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The Science of Iron
I have mentioned before that I am something of a casual gymgoer- it's only a relatively recent hobby, and only in the last couple of months have I given any serious thought and research to my regime (in which time I have also come to realise that some my advice in previous posts was either lacking in detail or partially wrong- sorry, it's still basically useful). However, whilst the internet is, as could be reasonably expected, inundated with advice about training programs, tips on technique & exercises to work different muscle groups (often wildly disagreeing with one another), there is very little available information concerning the basic science behind building muscle- it's just not something the average gymgoer knows. Since I am fond of a little research now and then, I thought I might attempt an explanation of some of the basic biology involved.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a biologist, and am getting this information via the internet and a bit of ad libbing, so don't take this as anything more than a basic guideline
Everything in your body is made up of tiny, individual cells, each a small sac consisting of a complex (and surprisingly 'intelligent') membrane, a nucleus to act as its 'brain' (although no-one is entirely sure exactly how they work) and a lot of watery, chemical-y stuff called cytoplasm squelching about and reacting with things. It follows from this that to increase the size of an organ or tissue requires these cells to do one of two things; increase in number (hyperplasia) or in size (hypertrophy). The former case is mainly associated with growths such as neoplasia (tumours), and has only been shown to have an impact on muscles in response to the injection of growth hormones, so when we're talking about strength, fitness and muscle building we're really interested in going for hypertrophy.
Hypertrophy itself is still a fairly broad term biologically, and only two aspects of it are interesting from an exercise point of view; muscular and ventricular hypertrophy. As the respective names suggest, the former case relates to the size of cells in skeletal muscle increasing, whilst the latter is concerned with the increase in size & strength of the muscles making up the walls of the heart (the largest chambers of which are called the ventricles). Both are part of the body's long-term response to exercise, and for both the basic principle is the same- but before I get onto that, a quick overview of exactly how muscles work may be in order.
A muscle cell (or muscle fibre) is on of the largest in the body, vaguely tubular in shape and consisting in part of many smaller structures known as myofibrils (or muscle fibrils). Muscle cells are also unusual in that they contain multiple cell nuclei, as a response to their size & complex function, and instead of cytoplasm contain another liquid called sarcoplasm (more densely packed with glycogen fuel and proteins to bind oxygen, and thus enabling the muscles to respire more quickly & efficiently in response to sudden & severe demand). These myofibrils consist of multiple sections called myofilaments, (themselves made of a family of proteins called myosins) joined end-to-end as repeating units known as sarcomeres. This structure is only present in skeletal, rather than smooth muscle cells (giving the latter a more regular, smoothly connected structure when viewed under the microscope, hence the name) and are responsible for the increased strength available to skeletal muscles. When a muscle fibril receives an electrical impulse from the brain or spinal cord, certain areas or 'bands' making up the sarcomeres shrink in size, causing the muscle as a whole to contract. When the impulse is removed, the muscle relaxes; but it cannot extend itself, so another muscle working with it in what is known as an antagonistic pair will have to pull back on it to return it to its original position.
Now, when that process is repeated a lot in a small time frame, or when a large load is placed on the muscle fibre, the fibrils can become damaged. If they are actually torn then a pulled muscle results, but if the damage is (relatively) minor then the body can repair it by shipping in more amino acids (the building blocks of the proteins that make up our bodies) and fuel (glycogen and, most importantly, oxygen). However, to try and safeguard against any future such event causing damage the body does its bit to overcompensate on its repairs, rebuilding the protein structures a little more strongly and overcompensating for the lost fuel in the sarcoplasm. This is the basic principle of muscular hypertrophy; the body's repair systems overcompensating for minor damage.
There are yet more subdivisions to consider, for there are two main types of muscular hypertrophy. The first is myofibrillated hypertrophy, concerning the rebuilding of the myofibrils with more proteins so they are stronger and able to pull against larger loads. This enables the muscle to lift larger weights & makes one stronger, and is the prominent result of doing few repetitions of a high load, since this causes the most damage to the myofibrils themselves. The other type is sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, concerning the packing of more sarcoplasm into the muscle cell to better supply the muscle with fuel & oxygen. This helps the muscle deal better with exercise and builds a greater degree of muscular endurance, and also increases the size of the muscle, as the increased liquid in it causes it to swell in volume. It is best achieved by doing more repetitions on a lower load, since this longer-term exercise puts more strain on the ability of the sarcoplasm to supply oxygen. It is also advisable to do fewer sets (but do them properly) of this type of training since it is more tiring; muscles get tired and hurt due to the buildup of lactic acid in them caused by an insufficient supply of oxygen requiring them to respire anaerobically. This is why more training on a lower weight feels like harder work, but is actually going to be less beneficial if you are aiming to build muscular strength.
Ventricular (or cardiac) hypertrophy combines both of these effects in a response to the increased load placed on the muscles in the heart from regular exercise. It causes the walls of the ventricles to thicken as a result of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and also makes them stronger so that the heart has to beat less often (but more powerfully) to supply blood to the body. In elite athletes, this has another effect; in response to exercise the heart's response is not so much to beat more frequently, but to do so more strongly, swelling more in size as it pumps to send more blood around the body with each beat. Athletic heart syndrome, where the slowing of the pulse and swelling of heart size are especially magnified, can even be mistaken for severe heart disease by an ill-informed doctor.
So… yeah, that's how muscle builds (I apologise, by the way, for my heinous overuse of the word 'since' in the above explanation). I should point out quickly that this is not a fast process; each successive rebuilding of the muscle only increases the strength of that muscle by a small amount, even for serious weight training, and the body's natural tendency to let a muscle degrade over time if it is not well-used means that hard work must constantly be put in to maintain the effect of increased muscular size, strength and endurance. But then again, I suppose that's partly what we like about the gym; the knowledge that we have earned our strength, and that our willingness to put in the hard work is what is setting us apart from those sitting on the sofa watching TV. If that doesn't sound too massively arrogant.
Standard | | Tagged ad lib, advice, amino acids, anaerobic respiration, antagonistic pairs, arrogant, athletes, athletic heart syndrome, beneficial, biologist, biology, brain, broad, building muscle, cardiac hypertrophy, casual, casual gymgoer, cell membrane, cell nucleus, cells, contract, cytoplasm, damage, electrical impulse, elite athletes, exercise, exercises, fitness, glycogen, growth, guideline, gym, gymgoer, hard work, heart, heart disease, heart rate, heartbeat, hobby, hormones, hyperplasia, hypertrophy, internet, lactic acid, liquid, load, muscle, muscle fibre, muscle fibrils, muscle groups, muscle size, muscles, muscular, muscular endurance, muscular hypertrophy, myofibrillated hypertrophy, myofibrils, myofilaments, myosins, neoplasia, nucleus, organ, overcompensate, overuse, oxygen, proteins, pulled muscle, pulse, rebuilding, regime, relax, repetitions, reps, research, respiration, sac, sarcomeres, sarcoplasm, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, science, serious thought, sets, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, strength, swell, technique, thicken, tissue, torn, training program, tubular, tumours, ventricles, ventricular cardiac, ventricular hypertrophy, volume, weight training	| 0 comments
Desert Bus
Charity is, as has been well documented, the most competitive industry on the planet. The trouble is that there are many, many things wrong with this world, and lots of people who believe that all should get the same thing- but nearly all of them are going after the same target demographic (the rich middle classes who can afford to give to them), and there are simply so many of them competing for people's time, energy and, most importantly, financial support that many get drowned under the weight of competition. This has lead to many charity events in recent years attempting to break out from the mainstream collection ideas, focusing on charitable enterprise or other such concepts in order to be different and identifiable. However, when preparing for one such event that is happening in the very near future (hence why I'm publishing this post a day early) I saw an opportunity to combine the topic of charity with blogging and an old favourite fall-back topic, gaming- but to start with, I'm going to talk about magic, so sit in for a story folks.
