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SUU NOTEBOOK: Special teams keep SUU in game - for a while
Written by
Tom Zulewski
Miller was one of the few bright spots Thursday as the T-Birds dropped a 34-3 decision to Utah State at Romney Stadium. In his nine punts, Miller averaged 44.7 yards and forced the Aggies to start inside their 20 four times, including twice from inside the 5-yard line.
But USU emerged from the shadow of its own goalline on each of those occasions and marched into the SUU end zone, once on a 48-yard Chuckie Keeton touchdown pass to Chuck Jacobs to finish off a 98-yard drive, and Joe Hill had the first of his three TD runs from 27 yards out late in the first quarter to complete the surge that put the Aggies firmly in control the rest of the way.
BROTHERLY LOVE: SUU defensive lineman Cody Larsen finally got his chance to play on opposite sides against his younger brother, Utah State junior center Tyler Larsen. The pair didn't knock heads very often during the game, and Cody admitted to being humbled when in his brother's presence after the game.
"I couldn't look at him, or I would have started smiling and laughing," Cody Larsen said. "I treated him like he was just another player and played that way."
As for their mother, Barbara Larsen — who wore a tie-dyed shirt split evenly between SUU and USU school colors but sat on the USU side of the field — is happy the whole experience came to a positive end.
"They both had a great game, and that's all I wanted," Barbara Larsen said. "It was fun to watch, but I'm glad it's over. It was hard to watch. I thought 'should I go back and forth?'"
TURNOVER BATTLE WON: Even with the blowout loss, the SUU defense forced a pair of turnovers, free safety Tommy Collett's first career interception and a fumble recovery from linebacker Namar Flentroy. The only turnover forced by the Aggies was La'Brad Harold's interception of a Brad Sorensen pass on the game's final play.
The plus-1 in the turnover margin is a definite positive T-Bird head coach Ed Lamb will take forward as he gets his team ready for an even tougher test next week at California.
"That's something we work very hard on," Lamb said. "The players should continue to take pride in that, and it's one positive we definitely needed from this game."
WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME: Even when there was a ray of hope for the T-Birds, the Aggies were there to pounce and snuff out any signs of a change in momentum. Late in the third quarter, a muffed punt off the foot of Chuck Jacobs caromed forward several yards, but Frankie Sutera was on the spot and fell on the loose ball first at the T-Bird 39.
Hill would strike again with his third TD of the game, a 33-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter, and the Aggies had the game firmly in its corner.


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Ceramics is housed in rooms 151&152 on the ground floor of FAC building. The first room is a common workspace separated into three distinct areas of production. Fourteen electric wheels and a hand building area constitute the first third of the space. The middle section of the studio is designated for glazing processes. Two stainless steel tables, covered glaze containers, and a stainless steel sink serve this area. The final section of the room is separated into a series of open studio spaces for advanced majors. Shelving runs throughout their individual spaces. The facility also has two large air-scrubbing units that are installed in the ceiling to remove fine dust from this common workspace.
The second room is primarily used for firing purposes, with mobile shelves used for drying ware. The remaining space is used to mix clay and glazes and store dry materials. This portion of the facility houses four electric kilns, a large gas kiln (Bailey), one Soldner clay mixer and an attending dust-collection system for the clay mixer. Other stationary equipment includes a spray booth also accompanied with a dust collecting vacuum system.
A 40x60' auxiliary pavilion is sited at WKU's farm (five miles from main-campus). This facility offers other ceramic processes that include wood and raku firing, and glass slumping activities in an electric kiln. The building has a large enclosed storage facility for associated equipment, with 110 and 220V electricity available and water piped to the location.
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Version 05
❤ Pear
The correct pantone for Aegis Data new corporate identity. Today I have discuss with some friend and tutor about the colour pantone and we agree to use this colour
This is other part of my work that I helps Chen (one of my team) to create a sample look of website for Aegis Data. This is just the first look from the beginning that I have discuss today. Chen will edit more about content and other part. I just did my graphic part for the website.
❤ Pear
Today, we discuss about logo for Aegis. It is very hard to say how it is going to work. I start develop from the idea of Data living and try to make the flowing.
After try to finalise the logo, I start to do a corporate identity with stationary. I still using an Ideas about the heart rate (living) to design an envelop, business card and Latter paper
At the end, I start to make a manual of branding. It's still need to develop and add some more information. However, redesign branding is quite hard for me. Normally, I didn't like to create something like this.
Ps: The corporate colour still be the same as the present version that quite have a good meaning.
Blue is loyalty, security, trust and intelligence
Orange is courage, confident, friendliness and success


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- The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 78, Issue 5, 1 May 2008, p. 838 - 842
f Experimental West Nile Virus Infection in Jungle Crows (Corvus macrorhynchos)
We experimentally infected jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos), which are representative corvids in East Asia, with West Nile virus (WNV) to study their susceptibility toward WNV infection. Six jungle crows were subcutaneously inoculated with 1,000 plaque-forming units (PFU) of the WNV NY99 strain. Within 7 days after inoculation, five of the six infected crows died, and peak viremias ranged from 106.5 to 1010.9 PFU/mL serum. In addition, infected crows shed WNV in the oral cavity and cloaca, and the virus was widely disseminated in the organs of the crows. Based on these findings, we conclude that jungle crows are highly susceptible to WNV infection, and they could serve as amplifying hosts in the transmission of WNV. Although WNV has not been detected in East Asia, the virus could spread rapidly on introduction into this region because of the large number of potential amplifying hosts and vector mosquitoes that inhabit this region.
- 07 Nov 2007
- 08 Feb 2008


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March 2, 1999
KALAMAZOO -- The influence labor and leisure have had on American culture and history will be the focus of a conference being held in March at Western Michigan University.
More than 100 participants from across the country and Canada will be on campus Friday through Sunday, March 12-14, for "Labor and Leisure in Everyday Lives," the Great Lakes American Studies Association annual conference being held at the Fetzer Center.
"The conference will take a look at labor and leisure and how they interact," says Dr. Linda J. Borish, WMU associate professor of history and conference coordinator. "These are often seen in conflict with each other but they influence everything in our culture including art, history, sports and music."
The conference will feature numerous presentations on labor and leisure and their impact on such topics as literature, race, gender, communities, time and the work environment. Specific topics will range from "Buildings, Space and Culture in Michigan" to "Athletics, Gender and Race."
Among conference activities will be a Friday evening performance of the play "Illinois Labor Works" by the Labor History Theater Performers. On Saturday evening, conference participants will visit the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven to view exhibits on Great Lakes labor and leisure.
On Saturday, renown women's studies scholar Dr. Alice Kessler-Harris will deliver the keynote address for the conference. Kessler-Harris, professor of history at Rutgers University, is the author of three books including "A Woman's Wage: Historical Meanings and Social Consequences" and "Women Have Always Worked: An Historical Overview." Her contributions to the study of women and labor have brought her numerous awards and accolades, including a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship and two National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships. She was a 1995 recipient of a Fulbright award and was named a fellow with the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in 1997.
Another feature of the conference will be a grant-writing workshop conducted by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Douglas Arnold of the NEH Division of Research and Education programs will conduct the workshop on Saturday March 13 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Arnold will also be available for individual grant writing appointments on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
For more information regarding the conference, call Borish at (616) 387-4631.
Media contact: Marie Lee, 616 387-8400, firstname.lastname@example.com
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
616 387-8400


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The VPA was formed in 1944 to help 'dig for victory' in the Second World War. Its objectives were to 'encourage and improve the standard of horticulture, small live-stock keeping, and the best use of produce in the home'. Hence the original name the Holmer Green Village Produce Association.
Since then, the VPA has become a general gardening club organising shows, talks and outings on behalf of its members as well as operating a busy Trading Store.


