text:
[pregnant pause]
MK & Rose S., these babies really stomp out the competition, don't they?
- Related Wreckage: Return of the Belly Cake
When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong.
Oh man, I'm tired...I totally read that as "Tomorrow: fetal feces". Then I thought, oh crap, don't give the scary decorators any new ideas!
It looks like they're having cartoon babies because each foot only has four toes. Maybe they're half ninja turtle.
Oh wow... just wow! How czan a cake be so technically right but still so wrong?!? I thank my lucky stars that I haven't been asked to do one of these monstrosities! If I ever do, I'll be sure to turn myself in to the Wreck Police! ;)
Atleast neither one of them did outtie belly buttons!!! Some cakes just make ya wonder....
When do we get to see the 3-D ultrasound cakes?
Ok, reading "fetal faces" as fetal "feces"...would definitely give a whole new take on the cake...
By the way, since I happen to be a book reviewer as well as a fan of your blog, I couldn't help posting a review once I was done reading through the book. Still hoping I can make it to the reschedule of the Bethesda signing!
I see feet sticking out of someone's back in that last cake. That is a seriously butt-like bosom! And the baby's feet are on the wrong sides. Ok, something positive...nice handwriting, and a lovely linea nigra (the dark line below the mother's torso's navel). How can there be that much detail on a headless woman!? I don't blame the bakery; I blame the weirdos ordering these monstrosities!
WV: vambila If you cut into these cakes you can see the vambila-cal cord.
oi! better feet than bum cheek impressions
OK - first of all, those boobs are just EMBARRASSING! And has anyone noticed those babies are wayyy breech and posterior? This would be a scary cake for me!
hmmmm. something's afoot here.
at first i thought the baby's feet were literally coming out of the mama's belly. but after reading your comments, i stand corrected.
that second baby's feet are definitely backward. bet his parents won't be too thrilled to foot the bill for correcting that.
also, let's not sidestep the issue of writing across the mamas' breasts. it's very damn classy, but i think the bakers are walking on a thin line.
these wrecks really keep you on your toes!
LOL at the breech and posterior comment. Too true. The only worse cake I can imagine would be sets of feet at top AND bottom -- a locked twins situation *shudders*.
Fetal faces!!?!!?? That'll be shades of Alien all over. EWW!!
...um, I like the baby bump cakes :)
I think the poor kid has two left feet.
From this angle, "Tummy" looks like "Tumy." Is the fetus being regarded as a tumor? Shades of Hellboy II...
Oooh catty! You have to admit the first one is really well executed, no matter what you think of belly cakes. Question: do you call the cake cutting a c-section? The backwards feet is just really too bad.
Actually .... the feet in the second cake look like they are positioned more correctly than the feet in the first. When in the fetal position, the legs are crossed. The feet in the first cake look like the baby is in a terribly awkward position, it would have to be some kind of knee-chin tuck with legs together. Either way, they are both totally disturbing.
I think I know the photo responsible for this one--someone photoshopped a photo like these cakes--the PHOTO was pretty cool.
I'm having a hard time with the bosoms with writing all over them. And can we make their chests a little larger!? What? Are all the bakers men?
Oh, my. So just replicating a pregnant torso with the head, neck, and limbs cut off was not enough; now we have to see the marks of four-toed fetuses that have somehow escaped from the womb and the amniotic sac and are sticking their feet through a herniated abdominal wall. And, as Anonymous points out, they're both in a delivery-defying breech position, and the second one seems to be executing some kind of cross-legged split.
... Sorry, had to take a few breaths there to calm down. Maybe it's a cultural difference, but among my people, neither cannibalism nor display of dismembered human bodies are considered normal party games.
That is more disturbing than watching a medical drama on tv. EEEWWWWW. Wow. Seriously - what would you do if you went to a baby shower serving that cake?
It seems that breach birth is very in vogue for cake decorators as well. I mean, even *I* know they don't usually come ou that way.
I believe those cakes were trying to copy this picture, which has been circling the internet for quite a while. Personally, I think it belongs on Photoshop Disasters. http://babybumpdiaries.com/images/baby-foot-pregnancy.jpg
Sorry, there is no way you could see that much detail of a baby's foot sticking up against the mother's tummy. It's just not possible. It does make for some creepy looking cakes though.
I'm usually okay with belly cakes, but those are CREEPY.
i'm i the only one fascinated by the second ones GIGUNDOUS BAZONGAS?! i swear on my piping tips i'm not a 13 year old boy. i swear. but- they're the same size- if not a little bigger- in "height" than the alleged tummy. I mean, I know they jump into action during pregnancy, but... those are like triple G's or something.
Gag. That's so un-appealing.
~Amy B
Baahahaha.. pregnant pause. I just shot coffee through my nose. ouch.
Aw, I think the cakes are both just lovely. I wouldn't be comfortable actually chopping them up or eating them, but they sure are pretty.
Whoa! I'll see your 'do not want' and raise you a 'HECK NO!' 0_o
WV: 'Riverse'--Seeing these cakes makes me want to put it in riverse and get the heck outta here!
These are disturbing. Today, you are my "arch" nemesis....bwwaahahaha!
That reminds me of the kicks my daughter gave me from the womb! But I agree, I wouldn't want to eat a cake that looks like that!
If I see feet like that come through my stomach in real life, I'm going to be creeped out. I don't know how mamas can look at these cakes and not feel a little nauseous. I bet they serve these tasty cakes very quickly.
Did anyone see the wreck that Jon Gosselin got for his daughter Mady? Misspelled name, overuse of flowers....yikes!
Now I am officially creeped out by fondant...
"Er...Either this baby is reeeally flexible, or she's going to need some corrective shoes later in life."
OK, you are so completely hilarious. I laughed so loud my coworkers had to come see what I was doing... :)
Thanks for my daily therapy,
I'm scared this trend will go into hyper-realism and start producing accurate, NSFW breech birth(day) cakes. With lots of strawberry jam.
Fetal faces?
We can only hope, indeed. That would be the creepiest thing ever. straight out of a scene in a horror movie. Almost like the alien bursting through the person's stomach.
Ewwww! Those are disgusting! Even the ones that are well made, just....yuck!
WV: derec. If Tattoo had worked on Fantasy CW Island: "Derec!! Derec, Boss!!"
Are those her boobs, or is her butt on backwards?
HMM....If Bella had a baby shower, I bet this is the cake Alice would get her....baby Nessie coming to get us all....RUN AWAY!!! RUN AWAY!!!
~Bonnie B
As someone who is currently pregnant, these cakes (and the idea that you could ever see an imprint of feet in someone's stomach) have made me really glad that I always check Cake Wrecks *after* eating. Ewwwwwwwwwww.
Hey! I had a crazy pregnancy-induced dream just like those cakes! I was watching my unborn daughter kick and push on me and I could see the shape of her feet sticking straight out of my belly.
These make me a little nauseous. And I've actually born a child. :urp:
Oh god, if they start doing fetal faces, I'm pretty sure I'll be having cake-related nightmares.
What does that first one say? Hello Mymmy, Goodbye . . . ?
I think it says "Hello Mummy, Bye Bye Tums"
The first one says "Hello Mummy, Goodbye Tummy"
I can't read the other one.
ah!!! ahhhhh!!!!! ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Oi Jen, you were really on a roll with the puns today! Extra cool points. :)
Huh... is it just me or do the feet look backwards on that second one? The left on the right and vice versa?
I tell you, these cakes are just . . . "wrong." Who could eat something like this? Wouldn't you feel like a cannibal?
Oh the second one has the right orientation for the feet! In the fetal position babies typically cross their legs, sometimes so much that the heel is almost on the opposite hip. Although these feet are turned bottom of the foot directly out which is a bit awkward, seems like the bottom of the foot should be at more of an angle...
Oh my God! I just had a request for one of these this afternoon, first time I've ever seen one and now you have this posted today! And they did want an outie belly button on it! *shudder*
No, I don't intend to make it, I'll talk them into anything else!! Anything!! When did it become okay to serve body parts at baby showers? It's creepy, how do people not understand that?!!
