Tag: humidors

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Good sauna equipments are essential for the healthy experience of sauna bathing. An extensive range of sauna equipments to suit every need of the user is available in the market. Some common sauna equipments include sauna heaters, steam generators, and outdoor towel warmers. Other sauna equipments include steam showers and wine and cigar storage.

The heater is the heart and soul of any sauna. The sole purpose of the sauna heater is to provide warm and soft heat. A wide variety of sauna heaters suitable for every application is offered by many reputed manufacturers. The three main types of sauna heaters are electric, gas, and wood burning heaters. Wood burning heaters take more time to heat the sauna. The main advantage of wood burning heaters is that that they are inexpensive than electric and gas heaters. Electric and gas heaters can heat the sauna very quickly. Nordic, Harvia, MrSauna, and Tylo are among the top brand names of sauna heaters.

Steam generators are best suited to provide relaxing pleasures and detoxifying. Steam generators for residential applications feature tempo controls and steam heads. Some steam generators come with sophisticated features such as automatic rinse and flush operation, automatic backup timer, and steam room temperature sensor. Commercial steam generators are well suited for fitness centers, hotel and resort facilities. These types come with advanced features including F1 plus control, two steam heads, and sensor. Steam generators are simple and easy to install.

Outdoor towel warmers are ideal any season. Most of them have patented heating systems that help to warm the entire cabinet interior to a maximum temperature of 150° F.

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Source by Kevin Stith

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Congratulations on taking the first step towards eliminating Nosebleeds from your life by FINDING THIS ARTICLE. I do not occur nosebleeds frequently but had faced severe two events only and still remember the 2nd one that needs me to cauterize the vein inside my right nostril.

I think it’s not necessary to write regarding the cause of nose bleeds. Although most of the doctors suggest dislocation of septum i,e bone at the small separation between the two nostrils is a cause of nosebleed and only the permanent solution for stopping nose bleed is a major operation for correcting this bone, as per my findings through a study of different informations, nosebleeds can be controlled with the following simple steps

During the Nose Bleed

Thumbs Up Method

1. Stay calm, slowly taking deep breaths.

2. With your hand (same hand as the bleeding nostril,) make a ‘thumbs up’ sign.

3. Press your thumb against your nostril’s side, not so hard that it hurts, but firmly

enough to flatten the nostril.

4. Stay still, leaning forward slightly.

5. Stay in place for 5-10 minutes, breathing normally.

6. Slowly release the pressure; it may feel a bit weird as the blood flows back into your

nasal vessels.

Pinching Method

1. Pinch your nose just below the bridge. There is a vein just below the nose bone that is the culprit in 99% of bloody noses. Pinching puts pressure on it, which arrests the bleeding and speeds the clotting process.

2. Find a bathroom as you continue pinching. Now that you have slowed the bleeding by pinching, you should find a bathroom where you can clean up once the bleeding has stopped.

3. Keep applying pressure for at least 5 minutes at a time. Don’t check to see if it is still bleeding over this period of time as it is important to keep continuous pressure. After this period of time let go briefly to see if the bleeding has stopped. If not, give it another 5 minutes. (This is also a good time to quickly wash any blood off your hands and get a paper towel or toilet paper to pinch with so that blood gets on the paper and not your hand.) If it is, continue pinching. Don’t check every 30 seconds, as the key is constant pressure.

Pressure Method

1. Find the two very slight depressions on the back of the skull, approximately four finger-widths from the base of the skull (in line with the tops of the ears) and four finger-widths from the mid-line of the back of the skull. If you had eyes in the back of your head, this is where they would be.

2. Press the spots firmly, but gently, and if you have connected correctly, the bleeding should stop immediately. Keep up the pressure for about five minutes and then release. If the bleeding starts again, just repeat the process, but hold it longer: you may have to keep up the pressure for ten to fifteen minutes to stop it completely.

Upper Lip Method

1. Roll up a piece of gauze or tissue into a “cigar shape” approximately 2 inches long and a little thicker than a pencil. Folding it into a small, thick square also works well.

2. Wedge the tissue under your upper lip where it’s tight and close your lip over it.

3. Apply light pressure by compressing your lip over the wad. Tilt your head forward.

Remedies

1. The green leafy vegetables are a source of Vitamin K, which is needed in trace amounts to help blood to clot. This Vitamin is needed in such small amounts that it’s difficult to find it made in tablets all by itself. You need to eat green leafy vegetables regularly.

2. Taking ONE 1000 milligram Vitamin C tablet and ONE cayenne pepper capsule each day with your largest meal, and stay at that dose until you feel comfortable and have regular, normal bowel movements. Remember to drink lots of water at least 20 minutes before your meal, and also after about an hour after your meal. It’s best not to drink a lot of water with your meal, as this will dilute your digestive juices and make digestion more difficult–unless, of course, you are severely dehydrated.

Summary

It is not common practice for doctors to check patients with a history of epistaxis for genetic disorders, vitamin K deficiencies and/or blood vessel constriction etc. However, these would all be highly logical possible causes to consider and evaluate in patients. Otherwise it will be an undiagnosed nose bleeds.

(The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. By:-Thomas A Edison)

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Source by Ksh Surjit Singh

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Inflammation of the Pleura is called Pleurisy. In dry Pleurisy, the pleural surfaces are inflamed without fluid in between them. In many cases pleurisy is associated with effusion. Both dry pleurisy and pleural effusion may develop at different stages of the same disease process.

Dry or fibrinous pleurisy: The pleura gets involved from the disease of the underlying lung. Trauma to the chest may also lead to Pleurisy. The suggestive symptom is the catching pain felt acutely over the affected area by inspiratory movements brought about by deep breathing, coughing or sneezing. Its etiology are as follows: Pulmonary tuberculosis, Pneumonia, bronchogenic carcinoma, pulmonary infarction, connective tissue disorders (such as systemic lupus erythematosus, polyarteritis nodosa, and rheumatoid disease), rheumatic fever, viral infections (especially Coxsackie [Bornholm disease), hepatopulmonary amoebiasis, and uraemia.

