Friday, December 19, 2014
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS
Here we go!
NFL PICKS
Philadelphia at Washington. My pick: EAGLES 34-14. The Eagles suffered a tough loss last week. But the Redskins are a mess. Look for RGIII to be under pressure all day.
San Diego at San Francisco. My pick: CHARGERS 24-23. Will the 49ers still play, now that they're out of the playoffs and Jim Harbaugh may be leaving. My guess is: yes. But Colin Kaepernick has not played well, the Niners are riddled with injuries, and look for Philip Rivers' short passing game to help the Chargers squeak one out here.
Baltimore at Houston. My pick: RAVENS 24-10. Why? Two reasons: it's playoff time, and the Ravens have a history of getting it done when that time comes. Also: Ryan Fitzpatrick is hurt; Houston must go with Tom Savage at QB. Who? Precisely.
Buffalo at Oakland. My pick: BILLS 21-10. Why? That Buffalo defense. It's rock-solid.
Cleveland at Carolina. My pick: PANTHERS 27-14. For the Browns, Johnny Manziel is not yet ready for prime time, and I think that will show again this week. Meanwhile, even if Derek Anderson must again sub for Cam Newton, he has experience, and can win a game like this.
Indianapolis at Dallas. My pick: COLTS 31-24. I think both of these teams are good. But--look at how Dallas has performed, at home, coming off big wins. They've struggled--not sure of the reason why. But they have. And Andrew Luck should be able to find passing openings in that Dallas secondary.
Detroit at Chicago. My pick: LIONS 20-7. I think the verdict is in on the Lions' offense--it struggles to score and move the ball at times. I suspect their offensive line is a main culprit. But--in this game, Jimmy Clausen will make his first start for the Bears. When was the last time he took a snap in a regular-season NFL game? And he has to do it against that tough Detroit front 4? The Lions defense should dominate.
Green Bay at Tampa Bay. My pick: PACKERS 27-21. Green Bay has many weapons, and of course Aaron Rodgers; it should win this game. I don't though expect a blowout--Tampa has been competitive in many of their losses, and the Pack is not the same team on the road.
Minnesota at Miami. My pick: UPSET ALERT: VIKINGS 24-21. Mainly because: the Dolphins have regressed--their defense no longer stops the run effectively, and offensively they struggle. Teddy Bridgewater meanwhile slowly makes progress for the Vikes.
New England at NY Jets. My pick: PATRIOTS 27-10. I just can't see the mighty Patriots letting this one slip by them against the lowly Jets.
Atlanta at New Orleans. My pick: SAINTS 27-24. The Saints have struggled and struggled. Everytime I've thought they've turned a corner--they haven't. But this time maybe they really have; and again, it's just so hard to see them losing, again, at home.
Kansas City at Pittsburgh. My pick: UPSET ALERT: CHIEFS 26-24. Why? Again--the Steelers are another team that has been up and down. Last week they were up; they won on the road in Atlanta. But this week? Plus--a big factor in several of their wins have been turnovers. Don't look for the Chiefs to hand out many gifts; and that will help them pull the upset.
NY Giants at St. Louis. My pick: GIANTS 20-17. The Giants are coming together a bit, and are still playing for their coach. Note how well they're using Odell Beckham. Look for Eli Manning to throw to Beckham and help the G-men pull this one out late.
Seattle at Arizona. My pick: SEAHAWKS 14-10. You have to go with Seattle here; that defense...against Ryan Lindley, having to fill in for AZ at QB? Not fair. But i look for this to be a closer game than some think. That Cardinals defense is good.
Denver at Cincinnati. My pick: UPSET ALERT: BENGALS 28-26. Why? The Bengals are a good holme team--13-2-1 in their last 16 games. It's likely to be cold; Peyton Manning and that offense don't like that kind of wealther.
Monday, December 15, 2014
AWARENESS UPDATES
Two interesting items today:
First, does your child perhaps have both Moebius Syndrome and autism? If so, note--there is a designer working on interiors that are effective and soothing for autistic children. Read on:
*********************************
MINNEAPOLIS — A.J. Paron-Wildes’ home, a walk-out rambler in suburban Oak Park Heights, Minn., is a study in calm — all clean, uncluttered spaces and earthy, neutral hues that echo the autumn leaves framing the view of the St. Croix River. On an autumn afternoon, daughter Eva, 6, is having an after-school snack, while son Devin, 19, sketches intently, seated at the studio desk in his orderly bedroom.
This peaceful environment is entirely by design. When you have a child child with autism, calm is a precious commodity — and Paron-Wildes has become an expert at creating it, starting in her own home.
That journey started 16 years ago when Devin was diagnosed with autism at age 3. “It was very traumatic,” Paron-Wildes recalled.
At that time, Devin didn’t speak but was prone to explosive tantrums when he was upset or confused. “He’d drop to the floor and start screaming.” She and her husband stopped bringing Devin to the grocery store or on other errands because they never knew what might trigger an eruption. “We’d have to drop everything and leave.”
At the time of Devin’s diagnosis, Paron-Wildes was a very young interior designer, only recently graduated from the University of Minnesota. “I thought, ‘There’s got to be some great research'” about designing spaces for children with autism, but she was wrong. “There was nothing,” she recalled. “Everything was done in the ’70s, when kids were institutionalized.”
Determined to keep Devin at home, Paron-Wildes committed herself to creating an environment where he could learn and thrive. So she started educating herself — by working backwards.
She read books about autism, and pored over studies about the neurological workings of the brain, becoming fascinated by the different ways people with autism perceive colors, patterns and lighting. She tried to determine what design elements would likely trigger difficult behavior — and then did the opposite, learning through trial and error.
“You can’t really get the information by asking, ‘Is this too bright for you?’ ‘Does this make you dizzy?’ You have to watch for cues,” she said.
Devin, too, was watching for cues. That’s a necessary strategy for children with autism, who usually develop language skills much later than their peers. Those who have difficulty communicating verbally often look to their environment for cues about what’s happening and how they should respond, Paron-Wildes said. They crave order and are easily distracted by its absence. They read meaning into seemingly random visual signals, and tend to be hypersensitive to harsh artificial light and to environmental toxins.
Paron-Wildes learned that the Crayola-bright, busy spaces most people consider kid-friendly — “like Ronald McDonald threw up” — are so stimulating that they can easily confuse and overwhelm a child with autism.
She remembers taking a young Devin to speech therapy — “in a room with a jungle gym and kids running around screaming.” The lesson was going nowhere, until she suggested moving it to a closet, the only quiet place available. There, Devin started to respond.
Information about autism and design may have been scarce when Paron-Wildes began searching for it, but that’s changing as autism rates have soared. The incidence may now be as high as 1 in 50 children, a 72 percent increase since 2007, according to a 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That means Paron-Wildes’ expertise is increasingly in demand. “People think, ‘Oh, I have to redesign my whole house,’?” she said. “No. Pay attention to the areas where the child needs to learn.” Those areas, as well as rooms where children rest and sleep, should be well-organized and orderly, with minimal distraction and muted, warm colors. “I’ve painted many little boys’ rooms pink — it tends to be a calming color,” she said.
She has worked with the University of Minnesota to develop research and design principles, co-chaired the Minnesota Autism Task Force, has written a trilogy of e-books on “Design for Autism” and spoke on “Design Empathy” for architects at a recent AIA Minnesota convention. The bouncy, enthusiastic designer managed to work an autism joke — with a message — into her presentation. Pointing out a mustard-yellow circle at the corner of each page of her PowerPoint, she asked: “How many of you are wondering what that is there for? I did that to confuse you!” she added with a girlish laugh. “That’s what it’s like for kids (with autism).”
A designer for the AllSteel workplace furniture firm, Paron-Wildes also consults with schools, medical facilities and other organizations that serve children with autism and their families. (Most of her consulting work is done pro bono.) At this point, she could probably do autism-related design full-time, but she enjoys working on a wide range of projects. “If my whole life was autism, I would lose perspective.”
One recent consulting project involved working with designers from Perkins + Will on a new space for Fraser, a program Devin attended from age 3 to 6. The designers transformed a former Life Time Fitness office into a speech and occupational therapy site for children with autism and others.
Paron-Wildes pointed out design features on a recent visit. Treatment rooms and “meltdown areas,” where children often struggle with transitions from one activity to another, are quiet and neutral. “It’s easier to add color than to take it away,” she said. In other areas, brighter hues are used as way-finding cues, guiding children down hallways and to color-coded cubbies. Most flooring is kept simple. “If you make a pattern, the kids will follow it.”
