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This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Gunfire broke out today inside the Interior Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan. Two high-ranking U.S. military officers have been killed. The incident came on the fifth day of protests across the nation, sparked by the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base. NPR's Quil Lawrence joins us from Kabul. Quil, thanks for being with us.
QUIL LAWRENCE, BYLINE: My pleasure.
SIMON: What do we know now about the shooting?
LAWRENCE: Details are still coming in. We know that in the afternoon there were reports that gunfire was heard inside the Interior Ministry, inside a high-security area within the ministry. And we have been able to confirm that two, as you said, U.S. military officers - advisors to the Interior Ministry, a colonel and a major - have been killed. But after that, the details get very sketchy. ISAF, that's the NATO mission here, led by General John Allen, a U.S. Army general, have been very vague in their language. They said that the perpetrator was a coward who will be brought to justice. But they haven't said anything about nationality or any other details.
SIMON: Is there any reason to think we're not to think that this is related to the burnings of the Quran for which the United States has apologized?
LAWRENCE: Now, there has been an uptick in incidents like this, where Afghan soldiers have turned their weapons on the American and other NATO trainers and advisors; soldiers here on the ground. That's been on the rise. But this week, there was an incident like that, that seems directly linked to the Quran burning. And at the moment, I think everyone is assuming that this was linked to the incident up at Bagram Airfield, which has yet be explained, how this came to happen, that they were incinerating Qurans.
SIMON: Reaction from the Afghan government?
LAWRENCE: What we're hearing so far is quite contradictory. No one's confirming, but American officials are saying that they are pretty sure that the perpetrator of this act was not a Westerner, whereas some Afghan sources are saying, no, they don't think it was an Afghan. They think that it had to have been a Western advisor to have reached inside this part of the Interior Ministry. So it's very confusing at this point.
Of course, reaction to the Quran burnings is still really just anger, universal anger across the country, and we've seen riots with dozens now dead since Monday in provinces across the country.
SIMON: NPR's Quil Lawrence in Kabul. Thanks so much.
LAWRENCE: I thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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seca 803
Electronic flat scales with high-quality two-component rubber surface.
The classic, clean line of the basic model turns heads and the high-quality rubber coating feels good to the touch. It's also pleasantly easy to read the weights in the display because the LCD figures are unusually large.
Products designed down to the last detail.
Product information
Technical product data and support
Technical Data
Capacity: | 330 lbs, 150 kg |
Graduation (g): | 100 g |
Power supply: | Battery |
Measure (W x H x D): | 316 x 37 x 326 mm |
Net weight: | 1,5 kg |
Functions and Properties: | Mobile measuring and weighing, Auto-HOLD, kg/lbs/sts switch-over, Tap-on automatic switch-on, Automatic switch-off |

subset: commoncrawl


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Vice President
First Lady
Mrs. Cheney
News & Policies
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Your Government
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Email Updates | Español | Accessibility | Search | Privacy Policy | Help
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 19, 2004
National Poison Prevention Week 2004
by the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Each year, approximately 1 million calls to poison control centers are made because children may have ingested harmful substances. The National Poison Prevention Week Council organizes activities annually to raise awareness of the danger of unintentional poisoning and to educate adults about how to avoid and handle these emergencies.
Since the first National Poison Prevention Week in 1962, our Nation has taken important steps to protect children from consuming inappropriate medicines or household chemicals by heightening awareness, supporting poison control centers, and improving packaging. In December, I signed the Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act Amendments of 2003 to provide assistance for poison prevention programs and to stabilize the funding of regional poison control centers. This measure supports those who are working to reduce poisonings in America and to improve the safety and health of all Americans.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires child-resistant packaging for certain toxic medicines and chemicals. Because packaging is never completely child-proof, adults should also lock medicines and chemicals out of the reach of children.
To encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers of accidental poisonings and to take appropriate preventive measures, the Congress, by joint resolution approved September 26, 1961, as amended (75 Stat. 681), has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week of March each year as "National Poison Prevention Week."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 21 through March 27, 2004, as National Poison Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by participating in appropriate activities and by learning how to prevent poisonings among children.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-eighth.
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Press Room | Products | News | Events | The Company |
Innovyze Launches Educational Product Webinar Series |
Beginning in September Innovyze is offering free educational webinars. The 14 part technical series runs through March 2014. Users and prospective users of Innovyze software can register for one or all of the events. Each webinar will last approximately one hour and is hosted live by an Innovyze engineer and will include:
Webinar Schedule: Risk-based Prioritization of Sewer Rehabilitation with InfoMaster Sewer September 9, 2013 With InfoMaster Sewer, wastewater utilities and their consultants can leverage both their existing CCTV information and GIS data to create an optimized prioritized renewal/rehabilitation plan. Users can choose whether to weight their plan towards current conditions or towards a calculated risk (probability and consequence of asset failure and business risk exposure). NASSCO PACP, MACP and LACP V6.0 certified,InfoMaster Sewer also includes the ability to custom-built a multi-step decision tree of rehabilitation techniques based on current pipe condition and hydraulic capacity. The software provides a sound foundation to budgeting for proactive infrastructure renewal/rehabilitation work and responding to public inquiries about renewal schedules and priorities. Available exclusively for the Esri ArcGIS 10.x platform, InfoMaster Sewer includes components to run on desktop, web, tablet, and smartphone environments. Real Time Water Distribution Forecasting and Modeling with IWLive September 23, 2013 IWLive is the first product of its kind to combine hydraulic modeling, weather predictions, and current SCADA information to give water system operators a clear picture of how their system will behave in the future. IWLivecan be used to propose fixes to operational problems before they occur; common examples include: water main breaks, peak demand periods, real time fire flow evaluation. Real Time Analysis of System Demands with DemandWatch and Demand Analyst October 14, 2013 Short-term water demand pattern forecast is essential for cost-effective operation of distribution systems. A revolutionary short-term demand forecasting software, DemandWatch changes the way water utilities around the world leverage historical demand data to estimate future water demands for real-time, near-optimal control and management of their water distribution systems. Its primary strength lies in its adaptive demand forecasting process, which can continually update and refine estimated demand values in real time. Armed with this power, water utilities can better plan, operate and manage their water distribution systems, improve conservation measures, minimize energy consumption, meet regulatory compliance, and enhance customer service. Using BalanceNet for Real Time Optimization and Energy Savings of Water Distribution Systems November 4, 2013 Energy costs can constitute a largest expenditure for nearly all water utilities — consuming as much as 65 percent of an annual operating budget. BalanceNet is designed expressly to assist water distribution system operators and train new operators in managing their energy consumption more effectively by equipping control rooms with the real-time ability to develop sound, cost-effective pump scheduling policies that reduce operational costs. Designed for online applications with existing SCADA systems, BalanceNet reads real-time field data, instantly updates the network model and determines the pump and treatment plant operation schedules that will yield the lowest operating cost while satisfying the system's hydraulic and water quality requirements. It uniquely combines an optimized mass balance model with an advanced network solver to quickly produce a set of near-optimal solutions for improving system operations. Real-Time Surveillance of Water Distribution Systems with PressureWatch: Identifying and Managing Leaks and Breaks November 18, 2013 PressureWatch provides water utilities the unprecedented ability to continuously monitor and assess their network hydraulic performance so that problems can be resolved quickly or avoided altogether. The software provides for rapid identification and warning of network performance problems, leaks, breaks, loss of system integrity, and other operational inefficiencies, and helps minimize their impact through early detection and location. It allows utilities to manage their water networks in a more effective and highly proactive way. Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring and Compliance with QualWatch Dec 2, 2013 QualWatch provides water utilities continuous real-time monitoring of water quality dynamics in their water distribution networks to help them quickly detect potential contamination and prevent security breaches. It enables water utility operators to instantly compare water quality data against regulatory requirements such as maximum contaminant levels and pinpoint any violations; recognize abnormal water quality changes caused by contamination; detect unanticipated normal events such as main breaks, backflows and sensor malfunctions; and spot the onset of anomalous incidents they can evaluate and act on. The result is proactive network water quality management that ensures safety and security for all consumers. QualWatch can analyze any standard water quality data — total chlorine, free chlorine, chloride, pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon, turbidity, total dissolved solids, nitrate, chlorophyll, oxidation reduction potential and other parameters — and help detect a wide variety of contaminants including pathogens, metals and pesticides. Risk-based Prioritization of Water Main Replacement featuring InfoMaster Water December 16, 2013 As the rapid deterioration of underground infrastructures progresses, many water utilities are struggling to develop a rehabilitation and replacement program that addresses the most critical pipes in the system. Many capital improvement programs spend millions of dollars annually on projects that do little to lower total system risk. You'll learn how InfoMaster Water lets utilities leverage GIS, hydraulic modeling, work order management and other enterprise data to analyze the likelihood and consequence of pipe failure in a water network — and use this information to develop optimized risk-based infrastructure improvement plans. Available exclusively for the Esri ArcGIS 10.x platform, InfoMaster Water includes components to run on desktop, web, tablet, and smartphone environments. Modeling and Eliminating Transients in Water Distribution Systems with InfoSurge January 6, 2014Transients in water distribution systems are a major concern for pipeline analysis, design and operation as they have the potential to wreck or damage pipeline systems and equipment, reduce system efficiency, induce adverse water quality conditions, and threaten the integrity and quality of supply as well as public safety. Learn how to use InfoSurge to affectively diagnose and solve distribution system transient issues. Advanced Integrated Catchment Modeling with InfoWorks ICM January 21, 2014 Explore InfoWorks ICM, the first software in the world to successfully combine 1D simulation of flows in sewers with 2D simulation of surface flooding. It can be effectively used to accurately simulate the flow of stormwater and wastewater; predict flood risks; support cost-effective drainage design and management; develop online urban flooding forecasts; conceive and evaluate sound and reliable urban catchment strategies such as storm sewer separation, active real-time control and provision of adequate additional storage; and improve the operation of any drainage system. Real-Time Modeling and Operational Forecasting of Sewers with ICMLive February 3, 2014 ICMLive provides sewer system operators and engineers with ability to continuously monitor and effectively control the flow of stormwater and wastewater in their collection systems. A powerful risk assessment and real-time decision making tool, ICMLive combines the comprehensive integrated catchment modeling capabilities ofInfoWorks ICM with sophisticated real-time operational forecasting, early warning, and emergency management. It enables managers and operators to consider the influence of a full range of catchment factors in the management of flooding and the reduction of unregulated discharges; the optimization of storage and existing infrastructure, leading to savings on capital works; and the optimization of pumps to lower energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions. Modeling and Control of Surface Flooding with InfoSWMM 2D February 17, 2014 Two-dimensional (2D) simulation is better suited than one-dimensional simulation (1D) for modeling flows through complex geometries. These include urban streets and buildings, road intersections and other transport infrastructure, and open ground, where either the source or direction of flow is problematic to assume. In this seminar, you'll learn how to use InfoSWMM 2D to perform a 2D overland flow analysis to better manage flooding and improve drainage and water quality. The software can be effectively used for many types of optimization studies like Green and Grey infrastructure including conveyance, storage and treatment as well as for sewer rehabilitation, conveyance, storage and treatment. Designing and Implementing an Effective Unidirectional Flushing Program in Record time with InfoWater UDF March 3, 2014 Unidirectional flushing (UDF) is the most effective way of cleaning water mains and maintaining water quality and system capacity. It also requires the least amount of water of any cleaning method. Valves are closed and hydrants opened to create a one-way flow that accelerates the speed of water in the mains, maximizing shear velocity near the pipe wall and producing a scouring action that effectively removes sediment deposits and biofilm. Learn how the automated design tools in InfoWater UDF, allow engineers to create these flushing sequences in record time. Real-Time SWMM-based Modeling and Operational Forecasting of Sewers with SWMMLive March 17, 2014 SWMMLive provides sewer system operators and engineers with ability to continuously monitor and effectively control the flow of stormwater and wastewater in their collection systems using the USEPA SWMM engine. A powerful risk assessment and real-time decision making tool, SWMMLive combines the modeling capabilities ofInfoSWMM with sophisticated real-time operational forecasting, early warning, and emergency management. It enables managers and operators to consider the influence of a full range of catchment factors in the management of flooding and the reduction of unregulated discharges; the optimization of storage and existing infrastructure, leading to savings on capital works; and the optimization of pumps to lower energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions. |