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Specialised paediatric audiology
All Australian States and Territories fund newborn hearing screenings to identify any hearing loss as early as possible.
If you are concerned about your child's hearing, please phone us on 1800 432 748 and our receptionist will guide you to the service that is best for your child.
We provide free children's hearing health services at the Mildura Base Hospital. All you need is a referral from your GP. To book an appointment, please contact the Mildura Base Hospital Allied Health Department on (03) 5022 3333.
If you would like your child to be seen privately at one our clinics, you do not need a referral. It is our policy that only our qualified Audiologists, who have specialised paediatric audiology training, may assess children under the age of 13 years.
- 201-203 Ontario Avenue, Mildura: children from the age of four years
- 21 High Street, Swan Hill: children from the age of nine months
- 83a Nish Street, Echuca: children from the age of nine months.
My child may have a hearing loss
Some types of hearing loss may not present at birth, so it is important to consult a professional if you think your child may have hearing impairment. Early intervention results in significantly better outcomes for speech and language development and other important milestones.
Hearing loss in children is frequently caused by a build-up of fluid behind the ear drum (glue ear), which often clears up. If it doesn't, we will refer you to your GP, or to follow-up with an Ear Nose and Throat specialist (ENT).
If your child is pulling at or touching their ears frequently, it may be a sign of infection. Some signs that children of various ages may have hearing loss include:
- A lack of response to sound; not startled by loud sounds, not babbling by 6 to 9 months, delayed speech development such as not producing one word expressions at 12 to 18 months.
- Frequently inattentive, fail to respond to conversation level speech, or answer inappropriately, difficulty learning, behavioral problems, or talk too loudly.
Some children are diagnosed with a sensorineural hearing loss, caused by a problem with the cochlea or auditory nerve, which is usually permanent. We refer them on to an ENT. They may also be referred to the government-subsidised Australian Hearing which provides free hearing services to young people up to the age of 25.
How do you test my child's hearing?
Babies are assessed using the Auditory Brainstem Response test which measures how their brain's neural pathways respond to sound.
After around the age of nine months, we use the Visual Response Audiometry (VRA) test, where your child responds to various sounds, usually by turning their head towards an interesting visual stimulus.
Once your child is old enough to reliably respond to a signal, we will test with Play Audiometry. We engage in a game, where your child listens through headphones for tones of different pitch and volume and is encouraged to respond, for example, by placing a peg in a board.


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Captcha is compatible with Contact Form by BestWebSoft. After you downloaded, activated and configured Contact Form plugin, go to Captcha settings page, find "External plugins" section and mark "Contact Form" checkbox. Don't forget to click "Save Changes" button.
Additional articles:
Add Captcha plugin to a custom form on my WordPress website


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Today I was able to get the scarf joint for the neck done and I went to Rockler to see if they had any wood that would make a good fingerboard. I had a $5 off coupon and got a $6 piece of mahogany, but in reading up on it, sounds like hog may be too soft to hold frets. So may have to dig up something else. I will likely resaw some mystery wood I have in the stash and hope it works.
The angle is 15 degrees. I marked that and used a great little saw I bought from Bob Summerfield a few months ago to cut the scarf joint (the photo was taken after I had cut the joint and sanded the faces flat, so there's sandpaper/sawdust in the background):
Flip one piece over and it will fit like so:
It wanted to slide around when gluing this up. I tried using wedges, but it didn't work. Ultimately I wound up holding a block of wood down on the workbench with a holdfast and pushed the tip of the headstock against this to hold it still, then once the joint was in place, used a holdfast on the neck block to hold it firmly in place.
Here's finished/glued up scarf joint:
And full neck:
The neck block will need to be trimmed back a fair bit, but after I get it accurately measured and figure out what kind of joint will be used to connect it to the body.
-- Matt - Phoenix, AZ


