text:
I am up to 5 sessions with my counsellor now (out of the proposed 8 designated by standard NHS procedure) and I can tell he's not going to drop the mother thing.
I was 13 when mum died and she had been ill for about 4 years. It had a profound impact on me and on my lifestyle and it has shaped my attitudes to certain things including myself.
However, it is no more the root cause of my depression than it is the reason I fancy women – I don't care how Freudian you want to be, it is not the be all and end all of my existence and my life is not all about her absence.
I know that it is perfectly possible and probably legitimate to read my (ongoing) anger at people's fixation with my mother and my rejection of sympathy on the topic as symptoms of my inability to grieve or due to a developmental gap caused by the lack of a mother-figure and the requirement to grow up and take resonsibility I didn't want. I grant you that its probably not entirely a helpful attitude to take but I can't help it – it pisses me off.
So here are some of my psychological issues that I think are related to my mother dying followed by some I think are not:
- A rather mixed attitude to life and death – I'm hyper-conscious of mortality which sometimes pushes me to take risks in order to make sure I experience life; I am occasionally flippant about my own death and unfazed by putting myself in danger (a habit I am working on breaking for the sake of my partners) & I can seem cold and unfeeling or over-emotional about other people's illness and death
- A need for control – I had no control over her illness and I hated it since then I have endeavoured to take control of what I can and shut out what I cannot (linked to but not the same as Quitting whilst ahead, see below); Being forced to take on more responsibility caused anger and confrontations but ultimately led to me having to have more self-control – leading to suppressed feelings and
- Self-harm – although I believe that my anger turned inward in order to get things done and my need for control ultimately tipped me over that precipice, I also remember the signs of a desire to punish myself and a lack of ability to express myself before my mother's illness so this one is a little double-edged.
- Fear of attachment/commitment – pretty self-explanatory really, don't get too close cos it'll hurt when its gone
- Sense of not being good enough – try as he might my therapist still hasn't quite worked out how to link this to my mum's death, and I think this is because I believed I was inherently flawed before I started school
- Quitting whilst ahead/hating to lose – in this world there are some things I am destined to only be OK at, I have come to accept that, what I can't accept is being second-best (or worse). I hate knowing I did everything I could and it could never be enough so I try to avoid situations where this might come up. This is not the same as situations where I feel if I work harder, longer or more concentratedly I would and therefore should be better (like say a thesis, housework or relationships)
- The crushing sense of responsibility – in my heart of hearts I know that only I can change me (inevitably leading to the knowledge that my depression and physical issues are my fault) and that it is my responsibility to make everyone's lives that I touch in any way better by some increment, my duty to always consider the impact of my actions, words and emotions on others and to therefore act, speak or express myself in such a way as to help not hurt them. It is a moral/ethical stance I stand by but it can lead to obssesive behaviour and thoughts and a spiral of guilt.
I can't help but feel that my sense of self and self-worth had a profound impact on how I reacted to my mother's death and therefore on the way it affects me now.. but hey ho I'm no professional and I can't quite get the eagle-eye perspective


text:
Chad-O-Glo Dbl Sided Grate VFGD 700 - P.O.A
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Gas Installation: This fireplace may only be installed by a registered gas installer.
Choosing a Site: This fireplace may be installed in any room in the home except in enclosed bathrooms or bedrooms where the humidity levels are too high. Avoid areas where there are strong draughts, which may be generated by outside doors. It is recommended that this fireplace should not be installed within 500mm of any air vent as this could affect the workin of the O.D.S. An outside wall is most convenient for the gas installation.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
On June 10 this year, 2014, New Canaan CT police arrested a carpet cleaner suspected of stealing a $40,000 diamond from the home of a woman getting her carpet cleaned. He was employed by a carpet cleaning company engaged to clean the home.
As reported by the New Times, a 2.15 carat diamond was pried from its setting. The owner had removed her engagement ring and wedding band the night before. She only discovered that the diamond was gone after the carpet cleaner left.
The diamond has yet to be found, and the suspect was scheduled for a court appearance.
Did the carpet cleaner really take the diamond? No one really knows. Police did find sufficient probable cause to arrest him.
Regardless, what's important is that we should be careful when opening your home to strangers. It's not a good idea to leave valuables lying around the home, at least not in open view. Sometimes, we are so busy planning things and getting errands done around the home that we forget our personal security.
Photo credit: By anitapeppers on morguefile


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How To Easily Make MORE Music With A Full-Time Job
Hey, this is Jason from Behind The Speakers, and in this video you'll learn how to create more music without quitting your day job. But before we dive in, I also put together a free 7-day music-making challenge that will help you develop the skills you need to double your musical output. So if you're ready to make more music today, click the link in the description below or up there in the video to get started right now.
Now if you're like most of us, music is probably not the only thing that you have going on in your life, right? Maybe you have a full-time job, or kids, or family, or other obligations, so in this video I want to cover three simple tips that you can apply right now to help you make more music without sacrificing any of the other important obligations you have in your life.
Tip number one is you don't need to know it all. Now as music makers, we're obsessed with details, right? We want to learn about every tip, and trick, and technique, and plug-in that we can use to make our music sound just a little bit better. But it's important to realize that if you only have a couple of hours a week to work on music, you need to get really serious about focusing on the things that are going to make the biggest impact for you – not wasting time focusing on things that are only going to make a one-percent or two-percent difference, but focusing on those big wins, right?
So there's this concept called Pareto's law, Pareto's principle. And essentially it says that in any given situation, eighty percent of the results are determined by twenty percent of the actions, or the input, right? So that means within the music making process, only twenty percent of what you're doing is causing eighty percent of the results. It's getting you eighty percent of the way there in terms of a finished record that sounds really good, right? So you need to be focusing on that twenty percent and really finding those things, those few things that are really going to get you eighty percent of the way there, and making sure you got those down before you jump into more advanced tips and tricks and techniques that are really only going to get you marginal improvements compared to the big wins that you'll get by focusing on those two or three things.
So within the mixing process in particular, I think there are a couple things that fall in this twenty percent camp, the stuff that really makes an impact. Number one is balance – so making sure that you're really spending the time to find the right fader positions, as boring as it sounds, for the individual tracks in your mix before you spend a whole bunch of time EQ'ing or multiband compressing, or any of that other stuff. Just move the faders. You'd be surprised what a big impact this can actually have on your music. And people don't spend enough time here, so making sure that you've got balance right before you move on.
And the other two things I think that fall in this camp are EQ and compression. These are foundational tools. They're incredibly important, and they really do contribute to the sound of a great record. So if you don't really have a handle – I mean really confidently understand things like EQ, and compression in particular because I think that compression is a little bit harder for people to wrap their head around, I think you really need to go back to those basics and make sure that you understand – okay, what are all the different controls and the parameters on a compressor for example, and how do they work, and really getting a solid handle on that stuff before you spend a whole bunch of time focusing on advanced tips and tricks and all the other stuff that seems really sexy and exciting but I promise you is not going to make as big of an impact, not even close, to focusing on the stuff that really matters.
So making sure that you're focusing your attention where it really counts, recognizing that you don't need to know everything, but that just really conquering and mastering a few small things can get you eighty percent or more to the sound of a finished record, to a music that you can really feel proud of. It's liberating to know that, and once you really understand that I promise you your progress is going to improve dramatically. You're going to make much larger strides towards creating music that you can really feel proud of.
Tip number two is limitations can be empowering. Now a lot of us creative types feel like limitations are limiting, right? We sit down and we want to have the freedom to build anything and create any type of music we want and no boundaries, right? And that's part of the reason that music making is really exciting. But setting limitations, setting some boundaries for yourself, can actually help you make more music. It can help you progress quicker, more effectively. It can help you finish things, get things done right. And so if you get good at setting limitations around your creativity, as backwards as it sounds, you'll actually become more creative in many circumstances. You'll be in a better position to create more music. So what kind of limitations am I talking about?
Number one the biggest thing is deadlines, right? So not saying like "hey I'm just going to sit down and make music whenever I want and you know, something comes out of it that's great," but setting some kind of goal for yourself and actually setting a time limit and being like "this is how much time I have and at the end of this time, I'm going to have a record finished. Even if it sounds horrible, that's when I'm going to finish and I'm not going to go past that point."
So really setting clear deadlines, and there's an idea called Parkinson's Law that basically says work expands to however much time you give it. So if you give yourself three months to make a record, you're going to take three months to make a record. But if you say I want to do this in three weeks, you're going to do it in three weeks. You're going to find a way to make it work, even if it seems impossible at the time.
So one of my favorite exercises, I love to do this, is the twenty-four-hour song challenge. And I've done this with one of my favorite artists, Dylan Owen, where we actually went out to a studio, or his studio, and said, you know, we're going to make a record in twenty-four hours, and at the end of the twenty-four hours, we have a finished record, right? Even if it sucks, we're going to stay up all night and make a record, right? And that was an incredibly awesome challenge. It just, it gave us that boundary that actually helped enable us to be more creative in that situation. So timed deadlines is one way that you can limit yourself.
Another way is actually putting limitations on the creative process itself. So saying I'm going to make a record with only sampled instruments. Now I'm not going to, if I'm a guitarist I'm not going to play any instruments. I'm going to sample everything. Or I'm going to make an EDM record when I'm a rock music producer, right? Setting these limitations can actually challenge you to get outside of your comfort zone and get more creative and ultimately come away with something that's really interesting, and just something that can help you grow and challenge your skills and abilities and ultimately help you improve over time. So not being afraid of limitations, actually looking at limitations – specifically time limitations – when it comes to creating more music in less time, can be incredibly powerful. And I promise you if you embrace this idea of setting limitations for yourself, you're going to create a whole lot more music.
Tip number three is to practice the art of making commitments. Now making commitments is one of the most important skills that you need to master if you want to be a great music maker. In today's music making process, we have a disease. And it's caused by this lack of commitment, this idea of pushing things down the line as far as we can and making decisions later instead of making firm commitments today. There are a million different ways that we do this, right? Instead of making a firm commitment and choosing a vocal take while we're comp'ing, we just keep them all and we say oh we'll just figure it out in the mix. Or instead of, you know, recording one mic on a guitar, and really taking the time to find the right placement and commit to a sound, we record things with half a dozen mics so we can fix it in the mix and just have more flexibility later. And instead of making a committed mix and bouncing things down to a stereo audio file, we send stems to mastering so that they can kind of mix for us, right?
There are a million different ways that we push off commitment in the music making process, and it's worse today than it's ever been before. But this is holding you back. It's holding you back from making more music. It's holding you back from finishing things and moving on. And ultimately you have so much more to gain from finishing a project and taking on a new challenge than you do from toiling away for weeks or months on end working on the same thing. You're not really getting anything done, you're not moving forward. And ultimately at a certain point you have to draw a line in the sand and say this is what this is. This is what I've created. And I need to commit to this, finish it, and move on. I promise you if you can do this, if you can commit and really exercise commitment, because it's like a muscle, if you commit on a regular basis, you make micro commitments in the music making process, every day if you challenge yourself to make more commitments, to make firm decisions – it's a muscle – and your commitment muscle will grow over time, and it will become easier to make more commitments and make firmer commitments over time.
And this is one of the big keys to making more music. Because if you can commit, if you can say "I'm making this decision now," then you're going to create so much more. You're going to finish things so much faster. You're going to have so much music you don't know what to do with, right? So practice the art of making commitments. Maybe this means printing your guitar effects in the recording phase, right? Instead of just adding them later in the mix. Getting the sound that you're happy with, and then printing it. Or when you're tuning your vocals, once you're happy with the sound, printing it down to audio so you can't go back. I know it's kind of scary, but I promise you if you can make these firm decisions and make this a practice and a habit in your music making process, you're going to create a whole lot more music in a lot less time.
Now if you're ready to dive deeper, again I also put together that free 7-day music-making challenge, which will equip you with the skills you need to double your musical output. So if you're ready to make more music today, click the link in the description below or up there in the video to download this free music making challenge right now.
Before you go, leave a comment below this video and let me know – what's your biggest musical goal this year? Is it to finally finish your album? To release a single for the first time? Let me know, leave a comment below. I read all of them and reply to as many as I can.
Thanks so much for watching, and you can check out more music making tips like these right here on my YouTube channel or at BehindTheSpeakers.com.


