StemCell Therapy

Ive been meaning to do this post for a while. It was originally planned for sometime in February, but I didnt get around to it before all the recruiting breakdowns I was doing. Then other things came up, and it kept getting pushed down the line. But here it is.

Its very rare a conference overturns half of its coaches in one single offseason. This was no ordinary offseason for the Mountain West, though. Some are familiar names, and others may be new. This post is giving each hire grades, broken up into different categories.

The first is the initial reaction, meaning perception when the coach was officially announced and had yet to do anything other than sign the contract, as some of the hires carried a bit more weight than others.

The next is their 2020 recruiting class. Yes, its a small sample size, and yes they all started at different times. But really, there isnt much else to go off of at this point.

Lastly, there will be a grade on longevity. Although it is a bit silly to think about how long these coaches will stay when they just got hired, ADs are certainly asking that question. Again, its hard to predict, will be subjective, and not the end-all, be-all when it comes to hiring a coach, but it does matter. Finding a coach who wont bolt after one winning season will help build or sustain the program.

Initial Reaction: A

Hiring Gonzales, the former Lobo player, and assistant coach was nothing short of a home run. The fact that they were able to hire him before the head coaching job at San Diego State opened up, and then he hired Rocky Long as his DC make stellar move continue to pay dividends.

Recruiting: B-

The fact that he is recruiting at all is a huge success, and one could argue this grade should be higher because of it. They turned in a pretty nice recruiting class all things considered, and it may be the first in a string of positively trending classes.

Longevity: A

Gonzales has strong ties to the New Mexico program and wouldnt figure to leave for just any job opening. He is as safe of a bet as any coach in the college football world.

Initial Reaction: A-

DeBoer was considered one of the top choices in the sudden Fresno State opening, having served as the offensive coordinator under Tedford before leaving for Indiana. Hes fairly young, is familiar with the program and players, and wanted the job. There is a lot to like here.

Recruiting: C-

DeBoer turned in a recruiting class similar to the ones Tedford produced. That is to say, average with some promise, but nothing that popped off the page. There will be some work to do in this area, or at least he will need to continue the emphasis on player development Tedford and his coaches were so good at.

Longevity: B

Its tough to say, but as a first-time coach, DeBoer will likely need to stay around to produce a few strong seasons before suitors begin to line up. Its unlikely he bolts before establishing himself.

Initial Reaction: A+

If Gonzales was a home run hire, then Arroyo was a grand slam. A top assistant at a top program, this was likely the best hire they could have made. It brought instant energy into the Rebel program, and they sorely needed it.

Recruiting: A

Arroryo got to work right away and landed one of the best recruiting classes in the entire conference. There is a lot of talent coming into the program, and its clear he is playing to his strength here.

Longevity: C+

Just a hunch, but it wouldnt be a surprise if this job is only a stepping stone for Arroyo. If he does well, he could easily cash in for a PAC12 job. However, its hard to be sure until the games are actually played, and the dominos begin to fall.

Initial Reaction: D+

This hire was puzzling when it was announced. The Rams were trading one .500 coach for another one? Addazio has head coaching experience, but he was just fired himself, and it appeared there were up and coming assistants with ties to the school available.

Recruiting: C+

Addazio went to work on the recruiting trail, going both local and nationwide for talent. He did alright with the time and challenges he had.

Longevity: B-

This one is actually a bit tougher to make a guess on. Does Addazio continue to be the coach he was before, and eventually Colorado State tries to upgrade again? Does he have success and try to get back into the P5? Or does he have success and settle in for the long haul, content with being a bigger fish in a smaller pond?

Initial Reaction: C+

Some may see this as a pretty good rehire, similar to Gary Andersen last year. Others may see these are a poor hire, since Hoke bolted after one good season the first time at SDSU and didnt do much at his other stops (which also sounds like Andersen). This grade splits the difference.

Recruiting: B-

San Diego State has turned in good but never great recruiting classes under Coach Long, and that basically seemed like what the Long/Hoke combo did this winter. Going forward, it seems like Hoke is focusing on recruiting earlier in the year, and it will be interesting to see if there is a shift in the type of players they recruit.

Longevity: C+

Similar to Addazio, maybe Hoke learns the grass isnt always greener, and its better to stay in a place where success is being had. Although, that success has been difficult to come by lately, so it seems like more of a toss-up.

Initial Reaction: C+

This hire was another one that was a bit questionable, but at least Graham has a pretty good track record as a coach and a very good track record as a person. He gets dinged a bit for not having ties to Hawaii, but he should be able to establish a culture there.

Recruiting: D+

Graham had next to no time to recruit and thus had to scrape things together in the last few weeks. I considered grading on a curve, but figured Id just tell it like it is, even if things were stacked against him. It will be interesting to see what happens in the class of 2021.

Longevity: B-

Who knows, really. Graham has made quite a few stops in his coaching career thus far. There are worse places to be at than the islands, but Hawaii doesnt pay much, and thats what caused local guy Rolovich to leave. Its probably safe to assume he stays a few seasons, which is a fairly long time in todays CFB landscape.

Again, its hard to honestly grade any of these hires until there are actual games being played. This is just going off of the perception of the hire and the small sample size of recruiting. Its guesswork, but there isnt much going on, so why not? Objectively, all of them have incomplete grades as it is too early to really judge. As for if these grades will hold up or be proven foolish, only time will tell.

These are one set of opinions. What do you think? Post in the comments below.

Read the original post:
Peak Perspective: Grading the New MWC Coaches - Mountain West Connection

When John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan took over the 49ers, one of their biggest offseason goals was to bring in a multi-talented running back fit for today's game.

They did so in signing Jerick McKinnon to a four-year deal in 2018. There's one problem, though: McKinnon has yet to play a regular-season down for San Francisco. An ACL injury and struggles with regaining comfort on the injured knee have kept the running back out of action for the last two seasons.

The former understudy to Adrian Peterson in Minnesota is turning to his old friend for a true test of where McKinnon stands at this point on his road to returning to football. He's heading to Houston to put himself through Peterson's legendary, marathon-like workouts.

"I feel like it's my last test to really see how it feels," McKinnon said, via The Athletic's Matt Barrows. "There's a lot of hard work going on down there. That's really where I'm going to amp it up as hard as I can and see where it goes."

Peterson's workouts are a significant source of his power, speed and longevity, with the latter prevailing most in recent years. It also set a standard for McKinnon, one he feels he must revisit now in order to fully grasp how prepared he is to return to football action.

"There were a lot of things back then that were tough," he said of his struggles with rehabilitation and a failed attempt to return to action in 2019. "I feel now that I'm getting back to where I was effortlessly."

McKinnon's absence has opened the door for other backs to shine. Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. have all seen significant playing time in the last two seasons because the 49ers have had to find a way to replace what they lost with McKinnon's injury. Tevin Coleman would be the ideal complement to McKinnon (or vice versa) in a 2020 San Francisco backfield, which has been fine without McKinnon but could be even better with him.

The reason: McKinnon's lateral quickness and ability to change direction make him a very difficult target to cover in open space. Add that to an offense that's already masterful at times with Shanahan at the helm, and the reigning NFC champs only get stronger.

First, McKinnon will have to figure out how strong he is -- and he's going to get quite a test with the strong man nicknamed "All Day."

See the rest here:
McKinnon to test knee in workouts with AP - NFL.com

Ever since Apple announced the much-anticipated second coming of the iPhone SE, tech reviewers on both sides of the iOS vs. Android camp have been dumbfounded by just what a great value the smartphone seems to be. And while it is an impressive specimen in terms of fit, finish, and features, the hardware and appearance of the device are not what make it truly special. They're also not what makes the phone a legitimate threat not only to mid-range Android devices, but ostensibly to the entire Android ecosystem. No, that honor goes to something less obvious, less flashy, less sexy. The iPhone SE's real allure is all about the software/security updates and support. Period.

There had been rumors and speculation about the iPhone SE (2020) for years. Ever since the outsized popularity that the undersized 2016 handset generated, Apple faithful, as well as those still longing for quality, smaller phones with smaller price points, have been clamoring for a replacement to the original value iPhone.

It doesn't happen often in life, but in the iPhone SE (2020), fans basically got more of what they asked for.

Small iPhone fans were hopeful that any refresh to the 2016 SE would keep the original four-inch footprint, but bring a better processor, camera, and maybe some extras like wireless charging. This doesn't happen very often in life, but in the case of the SE, fans got most of (and in some cases, more of) what they wished for.

For a quick recap, the 2020 edition has a home button with Touch ID, a smaller and lighter form factor (though admittedly not as small as the original), the latest and greatest A13 processor, dual-SIM, portrait mode photos, IP67 water resistance, wireless charging, and the same affordable price from four years earlier.

For a thorough review of the iPhone SE (2020), head on over to iMore to read what my colleague Lory Gil had to say about the device.

