slovene ministry of culture. Repar´s research interests are mostly focused on transcultural topics, feminist literary theory and comparative literary issues, her editing and managing activities at home and abroad are very rich and quite impressive, too. As the author, until nowadays she has published 6 books of poetry, the last titles are Obešanje na zvon (Hanging on a Bell, 2014 – slo), Echoechoecho (2013 – svk), and book of haiku Fabrika porcelana (Porcelain Factory, 2014 – svk/slo), as well as 4 books of prose, the last one was bilingual auto-fictional prose Slovenka na kvadrat (She twice over, 2009/2013 – slo, 2011 – svk). On the base of the latter the author has written a theatre play the first time performed in Ljubljana and Bratislava in 2013. In 2014 Existenciály I, the book of her interviews made in Slovakia between 1991–2001, has been also published. During last years she again intensively cooperates with the Slovak Radio in Bratislava and Košice. Her poems and other works have been published in many literary anthologies, selections and literary magazines abroad, until now translated into 16 languages. Repar also translates from Slovene into Slovak and vice versa, and from Czech into Slovene; 16 book translations, mostly in the fields of literature and philosophy, have been already published.


text:
Family is a big topic, of late. Family this and family that. The spider-man movie is being promoted as 'family' friendly. Which is good. I prefer family friendly movies to those with ... well, let's just say blood and guts and language you used to only hear on the shipping dock.
It's encouraging to know that family now includes our furry friends, our reptiles, our fish, our birds, any creature folks deem a pet. I won't get into exotic pets as that's a whole other issue. But, if you have a creature in your home that isn't walking around on two legs, one that lives with you, that you feed and care for, that creature is part of your family and you should be giving him or her the same care and attention you would give any other family member. The human-animal bond requires it.
I know it's hard. I know having these little creatures under foot is a responsibility. I know there is a cost involved far beyond our loving hearts. We (well, most of us) bring these animals into our homes to fulfill a need. A need to both give and get love. To share the true purpose of the human-animal bond - that being care and attention above all else.
It means finding pet sitters or truly attention kennels, where we know our pets will be properly cared for when we have to go away and can't take them.
It means finding a pet friendly hotel, if we do take them.
It means proper veterinary care, which can be expensive. If, like us, you adopt older pets from shelters or rescues, they come with one or two health issues, and you need to be prepared to take care of those health issues. We go into our adoptions knowing there will be some high vet bills down the road. So, we prepare for that.
It means love, love, love... is the Beatle song playing in your brain now? It is in mine! I will say this about the love thing, the love thing is the 1st and most important thing about adopting a pet. Our Emily is so full of love, she makes me laugh every day. She cheers me up when I don't feel well. She dances about the kitchen every morning hoping for that morning walk earlier than later. And, she cuddles with me in the afternoon when I read a book. No other creature is so full of love as a dog or cat or other pet, that it gives continually, day after day, week after week, month after month.


text:
"Swap-O-Matic" Barter Based Vending Machine [VIDEO]
Living green is a huge initiative that so many find hard to embrace. It's requires in most cases a whole change in lifestyle, but finally there is something out there that makes living green fun! Enter the "Swap-O-Matic," a barter based vending machine that allows you to trade those things you never use, for something else that you will definitely use. The best thing is...it's all free!
Swap-o-matic - Promotional Video #1 from Lina Fenequito on Vimeo.