In 1975 a pair of American magicians delivered a show in Minnesota that would quickly become the first of many. With another co-host, the duo built their reputation with a regular show that lasted until 1981, before moving to New York to start their own off Broadway shows. By 1985 these were garnering them some top reviews, so as the 90s approached they turned their act to Broadway proper. During the 1990s they were appearing regularly on chat shows, doing US national tours and making TV cameos, firmly establishing themselves as possibly the most famous magicians on earth at that time (and possibly the present day too). Their names were (and are) Penn & Teller.
By 1995 their career was reaching a zenith; famous both nationally and around the world, they were the closest the magical world had to global superstars. And with stardom came all the trappings of fame, including incessant requests from various publishers and agents asking to be allowed to use their name to plug something, and presumably in late 1994 one such offer from Absolute Entertainment was accepted; to allow Penn & Teller to be the subject material for a videogame.
The game in question was to be called Penn & Teller's Smoke And Mirrors; the console, the Sega-CD (an add-on for the Sega Mega Drive that was at the time fighting a furious console war with Nintendo's Super NES). The game itself consisted of a series of mini-games, in a similar way to how a magic show is comprised of individual tricks- or at least, that was the idea. Each game was a trick you had to master, a little bit of slight-of-hand/controller that you had to learn before inviting your friends over and thrashing them since you knew how the trick worked, as a form of payback against those friends "who come over to your house, eat your food, drink your soda, play your games and always beat you" (Penn's words, not mine). Many have since voiced the opinion that videogaming was a rather odd choice of platform for this idea, but whether this would have impacted sales was never discovered, as Absolute Entertainment went bust after (conveniently) they had completed the game's development, but before they got a chance to ship it and pay Penn & Teller back the licensing money they were owed. Under the terms of the contract, this rendered all deals regarding use of Penn & Teller's likenesses and intellectual property null and void, meaning Absolute Entertainment's owners (Skyworks Interactive Inc.) couldn't sell the game, and all the copies they produced presumably sat in a corner gathering dust somewhere. However, before the studio went under another player entered our story, by the name of Janet Reno.
At the time, Janet Reno was Attorney General of the United States under Bill Clinton's leadership, and at the time in question she chose a particularly opportune moment to join the chorus of voices against the violence in videogames. Reno's argument partially centred on the idea that these games were unrealistic, and should try to depict life as it really was rather than clouding the mind's of the nation's children (or something), so as a rather sly joke Penn & Teller slipped one more minigame in, the only one that wasn't a magic trick. A little minigame going by the name of Desert Bus.
Desert Bus was described as being designed to be an example of 'stupefyingly realistic gameplay', and in it you played as a bus driver. Your job was to drive between two US cities, Tucson, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, at no more than 45 miles per hour (presumably the bus was electronically limited), in real-time, right across the Great American desert. The scenery was fairly unchanging (the odd tree or bus stop goes by), there is no traffic coming the other way, the graphics are about as good as could be expected from that generation console, there are no people to pick up, and the journey takes 8 hours to complete in each direction. After 5 hours, a bug hits the windscreen. This is considered a highlight.
However, there were three things that turned this from a rather interesting statement by the game developers to a simultaneously evil and absolutely hilarious game, depending on whether you were playing or just hearing about it. Firstly, there is no ability to pause; pressing the pause button merely activates the horn, so you're in for the long haul. Secondly, the bus lists to the right, meaning one cannot simply tape down the accelerator and leave it for eight hours- it requires one's constant attention (and repeated turning left) to avoid crashing. If you do crash, and stay still for 15 seconds, a tow truck comes to take you back to Tucson- again, in real time, and at 45 miles an hour. Thirdly, if you reach Vegas, you get one point- and 15 seconds to decide if you want to try for another one by heading back to Tucson. The game has a limit of 99 points, never achieved without the use of an emulator. This is the world's greatest endurance test- Penn & Teller even had plans, had the game been released, to set up a competition for who could get the most points, the prize being a luxury trip in 'the real Desert Bus', a few nights in a luxury Vegas hotel and tickets to their show, but of course the game never exactly received widespread coverage.
That is, however, not until 2007, when two more players enter our story- Penny Arcade and LoadingReadyRun. Penny Arcade is probably the most famous webcomic in the world, written by a couple of games nerds for games nerds (I should probably say at this point that I've never actually read it, but ho hum), and very much acting as a voice for the gaming community. It's founders, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, have become successful enough to start their own gaming convention (PAX), and in 2003 they embarked on another project- Child's Play. Designed with the view in mind of a gaming charity, a chance for gaming culture to give something back to society and to improve its negative image as being violent and uncouth, it aims to deliver toys and videogames to sick children in hospitals worldwide, in order to make their lives a little more bearable. Some have said that it's message is perhaps not as righteous as that of, say, Oxfam, but these people are kind of missing the point of charity and it is nonetheless charmingly sweet in concept. Penny Arcade's prominence among the gaming community is such that many key industry figures have got behind it and the charity has so far raised over $12 million, nearly one million of which has come thanks to the work of a group of Canadians behind an 8-year old internet sketch comedy series called LoadingReadyRun.
You see, in 2007 the guys behind LoadingReadyRun decided that they would try to use their small but devoted hardcore fan base to raise some cash for such a good cause, and so decided to organise a charity gaming marathon in aid of Child's Play. Casting around for a suitable game to play, they decided that 'the most boring game in the world' would form a good backdrop whilst they danced, pissed around and generally humiliated themselves on camera to get donations, and so they plumped for Desert Bus. As they slotted a copy of the game (don't ask me where they got it from) into a borrowed Sega CD, they hoped to try and raise $5,000 dollars, the plan being that their strategy of 'the more we get the longer we play' would last them about a weekend. They made four times their target, and the following year did the same thing again and hit $70,000, forcing them to play for nearly 4 days. By the next year their comedy had reached a wider audience after being picked up and hosted by The Escapist online 'magazine', and they broke $100,000 for the first time; last year they made $383,125.10, and hope to bring their sum total to over a million this year. Desert Bus For Hope 6 starts tomorrow, at 5am GMT (or 9pm PST), it's for a great cause, and it should be entertaining to watch the kind of challenges they get up to- they are professional sketch comedians after all. The website's here, and the list of people ringing in is here (spoiler- the list includes Notch), and a far more entertaining history of the game is here. If you've got the time free, give them a watch. It's for the children.
Standard | | Tagged 'most boring game in the world', 'stupefyingly realistic gameplay', Absolute Entertainment, accelerator, Arizona, Attorney General, bankruptcy, Bill Clinton, blogging, Broadway, bus driver, Canadians, career, charitable enterprise, charity, charity events, charity gaming marathon, chat shows, Child's Play, city, comedy, competition, competitive, constant attention, contract, Desert Bus, Desert Bus For Hope, Desert Bus For Hope 6, endurance test, entertaining, evil, fame, fan base, game development, games industry, games nerds, gaming, gaming charity, gaming community, gaming convention, gaming culture, gaming marathon, give something back, graphics, Great American desert, highlight, hilarious, horn, industry, industry figures, intellectual property, it's for the children, Janet Reno, Las Vegas, licensing agreement, listing, LoadingReadyRun, magic, magic show, magic tricks, magicians, mini-games, Minnesota, Nevada, Nintendo, Oxfam, pause, PAX, payback, Penn & Teller, Penn & Teller's Smoke And Mirrors, Penny Arcade, points, realism, reality, rich middle classes, Sega Mega Drive, Sega-CD, shows, sketch comedians, Skyworks Interactive Inc., sleight-of-hand, society, stardom, story, Super NES, sweet, target demographic, tow truck, traffic, tricks, Tucson, TV appearances, unrealistic, USA, videogame, violence in videogames, webcomic, went bust, zenith	| 0 comments


About | Huey Enterprises, Inc.
Art was the first employee hired by a new executive search firm in 1976. As the firm's most successful search consultant and trainer, he helped the firm grow to 18 employees.
In 1983, he founded his own search firm, Huey Enterprises, Inc., to focus on difficult-to-fill executive and professional level positions.
Later, he added a Career Advice Division to offer mid-career assistance for industry leaders faced with the task of finding new employment.