Phone nerds (and not just Android fans) are quick to point out the iPhone SE's flaws and where it doesn't quite measure up to the mid-range Android devices it's positioned against from a price perspective. It's true, the design of the SE does look a little dated (if iconic) compared to something like the Pixel 3a, Nokia 7.2, or even Moto G Stylus. It has a much lower resolution screen than phones at that price point and cheaper, and it doesn't have a high megapixel camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C charging port, super-fast wired or wireless charging, or the large capacity batteries of many of its competitors.

The thing that got most tech folks excited about the iPhone SE was not the nostalgic form factor or stunningly fair price from Apple. Rather, it was the fact that Apple put its latest high-powered A13 processor into the device. The A13 is objectively better and more powerful at most tasks than anything that Qualcomm, Samsung, Huawei, or MediaTek have to offer the Android world, and it enables features and capabilities that most current mid-range Android phones can't match, (like enhanced image signal processing that makes the SE's iPhone 8-grade camera hardware perform on par with the iPhone 11 series).

The other thing that A13 enables is longevity. There's so much processing overhead in the chip that, at first glance, seems entirely unnecessary. Apple could have (and was expected to) easily gotten away with putting in an older A11 or A12 generation chip, and the SE still would have been a mid-range performance champ. But the secret is not about present-day performance it's about the long haul.

The A13 processor is overkill for now, but allows for long-term platform and security updates, among other improvements.

Apple's devices, and in particular, its iOS devices, are known to receive software and security updates for several years beyond what Android handsets get. iOS 13 is the current version of the software (iOS 13.4.1 at the time of writing, to be exact), and iPhones back to the 6S series and original SE, released in 2015 and 2016 respectively, are both capable of running it. And even though Apple forked iPadOS from iOS in 2019, iPads back to the Air 2 can run iPadOS based on iOS 13 (that's a 2012 device!).

This strategy helps Apple to not alienate fans who are slower to adapt to change, allows them to attract price-conscious smartphone shoppers and potential platform switchers, and allows them to follow their stated environmental focus by keeping phones in use and out of landfills for longer.

Older iOS devices can indeed run current software and get near-immediate, over the air (OTA) updates without waiting for carriers or other OEMs to make any changes, but that doesn't mean that they'll be able to take advantage of new platform features that rely on new hardware like advanced camera features and futuristic AR capabilities. But that's not the point. If flashy new hardware features are what you really want, then you're likely to fork over the additional cash for a more premium device like the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, OnePlus 8 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro series.

Thanks to that beefy A13 and Apple's commitment and ability to push platform and security updates, by the time 2024 or 2025 rolls around and we're here reviewing what Moto G15 or Samsung A56 phone to get, the SE will probably still be ticking along just fine on iOS 17 or 18. Not too bad for $400 spread out over four or five years!

For a more thorough discussion of this topic, I encourage you to listen to the latest Android Central podcast with guest Lory Gil of iMore.

I know that most people reading Android Central would scoff at the idea of switching to iOS in general, or the iPhone SE in particular, and that's not what I'm advocating for here at all. I simply wish that more Android OEMs would dedicate themselves to supporting the platform and their devices for longer than they currently do.

It's rare to find even premium flagships that promise more than one major platform update (outside of Google and OnePlus), and even rarer still among the mid-range and low-end segments of the market. I realize the adage "you get what you pay for" applies in tech as elsewhere, but I still wish more could be done here.

I know that Apple has several advantages that allow it to produce an affordable mid-ranger with long-term software support. It designs and manufactures its processors, software, and hardware, and has the benefit of only dealing with a handful of suppliers and economies of scale to push its prices down (when it wants to). But there are way more Android manufacturers and customers, and only a couple of chip manufacturers that matter, so you would think that some of them could find a way to compete here with the SE where it matters - longevity. Hopefully, some of them (ahem, Samsung and Google), are getting their rears into gear for 2021 and beyond.

Right now, if you don't want to spend a lot on a good smartphone but you do want the guarantee of multi-year platform and security updates, your choices are between the Google Pixel 3a, and the iPhone SE. Right now, both are available for under $400, and we're eagerly looking forward to a similarly priced, but better specced, Pixel 4a any day now!

Lots to like, especially the camera

The Pixel 3a isn't the newest budget phone on the market, but it still holds up as one of the best. Its OLED display is a joy to look at, performance is really good, and there's no topping its camera quality. Add that together with a clean build of Android 10, USB-C charging, and a headphone jack, and you're getting a lot for your money.

Read the original:
The iPhone SE's major win over cheap Android phones isn't hardware it's software updates - Android Central

Pete Alonso and David Wright arent exactly similar to one another.

Sure, theyre both right-handed, but one is retired and the others career is (hopefully) just getting started, theyre from different areas of the country, and they play different positions on the diamond. Last, but most certainly not least, Alonso has flashed the kind of prodigious power we never saw from Wright.

Despite all that, they are actually pretty similar to one another.

Each have represented the New York Mets in the best possible light given the period of time theyve been associated with the organization and had much anticipated MLB debuts. Wright is the last player New York named as the teams captain, and if things continue going in the current direction, Alonso could end up being next. Last, but most certainly not least (again), Wright is unequivocally the Mets best third baseman in team history, while Alonso has given himself a terrific head start with regard to etching his name in New Yorks all-time record books.

When thinking about these two guys and how they could continue being connected to one another heading into the future, I got to thinking about one final similarity that one has achieved and one has a chance to achieve: continuity at their respective positions.

With regard to total games played at third base, Wright easily has the top spot on the leaderboard, suiting up to man the hot corner 1,586 times. The man in second place Howard Johnson would have to come out of retirement and more than double his current career games played at third (835) for the Mets to catch the Captain. Theres approximately as much space between Wright and Johnson as there is between Johnson and Joe Torre, who sits at 28th place with 87 games played.

As he typically did during the healthy portion of his playing career, Wright also brought the noise on a yearly basis. The Mets had a handful of good third basemen between 1962 and 2003, but there were only two occasions where someone led the team in games played at the position for more than three consecutive years: Hubie Brooks (1981-84) and Johnson (1987-91).

Then, of course, Wright took charge by leading in this category between 2004 and 2015, according to Ultimate Mets Database. That kind of longevity was something New York had obviously never had at this position before, and the top-tier production for the majority of that time was just icing on the cake.

Upon seeing this, I had to head over to first base in order to see whether Alonso could make a similar mark if he continued his current trajectory and was able to stick around in Flushing for the long haul. Hes got a ways to go before catching Ed Kranepool (1,302 career games at first base), but hes in good shape after just one year. There have been 164 different players to man first base as a Met, and Alonsos 153 games played from 2019 already has him at 19th all-time in franchise history.

Using the same parameters on a yearly basis, there have only been two Mets first basemen to lead the team in games played in more than three consecutive years: Kranepool (1964-69) and Keith Hernandez (1983-88). Kranepool does get some extra credit because he led the team in this category 10 times between 1964 and 1976.

Even though the 2020 season will feature a shortened schedule (if we get one), we can assume Alonso will reign supreme atop the games played leaderboard at first base for the second straight year, as long as hes healthy. That trend will almost undoubtedly continue through his pre-arbitration and arbitration years, which would already put him into the above exclusive club with Kranepool and Hernandez (again, assuming hes healthy). And if the Mets extend him beyond their initial team control, he could approach the territory Wright currently has on lock.

Alonsos National League Rookie of the Year campaign was certainly one to remember, and one the record books wont forget, either. He has a ways to go when it comes to having the kind of longevity thatll truly set him apart from the majority of players who have ever donned the orange and blue, but the future sure looks bright for the 25-year-old as he approaches his physical prime.

Continue reading here:
Another Potential Similarity Between Pete Alonso and David Wright - metsmerizedonline.com

David Johnson believes people are indulging in misconceptions about his longevity and durability.

The 6-1, 224-pound running back earned first-team All-Pro in 2016, his second season as a pro with the Arizona Cardinals. After dislocating his wrist the following year and missing the balance of the season after Week 1, Johnson disappeared from the national spotlight, much like the Cardinals who went through two coaching changes in that span.

Even though Johnson started all 16 games in 2018 and almost tallied 1,000 rushing yards, there are doubts about his durability and longevity.

I think that really is a big misconception, especially in this league, Johnson told the Houston media on a conference call. Its football. Guys get nicked up, get injuries all the time, so you cant really predict whats going to happen. I know that Im going to do everything that I can to be ready and keep my body as healthy as possible.

Johnson produced 2,101 scrimmage yards and 16 total touchdowns in his 29 games following his wrist dislocation in 2017.

I think that the biggest thing that Im going to really focus on is doing overtime as far as keeping my body healthy, said Johnson. Maybe doing the cold tub a little longer, doing treatment a little longer, even if I dont need to. Maybe I got a little bruise, just making sure I make sure thats as healthy as possible before I even go step on the practice field or in a game. I think thats the biggest thing.

Johnsons focus, whether doubts about his availability and health existed or not, is to get back into the shape that led to his meritorious 2016 season when he led the league with 2,118 scrimmage yards and 20 total touchdowns. In order to get back to that 2016 form, the former 2015 third-round pick from Northern Iowa is hearkening back to his rookie seasons preparations.