text:
In the June issue Marc McDougal wrote and excellent article on correcting common issues with the shoulder joint that can lead to chronic injury. My work as a personal trainer and professional strength and conditioning coach has made this a topic of particular interest. From experience I have come to realize that most shoulder injuries are not usually caused by inadequate warm-up or weak musculature, but more commonly are due to faulty movement patterns and lack of rhomboid activation during activity.
Over the years protecting the shoulder has become a well integrated aspect of most weight training programs, which it should be. It is rare to see anyone on bench day not take the time to warm up the shoulder before stacking the plates and seeing if the numbers are up from last week. Most physically active people perform a very common routine before engaging in heavy exercise.
Stretching the joint is the most common warm up and does help to get blood flow in the area, as well as preparing the tendons for the workout ahead. After some mild stretching, most lifters will grab a light plate and perform arm swings for each side, front and back, and maybe some lateral raises.
Finally, the all important rotator cuffs. No experienced weight trainer has missed the fact that these muscles exist and how important they are to any upper body movement. The last warm up moves before working the chest are usually specific for the rotator cuffs. With the arms at a 90 degree angle a few sets of internal and external rotations through the transverse and sagittal planes are performed.
Once this set of exercises is completed there is not much thought given to protecting the shoulder while lifting, most people think that once it has been adequately prepared, the joint will take care of itself. However, to truly ensure shoulder health there must be thought put into each and every rep of each and every set. This is the only way to truly ensure optimal shoulder health.
Before I talk about what is the best way to protect your shoulders and minimize the risk of both acute and chronic injury, we must go through the reasoning behind why this is imperative to your training program, and why your current regime is most likely inadequate.
Correct Shoulder Mechanics
Let's talk about the four small muscles that make up the group we refer to as the rotator cuffs. I will not get into the anatomy and physiology of the area, if you are unfamiliar with this please refer to the article mentioned above, as it does a great job of explaining the details. Instead I want to discuss the function of the rotators muscle, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, terres minor, and the subscapularis.
The main job of these muscles is to hold the head of the humerous in the glenoid cavity. In essence, they keep your arm in the socket. Now, these muscles are small and they are responsible for a very large and very mobile joint that is working during almost every movement of your upper body. They already have their work cut out for them without adding the stress of 200 pounds hanging over your chest or holding the weight of your body before you start the next set of chins.
It becomes important to alleviate as much of the stress from the rotators as possible so that they can both perform their intended function and not incur overload damage.
Most of the stress that causes injury during exercise can be linked with improper form. If you spend even a little time watching most lifters at the gym you will notice something very common on almost every lift you see, a very pronounced anterior shift of the shoulder.
Simply put, you can watch almost everyone's shoulders move forward during the movement, almost to the point that many lifters appear to be hunching their shoulders forward. If you want to see this watch someone perform a bench press or any form of dip (especially bench dips) and you will most likely be able watch the shoulder pop forward.
This anterior movement of the humerous adds excessive stress to the rotator cuffs as they are still working to hold the head of the humerous in place. The load you are lifting is transferred through the joint and as the head of the humerous pushes forward from the excessive load. The rotator cuffs must work to keep the head of the upper arm bone in the glenoid cavity. If these small muscles fail at their task a dislocated shoulder is or torn rotator cuff is a likely result. The small size of the rotator cuffs is such that even a moderate amount of weight can overstress them and cause both acute and chronic injury. As they are supporting one of the bodies largest and most mobile joints, it is easy to place an unsafe level of stress on them.
The body does have a built in support system for preventing this from happening, but most people do not activate this system. You know it as your rhomboids. Their function is scapular retraction, or pulling your shoulder blades together.
Visualize a bench press during the bottom part of the rep, where it is very common to see the shoulder move anteriorly. This is normally where the rotator cuffs become excessively stressed as they try to prevent you from dislocating your shoulder. Now visualize retracting you scapula (squeezing your shoulder blades together). As you pull the shoulder back, it places the shoulder in the correct position and the rotator cuffs will no longer have as excessive a load placed on them. When the shoulder is in the proper position the force is better able to be transferred to the larger muscles. This is where the rhomboids become important.
The rhomboids are much larger then the rotator cuffs and much stronger. By utilizing the strength of these larger muscles to keep the shoulders in the proper position, it is possible to minimize the stress on the rotators during most movement of the upper body.
Training Function instead of Strength
You may train the rhomboids on a regular basis and think that this is adequate for the purpose of protecting the shoulders. There is a difference, however, between a muscle having strength and the muscle being used during movement.
One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of training is correct movement patterns. The last few years have seen the explosion of 'functional fitness', which is a phrase thrown around by trainers way too often and in the wrong context. Unfortunately, this has caused many people to ignore their body's movement patterns. More commonly most lifters see movement pattern training as just another fad in the industry.
Your body was created to move through particular planes and ranges of motion and to work synergistically. When one muscle moves there is at a minimum one other muscle working along with it. Good, old school, isolation training has been perfected by bodybuilders for years and has its place in training, but ensuring the use of correct movement patterns is also important and should not be left out but, rather, incorporated into your current routine.
