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TMJ Causes
How did I get TMJ?
Temporomandibular joint disorder isn't a sudden event, such as injuring your knee. It can start in childhood, and can be evidenced by mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is often a sign of a misaligned jaw. Because the tongue needs to sit lower when a person breaths through his or her mouth, this can affect the development of the upper jaw in a child, leading the jaw to develop in the shape of a V unlike the U-shape it would normally be.
Those would be congenital problems with bite balance and alignment. But often TMJ develops as a result of stress and nightly teeth clenching during sleep. Traumatic injury to the jaw or jaw joints can lead to TMJ. Research also shows a genetic tendency.
Causes of TMJ
- Unbalanced bite – A bad bite can result in soreness and can be a leading cause of TMJ. The obvious signs include an under-bite or an over-bite. An unbalanced bite could result from one cause, or a combination of factors. Allergies during childhood, thumb sucking, old dentistry that needs to be replaced, or the shifting of teeth due to tooth loss can all lead to a bad bite.
- Airway issues – Airway issues can cause TMJ pain, an improperly formed jaw, and bite issues. If you have an unbalanced bite, your tongue can't sit where it should, which as a result can block air from getting to your lungs. Improper breathing may be due to childhood allergies. When a child is constantly congested, the tongue drops down allowing air to pass over it. The tongue is no longer in balance and the upper jaw's growth changes over time. This can result in a compromised breathing airway.
- Skull deformation – Pressure and force exerted on a baby's head during birth affects the shape and development of the skull and the bones in the head and face. If there is a misalignment of the bones, muscles, or ligaments, this can alter the development of the TMJ. It can also result in the misalignment of jaws and skull bones, causing an unbalanced bite.
- Genetics – The fact is that your jaw structure, teeth positioning, and entire facial composition are inherited. This can include the sensitivity to your environment leading to allergies and congestion. If you inherited a small jaw or if your teeth are too large to fit your mouth, the result is a bad bite and misaligned jaw.
- Injury or trauma – An injury or trauma to your jaws from an accident or any intense physical impact, can lead to damage to your muscles or joints. Any time your body absorbs the impact of a serious blow, it transfers throughout the rest of your body, altering the function of the muscles and joints in your head, neck, and face. This results in discomfort and irritation related to TMJ.
- Unbalanced dentistry – Even if you have gone through orthodontic work to straighten your smile, there could still be invisible problems. You can have a perfectly straight set of teeth but still be suffering from TMJ symptoms and have a misaligned bite.
Who is at risk for developing TMJ?
There are no reliable statistics on the number of Americans who have TMJ, but it is estimated to be over 10 million people. TMJ is more common in women than men. Stress is a known risk factor. If a person is under an inordinate amount of stress he or she may begin clenching their teeth during the day and grinding them at night. This begins a sequential effect of stressed muscles, damaged teeth, and chronic pain. There also appears to be a genetic factor in developing the condition.


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February 21, 2001
At 0800 Eastern Standard Time, the Training Ship Empire State was located at 36 degrees and 02 minutes N Latitude, and 074 degrees and 37 minutes W Longitude. Cape Henry was 85 nautical miles to the north northwest. She was steering course 023 degrees true at a speed of 11 knots bound for Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. The air temperature was 58 degrees and water temperature 64 degrees Fahrenheit; skies were mostly clear; winds were from the southwest at 03 knots; barometric pressure was 1019 millibars and falling. Seas were 4 to 6 feet. Depth of water beneath the keel was 779 fathoms.
The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in. --James Baldwin
Time is flying by, the latitude lines are whirring past like slats in a road side fence; so nice to be moving rapidly homeward but the ecstasy is about to end. Oh, not in a literal sense, we will keep on churning on, and position fixes will accurately verify our northward progress. But, something happens at about three days out. I've described it in the past as the infernal "time warp" where thoughts accelerate forward so rapidly that we seem to go backward in time. All humankind experiences this phenomenon at some point in life. Apparently, we mentally regress to the days when we were but five years old, and relive the intolerable delay to get "there", or the wait for Santa Clause to arrive. You remember hearing, are we there yet, ad infinitum, from the back seat. And everyone recalls that the true measure of eternity is the eon from bedtime Christmas Eve until daylight Christmas morning.
The last few days of Sea Term are quite similar so now the reader will appreciate it when I say that I have a busload of anxious cadets who can barely wait for Fantasy Land. They have swapped the universally annoying, "are we there yet" for expressions that are more grown-up. They pace incessantly, pack and repack, preen and re preen. No one sleeps until Sunday so don't even think about peacefully enjoying a cup of coffee, unless standing in line and fighting the crowd is the aim. Even my bridge wing sanctuary is crowded with oily snipes who haven't ventured from their engine room lair in days. People have their noses pressed to the bridge windows like children staring into the candy shop. They want to know precisely where we are now, and they will request the same information again in just five minutes. What a shock to learn that in defiance of all know natural laws, the ship can be answering ahead full and steering a northerly course, while traveling a reciprocal, southerly path.
Thank goodness, there are no busier times for cadets than the final days of the Sea Term, or all might be lost. In addition to the predictable arrival-induced angst, cadets often suffer from post procrastination stress syndrome or (PPSS). This malady is caused when the want to lie in the Caribbean sunshine overcomes the need to study. Unfortunately, the effects of this disorder do not manifest themselves until much later, when the afflicted are nearly beyond help. The tanned ones figure out that (PPSS) may be terminal when they yet again conclude "I can study for that exam tomorrow" and abruptly realize that tomorrow is gone. Survival, at that point, is wholly dependant upon the systematic review and rapid comprehension of all things Sea Term.
The Cadets actually endure a barrage of written tests, practical evaluations, and oral examinations during the next few days. Virtually all will be required to take pencil in hand and sit through at least one multiple-choice examination that covers every topic investigated during this Sea Term. More subjective essay tests with complex technical problems await others, and many will be required to reproduce system drawings from memory. Each will be subjected to a rigorous oral assessment of knowledge commensurate with their class. While the program may sound excessively demanding, cadets who have wisely budgeted time throughout have little difficulty. Sadly, many afflicted with (PPSS) are know paying the piper.
As added challenge, the weather along the East Coast of the United States can be brutally unpredictable. We sailed out of the Florida Straits on incredibly calm seas and rode a great Gulf Stream current. Speed was no issue and we could have sailed into Cape Cod Bay on Thursday morning. However, we studied the many maps and predictions for weather out in front. We compared NOAA's guesstimates with our on board prognostications and made a plan. We decided to "dog it" a little to permit a cold front that threatens to extend south of our intended track, to pass. Things may get a little sloppy, but we should hustle into safe harbor before a low pressure area, now over the Great Lakes, pushes into New England and ruins our day. Just another practical test; but we will really be sick if we fail this one! See you tomorrow from north of here.
Engine Class, Fourth Class Maintenance Training, Cadet 1/C Christine Lydon
The other senior training rates and I taught maintenance procedures to the fourth class, their "hands on" segment of the engineering training curriculum. The students learned to cut pipe threads using a pipe die, cut and bond PVC piping, flare copper tubing, and to make workman-like solder connections in copper tubing systems. After cadets completed assignments, that required them to use each of these skills, the projects were tested to show how well each task was performed. Pressurized fresh water hydrostatically tests glued joints, threaded fittings, and soldered components and cadets observe pressure gauges to verify that test pressures remain constant. The copper tubing systems may carry fluorocarbon refrigerant, any leak would permit atmospheric, and system contamination, so integrity is very important. In the end, freshmen should be able to perform any of these tasks with little or no help and have basic knowledge of duties that may be required while standing engine watches.
Cadet Pacheco drew a triangle on the chart. He knows that the second angle measures 3 times the first and the third is 5 times the first. Find the smallest angle.
Archimedes principle states that an immersed body is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid that it displaces. When TSES entered the Mississippi River will the ship's draft stay the same, increase, or decrease? Why?
What was the major thing that the 11 Confederate States had in common?
When was President Lincoln assassinated and by whom?
10 knots x .10 = 1.0
10knots - 1.0 = 9 knots
9 knots x .10 = .9
9 knots + .9 = 9.9 knots final speed.
The earth rotates in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from above the North Pole. West to East.
1. South Carolina 2. Mississippi 3. Florida 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Louisiana 7. Texas 8. Virginia 9. Arkansas 10. Tennessee 11. North Carolina
Jefferson Davis from Mississippi. February 18, 1861.

