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Success Advice
The Four Email Exercises That Will Change Your Life Forever
The world needs to send more meaningful emails. Let me tell you why. Today we live in a world that is more connected than ever before. There are over 5 billion internet-capable devices on earth, and the number is expected to grow fourfold by 2020.
We have thousands of opportunities everyday to connect with friends, family and complete strangers all around the world, and the number of ways to communicate only seems to be increasing. Text, tweet, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram; the options are nearly endless. Unfortunately, it is hard to create deep relationships through these media channels.
It's probably blasphemous for a millennial like me to say, but I don't believe true value comes in a 140-character message. Texts can't express grand ideas as well as a well constructed email or phone call, and by becoming part of the social media echo chamber you risk exhausting yourself (and others) with less than relevant messages.
Think about it. When was the last time you've sent an email just to say thank you? How about the last time you sent an email to ask for help? When was the last time you've emailed someone something completely unexpected?
I asked myself these questions in early January, and I came up with a big fat zero. I couldn't remember the last time I had sent an email asking for help, much less saying thank you. So I decided to change.
"Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody."
For the last four months, I have been sending four emails a week to people around the world that I wanted to connect with on a deeper level. I have sent emails to old friends, former colleagues, relative strangers, journalists, artists and family members. Sure, some people never responded, and others acted as if I were crazy. But a few of them reached back out with genuine interest and compassion.
For me, this simple action changed everything. Writing to others every day in a meaningful way changed everything. I felt more creative. I had more energy. I was genuinely happier. Spending less time worried about living in the echo chamber and more time focused on what I would actually say to someone who was listening, and who knew I would be expecting to hear back from, provided a boost of energy and inspiration I hadn't felt in a very long time.
To that end, I want to share the four email exercise that changed my life in immeasurable ways:
1. Show Gratitude
We'll start with an easy one. Say thank you to someone that has made an impact on you. Whether a long lost friend, a colleague, an old high school teacher. Anyone. It will make you feel amazing, and it will make them feel amazing. If you were to only write one of the four emails in this list on a regular basis, choose this one.
2. Ask for Help
This one is slightly more challenging, but just as important as the first. Understanding how to open yourself to the world to ask for help is hard, especially in a society that is now so beleaguered by online bullying and trolling. Take the time to think of someone you respect and admire, then think of what you would like to know about them. Think about what they might be able to teach you, and think about how they might be able to help you.
Chances are, these individuals will be flattered that you asked for their help, and they may provide you with life changing insights. In the role of mentor or teacher, individuals are far less likely to ask for payment or expect anything in return. It is the pleasure they get from sharing their knowledge that becomes their reward.
3. Do Something Unexpected
This is a fun one. This type of email is best suited to people that like to fix things, especially the life hackers out there. It's also a great email to send if you enjoy helping people, and it's a great email to help build business connections and lasting relationships with friends.
The key to developing the content for this email is the think openly and creatively. Think about a friend or a classmate and try to put yourself in their shoes. What challenges do they have right now?
Maybe your friend is having trouble deciding where to look for a new job. Or perhaps your classmate is struggling to launch a startup. How can you make their lives easier? What knowledge do you have to connect them to a solution to their problem?
Send more emails like this and you'll never be at a loss for friends or for work.
"Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise." – Julia Cameron
4. Express an Opinion
Finally, and perhaps most importantly for aspiring entrepreneurs and adventurers, learn to eloquently express your opinions through text. Practice convincing others what you believe, and you will cultivate leadership skills you never imagined you would possess.
Try first by sending an email to a friend expressing an opinion or making an argument for something that is near and dear to your heart. Maybe that Chipotle is the greatest restaurant chain in existence. You don't have to convince them of your point of view right away, the point is to express yourself in a one-to-one fashion with someone you think will bother to read your entire message.
It may seem subtle, but trust me that the more you are able to do this, the more confident you will grow in expressing your opinions about things that truly do matter.
Remember the Rules
The best part about this exercise is, you can start right now. Think about the different groups you're a part of. Your personal acquaintances, your professional network, your spiritual guides, your closest friends and family.
Make a list of between 30-50 people you would like to email, then start sending these 4 emails a week until you need to replenish the list. What eventually happens might surprise you.
How has sending random emails like this changed your life? Leave your thoughts below!
Image courtesy of Twenty20.com
2 Comments
This is one more effective way to reach people. Thinking about making someone else feel better takes the pressure to be perfect off of you, and both benefit in the long run.
Exactly Patricia! Glad you agree.
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Success Advice
How to Implement an SEO Strategy Into Your Instagram Account
Today we are going to be setting up your Instagram profile for success by implementing social media SEO strategy and tactics. You will need two things to get started today: Your laptop or phone handy with your Instagram account and internet access.
Defining your goals
In order to achieve success, we must define the goals that you are working towards accomplishing. Here are three questions to help you define your objectives for your social media strategy:
- Are you trying to establish a brand? Or are you a brand?
- Are you trying to or do you currently sell products?
- Are you working towards becoming an influencer?
If you are establishing a brand, do you have a link to your website in the bio? Is your Instagram account shoppable if you are selling products? Becoming an influencer? Do you have a blog or a means of capturing leads from your account?
All of these goals have different calls to action. Ponder what your goals are and how your account can serve you better. Action item: Implement one of the following onto your Instagram account that best suits your needs:
- Lead capture form or lead magnet
- Shoppable feed
- Website link
"Nothing BIG will happen in your life, until you build off of the many SMALL things" – John Paul Aguiar
Implementing SEO on your Instagram account
Now that we have clearly defined goals, let's see how we can incorporate a search engine optimisation strategy into your Instagram account. We will be focusing on your Biography, Username, developing keywords and Handle when implementing a social SEO strategy.
Let's start within your bio. The biography in your Instagram account is a space where you want to tell your user what to expect when they follow you. Here are a few key points to consider when writing your biography:
1. What is your Instagram account about? Fashion, Marketing, Health or Fitness? Define your niche and stick to it.
2. Establish your authority! Do you have credentials? Perhaps experience? If so, incorporate it into your profile. Give users a reason to increase their trust in your recommendations.
3. Where are you located? This is great to note because other influencers and brands will want to collaborate with other users in the same geographic location. You will also find that when people develop a relationship with your online profile, users will feel more connected if you are in a similar geographic location.
4. How can you be reached? This is really important! I know so many business users that do not have their contact details on Instagram. If you want to make sales or close brand deals you need to provide a way for users to contact you. Either place your email address in the bio or switch to a business profile on IG so that users can contact you with the click of a button.
"Good content always has an objective; it's created with intent. It therefore carries triggers to action." – Ann Handley
Refining your Instagram Handle
Does your Instagram handle show who you are and what you are about? For instance, is it Vanessa123487 or is it StylistVanessa? Tell people exactly who you are and what you are about. Give them an immediate reason to follow you.
Social media SEO Tip: Instagram handles are searchable. What does that mean? If a user is looking for a stylist, if you have the keyword stylist in your username your profile will rank in the search engine when the word stylist is entered.
This also applies to your Instagram name. My personal profile name is Aerialist Vanessa. Why? Because I want to come up when people are searching for Aerialists or Aerial arts. Take a moment to think about how can you make your username come up in search rankings. What keywords are your target market using to find information on Instagram?
Notice how health and fitness leader Emily Skye has fit in her username? That is no coincidence! She is using SEO optimisation in her username.
Implementing keywords
Implement keywords into your profile whether it is in your name, profile or user handle. Bonus points if you can incorporate it into all three!
I hope you enjoyed our tips on how to incorporate a search engine optimization strategy into your Instagram account. Which one of the above tips is one that you're going to start using?
Success Advice
5 Steps to Financial Mindfulness
5Financial mindfulness might sound like some vague abstraction, but it's really a simple concept. The idea is that when you increase your awareness of not just your spending habits but your thoughts and feelings about money itself, you can have a better relationship with your finances.
Achieving financial mindfulness isn't linear. It's a mix of both practical and emotional approaches — building up your financial health with tangible tips, but also decluttering your mind and building up your self-esteem. Essentially, by taking ownership of your actions and thoughts, you can achieve true financial mindfulness.
Here, you'll find just a handful of tips to get you started on the path of financial mindfulness:
1. Look at your income objectively
We often look at our paychecks disapprovingly. Maybe we wish we had made more; maybe we're cursing Uncle Sam for taking a bigger chunk than we expected. But when it comes to financial mindfulness, you can't get caught up in the emotion of your paycheck. When you stop worrying about how much money you don't have and start focusing on what you do have, you can have a clearer outlook and a better relationship with your financial situation overall.
"You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you." – Dave Ramsey
2. Assess what you've been avoiding
Whether it's that credit card bill, student loan or empty savings account, look at it, and I guarantee you'll feel less stressed about it. How so? Well, whether it's finances or a fight with your partner, problems seem to get bigger when you avoid acting. So, when it comes to your financial health, be mindful of the things you've been avoiding.
For example, maybe you've been afraid to look at your credit score because you missed a few payments and think it's gone down. Today, many credit card companies offer a dashboard to access your credit score and interact with it so it feels less like an arbitrary number and more like something you can control.
Many times, you can even play with metrics to see how making changes to your habits or payments can affect your score. So, whether it's your credit score or your savings account, by confronting what you've been afraid to know or deal with, you put the power to take control back in your own hands.
