As the season draws to a close, it's time to start looking at the 2013 NFL Draft in earnest. I'm not a professional scout, nor do I claim to be. However, here are some suggestions that I give to all of you as we begin looking at prospects for the New York Jets to draft.
Don't just watch highlight reels. Don't just look at stats. Look for what players struggle with, what they're limitations are. Don't just ignore them. Can they be fixed or schemed around? Or are they deal breakers? For stats, look at the context. Jordan White put up incredible numbers, but they were against poor competition.
Watch whole games of players, the highs and the lows. I suggest using YouTube and DraftBreakdown to find footage.
Watch more than one game, if possible.
Don't weigh individual games against easy or difficult competition too heavily. Look at the big picture, but use individual plays as measuring sticks.
If a player struggles, look at why they struggled. Was their offensive line particularly poor? Were the receivers unable to get separation? Were they the only competent player and being asked to do too much? Consider the other members of the team, the scheme they're playing in, etc.
Try to come up with player comparisons as you watch. Who do they remind you of? This will help you figure out their level of talent and what they can possibly measure up to be, what their ceiling is. If a player plays like Jason Hill, that's going to tell you a lot about their physical limits.
Along those lines, consider the scheme of the team you're looking to draft them for. A 4-3 DE may not fit on a 3-4 team. If a team already has a strong, entrenched slot receiver, it may not be wise to suggest drafting them (unless it's a BPA approach). As an example, Jordan White has not been playing, according to reports, because he can only play in the slot, and Jeremy Kerley already has that role. If you're looking at a receiver, can they only play the X position, or are they a Z receiver? There are fundamental differences in what they're being asked to do. Likewise, can a cornerback only play man coverage, or can he succeed on a team that plays extensive zone coverages?
Come up with a list of what you're looking for in a prospect. Here are some examples:
QB: Football IQ, accuracy, quick release, height, etc.
WR: Strength (can they break a jam on the line?), what routes they're running, hands, etc.
DL: Arm length, pad level, hand placement, repertoire of moves (bull rush, swim move, etc.), etc.
Try to look at other scouting reports after you've watched the footage, so you aren't biased in what you see.
There are other guides you may find for measuring prospects. For example, Pat Kirwan has a "Production Ratio" for weighing statistics in defensive players to determine how often they make plays behind the line of scrimmage. SACKS + TACKLES FOR LOSS/NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED = PRODUCTION RATIO. If someone scores above a 1.0, they are extremely productive behind the line of scrimmage (I tested out Muhammad Wilkerson using this formula, and he scored a 1.03 so far in his professional career). It's not a perfect calculation, for example, Aaron Maybin scored a 1.56 in his collegiate career, but it can give you an idea of a person's abilities.
These are just some general tips and suggestions as you search for the playmaker or for the sleepers in the NFL Draft. We'll have plenty of our own scouting reports here on Gang Green Nation, but we encourage all of our readers to come up with their own as well.
Edit: I made a boo-boo, and misattributed a quote to Rex Ryan when it was by reports from the Wall Street Journal and www.nyjets.com. Carry on with your lives.
First you have to know which compound of the venom are the active ingredient (a venom is not a single molecule, it's a big mix of lots of substances).
Maybe the important part are just small peptide (works also for small nucleic acid strands). In this case, yes: just slap the gene inside a bacteria or yeast and just harvest the thing in a huge brewery tank. This will cost a tiny fraction of the current method. (as in "a few bucks for a dozen of kilograms"). Washing industry thrives on this kind of process and has already made it fucking incredibly cheap (do you really think that the digestive enzyme in your washing powder where harvested from actual animals ?)
But maybe not. Maybe it can be a complex protein that requires some post processing (chaperone helping to fold it into an unusual shape, enzyme modifying some parts) - (but very unlikely. If the venom can cross the skin without injection, it needs to be something small). Or maybe it can be a small chemical molecule that is produced by a long and complex chain of chemical reaction necessitating a big collection of enzymes (very likely, given that it can easily cross the skin). In this case you need to identify the candidate, understand the process that produce it (not impossible but it takes time), and then either put the whole machinery inside yeast (bacteria post-process a lot less their proteins) and go for the brewery-tank method, or replicate the synthesis in another way (produce the protein in bacteria and then do the modification in a lab. Or find a way to synthetise the small chemical compound by using a sequence of chemical reactions in a lab) and scale it up to industrial scale. This *WILL* end up being incredibly cheap in the long term, but requires much more research and development.
There's a whole branch of science to study that, called "Venomics".
Until then, you're stuck at putting bee on a micro electric chair until they are so pissed of that they start stinging the glass.
(And I'm betting that perhaps, all the benefit come from the few traces of adrenalin-like substance that the bee end-up secreting after going through such predicament and of which a small part might end up in the venom itself).
But the fact that they extract only a gram from a whole hive, means that they are probably concentrating/extracting the product already, so they know already a few tips in which direction to look to find the interresting part.
It's hardly the biggest reveal of the month, but Google's cheery "Happy Holidays from Android" video served to convey more than the search giant's heartfelt seasonal message -- it's also the launching ground for a Nexus 10 tablet dock. Spotted by Android Central, the curvy black stand, seen at the 0:59 and 1:16 marks, appears to be quite compact in size, and includes a raised back to support the high-res 10.1-inch slate. Sadly, there's no hint of connectivity options, and certainly no mention of a MSRP or ship date, so unless you happen to be one of the Google employees involved in this jovial gesture, chances are you won't be making room for Mountain View's latest Android accessory before the year is out. But you can catch a glimpse of it in action after the break.
