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Are you taking it up to the next level – are you moving beyond house bowling balls in favor of your own, custom bowling ball? Well, before you go out and make the all-important choice as to which bowling ball you should get, you need to consider a few things:

· It is best to have at least two bowling balls – one for oily lanes and one for dry lanes. And you want a strike ball — one with a lot of hook potential and power — and a spare ball, a ball that will roll straight and true.

· Make sure you pick out the right weight – bowling balls range from 6 pounds to 16 pounds. When you have a bowling ball that fits your hand, you can actually use a heavier ball than whatever house bowling ball you were used to using.

· Make sure that you get a bowling ball that fits – get the finger holes custom drilled to fit your hand.

· In general, the more expensive the ball, the better the ball! Of course, that being said, this is genearlly just in terms of price ranges. For instance, a ball that falls in the $100-200 price range most likely will not be as good as a ball that is in the $200+ range. Of course, within those ranges, some bowling balls are definitely better deals than others! And you want to be sure that you are not paying extra money for something that you do not care about (like a glow in the dark ball, for instance).

· Before up and buying your first bowling balls, make sure that you spend the time to carefully decide what material you want your bowling balls made out of.

While bowling balls have been made out of rubber and even wood in the past, today’s bowling balls are made from different materials:

· Plastic bowling balls – this is generally the most inexpensive type of bowling ball, and it is actually usually made out of polyester. If you are used to using house balls, then you are used to using plastic balls. They are very durable. They also skid more (making them harder to control) and are less likely to hook – they are good for dry lane conditions.

· Urethane bowling balls – these balls have softer coverstocks that give the balls more hook potential. These bowling balls can hook more because they have a higher friction surface than your basic polyester balls. To increase or decrease the amount of hook potential, you can sand or buff the ball.

· Reactive resin bowling balls – these are a relatively new type of bowling ball. Only in the 1990s did bowling ball manufacturers started to add resin particles to the urethane coverstocks. What did this resin do? Well, resin is sticky/tacky, and therefore increases the ball’s grip on the lane. It made the balls have even more hook potential. Reactive resin bowling balls skid on oil (giving them great speed) and hook strongly on dry boards. Experienced players can make reactive resin bowling balls work for them with many different lane conditions.

· Particle bowling balls – this type of bowling ball is perfect for anyone (especially experienced bowlers) who want great power potential in their balls. These bowling balls have textured particles like glass and ceramics to resin enhanced balls. This texture give the ball a whole lot of grip in oil, a controllable hook style, and a whole lot of power. Particle bowling balls generally have the greatest hook potential of any balls. Many professional bowlers use particle bowling balls – they like how controllable they are in terms of hook and spin.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and sports. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on bowling, please visit Bowling Balls and More.

The number one concern among parents who are contemplating divorce is the effect the divorce will have on their children. In my experience, the primary determiner of how a child copes with divorce rests on how well the parents are able to create a stable, predictable and loving environment during and after divorce. This is challenging, because children frequently respond to divorce by becoming more needy and clingy. This occurs at a time when parents are emotionally distraught and in the midst of a crisis of their own.

Divorce is a literally and emotionally disruptive experience. However, there are many steps parents can take to help children through this difficult time. This article details some of these steps.

First of all, tell your children what is going on. It’s best if you and your spouse decide together what you’re going to say to your children about your plans to divorce. It’s ideal if you can sit down together to talk with your children. While it’s not necessary to go into great detail, you need to say enough so your children understand the “why’s” behind your decision.

Some times I tell parents to create a narrative – that is, a brief story – that accurately describes why they are divorcing. This narrative or story might go something like this: We’ve been fighting an awful lot and we are both unhappy. We’ve tried to work things out but we haven’t been able to. We think it will be better if we live apart. We want you to know that we love you and we will still be your parents, but we are going to live in separate houses. Part of the week you’ll stay with me and part of the week you’ll stay with your mom. Initially, it’s best not to say much more than this. Stop and let them absorb what you’ve said.