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If you had told me six months ago that I was someone who suffered from overwhelm on a consistent basis, I would have argued back, "I don't get overwhelmed! I stay on top of things! I rarely–if ever–totally break down and sink into a useless pile on the couch." That was what overwhelm meant to me. Someone who was overwhelmed became incapable of participating in life, they would check out. I never did that.
I've been looking closer at this emotional state over the last several months…I am, honestly, overwhelmed by how OFTEN I am dealing with overwhelm. Who knew! Now that I'm allowing the overwhelm, I do break down on the couch now and again. However, one of my most common flavors of overwhelm is retreating up into my head. I start thinking and spinning in the never-ending to-do list, the imaginary conversations I need to have, the e-mails I need to write…this is overwhelm.
I wanted to share a version of a short tapping script I've been using over the last few weeks when I feel this happening. Sometimes I use it in the middle of the day, and often actually right before I go to bed. The head spinning is most clear to me then, when I'm trying to be quite and get a good rest to wake up and go at it again. For anyone not familiar with EFT or tapping, you can click here for a short video introduction to the tapping points.
Let me know if you find this helpful!
Karate Chop Point:
Even though I feel all up in my head and ungrounded, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though I feel completely up in my head; I'm scattered and frantic and unfocused in spite of all that I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though I am all up in my head and a part of me kind of likes being up here despite feeling scattered and frantic and unfocused and jittery and airy and up in my head, I deeply and completely love and accept myself
Tapping through the points:
I'm all up in my head
my energy is floating with the clouds
I wish it was down here with me in my body
sitting on this chair
working on moving my life forward
oh man, I wish my energy was here closer to the earth with me
but it's not
I'm all up in my head
and when my energy is all up in my head
I feel light headed,
kind of dizzy
and little bit giddy
and boy do I want to talk,
even if it's just to myself!
there is lots and lots of air spinning around up in my head right now
feeling sort of scattered
feeling frantic
deep breath
man, it would be nice if I could pull all of this energy
back down into my body
down through the middle of my spine
deep into my core
out my pelvis
and into the earth beneath me
because, even though I'm all up in my head,
more of me is here down on earth.
More of me is here right now,
living my life in solid, grounded human form.
letting all this air go
letting all this frantic, scattered energy up in my head dissipate
letting it get sucked back down into the core of the earth
grounding me back down to myself, my true purpose,
my core quality of being
so that I may go on with my day in a much more grounded,
focused, creative and safe way.
Take a deep breath.
I see YOU,


text:
Listen to Service February 9 , 2020.
Minister Stephanie Richmond.
Click or Tap on the pictures below e.g. Page 1 to see the bulletin.
Note the full size copy will open. Keep your mouse over top 0f the page or it will close.
Scroll or sweep down to move the bulletin up, use down arrow key.
Tap screen users, tap to blank area on screen to close it
Listen to Service, Click here
Listen to Sermon only, Click here
7 minute video played at start of sermon, then Minister Stephanie talk about it.
Page 1
©Copyright by Seagrave United Church, Ontario, Canada.


