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jacedakid-blog · 5 years ago

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Disasters. How prone are they? : A DRRM Talk

On December 9 2019, I, along with my friends, conducted an interview with the Barangay Chairman within our vicinity, Barangay. 465 Zone 46. We were able to gather information regarding DRRM ( Disaster Risk Reduction Management ) protocols and how to be a more concerned and active resident of the community. Here was what transpired during the said activity.

“ Safety isn’t expensive, it’s priceless.” - Jerry Smith

I N T E R V I E W P R O P E R

We were lucky to have met the chairman himself, Alexander T. Tassara, and get insights about the community.

The community is a small one with an approximate number of two thousand residents. Along with these residents are the transient or short-term residents which occupy much of the vicinity as well especially for commercial purposes such as school, entertainment, food industry, so on and so forth.

The barangay is a mixed one. It comprises commercial establishments as well as government based ones. “ We have a primary trade and commerce dito, especially with the food industry, catering services, and we have the Santisimo parish priest, University of Santo Tomas school.” says Tassara. Political boundaries also circle the area of political jurisdiction of barangays.

C U R R E N T S I T U A T I O N S

I M P O R T A N T N O T E S : A PERSPECTIVE

1.) What are the most encountered issues and problems in the community? - “ General concerns, and peace and order, and basura. Yung Peace and Order, alam niyo naman yun. Safety is everybody’s concern, diba? But ang challenge namin sa community, hindi lang yung nakatira, plus yung kayo, yung transient. Yung pumupunta, bumibisita, kumakain sa amin. We do not have informal settlers here, dinadayo kami dito ng mga namimingwit, yung parang fishing. Nangmimingwit sila ng ano? Meaning yung vulnerability ninyo. Meron dito yung “ pahingi-kalabit “ , kakalabitin ka sasabihin “ kuya pahingi ng pagkain” tapos hawak mo ng ganyan yung softdrinks tapos hahawakan yung straw tapos bibigay mo na. Why? Pinupuntahan tayo dito, not because mayayaman kayo, because yung puso niyo, yung pagiging mapagbigay at understanding, dun magiging vulnerable kayo, naawa kayo sa mga bata.

1.1) So suggest niyo po na pag may gumagawa ng ganun wag na naming bigyan? - Yes, may mga proper institutions for that, like si Santisimo Rosario, Parish Priest, bigay kayo ng money if gusto niyo mag donate, gusto mong makatulong, yung mga taong talagang tumutulong. Pero di namin yun tinatanggal sa inyo, yung pagtulong, ang sinasabi ko lang challenge yan samin kasi pabalik-balik. Especially kami, sometimes we project a hard instance, natatakot kami because of technology. You do not understand kung paano yung psychology nila at kung paano namin konocontrol. Nakita niyo nalang angalit si chairman, nakakuha kayo ng pagkakataon dahil gusto niyo nga ding makatulong, nagrecord kayo na ipost niyo sa youtube or sa social media, hindi niyo alam ang puno’t dulo. Again, hindi yun kasalanan niyo, it’s just lacking of information.

T H I E V E S A N D S A F E T Y

“ Lalo na yung mga professional na kawatan. Ano yung mga tinitignan nila sa inyo. If di kayo aware, pagrelax kayo magstrastrike sila, yung makakita ng opportunity to strike. May question ako sa inyo, may id ba kayo ng ust? Anong meron sa id? Yung information ano pa? In terms of safety. have you ever inspect na ano ang meron sa id na yun. May whistle. Thank you. Dapat sinasabi yun, because yung pagsisigaw natin may certain decibel level pero yung pag whistle malayo yung na ca-caught na attention, pag may whistle ibig sabihin may SOS. Pag ang tao nagsisigaw lang diba one, two, three na tao makikita yung nanakawan pero that’s it pero pag nag whistle ka. Lalo na sa atin yung mgs tricycle driver diyan, tanod tsaka kagawad yan, they are familiar and they know kung ano yun. Now you know.