It’s normal for your children to feel shocked, confused or very upset. Don’t try to fix their feelings by smoothing things over – let them be upset. Divorce is upsetting. If they are silent – ask how they feel about what you’ve said. I’m sure they’ll have questions. Try to answer them as simply and completely as you can. If the plan is for one of you to be the custodial parent, then you’ll need to talk to your children about the visitation schedule. Hopefully you will have worked this out before you sit down with them.

If your situation is one where only one of you wants the divorce or if there’s too much animosity or resentment between you – it may be best to have separate conversations with your children. While you may be tempted to blame your spouse for the divorce, DON’T! Engaging in criticism and making negative comments about your spouse places your children in the middle. This is destructive. Your children need both of you as parents. Also, in my experience, the parent who’s most critical and negative about the other often sacrifices their relationship with their children. Children don’t want to take sides. Asking them to do so usually backfires.

Divorce often results in one or both parents moving to a new residence. If at all possible, try to avoid having your children change schools. Moving homes, having your parents divorce and changing schools all at the same time, is a lot of loss for any child to deal with. Do your best to minimize the disruption to their lives.

One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to work out a specific visitation schedule and stick to it. In a time of great transition, children need predictability. While it may seem easier or more convenient for you to keep the visitation schedule loose – it’s not a good idea for your children – especially young children. For more information on this topic, see my article: Visitation.

Once you and your spouse have separated and the visitation schedule is in place, talk to your children regularly about the divorce. Parents sometimes think it will be better for their children if they de-emphasize the divorce by avoiding any discussion of it. Occasionally they even discourage their children from talking about it. This is a BIG mistake. Children need to talk about the changes in their lives but they may need help doing this.

Asking young children how they feel or if they’re alright is too vague. One approach is to talk with them about how things are different now than they were when you were all living together. Ask them what they think has changed and which changes they like and don’t like. Don’t be discouraged if your children don’t like anything! Maybe they’re angry. If so – they have a right to be. After all, the divorce wasn’t their idea. You can talk about what you miss from the way things used to be too. This gives them permission to speak openly about their feelings. They won’t feel like they have to protect you by acting like everything is fine when it’s not.

It’s not uncommon for children to develop behavioral symptoms related to divorce. Young children have trouble verbalizing their feelings and may act them out instead. They might become listless in school, have trouble sleeping, complain of stomach aches so they can stay home, become clingy, act aggressive towards playmates, throw tantrums at home, refuse to do their school work, or begin wetting the bed. None of these symptoms are unusual. They are an expression of anger or anxiety.

Again – it’s wise to give your children an opportunity to talk about their anger and upset. Let them know you can accept their anger – it won’t devastate you – but set some limits about how they express it. Talk with them about constructive ways of getting their upset feelings out. Share what you do when you’re upset.

If you are divorcing and your children are teenagers – you may be entering a rocky couple of years. First of all, teenagers can choose who they want to live with. This may mean you have to deal with disappointment if they choose to live with your spouse. If this is the case, you might try to talk with them honestly about why they’re making this choice. It’s important not to appear so fragile that they can’t be open with you. Also, it’s good to see if you can dig a little deeper into why they feel this is best for them. See if their reasons make sense.

If you think your teen is choosing to live with the parent who’s going to provide the least amount of parental oversight- talk with them sincerely about your concerns. While this may seem like an easy ride, reinforce the fact that they will be making decisions during this period of their life that may impact their future. It’s wise to support their independent decision-making, but also express the hope that they’ll feel like they can talk with you about what is in their best interest. It’s difficult and often painful but try to be objective and examine the pluses and minuses of them staying with you versus your spouse. Let them do most of the talking.

It’s often difficult to get teenagers to open up about their feelings. They’re more likely to be open with you if the two of you have had a strong relationship prior to the divorce.