text: The Consumer Advisory Council--a statutory body established pursuant to the 1976 amendments to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act--advises the Board of Governors on consumer financial services. Its members, who are appointed by the Board, are academics, state and local government officials, and representatives of the financial services industry and of consumer and community interests. In 2009, the Council met with the Board on March 26, June 18, and October 22.


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As used for hydrotherapy in baby spas around the world, Swimava Baby Floats are NRCS-approved and used at bathtime and pooltime. The product is recognised worldwide for its many emotional, physical and developmental benefits. It also assists in growing a love for water for all babies..
Swimava Baby Float, Safety Guide and pump all included in a reusable wet bag.
Suitable for infants enjoying water time in bathtubs and baby friendly public swimming pools.
Ideal for use in our Compact Home Baby Pool.
Suitable ages 3-18 months
Minimum weight 5.5kg
Maximum weight 13kg..
**Never leave your infant unattended in or near water!* Message brought to you by Swimava South Africa..


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Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium that grows easily in the reproductive tract of women, and in the urinary tract in women and men. Symptoms in men include a burning sensation when urinating, or a discharge from the penis. Symptoms in women are usually mild, but can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, with a risk of infertility. Untreated gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints and be life-threatening.
Additional Resources
For more information contact:
- Your local health office, or call our Health Info Hotline at 1-866-HLTHY4U (1-866-458-4948)
- The National STD and AIDS Hotlines, 1-800-227-8922 or 1-800-342-2437. (24 hours, 7 days)
- Spanish: 1-800-344-7432 from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Central time
- Hearing-impaired: 1-800-243-7889 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central time


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September 15, 2012 (Vol. 32, No. 16)
Many pharmaceutical research studies seek to overcome the challenges associated with high-concentration drug formulations.
This work is also designed to improve the time and accuracy of acquiring and analyzing data that is critical throughout the development process.
Overlooking any one attribute can influence the productivity and profitably of a pharmaceutical company. Fortunately, new predictive methods and tools for product characterization have allowed scientific teams to better understand the state and behavior of novel drug formulations and to tweak formulation conditions toward manufacturing effective drugs with long shelf-life.
Delivering a promising drug at high concentration is a key goal, but challenges in formulation stability, viscosity, and solubility as well as data interpretation continue to be obstacles in formulation development. Recent research on predictive methods for formulation development provides a glimpse of possible solutions to these challenges.
One researcher addressing the issues is Mark Brader, Ph.D., senior scientist, protein pharmaceutical development at Biogen Idec. Presenting at IBC's "Formulation Strategies for Protein Therapeutics" next month, Dr. Brader will discuss a rapid screening method to predict long-term stability that will help accelerate formulation development.
"The importance of the technique lies in its ability to answer the question" 'How well does the molecular thermostability actually translate into predictive pharmaceutical stability,'" notes Dr. Brader.
Molecular Thermostability
Molecular thermostability is the stability of a formulation at high temperatures whereas pharmaceutical stability is the stability of a formulation when stored at 4–5°C as well as the in-use stability at room temperature. Typically, pharmaceutical companies aim to create formulations with a two to three year shelf-life.
To predict long-term stability and determine the best conditions for this, Dr. Brader's screening process involves monitoring the unfolding and folding kinetics of proteins, varying formulation conditions (e.g., temperature, concentration, pH, buffer), protein-protein interactions, and variations of a molecule.
"A major challenge in formulation development is the screening of highly concentrated formulations that are greater than 100 mg/mL," says Dr. Brader. "At high concentrations, formulation scientists are often concerned with physical degradation, which includes aggregation and denaturation, and chemical degradation."
One way to test for degradation is to incubate a drug for a long time and test viscosity. However, this approach is impractical and inefficient.
Daniel Some, Ph.D., principal scientist at Wyatt Technology, studies intermolecular interactions for the optimization of biotherapeutic formulations. He prefers the use of CG-MALS (composition-gradient multi-angle light scattering) as the method requires only a few hours to obtain results.
"CG-MALS relies on the theory of static light scattering and is capable of determining absolute molecular weight, which is one attribute that is considered when monitoring for protein degradation," explains Dr. Some, who spoke last month at CHI's "Bioprocessing Summit".
"Conventional methods, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS) for studying aggregation and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for investigating protein-protein interaction, are limited to low sample concentrations and do not provide the data necessary for interpreting the state and behavior of high concentrated formulations."
With dynamic light scattering, characterization of formulations at high concentration is difficult as the method is best suited to interpret single-scattering events in a dilute solution. With surface plasmon resonance, the method cannot properly determine stoichiometry and is limited between 1:1 and 2:2 binding models.
Since an objective of current efforts in formulation development is to understand the stability and interaction of formulations at high concentration, which best resembles in vivo conditions, accurate and timely analysis is critical.
CG-MALS is a preferred method for protein characterization as it is rapid and convenient. The technique can be used to determine absolute stoichiometry, binding affinity, and nonspecific protein-protein interactions. In addition, CG-MALS can quantify self-association, hetero-association, and reversible self- and hetero-association, which constitute information that can provide clues about interactions.
"In CG-MALS, the attraction and repulsion between molecules is characterized by virial coefficients: self-virial coefficients and cross-virial coefficients," continues Dr. Some. "These coefficients can provide insight into the attractive and repulsive forces between molecules and can be fine-tuned to determine the best conditions for formulation development, especially for optimizing a formulation for purification."
Purification Step
Indeed, an important stage in formulation development is purification. At the IBC meeting next month, Haripada Maity, Ph.D., principal scientist, formulation development at ImClone Systems, an Eli Lilly subsidiary, will talk about carrying out biophysical analyses to understand and mitigate challenges in downstream purification.
Dr. Maity will present a case study on a monoclonal antibody to demonstrate the "exceptional utility of monitoring unfolding/refolding kinetics over other measurements."
Dr. Maity explains that although optimization of stability and solubility of a protein at low pH is important for chromatography, "the challenge is to avoid damaging the protein during the purification process and after purification when formulations are brought back to neutral pH."
"Otherwise, degradation of a formulation during purification can result in poor yield and, ultimately, lead to less profits."
Dr. Maity will also address the challenges of using conventional methods for optimization and other aspects of biophysical analysis, including conformation stability, structural characterization, physical size, and concentration-dependent protein-protein interactions.
Protein stability is critical and is one aspect of formulation development in which the use of conventional methods may not be enough to understand the effects of various formulation conditions, he maintains.
However, one conventional approach that is invaluable is differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which provides the formulation scientist with data on conformational stability, which is related to thermodynamic stability, of a protein formulation.
For example, if one wants to determine an appropriate buffer for downstream processing, DSC is a technique that allows one to determine which buffer would be optimal for maintaining protein stability.
"By monitoring the melting temperature, one can understand different buffer systems and pick the best buffer with low pH," he continues. "Moreover, monitoring the melting temperature is a direct way to understand whether a particular protein is stable or not."
In addition to monitoring thermodynamic stability with low pH buffers, monitoring the unfolding and refolding kinetics at low pH can provide answers to questions such as, "Has the structure changed?" and "How long does the protein take to undergo a change?" In other words, if one decreases the pH from 7 to 3.5 as a function of time, one would be interested in what structural changes occur and the duration of those changes.
However, the challenge that remains with conventional methods such as DSC is data interpretation. The data can be interpreted in multiple ways. First, a higher melting temperature does not mean higher stability, although, in most cases it is true. Second, DSC can provide two different kinds of data, exothermic and endothermic curves, and the interpretation can be complex.
"Nonetheless," adds Dr. Maity, "the goal of finding a good buffer is to have a strong correlation between kinetic data and equilibrium stability data."