The physical examination reveals diminution of movement on the affected side and the presence of pleural friction rub on auscultation. Pleural rub has a superficial grafting quality. The rub is heard better by gentle pressure of the chest piece of the stethoscope on the chest wall. Unlike rales, it is not altered by coughing. With the development of pleural effusion, the rub may disappear in most cases. Pleural rub has to be distinguished from crepitations and sounds arising from movements of the chest wall. Other painful conditions like Pneumonia, myocardial infarction, and herpes Zoster have to be differentiated from pleurisy.

Pleural effusion: In this condition, fluid accumulates between the two layers of the pleura. Normally, pleura contains only a small amount of fluid. The pleural fluid remains in dynamic equilibrium with blood. Movements of the lung favour the movement of the fluid in and out of the pleural space. In most of the disease states, absorption of the fluid is reduced. The fluid may be contained in the general pleural space or it may be loculated in the interlobar fissure, infrapulmonary space or may remain adjacent to the mediastinum. The fluid progressively compresses the subjacent lung which undergoes collapse.

The development of symptoms depends upon the speed of accumulation of fluid and its quantity. Common symptoms include dyspnea, pleuritic pain, or symptoms of the underlying disorder. High fever may occur in acute pyogenic infections. Tuberculosis may be associated with lower grades of fever. Pleural fluid is clinically detectable only when it is about 500ml in volume but radiologically it may be detected even when the volume is only 350 ml. A fully developed moderate or massive effusion reveals fullness of the intercostal spaces and restriction of respiratory movements of the same side. Midline structures are shifted to the opposite side. Percussion elicits stony dullness with the highest level in the axilla and lower levels in front and back (S-shaped curve of Ellis). This is the most constant physical sign. The Traube’s space, which is the area overlying the gas bubble or the stomach, is obliterated in left-sided effusion. Breath sounds, vocal femitus and vocal resonance are diminished or absent. Aegophony may be present above the level of effusion. At times bronchial breathing may be heard over a pleural effusion.

Complications include: Respiratory embarrassment, massive bilateral effusions which may be fatal due to respiratory failure, secondary infection of the pleural fluid which converts it into empyema, organization of fibrin from the fluid on the surface of the collapsed lung (cortication) that prevents re-expansion, and fibrosis of the pleura and obliteration of the pleural space (fibrothorax) which develop as a sequel to long standing pleural effusions.

Radiographic appearance: If the fluid volume is small only the costophrenic angles are obliterated. As the fluid accumulates further, it throws a triangular lateral opacity obscuring the hemidiaphragm. Large pleural effusions shift the midline structures to the opposite side. An interlobar effusion in the oblique fissure produces an elongated cigar-shaped shadow seen better in the lateral view. Fluid in the horizontal fissure throws a rounded shadow seen in the PA-view. The term “vanishing pulmonary tumor” has been used for inter-lobar effusions since they clear up with treatment.

Character of the fluid: Pleural fluids may be transudates or exudates. They differ in physical and biochemical nature. Transudate (Clear, often bilateral, does not clot on standing, specific gravity less than 1015, protein content less than 3g/dL, cells less than 100/Cmm). Exudate (Opalescent or turbid, unilateral, often clots on standing, above 1015, above 3g/dL, cell count is high).

Congestive Cardiac failure, nephrotic syndrome, hypoproteinemia, constrictive pericarditis, and myxedema may cause transudation into the pleura. Exudates are caused by tuberculosis, Pneumonias, Pulmonary infarction, bronchogenic carcinoma, Pleural secondaries, dyscollagenoses and hepatopulmonary amoebiasis. Rare causes include subphrenic abscess, postmyocardial infarction syndrome and acute pancreatitis. Tuberculous effusion is straw-coloured. The fluid is hemorrhagic in malignancy and infarction and it is chylous (milky) in lymphatic obstruction due to filariasis and lymphomas. Collection of purulent fluid in the pleura is called empyema.

Microscopy: In acute bacterial infections, neutrophils predominate, lymphocytes predominate in tuberculosis. Eosinophils may predominate in dyscollagenoses and pulmonary infarction. Examination of a wet preparation stained by methylene blue reveals malignant cells in over 90% of cases of malignant effusions. Identification of the nature of the malignant cells is done by Papanicolaou’s technique. The nature of chylous fluid is confirmed by demonstrating the presence of fat. Elevated amylase levels are suggestive of acute pancreatitis (500 units/ml of higher). Values of LDH are raised in exudates. Gram-staining, Ziehl-Neelsen staining, and culture help in identifying the causative microbes. When investigations, pleural biopsy may be attempted. Special (Cope’s) needles are available for this purpose. Though a positive biopsy is diagnostic, a negative biopsy does not exclude pleural malignancy.

Principles of treatment

Pleural effusion may rarely present as an emergency with respiratory embarrassment. In such cases, emergency measures are required to give relief-especially if the effusion is massive or bilateral. The fluid is aspirated by thoracentesis done in the eighth or ninth intercostal space in the posterior axillary line after anaesthetising the part. Sufficient fluid id removed to relieve the distress. Whenever pleural fluid is aspirated, it is also subjected to diagnostic investigations.

Elective management

Medical therapy is instituted depending on clinical features and pleural fluid analysis. it is ideal to aspirate the fluid after instituting specific drug therapy. Aspiration is indicated: to make the diagnosis; to relieve distress and to remove the exudate so as to hasten full recovery of the pleura and avoid complications. It is generally advisable to restrict the volume of fluid removed at one sitting to 1 Liter or less in order to avoid pulmonary edema. Aspiration has to be repeated at times. Two or three aspirations will be adequate in most of the cases of tuberculous effusion. In malignant pleural fluid tends to re-accumulate even after repeated aspirations. Drugs used to be instilled intra-pleurally with the hope of raising the local concentration of the drug. Intra-pleural administration of drugs my be required only in some rare cases, if proper systemic therapy is given. Sometimes aspiration of the pleural cavity may give rise to complications. These include pleural shock, anaphylactic shock due to anaesthetic, bleeding into the pleural cavity, pulmonary edema, infection, and accidental introduction of air into the pleura.

PULMONARY CYSTS

Cysts of the Lung may be congenital or acquired. Congenital cysts are of three varieties:

1. bronchogenic-these may be solitary or multiple;

2. alveolar cell types-these also may be solitary or multiple; and

3. mixed types having elements of both bronchogenic and alveolar cysts.

