USA TODAY Sports' 22nd All-Joe team full of unsung Seahawks, Broncos

USA TODAY Sports' All-Joe team was created in 1992 by longtime NFL writer Larry Weisman as a tribute to Joe Phillips, a 14-year defensive lineman who did yeoman's work for the Kansas City Chiefs that season. Phillips' effort in the trenches didn't lead to much glory … unless you point to the 29 combined sacks of Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith, Kansas City's fifth-ranked defense or the team's wild-card run. USA TODAY Sports has honored the unsung Joes ever since and compiles them in a 53-man roster that has at least one representative from every NFL team. Only players who have never been named to the Pro Bowl are eligible (note the Broncos and Seahawks share the All-Joe lead with four selections apiece):

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Matt Flynn (Packers): He essentially saved Green Bay's season, capably taking the reins as the Plan D passer until Aaron Rodgers returned from a busted collarbone to nail down the NFC North crown in the regular-season finale. Amazingly, the Packers' locker room was Flynn's fourth in less than a year. But he was able to settle back into his old haunts quickly enough to engineer two double digit comebacks against the Falcons and Cowboys, a pair of wins that tripled Flynn's career total in his sixth season. Colin Kaepernick (49ers): After a bumpy start, he had 100-plus passer ratings in five of his final six starts before leading another deep playoff run.Josh McCown (Bears): First Chicago player ever to pass for 300-plus yards in three consecutive games. Some think Bears might have reached postseason if they'd stuck with McCown (his 13-to-1 TD-to-INT ration was bettered only by Nick Foles) over Jay Cutler.

ALL JOE: 2012 team

ALL-JOE: 2011 team

ALL-JOE: 2010 team

Running back — Donald Browns (Colts): He began the year third on the depth chart, but superior production (5.3 yards per carry) meant an eventual promotion over ballyhooed trade acquisition Trent Richardson. Knowshon Moreno (Broncos):Also No. 3 on the summer depth chart, all he did was become the first Denver player to rush for 1,000 yards and add 500 more receiving in the same season. Moreno scored a career-best 13 TDs and hasn't lost a fumble in more than 16 months. Like Brown, he's looking at a nice reward in free agency. Ben Tate (Texans): Ran for a team-best 771 yards despite playing a good chunk of the season with four broken ribs. This tough guy will be tough for Houston to re-sign. Danny Woodhead (Chargers): His 76 catches led all AFC backs as he provided the outlet option QB Philip Rivers had missed in recent years.

Fullback — Bruce Miller (49ers): Converted college defensive end has become a bonecrushing blocker as a pro and the spearhead of the Niners' prolific rushing attack.

ALL-JOE: 2009 team

ALL-JOE: 2008 team

Wide receiver — Marques Colston (Saints): Fell 57 yards short of his seventh 1,000-yard receiving effort. As long as he's barred from Honolulu, Colston will always have an All-Joe spot waiting for him. Jerricho Cotchery (Steelers): He's beloved in locker room even if he's a quiet assassin. Ten of his 46 grabs produced TDs. Julian Edelman (Patriots): Wes Who? Edelman's 105 catches just about tripled his previous career-high (37) and ably replaced the production of the man Bill Belichick now refers to as "the receiver." Edelman also averaged 10.7 yards per punt return.Pierre Garcon (Redskins): His 113 receptions paced the league and broke Hall of Famer Art Monk's 29-year-old team record. Jordy Nelson (Packers): He may have the best hands in the game right now but somehow can't catch a trip to the Pro Bowl. Nelson's legs are pretty good, too, churning out 1,314 receiving yards. Golden Tate (Seahawks): With Percy Harvin out most of the year, he earned a lot of tough catches (64) and yards (898) while facing the opposition's best corners. Tate's also a good special teamer.

TE Charles Clay led the Dolphins with seven TDs in 2013.(Photo: Kevin Hoffman, USA TODAY Sports)

Tight end — Charles Clay (Dolphins): Dustin Keller's unfortunate preseason knee injury created an opportunity for Clay, who more than capitalized with 69 catches for 759 yards in a breakthrough campaign. The part-time fullback also led Miami with seven TDs. Greg Olsen (Panthers): Unfortunately for him, he's become an All-Joe staple, too. Olsen (73 catches, 816 yards, 6 TDs) is Cam Newton's favorite target and a force in the community.

Tackle — Chris Clark (Broncos): Not only was he asked to replace arguably the league's best tackle after Ryan Clady went down for good with a Week 2 foot injury, Clark was charged with bubble-wrapping the league's best quarterback. But he did a pretty good job safeguarding Peyton Manning. King Dunlap (Chargers): A virtual unknown in his sixth NFL season, Dunlap filled a gaping hole on the San Diego line and was an unsung reason Rivers rebounded and the offense got back into gear.Zach Strief (Saints): According to ProFootballFocus, he was the highest-ranked tackle not picked for the Pro Bowl. Strief only surrendered three sacks of Drew Brees.

