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Flexibility: How it Impacts More than Your Muscles

Flexibility: How it Impacts More than Your Muscles

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

Whether you attend the gym or sit in the office daily; you probably have tight muscles and may know little about flexibility. Do you experience neck or back pain? Do you feel aches and tightness when moving your arms and legs? Many people are unable to perform simple movements and thousands are suffering from back and neck pain. Please keep reading; your flexibility is more important than you realize.

In the Foundations of Strength Training and Conditioning book, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines flexibility as a joint’s ability to move through its full range of motion (ROM). Enhanced joint flexibility can reduce the risk of injuries, improve your muscle balance and function, increase performance, improve posture and reduce the incidence of lower back pain.

According to the Human Kinetics website, a fitness and human movement organization, flexibility is necessary to perform your daily activities; getting out of bed, lifting objects and sweeping the floor require some level of flexibility, but unfortunately it deteriorates with age. Over time you create body movements and postural habits that can lead to reduced ROM in your joints, but staying active and stretching regularly can help prevent the loss of mobility. Being flexible significantly reduces the chance of experiencing occasional and chronic back pain.

Poor flexibility means more difficulty when performing your daily activities and can cause joint stiffness, muscle tightness, lower back pain and other postural, and health related problems. A study posted in the American Journal of Physiology has associated poor flexibility with arterial stiffening. Arterial stiffening is called arteriosclerosis and it influences how hard your heart has to work to pump blood through your body. Myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke are both a direct consequence of atherosclerosis.

Flexibility training can help you maintain appropriate muscle length. According to the ACSM, muscle shortening can take place over time and flexibility training helps improve muscle balance. If you’re sitting for long periods daily then you may have tight and shortened hamstring and hip flexor muscles that could be causing you lower back pain. Flexibility training helps improve muscular weaknesses and is thought to reduce the risk of injury. It can also improve your posture and your ability to move, relieve stress and reduce the risk of low-back pain.

ACSM suggests the best method for improving flexibility is to perform activities in their full ROM and to engage in a safe stretching program. It’s ill-advised to stretch when you haven’t warmed up, so stretching after your body is warmed up or at the end of a workout is ideal. A simple warm-up could consist of running in place for a few minutes, or by performing some other low level activities that increase your body temperature.

According to Full-Body Flexibility, the book explains how static and dynamic stretches are the most common techniques you can use to improve your flexibility. For static stretching, you merely stretch your muscles by holding the position for 10-30 seconds. Stretching should be done carefully, and with proper technique and breathing; never force yourself into positions or hurry through your routine. Take your time.

Dynamic stretching is another form where you mimic the patterns and movements of the exercise or sport you’re about to perform. If you’re about to play a sport or lift weights you would perform the activities with low resistance first to get your body ready for the real work.

Static stretching and dynamic stretching are your safest options. You can perform stretches alone or have a trained partner take you through the movements. I suggest you stretch your entire body, but pay special attention to your tighter muscles; for many of you this means your hamstrings, hip flexors, rear, lower back, wrists, shoulders, rotator cuffs and neck.

Flexibility means moving a joint through its full ROM and improving flexibility is also strongly associated with managing back pain. Warm up before you stretch and try using dynamic and static stretching techniques. Flexibility means balance; poor flexibility could result in loss of basic function and could lead to health and posture related problems.

  • Ratamess, Nicholas A. “Warm up and Flexibility.” ACSM’s Foundations of Strength Training and Conditioning. Michigan: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012. Print.
  • Yamamoto, K., Kawano, H., & Gando, Y. (2009). Poor trunk flexibility is associated with arterial stiffening.American Journal of Physiology, 297(4).  doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00061.2009. Epub 2009 Aug 7.
  • “The Importance and Purpose of Flexibility.” Human-kinetics. Can-Fit-Pro. Web. 31 Aug. 2015.   humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/the-importance-and-purpose-of-flexibility.
  • Blahnik, Jay. “Stretching Basics.” Full-Body Flexibility. 2nd ed. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication. 2011. Print.

Overtraining: Are You Exercising Too Much?

Overtraining: Are You Exercising Too Much?

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

Our exercise goals are important to us. We strive and struggle through so much to reach our markers. Many believe that no pain no gain is the answer and the more you train the better your results. The problem with this belief is that you could be putting your body through more stress than needed and you run the risk of sickness and overuse injury.

Are you overtraining? How would you know if you’re overtraining and just exactly what is it? In an article by University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM), overtraining is described as burnout, staleness, a term used by professionals to describe fitness enthusiasts and athletes who suffer impaired performance and increased fatigue due to excessive training routines

 Overtraining is often confused for overreaching; according to Overtraining Syndrome: A Practical Guide, overreaching refers to an accumulation of training loads that lead to performance decrements that require days to weeks for recovery. Overreaching is sudden, it can be as simple as drastically increasing your workout load and feeling exhausted to the point where you need to take some serious down time.

Overreaching followed by rest can be positive, but when it’s extreme and combined with additional stressors then Overtraining syndrome (OTS) can occur. OTS usually occurs as a result of rigorous training schedules that dramatically or suddenly increase, lasts for sustained periods of time and are performed at high volumes or high intensities without a sufficient recovery period.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), one of the best ways to avoid overtraining is to pay attention to your exercise program. Excessive volume or intensity may produce less than optimal results and could impair your performance. If physical performance continues to suffer for extended periods of time and you require long recovery periods then overtraining has occurred.

While increasing exercise intensity and volume are positive for your development, ACSM stresses that you adhere to a proper exercise program that provides sufficient volume and intensity i.e. following a workout program that meets your needs, but allows for recovery time and respects your current fitness level. While there are phases within your training program where you may experience short-term performance decrements these can be overcome with several days of decreased exercise stress.

You know you’re overtraining when you can’t seem to perform right, you’re excessively tired, you need longer periods of recovery between workout routines and just don’t feel like exercising. Overtraining syndrome comes with the risk of injury and illness and ACSM says that overtraining has other physiological effects also. Altered resting heart rate, blood pressure and respiration patterns, decreased body fat and post-exercise body weight, chronic fatigue, menstrual disruptions, headaches, muscle soreness and damage, joints aches and pains, and gastrointestinal distress are a few of the effects listed.

While overtraining syndrome is the extreme, many overreach and burn out after going for weeks without proper recovery. There are many exercise programs that have risen to fame because they boast about the fat blasting effects of their workout, but many of the people who need to lose the weight and get into shape can’t aptly perform these programs. Some avid exercisers have also found these programs to be too much and after a few days fall off the program. I watched a personal trainer put his clients through a popular routine and it was cringeworthy watching their body language after barely making it through a routine that wasn’t designed for their fitness level. Some of those clients no longer work with that trainer.

Overtraining yourself is a real dilemma; you’re exposed to so many stimuli and made to believe that harder, faster, heavier are better at the expense of proper nutritional habits, proper alignment and body mechanics and adequate rest time. The results of this are usually suboptimal; if you’re not careful you could become sick and/or injured. Please consult a professional about designing a workout program that fits your needs and pay close attention to the way you’re feeling during and after a workout. You don’t have to train seven days a week to see results and despite what popular voices may say you must ultimately follow a program that suits your specific needs.

  • Kinucan, Paige, and Kravitz. “Overtraining: Undermining Success.”Overtraining: Undermining Success. University of Maryland Medical Center. Web. 28 July 2015.
  • C. Fry Ph.D., Andrew. “Overtraining with Resistance Exercise.” Current Comments. American College of Sports Medicine. Web. 28 July 2015.
  • Kreher, Jeffrey B., and Jennifer B. Schwartz. “Overtraining Syndrome: A Practical Guide.” Sports Health 4.2 (2012): 128–138. PMC. Web. 27 July 2015.

How Your Nutritional Habits Affect Your Posture

Hey everyone,

Here’s this month’s article. Ever wondered how your diet is affecting your posture? I explore the relation in this month’s article.

How Your Nutritional Habits Affect Your Posture

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

Have you ever thought that your eating habits are affecting your posture and body alignment? You probably know that age, height, fatigue and occupation affect your postural alignment. There are so many other factors that impact your posture, but what about nutrition? In this article, you’ll learn how and why your nutritional choices could be leading to postural misalignment.

To learn more, I consulted Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Nutrition Support Dietitian, Melissa Halas-Liang, M.S. to discuss the subject. “The right diet helps avoid excessive weight,” was her opening statement. She continued, “The more weight you’re carrying is more detrimental to your posture.” Melissa explains that your lumbar curve maintains your upright posture and supports the weight of your body.

Excess weight places stress on your bones, muscles and joints and can cause an unnatural curvature of the spine. “Extra weight in the stomach pulls the pelvis forward and strains the lower back, creating lower back pain.” You read that correctly, your diet might be affecting your lower back, but it’s not just weight gain that’s affecting your posture, your nutrient intake and eating practices during meal times are also creating an issue.

Vitamin D and calcium are crucial for bone health and posture. In addition to maintaining a healthy weight, Melissa urges that you get enough vitamin D and calcium in your diet. “Vitamin D plays a major role in calcium absorption, bone health, muscle performance, balance and risk of falling,” she says. Sun exposure is also an important source of vitamin D, but you also need to ensure you’re receiving enough from your diet. While calcium can be found in dairy products, fortified foods and dark green leafy vegetables, vitamin D can be found in fortified milks and cereals, egg yolk, salt-water fish and liver. UV-treated mushrooms are a good plant source.Not convinced? Have you heard of kyphosis? It’s an exaggerated forward rounding of the back and while it has several possible origins one cause of kyphosis is when osteoporosis weakens and compresses the spinal bones. “Among the lifestyle factors that increase osteoporosis risk are low calcium intake and vitamin D insufficiency,” says Melissa.