These vary in size and may be unilateral or bilateral. They may be located anywhere in the lung. They are filled with fluid at birth, but air enter the cavity later when bronchial communications develop. The cyst may be thick- or thin- walled. Cystic disease of the Lung may occur in association with fibrocystic disease of the pancreas. This is common in Western countries, but is rare in Asia and Africa.

Acquired Cysts

These may be resent bullous emphysema, subpleural ysts or parasitic cysts, which include hydratid disease and paragonimiasis. The severity of symptoms is determined by the extent, size, time of diagnosis, and presence of complications. When the lung parenchyma is grossly reduced, respiratory embarrassment and respiratory failure may develop. Super-added infection is common and this is characterised by fever, cough, purulent sputum, and even hemoptysis. Though pulmonary osteoarthropathy may occur, it is a late feature. This is in contrast to bronchiectasis, in which clubbing is an early feature. Potential complications are infection, hemoptysis, Pneumothorax, fibrosis, and Cor Pulmonale.

Diagnosis

Cystic disease has to be suspected when a child presents with recurrent respiratory infections. Presence of other congenital abnormalities should strengthen this suspicion. X-ray shows thin-walled cysts, which may be single or multiple. Tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, and Lung abscess have to be differentiated. In congenital cystic lung bronchography delineates the lesions. In the case of single non-communicating cysts, the dye does not enter the cavity.

Treatment

A large single cysts producing respiratory embarrassment from infancy has to be excised. When the cysts are multiple, surgery is contraindicated. Medical management is on the same lines as for bronchiectasis.

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Source by Funom Makama

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This Halloween there are many options for great costumes. If you happen to have hair that will comb out to a big beautiful afro, you have numerous options.

If you want to dress up as Foxy Cleopatra from Austin Powers – Goldfinger, you simply need to find appropriate outfit and add some Spray on gold streaks to your afro. While Beyonce wore a number of costumes in the role, one of the most identifiable is a small bra top and fitted bell bottomed pant both made from gold lame fabric. In fact once you find the best Afro wig, you can wear any matching bra/midriff top with fitted pants and platform shoes and your costume will be complete. the only thing that you may want to add is a sprinkling of gold body shimmer dust,

Another option for a young lady with an afro costume is the singer Lauryn Hill. While she often wears her hair in dreadlocks, this gorgeous recording artist has also worn her hair in it’s natural afro style. For a Lauryn Hill costume, after securing the appropriate wig you’ll want to put together an outfit that blends the eclectic eclectic east coast style with pieces from her african roots. There are many photos for reference available on the web.

One of the most overlooked costumes with an afro is Annie. This lovable orphan was one of the first white females to wear an afro. This costume is very simple to make. You’ll need a red dress with a white collar and belt and a pair of black patent leather Mary Jane’s worn with lace trimmed ankle socks, and of course the signature red haired afro. You can finish off the costume with a generous sprinkling of freckles on both cheeks

Macy Gray is another pop singer who would be a great Halloween costume with an afro. While other celebrities occasionally wear an afro, is it decidedly part of her persona and style. While her dress varies also, she is generally in jeans and a casual yet eccentric top. The only other important part of this costume would be the signature gap between her two front teeth, and her gravelly voice.

An idea for a male costume with an afro is generally a hippie, perhaps from the musical Hair. This costume can be constructed with an afro wig, a casual bell sleeve or simple T-shirt, and a colorful pair of bell bottomed pants. You can finish it off with a hair band for an accessory.

While we’re still in the same decade or at least a similar era of history, you could also be a Black Panther with an afro wig. This classic uniform is head to toe black, completed with a black leather jacket. The costume pieces that will make your intention clear are a black beret and a fake machine gun.

A funny character to dress up as for Halloween with an afro wig, is Richard Simmons. This hyper-energetic exercise fanatic is such an outlandish character, that the only requirements for attitude, are tremendous flamboyance. For this costume, you’ll want to wear very short athletic shorts and a wrestling tank top. The effect is completed with a pair of sneakers worn with very high tube socks.

Another classic Halloween costume with an afro is Don King. This Boxing promoter has made a name for himself not just through his career, but with his outlandish speech and persona. You’ll want to wear a tuxedo with a pair of his signature glasses and a big cigar. It’s best if you walk around making up words all night.

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Source by Eddy Firestone

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Handsom Lake, a religious leader and prophet of the Seneca people came to the forefront of the Iroquois culture when he advocated teachings he received from three visions, or dreams. Handsome Lake nearly died of alcoholism and its related affects. In 1799, at death’s door, three visions appeared to him that saved his life and turned the lives of the Iroquois people around from despair to hope. These visions shared the idea that the Iroquois people should return to their traditional roots, while still accepting the new realities of their current situation.

Native American tribes at that time were in despair at the circumstances in which they found themselves. The country and their lands had been overrun by European settlers who were fleeing Europe in search of a new home. As more and more people arrived, things unknown to the tribal people were introduced to them – not all of them were good. As one example, the settlers introduced alcohol (white man’s fire water) to them.

The Native Americans’ way of life was drastically changed with the migration from Europe. Lands were taken; lands were sold. The Iroquois culture was getting lost in “white man’s ways.” As a result, more Native Americans turned to “the drink” to ease their pain from the situation unfolding around them. Handsome Lake’s visions of hope and encouragement gradually began to turn their despondency into optimism and return their yearning to thrive and succeed in their new environment.

Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States from 1801 to 1809, wrote a letter to Handsome Lake. Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence and many other important papers. He was greatly admired for his stance on equal rights for all, and yet was sometimes criticized for his own practice of possessing slaves, his actions seemingly contradicting his words.

President Thomas Jefferson heard of the progress Handsome Lake was making among the tribal people and his proposal that they stay away from alcohol. President Jefferson admired Handsome Lake and thought he was a man worthy of negotiating peaceful agreements and settlements. A government agent, Captain Irvine, was allocated to Handsome Lake, to work near him and carry his messages with the President back and forth. Handsome Lake and some Iroquois representatives were invited to dine with Thomas Jefferson and he spoke with the President about the rights of the Native Americans to retain their land. President Jefferson gave his word to Handsome Lake in a letter in 1802, restating their discussions at that dinner, saying that land would not be taken unless the tribes were willing to sell. Jefferson said the government was always willing to buy land, but would not ask if the owner did not wish to sell.