3. Build up your financial self-esteem
Setting large financial goals are like setting New Year's resolutions — if they're too big, you're never going to get around to doing them. So, if you want to start saving money, start by making the effort to put away just 5% every month. While this might seem like a small amount, the mindful act of doing so is going to kick-start your goal and build up your self-esteem. Once that happens, you'll be able to set bigger goals, too.
4. Clean house
Literally, clean your house. Make it a seasonal habit of going through your closet, your pantry and your home and taking an assessment of what you already have. When you can see all of your possessions, it's easier to be mindful of what you actually need and helps eliminate frivolous spending.
"All money is a matter of belief." – Adam Smith
5. Think before you swipe
A lot of experts will tell you to carry around cash so you can be more mindful of spending. But the fact of the matter is, that's not always practical. What you can do however, is make a mental note every time you swipe. The action of being more conscious and less distracted while swiping can really help you feel more in control.
Think about it like this — you start buying $4 cappuccinos on your way to work while commuting with a coworker. For the first few swipes, it might seem like just a few bucks. But if you start taking the time to mentally check in while swiping, you'll start to realize what that money can add up to in the long run.
Either that's money you could be saving and allocating towards bills, or simply be putting to use on things you'd enjoy more. When you're mindful, you have more choices.
Success Advice
How Video Games Made Me A Multi-Millionaire
How I made $3M in 15 weeks with a brand new business.
And how video game theory made me a multi-millionaire…
First, let me clarify – this isn't my first company, but that shouldn't distract you from the true and honest reality that you can replicate what I am about to teach you.
Yet before I lay out a strategy, let me warn you, if you have never played an RPG video game, like Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo II™, then the following will likely fly right over your head and you should download any RPG game that has a SKILL TREE and here is why…
In life everything you do, unlocks new opportunities, yet every single business strategy, project management system, and business framework I have seen, fail to incorporate this fundamental reality into their daily business operations.
And this is where game theory and specifically the importance of understanding how skill trees in popular RPG video games play a critical role in my past success and soon to be yours.
Every game ever, shows you the ENTIRE skill tree, and allows for you to see the end destination and the beginning of the decision you are about to make.
You put a skill point into "Firebolt" and then level it up to say level 5, and you unlock "Firewall", repeat, and you unlock "Meteor" and so on and so forth, but because you can see the entire skill tree, you know where to put your skill points in order to unlock the most powerful skills as early as possible.
Now for those of you that are lost in all this video game jargon, essentially in video games, as you level up through quests or fighting monsters you gain experience, similar to how you do in real life reading books and reading or watching "How To" videos and articles on the internet to learn about a new skill, industry, or craft like marketing or copywriting for instance.
The more time you invest, the greater your experience and hopefully your skill, and just like how in real life your resume builds up, you unlock higher and higher paying jobs based on your skill level and accolades; In video games, specifically RPG games, it is the exact same.
This entire methodology however is simplified for children of all ages to play, and that is where the genius of game theory applies to building easy to execute business plans that anyone can follow to achieve wealth and rapid growth, while at the same time avoiding many of the pit falls and traps that kill motivation and businesses before they have a chance to truly thrive in the world.
So what is so genius about this "game theory" I keep referring to?
It is the very categorization by gaming companies and how they layout objectives in such a simple and intuitive way that a child as young as 6 years old, can recognize and make not only the correct decision, but also achieve taking the shortest path to success if they know only the starting point and the desired end result – that is so absolutely genius.
"The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple." – Albert Einstein
As Albert Einstein says, genius is in the simplest of practices, but the irony is that many are mislead by gurus pushing complex solutions to create the illusion of authority and prestige, and as a consequence (even those of you reading this) will overlook simple executable systems that all age ranges and backgrounds can follow, because their simplicity makes you so wary and cautious of their efficacy because of your prior conditioning to look for complex solutions over those that simply and directly solve your problems.
This symptom of being conditioned to only give attention to complex solutions, is a corrosive dogmatic ideology that has created a disease I like to call "analysis paralysis" amongst every day people and especially entrepreneurs and business executives of whom I coach with great frequency, to help recover from this metaphorical paralysis that can cost millions or worse – their business.
So in order to help you now, to help you understand the value of the solution I am about to outline below, you have to consciously make a single commitment to me while reading this, you have to take a deep breath and blink three times.
Right now!
And while I could go into the psychology as to why this will help you remember what I am about to say, I will keep it short – you have been reading this long article of text, straining your eyes, while constantly both consciously and subconsciously connecting different phrases and key points made above against your wealth of personal life experiences to determine how well they either do or do not relate to you. You do this in order to determine if you can exact true actionable value in this post that will help you get ahead or solve a problem – all actions which naturally stress you out and lessen your attention span.
We, humans are natural problem solvers with an innate desire to win.
So by a simple micro-commitment to your future, such as blinking three times to give your eyes a short break and taking a deep breath (which you may or may not have noticed you have decreased the frequency and depth of your breathing when you started focusing on this article,) will all help combat the stress chemical (cortisol) in the brain, and increase overall retention. After all, the classes you were likely best at in high school and perhaps college (if you attended), were the classes you had the most fun in. Where you smiled and laughed the most, both two textbook reactions that release serotonin and dopamine (the happy chemicals) that kill cortisol (the stress chemical) and help you not only narrow in your focus, but also greatly retain more information.
Fascinating, right? Now STOP!
Pay attention or everything you have read to this point will vanish and be forgotten in the void a thousand new experiences, you are bound to experience today. HOWEVER, if you are committed to making a positive change in your life, if you are committed towards your future success, get closer to the screen, stop skimming the text and read WORD by WORD, for I fear if you do anything else, you may miss the simplicity of the solution I am about to provide by your haste to get to the end.
Each word I use from here on out is carefully crafted and I implore you to re-read not only the following section but the entirety of this article again, and then in the company of friends, to thoroughly retain and then talk over the strategy covered until YOU fully understand – this is for YOU – not THEM.
Step 1 – Start with the end in mind, but leap with clear conscious where others misguidedly step
In game theory and in this article, I gave you a glimpse about the depth of the topic we would dive into at the start in order to prepare you for the next set of information and the next and so on. In game theory, this is no different than you having a basic skill such as typing on a keyboard, which aids you in being able to complete more complex tasks such as navigating the internet, blogging, copywriting, and more. Every bit of prior information and experience, unlocks the next opportunity.
For those of you feeling numbed by the common sense above, thinking "of course you need to know how to type before you can navigate the internet" you have already failed this lesson. For you could never type and instead use speech or any variety of inputs such as a simple computer mouse to complete the task… and this is where you need to kill past prejudice about the simplicity of things, to allow for the genius of game theory come to life.
Having a firm and CLEAR understanding of where your starting point is (where you currently are now in your life at the time of reading this), and the resources that are available to you like money, time, and assets in the form of experience or relationships that you can withdraw from ( know that every relationship is like a bank account that can go bankrupt ) for any of the prior mentioned resources, and MAPPING all of these resources out before you, is the single most IMPORTANT action you can EVER do because…
It allows you to identify your ORIGIN, ground zero, your base, the lowest point at which you will ever be if you are truly investing in yourself and have already started taking notes with a pen and paper by this point of the article.
You need to write down, all of the resources I mentioned above, how you spend your time, your income, the valuable assets you have from the device you are reading this on, to your car and any other miscellaneous valuable things in your possession including junk which could be repurposed ( this list will be LONG ) and any valuable connections, etc.
STOP! Remember how I said genius is in simplicity?
Why are you falling into the SAME TRAP of pursuing complex solutions?
Consider for a moment, how can you know what is valuable or what you should write down when you DO NOT EVEN KNOW YOUR GOAL?!
I gave you a NEW PROBLEM disguised as a solution that you believed would advance you closer to your GOALS, without giving any context as to what is considered valuable. Subconsciously in your innate desire to win and solve the problem, you already started thinking of things – or worse, already committed to writing them down without knowing the END GOAL of why you are writing anything down to begin with.
Again, and this is the last time I will test you, as any room for future confusion will only hurt your ability to learn what you need to from this experience, you need to LISTEN and become a student. Kill any and all form of ego, pride, and status you believe you have – only through abandoning those distractions will you reveal your ORIGIN and with complete and total CLARITY, understand that you are truly at the STARTING point and no closer nor farther away.
It is incredibly important that for the purpose of the remainder of this article you think about nothing else but YOURSELF and reflect on everything I will say in the context of where YOU want to go with YOUR LIFE in the context of the two following questions :
What fulfills YOU, makes you HAPPY?
Who do YOU want to be in the FUTURE?
Take your time to answer both of these before continuing to read the remaining steps to understanding the genius of game theory and how to apply it in the context of YOUR LIFE, because any LACK OF CLARITY will cause you to misstep, instead of take the actions that will progress you by LEAPS and bounds closer towards your goal.
Once you have a CLEAR idea of what the answer to both of these questions is, write them down. It doesn't have to be organized in any way, it doesn't need to be even in complete sentences or even words at all, it can be in any form that makes sense to YOU. Remember, this is not for others, this is for YOU and how YOU hit your life goals.
Once you have your answers written down, a FUTURE is created. Now we can get to work – as you now have both pieces that are NECESSARY to successfully utilize game theory to it's fullest extent as I have to achieve success.
You have an ORIGIN and a DESTINATION, the two points that even a 6 year old can connect the dots between to find the shortest path.
