SUPERBOWL XLVII PREVIEW

A Legend is not a fairy tale, or a myth or a fable. Legends are real. On Super Bowl Sunday (February 4, 2013), on the grandest stage on earth, either the Baltimore Ravens or San Francisco 49ers will have a chance to become Legendary.

MATCH STORYLINES

 

BROTHER VS. BROTHER
Baltimore Ravens Coach John Harbaugh VS. San Francisco 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh

For the first time in Super Bowl history, the opposing head coaches will be brothers. John Harbaugh will face younger brother Jim (John, who is 50 years old, is just a year older) in Super Bowl XLVII, leading the Ravens to their first Super Bowl appearance in 12 years.


THE OLD WARRIOR'S LAST RIDE
Baltimore Ravens LB Ray Lewis

The Lewis retirement extravaganza will continue through Super Bowl XLVII. While Lewis isn't the dominant force he was when he led the Ravens to triumph in Super Bowl XXXV following the 2000 season, the linebacker still dictates the emotional decorum of the team's locker room. Lewis could turn out to be one of the few all-time greats to go out with a championship victory.


A CINDERELLA FINISH
San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick

The second-year quarterback with just nine starts -- including two in the postseason -- has been a catalyst for the 49ers' march to Super Bowl XLVII. Kaepernick hasn't flinched in the face of enormous playoff pressure, helping the 49ers overcome a 17-point hole against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game en route to a 28-24 win. Kaepernick's combination of arm strength and running prowess will make him an enticing player for fans to follow on Super Sunday.


A BREAKTHROUGH RUN
Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco

Flacco has won playoff games in each of his first five seasons. This year's run only enhanced his reputation as somebody who is able to perform under difficult, pressure-packed circumstances. En route to Super Bowl XLVII, Flacco defeated two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks -- Peyton Manning and Tom Brady -- in their own stadiums in back-to-back weeks. Flacco will be on an impressive personal run entering Super Sunday, having thrown for eight touchdowns and no interceptions in three playoff victories this year.

At Stake...The Lombardi Trophy
On the Grandest Stage of Them All
Legends Will Be Made

SOURCES
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl

WARPED SENSE OF VALUES

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
http://www.philstar.com/sports/2013/01/23/900079/warped-sense-values



Some wise guy once said you’re not cheating unless you’re caught. If you can get away with deceit for an advantage, go ahead and do it. If you’re found out, apologize and ask for forgiveness. After all, you’re only human and everyone makes mistakes.

 
Lance Armstrong’s confession that he used performance-enhancing-drugs (PEDs) to string up seven consecutive Tour de France victories from 1999 to 2005 was a desperate act to salvage a losing situation. The fact that he did it on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show was an indication of insincerity – Armstrong wanted to use the celebrity’s widely popular program as a vehicle to launch a recovery platform. Winfrey shouldn’t have agreed to be manipulated but then, her motive was probably as murky as Armstrong’s. Winfrey couldn’t care less about Armstrong’s sincerity. She was in it for the ratings and you can’t blame her for that. If she was asked to treat Armstrong with kid gloves in exchange for an exclusive appearance, then Winfrey could be guilty of compromising journalistic ethics.

 
Armstrong, 41, was a manufactured character of superhero proportions. Here was an athlete diagnosed to be suffering from a form of testicular cancer in 1996 with a supposedly 50-50 chance of survival because the disease had spread to the brain and lungs. He underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Four months after his diagnosis, Armstrong was declared cancer-free and less than a year later, was back on the professional cycling tour. Remarkably, Armstrong went on to win all those Tour of France titles and became an inspiration to all.

 
Throughout his comeback, there were allegations that Armstrong was on PEDs. He strongly denied the accusations and over 600 drug tests produced negative results. Armstrong sued a slew of accusers and skeptics suspicious of drug use to preserve a reputation as a clean-living, overachieving cancer survivor. But when over 10 former teammates testified that he was a drug user and pusher to avoid being severely penalized themselves, the truth finally prevailed. The United States Anti-Doping Agency revealed findings of Armstrong’s drug use and the Union Cycliste Internationale announced a lifetime ban. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped Armstrong of recognition as a cycling third placer in the road time trial at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and has asked for the return of the bronze medal. The IOC has also banned Armstrong from ever participating in the Olympics.