It’s not unusual for teens to act indifferent about the divorce and to say things like, “It’s no big deal. I’m going to be out of here pretty soon anyway.” Don’t buy it! They’re still kids. They still need parents and a stable home.If they become withdrawn, begin staying away from the house more or act angry and hostile towards one or both of you, you need to talk to them. Again – they are expressing their anger and disappointment, though they may not admit it. Kids who aren’t able to talk about their feelings some times resort to self-destructive behaviors as a way to distance themselves from their feelings. This includes drug and alcohol use and promiscuity.

The teen years are difficult for parents and children alike, but divorce in the midst of this period can be especially challenging. Teens are trying to figure out their identity. They are beginning to make choices about their future. They are starting to develop bonds with people outside the family. A teenager’s ability to successfully launch themselves into adulthood has a lot to do with how secure their home base is. You don’t want your teen to leave home prematurely – before their ability to handle independence has been sufficiently developed.

Children, especially young children, often hope their parents will reunite. In fact, many children harbor a fantasy about reunification that lasts for years. Others act-out in school or at home so their parents have to work together to address their behavior problems. This can be an attempt to reunite the parents.

If you sense that your child is holding on to a fantasy of reunification, it’s best to address it. This is a sign that your children are having difficulty coming to terms with and accepting the divorce. Again, the best remedy is open conversation and clear reinforcement that you and your spouse are not getting back together. You need to help your children accept the fact that your divorce is final.

Dating is a challenge for divorced parents with children. If your children are young, they are susceptible to growing attached to your new love interest. This is dangerous. It’s best for parents to keep their dating life separate from their children until they are certain the dating relationship is a substantial one and that it is going to be longer term. Your children don’t need to go through another loss. Additionally, young children often feel caught in a loyalty bind between the new romantic partner and the parent of the same sex.

An awkward dynamic occurs when teenagers and their divorced parents are both dating. Teens feel awkward and uncomfortable about their parents as sexual people – especially in light of the fact that they are beginning to explore their own sexuality. With teens, it’s important to remember that how you handle your sexuality may impact how they decide to express theirs.

Teens may be slower to accept your new boyfriend or girlfriend than younger children. They may mouth- off and be disparaging about this person or treat the person rudely. This is their way of acting out their anger and disappointment over the divorce. It may also be their way of being loyal to the same sex parent. On the other hand, they may have some legitimate reasons for not liking your new partner. It might be smart to explore what their feelings, attitudes, observations and objections are. You might learn something that could be important.

With adult children who are out of the house, anger and disappointment over your divorce are often related to feelings of betrayal. Your adult children may have a lot of questions about what was going on in your marriage, about why you’re deciding to divorce now, etc. With adult children, it’s easier to be open and honest and to go into a bit more depth about your reasons for divorce. Chances are they will understand your decision to a greater degree because they have a better grasp of who each of you are as people – in addition to being their parents. They will have observed and developed their own attitudes and feelings about each of you, about your flaws and about the shortcomings in your marriage. Still, adult children often feel cheated. They may have an understandable wish to preserve the memory of having had an intact family – regardless of how difficult the circumstances may have been. There may also be a greater likelihood to take sides, because they’ve developed their own attitudes and perspective on each of you as people.

In summary, the single best step you can take is to keep the lines of communication open with your children – regardless of their age. You need to place your own feelings about the divorce on the back burner long enough to take an active interest in how your children are coping with the divorce.

Copyright Johanna Nauraine, 2010

REPRINT RIGHTS Statement: This article is free for republishing by visitors provided the Author Bio and Copyright is retained and the link remains active.

Johanna Nauraine is a psychotherapist in private practice in Chicago. She specializes in premarital, marital and divorce therapy, infertility, addictions and career coaching. You can read more of her relationship articles at: http://johannascouch.com

There are many different sorts of rice; among them, the parboiled one that I do not recommend, regardless of the brand. Some people may like it but for me this is something other than rice. The taste is awful and it seems to never be cooked. To have good rice, use Indian, Thai or Asian rice; or any other rice that is not parboiled. Italian rice is very good as well. According to the rice you buy, you will need to use a specific cooking method; for example, Asian rice is not good for making risotto, Italian rice is not good for serving with Chinese cooking.