Remember how I said ego, pride, and the status you believe you have would only serve to distract you?
Do any of those things truly matter if a 6 year old is on the same playing field as you at being able to connect the dots between two points?
That is why I told you, to be a student, a BLANK SLATE, as are children who are still eager to learn how the world works.
Now get ready for the GAME part of the theory.
Final Step – Work Backwards From Failure
This is how NASA put a man on the moon, they used game theory, defining the two points above, to discover their ORIGIN and their END POINT, and then proceeded to work backwards from failure.
Luckily, achieving your goals is likely easier than putting a man on the moon. If what you are about to read is properly followed, you will learn the system by which even NASA and the billionaire elite operate, as well as 6 year old children who all realize that FAILURE is only the temporary status of a MISUNDERSTOOD dependency of SUCCESS.
Consider for a moment, you have both the INPUT and OUTPUT of a PROBLEM, does it matter what you put in-between as long as the ORIGIN equals the DESTINATION in the end?
If I have a desire to make 382.18 equal 3,000,000 does it matter whether I use multiplication, division, addition, subtraction or any other process in-between to make the numbers equal one another in the end?
And when you realize how powerful that concept is, you will have fully grasped the power of game theory and how anything becomes possible for anyone with the willingness to UNDERSTAND that FAILURE is only a TEMPORARY status of a MISUNDERSTOOD dependency of SUCCESS.
To put it plainly, the secret to success is not wealth, money, status, or power – it is through finding fulfillment through understanding failure.
It may take you a few years to fully grasp that last statement, but if you know the ORIGIN and the desired DESTINATION of any given problem, then all that's left is to work backwards from failure.
Pay special attention to what I am about to say next.
Most people when they start a project, they just dive in and try to build as they go versus looking at the entire landscape to see where the points of resistance, obstacles, and death traps are.
Furthermore, most business owners and consultants tend to create roadmaps for businesses from the ORIGIN, however this is an incredibly TOXIC and limiting approach to scaling any company.
Consider this, if I asked you how to build a $100M million dollar company right now, would you know which questions to ask yourself and which actions you should do first in order to have the GREATEST IMPACT for the LEAST amount of capital or resources?
No, because you are thinking from the BOTTOM UP, you essentially are forced to think small because you are likely looking at your available resources and going "what can I initially build with X tiny budget to make more money so I can afford the next step".
And just that question alone, can create "analysis paralysis" where you are so caught up in trying to make the right decision with what little funds or resources you may have, that you unintentionally stress yourself out as a result, and make rash emotionally clouded decisions.
However, if you follow game theory and instead worked BACKWARDS from your DESTINATION/GOAL, and repeatedly asked yourself the question of, "What ways can I achieve this?", then instead of having to constantly try and figure out what the next step is or even beat yourself up whether you are asking the right question, all you have to do is continuously list actions that are necessary to achieve the last step.
You solve for failure.
To achieve this GOAL, I can do A, B, or C action to get there, and to A,B, or C action, these are the things I need to do in order to make sure those happen, and so on and so forth. You KEEP DOING THIS until you can not break down the dependencies (requirements) of any one action any further.
And without you even knowing it, you will have discovered that the actions that are all listed at the very bottom of what will look like an upside down tree, have become so granular and simple, that any one of them have become STARTING points, that all lead to your DESTINATION.
Do not be afraid to spend a week or more doing this, it is by far a lot more efficient and smarter to spend a day to sharpen your axe to cut down a tree in a few short swings, than spend an entire day hacking away at a tree with a blunt axe.
By the time you get done, it should look like a really large triangle of sorts, with rows that have the least amount of steps at the top and dozens if not hundreds of steps or actions on the very bottom row.
Now, you might consider you are done and that you have the most thought out business plan in the world and there is no possible way you could fail, and while you will certainly out perform others who do not plan, still have skipped an incredibly important step.
You haven't written down what any of these actions will COST you in terms of time and money.
You likely don't want to retire and start living your dream life at 65, when you're so old that you can break a hip riding a jet ski. So now the question becomes, which path will get you to your DESTINATION the fastest for the least amount of time, money, and effort?
Right now, just by looking at the web of possible futures you have created for yourself there is no context or way of telling which path is the easiest and which one will cost you the most or stress you out the most.
What you will read next, is the MOST IMPORTANT step of game theory, and if followed incorrectly will render everything you have done up until this point useless.
In order to add context to this massive web of possible actions and steps before you and to make the entire thing so easy to understand that even a 6 year old can answer the question of "Where do we start?", we need to add two values.
The first, the time it will take to find and have SOMEONE ELSE do that task.
The second, the amount of money it will cost to have SOMEONE ELSE do that task.
Consider for a moment, what is the #1 trap you hear most entrepreneurs and business owners falling into?
That they get so caught up IN their business instead of ON it, right?
So why would I have you write down the amount of time or money it would cost YOU to do any of the tasks that you have written out?
If you don't know the time or cost it would take to do a task on your decision tree, ask someone who would know, utilize your network. If you do not have someone in your network, jump on LinkedIn and look up people who are in positions at companies who can.
Make educated estimates, but do not GUESS.
The goal of game theory is to give you the shortest executable path to achieve your end DESTINATION/GOAL and to answer the question that has probably been nagging in the back of your mind of "Where do I start?".
Once you have filled out the answers to these two questions above for every action you have in your decision tree, have likely made all of your friends feel like you've fallen off the deep end and become some mad genius – the real fun starts.
It is time to find the shortest path to success.
You have thousands of ways you can succeed, thousands of ways you can solve the problem of how to get from where you are now to where you want to be, and there is NO WRONG ANSWER, just a series of shorter and longer paths that will get you there.
It's time to get out a blank notepad and a calculator and get to work. Start adding up which path will take the LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME AND MONEY to get you to your desired end DESTINATION.
Sound like a lot of work? Work smarter, not harder.
Do not calculate paths from the bottom up, start from your DESTINATION and then work backwards yet again. Only follow the path that has the SMALLEST time and monetary commitments, and repeat until you get to the end.
I suggest that you highlight this path as you go in green, as this is the SHORTEST possible path. When you reach the very last action at the bottom, which should be the easiest action you can do today to start on the path of SUCCESS, you have officially found your point of ORIGIN.
In doing everything above, you have literally created a roadmap and system so simple, that if you were to show a 6 year old, they would be able to follow it, and in doing so you have freed yourself from every possible entrepreneurial trap and mental block that would ever get in-between you and the future you are trying to create.
As a consultant, public speaker, and as a serial entrepreneur myself, the greatest barrier I have found that prohibits people from achieving any form of success, is that they (especially business owners and executives) mistake action for progress.
By following game theory and the exercise above, you've fundamentally done what 99.9% of people in this world have failed to do. You have predicted the future.
It sounds wild, but in life nearly every person you meet, never considers the consequences of their actions beyond any immediate sense.
That is why 99.9% of people happily exchange time for money, they wake up and go to work because the immediate result is money.
They are too distracted or stressed by relationships, money, how they look and what people think of them, that they never take a moment to step back and consider if the actions they are doing each and every day lead to any true progress. That is the cause of every major world problem.
There isn't a single school in the nation that teaches you to THINK like this article does. They all teach you to REACT, instead of carefully predict each move you make with calculated precision.
Following the traditional way of thinking will make your life progress no differently than if you were to have a single bow and arrow and fire it with all your might, only to then spend time chasing down the arrow (the direction of your life) to fire it again, only to end up wherever it is that you end up.
Whereas game theory and methodology that I have explained above will allow for you to accomplish each and every desire you ever have in this life.
It is like having that same bow and arrow, but having a clear and defined target to aim for. Instead of exerting all of your effort and strength into aimless progress, your life becomes a series of precise and calculated accomplishments, that all line up to the culmination of the ultimate goal in life – fulfillment.
Whatever you seek in life, whether you seek to create multiple multi-million dollar businesses as I have, to travel the world, to be present with friends and family, or to press the boundaries of human ability or imagination, the drive you have to achieve that goal, the thing you are seeking is called fulfillment.
No book, nor article, nor advice by any "guru" has ever come as close to answering how to achieve the true success or fulfillment as well as game theory does.
This is not just a theory, it is act, the dedicated craft of predictive thinking that is not taught in universities or schools, nor by the internet's most followed influencers nor business gurus, but the one trend you will find amongst all billionaires and top performers of any industry or craft, is that they all do it.
None of their actions are by chance. Each decision is carefully crafted to set themselves up in the best possible position to achieve the next goal.
If I can give any more of my parting wisdom in this post than I have already, it is that anything easily earned is never truly valued. Our goals are our goals in life because they are hard, because they are worth earning. If they were easily obtained, we wouldn't task ourselves with trying to accomplish them for they would have no value to us.
The true secret of success, is that success isn't about having a lot of money, it is about finding fulfillment, a sense of purpose and meaning and pride, in every action you do.
How could you not be happy with a life like that?
A life where you never regret any decision?
That is the true meaning of success, the pursuit of happiness.
Utilizing this way of predictive thinking as I have outlined in the article above, will help you diagnose any problem you have in your life, allow for you to achieve anything you can imagine, and the only limitation of what you can achieve or become in this life, is the belief that you can.
This is the very process I go through with all of my clients, business partners, managers within my companies, and entrepreneurs and executives I coach at private masterminds that I frequently host.