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Scholastic, the UPS Store, Toys for Tots Give Books to Kids in Need This Season, Including Hurricane Sandy's Youngest Victims
Contacts: Sara Sinek
Scholastic 212-343-6899 email@example.com
Misti Dragano
Toys For Tots
410-263-5312 ,
Brandon Olson
The UPS Store, Inc.
Call to action for families to read books to and with their kids, and Scholastic will donate books to children in need –with a minimum of 50,000 books committed
New York, NY — November 15, 2012 — Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company, The UPS Store and Marine Toys for Tots Foundation are launching a READ EVERY DAY holiday campaign to promote the love of reading and encourage all families to help give books to kids who need them most, including those who lost books due to Hurricane Sandy. This holiday literacy drive is part of Scholastic's global literacy campaign, Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life, an effort to help all children experience the love of reading and owning a book.
Here is how families can help to contribute books to kids in need this holiday season:
- Download Storia®, Scholastic's new teacher-recommended children's ereading app, and help pass on the reading to kids in need. Upon downloading Storia, families will receive five free children's ebooks to start a home digital library. For every additional ebook purchased on Storia now through Dec. 31, 2012, Scholastic will donate a children's book to a child in need through the Toys for Tots Literacy Program (with a minimum of 50,000 books committed).
- Visit a participating The UPS Store location across the U.S. now through Dec. 31, 2012 to purchase a donation card to benefit the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, a year-round initiative of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Every dollar donated helps provide new books from Scholastic for less fortunate chidren in local communities throughout the U.S. Customers can also donate online at The UPS Store Facebook page. As part of the longstanding collaboration with Scholastic Literacy Partners, The UPS Store location that raises the most money during the holidays will receive 500 books to share with families in their local community.
"Thanks to our partners Scholastic and The UPS Store, Toys for Tots delivers millions of books to less fortunate children every year," said retired Marine Corps LtGen. Pete Osman, President and CEO of Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. "By including books with the other toys we'll deliver this Christmas season, Toys for Tots will help deserving children develop a passion for reading and will start them on a pathway to a brighter future."
"Regardless of whether kids read digitally or in print, we want ALL children to have the opportunity to read every day and to read books they love," said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. "This holiday, together with The UPS Store and Toys for Tots, we can encourage families and communities to join in giving the gift of reading to their children and to children in need."
Available for free download on PC and iPad, and on select Android tablets, the Storia eReading app is designed to captivate kids while helping them become better readers. Storia offers thousands of curated titles for kids from toddlers through teens, of which many are enriched with vocabulary and comprehension activities and video. Storia has been recognized by Warren Buckleitner with the Editor's Choice Award for children's eBook apps in Children's Technology Review, The New York Times and School Library Journal.
"Education is one of the keys to helping children become successful in life. During the holidays, The UPS Store hopes to make a positive impact by helping children break the cycle of poverty through literacy and education," said Tim Davis, president of The UPS Store, Inc.
About Scholastic:
For more information about Scholastic, visit our media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com. The online press kit for Storia is available at: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/storia. To learn more about Scholastic Family and Community Engagement visit www.scholastic.com/face.
About the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation:
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its 65th year, Toys for Tots provides joy and a message of hope to less fortunate children through the gift of a new toy or book during the Christmas holiday season. These gifts offer children hope, recognition, and a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime. Many of the books, games, and sports equipment provided as gifts make a significant contribution to the educational, social and physical development of these children. In 2011, Marines distributed toys to more than 7.2 million children who might not have otherwise experienced the magic of the Christmas holiday season.
About The UPS Store:
With more than 4,700 locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, The UPS Store network comprises the world's largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, printing and business service centers. In the U.S., The UPS Store locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of The UPS Store, Inc., a subsidiary of UPS(NYSE:UPS). In Canada, locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of master licensee MBEC Communications, L.P. Services, pricing and hours of operation may vary by location. For additional information on The UPS Store, including information on franchise opportunities for opening a The UPS Store location, visit www.theupsstore.com.


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Welcome to vamos24.com
With more than 70 mountain bikes, 300 roadbikes, trekking bikes, fitness bikes and E Bikes we are the leading mountain bike rental in Majorca. Whether Hardtails, Fullsuspensions or Mountainbike E- Bikes - our specialists will help you choose the right bike. You can also book your bike online in advance (in high season recommended). If you have not already booked a flight or hotel, you will find on our site numerous mountainbike Majorca Trips and Camps as well as roadbike trips.
We also offer mountain bike tours & holidays in Namibia and Germany. You will find further information in our menu. If you need help, you can call our support at +49 (0) 2241 - 404586.
All our mountain bikes, road bikes or trekking bike tours are compiled with great attention to detail. Due to our many years of experience with biking trips and tours on Mallorca, we also offer fantastic mountain bike tours through Germany and Namibia in Africa. From 2017, a bike week in the Zillertal in Austria will complement the program. We will be pleased to assist you with the choice of the right mountainbike and booking your trip.
As a specialist for travels to the fascinating Balearic Island of Mallorca, we have been successfully working for our guests since 1993. Vamos24 is a pioneer of mountain biking on Majorca.
We ride on the trails of the "Nibelungen" through the fairy-tale and legendary "Siebengebirge". Dreamtrails above the river Rhine.
When customers, business partners and employees are convinced and fascinated, events become targeted marketing.
There are two possibilities for you. On the one hand, you can already choose and book your mountain bike directly on our website (recommended in high Season / March, April, May, September, October) or you can visit us directly on the island in Mallorca at one of our two bikestations. Our largest mountainbike and bike rental is available in Pto. de Alcudia in close proximity to the harbour. You can also find us in Esporles.
Yes, besides our Fullsuspension and Hardtail Mountainbikes, you can also rent a roadbike, e-bike, fitness bike or trekking bike in Mallorca. You can view each bike here on our website and book it in advance in your frame size.
All our mountain bikes, road bicycles, trekking bikes and fitness bikes can be booked on a daily or weekly basis. Only in the main season from March 1st to April 30th, an online booking of the roadbikes is only possible on a weekly basis. On the island of Majorca there is still the possibility to rent a bike per day.
Our prices include the complete service and maintenance of our mountain bikes, roadbikes, trekking bikes and fitness bikes.
From 36.00 € per day you can book our Mountainbike Fullsuspension Custec AM 2, for example. Our MTB Hardtails from 18,00 Euro, a roadbike from 26,00 Euro per day / 115,00 Euro per week. You can find more details on the individual sides of the bikes.


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DIY Paper Mache Letter:
Better than any you could buy at the store
I LOVE how this letter turned out. I absolutely love monograms, but there wasn't a letter anywhere that I liked. So I decided I could make my own! In this tutorial I will show you how to make your own custom letter using a cereal box and paper mache.
First, find a font that you like. You can visit dafont.com and look through hundreds of custom fonts. Make sure when choosing that you pick one that you know will stand up ok. Make it the size you want in Microsoft Publisher. Mine was bigger than an 81/2 x 11 sheet so it printed onto 4 pieces. If that happens just tape them together.
When you have the letter you want trace and cut it out on a cereal box. Be sure to cut a mirror image for the back of the letter.
Now it's time to construct your letter. You will need to cut strips out of the cereal box in the thickness you would like your letter. I did 2 inch strips. The next step would be to tape them in between the letters. Make sure you shape the strips around any curves or angles that are on the letter.
Make note, you will use A LOT of tape… Well, I did anyway. I didn't want my letter to fall apart.
Once the construction part is done, it's time to paper mache. Take a newspaper you have laying around and cut it into strips. I really can't tell you how much to cut. I cut up 2 smaller newspapers and had a ton of strips left over.
To make the paste, you will mix one cup water, one cup flour and 1/2 tbs of salt. Be sure to mix well to get all the lumps out.
Dip the newspaper into the paste and wipe off excess paste and adhere it to your letter. Continue doing this until the front and back is covered.
Let dry completely.
Do a second layer of paper mache the same exact way.
Let dry completely. I set it outside each time to let it dry. I was impatient and wanted it to dry faster!
Once it's dry you will want to take a fine sandpaper and sand down some of the rough spots.
I then painted it with a marigold color. It took two coats to cover the newspaper. Because it's paper mache you will see bumps. I didn't mind this, it made it look more distressed. If you want to cover these bumbs,you could take a texture paste and use a stencil to create a cool design before you paint.
When the paint was dry I took a gel stain and brushed it all over the letter then took a rag and wiped it off. I added a little more stain in places just so that it wasn't all uniform. The stain gives an aged look that I like. I did this until I got the look I wanted.
That's it! So easy! I'm thinking of other letters I can make!