Jodie joined Huey Enterprises in 2000 as a Consultant. For over 15 years, her main focus has been search assignments for construction and development positions at the executive and professional levels. Clients have also benefited from her contributions to the Career Advice Division.
She first entered the employment industry more than 20 years ago. Hired as a Physician Recruiter, she distinguished herself by taking on a search so challenging that the client agreed to double the fee. The search was successfully completed. She also worked 3 years for an agency that specialized in placing office staff.
Jodie hails from San Diego, California.
Scott joined Huey Enterprises in 2004 as a Consultant. He was promoted to Vice President in 2005. He is responsible for recruiting the best talent at executive and professional levels both nationally and worldwide. He is also very involved in the growth of the Career Advice Division.
His main focus has been search assignments in specialized areas, such as, acquisitions, leasing, asset management, capital markets, construction, development, finance, accounting, property management, and taxation.
A partial list of positions filled include: Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Leasing, Vice President of Leasing, Senior Vice President of Capital Markets, Vice President of Taxation, Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Vice President of Development, Vice President of Construction, General Counsel, Senior Asset Manager and Property Manager.


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Home Football World Cup
Cowl megastar? Megan Rapinoe: Fans launch petition to get USA big name on front cowl of FIFA 20 after Women's World Cup triumph
in Football World Cup
She picked up the Golden Boot and Golden Ball after scoring six desires and impacted each on and off the pitch.
Rapinoe became vocal in her criticism of US President Donald Trump in the tournament course and refused to go to the White House in the aftermath of the group's success.
There has in no way been a girl on the quilt of the popular video game, and a petition has been commenced on Change.Org employing Darren Holland to try to alternate that.
"More exposure to this crew and ladies' football will assist alternate their minds."EA has already completed greater than FIFA in terms of support, so this is a no-brainer which I realize they need to be taking into consideration."Much respect to IGN for the authentic publish and photo on social media."
There have been simply 197 signatures on the petition (at the time of booklet) since it changed into published on social media on Thursday.
Placing a World Cup wager is straightforward. Find football at the listing of making a bet sports activities, select the World Cup from the sub-menu and then pick the marketplace you would like to bet on. As a beginner, it's easiest to bet on the final results of a fit in the match-making bet market. To place a wager, tick the result; you assume the fit to provide. Your 'selection' will then appear on a betting slip to your display screen, and you'll be triggered to enter the quantity you would like to guess and requested to affirm your bet. If you are careworn approximately how World Cup odds work, make sure that your odds layout placing is on 'decimal.' Decimal odds are the simplest format to recognize – multiply your stake by way of the decimal odds to decide the total payout on a winning bet.
Your World Cup bets can be settled inside minutes of an in-shape producing a result. If your wager wins, the winnings might be delivered in your balance. You can withdraw your budget at any time. Keep in thoughts that you will most effectively be rewarded with a loose bet once you've got located your first guess and the even you guess on has produced a result. The biggest sporting event in the world has begun. And football mania is set to rule for the next month. The football World Cup 2010 being held in South Africa is the 19th edition of this premier event which has seen seven winners. Brazil is the outright leader with five world cups under its belt. The South American samba magicians are invariably strong contenders; this time around, they have the two dazzling dribblers, Kaka and Ronaldinho, to guide their fortunes.
England hasn't tasted world cup glory since they got lucky in 1966; it has been a generation, and this country could ride on the skill of Steven Gerard and the power of Wayne Rooney to a semi-final berth at the very least. However, Germany brings clinical efficiency and Teutonic power to their game. They know what it takes to win a football world cup.
Of the European nations, Spain and Portugal have been the perennial underachievers, but this time, Portugal has Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks; if he is fed the ball at the right time, he has the knack to score opportunistic goals.
US girls's football crew wins its fourth World Cup
After a exquisite World Cup victory, US stars return to their day jobs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Police Suicide: A Call to Action
By Nathaniel Daniels
"Our collective silence only compounds the problem." ~Chief Craig Steckler (Retired), Fremont PD
New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill made one of the most difficult statements of his career earlier this month, announcing the suicides of two veteran NYPD officers. Deputy Chief Steven J. Silks, 62, just weeks from his mandatory retirement, and Detective Joseph Calabrese 58, a high-ranking union official, died within twenty-four hours of one another. Commissioner O'Neill called police suicides a "mental health crisis" and urged despondent officers to seek help, before any more were lost to suicide.
Less than ten days later, O'Neill's "crisis" diagnosis was vindicated, when an as-of-yet unnamed Staten Island officer, only 29, killed himself outside the precinct where he worked. O'Neill, forced to the metaphorical podium once more, reiterated his earlier sentiment.
"The NYPD and the law enforcement profession as a whole…must take action," he wrote on Twitter. "This absolutely cannot be allowed to continue." Police suicide is far from a New York City issue. The nonprofit Blue H.E.L.P. reports 92 law enforcement suicides nationwide this year alone, and 167 in 2018. Every year, police deaths by suicide outnumber deaths in the line of duty.
Several factors associated with the profession are responsible for this trend. Many police officers struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, as a result of the dangerous scenarios they encounter every day. On the job, they make split-second decisions with peoples' lives in the balance. Frequently, they do so sleep deprived and working irregular hours.
With such a high-stress job, police officers desperately need a support network. Yet they often have trouble finding one – at home or at work. In the home, police marriages end in divorce much more often than civilian ones because of the irregular hours and emotional withdrawal to traumatic experiences on the job. A staggering statistic from Law Enforcement Today found that only a quarter of married of officers will still be married to the same spouse by the end of their career.
And at the precinct, officers often hide their struggles to avoid personal and professional repercussions. They fear that opening up about their mental issues will invite taunting by their colleagues; many police departments suffer from a tough guy, don't-admit-weakness culture. They fear reporting any emotional troubles will give their superiors reason to doubt their ability, and they will be passed over for promotion or even let go.
"Our refusal to speak openly about the issue perpetuates the stigma many officers hold…that depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide are signs of weakness and failure, not cries for help." ~ Chief Steckler
With nowhere and no one to turn to, many cops take solace in the bottle. Police officers are at a higher risk of substance abuse than the general population. They'll drink too much to cope with the stress, which further compounds the marital problems covered earlier, which further compounds their stress in a vicious, booze-smelling cycle.
And when it all finally becomes too much, officers are at a much higher risk of successfully committing suicide because of their service pistols. Suicide attempts involving firearms are more likely to succeed than any other method, and research has (albeit inconclusively) suggested the mere presence of a gun in the house actually increases the risk of suicide, precisely because the person knows they are more likely to succeed. For too many officers, their own guns are a bigger threat to them than those wielded by any criminal on the street. Their pistol – the tool by which they protect our lives – sadly become the means by which they end theirs.
These ingredients – trauma, substance abuse, domestic woes, access to firearms – form a tragic cocktail, one which far too many officers drink every year. It doesn't have to be this way. It should not be this way.
What Can Departments Do?
A police department acknowledges a responsibility to do everything to protect officers from being harmed in the line of duty. It is imperative that they also commit to protecting their officers from suicide. The department understands its obligation to make their officers safe as possible when they are dealing with active shooters. But as we have seen, suicide claims the lives of far more officers. They must treat this crisis as a legitimate safety issue by police management.
In recent years, a handful of police departments have recognized this and moved to rectify the issue. The Montreal Police Department launched the "Together For Life" program in the early 2000s. The program introduced a phone hotline for officers in need and training on suicide risk factors and assisting depressed colleagues. Twelve years after the program's institution, the department's suicide rate plummeted by nearly 80%.
But not every police department has the budget for such a comprehensive program. And it's hard to fault police chiefs for wanting to devote scarce resources to solving cases or upgrading equipment. If this is the case, the department may turn to the union, a local health agency, or the clergy. These outside organizations can help provide access to counseling the department cannot afford to. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Interactive Screening Program, an online questionnaire that screens suicide risk and connects officers to independent counseling services, recently introduced by the Fargo Police Department, is a great example of a cheaper service smaller departments can use to assist their officers.