Guard — Rodger Saffold (Rams): He moved to right tackle to accommodate Jake Long, then spent half his season at guard to patch a hole before moving back to left tackle when Long was injured. Matt Slauson (Bears): Free agent solidified an O-line that had long been a sieve, and his efforts brought a four-year extension after the season. Geoff Schwartz (Chiefs): The K.C. line was a Rubik's Cube. But Schwartz may have been its best blocker, playing both guard positions and right tackle. Larry Warford (Lions): Rookie third rounder played like a top-10 pick. A definite keeper.

Center — Jason Kelce (Eagles): All he did was come back from a torn ACL in 2012 to anchor a high-tempo offense that demands ability, smarts and conditioning from coach Chip Kelly. Manny Ramirez (Broncos): He may one day remembered as the pivot man for the greatest offense in NFL history. Pretty remarkable when you consider the demands Manning puts on his snapper and the fact Ramirez hadn't played the position in the NFL prior to this season. "Manny's been awesome," Manning said last month. "That is no easy task to go from guard to center, especially in a sophisticated, fast-moving, always-changing offense. I think it would be one thing if you knew what play was going to be called and you had 40 seconds to process it. But we call one play and change it to the next with five seconds on the play clock and when we change a play, Manny has to make his own calls and he has just gotten better each week."

Kicker — Josh Scobee (Jaguars): No team struggled to score more in 2013 than Jacksonville, but don't blame Scobee, who drilled 23 of 25 field-goal tries. One of his misses was blocked, the other failed from 60 yards. He's 71-for-78 (91%) from three-point range since 2011 and also excels on kickoffs.

Seahawks DE Michael Bennett bulldozes backs in addition to bagging quarterbacks.(Photo: Otto Greule Jr., Getty Images)

DEFENSE

Defensive line — Michael Bennett (Seahawks): He may have been Seattle's best offseason pick-up, leading the club with 8.5 sacks while providing stout run defense.Calais Campbell (Cardinals): The best 3-4 end in the NFL not named J.J. Watt, Campbell posted a career-best nine sacks while crushing tailbacks for the NFL's top run defense. He also excels at blocking kicks with his 6-8 frame. Jurrell Casey (Titans): Only Dallas Pro Bowler Jason Hatcher had more sacks among interior linemen than Casey's career-high 10.5. Rob Ninkovich (Patriots): Is he an end? A linebacker? We're not sure, we just know he's a do-it-all type with a fantastic beard.Domata Peko (Bengals): Veteran leader has quietly done the dirty work for a defense ranked in the top 10 each of the past three seasons. Brian Robison (Vikings): Has averaged 8.5 sacks since 2011 while operating in Jared Allen's shadow, though that may change in 2014 if Allen leaves for less purple pastures. Robison showcased his athleticism with a 61-yard fumble return for a TD in Week 2.Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson (Jets): This duo formed the heart of a new-look New York defense. Richardson, a rookie, is a devastating run stopper and gap-shooting disruptor who moonlights as a goal-line back (2 TDs). Wilkerson was voted team MVP after piling up a personal best 10.5 sacks to go along with his stellar all-round play.

Outside linebacker — Lavonte David (Buccaneers): You tell us how a first-team all-pro doesn't go to Hawaii. All David does is make tackles (144), sack quarterbacks (6), and intercept the passes (5) he isn't breaking up (10). Stud. Thomas Davis (Panthers): You might know that the Carolina defensive captain's right ACL has been repaired three times. But did you know he just collected a career-high 123 tackles and has missed just one game in the last two seasons? A great pass defender.Junior Galette (Saints): After registering 12 sacks off the edge, perhaps no one was happier with Rob Ryan's new 3-4 defense than Galette. Jerry Hughes (Bills): A former first rounder cast off by the Colts, Hughes emerged as quite the sub package QB hunter (he only started once in 2013) in Buffalo with 10 sacks. DeAndre Levy (Lions): Don't throw in his zone — only Seattle's Richard Sherman picked off more passes than Levy's six, a gaudy figure for a linebacker.

Cardinals ILB Karlos Dansby got his hands on quite a few footballs in 2013.(Photo: Matt Kartozian, USA TODAY Sports)

Inside linebacker — Karlos Dansby (Cardinals): Returned to the desert after three years in Miami and turned in his best season. His career-high 114 solo tackles complemented 6.5 sacks. He also picked off four passes (returning two for scores) and broke up 19 passes, tied for most among linebackers. Jerrell Freeman (Colts):Another playmaker, Freeman's six forced fumbles were the most for an inside backer. He's also solid all around (126 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 INTs). D'Qwell Jackson (Browns): He's taken London Fletcher's place as the league's most underappreciated tackling machine. Nick Roach (Raiders): Didn't miss any of Oakland's 1,074 defensive snaps and provided the steady veteran presence the unit sorely needed after arriving from Chicago. Paul Worrilow (Falcons): Undrafted rookie stepped in as a starter in October and ended up leading Atlanta with 127 tackles, including 54 during a three-game stretch in November. Pen him into the lineup from now on.