There’s a lot more color and pattern in the reception area, however, where parents wait for their children and sometimes meet with therapists.
“One of the biggest complaints in centers is that parents feel like they’re in an institution,” Paron-Wildes said. She vividly remembers the stark waiting room she sat in when she first heard Devin’s diagnosis 16 years ago. “It felt very institutional. There was nothing to look at. It added to the aloneness and trauma.”
Parents feel calmer and more comfortable in a vibrant, upbeat environment. “It’s all psychological,” she said. “These parents want to feel like their child is going to a school — a fun school — not to treatment.”
Today, Devin is a verbal and affectionate teen who graduated from high school, went to prom and has developed into a gifted artist. He hopes to study art further; his work has won numerous awards and is proudly displayed throughout the family’s house.
That house, too, was chosen and designed with Devin’s needs in mind. Up until last year, Paron-Wildes and her family lived in a historic house in Stillwater, Minn. It was not calm, at least not after Devin’s sister joined the family. “We didn’t think we’d have a second kid,” Paron-Wildes said. “Then we had Ava. She’s a screamer. It was hard on Devin. We were having a lot of behavioral issues.”
So they found another house, one with plenty of separation between the kids’ rooms. Devin has a large bedroom with a lofted ceiling and a big window overlooking the river. “It’s really quiet up here; the 6-year-old doesn’t bother him,” his mother said. His room has lots of natural light and views of nature, which he loves studying through his telescope. There’s even an adjacent “Lego room” where he can retreat to build elaborate structures. Devin didn’t want to move at first — transitions are still difficult — and threatened to run away. But he soon adjusted. “He is so comfortable here — he loves his space,” Paron-Wildes said. “We have zero issues now.”
***************************
And in other news--disability-related hate crimes are down:
The number of reported hate crimes targeting people with disabilities fell last year, the FBI says.
There were 92 hate crime offenses based on disability bias recorded in 2013, according to statistics released this week from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. That’s down from the year prior when 106 incidents were reported.
The decline mirrors a drop in the overall number of hate crimes documented. Last year, the FBI logged 5,928 criminal incidents, a decrease from 6,573 in 2012.
Disability bias represented 1.4 percent of the hate crimes reported in 2013. Of them, 69 were related to mental disability and 23 were linked to physical disability, the FBI said.
For the first time this year, hate crimes statistics include data on crimes stemming from gender and gender identity bias, categories which were added under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009.
Hate crimes reporting also includes data on criminal incidents motivated by a bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity in addition to disability.
****************************************
First, does your child perhaps have both Moebius Syndrome and autism? If so, note--there is a designer working on interiors that are effective and soothing for autistic children. Read on:
*********************************
MINNEAPOLIS — A.J. Paron-Wildes’ home, a walk-out rambler in suburban Oak Park Heights, Minn., is a study in calm — all clean, uncluttered spaces and earthy, neutral hues that echo the autumn leaves framing the view of the St. Croix River. On an autumn afternoon, daughter Eva, 6, is having an after-school snack, while son Devin, 19, sketches intently, seated at the studio desk in his orderly bedroom.
This peaceful environment is entirely by design. When you have a child child with autism, calm is a precious commodity — and Paron-Wildes has become an expert at creating it, starting in her own home.
That journey started 16 years ago when Devin was diagnosed with autism at age 3. “It was very traumatic,” Paron-Wildes recalled.
At that time, Devin didn’t speak but was prone to explosive tantrums when he was upset or confused. “He’d drop to the floor and start screaming.” She and her husband stopped bringing Devin to the grocery store or on other errands because they never knew what might trigger an eruption. “We’d have to drop everything and leave.”
At the time of Devin’s diagnosis, Paron-Wildes was a very young interior designer, only recently graduated from the University of Minnesota. “I thought, ‘There’s got to be some great research'” about designing spaces for children with autism, but she was wrong. “There was nothing,” she recalled. “Everything was done in the ’70s, when kids were institutionalized.”
Determined to keep Devin at home, Paron-Wildes committed herself to creating an environment where he could learn and thrive. So she started educating herself — by working backwards.
She read books about autism, and pored over studies about the neurological workings of the brain, becoming fascinated by the different ways people with autism perceive colors, patterns and lighting. She tried to determine what design elements would likely trigger difficult behavior — and then did the opposite, learning through trial and error.
“You can’t really get the information by asking, ‘Is this too bright for you?’ ‘Does this make you dizzy?’ You have to watch for cues,” she said.
Devin, too, was watching for cues. That’s a necessary strategy for children with autism, who usually develop language skills much later than their peers. Those who have difficulty communicating verbally often look to their environment for cues about what’s happening and how they should respond, Paron-Wildes said. They crave order and are easily distracted by its absence. They read meaning into seemingly random visual signals, and tend to be hypersensitive to harsh artificial light and to environmental toxins.
Paron-Wildes learned that the Crayola-bright, busy spaces most people consider kid-friendly — “like Ronald McDonald threw up” — are so stimulating that they can easily confuse and overwhelm a child with autism.
She remembers taking a young Devin to speech therapy — “in a room with a jungle gym and kids running around screaming.” The lesson was going nowhere, until she suggested moving it to a closet, the only quiet place available. There, Devin started to respond.
Information about autism and design may have been scarce when Paron-Wildes began searching for it, but that’s changing as autism rates have soared. The incidence may now be as high as 1 in 50 children, a 72 percent increase since 2007, according to a 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That means Paron-Wildes’ expertise is increasingly in demand. “People think, ‘Oh, I have to redesign my whole house,’?” she said. “No. Pay attention to the areas where the child needs to learn.” Those areas, as well as rooms where children rest and sleep, should be well-organized and orderly, with minimal distraction and muted, warm colors. “I’ve painted many little boys’ rooms pink — it tends to be a calming color,” she said.
She has worked with the University of Minnesota to develop research and design principles, co-chaired the Minnesota Autism Task Force, has written a trilogy of e-books on “Design for Autism” and spoke on “Design Empathy” for architects at a recent AIA Minnesota convention. The bouncy, enthusiastic designer managed to work an autism joke — with a message — into her presentation. Pointing out a mustard-yellow circle at the corner of each page of her PowerPoint, she asked: “How many of you are wondering what that is there for? I did that to confuse you!” she added with a girlish laugh. “That’s what it’s like for kids (with autism).”
A designer for the AllSteel workplace furniture firm, Paron-Wildes also consults with schools, medical facilities and other organizations that serve children with autism and their families. (Most of her consulting work is done pro bono.) At this point, she could probably do autism-related design full-time, but she enjoys working on a wide range of projects. “If my whole life was autism, I would lose perspective.”
One recent consulting project involved working with designers from Perkins + Will on a new space for Fraser, a program Devin attended from age 3 to 6. The designers transformed a former Life Time Fitness office into a speech and occupational therapy site for children with autism and others.
Paron-Wildes pointed out design features on a recent visit. Treatment rooms and “meltdown areas,” where children often struggle with transitions from one activity to another, are quiet and neutral. “It’s easier to add color than to take it away,” she said. In other areas, brighter hues are used as way-finding cues, guiding children down hallways and to color-coded cubbies. Most flooring is kept simple. “If you make a pattern, the kids will follow it.”
There’s a lot more color and pattern in the reception area, however, where parents wait for their children and sometimes meet with therapists.
“One of the biggest complaints in centers is that parents feel like they’re in an institution,” Paron-Wildes said. She vividly remembers the stark waiting room she sat in when she first heard Devin’s diagnosis 16 years ago. “It felt very institutional. There was nothing to look at. It added to the aloneness and trauma.”
Parents feel calmer and more comfortable in a vibrant, upbeat environment. “It’s all psychological,” she said. “These parents want to feel like their child is going to a school — a fun school — not to treatment.”
Today, Devin is a verbal and affectionate teen who graduated from high school, went to prom and has developed into a gifted artist. He hopes to study art further; his work has won numerous awards and is proudly displayed throughout the family’s house.
That house, too, was chosen and designed with Devin’s needs in mind. Up until last year, Paron-Wildes and her family lived in a historic house in Stillwater, Minn. It was not calm, at least not after Devin’s sister joined the family. “We didn’t think we’d have a second kid,” Paron-Wildes said. “Then we had Ava. She’s a screamer. It was hard on Devin. We were having a lot of behavioral issues.”
