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Grandfather Clock Do It Yourself Repair - Part I

Grandfather clocks. Amazing pieces of machinery. Very few people understand how they work and even fewer know how to fix one, should something go wrong. Bringing to a repair shop is going to cost you an arm and a leg, so if you have a grandfather clock that's not exactly running up to snuff and you don't have the bucks to fix it, then you might want to try to tackle the job by yourself. In order to do that, aside from needing some mechanical expertise, you're going to need some troubleshooting tips, since these marvels can get pretty complicated. This article is going to cover some of the things to do when trying to fix the old man.

Let's start with the most common problem of a grandfather clock. The pendulum itself stops swinging.

The first thing you have to do is make sure the clock weights have been pulled up. Sometimes all that needs to be done is simply wind the weights. This can really save an unnecessary repair.

Next check the hands. Are they touching each other? If they are this will stop the pendulum from swinging. If they are touching and the time train is jammed all you need to do is push the hour hand slightly towards the dial in order to clear the minute hand. Just make sure it doesn't touch the dial.

Next, check to see if the hands are touching the glass. If they are, all you have to do is bend the minute hand away from the glass.

If by some chance you've recently moved your grandfather clock (they are very temperamental and don't like to be moved), the pendulum may have stopped swinging because the case is now leaning at a different angle. To fix this you simply have to start the pendulum swinging and balance your clock. Don't use a level. Continue testing until the swinging sounds more balanced. This requires a good ear and a lot of patience. Balancing the clock itself may require you to do one of several things.

First you may have to actually place something under the clock on either the left or right side to get the pendulum swinging just right. A bracket or shim will probably do the trick for this.

Second, you may have to actually tip the clock itself towards the wall so that it is slightly leaning. You have to be very careful when performing these tricky manoeuvres. You don't want to tip the clock too far in either direction or back. The clock may fall too far off balance and spill to the floor. Trying to catch one of these falling monsters is not easy so care is needed.

In the next article in this series we're going to continue with troubleshooting techniques to figure out just what is wrong with the old man, including running too fast or slow, weights not falling, chimes out of sequence and others. By the time we're done your grandfather clock should be as good as old.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 10:38 PM 0 comments

Trash or Treasure: Assessing Your Possessions

One personal junk is another personal treasure. Never is that more true than when you are doing a spring clean up.

The good weather held out for Fred Dowlings 25th anniversary junk day and treasure exchange. Each year for the past 25 years, co-op residents have gathered in the spirit of reducing, reusing, recycling of their possessions. Residents trade and dispose of unwanted items; its a win-win situation, all around. This year an Antiques Road Show was added to the day. I was on-hand as residents brought their prized possessions and family heirlooms to be appraised.

Some of the riches unearthed include: a 1953 Coronation toy carriage at $350; a Queen Victoria Jubilee milk pitcher at $175;a pearl brooch for $250; an antique desk for $275. The piece de resistance was a silver and diamond necklace valued at $750.

Here are some things to keep in mind when assessing the value of your items.

Condition

Chips, cracks and breaks on crystal, glass, porcelain and ceramics reduces the value of anything to a very minimal amount. Despite that fact, any item can have sentimental value even those with damage can have value to you.

Spotting Damage

Sometimes you cant tell if a piece of porcelain is cracked. Use the ping test flicking youre your thumb and finger again the porcelain. If it gives a ping sound, there are no cracks. If it gives a thud sound, it is damaged. The same test applies to crystal.

Value

Appraised value, retail value and your selling value are all different amounts.

The appraised value, sometimes called the insurance value is the amount that you would insure an item for. It is based on the amount you would have to pay to replace the item if it made an insurance claim.

The retail value is the amount that a store would sell it for. Your selling price is the amount that you would get if you sold it.

Your selling price will always be less than the retail value because most likely, you would sell your item to a dealer who in turn marks up the price.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 7:22 PM 0 comments

Fitness and Exercise For Children

Fitness and exercise are important. We all know that, and had that lesson drummed into our heads in school. But, how much attention do we pay to our children when it comes to fitness and exercise? In our modern day, too many children spend the majority of their time either on the couch in front of the television, or in their rooms on a computer or playing a video game. Fitness and exercise, a natural part of childhood in past generations, is something that the modern child and the modern parent have to work at on a daily basis.