Older adults are at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency; anyone who has limited sun exposure or kidney issues also needs to be aware of this information. Please consult your physician if you’re unsure whether you’re not receiving adequate calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Do not take supplements until you ascertain this information.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation’s (NOF) website explains that excessive alcohol, caffeine, coffee and soft drink intake is detrimental to bone health because they interfere with calcium absorption and could contribute to bone loss. For you soft drink lovers, not every soft drink is bad for you. The NOF explains that colas, but not most other soft drinks, are associated with bone loss. “The carbonation in soft drinks does not cause any harm to bones. The caffeine and phosphorous commonly found in colas may contribute to bone loss. Like calcium, phosphorous is a part of the bones. It is listed as an ingredient in colas, some other soft drinks and processed foods as ‘phosphate’ or ‘phosphoric acid’.” By getting enough calcium to meet your body’s needs, you can make up for the loss.

So what about meal times? It often feels like the bulk of our problems originate from our habits around food and our meal times, but how does posture come into play? Melissa explains that eating while watching TV or on the computer means that people are usually slouched on their couch or slumped over their screens; neither are correct sitting positions for good posture and body alignment.

Additionally, you may be eating more calories while using social media and when enjoying some form of entertainment; this will lead to excess weight gain that could impact your postural alignment. Melissa blames late night, mindless eating of fatty, salty and sugary foods. You need to eat at a table, sit up with your back straight and your shoulders back without distractions (Implement NPI’s Four Points of Posture™); prevent mindless eating by becoming more mindful of your eating habits and food choices.

Your nutritional habits during meal times and your food choices affect your posture and body alignment. Ensure you’re receiving enough calcium and vitamin D and please consult a physician before taking supplements. Remember, be aware of your posture while eating and avoid eating mindlessly, you’ll look more confident and save yourself excess weight gain.

  • Halas-Liang, Melissa Personal interview. 11 February 2015.
  • “Food and Your Bones.” Food and Your Bones. National Osteoporosis Foundation. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <nof.org/foods>.

To see the article and other articles from our website, see the link here

Know your risk

Hey everyone, here’s another short, but great read for all the fitness and non-fitness pros. This month I covered an article relating to risk stratification. It’s published on the National Posture Institute’s website, but I wanted to post it below as well for easy access. Still, check out their resources and Facebook page, they have tons of certifications, CEC/CEU opportunities and educational material to help health/medical and fitness professionals.

Without further ado:

Health Screening: What You Should Do When Starting a New Exercise Program

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

All of my new clients must perform a health screening process. As a personal trainer and NPI-Certified Posture Specialist™ it’s important that I perform some form of assessment and risk stratification to ensure that my clients are able to meet the demands of the new regimen. Sometimes, clients aren’t able to dive into a new routine because they are considered “high risk” due to a health related issue. In this article, you’ll learn more about the health forms and criteria that can determine your risk levels and what you need to do if you’re considered “high risk”.

If this is the first time you’re reading about health screening or assessments then this is the perfect opportunity for you to learn more. Every personal trainer and health/medical professional should take you through an assessment process. The American College of Sports Medicine website states that fitness assessments will help in the development of individualized training programs and can be used to check for heart disease and other chronic diseases.

 Assessments include Medical History forms, a Physical Activities Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q), a Cardiovascular Risk Factor form, Informed Consent and a Physician Clearance form. A PAR-Q will determine your readiness to exercise. A medical form will ask for detailed information like blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol levels, heart disease and stroke. It may also ask what medications you’re currently taking.

If you’ve never taken any of these assessments and you’re working with a trainer I suggest you ask them to conduct assessments because they don’t have a solid idea of who you are and run the risk of putting your health in danger.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has created a risk stratification form that allows the professional to determine whether you’re low, medium or high risk and in need of modifications or further medical evaluation before beginning your new program.

The ACSM form examines age, family history, cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia (related to cholesterol levels) as criteria for assessing your risk level. In ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing & Prescription if you have symptoms of cardiovascular disease (CVD), or you’ve been diagnosed with a known cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic disease then you’re considered “high risk” and require a physician’s approval before starting an exercise program.

If there are no symptoms of CVD or a diagnosed disease, but you have less than two risk factors then you’re considered “low risk”. If you have two or more risk factors then you’re considered “medium risk”. If you fall into the low or medium risk areas then you don’t require a physician’s approval, but it’s always advised that you still see a health professional if you’re unsure about your wellbeing.

Confused about your risk? Here’s an example: If you’re currently a smoker, obese, live a sedentary lifestyle and may have hypertension and be pre-diabetic, you’re considered “medium risk”. If you have only one symptom—sedentary lifestyle or you’re a cigarette smoker— then you’re considered “low risk”. However, if you have heart disease, chest pain, known heart murmur or other signs or symptoms suggestive of a disease then you’re considered “high risk” and need to see a doctor before committing to a program.

If you’re starting a new exercise program I highly suggest you urge your professional to conduct a health screening process to find out more about your medical, fitness and health information as it will give you both a better sense of how your needs can be met while avoiding a problem. Safety is your best bet and knowing your health status is applying that principle.

Personal trainers and health professionals need to conduct a health screening process before starting a new program. If you have a known disease like CVD, or show signs and symptoms of a major problem then you’re considered “high risk” and need physician clearance. If these symptoms and diseases are absent then you could be low or medium risk. It’s advised that you still consult a doctor if you’re starting a new program or you’re unsure about your medical history.

  • Percia, Matthew, Davis Shala PhD, and Gregory R Dwye. “Getting a Professional Fitness Assessment.” ACSM | Articles. ACSM, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. .
  • Thompson, Walter R. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2010. Print.

National Posture Institute’s 2015 State of Industry Survey

Hi everyone,

I had the privilege of working on the National Posture Institute’s 2015 State of the Industry survey. For all the fit professionals who want to see the review, I’ve posted the link and the information below.

National Posture Institute (NPI) Survey Report

2015 State of the Industry Survey:  Posture, Health, and Fitness Report

The National Posture Institute (NPI) believes that posture, exercise performance, injury prevention, and education surrounding body alignment and exercise selection are important areas of concern for fitness and allied-health/medical professionals. NPI created its 2015 State of the Industry Survey to determine whether professionals were prepared to work with clients on posture correction/exercises and to review the current state of the industry and upcoming trends. This report will review NPI’s State of the Industry’s 2015 Survey results.

NPI surveyed personal trainers, physical therapists, physiotherapists, group exercise instructors, athletic/sports performance specialists, P.E. teachers, chiropractors and other allied-health, medical and fitness based professionals for this study. The majority of our respondents work as personal trainers/exercise professionals in settings such as health clubs/fitness facilities, home-based training, private practice training, corporate offices/fitness centers and college/universities. An additional group of respondents work as physical therapists, chiropractors, ergonomic specialists, athletic trainers and other allied health/medical professional in hospitals, medically-based fitness sites, sports performance sites and private clinics.

Respondents indicated that they work with a diverse client age group from young children (29%) to (80+) older adults (51%). Respondents stated their client base includes children/adolescents, stay at home moms/dads, corporate executives, office workers, athletes, academics, retirees and health/medical professionals.

As indicated on the survey, clients/patients “sometimes” inquire about posture and body alignment and 78% of professionals are actively educating them on the subject. Professionals also indicated that they generally conduct assessments on their clients. When asked about conducting posture assessments, 75% say they conduct posture assessments on a regular basis. Balance/agility skills, muscular strength and endurance assessments are also predominantly being used by professionals. When asked about corrective exercise programs, 53% say they use them. However, when asked whether corrective exercises for posture related injuries are being administered the responses were almost tied.

The survey shows that 69% of respondents have received training on how to conduct and create programs that focus on posture and body alignment. While some received little training from personal training organizations, others note that they learned some information about posture through books and/or magazine articles. The majority of respondents received educational training from the National Posture Institute (NPI); It was listed as the primary organization to learn about posture education, assessments and exercise movements.

Professionals indicated that they prefer using free weights, suspension and body weight training as opposed to commercial strength training/circuit training equipment when working with their clients/patients. The most popular exercises mentioned were: squats, lunges, step-ups, bicep and triceps curls, back rows, push-up variations, frontal/lateral raises and planks. It should come as no surprise then that exercise tubing, stability balls, body weight exercises and free weights/dumbbells took top spots when asked about the modalities being used while training.

Professionals believe that the most prevalent postural deviations seen in their clients are “forward head posture,” “rounded shoulders,” and “muscular imbalances”. They also indicated that the most common injury sites are the “lower back,” “rotator cuff,” and the “knees”. Respondents believe that the programs that could most likely cause an injury are power lifting, heavy lifting, Olympic style lifting, Crossfit and plyometrics.

The results show that fitness, health and allied-health/medical professionals are becoming more aware of posture, body alignment and exercise selection. They are actively developing programs for their clients/patients with posture and body alignment in mind. Professionals are predominantly working with clients/patients that range from ages as young as 5 (five) to 80+ years old. Respondents stated their client base includes children/adolescents, stay at home moms/dads, corporate executives, office workers, athletes, academics and health/medical professionals.

Professionals are conducting fitness and posture assessments; many of the respondents have learned to perform postural assessments and corrective exercises from the National Posture Institute. Clients/patients “sometimes” inquire about posture, but professionals that responded to this survey are actively educating them on the subject.