Boiled rice: The simplest way to cook rice.

Note: This is a very simple way to cook rice but not the best because the rice, boiled in a large quantity of water, is “washed” and most of the taste is lost in the water. Look below to see my recommended methods for cooking rice. The methods to cook the rice are different according to the sort of rice you are using.

1- Bring a big quantity of water to the boil. (8 to 10 times the volume of rice), together with 1 tbsp of salt for each 2 pints of water used.

2- Add the rice and bring back to the boil, on a high heat, stirring frequently.

3- Reduce the heat to a low to medium heat, to keep boiling until the rice is cooked. Stir occasionally to make sure the rice is not sticking to the pot.

4- When cooked, (about 15 minutes, maybe less according to the specific rice you are using), strain and serve immediately, plain or with butter or olive oil.

5- If you are not serving the rice immediately, cool the rice in cold water, strain and store until you are ready to serve it.

(The rice can be very easily reheated in a microwave oven. You can also use it to prepare fried rice)

Pilaff: An alternative way to cook rice (use Basmati rice for instance for this recipe)

This method is called riz Pilaff (or pilaw) in French cuisine.

1- Take an ovenproof dish, put on a medium heat with one tbsp of butter for 2 cups of rice.

2- Add some chopped onion and sweat* in butter.

3- Add the rice; stir it in to the butter with the onion, for one or two minutes, until the rice becomes translucent.

4- Add 11/2 the volume of water, together with some salt, pepper, and a whole garlic clove if you like, (this is optional).

5- Bring to the boil, cover with aluminium foil, put in the oven at 200°C (400° F), and cook for between 14 and 17 minutes, until done. It should be ready when all the water has been absorbed.

*When sweating the onions you can add a choice of whole spices (not ground). Sweat together with the onions, then add the rice and cook together. You will have to remove the spices when eating or before you serve the rice. This takes a little time, but the rice cooked in this way is really very delicious.

Risotto: To use Italian risotto rice it is better to cook it the risotto way.

Here is the basic way to do it.

1- Sweat chopped onions in some butter.

2- Add the rice, (“arborio”, “vialone”, “carnaroli”…; (about 3 ounces per person).

3- Stir until the rice becomes translucent.

4- Add dry white wine to the level of the rice. Cook until almost all the wine is evaporated.

5- According to the recipe you are preparing, (if your risotto will be made plain, with sea food, meat, vegetables etc.) add fish stock, vegetable or chicken broth; (for 12 oz of rice add about 1 pint of the stock, you will add more later).

6- Bring to the boil on a medium heat, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper.

7- Keep cooking the rice, adding more liquid when necessary. (The quantity of liquid necessary to use in risotto is difficult to say as different rice brands will absorb more or less liquid.)

8- Immediately after the rice has absorbed the previous amount of liquid, add more liquid, and repeatedly add a little each time, allowing the rice to absorb little by little the liquid.

9- Repeat the process until the rice is cooked, stirring frequently.

10- When done, the risotto should be cooked but a little “al dente”. It should be creamy as well.

11- To finish add grated parmesan and serve immediately.

12- To give more taste, add chopped garlic, cream during the cooking process.

Almost anything can be added in risotto, depending on personal choice; vegetables cut in cubes, sea food, chicken, meat cut in small pieces, cooked before or not, depending if it can be cooked in the risotto itself.

The basic Asian way of cooking rice:

To prepare the rice this way, you can use a rice cooker; this is a wonderful device. It will cook alone and keep the rice warm for hours.

If you do not have a rice cooker:

1- Put one volume of rice (Thai, Basmati etc.) in a pot.

2- Add 11/2 the volume of water, and stir.

3- Put on a medium to high heat.

4- Bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and boil on a low to medium heat until cooked.

5- Serve immediately.

(Make sure the water does not evaporate too much during the cooking. Do not stir the rice during the cooking).