subset: commoncrawl


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Current Membership: 1. Hon. James Mwangi Gichuki Leader of Majority/Chairperson 2. Hon. Peter Ngumba Githinji Leader of Minority 3. Hon. John Githinji Mwaniki Member 4. Hon. Samwel Kimani Gachuhi Member 5.Hon. James Kiiru Gachomba Member 6.Hon. Paul Kiruka Mburu Member 7.Hon. Suleiman Kimani Kihika Member 8. Hon. Patriciah Wanjugu Njoroge Member 9. Hon. Samwel MwangiThuita Member Read More »
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Poem: A Friend Inspired
Tranquil Friend Upon Shore Awaits Strength's Touching Soul
Half Journey until Full
The sea's quiet stirs welling want of my friend,
Distant shore adrift this craft slumbers sleepless,
Upon stirred waves adrift blinded, bonds empty,
'Tis amiss night's darkness betwixt differing moons.
Alas, no longer of presence once was doorway silent,
Heart beckons whilst eyes scratch plummeting rain,
Head upon stern bow barely trembles weeping soul,
'Tis pale moon's journey betwixt between midnight.
Hunger thirsts empty of water among stains of wine,
Hollow scroll pen hidden faded dusk shadows dance,
Merry of friend upon painting songs glee now forgotten,
Moon strikes of hour 'tis fallen depth of mighty hands.
Stretched arms awaken warmth hidden today's misty fog,
Brine of sea rustles cloaking path closer friend upon shore,
Words upon heaven's veil cast new songs arouse stares,
Forgotten moon half company half 'tis luster full of heart.
Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.— Carl Sandburg
© 2016 Tim Mitchell
Deep and meaningful imagery. Reminded me of being on a tempest-tossed boat at night.
Tim, I imagine this was the poem you referred to in the other I commented on. I thought I would read this first and then proceed to your most recent. I love the quote by Carl Sandburg: "Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance," and feel it suits this poem.
Most lovely and inspirational poetry.
Strong grouping of words.. playing dramatically.. loved it
A wonderful bit of work here. I like it.
"Hunger thirsts empty of water among stains of wine" Sounds like a friend I know. ;)
This is truly a dramatic and impressive poem, Tim! Great write for a dear friend! I hope your friend knows what a great friend it has.
tsmog..very poignant words...if only humans could realize the importance of how life balances are what carries us all to the tomorrows. All living things depend on each other for existence. Beautifully written..thansk for the share..kj


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Stranded human hair 6 piece clip in sets come in 6 pieces with 3 pieces measuring 5 inches in width and 3 pieces measuring 6 inches in width.
click here to upload a photo.
click here to view our range of 28 colours.
click here to choose 3 samples delivered to your door.


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Roasted Winter Vegetables
Using a variety of vegetables all coated with Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, these roasted winter vegetables are a perfect addition to any meal.
2 lbs of mixed winter vegetables including:
- Red or golden beets or both
- Butternut, acorn or delicata squash
- Parsnips Carrots Small potatoes – try red or purple varieties
The other ingredients:
- 3 tbsp Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Colavita Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage
- ½ tsp sea salt freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: for a spicy kick add a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Line a rimmed, metal baking sheet with parchment paper/ Prepare the vegetables: Rinse all the vegetables.
- Note: Cutting the vegetables the same width will ensure an even roasting for all vegetables. We like to achieve a ¼" thickness. Use a very sharp knife, as squash has thick skin and can be difficult to cut. For beets, remove the tops and stems. You can reserve the beet greens for salad.
- Peel the outer skin from the beets before chopping into ¼" thick slices.
For carrots and parsnips:
- Remove the tops and stems.
- Slice thick carrots lengthwise into ¼" sticks. If you are using the smaller, thinner carrots, it's beautiful to keep them whole.
For butternut, acorn and delicata squash:
- There's no need to peel off the skins. Roasting will soften the skin and make it delicious. Instead, remove the tops and stems.
For butternut squash:
- It's helpful to cut in half before slicing lengthwise. For delicata squash, you can slice lengthwise. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Then slice them into ¼"slices. For the potatoes, cut them into ¼" chunks.
- Place the veggies on the prepared baking sheet.
- Drizzle them with the Colavita Olive Oil and sprinkle the seasonings and herbs on top.
- Using your hands, massage the oil, herbs and seasonings around all the vegetables, making sure they are all coated.
- Roast the veggies in the oven until they are lightly browned and just tender, 25-30 minutes.
- You can flip the vegetables half-way through the roasting process with a metal spatula or tongs to brown them evenly on both sides.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle with Colavita Balsamic Vinegar. Give them a toss, and place them in a serving dish or bowl.
- Serve!


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"All of this would not have been possible if it were not for your meticulous planning and support. You are true professionals and most importantly a pleasure to be with." ~Mike & Suzy Strear
"You are true professionals and most importantly a pleasure to be with." ~Mike & Suzy Strear
Tour de France Highlights Cycling Tour: Cycle the best classic climbs of the Tour de France!
Tour de France Highlights Cycling Tour
Cycle The 9 most prestigious climbs of the Tour de France within the same week: Alp-d'Huez, Galibier, Telegraph, Mt-Ventoux, Tourmalet, Luz-Ardiden, Hautacam, Aubisque, Soulor!
Ride the climbs that have made this bicycle event the world's most famous, breathtaking and challenging race. Most cycling tours will only offer you one of these three destinations, but if you want them all nicely packed into a single trip, this will be your dream tour.
Most of the Tour's victories have been made on these climbs. Now it's your turn to experience the perfect switchbacks of Alp-d'Huez, the high altitude of Galibier; the Bold giant of Provence (Mt-Ventoux); Luz-Ardiden the finish of Stage 12 of this year's tour and also where Armstrong crushed Ulrich after crashing mid-climb; Tourmalet, the giant of the Pyrenees where Shleck and Contador fought an incredible battle in 2010; the stunning Aubisque and Soulor also called the circle of death since first being featured in the 1910 Tour de France, and Hautacam, one of the most challenging of all where Armstrong, Pantani and Riis among other great climbers have made their marks.
Ride the routes of legends!


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Palace visitor numbers down
Mitchell's main tourist attraction is suffering because of the city's under-construction streets.
Corn Palace Director Scott Schmidt said during Tuesday's Corn Palace Entertainment Board meeting that visitor numbers are at 113,760 from May 1 to July 9, down roughly 13,000 visitors from last year's May 1 to July 9 report, which was at 126,004.
Despite the decline in visitor numbers from last year, Schmidt said the Corn Palace has seen an increase in visitors since the Fourth of July in comparison to last year.
Board member Jeff Smith cited the ongoing road construction taking place on Sanborn and Burr Street directly correlate to the decline in visitor numbers.
"In all reality, until we get our so-called 'normal' roadways back, we will see some decline in visitor numbers," Smith said at the meeting, held at Mitchell City Hall. "Sanborn Street construction has got to be really hurting us the most."
While the July 19 substantial completion date of Sanborn Street's road construction is on the horizon, the board expects to see a steady increase in visitor numbers when the construction project wraps up.
Corn Palace Festival
The upcoming Corn Palace Festival will feature several new changes this year, as the Freedom Stage will be eliminated. Instead, the Corn Plaza will host unique events and activities throughout the festival, which runs Aug. 22-26.
The board discussed new changes to improve the upcoming Corn Palace Festival, which include additional vendors, entertainment and activities taking place during the festival.
Schmidt said the Mitchell Recreation Center will be hosting a fitness boot camp, along with Great Life offering kickboxing courses during the festival.
"We're trying to promote more family friendly activities this year involving fitness and wellness," Schmidt said.
Ticket sales for this year's musical entertainment guests playing at the Corn Palace Festival are on steady pace for strong sales numbers.
"Ticket sales for the Roots and Boots Tour and Righteous Brothers concerts have sold roughly 1,200 tickets a piece at the moment, while Midland and Little Texas concerts have sold roughly 700 tickets a piece as well," Schmidt said.
Schmidt said V.I.P and reserved seating options help create urgency to purchase tickets, which he believes has a lot to do with the steady ticket sales for the Righteous Brothers and Roots and Boots concerts. The Roots and Boots Concert will take place on Aug. 25 at the Corn Palace.
Gold Star, the company that hosts and operates the carnival rides during the Corn Palace Festival, will be serving its last year in the contract as hosts for the festival.
Schmidt said he is pleased with Gold Star since he's been serving as Corn Palace Director, and intends to negotiate another contract with the company as hosts for the carnival rides at the Corn Palace Festival.
"I have been very happy with Gold Star throughout each festival we've had them host," Schmidt added.
Sponsorships for the festival are currently at $18,000, and Schmidt requested the board continue to invite more sponsors to get involved.


