Saturday, August 22, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Strength Training Develops Solid Softball Players
by: Lynn VanDyke
Softball is a popular sport these days. Corporations, adult leagues and inner-city competitions are fueling the demand for skilled and competitive players. While softball may be experiencing a surge of interest, the basic techniques to improve your game and gain a competitive edge have remained the same.
Many do not realize that basic softball movements such as batting and throwing are not a directly related to arm strength. The movement begins in the legs. The power is then transferred into the hips, the torso, the upper back, the chest, the shoulders and then the arms.
A proper softball strength training routine will include an exercise for each muscle group. During the off-season, athletes will be able to strength train 2-3 times per week. Training should be reduced to 1-2 times per week during the season. Each exercise should be performed 8-12 times for 1-3 sets.
Quickness, speed, agility, balance, explosiveness, and power will be enhanced as the strength training program progresses. Below is a list of sample exercises for the commonly used muscles in softball. There are many other exercises you could perform, but this will provide a starting point.
Quadriceps- Squats, One-Legged Squats, Jump Squats
Hams & Glutes- Lunges, Explosive Lunges, Bridge on Ball
Hip Adductors/Abductors- Lying Side Leg Raises, Ball Squeeze
Obliques- Oblique Crunch on Ball
Rectus Abdominis- Ball Crunch, 180 Ball Crunch
Erector Spinae- Plank Pose
Deltoids- Shoulder Press, Military Press
Pectoralis Major- Chest Fly, Chest Press, Push ups
Latissimus Dorsi- Bent Over Row, Reverse Fly
Triceps- Overhead Extensions, Skull crushers
Biceps- Bicep Curl, Hammer Curl
A powerful softball strength training program will produce powerful players. Use a full ROM (range of motion) for each exercise. Generally free weights provide a better ROM than machines, but use which ever feels best to you. The ultimate goal is to create a solid program that will deliver a well-rounded athlete.
Copyright 2005 strength-training-woman.com
Can My Dog Get Flu? by: Jon Dunkerley In today's society with flu pandemics and such grabbing so much of the spotlight, it is easy for us to overlook the fact that our dogs can also contract a version of flu.
How To Load A Horse Into A Trailer - Easy As Pie! by: Andy Curry If there is an art to getting horses to load in a trailer, then this it.The first thing that must happen is communication between the horse and his handler. The horse must understand what is required of him and the handler must make it easy to understand.Thus, you must start by getting the horse to move forward in either direction.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Good Sleep Habits: A Key To Better Health!
by: Ray Kelly
Most of us fail to get good nights sleep. As a result we run the risk of greatly increasing our susceptibility to disease and accidents. Getting a good night sleep is a minimum for a healthy life. For most people this amount needs to be around 6 to 8 hours each night. Anything less than that and you are sleeping too little and anything more than that and you are probably sleeping too much.
What is it that sleep does for us? The best way to think of sleep is as the body's form of "downtime". Just like our computers need to go offline in order to be repaired so must our bodies. During this "downtime" the body actually rebuilds tissue, grows bone and muscle and strengthens the immune system.
The truth is we really don't know everything that does happen in sleep just yet. However, we know enough to realize that without it the body deteriorates along with the mind.
Each night we cycle through three stages of sleep including light sleep, deep sleep and Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM). Each of these stages are vital but the last stage is especially vital. Deprivation of this final stage of sleep can seriously decrease our health and productivity and make us increasingly prone to accidents and systematic disorders.
During deep sleep brain activity that controls emotions, decision-making processes and social interaction shuts down. Though these areas become inactive other areas of our brain that are usually dormant come to life. It is also at this stage that cell growth and cell repair takes place. There is in fact some truth to the phrase "beauty sleep". Missing these vital areas of sleep deprives our body of the chance to revitalize our skin and organs.
Sleep is also integral in fighting off infection. As anybody who has been sick can attest the need for sleep increases when we are ill or bedridden. Part of the reason for this behavior is because our body is trying to shut down other aspects of our functioning in order to send much needed energy to our immune system and other parts of the body that help to fight off infection and sickness. This is a key step in the healing process. Depriving someone of sleep with a major illness can do serious damage to their long-term health.
The effects of sleep deprivation are many and varied. When we are deprived from sleep hallucinations and mood swings are usually the first effects we feel. There is also a general sense of irritability that pervades our waking mood when we are sleep deprived. Lack of sleep also affects our nervous system leaving us drowsy and unable to concentrate.