I can't believe this... years ago I had a horrible dream that I looked down and my belly looked just like this, down to the unusually low number of toes. I'd almost blocked it out... must be a psychic decorator, unless that particular nightmare is more common than I thought :p
It looks like if you cut into them, there would be fetuses inside. Yuckyuckyuck!!
I feel slightly sickened, but also a bit impressed. Creative..... very creative.
I think I'm sick.
omg. is it wrong that i would have trouble cutting into a cake like that? I dont know. Oh man, for halloween they would definitely creep people out by putting a baby shaped cake INSIDE one of those cakes. aaaaaaarrrghh
um,...(phoow), oh, gees, I, um...man. I mean, well...just...(phoow)...well, they're um...
I got nothing.
cw-rewebary what a small child calls the library.
When I was pregnant I had this extremely strange dream in which the baby's feet were pushing out the side of my belly. I tried to describe it to my husband at the time and couldn't really get the image across, but this first cake is EXACTLY what my dream looked like. I showed these pictures to my husband so he would understand. And for what it's worth, I found the dream rather disturbing, and the cakes even more so.
Well...it could be worse. We saw pregnancy-themed cakes...not...um..delivery-themed ones.
Saw this, thought of you... *leer*
(Creepy, but work safe. There's something about babies dressed as carrots, only this time it's "Kewpie Sauce")
what's up with the *scarf* around the neck bit of the second one? seriously wreckorator... you maybe thought adding a scarf would make it look LESS like disembodied torso?
I'm thinking I should buy one of these cakes as a form of birth control for my son's girlfriend....
The "kissing can get you pregnant" stopped working a few years back. LOL
Might be the very first time I'd pass on a piece of cake....
My daughter would yell "can I have a piece with the foot?" or maybe "I want the belly button"
Thanks for sharing.....
Pregnant torsos and baby feet? Sicknast. I SO do not want a piece of cake.
wv: weasho - Weasho do love some fuuugly cakes.
See, this is what happens when people don't get given proper sex education and learn about pregnancy from Stephanie Meyer books.
Don't use a condom, baby full term in about about six weeks, it'll kick or chew its way out.
Crikey! I don't believe what kinds of cakes they make...
Pregnancy is an amazing thing, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't be able to bring myself to eat them!!
It's like that freaky bit in the Twilight books where the vampire does a c-section with his teeth!!
Wait... does that say "Bye bye TUNG"? Because "Tummy" would make TOO much sense.
Like somebody else said, I don't blame the bakers on these... I blame the nutjobs who ordered them!
The first one is really pretty if you can get past the feet. And the belly. And the boobs. And the lack of the rest of the body. I guess you could say the "execution" was near perfect.
I also concur that the tatas on the second one are way too much. That woman's gonna have some serious back issues later...
That first cake was cute and really well made. My last child was always making footprints on my belly when I was pregnant, so it's not that far off!
(screams) Alien baby! Alien baby! *hides under covers*
I love how on the second one they wrote all the words on the right boob.
Geez, if I ever go to a baby shower and they bring out a cake like these I think I'd have to lie and say I'm a diabetic or a vegan or both just to get out of having to eat such a scary piece of cake.
That just made me throw up a little. :P
I totally read Tomorrow: Fetal faeces too >.> To be fair I don't think it's an entirely unreasonable idea, given some of the poo cakes we've seen D:
That last one looks like the baby is stomping through her back, cuz those Boobs look more like butt-cheeks!
Ha, I love how these cakes make it look like the babies are busting right out of mama's belly! (Um, NOT!) Seriously, I had to consider whether these cakes were trying to depict a C-section...or what! Ick, no...this is sooo wrong...
how dreadful...
The black shirt over the boobs looked like Mickey Mouse ears upon my first glance. Mickey's ears over a stomach is too weird...
Strangely, the Buddha was born out of the side of his mother's torso as well.
Only one word comes to mind with these fetal cakes: Breech.
Mom's got a couple of serious cupcakes, there. Is this for a batchelor party?
I've never laughed so hard in my life. I seriously have to pee now!!!
Gross. Sorry, pregnancy becomes so self-righteous, we don't all need the visual.
On that first cake, the baby's feet are protruding so far out that my first thought was "Since when are babies born feet first, and from the side of the mother's belly?"
It was not until I saw the second tacky wreck that I realized it was supposed to be footprints. Of course that was after I managed to tear my eyes away from the emormous boobs, which look like those plain black bowling alley lane balls to me.
WV: spare - Spare us any more bowling ball boobies sprouting yoga baby bellies
Ework411 from http://ework411.blogspot.com/
I am not sure who would be able to cut into that cake, without closing their eyes and grimacing???
ewww....I don't think I can stomach the footie cakes! haha!
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A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Connoisseurs of democratic decadence can savor a variety of contemporary dystopias. Because familiarity breeds banality, Greece has become a boring horror. Japan, however, in its second generation of stagnation is fascinating. Once, Japan bestrode the world, jauntily buying Rockefeller Center and Pebble Beach. Now Japanese buy more adult diapers than those for infants.
America has its lowest birth rate since at least 1920 — family formation and workforce participation (which hit a 30-year low last year) have declined in tandem. But it has an energy surplus, the government-produced overhang of housing inventory is shrinking and the average age of Americans' cars is an astonishing 10.8 years. Such promising economic indicators, however, mask the country's democratic decadence, as explained by the Hudson Institute's Christopher DeMuth in the Dec. 24 Weekly Standard:Deficit spending once was largely for investments — building infrastructure, winning wars — which benefited future generations, so government borrowing appropriately shared the burden with those generations. Now, however, continuous borrowing burdens future generations in order to finance current consumption. Today's policy, says DeMuth, erases "the distinction between investing for the future and borrowing from the future."
It is now as clear as it is unsurprising that most Americans will be spared the educational experience of "fiscal cliff"-related tax increases and spending cuts, which would have been a small but instructive taste of the real costs of the entitlement state.
Still, December's maneuverings taught three lessons.
First, there will be no significant spending restraint. Democrats — you know: the people respectful of evidence and science — even rejected a more accurate measurement of the cost of living that would slightly slow increases in myriad government benefits. Accuracy will be sacrificed to liberalism's agenda of government growth.
Second, Barack Obama has (as Winston Churchill said of an adversary) "the gift of compressing the largest amount of words into the smallest amount of thought." His incessant talking swaddles one wee idea — raising taxes on "millionaires and billionaires," including people earning less than half a million. He has nothing pertinent to say about the steadily worsening fiscal imbalance that will make sluggish growth — less than 3 percent — normal.
Third, one December winner was George W. Bush because a large majority of Democrats favored making permanent a large majority of his tax cuts. December's rancor disguised bipartisan agreement: Both parties flinch from cliff-related tax increases and spending decreases. But neither the increases nor decreases would have tamed the current $1 trillion-plus budget deficit nor made a discernible dent in the 87-times-larger unfunded liabilities of the entitlement state.
This state cannot be funded by taxing "the rich." Or even by higher income taxes on the middle class. Income taxes cannot fund the government liberals want, and they dare not seek the consumption and energy taxes their entitlement architecture requires. Hence, although Republicans are complicit, Democrats are ardent in embracing decadent democracy. This consists not just of infantilism — refusing to will the means for the ends one has willed — but also of willing an immoral means: conscripting the wealth of future generations.
As economists Glenn Hubbard and Tim Kane explain in National Affairs quarterly, the U.S. political system "cannot govern the entitlement state" that "exists largely to provide material benefits to individuals." Piling up unsustainable entitlement promises — particularly, enactment of Medicare in 1965 and the enrichment of Social Security benefits in 1972 — has been improvident for the nation but rational for the political class. The promised expenditures, far in excess of revenue, would come due "beyond the horizon of political consequences."
"Our politicians," say Hubbard and Kane, "are acting rationally" but "politically rational behavior is now fiscally perverse." Both parties are responding to powerful electoral incentives to neither raise taxes nor cut spending. Hence, "the clash over raising the debt limit that gripped Washington during the summer of 2011 was just the beginning, not the end, of our fiscal woes."
