- So…..all the research was for nothing. For years, the debate over whether runners should stretch before running has raged on and for every study suggesting that stretching is a vital and necessary part of the process, there has been another study saying that runners are better off without any stretching at all. Now, we have a study suggesting that both points of view are correct……and that neither of them are correct. According to a study led by Dr. Daniel Pereles, an orthopedic surgeon in Potomac, Md., stretching before a run won't prevent injury, but it won't cause it, either. Ultimately, Pereles found that whatever routine runners normally follow is the one they should stick with. Runners in the study who switched routines for the sake of research were at a higher risk of injury, suggesting that the body acclimates to whatever an athlete normally does and is at a higher risk of injury if that routine is altered. "If you are used to stretching, there is no reason not to stretch," Pereles said. "If you aren't used to stretching, there's no reason to start." As with many researchers who have tackled this subject, Pereles is himself a runner. He recruited 2,729 runners who ran 10 or more miles weekly for his study and assigned them to one of two groups: a stretch group or a non-stretch group (Hmm, sounds like a simple study). For the study, Pereles split those who normally stretched and put some in each of the groups, then did the same for non-stretchers. Participants assigned to the stretch group stretched quadriceps, hamstrings, and Achilles for 3-5 minutes just before running. The median age for this group was 39 and members of the group were told to alter nothing else in their normal running routine over the course of the three-month study, including any warm-up activities they did that did not include stretching. Runners were instructed to report all injuries, injuries being defined as any condition that prevented them from running for at least a week. Pereles tabulated all such injuries, including muscle tears and stress fractures. A total of 1,398 participants finished the study, including 600 assigned to the stretch group and 798 to the non-stretch group. The injury rate was identical for the two groups, although certain risk factors for injury emerged, including higher body mass index and switching pre-running routines. Runners who stretched before the study and were assigned to the non-stretch group experienced a 23 percent increase in injuries, while runners who didn't stretch before the study who were assigned to the stretch group had a 22 percent increase. So aside from proving that the many studies done on this topic previously were a total waste of time, Pereles proved that sticking with what you know is the best way to keep yourself injury-free as a runner…………
- How do New Yorkers like it when a taste of New York City arrogance is shoved right in their face? How do they react when the person big-timing someone is doing it to them instead of them riding their high horse on account of living in the world’s greatest city? The answer to those questions can be found on a large, luxurious baseball field near 65th St. on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The field has been fenced off for months now, which hasn’t been a major issue of late because obviously, no one is looking to get extra batting practice in outdoors during the winter, but as the weather begins to warm up, the question of why the field is off limits to the public is bound to become more pressing. But the answer is relatively simple and ironically enough, the person keeping the gates to the field padlocked is one of the men that many New Yorkers will be cheering on all summer long as he tries to help their beloved Yankees win a record 28th World Series title: Alex Rodriguez. The field was originally supposed to be part of Riverside Park South, a public facility built by Extell Development Co., but instead it is reserved for Rodriguez and the other residents of a nearby, posh condo. The plan was for the field to be open to the general public in exchange for Extell being able to construct its high-priced high rises, but that plan went out the window when Rodriguez took a liking to the condo and decided to move in. “Rodriguez loved the building, the park and the water views, but we think that the clincher was the baseball field outside the front door," explained developer Gary Barnett said. What may chafe locals even more is that while Rodriguez has signed a deal to buy a four-bedroom condo on the 35th floor of the plush Extell high-rise called the Rushmore, he has not yet moved in and still, the field remains locked up. Community Board 7 Chair Mel Wymore tried to appeal to Rodriguez’s (probably) non-existent sense of neighborliness, saying, "A-Rod help us out. Make this ball field really accessible to the entire West Side. We want to play ball with you." Residents who have spoken out about the unfairness of the situation may be reassured by promises from the city’s parks and recreation department that Extell will eventually turn over the field to the city, but no deadline has been set and the power of the rich to maintain their grasp on what they want is a fact of life not only in Manhattan, but the whole wide world……….
- The Oscars (and any other awards show - music, TV, movies, Broadway, etc.) remain a ginormous waste of time, but what will now differentiate the Oscars from all of the other self-congratulatory, insiders-only awards shows out there is that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC have found a way to cash in on certain Americans’ (cough, women, cough) affinity for the Oscars. The plan is to capitalize on Americans’ love of Internet voyeurism and mix that with their bizarre fixation on celebrities, thus creating a pay-per-view, behind-the-scenes look at the backstage world of the Oscars. Through the Oscar.com website, fans will be able to access live video streams of usually hidden aspects of Oscar night on Feb. 27, including celebrities making awkward conversation at a lobby bar, hair and makeup artists trying to apply enough makeup to cover up the age and mileage from the faces of past-their-prime stars before those stars present awards while reading forced, stiff jokes from the teleprompter and awards winners heading off to gloat/get hammered at the post-ceremony celebration, the Governors Ball. The project is a shameless event to score some quick cash off the very type of event that is perfectly suited for it. For an ADHD, multi-tasking nation busy sending texts, tweeting, updating their Facebook status or watching a show they DVR-ed (and probably doing all four at the same time), the concept seems like a natural fit. "We all know that more and more people who are watching TV are also engaging with some other devices — whether a computer or an iPad or a smart phone," said Ric Robertson, Motion Picture Academy's executive administrator. "So, what can we serve up to them to keep them engaged with the telecast, to provide a complementary experience?" In other words, how can we make more money off this? The academy and ABC will charge $4.99 for the "All Access" feature, $5 more than it should be. That waste of money will give fans access to live feeds from 28 cameras positioned on the red carpet, inside the Kodak Theatre and backstage, as well as at the ball. Robertson believes the added scrutiny of losers pathetic enough to pay for this garbage won't be any added hassle for stars, who are already overrun with paparazzi who swarm the event, capturing candid moments. Moreover, the producers are going to ensure a level of decorum: "There aren't going to be any bathroom cams. We draw the line somewhere," Robertson joked. Sure thing……unless ABC and the academy determine that people will pay $20 for bathroom cams. But wait……there’s more. An Oscar Backstage Pass application for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch also went on sale Friday for 99 cents, adding to the cash grab. "The Backstage Pass app is one of the many ways that we are using digital technology to redefine the Oscar experience this year," said Albert Cheng, Disney/ABC Television Group's executive vice president of digital media, in a statement. "We want to offer an experience to viewers that allows them to feel like they are there with their favorite nominees and be able to see the stars mingle at this prestigious event." Redefine the Oscar experience? You mean as something other than a bunch of pompous, self-important actors, actresses, directors and Hollywood suits jamming into egregiously expensive and often-ugly outfits, cramming into a crowded hall and handing worthless little statues to whichever members of their incestuous little group didn’t get their ego stroked with an award at the last awards show……….
