Football, etc. Gia Quilap/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Football, etc.

It's spring, a time for renewal and flowers and sunshine and... sadness, if Football, etc. has anything to do with it. For nearly ten years, singer and guitarist Lindsay Minton has flown the flag for '90s-era emo, with all of that movement's signature heart-on-the-sleeve confessionals and a voice that knows how to carry a weight. As I wrote a couple years ago, Football, etc. is particularly thoughtful about its backwards glance, balancing twinkly guitar ballads and moody pop songs, staking its own identity in a genre that's still discovering newness.

The Houston trio's third album, Corner, shows a band getting more comfortable in the studio, taking full advantage of J. Robbins' ears and expertise, who also recorded and mixed the band's Disappear EP from 2015. But it also shows a band maturing like late-period Rainer Maria the raw emotion has evolved with long hindsight and subtle dynamics that shift in muted hues instead of broad brushstrokes.

Album opener "Save" makes the most of this studio mix, the rhythm section (bassist Mercy Harper and drummer Daniel Hawkins) popping over guitar harmonics that give Minton's voice more room to explore the turbulent seas of a codependent relationship: "You're coming into shore / I'm drifting out to sea / But you can't save me."

Corner comes out May 26 on Community (U.S.), Barely Regal (U.K.) and Stiff Slack (Japan).

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Hear Emo Torchbearer Football, etc.'s Meditation On A Turbulent ... - NPR

Most people barely have time to get ready in the morning, so fitting meditation into the routine probably feels impossible.

But the benefits of a few minutes ofmindfulness are clear: Research shows that it helpsincrease self awareness, lowers stress and improves concentration. So, that sparks the question: If all you have is a few minutes to do it, is that enough? And how do you go about it?

I think if you only have five minutes, then do the five minutes, Salzberg told The Huffington Post.

Eventually, those five minutes could grow to 10 and so forth, she explained. And the more you meditate, the more you stand to reap the mental and physicalperks of doing so.

Salzberg, who has been practicing since 1970, broke down the nuts and bolts of a five-minute morning meditation routine and how to do it. Take a look at her advice below:

Make sure you settle into a comfortable spot. Meditation experts suggest to sitwith an upright spine and to keep the shoulders gently down and back. Salzberg said you can either choose to close your eyes or keep them open.

Place your attention to the nostrils, chest or abdomen and just breathe naturally, Salzberg said. See if you can feel the in-and-out [of your] breath. When your mind wanders, dont worry about it. See if you can let go and come back.

Dont panic if you start to notice that youre thinking about the coffee maker or creating a grocery list during the meditation.

The key is knowing that your mind will wander, Salzberg said, noting that its not a sign of failure.

Gently notice the items that pop up in your mind and then let those thoughts pass as you direct your attention back to feeling your breath go in and out.

Every time you gently let go of whats distracted you and come back, youre doing the training, she said. [Mindfulness training]is about letting go more gracefully and its about beginning again with more kindness toward yourself. So let go and begin again and if thats all you do for five minutes thats a good five minutes.

Salzberg says that morning meditations are the perfect opportunity to set up your day on a positive, empowering note.

In the morning, I like to end with something that is aspirational for the day, she said. It might be, May I try to bring this spirit of beginning again into my day. Or, May I try to be more grounded in the present moment.

Salzberg also stressed that a five-minute meditation routine (or any length of time, for that matter)is not just to find calm in that time period, but to train yourself to access that relaxation the rest of the day. If you find yourself thinking self-defeating thoughts or become frustrated with your family or coworker later on, think back to the morning meditation.

Ready to add the practice into your daily routine?

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How To Do A 5-Minute Meditation In The Morning - Huffington Post

Her frazzled hair came from running around downtown Austin just ahead of the WEDC Startup Showcase at South By Southwest. When she gets going she can talk a mile a minute, do you remember the micromachine man? One look in her eyes and you can tell shes micromanaging 100 different tasks in her brain. Does that sound like an executive level manager with a Fortune 100 company? Try 6 Fortune 500 companies.

Thats Eloyce Starr Barbour a spitfire business woman, ready to take on any challenge. She spoke with me off camera a bit, about a lifestyle after graduating from North Carolinas A&T. Barbour quickly rose through the ranks in companies like GE, IBM, Fannie Mae, Lockheed Martin and Accenture. As a woman in an upper level capacity at some of the nations biggest tech firms she had to be on her game. That meant managing so many different tasks at one time. 20 hour days were common practice. She didnt want to end up like some of her colleagues and mentors, burnt out and brain dead by 40.