But the perils of the entitlement state are no longer (in Hubbard's and Kane's words) "safely beyond the politicians' career horizons." Furthermore, a critical mass of Republicans reject the careerists' understanding of "politically rational" behavior. These Republicans have a different rationale for being in politics.
The media, which often are the last to know things because their wishes father their thoughts, say the tea party impulse is exhausted. Scores of House Republicans and seven first-term Republican senators (Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Pat Toomey, Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Marco Rubio and Tim Scott) will soon — hello, debt ceiling — prove otherwise.
George F. Will writes a twice-weekly column for the Washington Post on politics and domestic affairs. Read this commentary on The Washington Post.


text:
Yesterday I shared my first step at bringing a few gold accents into my studio space.
And although my studio hasn't gotten much attention lately, I have been slowly working at making it a happy place to work each day.
Here is the new box in her new home now...
Then, ArtsyMomma made a comment on the post reminding me that Champagne colored spray paint exists. I instantly went out and snagged myself a can to get going on a few other accents for my space.
I am always preaching that I think you should love the spaces you work and live in, so when organizing, I am always trying to think of ways to not only help blend the systems in with the decor, but to also tweak things until I am super smitten with them.
When it comes to storing some of my daily office accessories, I wanted to keep them out of the drawers and easy to access. So, I started out with some simple votives and bud vases...
Not only do I love small votives and vases for the fact that they are extremely inexpensive storage, they are also super versatile! They can hold anything from pens and pencils to Q-Tips and flossers.
However, the ones I had on hand around the home were a little too simple. And I was feeling crafty. And looking to play with the champagne spray paint!
So here are a few super simple ways I found to spruce up typical candle votives and bud vases to give them a little more life.
I started out with a plain glass candle votive, a hole paper punch, scrap vinyl and my spray paint:
I punched the vinyl circles and stuck them randomly onto the votive.
Gave it a quick coat of spray paint...
And while it dried, I moved onto the small scalloped dish.
Which I dipped into a small dish of metallic paint....
And then quickly grabbed for my hair dryer to stop the dripping process and help dry it a bit...
And then while that dried... I grabbed the two wall bud vases:
And wrapped a few pieces of Washi tape around them:
And here they are now looking all glammed up for the ball!
A few accessories later and there is so much cuteness I can barely stand it!!
Although I haven't shared it yet, we have been working on putting in a second workspace in the studio, which is where these goodies would be living.
Here is a sneak peak of them in action!
I will definitely be whistling while I work! So much happiness in one little spot! Here are a few more close ups of the easy peasy little splashes of gold:
I am officially sold on gold!
How have you been bringing happiness into your workspace?


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UPLAND, California (AP) — Three of the young men swept up in a federal terrorism probe grew up in the Southern California suburbs where they played pick-up basketball and sparred in video games with neighborhood kids — a far cry from the wannabe terrorists described by the FBI.
Two of the men converted to Islam less than two years ago and the third, an American-born Vietnamese Muslim, drifted into their orbit as recently as September after a game of paintball. He also is an unemployed high school dropout and new father.
The rapid evolution from suburban teen to aspiring jihadist alleged in court documents blindsided family members, but experts who study homegrown terrorism said the case highlights the susceptibility of new converts to radicalization, particularly among the young.
Conversion to Islam requires just a single statement of faith, but the newly faithful must then choose among a universe of competing interpretations of Islam, many overtly political and easily available on the Internet.
"To convert to Islam you just have to make one statement of faith: 'There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his messenger.' But these people did that and then they feel they are Muslim," said Muhamad Ali, an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside, and an expert in Islamic studies.
"They might pray five times a day, they might fast, but they don't see Islam in a comprehensive way. Education and understanding are critical and one of the challenges in the United States is to make sure that these converts are in the right hands."
According to court documents, the four men arrested late last week found trouble from the start.
Two of the members of what the FBI called an extremist network — Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales, 21, and Ralph Deleon, 23 — converted after meeting Sohiel Omar Kabir in an Ontario, California, hookah bar. The naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan introduced them to the radical Islamist doctrine of the U.S.-born extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed last year in an American airstrike in Yemen, according to court files unsealed this week.
Kabir, 34, later returned to Afghanistan but continued to give direction to the Southern California men on Skype. He was taken into custody last weekend.
The fourth defendant, 21-year-old Arifeen David Gojali, joined the group in September after they played paintball together to sharpen their shooting skills, according to court documents.
The father of a baby girl had moved out of his parents' home two months ago and drifted away as he fell under the sway of Deleon, who was a charismatic and popular worshipper at the mosque the two attended, Gojali's younger sister told The Associated Press.
His family didn't know of his arrest until news reports earlier this week and was shocked at what they heard, said the sister, 18, who requested anonymity because she did not want to be associated with the alleged crimes.
"What a lot of the news channels are saying is the first time I'm hearing about it and the first time my family's hearing about it," she said.
All four men are facing charges of providing material support to terrorists, which can carry a maximum 15-year prison sentence.
Authorities won't say how the investigation began, but at least two members of the group shared their beliefs on Facebook and held Skype phone calls with Kabir — all of which was recorded by an FBI informant or captured by agents monitoring their activity.
Covert FBI agents had conversations with Santana online, where he expressed his support of jihad and desire to join al-Qaeda, authorities said.
Defense attorneys for Gojali and Santana did not return calls seeking comment. Deleon's lawyer, Randolph Driggs, declined to comment about the charges against his client.
Their plans were to advance Sunday with a flight to Istanbul — and then to Afghanistan where Kabir said he had set up meetings with terrorists — but the men were arrested two days before. Before their departure, they had scrubbed their Facebook profiles of Islamic references and planned to leave goodbye letters and invented a cover story about attending a wedding in Afghanistan.
Despite their aspirations, the three probably weren't likely to find themselves on the front lines of a jihad any time soon, said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan think tank focused on national security and foreign policy.
Recent history is cluttered with instances of radicalized Muslims from the U.S. and other Western nations who traveled to Afghanistan or Pakistan to join the jihad, only to find themselves turned away or strung along, he said. Little has been publicly released about Kabir, the alleged recruiter, but it's unlikely he would have been in a position to secure a spot for the three in any important operations, he added.
"It's quite possible these guys would have gotten the cold shoulder had they gone over there," he said. "They're not really useful guys, they're not people who have a great deal of knowledge about the U.S. that could benefit the Taliban organization, they don't have skill sets. The best things they have to offer are their passports and their ethnicity."
That's little solace for their families — or for Muslims who worry cases like this are a symptom of a whole generation of new converts who have little in common with organized worship and the mosque communities that traditionally provide religious education and spiritual guidance.
"The imams should reach out. They have to make the mosques interesting and attractive to young generations and try to understand their psychology, try to address their concerns and have a dialogue," said Ali, the UC Riverside professor.
"They cannot just say 'Islam is a religion of peace' and do nothing. To me, this is a really a challenge for imams, to really address the issue," he said. "They cannot deny it's happening, even though it's a very small minority."


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5 Common and Major Interview Mistakes
Job interviews are hard enough without sabotaging yourself by making some major mistakes that hiring managers say are all too common. These seem like obvious interview no-nos, but they're at the top of every recruiter's list of things they see people doing all the time that kill their chances of being offered a job.
If you've been going on interviews but haven't been getting offers or calls back, it's time to take a close look at your interview behavior and see if you're making any of these five common, but huge mistakes:
Schedule Fail
The very first impression the interviewer has of you is whether or not you showed up on time. So, if you're at all late for an interview, you've probably landed yourself at the bottom of the list of possible hires, no matter how much preparing you did. And don't think that getting lost or dealing with traffic are reasonable excuses. Being late shows you didn't leave enough time to get there.
Other scheduling-fail interview killers include checking the time and fidgeting like you have somewhere else to be. Also, keep in mind that if you don't allow yourself time to be early to the interview, you'll probably end up driving rude and you could be the guy who cuts off your interviewer and flips her the bird on your way in. Hiring managers assure us that that won't go unnoticed.