T R A S H E S AND W A S T E D I S P O S A L

AS YOU CAN SEE THE STREETS ARE VERY CLEAN WHICH TELLS US THAT THIS BARANGAY IS MAINTAINING ITS CLEANLINESS EVEN WITH THE NUMBER OF TRANSIENTS GOING IN AND OUT OF THE PLACE.

“ Lalo na kayo dumating kayo dito, kayo san niyo nilalagay yung mga basura niyo, sa bag, sa plastic, minsan yung bag butas, minsan yung plastic butas, meaning figuratively unconciously, iniiwan talaga niyo, why, kasi someone will pick it for us tama ba, sana naman lagay sa tamang basura.

Later on during the interview we asked if there were fines for littering and he said yes but they do not implement that because...

“ I do no implement that because I do not believe ang tao macocorect sa fine, macocorrect ang tao sa attitude. I do not believe on that. You are future. I do not care sa fine, pera lang yun oh I wanted you to be aware diba? Paglumabas kayo ng Pilipinas aware kayo, bakit dito di kayo aware? Bakit? May gagawa para sa atin niyan, diba? You do the multitasking sa isip pero you never concentrate sa impact.

ONE THING THAT STRUCK ME THE MOST WAS WHEN HE SAID THAT WE ARE THE FUTURE AND THAT THEY ARE DONE AND THAT WE SHOULD ADRESS THE PROBLEMS OF THE COMMUNITY AGGRESIVELY. TO PARTICIPATE IN THE THINGS THAT ARE WRONG.

D I S A S T E R S A R O U N D T H E C O M M U N I T Y

USED AS AN ALARM FOR HAZARDS AND DISASTERS.

HAZARDS ENCOUNTERED:

There are man made disasters and natural disasters. One of them are the spontaneous emergence of fire. For natural disasters there are also earthquakes, floods. Flooding can be made also into a man made disaster and if the cause of it is the multitude of trashes. Along with this comes the problems of illnesses such as leptospirosis because no one really drowns in manila. The complications brought up by flash floods are more disease threatening rather physical ones like drowning.

However, no alarming floods really occur despite the reputation of the vicinity as a flood area because of the raised area except for some houses built on low ground but usually the barangay hall becomes a temporary home for them.

The community conducts weekly cleanup drives also. Health detrimental effects such as flooding and spread of diseases may occur without this. Other than that, they also have drills to let the community the protocols when disaster strikes and also to have a consise and safe assurance that the community knows what to do in times of crisis.

I N S I G H T S

I have always been an active member of the DRRM community. I take pride in knowing the ins and outs of what to do when disaster strikes, how to identify a hazard, as well as ways to act efficiently to be able to save lives of endangered people in times of crisis. I have been trained to be an alert rescuer and so it gives me good satisfaction that even though this barangay is densely populated, it still manages to uphold the guidelines of DRRM in ensuring a safe and clean environment for the people within the community. This is my first time really seeing the people of the community and identifying the things needed to do to act as a responsible citizen. This taught me the importance of not only being ready, but to guide others as well to be prepared for when the worst comes.

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S a f e t y i s n ‘ t e x p e n s i v e, i t ‘ s p r i c e l e s s .

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russianglitter · 8 years ago

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With all the Russian gym drama lately, I figured Tumblr might be interested in a post about this.

To start, I’ll briefly describe the U.S. system, since I’ll be comparing it to Russia’s a lot.

In the U.S., there are ten “Junior Olympic” levels. Gymnasts can compete whatever level they're capable of, as long as they meet the minimum age requirement and have scored out of the previous level. You can learn more about the levels here and by searching “level __ meet” on youtube. This program ends at level 10; it does not lead to elite.