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BROOKS, AB (March 23, 2018) – Despite outshooting the visiting Dragons 40-27, the Brooks Bandits were stymied by 39 saves from Hunter Virostek and couldn't wrap up their AJHL South Semifinal series on Friday night, falling 3-1 to Drumheller in front of a postseason-high crowd of 1,633 at the Centennial Regional Arena.
The Bandits never led in the game, and now will travel back to Drumheller on Sunday night for Game 6, still leading the series 3 games to 2.
An 0-for-7 power play was the story of the night for Brooks, as the team received 3 of the first 4 power plays awarded in the game in the first period, but couldn't convert, outshooting Drumheller 15-8 in the opening frame.
Just over halfway through the 2nd, Nic Hamre (Ottawa, ON) was called for a delay of game penalty while the Bandits were lining up for a faceoff, and seven seconds later Drumheller scored on a left circle shot by Brady Risk. It was part of four consecutive penalty kills the Bandits were sent to in the period.
In the third, Brooks thought they had tied the game when Luke Bast (Red Deer, AB) shot a puck past Virostek from the right circle. But the puck actually hit the left post, then the right post, and popped out. Though the goal light went on, the referee signalled no goal and Drumheller maintained its lead.
Later in the third, Drumheller converted on their eighth and final power play of the game when Slater Dykema shot a puck in from the top of the crease to complete a four-pass play in the Bandits zone.
Brooks got one back at the 14:11 mark when Nic Hamre broke Virostek's shutout bid with a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle. But with the net empty, the Bandits immediately turned the puck over to Nate Keeley in the Drumheller zone, and the sophomore Dragon jammed the puck down to the Bandits zone, won a race to it, and tucked into the open cage to seal the 3-1 final score.
Brooks went 0 for 7 on the power play while Drumheller was 2 for 8. It was the first time this season that Drumheller had won in Brooks. Virostek stopped 39 of 40 Bandit shots for the win while Mitch Benson lost for just the second time this postseason after saving 24 of 26 Drumheller shots.
Game 6 is scheduled for 7 PM Sunday night at the Drumheller Memorial Arena, with extended pre-game coverage starting at 6:30 PM on Real Country 105.7.
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Mutt, Gmail, gdata, notify-send: A Perfect Email solution
Ever since I started working on my own, GMail has become my primary email account. I was mostly satisfied with the default web interface. However, the heavy javascript interface takes eternity to load on my slow network. The basic HTML interface is slim but doesn't have keyboard shortcuts, so it's useless. Moreover recently I found the GMail tab hogging most amount of memory in Chrome task manager. That gave me the final push to switch to a local email client.
I have used Thunderbird and Evolution in the past, but they are not light weight by any means. I had tried Mutt before, but left it because I didn't get hang of all its shortcuts. Nonetheless I decided to give Mutt another try.
Here are my basic requirements from the email setup:
1. Light weight - Should launch quickly when I want to check the mail. Should do only the bare minimum network I/O required to fetch new messages.
2. Notifications - Should check the mailbox at regular intervals and notify me using desktop's default notification system.
3. Access to GMail contacts
4. Ability to Archive messages or move them to other GMail folders.
So far I have figured out how to do all of the above and then some. So here are my solutions numbered same as corresponding requirements above.
1. Setting up GMail IMAP has become significantly easy. All you have to do it create a .muttrc file in your home directory and start mutt. A simple google search will tell you what to put in that file. As you kick off mutt from command line, it will fetch the contents of your gmail inbox seamlessly (except if you've skipped the password in .muttrc, then it will ask you to enter it).
2. Mutt does not support notifications. Apparently it doesn't fit into the design philosophy of its developers. But a brave soul has created a patch if you are interested in building your custom mutt. As for me, I didn't go that route. I setup an alternate script that uses GMail's gdata interface to check the new messages and delievers the alerts using notify-send (on my linux box) or growlnotify (on my Mac OSX). I took a simple script from here and added my modifications. You can get my version here. It reads the username and password from your .muttrc files. It does some rudimentary checks to find if it's on Linux or Mac OSX and accordingly calls notify-send or growlnotify; you might have to tweak the paths to suite your system.
[Now that I searched for it, I found many easy to use solutions for notifications. Nonetheless I enjoyed writing the script, so that's a plus for me.]
3. There is one straight forward solution for accessing GMail contacts from mutt - Goobook. It also uses the gdata interface, but it is a well packaged pypi project and once installed all you need to do is put set query_command = "goobook query '%s'" in your .muttrc.
4. If you delete messages from mutt, they are archived on your GMail server after you sync (keyboard shortcut $). GMail labels are virtual folders and they are visible from mutt as IMAP folders. Just press c and then TAB. If you want to move a message from your inbox to a specific folder, press s (for save) while you are viewing the message, you will be prompted for folder to save the message to. Press ? to get the list of IMAP folders and choose the one you want. I guess it's not possible to apply multiple labels to a message in this setup. The way I understand it is, GMail first designed labels and when they offered IMAP support they exposed labels as virtual folders over IMAP. So for any IMAP client they are folders and a single message cannot reside in multiple folders at the same time. (I might be wrong, give a shout if you know so).
A small tip for managing .muttrc. I use two machines a linux desktop and a Macbook with Mac OSX. I have set up both to use mutt. So instead of having duplicate copies of .muttrc, I have stored a common copy in my ~/Dropbox/config folder and I just source ~/Dropbox/config/.muttrc from my ~/.muttrc.
Hope you find my tips useful. If you have any of your own, feel free to put them in comments.
* Taming The Email Beast
* Linux Administration Handbook (2nd Edition)
* Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook (4th Edition)
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Lessons for Game designers from "Structure of Scientific Revolutions"
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Why gamers like pixelated games
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Why Electron is the best development platform?
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Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
Coffeescript: To switch or not to switch
The single most reason that keeps me using Vim
When your git branch diverges from your remote
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Rolling back latest git commit
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How to write interactive CLI utility in node.js
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ReaderScope 1.1.1 quick-n-easy features
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Intercepting Up/Down keys from bash script
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Twitter client with inkface-pygame v0.2.2
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Static IP configuration on Fedora 10
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Inkface v0.2 update and automated GUI testing
Testing Android (Koolu Beta 3) on Openmoko Freerunner
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Debian repository on Google App Engine
Inkface v0.1.2, Twitter-inkface client
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XML RPC server inside apache mod_python
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Gas prices... seems like big scam
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repeat (ps | grep) = filtered top
Halo fixed on ATI Mobility Radeon 9000
Warning: const is a keyword in ANSI C


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Yoroshiku onegai shimasu (よろしくお願いします) is one of those common Japanese phrases that's well known for not having an English translation. Literally, it means "Please treat me well", and it's said when you first meet someone with whom you expect to have some kind of future relationship - a work colleague or a classmate, for example - or even when you start a new endeavour with someone whom you already know. The "Please treat me well" has an unspoken rider: "... and I will treat you well in return."
It's really a very simple and natural concept - so simple and natural in fact that across the animal kingdom you can find creatures engaged in equivalent gestures:
The strange thing isn't the existence of the phrase in Japanese, but its absence from English - or British English, at any rate. My friend Tomoko tells her (Japanese) English students to translate it as "I'll do my best in this class!", or similar. It's a welcome and intelligible sentiment - but any native Brit saying that to another Brit would appear over-earnest at best, and more likely suspected of sarcasm.
Maybe it's a generational thing? Young and young-ish Brits today don't want to be thought uptight and stuffy like their grandparents...
... but no more do they wish to let it all hang out like their parents...
... while the full-on enthusiasm of some Americans disconcerts them...
...so they are reduced to foot-shuffling inarticulacy, scared of putting their heads above the emotional parapet. And indeed that inarticulacy has become a distinct style in its own right. Hugh Grant has built a career on it.
Okay, I know I'm dealing in clichés in this post, but it's still interesting, and perhaps significant, that there seems to be no easy, unironic way to say something equivalent to yoroshiku onegai shimasu in English. Unless you know different?
( 10 comments — Leave a comment )
I don't know different. However I do sometimes worry that the full-on enthusiasm of this American may disconcert you (even though we're the same generation). *sits on hands not to add smileys* *fails* :)
Not in the least! My "some" was very deliberate. :) Also, see above about clichés...
Whew! :)
The posture of the dog communicates to me "Danger! Danger! This dog is about to leap and try to devour you!" but then most canine postures communicate that to me. I do not deal well with dogs.
Your "some Americans" is noted. And the picture you chose confirms my long-standing impression that the stereotyped image of "American" in British culture would be, as an actual American, a fictional character from Texas.
Your "some Americans" is noted. And the picture you chose confirms my long-standing impression that the stereotyped image of "American" in British culture would be, as an actual American, a fictional character from Texas.
Quite. Of course, beneath that uber-stereotype there are many sub- and sub-sub-stereotypes.
My own heritage owes more to the likes of the old Norwegian farmer of legend, who loved his wife so much, so very, very much, he almost told her.
I love that. I have to say that, much as I recognize it, it barely registers in the pantheon of American stereotypes current in the UK.
I am reminded of that passage in The Brontes Went to Woolworths in which the narrator wonders "why one mustn't say 'Pleased to meet you' when it expresses exactly what one wants to convey."
I'm afraid I can't answer that question either. In fact I often do say it. It's surely preferable to asking 'How do you do?' when you don't particularly wish to know how (or indeed whether) the other person does whatever activity that inquiry is generally considered to refer to.
Well, of course the real reason is that it's an upper-class shibboleth (or was) to refrain from saying it. Not in the US, though (at least as far as I am aware).


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DIY Sephora inspired Brush HolderWednesday, August 25, 2010
This is super simple, you'll know just how simple in a minute :-)
You will need a case: You can use any thing you like glass, plastic, whatever really. I used a plastic one just so I would have less to deal with if it ever falls.
And vase fillers: You generally want to use something small, smooth and round. I used tiny purple balls i got in a furniture store in Geneva.
Step 1:
Get your bushes ready.
Step 2:
Fill your case with your vase filler
Step 3:
Put your brushes in...
And thats it!
Easy right, I know!