So they found another house, one with plenty of separation between the kids’ rooms. Devin has a large bedroom with a lofted ceiling and a big window overlooking the river. “It’s really quiet up here; the 6-year-old doesn’t bother him,” his mother said. His room has lots of natural light and views of nature, which he loves studying through his telescope. There’s even an adjacent “Lego room” where he can retreat to build elaborate structures. Devin didn’t want to move at first — transitions are still difficult — and threatened to run away. But he soon adjusted. “He is so comfortable here — he loves his space,” Paron-Wildes said. “We have zero issues now.”
***************************
And in other news--disability-related hate crimes are down:
The number of reported hate crimes targeting people with disabilities fell last year, the FBI says.
There were 92 hate crime offenses based on disability bias recorded in 2013, according to statistics released this week from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. That’s down from the year prior when 106 incidents were reported.
The decline mirrors a drop in the overall number of hate crimes documented. Last year, the FBI logged 5,928 criminal incidents, a decrease from 6,573 in 2012.
Disability bias represented 1.4 percent of the hate crimes reported in 2013. Of them, 69 were related to mental disability and 23 were linked to physical disability, the FBI said.
For the first time this year, hate crimes statistics include data on crimes stemming from gender and gender identity bias, categories which were added under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009.
Hate crimes reporting also includes data on criminal incidents motivated by a bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity in addition to disability.
****************************************
Friday, December 12, 2014
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!
Last week I was 14-7; I am now 131-79-1 for the year.
Let's go:
NFL PICKS
Pittsburgh at Atlanta. My pick: FALCONS 30-27. Who knows with either of these teams just who will show up? The Steelers have been up and down. They were up last week; so now they're scheduled to be down.
Washington at NY Giants. My pick: GIANTS 27-10. Both teams have had problems. The Giants' issues have been well-documented. But last week's win in Tennessee showed--New York is still playing for their embattled coach. I think they'll play this week, too.
Miami at New England. My pick: PATRIOTS 31-10. New England is very, very tough at home. Last week's win in San Diego, where for a good while they shut down the Chargers' offense, shows their defense is coming around, too.
Oakland at Kansas City. My pick: CHIEFS 24-14. The Raiders have improved a bit under Tony Sparano. But the Chiefs are tough at home, still have something to play for, and won't make the mistakes the Niners did last week.
Houston at Indianapolis. My pick: COLTS 24-20. I expect this to be a close, tough battle. Houston's defense is tough. J.J. Watt is an amazing player. Houston's playoff chances are kind of slim, but they continue to play hard. They gave the Colts a real battle earlier this year in Houston. But--expect Andrew Luck again to find a way to pull another game out.
Jacksonville at Baltimore. My pick: RAVENS 28-7. I don't expect Baltimore, with it being crunch time for the playoffs, to allow the Jags to give them too much trouble.
Green Bay at Buffalo. My pick: PACKERS 21-17. Again, I expect a tough battle here; this game is in Buffalo, and the Bills have a very tough defense, capable of pressuring Aaron Rodgers. But you just have to think that Rodgers and his many weapons will prevail here in a bruising game.
Tampa Bay at Carolina. My pick: UPSET ALERT--BUCCANEERS 27-21. The reason: Tampa Bay is still playing hard. They have weapons at wide receiver in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. Carolina had a big win last week on the road. But now--letdown? And I would be shocked in Cam Newton plays; I expect he won't due to his injuries. There's going to be an upset somewhere this week; this could be one spot where it happens.
Cincinnati at Cleveland. My pick: BENGALS 20-16. Who knows with these teams? Again, up one week; down the next. I know--Cincy had a bad loss last week at home. Cleveland whipped them on the road earlier this year. But--the Bengals, yes, had a bad week last week. Expect them to bounce back and play better. They've done it before. And if Johnny Manziel starts for Cleveland? Remember--he's a rookie.
NY Jets at Tennessee. My pick: JETS 17-10. Because the Jets seem to be in slightly less of a mess than do the Titans. Someone has to win!
Denver at San Diego. My pick: UPSET ALERT: CHARGERS 31-27. I know, San Diego lost last week. I know, Denver has been winning. But--something seems slightly off with Denver's offense, especially the passing game. The execution isn't quite there. Remember too--Philip Rivers has a history of giving the Broncos' defense fits. Look for Rivers and the Bolts to pull the upset.
Minnesota at Detroit. My pick: LIONS 31-21. The Lions have a formula for games like this, against lesser teams: throw the ball to Calvin (Johnson), and have their front four pressure the opposing passer. I can see it working again here.
San Francisco at Seattle. My pick: SEAHAWKS 24-6. The Seattle defense is flying around, and looking pretty dominant. On the other side, Colin Kaepernick seems to be in a mess; he's not playing well. That's a bad combo for the Niners as they head up to the Legion of Boom. Hard to see Seattle _not_ dominating this game.
Dallas at Philadelphia. My pick: EAGLES 31-24. I think both these teams are good; there's no doubt the Cowboys have exceeded expectations this year. But I just have a feeling that the Eagles kind of have their number.
New Orleans at Chicago. My pick: SAINTS 27-23. Both these teams have problems. The Saints were horrible--brutal--last week. Yet they still have a shot at the playoffs, and I just can't see Sean Payton and Drew Brees allowing them to be that bad again.
Let's go:
NFL PICKS
Pittsburgh at Atlanta. My pick: FALCONS 30-27. Who knows with either of these teams just who will show up? The Steelers have been up and down. They were up last week; so now they're scheduled to be down.
Washington at NY Giants. My pick: GIANTS 27-10. Both teams have had problems. The Giants' issues have been well-documented. But last week's win in Tennessee showed--New York is still playing for their embattled coach. I think they'll play this week, too.
Miami at New England. My pick: PATRIOTS 31-10. New England is very, very tough at home. Last week's win in San Diego, where for a good while they shut down the Chargers' offense, shows their defense is coming around, too.
Oakland at Kansas City. My pick: CHIEFS 24-14. The Raiders have improved a bit under Tony Sparano. But the Chiefs are tough at home, still have something to play for, and won't make the mistakes the Niners did last week.
Houston at Indianapolis. My pick: COLTS 24-20. I expect this to be a close, tough battle. Houston's defense is tough. J.J. Watt is an amazing player. Houston's playoff chances are kind of slim, but they continue to play hard. They gave the Colts a real battle earlier this year in Houston. But--expect Andrew Luck again to find a way to pull another game out.
Jacksonville at Baltimore. My pick: RAVENS 28-7. I don't expect Baltimore, with it being crunch time for the playoffs, to allow the Jags to give them too much trouble.
Green Bay at Buffalo. My pick: PACKERS 21-17. Again, I expect a tough battle here; this game is in Buffalo, and the Bills have a very tough defense, capable of pressuring Aaron Rodgers. But you just have to think that Rodgers and his many weapons will prevail here in a bruising game.
Tampa Bay at Carolina. My pick: UPSET ALERT--BUCCANEERS 27-21. The reason: Tampa Bay is still playing hard. They have weapons at wide receiver in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. Carolina had a big win last week on the road. But now--letdown? And I would be shocked in Cam Newton plays; I expect he won't due to his injuries. There's going to be an upset somewhere this week; this could be one spot where it happens.
Cincinnati at Cleveland. My pick: BENGALS 20-16. Who knows with these teams? Again, up one week; down the next. I know--Cincy had a bad loss last week at home. Cleveland whipped them on the road earlier this year. But--the Bengals, yes, had a bad week last week. Expect them to bounce back and play better. They've done it before. And if Johnny Manziel starts for Cleveland? Remember--he's a rookie.
NY Jets at Tennessee. My pick: JETS 17-10. Because the Jets seem to be in slightly less of a mess than do the Titans. Someone has to win!
Denver at San Diego. My pick: UPSET ALERT: CHARGERS 31-27. I know, San Diego lost last week. I know, Denver has been winning. But--something seems slightly off with Denver's offense, especially the passing game. The execution isn't quite there. Remember too--Philip Rivers has a history of giving the Broncos' defense fits. Look for Rivers and the Bolts to pull the upset.
Minnesota at Detroit. My pick: LIONS 31-21. The Lions have a formula for games like this, against lesser teams: throw the ball to Calvin (Johnson), and have their front four pressure the opposing passer. I can see it working again here.