Lack of sleep is also a frequent contributor to the causes of vehicular accidents and all other types of accidents, many of which are fatal.
To make sure you get the most of your sleep try to develop some ritual before going to bed. By creating a routine you condition your body to prepare itself for sleep.
Avoid taking medicines since many of these prohibit the deepest levels of sleep, which are most necessary for our body.
Also avoid excessive stimulation two hours before sleep. This can cause your body to be unable to fall reach the state of deep relaxation needed to fall to sleep.
Find an amount of sleep that is right for you and allows your body to operate at maximum efficiency.
Its appealing restaurants, theme parks, shops, gaming and the world's greatest circus acts guarantees good fun for everyone. Best of all, it continues to be the value leader on the Las Vegas Strip.
Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica by: Clint Leung One of the ports of call for our Royal Caribbean cruiseship was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Probably the most famous site in the region is Dunn's River Falls and we chose to tour it on our own rather than through one of the cruiseship tours.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Authenticity of Eskimo Inuit Art & Native Indian Art
by: Clint Leung
Both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art have gained international recognition as valuable art forms over the past few decades. However, the rising popularity of both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art has resulted in the increased proliferation of imitations and mass-produced reproductions of original Native arts. Some obvious fakes are made in Asia from molds where the finished pieces are forms of plastic, resin or ceramic.
Other fakes are actually made of cast stone simulating actual Inuit Eskimo art carvings and wood for imitation Native American carvings. These fakes, which are harder to distinguish from authentic artwork, are often hand carved reproductions of an original piece of artwork. Workshops have illegally reproduced hundreds of copies without the artisan's permission. The counterfeiting companies would then attach some type of tag that claims the fake pieces were influenced by aboriginal artisans and even background information on the Native designs used in the artwork. Some even go as far as adding in Inuit syllabics on the bottom of the fake Inuit Eskimo art carvings.
These are very deceptive tactics on their part since they give the consumers the impression that the imitations are authentic and income producing for the aboriginal communities.
Fakes and imitations have lowered the image of authentic Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art. Sales of genuine aboriginal artwork have declined which in turn have deprived aboriginal artisans of income. The argument against these claims is that not every consumer can afford to buy authentic Inuit Eskimo art or Native American art so the souvenir level reproductions legitimately meet this part of the market. The imitations, which are usually low priced, enable students visiting Canada for example, to bring home a Canadian souvenir without breaking their travel budget. This claim would have more support from Native communities if aboriginal artisans were paid a fair royalty as income for each imitation and reproduction piece sold. However, this is seldom the case since most of the time, no royalties are paid at all.
The obvious fakes can be spotted quite easily. An imitation of an Inuit Eskimo art carving spotted at a gift shop was not made of stone as it was not cold to the touch. It was very light in weight unlike a stone which has some mass to it. The detail and the bottom of the piece had the molded look to it. There was even a sticker on the bottom with the company name Wolf Originals. Side by side comparisons of similar pieces in the souvenir store revealed that they were all identical in every detail, which is impossible for original artwork.
A black totem pole had a very flat uniform back and bottom again giving away the fact that it came from a mold. Other totem poles made from wood or mixed wood with a claim that they were hand painted were among many similar pieces in the store. All of these examples were each priced less than $20 Canadian which was another indicator that they were not original artwork.
Imitations of Inuit Eskimo art sculptures were recently spotted for sale in shops located at major Canadian airports. From a distance, these Inuit Eskimo art sculptures of hunters, polar bears and Inuit women with children looked very authentic. However, each piece had several identical copies on the same shelf.
To avoid accidentally buying a fake or imitation, it is suggested that consumers buy Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art from only reputable galleries and dealers rather than from tourist souvenir shops. A piece of original, authentic Inuit Eskimo art or Native American art is one of a kind. There should be no other identical pieces on the shelves. In addition, original Inuit Eskimo art carvings should come with an Igloo tag (or sticker) which is a Canadian government registered trademark. Inuit Eskimo art carvings that are certified by the Canadian government to be handmade by Inuit artisans, come with Igloo tags.
The sleep chaos can be minor, slight objectionable like restless leg syndrome to major nagged ones such as snoring, kicking and insomnia etc. An individual's mental as well as physical condition is accountable for the sleeping chaos.