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Rainbow Islands - Candyland 1.0
Once upon a time there was a happy and cheerful country named CandyLand. But then along came GLUTTIUS, the evil sorcerer. He captured the land with his witchcraft and gobbled half of its dwellers, and those who survived became his servants.
Then the villain continued his black deeds - instead of delicious sweeties and candies, he started making evil sweets for small children. These sweets made the kids lazy and naughty, eventually turning them into terrible monsters. Luckily there are noble heroes who can challenge the treacherous GLUTTIUS! You must pass through all the islands of the fairyland, get to the evil sorcerer and defeat him!
Features include:
License information: Free To Try
This download is the free trial version of Rainbow Islands - Candyland. The full version can be purchased for around $19.95 USD.
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Ah, the dresser. I have learned how to antique! Cross your fingers that it looks good in the end. I had a lot of help from the blogosphere on this one and it's helped that I have painted furniture before. So, here is the run down.
How to Distress and Antique a Dresser
1. Sand your furniture. You do not need to strip it, just rough it up. I sanded enough to get most of the shiny finish off with a medium grit paper. This took about 2 hours with the help of the husband.
2. Prime your pieces. We used the Rustoleum spray primer. I LOVE spray. We needed 2 cans. The key is to lightly apply the primer in even strokes. We have no garage so we set up the drawers on a big box in the yard and used a card board strip to keep the primer from flying. I bought masks to wear but husband decided pregnant wife should NOT be painting. It's very frusterating to do a DIY when I can't do much of it.
3. Apply a second coat of primer
4. Apply 2 coats of paint waiting 20-30 minutes between each coat. Again, I used a spray paint in satin white. NOT FLAT. Someone mentioned it would absorb too much stain and with the amount of stain the satin absorbed, I would agree. Now, I waited only 30 minutes before putting the stain on but I would give the paint at least another hour to dry a little more.
5. Distress the wood. This was way easier then I thought it would be. I took some leftover sand paper and scuffed up the corners and edges of each drawer and around the top of my cabinet. I didn't want the whole thing to look beat up, just lightly aged so I only did most corners and edges in various degrees. It took a total of 10 minutes.
Notice how I only distressed a little bit on the corners and edges
6. Stain and wipe. We are not painting experts but I think the product turned out ok. I think some of the blotchiness we got was due more to the paint not being 100% dry first than any staining technique. We chose a very small can of walnut wood stain. Brush it on very lightly, it's runny! Then wipe it off. We did this on a warm day so we gave it almost no time to sit and it still turned out a little darker than I want. So literally brush on and wipe off. Wipe EVERYTHING off that you can. We needed a lot of rags for this part. I had 6 and we still needed to run and rip up a shirt but that didn't work nearly as well as the rags. I stepped in at this point because the stain really stands out and I wanted a very even look. It says to let the stain dry for 8 hours which is why the dresser will not be finished tonight.
This is the difference between stained and not stained.
7. Wax on - Wax off. Husband took full control of this one. The wax is pretty toxic which is another reason the dresser will not be done tonight. This needs to be very dry before we bring it into the house. We decided to go with the wax instead of a polyurethane finish mainly because of a beautiful example of this project I found. They used a wax and it gave it just a beautiful finish. I am reserving the polyurethane just in case I need it on the top. I've never used wax so I don't know how it holds up. We did find a useful clip about waxing here. She reminded me (ok, I had no idea) that while it doesn't take a long time for it to dry, it does take 21 days to cure. So I will post some staging pix tomorrow, but then I will let the dresser be for a few weeks before I set anything on it. Glad we are doing this way ahead of time! I saw that you can get some waxes tinted and I wonder if you could skip the staining step if you had a tinted wax?
8. Hardware. I love our hardware so I am not changing a thing about them. Just screw them back in when finished. Voila! Finished.
Here are the products we used:


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29 January 2018
Telugu Association of London (TAL) has conducted the 6th Annual Volleyball Tournament in University of East London, Sports Dock in London on 27th January2018.
TAL has started another sporting year 2018 with the Volleyball Tournament and many more sporting events such as badminton and the prestigious TAL Premier League to follow, for Telugu people in and around London.
TAL Chairman, Sridhar Medichetty, Treasurer Sridhar Somisetty, Sports trustee Murali Thadiparthi, Trustees Mallesh Kota & Giridhar Putlur and Ex-Chairman Sridhar Vanam congratulated the winning team the Acers who excelled in their game.
The Eagles team have claimed the runners up position while Cool Cruisers stood as the 2nd runners-up team in the tournament in which more than 40 games have been played in this Championship. The tournament was played by more than 100 Telugu players in 9 teams.
TAL Sports Trustee Murali Thadiparthi has praised all players for their sportsman spirit and commitment towards the sport. He invited all players to continue their support to sport and to the community. He requested everyone to encourage kids to participate in sport and be active and healthy. Murali specially thanked the event coordinators Sunil Nagandla, Rajesh Veeramachaneni and Ravi Sabba and the volunteering team who played a key role in successfully organising the event.
On this occasion, Chairman Sridhar Medichetty invited all Telugu families living in London and Britain to join the upcoming 13th TAL Ugadi Celebrations in April. TAL Vice Chairman Sridhar Somisetty, Trustees Giridhar and Mallesh along with advisors, life members and several Telugu families have attended the tournament.
About Telugu Association of London (TAL):
Telugu Association of London (TAL) is a not-for-profit organisation first ever widely known Telugu charity in the UK (registered charity no. 1137074). TAL was formed in April 2005 with a motto of Unite, Cherish and Share Telugu Culture.
TAL organises various events throughout the year to promote the Telugu Culture:
• TAL Culture Centre (runs weekly) to provide Telugu language classes, Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance), Carnatic Vocal (Indian classical vocal), Bollywood Dance.
• TCC Children's day
• TyagarajaAaradhanotsavalu (commemorating sage poet)
• Kuchipudi Workshops
• Literary activities
As part of sports initiatives, TAL organises:
• Badminton
• Chess
• Volleyball tournament
• TAL Premier League (a 20-20 format Cricket championship)
TAL is part of Diwali in London (DIL) committee which organises Diwali Celebrations on the Trafalgar Square in London in association with the Mayor of London.
TAL has restored the memorial of Charles Philip Brown (a British born Telugu Scholar) in the Kensal Green Cemetery London, in due respect to his services and contribution to Telugu language in the 19th Century. TAL had an honour to felicitate Charles Cotton, a great grandson of Sri. Arthur Thomas Cotton. Sir Cotton was a British general in the 18th century and an engineer who devoted his life for irrigation projects that helped millions of Telugu farmers.
TAL recognises achievements of various artists, performers and exponents and brings their works to thousands of new audiences in our annual Ugadi celebrations in London.
TAL brings out a cultural souvenir "Maa Telugu" every year with works from various artists, authors, writers, scientists, professionals, students, business community etc. TAL appreciates cultural artists for their excellent work and felicitates with "Cultural Excellence Award". TAL recognises an individual's lifetime dedication to the community and contribution to the humanity and society in Britain and felicitates with TAL Life Time Achievement (LTA) award.
TAL is the biggest Telugu community organisation in the Europe in terms of organising a number of events spanning 40 weeks in a calendar year. TAL is a non-partisan, non-political community organisation that connects all Telugu speaking people in and around London.