President Thomas Jefferson also made a proclamation that the United States wouldn’t sell liquor or spirits to the Native Americans anymore, as that was Handsome Lake’s wish and desire to curb and control the influence of alcohol on tribal people. Jefferson also instituted a law to prohibit individuals from buying Native American lands and, during any transaction, a government representative would have to be present to ensure a fair process.

In the letter, Jefferson references Handsome Lake’s complaint that a land deal by the State of New York was unjust. Jefferson argues that a government representative was there and assured him all was fair and equal and that the seller sold freely.

President Jefferson also went on to say that while he understood the tribal people’s needs for land to hunt on, he also thought Handsome Lake should encourage his people to think about the great opportunity that agriculture presented. The President tried to persuade Handsome Lake to promote the advantages of planting crops and women weaving their family’s own clothes to make possible a better quality of life for the Native Americans. President Jefferson expressed his desire and hope for the happiness of the Iroquois and all his “red brethren.”

The letter was an unusual one for the times; it was an open admittance of Jefferson’s willingness to work with the Native Americans and count them as brethren. President Jefferson’s letter was also an important endorsement for Handsome Lake’s religious movement. Whether or not his letter stood the test of time in efforts to count the Native Americans as equal is left for you to decide from the history of actual events.

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Source by Michael Keene

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One of the best kept secrets in Philadelphia is the phantom group of people we loosely call the Phillies owners. The Phillies’ ownership group has remained more of a mystery in this town than Bigfoot or the Bermuda Triangle.

While winning the World Series in 2008 took a ton of heat off the Phillies owners, fans renewed their hatred for the faceless, nameless individuals who we never see or hear when the club dealt Cliff Lee for the likely reason of saving $9 million bucks. It is time now that we investigate these Phillies ghosts, who are quite skilled at remaining invisible. David Montgomery is here to speak for the owners that allowed so many years of horrid baseball before getting lucky in 2008, and to make sure that fans never, ever learn who they really are. 

David Montgomery said recently that the Phillies owners are in the red and have been since they took over the team. HA! I guess we should all bow down and thank these wonderful people for selflessly throwing away their hard-earned money for our enjoyment. Right. Montgomery was not lying, but he was surely bending the truth as well as any politician out there. I bet they have been losing money… in their operating costs. But the team value is an entirely different story. Let’s put it this way: The original group bought the team in 1981 for $30 million. The 2008 Phillies were reportedly worth $481 million (and that’s before winning the World Series). That’s over a 1,600 percent increase in the value of the team…1,600 percent! Trust me, they are NOT LOSING MONEY.

Before revealing these Phillies Phantoms, let’s discuss how exactly they came to be the owners. In 1981 when Ruly Carpenter announced he was selling the team, Bill Giles assembled a group of investors to buy the Phillies. With only $50,000 of his own to spend, he needed a little help. He took a 10 percent share of the team, oversaw the day-to-day operations, and became the spokesperson of the group, allowing the others to hide in the shadows.

The Buck brothers invested $5 million. Widener family heir Fitz Dixon and horse-racing mogul Bob Levy combined for $3.5 million. John D. Betz from Betz Laboratories pledged $5 million. Taft Broadcasting took care of the rest, throwing in $15 million.

In 1986, Taft Broadcasting sold its 47 percent share to Bill Giles and crew for $24.1 million. Bob Levy and Fitz Dixon have also since cashed out. Bill Giles handed over his general partner position to David Montgomery in 1997, who also took a sliver of the company. 

That leaves Claire Betz, the Buck Brothers, and John Middleton as the unnamed sources remaining. Let’s see what we can dig up, shall we? Let’s meet the cast:

Claire S. Betz

Claire S. Betz is approaching the age of 90 and shares time between her homes in Gwynedd, PA and Key Largo, Florida. Claire’s husband, John Drew Betz, bought his share of the Phillies in 1981 and she took over ownership amidst a nice little soap opera. See, her son, Peter Betz, was murdered by her 16-year-old grandson, Justin Betz, in 1988. Justin pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and John died of cancer at the age of 72 during the trial. That’s when she took over his share. The Inquirer’s Bill Conlin valued her stake at 33 percent of the team in a November 2007 article.

The Betz’ made their fortune through a family-owned water-purifying company called Betz Laboratories of which John Betz was the chairman. Betz Laboratories was later sold to General Electric. She and David Montgomery are also on the board of the Schuylkill Center, a local conservation group. When Claire passes away, the other partners will likely buy her shares.

The Buck Brothers

The Buck brothers: Alexander K. Buck, J. Mahlon Buck, Jr., and William C. Buck. Officially known as Tri-Play Associates, the three brothers are involved with T.D.H. Capital Corp., a venture capital firm based in Radnor, PA. The firm was started in 1977 and primarily invests in small businesses. 

They also have been heavily involved in local charity, including gifts to the zoo, orchestra, and education. “The Bucks are very principled. Very, very gentlemanly. Very, very private,” says J.B. Doherty, general partner of TDH Capital.

John Middleton

John S. Middleton is in his mid-fifties and splits his time between Bryn Mawr and Stone Harbor. He is a 1977 graduate of Amherst College, and according to them, “Middleton heads his family’s business, which includes McIntosh Inns, Bradford Holdings, and Double Play, Inc.” He inherited his portion of the ownership from his father, Herbert H. Middleton. He is also on the Board of Trustees of Penn Medicine. 

John was the closest thing to passionate out of the group. Rumor has it, Middleton was a big reason why the Phillies signed Jim Thome in 2002. He has been attributed as declaring, “I’ll pay for him myself!”

It was announced in November of 2007 that Middleton had sold his family cigar company to the Altria Group, owners of Phillip Morris, for $2.9 billion. Fans had a brief moment of hope that maybe, just maybe, we could have an ownership committed to winning. David Montgomery shut down those dreams instantly. In a statement, Montgomery said, “John Middleton is a limited partner with the Phillies and his personal and business interests have no impact on the operation of the ballclub.” That’s a pretty strong statement from the very mild mannered Montgomery. As you will soon learn, that is exactly what it means to be a limited partner, limited. But, if John Middleton could somehow grab a majority stake, he could have called the shots and told Montgomery to hit the road if he wanted. 