Cruising Glacier Bay by: Jenna Grant You can watch movies about it, you can hear about it, you can read about it, but until you partake of it, you have no clue how thrilling it is to cruise Glacier Bay.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Las Vegas Centennial Party
by: Iulia Pascanu
Las Vegas turns 100 this year, on May 15th. Las Vegas Events (LVE) and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) have a mega-party planned to last all the year round, debuting December 31st 2004.
Las Vegas accustomed those who happen to drop by and pay a visit just the last day of the year, with fireworks extravaganza, live music, multicolored lights and people celebrating in the street.
It is true, only a hundred years ago (that actually comply on 15th May 2005), Salt Lake Railroad Company was auctioning off a bunch of land-parcels, located just in the area that the modern reveler today knows as Fremont Street Experience.
Of course, this detail requests a special celebration, and Las Vegas people know about these things. They just decided to throw the biggest party in Las Vegas history. It started on December 31st 2004, and spans through the whole year of 2005.
Apparently, the highest concentration of events is planned throughout May, June and July 2005. Until then, there were a lot of pleasant things going on in the Valley for the New Year's Party.
Even Lassie Had Her Moments by: Chris Sutton Lassie! Now THERE'S a dog! If you said SIT, Lassie would sit. If you said FETCH, Lassie would fetch.
You can find them all over the country, but those four I have focused on South Germany, so that you do not have to travel hundreds of kilometres/miles and lose valuable time.I am sure you are hot to get to know them now, so I go straight forward to them:3. StuttgartStuttgart area has, believe it or not, seven (yes 7!) castles and palaces.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Yankees clobber Red Sox
New York Yankees' Jorge Posada, centre, greets Hideki Matsui (55) at the plate after Mark Teixeira, left, and Matsui scored on Posada's fourth-inning home run in New York on Thursday. (Kathy Willens/Associated Press)The New York Yankees couldn't have picked a better time to take their first win over their biggest rivals this season.
The Bronx Bombers recorded an eight-run fourth inning to help them to a 13-6 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.
New York's Jorge Posada and Melky Cabrera each contributed three-run homers in that inning to help their team win the first game of a key series between the two clubs.
The win gives the Yankees a 3ВЅ game lead in thei
Toronto FC focused on playoffs 1st, Real Madrid 2nd
Jim Brennan and Toronto FC host Real Madrid Friday in an international friendly. (Rene Johnston/Canadian Press)It's not as though Toronto FC players aren't excited about their exhibition match Friday against Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid.
It's just that they have more pressing concerns right now, namely helping the team qualify for the Major League Soccer playoffs for the first time.
To be sure, Toronto players are enthusiastic about Friday's showdown at BMO Field against Real Madrid, the legendary Spanish side that boasts a roster of glittering superstars - Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo foremost among them.
But with Toronto mired in a slump and sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Canadian club is more focused on making a strong playoff push as the season enters the home stretch.
"This game [against Madrid] is exciting, it's good for the fans, it's good for the players, but at the end of the day this is a friendly and our main objective is to get into the playoffs," Toronto captain Jim Brennan told reporters Thursday.
After missing out on the post-season in their first two years in the league, management, players and coaching staff were very optimistic at the start of the 2009 MLS campaign that this would be the year when the club would finally reward its loyal fans with a playoff appearance.
Toronto coach Chris Cummins is as excited as his players are about the prospect of Friday's friendly against Real Madrid.
"It's going to be a great experience for the lads, to play against one of the best teams in the world, if not the best. It'll be interesting to see how they cope with it," Cummins said.
The first-year coach sees the game not only as learning opportunity for his players but also for himself.
"You want to play the best teams in the world. It's a learning curve for me, as well," Cummins explained. "To play against them is great and I'm looking forward to getting the video afterward and look to see how they play and see if there's anything I can pick up and use."
Toronto FC has fallen on hard times lately, though, having earned just one win in its last five regular-season contests.
The team also lost to the Puerto Rico Islanders (who compete one level below MLS in the United Soccer League's First Division) in a two-game playoff, failing to qualify for the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Need to rebound
After being humbled by the Islanders, the team must quickly rebound and refocus, starting with next Saturday's crucial road game against D.C. United.
"We're very disappointed with the result against Puerto Rico," Toronto midfielder Dwayne De Rosario said. "It was a tournament that we definitely wanted to be part of, but you have to put that behind you and focus on the league right now and making the post-season."