On the edge, but not quite over it, her doctor told Barbour that she should look into meditation. But she knew, with a Type A executive personality, going to a meditation studio wouldnt work for her. Self meditating wasnt enough.

So the DC based executive launched Still Going a DC startup that is changing the way people meditate. The company has developed a mobile app that is like Uber for meditation. While a meditation coach doesnt come to your home, you get instant access to one of several meditation coaches across the country via two way communication through the app.

Still Going offers the user the ability to have an on demand meditation coach, or they can set an appointment thats good for their schedule. Users can also join a variety of pre-scheduled meditation groups.

Most people who use meditation as a stress relief do so at a certain time and for a certain time on a daily basis. But say you just took a transcontinental flight and then your spent hours fighting customs just to get another delayed flight. Oh and the boss needs a presentation by the end of the day. Still Going users can grab an on demand coach, unwind, relax, meditate and then, you guessed it, keep going.

Check out our interview with Barbour above and for more info check out stillgoingmeditation.com

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Workaholic Creates The Uber For Meditation Startup In DC [sxsw] - Nibletz

Meditation and music listening programs have shown promise in improving measures of cognitive and memory in adults with subjective cognitive decline, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease.

Emerging evidence indicates that subjective cognitive decline (SCD) could represent a preclinical stage of Alzheimers disease, or unhealthy brain aging. Alzheimers disease affects more than 5 million people in the United States.

Dr. Kim Innes, associate professor of epidemiology at West Virginia University in Morgantown, and colleagues aimed to assess the effects of two mind-body practices Kirtan Kriya meditation and music listening on cognitive outcomes in people with SCD.

Kirtan Kriya is a form of yoga meditation that combines focused breathing practices, singing or chanting, finger movements, and visualization. Practitioners of yoga claim that this type of meditation stimulates all of a persons senses and the associated brain areas.

Practicing 12 minutes of Kirtan Kriya is reported to help a person to think more clearly, improve memory retrieval, improve sleep quality, reduce stress, improve both short- and long-term psychological health, and sharpen attention, concentration, and focus.

Music listening programs have been suggested to provide behavioral and emotional benefits for people with Alzheimers disease and have shown positive outcomes even in the late stages of the disease.

The areas of the brain that store musical memories are thought to remain relatively undamaged by Alzheimers disease. People associated music with significant events or a wide range of emotions, which may evoke a response long after memory declines.

Music listening therapy may relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and lessen agitation in people with Alzheimers disease. Furthermore, music could boost mood, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function, and help coordinate motor movements.

Previous research by the West Virginia team suggested that both interventions of Kirtan Kriya and music listening improved stress, sleep, mood, well-being, and quality of life. These improvements were especially significant in the meditation group, and they were sustained or enhanced a further three months after the interventions were complete.

In this new randomized controlled trial, Innes and team assigned 60 adults with SCD to either Kirtan Kriya meditation or music listening programs.

The participants were asked to practice their activity for 12 minutes per day for three months and the following three months if they so wished. Measures of cognitive function and memory were taken at the start of the study, and at three months and six months.

Study results demonstrated significant improvements in subjective memory function and objective cognitive performance in both the meditation and music groups.

The areas of cognitive functioning that benefited were those that would potentially be affected in the preclinical and early stages of dementia, such as attention, executive function, processing speed, and memory function.

As with the teams previous study, memory and cognitive gains were maintained or increased at three months post-intervention. The study authors write:

Findings of this preliminary randomized controlled trial suggest practice of meditation or music listening can significantly enhance both subjective memory function and objective cognitive performance in adults with SCD, and may offer promise for improving outcomes in this population.

The study findings indicate that Kirtan Kriya meditation and music listening programs could be useful interventions for improving mood, sleep, and quality of life in adults with SCD, as well as providing help with memory and cognitive performance.

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Alzheimer's disease: Music, meditation may improve early cognitive decline - Payson Roundup

His politics is exclusively fire and brimstone variety. But Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has a softer side too.

The 44-year-old monk is also an animal lover. And his compassion for animals goes beyond cows of which he has around 500 in a cow shelter in the Gorakhnath temple where he is also the head priest.