A lot of good things happened in tech this year.?The iPhone 5 premiered with 4G and a feather-light design. Google released its Nexus 7 tablet to go head-to-head with the Amazon Kindle Fire, and equipped it with Jelly Bean.?Samsung delivered a powerful one-two punch with the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. And we saw a fair number of Ultrabooks that gave the MacBook Air?a run for its money.
But where there?s good, there?s bad. And there were plenty of major tech?fails this year. These awards go to the eight biggest.
Wrong-Way Award: Apple Maps With all the anticipation surrounding iOS 6, many didn?t think twice about giving up Google Maps for Apple?s new Maps app. But once users switched over, the complaints and outcries that the iOS app was far inferior to Google Maps mushroomed. The app was riddled with errors ? including wrong addresses and warped-looking landmarks in the Flyover view ? while it lacked integrated mass-transit directions.
Apple eventually apologized for the Maps gaffe, and even recommended alternatives. CEO?Tim Cook probably put it best, saying, "We screwed up."
More:?7 Things Apple Must Do in 2013
False Start Award: Windows 8 After Microsoft?released a preview of the highly anticipated Windows 8, users were dismayed to find that, although the new system's classic "desktop" was practically identical to the Windows 7 interface, it lacked a Start menu. Microsoft had substituted the menu with a shortcut to the Start screen, which meant users are forced to leave the desktop just to launch an app that takes them right back to the desktop.
Talk about frustrating. The good news is that a number of third parties have stepped up to the plate with alternatives, including Stardock's Start8 and Samsung's S Launcher utility.
More:?8 Windows 8 Annoyances and How to Fix Them
Worst Sales Pitch: Dell?s ?Daily Deals? During Laptop's annual Tech Support Showdown, we made three calls to Dell's?tech support line and got more than we bargained for. During the calls, Dell pushed premium warranties on us, saying we had won a daily drawing that would allow us to buy a $500 four-year extended warranty for just $317. Lucky us ? we were chosen to spend even more money on something we didn?t need! When we resisted, the representative rushed us through the call, barely attempting to answer our question, but routinely haranguing us to buy the warranty, because otherwise the next caller would get our "prize."
According to Dell, using "drawings" as a sales tactic is against company policy. However, aggressively pushing extended warranties and hardware purchases is not, as we experienced on two other calls where support reps seemed more interested in making a commission than solving our problems.
More:?Tech Support Showdown 2012
IP-(Uh)-O Award: Facebook Although Facebook?s IPO initially set a record for technology companies by raising more than $16 billion, it quickly became the decade?s worst initial public offering. When the social networking giant went public in May, its initial offering price was set at $38, while the company was valued at $104 billion. However, a little more than two weeks later, Facebook shares had dropped dramatically to $26.90 per share.
As it turns out, Facebook?s inability to monetize mobile traffic has caused a lot of concern among investors.?Although the stock has rebounded from a recent slide, the share is still way off the debut price.
More:?26 Ultimate Facebook Tips
Biggest Rip-Off Award: Shared Data Plans In June, Verizon unveiled its new Share Everything plans, which allow customers to pay a flat fee for each device, plus a single charge for shared monthly data, which ranges from 1GB to 10GB. The plan includes unlimited voice minutes and text messages and makes you pay for them, whether you need them or not. As a result, a 2GB data plan costs $100 on the new plan while 2GB with a limited number of minutes and texts cost $70 on the old plan.
AT&T followed suit with similar Mobile Share plans. However, neither of these shared-plan options lets you opt for limited voice minutes or data. Plus, you still need to pay an additional monthly fee as you add devices, whether it?s a tablet?($15 for AT&T, $10 on Verizon Wireless) or mobile hotspot ($50 for AT&T, $20 for Verizon Wireless). At least AT&T kept its individual plans for those who don?t want to go the shared route.
More:?Top 10 Smartphones
Broken Promises Award: BlackBerry?10 BlackBerry 10 has become somewhat of a punchline in the tech industry, with the release of Research?In?Motion?s new mobile?OS continually delayed at a time when the straggling smartphone-maker should be trying anything to keep up with its Android and iPhone?competitors. After a brief demonstration of BlackBerry 10 at BlackBerry World in May, RIM pushed back the operating system?s release until Q1 of 2013, and soon after slashed 5,000 jobs.
Although there are some features in BB10 that look promising, many BlackBerry loyalists have already jumped ship. We'll find out in January if RIM has a shot at a better 2013.
More:?BlackBerry 10 Video Preview
Bait-and-Switch Award: Microsoft Surface When commercials for the Microsoft?Surface started airing, viewers were enthralled by the device's Touch Cover. It came in fun, eye-catching colors and magnetically snapped onto the device for an easy typing experience.
One would assume that if Microsoft was putting the Touch Cover into its Surface commercials, it would come with the Surface, right? Wrong. Turns out the Touch Cover is a separate purchase, and shoppers would have to invest an additional $119 for the accessory ($100 if you buy it with the black one).