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Have you seen a bleached giant clam?
In the (not so many) years of my research, I have not personally encountered bleaching giant clams, despite the severity of the major global events in the last two decades. This includes experiences locally (Singapore) and overseas. Unfortunately, we had that opportunity to observe first-hand clam bleaching in our aquarium tanks. 😦
My colleagues had first observed slight paling in the mid-May but was not yet alarmed. It was in early June, when more clams started to bleach out and 'turn white'. The severity of clam bleaching is as follows (starting with worst performer): Tridacna maxima > Tridacna gigas > Tridacna squamosa. Note that all species are cultured species, which means that they are not naturally wild giant clams. We also observed mortality in the most severely bleached giant clams. 😦 Fortunately, the intertidal team had yet to report a bleaching clam! Phew!
Global bleaching events (1998, 2010, 2014-2016)
The global coral bleaching phenomenon has been well-documented – the first event in 1998 and the second event in 2010. The current bleaching event that began since October 2015 has not only been the longest event recorded, but has caused some of the worse (and possibly) devastating impacts on global coral reefs.
One such example is the Great Barrier Reef, where almost 93% of the world's largest reef has been affected, and almost a quarter of the reef on 2,300km stretch is now dead. Reefs in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and Pacific are also suffering in this bleaching event.
In Singapore, sea surface temperature (SST) became persistently high throughout April and May. The SST reached as high as 32°C! By early June, we began to observe bleaching in hard corals, and within a span of one week, it was catastrophic for us. On the reefs, hard coral bleaching incidence was almost 40% and other zooxanthellate cnidarians such as sea anemones and zoanthids showed complete bleaching. For more information on bleaching patterns, you may visit Bleach Watch Singapore.
Recap: What is coral bleaching?
Based on the definition from NOAA – It is a phenomenon when corals (both hard and soft) experience stress caused either by increased temperature, increased light, or increased nutrients, expelling their symbiotic micro algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. These corals are NOT dead, but may become even more stress over time due to their weakened state.
Similar to zooxanthellate corals, giant clams are susceptible to heat stress too. They would lose their brown colour, which is the zooxanthellae cells, and turn pale to white. Giant clams may also bleached under other stressful scenarios such as stress of transportation and shading (Norton et al. 1995).
How to identify a bleached giant clam?
It's quite simple (and similar to zooxanthellate corals). The brown colour you see in giant clams are mostly derived from the symbiont micro algae, and during a heat stress event, the clam loses the brown colour and 'turn white'. Yes, they look like 'ghost' underwater! What surprises me is that their natural coloured pigments appeared to have 'disappeared', but not entirely as you can see the slight luminescent blue in the following picture. The discussion of clam colours is deserving of another post in the near future.
Are there any reports of giant clam bleaching?
Yes, there have been a handful of reports of giant clam bleaching but not plentiful, despite the severity of global coral bleaching event. Here's quick summary of locations with reports of giant clam bleaching:
1998 – Bolinao Ocean Nurseries, Philippines: Seawater temperatures reached 34.9°C and 34.1°C in the months of June and July 1998 respectively. Mortalities were observed for all species cultured in the nurseries, with worst performer being Tridacna gigas (Gomez & Mingoa-Licuanan, 1998).
1997-1998 – Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia: Seawater temperatures increased from 22°C to 32°C within several weeks, accompanied by heavy rainfall that lowered the salinity to 18 (Buck et al., 2002). Extensive bleaching of cultured clams and wild stocks in the central region of GBR (Grice, 1999). More than 8,000 out of the 9,000 Tridacna gigas individuals were bleached.
1998 – Takapoto atoll, French Polynesia: Seawater temperatures rose above 30°C for over five months in 1997/8 (December 1997 through April 1998), with a peak at 31.8°C in mid-March. Extensive bleaching of Tridacna maxima in Takapoto atoll, with some partial recovery in May 1998. Abundance of giant clams decreased by >80% since 1993 (Addessi, 2001).
2009-2010 – Mannai Island, Thailand: Seawater temperatures reached a peak of ~32.5°C in May 2010, and prolonged temperatures of >30°C over February to September 2010 (Junchompoo et al. 2013). Extensive bleaching of wild clams (Tridacna crocea and Tridacna squamosa) was observed, with almost 60% mortality after the event.
2010 – Phi Phi Islands, Thailand: Seawater temperatures rose above 31°C in May 2010. Bleaching of giant clams was observed, and surveys indicate that Tridacna maxima were affected with various degrees of bleaching severity. The most bleached clams showed mortality within a few weeks (Sangmanee et al. 2010).
Are bleaching events doomsday for giant clams?
I don't know yet. There is very little information on giant clam bleaching, and the mechanisms of expulsion of symbiont cells are not certain. Under heat stress scenarios, is it the clam that kicks the symbionts out, or vice versa? One thing I do know is that unlike corals where zooxanthellae cells reside near the surface of their body tissues, the giant clams possess a complex tubular network to enclose the zooxanthellae (Norton et al. 1992). Studies have shown that the amoebocytes (a type of defense cell) could ingest zooxanthellae cells not found within the tubular network (Fankboner 1971; Fankboner & Reid 1981), hence suggesting that the network is quite critical in protecting zooxanthellae from being eaten by the host clam!
Another study by Leggat et al. (2003) noted that bleaching could reduce the fitness of zooxanthellate marine invertebrates, and result in poor growth and survival. Experiments conducted showed that giant clams cannot digest (or more accurately, assimilate) ammonium. Leggat et al. (2003) also showed the bleached clams provided with organic and inorganic nutrients enhanced recovery rates! Clearly, the physiological mechanisms of giant clams before, during and after a bleaching event are very different.
There is hope – if we can define this pathway of building up resilience. For now, we hope our remaining giant clams push through this tough period…
Reference List:
Fankboner (1971) Intracellular digestion of symbiotic zooxanthellae by host amoebocytes in giant clams (Bivalvia: Tridacnidae), with a note on the nutritional role of the hypertrophied siphonal epidermis. Biological Bulletin 141: 222-234.
Fankboner & Reid (1981) Mass expulsion of zooxanthellae by heat-stressed reef corals: a source of food for giant clams? Experientia 37: 251-252.
Norton et al. (1992) The zooxanthellae tubular system in the giant clam. Biological Bulletin 183: 503-506.
Norton et al. (1995) Atrophy of the zooxanthellal tubular system in bleached giant clams Tridacna gigas. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 66: 307-310.
Gomez & Mingoa-Licuanan (1998) Mortalities of giant clams associated with unusually high temperatures and coral bleaching. Reef Encounter 24: 23.
Grice (1999) Studies on the giant clam – zooxanthellae symbiosis. Thesis. James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, Australia.
Addessi (2001) Giant clam bleaching in the lagoon of Takapoto atoll (French Polynesia). Coral Reefs 19: 220.
Buck et al. (2002) Effect of increased irradiance and thermal stress on the symbiosis of Symbiodinium microadriaticum and Tridacna gigas. Aquatic Living Resources 15: 107-117.
Leggat et al. (2003) The impact of bleaching on the metabolic contribution of dinoflagellate symbionts to their giant clam host. Plant, Cell and Environment 26: 1951-1961.
Sangmanee et al. (2010) MS8-37 Giant clam bleaching on coral reefs of Phi Phi Islands during the 2010 coral bleaching event. In Mini-symposium 8-Biology and ecology of coral reef organisms. The 2nd Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium, June 20-24 2010, Phuket, Thailand.
Junchompoo et al. (2013) Changing seawater temperature effects on giant clams bleaching, Mannai Island, Rayong Province, Thailand. KURENAI 2013-03: 71-76.


text:
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Homeowners shouldn't underestimate the importance of curb appeal. The appearance of your home creates a first impression of your property, and it can even influence real estate transactions. But maintaining picture-perfect landscaping can be expensive and time consuming, especially when dealing with unruly plants and overgrown flower beds. That's why we partnered with Quikrete this month to give away everything needed for concrete lawn borders—plus the labor to build them!
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"Bob Vila's Curb Appeal Giveaway with Quikrete" is open only to permanent legal U.S. residents of the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Void in all other geographic locations. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest Period for Prize runs from 12:00 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, July 31,2018 through 11:59 a.m. (EST) Friday, August 31, 2018. One entry per household per day on BobVila.com. Must submit name and email address using the online "Bob Vila's Curb Appeal Giveaway with Quikrete" submission form. Alternative means of entry for Drawing is available by faxing your name and address to 508-437-8486 during the Entry Period. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. By entering, all entrants agree to the Official Rules.


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The Office of Fair Trading has expressed "reservations" about the "unintended consequences" of a minimum price for alcohol.
The watchdog states concerns that introducing a minimum price for alcohl would "generate windfall gains for retailers", with increased spending on alcohol going directly to private firms rather than the government.
The OFT belives that such gains could incentivise retailers to "sell more, rather than less, low cost alcohol", which would limit the effectiveness of the policy.
Instead, the OFT recommends that a change in tax would be more effective.
It also expressed reservations about the long-term impact of minimum pricing restrictions on consumers and productivity in the retail sector.
"The OFT is concerned that, by legitimising intervention to control prices in a competitive market, it will be harder for the government to resist calls for similar measures in other parts of the retail sector in future. This could have significant long-term costs.
"For these reasons, the OFT considers that a change in taxation would be preferable to imposing a minimum price, with less risk of creating unintended consequences."
When it comes to the legality of imposing a minimum price, the OFT said a unilateral government-imposed minium price would not be illegal, but if retailers were able to set a voluntary agreement, this would definitely infringe competition law. What's more, it said there "may be constraints on minimum pricing legislation arising from wider European law", which are currently being looked at in relation to Scotland. It also urged caution over multi-lateral voluntary agreements between retailers and government, which could infringe competition rules.


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A Shot A Day – 2016 (02/05/2016)
"Inside Or Out"
Found this cozy little tableau a little bit ironic on a day where the photo walk involved coat, glove and hood to fight off the 20 degree morning chill. Maybe a cup of espresso there would have been a good thing.
Sony Alpha A7RII, Sony FE 70-200 f/4.0 G OSS
ISO 3200 – 1/2500 @ f/8.0 – 101mm
In making this image I made a couple of composition decisions and ignored one technical aspect.
Clearly centering the table played appropriately against the thirds divided background. Additionally I think the longer focal length helped narrow the field of view and compressed the background into thee foreground of the final image.
The ISO is a little higher than was appropriate, a by-product of just having come from the indoors (hey, it was cold out!).
A Shot A Day - 2016 - Countdown...


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TANCA 2016 Application form Tamilnadu Common Admission Test 2016 Online Registration
Applicants are advised to read the notification carefully before going to apply for the Tamil Nadu TANCA Online Application Form 2016. You can also get the full details regarding the TANCA 2016 Online Registration form our indiagrade.com website. So the candidates are advised to keep visiting our web page regularly for latest updates about the Anna University TANCA Application Form 2016.
TANCA 2016 Online Application Form:
2. Conducting University: Anna University Chennai
3. Exam Category: PG Level
4. Programmes: M.E/ M Tech/ M Arch/ M Plan
5. TANCA 2016 Application Fee:
- Rs. 500/- for General category
- Rs. 250/- for SC/SCA/ST candidates
6. Guidelines to Fill up the TANCA 2016 Application Form:
- You can start the TANCA Online Registration 2016 by using the Anna University Chennai website.
- Create a login details by registering the details such as Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Email, Password.
- Applicants should clearly choose the category of the application form such as GATE Category (Engineering / Technology), GATE (Engineering Science (XE) / Life Science (XL), TANCET Category, Sponsored category.
- Then fill all the details in the online registration form as per the instructions.
- After checked all the details, SUBMIT the application form.
- Download the Application form and take the printout in A4 sheet and note down the application number.
- Send the application form to Anna University Chennai with all the self attested photocopies of required documents and Demand Draft.
- Address: The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Common Admissions, Anna University, Chennai - 600 025.
- Any Query: Phone: 22358265/ 22358266 / 22358267 & E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
TANCA Application Form 2016 Online Registration: Apply Now
NOTE: Demand Draft (DD) should be drawn in favour of "The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Common Admissions, Anna University, Chennai", payable at Chennai.
7. Important Dates:
Starting Date of TANCA 2016 Applcation Form
Last Date for Submission of Application Form
Date of Availability of Hall Ticket
8. Related Articles:
- TANCA 2016 Hall Ticket
- How to fill Online Application Form