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Diego Costa's potential exit from Chelsea leaves a sour taste in mouths of fans who worshipped him at Stamford Bridge
The Blues striker is refusing to return to the Premier League champions as he pushes for a move to Atletico Madrid
THEY made the mistake of presenting Diego Costa as a true blue.
Instead, it turns out he was just passing through.
What a shame it's come to this for Chelsea and their snarling forward.
Together they lifted two League titles but the striking Brazilian will be remembered for taking on a ruthless Russian regime worth £10bn.
There is no way back - just consciously uncoupling as the lawyers on both sides thrash out a costly, complicated agreement.
Costa claims he is off to Spain to sit this out until Atletico Madrid and Chelsea agree a transfer fee for the volatile forward.
Chelsea, careful not to jeopardise their own legal position, are in no rush to do business and because of Atletico's transfer ban, Costa can't kick a ball for them until next January anyway.
The only winners in all this mess are the lawyers.
TO CATCH A CHEATFurious wife beats and strips her husband's suspected mistress in the street - but crowd does nothing
TOO FAR?Comedian Katherine Ryan upsets fans after lying about having botched bum lift to promote TV show
Costa remains on Chelsea's books, with a gushing biography still on the website and some shiny new training kit with his squad number 19 neatly folded away at the training ground.
Costa, scorer of 59 goals in 120 appearances for Chelsea, will never wear it again. He has made his position clear.
Over the next few weeks, he intends to force through a return to Atletico, to be reunited with boss Diego Simeone in their sparkly new stadium on the outskirts of the city.
For some reason, he never quite took to life in London.
The neighbours frequently complained to the club about his late night parties and his fondness for a traditional Brazilian BBQ went too far.
Even learning the language seemed too much of a chore for a player who relied on a translator whenever he needed to speak to a Chelsea official.
When he was scoring goals - 20 in the league during last season's title triumph - Chelsea indulged him, protected him, lauded him.
They overlooked his frequent transgressions, his party-loving lifestyle and explosive, combustible personality. Instead, Chelsea seem to enjoy having him around the place.
Along with David Luiz, he was always one of the first to put his name forward when the club had visits from charities or from disadvantaged kids.
That manner, his ability to put a smile on the face of children and his fun-loving personality impressed the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.
They warmed to his petulant, mischievous manner, not to mention his goals.
And he is a loss to the Premier League, of sorts.
This stand-off has put Chelsea in a tricky position with the 40,000 fans who idolised him, worshipped him and took to loving him.
They sold him as one of their own - presenting him as blue through and through when he tangled with Premier League defenders.
His iconic status and his relationship with the fans, means the club are tip-toeing around the issue as they cannot afford to alienate the supporters. Chelsea are aware that the fans, whatever the rights and wrongs of this grisly episode, would take him back in a heartbeat.
This loveable rogue, 28, signed from Atletico by Jose Mourinho in July 2014, could easily set their pulses racing again.
They would flutter their eyelashes and think back to that majestic double one-two against Southampton last April before he beat Fraser Forster from close range.
They would laugh at the time when he lifted his armpits and gestured to Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross that he pen and inks.
Or they would get giddy about the moment that he ambushed Antonio Conte's title-winning press conference at the Hawthorns by threatening to set off a fire extinguisher.
But Costa is an old flame now. His lawyers are relying on the text message Conte sent, without the authorisation of the Chelsea board, to get him out this hole.
While he is in it, digging himself deeper and deeper, Chelsea have taken to fining him one week's wages for each week he does not show up at Cobham.
Costa being Costa, he intends to fight it.
When it comes to the crunch, the Blues, of course, have some ammo of their own. To start with, there are the four separate transfers requests Costa has made since Conte arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2016.
After the first, during the club's pre-season tour to America that summer, Costa refused to train for three days.
He made a further attempt to get away before the season started, another in January when he wanted to move to China and now this.
It has disrupted Chelsea's preparations for the season - far more than anybody ever realised before last Saturday's chaotic 3-2 home defeat against Burnley.
They will be missing captain Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas against Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday after their red cards on the opening weekend.
And Conte will also be without another player, a guy who could have made all the difference on a day like that.
Sadly, Costa will never be able to pull on that blue shirt again.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Premier League Top Goalscorer 🚨
ROMELU LUKAKU has come in to 2/1 to finish as the Premier League top scorer.
The Belgian scored twice against West Ham on Sunday to put an immediate market down in the Golden Boot race.
Harry Kane, who has NEVER scored a goal in August, is 2/1.
And there is value to be had in Alexandre Lacazette.
He is 8/1 even after scoring on his debut against Leicester last week.
Sun Bets have a blinding special offer for top scorer.
If you bet £25 on any player to top the table at the end of the season, they'll give a £5 free bet for every game he scores in until October.
The offer is valid until midnight August 27 and is open to ALL customers.
Keep up to date with all the latest news, gossip, rumours and done deals in SunSport's live transfer blog


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Week 7 was Summer Splash Week and it was so much fun! Campers made a sprinkler out of a pool noodle and hung it on the red slide to make it a water slide. They also made a giant blob to lay on and a do-it-yourself Slip-n-Slide with a tarp, and yard stakes. These are some fun ideas that you could easily try at home! Week 8 is already off to a great start with Reading Rocks!
Jamie Campbell
Head of School
Western PA Montessori School
2379 Wyland Ave
Allison Park, PA 15101


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We must dance because the Fifties zing
The Fifties zing because the Sixties swing
And the Seventies flash and the Eighties bang
And the Nineties whimper and the century hangs
Robots working in the cotton fields
Vacations on Venus just a tourist deal
Fornication on tape, instant happiness
So we keep on dancing, dancing, we can't rest
From Les Flamandes, by Jacques Brel
(very freely translated by Mort Shuman and Eric Blau)
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
And here we are. The final years of a six decade career, though I never really covered the 50's–that was the journeyman era, the cranking out short stories for the pulps and sleaze paperbacks for Scott Meredith decade. The 60's were the time when Westlake stopped imitating others, and found his own voice–many, in fact–the era of staggeringly prolific creation that seemed for a time to be without any limit.
The 70's were when he began to focus–lose the aliases for a while, take stock, pull in, then stretch out. The 80's were when he began to deal with limitations–his, and those of the ever-changing marketplace he had to hawk his wares in. The 90's were when he buckled down, recommitted to what was best in him as a writer, wrote his masterpiece, reclaimed perhaps his most idiosyncratic and genuine voice, that of Stark.
And the 00's? God, I hate typing that double aught. Decadism, as a system of dividing up time into defined segments, has some serious drawbacks, in English at least. There's never a satisfying name for the first two decades of the century–'aughts', 'teens'–doesn't work. And what happens when we reach the 20's? We still remember the 'Roaring' 20's, because of movies and Prohibition and Jazz and The Lost Generation and Babe Ruth and such. (Most of the meanings imposed on these arbitrary decimal points in time are imposed well after the fact.)
So from 2030 onwards, when somebody refers to the 20's, how will we know which one? How will we refer to the 20's yet to come? If we're lucky they'll be the Boring 20's, but who thinks we're going to be that lucky? The Historian's Curse is a real thing, people. So's nostalgia for past eras pretty much nobody was all that thrilled about while they were happening.
Donald Westlake was never about nostalgia. He almost never wrote stories set more than a year or three before the time he was writing them. He was all about the now, because now is all there is, all there can be. Now is when you live, now is when you find out who you are, what you can do, how you can be. The past is always there, sure. Change is never all of a piece, there's always remnants from earlier eras, anachronisms, glorious and otherwise, but that's not living in the past–that's the past living on into the present, just like Faulkner said it would. And the future? Who says we get one? Best not to assume. Live now.
It's hard to say for sure exactly when Westlake came to the realization he was typing on borrowed time. As of July 12, 2003, when he turned 70, he'd outlived his father Albert by well over ten years. He'd very nearly failed to live more than a few days past the date of his birth–just a quirk of fate that they'd recently developed an infant formula his digestive system could tolerate. A man who is told that story as a boy grows up with a healthy respect for contingency, not to mention mortality. Live now.
And there was nothing left for him to prove, as a writer. He'd sought out new frontiers to explore, and the explorations hadn't always succeeded, but that was less important than the fact that he'd tried, that he'd never let himself go stale, give up, write entirely to the market, do what everyone expected of him. Most importantly, he'd never stopped publishing–he published his first novel under his own name in 1960. After that, there are only four years he didn't have at least one new novel out–'78, '79, '82, and '99.
His last book published in his lifetime was Dirty Money, last of the Parkers, conclusion of a bloody trilogy (that was not originally planned as such), in which Parker comes face to face with Post-9/11 America, the Surveillance State. The year after that came the final Dortmunder novel, which like the final Parker, has vague premonitions of mortality in it, but is mainly concerned with the way people were voluntarily surrendering their inmost selves to the media–the other Surveillance State.
The year after that came the posthumous publication of Memory, the greatest of his lost books, the road not taken. So he finished out the first decade of the 21st Century with at least a book a year (frequently more). In fact, he's getting published again this year. There's no reason to think we won't see still more of his work resurfacing in various forms for a good while to come yet, though probably no more novels. So really, his publishing career has stretched across seven decades. And still counting.
But to get back to my point–he must have guessed he didn't have much time left. He certainly knew his best work was behind him. I find it hard to believe he needed to publish every single year to remain solvent–he may not have needed the money at all. But whether he needed the money or not, he needed the books. He needed to keep working. He needed to stay in print. Because for a writer, the difference between being in or out of print is the difference between being alive or dead. That's what he said once, and that's what he believed. Don't ask me what he thought about ebooks.
I've arbitrarily decided this final decade begins in 2002, since that's the first year we can be pretty sure he was publishing stuff he finished after the new century began. Not counting Memory, in the remaining years of the decade, he published eleven novels (one posthumously), one novella, and a collection of short stories.
For most professional writers, that wouldn't sound half-bad for an entire lifetime's work, would it now? It would be asking a lot for all of them to be classics, and most of them aren't. The Dortmunders are mainly workmanlike, fun, inventive as always, full of lively trenchant observations about the passing parade, but the series had peaked well before that time, and he was mainly just hanging out with old friends by this point.
The last Stark novels are harder. It's more difficult to take their measure. I don't rank them as highly as the best of the First Sixteen, or even the final Grofield. I'm not sure I think they're as good as three of the four Parkers he'd turned out in the 90's (they're all much better than Flashfire). You can see his powers fading, here and there, details getting a bit fuzzy–and then he snaps back to, regains clarity, grips hold of the wheel, and there are moments of such power as to make you gasp–and shudder, because this is as Stark as Stark ever gets. This is Stark writing with the full knowledge that he's going to die soon. Nothing focuses the mind half so well, as Dr. Johnson once said.
And in a very real and chilling way, this is Westlake finally surrendering himself to Stark, letting his greatest alter-ego take control of the partnership in a way that's new–and yet familiar. Because, you begin to see, Stark was the foundation all along. Stark was what always lay underneath all the jokes, the farce, the whimsy, the satire and social commentary, the cheerfully irreverent asides. Stark was what was real. Stark was the core program. And as old age begins to take hold of Westlake in dead earnest, it's Stark holds them all together, refuses to give in, stares horror right in the face, stares it down.
There will be an ending. Nobody runs forever. But there will be no surrender. There will be no talking to The Law. There will be no despair, no second-guessing. There will be no retirement. Retire to what, pray tell? That's what Joe Sheer tried. Remember how that worked out? Stark did.
From 2002 to 2009, there were just three novels published that were neither about Parker nor Dortmunder, and the oeuvre as a whole wouldn't be much the poorer without them. One had actually been written back in the Mid-90's, and it's interesting in its own way, Westlake bringing back his fascination with Latin America one last time, but this time it's the total immersion route.
And there is the 10th and final Nephew Book, or so I think of it, and by far the weakest of the bunch. That approach to comic crime had burned itself out by the Mid-70's, where it should have stayed. Westlake can't write about the Nephews anymore, because he's gotten too far away from them, can't really believe in them now. Picaresques are for the young. Stark in particular can't believe in them. (Stark would just as soon kill them, you get right down to it.)
But he did kicked off off the Home Stretch with a comic crime novel I do quite admire, a different take on the heist story, with a different take on that type of protagonist, midway between Parker and Dortmunder, but less fixed in his career path. A reflective reformation, you might say. We'll talk about that one next.
But even as we talk about it, the sound of thundering pursuit is in our ears, as we rocket down the last furlong, the crowd cheering wildly, the finish line just ahead. And here comes Seabiscuit! Born May 23rd, 1933. Just about a month and a half before Donald E. Westlake got foaled. I came up with the Home Stretch thing, because I hate typing that double aught. Then I found the image up top. Then I looked up the birthdates. Then I felt a slight chill.
The world is not simple enough to understand. With books and their authors, we can at least try. So let's try.