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What to pack in a lunch box to guarantee a healthy and delicious lunch
My husband and I have always taken our lunch to work. Doing so is a great money-saver and is often an ideal way to ensure you're eating healthier. Lunches out get terribly expensive; these days, I can count on spending at least $10-$12 at a restaurant for lunch unless I grab fast food. Plus, eating heavy meals with lots of sugar and carbs in the middle of the day does not help me work very well throughout the afternoon. I do much better with a sandwich, salad, and some fruit.
I've found, though, that packing your lunch for work is so much easier and economical if you have the right tools on hand. There's nothing worse than packing something only to have it leak all over your lunch box or have the container melt in the microwave.
These are my criteria for choosing items for my lunch box: I need containers that are easy to wash, pack and carry. I need an insulated lunch box or bag because while I do use our fridge at work for storage, sometimes my lunch is out longer on the commute. I need heavy-duty ice packs that will stay frozen and cold for a long time and that won't leak blue goo all over the lunch box. I want to stay away from wasteful plastic sandwich bags and use more glass and BPA-free reusable plastic. Finally, I need some smaller containers for sauces, dips, dressings, and condiments because I LOVE my toppings and trimmings. I need a handy way to make sure anything liquid doesn't ooze out all over my lunch box.
Best lunch box ideas for adults
If you're looking to begin taking your lunch to work more frequently and need some lunch box ideas for adults, keep reading. I've compiled for you a handy list of what to pack in a lunch box — our lunch box essentials that we use most everyday:
Rubbermaid LunchBlox Lunch Bag
My husband has a lunch box similar to this one. It's nice and roomy with mesh pockets and to hold silverware or an ice cooler pack inside and a water bottle on the outside. The adjustable shoulder strap is so handy, especially when your bags are full and can't hold a lunch box or your arms are full and can't hold your lunch by the small handles alone.
Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers Slim Lunch Ice Packs, Multicolored – Set of 4
These ice packs are flat and sealed well around the edges. For years we used the larger blue block ones, only to have them leak blue goo all over our lunch boxes, food containers, and hands. These ice packs fit beautifully inside the mesh pockets inside the lunch box, won't swell when frozen, nor will they leak.
Dressing-to-Go 3-Pack Containers, Refrigerator, freezer and microwave safe.
What's a salad without dressing? What's a burger without ketchup? Nothing, in my culinary opinion! These little silicone dressing containers are so easy and they don't leak! Dressings and condiments come out nicely because their shape makes them easy to squeeze, plus the cap removes easily for washing but goes back on just as easily. And did I mention, they don't leak???
Glasslock 4-Piece Rectangle Oven Safe Container Set
These are amazing for storing leftovers and then dropping right into your lunch box. The glass container is oven safe and the plastic lid is BPA-free. It locks down and does not leak! Just this week, my lunch bag was unzipped and my entire lunch fell out, onto the floorboard of my van. I found my cheddar chicken chili upside down in my Glasslock container. Not one drip of the chili spilled at all. The seal on this lid is amazing!
Sistema Klip It Collection Lunch Cube to Go Food Storage Container
I use this container everyday. It's perfect for a sandwich, fruit, and chips. It has 3 different compartments to keep foods separate but latches all together for easy use and carry. This one container replaces 3 plastic sandwich bags.
Zulu Atlas Glass Water Bottle with Flip Lid, Purple, 20 oz
This water bottle is fantastic. The mouth is wide enough to accommodate most ice cubes yet small enough not to spill all over you! It has a silicone sleeve for better grip and a loop for easy carrying. The top pops open with a one-finger button press, but there's also a locking switch so that you don't accidentally hit it and open it.
The main reason I love my glass water bottle is because I am able to add my favorite essential oils to water and iced tea when I drink it in glass. (Don't ever put essential oils in a plastic container, as they can disintegrate the plastic. I only use and recommend Young Living essential oils. You can learn more about essential oils here.)
Lunchskins 3pk Reusable Sandwich Bags: Apple Orange Pear
Another money-saving tip here! These reusable cloth sandwich and snack bags will go the distance and replace hundreds of plastic baggies over the long-term. What's super cool, too, is that they are dishwasher safe, so just pop them in at night when you unload your lunch box. Plus, they're super-cute, too!
These lunch box items make taking your lunch so much easier and help you establish the habit that's better for your body and your purse! I'd love to hear what your favorites are? What are your best lunch box ideas for adults?