"Accepting help is never a sign of weakness – in fact, it is a sign of great strength." ~Commissioner O'Neill
Departments must also foster a work environment in which seeking help is not perceived as a weakness. They must pledge that officers who do reach out will not suffer professional consequences. They should look into establishing firearm safekeeping programs, in which officers can temporarily surrender their service pistol. Again, this must incur no professional consequence.
What Can You Personally Do?
If you are a police officer struggling with depression and anxiety, you are not alone. You can be helped. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 is free, confidential, and available 24/7. If you would rather speak with a service that understands the difficulties unique to the law enforcement profession, text BLUE to 741741. Counselors at the Crisis Text Line are specifically trained to deal with crises common to police officers. If you are experiencing a crisis, DO NOT isolate yourself.
Less immediate resources include Blue H.E.L.P.'s database of books and articles, the Badge of Life website and its educational material, and the International Association of Police Chief's Suicide Prevention webpage. These resources will provide you with healthy coping mechanisms and resilience development techniques.
If a fellow officer expresses suicidal thoughts to you, DO NOT belittle them or treat it as a joke. Direct them to these resources and connect them to their other friends and family.
You put your lives on the line every day to serve and protect your communities. In times like these, you have earned the right to put your own life first. Asking for help is NOT a sign of personal failure, it is not cowardly. It will likely be one of the best things you do for yourself your entire life.
crisis, Police, PTSD, suicide
Nathaniel Daniels
Nathaniel is a Law and Journalism student at California Polytechnic State University. Originally from Sacramento, he writes about history, economic policy and political corruption. His blog Capitol Shill covers corruption and incompetence in Congress.
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Report suggests Leeds are interested in January move for Premier League defender
By Marcus Oades
Leeds United supporters have been somewhat quieter in the Transfer Tavern during the international break such have been their side's struggles in recent weeks.
The Yorkshire giants went to the top of the Championship after seven games of the campaign having won five of them, but have since managed just three points from a possible 12, with three successive away defeats blighting their progress.
That has left head coach Thomas Christiansen with much to ponder during the fortnight's interruption, but there might be some good news to come for our resident Leeds fans if a recent report from ClubCall is anything to go by.
And that's because they report that the Whites are interested in bringing Huddersfield Town defender Scott Malone to Elland Road in January.
The 26-year-old only moved to the John Smith's Stadium back in the summer after a season at Fulham, with whom he scored six goals and laid on six assists to help reach the Championship play-offs, albeit they lost to Reading in the semi-finals.
Yet the Englishman has been unable to command regular football under David Wagner so far this season with just two Premier League appearances to his name, both of which substitute cameos.
And his lack of first team action has reportedly attracted the interest of Christiansen's Leeds, who could look to launch a loan move for Malone in January should his situation remain the same at the Yorkshire outfit.
And with Leeds having conceded 11 goals in 11 league games this term, defensive reinforcements may be needed in January, but whether they firm up their interest in Malone remains to be seen.
Landlord's verdict: Scott Malone was one of several top-performing Championship players to make the move to Huddersfield Town during the summer, but things haven't quite worked out for the Englishman.
The 26-year-old has yet to start a Premier League game for the Terriers and has made just two substitute appearances, which leaves his short-term future at the club far from certain.
And it's uncertainty which Leeds United are reportedly seeking to exploit, with the need for experienced Championship defenders like Malone particularly important as they seek a return to the Premier League.
Should Malone's situation remain the same at Huddersfield, it's perfectly plausible that he could make the short trip across Yorkshire to link up with Leeds.
Leeds fans… what do you make of the news? Let us know!
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Article title: Report suggests Leeds are interested in January move for Premier League defender


08:06 PM -- Mr. Robert Werthwein, representing the Department of Human Services, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Werthwein discussed the impact of mingling young, nonviolent offenders with older offenders who have committed more serious offenses. Discussion ensued regarding services that may be offered to those diverted from detention under the bill. Mr. Werthwein noted support for the bill from other stakeholders. Discussion followed regarding the potential for the bill to result in unfunded burdens on the counties.
08:11 PM -- Ms. Kathryn Smith, representing the Denver Department of Human Services, and Ms. Dorothy Macias, representing the Office of the Child's Representative, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Smith discussed the detrimental effects of placing young, nonviolent offenders in detention, and addressed questions raised earlier about where children will be placed if not in detention. Ms. Macias discussed research on the harm caused by detaining young children, and related a case of a ten-year-old being committed to detention.
08:17 PM -- Ms. Carrie Thompson, representing the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Thompson spoke in support of evidence-based practices for youthful offenders. Ms. Thompson read the testimony of Carla Bennett, representing the League of Women Voters.
Representative Lee explained the effect of amendment L.003 (Attachment K).
Representative Lee provided closing remarks in support of HB 17-1207.
MOTION: Refer House Bill 17-1207, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 11-0.


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Dinah Wisenberg Brin is an award-winning veteran journalist and lifelong writer. Her news, business and feature stories have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Congressional Quarterly, The Associated Press, CNBC.com and Entrepreneur.com, among other publications.
She has covered Fortune 500 companies and CEOs, Congress, and a borough council that met in a one-room schoolhouse. In addition to interviewing CEOs and CFOs on a regular basis, and politicians including John Kerry and John McCain, Dinah has conducted interviews with all manner of folks, from unsung waitresses and students and barbers to celebrities like Chubby Checker and Dick Clark.
She once interviewed Ted Kennedy on a hamburger phone.
A native Texan now based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dinah brings a wealth of experience as a business-to-business and business-to-consumer reporter and writer serving private clients and news organizations.
At the college newspaper, long ago, an adrenaline-fueled girl reporter at the VDT.
Bruce Wilks on April 10, 2013 at 11:02 AM said:
Very impressive Dinah! Especially interviewing Ted Kennedy on a hamburger phone! Very cool!


Trivikram Srinivas, the man behind big blockbusters like 'Attarintiki Daredi', 'Athadu' is now back with 'A Aa'. Starring Nithin and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in lead roles, 'A Aa' is an abbreviation for Anasuya Ramalingam vs Anand Vihari; the name of the protagonists in the movie. The movie has cinematography done by Natarajan Subramanian and Dudley while music composed by Mickey J Meyers. Produced by Haarika & Hassine Creations, the movie is slated for worldwide release on May 27, 2016.


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Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/schools-face-big-virus-test-as-students-return-to-classroom
Schools face big virus test as students return to classroom
Education Aug 8, 2020 1:56 PM EST
Reopening schools is easy. Keeping them open will be the hard part.
As educators prepare to welcome students back to class for the first time in months, schools' ability to quickly identify and contain coronavirus outbreaks before they get out of hand will be put to the test in thousands of districts around the country.
Newly reopened schools in Mississippi, Indiana and Georgia have already reported infections just days into the academic year, triggering virus protocols that include swiftly isolating infected students, tracing their contacts and quarantining people they exposed.
"It doesn't matter if you open schools in July, like we did, or if you open in August, September or October. All schools are going to have to deal with the issue of positive COVID-19 test results," said Lee Childress, superintendent of Corinth School District in Mississippi, where more than 100 students are quarantined at home after being exposed to a handful of infected classmates.
Schools are trying to mitigate the risk of transmission by spreading desks apart, serving meals in the classroom and keeping groups of students together throughout the day. Many schools — but not all — will require students and staff to wear masks, which health experts say is critical to cutting down on spread.
Administrators say it might be difficult to control the mixing and mingling that happens at every school. Asymptomatic carriers could silently spread the virus to many others. A student might not remember every contact, or be reluctant to tell the truth because that would mean forcing friends into quarantine.
Contact tracing might prove difficult "when you have that many students and they have multiple contacts inside of a building," said Dallas schools chief Michael Hinojosa.
Schools are reopening as new infections run at about 55,000 a day in the U.S. While that's down from a peak of well over 70,000 in the second half of July, cases are rising in about half of the states, and deaths are climbing in many of them.
In Indiana, where case numbers and the positivity rate have been rising, a student showed up to class outside Indianapolis before getting the results of a virus test. Greenfield-Central Junior High soon learned he was positive.
It was the first day of school.