Wardrobe Woes
It's not likely you were the guy who once wore a Boy Scout uniform to a job interview with no explanation, but according to H.R. experts, inappropriate interview attire is a more common problem than you'd think. Even if a company has a casual environment, showing up in flip-flops and shorts (yes, that happens all the time) will only prove you don't care enough about the job to put on socks and, you know, pants.
You have to be careful not to overdress, too, because then it will seem like you don't know what job you're interviewing for. But if you don't know how the interviewer might be dressed, always err on the side of more dressed up. Furthermore, keep in mind that dressing provocatively is never the way to get the job.
Cell Phone Faux Pas
Hiring managers say that people who do not turn off their cell phones during an interview aren't likely to need their phones turned on afterwards, because they aren't getting a call. Forgetting or failing to turn off your phone is rude, first of all, and shows you don't pay attention to details. It's also an indication of how you might treat clients.
Believe or not, a lot of interviewers say they've had candidates answer calls and exchange text messages during interviews. They weren't hired.
Bad Mouth
More often than not, what was a good interview goes bad when your mouth gets you in trouble. Many of us regularly use colorful language, but letting something profane slip in an interview is almost always a ticket to still needing a job. Experts say it's surprising how often interviewees will tell an off-color joke to break the ice, only to find themselves falling through the ice.
Other bad-mouth problems include talking about yourself too much in ways that have nothing to do with the job, bashing a former employer, giving a list of demands you require for accepting the job, talking about salary too soon and just rambling on off-topic when asked a question. Check your mouth before it wrecks you.
Not Even Ready
An unprepared interviewee is an interviewee who might as well not have shown up at all. It may seem unlikely, but people often show up for interviews having done no research whatsoever. You don't want to be the candidate who asks, "What's the name of the company?" Or, "What's the job?"
A person who can't answer questions about how their skills and experience apply to a job or help the company will be eliminated from the candidate pool. The person who has no intelligent questions for the interviewer will appear indifferent to the process. The amount of preparation you do for the interview is a strong indication of the amount of preparation you'll do for the actual job.
You also need to be prepared after the interview. Not sending a thank-you note or any kind of follow-up is also a big reason people don't get called back by hiring managers.


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For thousands of athletes, cutting weight is a critical science. Heavyweights are an exception. (Photo: MMAWeekly)
Gaining 34 pounds of lean mass in 28 days? Impossible, or so claim the skeptics.
Losing 20+ pounds of fat in one month without exercise? Impossible, or so claim the skeptics.
So let's add another item to the list of impossibles: I have lost more than 20 pounds in less than 24 hours on more than a dozen occasions.
The most extreme example was 33 lbs. — from 185 lbs. to 152 lbs. — in less than 20 hours, which produced a rather unpleasant 120 beat-per-minute resting pulse while attempting to sleep.
In 1999, I was a gold medalist at the Sanshou (Chinese kickboxing) national championships in the 165-lb. weight class (here is a video sample of Sanshou). This is perhaps the most controversial accomplishment in the 4HWW, as I make it clear:
I arrived the on-site at 187 lbs., weighed in at 165 lbs., and stepped on the platform to compete the next morning weighing 193 lbs.
This post will explain exactly how it's done — the techniques, the "drugs", the science — and include excerpts from a series of articles I wrote for Powerlifting USA in 2004 called "The New Technology of Water". Even if you have no need to cut weight, after reading this, you will know more about organ function and hydration than 99% of all athletes in the world…
The kickboxing anecdote was controversial because those who cried foul have never competed in weight-class-based sports. This post will also therefore serve as a primer for armchair critics who should do more due diligence. Cutting weight is a prerequisite for elite competition in such sports — period.
Matt "Kroc" Kroczaleski knows this. He is one of the most successful powerlifters in history, with incredible totals at both 220 lbs. (970-lb. squat, 661-lb. benchpress, 783-lb. deadlift = 2414-lb. total) and 242 lbs. (1008-lb. squat, 666-lb. benchpress, 788-lb. deadlift = 2463-lb. total). Here is how he begins his 2007 article on cutting weight:
What follows is a brief summary of the process I have successfully used to cut up to 30 lbs in less than 24 hours. (I went from 250 lbs to 219 lbs for the 2007 Arnold in 22 hours.) I put it all back on in less than a day too. I did this without any type of diuretics or IVs. It was all done entirely through sweating to lose the weight and drinking/eating to replenish it. This process was designed for competitions with a 24-hour weigh in period prior to the competition.
Our methods are almost identical, and I'll include some of his suggestions.
Phase One – From 187 lbs. to 165 lbs.
Here we will examine, in practical terms, the necessary science of dehydration and the most effective modifiers and methods for attaining competition weight while minimizing muscle and organ damage.
It should be noted that dehydration can result in internal organ failure, coma, and even death, particularly when diuretics are used. The death of Austrian bodybuilder Andreas Munzer should serve as a reminder of what can happen when the use of drugs like Aldactone and Lasix (the latter and fast-acting insulin are arguably the two most dangerous drugs used in sports) is taken lightly. From a post-mortem article in The Observer:
His blood was viscous and slow-moving. His potassium levels were excessively high. He had been dehydrated by the diuretics he used in the days before his last competitions. His liver was melting. A post-mortem would find that it had dissolved almost completely.
The visible fibers of Munzer, who suffered multiple organ failures from diuretic abuse. Not worth the risk.
Is this article then irresponsible? I think it's quite the opposite. I'm publishing it now because I'm saddened to still read of athletes killing themselves with imprecise approaches.
It's a sad fact that weight-class based athletes will attempt this regardless, so I'm trying to provide safer guidelines. I don't want to encourage casual sex among high school students, either, but I'm a realist and recognize that "just say no and abstain" doesn't work and results in unintended pregnancies, etc. I'd rather have an open discussion and offer education to those who will do it regardless, which is the vast majority.
I'm of course obligated to emphasize that "this article is for informational purposes only." TO REPEAT: RAPID DEHYDRATION IS DANGEROUS AND BOTH BRAIN DAMAGE AND FATALITIES ARE NOT UNCOMMON.
I present this article as an introduction to briefer and, in many respects, safer approaches that can supplant some of the more dangerous practices (thiazide-based and loop diuretics in particular) while delivering comparable results.
The practice of severe dehydration will continue among elite athletes in weight-class-based sports until competition weigh-ins are held as athletes step onto the platform or mat to compete. The problem is amplified further when athletes gain muscular mass over the course of a single competitive season, yet are required to remain in a single weight-class to retain records and ranking. My hope is that the approach details in this piece, as extreme as it is, helps athletes avoid even more dangerous practices (wearing garbage bags in saunas, etc.) that are common and more blunt, which results in excessive and imprecise loss.
So, how does one drop from 187 lbs. to 165 lbs., then perform 18 hours later at 193 lbs.?
Latent Heat and Electrolyte Reuptake Modification
It is contended that there are two appropriate vehicles for the facilitation of short-term water loss (diuresis): the manipulation of thermoregulation, and the manipulation of hormones related to electrolyte balance and water retention. In other words, you can combine 1) increased water excretion through the skin via temperature treatments with 2) increased water excretion through urination, which is dependent on the modification of kidney function.
If you weigh 200 lbs., 120 of those pounds are water, which is distributed between three systems: blood, cell interiors (as pertaining to powerlifting, muscle fibers), and the spaces between the blood vessels and the cells dependent on them. Approximately 8% of your total water volume is contained in blood plasma, 67% is contained in the cells themselves, and 25% is found in the spaces between the two, which includes subcutaneous water. It is imperative that athletes understand the distribution areas from which excess water, and not life-sustaining water, can be most safely excreted, pulling from critical systems only as a last resort. Thermoregulatory and mild electrolyte manipulation, with potassium-sparing supplementation for the latter, provides a compelling combination of efficacy and safety. Bear in mind that "safety", particularly when used in the context of something that is inherently dangerous, is relative.