text: Academic Convocation 2014 Celebrates Mission News Home 09.30.14 By: Mark Tarnacki From left, Very Rev. Stephen Hornat, President John Neuhauser and Karen Talentino, VPAA, listen to a speaker at Academic Convocation on Sept. 26. At the annual Academic Convocation of Saint Michael's College, September 26 in the McCarthy Arts Center Recital Hall, President Jack Neuhauser distilled the purpose and worth of a liberal arts college in clear terms: It is, he said in opening remarks, "To teach, to create new knowledge and understanding, to serve our community…[and also] the encouragement and development of young adults…[in] making sense of the world and addressing ultimate questions of meaning in our lives [while] preparing for productive careers in the wider context of service to the wider society." A series of awards, presentations and talks celebrated that mission and illustrated its good outcomes during Friday's mid-afternoon ceremony that continued a tradition begun by President Emeritus Paul Reiss in 1986. Winners of prestigious annual faculty awards for service, teaching, and scholarship/artistic achievement went, respectively, to Greta Pangborn of the computer science faculty, who received the Norbert A. Kuntz Service Award; John O'Meara of the physics faculty, who won the Scholarship and Artistic Achievement Award; and Nat Lewis of the English faculty, who received the Joanne Rathgeb Teaching Award. As has become the tradition, last year's scholarship award winner, Education Professor Mary Beth Doyle, delivered the Convocation Address, titled "Imagine: From Isolation to Belonging" about her long work for greater and more complete inclusion in our schools of students with disabilities. Distinguished alumnus Jose C. Blanco, Ph.D. '79 was inducted into the college's Alumni Academic Hall of Fame; and student, Victoria Barnum '16, secretary of academics for the Student Association, illustrated her own stories of what it looks like when the college is succeeding in its mission through the personal attention gifted Saint Michael's professors and mentors provide students. Barnum described her at-once exciting, challenging and reassuring experiences as a student with early advisers and professors like Maura D'Amore of English and Ray Patterson of Religious who took her under wing and guided her, respectively, through a challenging course on Moby Dick and the addition of a Religious Studies major to her American Studies major and Art History minor. "I have never felt lost or concerned with the academic environment at Saint Michael's," Barnum said, describing how helpful and approachable all of her professors have been. She told of her relief to find tutoring help already in place for a required mathematics course where she'd feared the worst based on high school experience—though she came through with an "A"; she also spoke of Patterson being a "floor visitor" for her first-year dorm beyond the classroom, and D'Amore's humor, cartoons and baked goods to engage students on great literature. "The time you spend with students during your office hours, at individual appointments, or even just a minute or two after class has a great impact on our success," Barnum told faculty, "and that success spreads into our other courses as well. I have never been afraid to ask for help…because it was offered even before I asked...[so] thank you for always going above and beyond." In his invocation preceding Neuhauser's and Barnum's remarks, Mathematics Professor George Ashline prayed the "prayer of Saint Francis" asking God to "make us instruments of your peace" in recognition that the Convocation fell during the Week of International Prayer and Fasting for Peace. Karen Talentino, Vice President for Academic Affairs and master of ceremonies, read the citation honoring Jose Blanco '79, this year's inductee into the college's Academic Hall of Fame. She spoke of his 35 years in academics, consultancy and financial services, including in top posts with American International Group in Europe through 1992 supervising investments in diverse areas; then earning a doctorate in economics from Utah State University with research in health economics and financial economics; teaching finance and economics at colleges in California, Ohio and Mexico; and consulting for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on improving the economics surrounding medical records and health care costs. Blanco also has an MBA and at Saint Michael's studied economics and political science, she said. In his acceptance remarks, Blanco's chief theme was gratitude—to his family, Saint Michael's basketball coaches and teammates, teachers, roommates and Edmundites. He spoke of a coach who urged players to be "a three dimensional person," developing physical, intellectual and spiritual selves. Blanco traced the ideas and thought patterns central to his later business success back to Saint Michael's days. From the college he took the lesson "that success does not define us, failure does not define us either, but having the will to continue and persevere through any impediment or obstacle is what matters," he said, concluding that "there are days in life that are so good, it's as if God has just handed us a little piece of heaven…today is one of those days." Neuhauser and Talentino next presented the major faculty awards: Greta Pangborn, the Norbert Kuntz Service Award winner, "assiduously avoids the limelight," Talentino said, yet contributes with selfless generosity to faculty governance, including work with the Faculty Welfare and Development Committees, Educational Technology Committee (chair), Enrollment Management Task Force and Management Committee, and she has "legendary status" as Faculty Assembly secretary, producing amazingly clear minutes of complex meetings. Talentino also noted the personal touch that Pangborn brings to teaching, making her loved by students with whom she often travels to conferences; also, she advises students in four challenging degree programs. John O'Meara, the Scholarship and Artistic Achievement Award winner, was cited for being a "very productive scholar" in experimental cosmology, working around the world at prestigious observatories, publishing often in top science journals and continually scoring large grants to fund his work; but he also has "a tremendous gift for explaining his research" so students and the public can understand and has made frequent media appearances with well-known outlets to do so, Talentino said. She said Nat Lewis, winner of the Rathgeb Teaching Award, was long overdue for recognition. He holds student to rigorous standards for critical thinking, reading and writing, and treats students "as adult learners…with instructive care and conscious dignity," she said, noting that a colleague's observation that he "makes the difficult look easy" in the way he might masterfully weave pop culture into "heady conversations about style, and content" or terms like "reality and truth." His teaching is "sometimes funny, always generous and attuned to keeping everyone in the discussion," she said, which gives a Lewis a reputation as "a model of intellectual rigor" while being a "really cool dude"—inspiring students to emulate his best qualities. In her convocation address, Mary Beth Doyle used slides of students she has worked with through years of advocating for greater classroom inclusion of students with disabilities, offering the prime example of people with Down syndrome who now expect and receive meaningful educational experiences compared to 50 years ago—not because they have changed but "because the attitudes and expectations of people in power, that is, people without disabilities, have changed"—as they must continue to do across the broad range of disabilities, she feels. "My work is built on the premise that…torture is not an effective strategy when teaching our most vulnerable children and youth," she said, citing many inhumane methods still legally applied to people with severe disabilities in the U.S. today. She took the audience through specific examples of students she's known, saying how one taught her that "middle schoolers mirror the behaviors of adults in their lives—if adults are kind, thoughtful and inclusive, so too are the children." After her moving series of real-life cases, she concluded, "this work has been painstakingly slow. People with intellectual disabilities are the only group of people that continues to experience rampant prejudice and discrimination." So her work is not done yet, said Doyle, who ended voicing hope that "one day Saint Michael's will be able to say...we're an inclusive community." Retiring professors honored with promotion to emeritus status and honorary citations: Edmundite Father Joseph McLaughlin, Religious Studies. His citation recognized his work since 1978 in both religious studies and history along with his commitment to social justice and a love of Ireland that he brought to his varied courses; his published scholarship on local history, the Society of Saint Edmund and other Catholic topics; his service as a trustee, as Superior General, for the local water district; and for his priestly ministry. Carey Kaplan, English, for her 40 years as a leader in the scholarly exploration of women's issues alongside activism in that area; as well as her grace, style, humor ("a sharp wit that never cuts") and impressive seriously scholarship across a broad range in her field. The citation noted the students and colleagues who flocked to her office for wisdom empathy (and chocolates) because they appreciated "her conviction that inhabiting fully the worlds of language and ideas is a deep and enriching pleasure." Birger Benson of the Business Administration and Accounting department. His citation noted the "remarkable" breadth and variety of his career prior to or alongside his 35 years at Saint Michael's: Harvard MBA, entrepreneur, business consultant, Army Ranger/platoon leader, military science professor. He set high standards for himself and students and built durable bonds with students, the citation noted. Dennis Voigt, also of Business Administration and Accounting. He was cited for his humble and unassuming ways, but also leadership on key College initiatives such as panels on pensions and retirement, and on adapting the "4-4" curriculum. He also was known as a thoughtful, attentive and responsive teacher, his citation stated and was a successful business consultant. The Very Rev. Stephen Hornat, SSE '72, Superior General of the Society of Saint Edmund, gave the benediction, and a reception followed in the Teaching Gardens. Additionally, on Monday, September 29, the College had a special celebration of the Feast Day of Saint Michael with Mass followed by a cookout and live music on the lawn in front of the Chapel.


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The alphabet starts with "A" you say (Yes, I can rhyme)? Well, mine starts with "B", and B is for Budget!
Yesterday, when we started this series, I told you that you needed a good "Why" before you could get into the "How". Well, today is when I'll begin spelling out how to gain your financial independence, and a well thought out, well managed personal/family budget is the cornerstone of your "How". You cannot succeed without it. This one is going to be a bit of a "Doozy", so bear with me. It's the most important thing you're going to do in your financial life, if you want to win with money.
Let me begin with some background. I'm 34, married with a nearly 3 year old daughter, and became completely debt free, including my home, by the age of 32. You might think that's pretty impressive, but the only thing that I can think of sometimes is that I wish I knew what I know now, so that I could have started developing good habits sooner, and dug out from the debt quicker. It took my wife and I 5 years and 9 months to pay off $136,086.65. Yes, I have it down to the penny. Remember what I said yesterday about intense action? Well, intense action really doesn't work without a goal. And our goal was that number. We HATED that number, and we wanted to KILL it. But, I digress. The point here, is that if we would have gotten started sooner, and been more serious about it sooner, we probably would have been able to shave off about 9 months to a year. What did we not really do well at the beginning? We were TERRIBLE at budgeting.
The Budget
Ahh, the budget… most people dread it. I know that we did. In fact, we put it off for the first year of our marriage, and our financial journey (As well as combining our checking accounts. We'll get to that in another blog). "It'll be so boring", we said. "It'll be so constrictive", we said. The truth? It was the most freeing part of the process, and allowed us to really turbo-charge our plan, and get things done quicker. It actually made the process fun, because we could see exactly how our money was working for us.
That brings up a good point: A good budget puts all of your dollars and cents to work for you rather than against you. Have you ever felt that way? Not known how you were going to pay your bills? Almost every U.S. citizen will feel that pain at some point in their lives. It's nearly inevitable, even for the wealthiest among us. The point is that if you don't spend your money wisely, no matter who you are or what level of wealth you have, unless you have a solid budget plan in place, NOTHING matters. The budget tells your dollars what to do, rather than having to chase them all the time because they're misbehaving and disappearing. Get it? The main thing I want to get across here is this: As with any goal in life, YOU are your own biggest hurdle.
Building momentum is key. What part of the journey to the moon uses up most of the fuel? The blast off from earth. The rest is far less energy intensive in comparison. Budgeting is no different!
How Do I Do It?
Ok, enough of me preaching. I think you get the point. Budget = Good. No budget = Bad. So, you might ask, how do I get started and what process do you recommend? First of all, if you're like me, you hate writing things down on paper. I always lose, accidentally destroy, or forget about paper. It never ceases to amaze me. The good news? You don't need to keep a paper budget! My family uses www.EveryDollar.com. It's free, simple to use, easily editable, and has free apps for your Android or Apple device as well! FYI, there is a pay version that links to your bank accounts for ease of use, as well, but we don't use it.
Below are screenshots of my personal EveryDollar budget for the month of February. A modest month for us, but you'll get the point. It allows you to keep track of all of your income, as well as your outlays for charitable giving (We, sadly didn't give a lot in February. We do most of it at the end of the year), savings, household expenses, travel expenses, debt, and literally anything that you can think of. It's completely editable, and can be used as a template for the next month. I could teach you to do it step by step, but if you go to their website, they'll show you all of the nuts and bolts. I don't want to get into the weeds of teaching you someone else's software, when they're perfectly capable themselves. What I want to accomplish is to teach you the important process that goes INTO budgeting, and I'll do that below.
So, what's the important stuff when it comes to budgeting?
It takes a bit of effort at first – Much like any skill you wish to develop, this will be HARD at first. It's not native to you. You've never done it before. Remember when you learned to ride a bike? Pain and frustration came before the reward of cruising down the street under your own power. Budgeting is no different. If you work at it for about three months, it will become second nature.
Speaking of effort – Here's what you should focus your energy on:
- Have a budget planning session around 3-7 days before each month begins, and again around half way through the month to assess where you're at. Adjust in the middle of the month if you need to. If you're married, make sure your spouse is a part of this process. It WILL NOT WORK. if you're not both on the same page.
- Make sure you input EVERYTHING that you spend money on. Haircuts, clothes, groceries, gas for your car, nights out, THE WORKS.
- After you write down what you THINK you spend, TRACK what you ACTUALLY spend for a month or two (And forever after that). The results will probably shock you at first. That Starbucks coffee every morning, the weekly night out, those cigarettes, lunch because you were too lazy to pack instead? All of those are costing you a fortune!
- After you figure out what you ACTUALLY spend, put a plan together to reduce spending in categories that you spend too much on, and add to categories that will actually help you in your finances (Stuff like paying extra on debt, for instance).
Within a few months of diligently tracking this stuff, you should be a pro! You're ready to really start crushing that financial plan!
That wraps it up for today. Make sure you come back for tomorrow's blog, where we'll continue to work on the basics of your "How".
Any tips for your fellow readers about budgeting? Questions for me? Comment below!
Are you excited about starting your journey to financial independence? Share this post with the people you care about!