- Riot Watch! Riot Watch! It is freaking on like Donkey Kong in Bahrain, where thousands of enraged Bahrainis retook a major square in the heart of the island nation's capital Saturday just two days after security forces ousted demonstrators from the spot in a deadly attack. The retaking of the square was a shot across the bow of the government and the sight of citizens rushing into Pearl Roundabout was beyond inspirational. Even as the Bahrain royal family futilely attempted to end a turbulent week of violence, Crown Prince Salman was forced to concede defeat in the battle for the Pearl Roundabout by ordering the removal of the military from the area, a top demand by opposition forces. He then claimed that citizens would be permitted stay in the spot without fear. How very big of you, Crown Prince Salman. Trying to pass this off as a small matter because your military claims it has "successfully completed" its mission of "safeguarding vital areas in the center of the capital" just seems like a bad spin job on an ugly situation that you have lost control of and cannot get a handle on. As the military withdrew to its camps police placed in charge of the area also withdrew from the roundabout. Protestors did not appear placated by the crown prince’s promise that an investigation will be launched into this week’s deaths of protestors and that those responsible will be held accountable. Two protestors were killed early in the week and four more died after security forces stormed the Pearl Roundabout early Thursday in a successful attempt to retake the location. Four others died on Friday evening after demonstrators moved toward the square and were met by security forces firing bullets and tear gas. But perhaps the crown prince is being sincere and his vow that the government will be embracing talks with all parties is legitimate. And to think it only took day after day of rioting for the government to stop assuming such a confrontational stance and admit that it might just be time to negotiate. Hopefully we haven’t seen the last of the angry rioting in central Manama, which has been the Bahraini equivalent of Cairo’s Tharir Square as the epicenter of the citizen uprising against The Man. For now, the roundabout is chock full of people waving Bahraini flags, praying and honking horns. The scene was a mixture of rage and relief, with many protestors still livid and demanding change but others believing that peace was very near. The protestors are primarily Shiite Muslims, who make up 70 percent of the island kingdom’s population and have long had a contentious relationship with the Sunni ruling family. Oddly, the small island nation’s turmoil is also of great concern to the United States, as the kingdom is a key U.S. ally and home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. Perhaps some of the international outrage that has been directed at the Bahraini regime for its excessive use of force in response to the protests has made an impact because Salam made a nationally televised address Friday in which he cautioned citizens and security forces to restrain themselves, and said the country wants a nation where neither Sunni or Shiites are favored. Those words were met with skepticism by opposition members, who maintain that there can be no dialogue with the government while the military controls the streets. Here’s hoping that’s code for “Let’s keep rioting for as long as possible,” because we’ve seen the power of the riot grow exponentially over the past few weeks………
- I knew the backlog of cases clogging up the dockets of federal, state and local courts around the United States was immense, I just didn’t know how bad things had gotten. Now, federal judges are asking both sides in federal perjury cases, “Hey, can you guys figure this out on your own before we actually have to go to trial? That’d be cool, k.” The judge making that request is U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who made that plea to the prosecution and defense in the perjury case against disgraced baseball legend Barry Bonds. Illston made the request during a hearing Friday, asking the sides to find a way to resolve the charges before the trial next month. Bonds was indicted for lying to a federal grand jury about his alleged performance-enhancing drug use and although several of the charges were recently dismissed, the home run king still faces multiple charges and is expected to plead not guilty when he is arraigned March 1 for the third time since he was initially charged in 2007. In response to Illston’s request, prosecutors said they would discuss a plea agreement with Bonds' lawyers. Most legal experts still expect the case to go to trial, which makes sense because a proud former athlete who had maintained his innocence and would lose what small amount of credibility he has left if he were convicted on these charges doesn’t seem likely to accept any sort of plea deal, even if it includes little or not prison time. Additionally, prosecutors aren’t likely to offer a sweetheart deal to an alleged criminal they believe that they have a strong case against. In the end, the smart money is still on a disappointed U.S. District Judge Susan Illston being on the bench presiding over this sure-to-be-entertaining trial when it begins on March 21. See you all then for some exciting legal hijinks………
No comments:
Post a Comment