Fitness, health and medical professionals must continue to learn about posture and body alignment. As professionals, being aware of these areas allow for greater vigilance when selecting programs, methods and exercises for clients/patients. Professionals must continue taking the initiative and actively discussing the subject of posture with their clients/patients. Though their current responsibilities are great, professionals must not overlook the negative effects of poor posture and body alignment. Lastly, professionals must take an active role in becoming strong role models that can educate the public about proper posture, alignment and exercise performance.

http://www.npionline.org/survey/2015 (For more information on posture, certifications related to fitness/nutrition/posture and more, check out the rest of their website.)

Accountability: Even the Fitness Industry Needs It

Hi everyone, hope your 2015 is turning out well. If not, hang in there and work for what you need to happen. Here’s a good one for you. How do you when the fitness pro is performing the technique correctly? Generally, you won’t. So even the fitness industry and its professionals need to be held accountable. I discuss this in my first article this year, published on the National Posture Institute website here, but you can read it below also:

Accountability: Even the Fitness Industry Needs It

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

It’s the start of a new year and many of the old year’s habits need to be left behind. How do you know when a fitness professional is performing an exercise in good form and body alignment? You don’t; If you’re not exercise savvy then the likelihood of being misled is high. Fitness organizations and professionals need to be more aware of form and body alignment when posting exercises.

Last year, after opening a monthly newsletter from a major fitness organization I noticed the model’s posture and body alignment was off. Her head and neck were lurching forward as she sat up, frozen in place. The fitness model from the newsletter was trying to work her abdominals while simultaneously putting her neck and spine at risk. It wasn’t the first time I saw something like this; I’ve seen professionals performing techniques with improper form and body alignment. It’s time that organizations and professionals in the fitness industry take account for these problems. The public will emulate these techniques.

According to an article by Nikitow Chiropractic, one of the most common posture problems is forward head posture (FHP). Repetitive computer, TV, video game, phone and backpack usage, alongside poor exercise form can force our bodies to adopt this problem. Repetitively lurching the head and neck forward can strengthen nerve and muscle pathways to move that way more readily. In short, repetition of forward head movements combined with poor ergonomic postures can lead to FHP. Was the professional, and the organization, aware of FHP when they posted that image?

Incorrect Correct

Dimitri Onyskow and I spoke about the problem. As the Educational Fitness Solution’s Director of Academic Relations, he deals with these issues: “I think most organizations do not want to acknowledge the fact that they have been promoting poor technique,” he says, “If they did, they would be admitting they were wrong. Instead, they choose to ignore it in hopes that no one else will notice.”

Dimitri says that the problem exists in major fitness organizations that offer corrective exercise programs: “What most don’t understand is if a client is doing a ‘corrective exercise’ movement in poor alignment, all they are doing is adding strength to an already imbalanced frame. And this will lead to injury down the road. It is imperative that proper technique is taught throughout.”

Michele, a fitness club manager, also had a similar experience and shared her utter distaste for some major fitness brands. She says that people are quick to follow these teachings even if they are dangerous. She believes that one of the major problems with these brands is the bad form of their followers: “They often have people doing pointless motions with incorrect form and at ridiculous weights.”

Michele believes that many of the people following routines from these brands have no clue what they’re doing and they think their form is correct. Many are closer to a hospital visit than achieving their results and refuse help when approached about their form.

So can you tell when you’re being misled? It’s difficult to tell, so sometimes you need to seek a second opinion. Keep in mind that every trainer and fitness organization isn’t trying to mislead you, but even the experts get it wrong sometimes. If you’re unsure about a technique, don’t feel it working, or you’re concerned about the danger level then by all means ask questions. Always ask questions, research the topic and pay attention to who is providing the advice.

Good form and proper body alignment should be the goal of every exercise. Organizations and professionals in the fitness industry need to be aware of their form and body alignment while performing exercises. The public won’t know the difference between right and wrong. It’s up to the fitness industry to teach the public the correct methods and to be accountable for their actions.

  • Nikitow, D. (2014). Damaging effects of forward head posture. Retrieved from denvertechchiro/files/fhp_revised.pdf
  • Michele. Personal interview. 7 January 2015
  • Onyskow, Dimitri. Personal Interview. 6 January 2015

Why Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) Doesn’t Equate to Physical Success

Here’s another one of my articles that’s posted on the National Posture Institute. It deals with the idea that some people equate being sore to overall goal success. It’s a false belief folks. Not every workout will make you sore, and you shouldn’t focus on being sore as the measure of a good workout. Focus on goal attainment, focus on performance, focus on a better body and a sound mind, and you’ll be much closer to your goal.

Why Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) Doesn’t Equate to Physical Success

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

I recently read an article about muscle soreness as a new workout goal. It seems being sore after a workout is more important than the effectiveness of the workout in helping one achieve their overall goal. Muscle soreness doesn’t equate to an effective workout and it’s not something you should use to gauge your workout, or to strive to achieve in every training session.

When was the last time you performed an exercise or activity and woke up sore the following day? Did the soreness remain even after a few more days? Did your muscles feel achy and was it difficult to move? That sore, uncomfortable feeling when you move is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The soreness you feel doesn’t hit you until the day after a strenuous workout and that’s why it’s considered “delayed onset.”

An article written by John David Maes and Len Kravitz mentions that DOMS is typically experienced by all individuals regardless of fitness level; it’s a normal physiological response to increased exertion. Delayed soreness typically begins to develop 12-24 hours after you exercise and may produce the greatest pain between 24-72 hours

If you’re doing physical activities that are unfamiliar or more intense than your usual routine or you are just starting to exercise; then there’s a higher chance of experiencing DOMs. Alongside soreness you may also experience muscle stiffness, swelling, tenderness to the touch, temporary reductions in strength and in movement, and decreased joint range of motion.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) states that the exact cause of DOMS is complex; it’s commonly associated with lactic acid accumulation in the muscle, but it appears to be a side effect of the repair process that develops in response to microscopic muscle damage. In case you were worried about the microscopic muscle damage allow me to put your mind at ease, the micro trauma that happens in muscles after a workout isn’t dangerous and it’s actually a part of the process for building them.

So how did DOMS and feeling achy become the gauge for a workout’s effectiveness? There are many fitness professionals, trends, fads and programs that advocate for higher intensity routines. These programs boast phrases like: “gut busting,” “fat torching,” “muscle building,” “hardcore” and “high intensity” in their descriptions. These programs can make you so sore you’re unable to walk or move properly the next day, but is that really the goal and is it helping the general exerciser achieve their goals?

Muscle soreness isn’t a gauge for success, but it’s common to hear people chatting about their soreness and discussing how they felt days after. While some programs encourage working till you’re sore and try to instill a “no pain, no gain,” mentality, they miss the point of why you’re training in the first place.

While constantly pushing yourself to the limit sounds ambitious, it’s dangerous if you push yourself too hard, too often; you may incur a serious injury in which case you won’t be training any time soon. Muscle soreness is just that; it doesn’t mean that your workout was effective toward achieving your personal goals. Think about the program you’re on and examine if it’s helping you achieve your results.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) website says that training more aggressively doesn’t equate to faster results. While the body does require a certain degree of overload to improve its fitness, training too much and too hard can cause lack of motivation, overuse injuries and overtraining syndrome.

So what should you focus on and how do you deal with it? You need to complete both a fitness and goal assessment first. Think about the reasons you’re doing your program and be open about your current fitness level. Make sure you warm-up before your workouts and seek to progress steadily through your program. If you do become sore, rest is your best option.

The ACSM website explains that you could use ice packs, massage and oral pain relievers while sore. Please understand that these methods reduce pain, but your body still needs to recover; don’t be afraid to take a day or two off if the soreness is too much.

Muscle soreness should never be the goal of a workout and doesn’t equate to an effective exercise session. Remember the reason you’ve started exercising and proceed at your own pace. If you do become sore, rest is your best option. Be honest and open about your capabilities and with patience you’ll be on your way toward goal achievement.

  • Sforzo, Gary, and William Braun. “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).” American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.  delayed-onset-muscle-soreness-(doms).pdf>.
  • Maes, Johndavid, and Len Kravitz. “Treating and Preventing DOMS.” DOMS. University of New Mexico, 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. <unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article folder/domos.html>.
  • McGrath, Christopher. “Myths and Misconceptions: Muscle Soreness.” ACE Fit. American Council on Exercise, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 3 Nov. 2014. <acefitness/acefit/healthy-living-article/59/3654/myths-and-misconceptions-muscle-soreness/>.

Hip Bursitis

Hey everyone,

Here’s an article I wrote and was posted this month on Hip Bursitis. If you’re afraid of it; have it and want to avoid, then give it a read. It’s great to know more about these issues and what you can do to get better. It’s posted on The National Posture Institute’s website.

Hip Bursitis: The Most Common Hip Problem

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

As an NPI Certified Posture Specialist, clients have expressed concern about developing hip pain. The most common hip related problem is hip bursitis. If you’re suffering from hip bursitis then moving around will be painful; you may require medication, rehab sessions, or surgery if symptoms become unbearable.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) website, bursae are small, jelly-like sacs that contain small amounts of liquid that are located throughout your body. They are positioned between bones and soft tissue and act like cushions to help reduce friction. Your shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and heels have bursae. When any of your bursae suffer from inflammation, it’s known as “Bursitis.”