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Club Donut
Brian, a man in his early 30s, tries to deny the seduction of an old, yet sweet lover from his not so distant past. His ex-lover will use all the tricks in the book to be reunited with Brian once again.
Produced by: PVAFfilms
Behind the scenes of Club Donut
With this film we tried our best to keep it light and fast. We used a lot of big sources to achieve our look along with a BMCC. For the camera we used a BMCC Micro 4/3rds Mount with the Metabones Speed Booster Canon EF mount and Rokinon Primes. We felt this gave us the best sensor size and a nice amount of grain to achieve an organic look overall.
A huge thanks to everyone that helped to make this possible.
Produced by: PVAFfilms


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Recovery from a manual link penalty requires manual review of links. Lots of links. In this session, Ian Lurie will walk through an automated solution he built and how you can build something similar. He'll also share insights about Google's detection of suspicious versus legitimate links from a review of over 400,000 links across 100+ sites.
Ian Lurie, the "most acid" SEO blogger is on stage talking about Enterprise Link Spam Analysis, which something that usually translates into millions of backlinks to understand the nature of: easy, isn't it?
That's why Ian said to himself: "Let's try machine learning", which makes you feel like a moron. "How hard can it be?": yes, Ian did himself that question! Ian presented many tools and links during his presentation. Luckily we can find them all in this bitly bundle.
And what about the most used reply clients may have? The infamous "these are good links!!!" exclamation.
Good links, seriously?
Ok, we must start and, when working in a re-inclusion, that start is getting all the links. For that step, Ian suggests using Google Webmaster Tools, Opensite Explorer and Majestic SEO, then we should create a great spreadsheet, using the link API plugin by SEOGadget so we can have all the metrics related to those links.
Finally we start evaluating the URLs.
The first thing we must evaluate are the domain names themselves, then we should analyze the titles: the weirdest they are the spammiest.
This approach is fantastic and correct, but on huge scale we fall in an outstanding problem of filtering the bad from the good links. How can you do it manually for 500.000 links?
This is a knowledge problem. Machine learning can be a solution in order to sort of all the noise in a backlinks profile.
First you must start with a question: is this page spam? The answer is in having a great classification, which is the result of correct Training Set + the Algorithm learning from that training set.
Ian cites the infographic Google published few weeks ago (How search works), and this page where live examples of spam pages are shown, because it can be a great source for the training set building.
Then it comes the he algorithm. What to choose? Text-based, supervised, unsupervised? The result is the classification, and it is equals to answers. Ian experimented with a first training set based just on words, but he failed, because there were too many false positives.
So he tried a second training set, moving from words into numbers. Counting verbs, words et al. Doing so, the training set and the logistic regression algorithm applied to worked.
Ian used also readability scale, the MajesticSEO page TrustFlow, Domain trustFlow and metrics in order to create a huge training set.
The result was isitspam.portent.com. Not perfect, but we can try it and make it learn more and more, because it is still learning.
[slideshare id=17227397&doc=linklove2013-130315070241-phpapp02]
Lesson learned by Ian
– Spam is not about spam pages or even spam links. A link can be present in different pages and being both spam and not spam.
– There is no spam, or a definition of spam. It is all about the context where the link is present. For instance, you may have links from edu, but maybe they are from a keyword stuffed page or link list page on those edu sites, hence considered spammy.
– Ian also learned that the Google tolerance for spam is decreasing. That means that what is not spam now, maybe is going to be considered spam in the next future by Google.
– Final lesson: clean your link profile now!
And if you want to use machine learning as Ian did, create it by verticals, because every niche owns its own context. And we should all try to understand it, because it is used more and more also in marketing due to the big data marketers have to deal with daily.


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Photo editing and resizing is indeed a very useful and attractive skill that everyone these days should master. Its demand is increasing day by day and it is becoming a necessity for almost everyone. It finds its use-cases in every
Change account picture in Linux Ubuntu and Mint
Other than in Windows, the account picture in Ubuntu and Mint isn't displayed in the login-screen but everytime you enter your password for authentication as well as in the user selection applet in Ubuntu. To change it, open the main
How to create a picture password on Windows 8
Apart from the traditional text string password, Windows 8 offers a new form of securing your user account which is by including touch and/or gestures into the procedure. Spoken directly, you are now able to select a picture where you
Change Log-In Screen Background Image on Ubuntu Linux
If you want to make your Ubuntu installation a little less purple and orange, but don't see a solution that covers the change of log-in screen background picture change, try Simple Lightdm Manager. It is a tool that lets you
Change Login Screen on Windows 7
While you needed third-party software on Windows XP to change nearly everything but your wallpaper, Windows 7 has made things quite a lot easier. To change your login screen, just create the following two folders: C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info C:\Windows\System32\oobe\info\backgrounds Then open the


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Text to Speech for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV
Viewing pdf and all kind of documents on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV is a neat feature, but there's something better than just displaying documents.
Say it! is a Text to Speech Application that reads documents, loud and clear in 1 of 35 languages.
Say it – Text to Speech converts written text to spoken words.
Listen instead of reading, Say it! gives you a choice of 35 different languages.
Say it comes with a plain user interface, simple and easy to use. Open a document or a webpage, Select language and tap Speak.
Say it! understands not only pdf, but many other file formats. Be it ePub, Markdown, ps or eps, even complete webpages, Say it! just does what it has to do; reading all these documents in your preferred language.
There are many different ways to make these documents available for you.
As for webpages, just enter the URL and tap the loudspeaker icon, Say it! will read the page for you.
Included Document Manager adds to Flexibility
To import documents to be read, Say it! offers various ways. You can access documents from clouds, via Wifi, AirDrop and more.
Turn a book to a story, Say it! is able to read ePub as well as pdf, markdown and many more documents.
Import and share documents in one of the following ways:
- Dropbox
- MyCloud
- iCloud
- Google Drive
- WiFi
- Import from NAS, Mac or your PC
- This list may not be complete, and may be altered and extended with coming updates!
Say it understands most common file formats as long as it is written text and not a picture or an image. The Hi-End Synthesis modul pushes Say it! on a state-of-the-art level when it comes to Text-to-Speech.
Being able to use different languages is more than important for Text to Speech conversion, that's why there are 35 different languages available in iOS9:
- English (United States, Australian, United Kingdom, Ireland, South African)
- Aarabic
- Chinese (Hongong, Taiwan)
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands)
- Finnish
- French (Canada, France)
- German
- Greek
- Hindi
- Hungarian
- Indonesian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Norwegian
- Polish
- Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal)
- Romanian
- Russian
- Slovak
- Spanish (Mexico, Spain)
- Swedish
- Thai
- Turkish
Text to Speech is the better the more file formats it understands.
This list is not complete, but should already cover the most you could want.
- Text to Speech for PDF, RTF, TXT, HTML, Pages, ePub and many more
- Text to Speech for complete Website Reading is just another goodie that may come in handy.
Say it! is not only available for iPhone and iPad, it is available for Apple TV too!


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Mr & Mrs Smith Didmarton shoot
Mr & Mrs Smith is a travel publisher and hotel booking service specialising in anonymously reviewing boutique hotels and residences. Smith present properties in their naturally stunning state, with minimal dressing but with just a hint of naughtiness. Working closely with the editorial team, I shot Didmarton House, a four bedroom property in The Cotswolds in a single day.


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€13,00 €6,00
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By continuing to use our site you agree to us using cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Accept & Close
Don't know what to wear for halloween this year? Don't fret as boohoo have got you covered with the coolest halloween accessories that will take you from basic to killer in a heartbeat! Shop our edit of outfit enhancing gypsy hats, gothic bride veils, leopard headbands, fishnet tights, lace gloves and team with horror inducing facepaint, seductive glitter and spooky gems - you can decide between sexy vs scary this halloween.


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Ground Beef Noodle Soup
Total TimePrep: 15 min. Cook: 20 min.
Makes8 servings (2 quarts)
- 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
- 1/2 cup each chopped onion, celery and carrot
- 7 cups water
- 1 envelope au jus mix
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
- In a large saucepan, cook the beef, onion, celery and carrot over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
- Add the water, au jus mix, bouillon, bay leaves and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in the noodles. Return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.
Nutrition Facts1 cup: 203 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 32mg cholesterol, 471mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 1g fiber), 20g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1 starch.
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Dec 16, 2012
Very good! Next time I might add peas and corn... I also used 6 bouillion cubes instead of Granules.. I also made it without celery and onion since I have picky eaters.. I added onion powder though.
Mar 29, 2012
PS..I only had beef bouillon cubes and not the stated granules. So I binged it at it said that 1 cube = 1 tsp. So I used 6 cubes for this particular recipe. Hope this helps.
Mar 29, 2012
Love love love this recipe. Can make in big bathes and stores well. This is def a recipe I plan on both keeping and handing down.
Jan 24, 2012
Very good, and very quick and easy. I put diced green peppers instead of carrots and celery and it was delicious.
Mar 12, 2011
Great soup! Made it once expecting it to not be very good, and was pleasantly surprised by a delicious, filling, QUICK soup!
Sep 26, 2010
Fabulous, will definetly make again!
Jan 16, 2009
I thought this was a great tasting soup, very good for these chilly nights and simple to make after a long day at work. A++++
Jan 15, 2008
I love this tasty, warming soup. It's almost as good as a similar recipe my grandmother made when I was a child, and that's saying a lot!