"We felt like we were at a good place to start school and then, through no fault of our own, a kid comes to school who shouldn't have been there," Superintendent Harold Olin said, acknowledging "uncomfortable" conversations with parents whose children then had to be quarantined.
Because it was the school system's first case, Olin himself grabbed a tape measure and headed to the infected student's classroom to figure out who was seated nearby so they could be notified of their potential exposure.
Jason Martin's son, Houston, who attends seventh grade at Greenfield-Central, was among those forced to learn remotely for 14 days.
"Clearly, he's disappointed," Martin said. But the school "responded pretty well from a bonehead parent making a decision to send their kid to school knowing they have a pending COVID test result."
The question of whether an infected student or staffer should trigger an automatic shutdown has divided school officials.
New York City's public school system, the largest in the U.S., says it will automatically shutter classrooms or buildings for 14 days at a time, depending on the severity and circumstances of an outbreak. In hard-hit Texas, school systems in Houston and Dallas say they will close a building for up to five days if a student or staffer tests positive, to allow for cleaning and to give contact tracers time to do their work.
It's too risky to try to keep a school open while officials figure out who might have been exposed, Hinojosa said.
"Until there's a vaccine, just be prepared to have these rolling shutdowns," he said.
Others administrators say they will try to keep schools open during an outbreak, counting on quick action to keep a lid on it.
In Pennsylvania, the Bethlehem Area School District intends to keep classrooms open if there's a confirmed case. "One closure decision can lead to a potentially crippling and precedent-setting domino effect of closures throughout the school district," the district says on its website.
Dr. Ibukun Akinboyo, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Duke University, said even the best plans for reopening and responding to sick students and staff are going to run into trouble if there's a high level of community spread.
"Whatever is happening in the community will likely play out in the schools as well," she said.
In Mississippi, where more than 20% of virus tests have been coming back positive, at least eight students and one staff member in Corinth have tested positive since school resumed last week. District officials used classroom seating charts to determine who needed to be quarantined.
The tally through Friday: 122 people.
Nurses, administrators and teachers have worked together to identify the infected students' close contacts — anyone who was within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes. But at some point, contact tracing ceases to be practical, and a school might have to close, Childress said.
"I think if you have a large number, the process could quickly become unmanageable, and that would be something that we would know when we see it," he said.
Joel Barnes and his wife are rethinking their decision to send their four kids back to Corinth schools after their son was exposed at the high school. They are awaiting the results of his virus test.
"We expected there to be some cases of COVID, but we're honestly surprised that it happened so quickly and has spread to so many so rapidly," said Barnes, who has lung and nerve damage from a car accident and worries about contracting the virus. "Now it's taken off."
The couple have pulled two of their children from school in favor of remote lessons.
"In hindsight, we wish we'd gone virtual from the start," he said.
Joseph Allen, who directs a program at the Harvard University School of Public Health focused on healthy buildings, said masking, contact tracing and quarantining are all important — but so is proper ventilation and air filtration, which Allen said too many districts are ignoring.
Small, inexpensive steps like opening windows, equipping classrooms with box fans and portable air purifiers, and holding classes outside can make a big difference in keeping the virus at bay, even if an infected student or teacher shows up, Allen said.
"We need to get a bit more creative with schools," he said. "If we don't do those upfront things, we're going to have cases."
Left: FILE PHOTO: Social distancing dividers for students are seen in a classroom at St. Benedict School, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Montebello, near Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 14, 2020. Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters.
With virus, U.S. higher education may face an existential moment
Forced off campus by coronavirus, students aren't won over by online education
By Matt Krupnick, The Hechinger Report


text:
module TwitterAds
  class TVShow

    include TwitterAds::DSL
    include TwitterAds::Resource

    property :id, read_only: true
    property :name, read_only: true
    property :estimated_users, read_only: true
    property :genre, read_only: true

    RESOURCE_COLLECTION = "/#{TwitterAds::API_VERSION}/" +
                          'targeting_criteria/tv_shows'.freeze # @api private

    def initialize(account)
      @account = account
      self
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ty Pennington Reminisces About Trading Spaces & Extreme Makeover - Exclusive Interview
Noam Galai/Getty Images
By Kelsie Calderon/Updated: May 24, 2021 2:03 pm EST
Ty Pennington never thought he'd end up on television. Now, none of us could ever imagine any episodes of "Trading Spaces" or "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" without him.
Since the original "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" ended in 2012, the carpenter has been busy. He's appeared on multiple television shows, written a couple of books, designed furniture, continued renovating houses — of course — and even returned to reboots of some of his fan's favorites. While he's already made his mark on our television screens over the years, he's still just getting started. We got the chance to chat with this star for the ultimate inside look into his life today.
In an exclusive interview with The List, Pennington told us all about what we never saw on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," how his reality television career almost took a completely different turn, and what he wants us all to see him doing on TV next.
How Ty Pennington got involved with Trading Spaces
What first got you interested in carpentry and home renovation? I know you first were in modeling and graphic design.
Yeah. I mean, let's see. I guess I've always done a little bit of everything. I think for me, I just seem to always be gravitated toward working with my hands on anything. But I think for me it was just sort of naturally what I was drawn to. My first job probably out of high school was landscaping, and then I was painting houses, and I was building houses, I was building furniture. And it was just one of those things that I just did for — I mean, I don't think I ever intended on making a career out of being a carpenter, but it was the skills that I just sort of knew how to do. And then I was renovating warehouses and that was right around the time that I got an audition to be on "Trading Spaces."
And so, I was one of those guys that would go on auditions, [and] at the same time [I was] always going back to working on a construction site because that's the only way I could keep the lights on, you know?
What made you want to audition and be involved in that show?
What's interesting about that is that I had told my agency to stop sending me on auditions because I'd been in the business a while, and I always looked like I was 12, and I just never really got big jobs when it came to, like, any type of — Anyway, it was just one of the things that I was like, "Look, I'm renovating this warehouse and building furniture. That's what I'm doing. If there's something really big you think I should do, let me know, but I'm kind of done." It was also — my brother left my book in his car, and so basically my career was over anyway.
So the funny thing about this is I got this call from my agency and they're like, "Hey, there's a show that you should audition for. They're looking for a carpenter that's half funny and half knows what they're doing." And I was like, "Well, I'm half of that." And so I went and auditioned. It was just one of those funny moments that I was working with this guy named Frank [Bielec], and everybody had built these planter boxes for him. I could tell he was going to ask me to do the same thing. And he's like, "So why don't you build me a box?" So I started measuring his height, because I was going to build him a coffin, and then the cameraman started laughing at things. So they could just tell we had a good chemistry, and then I got the show — so yeah. It all sort of changed after that.
Who does Ty Pennington still keep in touch with from Trading Spaces?
Is there anybody that you still keep in touch with from the show?
Oh God, yeah. I'm really good friends with Hildi [Santo-Tomas], [who] is, to me, probably one of the greatest to ever be on "Trading Spaces," because everyone was so afraid of her designs, but she really knew what she was doing. I mean, she made people tune in, because you wanted to see just how bad her rooms were going to be, good or bad. She's the one who glued hay on the wall, put plastic flowers in a bathroom, glued wine labels on people's kitchens who didn't drink alcohol. And I was like, "Oh, my God." So yeah, it was amazing. Honestly, I'm friends with everybody like Genevieve [Gorder] and Paige [Davis] and Doug [Wilson]. Well, that was sort of my first TV family until "Extreme [Makeover: Home Edition]" happened.
Ty Pennington looks back at his time on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Jim Mcisaac/Getty Images
What was it like flipping a house in seven days on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"?
I still am blown away by that, because the reruns still air on Discovery Family. And so sometimes I'll see it, and I'll click on it, and I'll just watch it. I'm like, "Oh, my God. I remember this episode." And I can't believe that I'm looking at this full-on house with a working fireplace, a working hot tub, in five days of building. It's just crazy.