More:?Top 10 Windows 8 Tablet-Laptop Hybrids
Bad Idea Award: Google Nexus Q Nexus Q could have easily made our list of most overpriced gadgets of all-time ... if it had actually come out. First shown and given to attendees at Google I/O 2012, the Nexus Q is a set-top box in the shape of an orb that streams music and movies to your home theater from Google Play ??and Google Play only.
While a $49 Roku box, a $99 Apple TV or a $99 Google TV box offers a variety of content services, even apps, the $299 Nexus Q didn't even have Netflix. Once you got over its unique design, the Nexus Q's main feature was allowing multiple users to add to the same playlist, something that was sure to create plenty of arguments among family members with different tastes. To Google's credit, the company quickly realized it had a dud on its hands, stopped accepting new orders and gave free units to anyone who had preordered.
Twangy Christmas songs. Celebrity friends. A violent, talking turkey. Yep, Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas (Monday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC) has all the makings of a special holiday show.
KIGALI (Reuters) - Rwanda said FDLR rebels crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday and attacked a game warden camp, killing one warden in the second attack by the Rwandan Hutu group in six days.
Rwanda has in the past cited the presence of the FDLR, or Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, as a reason for sending troops into neighboring Congo. Experts say the rebel group has dwindled in strength.
Rwandan defense forces spokesman Brigadier General Joseph Nzabamwita said about 10 FDLR fighters crossed the border on Sunday morning and attacked the camp outside a national park in Musanze in the country's northern province, where they killed the warden.
"The FDLR fired small arms, machine guns, RPG and 60mm mortars. The six park rangers fled the camp and one was killed, one injured," Nzabamwita told Reuters.
"They were pursued. None were caught or injured, and fled back to DRC. This is proof of FDLR having got arms and exploiting the situation in eastern DRC to destabilize Rwanda," he said.
Rwanda said on Tuesday that its troops clashed with another group of FDLR rebels after they attacked three villages on its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. An FDLR spokesman denied its fighters had been involved.
The group opposes the Tutsi-led government in Kigali and includes Hutu militiamen suspected of participating in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.
Congo's government is fighting against Tutsi-led M23 rebels in the war-scarred east of the country. The insurgent group pulled out on Saturday from the border city of Goma, which they seized on November 20 when they routed government troops backed by United Nations peacekeepers.
Congo and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 group in eastern Congo, a charge denied by Rwandan President Paul Kagame who has long complained that the Congolese government of President Joseph Kabila and U.N. peacekeepers have not done enough to drive out the FDLR from that area.
(Reporting by Jenny Clover; Editing by George Obulutsa and Roger Atwood)
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Martha Trepanier is working to reverse the growing youth obesity issue in Ontario, one student at a time.
She is one of two ?On the Move Provincial Champion Trainers? in Southwestern Ontario through the Canadian Association for Advancement of Women Sport.
Trepanier is a champion for youth. The Lambton College graduate is a healthy living advocate who works tirelessly to ensure she engages every young female she meets to live a healthier lifestyle.
A physical and health teacher with the Thames Valley District School Board, Trepanier has launched several successful initiatives promoting active living to teenage girls.
?This is a legitimate concern. We have had a real problem with youth inactivity,? she says.
As a provincial On The Move Trainer, Trepanier designs and provides workshops for communities that are aimed at engaging females between the ages of 9-18 to adopt a more active and healthy lifestyle.
She teaches community partners the best strategies and practices to address the growing obesity and inactivity epidemic impacting school-age girls. Statistics indicate that just 4% of Ontario?s teenage girls meet recommended daily activity standards.
She works with youth to create programs that not only keep them active, but ones that they?ll enjoy, including dance and yoga.
?If they enjoy the activity, they?re more likely to be engaged and continue it on their own,? she says.
She also coaches girls? volleyball, basketball, and track and field and runs her school?s Smart Risk Program that encourages teenagers to make positive, informed choices and avoid needless risks.
Trepanier also hosts sports leadership camps, developed a female athlete of the month award, and is a Regional Leader for the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association.
She credits Lambton College with giving her the confidence and self-esteem to pursue her dreams to become a teacher and ultimately work to engage young girls to become more active.
Trepanier was recognized on the Dean?s List and graduated from Lambton?s Sports Facilities and Recreation Administration program in 2001. She then continued her studies at University of Windsor, earning a Bachelor of Human Kinetics degree. She followed that up by earning a Bachelor of Education degree from Windsor, a Certificate of Qualification from the Ontario College of Teachers and Special Education training from Lakehead University.
Had she not attended Lambton College, Martha says she would not have developed the confidence to upgrade her education. She admits she struggled in high school and was told that attending university was a pipe dream.
?Lambton changed all that. It made me focus and the faculty was great. It taught me how to work and study hard and gave me the skill set I needed in order to be successful in university and in my career,? she says.
Lambton College instilled in her the values of hard work, determination and commitment. She works to pass those same life skills on to her students.
Martha Trepanier was nominated by Lambton College for the 2012 Premier?s Award in the Community Services category.?
For more information regarding the Premier?s Awards, visit?www.co-awards.org.