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According to podcast statistics, 51 percent of US consumers above the age of 12 listen to podcasts – a number that has been steadily growing year-after-year. Not only that, but 32 percent of Americans tune into podcasts on a monthly basis.
For business owners, podcasts can be an excellent way to develop an intimate connection with listeners and potential customers. They're hearing you speak, one on one, which helps to humanize your relationship in a way that your written content can't. Plus, offering different ways for your audience to engage with your content and your brand is never a bad thing.
Podcasting can also help you build a reputation from scratch and position yourself as an authority in your niche. You can drive traffic to your online store, through backlinks in podcast directories as well as directing your listeners to visit your site at the end of each episode.
If you're currently asking yourself: "What is a podcast?", the answer is fairly simple. A podcast is a recording of audio discussion on a specific topic, like business or travel, that can be listened to. They're often found on iTunes and Spotify but are sometimes hosted on websites. This dynamic medium can be a perfect way to deliver your daily dose of inspiration wherever your audience might be.
You don't need a lot of money or technical knowledge to start a podcast. This guide will offer a step-by-step walkthrough on how to start a podcast, why you should have one for your store, explain about the different types of podcasts and the equipment you'll need.
If you've been wondering how to start a podcast, how to record a podcast, or you've just been looking for podcast tips, this is the article for you.
Post Contents
- What Is a Podcast?
- Types of Podcasts
- Podcast Hosting Tips
- What Equipment Do You Need to Start a Podcast?
- How to Start a Podcast
- Things You'll Need Before Recording Your Podcast
- Recording Your Podcast
- Editing Your Podcast
- Podcast Web Hosting Server
- Submitting Your Podcast to iTunes & Spotify
- Best Ecommerce Podcasts
- Conclusion
- Want to Learn More?
What Is a Podcast?
A podcast is a form of audio broadcasting on the web. It can be listened to on the go, while commuting to office or even while working. It's a content medium that doesn't require all of your target audience's attention like a video or a blog post.
Podcasting is high in demand. According to Edison Research and Triton Digital, podcast listening has been on the rise every year.
The research also shows that people who regularly listen to podcasts spend about 5 hours per week listening to them.
As more people and more people tune into podcasts, more business owners are going to start seeing their potential. So, if you've been wondering how to start a podcast, you're first going to need to decide what type of podcast you'll create.
Types of Podcasts
1. The Interview Podcast
This podcast style is where one or two hosts interview different guests on each episode. This is a popular format because it doesn't always require a lot of groundwork.
Preparation usually includes researching your interviewee and coming up with a list of questions to ask. Of course, you'll need some soft skills to start this podcast type, like convincing guests to participate, interviewing skills, and being able to produce podcast episodes regularly.
Andrew Youderian, founder of eCommerceFuel hosts an informative podcast that does a great job of interviewing popular ecommerce experts.
2. The Solo Podcast
If you've been wondering how to start a podcast, this might be one of the best podcast formats for you. These podcasts are typically presented as a monologue, with one individual (you) who runs the show.
The content for solo podcasts can be opinion-based, news-related, a Q/A, or any other style that can be delivered by one person. From a technical standpoint, this is an easy podcast to produce because all you need is your voice, to know how to record a podcast, and a subject to talk about.
Smart Passive Income by Pat Flynn is a great example of this format. He mixes inspiration and instruction as he breaks down different ways to market your online business and stay ahead of the curve as an ecommerce entrepreneur. He discusses his own personal experiments and their results to help listeners build their own passive income businesses.
3. The Multi-Host Podcast
This form of podcasting has two or more hosts, which can be more dynamic than a solo show. If you've been researching how to start a podcast and you have a business partner, this could be a fantastic option for you.
Multi-host podcasts offer discussions that have different opinions and perspectives, which can bring more entertainment value for listeners who like to hear conversations and debates instead of a single person talking. For the creators, it also creates less pressure to keep the audience engaged and interested, since there are more people and more ideas.
One of the best ecommerce podcasts in this format is The Fizzle Show. It's co-hosted by three friends, Caleb Wojcik, Corbett Barr and Chase Reeves, who give out practical business advice on growing a profitable business.
Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to any one of these formats. Feel free to mix and match. There are lots of podcasters in the ecommerce industry who combine different styles. For example, you can find both interviews and solo commentary on Andrew Youderian's podcast – another one of the best ecommerce podcasts around.
Podcast Hosting Tips
With hundreds of new podcasts hitting the market almost daily, you might have a suspicion that you've arrived late to the party – and that's okay.
But trust us, you're never too late. If you can start a podcast that resonates with an audience, you're on to a winner.
Sure, there's competition, but careful planning and thoughtfully structured episodes will really help you to cut through the noise around your niche. Here are some podcast hosting tips to start you off on the right path:
1. Give a Preview of Your Format
Turning on your microphone and just rolling with it as a courageous act. While it works for some listeners, it's annoying to others. If you're creating multiple episodes, consider setting expectations for your listeners by having a consistent format for your episodes and previewing it in advance.
One great podcast tip for those of you who are wondering how to start a podcast is to have a special guest that you introduce at the start of the recording, or include recurring sections like "top trends" or "ask me anything."
For example, you might have a special guest that you introduce at the start of the recording, or recurring sections like "top trends" or "ask me anything." These sections can then be broken up with transitions that inform the listener that it's the end of that section. Using a repeated formula will not only help you build the content, but it can also help your listeners skip to their preferred parts if they're pressed for time.
2. Follow the Ideal Everything for Podcasts
Ideal length and frequency are heated discussions in the world of podcast hosting. Some say it's best to follow a weekly posting schedule. Others say one episode a month is sufficient. But what's right for your podcast? Use these podcast tips from Buffer to help you decide.
Ideal frequency to publish a podcast: Weekly
44 percent of the top 25 podcasts publish one episode per week. The next most-popular is twice per week.
Ideal Podcast length for each episode: 22 minutes
Stitcher, an online podcast and radio site, states that the average listener stays engaged for 22 minutes.
Best day to publish a podcast: Tuesday/Wednesday
60 percent of podcasts follow a schedule published early in the week, before Wednesday. The most popular day for posting is Tuesday
3. Find Your Niche
Even the best podcasts in the world aren't going to be catered towards everybody.
Instead of trying to go broad, perhaps start by finding your niche.
Think about who your core audience are going to be, and work on attracting those listeners first.
After you've build a following you can start thinking about moving to attract a broader bank of listeners.
4. Relax, Have Fun, And Be Prepared for Interview-Style Podcasts
When hosting an interview-style podcast show, chat with your guest before you start recording. This will help you relax into the conversation. Also, don't forget to have fun. The best podcast hosts sound relaxed because they aren't rushing to the next question.
One of our best podcast tips is to make sure that you do your homework on the guest. Search them on Google, go through their social media profiles, and see if they've already been interviewed by other podcasters. If they have, glean those interviews and use them to make your podcast even better. The more time you put into understanding the expertise and nature of the guest, the smoother things will go.
What Equipment Do You Need to Start a Podcast?
In this section, we'll briefly highlight the podcast equipment and audio software you'll need when you're learning how to start a podcast. The bare minimum you'll need to spend money on is a microphone, which can be cheap depending on what you choose. You may purchase an XLR microphone (XLR is a type of electrical connector, mostly used on professional audio equipment) that connects to a mixer, which can give you high-quality sound. However, the audio quality offered by a good USB microphone works just as well for most people.
Best USB Microphone for Podcasting
Nearly every computer has at least one USB port that allows you to connect a microphone to it. Most USB microphones are plug-and-play, which means no installation and drivers are needed.
Here's our list of some of the best USB microphones.
Samson Q1U Dynamic USB Microphone
Price: $69.99 USD
This is a basic, plug-and-play microphone that comes with a USB cable and mic stand. The audio quality is quite decent for the price, which makes it a great bang-for-your-buck mic if you don't want to shell out a lot of money.
Rode NT-USB Microphone
Price: $169.00 USD
The big plus about this microphone is the app that comes with it. Using the app, you can tweak FX, EQ your tracks and more. The entire package also includes a pop shield, zip case, desktop stand, headphone monitor jack, level and mix control and a 20" long USB cable. This microphone is one of the pricier options out there, but the sound quality and features make it worth the cost.
Blue Yeti USB Microphone
Price: $99.99 USD
The audio quality offered by the Blue Yeti microphone certainly justifies its price. It's also one of the most popular among podcasters. This mic is easy to connect with a plug-and-play USB, and it comes with its own stand. It includes condenser capsules which bypass the sound card on your computer, making sure that you get the best quality sound.
Best Professional Microphone for Podcasting
Price: $89.00 USD
This is a handheld mic that's commonly spotted at concerts, mostly in the hands of a lead singer. The SM58 can be drowned, dropped or crushed and still survive, so it can be the perfect choice for anyone who is looking to do more out-and-about podcasting than record in-studio.
RODE PROcaster Broadcast Dynamic Vocal Microphone
Price: $229.00 USD
This dynamic microphone gives you high-quality sound without compromises. It's an ideal broadcast and voice-over mic, as it's designed to give robust sound while blocking out background noise and preventing distortion of your audio output. This is the most expensive mix on our list, but it's worth it for those who want superior quality.
Optional Podcast Add-ons to Enhance Sound Quality
Sony ZX series Stereo Headphones
Price: $18.71 USD
If you're interviewing guests, these headphones help ensure there's no echoing during the interview. Pro podcast tip: echo in the background of your recording is bad, it'll really distract your listeners.
Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder
Price: $99.99 USD
It's a good idea to record your audio to an external device before importing the audio to your computer for editing. The reason for this is to avoid data loss if your computer crashes or loses power mid-recording. Recorders like Zoom H1 are usually portable, meaning you don't need to connect to a computer if you're recording on-the-go.
Price: $8.94 USD
This podcast equipment prevents recording of the clicking noises your mouth makes as you speak close to the microphone. When you're hosting a podcast, this is a really great tool – it'll really help you to understand where exactly you need to be talking into.
Audio Recording & Editing Software
The podcast software recommended in the list below will help you to record audio from your mic and save it as an MP3 audio file. You can also use the software to edit your recordings.
Audacity (Mac/PC)
Price: Free