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From as far back as I can remember the allure of soccer has been hard for me to withstand. While I consider myself to be a fan of sports in general, certain games seem to transcend the monotony of all the rest. For me, soccer fits into that category. Thus, it was somewhat natural and logical when I recently picked up Phil West's documentation of the premiere U.S. soccer league (i.e., the MLS)—The United States of Soccer.
Phil West makes a considerable contribution to the somewhat scarce amount of information concerning soccer and the fans who support it in the U.S. In large part, this is due to West's outstanding credentials as a soccer journalist and his outspoken commitment to the propagation of the sport. In other words, his professional background definitely helps to push the agenda of this writing. Yet in addition to this, West's credit as a fan places a lot of stock into the worth of this book as well. Many times a reader can find him/herself being ushered into a story that is dictated not by a journalist covering the minutia of a required story, but rather by a fan living out a desirable experience—it just so happens that this fan has the credentials and talent that allow him to document those experiences for the world to access. For me, this is one of the most enjoyable components of this text, as it allows me to share in the wonder and awe that the sport has to offer via the experiences of an avid watcher.
At the center of West's treatment of the MLS and its fan base is what he identifies as the culminating event that resulted in the formation of the league. This event is what West labels "the promise." In 1988, the Fédération Internationale de Football (FIFA) agreed to allow the 1994 World Cup to be hosted by the United States. However, there was one major stipulation required in order for this to happen—the U.S. needed to develop a top tier soccer league. A major hindrance to this was the recent demise of the North American Soccer League (NASL). As the most successful league in American history was making it's exit, the idea of a prominent premiere league in the U.S. seemed doubtful. Yet, The United States of Soccer is a record of the story that somehow broke through the doubt, resulting in the modern-day incarnation of such a league. While America has a long way to go before being able to stand toe to toe with international powerhouses in the sport, the MLS has turned into a competitive league whilst creating an environment that supports avid fanbases.
Phil West takes the reader on a somewhat chronological timeline of the major events and major figures that contribute to the formation and history of the MLS. While there is an order to the events and circumstances surrounding this soccer league, West also takes liberty to interject the impact that these events have on current trends in the sport. So, while it is a chronological telling of the history, it also jumps around a bit in terms of voice and narrative. Part of this is due to the overwhelming amount of information provided. I will make note, however, that while much information is provided, West seems to deliver it well, as he disregards jargon often associated with the sport and uses a vernacular that is easy to comprehend for the layperson.
A strength behind this work is West's ability to present a story. The stories in this book are truly what make it such a delightful read. In every page, there is a narrative that leads to the next. Again, this makes for an easy read, and for the most part, an enjoyable one. Major figures in sports (e.g., Lamar Hunt) show their faces in many of these stories, allowing individuals with little to no interest in the sport to find some kind of resonance with the contents. In addition to this, all of the prominent figures working behind the scenes and in front of the cameras during the building of this league make their appearance as well. This was another delightful aspect of the book, as West provides stories that are relatively unknown to the common fan (or outsider) about figures they are familiar with. One such story centers around the prolific winger/forward, Landon Donovan. While many fans are aware of the name, many may be unware of the fact that he made his MLS debut the same year that league almost folded (2001). Surrounded by the turmoil of 9/11, the overwhelming consensus in the league was one of fear and dread. Yet, through a series of events, the league withstood and eventually even expanded. Additionally, figures like Landon Donovan proved that Americans can take a place on the international stage as well.
West does well to provide his readers with a lot of inside information. Loaded with ample amounts of research and experience, West crafts a genuine and authentic piece of work that truly does give voice to a growing tradition in American sports. As stated before, no one reading this book will be disillusioned after reading it. Readers will maintain awareness of the long road that lies ahead of the sport and its fan base in the U.S. Yet, I believe that soccer fans, as well as "not-yet soccer fans" can find some valuable entertainment in this easy and quick read. The United States of Soccer is available to borrow at the Joplin Public Library.