Now that you have the keys to success, and the very blueprint for what has helped me become a multi-millionaire and hit $3M in 15 weeks with my latest company (as was the original title and reason why you clicked on this article), what will you do with it?
Will you study this article and use it to achieve your dreams?
Or will you let life's distractions distract you from this little gem and will everything you read fade away in time with life's every day events?
You decide.
Nobody in this world will ever care about your dreams coming true, so if you don't make them real, who will?
Thanks for reading!
I can't wait to see how you apply game theory and this model of predictive thinking in your own life, and if you understand the importance of immersing yourself in the right environment and people, and want to immerse yourself deeper in a culture of select people who think this way, then you can use this very theory to figure out how to get ahold of me and become part of the community of people I surround myself with.
Don't worry it's not that many steps to achieve success there 😉 I'm pretty easy to get ahold of…
Success Advice
5 Non-Negotiable Things Millionaires Do Every Day
No matter how busy you are, if you're an entrepreneur, there are some things you should aim to do every single day. With that in mind, there are some habits that millionaires do on a daily basis that you can adopt in your days.
Below are 5 non-negotiables to include in your daily routine every single day:
1. Reviewing Your Goals
Every morning successful people review their goals to keep focused on what they are waking up for; so they can align their tasks for the day with their goals. Viewing your goals means that you have to write them down first so you're clear on what you want to achieve.
Looking at them only once a week or once a month isn't good enough because you will lose focus easily since there are many distractions in this day and age. Writing down your goals for the day and viewing them regularly is a good habit to form. When you're going to set your schedule for the day and have your goals in front of you always ask yourself, "Will this task get me closer to my goals?" If not, then perhaps you shouldn't be doing it at all.
"Review your goals twice every day in order to be focused on achieving them." – Les Brown
2. Completing Your MIT First Thing
MIT stands for Most Important Task. This is the task that has the greatest impact on your bottom line and propels you dramatically closer to your goals. This can change throughout your life as your goals change or you and your business go through different stages of maturity.
There's an important thing to note here, doing your MIT first thing after you wake up and after your morning routine is essential, as you never know what distractions could come up throughout the day. It also keeps you productive since after completing it you will feel fulfilled knowing that you have completed the most important task of the day.
In fact, in most cases, completing your MIT of the day in the morning means that you could do whatever you want for the rest of the day if you choose to do so.
3. Learning
Learning isn't optional if you want to keep growing throughout your life. Surely, you wouldn't want to stay in the same spot where you are right now for the next 10 years would you?
Learning is not about just reading books. In fact, many millionaires consume their knowledge through audiobooks on fast speed so they can consume more in less time and during a commute. It's no wonder audiobooks have become more popular in recent years.
Nonetheless, this isn't about audiobooks or physical books. It's about not letting your hate for reading that most people have stop you from learning and growing. You can be creative about the way you consume your knowledge. Ideally you want to spend at least 60 minutes per day learning and growing your mind so you can enhance your skills and creativity to do different things.
4. Physical Wellbeing
If you want to be a high performance individual then you must take care of your body. The last thing we want is for your body to fail you when you most need it. Be careful about what you put into your body and make sure you are active throughout the day to keep your energy up.
One of the ways I've found to be helpful to keep your energy up throughout the day is to jump around, do some jumping jacks or some pushups whenever you are feeling a bit low on that energy.
Exercising 2 or 3 times a week is good, yet that's not what we are talking about here. What I'm talking about here is just being active everyday, whether it's a rest day or not. You can go out for a walk or do something light each day.
"Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body." – Arnold Schwarzenegger
5. Viewing Your Finances
Yes, everyday have a look at your bank account. If it depresses you to look at then perhaps that's something we need to work on, don't you think? Not looking at them isn't the solution, it's just trying to pretend the problem is not there. The point of looking at your finances is similar to when you look at your goals, except with one slight difference.
When you look at your finances it's not only to keep you focused on growing them, but also to keep track of how you're doing financially and whether they're getting better or worse over time.
You can act successful and pretend your business is doing fine but your finances never lie. By looking at your finances you're giving yourself a reality check and you'll be able to know if what you're doing is working or not.
Remember to focus on your daily goals, complete your most important tasks, learn every day, take care of your wellbeing ,and review your finances to ensure you're progressing every single day.
Which one of these 5 non-negotiable routines resonated with you the most and why? Let us know your thoughts below!
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STARmeterTop 5000
Down 154 this week
Wesley Snipes
Actor | Producer | Soundtrack
Wesley Trent Snipes was born in Orlando, Florida, to Maryann (Long), a teacher's assistant, and Wesley Rudolph Snipes, an aircraft engineer. He grew up on the streets of the South Bronx in New York City, where he very early decided that the theater was to be his career. He attended the High School for the Performing Arts (popularized in Fame (1980)... See full bio »
Born:in Orlando, Florida, USA
More at IMDbPro » Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro

subset: commoncrawl


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The Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Muslim Charities Foundation and the head of the Movement for Reform Judaism in the UK have launched a joint appeal for funds towards humanitarian work in Gaza.
The 'Faiths Working Together' fund will support the emergency work of Christian Aid, Islamic Relief and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel in the wake of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said the faith leaders had received assurances from the aid agencies that the funds raised would be used for humanitarian purposes and on the basis of need alone regardless of ethnicity, religion or nationality.
"We understand the complexity of the situation in the region and we support the rights of Israel to security and self-defence and Palestinians to self-determination, believing that this can be best achieved through a lasting peace settlement," he said.
"We cannot, however, stand by in the meantime. We are bound to play our part in the relief of suffering in the region generally and in Gaza in particular at the present time."
The Archbishop called on people of all faiths and none to support the appeal, which has also been endorsed by the Council of Christians and Jews and the Christian Muslim Forum.
The CMF said, "We strongly support this initiative to enable people from our two faith traditions and others to do all they can for the relief of the profound humanitarian need in this situation."
The appeal on the web: www.faithsworkingtogether.org [1]


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Childcare options guide
All your childcare options, including how to find a good quality provider.
Looking for childcare?
We know how it goes. One minute you're enjoying the coos of your newborn baby, the next minute it's panic stations because you're heading back to work and still haven't lined up childcare. On the other hand, it would come as no surprise to learn you're researching options before you even fall pregnant – tales of impossibly long waiting lists are legendary.
So many options, but sometimes little choice
When there are so many different kinds of care, how do you know which will suit you and your child's needs? And what happens if your preferred type of childcare just isn't available? For some desperate parents, the need for child care – any childcare – can threaten to overshadow the essential requirement for quality childcare.
We're here to help you work out which is the best childcare option for your family, and how to find the best of care for your wee ones.
Outside the home or at home care?
The first decision you'll probably need to make is whether you want to use an external childcare service, or if you'd prefer a carer to come to your home.
External childcare options:
- Long day care centres (birth to 5 years) – also called day nurseries, day care centres or crèches – provide childcare for children in a group setting. You can enrol your child for full-time or part-time care, but the days will probably be fixed and will be longer than some other childcare options (for example, 7.00am to 6.00pm) to provide support for families who work or study.
- Family day care (birth to 12 years) provides home-based small group care for children up to 12 years. Care is usually full-time or part-time but may include up to 24-hour care, occasional care, vacation care, emergency care and before- and after-school care. Hours offered are usually similar to long day care centres. Family day care workers are regulated, assessed and managed by a family day care agency or local council. Their homes must comply with safety guidelines and there is a limit to the number of children they can care for.
- Pre-schools and kindergartens are the oldest type of childcare in Australia. Traditionally they've provided only shortened day care (such as school hours, or 9.00am to 3.00pm) which isn't ideal for many working parents.
- Occasional care is provided in purpose-built centres, neighbourhood houses or parent co-operatives. There are generally restrictions on the number of hours occasional care can be used by any child each week.
At-home care options:
- In-Home Care service is funded by the Australian Government for families who can't access other childcare options and who meet certain criteria, such as having three or more children under school age, having a child or parent with a disability, having a parent who works non-standard hours, or living in rural or remote areas.
- A nanny suits families who like the stability and convenience of having a professional carer come to their home. It can be more expensive than other options but for parents of multiple children it might work out the same as formal care. Another way to reduce costs is to share a nanny with other families. If your nanny is a registered carer, you may be eligible for the government's Child Care Benefit. Whether you decide to find a nanny yourself or go through an agency, you'll find our guide to finding a nanny essential reading.
Informal child care
Informal childcare is when you have a relative or friend look after your children, either in their home or yours. Grandparents are the largest providers of informal care. Although this arrangement can be quite flexible and cheap, there is a downside to consider. Grandparents may enjoy this caring role, but it has the potential to affect their income, health, or free time - particularly if they provide large amounts of care. Parents may feel guilty and worry about the wellbeing of the grandparent or how long they'll be able to continue.
What else should I know about finding quality childcare?
How to find a childcare service
To find a formal childcare service near you (or your workplace):
- contact the local council,
- check with your baby health care clinic or state department of health or community services,
- use the search facility on the website of the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA),
- call the Child Care Access Hotline on 1800 670 305 for a complete listing of all Child Care Benefit-approved services in your area and their vacancies, and
- use the Child Care Search facility on www.mychild.gov.au (can show centres near you with vacancies).
Beware the pitfalls
Many parents who responded to a CHOICE survey said looking for childcare was a nightmare of long waiting lists and juggling schedules to find a place. Disturbingly, some parents said they'd felt compelled to take whatever they could get, and some said the cost of childcare cancelled out the economic value of returning to work altogether.