Hard to say if Middleton even attempted to buy the team, but the program during a ceremony in 2004 at Amherst said, “Montgomery runs the show. He just reaffirmed that fact. The partners are supposed to stay out of the way, and these partners do. It is fairly well known that John S. Middleton has been an outlier on some issues – breaking loose the money to sign Jim Thome was thought to be one of them.”

David Montgomery

Bill Giles hired David Montgomery in 1971 to work in the Phillies’ ticket sales office and he later became Sales Director. When the current group bought the team, Giles appointed Montgomery as his top assistant in 1982. Quite possibly his most revealing quote was, “I just believe the organization needs an image that’s not directly tied to wins and losses.”

Bill Giles

Giles started with the Phillies as the vice president of business operations in 1969. He was the team vice president until 1982, team president from 1982 to 1987, and General Manager from 1984 to 1987. Giles decided to step down as general partner in 1997 and took the title of managing partner. He is the son of former National League president Warren Giles and the current honorary president of the National League.

Limited Partners

Before moving forward, it is helpful to know what it means to be a limited partner. Bill Conlin describes it in better detail in his article on the limited partnership, but here is the Cliff’s Notes version. Basically, the general partner (was Giles, now Montgomery) gathers the group, negotiates the sale of the team, is responsible for all debt and lawsuits, and gets a little extra coin in the form of a salary.

So, what does it mean to be a limited partner? It means they are limited to their cash investment and nothing else. Don’t like what is going on? Want to get rid of David Montgomery? Too bad. When they agreed to terms as limited partners, they gave all the power to the general partner. 

As Conlin said regarding Montgomery, “Unless you can prove misfeasance and worse, it would be hard to dislodge him.” He says they probably also signed an agreement not to criticize the Phillies’ leadership publicly. Just like in the Marge Schott situation many years ago, if David Montgomery does not want to leave, he won’t. Simple as that.

Moving On

We should have no reason to hate any of the individuals running the team. We don’t know them, and they haven’t done anything illegal or unethical that we know of. In fact, they appear to be very principled and classy people. 

However…

Buying a professional sports team is not just another investment where you can let your stock broker do all the work and call you every once in a while with an update. Especially when you ask the city and state for $260 million to help build your new ballpark, you have given up the right to be “fiercely private” as Middleton was described by Amherst.

We have a rare opportunity for greatness with the current team. We need to take advantage of the moment while we can, and our ownership group has shown us time and time again that they won’t do anything to help. We already missed the boat once by forcing Cliff Lee out. Let’s stop it right there and get them out of here. 

Just imagine for a second how different things would be if someone like Pat Croce, Ed Rendell, or heck even Comcast-Spectacor was running the team….

Don’t hold your breath. We won’t get a new owner. Many have tried, and none have succeeded. The Bucks, the Betz’, and the Middletons will keep passing around their shares among themselves until the time that we are all ghosts, just like them.

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Source by E Scott Butler

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“How does the film casting process actually work?” is a question that as professional casting directors we are often asked: whether by up-and-coming actors seeking jobs, or by new directors and producers. In this article, we hope to provide a solid insight into the process and give some guidance as to what casting directors, producers and directors should be aiming to achieve from the process.

The Casting Process

Let’s begin by saying that there is no definitive answer to the question. Projects vary greatly, as do budgets, cast requirements and time-scales. But there are fundamental elements worth noting which we think will be helpful to both directors and producers.

Briefing the Casting Director

Probably the single most important part of the process is the briefing of your casting director. Any director worth his salt will already have a clear vision for his film. Hopefully this is the one shared with his producer. That vision must be effectively communicated to the CD, who having read the script can be of inestimable help in identifying potential casting problems. It is not uncommon for a key character to feel underwritten and to disappear for a good portion of a script. Not helpful if you are hoping for a ‘name’. Sometimes a lack of sympathy or redemption can make a part unattractive; a potential casting ‘black hole. ‘ Listen to your casting director. They can identify these problems. If lead actors consistently turn down a script, there is a reason.

Key Questions to ask…

As a director/producer you may already have strong casting ideas. Are these in line with your budget? Are they realistic? Don’t become too wedded to an idea. Is that actor actually available? Is it something they would consider? Your casting director is better placed to know or find out for you.

Meeting the talent!

When it comes to meeting actors, the director is responsible for setting the tone of the meeting. It is important that he engages with the actor, is forthcoming and gives notes. If an actor is asked to read again, then make it clear what it is you require from them. Does the scene you have give the actor give sufficient opportunity to show light and shade. Develop an awareness of mood. Actors shouldn’t have to jump through hoops. If you are absent from a session and are viewing tapes, trust your CD to elicit the best performance from the actor and don’t make rash judgements.

Producers are often guilty of arbitrary objections based on hair length or shirt colour. Always remember the actor is giving a reading, not a performance. If you don’t like a particular actor, fair enough but always have good reasons for your decisions.

Be confident in your decisions and your script!

It is a frequent misconception that everyone is desperate to work on your project and will keep themselves available indefinitely. Sadly this is rarely the case. Agents may well be juggling projects for their clients and there is always the possibility of something better just around the corner. If an actor really loves a script then better the chance you have of getting him on board. It is a mistake to throw money at somebody in the hope that they will say yes. Money becomes an issue in negotiation if deep down they are not really bothered if they do the job or not. Be guided by your

CD.

The casting process can be as simple or as complicated as you wish to make it. It is the job of the casting director to facilitate that process in a thorough and creative way. But they must always be given clear thoughts, up -to- date information and trust, in order to achieve this. As a director/producer, sometimes it is hard to let go!

But with trust, whether it is finding the perfect lead, or discovering an exciting new talent the casting director can play a pivotal role in giving your movie balance – and as a result the film has a much greater chance of success!

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Source by Glenn Bexfield

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I don’t really remember when I first became aware of football as a kid. It was just always there. Every scrap of wasteland was a pitch, every battered can a ball. WBA, Wolves and Villa graffiti was daubed on every pub car park wall and slashed into most of the red leather bus seats of the Midland Red fleet. In the Black Country, the heavily industrialised core of the West Midlands, football is totally tribal.