San Francisco at Seattle. My pick: SEAHAWKS 24-6. The Seattle defense is flying around, and looking pretty dominant. On the other side, Colin Kaepernick seems to be in a mess; he's not playing well. That's a bad combo for the Niners as they head up to the Legion of Boom. Hard to see Seattle _not_ dominating this game.
Dallas at Philadelphia. My pick: EAGLES 31-24. I think both these teams are good; there's no doubt the Cowboys have exceeded expectations this year. But I just have a feeling that the Eagles kind of have their number.
New Orleans at Chicago. My pick: SAINTS 27-23. Both these teams have problems. The Saints were horrible--brutal--last week. Yet they still have a shot at the playoffs, and I just can't see Sean Payton and Drew Brees allowing them to be that bad again.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
HEALTH UPDATE: THE TRUTH ABOUT METABOLISM
I thought some of you really interested in health, exercise, etc would find this interesting:
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A source of confusion for some and a
scapegoat for extra weight around the midsection for others, metabolism
has long been a topic of hot conversation. Without it, we would lack the
energy to get out of bed in the morning, let alone burn calories all
day long.
However, even with its numerous benefits, metabolism often gets the brunt of the blame for weight gain.
With all of the fad diets and special tricks meant to speed up one's
metabolism (hot sauce anyone?), the facts often get blurred with
fiction.
To help clear up the confusion, we uncovered the truth behind the top five metabolism myths.
Myth #1: Skinnier individuals have a higher metabolism.
Some
thinner folks appear to eat whatever they want with seemingly no
consequence. Surely, they have a faster metabolism than the average Joe,
right? Not so fast.
Metabolism
actually has quite a bit to do with body size, but not in the way many
think. According to Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, assistant professor at the
University of Ottawa, "Skinny individuals almost invariably have slower
resting metabolisms; there is literally less of them to burn while at
rest."
As a result, larger individuals
usually have a higher metabolism (that is they burn more calories at
rest) than their thinner counterparts.
But
don't rejoice just yet. It's not just any additional weight that boosts
metabolism. Muscle, in particular, has a huge effect on the amount of
overall calories someone burns throughout the day. Comparing two
individuals of similar weight, the person with the larger amount of
muscle will generally have the faster metabolism.
This is just one of the reasons it's important to pair any weight loss program with a proper strength training plan. Research has found the extra muscle can help accelerate weight loss much faster than a diet-only plan.
Truth: While body size does factor in, body composition has a far greater effect on metabolism.
Myth #2: Skipping a meal slows down your metabolism.
Anyone
looking to drop a few pounds better be grazing on frequent meals and
snacks throughout the day right? Turns out the old notion of eating a
meal every three to four hours to ramp up one's metabolism wasn't
exactly perfect advice.
In fact, how
frequently someone eats has little to do with the speed of their
metabolism. Freedhoff explains, "Eating every four hours is popular
because eating frequently, for many, helps them to keep a lid on both
stomach hunger as well as cravings." That, in turn, allows for better
portion and choice control, Freedhoff says.
Certain
individuals (those prone to cravings or with special dietary needs) may
benefit from consuming multiple meals through the day. However, for the
rest of us, the most important factors to consider are the quantity and
quality of the food we consume.
Whether
you eat 2,000 calories of rice in one sitting or spread it out
throughout the day, it still has a similar effect, Freedhoff says.
Instead, it might be best to focus on eating quality food in a timeframe
that fits your individual schedule.
Truth: Quality and quantity of foods have greater bearing on metabolism than how often you eat.
Myth #3: Everything eaten late-night turns to fat.
"Avoid
eating late at night" is one of the most popular pieces of nutrition
advice on the planet. While it may be easy to think our bodies have an
internal clock set to store anything eaten after 8 p.m. as fat, it's not
quite so simple. Many aspects including various hormones, food quality, food content and energy expenditure influence how our bodies store fuel.
Unfortunately, simply refraining from eating late at night isn't enough to prevent fat storage.
Instead
of focusing on time of consumption, more attention should be placed on
what and how much we're eating. In fact, having a meal late at night
isn't any worse than eating at any other point during the day provided
the meal consists of healthy foods (and not a bucket of ice cream).
Freedhoff
likens this scenario to fueling up a car. "The time of day you fill
your car with gas isn't going to impact how far you'll go on that tank,"
he says. Provided you're eating high-quality food in the right
portions, most individuals won't notice a difference between eating at
night versus earlier in the day.
Truth: If you're taking in the right types of calories, eating later at night shouldn't derail your diet.
Myth #4: Metabolism is all about burning calories and breaking things down.
Many
understand metabolism as how quickly someone burns calories. But while
breaking things down is certainly an important part of metabolism, there
are actually two main components.
Catabolism,
or the breaking down of chemical bonds to release energy, is the most
well known part of the process as it releases energy in the form of
calories. However, what's just as essential is anabolism, the storage of
energy in the form of chemical bonds for later use, including
carbohydrates and fats. A properly functioning metabolism is a delicate
balance of both functions.
Truth: Metabolism consists of both breaking things down and building things up; both are vital to our health.
Myth #5: You have no control over your metabolism.
When
faced with unwanted weight, it's easy to place the blame on your
metabolism. However, it turns out that individuals have more control
over their metabolism than previously thought.
As
mentioned above, body composition has a huge effect on how quickly
someone's body burns calories. One easy way to ramp up your metabolism
is to build muscle through lifting weights. Alongside modifying your
workout routine, there are several other ways to be sure you're burning
calories at a higher rate:
• Sleep
more. The amount of rest you get each night doesn't only affect your
mood and productivity the next day. Researchers have found that it also
affects your metabolism. Sleep-deprived individuals have a decreased
ability to manage blood sugar levels and also may find themselves
hungrier (particularly for high carbohydrate foods). So, sleep more for a
healthier metabolism. (Win, win!)
•
Gulp down some water. Ditch the sugary soft drinks. Researchers have
found that consuming water may have a positive impact on how many
calories you burn throughout the day. This is due to a process called
thermogenesis wherein the body must burn calories to warm the water up
to body temperature. Hydrating with water also saves calories over
alternative beverages and plays a key role in helping to regulate
whole-body metabolism (especially during exercise).
•
Don't forget caffeine. Coffee lovers rejoice! It turns out that cup of
java may give you more than just an energy boost midday. When
researchers gave subjects coffee and then measured their caloric burn,
they found that the caffeinated individuals burned more calories than
their decaf-ordering counterparts.
• Get enough protein.
Dietary decisions (especially protein intake) have a profound impact on
metabolism. Researchers examining the effect of dietary compositions on
caloric burn have found that those taking in adequate levels of protein
have a higher energy expenditure at rest.
Truth: Simple dietary modifications and exercise habits can make a big difference in how fast someone burns calories at rest.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2014
FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS (AND ALL OTHER PARENTS, TOO!): OKAY FOR YOUR CHILD TO BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS?
Maybe...yes?:
**********************************
I’ve never had much of an opinion, one way or the other, about whether my kids should believe in Santa.
We’ve always played along with the story in our house, but my four older kids – all sons – have believed to varying ages: the oldest two boys, now 16 and 14, gave it up by the second grade or so, while my second two, now 10 and 8, still claim to believe, but have begun to make it clear it’s all for show.
The way I’ve always seen it, Santa is about the experience a child needs during the holiday, not the parents. If a child really wants to believe, she will cling to the Saint Nick story until the bitter end, pretending she didn’t really see those toys marked “FROM SANTA” in the back of the minivan that one night Mom and Dad went shopping alone, and convincing herself to believe lame excuses like, “Oh, Santa asked for our help picking this one out” when parents make a faux pas. I know, because I’ve been that kid.
And, in my experience with my four boys, kids who don’t care as much, whose childlike belief in the magic of the holiday isn’t tied up in this one particular aspect of it, seem to give up the belief readily and without much fuss, letting themselves be easily convinced by a more cynical friend, or noticing with eyes unclouded by sentiment that the Santa wrapping paper has been in a Target bag in the hall closet for the last month.
So when the yearly “should you tell your kids about Santa or is the whole thing a huge, disillusionment-inducing way to lie to your kids” debate rages, I’ve mostly stayed on the sidelines. After all, I’ve never jumped through any crazy hoops to extend my kids’ belief, or done much at all except go along with whatever they seem to feel about the jolly old elf. As a Santa-neutral mom, I’ve always felt like I was safe from judgment and not particularly interested in joining the fray.