Problems our survey respondents had once they got a place for their child or children included:
- high cost,
- high staff turnover,
- too few staff, with too many children being looked after at once,
- having to fundraise for the centre,
- parking,
- unsuitable opening and closing times,
- unsuitability of staff, and
- old or inadequate premises.
It's important to also note that some respondents said they'd had little trouble finding affordable, quality childcare in a community-based/nonprofit centre, commercial long-day care centre or through family day care. Others said they'd struggled to find care, but were happy with it once they found it.
Childcare costs
High childcare costs are a concern for many parents, but some government benefits can ease the pain.
- Child Care Benefit (CCB) – your income level and care type determines how much you can receive.
- Child Care Rebate (CCR) – if you're using approved childcare for work, training or study-related reasons, you can receive up to 50 percent of your out-of-pocket childcare costs, up to $7500 (indexed) for each child each year. Not means-tested.
- Grandparents – if you're an eligible grandparent who has primary care of your grandchildren and receive an income support payment, such as a government pension, you may receive the Grandparent Child Care Benefit.
Waiting lists
You may need to put your child's name down at one or more centres as early as possible – perhaps even before they're born – and from then on regularly check with the centres to see if a vacancy has come up. Some centres charge a non-refundable fee just to register on their waiting list.
Before and after-school care and holiday care
Parents of school-age children my need care for their kids outside of school hours and during the holidays. Services generally operate in primary schools, community centres or halls. Check with your school if they offer Out of School Hours Care (sometimes referred to as OOSH or OOSHC) onsite, or to find out where the nearest centre is.
If you need someone to look after your kids on an ad-hoc basis, look for a babysitter who is experienced, responsible, and preferably has a First Aid Certificate. Seek word-of-mouth recommendations from families and friends, or go through an agency – they'll charge you a fee, but they'll also do reference and background checks. You can also use one of the following online directories: babysittersearch.com.au, careforkids.com.au or dialanangel.com.
Tips for employing a babysitter:
- Interview them in advance and arrange for them to spend some time with you and your children to check that they're all comfortable together.
- Provide the babysitter with information about your children's routines and any medical conditions they may have, as well as rules about TV, bedtime and computer use.
- Make sure they know where to find things such as nappies or medicines, and leave them your mobile number plus contacts for other family members (in case they can't get hold of you), and other emergency numbers.
Children with disabilities
Children who have a disability may have access to supplementary services such as special programs, training and/or facilities. Discuss your child's needs and their eligibility for support or funding with your childcare service.
If you have a problem with a childcare service, it's usually best to first raise the concern directly with the centre. If you think a childcare centre is in breach of regulatory requirements (for example, it's short-staffed, or the building is unsafe), you can complain to the state or territory body that licenses the centre. For a list of contacts for state and territory licensing authorities, visit the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) website. You can also lodge a formal complaint with ACECQA if it comes to that.
Childcare checklist
If you have a childcare service in mind, we recommend you visit it at least a couple of times and spend time observing how the staff interact with the children, and how the centre (or home if it's family day care) is run.
- Do the children seem happy and engaged in activities, or do they look bored?
- Does the centre or home look like a happy place to be?
- Are you and your child welcome?
- Are staff engaged with the children or sitting around chatting to each other?
- Do they appear to know the children well?
- Are there any quiet, private areas where children can look at books or play by themselves if they want to?
- Does each child have a cot or bed and/or a place such as a locker where personal belongings can be kept during the day?
- Is the children's own work displayed around the walls at their eye level?
- Do all of the children have enough space? It's critical to ensure that children have enough indoor and outdoor space, because overcrowding and confined spaces can damage a child's development.
- Ask questions about how your child will be taken care of and how their needs will be met. You should be welcome to drop in and see your child any time. Experts recommend you visit unannounced now and again.
- Ask about staff turnover and qualifications, what the child-to-staff ratio is for your child's age group, and how many children are in each room or group. Are any of the staff's qualifications related to early childhood?
- If the centre provides food, ask to see the menu, and check how often it's changed, whether it can cater for special dietary requests, whether quantities are adequate, and if enough fresh fruit and vegetables are being served.
- Check that the equipment and play spaces are safe. Are measures in place to keep children away from stairs, fireplaces or heaters, is the yard well fenced so children can't find their way out, and is the carer able to see all of the children at all times?
- Check the rating given by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, which sets quality standards and accredits services that meet the standards. Don't be afraid to ask questions about their results.
For more information
The following organisations and websites have further info on childcare vacancies, childcare services in your area, quality issues, types of childcare and government assistance with childcare costs.
Freecall: 1800 670 305 (Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 6.00pm EST)
Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
Phone: 1300 422 327 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm EST)
Freecall: 1800 621 218 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm EST)
Australian Community Children's Services
Phone: (03) 9486 3455
National In-Home Childcare Association
Phone: (02) 6026 3899
Department of Human Services (Families section)
Phone: 131 272


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'Real Housewives' Nene Leakes Fired? Reality Star 'Struck' Male Producer
NeNe Leakes, the highest paid star of "Real Housewives of Atlanta," may be fired over a physical brawl that involved one of her co-stars and a male producer it has been revealed.
The 44-year-old and her co-star Kandi Burruss, 35, "get into a fight with production" during the filming of season five, and "It's really bad," according to the New York Daily News.
"[They] have been real divas this season," a source told the Daily News before confirming that the incident will likely air during the upcoming season.
It is unclear what prompted the altercation, but Leakes was reportedly the aggressor and she is believed to have "struck" a member of Bravo's production staff.
Bravo TV, the network which airs the popular reality TV show, reportedly has a zero tolerance policy for violence against crew or staff members, and because Leakes is allegedly in breach of her contract over the incident, she may ultimately be let go, according to Media Take Out.
Leakes could become the second veteran Atlanta Housewife to be fired this year, after he former co-star and friend-turned-enemy Sheree Whitfield was let go.
Whitfield, 42, who, like Leakes, was an original cast member, was reportedly fired over salary demands, although she suggested that leaving was actually her decision.
"After four solid seasons of helping Bravo build the show into its most successful Housewives franchise, I have decided to leave. The direction the show is going in is no longer a fit for my lifestyle. I'm tired of the fighting and the cattiness," Whitfield told Wetpaint.com.
"I want to be part of something that empowers and inspires women to not only be healthy, but to treat themselves with respect. I wish the rest of the women the best of luck. I'm thrilled to say I'm now a free agent and am already fielding offers," she added.
Leakes currently earns a whopping $750,000 per season and an additional $250,000 bonus for doing the reunion show, which is reportedly the highest salary paid among cast members.
Rumors that her co-star Kim Zolciak, 33, was also fired began swirling shortly after Whitfield's departure, although the expectant mother recently insisted that she is still an active cast member.


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Frequent Links
Open Access Articles- Top Results for Laparoscopic surgery
Surgery: Current ResearchDepth Neuromuscular Block in Laparoscopic Surgery: Usefulness In Laparoscopic Kidney Donation From Living Donor
Gynecology & ObstetricsVideo recording the Laparoscopic Surgery for the Treatment of Endometriosis should be Systematic!
Journal of Blood & LymphSuccessful Ovarian Vitrification and Back-Transplantation to Preserve Fertility in a Patient Requiring Chemotherapy for Malignant Lymphoma
Journal of Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-WorldwideA Case of Ovarian Ectopic Pregnancy after In-Vitro-Fertilization
Gynecology & ObstetricsSingle-Port Laparoscopic Surgery in Extensive Peritoneal and Ovarian Endometriosis
Laparoscopic surgery
|Laparoscopic surgery
Cholecystectomy as seen through a laparoscope
Laparoscopic surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery (MIS), bandaid surgery, or keyhole surgery, is a modern surgical technique in which operations are performed far from their location through small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) elsewhere in the body.
There are a number of advantages to the patient with laparoscopic surgery versus the more common, open procedure. Pain and hemorrhaging are reduced due to smaller incisions and recovery times are shorter. The key element in laparoscopic surgery is the use of a laparoscope, a long fiber optic cable system which allows viewing of the affected area by snaking the cable from a more distant, but more easily accessible location.
There are two types of laparoscope: (1) a telescopic rod lens system, that is usually connected to a video camera (single chip or three chip), or (2) a digital laparoscope where the charge-coupled device is placed at the end of the laparoscope.[1]
Also attached is a fiber optic cable system connected to a 'cold' light source (halogen or xenon), to illuminate the operative field, which is inserted through a 5 mm or 10 mm cannula or trocar. The abdomen is usually insufflated with carbon dioxide gas. This elevates the abdominal wall above the internal organs to create a working and viewing space. CO2 is used because it is common to the human body and can be absorbed by tissue and removed by the respiratory system. It is also non-flammable, which is important because electrosurgical devices are commonly used in laparoscopic procedures.[2]
Laparoscopic surgery includes operations within the abdominal or pelvic cavities, whereas keyhole surgery performed on the thoracic or chest cavity is called thoracoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery belong to the broader field of endoscopy.
|This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013)
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the most common laparoscopic procedure performed. In this procedure, 5–10 mm diameter instruments (graspers, scissors, clip applier) can be introduced by the surgeon into the abdomen through trocars (hollow tubes with a seal to keep the CO2 from leaking). Over one million cholecystectomies are performed in the U.S. annually, with over 96% of those being performed laparoscopically.