If your child is lacking in fitness and exercise think about enrolling your child in an after school sports program of some sort. Soccer is a popular fitness and exercise method, and in the proper season so is hockey, softball, baseball, lacrosse, football, tennis, and even golf. Many parents find that their children enjoy swimming and as one of the best methods of fitness and exercise in the world, swimming should be encouraged. This can be simple playing or exercising in the water, or formal swimming laps in an Olympic sized pool. Both methods of fitness and exercise are great.

Those who live in rural areas may find fitness and exercise to be easier to come by than those who live in urban areas or in the suburbs. In a rural area, a child has fields to play in, woods to explore, and sports like fishing, as well as chores like feeding livestock. For the rural lifestyle fitness and exercise is more ingrained. For children living in the city, fitness and exercise can be explored at the nature center, at the Y or health club, and with after school activities. Even simple games like four squares and playing with a jump rope can be good forms of fitness and exercise.

Wintertime seems to be a time when many people, both children and adult, forsake their fitness and exercise programs. That is too bad because that makes it all that much harder to get back into shape when spring comes around. Fitness and exercise is something that should be pursued all year long. During the winter sports that keep a person indoors, like bowling, are good choices. Also indoor health clubs and activities like mall walking in groups are good choices for fitness and exercise. Whether a person is a child or an adult, fitness and exercise should not be overlooked.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 4:34 PM 0 comments

Throwback Jerseys - Treading Down the Memory Lane

Throwback jerseys are a latest fad among the sports fans of all ages. A throwback jersey is the jersey of a team or player of the past. Throw back jerseys are available for all popular American sports. Throwback hockey jerseys, throwback football jerseys, and NBA throwback jerseys are some of the popular ones among the throw back sports apparel range.

What is a Throwback Jersey?

Throwback jersey is a replica of the authentic jersey of old teams and players. They have become popular among the sports fans who would like to relive the old days when their favorite team and player was on the pinnacle of popularity and success. A throwback jersey may be of times when your favorite player starred in an old team or for and old player of an existing team. A Michel Jordan jersey of Washington Bullets design is a perfect example of replica throwback jerseys.

Throwback jersey has become a collector's item and you would find many persons with amazing collections of replica throwback jerseys. This is in some aspects similar to the vintage collection whereby each jersey will have its own history. Throwback jersey relives the history of that particular sport, team or player and provides you opportunity to recognize and remember teams of the past.

A throw back also gives you a detailed account of the style and trend changes in the team gear. The throw back has gained enormous popularity because of the fashion and music industry. Many music videos feature performers wearing a throwback jersey. This adds to the growing demand for authentic throwback jersey or replica team gear of the past.

Replica throwback jerseys are a great business opportunity for sports apparel manufacturers and sellers. According to estimates, NBA throwback jerseys account for 20 percent sale of NBA sports apparel. Same trend is witnessed for replica throwback jerseys of all other popular sports.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 4:05 PM 0 comments

McCarthy a Brutal Hire for the Packers!

Sometimes I just don't get it !!!

As offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers last year, Mike McCarthy's offense finished 32nd and dead last in the NFL. How bad was it ??? That offense finished 32nd in passing, 22nd in rushing, and was 30th overal in points going eight games of a sixteen game schedule without an offensive touchdown.

As quarterback coach of the Packers during Ray Rhodes short-lived and ill-fated 1999 regime, McCarthy guided Bret Favre to his second worst season as a professional with the future HOFer throwing 24 pics to just 23 touchdowns. Favre's 74.7 QB rating was was only supraceeded by his 1993 sopomore season rating of 72.2 and this year's train-wreck of 70.9 yet this week Mike McCarthy was brought back to Green Bay and hired as the 14th Head Coach in arguably the most storied franchise in NFL history.

The Packers had to know that this was a controversial hire as the McCarthy news conference seemed to be more of a damage control preemptive rather than a celebration of the man that was going to restore tarnished lustre and return Green Bay to the promised land.

McCarthy was lauded for his past accomplishments, particularly his work with the Saints spanning 2000-2004. During that time, the Saints established 25 team and 10 individual marks. Joe Horn who caught 437 passes for 6289 yards and 45 TD's during McCarthy's tenure. New Orleans led the NFL in points (432) and toucdowns (49) during the 2002 season.