The AAOS explains that there are two major bursae in the hip that typically become irritated and inflamed. One bursa covers the bony point of the hip bone called the greater trochanter. Inflammation of this area is called tronchanteric bursitis. The other bursa is located at the illopsoas (groin area) of the hip. Tronchanteric bursitis is seen more frequently, but both are treated in a similar manner.

Every hip pain is not related to bursitis; the Mayo Clinic website offers some pointers on how you can identify symptoms of bursitis. If you currently have bursitis your hip joints may experience achiness and stiffness. It may look swollen and red, and may hurt when you move or press on it.

Mayo Clinic advises you see your physician when the joint pain is disabling, if it remains for more than one to two weeks and if there is excessive swelling, redness, bruising or a rash in the affected area. If you experience a fever and sharp, shooting pains especially while exercising, or exerting yourself then please see a physician,

Hip bursitis can affect anyone, but is more common in women and middle-aged or elderly people. The AAOS mentions factors that could lead to hip bursitis. If you have an overuse injury, pelvis alignment issues, a spine disease (including scoliosis and arthritis), leg-length inequality, a current hip injury, rheumatoid arthritis, previous surgery and calcium deposits then you may develop hip bursitis.

While all this information is overwhelming and can seem terrifying, treatment begins with trying to reduce the inflammation. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) website, explains that you’ll need lots of rest, ice, compression and elevation if you’re experiencing basic symptoms. You may also require anti-inflammatory medicines, but if conditions worsen, or the bursa become infected then your physician may prescribe special antibiotics.

So how do you prevent hip bursitis? According to NIAMS, to help prevent inflammation, or reduce the likelihood of its occurrence, consider exercising regularly, stop sitting for long periods, strengthen the muscles around the joint and stop activities that might be causing you pain. Consider using a stand-up desk if your job requires long days using a computer. If you have a physically demanding job that requires heavy lifting and repetitive motions you’ll need to take breaks, and practice good posture and body alignment.

It’s all about behavior and lifestyle modification.  The National Posture Institute’s (NPI) certified professionals can educate you on those lifestyle modifications and design exercise programs that center around making things easier. A professional will assess your posture while you engage in different activities and will make you aware if you’re harming yourself. It may be as simple as adjusting the way you walk — especially for those who shuffle their feet — and you may need to opt for shoes with better cushioning. If you’ve already started exercising after a hip related issue then consult an NPI professional to ensure your posture and body alignment aren’t safe.

Hip bursitis is the most common hip related problem and can seem scary. Your best move is to modify the way you perform activities, add cushioning where possible, and perform exercises in the correct position for your hip as part of your regular daily routine. Hip bursitis can get worse so please see a physician if you’re worried about any pain or show symptoms.

  • “Hip Bursitis.” Ortho Info. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 1 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. <orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00409>.
  • “Bursitis.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 20 Aug. 2014. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. bursitis/basics/definition/con-20015102>.
  • “Bursitis and Tendinitis.” National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. National Institutes of Health, 1 June 2014. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. Bursitis/>.

I live

Hey Folks,

It’s been a long time. I’m alive. I promise. Here’s one of my health articles. It was posted on the National Posture Institute’s website:

Cumulative Trauma Disorders: How Your Work Could Lead to Injuries

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

If your job requires repetitive and stressful activities while you clock long hours, then you need to think about the possibility that you could suffer a work related injury. Have you ever experienced pain and discomfort after a long, hard day at work? What if I told you that your work is slowly harming you? Whether you work in an office, or in manufacturing you could be next person to seek professional help and rehabilitation due to a cumulative trauma disorder (CTD).

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines Cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) as diseases and injuries that affect your musculoskeletal, peripheral nervous and neurovascular systems. CTDs, also known as overuse syndrome, repetitive motion injuries, or work related musculoskeletal disorders, are mainly found in the hands, shoulder, neck, lower back and hips.

CTDs are caused, or aggravated by occupational exposure to ergonomic (work related) hazards. You might be currently feeling the effects of a creeping CTD after weeks, months or even years of repetitive work related stress and strain on your body.

According to the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJ DOL), CTDs can be painful and sometimes crippling. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, tendinitis, lower back disorders, thoracic outlet syndrome (compression of the nerves and blood vessels between first rib, collar bone and muscles) are a few of the problems you could already be experiencing. If your work causes you to perform repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression (your body presses against hard surfaces) or consistently find yourself in awkward, or bad postural alignment, then at any moment you could suffer a disorder if you aren’t currently suffering the effects of one already.

The NJ DOL lists symptoms of CTDs as follows: numbness, decreased joint motion, burning, weakness, clumsiness, redness, pain, swelling, aching, tingling and cracking or popping of joints. If you suspect, or are currently suffering from any of these, or from any of the disorders listed in this article then I suggest you speak to a doctor as soon as possible before it worsens.

Sitting in the office is also problematic; the Oklahoma State University EHS Safety training program mentions that sitting for long periods can also lead to CTDs, specifically lower back ailments, forward head posture, carpal tunnel (repeated bending of the wrist from typing) and tendonitis due to repetitive and long hours of typing, or using a mouse.

Janitors, carpenters, machine operators, housekeepers, wait staff, and even musicians are also at risk for CTDs due to the repetitive nature of their work. If your work requires consistent, repetitive motions and you maintain bad postural alignment, then please be advised this could be in your future. Please keep in mind, failing to take breaks and maintaining bad postural alignment, or the same alignment over a long period can contribute to CTDs and could worsen a current problem you’re experiencing.

CTDs can stay with you for your entire life and you may need medication or surgery to manage them. However, there are ways to treat CTDs before they become a bigger problem. The NJ DOL suggests you take breaks, and make adjustments your workspace. You will need to change the way you perform your activities, and pay attention to how long you’re engaging in them. If you work at a desk all day, then you’ll want to take breaks from typing and stretch your hands and wrists every hour. You could also maintain good postural alignment by adjusting your chair and workstation to make it easier on you.

Worried about CTDs yet? The National Posture Institute suggests starting an exercise program with proper supervision and approval from your health providers. Our Certified professionals can help you design resistance training and posture correction programs that will help you manage your postural alignment while you work. These programs will educate you more on proper lifting, walking and work related techniques to ensure that you’re maintain proper alignment, and that your is strong enough to complete their tasks.

Exercise, good nutrition, rest and learning to adapt your habits so that you can maintain good postural alignment will help you avoid CTDs. The price of incurring a CTD is costly; you can expect medical bills, and neurological and muscular rehabilitation causing you to lose work days and time with your family if you don’t start taking this issue seriously.

CTDs are painful and could lead to host of other problems that will cause you to lose work days and time with your loved ones. Please don’t wait until it becomes worse to seek medical attention; if you suffer from a CTD, or suspect that your job could be leading you in this direction please speak to a health provider, or find an NPI-Certified professional as soon as possible.

“Office Ergonomics.” Ergonomics: Cumulative Trauma Disorders. Oklahoma State University, 1 Jan. 2006. Web. 26 July 2014. Retried from ehs.okstate.edu/modules/ergo/CTD
Proctor, Bea, Shiro Tanaka M.D., Vern P. Anderson Ph.D, Katharyn A. Grant Ph.D, Ron Schuler, and Rodger L. Tatken. “Cumulative Trauma Disorders in the Workplace bibliography.” National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1 Sept. 1995. Web. 26 July 2014. Retrieved from cdc.gov/niosh/docs/95-119/pdfs/95-119.pdf
McGreevey, James E. , Clifton R. Lacy, M.D., and Albert G. Kroll. “Cumulative Trauma Disorders in office workers.” New Jersey State Department of Labor, 1 Feb. 2003. Web. 26 July 2014. Retrieved from state.nj.us/health/peosh/documents/ctdib.pdf

Health articles

I haven’t been completely open with you…so here goes ! I’ve been writing health articles for a magazine and for my organization for quite some time now and I haven’t posted any -hides-. My bad ! Here’s the latest one I wrote for the National Posture Institute about Osteoporosis and it’s effects on posture. Enjoy !

Effects of Osteoporosis on Posture

by Nick A. Titley, M.S., NPI-Certified Posture Specialist

Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone related diseases in the United States and it can have a direct impact on postural alignment as you age. The National Osteoporosis Foundation states that 52 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis and have low bone mass. One in two women and one in four men aged fifty and older will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Experts predict that by 2025 osteoporosis will be responsible for three million fractures and $25.3 billion in health care costs per year.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes you to lose bone mass, making the bones more fragile and weak. When placed under a microscope healthy bones have a honeycomb structure but osteoporosis makes the holes and spaces much larger.

If your bones lose their density then they become weaker and more susceptible to breaking. Osteoporosis is difficult to detect; breaking a bone may be your first sign of having the disease. If you have osteoporosis then it means your bones have lost density or mass and the structure of your bone tissue is abnormal.

Weak and thin bones could break from minor falls, or from simple actions like bumping into things or sneezing. Osteoporosis can cause areas like your hips, spine, and wrists to break, and can cause severe pain that may not subside. It can also cause you to lose height because it affects the spine bones. The spinal bones, or vertebrae, will break or collapse affecting your posture which will cause you to look hunched, or stooped over.

According to Dr. Kathy M. Shipp, without attention to good postural alignment the slumped forward, or stooped over posture that is often associated with older adults can happen to you. With this stooped/hunched over position, you could lose up to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) of height. If you have suffered a spinal fracture from osteoporosis then you are more at risk for developing this condition and this 1.5 inches, or greater height loss during your adult years could be an indication of an osteoporotic vertebral fracture.