There are two different formats for laparoscopic surgery. Multiple incisions are required for technology such as the da Vinci Surgical System, which uses a console located away from the patient, with the surgeon controlling a camera, vacuum pump, saline cleansing solution, cutting tools, etc. each located within its own incision site, but oriented toward the surgical objective. The surgeon's hands manipulate two haptic grippers which track hand movements and rotations while relaying haptic sensations back to the surgeon.
In contrast, requiring only a single small incision, the "Bonati system" (invented by Dr. Alfred Bonati), uses a single 5-function control, so that a saline solution and the vacuum pump operate together when the laser cutter is activated. A camera and light provide feedback to the surgeon, who sees the enlarged surgical elements on a TV monitor. The Bonati system was designed for spinal surgery and has been promoted only for that purpose.[3][4]
Rather than a minimum 20 cm incision as in traditional (open) cholecystectomy, four incisions of 0.5–1.0 cm will be sufficient to perform a laparoscopic removal of a gallbladder. Since the gall bladder is similar to a small balloon that stores and releases bile, it can usually be removed from the abdomen by suctioning out the bile and then removing the deflated gallbladder through the 1 cm incision at the patient's navel. The length of postoperative stay in the hospital is minimal, and same-day discharges are possible in cases of early morning procedures.
In certain advanced laparoscopic procedures, where the size of the specimen being removed would be too large to pull out through a trocar site (as would be done with a gallbladder), an incision larger than 10mm must be made. The most common of these procedures are removal of all or part of the colon (colectomy), or removal of the kidney (nephrectomy). Some surgeons perform these procedures completely laparoscopically, making the larger incision toward the end of the procedure for specimen removal, or, in the case of a colectomy, to also prepare the remaining healthy bowel to be reconnected (create an anastomosis). Many other surgeons feel that since they will have to make a larger incision for specimen removal anyway, they might as well use this incision to have their hand in the operative field during the procedure to aid as a retractor, dissector, and to be able to feel differing tissue densities (palpate), as they would in open surgery. This technique is called hand-assist laparoscopy. Since they will still be working with scopes and other laparoscopic instruments, CO2 will have to be maintained in the patient's abdomen, so a device known as a hand access port (a sleeve with a seal that allows passage of the hand) must be used. Surgeons who choose this hand-assist technique feel it reduces operative time significantly versus the straight laparoscopic approach. It also gives them more options in dealing with unexpected adverse events (i.e. uncontrolled bleeding) that may otherwise require creating a much larger incision and converting to a fully open surgical procedure.[citation needed]
Conceptually, the laparoscopic approach is intended to minimise post-operative pain and speed up recovery times, while maintaining an enhanced visual field for surgeons. Due to improved patient outcomes, in the last two decades, laparoscopic surgery has been adopted by various surgical sub-specialties including gastrointestinal surgery (including bariatric procedures for morbid obesity), gynecologic surgery and urology. Based on numerous prospective randomized controlled trials, the approach has proven to be beneficial in reducing post-operative morbidities such as wound infections and incisional hernias (especially in morbidly obese patients), and is now deemed safe when applied to surgery for cancers such as cancer of colon.[citation needed]
The restricted vision, the difficulty in handling of the instruments (new hand-eye coordination skills are needed), the lack of tactile perception and the limited working area are factors which add to the technical complexity of this surgical approach. For these reasons, minimally invasive surgery has emerged as a highly competitive new sub-specialty within various fields of surgery. Surgical residents who wish to focus on this area of surgery gain additional laparoscopic surgery training during one or two years of fellowship after completing their basic surgical residency. In OBGYN residency programs, the average laparoscopy-to-laparotomy quotient (LPQ) is 0.55.[5]
The first transatlantic surgery (Lindbergh Operation) ever performed was a laparoscopic gallbladder removal.
Laparoscopic techniques have also been developed in the field of veterinary medicine. Due to the relative high cost of the equipment required, however, it has not become commonplace in most traditional practices today but rather limited to specialty-type practices. Many of the same surgeries performed in humans can be applied to animal cases – everything from an egg-bound tortoise to a German Shepherd can benefit from MIS. A paper published in JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) in 2005 showed that dogs spayed laparoscopically experienced significantly less pain (65%) than those that were spayed with traditional 'open' methods. Arthroscopy, thoracoscopy, cystoscopy are all performed in veterinary medicine today. The University of Georgia School of Veterinary Medicine and Colorado State University's School of Veterinary Medicine are two of the main centers where veterinary laparoscopy got started and have excellent training programs for veterinarians interested in getting started in MIS.[citation needed]
There are a number of advantages to the patient with laparoscopic surgery versus an open procedure. These include:[citation needed]
- Reduced hemorrhaging, which reduces the chance of needing a blood transfusion.
- Smaller incision, which reduces pain and shortens recovery time, as well as resulting in less post-operative scarring.
- Less pain, leading to less pain medication needed.
- Although procedure times are usually slightly longer, hospital stay is less, and often with a same day discharge which leads to a faster return to everyday living.
- Reduced exposure of internal organs to possible external contaminants thereby reduced risk of acquiring infections.
Although laparoscopy in adult age group is widely accepted, its advantages in pediatric age group is questioned. Benefits of laparoscopy appears to recede with younger age. Efficacy of laparoscopy is inferior to open surgery in certain conditions such as pyloromyotomy for Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Although laparoscopic appendectomy has lesser wound problems than open surgery, the former is associated with more intra-abdominal abscesses.[6]
While laparoscopic surgery is clearly advantageous in terms of patient outcomes, the procedure is more difficult from the surgeon's perspective when compared to traditional, open surgery:
- The surgeon has limited range of motion at the surgical site resulting in a loss of dexterity.
- Poor depth perception.
- Surgeons must use tools to interact with tissue rather than manipulate it directly with their hands. This results in an inability to accurately judge how much force is being applied to tissue as well as a risk of damaging tissue by applying more force than necessary. This limitation also reduces tactile sensation, making it more difficult for the surgeon to feel tissue (sometimes an important diagnostic tool, such as when palpating for tumors) and making delicate operations such as tying sutures more difficult.[7]
- The tool endpoints move in the opposite direction to the surgeon's hands due to the pivot point, making laparoscopic surgery a non-intuitive motor skill that is difficult to learn. This is called the Fulcrum effect[8]
- Some surgeries (carpal tunnel for instance) generally turn out better for the patient when the area can be opened up, allowing the surgeon to see "the whole picture" surrounding physiology, to better address the issue at hand. In this regard, keyhole surgery can be a disadvantage.[9]
Some of the risks are briefly described below:
- The most significant risks are from trocar injuries during insertion into the abdominal cavity, as the trocar is typically inserted blindly. Injuries include abdominal wall hematoma, umbilical hernias, umbilical wound infection, and penetration of blood vessels or small or large bowel.[10] The risk of such injuries is increased in patients who have a low body mass index[11] or have a history of prior abdominal surgery. While these injuries are rare, significant complications can occur, and they are primarily related to the umbilical insertion site. Vascular injuries can result in hemorrhage that may be life-threatening. Injuries to the bowel can cause a delayed peritonitis. It is very important that these injuries be recognized as early as possible.[12]
- Some patients have sustained electrical burns unseen by surgeons who are working with electrodes that leak current into surrounding tissue. The resulting injuries can result in perforated organs and can also lead to peritonitis. This risk is eliminated by utilizing active electrode monitoring.[13]
- There may be an increased risk of hypothermia and peritoneal trauma due to increased exposure to cold, dry gases during insufflation. The use of Surgical Humidification therapy, which is the use of heated and humidified CO2 for insufflation, has been shown to reduce this risk.[14]
- Many patients with existing pulmonary disorders may not tolerate pneumoperitoneum (gas in the abdominal cavity), resulting in a need for conversion to open surgery after the initial attempt at laparoscopic approach.
- Not all of the CO2 introduced into the abdominal cavity is removed through the incisions during surgery. Gas tends to rise, and when a pocket of CO2 rises in the abdomen, it pushes against the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the abdominal from the thoracic cavities and facilitates breathing), and can exert pressure on the phrenic nerve. This produces a sensation of pain that may extend to the patient's shoulders. For an appendectomy, the right shoulder can be particularly painful. In some cases this can also cause considerable pain when breathing. In all cases, however, the pain is transient, as the body tissues will absorb the CO2 and eliminate it through respiration.[15]
- Coagulation disorders and dense adhesions (scar tissue) from previous abdominal surgery may pose added risk for laparoscopic surgery and are considered relative contra-indications for this approach.