Most athletes and clients I have worked with develop shoulder problems due to the fact that they do not actively engage their rhomboids during training and more generally, during regular daytime activities, like walking, sitting, recreational sports, and carrying groceries.
Training a particular muscle to be strong is important, and just as important is training that muscle to activate, or turn on, during movement. A program designed to strengthen the rhomboids and upper back musculature should be included in your workout routine. Again, refer to Marc McDougals article for a comprehensive program. My purpose with this article is to cover a different aspect of shoulder health.
Everyone at some point has at least heard of the mind-muscle connection. This is simply the ability of your brain to tell your muscles what to do. Why is flexing the muscle during contraction and between sets important? It brings blood flow to the area, but more importantly it improves the mind muscle connection. It reinforces neural pathways that allow the appropriate signals get to the appropriate muscles at the appropriate times.
Even if you perform a healthy shoulder strengthening program and train the correct muscles, it is important to teach the muscle to turn on, which they may most likely, are not learning on their own. It is irrelevant how strong your rhomboids are if they do not activate to retract your scapula during movement.
How can you train this activation during exercise? For each and every repetition it becomes important to activate the rhomboids. This is easy to do, simply squeeze the shoulder blades together. It sounds simple because it is.
Pretend there is a thousand dollar bill between your shoulder blades, pinch it, and perform your set. The goal is to keep the bill there for the entire set until the load is taken off the upper body. By ensuring the shoulder blades remain retracted throughout the movement you are forcing the rhomboids to activate and keep the shoulder in a natural position, keeping the minimum stress on the rotator cuffs. It is just that easy.
This is why performing exercises to strengthen the musculature is not enough to protect the shoulder. You must train the rhomboids to activate during all exercise movements. This can only be accomplished by consciously retracting the shoulder blades throughout the range of motion and in particular, at the point of the movement where the greatest amount of strain is being loaded on the joint. During pressing movements this tends to be at the bottom of the eccentric phase and during most pulling movements this is typically at the beginning of the concentric phase. It is at these times that it is most important to retract the shoulder blades to prevent as much anterior movement of the humerous as possible.
For true shoulder health it is important to train this movement pattern during any exercise that involves the shoulder, so almost every upper body exercise. There are particular exercises that excessively strain the shoulder and during these it is imperative that the scapula remain retracted throughout the entire range of motion.
In particular, bench press (any angle), dips (any but particularly bench dips), chins, lat pulls, and any form of rowing exercise. All of these exercises create a situation in which the shoulder commonly will move anteriorly and the rotator cuffs are stressed to keep the humerous in the proper position. By consciously pulling the shoulder blades together during these movements you will train the rhomboids to actually activate during the exercise.
While people often don't think of their shoulders during many other exercises, it is just as important. Overhead shoulder press, bicep curls, tricep presses, tricep overhead extensions, pullovers, and chest flyes, are all exercises that involve the shoulder and can cause strain on the rotator cuffs. During each of these exercises it is just as important to keep the shoulders in their proper position for optimal shoulder health.
As you become more proficient at keeping the rhomboids activated, they will begin to do this on their own during most movement. This doesn't mean you can stop training muscle activation, like anything else, if you do not consistently train it the benefits will diminish and eventually disappear.
A very common comment I receive from athletes is that the retraction of the shoulder blades causes the lower back to arch, which traditionally is a mortal sin in the gym. Again, optimal movement patterns come into play and the mind-muscle connection is important.
t is true that a slight hyperextension of the lumbar spine can occur once the scapula are retracted, particularly during the bench press. However, there is not enough of an arch to cause worry if the transverse abdominis (TVA) is correctly activated. This often forgotten muscle is a significant abdominal muscle that lies deep to the rectus abdominis and acts as a support for the vertebral column. During movements that cause strain on the lumbar spine, the TVA can be turned on to assist with supporting the spine. By drawing in the abdominal wall (think of touching the back of your bellybutton to your spine) the TVA will activate and protect the lower back. To feel this try performing a reverse crunch with straight legs and letting your stomach relax. You will most likely feel strain or outright pain in your low back. Now do the same movement and activate the TVA by sucking in your stomach for the entire range of motion, the pain in the lumbar region should be significantly reduced or completely disappear. The TVA is now supporting the lumbar spine. As long as the TVA is kept strong and activated the slight hyperextension of the back is not a serious issue. Relax the TVA, however, and that will not be the case.
Repeatedly I have touched on the same theme, the mind-muscle connection. Most of you who read this article will be used to focusing on what you are doing while you train and realize the significant difference that can be made through simply thinking about activating the muscle(s) that are being trained.
Protecting your shoulder is simply a matter of shifting your focus, not just while training your shoulder, but during all movements involving the shoulder and upper body. Simply strengthening the rhomboids, posterior deltoids, and other back musculature, will not automatically protect the shoulder joint. It is easy to perform a seated row or rear deltoid lateral raise and still have a pronounced anterior shoulder displacement. In this case you are not doing anything to help protect the joint and in fact are stressing the rotator cuffs.
It is most important to train your body to learn the proper movement pattern and use larger muscles to support a large joint. A little bit of a shift in focus and a small shift in movement patterns will lead to long term benefits that will greatly reduce the chance of both chronic and acute shoulder injury.
Movement Patterns and Rhomboid Activation for Optimal Shoulder Health