Just going back to my rookie year of doing everything that I can to make sure that my body is healthy and starting a clean slate for sure with a new team, Johnson said.

If the Texans can get a revitalized Johnson, they will have a formidable starter in the backfield behind two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson.

More here:
Texans RB David Johnson corrects the record on his longevity and durability - Texans Wire

OMAHA, (Neb.) Missy Henry from Edge Body Boot Camp says one of the most important parts of your body to work out is your back. Our cars in front of us the remote is in front of us. We're sitting at a computer. Everything in our daily life pulls us forward anyway so that back needs to be strengthened just for posture health for shoulder longevity a lot of things, said Henry.

In this weeks Move It Monday, were working this muscle group with a unique line-up. Instead of working out for 20 minutes, your goal is complete a certain amount of reps. Youll start by doing ten reps of bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls. From there youll do mountain climbers, but instead of doing 10, youll add a zero to it and do 100. Each round youll go down by one. So we're doing 10 reps of everything. 9 reps of everything. Eight reps of everything and so your last round is going to be one, said Henry.

THE WORKOUT: After warming up complete the following rounds. When you are done, spend 5-10 cooling down.

Round 1:

10 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

100 mountain climbers (50 on each foot).

Round 2:

9 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

90 mountain climbers (45 on each foot).

Round 3:

8 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

80 mountain climbers (40 on each foot).

Round 4:

7 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

70 mountain climbers (35 on each foot).

Round 5:

6 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

60 mountain climbers (30 on each foot).

Round 6:

5 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

50 mountain climbers (25 on each foot).

Round 7:

4 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

40 mountain climbers (20 on each foot).

Round 8

3 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

30 mountain climbers (15 on each foot).

Round 9

2 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

20 mountain climbers (10 on each foot).

Round 10

1 bent over rows, straight-arm pull-aparts, and bicep curls.

10 mountain climbers (5 on each foot).

Read more from the original source:
MOVE IT MONDAY: Back Workout - KMTV - 3 News Now

Yesterday, Apple announced the new $399 iPhone SE. The TL;DR appears to be really simple: the iPhone 8s body, the iPhone 11s processor, and the iPhone XRs camera system with a few new capabilities. Ill obviously wait to review this phone to tell you if its any good, but assuming Apple lives up to its usual standards I can tell you something right away:

At $399, the second-generation iPhone SE is a shockingly good value.

The most important thing to know about the SEs value proposition is simply that it has the A13 Bionic processor, which is bar-none the fastest processor you can get on any smartphone at any price, full stop. You could spend $1,449 on a fully maxed-out iPhone 11 Pro Max and it wouldnt be faster than the iPhone SE. You could spend $1599.99 on a maxed-out Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G and it would be theoretically slower (with the exception of 5G downloads).

This isnt just a matter of processor megahertz per buck, its a matter of the longevity of the phone itself. More than any other phone company, Apple supports its phones for a very long time. Since this iPhone SE has the most modern processor available, its quite likely that it will receive software updates for many years to come.

Hell, Apple even did the right thing with storage: offering a humane 64GB at the base level and making the 128GB model only $50 more.

Over the course of 2019, we marveled at the level of quality you could get in a long series of relatively inexpensive Android phones. Thats still true today, but those phones will receive three years of updates from Google at most. And as my colleague Chris Welch will argue later today, the iPhone SE sets a bar that the upcoming Google Pixel 4A will have an incredibly difficult time clearing.

Again, well need to review the new iPhone SE and the Pixel 4A to know whether one of them has an advantage with any particular feature (like the camera). So no final judgements here. But I just need to point out that for most of 2018 and 2019, every Android maker has had a bit of a green field to play in: phones that cost less than $500.

Google, Asus, Samsung, and many others did good work in that green field, but now theres real competition from Apple.

On Tuesday in this newsletter, I had half a thought about these low-cost phones. Forgive me for quoting myself:

Increasingly, I find that flagship phones are mainly about luxuries instead of tangible benefits to most people. Those luxuries include screen quality, 5G, wireless charging, face unlock, speed, overall build quality, camera quality, and a smattering of other things.

Will the iPhone SE match the iPhone 11 or 11 Pro on most of those metrics? Nope. But when I wrote that I hadnt imagined that Apple would use its newest chip. The inclusion of the A13 Bionic means the SE will match the most luxurious phone on speed and on longevity.

I know Ive now brought up software updates twice now, but its super important. $399 spent on this iPhone SE means its less likely youll be forced to spend another $399 next year or the year after.

There are several things to be bummed about with the iPhone SE 2 starting with the fact that Apple calls it the second-generation iPhone SE, which is a bad name. Eventually well settle on what to call it, but until then prepare for iPhone SE, second-generation iPhone SE, iPhone SE 2, iPhone SE (2020), the new iPhone SE, and probably something I cant imagine right now. Ugh.

I kid, thats not really a real problem. Neither is the claim that this is just a parts bin phone. Yes, Apple is using a lot of parts that have been bouncing around its product lines for years. But, and I want you to really feel this: who cares? It doesnt matter how old the parts are if theyre good.

No, there are real issues we know about already just from the basics. For example, this form factor the same as the iPhone 6 isnt especially inspiring. I hate the size of the bezels. It seems like a petty complaint, but reducing them really does change your experience. You get more screen in a smaller body. Plus, its something most Android phones accomplished by putting a fingerprint sensor on the back or under the screen.

Speaking of size, this iPhone SE is larger than the last iPhone SE, which means that even small phones are big now, as Dan Seifert observed yesterday. Finding a truly good, truly small smartphone is nigh impossible right now.

And though I know many people will tell me to just get over it already, the fact that this low-cost iPhone lacks a traditional headphone jack is a bit of a bummer. Other low-cost Android phones explicitly include them. Bluetooth headphones arent just another thing to charge, theyre another thing to buy and another thing that could break.

Apple has a reputation for overcharging for hardware. Its become a point of contention in the flamewars between Apple, Windows, and Android stans. My take is that sometimes Apple is guilty and sometimes its not. The new MacBook Air is a great value. Selling Mac Pro wheels for $699 and literal metal posts for $299 is so incredibly hilarious that even pointing out that its become self-parody feels so obvious its embarrassing.

On that spectrum, the new iPhone SE (or whatever we decide to call it) is not just a good value for Apple. Its one of the very best values Ive seen in the smartphone market in years. In theory, at least: now we just have to test it and see if it lives up to its spec sheet.

Apples second-gen iPhone SE is here: all the news and details. Heres a story stream of all of our iPhone SE 2 coverage.

The iPhone SE 2s camera setup is going to lean on Apples software. Jon Porter on how Apples advances in image processing are going to be vital to this phones success.

Apples new iPhone SE doesnt come with custom U1 locator chip. Its not in the new iPad Pro with LiDAR either, where you would think it would make sense as the iPad Pro is practically designed for AR and AR development. I dont know whats up with the U1 chip (or AirTags), but increasingly it feels like something is weird about the whole thing.

Apples new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro goes up for preorder, ships next week. Heres something unexpected! Long ago I promised to share my thoughts on the trackpad support in iPadOS but havent really finished that thought yet. When I review this, I will.

Dells new XPS 13 is everything a Windows laptop should be. Monica Chin on what is going to be a contender for best Windows laptop of 2020, if not best laptop full stop:

The XPS 13 speaks for itself. This isnt a laptop thats trying to push boundaries or rewrite the rules; its just giving users what they want. I would take a better webcam, I would take better cooling, I would take a USB-A, and I would take a slightly more color-accurate screen. But none of those are glaring flaws because they arent big impediments to the user experience. And in the areas that matter most build, display, keyboard, touchpad, battery life, performance the XPS 13 doesnt just check all the boxes. It blows the boxes off the page.

The TurboGrafx-16 Mini is a great plug-and-play console that doubles as a history lesson. Andrew Webster reviews:

The TurboGrafx-16 Mini fills a different niche. For many people, it wont be a chance to revisit classic games from their youth, but instead an opportunity to discover a period of retro gaming they likely missed the first time.

Google and Apples COVID-19 tracking system cant save lives all on its own. Nicole Wetsman on what the rollout of this system should actually look like. Its clearly built to be part of a larger system of testing and communal action. If the latter doesnt come, the former wont be of use (and could actually be a detriment). As ever, we need more testing, more PPE, and consistent guidance from political leaders. All three are in short supply.

How GM and Ford switched out pickup trucks for breathing machines. Sean OKane explains how ventilators are much more complicated than you might realize.

Automakers are well-suited for these partnerships for a few reasons, according to Adrian Price, the global vehicle engineering director at Ford whos overseeing the companys ventilator effort. Not only do these companies already work with components that are similar to the ones found in ventilators, but cars are highly complex products that require a unique amount of knowledge, planning, coordination, and logistics to build.

Russia conducts another test of its missile system to take out satellites. Loren Grush explains many of the reasons why these tests are not a good idea.