In his heyday, Armstrong was like a demi-god who could do no wrong. He left his first wife Kristin for singer Sheryl Crow and eventually wound up with another woman with whom he fathered two children, conceived naturally despite a previous prognosis of impotency due to his cancer. Whatever indiscretions Armstrong had, the public was forgiving because he was Superman. He signed multi-million dollar contracts to endorse a variety of products for Oakley, Nike, RadioShack, Anheuser-Busch, Trek Bicycle and others.


Armstrong retired from pro cycling after his seventh Tour de France win in 2005 but came back in 2009. Early last year, he turned to pro triathlon. Armstrong was a US sprint course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990 so it was like going full circle.

 
What is alarming in Armstrong’s disclosure is how he was able to avoid detection for years. He has admitted to using testosterone (“the building block from which all steroids are created … strength, speed, recovery: this is what testosterone is all about,” wrote Gabriel Montoya in Boxing News) and erythropoietin or EPO (“increases red blood cell production, thus creating more oxygen in the blood and increasing endurance,” noted Montoya). But how did he escape detection in over 600 drug tests? There is proof that Armstrong made contributions to anti-doping agencies but did he bribe his way out of positive tests? If drug tests are inutile, how many champion athletes are on PEDs?

 
Writer Scott Ostler said when listening to cheat confessions, “I never sensed shame or regret which is probably because cheating is genetically ingrained, an extension of the competitive nature of man … with some athletes I interviewed, I got the sense they believe it’s dishonorable, dumb or unmanly NOT to cheat.”

 
Is there a difference between a basketball player, having touched the ball last before it went out of bounds, trying to convince the referee it was off the guy in a different uniform and an athlete who takes a PED to gain an unfair advantage in competition? Winning at all costs has warped the sense of values among some athletes. You never compromise the integrity of sports for if you do, how do deliver the message of honesty, sportsmanship, working hard and discipline to young athletes? Sports is a vehicle to build character not a window of opportunity for an athlete to become a conscienceless monster.



On the Winfrey show, Armstrong wasn’t completely truthful as he spoke about keeping a promise to his former wife to be drug-free in his 2009 comeback. It now appears his former wife was in on his drug shenanigans and he used PEDs in his comeback. Armstrong has dug a deeper hole for himself. He talked about leveling the playing field as if to justify the use of drugs as a way to cover for a handicap and was totally out of whack.

 
If his intention was to generate public sympathy for making a clean breast of his drug use, it certainly didn’t work – Armstrong has lost all credibility as a chronic liar. If his intention was to try to win back the $75 Million he lost in endorsement contracts, it didn’t work. If his intention was to campaign for the lifting of his lifetime ban, it didn’t work. If his intention was to begin a new career as a celebrity speaker, it didn’t work. Armstrong is a disgrace to sports and to humanity not only because he cheated as an athlete using drugs but also because he pushed drugs. He deserves the most severe sanction conceivable for an athlete gone wrong. 


Livestrong has outlived its relevance.

HERO TO ZERO IN 9.79 SECONDS

HERO TO ZERO IN 9.79 SECONDS
http://frostwhisper2012.blogspot.com/2013/01/hero-to-zero-in-979-seconds.html

 


BEN JOHNSON of Canada set consecutive 100 metres world records at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics and the 1988 Summer Olympics, but he was disqualified for doping, losing the Olympic title and both records. The debacle became one of the biggest high profile scandal in Olympic History.  Johnson was stripped of his gold medal and world record and banned from competition for two years. The disgrace of the event was a black eye on Canadian amateur sport and pushed the drugs-in-sport issue to the forefront like never before.



YOUTUBE:
1988 SEOUL OLYMPICS 100m Dash FINAL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xqXO9cj8uE



On September 24, 1988, Johnson won the 100m final at the Olympics, lowering his own world record to 9.79 seconds. Johnson would later remark that he would have been even faster had he not raised his hand in the air just before he finished the race. However, Johnson's urine samples were found to contain stanozolol, and he was disqualified three days later. He later admitted having used steroids when he ran his 1987 world record, which caused the IAAF to rescind that record as well. Johnson and coach Francis complained that they used doping in order to remain on an equal footing with the other top athletes on drugs they had to compete against. In testimony before the Dubin inquiry into drug use, Francis charged that Johnson was only one of many cheaters, and he just happened to get caught. Later, five of the finalists of the 100-meter race tested positive for banned drugs or were implicated in a drug scandal at some point in their careers: Carl Lewis, who was given the gold medal, Linford Christie, who was moved up to the silver medal and who went on to win gold at the next Games, Dennis Mitchell, who was moved up to fourth place and finished third to Christie in 1992, and Desai Williams, Johnson's countryman who won a bronze medal at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.