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This series of columns, titled The Journey, will highlight stories and memories from college baseball players across the United States.
Written by Colby Morris and Sam Graf, Middlebury College
One of the major differences between Division I and Division III baseball is the required time commitment. During the season, regardless of division, teams spend around 35 hours per week on baseball activities including travel, but out of season, we see a large difference in what is asked of us. While official team activities may not consume an equal portion of a student-athlete's day in the lower division, many players take it upon themselves, either through necessity or love of the game, to work equally hard as teams in the top division of college baseball to satisfy the part of their identity that they associate with athletics. What is difficult for athletes at Middlebury College, a private liberal arts college in the academically oriented NESCAC conference, is that most students are expected to study abroad, either from social norms or academic requirements. For myself, a junior starting right-handed pitcher and captain on our baseball team, and our starting junior left fielder Sam Graf, we needed to find ways to continue our time commitment to our beloved sport while studying in different countries in the fall.
I studied this fall in London, England as a requirement for my chosen major, International Politics and Economics, and was pretty uncomfortable with the thought of getting both out of physical and baseball shape. Staying in physical shape was easy as I was able to join a local gym, although seeing the weights marked by kilograms instead of pounds took some getting used to. My college coach instructed me to begin my throwing program in the middle of October after enduring a tough season on my arm in 2017, accumulating over 100 innings through my college and summer baseball seasons. In preparation for studying abroad and throwing in an area where the most popular throwing sport is cricket, I brought along a bag of Driveline plyocare balls (essentially rubberized weighted baseballs). While I also had some baseballs and an extra glove to throw with my roommate, a high school baseball teammate, the majority of my throwing sessions would be conducted in a dog park near my 'flat' or apartment, off of a chain-link fence that surrounded a cement soccer field.
Without a regular throwing partner, the vast majority of these throwing sessions were conducted by throwing rubber baseballs off of the fence and dodging them after release to not get hit on the ricochet. The throwing program normally calls for doing the warm up, velocity work, which consisted of throwing the plyocare balls off of fences, and then continuing into long tossing and a normal throwing routine. I was able to accomplish the first part of that sequence easily, but instead of long tossing, I needed to use the 150-gram ball as a baseball (0.3 ounces heavier than a normal baseball), throwing it over 50 times off of the fence, running and retrieving it, in any given session.
When rain wouldn't allow me to go outside I would prop my mattress up on my wall and do my normal plyocare routine, ignoring the complaints of excessive banging from my neighbors (the cold was no issue as it only got as low as 35 degrees and that feels warm to somebody who goes to school regularly in Vermont). When the park's grass was too muddy to throw on, I would throw into the fence from the cement side, often dodging soccer balls shot by ten-year-old kids. My throwing schedule started at three days per week per the Driveline offseason throwing program, progressing to four days per week as the semester continued, and I usually got my sessions in during the mornings before class.
As is the norm with going abroad, my friends and I wanted to travel, but since we went on our trips over the weekends and the cheap airlines wouldn't allow my bags to be weighed down by the plyocare balls, I needed to get my throwing in before travelling. Most of our flights were in the wee hours of the morning, so on travel days I would wake up before 6:00 AM to go throw in the pitch black of the dewy park. I would walk past meat trucks unloading at restaurants, taxi drivers sitting in their cars and reading the paper, and they would see a kid in a Middlebury Baseball sweatshirt, sweatpants, and used soccer cleats, carrying a drawstring bag of rubber baseballs and a beat up baseball glove.
I got some pretty weird comments throughout my hours spent in dog parks. People asked why I was throwing the cricket balls weirdly, or what sport I was playing, or if I was trying to break the fence, and I'd like to think I educated some of them on what baseball was, even though it didn't look like I was playing the sport. Usually throwing is something I look forward to, but by the end of my time in London, I couldn't wait to stop dodging the balls after I released them. I was able to throw a few times with an outfielder for Macalester College in Minnesota, Sam Goldberg, who went through a nearly identical semester to mine, but due to how far apart we lived in the city and the expensive prices on the tube, we were forced to simply talk to each other about how awful throwing alone off of fences without a target was, rather than playing catch with each other on a regular basis. Even though the experience was trying and made me evaluate how much I cared about baseball, the end result was that I still found a way to dedicate a similar amount of hours to baseball so far from where I play. And it should all be worth it when opening day rolls around.
My good friend and college teammate, Sam Graf, studied in Chile and had a hitter's version of my story. Here is his take on what he did while studying in South America, far away from the baseball-crazed areas of the continent to the North…
While abroad, I didn't have a baseball bat so I tried to get work in in more unorthodox ways. In addition to using plyocare balls and throwing a baseball into a mattress hung from a tree, I took dry swings using a variety of sticks that I found (Unfortunately, I couldn't travel to Chile with actual weighted bats). The idea was to gain bat speed and to improve my swing pattern using weighted implements. I chose to use sticks from a variety of research I did that suggested weighted bats are beneficial to the swing. And despite my analytical and systematic discussion of the sticks, the picture shows how primitive and branch-like they actually were.
The goal behind weighted bats is to challenge the central nervous system (CNS). By swinging and hitting with different weights, the CNS is forced to accommodate new sensory information, and a new movement plan is created to accomplish this task (hitting a baseball), leading to growth in the swing. Ideally this transfers to the game level in the different pitches thrown at you; from different arm slots, in a different stadium, etc….it's a lot to take in.
Studies suggest that weighted bat training is only beneficial at +/-20 percent of the in-game bat weight. It's thought that this is because of the principle of specificity and overload, where specificity and overload are placed on opposite ends of a spectrum. Hitting a baseball (a specific task) is on one side with weightlifting (overload) is on the other. Both are extremely useful for hitting. Weighted bats offer a part both for overload and specificity. However, a more extreme bat (greater than +/- 20% in-game weight) is not specific enough to a real hitting weight, and so their effects don't transfer well. It's not that they're useless, just that their transfer of training is not guaranteed.


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13.2 Yards Designer Cotton Upholstery Fabric in Cloud. This high end woven upholstery weight fabric is suited for uses requiring a more durable designer fabric. Uses include any upholstery project, sofas, chairs, dining chairs, pillows, certain types of window treatments, handbags and craft projects.
- Fiber Content: 80% Cotton 20% Polyester
- Width: 55" (inches)
- Note: the price is for the entire yardage in this listing


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Crushed Guava Leaves
Crushed Guava Leaves is a performance primer borne out of my memories, dreams, encounters, conversations, experiences and observations. All primed to be performed and interpreted through sound and movement, on stage and on film. Each piece ranges in heft and weight, from detailed recountings to fleeting impressions. Yet all invite reflection on the canon of performance art – on what can be performed and what is valuable material for cultural performance. Crushed Guava Leaves is an invitation to immerse in an evocative textual and aural landscape inspired by my remembrances.
Crushed Guava Leaves can be purchased at McNally Jackson, Oof Books and ICA London


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Some of our most precious memories and experiences are captured in video and photography. Fortunately for those looking to share these memories or for others looking for backups, our team is more than capable of helping!
With our years of experience in both printing and in file duplication, our team can deliver a quick and seamless service leaving your precious files and videos in capable hands! Come speak to one of our residential CD and DVD duplication experts and know that your precious memories will live on well into the future!


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Kapil Sharma & Sunil Grover fight is not going to resolve any time soon. Raju Srivastav which acts as a replacement of Sunil in the show seems of no use. He even tried to resolve things between Kapil & Sunil but none worked out.
Raju went to talk to Sunil in his vanity where he was shooting for Indian Idol grand finale. Raju Srivastav told the media that:
I met Sunil last week when he was shooting for Indian idol right next to where we were shooting for our show.i went into his vanity van and tried convincing him.
He even added that Sunil told him:
Raju bhai, I don't want publicity out of this or wish to sound arrogant, but there have been many instances when I have been offended. This time, all limits were crossed. He [Kapil] may have apologised, but I won't return to the show.