This multi-featured podcast recording software provides podcast hosts with a range of options which allow you to record and edit audio, helping them to sound as good as the pros. Audacity is easy to use, and is a great alternative to paid audio editing software.
GarageBand (Mac)
Price: Free
GarageBand comes pre-installed in all MacBooks and is a decent option if you're just learning how to record a podcast for your business. It allows you to record the audio from your Mac and save it as an MP3.
Adobe Audition (Mac/PC)
Price: $19.99 USD per month
If you're looking for a powerful audio editing tool with all the bells and whistles, look no further than Adobe Audition. It might offer a little extra than what you require for basic podcast editing, but if you're using high-end podcast equipment and a mixer, it can be a good idea to consider Adobe Audition as well.
If you've been researching how to start a podcast, and you're looking for a long-term option for your audio software, this is our top pick.
Sourcing Music for Podcast Intro/Outro
The production side of podcasting seems to raise the most questions. And one of the most common topics is the intro and outro music. But there are so many resources available to source music that it shouldn't be an issue. Here's a list of places you can source music from, legally – these are all great options if you want to up your podcast hosting game.
Wistia has a tiny but mighty collection of free, royalty-free tracks. All you have to do is enter your email address, and you'll get music in your inbox before you know it.
Price: Free
This website has a large collection of stock images, video clips, and music tracks that are all royalty free, with a music clip directory that has more than 500,000 options. Compared to other sites, Pond5 has generous pricing for audio tracks with some tracks starting as low as $25. However, Pond5 charges a membership fee for access to its site.
Price: $99 USD per month or $499 USD per year
In addition to these sites, you can look for podcast intro and outro creators on Fiverr.
How to Start a Podcast
If you're wondering how to start a podcast, your first step will need to be deciding what you're actually going to discuss on the episode.
For some, it's obvious. For others, they have to get creative before they decide on an idea.
If your business idea is to sell phone cases, you might not want to start a podcast all about phone cases but about tech or new apps. If your target audience are digital nomads, then maybe a podcast about international traveling could be good.
Your topic will also depend on what you're passionate about or an expert on.
That said, it's a good idea to check if there's enough for you to speak about. The first thing we recommend is coming up with a list of 8-10 episodes. You can then look for similar iTunes podcast episodes and Spotify podcasts. Look at their popularity, like the number of followers on social media and number of reviews – it can tell you whether or not the topic is worth discussing.
Lastly, pick a podcast format and follow the ideal everything (discussed earlier) for episode length and frequency.
Things You'll Need Before Recording Your Podcast
Before you record, there are some things you need to prepare.
Podcast Artwork: One of the main things that you need to know when you're learning how to start a podcast is that your artwork needs to be eye-catching. Invest a little into getting a compelling cover made. Use images and fonts that are large enough to be clearly visible at almost any size. It should be maximum 2048×2048 and minimum 1400×1400. We recommend hiring a graphic artist from Fiverr or Upwork to design a fine-looking podcast cover.
Podcast Name: The name of a podcast should help potential listeners know what the podcast is about. Take for example the title, "The Dropshipping Podcast – All About Automating Your Product Management." It's pretty obvious this podcast is about dropshipping. So, if you're looking for a podcast on that topic, the name alone helps you understand if its the right podcast for you. By including the exact topic in your name you increase your likelihood of being found for that specific keyword. Podcast tip: include the exact topic in your podcast name and you'll greatly increase your likelihood of being found for that specific keyword.
Host Name: This is, obviously, your name (or your business' name) – but you can include a few more things to help your podcast rank higher for specific keywords. For example, an ecommerce entrepreneur could write "[His Name]: Ecommerce Strategist." Search the keyword "blogger" in iTunes and explore the podcasts section and you'll see what we mean.
Podcast Description: One of our top podcast tips is to include as many relevant phrases and keywords as possible in the description of your podcast. This is going to help people to find your content – the content that they're interested in and searching for – on sites like iTunes and Spotify. Remember, Spotify and iTunes are search engines, and most people that come across your podcast will likely discover it via search, at least primarily when your podcast is new.
Podcast category & subcategory: There are many different categories and subcategories for an iTunes podcast – everything from fashion to entrepreneurship. Select a category that best suits your subject, but it doesn't need to be exact. If you're finding it hard to select a category, look at other iTunes and Spotify podcasts that are similar to yours and check which ones they use.
Recording Your Podcast
Time to get rolling! But wait, how do you actually record a podcast?
First, you'll need a microphone plugged into your PC and an audio recording software open, like Audacity. You'll also need to ensure your recording software is using your mic as the input device. After that's done, click the record button in your audio software and chat away.
To record your first episode in Audacity, the free podcast tool we mentioned earlier, follow these steps:
- Ensure that Audacity has selected your microphone as the default input device by opening the device toolbar. Perform a few tests to double check.
- Press the R key or "Record" button to begin recording.
- Press the P key or "Pause" button to suspend recording temporarily, but not completely terminate it. You can't edit in this mode.
- Press Spacebar or "Stop" button to stop recording.
- If you want to start again from where you stopped without making an extra track, press Shift-R or press the "Record" button while holding down the "Shift" key.
- Press R key or the "Record" button again to record a new track.
If you're using Mac and prefer to record in GarageBand, here's a handy and short four-minute video guide.
Editing Your Podcast
Editing your recording enables you to keep a consistent volume, add in your intro and outro, as well as correct mistakes or remove gaps of dead air you might've created during your session. Again, any of the audio software recommended above, like Audacity, Adobe Audition or GarageBand should get the job done.
Some good settings you might want to test in your audio editor are those that automatically stabilize the volume, thereby removing spikes of high volume, and a setting that eliminates or removes background pops and noise. Once you finish the editing, save it as an MP3 file, with a 44.1 Mhz sample rate and 128 kbps bitrate.
Once your recording is saved, we suggest editing the file's ID3 tags. ID tags provide MP3 players and other devices with more information about the file, like the name of the artist and the name of the podcast episode. This way, MP3 players can display track information.
In Windows and Mac, using Open Metadata Editor and using Audacity allows you to insert ID3 tags like episode name, podcast name and artwork. It can also be done in iTunes. Then there's also ID3 Editor (costs $15 USD) which makes editing of ID3 tags a lot easier on Mac.
ID3 tags editing isn't necessary and it doesn't help your listing rank better on iTunes. But it adds a nice touch, especially for those who download your episodes to listen later on different devices.
Podcast Web Hosting Server
One of our best podcast hosting tips is to make sure that you have an individual host just for your MP3 files. Even if you have a website and a web host already, you don't want to host your podcast audio on the same server. Most shared web hosts don't have the speed or bandwidth to keep up with the demand that streaming and downloading MP3s require. Fortunately, media hosts make podcast hosting affordable. Here are the ones most podcasters use and recommend:
Blubrry – Costs $12 per month for 100mb of space with unlimited bandwidth.
LibSyn – costs $5 a month for 50mb of space with unlimited bandwidth.
Think about your publishing schedule before you purchase podcast hosting. Let's say you're planning to release a weekly episode. That's 4 episodes a month. If each episode is an hour long, every episode's file might be around 50mb, which means you'll likely require over 200mb per month. Generally, it's wise to pay a little more for the option that gives you a little more space than you require, just in case.
Submitting Your Podcast to iTunes & Spotify
After you've finished creating, editing, and hosting your podcast, you can submit to podcasting directories like iTunes and Spotify. Here's what's involved in sharing your audio files to these directories.
Submit Your Podcast on iTunes
- Make an RSS Feed for your podcast: LibSyn and other podcast hosting services handle the feed creation process for their users.
- Open iTunes Connect, Apple's dedicated portal for podcasters. You'll then be taken to the Podcasts Connect dashboard. There's a "+" sign to the left where you can submit a new show to the directory.
- When you click the "+" sign, you'll be redirected to a simple page where you have to enter and validate your RSS feed address.
- Check your podcast's listing once your RSS feed is validated. Make sure everything is exactly like you want it to be, then click the "Submit" button.
iTunes will send you a confirmation message, stating that there may be a screening process for your podcast. Usually within 24 to 48 hours, you'll get an email telling you if you're approved. 3 to 5 days later, your podcast will begin appearing in iTunes search results for relevant keywords.
Submit Your Podcast on Spotify
Spotify didn't accept open submissions previously, but has recently opened up to podcasters who meet specific criteria. The directory is primarily looking for these kinds of shows:
- Tech oriented
- Have evergreen content
- Appeal to millennials
- Include storytelling
All you have to do is fill out this submission form and wait for feedback. Keep in mind that it's still a manual process and submission doesn't guarantee your show will be listed alongside other Spotify podcasts.
You can now listen to Shopify Masters on Spotify.
Best Ecommerce Podcasts
Looking for some inspiration for podcast topics? Maybe you need some podcast tips or you're just looking for examples that you can use when you're learning how to start a podcast? Here's a list of useful ecommerce podcasts to refill your creative juices:
Shopify Masters
As Shopify's official podcast, Shopify Masters features a number of successful entrepreneurs and key players within the ecommerce community. Host Felix Thea interviews entrepreneurs each week to learn more about what it really takes to succeed in ecommerce.
The Llama Commerce Show
This Llama Commerce Show is a great resource for online store owners. Host Brett Curry covers everything related to scaling an ecommerce business from Facebook Ads to setting up an eBay store. Whether you need direction in selling, marketing or anything ecommerce related, this is the show to subscribe to.
Ecommerce Fuel
We've already mentioned this podcast in this article, but for good reason – Ecommerce Fuel is undoubtedly one of the best ecommerce podcasts around. This podcast is mostly aimed at experienced entrepreneurs who are looking to take their business up to the next level, but a lot of the content from this podcast can be applied to store owners at all levels of experience.
Now you have an idea of what it takes to create a successful podcast. Start thinking of the podcast listing information you need for your podcast and start listening to others that are similar to your goals.
If you already have a microphone, record a test episode today talking about your idea for the podcast. Get used to listening to yourself after the recording. If you've already downloaded an audio editing software, test that too.
You don't have to upload the episode today, just get comfortable with the process.
And that's it – now you've learned what is a podcast, how to record a podcast, and you're armed with our top podcast tips. Now all you need to do is go ahead and execute – we can't wait to see what you come up with.
What questions do you have about starting a podcast? If you've already tried podcasting, what lessons did you learn along the way? We'd love to hear from you.