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When we are faced with seemingly impossible problems and conflicts, silence is golden. It gives God a chance to work in our hearts. It provides space for anger, bitterness, and hard feelings to subside and mellow. Most important, it allows us to seek God's trusting silence, meditation, and prayer, we are ready to move towards conflict resolution. And often, after this time of "fasting" from words and "feasting" on God's words, we find that the walls of anger and bitterness come tumbling down.
Posts Tagged 'God'
4 May
Golden Silence
1 May
Safe Forever
In our life we will experience sickness, accidents, sorrow, and death. But we are not on our own. God is in control. Many are the sufferings of the good, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. We can be confident that one day we will be safe with Him forever.
28 Apr
Little Concern
The future can be a scary place. The unknown can be overwhelming, especially when the known has so many struggles. That's why we need to trust in what God has promised.
No matter what situation we'll face, we can depend on God's promise of help. Those are great promises to depend on when we start to worry about the future, whether it's ours or the next generation's.
25 Apr
Extreme Generosity
Even if we're not wealthy, God has called us to extreme generosity. We can share what we do have and be rich in good deeds. If we have a generous attitude about money, we are much more likely to be generous in other matters concerning the Lord's people and His work.
17 Jan
Loving the nature is like loving our God. He created everything. He made the nature for all of us. We should love and care for the nature.
7 Sep
All Things Bright and Beautiful
God gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
15 Apr
Walk with God
Walk with God and everything will be okey. Have faith in Him and trust Him. Do your best and God will do the rest in your life.


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This is a very old entry — images are small, formatting is off.
Energizing Eindhoven
Reviewed Jun. 4, 2013 by Armin
Industry / Destinations
Because my knowledge of Eindhoven is minimal, here is a slightly edited Wikipedia description: "Eindhoven is a municipality and a city located in the province of North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, originally at the confluence of the Dommel and Gender streams. The city had 218,559 inhabitants (November 2012) and 261,082 if adjacent Veldhoven is included, making it the fifth-largest city of the Netherlands and the largest of North Brabant." A new identity for the city has been launched by Eindhoven365, an organization that combines the operations of CityDynamiek and Eindhoven VVV (the regional tourist bureau) to establish a "clear city marketing strategy for the purpose of creating a strong brand policy and brand perception for the city of Eindhoven". The identity and strategy have been designed by the "Virtual Design Agency", a collaboration of various local individuals and firms. For additional information and process images, a comprehensive Tumblr has been going on for a few months.
The new logo symbolizes the energy of the city of Eindhoven. Peter Kentie, City Eindhoven365 Marketer, explains: "That energy originated in the 19th century with the activity around the Dommel and later successes include Philips and DAF. Even today Eindhoven crack of the many technological and creative developments. "According Kentie this is the energy which Eindhoven in many areas a strategic future ahead. With the aim of an even stronger economy and a pleasant, vibrant city.
— Press release (Google-translated)
I'm not sure what the old logo was. An abstraction of the city map? A squished-fly version of the Dropbox logo? Who knows. But clearly, it sucked. The new logo is much clearer — energy! — but still ambiguous enough to leave room for interpretation. The new icon could, of course, be for every single energy company in the world — I would be surprised if it isn't already — but it follows (as I now know thanks to this Port of Amsterdam logo) the same construction as the XXX logo of Amsterdam, establishing a kind of Netherlands house style for city logos. It's not the greatest of icons and its flexibility isn't quite as sophisticated but it does its job efficiently. The custom typography has a bit of a dual-mullet effect: from afar it looks like any number of European-ish sans serifs but up close it, literally, has an edge to it, with some rather weird notches and appendages. Overall, it's a lukewarm version, tempered for a city, of what you would expect from Dutch design.
Thanks to Roy Swinkels for the tip.


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Contest: How do YOU think the world's going to end?
Posted by IFC on
When it comes to terrifying visions of the end of the world, "2012" has nothing on the documentary "Collapse," in which former police officer turned independent journalist Michael C. Ruppert gives his bleak but altogether too believable explanation for why we're careening toward apocalypse, from our dependency on dwindling fossil fuels to our current economic crisis.
Is he paranoid and pessimistic beyond belief? Sure.
Is he a conspiracy theorist? As he puts it, "I don't deal in conspiracy theory. I deal in conspiracy fact."
Well, we'd like to hear your theories, conspiracy-driven and otherwise, for how you think the world's going to collapse.
Send your predictions on the end of the world, between 100-300 words, to firstname.lastname@example.com. "Collapse" director Chris Smith (whose previous films include "American Movie" and "The Yes Men") will pick the most imaginative and creative entries to receive an autographed "Collapse" poster.
Check out our complete contest rules then send us your theories! The contest runs from today through December 21st, and the winner will be selected on December 28th.
Want to watch "Collapse"? It's now available via Movies On Demand through Time Warner, Comcast, Verizon FIOS, Cox and Charter. For more info about the film, check out the official site.