If a young American gymnast shows elite potential, they’re usually filtered through the TOPS and Hopes programs, get invited to camps, and eventually qualify elite. For example, the current crop of US juniors attended developmental camps at the Ranch starting at about age 10. But even “late bloomers” can qualify elite; they just need to meet the minimum scores for their age group. You can sometimes tell who took the “elite path” (they tend to be more polished), but the US has Olympic champions from both backgrounds.

ANYWAY, enough about ‘Murrica.

Russia's system is much different. While they do have categories (3 junior ones, 3 senior ones, candidate master of sport, and master of sport), they're based more on age than skill level. I’ll do my best to explain them here. Skip ahead to the “what Russia lacks” section if you DGAF.

The categories are a remnant of the USSR sports classification system, and are used for most Russian sports.

Though I believe rhythmic and figure skating have a separate “elite” category/qualification score? FS also lets older kids compete in lower levels, which gets more kids involved, which helps popularize the sport, which increases the talent pool and is part of why Russian figure skating is so dominant GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER WAG

If you’re wondering why the levels aren’t just 6-5-4-3-2-1, it’s because they started out with 3-2-1-CMS-MS, then realized it was important to have lower levels as well. Actually idk why they didn’t just add 6-5-4... blame the Soviets. MOVING ON.

Each region decides what skills to include in the junior categories, so they vary a lot. In general, though, I'd describe them as follows:

Level 3 (tiny kids, like 5 year olds) - very basic; forward rolls and cartwheels, pullover on bars, walking across the beam

Level 2 - back walkovers, split jumps, forward rolls on beam, back hip circles

Level 1 - ro+bhs or just a roundoff, fwo+carthweel+bwo, sometimes kips and beam cartwheels

Additionally, most of the top schools require their gymnasts to be proficient at a set of physical abilities (similar to TOPS skills) before they can advance. The requirements are not strict, but it definitely makes a difference.

I have no issues with this system. I think it’s great for kids to focus on the basics, gain strength, develop each event at their own pace, etc. It’s all well and good until they start using the FIG code.

The senior levels have both compulsory and optional routines.

Level 3 (8/9 years) - Not every region has compulsories for this level, but for those that do, they’re basically the same as the girls’ optional routines. You mostly see US level 5-6 skills here. [example]

Levels 2 & 1 compete in national meets, so the compulsory routines are standard across the country

Level 2 (9/10 years) - Compulsories are about US level 7 difficulty; optionals range from US level 5 to US junior elite. They start using a modified FIG code, so skill chucking becomes rampant. [videos: compulsories / optionals 1 / optionals 2]

Level 1 (11/12 years) - These compulsories are more complex than they are difficult, if that makes sense? The skills/combos are about US level 8 (except bars), but the routines are really hard. Optionals, again, vary a lot. Most of the girls making national finals will have level 10 skills, minimum. 11-12 is usually when the young phenoms are added to the national team, so that group tends to break away as they benefit from camps at Round Lake. [videos: compulsories, vault is just a handspring / optionals]

Candidate Master of Sport / Master of Sport

no compulsories, just regular FIG code

CMS is 13/14 year olds, similar to “espoir” in other countries

MS is 14/15 for juniors, and then 16+ is obviously senior

There is a qualification score, but I’m not sure what it is in the current code. Girls can compete in the categories without getting the title though.

Regarding the titles, if I remember correctly...

Being awarded Master of Sport is a huge achievement; it can get gymnasts admitted to good universities and makes them desirable coaches

“MS, international class” = medaled at Euros or Worlds

Honored Master of Sport” = World/European champion or Olympian

Those two titles^^ don’t affect the category they compete in, it’s just a nice accomplishment.

Important note: As you’ve probably guessed by now, Russia has no separate elite stream or division. So in the “senior” categories, there is a wide range of ability. Gymnasts who cannot safely do the compulsory skills are competing against gymnasts with elite skills. The regional meet scores can be really depressing... You’ll have a few nationals-bound girls scoring 50+ AA, but many can’t put up a single score in the double digits. (here’s a recent example... check out those bars scores! 0.3!)

