INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Bring your back hand behind your shoulder and just above your hips. If you want more of a back swing, you can bring it back a little further. Steady your bridge hand, relax, and get ready to shoot! You want a smooth, controlled backswing with full follow-through. A steady, square impact carries more force than a lightning-fast shank. To break the rack effectively, hit the head ball directly on target. You’ll also need to apply sufficient force to distribute the balls around the table. However, it is best to relax and focus on a square hit, as opposed to trying to apply excessive force. The main thing is to hit the head ball squarely! The force in the break shot comes from the legs and hips. Move your hips forward to achieve greater force. Hit the cue ball with the cue stick. Move your body forward from the hips to apply more power in your break shot. Let your torso move up at the end of the stroke. Your cue stick should be pointing towards the back of the table when you finish. Take a moment after each shot to note the position of the cue ball and the formation on the table. If the cue ball tends to drive forward after impact, hit it lower for more backspin. If it likes to veer off toward the sides, hit it slower for greater accuracy and power. If you are close to sinking the two balls behind the cue ball, think about how you could fine tune your shot to sink them in the corner pockets.

SUMMARY: Pull your cue back slowly with your back hand. Make direct contact with the head ball. Shoot the cue ball. Fine tune your break shot by watching where the balls land.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Characteristics should include weights, grades and measurements of components. The color grade of the gemstone should be determined by using comparison gemstones. If any atypical treatments were conducted on your gemstone or if your gemstone is untreated, this should be noted on the appraisal.   The value depends on whether you want to insure your jewelry for its actual cash value, its replacement value or its agreed value.  Cash value is the value of your jewelry at today’s market rate, not at the purchase price. Replacement value means the insurer will pay you a specific amount according to its current market value at the time of the loss. Agreed value means that you and your insurer settle on a specific value that you will receive in the event of a loss.  If your appraisal is for an insurer, then your appraiser should use one of the following forms from the Jewelry Insurance Standards Organization:  JISO 805—Jewelry Sales Receipt for Insurance Purposes. This form is used when you are purchasing jewelry and can be completed by the retailer who sold the jewelry to you. JISO 806—Jewelry Document for Insurance Purposes. This form is used when you’re obtaining a second appraisal. JISO 78—Jewelry Insurance Appraisal—Single Item. This form must be completed by a Certified Insurance Appraiser and is a highly detailed description of the item. JISO 79—Jewelry Insurance Appraisal—Multiple Items. This form is also completed by a Certified Insurance Appraiser and is used for the valuation of multiple items of jewelry.

SUMMARY: Look for a description of all characteristics of the piece. Expect notes on gemstone treatment. Watch for a statement of whether the gemstone is natural or synthetic. Expect notes on the type of setting. Look for an appraisal of the jewelry’s value. Expect the appraisal to include a photograph of the gem. Make sure that your jeweler uses the proper forms.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You should approach this conversation almost like you are preparing to give an important speech. You want to write out how you want the conversation to go. Visualize it going well. Practice saying all your reasons out loud to yourself in the mirror or to a friend. You want to get your parent's full attention as you convince them to help you in switching schools.  Say something like, “Hey, Mom and Dad! Can we all sit down at the table together? I have something I’d like to talk about with you, and I’d really love to hear what you think.” You want to let your parents know that this is important to you and that you appreciate them listening to your thoughts. Even if your parents don’t respond at first, you don’t want to come across as whiney because this will make it less likely that your parents will support you in switching schools. At the same time, be honest.  You want them to know how much staying in your current situation will hurt you. Make your statements sincere and to-the-point.   If you’re being bullied, don’t be too embarrassed to show them how much it’s affecting your performance at school and how much it hurts you. Say something like, “There is a group of kids in my class that writes mean notes to me every day and steal things out of my desk. They call me names, and it makes me sad. I’ve asked them to stop, and I’ve talked to the teacher, but they still do it behind her back. I have a hard time enjoying school or focusing because I can’t stop thinking about it.” If you think you need a school with more academic attention say something like, “I’ve been having a hard time finishing my work in school because I don’t understand it. There are so many kids in my class that the teacher usually doesn’t have time to help me.” Or, if you want more of a challenge, say, “I get all A’s at school because the work is too easy. I finish all my work first, and I end up just sitting there in class. My teacher doesn’t have time to make special assignments for me.” These are the reasons that changing would improve your overall life. Some examples of positive reasons to practice might be:  “I’m really interested in learning to play music. Jackson Middle School has the best band program in the state, and it’s only ten minutes away. I’d really get to work on my skills there.” “St. John’s School only has 10 students in each class. If I went there, I’d be able to get more help with my work, and my grades would get better.” “Central Middle School has a lot of science and math classes I could take. They even have a Physics class. I want to be an engineer one day, and it’s never too early to start learning.” You don’t want your parents to have to decide right then whether you can change. That pressure will make them more likely to say “no” out of convenience. End the conversation with a statement like: “Thanks for listening to me. Take some time to think about what I said, and let me know what you think. I really hope you’ll think about letting me change schools”

SUMMARY:
Write it out and practice. Come up with an introduction. Keep your words calm and mature. Write out your positives. Make your conclusion open-ended.