ASAT tests are also widely condemned by many in the space community, as these demonstrations typically create hundreds to thousands of pieces of debris that can last for months, and even years, in orbit. Because these tests are high speed and high impact, the resulting debris can spread far and wide. Those pieces then pose a threat to other functioning spacecraft. A fast-moving piece of junk can render an operational satellite inoperable if they hit head on.

What Payment Status Not Available on the IRS coronavirus aid site means. Bad error messages are terrible in the best situations. Here, its awful, and Adi Robertson tells us exactly why this dark pattern is a huge problem.

How a new book about Instagram changes our understanding of the founders departure. Casey Newton has a review and some insight on Sarah Friers new book: No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram. Ive fallen out of my reading habit since I started working from home so much, but I am excited enough about this book that I think itll push me back into it again.

Ecobees new security camera doubles as an Alexa speaker. Dan Seifert looks at Ecobees new product line, which you can turn into an inexpensive home security system.

The device is actually just one piece of a new home security platform, which the company calls Haven. In addition to the new SmartCamera, Ecobee is also introducing SmartSensor for doors and windows, a combination entrance and motion sensor thats not unlike Googles Nest Detect.

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The new iPhone SE is a shockingly good value - The Verge

Who is Michael Jordan's real competition for the greatest NBA player of all time?

MJ's last championship run with the Chicago Bulls is captured in "The Last Dance," a 10-part documentary series debuting on ESPN on Sunday (9 p.m. ET). That sixth and final title helped Jordan earn a strong claim for GOAT status, with the Hall of Famer finishing No. 1 in ESPN's all-time NBArank in 2016.

But do legends such as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have a stronger case than Jordan? What about LeBron James? And what qualities make one player the GOAT?

Heading into the series premiere, our NBA experts answer the biggest questions about the best basketball players ever.

MORE: Remembering the greatness of Michael Jordan and the Bulls dynasty

Bobby Marks: I've got 10 on my list for discussion: Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James. If you ask me the same question in 10 years, that list might also include one current and one former Golden State Warrior: Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

Jackie MacMullan: For the purposes of this discussion, I have 11 players who need no introduction: Jordan, Russell, LeBron, Magic, Wilt, Oscar, Kareem, Shaq, Bird, Kobe and Jerry West.

Marc Spears: This conversation should definitely be a short one. The only former players I have are Magic, MJ, Wilt and Kareem, though I do go back-and-forth about Bird, Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Duncan, Kobe and Shaq. What keeps Russell off that list for me is that he was not a dominant force on the offensive end. The only current player who gets GOAT consideration is LeBron, but I do believe Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have potential to join that discussion.

Kevin Arnovitz: Poring over the list of greats, I can assemble a case for only five players -- Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, James, Jordan and Russell. This is a particularly difficult debate because digging into comprehensive statistics and footage from NBA history is damn near impossible. How many of even today's most rabid NBA fans under the age of 60 can say that they've watched more than a glimpse of Russell? How many of even the most advanced analysts can say that they have a real pulse on how to quantify Chamberlain's career based on the numbers available from his era?

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Kevin Pelton: I think four players have a legitimate case depending how you define what it means to be greatest: Jordan, James, Chamberlain and Russell. This seems unfair to Abdul-Jabbar, who plausibly had the best career of anyone before Jordan and LeBron, but of this group, he doesn't seem to dominate any single criteria except longevity.

Arnovitz: The GOAT should achieve sustained individual dominance over the long span of his career, coupled with team success. He should be among the very, very best for a very, very long time. He should also leave an indelible imprint on the game -- how we imagine basketball as an ideal, how we think of stardom, how those who come later adopt or appropriate his game.

MacMullan: There are great all-time players who have never won a championship, but everyone on my list has snagged at least one. West would have won multiple rings had he not annually run into the Russell/Bob Cousy/Sam Jones Celtics buzz saw. Game winners in clutch playoff situations also carry weight with me.

Spears: Winning multiple championships is certainly important to being a GOAT. So is leadership and the ability to make others better. You should not only succeed at multiple positions, but also on both ends of the floor. Handling defeat with grace is important. Having big moments in the biggest of games stands out. Enjoying the game and having a star personality is important too.

Pelton: To me, the question goes like this: If we put all players' careers in a draft, considering injuries and retirements, who would give the team you drafted the most championships? This means considering individual performance only to the extent that it drives championships, but also considering how the championships a player actually won are dependent on situation, teammates, coaching and good or bad fortune. I find it also appropriately balances the choice between peak value and longevity.

Marks: The same three characteristics that should be used when determining the MVP: wins, longevity and the impact that player had on his team.

2:03

Stephen A. Smith isn't ruling out the possibility of LeBron James catching up to Michael Jordan as a global brand.

MacMullan: Michael Jordan remains the greatest player of all time in my mind. His six championships were won in two different phases of his career with rotating supporting casts. MJ was a dominant offensive player who hit countless iconic game winners, but he was equally frightening on the defensive end. And he was a killer -- the most ruthless competition the game has ever seen.

The 10-part Michael Jordan documentary "The Last Dance" is here.

Latest updates, full schedule NBA experts on MJ's greatness Big moments from the premiere How to get ready for the doc

Spears: Magic Johnson, due to his ability to play four positions at an elite level, his ability to make everyone better, his leadership, his five championships and his shots in big games. Magic was the main reason the NBA grew into a giant before the Jordan explosion. Michael Jordan was the best scorer. Perhaps Bill Russell was the best defender. But overall, Magic was the best.

Pelton: By the definition I laid out in the previous question, it's LeBron, who has added another MVP-caliber season since I wrote about the Jordan-LeBron debate in the spring of 2018. Because he entered the NBA directly out of high school and never stepped away in his prime like Jordan, James gave his teams more great seasons. That is reflected by his record 12 All-NBA first team selections, as compared to 10 for Jordan, with one more surely in store whenever this unprecedented season concludes.

Arnovitz: Jordan. No matter which metric you prefer -- hard quant, traditional numbers, eye test, team dominance, stylistic influence, cultural impact -- Jordan rates at or near the top.

Marks: Jordan. I grew up a Knicks fan, and it felt like Jordan was superman each time he stepped on the court during those Bulls-Knicks playoff series. In 1998, I had an up-front seat to the first-round playoff series between the Bulls and Nets, and it felt automatic every time the ball left Jordan's hands.

Spears: A cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic might affect LeBron James' final legacy, because it could take away a potential championship that would add to his cause, but the LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and other teams would beg to differ on that argument. Either way, James already is in the GOAT discussion without question.

Arnovitz: Fiction. The modern NBA extends back for more than 70 seasons. Five weeks of basketball and, possibly, a postseason being canceled would be a blip in the historical sweep of the league and any conversation about its most distinguished players.

MacMullan: Fiction. It doesn't significantly alter the GOAT debate, but I'm sure fans of LeBron would feel cheated -- and they should. There's every reason to believe he had a chance to win his fourth ring, which would have inched him closer to Jordan's mother lode. But ring totals shouldn't be the only criteria -- if so, Russell would be everybody's choice.

Pelton: Given I've already picked LeBron as the GOAT, not really for me. I do think for the rest of the world, James' leading a third different team to a title would be an important validation of his career. From that standpoint, it would matter, and possibly significantly so.

Marks: Fiction. What LeBron has accomplished in his career is exceptional. But while James was on track to contend for his fourth championship this spring with the Lakers, nobody will top what Jordan accomplished in the '80s and '90s.

Arnovitz: Fact. Only two NBA players in history won a pair of MVP awards by the age of 25 -- Kareem and LeBron. Antetokounmpo likely will be the third. Whatever holes exist in his game or rsum at the present moment, there's ample time for Antetokounmpo to crack the code and situate himself squarely in that conversation.

MacMullan: Fact. Who knows what the future brings? Before his Achilles injury, I would have argued the versatile Kevin Durant had a chance at establishing himself as the best. Now, we'll see. Can we accurately forecast Zion Williamson or Luka Doncic so early in their careers? They both look like generational players to me, but can either evolve into the GOAT? Only time will tell.

Spears: Giannis has the ability to get into that conversation as he continues to grow as a player. The only thing he is lacking as a player is a 3-point shot, which will continue to grow.

Marks: Fiction. Giannis likely will win another MVP, but he doesn't have the full body of work, especially in the playoffs, to enter the conversation. The closest player under 30 is Kawhi Leonard, who has two championships and plays at an All-NBA level on both ends. It's hard for me to put Leonard in the GOAT debate, though, without knowing how his body will hold up for the rest of his career. Don't forget that Jordan played all 82 games nine times in his career. The most Leonard has played in a season is 74.

Pelton: It's certainly plausible for Antetokounmpo. And while he's got a lot more work to go, I think it's in the realm of possibility for Doncic, who was putting together one of the best age-20 seasons ever.

Original post:
NBA GOAT debate - Big questions on Michael Jordan and the greatest players ever - ESPN

In countries like South Korea, even though more women were tested positive for Covid-19, more men have died due to the deadly disease.(Photo: Reuters)

When it comes to fighting the deadly novel coronavirus which has killed over 2 million people globally, worldwide data suggest that the mortality rate is much higher in men than women.