[rant incoming]

I imagine this is pretty demoralizing, and results in many girls quitting the sport altogether, particularly once they reach the CMS and MS categories. They’re older, gymnastics is harder and more painful, and they’re in over their heads with the FIG code. There’s no Level 9 Easterns, JO Nationals, or NCAA scholarship to dream of, so why endure all that? Especially when you’ll never meet the strict requirements to become a Master of Sport & enjoy the benefits that come with that.

These girls have no shot at making their region’s team for nationals (usually 6 people), and even if they could - they’re essentially JO gymnasts, and would be competing against European, World, and Olympic champions (Aliya I miss you please come back) - it would be like pitting this random girl from Michigan’s state meet against Ragan Smith. And that girl from Michigan isn’t a bad gymnast! She’s certainly better than I could ever be, and I’m glad she’s able to compete what she’s capable of and be successful. IMO, Russian gymnasts of her ability should have similar opportunities. Leave the sport having had a positive experience, and pass it onto the next generation. Instead, they either quit or attempt too-hard routines that make me cringe. Alexander Alexandrov actually discussed this topic in his Rewriting Russian Gymnastics interview. I definitely recommend reading that interview in its entirety if you haven’t yet.

[/rant]

What Russia Lacks

An organized way to develop elite athletes

Some regions do hold camps, well-known Olympians travel around teaching “master classes,” and the top kids from Russian Hopes get invited to Round Lake each year. I’ll give them that.

But there’s no developmental camp system, like in the US or GB. Russian WAG is lacking numbers at the lower levels compared to other countries. They need to ID talent early on and nurture it, not occasionally send scouts to meets and hope for the best.

An example: Lilia Akhaimova trained in Vladivostok for her entire junior career. That girl has SO MUCH natural talent, and I’m glad her coaches in St. Petersburg have brought it out. But can you imagine how amazing she could have been with better coaching? Surely she would have been noticed in a TOPS-like program. How many Akhaimovas are out there?

I think a dedicated “elite stream,” starting at age 10 or so, could really benefit them, at least temporarily. Just take the kids who show decent strength and have level 7/8 skills and let them compete against each other. Hold regional camps to develop their technique and teach code-appropriate skills. IMO it would benefit both “elite” and “regular” gymnasts. But whatever, I’m not RGF.

The facilities to train high-level gymnastics

Russian gyms are TINY, and many of them are in horrible condition, with ancient apparatus and those Soviet-era mats that resemble floral couch cushions.

There are girls on the national team whose home gyms do not even have a spring floor.

“Why are the gymnasts are Round Lake so much?! They should train at home more.” ^ That’s why.

(Of course they travel to train at the next best gym, but... a gym without a spring floor.)

That’s not to say it’s all bad. The big three gyms in Moscow (CSKA, Dinamo, Sambo 70) are very nice, as are the facilities in St. Petersburg

The Voronezh gym that produced Komova and Melnikova is also looking good, but that’s only because Komova won some shit and got them funding. When she was growing up, the gym had little heating and they had to train in winter clothes. I just wish Youth Olympic titles weren’t required to earn a decent training space.

I guess this is a typical Russian gym. Tiny and with old/limited equipment, but no real safety concerns. Junior national champion Ksenia Klimenko is from here.

I realize that run-down buildings are common in Russia, but I think it’s important to show the gyms these girls train in. When you realize Russia’s gymnasts aren’t being developed in state-of-the-art gyms, like in the US, their ingrained form and technique issues become more understandable. Not excusable, but understandable.

The ability to keep girls at a high level

So many Russian gymnasts just... disappear.

I get that elite isn’t for everyone. Injuries happen, shoddy technique doesn’t carry through growth spurts, bone diseases or the plague will get you, and so on.

Anyway, bottom line, something is wrong with the system and I can’t pinpoint what it is. This has always been an issue, even before the Rods decided conditioning was of the devil. IDK.