Exercise, whether running or otherwise, is not used for dehydration, as it places a load on the muscular and nervous systems when recovery is impaired, decreasing the force production capacity we want to preserve for competition.
Additionally, athletes should never dehydrate for the first time before competition. Just as with any technique, dehydration should be practiced within 85-90% of competition requirements at least two times in pre-season to ensure each athlete understands the individualized performance consequences and required recovery times.
Rehydration and additional hyperhydration are also accomplished through two primary vehicles: increasing the speed of water absorption, and increasing the volume of water that can be retained in the body for muscular performance purposes. This is done primarily with purified water and modified molecules of glucose.
By scientifically hydrating and increasing arterial blood plasma volume, you increase blood pH levels (alkaline), increasing the ability of hemoglobin to bind to oxygen. The end result is that proper hydration increases oxygen delivery to body tissue. A 1-1.5 quart loss of water can result in as much as a 25% decrease in aerobic endurance for this reason. By increasing plasma and cellular hydration you can conversely increase oxygen delivery and uptake, with a subsequent increase in endurance (hypothesized by some to be primarily dependent on aerobic mitochondrial activity).
Thermoregulation: Humidity and Brevity
Torranin has demonstrated that dehydration decreases both isometric and dynamic muscular endurance by 31% and 29%, respectively, following only a 4% reduction in body-mass by sauna exposure. This would still only represent an 8 lb. reduction for a 200 lb. competitor, a moderate decrease by weight-class competition standards. This further establishes the functional impairments caused by dehydration and the paramount importance of limiting the time spent in this state.
It is the author's empirical experience that target dehydration should be accomplished over as short a period of time as safely possible, and that moderate dehydration sustained over multiple days only exacerbates the inherent problem of maintaining glycogen stores and muscle tissue integrity.
Saturday Weigh-In: 9am
If weigh-ins are hypothetically held at 9am Saturday morning, restrict additional salt intake beginning at Thursday dinner. No red meat or starchy carbohydrates (bread, rice, potatoes) should be consumed on Thursday night or on Friday, as both of these food product categories cause the disproportionate storage of water (3 grams of water per 1 gram of glycogen; creatine and fibrous tissue water retention in red meat). Drink your normal volume of liquids in the form of purified or distilled water until Friday morning, at which point water consumption, limited still to purified or distilled water, should be reduced to 1/3 your normal volume. If you don't want to do the math, just drink 1/3 cup every time you would drink a full cup.
On Friday night, following a early (5-6pm) and light dinner consisting primarily of vegetables, thermoregulatory work should begin and water consumption should be eliminated until weigh-ins. Non-prescription diuretics, discussed in the following section, would be consumed at breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Friday, in addition to upon waking on Saturday.
10-Minute Sessions
The bathtub is the preferred tool for dehydration based on the outside humidity in total submersion, which is 100%. The higher the humidity, the less the evaporation, and the more your body must sweat to cool core body temperature. This is why athletes will sweat more in a steam room than in a dry sauna. Fill the bathtub with water that does not burn the hand but causes moderate pain if the hand is moved underwater. Your target weight by bedtime should be 2-3 lbs. MORE than your necessary competition weight, as you will evaporate that volume range of water during 6-9 hours of sleep.
Set an alarm clock next to the bath for 10 minutes, and preferably have someone who will also alert you at the 10-minute mark. Submerge your entire body and head in the bathtub, entering which should take at least 2 minutes. For ease of entry and to minimize movement, sit cross-legged at the front of the bath and lay down slowly, putting your head underwater so that only your face is exposed to the air and pointing towards the ceiling. If you feel faint at any point or when you reach 10 minutes, exit the tub and run cold water over your scalp but no other areas; ideally, place an ice pack on your head and neck instead of using water. Towel off, but do not shower, as you will reabsorb water through the skin. The author has seen elite wrestlers make the mistake of taking a shower the morning of weigh-ins, only to find they have gained 2-3 lbs.! Do not make this mistake – avoid showers completely until weigh-ins. After toweling off and urinating following the first 10-minute session, weigh yourself on two scales, taking the average of four weighings: two on each scale to account for any mechanical inaccuracies. Many athletes will lose too much weight the first time they use a bathtub, and this only extends the necessary recovery period. Take a 5 minute break near a cooling source or at room temperature if you have not made weight, and repeat 10-minute submersion sessions with 5-minute cooling breaks until you are 4-5 pounds from your required weight. At least two pounds will be lost as a result of the potassium-sparing diuretics detailed in later sections, and if you lower your body weight excessively, you should consume water to ensure you are 2-3 pounds HEAVIER than your required weight before sleep.
Two practical suggestions from Matt Kroczaleski:
When there's a very short timeframe, the only thing that matters for the weigh in is how much the food physically weighs, not the calorie content when I consume it. I allow myself two pieces of bread with peanut butter usually spaced out evenly during the cut. The first piece is typically consumed about eight hours into the cut (about 10–12 hours out from the weigh in) and the second piece about six hours later. I always feel a renewed energy and sense of well-being after these small snacks. I don't allow myself to drink ANYTHING during the cut because this is counterproductive to what I'm trying to achieve.
I will chew on and spit out ice chips during my five minute breaks, but that's as close as I come to drinking any type of fluids during the weight loss process.
Potassium-Sparing Non-Prescription Diuretics: Blood Flow and Sodium Filtering
Nearly all diurectics produce their effects of diuresis by directly or indirectly acting on the kidneys. There are two primary types oral or injectable diurectics, those that increase blood flow to the kidneys and those that inhibit reabsorption of electrolytes by the nephrons or loop of Henle in the kidneys.
It is best to think of the kidneys as the body's blood filters — Each day, 150-200 quarts are filtered through the kidneys, where toxins, excess water, and unneeded minerals are removed. If you increase the amount of water that is excreted per quart of blood, and simultaneously increase the volume of blood passing through these filters per hour, the effect is pronounced diuresis through dramatically increased urination.
Prescription diuretics, especially loop diuretics such as Lasix, often cause excessive depletion of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, ions that regulate electrical transmission and heart function. Moderate potassium insufficiency can cause DNA damage and muscular cramping, most certainly resulting in impaired lift performance. More severe depletion, which can have an onset of minutes with intravenous injection, has resulted in organ failure and cardiac arrest for athletes who do not understand the serious nature of these medications. Diuretics are designed for the treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure.
The author has found two compounds particularly effective for short-term water loss that mitigate the above problems: dandelion root (taraxicum officianalis), and caffeine, a xanthine alkaloid we're all familiar with.
Dandelion root has the highest vitamin A of any known plant (14,000iu per 100g of raw material) and a high choline content. Dandelion root is one of few commonly available plants that increases sodium chloride excretion by the renal (kidney) tubule while simultaneously exhibiting potassium-sparing properties. When sodium excretion is increased, the kidneys increase water excretion to maintain electrolyte and osmotic balance. Dosages for dehydration, based on a 4:1 extract, are 250-500mg 3x daily with meals.
Caffeine not only increases sodium chloride excretion but acts primarily by increasing renal blood flow and stimulating parietal cells to increase gastric secretions. The latter combines with dandelion's effect of increased bile flow to not only increase water excretion but food elimination (gastric emptying). Dosages for dehydration are 200-400mg caffeine (preferably caffeine anhydrous) 2-3x daily with meals. 200mg is roughly equivalent to two cups of drip coffee, or one medium cup of french-pressed coffee.
Used in combination for a 200 lb. competitor, 250-500mg of dandelion root would be taken with 200-400mg of caffeine at all three Friday meals (remember that dinner is early, 5-6pm), and upon waking 3 hours prior to weigh-in at 9am. It is recommended that the athlete also supplement each meal with a non-prescription 99mg potassium product.
Phase Two – From 165 lbs. to 193 lbs.
How do you use sugar alcohols, skin protectants, and insulin mimickers to recover from dehydration and move from a precompetition 187 lbs. and weigh-in of 165 lbs. to 193 lbs.? How can an athlete retain 50% more intramuscular fluid for improved oxygen delivery and power output?