While his daily schedule has changed following his appointment as chief minister, Adityanath had a gruelling time table as head priest in Gorakhpur.

He (Adityanath) gets up at 3 am. After yoga and daily prayers, he feeds the cows at his gaushala. He takes his breakfast only after feeding the cows, said a close associate.

The gaushala is set up across two acres of land on the temple premises. Several volunteers every day tend to the 500-plus cows at the shelter.

Yogiji likes my dedication towards the service of cows, including Nandini, his favourite one. Yogiji doesnt take his breakfast till he himself feeds the cows, Man Mohamed, the only Muslim volunteer at the shelter told HT.

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While Adityanaths love for cows is well known, he is also a pet lover and has a number of animals on the Gorakhnath temple premises, including a dog, a cat, a deer and some monkeys.

His dog named Kallu roams the temple premises all day. When Adityanath is in Gorakhpur, he spends time with Kallu after completing his daily chores and political meetings.

In the morning, he also feeds the monkeys which have made the temple their home.

Recently a photo of Yogi feeding milk to a tiger cub went viral on social media.

His aides in the Gorakhnath temple said the cub was found roaming near an ashram in Tulsipur, in Balrampur district near the India-Nepal border, about 150 km from Gorakhpur. The cub was kept in the ashram for a few months and later handed over to the forest department for rehabilitation. Adityanath used to feed the cub with a milk bottle whenever he visited the ashram, they said.

He used to also feed the deer and antelopes that roamed around the ashram near Tuthibari in Maharajganj district, 100 km from Gorakhpur. The ashram is sandwiched between Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharajganj and Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

Adityanath feeds cows at the gaushala in Gorakhpur. (HTFile Photo)

The Gorakhnath Temple Trust has also set up an ashram in Nawal Parasi district across the border in Nepal which Aditya Nath sometimes visits.

In the late 1990s, a young Adityanath had galvanized Tharu and Vantongiyas tribals, settled in the bordering districts of Balrampur, Lakhimpur, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj to launch a movement against poachers in the forest areas of Nepal and UP.

His love for trees has turned the Gorakhnath temple into an oasis in a concrete jungle. His supporters call him a green saint who has planted a number of saplings of peepal, mango, banyan and Ashoka around the residential complex located on the temple premises.

Adityanath is also said to have planted a number of aromatic and medicinal plants in an area between the temple and the cow shelter.

Link:

UP chief minister Adityanath: A Hindutva leader, 'green' saint and animal lover - Hindustan Times

BTW

Internships are more competitive than ever, so one person vying to work for Jimmy Fallon put himself at the center of a Tonight Show classic to stand out from the crowd.

Along with his application for a Tonight Show internship, Jake Sirianni include a video of his own to make his case. He took one of Fallons most popular viral videosDaniel Radcliffes performance of Blackalicious Alphabet Aerobicsand edited himself into the video as he pitched why he would make a good intern. What makes it even more impressive is that he rewrote the entire song to cater specifically to Fallon and company. Heres one snippet of Sirianni moving from B to C:

Studio 6B, with Jimmy Fallon next to me Do you need an intern? Cause Im gettin a degree in this Communication. NBCs the station to view content creation from the Comcast corporation

Hes got the editing skills, and hes already got the beginning of a viral hit on his hands after a friend posted it to Reddit.

Sirianni,a student Washington State University whos also studied comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Training Center, is really putting himself out there. His YouTube summary links to his cover letter, which includes a full bio, his LinkedIn profile, and his email address.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, so even if you dont find the rap funny, chances are the people who its supposed to impress might: Fallon and his staff.

Excerpt from:

Student Rewrites 'Alphabet Aerobics' For 'Tonight Show' Intern ... - The Daily Dot

WASHINGTONJoanne Evans, M.Ed., R.N., P.M.H.C.N.S.-B.C., provided a presentation to colleagues at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., about the health benefits of adopting a plant-based vegan diet and soon had 19 nurses eager to test out the science firsthand.

After 21 days, 74 percent of the nurses, 14 out of 19, in this self-reported plant-based dietary review lowered their cholesterol, with a mean average of 18 mg/dL, while six lowered their cholesterol by 45 to 60 mg/dL; more than half, 10, lost weight, with an average weight loss of 4.4 pounds, with a range of 1.5 to 9 pounds; 30 percent, six, reported gains in energy; and 41 percent, eight, reported feeling highly satisfied with their health, compared to one nurse who reported this before the dietary modification. After the program concluded, the nurses reported an uptick in fruit and vegetable consumption, while meat and dairy consumption fell. The findings appear in the March 2017 issue of the American Journal of Nursing.