But yeah. We did it. And the crazy thing is we were doing two at the same time. It's all sort of a blur, because I was doing two builds at the same time in two different states. We really pulled off miracles, and there's not a day go by that I don't realize just how amazing that show was and how not only it affected so many families in America, but how it affected all the people that were involved in the show. Because I think we were all changed from being part of something like that.
Ty Pennington shares his favorite moments from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
ABC/YouTube
What was your most memorable home or episode from doing it? I know there's a lot to choose from.
Ah, that's so hard. It's one of those things where you sort of have to separate it into categories.
So there's a couple of rooms. A lot of people don't even realize this, because my room was a secret room. You never really saw what I was working on, which is, in many ways, a shame. But it's because I was doing two shows, they had to be able to act like I was there, I was just hiding in my room.
But the truth of it is we really made — So I basically built custom furniture for each room I did, so that means custom bed, custom side tables, custom — so it was one of a kind because I didn't want to just find local furniture from a dealer and do that sort of a thing. I really wanted it to be special. And there's a couple rooms that I just know — There was this one family down in, I think it was, Tallahassee that the dad, the day that we were showing up, he had to go back in for brain cancer. And if you know anything about brain cancer, it's so horrible. It was just really, really tough. And I told the mom and the family, "Look, we don't have to do this. You do not have to share your story with us. This is way too heavy for any ..." And so the amazing part is they wanted to do it because this was his dream was to have a house for his — He was adopting all these Chinese kids and one of them was blind, and it was just really amazing.
He was a lover of music, and so I built this really custom bed, almost a tapestry bed. I also built this rock 'n' roll hutch that he could put albums in. So we were hoping that he was going to be coming home. I was so excited for him to see, not only what we'd done with the house for his family, but also what we'd done in his room. And then we found out he wasn't going to be strong enough to come home. But the biggest reveal, I think the most powerful reveal happened in that show. Because we had given them a piano, because he loved music so much, but I didn't know if this was going to happen. But then I was showing the family the house and I took them into another room.
And then in that moment, we had a secret celebrity come into the living room, and then I brought the family back out, and I didn't know if this was going to happen, but it did. It was Stevie Wonder, and he started playing "I Just Called to Say I Love You," and he changed the lyrics so that we could use the song. I don't think I've ever cried more in my life. And I was like, "My God." That's what I'm saying about "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." There are moments that there is nothing that can compare to just how [much emotion you feel]. I just think as an artist, when you really put your heart into something, and it's all about someone's reaction, that's the reward, right? When you see somebody react to it. But it's also those special moments when you realize that other people are giving their talent and their time to share in this moment.
To this day, it's hard to even put into words how you feel. Because it's joy, it's happy, it's elation, and it's — But then you realize, "Oh, my God. I wish this guy could see this," you know? It was a whole bunch of mixed emotions, but there's a lot of stories like that. And that's just it. It's hard to say what is the best, because there's so many families I connected with. And there's so many human beings that we met that are no longer with us that are younger than 12 that had to fight such horrible things. You get connected with them, and it just rips your heart out. So yeah, I probably needed therapy, to be honest with you. Maybe that was my therapy just to deal with — You know, it makes you appreciate all the moments in life.
But yeah, it's one of those things that I'm just so glad I really got to be part of something. The thing about "Extreme" was, too, is the show evolved and it turned into — I mean look, these guys that wanted to make the TV show, they cast people that didn't even get along, because "Survivor" was the No. 1 show at that time. And I think the most powerful thing about "Extreme" is, in all of that casting, somehow we turned it into — Because they wanted to make a completely different show, which was about chaos and anger, and it turned into something that was really about the family, and it naturally occurred. And that's what I mean by the most beautiful things in life sort of just spontaneously happen. And I think that's what "Extreme" was like.
What it was like behind the scenes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Did anything ever happen behind the scenes that viewers didn't get to see as part of the episode?
Well, I mean, yeah. Yeah. I mean, there's moments that the rest of the design team is hanging out with KISS, but I'm at the other house, and I'm seeing it later like, "Oh, my God. This is amazing."
But I mean look, there's all kinds of things that happened. I mean, we did a demolition derby demo, and I was dumb enough to get in one of the cars. I ended up breaking my ribs, and I broke my nose on the camera. Because I was crazy, I would do anything. I just love the thrill and the excitement of it. There's so many things that happened behind the scenes that — I mean, we even did a show of the behind-the-scenes of the show, because there was so much stuff that happened, you know?
Was there anything that happened that you wish was included in the show?
Well, yeah. Look, I'm one of those people who absolutely wishes we could tell more of the behind-the-scenes story.
I mean, look, those things that happen when you build a piece of furniture, then you're trying to get it into the house, and you realized you built it too big to get in the door, and you got to cut it in half. I mean, those are the things that would happen almost every fourth episode. For some reason, we'd still forget like, "Oh, yeah. It's not going to fit." It's those kind of moments that are hilarious. I mean, look, there were moments. We were building a house in Baltimore, and we hadn't put the roof on, and this crane was going to put it into place, but then this thunderstorm came in and basically was like a mini tornado that happened. And I was hanging onto a tarp and literally blowing in the wind. We couldn't air that, because it looks like I'm going to die, but those are the kind of moments I wish made it. We just never imagined that's real, but it was for sure.
Oh, my goodness. Wow!
It was a lot of fun. It was crazy.
What it was like for Ty Pennington to walk away from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images
What was your first thought when you found out that the show was going to be ending? Because you spent a decade of your life on the show.
Well, it wasn't just that. I mean, there's also a woman named Denise Cramsey who I sort of brought over to the show that used to be the producer of "Trading Spaces." And her and I were like family, and then she had just a freak sort of accident. She was working out, she ended up having an aneurysm, and it was a crippling blow emotionally, I think, to many of us that were on the show. And for a moment there, we thought, "God, how can we even go on," you know? But we did. I think we even did three or four seasons after that. But yeah, it was just one of those things where in television to be able to get more than five seasons is a miracle.
The thing that people don't even understand is we went through a building crisis while we were shooting the show, right? Where you couldn't even find a builder to build homes, because a lot of them were going out of business because of the market crash of real estate. And so to be able to keep the show going through all that is just amazing. And that's what it was. It had been a decade of just amazing stories and journeys. But then I think what actually happened was the President of ABC — They somehow switched. I don't know if something happened, but they ended up getting a new CEO or something and he was from the UK, and he basically was like a football coach. He wanted to just do all new shows. And so it was just one of those things where you're like, "Okay, we're out."
To be honest with you, I think it ran its course. You can only do something that's so magical for so long, and I don't think anything lasts forever. So I think it lasted as long as it needed to, you know?
What it was like for Ty Pennington to join the Extreme Makeover and Trading Spaces reboots
How did it feel years later appearing on the reboots of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Trading Spaces"?
Well, yeah. Well, I mean, the "Trading Spaces" reboot was so much fun, because everybody had not changed. I mean, it was so much fun because everybody really was the same, and we really were such a family. And so it was a blast. It really was. It was so much fun. And then with "Extreme," too. It was interesting, because I was working with some of the same people that were on the original, that was behind the scenes, to producers, the design producers ... all of the above. It was a little strange, because I wasn't the host, but I still wanted to be part of it because it's such a huge show that changes people's lives. And so yeah, it was a bit challenging because I wasn't in my regular role.
So it was a little confusing, but it felt great to be part of that family again, you know? But it's been fun, and look, I'm one of those people that I don't like to do what's already been done. It's rare that I do. And, of course, I did the reboots, because that's my family, you know what I mean? I'm not going to be the guy that's like, "No, I'm too good to go back to it." You know what I mean? I'm always about — But I love doing anything new, and that's why it was so much fun doing "Ty Breaker" and doing any show that hasn't been done before. Because I'm an artist, I'm creative. I like doing things that I haven't done before.
What does Ty Pennington want to do next on TV?
What is something that you haven't done before that you would still like to do? Because I mean, you've hosted cooking competitions and obviously home renovation shows. You were on a lifestyle show for a while. You have your own show. I mean, what's left that you would like to do?
That's a really good question. I know. It's crazy. I even did shows in the UK.