Brown rice

Brown rice can be cooked in the same way as: “Boiled Rice: The simplest way to cook any rice”; except that the rice will need to be cooked for about 1 hour to be ready.

Drain and store like plain rice in the recipe above.

Jean-Louis Vosgien www.photos-and-recipes.com [http://www.photos-and-recipes.com]

Politics have been a part of Chicago for some time. By politics we mean the heated politics of Chicago. From the University of Chicago, which has seen some great political leaders, to the leaders of Chicago in the past who were known to have mob connections, Chicago has been a political firecracker for some time.

They say that the two things you should never discuss are politics and religion, but that does not stop a lot of the talk of the heated politics of Chicago. Many people want to know Chicago politics inside and out, and want to know what the big news for the city’s political scene is. This love for the Chicago political scene is something many in the city share. However, finding people to talk to about politics can be extremely difficult to do.

Just as the history of Chicago has been very diverse, so have its political views. The politics of Chicago have not only been heated, but have led to impacts in the nation that is here today. They have also laid the groundwork to a number of events that would be factors in the world as a whole as a well. Some of the newer cities of the United States have to give thanks to some of the greater minds and political views of the Windy City.

In recent years, some of the greats in the corporate world and political world have sought places in the Southwestern United States. Some have seen this as a means of fleeing the fires that they fueled in Chicago, other have merely seen this as them wanting to have a transition to the next stage of their lives. The heated politics of Chicago can literally eat someone alive and spit out the remains without a second thought. That is part of what makes Chicago one of the political centers and also one of the hot spots for change in the Midwest.

Many have seen the legendary Al Capone as a nightmare in the streets of Chicago, and have seen how he would consume the legal system. One can’t say Capone’s name though without mentioning how he was the catalyst in the creation of the FBI. This level of corruption that Capone brought forth also instigated a higher level of how politics were viewed in Chicago and how the dirty politicians were dealt with. In the bluntest of terms, just as the Chicago sports fans won’t tolerate verbal jabs; the political arena of Chicago is no different.

Some have seen that Chicago is one of the harder roads for politicians, yet it is also a road that had garnered a higher level of respect of the politicians that have surfaced from the torrents of the political world there. This has been a city that has shown what a cut throat environment politics can be and also where a politician can be revered by those that support them.

The author runs a website about Chicago politics. This has been truer with the rich political history that Chicago offers and the direct impact it has had on both the state and Federal government.

Home cooks of all skill levels can save money by using their kitchens more efficiently. By modifying cooking habits, making better use of existing appliances and purchasing new appliances that are energy-efficient, home cooks can save money, extend the working life of cookware and lessen the time spent cooking. These tactics are part of Green Cooking, which is about reducing waste, using less energy, less water and making less noise during the cooking process. Incorporating Green Cooking principles, the average household can minimize their home’s energy consumption and save hundreds of dollars per year on utility bills.

Using the following tips, you can maximize the efficiencies of your kitchen’s appliances and refine your cooking habits to save energy, save money and “cook green.”

1. Full-size ovens are not very efficient when cooking small quantities of food. When cooking small-to medium-sized meals, use a smaller toaster oven. In general, the smaller the appliance, the less energy used, so choose the smallest appliance suited to your cooking task. The more energy-efficient an appliance is, the less it costs to run.

2. Keep kitchen appliances and cookware clean. When surfaces are clean, you maximize the amount of energy reflected toward your food, cooking more quickly and evenly.

3. Utilize residual heat. Turn off the oven or electric stove top a few minutes before the end cooking time. The appliance will remain hot enough to complete the cooking process.

4. Energy-efficient appliances may sometimes cost more to purchase, but savings on utility bills will be realized in the long run. Try to gradually replace your old appliances with more energy-efficient models. Look for appliances with the Energy Star designation indicating that the appliance is up to current energy-efficiency standards. New and better appliances continue to be developed, cooking food faster and with greater convenience. And faster cooking times mean less energy use.