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For more information about the Sports and Recreation Management program at Lambton College, please visit?www.lambtoncollege.ca/SR
FILE - In this April 14, 2012 file photo, Bette Midler introduces the late Laura Nyro for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. An online campaign to raise money so Native American tribes in South Dakota can purchase land they consider sacred has gained steam with a growing list of celebrities backing the effort. P Diddy and Midler have tweeted their support for the effort to purchase nearly 2,000 acres in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They join actor Ezra Miller and hip-hop producer Sol Guy, who appeared in a recent video online with drawing attention to the effort. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
FILE - In this April 14, 2012 file photo, Bette Midler introduces the late Laura Nyro for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. An online campaign to raise money so Native American tribes in South Dakota can purchase land they consider sacred has gained steam with a growing list of celebrities backing the effort. P Diddy and Midler have tweeted their support for the effort to purchase nearly 2,000 acres in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They join actor Ezra Miller and hip-hop producer Sol Guy, who appeared in a recent video online with drawing attention to the effort. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
In this March 4, 2012 photo, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs arrives for the Givenchy's fashion house presentation for Women's Fall-Winter, ready-to-wear 2013 fashion collection, during Paris Fashion week. An online campaign to raise money so Native American tribes in South Dakota can purchase land they consider sacred has gained steam with a growing list of celebrities backing the effort. Diddy and Bette Midler have tweeted their support for the effort to purchase nearly 2,000 acres in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They join actor Ezra Miller and hip-hop producer Sol Guy, who appeared in a recent video online with drawing attention to the effort. (AP Photo/Zacharie Scheurer)
FILE - This 2007 file photo provided by South Dakota Magazine shows Reynolds Prairie in the Black Hills of South Dakota. An online campaign to raise money so Native American tribes in South Dakota can purchase land they consider sacred has gained steam with a growing list of celebrities backing the effort. P Diddy and Bette Midler have tweeted their support for the effort to purchase nearly 2,000 acres in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They join actor Ezra Miller and hip-hop producer Sol Guy, who appeared in a recent video online with drawing attention to the effort. (AP Photo/courtesy South Dakota Magazine, Bernie Hunhoff, File)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) ? After months of high-profile fundraising that drew celebrities' attention and dollars, a group of Native American tribes has raised $9 million to buy a piece of land in South Dakota's Black Hills that they consider sacred, an official with an Indian land foundation said Friday.
The Indian Land Tenure Foundation president Cris Stainbrook told The Associated Press that the tribes raised enough money to purchase the land from its current owners. The foundation was one of several groups and organizations leading the effort to buy the land.
The deal was finalized Friday, which was the deadline for the tribes to raise the money.
The land, known as Pe' Sla, went up for sale after being privately owned. Members of the Great Sioux Nation have been allowed to gather there every year to perform rituals. The site plays a key role in the tribes' creation story, and members fear new owners would develop it.
Tribal leaders from three Sioux tribes ? Rosebud Sioux President Cyril Scott, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Chairman Charlie Vig and Crow Creek Chairman Brandon Sazue ? released a joint statement Friday, saying they are happy to be able to reclaim one of their sacred sites.
Those three tribes were the only ones to contribute to the purchase, Scott said. Tribal leaders would not say how much each tribe contributed to the purchase.
The three leaders said they exercised their tribal sovereign authority.
"It's a great day for Indian Country," Scott said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. Scott also said that all Sioux tribal members are invited to the land and that tribal leaders plan to form a commission to preserve the land.
More than $900,000 was raised through online contributions, said Standing Rock Sioux tribal member Chase Iron Eyes. His company, Last Real Indians, led the online effort.
Earlier this year, landowners Leonard and Margaret Reynolds canceled a public auction of the property after tribal members expressed outrage. The Reynolds' then accepted the tribes' bid to purchase the land for $9 million.
The couple has repeatedly said they will not speak publicly about the land sale and did not return a message from The AP on Friday seeking comment.
The fundraising effort drew support from several celebrities. P. Diddy tweeted about it as did Bette Midler, who also donated. Midler said she was "happy and proud" to have helped out with the purchase.
"I've been talking about it to my friends, tweeting to the world and donating through my foundation because I think it's important for the soul of our nation," she said in a statement Friday.
Actor Ezra Miller, who appeared in the recently released film "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," and music producer Sol Guy flew to South Dakota last month to film a nine-minute documentary-style video about the land that was used as part of an online campaign to raise funds.
The fundraising effort has been a monumental and controversial undertaking for the Sioux tribes. An 1868 treaty set aside the Black Hills and other land for the Sioux, but Congress passed a law in 1877 seizing the land following the discovery of gold in western South Dakota.
A 1980 U.S. Supreme Court ruling awarded more than $100 million to the Sioux tribes for the Black Hills, but the tribes have refused to accept the money, saying the land has never been for sale. There are Sioux tribes in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska and Canada.
Some members of the Sioux tribes didn't agree with trying to purchase the land. Bryan Brewer, president-elect of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said his tribe did not allocate any money to the land purchase.
"I'm still against buying something we own, but I'm thrilled the tribes' are buying it. I'm very happy about it," he said.
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Follow Kristi Eaton on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kristieaton.
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama's national border police on Friday killed one FARC guerrilla and captured seven others while patrolling the remote jungle border province of Darien, a police spokeswoman said.
Authorities said they seized weapons and about 20 bags of cocaine along with the guerrillas, members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
Police encountered the guerrillas in the district of Chepigana, near the Central American country's border with Colombia, after receiving complaints over the past few days of armed men in the area, which prompted increased patrols.
