One day, after growing tired of my typical Logic e-cigarette pens (after using them for approximately a year after successfully quitting smoking), I decided I wanted to try something different.
The battery life wasn't great, the flavor was lackluster, and I was seeking a shift. With so many different options on the market for vaping and devices, and even a growing industry of companies selling vitamin products and non-nicotine based flavors like "cereal" in vape delivery system, I was in the dark about which to pick. In the course of my limited research, Juul received overwhelmingly positive feedback, and seemed to be the clear winner of the category. But I felt the price tag for the starter kit was slightly out of budget, and the prospect of purchasing a full kit complete with flavors I knew I wouldn't like (tobacco, mint), ultimately outweighed ones that sounded delicious (creme brulee).
So I headed to my local vape store in search of an alternative product to Juul that came well-reviewed online. Unfortunately, this SKU was not in stock. I explained my dilemma and what I was seeking, vaping habits included, to the employees at the store. The manager of the store, now a good friend of mine, recommended a product that was, dare I say, perfect. The starter kit of the Vaptio C-Flat Executive vape ran $15 less than Juul, and included the device pen, charger, and 4 starter pod refills, the latter of my own flavor selection. All for $35. Since this time, the company now offers different style starter kits at varying prices (with different components and options for each, all at a similar value). There are online options to save further, but these do include ship fees that can make up the difference. I opted for the coffee flavor and gave it a whirl inside the actual store, with permission, of course.
The first few hits were enough to satisfy my cravings, perhaps exceed them, as this was definitely an increase in nicotine content compared to Logic.
For a moment I had to take a long breathe and pause. What was my own logic behind the upwards shift? A notion that I'd use less per week, save money, and be able to refill the pods with different replacements over time with less nicotine content. Due to my affinity for the product and self-confessed partial addiction to it, I can't say any of these proved true, but I'm ultimately quite pleased with the decision to change manufacturers. In terms of cost, I've managed to stay relatively flat to prior purchases with Logic, for more volume and a better product. Also, I suppose I have a strong desire to "vape coffee," if such a notion is possible, within the scope of reality. I was delighted to inhale what tasted like fresh expresso.
The flavor-quality was excellent and the pod long-lasting, with more volume per container than Juul but less cost per replacement ($20 for a pack of 4). I would like to denote that this review is not intended to disparage other brand manufacturers, but to simply offer a point of comparison that most are more familiar with.
The Vaptio C-FLAT Portable Pod System is an all-in-one portable device, with a 350mAh built-in battery and a max output of 15W. The refillable tank section has a 1.5mL maximum reservoir, that can be used to continue purchasing replacement pods from the same manufacturer, or supplemented with a typical salt-based refill liquid. It's a great product for beginners to vaping, or those looking for a shift to an affordable but excellent quality vaping product.
Ultimately this product, both the starter kit pod-system and replacement cartridge options, are definitely recommended for new and experienced vapors alike. This system and product provides a suitable and effective alternative to spending a lot more on devices on the market with the same specs and quality. I was very pleased with my shift to the brand and am glad I opted out of the Logic pens. The durability of the product is also an unexpected surprise, given the lightweight and portable features. I love the coffee and strawberry flavors, but am also happy to know that the device can support other replacement liquids of any flavor, with less or no nicotine content.
Others may enjoy different varieties or tanks offered by the same company, with their Vaptio Fusion growing in popularity and offering a similar ergonomic design.
While I had initially given Vaptio's C-Flat Executive Series Pen a glowing review and used it for months free of any issues and with only the best results, particularly due to pricing and nicotine content in comparison to competitor products, about a month ago the devices (while not inexpensive to replace repeatedly by any means, and something that would cost a consumer hundreds) started having manufacturing issues that required a review update.
In the past, I had noticed slight manufacturing issues on a much smaller degree that had only happened a few times over the course of about 7 months or so of continual use. At that time, the issue was typically limited to a small breakage on the tip of the device (always at the exact same location).
The first time this happened my reaction was simply one of confusion, and in thinking I had dropped the device or caused this damage somehow without realizing it, I opted to replace it and did not think much of it.
However, throughout the following few months this small chip/breakage happened several times free of any damage, drops, or issues to attribute to the self (always at the exact same location, and the only remedy was taping it shut or replacement).
To note, this issue is listed as a con as per our initial review.
At that point, I contacted employees at my local smoke shop whom I had developed an ongoing relationship with to describe this unusual issue. They reached out to manufacturers and continued to replace the device free of charge (about 3-4 times over the next couple of months).
At some juncture despite their gestures of kindness and continual friendly demeanors, they began asking me to try to return the product with the box (to my own guilt a couple of times I had forgotten to save the original packaging). Why was this of such importance to them? I finally figured out, and it was later confirmed despite their gestures of professionalism and gratitude for my previous business, in dealing with the wholesale manufacturers from Vaptio and the company themselves, these local smoke store owners were unable to receive due refunds on behalf of the company.
On their behalf, this already equates to losses in the hundreds.
Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of a disappointing error and lack of fair play on behalf of a company making quite enough money to refund local smoke store employees making just above the minimum wage, ones who always acted with professionalism and were certainly entitled to refunds based on poor product manufacturing.
Starting this past month, the devices began having further manufacturing issues taking place on a continual basis (at this juncture, it is with every available device).
I noticed when trying to charge the device about a month ago, blinking lights appeared followed by a complete inability to charge at all. Confused, I tried charging the device with different cords and USBs, as well as using different outlets.
When taking it back to the local shop to discuss this with the employees (who have subsequently become friends), they were confused as well, and also tried connecting the piece to different outlets and chargers. At this point, the kind manager offered to replace a new piece (which now runs at over $40 plus tax), and I accepted the offer, with already subtle feelings of guilt in mind considering their losses.
I figured this was just a singular issue or poor device problem, and yet this has now happened over 10 times (a meager estimate)- and currently occurs with every single Vaptio Executive Series C-Flat Pen. As repeated gestures of kindness, they continued to replace the devices in full for me while working with wholesale distributers and the manufacturing company. The owner even purchased over 10 new devices with only me in mind, as apparently it is not an extremely popular SKU.
Unfortunately, due to a very positive relationship with the employees and an attempt to save every box and accompanying charger, even with continual replacement the lack of charging ability continued.
Every time I saved the boxes, chargers, and everything possible in an attempt for them to recoup lost earnings. And every single time the manufacturer and company itself has refused to refund their deserved profits, which has now equated to a loss (on behalf of local store employees) to the attune of upwards of $3000-$4000.
While this resulted in transient feelings of frustration and misunderstanding on my end (and guilt, more so than anything), as well as losses due to pod purchases (which pail in comparison to the store owners lost finances), the most enraging part of this has been the failure on behalf of the company itself and wholesale distributers.
While this was once a device I highly recommended for anyone seeking a vape pen device, particularly due to savings in comparison to nicotine content and overall functionality, this is no longer an item I would recommend anyone purchase as a viable option- if you are new to vaping or an existing customer.
The last time this happened (several days ago), I told them I would no longer continue on with this process, and will be investing in a different piece recommended to me (the Aspire Breeze 2). The kind owners and employees even offered me a deal and generous savings on the piece on top of all of this.
Had I not been a regular customer and had the store owner and employees not exercised only the highest degree of professionalism and courtesy, this would typically result in your average consumer losing quite a bit of money themselves (particularly if you opt to reinvest in another device in the belief that you have caused this error).
The most important message out of this: it was quite unjust on behalf of the manufacturer and wholesale distributers to not provide store employees working hours on end to support themselves with well deserved refunds for defective devices. In comparison to their general earnings, they quite easily have the money to refund defective items and should only be offering gestures of apologies.
I am thankful that both the store employees and myself have come to an arrangement to change devices and will give up a product I once came to love and adore, but this should only serve as a much needed warning for consumers considering this item: we no longer recommend a product that used to be quite functional and a great option for vapers seeking pens.
I personally reached out in attempts to help myself with messages that went nowhere and were not responded to on behalf of Vaptio and distributers.
The most reprehensible actions in this case are the lack of deserved refunds for owners making their own livings and only exercising professionalism, and is my hope anyone reading this will support local employees as well as opting out of this product.


A few lines flung about the paper land in a cone shape, which we imagine as a hat. The hat is then flung about the curved head of a woman standing in the margins of a French novel. No. That's not quite right. It should be a conical hat, better suited to scrolling down a set of points swept by a moving straight line. Think: a river dotted with lanterns.
When you let your eye follow the hat, you see how softly it slips over the woman's edifice of tightly latched birdcages, falls over the tight Achilles tendons that brought her to her knees. Her hips can no longer swing from the cages, she can no longer make out the points that were so easy to find before the dark descended. Now she is a figure leaning into herself, imagining the river.
Behind her sprawls the diagrammed idea of an exit, a staircase spiraling to the ceiling, as in the Louvre. No. Let's try that again…spiraling up to a sky full of clouds— which, by the way, are just now assembling themselves into triangles, wedges, pyramids—competitive shapes that can be flung at the hat until there is a confusion of three-cornered objects blanketing the sky.
No one knows how such transformations happen. It's a mysterious process, narcissistic to the core. And with so much flinging back and forth, none of the shapes notices that the woman is trapped inside her only means of escape, crouched low inside a birdcage twisted open. The day spoils in the sun. The figures are just geometry and cannot hear the woman cry.
Editor's Note: Prose poems are deceptively simple, until you try writing one and realize the lack of line breaks means you must figure out another way to emphasize imagery. This poem's surreal narrative moves from a sketch to dreams and back again.