But.
My 5-year-old daughter, Clara, I fear, is about to throw a wrench into this whole theory.
Clara is imaginative. She loves fairies and fantasy and magic and play-pretend. Clara also asks a lot of questions and seems to notice everything, remembering with awe-inspiring clarity that one offhand comment I made about maybe getting ice cream next week, or the fact that she asked for a particular Littlest Pet Shop raccoon six months before her birthday. (Of course I got the squirrel instead. Seriously, they all look the same to me.)
Maybe it won’t be this year. Maybe it won’t be next year. But soon – and with a persistence and inquisitiveness that will surely try everyone’s patience – I know this to be true: Clara’s going to start asking tough questions about the Big Man In The Red Suit. And I’m just not sure how I’m going to handle it. After all, Clara is the baby of the family, the youngest of five. She represents the fleetingness of childhood, and has marked my final opportunities to experience the holiday through the eyes of a baby, a toddler, and now, a little girl. And this year, along with the warm buzz that always accompanies my favorite holiday, I feel an underlying sense of dread.
Will this be the last year she believes? Next year? Or the year after that? Whenever it happens, the day of truth is coming, and I don’t feel nearly as nonchalant about it as I did with the boys.
When you have a number of small children in the house, it can still feel like you have all the time in the world for make-believe and magic. But as it turns out, the number of firsts and lasts, of holidays all under one roof, of the times you’ll string popcorn or cut out cookies, of times you’ll wrap a gift and scrawl “Santa” in the “From” line on the tag, are painfully limited whether you have one child or 10.
I spent years longing to get to that light at the end of the tunnel: the time when all my kids would be bigger and more self-sufficient, when life would feel more orderly, when I’d have some time for myself. And I’m glad to be here. Still, Santa, like baby dolls and board books, LEGO and little shoes, is just one more symbol of a chapter firmly closing, its magic and mystery tightly caught between the pages. Once it’s closed, I can go back and re-read, but I can’t ever live it again. And Clara’s eventual evolution from belief to understanding will mark the definite end of an era.
In my imagination, I see myself clinging to Clara’s belief with all sorts of sitcom-worthy hijinks: stamping loudly around on the roof Christmas Eve, shaking bells loudly near Clara’s window; hiring a stout actor to be “caught” placing presents under the tree in a carefully-staged hoax. In reality, though, I will probably treat her waning belief the same way I’ve handled it with the other kids…at first, answering their questions with “What do YOU think?” then stalling, and finally, when the truth can no longer be delayed or camouflaged, coming out with it as gently as I can.
But somewhere, something inside me will wilt a little at the admission, the white-flag surrender to children growing up and growing older, moving on and eventually, moving out. I’ll wish for a time when I could casually hold their beliefs in my palms, shaping and embellishing at will.
And if I have to be honest, I’ll likely shed more than a few tears for the enlightenment of the last believer.
*****************************************
**********************************
I’ve never had much of an opinion, one way or the other, about whether my kids should believe in Santa.
We’ve always played along with the story in our house, but my four older kids – all sons – have believed to varying ages: the oldest two boys, now 16 and 14, gave it up by the second grade or so, while my second two, now 10 and 8, still claim to believe, but have begun to make it clear it’s all for show.
The way I’ve always seen it, Santa is about the experience a child needs during the holiday, not the parents. If a child really wants to believe, she will cling to the Saint Nick story until the bitter end, pretending she didn’t really see those toys marked “FROM SANTA” in the back of the minivan that one night Mom and Dad went shopping alone, and convincing herself to believe lame excuses like, “Oh, Santa asked for our help picking this one out” when parents make a faux pas. I know, because I’ve been that kid.
And, in my experience with my four boys, kids who don’t care as much, whose childlike belief in the magic of the holiday isn’t tied up in this one particular aspect of it, seem to give up the belief readily and without much fuss, letting themselves be easily convinced by a more cynical friend, or noticing with eyes unclouded by sentiment that the Santa wrapping paper has been in a Target bag in the hall closet for the last month.
So when the yearly “should you tell your kids about Santa or is the whole thing a huge, disillusionment-inducing way to lie to your kids” debate rages, I’ve mostly stayed on the sidelines. After all, I’ve never jumped through any crazy hoops to extend my kids’ belief, or done much at all except go along with whatever they seem to feel about the jolly old elf. As a Santa-neutral mom, I’ve always felt like I was safe from judgment and not particularly interested in joining the fray.
But.
My 5-year-old daughter, Clara, I fear, is about to throw a wrench into this whole theory.
Clara is imaginative. She loves fairies and fantasy and magic and play-pretend. Clara also asks a lot of questions and seems to notice everything, remembering with awe-inspiring clarity that one offhand comment I made about maybe getting ice cream next week, or the fact that she asked for a particular Littlest Pet Shop raccoon six months before her birthday. (Of course I got the squirrel instead. Seriously, they all look the same to me.)
Maybe it won’t be this year. Maybe it won’t be next year. But soon – and with a persistence and inquisitiveness that will surely try everyone’s patience – I know this to be true: Clara’s going to start asking tough questions about the Big Man In The Red Suit. And I’m just not sure how I’m going to handle it. After all, Clara is the baby of the family, the youngest of five. She represents the fleetingness of childhood, and has marked my final opportunities to experience the holiday through the eyes of a baby, a toddler, and now, a little girl. And this year, along with the warm buzz that always accompanies my favorite holiday, I feel an underlying sense of dread.
Will this be the last year she believes? Next year? Or the year after that? Whenever it happens, the day of truth is coming, and I don’t feel nearly as nonchalant about it as I did with the boys.
When you have a number of small children in the house, it can still feel like you have all the time in the world for make-believe and magic. But as it turns out, the number of firsts and lasts, of holidays all under one roof, of the times you’ll string popcorn or cut out cookies, of times you’ll wrap a gift and scrawl “Santa” in the “From” line on the tag, are painfully limited whether you have one child or 10.
I spent years longing to get to that light at the end of the tunnel: the time when all my kids would be bigger and more self-sufficient, when life would feel more orderly, when I’d have some time for myself. And I’m glad to be here. Still, Santa, like baby dolls and board books, LEGO and little shoes, is just one more symbol of a chapter firmly closing, its magic and mystery tightly caught between the pages. Once it’s closed, I can go back and re-read, but I can’t ever live it again. And Clara’s eventual evolution from belief to understanding will mark the definite end of an era.
In my imagination, I see myself clinging to Clara’s belief with all sorts of sitcom-worthy hijinks: stamping loudly around on the roof Christmas Eve, shaking bells loudly near Clara’s window; hiring a stout actor to be “caught” placing presents under the tree in a carefully-staged hoax. In reality, though, I will probably treat her waning belief the same way I’ve handled it with the other kids…at first, answering their questions with “What do YOU think?” then stalling, and finally, when the truth can no longer be delayed or camouflaged, coming out with it as gently as I can.
But somewhere, something inside me will wilt a little at the admission, the white-flag surrender to children growing up and growing older, moving on and eventually, moving out. I’ll wish for a time when I could casually hold their beliefs in my palms, shaping and embellishing at will.
And if I have to be honest, I’ll likely shed more than a few tears for the enlightenment of the last believer.
*****************************************
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
AUTISM UPDATE: THOUGHT MARKERS?
The latest research:
***************************************
Autism diagnosis currently relies on clinical evaluation, but a new study suggests it may be possible to detect the disorder with near perfect accuracy using brain scans.
Researchers say they were able to identify “thought-markers” — or differences in the way the brain responds to certain thoughts — specific to those with autism. The method was successful in identifying whether or not a person had autism with 97 percent accuracy, according to findings published Tuesday in the journal PLOS ONE.
For the study, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to perform brain scans on 17 adults with high-functioning autism and 17 typically-developing controls. During the scans, the individuals were asked to think about various social interactions like “persuade,” “adore” and “hug.”
The researchers then used a machine-learning technique to assess patterns in brain activity and decode how the thoughts were processed. They found a clear distinction between those who were and were not on the spectrum.
Among the typically-developing controls, thoughts of a hug, for example, activated an area of the brain associated with a representation of one’s self, but this was largely absent in individuals with autism.