McCarthy's prior work with the Kansas City was also cited. As quarterback coach of the Chiefs between '95-'98, the combo of Gannon, Grbac, and Bono threw an AFC low 52 interceptions over that four year period. Huh ??? Whupdidoo !!!

In his year with Favre, Bret did throw for 4,091 yards but the Packers were just seventh in passing and ninth overall in total offense.

At the press conference it was also brought up that McCarthy had spent most of last year mentoring the leagues first overall draft pick, Alex Smith - possibly an inference that Aaron Rodgers would be in good hands if Favre decides to call it a career.

Alex Smith's season by any standards was an unmitigated disaster! Smith's numbers were horrific - 84-165 (50.9%) for 875 yards and a 1/11 TD/INT ratio. Granted, Smith had little to work but based on his freshman year, he's well on his way to becoming a bust in the proportions of Tony Mandrich and Ryan Leaf.

McCarthy becomes the youngest coach in the NFL, three months younger than John Gruden. He inherits a a young (26.04 years at season end, 3d in NFL) team that is filled with uncertainties like the health of Javon Walker and Ahman Green and the return of Brett Favre.

Mike McCarthy was a surprisingly desperate hire from a surprisingly desperate franchise. The Packers had been to the playoffs five of the six years under Mike Sherman and while the talent level of the team has fallen appreciably due primarily to poor drafts, the whole Packer post-season shakeup wreaks of panic!

McCarthy's coaching background:

1987-88, Fort Hays State - Graduate Assistant
1989-91, Univ. of Pittsburgh - Quarterbacks
1992, Univ. of Pittsburgh - Wide Receivers
1993-94, Kansas City Chiefs - Offensive Assistant/Quality Control
1995-98, Kansas City Chiefs - Quarterbacks
1999, Green Bay Packers - Quarterbacks
2000-04, New Orleans Saints - Offensive Coordinator
2005, San Francisco 49ers - Offensive Coordinator
2006, Green Bay Packers - Head Coach

posted by aasdas38493 @ 1:22 PM 0 comments

Birthdays - The Big 21 Part I

In this article we're going to discuss what to do when you reach the age where you become a legal adult.

Depending on where you live, that can either be 18 or 21. Most people consider 21 to be the big day so we'll focus on that.

Reaching your 21st birthday is a big milestone. You're no longer mommy and daddy's little boy or girl. You're a legal adult, like it or not. Most kids actually look forward to this day and can't wait to get out of the house and spread their wings. Of course before they do that they'd like to have a party that really signals the transition from child to adult.

One of the best ways to celebrate this birthday is to come to the party dressed in what you wanted to be when you grew up. So, if you wanted to be a policeman then go to a costume store and rent a cop suit. Wait until you see the looks on the faces of your guests.

Another thing you could do is come dressed in what you were wearing when you opened the invitation to the party. Of course if you weren't wearing anything this may not be a good idea. Even pyjamas could be kind of risky.

Another great idea is to have what they call a "Mad Hatter Party." This is where everybody comes dressed in some funky hat. You'll be surprised at some of the strange head gear there is out in the world.

Another great theme for a 21st birthday party is to have an ethnic night. Pick some country and then feature food and music from that country in your party plans. You may want to hire a band that specializes in that kind of music and a caterer that specializes in that kind of food.

Another great idea for a 21st birthday party is to have a "Mafia night." Everyone dresses up as mobsters. The ladies can dress up as gun molls. If you can find some imitation Tommy guns from the roaring 20's that would be a really nice touch.

Another possibility is to have a cartoon character party. Everyone comes dressed up as their favorite cartoon or comic book character. It will be interesting to see how many Superman and Batman costumes you'll have show up. Top picks for the ladies will probably be Wonder Woman, Catwoman and Batgirl.

If you're going to have an evening function most likely it is going to be formal and is going to cost you some big bucks. A great way to save your wallet a bit is to have a breakfast or a lunch or maybe even a picnic. If you're celebrating your birthday in the summer you might want to consider going to the beach. Those are always fun parties. Just make sure you tell your guests that bathing suits are optional.

In the next article in this series we're going to go over such things as venue, photographer, invitations, decor, music, cake, speeches, master of ceremonies and ice breakers.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 12:50 AM 0 comments