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SOCHI, RUSSIA—The latest conspiracy theory: Pee-you.
Yes, a urine squad has been playing catch-a-piddle with Canada's figure skaters.
Seven of them have been fingered for random drug testing over the past week. Eight, if pairs skater Kirsten Moore-Towers had been in her room at the athletes' village when the pee-pee police came calling Saturday.
Singles skater Kaetlyn Osmondwas in situ 'round about 11 a.m., sleeping after her early morning practice session, when there was a tap-tap.
"In the middle of taking a nap, I just hear someone knocking on my door. Oh, let's go to testing. I was like, oh great. I had the Do Not Disturb sign on so I thought, why is someone knocking on my door?
"I went out and they were really nice about it. They walked me to the station. It was probably a good thing because if not I would have probably just stayed in my bed all day."
It's highly unusual, however, for an athlete to be drug tested on the day of competition since they're routinely subjected to the urine-a-lot-of-trouble anti-doping ritual after performing. And Osmond skated the women's short program — her contribution to the new team event — Saturday night, finishing fifth among 10 entrants with a season-best score of 62.54, as Canada qualified second overall behind Russia for the winnowed-down five-team long program conclusion Sunday.
Osmond had never before been tested so close to a competition.
That, and the sheer number of Canadian skaters being tested, had Team Canada officials speculating over what the heck was going on. This is ultra-surveillance Russia after all. And the Sochi Olympics Organizing Committee — not WADA — is in charge of testing at the Games, which is normal procedure for the Olympics. The Russians are in charge of the on-site doping lab.
But seven skaters presented with a cup — including at least one member in every duo discipline — is not normal. Pairs skaters Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford were tested at midnight the day they got in.
You start to wonder. High performance director Mike Slipchuk certainly did, taking his concern to the Canadian Olympic Committee, which is making enquiries.
"They're definitely going to just try to see that doesn't happen (again). Our skaters don't complain about it. But I've never seen one on a day of competition. It's just . . . interesting.
"At least we're running out of skaters, which is a good thing."
Meanwhile, some of the other skating squads haven't been tapped for random testing yet at all.
At least Osmond was not subjected to random post-competition testing as well.
The 18-year-old from Newfoundland was otherwise over-the-moon after making her Olympic debut. She looked poised and self-assured throughout the clean Sweet Charity routine, opening with a strong — maybe slightly too strong — triple toe-triple toe combination into a triple flip.
"To have such a strong performance for my very first competition, first program here at the Olympics, it felt really great to be able to know I can do that."
She was the first of the women to skate and that was fine too, as Osmond basked in the Olympic sensation.
On the combo: "The jump felt a little big for me. I guess that's the excitement. So when I landed I had to fix myself a little."
Osmond felt so at ease with the situation she barely had need to seek any last-minute advice from coach Ravi Walia. "Normally we have something to say beforehand, but this time I was ready."
With South Korea not contending in the team event, that meant defending Olympic champion Yuna Kim was not in the mix. And that opened up rich possibilities for host-country sweetie Julia Lipnitskaia. The expectant audience could hardly contain itself, roaring when the 15-year-old appeared. She leaned over at the beginning of her program to trace a heart on the ice. Then she skated lights-out, racking up a first-place score of 72.90.
Lipnitskaia's idol, Carolina Kostner of Italy — 2012 world gold — was second and Japan's Mao Asada third.
It hasn't yet been announced whether Osmond will also skate the free for Canada on Sunday or if that job will fall to 16-year-old Gabrielle Daleman. Certainly Osmond would love to skate on; she's an instant fan of the team event. "I absolutely love it. And to have people in the kiss 'n' cry with you after, it's special."
That's an oddball feature of the team competition — everybody from your nation's squad crowds into what is usually the athlete's solitary domain to await the marks. In Osmond's case, she received a group-hug from her colleagues. "Actually, the bench almost tipped, so that would have been really funny."
Kevin Reynolds is set to take over Sunday from Patrick Chan, who was third in the short program earlier. Dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are eager to continue on, from short to long.
At the end of the short program segment, Russia led the team event overall with 37 points, followed by Canada with 32 points and the U.S. in third with 27 points. Japan and Italy have also qualified for the final.
The pairs free was also skated late Saturday night, Canada represented this time by 2013 and '14 national silver medallists Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch. They had one fall but were otherwise solid, posting a score of 129.74, coming in second to the Russian team of Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov. The home-pair brought the house down with their entertaining Addams Family routine, earning a score of 135.09.
Overall, at this point, Russia now has a six-point bulge on Canada, 47 points to 41, and the U.S. sitting third with 34.