“We found that we could tell whether a person has autism or not by their brain activation patterns when they think about social concepts,” said Marcel Just of Carnegie Mellon University who led the study. “We’ve shown not just that the brains of people with autism may be different, or that their activation is different, but that the way social thoughts are formed is different. We have discovered a biological thought-marker for autism.”
Researchers said their approach could lead to quicker and more certain diagnosis and allow for therapies that are more targeted to specific areas of the brain.
****************************************
***************************************
Autism diagnosis currently relies on clinical evaluation, but a new study suggests it may be possible to detect the disorder with near perfect accuracy using brain scans.
Researchers say they were able to identify “thought-markers” — or differences in the way the brain responds to certain thoughts — specific to those with autism. The method was successful in identifying whether or not a person had autism with 97 percent accuracy, according to findings published Tuesday in the journal PLOS ONE.
For the study, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to perform brain scans on 17 adults with high-functioning autism and 17 typically-developing controls. During the scans, the individuals were asked to think about various social interactions like “persuade,” “adore” and “hug.”
The researchers then used a machine-learning technique to assess patterns in brain activity and decode how the thoughts were processed. They found a clear distinction between those who were and were not on the spectrum.
Among the typically-developing controls, thoughts of a hug, for example, activated an area of the brain associated with a representation of one’s self, but this was largely absent in individuals with autism.
“We found that we could tell whether a person has autism or not by their brain activation patterns when they think about social concepts,” said Marcel Just of Carnegie Mellon University who led the study. “We’ve shown not just that the brains of people with autism may be different, or that their activation is different, but that the way social thoughts are formed is different. We have discovered a biological thought-marker for autism.”
Researchers said their approach could lead to quicker and more certain diagnosis and allow for therapies that are more targeted to specific areas of the brain.
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Friday, December 5, 2014
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!
I was 9-6 (again!) last week; I am 117-72-1 for the year.
A lot of big college games this weekend; let's start there:
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS
Arizona at Oregon. My pick: DUCKS 41-24. A lot of people are talking about how Arizona has beaten Oregon twice in a row, including earlier this year. True--but I think Oregon is well aware of that too, and will be prepared. Oregon has a better team, too.
Alabama vs Missouri. My pick: CRIMSON TIDE 38-10. Nick Saban just won't allow his team to let down now; not after overcoming Auburn.
Iowa State at TCU. My pick: FROGS 45-10. Same thing here--Gary Patterson won't allow his team a letdown now. A Frogs' win will get them in the playoff.
Florida State vs. Georgia Tech. My pick--UPSET ALERT: YELLOW JACKETS 31-27. Georgia Tech has the kind of option attack that gives teams fits. Plus, they're good--just ask Georgia. Meanwhile, FSU has almost literally lived on the edge for the entire season. At some point, that's going to bite you.
Wisconsin vs. Ohio State. My pick: BUCKEYES 34-31. I know, I know--J.T. Barrett is hurt and so OSU must use their backup QB, Cardale Jones. Guess what--I bet Jones isn't a walk-on. He's got talent. Urban Meyer has had a whole week to get him and his team ready. He's a good coach, who can play the underdog role this week. Look for Urban Meyer's team to surprise people.
Kansas State vs. Baylor. My pick: UPSET ALERT: KSU WILDCATS 41-38. And I pick this for a couple of simple reasons: first, Kansas State is a good football team with a good coach. Second: seems to me a lot of folks at Baylor are kind of already chalking this one up as a win and are already planning their arguments to the selection committee about why they belong in the playoff. That's a bad mental state of mind for a football game against a good team, and that's also some bad karma/mojo/whatever you want to call it. Look for the upset here.
NFL PICKS
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati. My pick: BENGALS 24-20. Here's the refrain of the week (again): who can tell with these teams? Up and down. I tend to think that the Bengals' sub-par showing last week (despite a win) had something to do with Andy Dalton having the flu before the game. This week he's healthier, and I think Cincy has more talent.
St. Louis at Washington. My pick: RAMS 27-14. Shhhh, don't look now--but the St. Louis Rams are playing some good football, and their defense at times is dominant. Look out, Colt McCoy.
NY Giants at Tennessee. My pick: GIANTS 20-17. 2 teams going nowhere, fast. Why pick the Giants? Well--somebody's gotta win.
Carolina at New Orleans. My pick: SAINTS 31-14. Did the Saints finally turn the corner after their win in Pittsburgh last week? My guess: yes. Certainly the Panthers haven't turned any corners--instead, they seem to be falling off a cliff.
NY Jets at Minnesota. My pick: VIKINGS 13-10. I don't look for this to be a blowout, because I think the Jets will keep playing for Buddy Ryan, and their defense isn't bad. But look for the Jets to find another way to lose vs the improving Teddy Bridgewater and the Vikes.
Baltimore at Miami. My pick: RAVENS 28-24. Again--who can tell with these teams? Both tend to be up one week, down the next. I see the oddsmakers make the Dolphins the favorite. But--in a game like this, note the quarterback competition: Joe Flacco vs Ryan Tannehill. Who's accomplished more and won more big games? Right--Flacco. Which is why: go with the Ravens to win a big game here.
Indianapolis at Cleveland. My pick: COLTS 34-27. This should be a tough battle; both teams are still very much in the playoff hunt, and Browns fans in Cleveland will be fired up. But again: note the QB matchup. I like Andrew Luck.
Tampa Bay at Detroit. My pick: LIONS 27-17. Maybe the Lions found a good formula last week--throw the darn ball to Calvin (Johnson). As often as possible! It worked against the flawed Bears; probably that and others things can work against the flawed Bucs.
Houston at Jacksonville. My pick: TEXANS 24-7. Look for that Texans defense to be in Blake Bortles' face all afternoon, and that will be the difference.
Buffalo at Denver. My pick: BRONCOS 27-10. That Bills' defense is tough. But on the road, at Denver, against a team with so many weapons...the Bills are in a bit over their heads.
Kansas City at Arizona. My pick: CARDINALS 21-17. A lot of people are already burying the Cardinals. Obviously their injuries, and the last couple of tough weeks they've faced, haven't helped anything. But this team still has a good defense; they tend to play well at home, where this game will be played; and Drew Stanton is capable...certainly capable of beating a team like the Chiefs here. Don't give up on the Cards just yet.
Seattle at Philadelphia. My pick: EAGLES 30-24. Have the Seahawks really turned the corner? Well, they are certainly playing better...and they certainly have the 49ers' number, as last week showed. But--they've still made mistakes, even in their wins. This is a tough road environment. They really have not played a team and a system like the Eagles yet...and as the Turkey Day game vs the Cowboys showed, it can be a tough challenge. I think the Eagles will win here in a tough one.
San Francisco vs Oakland. My pick: 49ERS 24-3. The Raiders have won a game...that win might be the only one they get all season.
New England vs San Diego. My pick: CHARGERS 34-31. I think Philip Rivers is feeling better and looking better; watching some of that game last week he played vs the Ravens gave me a strong impression of that. I therefore like this Chargers' offense. Tom Brady is Tom Brady and he will get his; but I think the Bolts can outscore them here.
Atlanta vs Green Bay. My pick: PACKERS 38-17. If the Patriots can't win in Green Bay...then I sure can't see the Falcons doing it. The Pack and Aaron Rogers are playing real well.
A lot of big college games this weekend; let's start there:
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS
Arizona at Oregon. My pick: DUCKS 41-24. A lot of people are talking about how Arizona has beaten Oregon twice in a row, including earlier this year. True--but I think Oregon is well aware of that too, and will be prepared. Oregon has a better team, too.
Alabama vs Missouri. My pick: CRIMSON TIDE 38-10. Nick Saban just won't allow his team to let down now; not after overcoming Auburn.
Iowa State at TCU. My pick: FROGS 45-10. Same thing here--Gary Patterson won't allow his team a letdown now. A Frogs' win will get them in the playoff.
Florida State vs. Georgia Tech. My pick--UPSET ALERT: YELLOW JACKETS 31-27. Georgia Tech has the kind of option attack that gives teams fits. Plus, they're good--just ask Georgia. Meanwhile, FSU has almost literally lived on the edge for the entire season. At some point, that's going to bite you.
Wisconsin vs. Ohio State. My pick: BUCKEYES 34-31. I know, I know--J.T. Barrett is hurt and so OSU must use their backup QB, Cardale Jones. Guess what--I bet Jones isn't a walk-on. He's got talent. Urban Meyer has had a whole week to get him and his team ready. He's a good coach, who can play the underdog role this week. Look for Urban Meyer's team to surprise people.