In an exclusive interview to India Today, Dr Sharon Moalem, a Canadian-born physician and rare disease specialist, explained why women fared better in fighting Covid-19 than men.

"Females have two X chromosomes whereas males have one X and one Y chromosome. X chromosomes are necessary for survival and contain important genes related to the brain. Y chromosomes, on the other hand, are found only in males and are not crucial for survival. Men are more biologically fragile due to this," Dr Sharon Moalem, who is also the author of 'The Better Half: On the Genetic Superiority of Women' said.

In countries like South Korea, even though more women were tested positive for Covid-19, more men have died due to the disease.

"Men have more muscle mass and more physical strength and that doesn't mean longevity or long life. However, women -- who have XX chromosome --- are born with the advantage of longevity," Dr Moalem said.

'Men are biologically more fragile'

According to Dr Moalem, another reason why women are genetically tougher than men is that they have stronger immune systems due to the presence of estrogen in their body.

"Women, along with double XX chromosome power, also have hormones in their body like estrogen which is good for immunity. Men have testosterone which reduces immunity further. Men are more biologically fragile," Dr Moalem said.

Traditionally, women have always fared better than men when fighting an infection or famine. Women also fight cancer better, Dr Moalem said.

"This is because women have the power of double X power. This gives the female an advantage from the day they are born," Dr Moalem said.

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Why coronavirus is killing more men than women | Expert explains - India Today

Updated: May 25, 2018:

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USDOL Issues Opinion Letter On Inclusion of Longevity Bonus In The Regular Rate - JD Supra

Recessions save lives. This statistical truth has been a thorn in the side of capitalism and neoliberalism, and a befuddling conundrum for economists and sociologists. This conveniently ignored inconvenient truth has been the subject of much investigation, but none of the umpteen interdisciplinary studies probing the enigma have yielded substantial or convincing insight.

Perhaps the ideological perturbation posed to the Western world by this fact has held back its evaluation economic inequality. However, the advocates of economic booms have little to worry about unless theyre plutocrats. In the long term, the positive relationship between economic growth and longevity is well established.

A lot of reputable research literature exists depicting a just-as-consistent and certain association of periods of recessions with increased longevity. However, a similar volume of counter-indicative literature exists that criticizes the formers methodologies, proposes a lagging causality (delayed materialization of effects) of macroeconomic cycles and phases with life expectancies.

Even articles published in the worlds premier scientific journal Nature are divided on the issue. However, what we can be sure of is that every major recession period has been accompanied by a conspicuous decline in mortality rates.

The fact that notable recession events have gone hand-in-hand with conspicuously lower mortality rates has been known ever since William Ogburn and Dorothy Thomas, sociologists at New Yorks Columbia University, analyzed 50 years worth of US economic and mortality data. The duo, being seasoned and keen researchers, were wary of mistaking mere correlation for causality a classic attributive fallacy.

They inspected two probable pitfalls a possible lag between economic downturn and rise in deaths, that is, whether the adverse health effects of scarcity took effect after a while, and if documentation of deaths was more discreet and meticulous during booms. Their further scrutiny categorically ruled both of these out. Eminent social epidemiologist Edgar Sydenstricker wrote to the US Public Health Service in 1933, at the beginning of the Great Depression. Other major recession events follow suit.

According to statistics from the International Labor Organization, around 2.3 million people succumb to work-related accidents or diseases every year. ILO data also show that 340 million occupational incidents transpire annually, while 140 million victims suffer from occupation-related ailments.

Injuries claimed almost 5 million lives in 2016, about 30% of which were in road/traffic-related accidents, according to statistics presented as part of the Global Health Estimates by the World Health Organization.

In the same data, once can observe that the respiratory ailments chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infection, and cancer of the trachea, bronchus or lungs are three of the leading causes of death, consistently featuring in the top 10 places, with the former occupying two of the top five spots, year after year. Many of these cases are caused or contributed to by two man-made factors: pollution and chronic smoking. Smoking results in about 8.2 million deaths annually.

On the issue of air-pollution-related mortality, the WHO says, The combined effects of ambient (outdoor) and householdair pollutioncause about 7 million prematuredeaths every year, largely as a result of increasedmortalityfrom stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. The latest research puts it at 8 million.

Pollution and smoking can aggravate existing ailments and weaken the natural recuperative ability and tenacity of respiratory system exposing them to greater jeopardies and increased risks of complications posed by other respiratory ailments. Recent research published in Cardiovascular Research found that air pollution reduces average human life expectancy by three years (for comparison, smoking takes off 2.2 years) and put the annual toll for 2015 at 8.8 million. Water pollution caused 1.8 million deaths in the same year.

During the current Covid-19 pandemic, strict lockdowns are averting workplace accidents, preventing narcotic consumption, reducing vehicular and industrial pollution, and precluding transport-related fatalities. These are the same factors that contribute to a lowering of mortality rates during recessions.

Moreover, less work during recessions also very often translates to more sleep, better diet (carefully home-cooked, balanced and nutritious), less work-related stress, and more opportunity for exercise, leading to amelioration of cardiovascular problems.

Having less money to spare also lowers the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol. Having more time to dedicate to leisurely, creative or recreative pursuits and being with family could also enhance bodily and mental integrity and extend lifespans.

All these factors are currently being amplified during strict nationwide stay-at-home quarantines. Of course, the increased chance of deaths in home accidents such as falling-related injuries, fires, and suffocation should be factored in this. Nevertheless, a protracted and largely unrelenting lockdown is bound to reduce the death rate, given that it eliminates the scopes of multiple leading causes of death.

Economists have foreseen a watershed recession for more than a month now it is now more of a matter of when than if, while some suspect it has already begun. The pandemic has impeded and obstructed supply-chain flows, upset supply-demand equilibria, and incapacitated resource procurement and most forms of production. Social distancing and lockdowns have adversely affected the economy.

Not only does a lockdown exert the same, and more pronounced, effects on longevity as a recession does, but it also leads to recession itself. There is an increase in mortality caused by the disease competing with an increase in longevity caused by industrial, technological and economic incapacitation together these determine the influence of the crisis on life expectancy. There thus exists an optimal point, a sweet spot, for life expectancy that lies at the intersection of primarily three interplaying factors: the extent of the spread of Covid-19, the longevity extension caused by preventive measures, and the longevity extension due to the recession caused thereby.

Of course, the human socioeconomic and political-policy response to it, the lingering of disease-related apprehension, the persistence of precaution, and the permanence of institutional change it ushers in, will determine its specifics. The pandemic is expected to leave a lasting impact not only practically and institutionally but also normatively, ideologically, and psychologically. Hence it would not be an overstatement to say that there might just exist a silver lining amid this morbid semblance, just not a very conspicuous one.

The very existence of this rather obscure bright side depends on how we deal with the epidemic the spread, the mortality rate, and the flattening of the curve the pivotal sweet spot is the fulcrum of the teetering see-saw of demographics, either end of which dips into decrement.

However, the key takeaway is not the greater good or some statistical satisfaction, but a realization of how neglectful we are of threats non-acute in nature those as ubiquitous, sizable and as invisible as the coronavirus, that result from our own actions yet occur so unsystematically and regularly that we stay blissfully ignorant of them. Omnipresent slow killers such as pollution and smoking abound in our world, yet we casually tuck them away in a conveniently remote recess of the mind, informed yet tantalisingly unaware.

Let us not derive a figment of solace and consolation from the salubrious effects of the pandemic but acknowledge the multitude of equally sizaable and pressing hazards that our daily environments abound in, that just happen to be exposed by a competing, more conspicuous and acute threat.

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Recessions, longevity and the Covid-19 sweet spot - Asia Times

Longevity has played a part in the selections of some of our top 10 Bruins of all-time, but had nothing to do with us choosing Phil Esposito at No. 3 on our list.

He arrived via a trade in 1967 and left the same way in 1975 both deals whoppers for the ages that would have major impacts on the organization. In between he played just 625 games in Black and Gold, the fewest of any modern era skater other than Cam Neely on our list.

But in those eight-plus seasons in Boston, Esposito was the catalyst for the most explosive offensive juggernaut the league had seen to that point and was one of the great characters of arguably the most beloved team in Bostons rich sports history.

In the spring of 1967, the Bs already had a kid in Bobby Orr who would become the greatest defenseman in NHL history and, yes, here in Boston still the greatest player ever but hockey is all about depth. That was provided when the Bs incoming GM Milt Schmidt pulled off a heist, sending forward Pit Martin, defenseman Gilles Marotte and goalie prospect Jack Norris to Chicago for Esposito, Fred Stanfield and Ken Hodge.

Martin would be a mainstay on a very good Blackhawks team, Marotte bounced around the NHL for 10 more years and Norris played 35 more NHL games.

Esposito made the Bruins a cultural phenomenon.

In Chicago, the Blackhawks had the top goal-scorer in the league at that time in Bobby Hull. His centerman Esposito was primarily Hulls playmaker, but that perception would be irrevocably shattered in short order when he arrived in Boston.