Encouraging 9-year-olds to compete double backs and such prob has something to do with it though.

Last-minute edit!! Keeping girls at a high level is not worth them getting hip replacements at 16!! Just let them go!! Y’all fucked up big time.

General info/stuff people frequently ask about

Most NT gymnasts train at Round Lake for three weeks, then go home for one week. Juniors are there a little less often. Obviously, this schedule is adjusted for competitions.

Their personal coaches travel with them.

It’s encouraged for gymnasts to stick with the same coach their whole career, which I think is an issue. Voronezh has many gymnasts who could be great under Komova’s coach, but are just “meh” with their childhood coaches.

I think this is better than handing them over to the national staff, though, like you see in Romania and China. I’m glad the Russian gymnasts have a lifelong, trusted adult looking out for them.

The NT gymnasts get a monthly stipend. According to Grishina, she earned 100,000 rubles (about 1700 USD) per month, but her coaches claim it wasn’t that much. Regardless, they are getting paid.

Moscow is still the dominant WAG city, having placed Mustafina, Paseka, Sosnitskaya, Spiridonova, and Tutkhalyan on major teams last quad.

There really is no close second... Melka is from Voronezh, Eremina from St. Petersburg, Kapitonova from Penza, Ilyankova from Leninsk-Kuznetsky. It’s nice to see some variety.

What else.

Let’s talk about the vault issue!

Russian juniors start yurchenkos late

They rarely compete yurchenko tucks/pikes/layouts, preferring to just start with the full.

This is likely due to the open ended code being used for 10-year-olds. Tsukaharas and front handsprings are faster to learn than yurchenkos, so they do them for the D score.

(Yurchenkos are harder initially, but once a gymnast has sound technique, she can usually generate more power than with a tsuk/FHS.)

This results in shitty yurchenko fulls, tsuk layouts, and handspring pikes that will never be upgraded. :)

I guess that’s it. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, feel free to inbox me! I’ll do my best to answer or direct you to someone who can.

#gymternet #russian gymnastics #only 2.5 weeks later than promised!!

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torentialtribute · 6 years ago

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England’s X-Factor: Jofra Archer could be the man who takes England to World Cup glory

When Jofra Archer tore in to bowl against Pakistan at the Oval earlier this month, hey instantly crossed one of those cricketing thresholds that sets tongues wagging and pulses racing. And that wasn't all he did.

By passing 90mph, he announced himself to those unfamiliar with his work as that rarest of breeds: an England bowler whose main weapon is pace, not swing or seam.

By doing it repeatedly, it produced what was reckoned to be the quickest one-day spell for England in a decade. It was cricket in the raw – and a rain rain limited him to figures of 4-2-6-1.

Jofra Archer was able to prove England's hero at the Cricket World Cup

Now 24, Archer was born on the south coast of Barbados and rolled out his own wicket

For Archer, it was just another step on his remarkable journey, across the world and to the top.

A young man born on the south coast of Barbados, who rolled his own wicket on a piece of common land near his home and built a practice net with his stepfather. A kid who learned how to swing a bowl with a tennis ball half-wrapped in electrical tape.

That same boy who will now hope to swap that makeshift just for the Lord's square if he can bowl England into their first World Cup final in 27 years.

Watching on the Oval that day was Jon Lewis, the former Test seamer and current head of the England Lions who mentored Archer throughout his time at Sussex as the club's bowling coach.

As if we weren't already excited enough, Lewis casually stated he had seen his man bowl faster in county cricket. At the Oval, he felt, Archer was prioritizing accuracy over pace.

It was quite a thought. Truly, his days as a batsman and part-time leg spinner in his native Barbados are beginning to sound like some child or cosmic joke.

"You could see very early that he was special," Lewis tells The Mail on Sunday. "He is going to be a generational cricketer. We talk about the likes of Anderson and Broad – those names roll off the tongue. Back in the day it was McGrath and Lee, before them Ambrose and Walsh.