- Intra-abdominal adhesion formation is a risk associated with both laparoscopic and open surgery and remains a significant, unresolved problem.[16] Adhesions are fibrous deposits that connect tissue to organ post surgery. Generally, they occur in 50-100% of all abdominal surgeries,[16] with the risk of developing adhesions being the same for both procedures.[17][18] Complications of adhesions include chronic pelvic pain, bowel obstruction, and female infertility. In particular, small bowel obstruction poses the most significant problem.[17] The use of Surgical Humidification therapy during laparoscopic surgery may minimise the incidence of adhesion formation.[19] Other techniques to reduce adhesion formation include the use of physical barriers such as films or gels, or broad-coverage fluid agents to separate tissues during healing following surgery.[17]
Robotic laparoscopic surgery
The process of minimally invasive surgery has been augmented by specialized tools for decades. For example, TransEnterix of Durham, North Carolina received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in October 2009 for its SPIDER Surgical System using flexible instruments and one incision in the navel area instead of several, allowing quicker healing for patients. Dr. Richard Stac of Duke University developed the process.[20][21]
In recent years, electronic tools have been developed to aid surgeons. Some of the features include:
- Visual magnification — use of a large viewing screen improves visibility
- Stabilization — Electromechanical damping of vibrations, due to machinery or shaky human hands
- Simulators — use of specialized virtual reality training tools to improve physicians' proficiency in surgery [22]
- Reduced number of incisions
There has been a distinct lack of disclosure regarding nano-scale developments in keyhole surgery and remote medicine, a "disparity of disclosure" which does not correlate with the rapid advancements in both the medical and nanotechnology fields over the last two-decades.[citation needed]
Robotic surgery has been touted as a solution to underdeveloped nations, whereby a single central hospital can operate several remote machines at distant locations. The potential for robotic surgery has had strong military interest as well, with the intention of providing mobile medical care while keeping trained doctors safe from battle.[citation needed]
Non-robotic hand guided assistance systems
There are also user-friendly non robotic assistance systems that are single hand guided devices with a high potential to save time and money. These assistance devices are not bound by the restrictions of common medical robotic systems. The systems enhance the manual possibilities of the surgeon and his/her team, regarding the need of replacing static holding force during the intervention.[citation needed]
Some of the features are:[citation needed]
- The stabilisation of the camera picture because the whole static workload is conveyed by the assistance system.
- Some systems enable a fast repositioning and very short time for fixation of less than 0.02 seconds at the desired position. Some systems are lightweight constructions (18 kg) and can withstand a force of 20 N in any position and direction.
- The benefit – a physically relaxed intervention team can work concentrated on the main goals during the intervention.
- The potentials of these systems enhance the possibilities of the mobile medical care with those lightweight assistance systems. These assistance systems meet the demands of true solo surgery assistance systems and are robust, versatile, and easy to use.
It is difficult to credit one individual with the pioneering of the laparoscopic approach. In 1902, Georg Kelling, of Dresden, Germany, performed the first laparoscopic procedure in dogs and in 1910, Hans Christian Jacobaeus, of Sweden, reported the first laparoscopic operation in humans.[23]
In the ensuing several decades, numerous individuals refined and popularized the approach further for laparoscopy. The start of computer chip television camera was a seminal event in the field of laparoscopy. This technological innovation provided the means to project a magnified view of the operative field onto a monitor and, at the same time, freed both the operating surgeon's hands, thereby facilitating performance of complex laparoscopic procedures. Prior to its conception, laparoscopy was a surgical approach with very few applications, mainly for purposes of diagnosis and performance of simple procedures in gynecologic applications.[citation needed]
The first publication on diagnostic laparoscopy by Raoul Palmer appeared in the early 1950s, followed by the publication of Frangenheim and Semm. Hans Lindermann and Kurt Semm practised CO2 hysteroscopy during the mid-1970s.[citation needed]
In 1972, Clarke invented, published, patented, presented, and recorded on film laparoscopic surgery, with instruments marketed by the Ven Instrument Company of Buffalo, New York, USA.[24]
In 1975, Tarasconi, from the Department of Ob-Gyn of the University of Passo Fundo Medical School (Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil), started his experience with organ resection by laparoscopy (Salpingectomy), first reported in the Third AAGL Meeting, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, November 1976 and later published in The Journal of Reproductive Medicine in 1981.[25] This laparoscopic surgical procedure was the first laparoscopic organ resection reported in medical literature.
In 1981, Semm, from the gynecological clinic of Kiel University, Germany, performed the first laparoscopic appendectomy. Following his lecture on laparoscopic appendectomy, the president of the German Surgical Society wrote to the Board of Directors of the German Gynecological Society suggesting suspension of Semm from medical practice. Subsequently, Semm submitted a paper on laparoscopic appendectomy to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at first rejected as unacceptable for publication on the grounds that the technique reported on was 'unethical,' but finally published in the journal Endoscopy.[26] The abstract of his paper on endoscopic appendectomy can be found at here. Semm established several standard procedures that were regularly performed, such as ovarian cyst enucleation, myomectomy, treatment of ectopic pregnancy and finally laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (nowadays termed as cervical intra-fascial Semm hysterectomy). He also developed a medical instrument company Wisap in Munich, Germany, which still produces various endoscopic instruments of high quality. In 1985, he constructed the pelvi-trainer = laparo-trainer, a practical surgical model whereby colleagues could practice laparoscopic techniques. Semm published over 1000 papers in various journals.[4] He also produced over 30 endoscopic films and more than 20,000 colored slides to teach and inform interested colleagues about his technique. His first atlas, More Details on Pelviscopy and Hysteroscopy was published in 1976, a slide atlas on pelviscopy, hysteroscopy, and fetoscopy in 1979, and his books on gynecological endoscopic surgery in German, English, and many other languages in 1984, 1987, and 2002.
Prior to 1990, the only specialty performing laparoscopy on a widespread basis was gynecology, mostly for relatively short, simple procedures such as a diagnostic laparoscopy or tubal ligation. The introduction in 1990 of a laparoscopic clip applier with twenty automatically advancing clips (rather than a single load clip applier that would have to be taken out, reloaded and reintroduced for each clip application) made general surgeons more comfortable with making the leap to laparoscopic cholecystectomies (gall bladder removal). On the other hand, some surgeons continue to use the single clip appliers as they save as much as $200 per case for the patient, detract nothing from the quality of the clip ligation, and add only seconds to case lengths. It must be noted that both laparoscopy tubal ligations and cholecystectomies may be performed using suturing and tying, thus further reducing the expensive cost of single and multiclips (when compared to suture). Once again this may increase case lengths but costs are greatly reduced (ideal for developing countries) and widespread accidents of loose clips are eliminated.[citation needed]
See also
- Arthroscopic surgery
- Percutaneous (surgery)
- Invasiveness of surgical procedures
- Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES)
- Revision weight loss surgery
- Single port laparoscopy
- World Laparoscopy Hospital
- ^ Mastery of Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgery W. Stephen, M.D. Eubanks; Steve Eubanks (Editor); Lee L., M.D. Swanstrom (Editor); Nathaniel J. Soper (Editor) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2nd Edition 2004
- ^ "Training in diagnostic laparoscopy". Gfmer.ch. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
- ^ http://www.bonati.com
- ^ US patent 5203781, Bonati, Alfred O.; Ware, Philip, "Lumbar arthroscopic laser sheath", issued 1993-4-20
- ^ Walid MS, Heaton RL (2010). "Laparoscopy-to-laparotomy quotient in obstetrics and gynecology residency programs". Arch Gyn Ob 283 (5): 1027–1031. PMID 20414665. doi:10.1007/s00404-010-1477-2.
- ^ Journal of Indian Association of pediatric surgeons, 2010 October – December, pp. 122–126, accessible at http://www.jiaps.com
- ^ Westebring-van der Putten EP, Goossens RHM, Jakimowicz JJ, Dankelman J (2008). "Haptics in Minimally Invasive Surgery – A Review". Minimally Invasive Therapy 17 (1): 3–16. doi:10.1080/13645700701820242.
- ^ A. G. Gallagher , N. McClure , J. McGuigan , K. Ritchie , N. P. Sheehy (2007). "An Ergonomic Analysis of the Fulcrum Effect in the Acquisition of Endoscopic Skills". Endoscopy 1 (1). doi:10.1055/s-2007-1001366.
- ^ Rodriguez, Anthony, Carpel Tunnel Surgery in Review, Beklind, 2009p.234
- ^ Mayol, Julio; Julio Garcia-Aguilar, Elena Ortiz-Oshiro, Jose A. De-Diego Carmona, Jesus A. Fernandez-Represa (June 1997). "Risks of the Minimal Access Approach for Laparoscopic Surgery: Multivariate Analysis of Morbidity Related to Umbilical Trocar Insertion". World Journal of Surgery 21 (5): 529–533. doi:10.1007/pl00012281.
- ^ Mirhashemi R, Harlow BL, Ginsburg ES, Signorello LB, Berkowitz R, Feldman S (September 1998). "Predicting risk of complications with gynecologic laparoscopic surgery". Obstet Gynecol 92 (3): 327–31. PMID 9721764. doi:10.1016/S0029-7844(98)00209-9.
- ^ Janie Fuller, DDS, (CAPT, USPHS), Walter Scott, Ph.D. (CAPT, USPHS), Binita Ashar, M.D., Julia Corrado, M.D. FDA, CDRH, "Laparoscopic Trocar Injuries: A report from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Systematic Technology Assessment of Medical Products (STAMP) Committee" Finalized: November 7, 2003
- ^ http://encision.com/aem-technology/why-aem/
- ^ Peng Y, Zheng M, Ye Q, Chen X, Yu B, Liu B (January 2009). "Heated and humidified CO2 prevents hypothermia, peritoneal injury, and intra-abdominal adhesions during prolonged laparoscopic insufflations". J. Surg. Res. 151 (1): 40–7. PMID 18639246. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2008.03.039.
- ^ Alexander JI, Hull MG (March 1987). "Abdominal pain after laparoscopy: the value of a gas drain". Br J Obstet Gynaecol 94 (3): 267–9. PMID 2952161. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1987.tb02366.x.