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Wood Group has combined with Amec Foster Wheeler to form a new global leader in the delivery of project, engineering and technical services to energy and industrial markets. To find out more about Wood visit our new website at www.woodplc.com
We were the EPCm contractor for the monoethylene glycol (MEG) facility on Jurong Island, Singapore, art of Shell's Eastern Petrochemicals Complex, and for the related modifications at Shell's PulauBukom refinery. We also developed the front end engineering design (FEED) for both of these elements.
Successfully commissioned and in production in November 2009, the 750,000 tonnes per annum plant is one of the largest MEG plants in the world and, as the largest MEG plant using Shell's OMEGA
technology, it is a flagship project for Shell flagship project for Shell, it was successfully commissioned in November 2009. The 750,000 ton per annum plant is one of the largest MEG plants in the world and uses Shell's OMEGA technology. Our HSE performance was recongized with the presentation of a Safety and Health Award presented by the Workplace Safety & Health Council in collaboration with Singapore's Ministry of Manpower.
Despite a challenging schedule and compressed timelines our focus on early procurement and teamwork was pivotal to the success of completing this ground-breaking project, safely and on time.
|Jurong Island, Singapore
|Shell Eastern Petroleum Limited
|Engineering, procurement, and construction management


text: Out friends over at MacStories celebrate two years of their Club MacStories. This members area gives access to exclusive MacStories content with weekly and monthly newsletters and more. It's a great way to support MacStories — and for a limited time also to get some great software for a good price. The deals are available until tomorrow, September 30th, so it's still to sign up!


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Creating futures together
At Algester School homework is set for Prep - Year 6. There is no formal homework for Prep. The nature and format of the homework is decided by the class teacher and takes into consideration the needs of the class and the current classroom activities and areas of study.
Teachers may choose to set homework at the beginning of the week to be completed by the end of the week, or some each night, which is handed in the following morning, or a system that includes aspects of both these approaches. The setting of homework will not be used as a punishment. The time children should spend on homework is as follows:
Prep Year - Take home readers and sight words from Term 2
Years 1-3 - Generally not more than one (1) hour each week
Years 4-5 - Generally not more than 2-3 hours each week
Year 6 - Generally not more than 3-4 hours each week
Families have an important role to play in supporting children in their homework tasks. For our younger students, it is important that parents get involved by reading books to them and encouraging them in a range of activities. For the older students, parents can help them balance the amount of time spent completing homework, watching television, playing sport and doing part-time work.
© The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2019


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- Walking Distance to Northwich Railway Station
- Open Plan Lounge & Kitchen
- Energy Rating D
- Spacious Living Accommodation
- Allocated Car Parking
- Newly modernised family home
- Two double bedrooms
- Energy rating D
- Ensuite to the master bedroom
- Large rear garden
our Northwich branch
With a wealth of experience within the local property market, we at Swetenhams, Northwich pride ourselves on our proactive, professional and friendly approach.
We have an excellent team of property professionals waiting to help with your buying, selling, renting and mortgage needs. The office is led ... by Branch Manager Joanna Bradford who has over 18 years of experience in the Northwich property industry and she is supported by an equally experienced and motivated team with Gary May, Mortgage Manager and Tom Fleet our dedicated Sales Negotiator. We offer FREE property valuations so why wait? Call NOW and arrange for us to come out and value your property! To enhance the sale of your property we offer professional photographs, floor plans and video tours. Our Mortgage Consultant is also on hand to help you with your move.
We sell property in and around Northwich and its surrounding areas including: Hartford, Davenham, Weaverham, Rudheath, Barnton, Marston, Leigh, Comberbach, Great Budworth, Sandiway and Cuddington to name a few! Call us today whether you are considering selling or renting!
The Lettings Manager is Melissa Colling who is supported by Georgia Stokes who both strive to provide the best possible letting and property management experience for both tenants and landlords.
why choose us?
- A proactive team of property professionals ready to sell or rent your home
- Open 6 days a week and open until 6pm Monday to Friday - Saturdays 9am-4pm.
- We advertise on both Rightmove and Zoopla!
- A large prominent window display in the centre of Northwich
- We offer professional photography, floorplans and audio tours
- We can arrange your sale, house purchase, mortgage, conveyancing and also able to find you a house to rent all in one convenient place!
- We offer independent reference service and carry out proper credit checks.
Melissa is the Lettings Manager of both the Northwich and Winsford branches and has worked in the...
Tom Fleet is our highly motivated Sales Negotiator in the Northwich Branch and loves nothing more...
find us
wanted properties
do you have a property that matches any of our wanted ads?get in touch
Mr and Mrs R are looking for a 4/5 bedroom property in Hartford or Cuddington. They are looking to spend up to £1500 pcm and hope to move in the end of March.
Mr H is looking for a 1 bedroom house or flat up to £450 pcm. He is looking for a long term tenancy.
2/3 Bedroom house with off road parking up to £150,000 in Rudheath, Leftwich and Weaverham areas. First Time Buyers ready and waiting to move!!
2 bed terraced needed in Rudheath and Castle areas. Buyers waiting.
Looking for a minimum 2 bed property in the Barnton area. First time buyer. Budget up to £110,000.
We have applicants looking for 4/5 bed houses in Kingsmead between £375-400,000.
I had a very good experience from start to finish with Swetenhams letting agency in Northwich . When I asked to view some properties. Especially from Georgia she took me round 2 properties which she was very informative about. When i asked any questions she gave me the answers and if not know them came back to me asap. Georgia managed to look after everything i required. They were very quick in getting things done i was in within a week. Overall I would recommend this Letting Agency to anyone.
The staff were friendly, helpful and efficient which meant that the contract was arranged and signed very quickly.
Very happy with the team, from the local agents to the head office worked together. Thankyou Mellisa for your hard work. Thank you.
Great friendly service, would definitely use again.
The letting team were excellent and found me suitable tenants. They were always easily contactable and kept me informed throughout the process. Highly recommended.
Very professional, always kept me up to date and informed on progress.
Tom & Melissa were both an absolute pleasure to work with when moving to the area. They made the whole experience as smooth as possible and have also stayed in touch to make sure everything is ok after moving in.
I have used many estate agents over the years in Northwich not without one problem or another it has to be said. Swetenhams however found me a tenant swiftly and efficiently with effective communication all along the process.
Very friendly and always ready to help me with anything i needed. Even after the deal was done I'm still getting emails asking how i am and if i need anything else from them. Five stars i say
Good news, thanks so much for all of your efforts. Really pleased we have got it tenanted within the month!
Thank you. Gary was fantastic! Really helpful and showed us lots of info. We know how much we can lend and know how much we would be happy to spend on a mortgage a month to know we can still 'live our lives'. Extremely happy with the meeting we had with him. Hopefully we can get in with him this weekend to get the ball rolling with Townfield Lane should our offer be accepted. Watching my inbox like a hawk. Thank you.
We would just like to pass on our sincere thanks to Ambia and the Sales team at Swetenhams, Northwich branch. They have been a pleasure to deal with and have been extremely professional and diligent in their approach to ensuring the sale completed. We would highly recommend them .
Hi, my partner and I were recently shown around a property by a young lady Sophie, who we must say what a charming, polite and professional young woman she was, she didn't only have to cope with us turning up late for the viewing, she also had an other couple viewing the property at the same time, she is a credit to your company.
I would like to advise you of the hard work of one of your staff members, Lee Davies. I would like to say a big thank you to him for his perseverance and patience whilst dealing with the very difficult house sale and purchase. He was able to sort out the many problems we had. I never thought I would see the day that it was all sorted out and we had finally exchanged and Lee helped to make that happen. Thanks
Jenny and her team at Swetenhams have provided excellent service in finding a tenant. She gave us good quality advice which demonstrated her knowledge of the lettings market and was flexible in dealing with our requests. A tenant was found promptly and the administration carried out without any fuss.
Jenny Goulding has been managing my property for several year's through Swetenhams, I am very happy with the service they provide. She looks after all aspects so I never have to worry about a thing, she always goes above and beyond the call of duty to sort out any issues including working when it's her time off to make sure paperwork is in order. I am happy to recommend her to anyone and think every landlord 'needs a Jenny'.
Hi Jenny We just wanted to say a big thank you for all your hard work in letting our flat out recently. You kept us full informed after each viewing and it didn't take long before we had a good tenant with a long lease. You made the whole process quite painless! Thanks again and we will be back to use your services again.
On behalf of myself and my husband Jamie I would like to say a very big thank you to Jenny Goulding for the fabulous service we have received over the past few years in buying houses, getting them rented and managed. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Jenny and any issues with the tenants are always dealt with in a professional manner. Whenever we have asked for advice Jenny is always the voice of reason! We are very glad that we have someone trustworthy to take care of our properties.
Hi Jenny Just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you very much for handling the rentals of our latest two Northwich properties - Flat 6 and Flat 9 Hickson Court. We were delighted with the speed and efficiency you provided in finding us the tenants and welcomed your advice and expertise during the process. To have let both properties out within a two weeks of them going live was great news and gave us confidence in the investments.
Hi Shelia, thanks for all you help on this, so glad I went with Swetenhams! :-)
Dear Paula, I hope you are well, It has been an absolute pleasure working with yourself, Jenny and Lee in relation to the letting of these properties and continues to be a pleasure working with Shelia on the sale of apartment 3 and 5. We have had difficulties with agents in your area in the past, hence the switch to yourselves and a good thing we did too! I very much look forward to working with you all again and hope we get some more properties in your area soon.
Hi Sheila, Just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you very much for handling the purchases of our latest two Northwich properties - Flat 6 and Flat 9 Hickson Court. We were delighted with the support you provided us and welcomed your advice and expertise during the process. As a go between with the seller, us and both sets of solicitors you were really valued! We feel confident that we have made two excellent property investments for the future.
Hi Paula, Just a few words to say we were satisfied with the service we had from you. We have settled in and are happy with everything.Thank you for your help.
Hi Paula, I was very pleased with the service I received from Swetenhams. Very thorough and really appreciate being kept up to date. Also really appreciated the odd things of taking readings / popping back to property when required. All in all very happy with tenants and service from Paula/Swetenhams, so thank you!
Dear Paula, Regarding the service we received from you we would comment that we were very impressed with the efficiency, helpfulness and excellent way that you took us through the procedure and right through to us receiving the keys we felt we were in very good hands. Thanks again for all your help.
Many thanks for your wonderful service throughout our house let. Both our new and old tenants are also very happy with how smooth it has proceeded. We particularly appreciated your experience and judgement in assessing the potential tenants.