Esposito became the first player to break the 100-point mark in a season, posting 49-77-126 totals in 1968-69. As a team, they would finally break through the next year, winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 29 years.

The next regular season was not only his finest, but the best the league had ever seen from a forward to that point. On March 11, 1971, Esposito, parked in his usual spot in the slot, redirected a Ted Green shot for his 59th goal of the season in a rout of the Los Angeles Kings in the then-Great Western Forum, breaking his former linemate Hulls record of 58.

But he didnt stop there. Esposito potted 76 goals that year, along with 76 assists for 152 points (another record at the time) in 78 games. With linemates Wayne Cashman and Ken Hodge comprising a first line that was impossible to contain, Esposito would hold the records for most goals and points for another decade until Wayne Gretzky came along and rewrote the book. Esposito captured the Art Ross Trophy five times in his eight full seasons with the Bs while Orr won it twice in that time, keeping the award in Boston seven straight seasons (Chicagos Stan Mikita won the award in 1967-68).

While Orr won the Conn Smythe Award as playoff MVP in the Cup seasons of 70 and 72, Esposito was no slouch in the postseason. In the first Cup season he posted 13-14-27 totals in 14 games and in the second Cup run he had 9-15-24 in 15 games. In 71 playoff games with the Bruins, Esposito notched 46-56-102 totals. His 1.437 points per playoff game average is second only to Barry Pedersons 1.529 (20-32-52 in 34 games).

Through all those wild times, Esposito seemed like the life of the party and apparently he was. In a story that epitomized the togetherness of those Big, Bad Bruins, Esposito had once been playfully kidnapped from Mass General Hospital by his teammates. He suffered torn knee ligaments in the second game of a first round series against the Rangers in 1973, thus contributing to an early exit by the Bs. As the story goes, the team decided it could not hold its break-up dinner at the Branding Iron bar without Esposito so dressed in hospital gear, his teammates surreptitiously wheeled him out of the hospital, still in his johnny, and took him straight to the bar.

Good times like that cant last forever, and they didnt.

On Nov. 7, 1975, GM Harry Sinden traded Esposito and defenseman Carol Vadnais to the New York Rangers in exchange for Brad Park the best defenseman in the league not named Orr and classy centerman Jean Ratelle.

The move kept the Bruins among the elite teams in the league and is widely regarded as a big win for the team, but the trade could not quite lift the Bs back to the heights that it achieved with Esposito roaming the slot.

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Phil Esposito owned the slot like no other Bruin - Boston Herald

Life expectancy in the United States is about 78 years, though longevity is not without medical concerns. As many as one in three Americans will develop malignant cells in their lifetime. While the scientific community has significantly increased their understanding of cancer in recent years and applied that knowledge to treatment, prevention research remains a top priority; however, since cancer is a series of diseases, the exact cause is not always known. Genetics plays an important role, yet so does diet and lifestyle.

Dr. Kevin Dalby, professor of chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, is studying the mechanisms of cancer cells and currently working on cancer drug discovery. His research primarily focuses on developing targeted therapeutics, but he does acknowledge that specific behavioral changes can help lower a persons risk for cancer. The Harvard School of Public Health estimates that 75% of American cancer deaths could be prevented if tactics are adopted on a mass scale.

Below, Dr. Kevin Dalby reviews practical behavioral choices that anyone can take up to help prevent cancer, thus reducing the risk of the emotional and the financial burden inflicted by this crippling disease.

Avoid Tobacco

The correlation between tobacco use and cancer is staggering. In the United States, one out of every five deaths is related to tobacco. Moreover, cigarette smoking accounts for 85-90% of lung cancer deaths and 70% of oral and laryngeal cancer deaths.

Tobacco use (smoking or chewing) is a difficult habit to quit. Still, it could help you as well as those around you (secondhand smoke kills) avoid a future collision with the following cancers: lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix, and kidney.

Limit Alcohol

Research has yet to pinpoint exactly how alcohol influences your susceptibility for cancer, but excess use does increase the risk for mouth, throat, liver, colon, rectal, and breast cancer. Men should limit their acholic beverages to two a day and women to one. For context, one drink equates to approximately twelve ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or one and a half ounces of liquor.

Eat A Healthy Diet

40% of cancers are associated with dietary factors: habits, foods, and nutrients all play a role. The American Cancer Society suggests a daily nutritional regimen consisting of whole grains, fish or poultry, and a variety of vegetables and fruits to lower your risk for cancer. Try to limit red and processed meats, eat fewer sweets, and reduce your intake of saturated fats.

Exercise

Regular physical activity helps you maintain a healthy weight, control blood pressure, and may lower the risk for several types of cancer such as colon, prostate, and even breast cancer. Obesity is especially of paramount importance since it has been linked to 20% of all cancer-related deaths.

Adults should strive to exercise moderately for 150 minutes each week. Alternatively, you can aim for 75 minutes of vigorous activity if that suits your lifestyle better.

Sun Protection

Skin cancer is common but also preventable. To reduce your risk, proportionately apply sunscreen, avoid the sun at midday if possible when its rays are most reliable, cover exposed skin and forgo tanning beds and sunlamps, which are just as dangerous as actual sunlight.

Regular Medical Care

Cancer may not be entirely preventable, but if caught early, your chances of survival improve drastically. Schedule regular checkups with your doctor, be transparent, and ask what tests make sense for you. Depending on your sex, age, and medical history, your doctor may recommend screenings for breast, cervical, colon, lung, or prostate cancer.

About Dr. Kevin Dalby:

Dr. Kevin Dalby has been interested in the why of chemical reactions since he was a student at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Organic Chemistry. This curiosity has led to his interest in the processes of cell signaling, and ultimately to cancer research. Dr. Dalbys research areas include biochemistry, cancer, cell biology, chemical biology, drug discovery & diagnostics, and enzymology.

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Dr. Kevin Dalby on How to Decrease Your Risk of Developing Cancer - Thrive Global

Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs) are future pension strategies that can be used in your Traditional IRA and some select employer sponsored plans. QLACs were first introduced in 2014 by the IRS and the Treasury Department as a way for people to used their qualified (i.e. IRA) assets to plan for future lifetime income guarantees. Social Security payments were never put in place to be the sole source of income in retirement. Our government (i.e. IRS & Treasury Department) want QLACs to be that additional source as part of your overall income floor guarantees.

QLAC funding rules for 2020 is the lesser of 25% of your total IRA assets or $135,000. If you and your spouse/partner have an Traditional IRA, each of you can own a QLAC and add the other spouse/partner for "Joint Life" income.

QLAC income has to be turned on by age 85. You don't have to defer that long for income to start. It can begin as soon as age 72, and the lifetime income stream can be contractually structured so that 100% of any unused money goes to your listed beneficiaries on the policy when you die. The annuity company is on the hook to pay regardless of how long you live.

Contact Stan The Annuity Man for the best and highest QLAC quotes with all carriers using Stan's proprietary annuity calculators. You can also receive Stan's QLAC Owner's Manual for free and under no obligation, and see a live feed of the best fixed rates for your specific state of residence.

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Qualified Longevity Annuity Contract Pros and Cons - TheStreet

Updated: May 25, 2018:

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Labor Department Issues Guidance on Calculating FLSA Regular Rate - JD Supra

The coronavirus pandemic has forced governments to face excruciating trade-offs. Benefit-cost analysis is a standard framework for making policy trade-offs, and some have suggested that it be used to make policy trade-offs in this pandemic. But benefit-cost analysis is flawed. We can do better.

The spread of this horrific virus has put front and center two types of trade-offs: Risk-income and risk-risk (risk here meaning fatality risk).

Shutting down businesses to enforce social distancing helps to flatten the curve, reducing individuals risks of dying from COVID-19. A flatter curve gives more time for the development of antivirals, the production of needed protective gear and medical devices and ultimately a vaccine. But a shutdown lowers individuals incomes. Income is reduced dramatically during the shutdown itself, and then later too if the shutdown causes a recession. How much should we as a society pay in lower incomes for a given flattening of the curve? This is a risk-income trade-off.

Looming shortages of gloves, masks and ventilators force us to think about rationing. Protective gear reduces fatality risk by lowering infection risk. Should police officers take priority over grocery store clerks in receiving N95 masks? This is a risk-risk trade-off. Medical devices cut down fatality risk among the infected. Which seriously ill patients should be put on ventilators if there arent enough ventilators for all? Should younger patients take priority over older ones? Again, a risk-risk trade-off.

Benefit-cost analysis is widely used by economists, and is now the dominant policy-analysis methodology in the federal government. It works as follows. Each positive or negative impact of a policy is converted into a monetary equivalent by asking how much individuals are willing to pay (for a positive impact) or willing to accept (in exchange for a negative one). The social value of a policy is calculated as the sum of the monetary equivalents for its positive impacts minus the sum of the monetary equivalents for its negative ones.

Valuing fatality risk reduction is nothing new for benefit-cost analysis. The linchpin is the so-called value per statistical life (VSL). An individuals willingness to pay for a risk reduction is just the risk reduction multiplied by VSL. Imagine that Felicias VSL is $6 million. This means that Felicia is willing to pay $6 for a 1-in-1 million risk reduction, $60 for a 1-in-100,000 risk reduction and $600 for a 1-in-10,000 risk reduction.