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Former offensive lineman Jamaal Jackson once said, "Your first day in the league is the last day you'll ever be 100% healthy." No muscle, ligament, joint, tendon or organ is safe. Sooner or later, every NFL player will end up in the training room and on the weekly injury report.
Whether you're a fantasy football enthusiast or a fan worried about your favorite team's star player, you'll want to have a basic understanding of football related injuries, their treatments and expected recovery times. In this primer, you'll find information about how the most common and severe football injuries occur, how they're treated and how soon you can expect a player to recover and return to play. We'll also discuss the new orthobiologic treatments that are gaining popularity (e.g. platelet-rich plasma, stem cell therapies, etc) and some of the more common pain-killing injections players receive during the week.
Strain vs Sprain
Though commonly used terms, strain and sprain are often used confusingly or interchangeably in the media. While seemingly small distinctions, it's important to define the differences in terms and clarify one important common misconception about them.
A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon. A sprain is an injury to a ligament. Players strain their hamstring muscle or Achilles tendon and sprain the ligaments in their knee, ankle, or shoulder. By definition, a strain or sprain is a tear of the fibers of the muscle, tendon or ligament, even injuries of the mildest grade.
There are three grades of strains or sprains. A Grade 1 injury involves stretching and micro-tearing of tissue fibers. They're commonly referred to as muscle pulls or mild ligament strains. Grade 2 injuries encompass a wide range of partial tearing of tissue fibers, from just a small percentage of the structure to a large percentage and are usually accompanied by swelling and bleeding within the structure itself. Grade 3 injuries are complete tears or ruptures of the muscle, tendon or ligament. A torn ACL, ruptured hamstring, bicep or pectoral muscle and torn Achilles tendon are all examples of Grade 3 injuries.
Hamstring/Quadricep/Calf Muscle Strain
Muscle strains are among the most common football injuries. Frustratingly, they're also associated with unclear recovery timetables and the risk of recurrent and more severe injuries when players return to play before they're 100% recovered.
There is no standard return to play expectation after a muscle strain. The percentage of muscle fibers torn, proximity of the tear to the tendon, amount of bleeding within the muscle belly and the rapidity at which a player usually heals all factor into the vague timetables reported by the player and his team. While we often hear that players with Grade 1 muscle strains are expected to recover in zero to two weeks, Grade 2 strains two to six weeks and Grade 3 strains four to eight weeks or longer, teams re-evaluate these injuries on a week-to-week basis.
Players are considered safe to return to football-related activity when they can function without pain or tightness and the injured muscle is around 90-95% as strong as the healthy muscle on the other side. Still, players are at high risk of re-injury in the first few days after returning and a recurrence of the muscle strain is often more severe than the initial injury. Cascade injuries - an injury that occurs when an athlete has unconsciously stressed another part of his body to compensate for a previous injury - are another potential consequence of an early return to play. In general, you should be wary of a player who returns at the most optimistic end of his recovery timetable.
Acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain (Shoulder Separation)
The AC joint is a joint at the top of the shoulder where part of the shoulder blade (the acromion of the scapula) and the collarbone (clavicle) meet. Like the knee, ankle and elbow, there are a number of ligaments that hold the joint together. An AC joint sprain, or shoulder separation, occurs when one or more of these ligaments are stretched or torn, which most often happens when a player is driven into the turf shoulder first.
As with any sprain, there are grades of severity of AC joint injuries. Grade 1 injuries are relatively minor and involve mild stretching and microtears of the ligament fibers. Grade 1 injuries are usually treated with ice, sling immobilization and anti-inflammatories and players are at low risk of missing snaps the following week.
Grade 2 and 3 injuries are more severe, with increasing amounts of damage to the ligaments stabilizing the joint. In a Grade 3 injury, all ligaments are completely torn and the collarbone is no longer tethered to the shoulder blade. Most Grade 2 injuries are treated with ice, rest/rehab and sling immobilization, with return to play within one to four weeks (depending on the severity of the sprain). Grade 3 injuries can be treated without an operation, but many NFL players choose surgical treatment to limit the risk of chronic pain and range of motion problems. Recovery time following AC joint surgery is often four to six months.
Shoulder Subluxation/Dislocation
Though sometimes confused with shoulder separations, partial (subluxation) and complete dislocations of the shoulder occur at a different part of the joint. The most common type of shoulder dislocation occurs when the arm is extended away from the body and pulled backward, with the upper arm bone (humerus) pulled forward and out of the shoulder socket.
During the dislocation, the cartilage, ligaments, and muscles around the shoulder joint can be damaged, leading to varying degrees of instability in the joint. The presence and degree of these labral cartilage tears, fractures to the upper arm bone, and ligament tears determine the likelihood of future dislocations and whether surgery may be recommended. Players may choose to play through minor injuries with the aid of pain relievers and a harness. If surgery is necessary, recovery and rehabilitation usually take four to six months.
Clavicle Fracture
The clavicle, or collarbone, connects the sternum (breastbone) to the shoulder and can be broken after a fall onto the shoulder directly or on an outstretched arm. Many fractures, particularly in non-athletes, are allowed to heal without surgery. Recently, however, orthopedic surgeons are choosing to treat these fractures surgically to ensure better anatomic healing and to shorten the time an athlete can be cleared to return to contact. Surgical repair of clavicle fractures once meant 6-12 weeks of rehabilitation, but players are now returning to play very quickly. While it shouldn't be considered the norm, Marques Colston returned to the field after clavicle surgery in less than three weeks in 2011.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Sprain
The ACL is the critical knee ligament preventing the shin bone from sliding forward or rotating too far when the knee is under stress. ACL tears can occur after a direct blow to the knee or without contact when a player makes a sudden cut or pivot. The ACL also contains vital proprioception receptors that help a player "sense" where his knee is in space. Though a player's ACL may be functional intact and stable a few months after reconstruction, it can take as long as 18 months for a player to sense that his knee is stable under stress.
Though Grade 1 and 2 ACL strains can occur, direct blows and non-contact injuries to the ACL are most commonly complete tears requiring surgical reconstruction of the ligament. Surgery is usually delayed a few days to lessen the risk of scar tissue formation and sometimes longer to allow an accompanying MCL tear to heal and allow for more aggressive initial rehabilitation. Though it's possible to compete at a high level without an intact ACL (i.e. Hines Ward), it's rare to find a player with muscles strong enough around the knee joint to compensate and reconstruction is always recommended for an elite athlete after a complete tear.
Arthroscopic surgical techniques and accelerated rehabilitation schedules have shortened the time to return from ACL reconstruction to as short as six months. Associated injuries like MCL sprains and meniscal tears or the development of scar tissue in the knee joint necessitating an additional surgical procedure can lengthen recovery times to 9-12 months. It's again important to note that those timeframes correspond only to an intact and stable ACL that can be cleared for contact and that full recovery of proprioception may take longer.
Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Sprain
The MCL provides stability to the inside of the knee and is often injured when a player is hit on the outside of the knee, stretching the inside of the knee joint on the opposite side of the hit. Grade 1, 2, and 3 injuries are all commonly seen in football players. Many players, particularly offensive linemen, choose to wear braces to help prevent MCL injuries.
MCL injuries, including complete tears, are allowed to heal without surgery. Rarely, very severe Grade 3 injuries or symptoms of chronic instability necessitate surgical reconstruction. Recovery and return to play depends on the severity of strain. Players with Grade 1 strains may be able to play with a brace and not miss time. Most players with a Grade 3 MCL tear will miss six weeks while the ligament fully heals.
Meniscal/Articular Cartilage Tears
There are two kinds of cartilage in the knee joint. The surfaces of the femur, tibia and patella are covered with smooth, articular cartilage that allows the knee to slide easily during movement. The knee also has two semi-circular shaped cartilage-like structures, the medial meniscus (inside of knee) and lateral meniscus (outside of knee), on the surface of the tibia. These meniscal cartilages act as shock-absorbers and help prevent injury to the articular cartilage of the knee.
Both of these structures can be injured, usually when the knee is bent and then twisted. Both structures are also prone to degenerative changes, which can be accelerated by the high wear-and-tear football environment. Pain and swelling is common, with limited range of motion also a frequent symptom of these injuries. Because there are areas of both structures, particularly the articular cartilage surfaces, with relatively poor blood supply, no two injuries are alike and healing and recovery can be difficult to predict.
Meniscal tears can be repaired (usually when the injury is to the thicker part of the meniscus at the outside of the joint) or the torn fragment can be removed or trimmed. To prevent damage to the articular cartilage and its associated high risk of arthritis, standard of care is to repair or preserve as much of the meniscus as possible. Players who have meniscal fragments removed can return to play much more quickly (one to two weeks) than those who have their meniscus repaired (six weeks and often longer).
Articular cartilage wear and tear cannot be repaired surgically and the cartilage will not regenerate. Players with significant articular cartilage loss are often said to have a "bone-on-bone" condition. Often, microfracture surgery - a procedure in which multiple small holes are drilled into the bony surface to stimulate new (though not as durable as the original) cartilage growth - is the only option for symptom relief. The success of microfracture surgery is dependent on many factors and rest and rehab periods often extend past six weeks.
Patellar Tendon Tear
The patellar tendon runs from the patella (kneecap) to the upper surface of the tibia (shin) and is necessary to extend the leg at the knee joint. Ruptures usually occur after a period of chronic inflammation and irritation and happen when the knee is bent, the foot planted and the thigh muscles contract to prevent a fall or change direction (i.e. landing after a jump or trying to prevent tripping to the ground).
A torn patellar tendon in an elite athlete is always repaired surgically. Calcifications within the tendon, proximity of the tear to the kneecap and other associated injury can complicate repair. Rehabilitation and recovery lasts a minimum of six months and it may take 9-12 months before the large quadriceps muscles return to their former bulk and strength. Weakness, loss of explosiveness and reduced range of motion are common complications after a patellar tendon repair.
Recent advances in surgical techniques and the continuing trend of aggressive rehabilitation schedules are promising (as they've been for Achilles tendon repairs) but it's still too soon to assess how successful the changes in approach may be.
Ankle Sprains
The classic (low or lateral) ankle sprain occurs when the foot is flexed inward (inversion injury). These common injuries are treated with boot immobilization and aggressive rehabilitation and rarely result in loss of playing time. Grade 3 injuries with chronic instability or avulsion fractures of the fibula may require surgical fixation and a much longer recovery time.
A high ankle sprain is an injury to the ligamentous structure (syndesmosis) that stabilizes the two bones of the lower leg. It commonly occurs when the foot is forcefully rotated outward away from the lower leg. High ankle sprains heal more slowly than low ankle sprains, with Grade 1 injuries usually requiring one to two weeks of rehabilitation and Grade 2 sprains often needing three to four weeks to heal. Slow healing injuries may take longer. Grade 3 high ankle sprains require surgical fixation of the ligament and are also usually associated with fractures to the fibula. There are reports of return to full activity following surgery in six weeks, with 8-10 weeks a more conservative and realistic estimate in most cases.
Achilles Tendon Rupture
The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body and attaches the calf muscles to the back of the heel. A ruptured Achilles tendon most commonly occurs when a player's full body weight comes down on a straight leg with the ankle fully flexed. Unlike a patellar tendon tear, it is not uncommon for a healthy Achilles tendon to rupture under stress, but players with chronic irritation and calcification of the tendon are at higher risk of injury.
Surgical reconstruction is recommended for both significant partially torn and completely ruptured tendons. Minimally invasive surgical techniques and aggressive rehabilitation schedules to minimize loss of range of motion have shortened recovery times to six months in many cases. In recent years, many players have recovered to near their previous levels of activity and function, though loss of explosiveness remains a significant concern.
Lisfranc Dislocation / Fracture
The Lisfranc joint is a complex of many joints between the long bones of the foot and the smaller bones between the foot and ankle and includes the Lisfranc ligament, which connects the second metatarsal to one of the smaller bones in the middle of the foot. Injuries in this area include sprains to the ligament, fractures to the bones surrounding the joint and dislocations. The most common mechanism of injury is relatively low impact - another player falls on the back of the foot or heel while the foot is planted and flexed with the toes on the ground.
Minor ligament sprains can cause enough displacement in the joint complex to cause significant pain and instability in the middle of the foot. Low grade sprains with very little joint displacement can be treated without surgery, but require immobilization and crutches for at least six weeks. Joint displacements as little as 2 mm are considered to be Grade 3 sprains due to the high likelihood of instability to the joint. Those injuries and/or any associated fractures must be treated surgically.
The severity of the dislocation, location of any associated fractures, presence of articular cartilage damage and possibility of damage to blood supply to the region all affect the success of surgical repair. Outcomes have improved over time, but chronic pain and early arthritis in the joint remain common long term complications. Recovery and rehabilitation after surgery is usually expected to take six months, though some studies are considering whether removing surgical screws sooner may shorten recovery times.
Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is a tough ligament that supports the arch of the foot and runs from the base of the toes to the heel. Plantar fasciitis is usually an overuse syndrome, with repeated stress along the arch leading to a cycle of inflammation and loss of elasticity in the structure and degenerative changes. The plantar fascia can also rupture with continued stress to an already inflamed area.
Immobilization, orthotic shoe inserts, stretching and massage programs and steroid injections may help to limit the pain associated with plantar fasciitis, but prolonged rest and limiting the stress to the ligaments are necessary to resolve the symptoms. If those interventions aren't successful, surgery to release part of the plantar fascia may be recommended to relieve tension in the ligament. Chronic pain and gait changes remain possible after surgery.
Turf Toe
Turf toe is an injury to the ligamentous capsule that surrounds the joint between the base of the big toe and the long bone of the foot behind. These injuries most commonly occur when the foot is flexed and planted and the first toe is hyperextended, either when planting and changing direction or when another player lands on the foot from behind.
Because the small area assumes a load many times the weight of the body during football-related activities, even Grade 1 injuries can be difficult to recover from quickly. Taping to support the toe joint, steel insole plates, rest and immobilization are likely treatments, but significant Grade 1 and most Grade 2 injuries can take two to four weeks to fully heal. Grade 3 injuries may take 4-6 weeks. Since many players will attempt to play through or return quickly with a toe sprain, the time to full recovery and effectiveness is even longer.
If chronic pain or instability of the toe joint persists, surgery may be recommended. Recovery and rehabilitation usually lasts 3-4 months, though it may be at least six months before a player can return to his pre-injury level of function.
Broken bones are common and almost always require surgical fixation in football players. Long bone fractures in the arm and leg require often take four to eight weeks (and longer in some situations) to heal after surgery.
Broken hand, thumb and finger bones usually require pins or plate fixation, with return to play estimates dependent on the severity and location of the fracture, pain tolerance of the player and, oftentimes, the player's position. A lineman or linebacker may return to play sooner than a wide receiver or running back after a broken hand or finger due to splint sizes and the duties of their respective positions.
Rib fractures may take six weeks to heal. Flak jackets and pain management usually allow players to return to play quickly, but the number of rib fractures and fractures closer to the sternum usually necessitate longer recovery time.
Fractures to the fifth metatarsal (the bone along the outside of the foot), whether due to direct trauma or stress related, are often problematic due to poor blood supply to the area. Screw fixation is common, but fixation failures and chronic pain can occur and cause recurrent issues and missed playing time.
A concussion is defined as any traumatic and temporary impairment of neurologic function. Though sometimes applied confusingly in the past, this definition includes all brain injuries regardless of severity or length of symptoms. Minor symptoms, including a player having his "bell rung" without loss of consciousness or memory loss or an injury associated with only a few minutes of headache or confusion, should correctly be considered a concussion. Concussions commonly occur after a direct blow to the head, but rotational impacts around the jaw and neck can also cause a concussion.
Athletes that have sustained one concussion are at increased risk of experiencing another and are especially vulnerable while the brain is recovering from a prior concussion. A second concussion before the previous concussion has fully resolved or more than three concussions often lead to more serious and prolonged symptoms. That vulnerability and the increased understanding of long-term effects like chronic traumatic encephalopathy have pushed the NFL toward a more rigorous evaluation and treatment plan for concussions on the sideline and between games.
Though there are no standard grading systems or algorithms universally agreed upon in the medical community, concussions may be loosely divided into three groups. Grade 1 concussions are not associated with loss of consciousness or symptoms that last longer than 15 minutes. Grade 2 concussions are not associated with loss of consciousness but symptoms that last longer than 15-30 minutes. Grade 3 concussions include injuries with loss of consciousness of any duration. There is a good argument that a large gray area exists between Grade 2 and 3 concussions using the above criteria, i.e. an injury without loss of consciousness but prolonged neurologic symptoms is just as concerning as an injury associated with a brief period of loss of consciousness and short period of neurologic symptoms.
The NFL uses its own algorithm to decide how quickly a player with a concussion may return to play. Any player with concussion-like symptoms must be immediately removed from the game and examined. That exam should include both physical and cognitive exams, which are then repeated after a period of observation. If a player who had only mild symptoms shows no symptoms after 15 minutes of observation and has no concerning exam findings, return to play that day is at the discretion of the medical staff. A player with more severe initial symptoms, whose symptoms do not clear after a period of observation or who had a recent concussion should not be allowed to return to play that day.
The algorithm also includes strict guidelines for clearing a player for future contact. A player must pass a series of neurologic exams, after 24-hour periods of no activity, light exercise, and more vigorous exercise. The process must be started over if there is any recurrence in symptoms. He must also pass cognitive tests (when compared to preseason healthy baselines) and be cleared by an independent neurologist. The process generally takes a minimum of four to five days.
The NFL continues to assess and incorporate measures to prevent concusssions. Education directed at the culture of underreporting head injuries by players and medical staff personnel, impartial sideline and press box observers, penalties and fines for helmet-to-helmet contact, mandatory use of mouth guards, improvements in helmet design and fit, and IMPACT testing are all intended to reduce the number of concussions and improve their management on the sideline.
Orthobiologics are a hot topic among orthopedic surgeons who treat professional athletes. Generated from natural substances in the body and often formulated into high concentration treatments, substances like platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow injections and other stem cell treatments and bone grafts may speed up the healing process and are becoming more frequently used therapies for many of the injuries discussed above.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
PRP injections have gained favor among NFL athletes in recent years looking for quicker healing of a variety of injuries. Platelets are cell fragments carried in the blood that help form clots, but also contain growth factors that promote healing of connective and vascular tissue. When a blood sample is spun and separated, a plasma concentrate that contains 90% platelets can be generated - platelet-rich plasma.
PRP injections remain controversial in the orthopedic community. They have been used for tendonitis and muscle strains and to assist in fracture healing and ligament repairs. Some studies report dramatic improvements and others no improvement at all. There is some concern that some growth factors may worsen outcomes by contributing to scar tissue, particularly when used to aid muscle healing. Expect to hear more players being treated with PRP, with much more research to standardize the amounts and types of growth factors included in each treatment and determine which injuries PRP is most successful on the horizon.
Bone Marrow Aspirate / Stem Cell Injections
Stem cells are immature cells with the potential to become many different types of cells based on where they are in the body and how they're influenced by their environment. When they arrive at an injury site naturally or are introduced in higher concentrations by injection, they can develop into new bone, muscle, ligament or cartilage cells.
Stem cells can be removed from a person's bone marrow (usually in the hip) or harvested by donation. The small amount of stem cells in the marrow sample must be separated, grown and expanded in the laboratory, a process which can take as long as three weeks, before they are injected at the injury site. Like PRP treatments, the use of bone marrow treatments (stem cell therapies and bone matrix) is a relatively new treatment, with more studies describing its effectiveness and success expected soon.
Pain killing injections are common in the NFL. A variety of medications are used in a variety of locations for many reasons. The three most common types of injections are anti-inflammatory (e.g. Toradol), anesthetic (e.g. Marcaine, etc.) and steroid (i.e. cortisone shot).
Game day Toradol injections are probably the most common pain killing injections given. Toradol is an anti-inflammtory similar to ibuprofen that can be injected to relieve pain from an existing injury or to (hopefully) limit the expected soreness after a game. It's not a narcotic medication and is not addictive. Toradol may not completely mask the pain of an existing injury, but it's dual pain-relief, anti-inflammatory effects are considered a lifeline to many players, Like other anti-inflammatories, it carries a risk of ulcers, GI bleeding and kidney damage.
Players also sometimes receive anesthetic (numbing) injections with Marcaine or another similar medication (lidocaine, bupivacaine, etc). These injections can be used as a nerve block on gameday to relieve pain for a few hours, usually around a joint (shoulder, toe, etc) or a larger area (plantar fascia, rib fracture). These injections mask most, if not all, pain by deadening the nerve fibers in the area.
Anesthetic medications are also commonly used in conjunction with steroids to treat pain and inflammation in a joint on non-game days. These injections are often very effective, but may carry a risk of long-term arthritic conditions and changes to the skin overlying the injection site and the number of injections considered safe for a single joint is limited.
Please ask questions or send comments to me by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter at @JeneBramel.