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Adam wrote: "Are dating preferences discriminatory or are people getting all butthurt over nothing?"
Liz says: I wish you had given me more to go with, like what inspired you to ask. Nonetheless, your letter made me initially LOL.
I would like to know who all these people are who get "all butthurt" about dating preferences. So far what I've witnessed are racists who get all butthurt about interracial couples, overweight people who get all butthurt about people who prefer dating slimmer people, and transgender people who claim it's "transphobic" for cis people to not date someone who's trans. Does that about cover it for you too?
There's someone out there for everyone, no matter what their physical "flaw" is, so while I understand feeling discouraged and hurt when most potential partners say they prefer dating taller men if you're 5'4″, there are people who will find your height attractive and love you, "flaws" and all. In other words, the healthy response to feeling rejected isn't to criticize women for being attracted to taller men, it's to own your height in your online dating profile and accept that we all have our preferences (for the record, tall women often have a hard time dating, too).
The only non-physical dating preference I've seen spark some controversy is choosing to only date people with a good credit score. To critics, asking your date what their credit score is or how much debt they have is treating love and marriage like a business, and to supporters it's just smart not to go down that path in the first place if someone isn't responsible with money. I believe you shouldn't marry someone whose beliefs about money and how they treat money differ greatly from yours, because that's a major incompatibility that can lead to marital discord. "I want to save for a down payment on a house and he can't stop buying needless shit!" However, financial wisdom can be taught and learned, so excluding a potential great partner based on their first date disclosure that they're still paying off $3k in credit card debt isn't the best idea, either.
Bottom line, we're just attracted to what we're attracted to, and people have the right to date whomever they want to date without having to answer to nosy, judgmental people.


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Hi y'all!
My name is Kitiara, also known as Kit to most people. I hate my name, and don't know why my parents liked it so much. They wanted it & me to be different. And, boy, did they get their wish! I'm not your normal, average girl...I'm a bit on the odd side. But, oh well. I am, who I am!


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The Ultimate Foam/1035 Sanitize/Ultimate Foam Hose Drop Station is a combination applicator for applying two chemicals as foam and another as a high-volume, sanitizing spray. This venturi injection system uses standard city water pressure (35 - 125 PSI) to draw and blend 3- compatible chemical concentrates into the water streams to create accurately diluted solutions using precision metering tips to control chemical usage. Rich, clinging foam is created by injecting compressed air into the foaming solutions to greatly increase volume and coverage ability. The foaming solutions are then projected through a single quick disconnect discharge hose and fan nozzle at distances up to 12 feet. The sanitizer solution is projected as a "flooding" spray for fast complete coverage through the same hose.
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Over Christmas we visited Coombe Mill Farm for a vacation. We packed a lot in and one thing that sticks in my memory is our trip to see the sea. Firstly we visited Tintagel with my Dad.
The main reason to visit Tintagel is to go and see the castle. Unfortunaely on our mid winter visit it was closed for repairs but we got to have a wander on the hills around the area which was plenty enough for us.
The ledgend of King Arthur is spread throughout the area and is a very spiritual place. The vast atlantic sea is a beautiful blue and is breath taking. Behind our heads is Merlins cave (apparently}.
The best thing about going here was the Robot. He had just got over an illness and was on top form. Here he is doing his best Fonzy impression from Happy Days.
The Coastline of Cornwall is really intresting and if we had more time I would have liked to walk some of it. Dave who has done this says it's hard going with lots of ups and downs…
Boxing Day at Trebarwith Sands
As the title suggests, we spent Boxing Day visiting Trebarwith Sands. We arrived and parked up in a massive empty car park, which suggests the Summer would be packed with tourists. It was so windy but we carried on regardless.
We let the Robot walk down to the coast with us. A bit slippy but we handled it. The tide was in and the waves were so high, and very scary looking. They say that this is quite a dangerous beach and I can see why because the tide comes right up to the rocks. You could easily get caught off guard and cut off…
Which we almost did. If we were a local we'd have known there were some steps at the other side of the beach. We were not local. We did have a little panic moment when the waves rushed in at us and we had to clamber up the rocks with the Robot. We put the Robot in the back pack and waited patiently for the tide to rush back out.
Thankfully Dave trusted my instincts and a friendly local who confirmed that the tide would go back enough for us to get back to safety and off the slippy rocks. No 999 incident here!
After our little dabble with danger we headed off up the cliff to get a good view over the sea. I had wet feet from the sea so we didn't want to walk that far. From the top of the cliff we managed to get a good family selfie moment:
On both days I had a sneaky peak at the geocaching app which I told you about in my post about geocaching in Cornwall. We did manage to find a couple which was always a bonus to any walk out!! We do love the seaside and Cornwall truly has some astonishing coastline and I'd love to go back and visit one day when the Robot is a bit older and maybe in warmer weather!!
Do you have any favourite coastlines or beaches?


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Within the Better Regulation Agenda, the EU Commission has launched an online portal over the summer that enables everyone to follow and to contribute to EU legislative processes.
The portal offers the possibility to track the law-making process, following the different phases of the annual Commission work programme, though the roadmaps, impact assessment reports and experts groups. It also offers the possibility to everyone to share their views on drafts that the Commission will take into account when further developing the acts.
See the press release here.