SOURCES
Wikipedia
Google Images
 
 

THE WAY TO WEALTH (1758)

"The Way to Wealth" is an essay written by Benjamin Franklin in 1758. It is a collection of adages and advice presented in Poor Richard's Almanac during its first 25 years of publication, organized into a speech given by "Father Abraham" to a group of people. Many of the phrases Father Abraham quotes continue to be familiar today. The essay's advice is based on the themes of work ethic and frugality.


Benjamin Franklin, The Way to Wealth (1758).


[The classic Franklin summary of his advice from Poor Richard's Almanac.]

In 1732 I first published my Almanac under the name of Richard Saunders; it was continued by me about twenty-five years, and commonly called Poor Richard's Almanac. I endeavoured to make it both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand, that I reaped considerable profit from it, vending annually near ten thousand. And observing that it was generally read, (scarce any neighbourbood in the province being without it,) I considered it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people, who bought Scarcely any other books. I therefore filled all the little spaces, that occurred between the remarkable days in the Calendar, with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality, as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue; it being more difficult for a man in want to act always honestly, as (to use here one of those proverbs) It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright"

Courteous Reader,
I have heard, that nothing gives an author so great pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by others. Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am going to relate, to you. Istopped my horse lately, where a great number of people were collected at an auction of merchants' goods. The hour of the sale not being come, they were conversing on the badness of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean, old man, with white locks, "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Will not these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to?" Father Abraham stood up, and replied, "If you would have my Advice, I will give it you in short; for A word to the wise is enough., as Poor Richard says." They joined in desiring him to speak his mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows.

"Friends," said he, "the taxes are indeed very heavy, and, if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and from these taxes the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us, by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and something may be done for us; God helps them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says.

"I. It would be thought a hard government, that should tax its people one-tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service; but idleness taxes many of us much more; sloth, by bringing on diseases, absolutely shortens life. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears; while the used key is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of, as Poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep, forgetting, that The sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that There will be sleeping enough in the grave, as Poor Richard says.

"If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be, as Poor Richard says, the greatest prodigality; since, as he elsewhere tells us, Lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough, always proves little enough. Let us then up and be doing, and doing to the purpose; so by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy; and He that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night; while Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him. Drive thy business, let not that drive thee; and Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise, as Poor Richard says.

"So what signifies wishing and hoping for better times? We may make these times better, if we bestir ourselves. Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting. There are no gains without pains; then help, hands, for I have no lands; or, if I have, they are smartly taxed. He that hath a trade hath an estate; and he that hath a calling, hath an office of profit and honor, as Poor Richard says; but then the trade must be worked at, and the calling followed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. If we are industrious, we shall never starve; for, At the working man's house hunger looks in, but dares not enter. Nor will the bailiff or the constable enter, for Industry pays debts, while despair increaseth them. What though you have found no treasure, nor has any rich relation left you a legacy, Diligence is the mother of good luck, and God gives all things to industry. Then plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep. Work while it is called to-day, for you know not how much you may be hindered to-morrow. One, to-day is worth two to-morrows, as Poor Richard says; and further, Never leave that till to-morrow, which you can do to-day. If you were a servant, would you not be, ashamed that a good master should catch you idle? Are you then your own master? Be ashamed to catch yourself idle, when there is so much to be done for yourself, your family, your country, and your king. Handle your tools without mittens; remember, that The cat in gloves catches no mice, as Poor Richard says. It is true there is much to be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed; but stick to it steadily, and you will see great effects; for Constant dropping wears away stones; and By diligence and patience the mouse ate in two the cable; and Little strokes fell great oaks.

"Methinks I hear some of you say, ‘Must a man afford himself no leisure?' I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says, Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure; and, since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never; for A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. Many, without labor, would live by their wits only, but they break for want of stock; whereas industry gives comfort, and plenty, and respect. Fly pleasures, and they will follow you. The diligent spinner has a large shift; and now I have a sheep and a cow, everybody bids me good morrow.
 
"II. But with our industry we must likewise be steady, settled, and careful, and oversee our own affairs with our own eyes, and not trust too much to others; . . . Trusting too much to others' care is the ruin of many; for In the affairs of this world men are saved, not by faith, but by the want of it; . . . .