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The Swedes have done an excellent job keeping the pending 2010 Saab 9-5 tightly under wraps, with only the faintest hints as to its final look. Too bad these renderings leaked onto the web.
The images first popped up at SaabsUnited.com, which has since pulled down the post at the behest of Saab officials. But, with the cat out of the bag, er pictures on the web, there's not much more to do but post them. We have no confirmation or denial these represent the final look of the car, but they appear to line up with the spy photography, and if they're close enough to make Saab sweat, that's good enough for us. The only way we'll know for sure is when the car debuts at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.
[via SaabsUnited]
[via SaabsUnited]


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Shelf Arrangement:
Once the library has a taken decision on the number of sequences in which the total collection is to be organised the material in the shelf in each sequence is arranged.
Alphabetical by Author/Title
In small libraries it may prove more helpful to arrange books by the alphabet in the name of the author or title. Generally books of fiction are arranged in a separate sequence by author of the book. Author arrangement in large libraries does not satisfy laws of library science.
Classified Arrangement:
As has already been noted, subject is the permanent and more useful basis for the arrangement of books. Size, title, sometimes even author may change from one edition to another edition of the book, but the subject remains basically unchanged. Hence books must be arranged systematically by subject if the goal of library service is to be achieved. Arrangement of books on shelves has to be in accordance with the majority approaches to the documents. Approaches of the users to documents can be conveniently grouped as searching for known documents' and searching for unknown documents'. Documents whose existence is known to the user i.e., the user knows that there is a document written by such and such author/s, with such and such, a title, are called as known documents. When the user is not aware of the existence of the documents, such documents are called `unknown documents'. The categorisation known' and `unknown' are from the point of view of a user.
Approaches to the known documents - which are relatively less, are usually through author title etc., and approaches to the unknown documents' is invariably the subject approach. Approaches to known documents are armed as Specific documents approach and approaches to the unknown documents' is termed as specific subject approach% The subject approach is the most predominant approach and thus a classified arrangement is very useful for the readers as they can find all the related materials at one place, browse through them and select the ones that they need. A systematic arrangement also leads them to the required materials. Block Arrangement This is the method of shelving books in a regular shelf to shelf, case to case order according to the classification scheme. In some busy public libraries a variant of this method is followed by having a rack of non-fiction books in between busy congested fiction racks. However, there is always the danger of mixing fiction and non-fiction books by the reader while browsing.
Broken Order Arrangement
Libraries following the classified arrangement do not necessarily adhere strictly to the order of the chosen classification scheme. The common practice of breaking away from the order of the chosen classification, for various justifiable reasons, is known as the broken order. This practice leads to a more efficient shelf arrangement, due to the following reasons:
To shelve books, belonging to certain frequently used `classes' like fiction, at the beginning of the stacks.
To bring two thematically related but classificatory separated groups of books together, like 650 Management Science and 380 Commerce, or 400 Languages and 800 Literature.
Accession Number: Arrangement by accession number could also be very effective in providing access. provided (a) that the stacks are closed and readers have no access to the stack, (b) there are a very detailed and in-depth subject and author catalogues providing access to content of the materials. (c) that the requests are for specific documents whose existence is known to the user. Since these conditions are difficult to fulfil, arrangement by accession number is not usually preferred.