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Still In Every Class In Every School
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Over 10 years ago Egale Canada released Every Class in Every School (Taylor & Peter, 2011), the first report of its kind to reveal just how prevalent discrimination was for 2SLGBTQI students in Canadian secondary schools at the time. Today we are launching a new report, Still in Every Class in Every School (Peter, Campbell & Taylor, 2021), which reveals that while there have been some important improvements in the last decade, we have a long way to go in creating safer and accepting schools for 2SLGBTQI youth.
Still in Every Class in Every School is the Final Report on the Second National Climate Survey on Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in Canadian Schools, and was conducted in partnership with researchers from the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. Through the second climate survey, we heard from over 4,000 students in Grades 8-12 across Canada about their experiences with homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, harassment, mental health and sense of safety, and support at school.
Every student deserves the right to learn in an environment free from violence, harassment, and bullying. These findings show that while there have been many improvements in the last decade, we all need to do more work to create safer and more accepting school environments. We encourage everyone to do their part, from government, policymakers, educators, and the broader community, to create safer and more accepting schools for all.
Click Here to see the First National Climate Survey

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Model UN Can Change Your Life!
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The Huffington Post published an article this week highlighting the Model UN experience for 2,500 high school students who attended the International Model UN Conference in New York. In the article, it mentions that many of the students improved as public speakers by speaking in front of hundreds of other students. The Model UN leader makes note that many of his students have progressed to AP classes from their Model UN experience.
Essentially your Model UN experience should help you gain confidence in your ability to think critically and build your self esteem to allow your knowledge to broaden on a more global scale. It's evident that being involved in Model UN can shape you as a person on many levels pertaining to school, leadership, and business.
With our International Affairs Program, you will enrich your knowledge and skills with our real-world approach on topics such as; world history, current events, global politics, and international relations. Our program curriculum involves debating, public speaking, realistic UN simulations and thorough research workshops. You will also have the opportunity to listen to guest speakers and take field trips to the United Nations in New York City along with Embassy Row in Washington, D.C.
This unforgettable experience is run by the development director for a civic engagement organization that has twenty years of experience running Model UN conferences. When you leave our Model UN program you will feel confident and at ease when you become a global leader!


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, Singapore
A Digital Marketplace meeting the evolving needs of every Singaporean
NTUC FairPrice Marketplace wins at Retail Asia Awards 2022.
As part of NTUC FairPrice's digital business, FairPrice Marketplace was the co-operative's first foray into bringing an increased assortment of products at competitive prices to customers of FairPrice Online by working with independent third-party sellers. Such adaptation to the evolving needs of customers, especially during the lockdowns induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, earned them the Specialty Store of the Year - Singapore Award at the Retail Asia Awards 2022.
The awards programme recognises major breakthroughs, innovations, and key players in the retail industry of Asia. By bringing additional value to customers through a wide selection of groceries to best meet their needs, FairPrice Marketplace has distinguished itself from the competition.
Having grown from just 20 sellers in 2019 to now having over 800 sellers in 2022 with more than 120,000 products in total, FairPrice Marketplace also offers additional items from categories such as pet supplies, international selections, and premium meats & vegetables that its customers can order together with their other groceries. The continued expansion of the online marketplace has led to sales growing threefold since its inception, with the majority of shopping baskets on FairPrice Online now including items from marketplace sellers.
In addition to delighting customers with more choices of speciality goods, FairPrice Marketplace also played a role in achieving supply chain resilience for essential goods in Singapore. This was especially true during times of uncertainty during COVID-19. Third-party sellers on the marketplace provided alternative sources of goods to ensure a steady supply even during major disruptions, such as during the Jurong Fishery Port closure in Singapore last year, as local fish farms provided a stable stock of fish & other seafood for FairPrice Online customers.
Beyond bringing an increased assortment of groceries and household products to customers, operational efficiency has been key in ensuring a good experience for both customers and sellers, as it was one of the biggest challenges that the marketplace had to address. Through the provision of an all-inclusive service for its sellers, FairPrice Marketplace streamlined the first-mile logistics, consolidation, and last-mile logistics flow of goods to enable customers to receive all their online grocery needs in a single order, which significantly improved their convenience.
Working towards achieving a seamless omnichannel experience, FairPrice Marketplace also expanded its range of products to selected FairPrice hypermarkets and supermarkets that make hyperlocal deliveries for customers to receive their online groceries quicker. Complementing the central warehouse model, this operational model of fulfilling online orders from nearby stores has let customers receive their groceries in a fast and fresh manner.
FairPrice Marketplace also continues to uphold the co-operative's social mission by providing Singapore food manufacturers with an additional platform to diversify their revenue streams through the #YummySG! programme, made possible by a partnership with Enterprise Singapore. The platform provides increased visibility for products, where participating companies can work with FairPrice Marketplace to list their new food & beverage products and potentially reach out to 1.5 million shoppers monthly. This helped to cushion the food manufacturers' businesses during the pandemic when there was reduced foot traffic to restaurants and hospitality venues. Additionally, FairPrice Marketplace also continues to partner with government agencies such as the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) by facilitating the IMDA Digital Resilience Bonus which enabled marketplace sellers to benefit from grants that assisted them financially during COVID-19 difficulties.