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Adobe Air: Bookmash is an Adobe Air application combining over a dozen search tools covering video, music, photos, news, and social networks you can search at once for new media material.
Bookmash has a Cover-Flow-like interface, similar in functionality to previously mentioned PicLens (renamed to Cooliris). You can search wide open, covering sites like YouTube, Dailymotion, Metacafe, Lastfm, Seeqpod, Flickr, and more, or you can narrow your search based on the type of content you're looking for.
You can also add RSS feeds to Bookmash and media and articles from your feeds will become part of your searches. All the media you find can be easily bookmarked, downloaded, or shared with your friends via the simple menu available when you look at your search results in the detailed view.
Have a favorite search mashup of your own? Sound off in the comments below and let us know about how you scour the web for your media fix. Bookmash is freeware and works wherever Adobe Air does.


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Does Your Sperm Need a Diet? Fatty Foods Linked to Poor Sperm Quality
Gentlemen, you may want to hold the bacon. A new study suggests that eating a high-fat diet may be associated with lower sperm quality.
The study, published online in the European journal Human Reproduction, found that men who ate diets higher in saturated fat had lower sperm counts and concentration than men who consumed less fat. But men who consumed more omega-3 fatty acids — healthy fats found in fish and plant oils — had better formed sperm.
Researchers looked at 99 American men in their mid-30s who were participating in an ongoing study on fertility and environment, at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center. From December 2006 to August 2010, the researchers questioned the men about their diet and analyzed their semen samples.
The men were divided into three groups based on their total fat intake. The men in highest third of fat consumption (at least 37% of their total calories) had a 43% lower sperm count and 38% lower sperm concentration than the men with the lowest fat intake.
Saturated fats appear to be the star culprit behind poor sperm quality in this study. Men who consumed the most saturated fat (at least 13% of their daily calories) had a 35% lower total sperm count and a 38% lower sperm concentration than the men consuming the lowest levels.
Men who ate the most omega-3 fatty acids, however, had more correctly formed sperm.
MORE: Could a Healthy Diet Boost Sperm?
According to Dr. Richard Sharpe of the Medical Research Council's Human Reproductive Sciences Unit at the University of Edinburgh, for normal functionality, sperm depend on their plasma membrane, which is mainly composed of fats. "It is therefore not unreasonable to imagine that the type of fats in the diet may affect sperm membrane fat composition which, in turn, may affect sperm function. To an extent, we are what we eat," he said in an email statement. Dr. Sharpe is the deputy editor of Human Reproduction and is unaffiliated with the study.
"Diets containing higher amounts of omega-3 fat and lower amounts of saturated fat are associated with favorable semen quality parameters and may be beneficial to male reproductive health," says study author Dr. Jill Attaman, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Dartmouth Medical School. "Although these findings need to be reproduced, adapting these nutritional modifications may not only be beneficial for reproductive health but for global general health as well. Given the impact infertility has worldwide, many men as well as couples may benefit from such lifestyle changes."
The new study has its limits. For starters, the researchers acknowledge that the study sample was small and 71% of the participants were overweight or obese. Although previous research has associated obesity with poor sperm quality, the researchers were able to control for this factor. "We were able to isolate the independent effects of fat intake from those of obesity using statistical models," said Dr. Attaman in a statement. "The frequency of overweight and obesity among men in this study does not differ much from that among men in the general population in the U.S.A."
Since it is the first study reporting a relationship between dietary fat and semen quality, the study authors stress the need for further research.
But, men, there's no shortage of health reasons to adopt a lower-fat diet now. "It is common sense to recommend that men adopt such a diet. If this should also improve their sperm concentration and quality, then it is icing on the cake," said Dr. Sharpe.
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/14/does-your-sperm-need-a-diet-high-fat-intake-linked-to-poor-semen-quality/?iid=hl-main-lede#ixzz1pAB69gio


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UnNews:New Land Before Time film 'set to be darker'
Every time you think, you weaken the nation —Moe Howard | ✪ | UnNews | ✪ | Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 08:20:59 (UTC) |
New Land Before Time film 'set to be darker' |
29 November 2006
UnNews Audio (file info) | |
Listen to this story! | |
Problems playing this file? You might be a dope. |
HOLLYWOOD, California - Veteran animator Don Bluth has unveiled his vision for the latest Land Before Time dinosaur film to a packed press room filled with reporters. Although, to be fair, the press room was extremely small and calling it 'packed' without mentioning this may give a misleading impression. And a lot of people there, maybe 40%, were not reporters. Don Bluth himself counted for 20% of the people there.
Bluth stated that as the original Land Before Time was released in 1988, so many of the fans will have aged somewhat, 'possibly even into their teens', and that the series had to grow 'more mature' to keep pace with a changing audience. With this in mind, the new film will be darker, grittier, edgier and more in tune with today's disaffected, society-hating youth.
According to Bluth, the new film, provisionally titled Land Before Time XIII: The Yawning Abyss of Unimaginable Evil, will bring the series bang up to date. 'I suppose this film is about change, renewal, rebirth and awakening. There will be loss, but also joy', he said, whilst stroking his pet iguana, which scratched 60% of the people in the press room.
The new film will feature several developments likely to provoke controversy, including:
- an alien invasion
- the death of two major characters
- swearing
- the main character Littlefoot noticing girl dinosaurs for the first time.
As Bluth explained: 'Obviously, there's a limit to how far we could take the romance angle. Whilst Littlefoot has been friends with Cera the Triceratops for a long time, we didn't feel that the audience was ready for steamy love scenes between different species of dinosaur.' With this in mind, a new girl Apatosaurus named Bigthighs has been created especially for the film. 'You don't actually see anything, if that's what you're wondering,' said Bluth with a wink, adding 'You'll have to get the special edition DVD for that'.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Article and photo by Suheiri Rodriguez
Special to Niagara Frontier Publications
Joe Mihalich was announced Wednesday as the new men's basketball coach at Hofstra University on Long Island. Mihalich had previously served 15 years as the men's basketball coach at Niagara University.
Sources said Hofstra approached Mihalich about the open position. Former Pride coach Mo Cassara was fired after a 7-25 season. Mihalich interviewed for the position Monday, and was offered a six-year contract Tuesday.
"Joe Mihalich has been a winner at every stop in his highly successful career," said Jeffrey A. Hathaway, vice president and director of athletics at Hofstra, at Wednesday's press conference. "He has worked his way up the ladder through hard work and dedication, and his work ethic has prepared him to lead our program. Hofstra University is fortunate to land such a dynamic educator, coach and leader, and we look forward to the start of his work with our current and future student-athletes. We are excited to welcome him to campus."
"I have to be honest with you, I wasn't looking so much to leave," Mihalich said. "When I recruited players up at Niagara, I would say to them, 'I would never leave here unless it was for a really special place, unless it was for something that was really a new challenge - a new chance to do something; a new beginning; a new life.' And that's what we're gonna get right here. I can't wait to get going."
Mihalich compiled a 265-203 record with Niagara and was a three-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. He led the Purple Eagles to two National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament and three National Invitational Tournament appearances.
Niagara Director of Athletics Tom Crowley said he was not surprised to see Mihalich go because the idea of his departure had been "floating around for the past couple of weeks."
"It was a stream of consciousness," he added.
"I guess probably, I'm more surprised that Joe was here as long he was, given the level of success that he's had," Crowley said.
In a statement, The Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., president of Niagara University, said, "I have always believed that Joe was a very good coach on the basketball court but, more importantly, he has been a tremendous coach for our players and students off the court, as a leader, role model and mentor, as evidenced by this year's Skip Prosser Award. We wish him great success. For the Niagara community, he will always be a Purple Eagle."
With regard to a replacement for Mihalich, Crowley said, "We like to move as fast as we need to move. We need to be thorough and be complete, but we will not rush. But we will try to move as quickly as we can to find the right person."
"There is a ton of interest in this job and I am quite confident we are going to get ourselves a very good basketball coach," he added.
Niagara officials said Mihalich plans to take his assistant coaches Kyle Neptune, Mike Farrelly, Shane Nichols and Colin Curtin with him to Hofstra. However, they are expected to remain a little longer at NU to work with current players prior to a new coaching staff's arrival.
Crowley said NU's men's basketball players have initially indicated they will return for next season.


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College Entrance Exam, Football-Player Version – take with a grain of salt & enjoy the joke!
Time Limit: 3 Weeks
Name: _____________________________
1. What language is spoken in France?
2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions -OR-
give the first name of Pierre Trudeau.
3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to
___ (a) build a bridge
___ (b) sail the ocean
___ (c) lead an army or
___ (d) WRITE A PLAY
4. What religion is the Pope?
___ (a) Jewish
___ (b) Catholic
___ (c) Hindu
___ (d) Polish
___ (e) Agnostic (check only one)
5. Metric conversion. How many feet is 0.0 meters?
6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little
hand is on the 5?
7. How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately)
8. What are people in America's far north called?
___ (a) Westerners
___ (b) Southerners
___ (c) Northerners
9. Spell: Bush, Carter, and Clinton
Bush: __________________________________________
Carter: __________________________________________
Clinton: __________________________________________
10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being
George the Sixth. Name the previous five:
11. Where does rain come from?
___ (a) Macy's
___ (b) a 7-11
___ (c) Canada
___ (d) the sky
12. Can you explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity?
___ (a) yes
___ (b) no
13. What are coat hangers used for?
14. The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for what country?
15. Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium -OR- spell your name in BLOCK LETTERS.
16. Where is the basement in a three story building located?
17. Which part of America produces the most oranges?
___ (a) New York
___ (b) Florida
___ (c) Canada
___ (d) Wisconsin
18. Advanced math. If you have three apples, how many apples do you have?
19. What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) stand for?
20. The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when
___ (a) B.C.
___ (b) A.D.
* You must correctly answer three or more questions to qualify.