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Back in June we had a Game capture with the aim of removing 70% of the animals on the reserve. As there was a drought this year the grass hasn't had much time to grow so the livestock on the reserve has had to be supplemented with leucerne which is quite expensive. Capturing and selling some of the animals should bring the levels of game back to a more sustainable level.
The capture itself involves flying a helicopter around to manoeuvre the game into a large V-shaped enclosure called a boamer, with a livestock truck at one end and curtains which are pulled across to stop the game running back out of the enclosure.
All of us Meerkat volunteers got to help and it was our job to pull the curtains across. It was quite exciting staying hidden behind the curtain with a heard of Wildebeest or Gemsbok running by waiting for the siren from the helicopter to tell you to run across.
One of the guys out here with a gopro gave it to the helicopter pilot and got an awesome video which clearly shows the structure of the boamer, some of the landscape of the reserve, how the pilot herds a group of Gemsbok into the boamer with the siren and the curtains getting pulled across. You can also see that one of the Gemsbok gets separated from the group, runs back to the first set of curtains and also how close a couple of the people are to the Gemsbok. On this run I was on the last set of curtains and it was pretty hard to tell what was going on as the heard had already run past.
We got to have a go for about 6 runs at least one of Gemsbok, a run of Red Hartebeest, one of Wildebeest, and a couple with Springbok. Most of the animals just run straight up the ramp and into the truck however the springbok try to jump the fence and get very stressed out in the truck so they have a big net which most of them get caught in and any stragglers have to be grabbed. We then had to hold them down whilst we waited for them to be injected with a sedative before carrying them into the truck. Some of the Springbok were quite lively and quite difficult to hold onto their legs whilst they were kicking!


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Trump's Top Staff SHAMES Obama Admin With Their "Secret" Weekly Meeting…
Former President Obama and his administration have once again been out-classed by the Trump administration.
On Monday, it was discovered that many high-profile members of the Trump administration, from the Vice President to members of the cabinet, regularly attend a Bible study at the Nation's capitol.
The pastor that leads these studies came forward with the news, being extremely proud to host the meet-ups and teach such powerful leaders.
"It's the best Bible study that I've ever taught in my life. They are so teachable; they're so noble; they're so learned," the leader of the study, pastor Ralph Drollinger, former NBA player and founder of Capitol Ministries, told the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).
TDC reports:
About a dozen leaders, including cabinet members, attend the weekly study. Vice President Mike Pence plans to attend as his schedule permits, and Trump receives a copy of Drollinger's lessons, according to CBN.
The Bible study's most faithful attendees include Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and CIA Director Mike Pompeo.
Drollinger claims a formal Bible study like has not happened in the capital, with such high-profile leaders, in more than a century. "These are godly individuals that God has risen to a position of prominence in our culture," Drollinger said.
Drollinger had high praise for several members of the study. Sessions, for instance, takes the lessons to heart and puts them into practice immediately. Sessions will "go out the same day I teach him something and I'll see him do it on camera and I just think, 'Wow, these guys are faithful, available and teachable and they're at Bible study every week they're in town,'" Drollinger said.
Pence, who grew as a Roman Catholic but later joined a large evangelical church, "has uncompromising biblical tenacity and he has a loving tone about him that's not just a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal," Dollinger said.
"Mike Pence has respect for the office. He dresses right – like it says Joseph cleaned himself up before he went to stand before the Pharaoh," Dollinger said.
SHARE on Facebook and Twitter if you love this Bible Study!