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Who built the Grand Trunk Road in India, running from West Bengal in India to Peshawar in Pakistan?
If this was a question in general knowledge quiz in India, Sher Shah Khan Suri , the Mughal ruler would come to be answer from anyone who has mugged up the history textbooks.
What is the fact behind this? Who was Sher Shah Khan Suri? How did he rise in power during Mughal encroachments?
A very interesting description of this all is found in this article by Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari, a renowned Indian Historian.
Sherkhan is often credited for the Grand Trunk Road, along with the water, shelter and trees plantation along the road. However, to quote Dr. Radhasyam Brahmachari, who has done an extensive research on history records and current texts, Sherkhan could hardly have built this HUGE road ranging 6240km, Read on (Original, complete article is here):-
"It has been mentioned above that the history books also tell that Sher Shah ascended the throne of Delhi on May 17, 1540, by defeating Humayun in a battle near Kannauj and in the same year organised a military campaign to suppress the revolt of the Gakkars in Punjab . He moved east, the next year, to suppress a similar revolt in Bengal in March, 1541 AD. The next year, he moved against the Rajput kings in central India and conquered Malwa. The very next year (i.e. in 1543 AD), he organised a campaign against the Hindu king Puran Mal and took control of the fort at Raisin and then moved against the Rajput king of Marwar. In 1544 he subdued the Rathore king, Maldev and in the subsequent year, he died in an accident in 1545 AD, in Kalinjar.
So, the rule of Sher Shah lasted only for five years and out of these five years, he spent nearly one year to gain control over the fort of Kalinjore.[6] During the rest of his reign, he was on hectic movement from east to west and north to south for suppressing revolts or conquering new forts. It should be mentioned here that the period under consideration was a period of political chaos and lawlessness and to restore order, Sher Shah had to fight many battles and that too with partial success. Thus the question naturally arises-Was it possible for Sher Shah (or any other ruler of that time) to build such long roads within such a short span of time? Furthermore, is it possible to make roads, nearly 6,240 Km long, today using modern technology, within a period of 4 or 5 years? The real story is that, Abbas Khan, a court-chronicler of Sher Shah had written some lies to please and glorify his master and our historians took those narrations at their face value, without applying their common sense to estimate the credibility of those blatant lies.
A close scrutiny of events, during the time of Sher Shah, also reveals that, despite his vast efforts, he did not succeed in bringing the vast stretch of land, from Dhaka in Bengal and River Indus in Punjab , under his control. So, how could Sher Shah carry out such a gigantic project like making a road from Bengal to Punjab , when the territory in question was not under his supreme control? "
From this discussion, it is clear that Sher Shah is mis-credited for road construction north India, by historians who un-necessarily want to glorify the period of Mughal rulership in India.
As for the original question of who built the GT Road, well, Dr. Radhasyam Brahmachari rightly suggested that the trade and many war affairs between Indian Kings that have centuries of history much before the Mughal invasions, could not have been possible without the good network of roads, wide enough to carry chariots, elephants and armies used for the combats. Mughal only used the existing network and some of them renamed it or took credit for building them, as per their chroniclers. The current generation of historians need to become aware of the true history facts and revise their knowledge.
In fact the road seems to have a very old usage, and was called Uttarapatha meaning Northern Way, as mentioned here.
Today, the Grand Trunk Road remains a continuum that covers a distance of over 2,500 km. From its origin at Sonargaon in theNarayanganj District of central Bangladesh, it reaches India, passing through Kolkata, Bardhaman, Durgapur, Asansol, Dhanbad, Aurangabad, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Aligarh, Delhi, Karnal, Ambala, Ludhiana,Jalandhar, Amritsar. Within India, the major portion of the road – the stretch between Kanpur and Kolkata – is known as NH 2 (National Highway – 2), the stretch between Kanpur and Delhi is called NH-91 (National Highway – 91), and that between Delhi and Wagah, at the border with Pakistan, is known as NH-1. From the Pakistan border the Grand Trunk Road (part of the N-5) continues north through Lahore via Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock District and Nowshera before it finally reaches Peshawar. (Route source from Wikipedia.)
Also read the Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , and Part 4 of this series. Next article is here:- Part 6.


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We are unable to sell bladed items via our website due to the requirement for purchasers to prove thier age. Can only be purchased in our physical store. Made from steel and aluminium. Designed with safety in mind, shaped so it won't roll across the table. 6 blades are supplied, and are easy to swap out just unscrew the handle. The Citadel Knife is compatible with the most common hobby knife blade…
Citadel Liquid Green Stuff
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This is a Citadel Technical. Liquid Green Stuff is the ideal tool for filling in small gaps on a miniature. It is water soluble and it can also be filed using the Citadel Emery Boards for an even smoother finish. This container has 12ml of Citadel Paint, one of 4 Technical paints in the Citadel Paint range. As with all of Citadel paints, it is a non-toxic, water-based acrylic paint designed for us…
Citadel Medium Texture Spreader
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The two-ended nylon Texture Spreader, with a scoop and a spreader for basing your miniatures.
Citadel Plastic Glue
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Designed specifically for assembling plastic Citadel miniatures, Citadel Plastic Glue comes in a bottle with a handy applicator nozzle, making it as easy as possible to put your models together. Not for purchase by under 16's
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Containing everything you need to get your miniatures clipped from their sprues, cleaned up and painted, this is the perfect set for those new to Warhammer Age of Sigmar. It includes clippers, a mouldline remover, ideal paints for miniatures of both factions and a starter brush: Our clippers have been specifically designed to clip plastic component parts from the frame. This precision tool can acc…


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During these uncertain times, we are here to help.
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Violence resurfaces at high school
A Berkeley High School sophomore broke his right leg in two places Friday morning after leaping down a staircase to escape a small group of gang members, police said.
The incident came one day after several students took part in an unrelated fight after school in Civic Center Park, adjacent to the high school.
Police declined to release the names of the victims or alleged perpetrators in either attack since they are minors. But department spokesperson Inspector Arnold Lui said police planned to make a pair of arrests Monday afternoon. Lui could not confirm whether the suspects were involved in the first or second incident.
The attacks, just two weeks into the school year, came on the heels of several well-publicized attacks last year.
Berkeley High co-principal Laura Leventer expressed concern about last week's events, but said that security at the school has improved since officials put a new safety plan in place last spring.
"I see a much more positive environment," she said.
But Richard Crum, whose daughter dates the sophomore who broke his leg Friday, said the events of last week raise serious questions about security at Berkeley High School.
"This is a public school," Crum said. "I think students have a right to attend school and get an education in a safe place."
Crum said he might move his family out of the city so his two high school children can attend a new school.
According to Lui, the assailants in the Friday incident are from a Latino gang called the "Fourteens," from west Berkeley, and believed that the victim, also a Latino, was from a rival south Berkeley gang called the "Thirteens."
Crum said the victim is "in no way, shape or form" a member of a gang.
"He is at my house everyday studying," Crum said.
The victim, who declined to discuss the details of the case, called the Daily Planet to say that he is not a gang member.
According to Crum, the victim underwent four hours of surgery to repair his leg at Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center Friday. An Alta Bates spokesperson said that he was discharged Sunday.
Lui said the Thursday fight in Civic Center Park stemmed from a verbal fight in a science class between two students. After school, a student backed by three or four friends approached the classmate and attacked him.
A female friend of the victim who tried to break up the fight took several blows from other female attackers but never saw their faces, Lui said.
The victim suffered a bruise and several cuts but declined medical treatment, Lui said. His female friend reported no injuries.