In principle, VSL varies among individuals. Felicias willingness to pay for risk reduction need not be the same as Victors. Textbook benefit-cost analysis says to convert individuals risk reductions into monetary equivalents using individual-specific VSLs. But this approach has dramatically counterintuitive implications when it comes to risk-risk trade-offs. Because richer individuals tend to have higher VSLs, textbook benefit-cost analysis gives them priority in risk reduction. It implies that richer patients should get priority in receiving ventilators.

The U.S. government in practice deviates from textbook benefit-cost analysis by using a single VSL for everyone (a population average). The number used is generally around $10 million. Benefit-cost analysis with a single VSL avoids giving priority to the rich in risk-risk trade-offs, but it has other difficulties.

First, it fails to give priority to the young in risk-risk tradeoffs. Do we really think that a rationing scheme for ventilators should not differentiate between 30 year-olds and 70 year-olds?

Second, benefit-cost analysis (whether we use individual-specific VSLs or a population average) is completely insensitive to the distribution of income. It surely matters how the costs of a shutdown are distributed across economic groups which in turn depends on the details of the fiscal policies that government puts in place to mitigate those costs. But benefit-cost analysis ignores income distribution; it says that society should be indifferent to whether the costs of a shutdown are borne by the poor, the middle class or the rich.

We can do better. A different methodology is sometimes used in economics, especially for tax policy and climate change. This methodology is called the social welfare function. Rather than translate policy impacts into monetary equivalents, this framework translates them into utilities. An individuals utility is a measure of her strength of preference for various goods (longevity, income, health and so forth). If Abigail prefers one bundle of goods to a second, the first bundle gets a higher utility.

Weve written about how the social-welfare-function approach can be applied to risk policies. In a nutshell, each cohort of similarly situated individuals (for example, age groups subdivided by income) can be seen as facing a lottery over longevity-income bundles. A given governmental policy shifts the lottery that each cohort faces. The simplest, utilitarian, version of this framework assigns a social value to a policy by summing expected utilities across cohorts. A different version, prioritarianism, gives extra weight to the worse off. As weve demonstrated, this methodology has important advantages over benefit-cost analysis when it comes to risk-income and risk-risk trade-offs. It gives preference to the young in risk-risk tradeoffs, but either mitigates (utilitarian) or eliminates (prioritarian) the preference for the rich. Moreover, it is sensitive to the distribution of costs preferring that income losses be borne by those higher up the socioeconomic ladder.

Benefit-cost analysis is a serviceable tool for grappling with trade-offs, but it can be improved on and the social-welfare-function framework shows how.

Matthew Adler is a professor of law at Duke Law School. James Hammitt is a professor of economics and decision sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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A better way to grapple with benefit-cost trade-offs in a pandemic | TheHill - The Hill

USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis breaks down the grades of some NFL teams after an eventful free agency period. USA TODAY

Bill Belichick still isn't in any mood to talk about Tom Brady.

Monday, the New England Patriots coach held a pre-draft conference call, the first time he'd spoken to reporters since Jan. 5 the day after the perennial AFC East champs' wild-card loss to the Tennessee Titans.

That playoff ouster also will represent the final time Brady, now a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, suited up for the team that he led to nine Super Bowls and six Lombardi Trophies after New England drafted him in 2000.

"It would be of course impossible to sum up everything Tom did in 20 years into a comment, then or now," Belichick said Monday, according to The Boston Globe.

"Right now we're moving forward and focused on the draft here on this call."

For the first time since 2000, Tom Brady (12) and Patriots coach Bill Belichick won't be on the same sideline.(Photo: Greg M. Cooper, USA TODAY Sports)

Back in January, Belichick Mr. "We're on to Cincinnati," his mantra intended to keep the Patriots always looking ahead wanted to talk about the loss to the Titans, not Brady's future. Nowit's all about the draft, not reflecting on Brady's contributions over two stellar decades in Foxborough.

In between, on March 17, Belichick did say this of Brady, after he announced his intention to leave the Patriots: "Tom and I will always have a great relationship built on love, admiration, respect and appreciation.Toms success as a player and his character as a person are exceptional.Nothing about the end of Toms Patriots career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was.With his relentless competitiveness and longevity, he earned everyones adoration and will be celebrated forever.It has been a privilege to coach Tom Brady for 20 years.

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"Sometimes in life, it takes some time to pass before truly appreciating something or someone but that has not been the case with Tom.He is a special person and the greatest quarterback of all-time."

Yet now, Belichick is unsurprisingly planning for life after Brady, second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham currently the only quarterback listed on the team's roster. Veteran Brian Hoyer has agreed to return to the team in 2020, however his signing has yet to be officially announced.

Stidham threw only four passes in three brief appearances as a rookie but seems likely to get first crack at taking over for TB12.

The Patriots hold the 23rd pick of next week's NFL draft but don't pick again until No. 87, deep in the third round. Among this year's top passing prospects, Oregon'sJustin Herbert and Utah State'sJordan Love are the most realistic targets, but either might require a move up in Round 1.

Predictably, Belichick spoke in generalities about this year's incoming crop of passers, which also includesincludes LSU's Joe Burrow, Alabama'sTua Tagovailoa, Oklahoma'sJalen Hurts, Georgia'sJake Fromm and Washington'sJacob Eason.

Burrow is expected to be the first pick off the board to the Bengals, whileTagovailoa is widely projected as a top-five selection.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis

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Bill Belichick on Tom Brady: Patriots 'moving forward and focused on the draft' - USA TODAY

The quality of a romantic comedy depends almost entirely on how much we root for the central couple. But sometimes, even in a good film, the couple falls short. Below, I have given scientifically calculated percentages for the likelihood that these couples stayed (happily!) together after the events of the film. Sony Pictures Releasing

Don't ask me how I got these numbers. Let's just say I crunched them. That sounds legitimate.

They definitely had a hot fling for a bit, but no WAY did they end up together. He was SUCH a dick to her and she didn't deserve that.

Cady and Aaron barely had one real conversation the whole movie. She only liked him because he was hot, and it was unclear why he liked her. Plus, he went off to college the next year! I doubt they stayed together past a few months of college.

Sandy totally changed herself for Danny!!! Even if they did last, Sandy would've grown to resent him for this. She probably sang an epic breakup ballad and dumped his ass.

Oh boy, I'm going to get a lot of hate for this one, but...Jake sucked. Their relationship sucked. There was way too much fighting and there was a REASON they were getting divorced. If it did last, it was a very unhappy marriage.

They might have stayed together, but I don't think they were happy. Their relationship started with an inherent power imbalance, and I don't think that would ever really change.

Like Mean Girls, this is another one where the characters really didn't know each other. AT ALL. Did they even have a conversation? I find it unlikely they stayed together, but since we really know nothing about them as a couple, it's hard to say.

They shared an emotional bond, but Austin was kind of a fuckboy and Sam deserved better. But they did go to the same college, so maybe they made it work there. I'm doubtful, though.

I don't know how they fell in love, because neither of them were themselves for pretty much the entirety of the movie. I feel like they just got caught up in the drama and passion, but who knows. Maybe they made it work once they revealed their true selves.

I'm actually a little unsure about both couples in this movie, but especially Amanda and Graham. They clearly had great chemistry and a good connection, but all the reasons they decided not to be together (before Amanda changed her mind) were really valid. I'm just not sure they would've been able to work out the logistics. I feel like the passion would start to fade.

This is such a fun movie, and I love Margaret and Andrew together, but I'm not sure they went the distance. I'm sure it put a strain on their relationship to get married before they really started dating, and I'm just not sure they were able to get over the power dynamic of their past. However, I do believe Andrew made Margaret better, and I rooted for them for sure!

I love Amy and Aaron together, and by the end of the film Amy had really stepped up and fought for that relationship. But I can't be sure she didn't fall back into old habits. I hope they ended up together forever, but it's hard to tell!

Look, this love story spanned DECADES! Even Will's daughter rooted for them!! He was so enamored with her and still thought of her so many years later. I truly believe their love could go the distance!! However, April was scared of commitment, so I can't say with certainty.

I don't believe in them quite as much as Allegra and Albert, because I feel like there were more lies here. But I also loved them together and I loved that Sara was really strong and independent and said what she felt. I think they were good for each other, and I'm hoping they made it work!!

First of all, Jamie and Dylan were really upfront with each other and had really great communication about sex, which we don't usually see in rom-coms. So we know that aspect of the relationship was good! PLUS, their relationship was built on an already strong friendship! I could see them as partners forever for sure.

I TOTALLY got why Scarlet wanted a divorce. But after turning into a teenager and discovering that even if he could go back, he'd make the same decisions, he learned to truly appreciate his wife again. I'm pretty sure they lived happily ever after!

Look, I know their whole relationship was sort of built on a lie since Albert hired Hitch to help him, but in the end it was revealed Allegra was just as dorky as him and loved all the things about him that Hitch told him to hide. They were SO CUTE together and I was so happy to see them get married at the end. I feel like they could entertain each other for decades.