Today we're talking with nutritionist and PRO triathlete Kim Schwabenbauer about the importance of a nutrition assessment for runners as well as tips for enjoying the Holiday season without guilt.
Dr. Chris Segler: Today on the Doc On The Run podcast I am really excited to bring Kim Schwabenbauer onto the show to share her expertise about nutrition and what it takes to fuel athletes in training, racing and recovery.
Kim is a long time athlete. She ran cross country in high scho ol. She was Team Captain of both her cross country and track teams at Penn State. She has been doing triathlons for over 10 years. She's won lots and lots of races. She was the amateur champion at Ironman Cozumel and Ironman Lake Placid. She's even raced at the Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii 4 times. And she is fast, fast fast…she actually clocked a 3:01 Ironman Marathon time.
So, no surprise Kim is currently racing as a pro triathlete. If Kim's name sounds familiar to you, it may be because you saw her highlighted on MTV's "Made" television show where she helped coach a young man through his first triathlon. And if all that isn't enough, Kim is rapidly building a nationally recognized triathlon business Fuel Your Passion Endurance Coaching and Nutrition Counseling.
She is a certified USA Triathlon Level One Coach and a Registered Dietician, so she knows exactly what athletes need to make the jump to the next level.
So welcome Kim! Thanks for coming on the show! Maybe you could give us a little additional background about you and your athletic history.
Kim Schwabenbauer: Sounds great! Thank you so much for having me Dr. Chris! I really appreciate it and I think it's going to be fun and we're going to talk about a lot of really cool things today so I hope your audience enjoys it.
A little about me, you mentioned a lot and you really talked me up there and I appreciate it. I think my entire motto in life is "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step". You don't know where life is going to take you and I think if you could just be open to opportunities and work hard and listen to the people around you and things like that, things can just go in a direction that you never imagined possible. So that's been my entire life has been a little bit that way between walking on the Penn State Cross Country team, I wasn't recruited at all so I was just a walk-on athlete.
As a sophomore I ended up graduating from there four years later travelling all over the country and that started my trajectory into sports and then getting into triathlon. I couldn't swim…period. I taught myself to swim in 2005 and I would highly advise if I have a daughter as to you as well, I would put my child in swimming lessons the second they could go to swimming lessons. But I couldn't swim at all, I couldn't make it across the pool at all in 2005 and then I did my first triathlon and I fell in-love and here I am ten, twelve years later as a professional athlete.
I just hope your listeners know that anything is truly possible if you put your mind to it and it's been a great progression. I can't imagine where things are going to go from here.
Dr. Chris Segler: Yeah, that's fantastic. I mean it's true. It's really incredible that you can go from being able to not swim to racing professionally. It is unbelievable but that's true of all of us right? We are all capable of big changes. I know how you have talked about a couple of times in your life when you made some of those BIG changes and improvements. Like getting onto the team at Penn State and also in 2007 when you really started to get serious about triathlon.
I know that every runner listening to this knows that if you want to change your performance, you have to make big changes in the way that you train and also in the way that you fuel. It's not just about running harder, it's not just about buying new shoes or a new Garmin or something, you have to change several aspects in your life if you want to really improve.
So it sounds like the initial steps with any athlete is your initial nutrition assessment to determine food habits, current sort of health status and their energy demands. Because obviously you have to get the building blocks to create the speed machine.
you can optimize your nutrition to make sure that when you do work hard, when you do the tissue damage that you need to do in training to get stronger that your body actually incorporate all those nutrients that you eat and turn them into muscle.
So, if an athlete, let's say a long-time runner, decides that she wants to step up her performance to qualify for Boston or something like that, how do you get her started? What does that initial nutrition assessment r eally look like?
this as well and I was thinking about that this morning. It's amazing how much my mental game has changed from the beginning.
Some key aspects are still there but just to continually work on it, continue reading books and monitoring my thoughts, monitoring my self-talk and all that kind of stuff. I don't care what kind of athlete you are if back of the pack or winning races, you can always work on your mental game and so that's another way to make performance improvements too.
Nutrition Assessment, so let's talk about that. What are some of the first things that someone would want to look at for that particular area? Well, with my clients if they haven't done a recent biochemical assessment so looking at some of the variables that we can get from a doctor like you prescribing either a CBC. A complete blood count is always important and then also the Iron variables that we want to check. We definitely take a look at things like Hematocrit, Hemoglobin, we would look at Ferritin to get a more long term picture of what's going on with iron status. Total Iron Binding Capacity is also a good one to check that as well and so those kind of things are important just to make sure that somebody starting a great place because we actually breakdown Red Blood Cells by pounding on the ground which is people don't know this but it's called Hemolysis. When your foot hits the ground, you're breaking blood cells all over your body and so you do actually need to make sure that you know Iron is key for carrying Oxygen. If we do not have enough Iron, we do not have enough Oxygen as I'm sure you know of course and have talked to your listeners about this as well. I always check Iron especially for women as well because of course as we menstruate every month, we're losing some of that key Iron.
So I'm checking out Iron, checking out calcium, checking out Vitamin D status for athletes. I'll try to get a good picture of what's going on right when we start as a baseline and then that way we can also track if something goes wrong within the season when someone complains about shin pains or something like that then we want to make sure that they don't get a stress fracture.
Key elements for that are obviously calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin D. With those four, we've got to have a base line or else you'd be heading that direction. Biochemical, anthropometric which means body composition so if we can, if we have access to the ability to check that out either be a skin calipers or the gold standard is the BodPod which some people have access to it like universities or things like that.
I'll send them in for a BodPod assessment because usually people are interested in running faster. Actually one pound extra a body fat that you're carrying around is about six seconds per mile slower. So if you can lose that one now there's a point of diminishing returns, you want to get too thin either, so you know that as well. So I'll check that out and then of course I do a three day diet analysis on them. I check out three days, usually two week days and one weekend day to see what you are eating and what's the interplay with your training, your lifestyle, your sleep, all of those things, how does nutrition setup within that day. It's not just about the food you eat, it's about the timing of when you eat that food and whether it makes sense for your training in terms of putting in the right nutrients before, during and after and also does it makes sense for your whole health, your recovery like y ou said.
Can we improve the recovery after workouts? Can we improve the amount of protein someone's getting throughout the day so that they're able to maintain the muscle mass that they're breaking down when they go out and pound around? So yes, I kind of go through those three main areas of nutrition and a lot of people just want "Oh just give me a diet to follow". I'm not going to do that and the reason is because it just doesn't fit your lifestyle, it has to be specific. You're going to follow that for three days and then you're going to quit because it's not going to work for you.
Dr. Chris Segler: Massive changes in diet don't last for the overwhelming majority of people. That's been proven, that's not new, that's been going on for a hundred years. So you have to be deliberate, you have to have a goal just like with your training. When I talk to athletes about this, I talk about it in terms of a sort of specificity; what they do with everything else when they train. When you run, it's pretty standard. Most training plans have a base phase and then they have a build phase and speed work and all these different elements that are added at particularly times, not just randomly, to achieve a goal. And it's true that most training plans include some kind of long run, some kind of tempo and some kind of speed workouts during the week and they have different components. They're little pieces of this whole puzzle that fit together to build fitness in a very specific way.
Now nutrition obviously, it really works that way. You can't just eat carbohydrates in the morning and protein at night, you can't do it. It doesn't makes sense. It's important to get the fuel when you need it. We talked that a bit and as you just said about recovery, you have to really maximize your recovery if you want the maximum gains.
When I do my workouts like I drink a very specific recovery smoothie after every run and every bike ride. When I started doing that, I noticed a big jump in the speed of my recovery. Obviously for me, that was low-hanging fruit. Making sure that I was getting high quality nutrients in to refueling session within a minutes of finishing a hard workout was really an easy thing to add to my routine. It wasn't a massive change in my diet, it wasn't like switching from a Southern diet to a gluten free diet or something but it was really simple. It also gave me the nutrients right when I finish those workouts so that I can refuel as quickly as possible.
What do you recommend for immediate recovery fuel after workouts? Do you think it is most important to pay attention to the amount of protein, or antioxidants, what is it that you recommend runners make sure they aren't missing?
know. I'm guessing that there's some fruit in there probably, some easily digesting carbohydrates that get the blood sugar up quick after a workout and replenishes carbohydrates because that's just so key.
I love to see a ratio of about four to one in terms of grams of carbohydrate to an amount of protein so that might be something like seventy five grams of carbs to about fifteen grams of protein. People don't have to get that exactly but if you're checking your supplement that you're doing something like a pre-made drink, you do want to make sure that it has some carbs in there. This is not the time to go low carb this is actually the time to make that you're replenishing what you just used in the workout which is primarily carbs and then at least fifteen grams of protein probably not more than about twenty five.
Basically the studies have found that anything over about twenty five on the very up around 30 grams isn't really used in maximizing synthesis of muscles. So it's basically there's a point of maximizing synthesis and after that it's basically what your body is going, "I don't need this much protein, you're giving me too much. I'm going to go ahead and store this as extra calories", around your mid-section or wherever it needs to go if it's not being used in that way. So in that 15-25 gram range is perfect for protein.
absorption and maximizing that synthesis, so add a scoop of twenty grams of whey protein to a smoothie with some like you said, fruit or you've got antioxidants in there. You can put in a little bit of vegetables, maybe some spinach or something like that and then you can do this with other foods too. I try to recommend whole foods if at all possible because you're getting phytochemicals that the supplement companies cannot make them, they're literally something that can only be in nature. So whether it's a greek yogurt, an english muffin with some peanut butter on it or if it's a bowl of cereal and a side of cottage cheese, what you need is some protein and some carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are coming from fruits, vegetables, a little bit from low fat dairy and you want it to be rapidly absorbing. While fiber is awesome, extra fiber is awesome at other times of the day, this is the time to keep the fiber relatively low and the fat relatively reasonably low but get those carbohydrates and protein up and the fast digesting carbohydrates, you're more of fine kind of carbohydrates.
Dr. Chris Segler: Yeah, so that's what I do and what's in it is yogurt, hemp protein, a little bit of whey protein, kale, spinach, banana, cucumber, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, papaya, pineapple, blackberries, dark cherry juice, blueberry juice and ground flax seed.
Kim Schwabenbauer: Wow! You're covering your basis. You've even got some omega-3 there at the end. Absolutely, which is another great one.
Dr. Chris Segler: Because I'm not a nutritionist, right? And I have patients ask me all the time and for full disclosure I literally, I tell patients. They'll ask like what's most important and I say "I have no idea, I'm not a nutritionist, I don't really know. I just know that like the chances are really good that with all of those things, I have got it covered".
Kim Schwabenbauer: Yes you do! You absolutely do, you're getting tons of vitamin C in there which is great because our immune system tend to be compromised because we are working out all the time. So we're you're getting tons of vitamin C, a lot of antioxidants, you've got a little bit of fiber in there but you've got great protein sources and like I said the flax seed is omega-3. You're not going to probably get quite the same conversion as you get when you take fish oil or you eat fish but you're getting some decent omega-3 from flax seed as well.
Dr. Chris Segler: Yeah, I haven't yet been able to stomach salmon in my smoothie.
Kim Schwabenbauer: Yeah, we are not recommending that today. Don't worry about it, eat and see them some other times.
Dr. Chris Segler: If I go someplace to run, if I'm going to go to a track to do mile repeats, I make it right before I leave and I keep it there at the track and I literally drink it as I'm doing my cool down. If I drive to someplace to go for a ride like if I drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin, I'm going to do a ride I do the same thing. I make it and take it with as soon as I get in my truck, after I put my bike away, I drink it on the drive back.
I always have it right way, I don't drive to Marin and finish my ride and stop and get coffee and then an hour later when I'm finally at home, I make a smoothie. I think I missed the window at that point right? I think it's really important to make sure that you get these things but again this was like one of the initial things I did that seem to make one of the biggest improvements in my performance and it's a small thing and that was actually super easy to add was to "So okay, I'm just going to do this one thing" and I didn't change any other thing in my diet at that time. Of course I made a lots of incremental changes but just like the whole mental game thing that you talked about as soon as you see improvements it's very easy to start doing more work to get more improvements. It's really motivating to see an improvement.
Kim Schwabenbauer: It is and this is just like you said, one small thing. Chocolate milk, they've done a big push on this whole post workout window and they've done a good job and rightfully so it's a great option. The nice thing is you can actually get shelf stable chocolate milk in little tetra packs that you can keep in your car. I actually travel around with those, I don't want to name any brand names, but with organic chocolate milk in my car at all times. I try to make it so I can't fail. I have almonds in my car at all times and I have chocolate milk in my car at all times so instead of driving through anywhere if I'm famished and I just have to have something now then I have an option that's right there in the car and I can always stop and get a glass of ice somewhere or get something cold to put it in if I really want something cold but just make it foolproof. Make your post workout nutrition foolproof. Think about it at a time, plan accordingly, just don't let that to chance just like you said that you don't go an hour or two and say it will just work out, it won't work out, we're too busy. So make a plan and stick to it and once you get in the routine it's honestly feels like it's not even work at all because once the routine is there and you've done it a couple of times and you're going, "Okay, now I have it. This is just how it works. I get done with the workout and I do this immediately afterward".
I actually drink my post recovery workout in the shower at all times. I have one of those c ups that has a top on it and a straw, it's all plastic and I end up drinking it in there because I'm trying to do two things at once. So I have a little bit of smoothie, wash my hair, set it down, have a little bit of smoothie. A little strange but you know what, works for me. Make it work for you whatever it is.
Dr. Chris Segler: Well the routines are important. It's fascinating because you have these elements, you have the actual training part that people think about in terms of going for a run, going for a bike ride whatever and that is all highly scheduled. My wife and I do the same thing and I know for sure like she likes to ride earlier than me. I don't really care what time I ride, it doesn't matter to me. She rides early in the morning on Saturday and she runs earlier than me on Sunday, every time. So it's like we don't even have to talk about it. We know that she's going to do that and when gets back, I'm going to go and yet people do. They plan everything out, they know for sure that they're going to do their track workout on Tuesday evening with their running club or whatever. They have all their specific long runs, specific long bike and all that and they would never in a million years say "Well I don't know, I'm going to ride, I'm going to do a long ride sometime, I'll just see when I have a time this week" because you're not going to find for hours. It's not going to show up while you're sitting around watching TV going "Oh yeah, I could go ride for hours right now" and so it confuses me that way. Athletes who are training for months on end and put so much on planning into that part of their race preparation will in most cases or many cases is just completely do nutrition on the fly.
They're not setting themselves up for success. I do house calls, I drive around and see athletes all day and so if I don't have almonds or cashews or something in my car, I am at some point going to be tempted to buy something and eat something that I have no business eating it. That's not going to be helpful to my goals and so I have to plan ahead for that.
Around the Holiday season, Christmas and New Year and Thanksgiving and all that stuff, what are the recommendation you think can help runners enjoy the Holiday times without sabotaging their nutrition plan and overall fitness? What do you tell people this time of the year?
Kim Schwabenbauer: Well that is a great question everybody's talking about it and come January 1st I will have about ten E-mails to my Inbox saying, "Hey I'm ready to start working on my nutrition. I'm up twenty five pounds. I hope that's okay and Oh boy, we have a lot of work to do.
My first recommendation is to know about how many hours to train during the year, have some idea of "Okay if I train a thousand hours I'm going to need, that's me as a PRO triathlete, a thousand hours is about where I end up", I'm going to need four to six weeks of downtime where I'm not training as hard to let my body recover. To go ahead and put on some weight but not let it get completely out of control but have a plan for how long your off-season's going to be and then stick with that and know that you can do some other things, you can stay active other ways. Maybe go for a hike. Maybe do something you wouldn't normally do, go to yoga or something like that. Stay active but don't necessarily do your same sport over and over again like you do during the year, you have to stick to that schedule. But also don't let get that weight completely out of control. Have a range. I usually say to my athletes "Hey, gain five and the men gain eight pounds" something like that, that's okay.
That's a reasonable range for the off-season and don't feel bad about it because we've got time to be able to work on that during the season and early part of the season especially during the base phase. That will come off and we don't really want to be at race weight until it's literally, basically within two weeks of our A race of the season because it's usually the weight that's not, a body composition that's not sustainable for people. We don't want them to be at that amount of body composition because they're more susceptible to infection and all kinds of other things.
The weight actually in the beginning of the season does you good. My coach actually is pretty adamant that I am five to six pounds above where I want to race at A race when we start because I'm pounding around with that extra weight that gives me more durability in terms of my musculature and my bones so that when I start to actually get down towards that lower weight, my bones, my muscles are really strong and really able to take a pounding because I pounded around for that first two months of the year or three months of the year with that weight on.
Know that first and then secondly, have a plan just like when we have a plan for recovery, have a plan for these holiday parties and situations like that. Never go into these things hungry. You're asking for trouble! You're asking for a lot trouble if you go in, you haven't eaten for six hours, watch out! The buffet will be hit by you multiple times, multiple plates and it's probably not going to be the things that you want on there. Make sure you have something, it's pretty simple but have something an hour before that has protein, fiber and make sure you get fluid in before you go there. This is the time to make sure you get in your water and get in some hydration. Make sure you go fully hydrated because again that's when the drinks come, the holiday eggnog and other things like that are easy to take part in that kind of stuff. But again have a plan for that as well, "I'm going to have two drinks and that's it. For the whole night, that's what I'm going to do", have water in between so that you stay hydrated.
Have your plan and really try to stick to that plan, try not to deviate too much from that. Enjoy a little bit, if you love Aunt Suzie's chocolate cake, by all means have a piece. Just don't have three pieces, just have a piece. I like to encourage moderation that people are told something is off limits, all they want to do is eat it. That's all they will think about and they will feel deprived when they missed out on her cake that only comes around once a year. Don't miss out! Have the cake, just don't feel bad about it and basically after two to three bites those sensations in our brain that all these things that light up from the extra sugar and all the extra fat and all these areas that make us feel like "Ah, that was amazing!". After two to three bites we don't get any more of that. We only get a certain amount so have your two or three bites and then say "Okay, I don't need to eat the whole thing, I'm not getting real benefit from that anyways". So that's a few tips for that kind of stuff and maybe bring something in the party that you know you can eat and that you like and that has nutritional benefits. Maybe you're the one that brings the veggie tray and you make sure that you at least do one plateful of veggie tray first and then you're able to go back and get a few of the things that you love. But if you get to those veggie first, you're going to east less of the other stuff that you shouldn't be maybe partaking in quite as much.
Dr. Chris Segler: Again it's just having a plan, right? It's being prepared and knowing the sort of trouble you're going to get into if you're not prepared.
Kim Schwabenbauer: I have one more, I just thought of it. This is one for the triathletes or the people who do some cross-training out there. One of my favorite things, someone always brings me a huge plate of Christmas cookies and I love them and it's an amazing plate. It has all the different things so what I do is I wait for my ride and so about thirty minutes before I have a cookie or two so I've got my blood sugar really toughed up and then I put three cookies on the handlebars while I'm training and so I get to have those during the ride and then I make it to maybe half a cookie or something like that afterwards with my protein.
Be strategic about it. Use it at a time in which your body is going to use it for good. Have it at a time when your body is going to use it for good. Like it's going to replenish either glycogen because you just worked out or keep the circulating blood sugar up before you workout. Use it then because then your body is going to say "Yes, I'm going to pull from this and use it for your workout versus I'm going to store it because you're having it at nine pm at night because you're about to go to sleep".
Be strategic about when you're going to have that stuff. I love my Christmas cookie workouts. I have them every year.
Dr. Chris Segler: Alright, that's great! Aside from just dealing with the Holidays and really having a plan and all that, we talked kind of about recovery and part of that you mentioned like when somebody's weight drops too much that you're more at risk with injury, you're more at risk of getting sick, more risk of getting a stress fracture, you're at risk lots of things and stress fractures are extremely common in endurance athletes. It's probably the most common thing that I see when I go see runners and triathletes.
We all know that these stress fractures are common. We also know that we need calcium to build strong bones to help prevent stress fractures and you talked about phosphorus and its protein, you have to have all of these things together right, in my knees. But calcium though is like we just think about bone health when people talk about Calcium but is also really crucial for muscle contraction and in such a way is like also really crucial to athletic performance.
Another is some research that shows that during a 10-week period of intense endurance training, with the standard build, interval and taper phase and all that, that both urinary and serum calcium level can decrease following a high-intensity training, but then it can be reversed after the taper. Have you seen this sort of trend in athletes and if so like what kind of recommendations do you make to the athletes during their high-intensity phases to make sure that they're gaining enough dietary calcium not just to prevent stress fractures but also that they're able to actually have proper muscular performance and train at their maximum intensity?
Kim Schwabenbauer: Yeah, calcium is just so critical and just like you said it's something that every endurance athlete should think about in terms of their diets and in terms of maybe getting some initial blood work done to make sure that you're in a good spot.
In the northern hemisphere right now, in Pennsylvania, we're not getting any sun at all. So vitamin D becomes so critical because there's only two ways we are going to get that. It's either through food, it can be fortified vitamin D or it can be natural vitamin D coming through milk and dairy products and things like or it's going to be through the sun, through ultraviolet light activating it in our skin and I'm getting basically zero right now.
Making sure that you're both consuming calcium and have enough vitamin D as well is just so so critical and I haven't actually seen a lot of athletes that "Okay, we're flow during the season and test them again during the taper per se" and like that study in particular mentioned but I guarantee you that my athletes are affected. Their calcium sort of balance is affected because of their hormonal profiles. There's definitely people that are more susceptible, women in particular are more susceptible. We have lower bone mineral density to start with just from our general build and everything like that and after about thirty, you don't get any more bone. You're actually on the downhill slide of bone mineral density.
Dr. Chris Segler: Yes! I mean forever. It's just like you're trying to decrease the sort of slope, right? You're heading downhill with your bone density and there's just no two ways about that. For women, it's far more crucial.
Kim Schwabenbauer: It is, absolutely. The good news is we're remodeling more if we're pounding around on the pavement during running and things like that and we're remodeling more on that bone all the time but we have to have the building blocks there, the calcium and the vitamin D and even some magnesium and phosphorus to help support all that. So what I do is I just make sure that each one of my athletes has some good sources of calcium in their diet.
For women we're talking probably two or three at least servings per day. Maybe that's a no meal in the morning or something like that and milk or cereal after workout or maybe it is greek yogurt for lunch as a snack. I love greek yogurt, it's got about fifteen eighteen grams protein in it so it's usually perfect for post-recovery or as a snack and then maybe something else. Maybe a cottage cheese or those string cheeses that are easy to take with you that you just peel them off and go, portable things like that.
You need to be having those kind of sources throughout the day and then like I said making sure that you're getting tested for these things and knowing what "Hey my vitamin D was less than thirty, I really have to take a supplement in order to get it to where it needs to be". Sometimes I've heard of athletes being put on I mean pretty high amounts of vitamin D. I'm not sure what you're usually seeing out there. I've seen as much as forty thousand IU's. Just to give you an idea, four hundred is the RDA for vitamin D which I think it's way too low personally but right now, that's what it is. I'm recommending usually for people to take at least four hundred to six hundred as a very minimum but more like a thousand per day and then some people have been so low that they're putting on just ridiculous amounts to get them even to just baseline levels.
Female athletes for sure, women that are older above fifty, you need to be taking calcium and vitamin D probably as a supplement in addition to your sources in your diet. Those people are more susceptible to stress fractures and things like that.
Dr. Chris Segler: There are risks too right? For men, it's not a great idea to take lots of iron supplements right? You get iron poisoning but that doesn't happen in vitamin D and calcium and I often wonder when you see those like really high doses if it's not that the doctor really doesn't know, they're just like "Look, we don't know how much sugar are absorbed but we're going to give you way more than you need just to make sure your absorbing as much as you can".
You can do that with vitamin D and calcium so it's just more pills right? But it is a problem here. So in San Francisco it's not very sunny. So when you're actually training here in San Francisco you may not get a lot of sun. I do lots of runs in San Francisco but I also try to do my rides here when it's actually sunny. Fortunately here, I can go someplace where it's sunny most of the time. This time of the year, it's pretty just kind of gray all the time but during the summer and the other months, I mean I really can pick and choose, I mean I can pick temperatures. I can train in San Francisco where it's the 50's and it's foggy.
But lots of people, I have lots of doctors or friends who are interns al medicine doctors, they say that almost everybody they check in San Francisco is low in vitamin D. There are people that are really doing all their workouts in the city where it's always gray, that's not really a big surprise and so that's true in a lot in the US in the winter time. Like in the North East, it can be really sunless right?
Kim Schwabenbauer: Yeah, absolutely and people talk about this seasonal affected disorder like "Oh I don't feel like myself in the winter", I think a lot of that is actually tied to their vitamin D status. I think that vitamin D really functions more like a hormone than an actual vitamin. There's been so much research on it as of late and people need to have a certain amount or else they are going to like the depression and some other things as well.
We want to make sure they get the minimum. I am not abdicating obviously and I know you are not either and people go out and never wear sunscreen again. Hey, wear sunscreen, that's important! But know that you need at least ten to twenty minutes of your face, your arms exposed without sunscreen and to be able to get at least what you need daily and if it's going to be a long stretch where you're not going to get that then it's got to come from both your diet and from supplements especially if your tested and it is low. So I encourage people to work with a doctor like you that knows about athletes and understands what we need and then maybe also to work with a dietician that has four years of training and understands what these biochemical assessments mean and work with you on what to put on your diet to make sure that you're getting enough of these critical elements.
Dr. Chris Segler: Like you said, we pick a team of people to support you. This is true for all athletes right? Whether you know it or not and I think every athlete has a team of people even though many of them who are sort of beginners or new runners, they don't really think they have a team of people but the truth is they do. They have their friends who are runners, they ask them about workouts. Basically they're functioning as their coach, ask their runner friends what do you eat, what do you after you run or do you think chocolate milk, what?
We do have our own support groups. As you get more serious about it, of course your sort of support group becomes a lot more serious. You get a professional coach, you get a nutritionist who is going to actually help you make big jumps in performance that you can't do on your own and that's why we hire experts right? It's just really that simple. If you want to perform better, you have to get better information to act on and then you have to act on it. If you don't have the right information and you're not following through your plan, you can't expect to make big changes. It's a pretty basic idea.
What's the one biggest piece of nutritional advice you can offer to runners who are trying to make improvements to come up in the coming New Year and they're really thinking about what to do with their goals like what's the biggest piece of advice that you would say?
Kim Schwabenbauer: Oh wow! I have been thinking about this the whole morning and this is so tough to say but if there's one thing that I would recommend and when I was thinking about it I kept coming back to the same thing and that's, be a student of nutrition just like you're a student of the sport. You fell in-love with the sport, you fell in-love with so many aspects about it, the way it makes you feel just being outside, communicating with nature, all these different things are things that just really get us excited and we love to do it.
Feel that same way about nutrition because one, it's your health we are talking about here and you're never going to have the performance gains you want if you don't have your health on track first. So get your nutrition in-line with your health goals and what you like to achieve that way and then from there focus on performance. Some people just want the latest and greatest. Well I heard beet juice is good, I'm going to start drinking it. Don't just focus on beet juice, focus on what you're doing day in and day out. Have eighty percent of the time make going right to support what it is that you're doing in training and to have a better life, a healthier life. And then twenty percent of the time, "Okay, there's rooms for other foods too and other things too". But eighty percent of the time be doing the things that are going to help you and make it a lifestyle. Go to the right person that can help you interpret this information and the right sources that are credible. Don't just listen to the headlines that are on the latest website or whatever.
Dr. Chris Segler: So how can people find you? How can the athletes reach you? What's the best place for them to find you and learn more about you and how you can help them with their nutrition and maximizing their training? How do they get hold of you? What's the best way to contact you?
And so I have the blog and then also through my website there's a contact form so all you have to do is put in your name and your Email and send me a message and it comes right to my Email and I can get back to you from there if you're interested in either nutrition counseling for your regular lifestyle or nutrition counseling based around I want to do this race and I need help figuring out what to eat before, what to eat during the race to maximize my performance during activity. I can help you do that as well and then also coaching. I have a fellow coach, Drew. We both help athletes achieve their goals from 5K to Ironman to marathon and everything in between. We can help you reach those goals for 2017 and so those are the best ways to reach me.
Dr. Chris Segler: Great! I understand particularly for triathletes this January, you're hosting a training camp in the Cayman Islands. Can you tell us a little bit about what that's like and how it's going to help you to get the year off to a great start?
Kim Schwabenbauer: Yeah, absolutely. There's a race that we're kind of basing it around called Mercuryman which is on January 22nd and it's in the Caymans and I have done this race for the previous, well I didn't do it last year because I was pregnant but I did it the previous two years before that. It's fabulous, they have all different distances of triathlons or you could do a relay so you actually adjust to the running portion. Someone else does the swim, someone else does the biking and we put you together in a team if you don't have anybody else that's going. You've got a lot of distance options and we're doing a training camp the weekend before. We're putting together two full days of skill based trainings, checking out your form in the pool and checking out your running form and looking at you on the bike and then also talking about some nutrition aspects and really delving into some of those areas that people need help with on the technical side to get them started in the season in a way that makes sense. They're going to do two full days, weekend before. You can find out more on that from my website. Just send me an Email through there and anything you need as well.
Dr. Chris Segler: Alright! Well Kim, thank you very much! I really appreciate you coming on the podcast to talk about all of your experience and give the people some more direction with nutrition that really maximize their goals. I really appreciate you coming on the show.
Kim Schwabenbauer: Yeah, thank you so much for having me Chris. It's been really fun, I hope everybody have a great holiday season!