Dr. Kathy also explains that spinal/vertebral fractures cause height loss because the fractured vertebral bodies compress. Most osteoporotic vertebral fractures cause height loss either from a full compression fracture ( i.e. where the entire vertebral body compresses) or from a wedge fracture (where the front of the vertebral body is most compressed).

With either of these fractures, the thoracic spine, or your mid back, increases causing  hyperkyphosis and the natural curve in your lumbar spine area, or lower back, decreases causing hypolordosis. After spine fractures from osteoporosis, the hyperkyphosis in your thoracic spine and the hypolordosis of your lumbar spine will result in your head, shoulders, and upper back being positioned more forwardly.

Neither the height loss in your intervertebral discs nor the height loss in your bones after a fracture can be recovered, but Dr. Shipp suggests that attention to posture and targeted exercises can prevent you from worsening your posture. The National Posture Institute’s Certified Posture Specialists are trained to develop targeted programs to help you with your posture so that you avoid such an issue.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) Senior Health explains on its website that Osteoporosis can be treated and prevented with healthy lifestyle choices. The NIH suggests that you maintain a proper diet, exercise, and consider medications, because these options will help you prevent further bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures.

The Mayo Clinic, a non-profit health organization, explains that adequate amounts of calcium, vitamin D, and regular exercise will help keep your bones intact. Strength training combined with weight bearing exercises, or exercises that involve lifting weights, helps improve your muscles and bones. Consider walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, skipping rope, and skiing to develop the bones in your legs, hips, and lower spine.

Osteoporosis is a serious disease that affects millions of Americans. With proper postural alignment, a balanced diet, and regular exercise you could avoid a painful future. Speak to a doctor if you’re unsure, or if you think you may have symptoms, and consult an NPI-Certified Posture Specialist to help you develop a program that will ensure you maintain good postural alignment.

  • Mayo Clinic Staff. (2013, June 21). Osteoporosis. Retrieved from mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/basics/prevention/con-20019924
  • The National Osteoporosis Foundation. (n.d.). What is osteoporosis?. Retrieved from nof.org/articles/7
  • NIH Senior Health. (2013, March). Osteoporosis. Retrieved from nihseniorhealth.gov/osteoporosis/whatisosteoporosis/01
  • Shipp, D. K. (2011). Changing the way we age: Improve Posture. Functional U9(3), Retrieved from Improve_Posture_ICAA_FunctionalU2011_MayJune[1].pdf

You can find more of my articles here:


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Musical recommendation of the week!

Every now and again I discover a new music artist “The Flashbulb” and this guy is phenomenal. Check out his music on Spotify!!

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Bubsy: Paws On Fire! Coming To Nintendo Switch In 2019

Bubsy: Paws On Fire! Coming To Nintendo Switch In 2019

It seems like Bubsy the Bobcat is far from death’s door.

Accolade has announced Bubsy: Paws on Fire! for Nintendo Switch and other platforms. Choice Provisions, the developers behind Runner3, will be helping to make the auto-runner action game a reality.

This is the long-forgotten mascot’s second attempt at gaining relevancy again. The first attempt was Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back, which was generally loathed by critics – and did not release on Nintendo Switch.

Check out a teaser trailer and overview (courtesy of Gematsu) below.

Bubsy: Paws on Fire! marks Choice Provisions’ first foray into the highly competitive world of bobcat-based video games. It’s also set to be Bubsy’s biggest adventure yet, with features such as:

Key Features

  • Four playable characters, each with their own unique mechanics! Fly and shoot your way through the air as The Woolie, take it underground with Arnold’s bonus levels, or run your way to victory with Bubsy and Virgil Reality!
  • An all-new story featuring the unlikely alliance between Bubsy and his archrivals, The Woolies!
  • Over 100 levels set across three different worlds!
  • Three boss battles!
  • A unique combo system and set of leaderboards for every character!
  • A shop with costumes and cosmetics, all of which players can unlock just by playing the game. There are no in-game purchases!
  • Unique character dialog for every level!
  • A variety of collectible types, ensuring maximum replayability!
  • The return of Oinker, Terri, Terry, and many other characters from previous Bubsy incarnations! We’ve even included Virgil Reality from the Bubsy pilot–we dug deep!

Bubsy Reacts…

When I told my agent I wanted my next game to be my best yet, he reminded me I was no longer his client and had his number changed. Luckily the suc-… er, developers at Choice Provisions still agreed to partner up with me. It’s amazing what a couple of sharpened claws can get you in this world!

Choice Provisions Reacts…

After some productive meetings and even more productive threats we agreed to work with Bubsy on creating an auto-runner worthy of his stature. And when that was done we scrapped it and made a good game instead.

Link, Via


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N for Noah, O for Oah, A for Ah, H for Hello!

I can’t believe i have a four year old…. a four year old that in a matter of weeks will be starting school!

I can’t catch you all up because it would take forever but i’ve been poorley off work today so thought id just have a catch up in some Noah free time.

Our bonkers dude is a cheeky but amazing little boy.  He amazes me every day.  I was looking back over all my posts today and loved reading them remembering how it felt to write each one in turn.  One day i will try to write a more in depth one about him now and the struggles we face along with the amazing things we accomplish together. Unfortunately other parts of life are taking over at the moment and i just don’t have the time… You can read more about that over at jumpforcancer.wordpress.com

I hope everyone here is doing well. I have had a catch up today of my most loved blogs and feel like i have missed out on some close friends lives.  It’s amazing how a good blog can do that!! Bravo to you lot for such good writing!

Until we meet again….

New Blog!

Well… I’m so sorry i have given up a little on this blog. I really don’t have enough time on my hands to commit fully to it and now I’m cheating on it with another!

My other one has an entirely different purpose and if you want to read it you can do at jumpforcancer.wordpress.com

I’m sure the two will merge a lot over there but there won’t be a link on that one to this one as that one may become public and this one is still my hiding place.

So for now… see you on the other side 🙂


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Why choose NOAS?

We support your foster or adoption experience from start to finish and we are committed to providing services to all families without discrimination based on race, religion, color, gender, gender identity, gender orientation, gender expression, marital or domestic relationship status, age, national origin, handicap, family or veteran status.

Featured Child:

Markia, Age 12

Markia is a smart, creative, and soft spoken young lady. She is a preteen who enjoys watching movies, listening to music, reading chapter books and has recently begun taking yoga classes. She expresses herself best through her artwork! She can often be found sketching or playing with her dolls, as she is a child at […]


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what you get here

This is not a blog which expresses instant opinions on current events. It rather uses incidents, books (old and new), links and papers as jumping-off points for some reflections about our social endeavours.
So old posts are as good as new! And lots of useful links!

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Some Landmarks for the blog

Blog traffic has been increasing here – hitting 10,000 last month for the first time (a 3-fold increase since last year) and now totaling 200,000 for the entire period since 2010.
Native English speakers account for only one third of that (almost 30% comes from the US alone) – with Russian and Ukraine readers coming in (in the past year) at a strong 15% share.
It’s not idle speculation to feel that part of this latter interest may be a reflection of official Russian oversights of western blogs and accounts – although I don’t get any comments on posts from that source - perhaps because it’s not been my policy to comment on Russian politics and Putin’s intentions?
But why the strong interest from Ukrainian readers? After all, recent posts have, if anything been even more “reflective” than usual, trying to put recent events in a fifty-year timescale…..  And it's not easy for those used to cyrillic to cope with the roman alphabet....

Readers in France, Germany, Bulgaria and Romania account for some 20% of the traffic – the latter two for obvious reasons. I’ve blogged quite a bit on Germany (indeed put a little E-book up on the list at the top-right corner of the blog) and am pleased to find readers from that source.
I often moan about the insularity of the Brits and was therefore delighted recently to get this rare perspective from someone testifying to a German parliamentary committee. And, amongst the current coverage of British local and General elections, at least The Guardian was prepared to give some space to the debate about German values (or Leitkultur) which has broken out there (for more see this piece from Deutsche Welle).

Which leaves the two questions of what has happened to the British Labour Party – and the French Left? As it is news from Paris which will dominate the next news cycle, I should refer you all to my favourite French blog - French Politics – an American observer who recently put me on to another excellent blog on France. They will certainly give you insights I can’t.
And Tom Gallagher has a good post here....

It’s a dreadful reflection on how British insularity has grown that the last English-language book which gave a really detailed insight into French society (in all its regional variety) was John Ardagh’s France in the New Century (1999). Theodor Zeldin’s History of French Passions and “The French” (published in the early 90s) gave an additional quasi-philosophical dimension. But these books first came out some 20 years ago.
Yes I know about cyclist Graham Robb’s “Discovery of France” (2007) – and, of course, some journalists and historians have produced great books eg journalist Jonathan Fenby’s France on the Brink (first edition 2000); La Vie en Bleu – France and the French since 1900 by academic Rod Kedward (2006); and the more recent How the French Think – an affectionate portrait of an intellectual people by Sudhir Hazareesingh (2015) - but only Ardagh and Zeldin tried to cover all the key aspects….

The French, of course, are the ideologues par excellence not least the French left – with Jean Jaures perhaps being its most inspirational figure. But I remember being trapped in a church in Lille when Francois Mitterand came visiting in the 1980s - and being decidedly unimpressed with the atmosphere of obsequity! Despite the decentralization policy of that period, the country has remained centralized – and its periphery ignored….until now..