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Building Libraries, Improving Health, Creating Jobs
We partner with rural communities to provide health services, public libraries, and sustainable employment opportunities. Over the last 10 years our programs have impacted thousands of lives in Cameroon. Just in the last three years our reach has grown 80%. Moving forward, we're focused on three priorities: libraries and education, community health, and job creation. We are determined to take action against poverty in underserved communities, and with continued support from people like you, we will make an exponential difference.
Take Action
We have made great strides towards reducing poverty. Now through January 31st, help us raise $200,000 to accelerate this progress.
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In Cameroon, the average healthy life expectancy is 45, 75% of people are underemployed, and 3 out of 10 children suffer from malnutrition—your contribution has the potential to make a lasting impact on thousands lives. Help us improve quality of life, provide employment opportunities, and alleviate child malnutrition throughout rural communities in Northwest Cameroon.
Join us and take action
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Your effort helps our fight to make opportunity a human right.
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Join us on a service excursion to Cameroon to help celebrate our 10th anniversary and experience the full impact our programs have on local communities. This trip is a unique blend of service, cultural immersion, self-study, and adventure.
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Through our public libraries, we've made over 60,000 books available to the community in Cameroon.
Our vocational trainees experience a 90% employment success rate after completing our courses.
Over 320,000 members of the local community have access to our health and vocational training initiatives.
Initiatives Supported by Your Donations
- Mobile health clinics allow our health specialists to reach remote communities and provide vital health services that would otherwise be inaccessible. Your donations will provide more mobile health clinics.
- Locally made health products are increasingly in demand. Your donations will enable us to purchase more supplies, hire more local staff, and meet the growing needs of the community.
- Health consultants are the front line of our mission to educate the public on health issues affecting their communities. Your donations will increase the number of community health consultants, which is critical to reaching our goal.
- Climate control for book safety is essential for maintaining the quality of library inventory and providing a functional study space for patrons. Your donations will purchase properly fitted windows, doors, and working fans.
- Computers and Internet service bring global connectivity to our community and expand educational opportunities. Your donations will purchase new computers and satellite Internet service for educational research and training.
- More books are critical to our efforts. In Cameroon, many children cannot afford to go to school due to the high price of textbooks. Your donations make these books available to students who would otherwise not be able to afford them.
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Our Impact Over the Years
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Opened the doors to our first Total Health Center after training consultants
Held the grand opening of the Kumbo Public Library
Started medicinal farming to sustainably supply our growing health initiatives
Completed our first clean water project in Kishong Village
Held the Help Africa Move Forward Conference and hosted an international delegation of 25 people
Started using Mobile Health Clinics to reach underserved communities
Achieved 100% management of Himalayan Institute Cameroon with local staff
Opened the Business and Education Study Center
Piloted our Community Health Education Initiative, which reached 80,000 people in just over six months.
Launched our first fundraising challenge to grow our health education initiative
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Graduated 52 health consultants and 14 carpentry and construction students
Opened libraries in five different underserved communities