"III. So much for industry, my friends, and attention to one's own business; but to these we must add frugality if we would make our industry more certainly successful. A man may, if he knows not bow to save as be gets, keep his nose all his life to the grindstone, and die not worth a groat at last.", A fat kitchen makes a lean will; and Many estates are spent in the getting,
Since women for tea forsook spinning and knitting,
And men for punch forsook hewing and splitting.
If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as of getting. The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her outgoes are greater than her incomes.
"Away then with your expensive follies, and you will not then have so much cause to complain of bard times, heavy taxes, and chargeable families; for
Women and wine, game and deceit,
Make the wealth small and the want great.
And further, What maintains one vice would bring up two children. You may think, perhaps, that a little tea, or a little punch now and then, -diet a little more costly, clothes a little finer, and a little' entertainment now and then, can be no great matter; but remember, Many a little makes a mickle. Beware of little expenses; A small leak will sink a great ship, as Poor Richard says and again, . . . .

Here you are all got together at this sale of fineries and knick-knacks. You call them goods; but, if you do not take care, they will prove evils to some of you. You expect they will be sold cheap, and perhaps they may for less than they cost; but, if you have no occasion for them, they must be dear to you. Remember what Poor Richard says; Buy what thou. hast no need of, and ere long thou shalt sell thy necessaries. . . . Many a one, for the sake of finery on the back, have gone with a hungry belly and half-starved their families. Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets, put out the kitchen fire, as Poor Richard says.

"These are not the necessaries of life; they can scarcely be called the conveniences; and yet, only because they look pretty, how many want to have them! By these, and other extravagances, the genteel are reduced to poverty, and forced to borrow of those whom they formerly despised, but who, through industry and frugality, have maintained their standing; in which case it appears plainly, that A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees, as Poor Richard says. . . . But this they might have known before, if they had taken his advice. If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some; for, he that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing, as Poor Richard says; . . . .

"But what madness must it be to run in debt for these superfluities? We are offered by the terms of this sale, six months' credit; and that, perhaps, has induced some of us to attend it, because we cannot spare the ready money, and hope now to be fine without it. But, ah! think what you do when, I you run I in debt you give to another power over your liberty. If you cannot pay at the time, you will be ashamed to see your creditor; you will be in fear when you speak to him; you will make poor, pitiful, sneaking excuses, and, by degrees, come to lose your veracity, and sink into base, downright lying; for The second vice is lying, the first is running in debt, as Poor Richard says; . . . .
 
"What would you think of that prince, or of that government, who should issue an edict forbidding you to dress like a gentleman or gentlewoman, on pain of imprisonment or servitude? Would you not say that you were free, have a right to dress as you please, and that such an edict would be a breach of your privileges, and such a government tyrannical? And yet you are about to put yourself under such tyranny, when you run in debt for such dress ! Your creditor has authority, at his pleasure, to deprive you of your liberty, by confining you in gaol till you shall be able to pay him. When you have got your bargain, you may, perhaps, think little of payment; but, as Poor Richard says, Creditors have better memories than debtors; creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of set days and times. . . . .

"IV. This doctrine, my friends, is reason and wisdom; but, after all, do not depend too much upon your own industry, and frugality, and prudence, though excellent things; for they may all be blasted, without the blessing of Heaven; and, therefore, ask that blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those that at present seem to want it, but comfort and help them Remember, Job suffered, and was afterwards prosperous.


Source: The Works of Benjamin Franklin. Edited by Jared Sparks. Vol. 2. (Boston, 1836), 2:92-103.
[Back to History 41 Syllabus]

TOP TIPS TO SLEEP BETTER IN 2013

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

http://www.philstar.com/health-and-family/2013-01-01/891871/top-tips-sleep-better-2013

Mr. USA 2011 Tamer ElGuindy lamented that sleep is overlooked by so many people as a vital component of being well and healthy. I cannot agree more. With all the modern-day distractions like tech and gaming gadgets, social media, television, parties, and the Internet, I can’t make my children sleep enough or make them understand why it’s important. A situation that makes me sleep less as well. This new year, I resolve to erase my sleep debt. Why? Well, these new research findings about the benefits of sleep might also surprise you.

Sleep Benefits a-plenty

David Rapoport, MD, director of the NYU sleep disorders program, reminds us that adequate sleep is crucial to a healthy lifestyle with positive benefits to your heart, mind, weight, and more. Such as improving your memory! During sleep, you consolidate memories or practice skills you have learned while awake. “If you are trying to learn something, whether it’s physical or mental, you learn it to a certain point with practice. But something happens while you sleep that makes you learn it better,” Dr. Rapoport adds.