Large bodies of research show a plant-based vegan diet boosts weight loss, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol, and stabilizes blood sugar, says Neal Barnard, M.D., F.A.C.C., creator of the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, president of the nonprofit Physicians Committee, and an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. We now have preliminary evidence that this way of eating boosts energy, too. The secret is to stick with the prescription since the health benefits last as long as youre putting the dietary principles into practice. A plant-based vegan diet is not a fad diet, but a new approach to eating, a new approach to health, and a new approach to life.

A review about vegetarian and vegan diets in the Dec. 2016 issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics finds a plant-based vegan diet reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 62 percent, the risk of death or a hospitalization from a heart attack by one-third, or 32 percent, and the risk of developing all forms of cancer by 18 percent.

Plant-based eating patterns continue to gain traction among cultural influencers, from former president Bill Clintons adoption of a vegan diet to improve his heart health in 2010 to Beyoncs debut of her newfound approach to weight loss in 2013 and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady releasing his plant-based secrets, shortly after a Super Bowl victory, in a New York Times magazine feature in 2015. Serena and Venus Williams applaud this dietary approach for its anti-inflammatory benefits. They competed together at the U.S. Open earlier this year.

Similar to todays top athletes and cultural influencers, the nurses in this study have the ability to influence a larger audiencetheir patients and nursing students.

A plant-based diet provides a healthful template for all patients, but what I find works best is personalizing the approach, says Evans, the lead review author and a clinical research specialist. We miss the point when we give generic advice and suggestions. I recommend clinicians do a nutritional assessment, learn what the patient eats on a daily basis, find out their food preferences, discover their challenges, and create personalized solutions.

The nurses in the program achieved metabolic benefits without counting calories, measuring portion sizes, or adhering to strict rules. They received support through weekly webinars with Evans, who answered questions about day-to-day challenges, provided advice about nutrient intake and cooking procedures, and offered feedback about how to integrate options for family and friends into every meal.

Participants also received daily support from the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program, a free online meal-planning program that goes live the first day of each month and provides participants with dietitian-created meal plans, grocery shopping lists, inspirational tips, videos of cooking demos and grocery store tours, and interactive tools, including a free iPhone app.

To sign up for the April 1 program, visit 21DayKickstart.org. The program is available in English and Spanish, with international recipes designed to appeal to a variety of palates. Sample entres include steel-cut oatmeal breakfast bowls with berries for breakfast, Mediterranean-inspired chickpea salad rolls for lunch, edamame, pears, and bell peppers as heart-healthful snacks, and leafy greens with Costa Rican Beans for dinner.

To interview Joanne Evans, M.Ed., R.N., P.M.H.C.N.S.-B.C , Neal Barnard, M.D., F.A.C.C., or a registered dietitian, please contact Jessica Frost at 202-527-7342 or jfrost@pcrm.org.

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Nurses Adopt Plant-Based Vegan Diet for 21 Days and Lose Weight, Lower Cholesterol, Increase Fruit and Vegetable ... - PCRM

Clearly Veg (blog)

Toronto: Vegan Pizza Joint Opening All-Vegan Metal Bar! Clearly Veg (blog) With pizza options like BBQ Buffalover and The Fat Mac (with 8 dipping sauces!), snack/side options including vegan poutine and jalapeno poppers, and desserts like soft serve ice creams, doughnuts (fancy and non-fancy) and deep fried "marz" bars, ... Apiecalypse Now! is opening a barNOW Magazine all 2 news articles »

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Toronto: Vegan Pizza Joint Opening All-Vegan Metal Bar! - Clearly Veg (blog)

By Reagan DeVlieger, 5th Grader at OCIS

My father recently asked me why I like Ocean City so much. It inspired me to write the following:

When I think about my home town, the first thing that comes to mind is the beach. I thinkof the beach because, for one thing, this place does have ocean in its name. Another reason I instantly think of the beach is becauseI have been there a lot and I know that there is a countless amount of people at our beach each year. Last year, Ocean Citywon Best Beach in America because of how wonderful it is.