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A Big Fish in a Small Pond
Posted on June 18, 2019 by Eerie Searleman
On the very first page of Chris McInally's novel, a thousand pound, 35-foot mako shark begins chomping on unlucky bastards living near Minerva Lake. But it takes the author a long time to figure out what to call the "watery demon from the deepest layers of hell."
Torpedo-shaped predator, top-of-the-line predator, marauding predator and wandering predator are just a few of the euphemisms the author uses. He even calls the shark a brute, a bitch and a bloodthirsty fucker. Finally, in chapter eight, McInally hits gold. He describes the mako as an apex predator—and voilà! a star is born.
But why is an apex predator prowling a shallow lake instead of swimming with sharks in the ocean? McInally's got the answer. "The extent and impact of environmental degradation upon Minerva Lake was astounding," he writes. "The lake's natural balance had irreversibly changed. Over the course of 200 years, it had transitioned from a freshwater environment to a quasi-marine habitat."
The level of anthropogenic degeneracy was now snowballing at an exponential rate due to increased agricultural demands. A whole new food web had developed in the lake, and the shortfin mako shark found itself at the top of the food chain. It was a big fish in a small pond.
There was only one problem, however. The hungry shark couldn't sustain itself on crayfish, bluefish and pufferfish. It needed a higher caloric intake. To survive, it started attacking cows and fat humans.
For the next 134 pages, everybody who ventures into Minerva Lake becomes a tasty treat on the mako's dining menu. Fishermen, farmers, tourists, skinny dippers, college research assistants and police officers all meet a horrible and ultra-violent death. It's like the plot of some Z-grade horror movie, says Dr. Hailey Benson at one point.
As it turns out, Dr. Benson has a plan to capture the shark and release it into the ocean. "It's about doing what's right," she explains. "Human manipulation of the environment brought about this horrific aberration. That means it's up to us to solve the problem. Someone has to take ownership of this mess."
It shouldn't surprise anyone that Dr. Benson's humane agenda backfires in the messiest way imaginable. She only succeeds in agitating the shark to an insane level. When she finally comes face to face with the mako's toothy grin, she changes her tune immediately. "Killing it would be a mercy," she cries. "It's mad with hunger and blood lust."
Final verdict: Apex is a thin book—maybe too thin—but it has a cinematic quality to it. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that it was originally a screenplay. Also: there are a couple of quirky characters worth mentioning. The scrawny deputy sheriff is a badass like Barney Fife. And Demi, the militant animal rights advocate, is a brooding presence throughout the book. The inscrutable shark, however, is the star of the show. Despite the unrelenting carnage, Dr. Benson had to admit: "The mako was beautiful in a terrifying sort of way."
[Apex / By Chris McInally / First Printing: October 2016 / ISBN: 9781925493917]
This entry was posted in Monsters by Eerie Searleman. Bookmark the permalink.