- ^ a b Dörthe, Brüggmann; Garri Tchartchian, Markus Wallwiener, Karsten Münstedt, Hans-Rudolf Tinneberg, Andreas Hackethal (November 2010). "Intra-abdominal Adhesions – Definition, Origin, Significance in Surgical Practice, and Treatment Options". Dtsch Arztebl Int. 107 (44): 769–775. PMC 2992017. PMID 21116396. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2010.0769.
- ^ a b c DeWilde, Rudy Leon; Geoffrey Trew (September 2007). "Postoperative abdominal adhesions and their prevention in gynaecological surgery. Expert consensus position". Gynecological Surgery 4 (3): 161–168. doi:10.1007/s10397-007-0338-x.
- ^ Lower, A.M.; R.J.S. Hawthorn, D. Clark, J.H. Boyd, A.R. Finlayson, A.D. Knight, A.M. Crowe (2004). "Adhesion-related readmissions following gynaecological laparoscopy or laparotomy in Scotland: an epidemiological study of 24 046 patients". Human Reproduction 19 (8): 1877–1885. doi:10.1093/humrep/deh321.
- ^ Peng, Y; Zheng M; Ye Q; Chen X; Yu B; Liu B (Jan 2009). "Heated and Humidified CO2 prevents hypothermia, peritoneal injury, and intra-abdominal adhesions during prolonged laparoscopic insufflations.". J Surg Res 151 (1): 40–7. PMID 18639246. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2008.03.039.
- ^ Ranii, David (2010-01-19). "TransEnterix ready to move forward". News & Observer. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ Hoyle, Amanda Jones (2009-12-21). "TransEnterix, eyeing 50 new hires, moves to bigger office". Triangle Business Journal. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ Ahmed K, Keeling AN, Fakhry M et al. (January 2010). "Role of virtual reality simulation in teaching and assessing technical skills in endovascular intervention". J Vasc Interv Radiol 21 (1): 55–66. PMID 20123191. doi:10.1016/j.jvir.2009.09.019.
- ^ Journal of Endourology Hans Christian Jacobaeus: Inventor of Human Laparoscopy and Thoracoscopy
- ^ Clarke HC (April 1972). "Laparoscopy—new instruments for suturing and ligation". Fertil. Steril. 23 (4): 274–7. PMID 4258561.
- ^ Tarasconi JC (October 1981). "Endoscopic salpingectomy". J Reprod Med 26 (10): 541–5. PMID 6458700.
- ^ Semm K (March 1983). "Endoscopic Appendectomy". Endoscopy 15 (2): 59–64. PMID 6221925. doi:10.1055/s-2007-1021466.
External links
- Feder, Barnaby J., "Surgical Device Poses a Rare but Serious Peril" The New York Times, March 17, 2006
- Laparoscopy web information
- Laparoscopic surgeries
- World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons
- World Journal of Laparoscopic Surgery


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Highway 5, Cavalier, ND
Icelandic State Park
Icelandic State Park is home to the Pioneer Heritage Center, Gunlogson Homestead and Historic Buildings. Hiking Trails and a Self-guided Nature Trail can be accessed near the Pioneer Heritage Center or from the campground. There are 3 modern camping loops with 150 modern campsites plus 13 primitive campsites and 3 camping cabins. Other features of the park include a sand swimming beach, picnic areas and covered picnic shelter, boat ramp and a fishing dock.
Top Features
- Boat Dock
- Electricity
- Open Year 'Round
- Pet-Friendly
- RV Sites
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All Features
- Handicap Accessible
- Open Year 'Round
Camping Amenities
- Electricity
- RV Sites
- Sewer
- Showers
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Cost of Admission
- Admission: $5 daily vehicle entry fee or $25 annual pass or $20 annual pass to ND residents age 65 and up. Camping requires valid vehicle pass plus $20/night for modern camping and $12/night for primitive camping.
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- Boat Dock
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- Hours of Operation: daily
Local: 701-265-4561
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text:
It's not a long-forgotten factory racing secret. The quickest way to move a '60s muscle car down a dragstrip faster is to equip it with a swift-shifting, close-ratio four-speed and a set of deep rearend gears. This time-proven combination works great for lower e.t.'s, but at the end of the quarter-mile the engine is revving at its maximum. On the street, making a habit of running near redline can lead to a host of mechanical problems, not to mention uncomfortable sound levels and rotten gas mileage.
That was the challenge facing Bob Wells of Laguna Beach, California, owner of a mint '62 Ford M-code Galaxie optioned with 4.56 gears. He wanted to bring down the rpm for street use without destroying the car's legendary dragstrip acceleration.
For those unfamiliar, the M-code in the car's VIN means it's one of just a few early '62 Galaxies specially built by the Ford factory for drag racing. Bob's car in particular was race prepped by the late Les Ritchey and competed from 1962 to 1964. Bob holds a special affection for this car since Ritchey was his first boss. In addition to preserving its instantaneous acceleration, Bob wanted to keep the M-code's original personality, so the answer wasn't to slap in a late-model five-speed. The gear spacing is incorrect, and Bob says attempting to shift one fast feels like trying to churn broken glass into butter.
Researching the subject, Bob learned about Gear Vendors, which manufactures an under/overdrive unit with a one-size-fits-all design that's suitable for every application imaginable thanks to a vast selection of special adapters. The adapter—an extension housing—bolts directly in place of an automatic or manual transmission's tailshaft housing. Mounted inline behind the transmission, the stubby Gear Vendors unit requires shortening the driveshaft about a foot. The unit weighs about 32 pounds and is capable of handling up to 2,000 hp.
For a street/strip car such as Bob's, there's a lot more to be gained by installing a Gear Vendors under/overdrive than just the benefits of bumping its 4.56 rearend up to a taller ratio, though that is one happy result of the installation. The overdriven Fourth gear gives the Galaxie the equivalent of a 3.56 final drive ratio (see chart), bringing all the fuel economy and noise muffling improvements that come with fewer revs at highway speeds. Gear Vendors says most cars with performance rearend ratios (3.42s to 4.10s) should see a 22- to 28-percent improvement in highway fuel economy.
There's another benefit too. Imagine the fastest-shifting Art Carr TorqueFlite or B&M Turbohydro ever beefed, and then multiply its quickness times two. In between the Ford Top Loader's 2.32-ratio First gear and 1.69 Second, the GV unit splits the difference with a 1.80-ratio First-Overdrive gear, actuated using a concealed button on the Hurst shifter. The driver doesn't need to use the clutch or let off on the throttle during that shift, so the engine's speed doesn't drop between shifts, keeping it in its optimal powerband. The driver can then decide to upshift into Second, Second-Overdrive, or even Third depending on conditions.
The unit also has what Gear Vendors calls an AutoLaunch feature, which drag racers will surely appreciate. This allows you to launch the car in First gear with First-Overdrive preselected. The GV unit will automatically shift into First-Over at a set speed, getting you farther down the track before you have to hit the clutch pedal to upshift again. A tech tip from Gear Vendors: Flip the Third-Fourth shift lever upside-down and you can then go straight to Third in what had been the Fourth gear gate. That lets you do the entire run with just one clutch depression: First, First-Over, Third, Third-Over.
The Gear Vendors under/overdrive's ability to split gears up or down at a second's notice without having to lift off the gas, coupled with dropping revs on the highway, makes it hard to beat. Bob said after driving the M-code home from El Cajon in overdrive, he just might put a Gear Vendors unit in every car he owns—including his '61 Starliner with a built 427 and 4.11 gears.


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Nov. 26, 2005
Growing pains continue to be felt by the Lipscomb Lady Bisons basketball team.
Saturday afternoon in the first round of the Ball State Credit Union Classic in Muncie, Ind., the Lady Bisons rebounded to play a solid second half, but the hole they dug in the first half was too deep in an 83-53 loss to host Ball State at the Worthen Center.The Lady Bisons shot 40 percent in the second half, outscoring Ball State 35-34. The Lady Bisons pulled with 22 points at 60-38 within 10:04 left in the game.
The Lady Bisons (0-2) will face Georgetown (2-1) Sunday at 11 a.m. in the consolation game. Ball State, with a three-game winning streak on the line, will play North Dakota State for the championship. Georgetown fell 64-51 to North Dakota State.
Raechelle Hampton scored a lay-up on the first shot of the game for Ball State and the Cardinal never trailed, building a 49-18 halftime lead.
The Lady Bisons started freshman Miriam McAlister, sophomores Catie Foster, Dana Carrigan and Kaleigh Gossman and junior Penny Jones. Gossman made her first start of the season. Senior center Katie Beth Pate did not play due to an injury and is not expected to be in the lineup against Georgetown.
McAlister was the only Lady Bisons player in double figures with 10 points,, 4-of-6 from the field including one 3-pointer. Jones led the team in rebounding with seven. The Lady Bisons hit 38.2 percent from the field, 21-of-55.
Ball State shot 51.5 percent from the field. Krista Stewart led with a game-high 20 points , hitting 8-of-12 from the field, 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Hampton added 13 points. Julie DeMuth chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds.


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There's the closing bell, and we've broken out the all-caps and fired up the ol' siren gif. That can only mean one thing: the NHL's trade deadline has passed. Lots of smaller-but-significant moves made (trade trackers here, here, and here), but everyone wants to know: whither Rick Nash? We'll know in minutes.
Update: Nash is staying put.