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Rendering Exposed 23 Chiswick End: Detail
Peter Draper 2015
Rendering exposed 23 Chiswick End
Rendering exposed 23 Chiswick End whole house
Wattle and daub was one of the earliest forms of building walls, dating from prehistoric times and it was still being used up until the twentieth century.
Daub found in test pit at Topcliffe Mill
Bruce Huett
There was evidence of daub in the archaeological test pits dug in the village in 2013 and this was interesting as the findings (daub fragments) were closely associated with the locations of some of the manors in the village. Daub was found in all the Flambards pits except one. We think these may have been associated with Flambards Manor, but may be from a later building on the site. Daub was mentioned on the Flambards site in an earlier dig and identified as Medieval/Saxo-Norman.
There were also findings in the Meldreth Manor, Topcliffe Mill and Bury Farm (site of Veseys Manor) pits. It is difficult to date the findings as the soil is likely to have been disturbed over time and the context levels varied from Context 2, i.e. close to the surface (Meldreth Manor, Topcliffe Mill and Bury Farm) to Context 6 (pit six at Flambards Close and a second find in the Topcliffe Mill pit). The other pits where daub was identified were at the Primary School and 43 High Street.
There are oral accounts of children collecting wattle and daub on the Flambards site during school holidays and burning it.
It should not be assumed that properties using wattle and daub were not present at other test pit locations or elsewhere in the village in the past. Wattle and daub fragments may have been missed, deteriorated or may have been present in contexts not dug. Also the test pits only covered a very small part of the village.
A big advantage of wattle and daub is that it is strong, but also flexible so it can accommodate movement in the building. It also provides good insulation and dries well as the daub disperses the damp.
Wattle and Daub construction
Wattle and Daub wall
Regency Ceilings
Wattle consisted of a lattice constructed from thin wooden branches (often hazel) or slats either wound or nailed horizontally between upright poles. It can be made of loose panels to form infill panels or made in situ to form the whole of a wall.
1938 Cottages in Melbourn with exposed wattle and daub (right)
Peter Simmonett p82 "A Glimpse into Melbourn's Past"
The daub was then worked in a number of stages:
Limewash would be used because it acts as a mild disinfectant and biocide. It also aided maintenance as it fills small cracks.
Daub consisted of:
The daub would be mixed by hand, or by treading – either by humans or animals.
There is a lot of additional information at:
Keys Cottage, High Street, under repair
Tim Gane
Keys Cottage lathe and plaster repair detail
Lathe and plaster is a more recent building technique using a similar approach to construction as wattle and daub. It essentially uses plaster rather than daub as the material between a wooden framework. A good example in Meldreth is Keys Cottage at 70 High Street. This is situated on the east side of the High Street next to the Primary School.
The old vicarage was described in 1836 as an old, small lath and plaster building.
More generally plaster is a finishing material for walls and ceilings rather than a load-bearing material and is likely to be present in the majority (if not all) buildings in the village.
Render on 17th Century House in Melbourn
Pargetting on house in Chiswick End
Bruce Huett 2014
This is an external covering, traditionally of lime, sand and varying proportions of cow dung mixed with chopped straw or hair. The surfaces are sometimes finished flush or recessed to the framework. The surface is then sometimes combed into patterns (pargetting) before receiving coats of limewash. There is an example of pargetting in Chiswick End (see photograph).
The last three photographs are of 23 Chiswick End with the rendering removed.
Sheene Manor has stucco (a form of render) rustication to the corners of the building.
Chiswick Farmhouse Chiswick End
Bruce Huett 2015
Thirty-one of the 33 listed dwellings are described as "timber framed".
A typical fifteenth century farmhouse would have used approximately 330 oak trees. Even though woods were managed by coppicing (where the trees are not completely cut down but are only cut back in rotation and new timbers allowed to grow from the stump) timber was running out by the end of the fifteenth century. This was because wood was also the main method of heating until charcoal and then coal started to be used. Houses became half timbered due to the shortage of woodland; the timber exposed to indicate the owner could afford an expensive resource.
Post-and-beam construction was the main method for building these structures. Large tree trunks were used prior to the availability of modern tools and powerful saws. The wood was squared-off and the timbers joined with joints secured by large wooden pegs. Using basic tools such as axes and adzes artisans or farmers could build a building capable of bearing a reasonably heavy weight.
There are many styles of timber framed buildings but the basic types of in England are the box, cruck or aisled frame.
The Gables, High Street
Teddy Handscombe 1926
Four of the listed dwellings mention purlin style roof beams which indicates a longitudinal, horizontal, structural roof beam.
Barge boards are often fastened to the projecting gables to strengthen them and disguise and protect the roof purlins to which they were attached. An example is the Gables on the High Street.
Alan Williams has reviewed old pictures of the Green Man and revealed some interesting history related to the timber jettying which was, for a time, hidden behind a brick facade.
Jettying and Brick Facing – a closer look at the Green Man
An excellent example of the use of brick to reface a building and the construction technique called "jettying" in Meldreth is the Green Man in North End which has both "before and after" in clear view. Interpreting the what's, the whys, and the maybes of its different phases of development presents much more of a challenge!
Green Man 2018
Alan Williams
Dating from the 1500s this building began life as a timber-framed open hall or, at least, was built at the point construction was transitioning to the internally divided three-bay plan of service area, living area, and private quarters.
To the building's right the earlier frontage can be seen. The first floor overhangs the ground floor and the exposed supporting beams are clearly visible. This is the overhanging construction technique called jettying.
Jettying is derived from Old French jetee – "a projecting part of a building", from jeter "to throw".
Green Man Jettying 2018
As a feature it is not uncommon and can be seen on several other listed and non-listed buildings in the village, including both Chiswick House and the Old Smithy, or Town House as it also known.
The precise reason for jettying on domestic buildings is not fully understood and various theories are proposed. The most used reason given is it would increase the total amount of floorspace, particularly in those buildings where close proximity to the roadway prevented ground floor expansion.
However, this is questionable since the amount of additional floorspace gained upstairs is not especially large and raises the simple question of why was the ground floor not built further back at the rear?
It may be a consequential economic development reflecting both the decreasing availability and rising costs of long timber uprights wherein two shorter lengths would be used instead.
Possibly, in tandem with the above theory, from a load bearing aspect, it could be an architectural measure that provides a counterbalance to offset the additional weight of upstairs occupation.
Or, equally valid, it simply displayed how much more money and good taste you had compared to your neighbours….
The jettying shown here may be original or it may have been the result of a later rebuild.
Timber dating techniques should provide an accurate answer but not always. In some instances, when rebuilding, original timbers were reused whilst in others timbers salvaged from older demolished or partly dismantled buildings were utilised. You then have the strange situation where the newer upstairs part of a building is apparently older than the oldest downstairs part of the building….
The rear of the building as seen from Brewery Lane today has no visible jettying. It is quite reasonable to suggest there may never had been any jettying to the rear but there is a slight asymmetry at the gable end hinting that any overhang at the rear has been removed, perhaps when the extension wing was added, and the jettying sacrificed.
There is some further evidence to support this theory. If you look at the front right corner jetty you can see a large internal supporting timber "dragon" beam protruding but it appears to have no equivalent at the rear where just a slightly larger beam protrudes.
No jettying is visible at the left gable end but, if there, it is hidden by a later resurfacing.
The original ends of the exposed jettying appear to have been sawn off presumably when the brick façade was built.
Brick Facing
To the left of the building's frontage is the surviving part of a 19th century brick façade that until quite recently covered the entire aspect.
Green Man with brick facing
Meldreth Local History Group
The earlier photograph clearly shows the 19th century brick façade with an entrance door and three windows of equal size.
In the photograph dated 1974 the façade is still present but the doorway has been partially blocked creating a window.
Green Man 1974
Melbourn Local History Group
In the same photograph the rendered gable end hides the jettying in Brewery Lane and although the markings in the render seem to follow the now missing chimney stack, they are hard to accurately interpret.
In today's photograph the window that replaced the entrance door has been completely blocked off.
The regularly spaced ground floor windows mirrored by the similarly positioned dormer windows in the roof are highly suggestive of Victorian workmanship. It would be reasonable to assume they were created as part of the façade installation and are not necessarily occupying the position of earlier windows.
The position of the entrance door being used in the earlier photograph is open to interpretation, too.
It could be original though the position of the surviving chimney stack suggests it may previously have been located at the other end of the frontage. Chimneys, when added, often completely blocked the front to rear connecting aisle – the screens passage. If so, and the entrance fell into disuse, it was relocated to a more convenient place.
As said in the introduction, such is the joy of interpreting the what's, the whys, and the maybes of listed building alterations !!
Here is a reconstructed view of how the Green Man may have looked when first built.
Green Man recreation
The listed buildings descriptions include the following references to particular forms of timber construction:
C17 stop chamfered joists (i.e. with a bevelled edge).
The parlour has raised and fielded panelling of mid-late C18 below the dado (lower part of the wall) and a corner cupboard of same period.
Jowled (i.e.flared) heads to main posts to two bays at the south east end.
Frame and rafters of purlin roof of uniform and substantial scantling (beam of small cross section).
Main posts have jowled (i.e. flared) heads. There is straight downward wall bracing. Similar framing to No. 61 Station Road.
One room of the C17 part is said to retain original panelling and a staircase of the period.
Jettied (projecting out - a typical medieval style) first floor to south east end and to front wall.
Dragon beam (a horizontal, diagonal beam in the corner) to support the jetty.
The centre room is partly lined with early C17 square sunk panelling.
See also: Timber-framed Buildings (Discovering); Richard Harris, Shire Publications 1993.
Meldreth History > http://www.meldrethhistory.org.uk/
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Morning all (or afternoon).
Well July is upon us and I am feeling a bit odd because I am 40 at the end of the month. Being 40 doesn't bother me too much other than the fact that there is lots I want to do and my health prevents me from doing it. Every year for the last couple I've said 'this is going to be the year I make it happen' but then things happen and the next year rolls around. I really have got ambitions that I would love to come to fruition by the time I'm 41 but I just won't say anything too loudly in case the fates are listening - they are liable to throw another obstacle in front of me if they get wind of my plans LOL.
Anyway, enough of my whinging and back to more important things, such as crafting.
It is the first of the month so there is a new challenge up at Ladybug Crafts , which this month is:
Special Birthdays
I haven't made anything specific as I have been busy with some design team work, but thought I would share a couple of older projects featuring some of the Crafter's Companion embossing folders, create a card dies and quilling flower dies.
There is so much you can do to make so many different looks.
I just love this large milk carton style box and I don't know if it's the sunshine, but I am loving bright colours right now, especially orange :)
This is a more subtly coloured piece with a cupcake theme going on - I still love my Crafter's Companion embossing boards which is where I got the large cupcake in the centre from. Really easy to emboss and then cut out - so may dies around now, but I still love a bit of cutting out.
This is one of the A6 Create a Card dies, Shining Star. So simple and quick to do - fab if you've forgotten a birthday and you need something quick.
This is another Create a Card A6 die - Butterflies this time, but layered on some pretty paper and the leaf vein textures folder provides the backing. The bow is a die too from Crafter's Companion but from their first Christmas range - still useful :)
I hope you like these cards and that you will pop over to the challenge blog and join in :)