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Tom Lawrence was delighted with Derby County's response to the disappointing defeat to Stoke City.
The Rams bounced back from Wednesday night's 2-1 loss at Stoke by beating Swansea City at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday.
Harry Wilson struck twice in the first half to put Frank Lampard's men firmly in control.
The home side had chances to extend their lead before a Fikayo Tomori own goal set up a tense finale.
Derby, though, held on to claim a welcome three points, which kept them just outside the Championship play-off zone on goal difference.
"I thought it was important after Wednesday, which was a disappointing game, obviously against 10 men, that we bounced back," said Lawrence.
"It was a big game for us and we bounced back brilliantly to get the three points."
Lawrence was pleased with Derby's performance against their Welsh visitors.
"I thought we played well throughout the game," said the Wales international. "I thought it was a good performance all-round.
"Maybe they could have come out a bit more - but in the end, I think it was a positive performance from us.
"We'll take the three points and move on."
Lawrence admitted Derby made life slightly difficult for themselves in the closing stages.
"It was more nervy than it should have been," he added. "I think we should have killed the game in the second half.
"I should have put a chance away myself - but I'm just happy to get the win in the end.
"It was good to take the lead and then double it - but 2-0 is a dodgy scoreline in this league. You need to get a third and kill it off - but we hung on in the end."