The incident comes a day after the FARC wrapped up their first round of peace talks with the Colombian government in Havana. The talks aim to end a decades-long conflict and are set to reconvene Wednesday.
Previous attempts at brokering peace have failed, but this time Colombia's government believes the FARC is weaker.
The FARC, initially formed in the 1960s as an armed communist agrarian movement, later turned to the illegal drug trade, kidnappings and extortion to sustain itself.
Its members have long operated in the semi-no-man's-land of Darien, stocking up on supplies, escaping Colombian security forces and using the dense jungle to move north-bound drugs.
Over the past two years, however, Panama's police say the FARC's numbers in the area have dwindled as the police presence has increased.
(Reporting by Lomi Kriel; editing by David Alire Garcia and Todd Eastham)
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This winter, welcome the quintessential tradition of ice skating as soon as the ice gets hard or a rink is opened.
Imagine it: You arrive at the ice rink all bundled up. You lace on a pair of skates ? figure, recreational, or hockey ? and once arriving at the ice, you glide easily across it.
Advanced skaters may do jumps and spins while newer skaters will slowly shuffle across the ice. Little ones will hold the hands of the adults who brought them. Couples cuddle side-by-side as they support each other around the rink.
The vision ? a Norman Rockwell painting of brightly colored scarves, knit hats, and smiles that stretch from ear to ear.
But there are a few things smart skaters ? and hopeful skaters ? should know before hitting the ice.
Get the right gear
While consumers can purchase ice skates from most department stores, purchasing skates from a specialty shop can save time and money in the long run.
According to Rick Gunn, owner of Gunn?s Sports Shop at 32 Greenpoint Road in Brewer, novices should get started with a basic pair of skates. His family-owned business has been serving skaters for almost 37 years.
According to Gunn, hockey-style skates or recreational skates share a similar look and their rounded blade with no toe pick are best for the newbie skater.
?Most beginner figure skaters use the toe pick inappropriately and can develop bad technique,? Gunn said. ?Proper technique is important so it doesn?t matter what you learn on.?
He added that there are three essential things to consider when choosing ice skates: proper support, the right fit to allow room for growth, and correctly sharpened blades. Specialty shops often include sharpening in the price of the skates.
?Skates don?t come already sharpened,? he said.
Purchasing skates from a specialty store doesn?t always mean the skater will pay more. In fact, utilizing experts can help save a skater money, and frustration, in the end.
Get the right fit
Choosing the right sized skate is a lot like choosing the right sized shoe. If the shoe fits properly, the foot feels great. If it?s ill fitting, all sorts of problems can arise resulting in extra dollars spent to get the right equipment.
?You?re trying to achieve the equivalent of bolting a blade to your shoe, so it?s important to get the boot to fit tightly,? he said. ?As an adult, you want to get it as tight as you can with it still being comfortable. Comfort is king.?
The correct and comfortable fit begins with the socks. Forget about those super thick wool socks your grandmother knit for you when it comes to going ice skating. Thinner socks made from SmartWool or any fabric that wicks away moisture is optimal. Choose well-fitting socks that don?t bunch or sag and bring them to the fitting.
Hockey skates, he said, should usually be bought a size and a half below the skater?s shoe size.
For young skaters, Gunn recommended purchasing skates an extra size larger to allow for the foot to grow. Gunn?s offers used skates and a trade-in program for re-saleable skates, making skating more affordable for youngsters who want to give it a try.
?The skates don?t have to be from here originally,? he said.
The most important part to getting the fit right, Gunn said, is having the skater present for the fitting. Gunn said he and his staff ask lots of questions while working with the skater to find the perfect skate for them. That?s doubly important for children and youth skaters who are constantly growing, he said.
Upkeep is key
After finding ?the one? at the skate store, storage and upkeep are key to keeping the skates looking (and feeling) like new. To keep equipment in tip-top shape, skaters should:
? Purchase blade guards. Blade guards protect the blades from dulling due to dirt, gravel, or pavement. They also protect hands, fabrics, and pets from being cut. Hard blade guards are ideal for walking short distances.
? Don?t store the skates in the blade guards. Moisture from the environment and ice that is trapped in guards can cause the blades to rust and is costly to fix. Put blade guards on while travelling and if walking over gravel, dirt, or pavement.
? Keep those blades sharp. For recreational skaters, once or twice a year should suffice. For more constant skaters or for skaters who are outside, Gunn recommends sharpening the skates every six to eight hours of ice time.
? Store skates in a dry, cool location. To prevent moisture from infiltrating the skates, Gunn recommended storing skates in a dry, cool location to allow skates to air dry.
For a list of ice arenas in Maine, many of which offer public ice time and rent equipment, visit arenamaps.com/arenas/Maine.htm. Many towns also have outdoor rinks, but if you?re planning to venture out on one of Maine?s many lakes or ponds to try out those blades, make sure the conditions are safe.
Maine Warden Service tips for ice safety
Never guess the thickness of the ice ? Check it! Check the ice in several different places using an auger or some other means to make a test hole and determine the thickness. Make several, beginning at the shore, and continuing as you go out.
Check the ice with a partner, so if something does happen, someone is there to help you. If you are doing it alone, wear a lifejacket.