"I believe Archer will be one of those sorts of cricketers. He has the ability, the determination to succeed, and a competitive nature. People say he's here for the money. But he came here with nothing. The left his family to move here with a long-term ambition. That is huge. ”

The rise and rise of Jofra Archer, from a kid who enjoyed brass around with tapeball cricket to a strapping 24-year-old confident enough to name Indian captain Virat Kohli as the scalp he would most like to claim about the next few weeks, already feels like the story of this World Cup. And the tournament doesn't start until Thursday.

Archer learned how to swing a tennis ball half-wrapped in electrical tape

Now Archer is stepping out to represent England on the big stage

Actually, strapping isn't quite the right word. Archer is tall, certainly, but he is lithe not bulky, and prowls to the wicket rather than charges. Much of his pace comes from a powerful shoulder action. And, as Lewis implied, he often seems to bowl within himself.

It is an optical illusion that could still help England lift the trophy at Lord's on July 14.

If the world were a fairer place, Archer might now be up for the West Indies rather than England; his British passport comes courtesy of his English father, Frank, who used to drive trains on the London Underground before retiring to Liverpool. His mother, Joelle, is from Barbados.

Archer was a latecomer to fast bowling, ditching the leg-breaks only after a growth spurt at 15. He then made early headlines as a schoolboy in 2013, taking a five -for and hitting 86 to help Christchurch Foundation win a cup final

But he was unimpressed to be left out of the West Indies squad for the Under-19 World Cup in 2014. Back in Barbados, there is a feeling among some that the West Indies turned their back on him at a time when Archer was suffering from a back injury and most needed support.

Archer decided to make a go of it across the Atlantic, where Chris Jordan – another Bajan adopted by England – suggested Sussex.

These days, Jordan – six years of Archer's senior – is a confidant, best friend and team mate, sharing his successes and cajoling him along the way. "I've been on his journey with him from the start," says Jordan. "I know what he's been through and what his mindset is. Every time he had to step up, the level of his game has risen too. "

It wasn't always easy. Archer arrived in England not entirely in one piece, the result of stress fractures in his back – a fast bowler 's painful rite of passage.

The upshot was the ground life with Middleton-on-Sea in Division Two of the Sussex Cricket League as a batsman, although his current first-class average of 31 suggested this was not the worst idea.

Until then, Middleton-on-Sea, a south-coast village 20 miles west of Hove, was probably best known for once being the home of Chesney Allen, one half of the wartime double act Flanagan and Allen.

But Archer did his best to change that. In one of his early games, against Lindfield, the offered to complete the over of an injured colleague, with startling consequences. Middleton’s captain Brandon Hanley told the Evening Standard: "He bowled off four paces and his first ball nearly killed the poor batter."

Mark Davis was coaching the Sussex 2nd XI. "We had heard about this lad, who was supposed to be pretty useful," he says. "We've got him down to the nets and you could see that he was an incredible talent. At that stage he still had a bit of a back injury.

"He was only bowling around 60 per cent and still hurrying batters. He had an immense ability. I was very close to keep him involved.

"I remember we had a practice at Hove to prepare for the T20. He was coming off a short run with a sore back, but he just landed all these yorkers. You just thought, "Wow, this kid is sore and he can still operate like that." He bowled with such ease and pace and control you knew he was special.

"Then with the bat, I remember in the nets at the director of cricket that Jofra was as good a batter as you got in the academy – and that's not his main skill. "

Archer went home to Barbados and sorted out his back problem with Nhamo Winn, a local coach. And he worked like a Trojan, rolling his own wicket with the help of his step-father in a yard across the road from where he lived.

Much will be made in the years ahead about Archer's relaxed demeanour, but it should never be obscure the ambition that has culminated in his late inclusion in England's 15-man World Cup squad at the expense of David Willey.