West Bromwich Albion were formed in 1880, one of the founder clubs of the first ever Football League, starting as the West Bromwich Strollers in 1878 formed by a dedicated group of manufacturing workers at the Salter Spring Works in West Bromwich. The club roots are therefore firmly knotted into the industrial heritage of the area and in its early years, workers from nearby heavy industry would flood through the turnstiles of the Hawthorns, their heavy industrial protective clothing giving rise to “the Baggies” tag which has been long used to refer to the club as well as the fans.

For me, football dominated childhood Saturdays during the season and talk was always of Albion. Legendary names like Jeff Astle and Ronnie Allen were as familiar as any other in the streets where I grew up. Our road was an ‘Albion road’ and all the scarves were navy and white. On home game Saturdays, garage doors would rise in unison and Ford Cortinas and Escorts would be reversed in formation before the mass driving over to West Bromwich to the ground we Albion fans now call “The Shrine.” Even to this day, 30 odd years later, the sight of those Hawthorns’ floodlights still send a shiver down my spine, sending me hurtling back to the days when the team ran out to the old reggae tune ‘The Liquidator’ by the Harry J Allstars and Bryan Robson wore the Captain’s no 7 shirt.

West Brom in the veins. That’s how it always been. The emotional attachment you feel to your local football club especially when its been handed down the family line is hard to explain to non-fans, but you can never walk away and my God at times you want to run. Supporting “The Baggies” is not for the lily-livered. You have to be stoical, very stoical.

Albion are as big a part of my family as any of us. Dad and Grandad were big Albion fans and this was passed to me and my brother like the family name via striped DNA. At games today, I often think about Dad, back in the 50s, sat on the railway sleepers that were wedged into the bank that is now the Birmingham “Brummie” Road End watching his beloved Throstles after leaving his bike down “someone’s entry” close to the ground. And then there’s my much beloved Grandad, Daniel Nock, long gone, who stood opposite where I sit now, in flat cap and rainmac, cigar in hand at the Hawthorns of the 60s when Albion flew high, winning the League Cup in ’66 and the FA Cup in ’68. The ground gives me the strangest feeling of being ‘at home’ it sounds corny but its true. For me, there is something very special about that place and I know that essential feeling won’t fade.

When I was growing up, football was everything and everywhere. Saturday afternoons were spent at my Nan and Grandad’s in Blackheath. Nan and I would listen to the match on the radio, waiting for Dad, Grandad, my brother and champion onion growing twin neighbours Ernie and Ivan, to return from the match. If we won, and in the late 70s this was more often than not, Grandad would come charging through the back door armed with chips and tales of my childhood hero Cyrille Regis and total Albion legend Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown. These were the days when I was told I was too young to go and Dad forbid it absolutely. I therefore had to rely on my brother’s tales of his experiences of the Smethwick End stand. Stories which I held in awe, tales of the crush of the terraces and the sporadic violence that by then was rising in the English game, of bricks and coins being thrown across thinly segregated fans.

In the late 1970s, West Brom were quite the golden team and this was a great time to be a fan, a welcome distraction for many from the pains of a severe economic depression that was hitting the Black Country hard, with the old steel and manufacturing industries that had propped up our communities for a century or more, beginning to falter and break down. Football took on an even stronger role for local people needing a focus and an escape.

In 1979, WBA finished third in the Old Division 1 and qualified for European football. This was the flair team still feted by fans today and only in the last two seasons have we seen (with some joy) an Albion side rise to anywhere near their level. Albion then fielded three black players in the same team, something that was then totally unknown in English football – Cyrille Regis, Brendon Batson and the wonderfully gifted, sadly late, Laurie Cunningham. These incredibly talented footballers became known to fans as ‘The Three Degrees’ and acted as pioneers of black players in football, inspiring a generation.

Cyrille was and still is a tower of a man and is still hugely loved and admired by Albion fans. A superbly strong, powerful player, he was to become for many the true benchmark of everything a centre forward should be. Brave, big, fast and the scorer of some absolute thumping belters from distance and beyond. He didn’t get knocked down very often. In late 2011, I was lucky enough to meet Cyrille while he was collecting for charity outside the Hawthorns before a home game. It was wonderful to tell him he was my Albion hero and I nervously but proudly showed him the back of my shirt as proof, emblazoned as it was with ‘Regis 9″. He seemed very surprised to see a fan with his name emblazoned on a recent home shirt and was as gracious as I’d always imagined him to be. It was a great moment for that WBA loving kid that’s still very much me.

Players like Regis, Batson and Cunningham had to face down hideous racism just to do what they did best, week in, week out. There is a much viewed video of West Brom’s famous 1978, 5-3 victory over Man Utd at Old Trafford on You Tube. In the footage, you can clearly hear Laurie Cunningham in particular, being booed repeatedly by the Man Utd fans. It is undoubtedly due to the colour of his skin and unusually for the times is even mentioned by commentator Gerald Sinstadt who makes reference to the “repeated booing of the black players’. The skill shown by Cunningham as he cuts through the United’s midfield is breathtaking. He simply carries on regardless and is described by Sinstadt as “booed but unperturbed”, showing what a truly skilful and wonderful football player he was. All three of these players responded to racism in this way and let their football make their response to the ignorance and the mindless chants. To me and hordes of other fans, ‘the Three Degrees’ made our club that bit more special and we took them to our hearts.

In terms of the Albion story, the years that followed on from the success of the late 1970s were mixed and difficult for Baggies fans. My first ever league game was West Brom v Liverpool in February 1981. We won that game 2-0 against the then league champions with a Bryan Robson miraculous back heeled goal. I guess as a kid, I thought this was always how it was going to be. It didn’t work out quite like that. I had to wait thirty more years to sit and watch my club do something truly special, when I was lucky enough to watch Albion beat Arsenal at the Emirates in a Premier League game in September 2010. But it was worth the wait. It was a joy to hear Albion fans on the phone to their loved ones after the game shouting “I feel like we’ve won the Cup!”… other young fans in their 20s proudly proclaimed on Facebook “This is the best day of my life!” It seems ridiculous but I know what they mean. That day in 1981 in the old Rainbow Stand with my Dad with his packet soup packed tartan flask and mini pork pies was one of mine and I’ll never forget it.