Just because you've weighed in doesn't mean you are ready to compete. Far from it.
Proper cellular hydration is required for glycogen synthesis and muscular contraction. Dehydrate a muscle by just 3% and you cause an approximate 10% loss of contractile strength and 8% loss of speed. Ball State University research has demonstrated a 7% decrease in speed over 10 kilometers by runners dehydrated by just 2%-3% of total body mass. For a 150 lb. strength athlete, this represents a very meager 3-4.5 lbs. of water loss.
This further establishes the paramount importance of rapid rehydration for optimal safety, recovery, strength performance following voluntary dehydration, particularly when the percent of total Lean Body Mass (LBM) is significant (the author has supervised, but does not advise, up to an 18% reduction).
One objective during the dehydration stage is the preservation of muscle fiber and blood plasma fluid volume with simultaneous excretion of extraneous subcutaneous water, which is located between the skin and muscle.
Similarly, the objective during rehydration is the increase of muscle cell and blood plasma fluid volume to predehydration or hyperhydration levels in the shortest time possible. What is hyperhydration? In the context of powerlifting, hyperhydration is a state produced when one artificially increases the amount of water the body can retain for improved power output and oxygen delivery. To that end, athletes I've worked with have used the following modifiers and tools, whose usage and dosages are included later in this article:
Blood plasma volume:
Room-temperature baths, PJ-A3AH MicroStructured™ water unit, Glycerol, glycerin, 1,2,3-propanetriol, electrolyte supplementation
Muscle cell hydration (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy):
Room-temperature baths, Panasonic PJ-A3AH MicroStructured™ water unit, 4:1 carbohydrate/protein ratio, glucose, glucose disposal agents and insulin mimickers, creatine monohydrate
Using Skin as a Water Channel
In the exact reverse of the dehydration protocol, it is advised that while consuming bio-engineered water (below), the athlete capitalize on the largest organ in the body as an initial vehicle for water uptake: skin. Take a 15-minute bath in room temperature water, preferably with Epsom salt for systemic magnesium supplementation and muscular relaxation (decreased electrolyte supply often causes muscle cramping).
Understanding the Small Intestine, Gastric Emptying, and Aquaporins
It is critical that any athlete with a short time span for rehydration increase gastric emptying, or the speed at which liquids pass from the stomach to the small intestine for absorption. Blood plasma fluid volume optimization precedes muscle cell hyperhydration, as the solids consumed for glycogen restoration will decrease the speed of liquid gastric emptying. This needs to be accomplished before glycogen is restored by ingestion of solids.
Also note that most commercially-available sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) and so-called "replacement fluids" contain much too high a concentration of sugars (high-fructose, dextrose, glucose, sucrose, maltodextrin) or other solutes to move efficiently from your stomach to the primary site of absorption in the small intestine. This does not mean you avoid solutes entirely, as I'll point out below with ORS (oral replacement salts); it just means that you need to precise.
The optimal process of initial rehydration would move ingested H20 from the digestive tract (specifically, the small intestine) to the bloodstream quickly and without volume loss, and then through the semi-permeable cell membrane, again without volume loss ("loss" defined by eventual excretion, rather than retention, of water).
Protein channels in the cellular membrane, called "aquaporins", only permit single-file influx of water molecules in clusters 3-6 angstroms in diameter. Unfortunately, 50-85% of purified water molecule clusters are 11-13 angstroms in diameter. Thus, while more efficiently assimilated than unpurified water, you may still excrete 50-85% of the purified water you ingest. For optimal hydration, defined by maximum H20 uptake % per ml ingested, there is a newer and more effective option: purified micro-clustered water. Through the process of electrolysis, basic tap water is restructured into smaller clusters of 5-6 water molecules, as identified with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Raman Spectroscopic Meters (NMR 0-17 peak shift from 130 Hz to 65 Hz).
Important note: the scientific literature available in English on micro-clustered water is confusing at best and convoluted with nonsense. The above explanation of "restructuring" was provided by an importer and could fall in the latter category. In fact, I'm inclined to believe this is the case.
The results discussed below, however, are from self-experimentation after purchasing the Panasonic PJ-A3AH from the same importer who had obtained several units after seeing them used in Japanese hospitals to treat burn victims.
I find the experimental results hard to explain as placebo effect: I and several other athletes were able to each drink more than 70 ounces from the Panasonic PJ-A3AH microclustered water unit (nearly 9 tall glasses of water), with no discomfort or excretion even 5 hours later. Divided by 16 oz. and multiplied by 1.5, one might extrapolate that the equivalent of approximately 6.56 pounds (1 gallon is 8.33 pounds) of tap water were assimilated. All of the athletes involved hydrate throughout the day and generally urinate at least once per 1.5-2 hours.
Regardless, the Panasonic unit is difficult to find, as are filters, so purified or distilled water can be used in substitution. Water molecules can move across the cell membrane, not just via aquaporins, albeit at a slower speed.
To avoid hyponatremia, or water intoxication, in both cases, it is recommended that you consume 75mg of sodium per 8 ounces of water (approximately 1/3 teaspoon per quart) to maintain electrolyte and water homeostatis. If you don't, salt-dependent thirst-drive will be inhibited prematurely to prevent over-dilution of the blood. During a three-hour rehydration period, subjects consuming moderately sodium-infused water restored 82 percent of lost fluids versus 68 percent for subjects consuming water alone (Maughan RJ). Glucose can additionally increase absorption of water through the intestinal wall.
An even easier option is to also consume an ORS (oral replacement salt) drink like Pedialyte, which is popular among wrestler. The reasons to do so are clear in this comment from reader Craig Weller:
I once participated in a hydration lab as part of a combat medicine course.
A premise of the course was that many modern rehydration methods are ineffective and even counterproductive.
Participants were split into four groups and hydrated with either plain water, water with ORS, Gatorade or IV's. My notes are several states away right now, but I think the amounts were around one gallon per hour for four hours.
Most participants in the Gatorade group developed fairly bad diarrhea. I was in the plain water group, which developed symptoms of hyponatremia. It was surprisingly miserable. The IV group (plain saline) developed ridiculous edema. They looked like Michelin men.
The only group that didn't suffer much was the ORS group. They didn't have the edema, hyponatremia (headache, fatigue, etc) or diarrhea of the other groups. As I recall, they also didn't excrete quite as much (we measured urinary excretion down to the milliliter and graphed it over the four hours).
All groups except for the ORS group reported adverse effects for around 24 hours after.
Most of that seems fairly common-sense, but experiencing it firsthand was a dramatic learning experience.
The Sweetest Alcohol for Rehydration: Consuming Hand Moisturizer
Glycerol (1,2,3-propanetriol), commonly sold in supermarkets as "glycerin" for skin moisturizing, is a sugar alcohol with hygroscopic (water-binding) properties. Glycerol is used in meal-replacement bars to maintain softness and used in hand moisturizer because of its ability to pull water from the air. Glycerol is a three-carbon alcohol, which along with Free Fatty Acids (FFA) are produced when a triglyceride (stored fat/adipose tissue) is glycolyzed. It is theorized that glycerol drives water into blood plasma by increasing absorption of water in the distal tubules and collecting ducts of the kidney. Those who has read this entire post will recognize that we manipulated kidney function in the opposite manner initially to increase water excretion.
Glycerol-induced rehydration significantly increases plasma volume restoration within 60 minutes and at the end of a 180-minute rehydration period. Total urine volume is lower and percent rehydration is subsequently greater following glycerol usage (Scheett TP). In submaximal ergometer testing, mean heart rate was lower following glycerol ingestion by 4.4 +/- 1.1 beats/min (p = 0.01). Endurance time was prolonged after glycerol use in two studies: Study I (93.8 +/- 14 min vs. 77.4 +/- 9 min, p = 0.049) and Study II (123.4 +/- 17 min vs. 99.0 +/- 11 min, p = 0.03), demonstrating that pre-exercise glycerol-enhanced hyperhydration both lowers heart rate and prolongs endurance time (Montner P). The ingestion of glycerol improves hydration beyond that provided by equal volumes of Gatorade or water alone (Griffin SE).