Kansas State vs. Baylor. My pick: UPSET ALERT: KSU WILDCATS 41-38. And I pick this for a couple of simple reasons: first, Kansas State is a good football team with a good coach. Second: seems to me a lot of folks at Baylor are kind of already chalking this one up as a win and are already planning their arguments to the selection committee about why they belong in the playoff. That's a bad mental state of mind for a football game against a good team, and that's also some bad karma/mojo/whatever you want to call it. Look for the upset here.
NFL PICKS
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati. My pick: BENGALS 24-20. Here's the refrain of the week (again): who can tell with these teams? Up and down. I tend to think that the Bengals' sub-par showing last week (despite a win) had something to do with Andy Dalton having the flu before the game. This week he's healthier, and I think Cincy has more talent.
St. Louis at Washington. My pick: RAMS 27-14. Shhhh, don't look now--but the St. Louis Rams are playing some good football, and their defense at times is dominant. Look out, Colt McCoy.
NY Giants at Tennessee. My pick: GIANTS 20-17. 2 teams going nowhere, fast. Why pick the Giants? Well--somebody's gotta win.
Carolina at New Orleans. My pick: SAINTS 31-14. Did the Saints finally turn the corner after their win in Pittsburgh last week? My guess: yes. Certainly the Panthers haven't turned any corners--instead, they seem to be falling off a cliff.
NY Jets at Minnesota. My pick: VIKINGS 13-10. I don't look for this to be a blowout, because I think the Jets will keep playing for Buddy Ryan, and their defense isn't bad. But look for the Jets to find another way to lose vs the improving Teddy Bridgewater and the Vikes.
Baltimore at Miami. My pick: RAVENS 28-24. Again--who can tell with these teams? Both tend to be up one week, down the next. I see the oddsmakers make the Dolphins the favorite. But--in a game like this, note the quarterback competition: Joe Flacco vs Ryan Tannehill. Who's accomplished more and won more big games? Right--Flacco. Which is why: go with the Ravens to win a big game here.
Indianapolis at Cleveland. My pick: COLTS 34-27. This should be a tough battle; both teams are still very much in the playoff hunt, and Browns fans in Cleveland will be fired up. But again: note the QB matchup. I like Andrew Luck.
Tampa Bay at Detroit. My pick: LIONS 27-17. Maybe the Lions found a good formula last week--throw the darn ball to Calvin (Johnson). As often as possible! It worked against the flawed Bears; probably that and others things can work against the flawed Bucs.
Houston at Jacksonville. My pick: TEXANS 24-7. Look for that Texans defense to be in Blake Bortles' face all afternoon, and that will be the difference.
Buffalo at Denver. My pick: BRONCOS 27-10. That Bills' defense is tough. But on the road, at Denver, against a team with so many weapons...the Bills are in a bit over their heads.
Kansas City at Arizona. My pick: CARDINALS 21-17. A lot of people are already burying the Cardinals. Obviously their injuries, and the last couple of tough weeks they've faced, haven't helped anything. But this team still has a good defense; they tend to play well at home, where this game will be played; and Drew Stanton is capable...certainly capable of beating a team like the Chiefs here. Don't give up on the Cards just yet.
Seattle at Philadelphia. My pick: EAGLES 30-24. Have the Seahawks really turned the corner? Well, they are certainly playing better...and they certainly have the 49ers' number, as last week showed. But--they've still made mistakes, even in their wins. This is a tough road environment. They really have not played a team and a system like the Eagles yet...and as the Turkey Day game vs the Cowboys showed, it can be a tough challenge. I think the Eagles will win here in a tough one.
San Francisco vs Oakland. My pick: 49ERS 24-3. The Raiders have won a game...that win might be the only one they get all season.
New England vs San Diego. My pick: CHARGERS 34-31. I think Philip Rivers is feeling better and looking better; watching some of that game last week he played vs the Ravens gave me a strong impression of that. I therefore like this Chargers' offense. Tom Brady is Tom Brady and he will get his; but I think the Bolts can outscore them here.
Atlanta vs Green Bay. My pick: PACKERS 38-17. If the Patriots can't win in Green Bay...then I sure can't see the Falcons doing it. The Pack and Aaron Rogers are playing real well.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
INTERESTING DEPT: TRICKING YOURSELF INTO BEING A MORNING PERSON
From the I-Just-Thought-This-Was-Interesting Dept: 19 ways to trick yourself into becoming a morning person. I just know that many of my friends would love to be more awake in the mornings. Waking up can be the hardest thing to do. How can we be better at doing mornings? Read on:
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Let's start with the bad news: Only about 1 in 10 people is a true morning person, according to The Body Clock Guide to Better Health.
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Editor's note: Dhani Jones is a former NFL linebacker, entrepreneur and author of "The Sportsman: Unexpected Lessons From an Around-the-World Sports Odyssey." He's shared his best advice with CNN for a new Digital Studios series called "Be a Champion."
Let's start with the bad news: Only about 1 in 10 people is a true morning person, according to The Body Clock Guide to Better Health.
The good news is only two in 10 fall into the category of night owls, while the rest fall somewhere in between. Better still: Even if you operate best in the wee hours, you can still train yourself to be an early riser.
Here's how:
Plan ahead
Waking well-rested starts with getting enough sleep.
"Hitting the snooze button a couple times before getting up is a clear sign of sleep deprivation," says Dr. Nathaniel Watson, president-elect of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "If you are getting enough sleep, you should be able to wake up on time without a morning alarm."
Sounds easier said than done? First, follow these tips for catching the zzz's you need to wake refreshed.
1. Practice good sleep hygiene. "Keeping a consistent sleep schedule is one of the best ways to ensure you're getting quality, restful sleep," says Watson. If you need to shift your schedule earlier, start moving your bedtime forward by just 15 minutes at a time. Adjustments more drastic than that will keep you rebounding between early and late bedtimes rather than creating lasting change.
2. Take your time. Balancing your own well-being against other personal and professional responsibilities is tough. Often, finding the right work-life equilibrium starts with saying, "No," — and so does getting enough sleep. Pare down your evening commitments so that you've got an hour completely blocked off to wind down before bed.
3. Implement a routine. Establishing a schedule can help clue our bodies in to what's to come. Maintaining a regular evening routine will help chill you out and let your mind know that it's nearly time to fall asleep. For example, that could mean drinking a cup of (decaffeinated) tea and reading for 20 minutes each evening before bed.
4. Nap cautiously. If you have a sleep debt to repay, it's better to nap during the day than to mess up your nightly sleep schedule. That said, you don't want a daytime snooze to keep you up at night. (For more napping tips head here!)
5. Eat (and drink) smart. Some experts caution against going to bed too full or too hungry, as the discomfort may keep you awake. The same goes for drinking: Sipping too much before bed can cause mid-slumber trips to the bathroom, and caffeine and alcohol in particular have been shown to disrupt sleep.
6. Power down. Any kind of light can shift circadian rhythms, making it harder to sleep at night. And if you're constantly plugged in, you're even less likely to hit the hay right away. Research has shown that the blue light emitted by electronics like laptops and cell phones disturbs sleep even more than natural light. Turn off those electronic screens at least an hour before bed to make dozing easier.
7. Prep before bed. Wondering what to do with that electronic-free hour? Use the time to get together anything you'll need in the a.m. — like a healthy lunch, make-ahead breakfast, or a gym bag. Shortening your morning to-do list just might make it easier to roll out of bed.
8. Get cozy. Temperature, noise, light and comfort can all impact your ability to sleep well. A cool, quiet room (around 65 degrees) has been shown to be an effective sleep environment. And if your mattress leaves you achy, you've got a good excuse to upgrade -- your health may depend on it! The National Sleep Foundation offers even more recommendations for tweaking all of these for better sleep.
Wake up with ease
You've set yourself up for success and slept like a boss. But the battle isn't won just yet. Here's how to skip the snooze button and hop out of bed when that alarm starts buzzing.
9. Set your motive. As with any change, it's important to have a tangible reason for waking up early. Come up with a meaningful goal you'll be able to achieve by starting the day earlier, whether that's being able to fit in a morning sweat session or having some extra time to cook a healthy breakfast.