In 1992, I persuaded my Dad to come with me to go and see the Albion together for the first time in years. By then they we were languishing in what was the old Division 3. The Hawthorns was tatty and attendance was poor. We were playing Leyton Orient and the performance was lack lustre to say the least. I remember feeling gutted to see the club on its knees after what we had been and I know it was even harder on my Dad who’d see the joyous days of Jeff Astle. But, I was still heartened by the singing of the Brummie Rd and Smethwick End stands and the fact that the hardcore of supporters had stuck with the club. At half time, I went and touched the grass of the Hawthorns pitch, no one seemed to care that I jumped the barrier. It wasn’t the wonderful flair football I’d watched Albion play as a kid but at least we’d scraped a draw. There were many ups and downs to follow – too many to catalogue here – as Albion were to be crowned the classic ‘yo yo’ club – with successive promotions and relegations stressing the hell out of Albion fans for season upon season.

I met one of Albion’s promotion winning bosses, Roberto di Matteo, at Wembley in August 2010. Albion had seen promotion back to the Premier League under Di Matteo during the 2009-2010 Championship season. My friend approached Di Matteo and brought him over to have a photograph with me ‘for my Dad’ as she told him. I remember greeting him mumbling something about being a West Brom fan, probably with the kind of face a Chilean miner might look at his rescuer. God knows what he thought but he obliged with good humoured grace, guess I was remembering that cold, dark day in November 1992 and being ever so grateful for what he and others like Ardilles and Megson and Roy Hodgson after him had brought back to our club.

In 2010, my annual WBA membership renewal came through with a promo leaflet from the club emblazoned with a picture of the Hawthorns and Jeff Astle and had the words, “You were born a Baggie and you’ve been part of the team ever since” written across it. At first I thought it was a bit cheesy then I was surprised that it brought half a tear to the eye, because it’s true enough. It is about belonging and this is what the local football clubs we love do for us.

The club I was ‘born’ into has sometimes been the bain of my life but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Blue and white striped veins, or “Albion ’til I die”, that’s just the way it is.

I hope to God the days of 1992 are banished for ever, but if they came back I know I’ll still love the club and always will. But I’d moan and we do like a good moan when we get going. That’s why we’ll keep singing Psalm 23 whatever the score – you never know when you are going to need some help to get to those green pastures and quiet waters. To this day, I’ll never tire of hearing thousands sing ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’ in Black Country accents. It can be no coincidence that this is Albion’s football ‘hymn’ and you’ll hear it sung by fans at every match. If ever there was a hymn for the need for faith when you are facing the dark nights of the soul then this is it and my God there’s been a lot of those for us Albion fans. 3-0 up at half time, think you’re safe? Think again. Its what we call “typical bloody Albion” but try and make us stay away – we can’t. We are Albion.

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Source by Ashley J Davidson

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The chiropractic profession is filled with a diverse group of doctors all in search of the answer to long term health through removal of subluxation. The philosophy that is taught in chiropractic colleges across the country is sound in theory, but lacks the clinical protocol to back it up. Subluxation a so-called bone out of place theory is out dated and unrealistic. Individual bones or segments of the spine do not mis-align unless the ligaments are torn, a rare condition caused by significant trauma or genetic connective tissue disease. The majority of spinal subluxation, a word that should be redefined or gotten rid of, implies that there exists a bone out of place when in fact every radiology report that I have ever received from a radiologist states “no subluxation is present”. But yet you go to the chiropractor and he or she says;”yep there it is it’s your C5, T7, and L4 they are out of place and need to be adjusted back into place” Then you receive the adjustment “Crack,Click,Drop” there you go all set, back in place. Right? Wrong.

I have been in practice for over 10 years now and about 60% of the patients I have examined have had chiropractic adjustments before. How many of these patients had normal posture and healthy alignment on x-ray? None. Why? Because chiropractic adjustments do not correct bad alignment. If we look at the research regarding spinal biomechanics we understand that the spine and lower extremities are linked together and that your body misaligns globally, also why a radiologist won’t pick it up. In addition there has to be an origin or primary event which starts this chain reaction. The spine and extremities compensate after the primary event occurs, creating a global postural distortion. So when you show up in the chiropractors office, he or she will use segmental analysis to find the hot spots(subluxations) and adjust those segments, temporarily changing the natural compensatory mechanism that was created by the initiating event. In english this means you get a temporary shift in your pattern, which often, about 80% of the time, creates a good feeling or a sense of wellness. Once in a great while the initiating event is so fresh, that the one adjustment actually corrects the global alignment, very rare though less than 1% of the time.

So what is an adjustment doing? A spinal adjustment or sudden applied force to a spinal segment causes joint movement slightly beyond the physiological barrier of passive motion. Huh! It unlocks restricted joints in your spine or extremities. Because it releases the restricted joint, it has a temporary relaxing effect on the muscle that moves that specific joint. This causes a temporary increase in range of motion, decreases pain through the thalamic(section of the brain) system, and decreases muscular tension. Oh by the way, these are all good things! The problem isn’t with the adjustment, the problem is that your postural mechanism will cause you to return to your pre-adjustment position within hours of the treatment. So in reality you feel better for a while, but your initiating event wasn’t corrected so the poor alignment returns and so does the tension, stiffness, and pain. The nervous system also remains unhealthy do to the postural distortion that is left uncorrected. Your body shortly after the adjustment coils itself back into it’s unhealthy position.

So what about exercise or stretching alone or in combination with the adjustment? Close but no cigar. Active exercise is great for a body that has good alignment and proper mechanics, but not so good for someone with bad alignment/posture and poor body mechanics. Active exercises like core strengthening and isometrics do not affect the slow twitch muscles that control posture. Stretching feels great but is temporary. Also if you stretch a muscle that is programmed to be shortened by the brain to help stabilize the spine it can cause further problems. You can now see that simplifying a very complex system to include adjustments and exercises just won’t cut it. This probably explains why we still have 80% of the population suffering with back and neck pain but yet chiropractic has been around for over 100 years and who knows how long exercise has been prescribed for back problems.

The majority of people with chronic problems have poor postural alignment. This poor alignment stresses certain joints which eventually cause pain and even arthritis if not corrected. Poor alignment causes certain muscles to be overworked which leads to myalgia (muscle pain) due to a lack of blood flow through the overly tense muscle. This decrease in blood flow causes excess metabolic waste accumulation in the muscles and eventually can cause permanent fibrosis commonly referred to as fibromyalgia. These babies get rock hard and sensitive! The other often overlooked component of poor alignment are ligaments. Ligaments connect the bones to create stability and are non-contractile tissues, meaning they can not be exercised back to health. Ligaments are also the primary reason you can not change alignment through exercise and chiropractic adjustments. This must explain why 95% of chiropractors do not take post x-rays, they know the spinal alignment on x-ray will not have corrected.