Serum glycerol concentrations are normally 0.05 mmol/L at rest but can be increased to 20 mmol/L by ingesting 1-1.4g/kg of Lean Body Mass (LBM) of a 40% glycerol solution with 20-26 mL/kg LBM of water. Averaging these amounts and converting them to US English volume measurements, one should consume .543g/lb LBM of glycerol and .3984 fluid ounces/lb. LBM.
150 lb. athlete: 81.45 grams of glycerol with 59.76 fluid ounces (1.86 quarts) of water (preferably microclustered)
200 lb. athlete: 108.6 grams of glycerol with 79.68 fluid ounces (2.49 quarts) of water
250 lb. athlete: 135.75 grams of glycerol with 99.6 fluid (3.11 quarts) ounces of water
It is critical that the supplemental water is consumed with glycerol; otherwise, water will be pulled into blood plasma from the only available source, muscle cells and surrounding tissue.
Glucose and Insulin for Increasing Hydration Speed
Carbohydrates are converted to glucose through digestion and unused blood glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. In part 2, our athlete did not consume starches from Thursday lunch to weigh-ins at 9am on Saturday, and he will have depleted glycogen stores by necessity: each gram of glycogen holds 3 grams of water.
To optimally rehydrate after initial bioengineered water/sodium/glycerol consumption, one must optimize glycogen stores so the full water storage capability of the body is restored. This is accomplished by consuming macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates) with glucose disposal agents to enhance sensitivity to insulin, as storage hormone released by the pancreas. Insulin also stimulates glycogen synthase, as enzyme necessary for glycogen synthesis.
Several principles must be followed:
1. Consume your first meal 90-120 minutes after post-weigh-in glycerol and purified/distilled water ingestion.
2. Consume carbohydrates (CHO) with protein to optimize insulin response, but do not consume more protein than permitted by a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. More protein will interfere with water retention. Caseinates (cottage cheese or milk) or whole food proteins are preferred to whey, which is a fast-acting protein that can cause catabolism after 1.5 hours.
3. Take 100mg of Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA or thioctic acid) per 75 pounds of bodyweight + 50mcg of chromium polynicotinate (not picolinate) with each meal following weigh-ins. Both compounds increase insulin sensitivity and deposition of nutrients into muscle cells. The latter is a niacin-bound chromium referenced as 50x more bioavailable than chromium picolinate for purposes of glucose disposal and insulin mimicking.
4. Consume 5g creatine monohydrate and at least 75mg of salt with each meal, as both will work in conjunction with CHO as water "carriers" to increase absorption through the intestinal lining.
The Hyperhydration Advantage: Underutilized and Underestimated
By understanding engineered H20, its modifiers, and the science of hyperhydration, it is possible to weigh-in at 165 lbs. and compete 12 hours later at 193 lbs. It is also possible to consume 1.5 gallons of water in 16 ounces or increase protein synthesis 3-fold while simultaneously optimizing fat-oxidation.
Few elite athletes understand, let alone capitalize on, the hydration modifiers that represent next-generation tools for improving oxygen delivery and sports performance. It is precisely this broad ignorance that makes engineered hyperhydration one of the most valuable tools for athletes seeking a legal and safe performance advantage with results that rival any dietary supplement currently available.
Last but not least: do your research and don't treat this as a low-stakes game. It will kill you. Here are three examples in one five-week period.
Caveat emptor.
Good luck to those whose sports require this. Train hard and drink smart. No medal is worth a Munzer-like ending.
Related and Suggested Reading:
Pavel: 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than 900 million downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.


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LA GRAVIERE, Hossegor/France (Wednesday, October 5, 2011) – La Graviere delivered heaving three-to-fight foot (1 – 1.5 metre) lefts and rights today for opening day of competition at the Quiksilver Pro France.
Event No. 8 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Quiksilver Pro France saw the world's best surfers do battle in the shifting beachbreaks of Southwest France, completing Round 1 and the opening three heats of Round 2 before day's end.
Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, two-time ASP World Champion (2007 and 2009) and defending Quiksilver Pro France winner, scored a sensational 9.37 out of a possible 10 for an incredible forehand barrel to take the victory in the dying moments of his Round 1 heat.
"It was a wild end to that heat," Fanning said. "Brett (Simpson) surfed great. He started with an 8 and got a 7 to take the lead and he was really looking in form. He pushed me deep really deep at the end, but I saw the wave had double up and had to put the rocket boots on when I stood up. It had a great line and I was stoked to make it out."
Fanning's combined wave total of an 18.20 out of a possible 20 marked the highest of the day, clearly announcing the defending champ's intentions for the European leg of the ASP World Title Series.
"You have to be able to adapt in France," Fanning said. "The wave changes so much and shows you so many different faces. I have a great board now that Simon (Anderson) shaped for me and it felt really good out there. Looks like there will be waves throughout the waiting period and I'm looking forward to the next heat."
Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, returned to elite ASP World Title competition today, after missing two events due to a rib injury sustained during the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Although still suffering from soreness, the powerful South African muscled his way to a Round 1 victory.
"It's so good to be back," Smith said. "I'm not 100% at the moment – about 75%. It still hurts to lie down on my board and paddle, but it's time for me to be back in the water. I want to be here and I'm happy to have come away with a win in my first heat back."
Smith was ranked No. 2 in the world prior to injury, and although the injury may have sidelined a 2011 ASP World Title run, South Africa's favourite son is thankful to be back in the game. "I'd love to give a big thanks to everyone around the world who was supporting me through that tough time," Smith said. It's been the toughest thing in my life to go from being second in the world to having to watch those two events happen. I'm psyched to be back though and am working on staying positive."
Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, current No. 10 on the ASP World Title rankings, posted a convincing Round 1 win today, threading glassy barrels and blasting serious turns to advance past South Americans Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, and Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19.
"The waves were very fun in my heat today," Bourez said. "France is like that. The waves can be bad one minute and good the next. I got in a good rhythm and I have a really good board. It feels great to get Round 1 win as I've had a couple of slow events. I'm hoping for a big result in France."
Today's shifting conditions provided plenty of action for the world's best surfers today, but were, at times, challenging with the ever-shifting lineup.
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion, survived a difficult heat this morning in a wave-starved Round 1 affair.
"It was a nightmare out there," Slater said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they called it out there. The tide is really high. It was a bummer and not very competitive. That's the way France is sometimes though. Sometimes it's on, sometimes it's off."
Also surviving a challenging Round 1 heat was current No. 2 on the ASP World Title rankings, Owen Wright (AUS), 21. Both Slater and Wright will re-launch their Quiksilver Pro France campaigns in Round 3 of competition.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, current No. 3 on the ASP World Title rankings, suffered a shock elimination this afternoon at the hands of wildcard and trials winner Ramzi Boukhiam (MOR) in a wave-starved Round 2 heat.
Dane Reynolds (USA), 26, competing in his first ASP World Title event of the year, punctuated the afternoon's action with a come-from-behind victory over Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24. In need of a solid score at the business end of the bout, Reynolds tore the roof off a ledging lefthander with two powerful backhand turns, attaining a high 8-point ride and the heat win.
When competition resumes, up first will Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, against Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, in Heat 4 of Round 2.
Highlights from the Quiksilver Pro France will be available via www.quiksilverlive.com
Heat 1: Taylor Knox (USA) 11.06, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.77, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.57
Heat 2: Jadson Andre (BRA) 11.17, John John Florence (HAW) 9.13, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.00
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.20, Brett Simpson (USA) 15.33, Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.33
Heat 4: Owen Wright (AUS) 12.60, Dane Reynolds (USA) 12.26, Chris Davidson (AUS) 2.50
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 10.10, Marc Lacomare (FRA) 9.83, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 2.93
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 10.00, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 9.00, Ramzi Boukhiam (MOR) 2.00
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.53, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 10.83, Kai Otton (AUS) 6.83
Heat 8: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.43, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 6.80, Dusty Payne (HAW) 3.16
Heat 9: Travis Logie (ZAF) 13.03, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.26, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 7.60
Heat 10: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.26, Daniel Ross (AUS) 9.39, Heitor Alves (BRA) N/S
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.00, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.53, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 7.83
Heat 12: Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.90, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 5.93, Josh Kerr (AUS) 4.33
Heat 1: Ramzi Boukhiam (MOR) 9.20 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.84
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.67 def. Marc Lacomare (FRA) 7.50
Heat 3: Dane Reynolds (USA) 14.06 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.60
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
Heat 6: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 9: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 10: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 12: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)


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What is RightCare by Right at Home?