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Emily Yu
Emily Yu graduated from the Design Department of Architecture, University of Houston, has 15 years of experience serving Las Vegas real estate. Specializes in buying, selling and renting housing management. Emily is fluent in English, Mandarin and Taiwanese. Real estate sale after Emily, unambiguous, she would explain to you to protect your rights and protect your interests. Careful not to exaggerate the attitude of the city, so that each guests have become friends, and each friend is guests forever, this is the best proof!


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|Beast, The Intermark
New A La Carte Lunch Menu at Beast
Words by Monica Clear
Photos by Kristin Cosgrove
|Dining Room and Bar at Beast
Walking past the oversized and staggered neon letters spelling out the name B-E-A-S-T, you sense you are entering less a restaurant for your next meal, and more a location for a Hollywood movie set.
Inside, there are stage lights, atmospheric background music, and a walk-in wine cellar. There is a private function room with large, upright chairs around a rectangular table and a grand piano. And now, there is a new bar and grill a la carte menu for lunch, with Starters, Mains, and Desserts.
Part of The BIG Group which includes restaurants, cafes, bars, retail food stores, and a concept supermarket, BEAST prides itself on high quality steaks from grass-fed cows, as well as signature burgers, and other decadent comfort foods with a sophisticated twist (we will get to the Truffle Mac-n-Cheese in just a bit!).
|Roasted Cauliflower Soup (left), Miso Dressed Portobello Mushroom Salad (right)
We began with a variety of Starters, served family-style. The soup was a rich and buttery Roasted Cauliflower served with toasted herbal focaccia bread, just the right texture to sip slowly and indulge.
|Calamari Salad, Beef Carpaccio
Next, we sampled the Miso Dressed Portobello Mushroom Salad, with giant slices of glistening Portobello mushrooms stacked one on top of another over a bed of wild rice: a tasty, hearty starter for any mushroom lover out there.
The Spicy Calamansi Beer Battered Calamari Salad will make you tongue-tied when trying to order, but well worth the blush. Calamansi is a well-known local fruit used in many Southeast Asian dishes, particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia. It resembles a small mandarin when fully ripe, but the flesh is quite sour. In this dish, the calamari tasted fresh, was a generous size, heavily battered with a slight spicy kick, and orange-golden in color.
Moving on to the Thinly Sliced Beef Carpaccio with Arugula Salad, we each sampled the delicate and paper-thin slice of fresh and delicious meat, looking forward to more of BEAST's specialty during the Mains.
|Escargot in Flaky Puff Pastry
When the Escargot Wrapped in Flaky Puff Pastry with Buttery Parsley Sauce was passed to me, I paused to appreciate the impressively high and round pastry the snail was encased in, rather than its own shell. The first bite was surprisingly pleasing – flaky buttery pastry on the outside and soft texture on the inside; the escargot produced a perfect melt-in-your-mouth sensation, and the combination resulted in an indulgent and courageous Starter success.
|Hot Smoked Salmon Salad
From start to finish, the final appetizer was a multi-sensory experience and my favorite beginning dish. The Hot Smoked Salmon Salad with Tangy Korean Dressing and Fresh Salmon Roe was placed on the table in a large round dish, with a tall, cylindrical glass dome sitting over the salmon steak, encapsulating the smoke swirling inside. The second the server lifted the dome up and over our heads, the smell of a wood-burning stove overtook the room and I was brought back to a cold winter day in Maine. The salmon itself was fresh, flaky and juicy, and a perfect combination with the pungent fish roe and dressing.
|Truffle Mac N Cheese
The Mains stepped it up a notch, beginning with Truffle Mac 'n' Cheese. This is not your grandmother's recipe. Served in a black iron cast crock-pot, with roasted cheese and breadcrumbs on top, this dish was simply delicious. The subtle but present taste of truffles gave it a flavor like no other mac –n-cheese I've eaten, and I mentally bookmarked a "must-return when craving comfort food" note-to-self.
Not to be outdone, the Half-a-Lobster Pappardelle was visually impressive in a large, deep pasta bowl piled high with half shelled lobster chunks and wide, flat noodles. Tossed in a rich lobster bisque reduction sauce, the seafood was fresh and savory, and the serving size impressive.
|Cod with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Onto the mainstay of BEAST, the Pan Seared Grass-Fed
Tenderloin was a delightful cut of meat cooked to perfection. Encircled in a ring of mashed potatoes and gravy, and served with three small roasted shallots, this was a top quality steak that did not disappoint in any way. I prefer my mashed potatoes a bit more fluffy and less starchy, but that would not preclude me from indulging in this tenderloin again.
Tenderloin was a delightful cut of meat cooked to perfection. Encircled in a ring of mashed potatoes and gravy, and served with three small roasted shallots, this was a top quality steak that did not disappoint in any way. I prefer my mashed potatoes a bit more fluffy and less starchy, but that would not preclude me from indulging in this tenderloin again.
The final three Mains – Roasted Miso Cod, Six Hours Sous Vide Grilled Rack of Lamb ("under vacuum"; a method of cooking by sealing meat in a bag and dipping it in a water or steam bath to cook evenly and retain moisture), and Quarter Roasted Beer Brined Chicken were equally delicious, depending on your preferences. The Cod was served with a savory pumpkin cream sauce; the lamb, a touch of rosemary and lemongrass on a bed of wild rice with cauliflower; and the roasted chicken, tender with a slightly sour but savory au jus.
True to the consistent quality served with boldness and style, each Dessert was made to linger over and delight in, bite after bite.
The Dark Chocolate Fondant Filled with Peanut Butter was expectedly divine, with an egg-shaped dome of ice cream atop a crispy lattice of chocolate, decorating the warm and oozing molten lava decadence of cake underneath. If you have never tasted fondant, this would be the one to try, although others may pale in comparison from then on.
|Pavlova with Fresh Seasoned Fruits
Next we tried the Pavlova with Fresh Seasoned Fruits. A meringue-based dessert with a soft inside and brittle outside, this delight was decorated with fresh fruit, vibrant flowers, and a custardy topping.
|Passionfruit and Mango Trifle
|Dark Choco Fondant
with Peanut Butter
All jackfruit and mango lovers should try the Tangy Passion Fruit and Mango Trifle with Tropical Accents. Served in a stem-less wine glass with multiple fruits and cream, this dessert was light and sweet, and serves as a nice palette cleanser.
Lastly we dipped our spoons into the high-tiered, multiple-layered Beasty Tiramisu. The most creative tiramisu I've ever seen, I understand why it is has the namesake of the restaurant — it is a one of a kind dessert. With a combination of coffee, ladyfingers, cocoa, and mascarpone cheese, this classic Italian dessert has fans all over the world. The Beasty version – with its extravagant translation from a compact layer cake to a flamboyant dessert– will win you over as well.
As if to reinforce the flair of the food, at some point towards the end of our menu sampling, two dashing young acrobats appeared from the kitchen and entertained us with a mix of hip hop dancing, gymnastics, and mime acting around the table. Just like the cuisine at BEAST, memorable is the word that comes to mind. As if following the final act of a stellar performance, I wanted to give a standing ovation — to the dancers, to the hostess, to the chef, and of course, to the BEAST.
Reason to visit: new a la carte lunch menu, stylish décor and service, Truffle Mac 'n' Cheese, Half-a-Lobster Pappardelle, Dark Chocolate Fondant Filled with Peanut Butter
Ground Floor, The Intermark
Jalan Tun Razak
50450 Kuala Lumpur
+6 03 2163 5732


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I saw my lovely cousin Macey (10) last week and she is creating this magnificent group of little friends, all with names and varying outfits, sometimes with occupations noted on the back. The game: spot the bunny, spot all red tops and blue trousers, spot twins, spot blushed cheeks, etc. they remind me of my swimmers (see blog entry 22 Sept)
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China's leadership is now promising blue skies ahead in a popular move to address an issue that has given rise to public protests across the country against the industrial smog that blights so many of its cities. The solution to a pressing economic problem is now linked to an emotive, popular issue.
The pollution is the result of coal burning by China's industrial sector, a sector weighed down by excess capacity and debt — which threatens the country's economic survival. The Chinese government needs this sector to cut debt and capacity, but it has encountered resistance from local governments and vested interests. Concerns about the environment have been used before by the central government as a tool to push through change. Now Beijing appears to be leading with them.