5. If you have an electric stove top, make sure your pan completely covers the heating element and is the same size as the burner. Use flat-bottomed pans that make full contact with the elements. For example, a six-inch pan on an eight-inch element wastes 40 percent of the element’s heat output. With gas burners, make sure the flame is fully below the pan; otherwise, heat is lost and energy is wasted. The moral is, if you use a small pan, use a small burner and vice versa.

6. Don’t preheat the oven unless a recipe (such as bread or pastry) requires it. A good rule of thumb is that any food with a cooking time of more than 60 minutes can be started in a cold oven.

7. No peeking. Every time you open the oven door, it can lower the internal temperature as much as 25 degrees. Use a timer to set the cooking time, and be sure your oven window is clean enough for you to see how your dish is progressing. Be sure to check the seal on your oven door to make sure it is working properly.

8. In the oven, stagger dishes at different rack levels to ensure proper air flow. Good air flow helps the oven work more quickly and efficiently. Rearrange oven shelves before you turn the oven on. Doing it after the oven is hot not only wastes heat, but is an easy way to burn yourself.

9. Piggyback dishes on top of each other, either by using the same heat source for two or more chores, or by baking such items as cookies using retained heat from prior baking or roasting. Multitask wherever possible. Cookware such as a Chinese steamer, can cook different dishes on different tiers simultaneously and inexpensively.

10. Choose your cookware carefully. Glass and ceramic cookware conduct and retain heat better than metal. If a recipe calls for a metal baking pan, you can usually switch to glass or ceramic which will allow you to lower the cooking temperature by 25 degrees.

11. By warming food first (either on the counter or in the microwave-it uses less energy than an oven) you can cut down on the amount of time your oven is on.

12. Take Cover! Water boils more quickly and foods cook faster if there is a lid on the pan, keeping the heat in. Also, don’t boil more water than you will be using.

13. Cooking frozen foods uses more energy – thaw them out first. Thawing in the refrigerator is best because it helps the efficiency of the refrigerator, cooling it down and reducing the energy required to keep it at its working temperature.

14. Cook with a microwave when possible. Microwaves use between one-fifth and one-half as much energy as conventional stoves. They are most efficient at cooking small portions and for defrosting. To cook food in the microwave faster, place it on the outer edges of a rotating tray rather than in the center, allowing more microwaves to interact with the food. Food cooks faster as the surface-to-volume ratio increases. When cooking potatoes, for example, thinner slices will cook faster than cubed or quartered sections. During warm weather when air conditioning is in use, microwaves generate less radiant heat reducing the energy load on your air conditioner.

15. Use pressure cookers. They use 50-75 percent less energy than ordinary cookware and it’s the easiest and fastest method of cooking..

16. Induction cooking uses 90% of the energy produced compared to only 55% for a gas burner and 65% for traditional electric ranges. Induction cook tops have the same instant control as gas and are the fastest of all cook top types to heat and cook food.

17. Use electric kettles to boil water. They consume half the energy needed to boil water on the stove.

18. Turn down the heat after water boils. Lightly boiling water is the same temperature as a roaring boil.

19. Toaster ovens, although generally not very well insulated are good choices for small to medium portions of food that cook relatively quickly. For baking and broiling, they use about one-third the energy of a regular oven.

20. Slow cookers also reduce energy use in cooking. Slow cookers such as crock-pots will cook an entire meal for about 17 cents worth of electricity.

21. Convection ovens consume up to one-third less energy than standard ovens. Heated air is continuously circulated by the oven’s fan, for more even heat and reduced cooking times.

22. Pressure-cooking is the easiest and fastest green cooking method. A new pressure cooker can reduce your energy consumption for cooking by more than 50%.

23. Electric skillets, like a deep griddle with walls, can steam, fry, saute, stew, bake, or roast a variety of food items – some can even double as serving dishes.

24. Soak dinnerware and cooking utensils that are heavily caked with dried food in cold water with a small amount of soap. This eliminates the need for prolonged scrubbing and using large amounts of water.

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