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Jackpot City is one of the best-known and most respected land-based casinos in New Jersey, providing the ultimate experience for conventional gamblers.
It was only a matter of time until they decided to make the transition to online gambling and they put their tremendous experience to good use.
Those who choose to play from the comfort of their home will enjoy the same games available in brick-and-mortar casinos and even compete against real dealers in the live casino section.
Games and Software
Jackpot City might be a new player over the Internet, but the experience accumulated in New Jersey serving millions of customers definitely shows. Many of the games previously available only in their land-based locations have been tweaked to run smoothly over the Internet.
They are compatible with mobile devices of all sorts and you don't even need the latest gadgets to enjoy a silky smooth gaming experience.
888.com is the software developer powering their games, which is yet another reason to be confident in their ability to replicate the atmosphere of land-based casinos. City Life, Bloodlines or Sugar Doggie are some of the most popular slot machines right now, although video poker, roulette, blackjack and baccarat as well as specialty games are well-liked.
Overall there are in excess of 120 titles to choose from all featuring the latest graphics and sharp animations.
Jackpot City offers the welcome bonus in US dollars and players who deposit $200 will receive just as much money immediately. On top of that, they will also collect 200 free spins which are restricted to selected slot machines, but there are dozens of titles to choose from. It is even possible to win seats to live poker tournaments and players accumulate loyalty points whenever they perform an action that involves real money.
Deposits and withdrawal
Jackpot City is providing an interesting mix of payment methods, appealing to both American customers and players who reside beyond borders. They are some of the few allowing players from New Jersey to enjoy casino games over the Internet and are also among the fastest processors. Cash always reaches its destination and there are no legal concerns to worry about.
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It is hard to find a more respectable online casino based in the United States than Jackpot City, especially for American customers. They are in complete accord with the local law so you can enjoy your games online without worrying about any consequences. This is also an advantage when it comes to deposits and withdrawals, since the online casino doesn't have to bend the law to pay out.
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Jackpot City uses the same customer support solutions that made them famous in New Jersey and is unlikely to leave any online clients disgruntled. Their specialists are fluent in English and most of them are native speakers, capable of carrying out even the most complex conversations.
They are available over the phone and players from United States have toll-free numbers, while the rest have to settle for live chat and email support.


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Brevard Homeschool, an active group of homeschooling parents in Brevard County, Florida, offers friendship; support and encouragement; field trips; and book club ordering. We welcome ALL homeschoolers in Brevard County, regardless of religious or other affiliation. Membership is FREE. To find out more about our current activities, join our group.
See other support groups here.
LIKE us on Facebook.
You do not have to be a member of any group to enjoy this web site, so take some time to explore!
You CAN do it! You don't need a big bankroll, higher education, or a teaching certificate! What you DO need is a dedication to your children's education and the willingness to learn alongside them. You can homeschool from pre-K to college. On this site you will find all you need to know to get started homeschooling.


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Welcome to our website. You may find it easier to locate what you need by using the filter or search buttons. Happy shopping!
Regular price
Cosmic Shimmer Colour Cloud Blending Ink ia a water based blending ink ideal for stamping and designed to create soft colourful blended effects on paper, card and porous craft products. Best used with a Smoothie.


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I have a new blog – Divided Answers.
I will continue to post here at Integrated Questions, but I now plan to update at Divided Answers two to three times a week and once a week over at Imaginary Ripples. Integrated Questions will get updated when I have the time and inclination to write a long and considered essay on a topic of some importance – or, as you will see shortly, when my studies compel me to do so.
Enjoy, and as is too often the norm now, ignore the more.


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Blumohito Water Wall is an indoor water feature that improves the quality of the room atmosphere, because the thin water film that continuously flows over its surface moisturizes the air, attracts and removes fine dusts, smoke and odours.
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>> download Technical Information
>> browse the GALLERY


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Run by Julio Muñoz and Rosa Orbea (english speaking), Casa particular Muñoz is a colonial house built in 1800 that has retained its original style and antique furniture (featured in National Geographic magazine October 1999, page 102 and National Geographic Traveler March-April 2012,page 67).
You will stay with the english spoken family of Julio and Rosa Muñoz, their daughters Maria (25, architect) and Carmen (16, college), Julito (Maria's Husband) and the little Anna.
Julio is also a professional documentary photographer and creator of the "John Wayne" street photography style and run photo tours and photography workshops.
After your activities you can relax in this lovely home, in the courtyard with garden or on the roof terrace with a magnificent view of Trinidad and surrounding mountains
Casa Muñoz was one of the few private business in Cuba invited to meet President Obama during his visit to Havana.
Munoz's family love animals; you can enjoy the company of Hedwy and Cloe the dogs.
Julio is a "horse whisperer" and has a project for help the horses (Diana Project).
Safe parking area.
Casa Muñoz is a popular place for cultural exchanges. It is used by "contact people to people" groups from USA and as a "Camp Base" for photographers and filmmakers
Casa particular located in the centre of Trinidad de Cuba with all the main sites are no more than a convenient 3 minute walk away


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Skylight Repair | St Clair Residence
- 6XXX Hillcrest Ln
- Indianapolis,
- 46220
The Owners Have a Problem. This residence has a 14′ x 20′ glass ridge light. The owner's have not been able to successfully repair the skylight using local contractors and have temporarily covered the skylight to stop the leaks.. Not a Typical Skylight. This skylight is much larger than the typical residential skylight and would … Continue reading Skylight Repair | St Clair Residence


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Child Welfare Services provides social workers specializing
in Adoptions, serving all areas of the county. Our Adoptions Unit works
to find loving, permanent homes for children in the Foster Care System.
Our services include:
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Early Tightwad Tuesday
We just learned about this great deal today and couldn't resist sharing it with you as a day-early Tightwad Tuesday. Paragary's Bar and Oven is offering a three course meal for just $20! But you'll have to hurry because the offer is only good through this Wednesday the 20th. All you have to do to take advantage of this special is call the restaurant for a reservation at 916-457-5737 and mention the code "iEat." It's that simple! We've tried many Paragary's restaurants but haven't had a chance to review Paragary's Bar and Oven on Sac Foodies yet – so we'd love to hear about your meal if you take advantage of this great deal!
Paragary's Bar and Oven
1401 28th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
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1 Comment so far ↓
Woah good thing I found it just in time. Delicious dinner here I come!