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Comment censorship and comment policies IVc: Excursion on "nature vs. nurture" and related issues
During the discussionse that spawned this part IV, a side-discussion seemed to branch out into a formal debate on nature vs. nurture (or, possibly, epistemology…), but ran out in the sand as the nurture (or, possibly, post-modernist…) participant backed out. It resulted, however, in some private correspondence on my opinions in the area. A summary of these opinions based on the correspondence is provided below:
More or less all characteristics are influenced by both "nature" and "nurture" (and often from the subset "society").
To say that the one is more important than the other is only possibly within limits. In particular, there are many characteristics that are strongly "nature" (e.g. to have two legs), but can be changed by external influences (e.g. by stepping on a land-mine). This need not be true for all characteristics, however. (Cf. the case of David Reimer on http://www.slate.com/id/2101678e and David_Reimerw.)
In addition, circumstances can affect the relative strength of different factors. A good example is IQ, which can depend strongly on access to and quality of food in a country with nutritional problems, but will be largely determined by inheritance in e.g. Germany.
I have very strong objections to "Gender as social construct", as this idea is refuted by scientific studies with a high degree of probability. (With some reservations for the exact definition used, and for the possibility that border-line cases could be moved with ease in different directions.)
This does not mean, however, that society has no influence on "gender-roles", behaviour, and similar. Based on my own (subjective) observations and basic considerations, it seems plausible to me that the more basic a particular characteristic is, the stronger is "nature" and the harder it is to affect it through "nurture". Conversely, characteristics are the easier to change, the less basic they are—in particular, when they can be seen as conscious or unconscious choices based on more basic characteristics. (That women wear high-heels is hardly caused by genetics; but the wish to be attractive, which is the cause of the wish to wear high-heels, is a different matter.)
An important, but originally left-out issue: Even, absolutely speaking, small differences can have a very major impact in a narrow context. Men and women pose excellent examples of this, with differences that are far smaller than between humans and mushrooms, spiders, dogs, or even chimpanzees. Yet, these difference have a great impact within the context of human behaviour.
To take an extreme example, a difference in 100m-time of 0.10 s (a nothing in most contexts) can make the difference between a world champion and an also-ran (as in 1991w).
The differences between men and women are small, but the context is sufficiently narrow that these differences have a great impact—and, ironically, by narrowing the context further by blurring the roles of men and women, these differences could conceivably grow even more important. (Consider the career of Usain Bolt if he was forced to run long distance or Haile Gebrselassie as a forced sprinter.)
I also discussed a few aspects of the alternate topic that both illustrate common problems with feminist (or e.g. Creationist) reasoning: The claims that we cannot know anything for sure and that it is unfair to give greater weight to non-feminist authorities than to the feminist:
Even in science, it is impossible to reach perfect certainty. It is still possible, however, to make some statements with near certainty or with a high probability. Other cases include "we do not know for sure, but a lot speaks for X". It is important to not hide ones head in the sand, when confronted with such statements—and a lack of perfect certainty is something very different from a question of faith ("Glaubensfrage", as was claimed by feminists)—the latter implying holding on to a belief despite a lack of proof, or even a preponderance of negative proof.
Authorities should not be believed because they are authorities, but because (respectively, if) they bring good arguments and facts. If one adheres to this, the question of what authorities to believe is a non-issue (and it is clear why feminist authorities tend to have a hard-time with critical thinkers).
Those who speak German may also be interested in an informal debate on nature vs. nurturee that did take place, without my participation, as an off-shot of a blog entry by the nature proponent dealing with why the formal debate did not take place.
Written by michaeleriksson
August 11, 2010 at 2:32 am
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged with feminism, gender, gender roles, nature vs nurture, socialization