Award-winning Architects in Cornwall, The Bazeley Partnership are critically acclaimed for residential, education, conservation and community architecture projects across Cornwall, Devon and the south-west.
Our Director, Martin Back, was also nominated for the RIBA Presidents Silver Medal in 2003 and has been an individual recipient of a Cornish Buildings Group Award.
Civic Trust Awards 2003: Commended. RNLI Lifeboat Station, Bude.
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Cornish Buildings Group Annual Awards 1999 (Jonathan Ball Practice): the conversion and restoration of Penkenna Barn, Crackington Haven.
The Bazeley Partnership are proud to be the recipients of awards and nominations from the RIBA, LABC and the Michelmores Property Awards over the years and strive for excellence in design and quality in construction in every project.
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My new art made from wood+scree+yarn and it's mostly woven.
/ Az új kép fából+kavicsból+fonalból készült, és nagyrészt szövött.
Gallery | This entry was posted in DECORATIONS / DEKORÁCIÓK, End of the World Project, Punctually Punch and tagged art, boat, crocheting, design, endoftheworldproject, knot, nature, ocean, scree, weave, wood, woven, yarns. Bookmark the permalink.


Newcastle just released its "Band of Brands" regional Super Bowl commercial, and it turns out Jockey, Boost Mobile, Lee Jeans, Brawny and Match.com are among the recognizable brands—along with some lesser-known ones—who are sharing the cost of the ad in exchange for a mention in it.
Jockey is a particularly notable cameo, since, like Newcastle, it's a Droga5 client. If Jockey signing up was a favor to its agency, it was a worthwhile one—the briefs get a less-brief appearance (close-up product shot!) than many of the brands here.
The creative approach is amusing, too, with a couple racing around their house, trying to make every brand's pitch in time—sometimes cutting each other off in mid-sentence, as the house gets cluttered and things get desperate.
Unlike last year, when Newcastle punked the Super Bowl with the brilliant "If We Made It" campaign, the brewer is actually buying time in regional markets to air a version of this spot.
"It's the most exciting, most jam-packed, most fiscally responsible Big Game ad ever," Newcastle says. "It's Newcastle's Band of Brands Big Game ad, featuring 37 of the universe's best brands … and a dental office in Pittsburgh."


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Oct 5, 2013 | 1:00PM
Oct 16, 2010 | 6:59AM
Aug 5, 2008 | 5:22PM
Nassau Coliseum No Longer Covered in Optimum Ads
By Kevin Schultz | Oct 5, 2013 | 1:00PM
When you head out to the Coliseum for tonight?s home opener against the Blue Jackets, it may look a little bare. Gone are the multiple banners advertising Optimum Wifi and Optimum TV, which covered the Coliseum in recent years. Instead, it?s back to only two banners as depicted in the picture at right, tweeted by Islandermania. ?There?s one banner for the Coliseum and one for the Islanders.The Islanders still have banners depicting current players posted vertically in between the pillars on the Coliseum?s exterior.For comparison, here?s what the Coliseum looked like last season straight?from the Optimum Rewards website:In the off-season, Madison Square Garden lost a bid to operate a renovated Nassau Coliseum. Both Optimum and Madison Square Garden are owned by the same parent company, Cablevision, although it is not clear that the loss of the bid and removal of ad banners are related in any way.The Coliseum had also been fully wired as an ?Optimum WiFi hotspot? in previous seasons. Let us know in the comments if that is still the case.
Tags: Arena News, cablevision, nassau coliseum, Kevin Schultz
Fox and Cablevision Reach a Deal, Ending Blackout
By snygiants1 | Oct 30, 2010 | 8:53PM
From The Wall Street Journal:
Cablevision Systems Corp. and Fox Networks reached an agreement ending a two-week stalemate marked by heated rhetoric, legal actions and missed sporting events.
The animosity continued even after an agreement was reached as Cablevison complained about agreeing to pay Fox "an unfair price" and about "the absence of any meaningful action" from the Federal Communications Commission.
Tags: Cablevision, Fox TV, New York Giants
FOX, Cablevision Split Leaving Giant Fans In the Dark
By Johnfen | Oct 16, 2010 | 6:59AM
I received this dispatch from Jim Maiella of Cablevision, so this is their version of the story.? In my experience, Cablevision has never been a forward-thinking organization and continues to run aground with these types of issues.? Then again News Corp, run by Australian media magnate Rupert Murdoch,? are not an outfit that has been known to put customers first, either.
NEWS CORP. PULLS THE PLUG ON FOX 5 AND MY9 FOR CABLEVISION CUSTOMERS
Tags: Cablevision, Fox Sports, New York City, New York Giants, New York Giants Blogs, New York Giants News
FOX' Rift With Cablevision Could Leave Giant Fans In the Dark Sunday
If you're a Cablevision subscriber, you may find yourself listening to Bob Papa's call on the radio this Sunday rather than watching.
From Kelly Riddell of Bloomberg.com...
Cablevision Systems Corp. customers in New York City may lose News Corp.?s Fox broadcast signal, including this weekend?s Giants football telecast, if the two companies fail to agree on a new transmission contract.
Tags: Cablevision, Fox Sports, Giants-Lions, New York City, New York Giants, New York Giants News
Knicks Worth $500 Million
By snyknicks1 | Aug 5, 2008 | 5:22PM
Even tough the Knicks can be called an embaressment on the court, their value is still souring according to analysts.
"An analyst commenting on the desire of Cablevision to sell off some of its holdings said today the Knicks likely are worth $500 million, well above the NBA average franchise value of $150 million."
Cablevision said today it is considering "several options to boost its stock price, including spinning off some of its diverse holdings". It did not say which businesses it would consider selling.
Tags: Cablevision, Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks


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About Dean
SIGN PETITION TO PUT DEAN ON BALLOT
Secure the Borders & Stop Illegal Immigration
As Chairman of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party's Immigration Committee, Dean has led the fight locally to rally support for federal immigration bills H.R. 3003 (No Sanctuary for Criminals Act) and H.R. 3004 (Kate's Law) which passed the House of Representatives in June of last year, but are still languishing in the Senate. As our Congressman, Dean will be a key ally for President Trump is in his efforts to secure our borders including building the wall, protect American jobs, and keep us safe.
"It is an absolute travesty that these two bills have not been sent to President Trump's desk for his signature," said Browning. "I will urge Senator McConnell to modify or end the Senate's ability to filibuster so we can advance President Trump's agenda on securing our borders, building the wall and stopping criminal illegal aliens from threatening the safety of law-abiding Americans. Enough is enough."
Take on Bureaucrats & Special Interests
During his one-term as a Lehigh County Commissioner, Browning stood up to public employee union bosses and saved taxpayers nearly $7 million a year by initiating a pay freeze and reforming the county compensation and pension system, while reducing the deficit by 65%. He also sponsored a resolution to require local politicians abide by term limits and another that would give voters final approval on government issuing debt for private sector activities, such as building a stadium or other large taxpayer-funded projects.
"President Trump ran on a platform of draining the swamp in Washington, D.C., and I want to join him in that fight," said Browning. "We can't expect things to change if all we do is send career politicians from Harrisburg to Washington," said Browning. "Even at the local and county level, too many of our politicians are so interested in the next step on the political ladder that they become controlled by special interests and wealthy insiders. I have never shied away from tough fights and hard decisions. I will always act in the best interest of my constituents."
Grow the Economy & Create American Jobs
Dean earned a masters of science degree in industrial management with a concentration in finance from Georgia Tech and has spent more than 30 years in the private sector helping to grow companies and create good-paying jobs. After starting out with Air Products and Chemicals in 1979, he has gone on to hold executive level jobs with the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of the Lehigh Valley and then with Harvel Plastics before being hired as chief financial officer for New World Aviation located at the Lehigh Valley International Airport. Following his retirement after 18 years at New World Aviation, Dean has been giving back to the community by serving as the Managing Director for the Allentown Rescue Mission.
"We won't fix Congress by electing someone who just kicks the can down the road rather than making the hard decisions needed to solve the problem," said Browning. "President Trump won the White House, in part, because Americans want business leaders from the private sector with real world experience. I know how to balance budgets, meet payroll in tough times, and improve conditions for workers so our economy can grow, and more families can achieve the American Dream."
Rebuild Our Military & Keep America Safe
Dean agrees with President Trump when he said that: "History shows that when America is not prepared is when the danger is greatest. We want to deter, avoid and prevent conflict through our unquestioned military dominance." Browning believes the spending cuts imposed on the budget by the sequester implemented during the Obama administration have weakened our military and made us less safe at a time when Russia, China and North Korea are growing stronger. "I will work to eliminate the sequester," said Browning. "We need to provide the funding necessary to make sure the men and women in our armed forces are the best trained and best equipped fighting force in the world. We also need to have a long range perspective and take action to make sure our military, and our Navy in particular, is large enough and equipped with cutting edge technology to defend and advance our nation's interests across the globe."
Defend Conservative Values & Individual Freedoms
Dean is a proud pro-life Christian conservative and a lifetime member of the NRA who will defend our right to bear arms without qualification. Dean also serves on the Board of the Allentown Rescue Mission, which helps local homeless men through Christ-centered programs based on accountability and compassion.
"Too many Republicans call themselves "conservative" but don't vote that way when they get into office on issues like gun rights and the sanctity of life," said Browning. "I will be different. From Day 1, I will be a rock solid conservative, and never waver in defense of our Constitution and our God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Common Core, High Stakes Testing and School Funding
Common Core and the corresponding High Stakes Testing is yet another attempt by the federal and state governments to override local control of our public education system. We need a world class education system that produces graduates able to compete in the marketplace and fulfill their role as citizens of this great nation. Removal of local control through the imposition of Common Core and High Stakes Testing take us in the wrong direction and I am opposed to both. I believe we must do two things differently. First, we must give parents, all parents, a choice of where they send their kids to school. And second, we need to change the funding mechanism for schools. The use of property taxes to fund schools may have worked in the last century but it isn't working in this one. School property taxes are unfair to homeowners, particularly those who are retired, and the use of property taxes create funding imbalances among schools that make it all but impossible for our schools to uniformly graduate students that are prepared to succeed in the global economy and who can contribute as informed citizens. It is time for school property taxes to end – period. As your Congressman I will fight the imposition of Common Core and will work on ways to incentivize states like Pennsylvania to move to another way of funding for their schools.
PAID FOR BY BROWNING FOR CONGRESS
© BROWNING FOR CONGRESS


text:
Featured, Tennessee News
Military Chopper Accidentally Cuts Through TVA Cables
LANCASTER, TENN. — A U.S. Marine helicopter may have narrowly averted disaster here last weekend after severing a pair of static lines along a high-voltage TVA transmission system in the vicinity of Center Hill Dam.
The system was in fact out of service at the time and therefore not carrying a charge, according to TVA officials.
The incident occurred around mid-morning on Saturday. Residents in the area heard and observed at least one military whirlybird flying low to the terrain above wooded hills and hollows not far from the Caney Fork River, about a mile downstream from the Corps of Engineers dam in northern DeKalb County.
The aircraft was reported by a Marine Corps spokesman to be an AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter. Its estimated value is more than $10 million.
The helicopter collided with the TVA lines along a 1400-foot span between two rugged hilltops a short distance from Highway 141. It was able to continue flying.
An investigation is ongoing, according to Marine Lt. John Roberts, a public affairs officer. He said the helicopter was, at the time of incident, returning to its base at Marine Corps Air Station New River near Jacksonville, N.C. following a training exercise.
"Why they were flying so low, that's a valid question as part of the investigation," said Roberts. "We will figure out exactly how they got into that situation, why they were there, if there was something else going on."
The cost of repairing the helicopter is yet unknown, he said. "Obviously we can assume there was damage to it, but we just don't know the extent of that damage," said Roberts.
There are five lines linking the transmission towers. The two uppermost cables are parallel-running "nonelectrical" static wires designed to protect the system against lightning strikes.
The entire transmission line was under repair at the time, so no electricity was flowing through the system, said Jim Hopson, TVA public relations manager.
Hopson said there's been no formal tabulation on the cost of damages, but the Marine Corps will likely get the bill ultimately.
"The way this works is that we typically do expect the agency that caused the damage to reimburse us for cost associated with repair," he said.
A TVA lineman works to repair static lines linking transmission towers that a Marine helicopter severed in DeKalb County on Oct. 29.
A dispatcher at DeKalb County Emergency Communications in Smithville took a call around 6 pm Saturday from a Marine captain reporting the wire strike. TVA crews began inspecting the damage Sunday night.
A Marine helicopter was observed circling the site of the incident on Monday morning.
Neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Media relations contacts for both agencies said the United States military investigates all accidents and incidents involving its own aircraft.
The helicopter may have been outfitted with with special wire-cutting devices, which helped avert a serious accident. "Wire strikes…account for about 5 percent of all civil and military helicopter accidents," according to a 2008 FAA report on the effectiveness of wire-collision protection systems.
Matt Zuccaro, president of the Virginia-based Helicopter Association International, said wire-cutters can prevent "catastrophic results" by "eliminating the possibility that you will get tangled up in the wire."
"There is also technology that actually detects the wires," Zuccaro said.
However, the best course of action for pilots to keep clear of power lines is to maintain a safe altitude above them, he said.
"The primary safety protocol for avoiding wires is not to be down at the elevation of the wire environment to begin with," said Zuccaro, who has nearly 50 years experience flying helicopters, including in Vietnam and as an Army flight instructor. "We recommend that when helicopters are in operation they be up at a satisfactory cruising level — which normally might be at least 1500 feet on an average flight."
Zuccaro said he expects a full inquiry into the incident. "The military is very good about investigating all incidents and accidents, and they have a very good safety program," he said.
"The primary question is — and we ask this question all the time ourselves –Why was the aircraft at the altitude it was when it encountered the wires?" he said. "It is either going to be mission-related, or it is going to be another reason that brings to question, Why was the flight operating at that altitude?"
In 2009, a Marine helicopter flying from California to North Carolina struck TVA power lines in White County near Rock Island State Park. The craft was forced to make an emergency landing after offloading 600 gallons of fuel, according to news reports.
November 4, 2016 /by Mark Todd Engler
https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/marinecopter1.jpg 270 610 Mark Todd Engler https://centerhillsun.com/wp-content/uploads/logotext_320x50.png Mark Todd Engler2016-11-04 12:32:572016-11-05 05:53:25Military Chopper Accidentally Cuts Through TVA Cables
Tough Row to Hoe So Far for TN Hemp Rep. Ryan Williams a Face of TN's Political Future