Another thing that comes to my mind when I think about Ocean City is the boardwalk. The boardwalk is one of the main attractions in Ocean City. One thing that makesthe boardwalk so great is thatit is kind of like a mallthat goes on for miles. Since the boardwalk is so close to the beach, you can relax in the nice summer sun after a long day of shopping and rides.

The Music Pier is just amazing, in my opinion. At the Music Pier, there are so many pageants, talent shows and performances each year that I canteven count them all! Almost everyone in Ocean City knows how great the Music Pier is. Thousands of people come tosee all of the performances. There is singing, dancing, acting and more, and everyone seems to want to be there and see it all.

One of my favorite places on the avenue is Glazed Over. I think that it is very fun to just walk in and start painting. One reason that I think itis so amazing is that you can be as creative as you want with whatever item you are painting. I love that ithas some differentitems to paint depending on what season or holiday is coming up.

Yoasis is one of the most relaxing places that I can think of on the avenue. At Yoasis, you can grab a bowl of your favorite frozen yogurt, sit in a chair and relax. There is almost always calming music playing to help take away any stress you may have. I think that Yoasis is truly a yogurt oasis.

Something that I enjoy a lot here in OC is the skateboard park. I am not a great skateboarder, but I really enjoywatching other people skateboard. Almost everyone I know loves the skateboard park. Whenever the skateboard park is open, I see a lot of people there, and everyone looks like they are having a lot of fun.

While I never lived anywhere but Ocean City, I cannot imagine a better place to grow up. Someday, I would like to visit cities all over the world (especially Paris).Butfornow, I will continue happilyliving in Americas Greatest Family Resort.

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Reagan's View On Ocean City - OCNJ Daily

There has always been one name in the indie rock scene that carries a lot of respect. Of course, we are talking about The Shins.

James Mercer has been in a state of constant evolution since the release of the bands 2012 album Port of Morrow.This isevident in their latest release and fifth studio album Heartworms. This time around we see an almost completely new lineup in the band and, for the most part, it adds a unique freshness.

The Shins can be traced back all the way to 1996 when they started out in New Mexico. Mercer formed the band after performing with another band. The Shins released their first album Oh, Inverted World in 2001. From there the band came out with two more albums before taking a five-year hiatus beginning in 2007. By the time the band got back together, Mercer was the only founding member left and the band was signed to Columbia Records, losing the charm they once had as the little indie band that could. It has been five years since we have heard anything from them and now we finally have Heartworms.

Heartworms is a 42 minute long, 11-track record. This record is different in a way you would not expect it to be from past works by The Shins. While it does look back and reflect on the bands now twenty-year career, this is not the primary focus. Instead the band uses the record to focus on the future and where they are going. We are starting to see some really creative pieces from Mercer as a songwriter and there are plenty of chill tracks to listen to. There are a lot of fun and fast paced tracks to enjoy as well. This record has just about everything you would expect from a modern day Shins album.

This is a soft rock album through and through with a focus on synthetic elements. That is apparent right out the gate with the lead track Name for You. The album starts off crisp and clean with plentyof well mixed tracks. Then it startsto slowly evolve into a more psychedelic vibe. Tracks like Fantasy Island focus more on the melodies. You get some tracks that nail progression and rhythm like in Dead Alive or Rubber Ballz. While the sound is reminiscent of older Shins works, it pays homagerather than showcasing a direct callback. This is probably one of the best features of the entire record.

This album shows that Mercer is most comfortable writing lyrics. Tracks like Mildenhall tell us a complete story. There are a lot of tracks were Mercer turns the pen towards himself in a more meaningful way than previously seen. When you listen to something like So Now What, you can not help but feel some sympathy for the man. While it serves as a nice slow jam, it is immediately followed by the closing track on this record The Fear. It does not take a lot to guess what this track is about, but it does have a more subtle and relaxing quality about it that keeps you coming back time and time again to listen to it. Overall, it is evident that songwriting comes easy to Mercer.

Should you listen to it?: Maybe.

While Heartworms is a pretty good album by The Shins, it is just that: pretty good. Obviously if you have been a fan of the band for a while, you are going to pick up this record and enjoy it with no problem. But it is not exactly the album I would suggest if you are trying to get into The Shins for the first time. While the band may be trying to focus on the future with what is to come, the past holds back this album from taking off.

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Alec Reviews Music: The Shins look to the future with 'Heartworms' - Rocky Mountain Collegian