The Brits are the pragmatic shopkeepers – and its left had, post-war, real moral strength from the likes of RH Tawney, Keir Hardie and Aneurin Bevan; the Cooperative and union movements; its various (liberal and New Left) intellectual dissenters. But they could never get their act together – and then the Bliar spin doctors took over and blew everything up….

Macron has “reengineered” French politics. Jeremy Corbyn has tried to take Labour back to the 1980s.
I hate reengineering and everything it stands for (remember Skvorecky’s Engineer of Human Souls?) but it seems that a substantial bit of reengineering may now be needed for the UK left!!

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Music to Listen to: Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project

This is the first time I’ve done this, but perhaps it’s something that may continue… we’ll see.

In the 1930’s, Alan Lomax began to record music. His focus was on recording the folk songs of America, though he also traveled to Haiti and elsewhere to record the music of those places too. He was the first to record Muddy Waters and Lead Belly, and was influential in starting the “folk renaissance” in the 60’s. Throughout his career, he managed to record and preserve thousands of songs, and his work is possibly the the best collection of folk music (from Appalachian music, to cowboy songs, to spirituals, to sea chanteys) that exists.

Canadian composer Jayme Stone has recently recorded an album celebrating Mr. Lomax’s work, with both covers and new interpretations of old songs. Even more, right now through to March 3, you can listen to the entire album on right here on CBC Music. Note that it is much more of a classic folk album, so expect plenty of banjo, mandolin, and accordion goodness!

The Final Night

Closing the Circle

Within the circle of our lives
we dance the circle of the years,
the circles of the seasons
within the circles of the years,
the cycles of the moon
within the circles of the season,
the circles of our reasons
within the cycles of the moon.

Again, again we come and go,
changed, changing. Hands
join, unjoin in love and fear,
grief and joy. The circles turn,
each giving into each, into all.
Only music keeps us here,

each by all the others held.
In the hold of hands and eyes
we turn in pairs, that joining
joining each to all again.

And then we turn aside, alone,
out of the sunlight gone

into the darker circles of return.

– Wendell Berry

A Pilgrimage to the Land of Bourbon, Bluegrass and Berry

A pilgrimage is, by definition, a religious thing. I don’t mean that it is limited to a specific religion, and indeed, it isn’t even limited to an easily identifiable or government-sanctioned religion. But it is, nevertheless, religious. A pilgrimage occurs when the pilgrim chooses to go somewhere for a purpose that transcends the merely worldly. It is not a vacation, it is not a business trip, its purpose is more than practical (though, by being more than practical, it has the potential to become the most practical thing that the pilgrim can do).

Some pilgrims travel the Camino De Santiago possibly on the back of a donkey. Some pilgrims travel to Mecca, to gather by the millions as a humble though inspiring act of piousness. Some travel, every twelve years, to bathe in an Indian river, with over 80 million others.

And some pilgrims, though admittedly few, drive a 20-year old Toyota Tercel to Louisville, Kentucky.

I began my pilgrimage on Friday, September 26, to attend a conference. The conference title was “Making a Home Fit for Humans: Localism Beyond Food” and the overriding, if completely assumed argument, was that it is vital, indeed it is beautiful, for each one of us to center our lives to live well in our place… which, for those long term readers (if I can be said to have any truly long-term readers), is a key concept that I am trying to understand, and more importantly, to live out.

I will hereby step fully into a tangent. It is ironic, I suppose, that in order for me to learn  about how to live locally, I was required to travel to Kentucky. I hereby admit my flagrant sin. However, unlike all the other sinners, I had a good reason to commit mine, which I will soon go into. And thus, through the goodly gift of cognitive dissonance, I am absolved.

Before I get to the conference however (in regards to the chronology of this post… I have in fact already gone to the conference), let me start with my accommodations. I could have stayed in a hotel, those giant boxes on the hillside, giant boxes made of ticky tacky, giant boxes on the hillside, giant boxes all the same. But since the theme was localism, and desiring to limit my peripheral sins as much as possible, I decided to couch surf.

Couch surfing, for those who don’t know, is where you contact an individual, or, in my case, a couple, and ask them to host you for a couple of nights. The accommodation is free, though it is usually polite to provide a gift of sorts, and, other than wondering whether you will be killed and eaten in the middle of the night, it’s usually an incredibly positive experience. For those of you who are concerned, I was not killed and eaten. In fact, my hosts, Chuck and Trang, were incredible. I met them at an ice cream parlour, and then, after meeting some of their friends and taking a free trolley ride (something which Louisville offers on the last Friday of every month), we returned to their apartment. They had a lovely blow up bed with sheets and pillows (such extravagance!) but more importantly, they had many samples of bourbon.

We started with the poor stuff. I don’t remember the name of it. But it was poor. It was perhaps a cross between bourbon and lighter fluid, with an emphasis on the lighter fluid. We moved up. Of course Jim Beam came into the equation. But even Jimmy is fairly poor by any actual standards. We ended with Angel’s Envy. When distilling bourbon, the mist that evaporates, the mist that makes the distillery smell heavenly, is known as the angel’s share. The angels (especially, I assume, the teenage angels) delight in this beautiful bouquet of 80 proof oaken glory. Angel’s Envy however, is the stuff the angel’s do not get. It is the stuff that a certain, highly-repentant sinner gets as he glimpses what quite possibly may be a little bit of heaven-on-earth, a glimpse of the promised land, kingdom come… and it is good.

The conference was the following day, Saturday the 28th for those of you who are checking my facts (I assure you, few facts were harmed in the writing of this post). It was a short walk from Chuck and Trang’s, which is good, since after a fourteen hour drive, I was not looking forward to sitting in a car. I entered the library at the University of Louisville, spoke with some folks milling in the foyer, then took my seat in the second row from the front, dead centre.

The first panel got up, speaking of how they themselves are attempting to live well in their place (another way of speaking is to dwell, I will go into this idea hopefully in the near future). They were all quite good, and I have several quotations which I copied down. I will likely share many of the thoughts in the future, and perhaps, if you are very lucky and I am feeling particularly honest, I will actually attribute them to the proper person, rather than passing the wisdom off as my own.

Near the end of the panel however, something changed. The speakers were still quite articulate and interesting, but I could tell that the room was now different. I saw people looking at the back of the room, grinning the grins of children who know that presents are about to be delivered.

I followed the gaze, knowing what I would see. Or rather, who I would see.

Mr. Wendell Berry had entered the room.

For those of you who know me, Mr. Berry has been one of the biggest influences on my life. His poetry, essays, novels, and way of life, have completely changed my life, challenged me, caused me to consider my vocation, my values, and my aspirations.

Berry and his wife Tanya (pronouced, in Berry’s drawl, Tonya) silently stepped into their seats.

A new panel got up, speaking on the topic of educating for place, which is a very interesting turn on the concept of place-based education, providing, perhaps, a purpose beyond education for the sake of manufacturing an employee. Again, there were some great concepts being addressed, concepts which I would love to share at a later point.

Lunch was next, a local caterer providing local sandwiches made of local ingredients and with a side of Pepsi and Lays potato chips (purchased, presumably, from a local supplier).

After lunch, was Berry’s turn to speak. I will go over it soon, I promise, but I wanted to quickly give an overview of the rest of the day.

After Berry spoke, a third panel came up, addressing the Politics of Place, followed shortly by two authors who were about to be published and who were sharing excerpts from their books. Again, there was much wisdom and much laughter. And again, I will likely share the ideas later on… but I really want to get back to Mr. Berry.

It was an interview, with Jason Peters asking the questions and Berry answering.

There have been few times in my life where I have sat in a room, with a couple hundred other people, waiting with baited breath for somebody to speak. Peters joked at one point that it was difficult to interview Berry because of his penchant for pausing. Indeed, it was often the case that there was an incredibly powerful silence on stage, right before Berry would respond, or rather, continue to respond. In a day and age where silence has become persona non grata, where those with nothing to say unable to stop saying it, it was beautiful to see somebody use pause so effectively. To see somebody actually consider before responding.

The interview lasted for an hour. There was wisdom enough in it to last a lifetime.

I will likely share other key learnings that Mr. Berry shared over that hour, but I wanted to focus here on one thing. Peters asked Berry to address the crowd, specifically the young college kids that were in attendance. What grandfatherly advice would he give them?

Berry responded with a couple of statements, then suddenly, his eyes lit up and he turned and addressed the crowd. (A paraphrase from my hastily jotted notes follows).

“Don’t worry about understanding. The great things of life cannot be understood; they must be lived.”

He went on to share his non-understanding of the Christian scriptures, specifically Psalm 23’s opening line, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” He shared how he didn’t understand that, how, since those words were first penned many years ago, many peoples had starved while knowing that those words were true. But they were a great truth, and as all great truths, they must be lived out, and only then will there be a possibility of understanding. Even then, understanding may escape us continually.

The drive home the following day was long. Made longer perhaps by my ample coffee consumption en route.

But its length was its gift.

As I sat in the car, a bottle of Angel’s Envy in the trunk, I had ample time to consider how to dwell in my place.

How can you live well in your place?

One way, perhaps, is by not worrying about understanding how to do it, but by living it anyways.

University of Louisville

It should be noted here that Louisville is better pronounced “Loo-el-ville,”
though the”Loo” and the “el” are somewhat run together.

The Thinker

I feel more cultured having seen an original famous statue.
Admittedly, it is only one of several made by Rodin, but it’s still nice.

Making a Home Fit for Humans. A worthy goal.

Wendell Berry

Me standing in line like a little goofy fanboy.Mr. Berry's Autograph

 Yes. I got his autograph.