One research links sleep of six or fewer hours a night to higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins which are linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Both too much and too little sleep were also associated by research to a shorter lifespan. A 2010 study of women, aged 50 to 79, confirmed more deaths in those who got less than five hours or more than six and a half hours per night.  Another 2010 study found that C-reactive protein, associated with heart attack risk, was higher in those who sleep six or fewer hours a night.

Research from Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of memory during sleep, which may help increase creativity.  Stanford University also found that college football players who slept at least 10 hours a night for seven to eight weeks improved their average sprint time. They also had less daytime fatigue and more stamina. Similar results were observed previously in tennis players and swimmers.

Children (from 10 to 16 years old) with sleep disordered breathing, such as snoring, sleep apnea, and other types of interrupted breathing during sleep, are more likely to have problems with attention and learning, according to a 2010 study in the journal Sleep. Still another study revealed that college students who didn’t get enough sleep had worse grades than those who did.

Dr. Rapoport clarifies that sleep-deprived kids react differently compared to adults. “Whereas adults get sleepy, kids tend to get hyperactive,” he says. “My son always thought he had ADHD, but he was recently diagnosed as sleep deprived due to sleep apnea.  Furthermore, a 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics found that children, ages seven and eight, who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive.

If your new year’s resolution involves dieting to lose weight, make sure that your plan includes sleeping enough. The University of Chicago in a research found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat, 56 percent of their weight loss, than those who were sleep deprived who lost more muscle mass.  Dieters who slept less also felt more hungry. “Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain,” notes Dr. Rapoport. “When you are sleepy, certain hormones go up in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite.” The  association between health stress and sleep is as close. And both do affect cardiovascular health.

Less than five hours of sleep or more than nine hours a night may increase the likelihood of weight gain. In a study, recurrent sleep deprivation in men increased their preferences for high-calorie foods and their overall calorie intake. In another study, women who slept less than six hours a night or more than nine hours were found to gain 11 pounds compared to those who slept seven hours a night. Sleep duration appears to affect hormones that regulate hunger (ghrelin and leptin) and stimulate the appetite.

Sleep also affects your mood. Lack of sleep can make one irritable or depressed. Enough quality sleep can provide emotional stability. Dr. Rapport explains that you cannot just sleep more on weekends to cover up for the lack of it on weekdays. “If you sleep more on weekends, you simply aren’t sleeping enough in the week. It’s all about finding a balance,” he concludes.

Better Sleep Habits

While there are many reasons why people find it hard to sleep and rest the required number of hours for one’s age, experts from WebMd and Mayo Clinic seem to agree on suggestions regarding better sleep habits:

• A regular schedule. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day, including on weekends and holidays. Being consistent creates your body’s own sleep-wake cycle.  This helps promote better sleep at night.

• A bedtime ritual. Create your unique pre-sleep ritual. It could be a warm bath or shower, a relaxing massage or facial, meditation, reading a book or listening to music preferably with lights dimmed.  Each night, this activity, 10 to 60 minutes long, will tell your body it’s time to wind down. This ritual will ease the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness. Experts caution about the use of TV or electronic devices as they seem to interfere with sleep.

• Caution on food and drink. Don’t go to bed either full or hungry. The discomfort might keep you up. Don’t also drink too much before going to bed to prevent waking up to use the toilet. Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol have stimulating effects that may make it hard for you to sleep. Don’t take caffeine four to six hours before your bedtime. Some foods though help promote sleep such as milk, tuna, pumpkin, artichokes, avocados, almonds, eggs, bok choy, peaches, walnuts, apricots, oats, asparagus, potatoes, buckwheat, and bananas.

• Create a comfort zone. Your room should be ideal for sleeping. Think something cool, dark, quiet. Choose the pillow and mattress most comfortable for you. The softness or hardness of a mattress and pillow are subjective.

• No long naps. If you like to take a nap at noon, keep it to 10 to 30 minutes only. Longer naps can interfere with nighttime rest.

• Exercise. Regular physical activity can make you sleep better. It can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep.  But if you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be the case, exercise earlier in the day.

• Zap stress. Too much work and too many thoughts will scare drowsiness away.

• Restore peace and balance in your life. Start with the basics. Get organized, set your priorities and delegate tasks. Share a good laugh. Jot down your thoughts and then set them aside for tomorrow.

Have a peaceful and restful New Year!

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