It is published in many prestigious spine journals, anatomy text books, and other related spinal health literature that your spine and posture have measurable healthy normals. The best and most reliable way to check the health of a persons spinal structure is with x-rays and posture analysis (Dr. Ventura’s Posture Analysis software is very accurate). Now if I can measure your poor alignment with an x-ray and posture analysis, would it not make sense to take another x-ray and do posture analysis after the treatment to see if I did my job?

The good news is that through many research studies and new technology we have found a good, consistent way to correct poor alignment. Spinal adjustments combined with re-active muscle training and sustained ligament traction are very effective for long term correction. In addition, traction force chiropractic adjustments are far more effective at breaking up adhesions in chronically restricted joints than the traditional compressive adjustments taught in chiropractic college, including instrument and drop table adjusting. Re-active muscle training makes sense because your posture is merely an adaptation to the environment that you put it in. for example if you slump at your desk and stare at a computer all day, your body will literally mold into your slumped forward position. If you always use your right hand to carry stuff, the natural compensation for this will be overuse of the left side spinal muscle to help stabilize the added weight to the right side of your body. Reactive muscle training uses the principals of compensation. If you have a right dominant posture (you lean right while standing straight) measured with posture analysis, I would add weight to your right side to cause an automatic brain controlled activation of the opposite side muscles causing your body innately to move its posture to the left. Bingo, we are starting to get somewhere. In addition to adding weight, I would have you stand on a vibration platform set at a specific frequency and amplitude so the postural muscle activity would be increased by about 30 times resting levels. This speeds the learning process up so you don’t need 5 years to get it done. The shortened ligaments only, need to be elongated. This is done trough pressure(stretch) over time. A ligament typically will respond after about 15 minutes of pressure. This uncoiling process is termed “ligament creep”. Unfortunately doctors will need specialized equipment in order to get to the correct shortened ligaments especially those ligaments affecting rotational misalignment measured with AP or frontal x-rays.

There are many schools of thought when it comes to the chiropractic profession. I have heard and seen a lot of chiropractic techniques in my 11 years as a practicing chiropractor. Most of these ideas focus on adjustments, and some on soft tissue rehabilitation through exercise, stretching, cold laser, muscle stimulation, active release and countless other modalities. The one consistent undeniable truth still remains: Spinal alignment is controlled through a complex system involving slow twitch postural muscles and ligaments. Without the proper training and equipment, these two areas will remain neglected and therefore the world of chronic back problems will go on.

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Source by Dr. Brian T Dovorany

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Purses and handbags have been traced back to the 14th Century, and have always been an indispensable practical necessity, a symbol of the feminine mystique, and eventually evolving into a fashion declaration for all. It is difficult to imagine not having these marvelous objects of clothing accessories that come in so many styles of fashion, creating a unique statement! The history of the handbag is quite interesting and an enjoyable bit of information.

Imagine arriving in style with medicines, a prayer book and rosary beads or guns, daggers and keys? In the 14th-15th Centuries this is what you would have carried in your girdle, girdle pouches, hamondeys, tasques and chatelaines or chaneries. They were linked with love and marriage as a traditional betrothal gift. In addition, in the 16th-17th Centuries your pockets, swete bagges, drawstring purse would have held your seeds, spices and herbs, precious jewels and gems, gold coins and food stuffs. It is important to realize, all under your skirt!

In fact, during the 17th Century, the bag or purse was an intimation of the womb.

Arriving in style in the 17th and early 18th Centuries your “over the skirt” reticules or indispensables (if you resided in England) would have carried a few essentials such as beauty aids and smelling salts. Interestingly, at the end of the 17th century, designs moved from simplicity to become more sophisticated and complex in nature.

Finally throughout the 18th Century, your dance card, fan and handkerchief, rouge and face powder, perfume, needle and thread, and calling cards would have been your important necessities.

Indeed, during the 14th through 18th Centuries, men carried their valuables, coins and many of the aforementioned items, as befit to their station in life and needs, in a “purse” or pouche made of leather.

Opera glasses in the 19th Century, and during WWII, gas masks were a very important part of pouches, handbags, Dorothy bag (also known as the dotty or marriage bags), doll bag, clutch, satchel, shoulder bag, luggage bag, duffle, tote or tiny handbag. However, you wouldn’t find a gas mask in the clutch or tiny handbag, which were of course for evening.

Furthermore, the 20th Century revealed your handbag, purse, designer bag, knockoff, knapsack, unisex bag, fitness bag or sports bag containing such items as cosmetics, emergency items, books, sports equipment, protein and power bars, energy drinks and clothing. During the mid-20th century in the ’60’s “Flower Power” and “Free Love” era it was not unusual for men to carry some form of purse. Actually, before the 60’s in the early 20th century, the word handbag became popular with its use by men, referring to the leather bags they carried. During the 1920s was the emergence of the modern handbag carried by the female sex.

Enter the 21st Century with the inclusion of the man purse, the messenger bag gaining popularity with men as a briefcase alternative; and the hobo purse, envelope, cigar box purse, hands-free bag and shopper bag. Here you will Arrive in Style with PDA’s, cellular and iPhones, business cards, money, credit cards, briefs, files, white papers, vitamin and mineral waters, whatever you may need for the day or along your way. In addition, the shopper bag is superb for overnight or weekend treks.

Therefore, Dorothy bags, hamondeys, tasques, reticules, tiny purse and clutch are all small and decorative representations of femininity and sexual messaging. Similarly, handbags were linked with love, betrothal and marriage and in the 15th century was a traditional gift from the groom to his bride. Indeed, handbags are not merely just the feminine mystique, or female accessory. Handbag fashion accessories are unisex and masculine with leather, canvas, suede and zippers that encompass duffles, totes, shoulder bags, luggage and brief cases. All historically used by the male sex, too. Show off your creative mystique for arriving in style at the office, airport, spa, fitness club, gym or a night on the town.

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Source by Cathalee Thomas