'Everyone knows he has got pace, he's athletic, he can move the ball , says Lewis. "But it was what was behind it: the determination, the drive, the hunger to succeed, the curiosity about how to do that.

" To be able to do that on his own, he was very easy to coach. We are still talking constantly and he is now planning how to be best in the world. "

When Archer returned to Middleton in 2015, he ground to flourish. In his second match, he took six wickets against Billingshurst, followed by four against Brighton and Hove.

Two games later, he singlehandedly reduced Cuckfield to eight for five, only for injury to prevent him from bowling more than six overs. Cuckfield recovered to make a winning 265 for eight.

Good judges liked what they saw, and the following summer Archer made his first-class debut for Sussex against touring Pakistanis. Misbah-ul-Haq eventually declared his side's first innings on 363 for five, or which Archer's contribution were figures of 22-7-49-4.

His victims were all serious Test cricketers – Mohammad Hafeez (whom he dismissed again in the second innings), Shan Masood, Azhar Ali and Misbah himself.

Since then, his stock has only risen . In 2017, he was by a distance Sussex's leading wicket taker in the County Championship, with 61 at an average of 25. In 2018, 42 victims cost only 17 apiece.

All the while he has turned himself into one of the most prized commodities in any self-respecting T20 league. His performances at Australia's Big Bash have become the stuff of YouTube legend, while he is recently lit up the Indian Premier League, playing in the same Rajasthan Royals side as Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.

Others might have let the success go to their head. Archer, by all accounts, has remained modesty personified. Along with the young Bermudan batsman Delray Raw-lins, Archer spent two years living with Lewis, and slotted in effortlessly, even if his Xbox sessions occasionally interrupted peace and quiet.

'He was part of the family, says Lewis. "He just fitted in really well. He's inherently a good person, very well brought up – although it will be me renting him off these days! Would he chip in much with the cleaning? No. But he was a teenager. He is a good person and did his bit around the house. "

Archer, who grew up in Barbados, pictured with his mother Jodie

Despite coming from humble beginnings, Archer could become a superstar for England

Archer's stepfather helped him to pursue his dream of becoming a cricketer

Another story speaks volumes for his humility. In 2015, Archer and Akeem Jordan, a talented young Indian bowler, agreed to join a social cricket tour to Cornwall with a team called the Two Hopes. In one game, the pair added 180 to set up a 10-run win, but it was Archer's attitude off the field that most endeared him to his team mates.

Not only did he help out with the cooking and the washing-up at the large communal house rented by the cricketers, but when he fell second ball in one match he happily did stints as a scorer and umpire. There were no airs and graces: he simply mucked in.

"The first thing that struck us all about Jofra was his manners," said a team mate. "He immediately struck up a good report with everyone."

It's a trait that made his late entry into the England squad easier than it might have. Archer did not initially expect to qualify until 2022, but a change in the ECB's regulations brought forward the date to this year.

In 2015 Archer and fellow West Indian Akeem Jordan (left) scores tons for Two Hopes club side in Cornwall

That briefly caused a tremor of apprehension among the seamers who had spent the last four years helping to turn around England's one -day fortunes, and who knew deep down that one of them would be making way for the new starlet.

The same process will no doubt be repeated when Joe Root and the other selectors sit down to finalize their plans for the Ashes, which starts on August 1. With Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Stokes all seemingly shoo-ins, Archer will have to keep Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Sam Curran at bay if he is to claim the final seamer's spot.

Lewis is optimistic about his prospects. "People get obsessed with this wonderful T20 player, but I actually think he's a better red-ball bowler than white. He can move it at 90mph – there's not much movement with the white ball – and his seam presentation is excellent.

"Lots of people can swing the ball: it's controlling it. That work really stood out. He went back to Barbados and learned how to control. That's the difference between the best. People like Philander and McGrath did not have express pace but they controlled it. If you can do both, you are talking about Ambrose and Waqar Younis.