10. Play a mind game. The alarm goes off, and the immediate temptation is to hit snooze. Go ahead, do it -- but then stay out of bed for those next nine minutes. The idea of the so-called "inverted snooze" is to ease the pain of waking up by telling yourself you only have to stick it out for nine minutes. Move around, stretch, start brewing coffee -- anything to keep yourself awake. By the time the alarm goes off again you should be awake and alert enough to start your day rather than still grumpy in bed and (likely) hitting snooze again.
11. Bite the bullet. If you naturally wake within minutes of your alarm, it can be tempting to close your eyes and relish in a few more minutes of rest. But you're better off just getting out of bed. When you wake spontaneously, you're likely in a light sleep stage, explains Dr. Watson. Going back to sleep could send you into a deeper sleep stage, making it harder to wake up and start your day.
12. Make moves. Finding the right alarm and where to put it can have a big impact on whether you wake in the morning. Try experimenting with the sound, timing and location of your alarm clock to help yourself get up when you need to. For example, some alarms wake you gradually with pleasant sounds to make the transition into daytime less jarring and more relaxed.
13. Seize the day. Waking up with a groan and thinking about all the things you don't want to do is a terrible way to motivate yourself to get out of bed. Instead, think ahead to the best things you'll do all day to fuel your desire to get up and at 'em.
14. Try an app. There are several apps that promise to get you out of bed in the a.m. For example, Wake n Shake makes you shake your phone in order to turn off the app, while Better Me shares your failure to your Facebook every time you hit snooze. There are also apps, like Sleep Cycle, that use motion sensors to monitor your movement and determine the best time to wake you within a preset window.
15. Brighten up. If you need to draw shades at night to make your room dark or -- shudder -- you need to wake before it's light out, you can't always rely on the sun to wake you. Fortunately, there are gradual light-up alarm clocks that promise to lull you out of sleep less painfully than your standard alarm.
Power through the morning
You've made it! You're out of bed. Now, here's how to get out the door without starting the day in grouch mode.
16. Pare down to-dos. You've already pre-packed your lunch or gym bag, giving you one less thing to worry about before coffee. Look for other ways to streamline your pre-work routine (including taking advantage of your coffee maker's automatic timer!) so you can spend less time rushing through those early hours, and start enjoying them instead.
17. Amp up your productivity. If you're a regular snoozer, cutting out that extra nine minutes (or nine minutes times four or five) earns you bonus time each morning.
Many creatives swear that early morning is the best time to write or think deeply and creatively about projects. Try taking a page from their book and dedicate even just a few minutes first thing in the a.m. to a project of your choice. You may be surprised at how rewarding it feels to start the day with a few tasks already checked off.
18. Eat a healthy breakfast. To be your best self, it's helpful to eat a good breakfast (trust us, morning meetings are better when you're not hangry). Whole grain carbs plus protein give you a quick hit of energy and keep you going all morning. For an all-in-one solution that you can prep ahead, try these homemade protein bars or overnight oats.
19. Exercise in the morning. Early in the a.m., your willpower stores are at their highest. By the evening, we get too busy and find too many excuses not to exercise. Plus, morning workouts will give you an extra shot of energy to carry you through the day ahead.
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Monday, December 1, 2014
AWARENESS UPDATE
There are some new developments for the disability community that will help make television more accessible for all. Read on:
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When Comcast rolled out its Xfinity X1 cable boxes a few years ago, customers’ viewing experience took a major leap with a more-attractive interface, easier-to-navigate menus and other on-screen cues.
But such eye candy is of limited use to Comcast users who are blind or visually impaired.
Now the cable-television provider is taking a huge step to remedy this with the “X1 Talking Guide,” which it describes as “the industry’s first voice-enabled television user interface.”
The guide features a female voice that reads aloud crucial TV-viewing information, such as show titles and network names. The voice serves as a guide as users hop from section to section — including the show guide, recorded-show queue, on-demand directory and cable-box settings.
“As you move across the menu bar, whatever is highlighted gets announced,” said Tom Wlodkowski, a Comcast executive who spearheaded the project, and who happens to be blind. “As you move horizontally across the program guide, it gives you the time, and as you move vertically within the grid it announces the new channel.”
The voice reads aloud such things as show descriptions, the time remaining on a show, the price of a film rental, and ratings from Common Sense Media and Rotten Tomatoes. The Talking Guide also specifies which buttons the viewer should press on the remote while navigating menus.
X1 users will be able to activate the Talking Guide by tapping the remote’s “A” button twice, or via the accessibility controls in the main settings menu. The option may not be available immediately, but Comcast said the Talking Guide should be broadly deployed by early December. All X1 users are set to get it eventually via automatic updates.
A company division dubbed the Comcast Accessibility Lab has been at work on the Talking Guide for more than a year as part of its broader mission to make Comcast technology more accessible to those with disabilities.
The Talking Guide remains a work in progress. Philadelphia-based Comcast said it will integrate searching capabilities into a future upgrade, along with the option to speed up or slow down the guide’s voice prompts.
The Talking Guide also helps unearth features for those with visual impairment that have been there all along, but were not easy to access. Some shows include auxiliary audio — also called “second audio program” or SAP — that describes what is happening on the screen for those who cannot see it. Getting at this feature via the Talking Guide is relatively straightforward, Comcast said.
SAP is available with roughly 50 hours of programming per quarter from each of the four major networks as well as from USA, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, TNT and TBS channels, it noted.
The Talking Guide is among a range of voice-related capabilities Comcast is perfecting. Others include the XR11 Voice Control Remote, which includes a microphone to issue spoken commands such as “record,” “show me films about baseball” or “turn on closed captions.” The company said it expects to release the remote later this year.
Comcast’s mobile apps can tap into VoiceOver and Talkback, which are screen-reading features built into the Apple iOS and Google Android operating systems.
Comcast, in addition to creating new technology, said it runs a support center for the people with disabilities that fields about 10,000 calls per month.
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When Comcast rolled out its Xfinity X1 cable boxes a few years ago, customers’ viewing experience took a major leap with a more-attractive interface, easier-to-navigate menus and other on-screen cues.
But such eye candy is of limited use to Comcast users who are blind or visually impaired.
Now the cable-television provider is taking a huge step to remedy this with the “X1 Talking Guide,” which it describes as “the industry’s first voice-enabled television user interface.”
The guide features a female voice that reads aloud crucial TV-viewing information, such as show titles and network names. The voice serves as a guide as users hop from section to section — including the show guide, recorded-show queue, on-demand directory and cable-box settings.
“As you move across the menu bar, whatever is highlighted gets announced,” said Tom Wlodkowski, a Comcast executive who spearheaded the project, and who happens to be blind. “As you move horizontally across the program guide, it gives you the time, and as you move vertically within the grid it announces the new channel.”
The voice reads aloud such things as show descriptions, the time remaining on a show, the price of a film rental, and ratings from Common Sense Media and Rotten Tomatoes. The Talking Guide also specifies which buttons the viewer should press on the remote while navigating menus.
X1 users will be able to activate the Talking Guide by tapping the remote’s “A” button twice, or via the accessibility controls in the main settings menu. The option may not be available immediately, but Comcast said the Talking Guide should be broadly deployed by early December. All X1 users are set to get it eventually via automatic updates.
A company division dubbed the Comcast Accessibility Lab has been at work on the Talking Guide for more than a year as part of its broader mission to make Comcast technology more accessible to those with disabilities.
The Talking Guide remains a work in progress. Philadelphia-based Comcast said it will integrate searching capabilities into a future upgrade, along with the option to speed up or slow down the guide’s voice prompts.
The Talking Guide also helps unearth features for those with visual impairment that have been there all along, but were not easy to access. Some shows include auxiliary audio — also called “second audio program” or SAP — that describes what is happening on the screen for those who cannot see it. Getting at this feature via the Talking Guide is relatively straightforward, Comcast said.
SAP is available with roughly 50 hours of programming per quarter from each of the four major networks as well as from USA, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, TNT and TBS channels, it noted.
The Talking Guide is among a range of voice-related capabilities Comcast is perfecting. Others include the XR11 Voice Control Remote, which includes a microphone to issue spoken commands such as “record,” “show me films about baseball” or “turn on closed captions.” The company said it expects to release the remote later this year.
Comcast’s mobile apps can tap into VoiceOver and Talkback, which are screen-reading features built into the Apple iOS and Google Android operating systems.
Comcast, in addition to creating new technology, said it runs a support center for the people with disabilities that fields about 10,000 calls per month.
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