I’m going to write a post on something he said in regards to this book
(this book being, quite possibly, one of the greatest novels ever written).

Bacon Doughnut

Completely unrelated to anything about the conference…
but this little bakery put a piece of bacon on a maple doughnut.

I’m not sure why Canada has not figured this out.

Welcome back!

So apparently I disappeared throughout the summer. There was the occasional post but it’s really difficult to keep a blog up without regular computer access…

Still, I have some incredibly exciting news regarding this weekend, news that I will share next week at some point.

Today however I got a Steamwhistle stein from the LCBO and so, in honour of local beers and Oktoberfest… Prost!


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Tag Archives: Life

So Far

From her 1971 Tapestry album, Carol King turned 76 this February. The year 1971 was when I started Nursing School at UCSF.  Seems far away now. “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” Then sometimes it seems like yesterday.  Now the lyrics make me think of my daughter who lives in Northern California. I look forward to seeing her face at my door soon.

20151010_131409  A Beautiful Butterfly

Beautiful Daughter

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. Today’s prompt is ‘so far.’

A Life’s Worth

I came across a beautiful post in the New York Times column Disability: Essays, art and opinion exploring the lives of people living with disabilities, about a man who found himself chronically ill and lost in the Healthcare maze of diagnosis and health insurance and despite all that discovered new meaning and insight into the value of all people, including those ill or disabled who are often shunned, In My Chronic Illness, I Found A Deeper Meaning, by Elliot Kukla.I have been thinking a lot about our obsession with having to show how strong, busy, and productive we are. How in charge of our fates we are,when the truth is we often don’t have that much control over what happens in life. Maybe it’s really not important if we do not shake up the world but if we can say that we did some small good acts, shared our love and kindness with the people we met, then that is enough.

Just Jot It January is hosted by Linda G Hill. Today’s prompt word ,’contemplation’, suggested by Cheryl of the blog The Bag Lady. Featured image, ‘Contemplation’ by Maurice Fillonneau

Holding On To The Good

I have been thinking again about reining in my time on social media, blogging. I did a post on my other blog Grandmotherly.blog about being over-connected. I just read a post from the Atlantic  by James Hamblin that suggests we do a social media fast every other day to break the addiction. I was thinking of taking a vacation from blogging, which is still an option, but this every other day fast sounds like it would be worth a try.  Otherwise, I have visions of spending the rest of my life glued to my computer and cell phone.

But then there are so many interesting things that I find online from Smithsonian.com, like the West Coast is being invaded by hordes of gelatinous Sea Cucumbers and I have to read about it. Or how about the story of a shriveled human toe, put in a drink called Sourtoe Cocktail in the Yukon, that was stolen then returned. That last one makes me queasy. I am being facetious, but interesting articles about science, nature, quirky comical stuff helps lift my spirits when there is so much bad news.

I have been watching the The Lord of the Rings Trilogy again. We could see it as good triumphs over evil, and maybe too simplistic, but I do find the message inspiring. That even one small person can make a difference in the world. One of the inspiring speeches in the film is by Sam Gamgee to Frodo when Frodo feels despair of ever overcoming all that is against him, all the darkness:

Frodo : I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam : I know.
It’s all wrong
By rights we shouldn’t even be here.
But we are.
It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo.
The ones that really mattered.
Full of darkness and danger they were,
and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end.
Because how could the end be happy.
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened.
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow.
Even darkness must pass.
A new day will come.
And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.
Those were the stories that stayed with you.
That meant something.
Even if you were too small to understand why.
But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand.
I know now.
Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t.
Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo : What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

When the darkness rains down, I must not give up in despair. Have to be courageous and believe in the good in the world. And that even one person can make a difference.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt words for today: rain/reign/rein. Sam’s Speech ‘Worth Fighting For’ via Richurd on edgestudio.com. Featured image of ‘Aqua Tibia Wilderness Sunrise’ by pdpolena on Wikimedia.

My Worry Box

“I will write down my worries and put them in a worry box.”

When you become a parent you buy a membership to The Lifetime Worriers Club. When you become a Grandparent you earn a Platinum Card. I was thinking about what to do with my worries. Worry beads?  I researched a bit and decided that would make me feel more obsessive. The idea of “worry box” came from somewhere and I googled it. Turns out it is a recommended technique for handling worrying about stuff. You can even buy an App for it. So instead of doing laundry, exercise, shower, or any other sundry list of things I could be doing, I made a worry box. It was kind of fun and took my mind off things for a bit.

My Worry Box

How do you handle your worries?  And please don’t tell me you don’t have any, unless your name is Bob Marley.  And I love my kids and grandkid very much, but I still worry about them.

Sharing with: Eugenia BrewNSpew Tuesday Chatter

Surviving The Storm

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”―Haruki Murakami

Featured image ‘Storm at Sea on a Monlit Night’ by Ivan Aivazovsky on Wikimedia

Life After Work

I started writing about this idea on Stream of Consciousness Saturday, where I am in my life or the transition from work to not as much work. I have ( finally) made peace with the idea that career/work is not the main and most important part of my life any more. I am now moving past it. I am not wanting a career type role anymore. I do not miss it. And there is life after career life. Just thought I would let you know.  ❤

Barbara Bush Rose via wikipedia

Featured image is Sereno, Calm by oznicko on Pixabay.com

You may have noticed, or not, that I have not posted for a while. This is because I have had a flurry of activity going on which was worthwhile but definitely exhausting. I had a small social event at my house this past weekend. This is something  I wanted to do and I am glad I did it. I always say one good thing about having a party is that it forces you to clean up the house. I did have the sense to start this straightening up part ahead of time instead of doing it in a last minute frenzy which I have been known to do in the past. This whole event, with the planning, straightening, shopping, and socializing was like a huge energy consuming vortex. I am gradually recovering. Why is straightening up and organizing so exhausting, you ask? Don’t you feel such a great sense of satisfaction after organizing and cleaning, putting everything in its proper place?  I wondered about this too. Well, I think I figured out why it does not work so much for me. For one thing my brain likes its piles of stuff. A bit of clutter feels normal and clear, shining, empty space makes me feel edgy. Another thing is, as I sort through all the stuff, I can’t just quickly handle it and make snap decisions on what to do with it. I have to think about the object, where/when I got it, maybe who gave it to me, what it means to me, besides what I can use it for now and where to put it. My husband and I did sort through a lot of stuff and we still have more, but I think I will wait a bit until I fully recover from this session.

Featured image of Retro Housewife by Artsy Bee on Pixabay.com


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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had quite the life, at least judging by the Cambridge, Massachusetts, home where he lived for 40 years in the 1800s. Marble busts, chandeliers, and oil paintings in gilded frames adorn the house, along with 10,000 books that belonged to the poet.

Among the illustrious visitors to cross the threshold were Charles Dickens, invited for breakfast during his first tour of America, and playwright Oscar Wilde, who said of his host, “Longfellow was himself a beautiful poem.”

The house remains much as it did in Longfellow’s day, now maintained by the National Park Service, and it’s one of the more elegant author homes I’ve seen in my literary travels—more along the lines of Edith Wharton’s The Mount, albeit with a city setting, than the stark residences in Baltimore and New York City where Edgar Allan Poe lived a hardscrabble life. Hardship did find Longfellow here, though, when his wife, Fanny, died after her dress caught fire.

Longfellow wasn’t the only famous figure who lived at 105 Brattle Street. Less than a century before the poet took up residence, the house served as the headquarters of General George Washington during the Siege of Boston in 1775. When strangers knocked, asking to see “Washington’s headquarters,” Longfellow graciously showed them around.

Further north in the seaport town of Portland, Maine, is the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, where the writer lived for the first fourteen years of his life. Three generations of his family resided in the abode, the oldest standing structure on the Portland peninsula. Among the mementos on display is evidence of Longfellow’s wanderlust: a leather traveling trunk he took with him during a European grand tour in the late 1820s. –Shannon McKenna Schmidt

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“The goal of this book is to triple the size of your To Be Read pile,” claims Jane Mount in Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany. I’m always thrilled for new reading suggestions, and there are plenty of them in this gorgeous and fun book, from Coming of Age novels to 1800s Brit Lit. There are place-themed pictorials, too—beloved bookstores, striking libraries, and literary sites like Thoreau’s one-room cabin at Walden Pond and the West Yorkshire parsonage where the Brontë sisters lived and wrote. 📚 But my favorite section is Writers’ Pets, with drawings of Mark Twain’s black cat Bambino, Flannery O’Connor’s peacock Limpy, John Steinbeck’s travel mate, the standard poodle Charley, and other classic writers’ companions. #animalsrock #booksrule #readingsuggestions #literarysites #bibliophileanillustratedmiscellany #janemount #chroniclebooks
Favorite reads of 2018. So many blue covers are a coincidence, although it is my favorite color. All of these stories are tinged with sadness but also hope and humor. Two of them I loved so much that I didn’t want them to end. I set them aside for weeks before going back to finish the final chapters (The Death of Bees and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine). One made me cry and curse (A Man Called Ove). Two were book club selections (Another Brooklyn and An American Marriage). The latter inspired our most in-depth discussion, bringing up issues of marriage (of course), loyalty, race, and more. And Dickens’ storytelling stands the test of time. Originally published in serial form, Oliver Twist is a roller-coaster of a read. I fell hard for Oliver and the people that band together to keep him out of villainous hands. #somuchgreatstorytelling #books #bookish #bookstagram #bookrecs #read #reading #eleanoroliphantiscompletelyfine #thedeathofbees #anamericanmarriage #amancalledove #anotherbrooklyn #olivertwist
The last three of my book group’s picks for 2018, all of which are great reads. We take turns choosing what we’ll read each month, and the person whose turn it is has sole discretion over the selection. It’s a fun way to do it, as each time it’s a complete surprise. I’m already mulling over options for our February meet-up when it’s my turn to select. Suggestions welcome! #bookclub #bookgroup #greatreads #greatdiscussions #bookstagram #igreads #bibliophiles #pachinko #thesympathizer #thelefthandofdarkness

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Venerated Venomous Consort 29

Venerated Venomous Consort - novelonlinefull.com

You’re read light novel Venerated Venomous Consort 29 online at NovelOnlineFull.com. Please use the follow button to get notification about the latest chapter next time when you visit NovelOnlineFull.com. Use F11 button to read novel in full-screen(PC only). Drop by anytime you want to read free – fast – latest novel. It’s great if you could leave a comment, share your opinion about the new chapters, new novel with others on the internet. We’ll do our best to bring you the finest, latest novel everyday. Enjoy

He pulled out the knife and brought the letter towards candle. His face immediately turned black!