If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off! Watch out for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots.
Avoid areas with currents, around bridges and pressure ridges. Wind and currents can break ice.
Parents should alert children of unsafe ice in their area, and make sure that they stay off the ice. If they insist on using their new skates, suggest an indoor skating rink.
If you break through the ice, remember:
Don?t panic.
Don?t try to climb out immediately ? you will probably break the ice again. Reach for solid ice.
Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. Once on the ice, roll, don?t walk, to safety.
To help someone who has fallen through the ice, lie down flat and reach with a branch, plank or rope or form a human chain. Don?t stand. After securing the victim, wiggle backwards to the solid ice.
We've had ample opportunity to ogle the electrical version of Fiat's venerable 500 when the Italian firm fortold its US arrival years ago. This week at the LA Auto Show, the car finally made its official debut, so naturally, we had to swing by and check it out. While we've got plenty of eye-candy of the diminutive EV in our gallery below, allow us to first regale you with the car's specs.
Under the hood lies a 111HP motor powered by a 24 kWh battery that generates 147 pound-feet of torque -- not exactly the stump-pulling grunt of its new Yankee competition, but still plenty of power for such a small car. Range tops out around 80 miles in general use, while city drivers can expect an extra 20 miles per charge. Speaking of, the car gets all the juice it needs through a 240-volt outlet in just under four hours. Can't wait to get one? Well, Fiat's not telling how much the 500e will cost, but we do know it'll be available in California starting Q2 of 2013, and it'll come to the rest of North America by the middle of the year.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Gangnam Style," the catchy Korean song by rapper Psy, may have danced its way into the American charts but the Korean pop industry isn't horsing around when it comes to capitalizing on the singer's phenomenal U.S. success.
With "Gangnam Style" topping the current Billboard Digital Songs chart and becoming the most-watched video on YouTube ever with more than 800 million views, fellow Korean pop, or K-pop, artists are positioning themselves for similar U.S. breakthroughs.
Korea's pop music industry is thriving. Over the past two years, a handful of K-pop acts including girl group 2NE1, boy band Super Junior and nine-piece band Girls Generation have embarked on mini-promotional tours around the United States to build their audience.
"Psy has opened doors and is shining a spotlight on K-pop. People are paying attention to what's being done there," Alina Moffat, general manager at YG Entertainment group, which manages Psy, told a recent entertainment industry conference in Los Angeles.
Psy's vibrant music video, featuring his invisible pony-riding dance, also featured K-pop artists Kim Hyun-a of girl band 4Minute, and Deasung and Seungri of boy band Big Bang, all of whom are attempting to crack the U.S. market.
"YouTube has really changed the awareness of K-pop. Both American kids and second-generation Korean American kids are discovering it," Kye Kyoungbon Koo, director of the Korea Creative Content Agency, told a panel at a Billboard and Hollywood Reporter conference in Los Angeles in October.
MARKETING THE NEXT BIG THING
For U.S. companies looking to invest, K-pop is being marketed as the next big thing, boasting young, stylish and influential artists who command devoted fan followings.
Moffat said car companies and mobile phone brands were among those being courted at KCON, a convention held in October in Irvine in Southern California that showcased K-pop artists.
"Kids are coming, they're engaged, they want to spend money and sponsors saw that," Moffat said.
Whether Psy or other K-pop artists can command a global following to rival Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or Rihanna remains to be seen, but John Shim, senior producer at MTV World, believes it is the right genre to compete with pop music's biggest names.
"K-pop admittedly is a very niche genre but I also think it's the best equipped of Asian pop to cater to the U.S. audience," Shim told Reuters.
Psy has helped to break down language barriers, keeping "Gangnam Style" in its original Korean form instead of adapting it to English when it became an international hit.
The singer told Reuters he was persuaded to keep it that way by his manager Scooter Braun, the talent scout responsible for Justin Bieber's success, who signed Psy to his record label.
"I thought, 'Should I translate this or not?' because (the fans) have got to know what I'm talking about, and lyrics are a huge part," Psy said.
CHATTING IN ENGLISH
But industry executives say at least one member of each K-Pop group is usually taught to be fluent in conversational English.
"The investment in language is costly, but effective," said Ted Kim, president of South Korean music television channel Mnet. "It really matters that Psy can go on the Ellen DeGeneres TV show and have a conversation."
Psy said he was proud his song succeeded in Korean, but he now wants to branch out into English.
"'Gangnam Style' is not the sort of thing that's going to happen twice. I've definitely got to make something in English so I can communicate with my fans right now," the singer said.
In Korea, bands such as SM Entertainment's Super Junior and Girls Generation have became branding powerhouses, scoring endorsements ranging from cosmetics, fashion, video games, electronics and beverages.
In the United States, companies such as Samsung have already jumped on the K-pop train, sponsoring Korean boy band Big Bang's U.S. tour.
But while the genre is gaining steam in the charts, it has yet to spill into ticket sales for tours, according to Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief at Pollstar.com, which tracks concert sales.
"Psy may be able to sell out arenas in Asia, but not yet here. For the American audience, he has to prove that he's more than a novelty act," Bongiovanni said.
"K-pop has to prove itself before large companies spend money on it," he added.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran is planning to build new oil storage facilities so it can store more of the fuel it is having a hard time selling due to Western sanctions over its disputed nuclear program.