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Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Paul Anderson - Jeff Everson
Paul Anderson
by Jeff Everson (1985)
Moscow, 1955, Gorky Park:
The World Weightlifting Championships
The men in their tweed coats and weather-beaten faces grew restless. "What is this fat man about? Why does this American make a mockery of our Alexander?" The crowd pressed forward. Backstage, the Soviet trainers scurried about. "So, another capitalist ploy from Hoffman. He sends no Davis. He sends no Schemanski. Instead, he sends this fat man to sell his protein powders."
Outside the crowd became disturbed, almost indignant at what was transpiring. Mindless to their thoughts, Paul Anderson asked the loaders for 182.5 kilos his first attempt. 402 lbs. of defiant steel lay at his feet. People craned their necks and stiffened their backs to see. "Who is this interloper who dares ask for this press?"
Alexander Medvedyev, World Champion, peered out behind the curtains. He knew the dangers of lifting in the cool weather. It was raining besides and that made it worse. In the breeze and mist, he had just pressed 321 lbs., some 60 lbs. off the world record, but it was more than enough to win today. Or so he thought.
Anderson laboriously approached the ponderous bar. He addressed the crowd politely, sighing heavily as he did. Bending at his bulbous waistline, Anderson encircled his thickened fingers around the cold knurling. He tightened his 10" wrists.With a grunt and a sudden tug of his 33" thighs, Anderson whipped the bar to his massive chest and arose out of the squat, much like you and I get up off the couch. He set and waited for the signal that would make him a legend.
"Press!" shouted the head judge. Anderson's deltoids and triceps sprang into action and, in about the time it takes a man to turn his head to glance at a beautiful woman, Anderson had the bar overhead. There in the cold Moscovian drizzle, Paul Anderson became the first man to military press 400 lbs.
While it may be true that the Russian hordes couldn't understand the genetic uniqueness of this man's body, one thing they did understand was strength. Immediately the Soviet media pronounced Anderson "The Wonder of Nature". Some referred to Anderson as "Mr. America", oblivious to the fact that the AAU already bestowed that title on Steve Klisanin in 1955. No matter. On that day, in Gorky Park, Paul Anderson became legend.
To hear many experts tell it, Paul Anderson, born in Toccoa, Georgia, in 1932, is the strongest man to ever claim God's Earth as home. While it's undeniable that old strength tales a like wine, getting better with age, in this case the facts do seem to justify most of the claims.
Consider his physical plant. In the early Sixties, when Anderson was at his strength peak, he weighed 370 lbs. at about 5'9". Built on an awesome height-weight scale, Anderson would have weighed roughly 460 lbs. if he was as tall as Bill Kazmaier. Simply stated, the man had great leverage.
He had short arms, good for benching; thick thighs and butt, perfect for squatting, and he had an enormous waistline, also good for squatting. His back was short, which afforded him fairly good leverage in the deadlift, even with his small hands and short arms. It was stated in Muscular Development magazine that no one possessed knee tendons as thick and large as Paul. From top to bottom, fore and aft, to knees, wrists, ankles and breadth of belly, Paul Anderson was well constructed for supporting massive poundages.
By all creditable accounts, Paul was a good athlete with explosiveness ala Jon Cone or Ken Patera. At a bodyweight of over 320 lbs. Anderson standing long-jumped over eight feet, and ran a sub five-second 40 yard dash. Like Kazmaier, he was an outstanding football player, running fullback at Furman while weighing 240 lbs. Talk about your average block of granite!
In fact, when Anderson began training for football, he found out on his first or second attempt at any exercise that he could outlift anyone. Strength fascinated him, just as the piano would if you found your brain possessed the faculty of a Mozart of Beethoven.
In 1951, after about six months of weight lifting, Anderson weighed 275 lbs. He was 19 years old, and had a 20" arm and 32" thigh. During this time he squatted 560 lbs. sans belt or wrap, and the photos indicate he was below parallel. According to the official statistics on such things, this was more than anyone had squatted with, ever.
He continued. In 1953 Anderson was done with football, giving strength and weightlifting his all. A freind convinced him to enter the Tenesse Olympic weightlifting championships, even though he had not practiced the lifts per se. Nonetheless, he did 275, 225, and 325. He also gave a squatting demonstration afterwards, making an unheard of lift of 660 lbs. Then, just eight months after starting the Olympic lifts, he clean & jerked 400 pounds!
In the spring of 1954, Anderson weighed over 300 lbs. At an exhibition with Bob Peoples in South Carolina, Paul squatted 700 lbs. Later in the year he tried 750, but missed, only because the weight rolled over his head. Although his training centered on squats, Paul began working the Olympic lifts in earnest with hopes of making the 1956 Olympic team for the USA. He started to improve rapidly. In the 1955 Senior Nationals in Cleveland, Ohio, Paul lifted 390 lbs. in the clean & jerk. Although he still was in the figurative shadow of the great Norb Schemansky, Ski was slowing with injuries.
Paul went on to win the 1955 World Weightlifting Championships in Moscow. In 1956, leading up to the Melbourne Olympic Games, Anderson stepped up his power training. This included heavy bench presses, half and quarter squats,and dumbbell presses. Going into the Games, he hoped to press and jerk around 440 lbs. and snatch 340-350, but just before the Games he got a horrendous flu which caused inner ear problems and severe weight loss. Nonetheless, Anderson held on to win, totaling just over 1100 lbs. He was fittingly announced to be the Word's Strongest Man. It was at these championships that Anderson became aware of his deep Christian faith.
At the tender age of 24, Anderson said goodbye to trophies and turned professional. He was lifting 1200 lbs. in the Olympic three and could squat with over 800. In 1957, Paul, weighing 335 pounds, broke both Louis Cyr's and Jack Walsh's back lift records, a lift which to this day remains unchallenged and listed by the Guiness Book of World Records as the greatest weight lifted by a human. Unless someone beats it, this lift ALONE establishes Anderson as the strongest man that ever lived.
During the years since 1956, until just recently, Anderson traveled about the country giving strength exhibitions and motivational seminars as a professional Christian strongman. In between shows he trained and ran his youth home in Georgia, which he still does today. It was during the early years after the 1956 Games, when Anderson did a short bit of professional wrestling that he lost his amateur status. This was most unfortunate, and a great loss to American sport.
From 1957 up to 1963 Paul pushed his bodyweight up to 370 lbs. and this is the period in which he did his most outstanding lifting. Unfortunately, none of Paul's lifts were ever performed in official powerlifting competition, which didn't really get going until a bit later. That fact doesn't negate his performances, which were observed by many honest, creditable people. Paul couldn't lift in a meet anyway, because powerlifting was under AAU auspices then and in their eyes he was clearly a professional.
Around 1962, Peary Rader and Armand Tanny were among several people who watched Anderson push-press 500 lbs. at Muscle Beach in California. Later, a young Pat Casey watched Anderson do 10 repetitions in the parallel squat with 800 lbs., all of which Pat insists were parallel. Rader noted that later Paul push-pressed 545 lbs. This feat has only been equaled by men like Ken Patera and the top Russian superheavyweight lifters who use speed and technique to get the weight up. Paul's move was considered to be stricter than the way most people pressed in the early Seventies!
In an exhibition in Alabama in 1963, Paul cleaned and pressed 450 lbs., snatched 340, and just failed to clean 460, which he surely would have jerked. During this time period, Paul did 3 sets of 10 in the squat with 600 lbs. as part of his training, resting up to 20-30 minutes between sets. He then increased to 800-850 for sets of 4-6 reps, and finally moved to 1200-1500 for half and quarter squats. His whole workout would take nearly a day to complete. Reliable witnesses saw him deadlift 650 lbs. for 5-7 reps as well.
Over the years various people claim to have seen Big Paul parallel squat with between 900 and 1100 lbs. Such reports are hard to localize and define, although pictures do exist of Anderson squatting 900 to parallel effortlessly. After all, anyone that can carry a full grown steer and lasso a runaway locomotive, as Anderson did in an early Rowan and Martin movie, has to be able to squat that much!!!
It's noteworthy that Anderson did not wear wraps and sometimes not even a belt. Anderson himself claims the following best lifts: Squat - 1100 pounds; Bench Press - 625; Deadlift - 780; Clean & Press - 485; Clean & Jerk - 485; Snatch - 375; Push Press - 545; and a One Arm Dumbell Press with 300 lbs. for 11 reps. As mentioned, all of these lifts were made when Paul was in his prime at 370 lbs. At this stature, Anderson claimed a 62" chest, 24" arm and neck, and 36" thighs. Today, some lifters can exceed some of these lifts, but no one has cared to even try to exceed Anderson's claimed 6,270 lb. back lift.
Powerlifters aren't necessarily skilled in the Olympic lifts, but a man such as Jon Cole or Bill Kazmaier, properly trained, might have lifted what Andy did in the Olympic three and Kazmaier, of course, benched and deadlifted more. I also believe Kazmaier could have push-pressed as much with proper training. Hechter, Moran and Kenady all squat comparably considering the differences in depth, but which lifter could do all of these lifts, without wraps and a belt, twenty years ago, and without steroids. Exactly zero, my friends, and that's what makes Paul Anderson so special.
Based on the best available evidence, I would estimate that Anderson could have officially totaled 2250 in the powerlifts back in 1964, his total consisting of a 900 squat, 600 bench and 780 deadlift. I'm of the opinion that, used over the period of 10 years, anabolic steroids add at least 25% to a person's ultimate total. All things considered, if he had so chosen to lift under the sports pharmacology doctrines of some of today's top lifters, Anderson would have totaled at least 2500-2600 lbs. I see no reason why, if Anderson had chosen to specialize on it, he couldn't have benched 700 lbs. before Williams and Arcidi. He had a better structure for it than anyone else.
I'll agree that this is very subjective becuase the fact of the matter is that Anderson's lifts are mostly unofficial and they'll stay that way forever. What you can't deny is that he did everything without any competition, any steroids, any helpful suits and wraps, and twenty years ago.
Dr. Fred Hatfield, who knows a thing or two about strength, says the following: "It's so hard to measure these things. for all-around strength, especially pressing and squatting, or in slow- speed movements, Anderson was clearly the strongest man, but he would have been hard pressed to win the strongman competitions for example, because of speed and structural limitations. Furthermore, I think, given the depth to which he squatted, Kenady, Hechter and Moran are his equal, discounting any effect of steroids or wraps, but then again that may be discounting an awful lot!"
Anderson, from my understanding, didn't do a lot of benching. It wasn't in vogue back then, so we cannot really say what he could have done. I doubt the 625 bench, only because he didn't practice it that much, although he certainly was well built for the bench. Training science is just so much better today. What would he have done today, under present conditions? A shitload of weight, that what! To me, asking whether he was the strongest man who ever lived is sort of like asking who was the greatest boxer of all time. Was it Dempsey, Louis, Marciano of Ali? We'll never know.
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