He punched the desk right after he finished reading the letter, breaking it under his might. "Please get Master Hu and the eighth prince to gather here at once!"

The servants quickly rushed out to visit them.

Gu Xijiu was hiding somewhere in the dark and flashed an evil smile.

"Rong Yan, how dare you!? You must bear the consequences after setting me up!"

"There’s no way to hide it!"

She had done everything she could, and the only thing she could do next was to wait for the outcome.

Gu Xijiu looked up to the crescent moon in the sky and realized it was already quite late into the night. It was time to go home, thus, she disappeared instantly.

Although the security of the Duke’s residence was quite strict, Gu Xijiu was able to teleport in and out of the residence. No one would notice her.

Gu Xietian felt guilty towards Gu Xijiu, and he promised to fulfil all Gu Xijiu's whims and fancies.

For example, he gave her a quiet and luxury residence, with four female companions and four maids. Gu Xijiu was finally able to live a good life.

Leng Xiangyu had been managing the residence for a long time. There must certainly be a few spies being sent to inspect Gu Xijiu.

Of course, Gu Xijiu was not stupid, she knew the spies were hiding amongst her servants.

She was an a.s.sa.s.sin. Needless to say, she was good at observing people and hunting for spies; it was easy as drinking water to her. One of the spies was caught with just a small trick.

Gu Xijiu punished her severely and did not even bother when she begged for forgiveness. She even sold her away.

Since Gu Xijiu collected enough evidence and brought it up to Gu Xietian, Leng Xiangyu could only watch the servant being kicked out of the residence.

The show which Gu Xijiu designed had successfully scared the other spies away.

Initially, they were not happy with Gu Xijie. Since the incident, they finally knew that the current Gu Xijiu was easy to deal with.

Even Leng Xiangyu was not able to protect them at certain points.

Gu Xijiu knew that murder was not the best way to convert them.

Therefore, she called for a meeting with the other seven people and set a rule in terms of reward and punishment.

She hinted to them how she discovered the spy was that someone had reported it to her, and that she would reward the loyal servant later...

After that, she called them into the house separately and interrogated them. Sometimes, she only kept them in the room and then let them go.

No one knew who got rewarded, so everyone was afraid and were more careful.

Gu Xijiu really kept her promise. She rewarded the one who treated her with loyalty in front of everyone.

In fact, there was more than one spy in there. But since the meeting, the other spies knew who their real master was. They took the courage to come clean to Gu Xijiu and exposed the main objective of Leng Xiangyu.

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Split Zone No.13

Split Zone No.13

Split Zone No.13 Chapter 242 Author(s) : Yu Wei,虞薇 View : 41,722
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Hail the King

Hail the King

Hail the King Chapter 622 Author(s) : Mad Blade During Troubled Times,乱世狂刀 View : 2,377,340
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The Villain Has Something To Say Chapter 7 Author(s) : Mo Chen Huan, 莫晨欢 View : 1,220
Doomsday Wonderland

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Doomsday Wonderland Chapter 406 Author(s) : Beards And Tails View : 247,914

Venerated Venomous Consort 29 summary

You're reading Venerated Venomous Consort. This manga has been translated by Updating. Author(s): Mu Danfeng, 穆丹枫. Already has 105 views.

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Venerated Venomous Consort 1056: You Should Consider Being The One Sorry For Them

Venerated Venomous Consort - novelonlinefull.com

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She faced down so that she could hide all the bitterness and sadness she was feeling at that moment.

Long Siye got up after cleaning her wounds. "Let's go, we should leave." He then raised his hand to call the crane and flew up into the sky.

"Yes, we should go," replied Ye Hongfeng. However, Ye Hongfeng was injured, and her soul had been severely damaged. So, even when the crane was flying very well, she could not balance herself properly on its back. There were many instances where she almost fell from the crane, but luckily Long Siye was able to catch her each time.

He frowned and looked at her. "It's fine if you want to die, but don't hurt your body!" Even such a unique body would splatter into pieces if it fell from the sky!

Ye Hongfeng suggested, "Why don't you hug me?"

Long Siye stared at her with a cold gaze but remained silent. Ye Hongfeng threatened him. "Otherwise, I may fall anytime…"

Long Siye was not affected by her threat, but he was not going to let her fall either. He immediately took out a cane made from the beast's muscle and tied her to the crane! He tied her tightly as though he was kidnapping her. Ye Hongfeng could not even move her fingers!

The crane was flying towards the east as Long Siye stared ahead into the sky. It was almost nightfall, and everything was starting to blur as the sun went down. It was as though his heart was falling into a dark hole.

The sky was a blood red!

Gu Xijiu felt as though she was floating in a sea of blood and the awful smell made her suffocate. It was raining, but the rainwater was blood red too, and she felt that her skin was hurting when the rain dripped on her body.

Gu Xijiu was frustrated and insecure; she just wanted to hide from everything. However, she could not find even a single rock in the entire forest to shade herself, and so she could only grit her teeth and bear the pain.

The worst part of it was the scene she visualized of people fighting in the sea of blood. Everyone there were her closest friends and family such as Little Fox, Qian Lingyu, Yan Chen and even Gu Xietian! All of them were fighting with each other. Every scene was b.l.o.o.d.y, and it was scary to the extent that she wanted to get involved and save them! However, once she got involved, all of them began to attack her!

She could only counter their attacks with her own. Everyone was bleeding, and they slumped on the ground one after another and disappeared. Gu Xijiu was exhausted, and she felt sad, but she could not afford to fall asleep.

In her imagination, she was running while pondering about the pain of her friend's betrayal. They were scolding her angrily, and the very next second, one of them had stabbed her in the back!

There was no one she could trust as every person would stab her in the back! Long Siye, Little Fox, Qian Lingyu, Yan Chen, Zhang Chuchu, Gu Xietian, the list goes on. All of them used to be her best friends, but now every one of them wanted to kill her.

As she endured the painful experience, her emotions started to grow numb over time. Eventually, she began attacking them regardless of whoever appeared in front of her! She was ruthless and cold!

She could hear the sound of someone speaking to her, "No one is reliable! You must be cold so that you will not get hurt."

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novelonlinefull.com rate: 4.51/ 5 - 593 votes

Split Zone No.13

Split Zone No.13

Split Zone No.13 Chapter 242 Author(s) : Yu Wei,虞薇 View : 41,722
Emperor’s Domination

Emperor’s Domination

Emperor’s Domination Chapter 1945 Author(s) : Yan Bi Xiao Sheng,厌笔萧生 View : 6,694,150
Hail the King

Hail the King

Hail the King Chapter 622 Author(s) : Mad Blade During Troubled Times,乱世狂刀 View : 2,377,340
Zombie Sister Strategy

Zombie Sister Strategy

Zombie Sister Strategy Chapter 160: Being Chased Author(s) : A Wisp of Netherworld Inferno, 一缕冥火 View : 87,558
The Villain Has Something To Say

The Villain Has Something To Say

The Villain Has Something To Say Chapter 7 Author(s) : Mo Chen Huan, 莫晨欢 View : 1,220
Doomsday Wonderland

Doomsday Wonderland

Doomsday Wonderland Chapter 406 Author(s) : Beards And Tails View : 247,914

Venerated Venomous Consort 1056: You Should Consider Being The One Sorry For Them summary

You're reading Venerated Venomous Consort. This manga has been translated by Updating. Author(s): Mu Danfeng, 穆丹枫. Already has 178 views.

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AVG ends support for Windows XP & Vista

As of January 1, 2019, AVG security products will no longer be updated with new security features for Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems. As customer demand has grown for Windows 7 and other newer versions, the need for products that support Windows XP and Vista has decreased. In order to receive new feature releases of AVG antivirus software, users will be required to update their Windows operating system.


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Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis

INEGMA is a Dubai and Lebanon-based organization that deals with security and military issues. At the core of INEGMA's activities is the research aspect – it is this intellectual capital that is the foundation for its Strategy and Risk Management Consultancy and also the basis for its wider activities.

INEGMA possesses a strong research network that brings former government and military officials together with high-caliber security expertise from around the world. As a result INEGMA has been delivering high-class open source intelligence on key developments impacting the wider Middle East region since 2001.

These insights have come in the form of risk reports and editorials, television and newspaper interviews, and information exchange forums such as specialized conferences and seminars.

INEGMAs homepage