State-run Press TV quoted Mahmoud Zirakchianzadeh, Director of the Iranian Offshore Oil Company, as saying nearly 8.1 million barrels will be added to Iran's crude oil storage capacity by the next summer.
Iran has the world's third largest proven oil reserves and was OPEC's second largest exporter, but sanctions have stymied the flow since summer. It slipped to the cartel's third place in July after the European Union imposed oil sanctions to force Tehran to stop its uranium enrichment program.
According to the International Energy Agency, Iran's oil exports plunged to 1 million barrels a day in July, after standing at the 1.74-million-barrel mark a month earlier. Crude oil exports account for about 80 percent of the country's foreign revenue.
The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of using its nuclear program as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has denied the charges, saying its program is geared toward generating electricity and producing radioisotopes to treat cancer patients.
In another sign sanctions are biting, Iran's national airline has nearly doubled prices on plane tickets for some foreign destinations. Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Nooshabadi was quoted by local media as saying the carrier raised prices by up to 90 percent because of higher fuel prices and the plunging value of the rial against foreign currencies.
Iranian media say other airline companies have also hiked prices on flights abroad. In November, prices for Iranian domestic flights by Iran Air rose some 70 percent.
Impaired blood vessel function found in cystic fibrosis patientsPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Toni Baker tbaker@georgiahealth.edu 706-721-4421 Georgia Health Sciences University
AUGUSTA, Ga. The first evidence of blood vessel dysfunction has been found in a small cohort of generally healthy young people with cystic fibrosis, researchers report.
"Even though the lung function in these kids is fine at this point, there is evidence of vascular dysfunction and exercise intolerance," said Dr. Ryan A. Harris, clinical exercise physiologist at the Medical College of Georgia and Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Georgia Health Sciences University. "We think this blood vessel dysfunction could be contributing to their exercise intolerance, which is an independent predictor of mortality in these kids irrespective of their lung function."
The findings raise questions about whether dysfunctional arteries affect patients' ability to exercise, which is already recommended to help combat the disease's hallmark lung complications, and whether exercise can also improve blood vessel function and potentially help forestall cardiovascular disease.
Although their blood pressures tend to be normal and there is no established risk, cystic fibrosis patients have only recently lived long enough to acquire even an accelerated version of cardiovascular disease, said Dr. Katie T. McKie, Director of the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Center at the GHS Children's Medical Center. The median predicted age of survival is the mid-30s and nearly half the patients in the United States are over age 18, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Fifteen years ago, survival rates for the genetic disease were about half that, McKie said.
The blood vessel or endothelial dysfunction Harris and McKie found in these patients is essentially the reduced ability of blood vessels to respond to important cues, such as dilating when exercise or stress increase the body's demand for blood and oxygen. The dysfunction may be linked to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress which, in turn, impair the body's ability to use nitric oxide, a major blood vessel dilator, said Harris, corresponding author of the study in CHEST Journal.
Despite major advances in treatment and survival, cystic fibrosis patients tend to live with a chronic, low-grade inflammation resulting from a chronic state of infection. The genetic mutation that disrupts the body's balance of salt and fluid thickens lung mucus, which traps inhaled bacteria and viruses that are normally cleared.
"They are in a low-grade stage of inflammation all the time," Harris said. Patient participants in the study, for example, had a higher rate of inflammation than healthy controls and the higher their concentrations of inflammatory drivers such as C-reactive protein, the lower their pulmonary function.
When the 15 patients, age 8-18, peddled a stationary bike as long and hard as they could, it was leg fatigue rather than lung limitations, which stopped them. "It's not their lungs that are limiting their exercise capacity," Harris said. "But what about non-pulmonary factors that we had no idea existed in these kids?"
"At this stage, their lungs are as healthy as those of their healthy counterparts," McKie added.
They found that even though the patients could take in oxygen well they were not as good as their 15 healthy counterparts at using it. At rest, oxygen saturation in the patients' blood was lower. During peak exercise, the amount of oxygen they consumed was 14 percent lower while expelled air had higher oxygen levels, indicating that their muscles were not as efficient at using it.
Another telltale sign was the fact that their blood vessels simply didn't dilate as well. The researchers put a cuff on the lower arm to increase blood flow through the brachial artery, a major vessel in the bicep. How much the artery dilates in response to the increased flow when the cuff is released depends on how much nitric oxide is available and it was significantly less in patients versus controls.
Future studies are needed to determine exactly why cystic fibrosis patients appear to have less nitric oxide available and whether improving lung function and exercise capacity can improve the vascular health of patients of all ages.
MCG researchers already are doing a small pilot study giving over-the-counter antioxidants to combat oxidative stress, enhance nitric oxide availability and improve blood-vessel dilation. "If we can help improve vascular function, we can hopefully improve their ability to deliver oxygen and increase their exercise capacity," Harris said.
Maintaining good lung function typically requires multiple medications and several hours of daily therapy to break up the mucus, said McKie, a study co-author. She also encourages patients to live full, active lives. "We tell them they are going to live a full life, get married, be president, play baseball, whatever they want to do, it just takes a little extra work." Patient study participants included a swimmer, basketball, baseball and softball players. Guidelines for routine exercise testing of cystic fibrosis should be published early next year.