We Provide RightCare for Your Loved Ones
We know aging isn't easy. It takes a toll on the person feeling the effects of the years as well as on their family members. You might start by helping your aging loved one with small tasks around the house. As the years go by, the help your loved one needs becomes greater and greater. Soon you find yourself helping your loved one with tasks you never expected. Now you notice a shift in your family dynamics: you spend less time as a loving daughter or son and more time as a caregiver.
What is the best way to restore your family dynamic? For many families, Right at Home's in-home care services can be the best solution for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and loving relationship.
The Right at Home Approach to In-Home Care
Right People
Providing care for your loved one starts by having the RightPeople. When we hire caregivers, we ask ourselves one simple question: "Would I want this person caring for my mother or father?" If the answer is "No" we don't hire them. We are fortunate to work with caregivers who want more than a job; they want to make a difference in the lives of those in their care. It is our job to make sure our caregivers have the right tools and that we provide the RightApproach to make them successful.
Right Services
We provide a wide range of services delivered with care and compassion. Our extensive care options range from companion care to light housekeeping to helping your loved one with activities of daily living. No matter what your needs are, our flexible scheduling means we're available for as long as you need us. We deliver a superior level of customer service with a personalized touch to make you feel right at home.
Right Services
Our are created just for your loved one based on a thorough needs assessment. From the moment you call, we will work to understand your family's needs and listen to your concerns. Once care has started, we will stay in contact with you keeping you updated on the care we are providing and how your loved one is doing. With our personalized care plans, managed by professionals, your loved one will always get the care they need.
Right Services
Everything we do stems from our mission: "To improve the quality of life for those we serve." To us, our mission is more than words – it is a goal we strive to achieve each day. It is the way we deliver world-class care to our clients. Our mission guides how we run our business and how we treat our caregivers. Our mission is ambitious, and it takes a team filled with the RightPeople to live out that mission each and every day.
We Provide RightCare for Your Loved Ones
At Right at Home we are the right people, doing the right things, the right way, for the right reason. When you choose us to provide in-home care for your loved one, you can feel confident they will receive the right care.


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Helping Your Teen Decide What to Do After High School
Article Translations: (Spanish)
Helping to prepare your teen for life after high school is one of the most important tasks you'll have as a parent. It can be hard to imagine your baby as an adult. But with the right approach, helping your teen move into adulthood can be rewarding.
Going to college, getting a job, or taking time off are common choices teens face. Here's how you can help your adult-to-be make the best decision.
College or Technical School
Although you may remember starting your own college search in the fall of your senior year, many teens these days need to get started earlier because of the extensive research involved and the deadlines for early admissions programs to competitive programs. In fact, many students begin as early as the fall of their junior year.
A good preparation for your teen is to sit down and start writing — this is great practice for the application process. Teens should list their goals as well as their accomplishments, even if they haven't yet decided on a field of study. Ask your teen to write down a list of:
- academic and personal strengths and weaknesses
- extracurricular activities
- awards
- grade point average (GPA)
- class rank
- SAT, ACT, or AP scores
Next, teens should think about and list the qualities they're looking for in a college: do they want to go away to school, stay close to home, or take online courses, for example?
Armed with this preliminary information, it's time to begin the research. Guidebooks, the Internet, and counselors at school are particularly helpful resources. As your teen chooses potential schools, start visiting campuses and talking with students who go there.
Experts suggest narrowing the choices to a diverse mix of about six to 10 schools where the odds range from low to high for gaining admission. Applications should be filled out completely and neatly, including the essay, which your teen should revise until confident that it's his or her best work. Many schools offer help in these areas.
And don't cross college off the list because you're afraid the tuition will be too steep. Many kids can receive financial help. For info about scholarships and other programs that may help, ask:
- the school counselor
- the colleges' financial aid offices
- your employer, who might offer scholarship programs
Federal aid programs are also available and can be researched online.
Job Options
If college isn't an option or your teen needs extra time to earn money for tuition, going directly into the work force offers many choices and benefits, such as health insurance and tuition reimbursement programs.
Entering the military can be an excellent choice for a teen who feels uncertain about the future. Discipline, earning money, saving for college, learning a trade — all of this is often possible in the armed forces. Veterans are also entitled to many benefits both while in the service and after.
However, your teen should carefully explore all the pros and cons of a military career. After all, if teens don't like the service or if the thought of going to war seems too scary, they can't easily drop out. If your teen wants specific training through the military, make sure the contract he or she signs includes that.
Getting a job immediately after high school remains a good choice. Teens who go this route need to learn how to search for employment, write a resume, and develop interviewing skills.
Many companies reimburse their employees for continuing education in areas related to their employment. Your teen should ask about this benefit through the human resources departments of potential employers.
Another option is an internship. Over the course of a year, your teen could potentially participate in two or three internships to explore career choices. But most internships are unpaid, so planning ahead is crucial if your teen needs to save money for living expenses.
Internships provide participants with the opportunity to learn about many facets of a particular career. They're also a great way to make contacts and develop mentoring relationships.
Taking Time Off
For some teens, taking a year off between high school and the "real world" can be beneficial. This can be a good time to travel, do community service, or even live in a foreign country before the responsibilities of life make it harder to do so.
Community service organizations offer a wide variety of choices that teens can match with their skills and interests. Americorps, for example, offers hundreds of programs across the United States with a small stipend, plus a chance to obtain money for college or vocational training. Many religious organizations provide community service programs as well.
However, teens should keep in mind that a brochure may look different from reality, such as with work and service camps in developing countries. They should expect difficulties but know that the rewards of community service often outweigh the hardships — and can actually change the direction of a person's life. Speaking with previous participants should give a more realistic view than promotional material.
And taking time off doesn't necessarily put a teen at a disadvantage for college admission. For many teens — especially those who choose an internship or international service — it can actually be an advantage.
While researching colleges, find out if they have delayed admissions programs. If not, ask the colleges what their position is on students who take time off and a teen's chances of getting in if he or she reapplies.
It's Your Teen's Life
When the subject concerns the future, some teens may try to shrug it off. Here's how to get the ball rolling and keep communication flowing:
- Really listen to your teen and resist the temptation to provide unsolicited advice. If your teen is struggling to make a decision, a story or two about a tough choice you had to make could be very reassuring.
- Provide respect and support while giving up some control. Trying to direct your teen's future probably won't be a benefit in the long run. This is the time for teens to develop decision-making and problem-solving skills.
- Prepare your teen to be self-sufficient away from home. This includes making major decisions regarding dating, drugs, alcohol, and sex, as well as mastering day-to-day living skills (cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills, and managing a budget).
- Don't be afraid to set limits on how much you can financially support a teen who decides to take time off. It's important for teens to learn independence.
Where to Get Help
The Internet is a good starting point for researching information on your teen's interests. Also enlist the help of school counselors, who can help steer kids in the right direction or refer them to other good sources of information.
And don't overlook your local library. In addition to books and magazine articles on subjects of interest, the librarian can be a wealth of information.
There are many associations, both local and national, for thousands of occupations. Find out where they're located and get information how to pursue particular career paths.
Your teen may also be able to attend meetings or arrange to interview people at their workplaces to find out more about what they do. Make use of friends, relatives, or others you know in different industries. After all, there's often nothing more flattering than having someone ask about what you do.
Finally, resist the temptation to lecture and try to remain supportive and enthusiastic, even if your teen keeps changing his or her mind. Your teen needs your positive influence during this transitional time.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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