Nick was willing to leave his family behind for Rachel, but Rachel wouldn't let him because she didn't want to tear apart his family. She truly fought for him, but in the end she wanted what was best. I was so glad they ended up together and I believe they stayed together for sure!

This movie tore my heart out!!! I was SO happy Jenna was able to go back and make things right with Matty so that they ended up together in the end. Jenna really truly loved Matty and just wanted him to be happy so much so that she was able to let him go!!! And Matty was amazing from the start. They were perfect for each other!!

Tell me that Hannah and Jacob were not MEANT FOR EACH OTHER!!!!! They are my fave rom-com couple EVER because they knew how to laugh together, and I truly believe they made each other better.

Apr. 10, 2020, at 19:02 PM

We referred to Albert from Hitch as Alfred a couple times. Oops!

Originally posted here:
I Have Some Strong Opinions On The Longevity Of These Rom-Com Couples So I Ranked Them - BuzzFeed

In two weeks, Larryand Mary Centolawill celebrate their marriage of 74 years, marking a joyous occasion amidst a worsening pandemic that has upended American life.

Its so sad. So many people have died, Mary, 94, said. I always count our blessings. I wake up in the morning, and I say: Thank you, God, for blessing us with another day of good health.

Like millions of otherLong Islanders, the New Hyde Park couple is hunkering down at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Neighbors are helping the Centolas, whose ages make them among the most susceptible to COVID-19, get groceries and necessities.

This year, the celebration will be small.

We will just toast to each other and wish each other another happy year, Mary said. I dont think I have any champagne left. So it will have to be wine.

As the nations annual divorce rate hovers between 40%and 50%, the Centolas nearly three-quarter-century marriage has left many wondering about the secret to their longevity, including North Hempstead Town Clerk Wayne Wink,who asked the coupleabout it during a Valentines Day celebration.

Mary, a devoutCatholic, attributed it to a lot of patience, love, understanding and faith.

Larry, 95, recounted the day they met in 1945, at a department store in Jamaica, Queens, where his future wife worked. He fought in World War IIand was on convalescent furlough when he accompanieda friend visiting his girlfriend at work.

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I was very lucky to meet Mary by mistake, Larry told dozens of couples at the North Hempstead Town celebration. When I talked to herI said to myself: Shes a nice girl. So I said: Would you like to go for coffee? So from coffee, we were married.

The couple wed in a Queens church on April 28, 1946. Three years later, they moved into their home. Mary worked for the New York Telephone Company for 25 years, and Larry wasa jeweler in Manhattan for 45 years. They have no children.

They are not transient,said Denise Siciliano, Marys niece, whom the Centolas regard as their daughter.Im in my third house. They dont want to upset their applecart. Its their routine.

Siciliano, 70, of Westlake Village, California, went through a divorce in her 20s and said she believes her aunt and uncle are well-suited for each other.

When you know its right, its right, said Siciliano, who remarried and has been wed tohusbandArthurfor 45 years. Each of them are everything to each other. And its been like that since they got married.

The Centolas said they dont know thatthey have a secret to the longevity of their union. Larry said they enjoy each others company. Mary said she loves his carefree attitude and humor, and recalled a joke he told about hishospital stay after being bombed out of a foxhole in Germany.

He was knocked out unconscious for six days, Mary said.He woke up on Christmas Day and heard people singing. He thought he was in heaven.

Lasting love

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Larry & Mary + love and marriage = 74 - Newsday

As the facts surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic continue to change at a moments notice, its important to stay informed on the latest news. Doing so can help us make informed decisions to better protect our health. However, as important as it is to stay up to date with the latest news, could we also be harming our mental health?

Its understandable that we all want to spend our free time reading everything about the coronavirus as it helps to provide us with a sense of control, which is what we need during these uncertain times. However, its clear that absorbing too much bad news can be harmful to both our mental and physical health.

According to a survey from the American Psychological Association, most adults admitted to following the news regularly, but 56 % shared that doing so causes them stress. Now with that said, why do we still find ourselves glued to our screens, enamored with every sensational headline?

The fact is being informed allows us to develop tools that we can use to better protect ourselves. Unfortunately, being informed can often come as a cost to our mental health. For instance, research published in the British Journal of Psychology found that after just 14 minutes of watching bad news, participants began to experience negative effects on their mental health. Whats more, heightened stress levels can weaken your immune system, which is the last thing you need especially now.

However, this doesnt mean that you should give up on staying informed and engaged. In fact, there are ways for you to stay informed without compromising your mental health.

Similar to how you establish screen time limits for your kids, you should also set your own time limits when it comes to reading the news. Clicking on a link with a sensational headline can catapult you down a rabbit hole of never-ending information. However, by setting an alarm, you can pull yourself out before you get in too deep and compromise your mental health.

Try to figure out how much time youll need to read the news, and set an actual timer on your phone, be it for 5, 15, or 30 minutes or even an hour. You should then decide how many times a day youll do it for say reading the news for 15 minutes three times per day. Once the time is up, close all your apps or tabs related to the news, and dont open it up again until the next time, or day.

In addition to timing yourself when it comes to reading the news, you should also remember to allocate time to other activities that are good for your mental health. This includes exercising, reading, or any other healthy hobbies.

Different news sources help to provide you with more perspective when it comes to current affairs. However, the constant and multiple news alerts and notifications on your phone can get overwhelming, raising your stress levels.

As such, it would be advisable to limit your notifications and only allow news alerts from sites that you deem necessary. In fact, more information is not necessarily the best way to stay informed. Instead of allowing a barrage of notifications to fill up your phone, rather choose just two or three of the most credible sources and ignore the rest. Sites such as the CDC and the WHO organization are the best sources as they provide the latest, and the most credible information surrounding the coronavirus.

When a news story breaks, were all glued to CNN or refreshing our Twitter timelines in an effort to get the latest updates. While normal, this action can affect your mental health. This is because when a news story breaks, it takes a while to get all the facts straight and oftener than not, the information we see online is more so based on half-truths, speculations, and even conspiracy theories. As a result, these stories may serve to get our attention, but they also serve to increase anxiety and stress levels.

As it takes some time for journalists to collect all the facts, it would be advisable to wait for them to provide a more accurate and well-rounded report.

The last thing you want is to be going to bed with news anxiety, as this will disrupt your sleep, and this is the last thing you need. In addition to weakening your immune system, lack of quality sleep can also affect your mental health by increasing the risk of depression.

Its important to never check the news before bed. This is because you want enough time during the day to process the information. During the day, if you read something that raises your stress levels, youll be able to engage in stress-relieving techniques such as yoga or meditation. Its also advisable to not sleep with your phone too close to you as you may be tempted to read the news as soon as you wake up.

With the constant influx of infection rates and death tolls, the news can get quite depressing. However, its important to remember that there are good things happening in the world. The bad news does not provide a full picture of the days events.

Reading good news can help to relieve some stress accumulated by bad news. So, try to read up on some human interest stories or you can also follow sites like the Good News Network, Positive News, and Optimist Daily.

In addition to getting some good news, you should also try focusing on issues that you can help solve. As the coronavirus pandemic has affected various people in different ways, why dont you go out of your way to research how you can help them? For ways to get involved, or help make a change, check out Global Givings Coronavirus Relief Fund.

Starting your day reading bad news can affect your mood. So, its important to start your day on a more positive note.

Try starting your day by listening to a relaxing podcast that boosts your mood, exercising, meditating, or by even enjoying a cup of coffee on your porch, enjoying the tranquil silence.

If youve been consuming the news, and youre feeling overwhelmed, its important not to suppress your feelings. Doing so can make things worse.

Instead, try reaching out to a friend or family member and talk about your feelings. Additionally, your area may be on lockdown, but psychologists and counselors are still operating online. Therefore, dont shy away from contacting your nearest mental health counseling group.

Yes, you should reach out if you are feeling overwhelmed with crippling coronavirus anxiety. However, you can also make the conscious decision not to discuss the coronavirus if you believe that doing so affects your mental health.

When it comes to the coronavirus, everyone has an opinion, and theyre each looking to share it. As a result, we often feel forced into a conversation. However, youre allowed to not engage if you feel that doing so can bring your mood down. Feel free to change the subject to something more positive.

If all else fails, feel free to simply step back and unplug.

Youre allowed to protect your mental health. If you feel that you need to disconnect from time to time, feel free to do so. Uninstall all your social media apps and disconnect from all news outlets for a period of time. Ask a close friend or family member to only alert you if something is going on that you need to know about.

Yes, its important to stay up to date with the news as this can help us to make more informed decisions. Unfortunately, too much news can affect our health, and thats the last thing we need right now.

Thankfully, there are ways to protect our health and stay informed.

Johnston, W.M. and Davey, G.C.L. (1997), The psychological impact of negative TV news bulletins: The catastrophizing of personal worries. British Journal of Psychology, 88: 85-91. DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8295.1997.tb02622.x

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