About 30,000 Americans have cystic fibrosis and 10 million more are carriers of the defective gene, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Endothelial dysfunction has been found in older individuals with chronic medical problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and obesity.
###
Harris' research is supported in part by the American Heart Association. For more information, visit: http://www.georgiahealth.edu/institutes/gpi/livep.html.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Impaired blood vessel function found in cystic fibrosis patientsPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Toni Baker tbaker@georgiahealth.edu 706-721-4421 Georgia Health Sciences University
AUGUSTA, Ga. The first evidence of blood vessel dysfunction has been found in a small cohort of generally healthy young people with cystic fibrosis, researchers report.
"Even though the lung function in these kids is fine at this point, there is evidence of vascular dysfunction and exercise intolerance," said Dr. Ryan A. Harris, clinical exercise physiologist at the Medical College of Georgia and Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Georgia Health Sciences University. "We think this blood vessel dysfunction could be contributing to their exercise intolerance, which is an independent predictor of mortality in these kids irrespective of their lung function."
The findings raise questions about whether dysfunctional arteries affect patients' ability to exercise, which is already recommended to help combat the disease's hallmark lung complications, and whether exercise can also improve blood vessel function and potentially help forestall cardiovascular disease.
Although their blood pressures tend to be normal and there is no established risk, cystic fibrosis patients have only recently lived long enough to acquire even an accelerated version of cardiovascular disease, said Dr. Katie T. McKie, Director of the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Center at the GHS Children's Medical Center. The median predicted age of survival is the mid-30s and nearly half the patients in the United States are over age 18, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Fifteen years ago, survival rates for the genetic disease were about half that, McKie said.
The blood vessel or endothelial dysfunction Harris and McKie found in these patients is essentially the reduced ability of blood vessels to respond to important cues, such as dilating when exercise or stress increase the body's demand for blood and oxygen. The dysfunction may be linked to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress which, in turn, impair the body's ability to use nitric oxide, a major blood vessel dilator, said Harris, corresponding author of the study in CHEST Journal.
Despite major advances in treatment and survival, cystic fibrosis patients tend to live with a chronic, low-grade inflammation resulting from a chronic state of infection. The genetic mutation that disrupts the body's balance of salt and fluid thickens lung mucus, which traps inhaled bacteria and viruses that are normally cleared.
"They are in a low-grade stage of inflammation all the time," Harris said. Patient participants in the study, for example, had a higher rate of inflammation than healthy controls and the higher their concentrations of inflammatory drivers such as C-reactive protein, the lower their pulmonary function.
When the 15 patients, age 8-18, peddled a stationary bike as long and hard as they could, it was leg fatigue rather than lung limitations, which stopped them. "It's not their lungs that are limiting their exercise capacity," Harris said. "But what about non-pulmonary factors that we had no idea existed in these kids?"
"At this stage, their lungs are as healthy as those of their healthy counterparts," McKie added.
They found that even though the patients could take in oxygen well they were not as good as their 15 healthy counterparts at using it. At rest, oxygen saturation in the patients' blood was lower. During peak exercise, the amount of oxygen they consumed was 14 percent lower while expelled air had higher oxygen levels, indicating that their muscles were not as efficient at using it.
Another telltale sign was the fact that their blood vessels simply didn't dilate as well. The researchers put a cuff on the lower arm to increase blood flow through the brachial artery, a major vessel in the bicep. How much the artery dilates in response to the increased flow when the cuff is released depends on how much nitric oxide is available and it was significantly less in patients versus controls.
Future studies are needed to determine exactly why cystic fibrosis patients appear to have less nitric oxide available and whether improving lung function and exercise capacity can improve the vascular health of patients of all ages.
MCG researchers already are doing a small pilot study giving over-the-counter antioxidants to combat oxidative stress, enhance nitric oxide availability and improve blood-vessel dilation. "If we can help improve vascular function, we can hopefully improve their ability to deliver oxygen and increase their exercise capacity," Harris said.
Maintaining good lung function typically requires multiple medications and several hours of daily therapy to break up the mucus, said McKie, a study co-author. She also encourages patients to live full, active lives. "We tell them they are going to live a full life, get married, be president, play baseball, whatever they want to do, it just takes a little extra work." Patient study participants included a swimmer, basketball, baseball and softball players. Guidelines for routine exercise testing of cystic fibrosis should be published early next year.
About 30,000 Americans have cystic fibrosis and 10 million more are carriers of the defective gene, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Endothelial dysfunction has been found in older individuals with chronic medical problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and obesity.
###
Harris' research is supported in part by the American Heart Association. For more information, visit: http://www.georgiahealth.edu/institutes/gpi/livep.html.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Martha Trepanier is working to reverse the growing youth obesity issue in Ontario, one student at a time.
This type of business model is widely used by magazines and newspapers and is gaining huge popularity with companies that use a format subscription rather than a one-time fee. If your current business model is not cutting it, try to diversify into similar products that people may wish to keep your business going. If so, be sure to familiarize yourself with the theory of web design and aesthetic models. What makes affiliate marketing as a business model great is the simplicity in which you can earn an income. Unless a company must use the model home to avoid the data is transferred to a third party using a tool based on the default Web monitoring is a better choice in terms of cost, access to system, and system longevity. Cloud providers make their services through three basic models. 
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Public release date: 26-Nov-2012
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