'All the great fast bowlers have different styles but the fundamentals that underpin it are the same: alignment towards the target, whip in the shoulder, a rhythmical run-up. Archer has it all. "

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#England’s X-Factor: Jofra Archer could be the man who takes England to World Cup glory "

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omcik-blog · 8 years ago

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New Post has been published on OmCik

New Post has been published on http://omcik.com/how-to-stop-the-money-fights-and-grow-wealthy-as-a-couple/

How to stop the money fights and grow (wealthy) as a couple

by Anna Bahney @annabahney May 25, 2017: 10:43 AM ET

Fights about money are one of the leading causes of divorce in America. A third of couples say they get into it about money at least once a month, according to Ameriprise Financial.

But money fights are rarely about the numbers in your bank account.

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More often they’re about trust, communication and power, says Megan Ford, a financial therapist based in Georgia.

“In the heat of conflict, it can seem like you’ll never understand one another or find common ground,” says Ford.

Here’s how to stop the screaming and get to the heart of the issue so you and your partner can build your relationship — and your bank accounts — together.

1. Get on the same page — literally

Most people budget, but many do it in their heads. If you’re keeping competing accounts or frankly have no idea where they money goes, it’s time to get the numbers out into a neutral, equally accessible space.

Deputize an online budget app (like Mint or You Need a Budget) or a regularly updated spreadsheet as your third-party referee.

Even if your arguments aren’t explicitly about dishonesty, a good place to ground the discussion is in the hard, cold facts of who spent what when.

2. Make time for money talk

Don’t sit around stewing about your partner’s apparent inability to make a dent in his credit card debt. Or speculating on how much she actually spent on those shoes.

Better to agree ahead on a money talk night. (It’s no date night, but budgets do pair well with wine and pizza.)

The idea that talking about money is, “impolite, taboo, and not in good taste is still very much present and significantly affects how open some couples feel about discussing it,” says Ford, who is also a licensed marriage and family therapist.

Money is cause for a lot of anxiety, guilt, and shame, she says. Talking about it can make us feel vulnerable.

The goal is to create a designated safe-space to talk about money challenges in a calm way with facts and figures — not name-calling and finger-wagging.

3. Step back, Judgy McJudgerson

It’s really important to listen before you judge your partner’s financial decisions or behaviors.

Even if your partner’s expensive cheese obsession or belief that their HBO subscription is a mandatory expense may seem silly or irrational to you, part of being in a healthy partnership is working to understand your significant other better, says Ford.

Ask your partner why they act or think a certain way about money. Perhaps his parents did it that way. Maybe it’s a coping strategy she developed when she was dead broke.

“Work on seeking to understand as a way to lessen conflict,” says Ford.

4. Target challenges, build on agreements

If you can both pull apart the things that set each other off, you’ll better understand the minefields that keep your stress levels up.

What talks cause you trouble? Do you get into it when you’re trying to prioritize needs versus wants? Maybe you’re particularly sensitive to a partner’s questioning your purchases.

“Knowing where things aren’t working can help you better identify what you need to work on specifically, so that you don’t feel that you’re trapped in perpetual conflict around every single thing that involves money,” says Ford.

And if you look for them, there are likely exceptions to the conflicts — things that you actually agree on. Build on those.

Not only can they provide a change of perspective, they may become your mutual financial goals.

5. Know when to get help

Some money mistakes that spike stress levels — like late payments, high interest credit card debt or plummeting credit scores — can take years to recover from or eliminate.

Better to get help early if behaviors aren’t changing and your financial situation is unraveling. Don’t hesitate to call in the reinforcements. From government approved credit counselors to government approved debt education there are resources available to help. Likely more are available in your community through non-profit organizations or educational institutions.

Even if you aren’t bleeding money, you may be leaking cash due to communication missteps. You and your partner may benefit from working with a certified financial planner or a financial therapist, like Ford, who can help you make sense of both the money and your honey.

CNNMoney (New York) First published May 25, 2017: 10:36 AM ET

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