I don't know. I think for me, I like the process. I like creative problem-solving. There's something about the fact that I think I'm at the point that I'm okay being on camera or not on camera. But what I've realized, I think through all the years, is that I'm just naturally good at being on camera. But here's what I realized, and maybe it was from the early '90s and late '80s when I ended up getting these commercials in New York.
I kept asking the guy, "Why do you guys keep hiring me for these commercials?" Because I mean, it's not like I stood out and was like, "Oh, this guy is so handsome. We've got to have him as a sixth person in line." You know, it's not like I was the lead guy. And I was like, "So what's the deal? I'm just curious. Why do I keep getting booked with you guys?" And he's like, "Well, to be honest with you, you make everybody else look better." I'm like, "What?" He goes, "See that girl over there?" And I was like, "Yeah." He's like, "She's our main character. And she just seems to light up even more when you're around, and she's more natural talking the way we need her to talk." And I was like, "Oh, my God." So even back then, I never knew it until later on in life that someone said, "You're really good at making us feel comfortable on camera." And if you think about reality TV, that's the most important thing, right? Is to make people feel comfortable.
And so, I guess to answer your question, there's still a bunch of stuff I'd like to do, to be honest with you. I love humor. And I like pushing people to their limits and that is creatively, but it's also sort of mentally and physically. So there's a couple ideas that I'm pushing out there too about sort of battling the elements while you design, but there's a bunch of stuff. And so the thing is it's about whether or not you can find a home for it, whether or not there's a budget big enough, all [of] the above, you know? But yeah, creatively, I'm always working on something that's on television and off.
I mean, I'm doing this project in Atlanta that's going to be this beautiful building in the area that I used to live in, these old warehouses. But I mean, I'm constantly working on something. And I think as an artist, that's the way you always are, you know? You're only as good as your last piece. Yeah, but for TV, I'm always open. And that's why when Ben and Erin [Napier] said, "Do you want to be part of 'Home Town'?" I was like, "Yes!" And then I wondered if they'd checked my background and realized that I do a show called "Small Business Revolution." I'm like, "This is what we do, man." When I heard about that, I was like, "Of course I want to be involved."
I mean, it's so important, I think, to just find and put new life into small towns and especially small town businesses. Because the stores out on the main highways, the ones in the malls and the big box, they're going to survive, but it's the charm of a small town. There's where we all want to live. We want to live on a street where you can walk down to a local café, you can check out a shop, but the only way those places survive is if we give them business. And sometimes the only way they get business is if we move back into these small towns and give them the life that they need.
Ty Pennington reveals the designer he'd love to work with next
You've worked with so many designers over the course of your career. Who haven't you worked with that you would jump at the chance to?
Who haven't I worked with? Yeah. You know what, I'm friends with Leanne Ford, but I haven't worked with Leanne Ford, so maybe we'll do "Ford versus Pennington." Instead of Ferrari. "Ford versus La Tigra." That's it. It'll be great.
I can't wait!
I think with the success of "Rock the Block," I'm probably going to work with a lot more HGTV talent, I'm hoping. But it's fun because I think there's so much — I just love people, and I love the personalities. No matter who you are, you bring something different to the table. And so for me, I love a variety, you know? And that's what "Trading Spaces" was so great at. Every designer was like a variety pack of chips or cereal that you get in the variety pack. And I think it's important that we all have that, you know what I mean, in whatever project we're doing. So that you sort of cover all your bases, and if somebody doesn't like the kitchen, then they're going to like the bedroom in the other house, but there's something for everybody's taste. What I don't like seeing is when everybody's place looks the same, you know what I mean?
An inside look at Ty Pennington's upcoming TV show
Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming show "Battle on the Beach?"
Oh, my God. Here's what I can tell you [about] "Battle of the Beach." I didn't think I was going to survive it, okay? So here's the behind the scenes of "Battle on the Beach."
By the way, my designer co-stars are amazing. I had so much fun with Taniya and Alison. And it was great being sort of like the only male, because — I don't know — it was just interesting, because they're both really good at what they do. And they really bring the bling and the luxury look to all the finishes, all the countertops, all the above, right? So I knew I really had some stiff competition. But I think what I didn't realize is that — I'm sure you'll hear more about it once they start promoting it — is that there's a set — There's a couple in each house that are going to flip it and do the best they can with the budget that they have.
But I ended up having the sweetest couple. They just happen to have zero experience on flipping. And so every other couple had so much experience. So I realized that I was going to have to really work twice as hard, because they didn't know how to do the work. But as a mentor, I couldn't physically do the work for them. I could just try and help them through it or tell them what not to try and spend their money on labor on, right? But anyway, it was a challenge, but it was so hilarious because whatever could go wrong went wrong. In the end, we still ended up having this amazing beach house. And so we had to get super creative and it was just one of those things that it was super competitive, so much fun. But I ended up being so proud of the team that I didn't think was going to be able to pull it off, but it was just a lot of hard work. And here's some things that nobody else knows. I'm not going to tell you who won or what house sort of walked away with a win.
Right, right!
But I will tell you this. So the person who actually owns the houses, when it was all said and done, they came by and looked at all the houses. And let me just tell you, ours barely skated by with a word, completely finished, because we ran out of everything, including time. But what was amazing is the people that own the property in all three were like, and maybe it's because they owned it since the late '70s or '80s, but they were like, "This is our favorite." And I was like, "Yes, that's awesome." But it's because it was the homeowners themselves. And so maybe that's a sneak peek into, let's just say sometimes leaving vintage can work, but boy, it can go 50/50 on that.
But anyway, I think what's great is there's just so much entertainment with this show. I'm already hearing from the producers that they want to turn it into an hour and a half, 90-minute show, instead of 60 minutes because it's so good. So yeah, I think it's going to be a great show. I'm excited just because I get to relive it. Because we were in the middle of nowhere. You couldn't get anything, much less food and water. It was really, we were in the end of an Island, but I think it's going to be a great show. I think you're going to like it. It's fun.
Ty Pennington shares his biggest advice for home renovations
What are some of the biggest mistakes that you see people make when they're renovating homes?
I think the biggest is where they spend their money. You know, it's because I think a lot of times you forget that it's going to cost this much to redo the kitchen, because the cabinets are going to cost so much, the countertops are going to cost so much. And the question is, how can you get away with renovating a kitchen, and then save enough money for other rooms? And sometimes you have to keep the cabinets you have, but just focus on a new island. And maybe it's not even the same color as the original cabinets or countertop on the other side. But I think the thing is you have to get creative. You can't just put all your money into one space, because you won't have enough leftover to either finish — by finish, I mean painting and trim and all of the above — but you got to save enough money, too, to complete all the renovations that you're doing. And I think balancing the budget is always the biggest thing. And to be honest with you, people just start knocking out walls before they find out if they're load-bearing. And so a bit of a no-no.
Yeah. So to sit down first and kind of break down what you want to do with your budget beforehand would you say is the best advice?
Yeah. And not only that, but just from my own personal experience, because I used to renovate for people, and they wouldn't even tell their wives when they're going to start. And I remember ripping the roof off and looking down at them in the bed and I was like, "You didn't tell her we were coming today? What is this?" You have to schedule things, but you have to make plans to not be there. Unless you want people in your home, in your living room, in your bathroom, renovating, it will lead to a divorce if you do not plan correctly, you know what I mean? That's just the reality. Yeah.
How Ty Pennington almost ended up on The Bachelor
I've read, and you talked about it in your book "Life to the Extreme," that you were almost on "The Bachelor"? Can you talk about this a little bit?
Yeah. So it was crazy, but I think it was the first year I was on "Trading Spaces," and the show got incredibly popular in one year. I think Season 2, it was crazy. We had huge crowds that were ending up in cul-de-sacs in neighborhoods all across America. And I was just going like, "Wow! How is this show that's on at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon on a channel like TLC, The Learning Channel, how is this even this popular?" But I guess it had just blown up. And then I ended up getting an email through a friend or a call from a producer and they're saying, "Hey, congratulations on blah, blah, blah, this, whatever. We're going to do a show, and we're just interested in seeing if you would be willing to come and be a part of it." And I was like, "Well, what is it?" And they're like, "Well, you'd be sort of a bachelor. And you would live in a house with a lot of women, and you would have to sort of go on dates every day. And then after a month or two months, you would have to make a decision to get married." So I'm like, "Oh, this is going to go over well with my girlfriend."