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bl.uk > Online Gallery Home	> Online exhibitions	> Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections	> A steep promontory with ruins by moonlight
A steep promontory with ruins by moonlight
Artist: D'Oyly, Sir Charles (1781-1845)
Medium: Watercolour
Shelfmark: WD 4404
Item number: f.16
Genre: Drawing
Watercolour by Sir Charles D'Oyly of a steep promontory with ruins by moonlight, from an album in red leather covers with a gold stamped border, containing 28 water-colours of a trip along the Bhagirathi and Ganges Rivers, dated August to October 1820. The trip must have been to take up his new appointment as Opium Agent at Patna. This view shows budgerows (bazras) and pinnace budgerows on the river. Budgerows were passenger-carrying native cargo barges, half covered with a roof construction which has been described as resembling 'a haystack upon a barge'. Pinnace budgerows were a cross between the latter and a small sailing ship.
D'Oyly arrived in India in 1797 and spent his first few years in Calcutta as Assistant to the Registrar of the Court of Appeal. He was Collector of Dacca from 1808-18 and was Opium Agent at Patna from 1821-1831. Whilst at Dacca he met the artist George Chinnery and became his pupil from 1808-12. D'Oyly was a prolific amateur artist who was greatly admired by the European community. He set up and ran a lithographic press, 'The Behar Lithography', and also formed an amateur art society 'The United Patna and Gaya Society' or 'Behar School of Athens': 'for the promotion of Arts and Sciences and for the circulation of fun and merriment of all descriptions.'


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Ethics & International Affairs Volume 22.1 (Spring 2008): Features (Peer-Reviewed): Justifications of the Iraq War Examined [Full Text]
Imagine three cases:
Corporal Greene returns to the United States in a body bag having been killed by an elite armed guard in a war that had been officially authorized as a defense of her country against foes who have the capability and desire to attack her fellow citizens and soldiers at home and abroad with acts of terrorism. Such foes may either be planning eventually to launch their own attacks or to facilitate attacks by others who have an established record of using terrorism against U.S. soldiers and citizens.
Private Smith returns to the United States in a body bag having been killed by a roadside bomb in a war that had been authorized as enforcing international law against a rogue state with a recent history of ignoring or avoiding U.N.-authorized inspections to track and dismantle weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Sergeant Jones returns to the United States in a body bag having been killed by a suicide bomber in a war that had been officially described to him as a rescue operation aimed at saving citizens in another country from human rights abuses carried out against them by a despotic regime.
The deaths of Greene, Smith, and Jones are equally tragic. All three soldiers had been fighting in the same conflict, Operation Iraqi Freedom. Assume for the sake of argument that they were motivated by the causes for which they each understood themselves to be fighting. Are their deaths, then, morally the same?
To read or purchase the full text, click here.
MAY 11, 2021 • Journal
Ethics & International Affairs Volume 35.1 (Spring 2021)
The highlight of this issue is a roundtable organized by Madison Powers on ethics and the future of the global food system. The roundtable contains ...
Just War, Unjust Soldiers, & American Public Opinion, with Scott D. Sagan
Do soldiers fighting for a "just cause" have more rights than soldiers fighting on the other side? In this interview following up on an "Ethics & ...


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Bryce Harper gets a Special Gift from South Jersey Youth Baseball Team
MVP Cleats photo: Under Armour
Bryce Harper was awarded his second National League Most Valuable Player Award, and now the Phillies star has a new pair of custom cleats designed for the occasion by appreciative members of a North Camden youth baseball team.
Eight players from the 2019 North Camden Pirates teamed up with Under Armour to design colorful cleats that pay tribute to Harper, the Phillies and the Philly Phanatic. "I'll think of them every time I wear these cleats – they're a representation of their hard work," says Harper. "To be the kind of player these kids look up to really means the world to me. I mean it when I say that I play for them. The fact that they thought of me during this moment is truly special."
In 2019, Harper surprised the Camden Pirates with a shopping spree, new cleats and Phillies tickets after Harper learned that $15,000 worth of food and equipment had been stolen from the league's concession stand, putting the remainder of their season in jeopardy.
"We really wanted to do something extra special for Bryce to show him we appreciate what he's done for us," 12-year-old Ryan Skinner said. "He's such an amazing ball player and really deserved the MVP Award."
Millennials Looking for Mentors: Episode 1
Inside Lane Johnson's "Bro Barn"
Social Media Tips from the Women's Empowerment Series
Hospital CEOs share what its like running these South Jersey hospitals


Yeah for 36 weeks! I had my baby at 36 weeks, but he was bigger than a melon!
So exciting for you. Enjoy these final weeks of your pregnancy and feeling all the kicks and tumbles from the inside.
Oh and I am so confused~ Why does it say only 15 days left when you are only 36 weeks?


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Creative Destruction Lab Expands to Paris (HEC Paris) and Atlanta (Georgia Tech)
Prime (General)
CDL alumni develop cutting-edge solutions to combat climate change
Clean energy is one of the most urgent issues of the day, and two CDL alumni companies are striving to deliver the climate solutions the world needs. EnergyX, helmed by co-founder and CEO Nishaant Sangaavi, and Salient Energy, led by co-founder Ryan Brown, recently opened offices in Halifax after successfully completing the 2017/18 CDL-Atlantic Prime stream.
By CDL Team
"The experience was fun, fast-paced and extremely focused on growth and learning," Nishaant Saangavi said. He described the CDL experience as "life-changing" for his team, as it led them to secure two investors who participated in their recent funding round, and motivated them to launch their Halifax office and develop an East Coast team. EnergyX, which uses AI energy audits to help businesses and homeowners reduce their energy usage, also has operations in Toronto.
"CDL is a perfect example of how collaboration between the private sector and academia is now one of the best routes to driving innovation. CDL is an embodiment of the start-up ecosystem and how instrumental start-ups are to solving real-world problems and creating impact."
Nishaant Sangaavi, CEO of EnergyX Solutions
Salient Energy came into the program with a clear goal: meet with scientists who could validate their product.
"We want to make fossil-fuel based energy generation obsolete," Ryan Brown said. "Our ultimate goal is to make a real difference in the fight against climate change by enabling renewable energy to be the main source of electricity around the world." To do that, they're developing low-cost, high-efficiency zinc-ion batteries tailored for use in electrical grids. The zinc-ion chemistry Salient Energy is developing is cheaper, safer, and longer-lasting than lithium-ion batteries, making them more viable for widespread use.
Brown said that this company specifically applied to the CDL-Atlantic program to connect with Prof. Jeff Dahn, a leading expert in the battery field who could evaluate their technology's viability. "Since we're developing really cutting-edge technology, one of the most important things we need to get is validation by experts," he said. "[CDL] allowed us to get support from investors and partners, so that was the core of our strategy. CDL was the only program that could connect us with experts that could really qualify how our technology works."
The connections, network, and support they found in Halifax motivated the team to move there to continue building the business, Brown said. Since their CDL experience, Salient Energy has established a partnership and investor relationship with Shell. Brown said the company is also quite close to launching its battery solutions.
Sangaavi expects EnergyX to continue growing as well, eventually opening a West Coast office and eyeing global expansion. To date, the company has digitized more than 500,000 energy audits in North America, which equate to more than 200m KWH in savings. Financially speaking, those savings total approximately $25 million, Sangaavi said.
For both companies, CDL was a transformative experience and an accelerant to continued success. Sangaavi advises that entrepreneurs who join future CDL programs be prepared for tough conversations and hard work, all in the service of making their startups stronger.
"Be ready to get out of your comfort zone and be uncomfortable," he said. "You will be challenged and pushed to continually grow and innovate and more importantly prove out your business model so that you can scale."
Brown said it's critical that founders choose the right CDL program for their companies. Knowing the top priority to be solved through CDL will help entrepreneurs identify the right team of mentors and experts to help their businesses flourish.
Applications for the Creative Destruction Lab 2019/20 Prime and Specialized streams are now open. The deadline to apply is August 12, 2019. To learn more about the CDL program, attend one of our Live Information Sessions.
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Enkidoo levels the supply chain playing field for SMBs
Enkidoo specializes in inventory management providing small- and medium-sized businesses access to the same types of resources Amazon and Walmart use to optimize their processes. The founders highlight the importance of taking advantage of the wisdom and support offered at CDL.
How the Creative Destruction Lab helped transform DarwinAI from a "fancy science project" into a viable start-up
DarwinAI is enabling AI in the real world by making it faster, scalable and understandable. Read CEO Sheldon's insights into the alumni's CDL program experience.
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