"D.C. is a key game for us," Toronto coach Chris Cummins stated. "We're going to give it a massive push to get ourselves in the playoffs, because we believe we have a great chance of doing it.
Friday's game will be Toronto's fourth in 10 days, which means fatigue has set in. Cummins said he won't risk players who are the slightest bit injured by playing them against Madrid, stating it's important that the club remains healthy as it fights for a playoff berth.
Toronto taking it seriously
That said, even though Friday's encounter against los Galacticos is billed as an international friendly, Toronto is taking the game very seriously.
"A lot of the experienced guys have come up to me and told me they want to play, so nobody wants to miss this game. Not just because it's Real Madrid, but because they want to play," Cummins explained.
With a record nine European Cups/Champions League titles and 31 Spanish league championships to its credit, Real Madrid is one of the most famous and successful clubs in world soccer.
Some of the best players ever to play the game have worn Madrid's famous white jersey, including Alfredo di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo.
The newest star is Ronaldo, having joined the club in June after los Blancos paid Manchester United $145 million, a world record transfer fee, for the services of the Portuguese star.
Brennan and his fellow defenders expect to have their hands full against the reigning FIFA world player of the year.
"He's unbelievable, he's one of the best players in the world. I was fortunate enough to [go up] against him against Portugal when I played for Canada and he's something special," Brennan said.
Canada to order 50.4 million H1N1 vaccine doses
A handout file photo shows a technician holding a master H1N1 virus sample, for the pre-production of a vaccine against pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus at a GlaxoSmithKline laboratory in Dresden, Germany. (REUTERS/GlaxoSmithKline)The federal government will order 50.4 million doses of swine flu vaccine, and will pick up 60 per cent of the cost, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced Thursday.
The number of doses is enough for all Canadians who want and need to be vaccinated against the H1N1 pandemic virus, said Dr. David Butler-Jones, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada.
The total cost will be more than $400 million, Butler-Jones told reporters.
Canada's pandemic influenza plan calculated that about 75 per cent of Canadians might want or need to be vaccinated during a pandemic.
Results from trials of the avian flu vaccine suggest one dose should be enough, particularly since Canada's flu vaccine supplier, GlaxoSmithKline, is using an additive known as adjuvant, he said. Adjuvants are used to boost immune response from vaccines.
The vaccine order is large enough to give one dose to every Canadian, or two doses to 75 per cent of the population, he said.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Validated Presence for Museums
by: Malcolm R. Campbell
'Some of the most important people to your future don't understand the value of what you are doing.' --- Richard West, "American's Museums – Building Community"
Your museum needs validated presence with multiple individuals and groups to effectively carry out its mission, build and maintain audience and manage donor development.
* For presence, your museum (or other heritage tourism site) requires branding—a distinct and compelling identity impacting everything from image to programs and services—that allows it to position itself to appeal to prospective visitors and to differentiate itself from other local and regional venues.
* For this presence to be validated, your organization must simultaneously earn and maintain the respect of tourists, tourist/visitor bureaus and associations, educational institutions, governmental agencies, foundations, museums, and historical societies.
You must tell a consistent story through your name, site design, exhibit interpretation style and focus, events and activities, visitor guidebooks and brochures, web site, and advertising and public relations materials. While style and focus will change somewhat to meet the demands of audiences/formats, this consistent story must also be maintained in monographs, white papers, grant applications and other requests, and archival resources.
Your organization's ability to create a validated presence with individual groups and stakeholders impacts its success with other groups and stakeholders. That is, the advertising done to attract tourists and local visitors influences foundation responses to grant requests; web site content focusing on historical information and restoration goals influences the collegial approval of professionals at other museums and museum associations. Everything relating to branding evolves, builds on itself, and has multiple non-linear effects on all stakeholders.
If you have validated presence, everyone who should know who you are does know who you are, and they believe you are presenting a quality museum experience.
You're How Old?!? by: David Leonhardt a.k.a. The Happy Guy "Well, Happy Birthday! How old are you anyway?""Oh, I'm just 29 Â… again."It's a harmless game, denying our age, right? We play sensitive about our age as we get older, as we get further away from birth and closer to death.
The ocean, where saltwater fish live, is the largest of all the water bodies. It's home to millions of species – playful, colourful, savage and awe inspiring, and many of these varieties are appropriate and available for saltwater tanks.