So I told him, "Let me get back to you on that." And, of course, I told a friend of mine who lives in L.A. and he's like, "Do it." I'm like, "Yeah, that would be the end of everything that I know." But it is interesting, right? Thank God I said no. What a huge change my career would have taken. Just crash and burn.
I had to bring that up, because I was reading that, and I said, "I have to ask him that when I talk to him!"
You know what would've been funny, though? I often think how funny it would have been, because I'm a pretty genuine person, and so I think the things I would have said would not have really fit with ["The Bachelor"] — because I would have been like, "I don't believe anything you're saying." I don't think I would've been able to play the game that you have to play on "The Bachelor." I wouldn't be able to look at all those people and be like, "I love each and every one of you."
But that being said, I cannot stop watching that show. There's something about it, it's like watching a train. You just have to watch. But anyway, thank God I didn't have to watch myself on that, because that would have been horrible.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is streaming now on discovery+. You can also catch Ty Pennington in the finale of "Home Town Takeover" on Sunday, July 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV and discovery+. His new series, "Battle on the Beach," premieres Sunday, July 11 at 9/8c on HGTV and discovery+.


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Displaying items by tag: change
What Is Your Alibi for Change?
How do you react to change? Or how do you respond to change?
This is not just word play.
Reacting to change is a knee-jerk defense where your favorite alibi kicks in, and taking the wrong action or an inappropriate action. More about these alibis below.
Responding to change, on the other hand, means understanding that change is happening, assessing the change, and then thinking about it before acting to make the best of the change.
Gandhi's Gift of Awakening to the World
Some people leave an indelible imprint on the history of mankind. Cynthia Lucas helped capture the life of peace activist Mahatma Ghandi as a reminder of what can be, in a time when we desperately need such a reminder.
Cynthia Lukas—CO-PRODUCER is a film producer, writer and lecturer of transformative films that educate and inspire.
She and Director-Co-Producer Kell Kearns created the non-profit educational media organization, Heaven on Earth Creations, in 2004.
They have co-produced six acclaimed documentaries about humanity's oneness and nonviolence, such as the acclaimed PBS Biography of the great Sufi poet, RUMI RETURNING (2007).
Their 7TH AND 8TH are GANDHI'S GIFT and GANDHI'S AWAKENING, to be broadcast by American Public Television on PBS. These are the first major films about Gandhi made in the U.S.
Cynthia began her career as a college English professor and print journalist. She was a two-term City Councilwoman in Scottsdale, Arizona. Now Cynthia lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
She loves to present these films around the world, such as at the UNESCO Universal Forum of Cultures (Monterrey), World Peace Festival (Berlin), University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (Durban), St. Ethelburgas Centre of Peace and Reconciliation (London), National Cathedral (Washington, D. C.), Parliament of World's Religions (Salt Lake City), Spiritual Living Convention (New Orleans), etc.
After a recent program of GANDHI'S GIFT, an audience member offered: "While I have been a fan of Gandhi for many years, watching GANDHI'S GIFT and listening to you speak sparked a new interest for this great man in me. I want you to know that I enjoyed your question and answer period after the film, as much as the film itself."
Listen to Cynthia Lucas explaining the heritage of Mahatma Ghandi on The Elsabe Smit Show on 24th December 2017 at 4pm on this link: https://www.facebook.com/AskElsabeSmit/videos
A link to the recorded show will be posted here after the show. If you cannot connect on the live show, diarize the date and come back later to watch the recording on Youtube.
A Change Is As Good As a Holiday
Do you believe that a new beginning means leaving your past behind you? That is not the case.
You take your entire past with you into your new beginning. The question is not whether, but how you deal with your past.
Will you have doubts? Yes, of course. Again, how do you deal with the doubts? Because if you don't ackowledge the doubts, they will grow and set you back.
Elsabe Smit and her friends from the Pleiades give some advice on The Elsabe Smit Show on 12th November 2017 at 4pm on this link: https://www.facebook.com/AskElsabeSmit/videos
Here is the link to the recorded show on Youtube
Down with change! How to deal with fear in a world gone mad
The world as we knew it no longer exists.
The political landscape is changing daily and we cannot always keep track. The more politicians mess up and take their own direction, the more we are required to take responsibility for our own lives.
It is easy to feel out of control and directionless. Our bodies react to the insecurity with all sorts of dis-eases related to fear and anxiety. At the same time medical resources are limited.
We all know that "things are happening" and we need to keep going. But how? Where do we find any security?
Elsabe will give some direction that will help you cope day to day, and carve out a future for you in this new world.
Tune in to The Elsabe Smit Show on Sunday 16th April at 6 pm GMT using this link: https://www.facebook.com/AskElsabeSmit/videos
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A DIFFERENT TIME. ALL OTHER SHOWS WILL BE ON A SUNDAY AT 4 PM GMT.
Here is a link to the recording of the show on YouTube.
How Do I Get Back to Where I Was?
I am struggling to get joy out of my life at the moment. I seem to be dealing with the same things over and over – unemployment, no interviews, lack of money, relationship stuff, other people's nonsense and so on.
I find myself often dwelling on past moments to escape my present. Many things can trigger these nostalgic moments, for example the first snowfall makes me long for simpler times, or autumn reminds me of my school days and the comfortable times of no worries.
How do I inspire myself amongst all these present negatives without wanting to go back to what I no longer have?
Karen - Woking
What a fantastic consultation ! 100% accurate and I gave away nothing! Great fun, very…
That was extraordinary. I'v never had a reading before and I felt Something Special C


Continuing from last semester, it is an hour long jazz program in which I play various selections, often based around some kind of theme (such as swing, bebop, bossa, etc.), and provide some amount of commentary/background on those songs/artists. I love the idea of hopefully increasing people's awareness and appreciation of jazz.
A set all about the sadness of saying goodbye, combined with the excitement of a new beginning and moving on. Thank you all so very much for listening to my show these past two semesters. It has been a privilege to get to be a tiny part of your life for that one hour a week, and a true pleasure to get to play some jazz for you every Sunday night. Once again, thank you all. Without you, this show would have been nothing. You're the best. For the final time at KDUP… Jazz Cat out.
A playlist of some of my favorite jazz tracks, mostly chosen from things I've played on the show previously. I hope you enjoy this rather eclectic selection of jazz as much as I do. Thanks for listening.
A set dedicated to some of the greatest Jazz trumpeters of all time, with one track per artist to try and fit in as many in as possible. Hope you enjoy listening to some killer tracks by the kings of my favorite instrument. Thanks for tuning in. You're super cool.
Something of a Miles Davis night to share a bit of the concert experience I had last Sunday night, mixed in with a bit of Coltrane and a lovely track featuring another great trumpet player, Harry "Sweets" Edison. Hope you all enjoy.


20 Bollywood Divas With Best Curves Ever: Catch the Top 20 Bollywood Heroines which are knows for her Best (Killer) Body Shape, here is the Complete list of these actress. Our Bollywood actresses have god gifted beautiful Body with perfect figure. And also check out the more actress from Bollywood & others with Best Curves.
These Bollywood actress maintain her body with daily gym or yoga, it's god for health. They take her position at present time as well as by fitness mantra. They maintain her god gifted body and share regularly her new images on social media like facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others. There is the full list of Curvy actresses in Bollywood. leave your feedback in comment box.
Other actresses in Bollywood they also have best fitness & sexiest curves, They are also more popular in Bollywood and South Indian Cinemas. The below list including Bollywood curvy actresses from North India. List manage by her Fitness and Figure.
22. Evelyn Sharma - She show her hot avatar in the Hindi song 'Blue h paani paani', she has a cute face and a hot body.
Stay connected with us throw email subscription and follow with comments, leave your valuable comments for this post, and we are updating list soon with new actress with Best Curves in Bollywood.