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The staff at Life Connection Church has a passion to reach lost and unchurched people in our community. We believe that we serve a God of excellence and we should lead with excellence in everything we do. To reach a staff member, simply email using their first name.lifeconnectionchurch.org and we will get back as soon as possible.
If you see us around the church, make sure to meet us when you have an opportunity.
The Council off Elders is a group of eight men who have been appointed to work with the staff in the position of overseer after meeting the qualifications mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:1-16.
At LCC, Elders provide support to the staff through prayer, wisdom, understanding


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Online player games have exploded, and with them comes the latest social drawing and word-guessing game, Chalk n' Talk, where you have to test your wits and challenge your vocab skills. You race against the clock, sketching and guessing words, while earning points that can be spend on customising brushes and canvases, or sending them as gifts to your friends, if you're that generous.
You get to grow your network of friends, with automated matchmaking presenting an endless roster of random challengers. Plus, like the title says, you get to chat with them and taunt them as you school them in the ways of the chalk. A perfect app for Android users who love their PvP puzzle games, as well as lording their victory over their opponents, this is definitely a good app to pick up.
Chalk n' Talk is available NOW for FREE on Android devices – Get it HERE


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By Ron Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: Last fall, I planted 20 tulip bulbs. In the last month, we have had several long power outages and now are considering getting a generator. The electrician came last week and guess where he wants to place the generator? Of course, right on top of my tulip bed. If I dig up these bulbs, can they be transplanted immediately or how long do I wait? I live in central Illinois. (e-mail reference)
A: Carefully dig them up and get them transplanted as soon as possible. Be careful not to damage any roots or stems that have started to emerge. Give the plants a good watering to settle the soil around them to prevent dehydration. They should flower normally for you this spring.
Q: I bought a jade plant 15 to 20 years ago. Since I live in the San Francisco Bay area, I potted the plant and left it outside. Through the years, all I have done is water it. If a leaf or branch falls off, I throw it on top of some dirt in a pot and have new plants before long. I still have the mother plant and so many jade plants that I keep giving them away. At this time, I have three large plants on my porch and many scattered throughout my yard. All the plants are in pots. I have very seldom protected them from frost. Only a few times when it got into the 20s did they get frostbite. After that happens, I break off the part that was frozen. All of my plants bloom several times a year. If I keep them in the shade or partial sun, they become lush and green. If I keep them in full sun, the leaves are tinged with red. I usually water once or twice a week in the summer and don't water in the winter unless we go for a long period with no rain. I think most people baby their plants too much. I do not have a green thumb. If I can grow jade plants, anyone can. (e-mail reference)
A: What you describe is exactly the reason why jade plants are so popular. In almost every success story I have heard, people treat them about the same way you described. You lack a green thumb? No problem, living in the San Francisco Bay area corrects for that many times over. The challenge comes when one lives in a place such as North Dakota or Minnesota where the temperature hovers around zero or lower most of the winter. This forces the central heating system to run almost continuously. This dries the interior air to less than 10 percent. Along with that, we have little sunshine, but most people are loath to purchase a plant light, so problems begin to pop up. I've seen some beautiful jade plants (trees!) in Southern California and Arizona, as well as a few in courthouses and malls up here in the tundra land where the care is nothing special. Thanks for writing about your experiences with this beautiful plant! Enjoy your life in one of America's most beautiful climates!
Q: I bought a plant that supposedly is a Snow White. I was told to water it once a week. However, its leaves started turning brown after two weeks. I went online to find out what was wrong with it. It turns out the plant is not a Snow White. From what I found on the Web, the plant looks like it is a spider plant. I took the online advice and started watering it with purified water once a week. It seemed to work for a while, but then it stopped working. The leaves turn brown at the tips and every week I lose about three leaves. Help! Is it even a spider plant? The plant has never produced babies. (e-mail reference)
A: This is a spider plant or the best imitator of one I've ever seen. It looks like you are watering it in an enclosed planter. That leads to salts accumulating in the soil, as is shown by the white crusting on the soil surface. Repot the plant in a free-draining container and water it sparingly during the winter months. When you do water the plant, do it so the water comes out of the bottom of the container and into a saucer. Dump the water in the saucer within 20 minutes or so after watering. Don't water the plant again until the soil is dry. Provide as much natural or artificial light as possible. Eventually, the plant should produce new shoots that you can propagate.
Q: We have three beautiful oak trees near our back deck. On Sunday, a woodpecker decided to try to chop them down. How can I stop this? What can I do to save the trees because a couple of the holes are 3 to 4 inches deep? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. By the way, this is on Big Cormorant Lake near Detroit Lakes, Minn. (e-mail reference)
A: Try applying some Tanglefoot around the area where the woodpecker has been active. Wear gloves you can throw away and old clothes as well because it is messy stuff to work with. I guarantee the woodpecker doesn't like it, either. Once he experiences the sticky stuff on his feet, he'll move on. The damage done to date on the tree is not critical. The wound should heal naturally, but I'm assuming the tree is otherwise healthy.
Q: I bought a spider plant last autumn that was a few inches high and had two spiderettes. During my college winter break, I took it with me to my parents' home. It was repotted and given a much nicer climate. The plant apparently liked it because it was growing very rapidly. However, it lost a little vibrancy when I brought it back to college with me, but it was healthy. Unfortunately, last night I left the plant outside. The temperature dropped to 19 degrees. Now my poor spider plant is limp and the leaves have gone waxy, but not brown. I moved it to the bathroom, where I have a fluorescent warming light. I shaded the plant and left it to dry. Is there anything else I can do beside hope? (Lubbock, Texas)
A: Unfortunately, there is little chance of your spider plant making it after an overnight exposure to 19 degrees. However, not all hope should be abandoned. If the exposure to the subfreezing was for a short time, the plant tissue in the crown may not have been completely killed. Keep the lights on it 12 hours a day. Do not water or fertilize during this time, except when the soil is completely dry. If the plant is going to recover, it should start showing some life in six to eight weeks. If nothing is showing by then, the plant is dead. Sorry!
Q: Could a dwarf venous orange tree planted in a container produce more than just a few oranges? Also, is it easy to take care of such a plant and would it do well in a south-facing window during the winter months? I live in southern North DakotA: (e-mail reference)
A: Is it worth the trouble? That depends on what you consider the hassle breaking point. For some, it is neat to work at getting a citrus to survive and produce a couple of oranges indoors. For others, it isn't worth their time and effort. It should grow as a tree in a south-facing window. Give the tree normal houseplant care. As to producing fruit, that is something I cannot say will happen for sure. Even without the fruit, a citrus tree makes an attractive houseplant.
Q: I'm wondering what the best way is to get rid of or prevent a problem we had last year. I'm not sure if we had a vole or whatever, but some small creature took bites out of lots of our potatoes. The creature never ate a whole potato. I think it even bothered our zucchini and some of the tomatoes that were near the ground. How do we stop this problem? Also, how do you prevent blight on tomatoes? We do rotate them in the garden, but last year seemed especially bad. (Lennox, S.D.)
A: This could be the work of slugs or grubs. It depends on whether there is any other physical evidence to the contrary, such as droppings or footprints in the soil. Definitely rotate your crops, but not from potatoes to tomatoes or peppers. Plant a different species of vegetable entirely, such as beans or peas. Look for tomato varieties that are listed as being resistant to the various maladies that normally afflict this crop. Another suggestion is to stake your tomato plants to get the fruits off the ground. You also could do this with squash. For potatoes, I would encourage you to relocate them. If you are convinced that the problem is vole activity, set up some traps or place a physical barrier around the plants.
Q: We bought a live Norway spruce for Christmas with the hope of keeping it alive to plant after the holidays. We did not realize how heavy it would be, so we built a wood box to keep the dirt and roots in, plus keep the tree standing up. We did not take off the metal wire wrapping because we thought we would be planting it outside very soon. However, we soon learned that we needed to keep it in the house until spring. We moved it into our entry, where we have very high ceilings and the temperature was not that bad. At first, we thought we killed it because it was dropping needles. However, because it was so dense, we did not see some broken branches. Now we have more needles dropping off and the bottom branches are turning a very greenish yellow. It seems like the bottom branches are starting to die. We have been giving it about two wine bottles of water every other day. Twice a month, I give the tree 1 tablespoon of Miracle-Gro mixed with a gallon of water. The house temperature is 60 degrees at night and 66 to 68 degrees during the day. Is my tree dying? Am I giving it enough water or too much? What can I do to keep it alive? (Goshen, N.Y.)
A: You were given some incorrect advice. The tree should have been placed outdoors right after the holidays. Keeping a plant indoors that requires a cold treatment to survive will end up dying. If you can, attempt to move it outdoors now. You have nothing to lose because the tree will die where you have it now. Assuming the tree survives until spring thaw or the frost is out of the ground, plant it and hope for the best! More than 33 years ago, I planted a Norway spruce for my parents after they used the tree for holiday purposes. The tree (actually three of them for three consecutive years) is big and gorgeous!
Q: I purchased some (various kinds) daisies that I want to plant and use as background flowers for my wedding. I read in one of your answers that I'd be better off to buy the daisies for a wedding. Since I just want to plant them outside among the trees in our backyard for photos, would this still be OK? What would I have to do to have daises growing by May 30? Do I have to start growing them indoors because I live in Michigan? Could I plant the daisies in April and keep that area covered at night to protect them from frost? (e-mail reference)
A: You should be able to purchase daisies from a local garden center or nursery before that time and have them in the ground and mostly flowering by May 30. Normally, most daisies will flower in mid to late June or July. It depends on their microclimate. In most cases, garden centers and nurseries know that plant material sells better if the plants are in flower rather than in a vegetative state with the promise of flowering in the near future. Consequently, they push them a little to get them to flower. Don't fret. Survey the garden centers and nurseries in your area and I'm sure you'll find some that are stocking up on these beautiful flowers. Good luck and enjoy your wedding!
To contact Ron Smith for answers to your questions, write to Ron Smith, NDSU Department of Plant Sciences, Dept. 7670, Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
NDSU Agriculture Communication
|Ron Smith, (701) 231-8161, firstname.lastname@example.com
|Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, email@example.com