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The new devices include the UA Band, Under Armour's first fitness band, produced in partnership with HTC.
The device comes after the bungled launch of the HTC Grip, HTC and Under Armour's first attempt at a fitness band, which now won't launch until later this year.
Healthbox is currently only available in the US and won't arrive in the UK until June, after the global launch, a spokesman told Marketing.
The UA Band offers all the usual fitness band features like resting heart rate tracking, steps and phone notifications. There's also an LED display and a vibrating alarm for silent wake-up calls and alerts.
Other devices in the range include smart scales, Scale, which lets the user set a target weight and track their progress. It also recognises up to eight different users, with the ability to create profiles.
Finally there's a smart chest strap, Heart Rate, which tracks workout intensity, heart rate zone and heart rate. The idea is to offer athletes a more comprehensive fitness experience, beyond what a simple Fitbit band could offer.
All three devices connect to UA Record, Under Armour's data-tracking fitness platform.
Under Armour has made little secret of its ambitions in connected clothing, with European marketing chief Chris Carroll hinting to Marketing that the firm will expand further into connected clothing and sensors.


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AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)
June 12, 2018
Without a Defense
The almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer
do not crowd into the mind to deter us. If these thoughts occur, they are
hazy and readily supplanted with the old threadbare idea that this time
we shall handle ourselves like other people. There is a complete failure
of the kind of defense that keeps one from putting his hand on a hot stove.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 24
Thought to Ponder
The ultimate defense against the first drink is a spiritual one.
AA-related 'Alconym'
A A = Absolute Abstinence.
Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Grateful to serve,
peyton h
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I rarely re-read books.
The exceptions are
… because I love her with my whole heart.
… because The SantaLand Diaries is pretty close to perfect writing.
… because I read this book as a young teenager and it cast a spell on me that appears to be unbreakable.
And now I can add
to my list.
I read it when it came out in 2017 and a member of my book club chose it for our December 2018 read. The second time through I was able to savor it, letting the prose weave through my thoughts, finding new nooks and crannies to settle in.
Eleanor Oliphant gives new meaning to the term "socially awkward." She's a mulligan stew of hilarity, practicality, and heartbreak … and so much more.
I love the story, but it's on my list to re-read because of a couple of things the author, Gail Honeyman, does really well.
The first thing is backstory. I won't give anything away, but Eleanor has a secret. Honeyman dribbles just the right amount of information the reader needs at just the right time. 'Nuff said about that, lest I spoil it. You'll see when you read it.
But the second thing the author does is much more difficult. And that is capturing Eleanor's voice.
Talking about voice in writing can be nebulous. Like art or pornography, you can't define it precisely, but you know it when you see it.
Voice has different levels and different meanings.
First, there's the writer's voice. The writing of Ernest Hemingway doesn't sound anything like F. Scott Fitzgerald. Janet Evanovich doesn't sound anything like John Grisham. Dr Seuss doesn't sound anything like Emily Dickinson.
Each author chooses certain words and rhythms to their writings. I bet you can search the depth and breadth of Fitzgerald's works and never find him describing anyone as a "mulligan stew." Nor will I ever write anything resembling, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." I use a lot of sentence fragments when I write, anathema to some. Hemingway rarely varies his sentence pattern, anathema to me. But that's an entirely different blog post. Fight me later.
Second, there's the actual voice of the character. Some people have foreign or regional accents. Some drop the G at the end of a word. Some speak fast, some s l o w. Some have a squeaky soprano, some a basso profundo. Eleanor Oliphant is Scottish and that creeps in every so often. The first time I heard The SantaLand Diaries was on NPR, read by the author, David Sedaris. He has a very distinctive voice and I haven't read anything of his since without hearing his words in his voice.
Then, the heart of a character, who they are. And that is shown by everything they say, how they say it, what they don't say.
This is the voice that Gail Honeyman excels at with Eleanor Oliphant.
It doesn't take long to get a sense of Eleanor, does it? While it might be infuriating to hang out with her as a real person, I love spending time with fictional Eleanor.
I could listen to her voice for hours.
What are some other voices that have stuck with you over the years?


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Tim Moran
Tim brings more than 20 years experience of financial analyst and auditing expertise to IDSolutions. Prior to IDS, Tim was Controller at a tech start-up and spent seven years at a Fortune 500 insurance company as a financial analyst and internal audit manage. Tim has also worked in public accounting services.
Tim has been the Controller of IDS since 2008. In this role, Tim oversees all financial and human resource functions for the company. Always striving for improvements, Tim identified and lead changes in operations that resulted in the improvement to gross margin for five consecutive years. In addition, was a primary lead on converting the company to a SaaS ERP from three separate systems, achieving greater controls, enhanced reporting, and more reliable information to assist management.
When not making efforts to improve IDS, Tim enjoys running and has completed numerous half-marathons and countless charity runs, in addition to CrossFit. Tim received his CPA in 1999. BS from Indiana University School of Business.


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The deputy chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly in South Africa?s capital, Pretoria said Zimbabwe?s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is in an unenviable position in the unity government after Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai expressed disappointment in President Robert Mugabe.
George Mkwananzi said the MDC party is behaving like a trapped animal unable to untangle itself from its predicament.
?They (MDC) still see some relevance for them to continue inside but, they still continue to be humiliated and embarrassed by Mr. Robert Mugabe within the unity government. So, they don?t know what to do. They would want to walk out, but they see all the ghastly probabilities of the kind of horror that was experienced before the unity government.?
Mkwananzi also said that despite the condemnation, the MDC is still operating as a partner in the unity government.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai Thursday accused Mr. Mugabe of unilaterally appointing officials into the unity government which he said flouts the Global Political Agreement that led to the formation of the current administration.
Recently, President Mugabe single handedly appointed the reserve bank governor, the attorney general, five judges, six ambassadors and the police service commission without any input from the MDC.
Mr. Tsvangirai vowed that his party will not recognize what he described as Mr. Mugabe?s autocratic appointments.
Mkwananzi said embattled President Mugabe keeps having his way in the unity government despite protests from the MDC.
?It?s an important decision or protest on the part of MDC but it will not mean anything to ZANU-PF, once they have deployed their cadres to take up positions in those areas. They will continue to do the job according to the instructions of their employer, in this case Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF. So, MDC can only complain and complain, but that won?t create any difference.?


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