Cornerback — Tramaine Brock (49ers): Former practice squad player led Niners with five picks, claimed a starting job in the season's second half and earned a four-year extension. Fun fact: Brock is the only player from Belhaven University (Jackson, Miss.) to play in the NFL. Chris Harris (Broncos): Former undrafted nickelback assumed the starting role of injured star Champ Bailey and emerged as Denver's steadiest defender, playing more snaps than anyone else on the unit before tearing an ACL in postseason. Byron Maxwell (Seahawks): The least heralded member of the Legion of Boom not only stepped in for suspended Brandon Browner late in 2013 but improved the air defense opposite the frequently untested Sherman. Captain Munnerlyn (Panthers): Diminutive (5-8, 195) former seventh rounder emerged as Carolina's No. 1 corner in 2013, equally willing to take on receivers, runners and blockers. Terrell Thomas (Giants): He tore his right ACL prior to both the 2011 and 2012 seasons. But Thomas was back in 2013 to nail down the slot, finishing with 67 tackles. Lardarius Webb (Ravens): He tore his left ACL midway through Baltimore's Super Bowl season but returned in 2013 to tie for the league lead with 23 pass break-ups. Webb also chipped in with 74 tackles.

Safety — Barry Church (Cowboys): He suffered a torn Achilles' in 2012 but reclaimed his starting post in 2013. Church had a heavy workload behind Dallas' injury-riddled front seven, and his 135 tackles were more than any defensive back in the league. Reggie Nelson (Bengals): Perhaps not the superstar first rounder the Jags once envisioned, Nelson has settled in as another unheralded mainstay of the top-shelf Cincinnati defense. He rarely misses a snap despite his hard-hitting style.

Punter — Jon Ryan (Seahawks): He's figured out how to combine hang time and directional kicking so well, that he only allowed 82 punt return yards in 2013. Only Rams Pro Bowler Johnny Hekker was better, but he's usually operating in a dome, not Seattle's elements.

***

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Songfacts : Billie Jean by Michael Jackson

This song is about a girl who claimed that Jackson was the father of her child. Jackson based it on a woman who used to stalk him, writing him letters about a son she thought was his. Jackson rarely spoke about this woman, but he had a very hard time dealing with this unwanted attention, and he became more reclusive as a result. The song was his way of expressing his feelings without addressing her directly.

While Jackson didn't give many details about the real Billie Jean, his producer Quincy Jones said that Jackson found the woman one day lounging by his pool with a bathing suit and sunglasses on. According to Jones, she accused Jackson of being the father of one of her twins, which Jones thought was pretty funny.
In his autobiography Moonwalk, Jackson said that Quincy Jones wanted to change the title to "Not My Lover" because he thought it would be confused with the tennis star Billie Jean King. Jackson ended up winning that battle.
Michael Jackson says about this song in Moonwalk, "A musician knows hit material. It has to feel right. Everything has to feel in place. It fulfills you and it makes you feel good. You know it when you hear it. That's how I felt about 'Billie Jean.' I knew it was going to be big while I was writing it. I was really absorbed in that song. One day during a break in a recording session I was riding down the Ventura Freeway with Nelson Hayes, who was working with me at the time. 'Billie Jean' was going around in my head and that's all I was thinking about. We were getting off the freeway when a kid on a motorcycle pulls up to us and says, 'Your car's on fire.' Suddenly we noticed the smoke and pulled over and the whole bottom of the Rolls-Royce was on fire. That kid probably saved our lives. If the car had exploded, we could have been killed. But I was so absorbed by this tune floating in my head that I didn't even focus on the awful possibilities until later."
According to Rolling Stone magazine's Top 500 songs, Jackson came up with the song's rhythm track on his home drum machine and nailed the vocals in one take.
This won the 1983 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance and Best Rhythm & Blues Song for the writer Michael Jackson.
The video for this song is often credited with breaking the color barrier on MTV, which debuted August 1, 1981. The clip for "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth was the first video by a black act to make regular rotation on the network, but they were considered a novelty, with no member older than 16.

Jackson's "Billie Jean" video was the first to make heavy rotation, and more black faces started appearing on the network soon after, notably Prince. MTV was accused of racism in this era, notably by Rick James, whose "Super Freak" clip was rejected by the network. MTV was programmed by guys with radio backgrounds who tried to program it like a radio station with a Rock format, something that proved impossible because they didn't have enough videos by Rock artists. What they did have were lots of European acts (like Musical Youth), who had been making videos for years, and were overwhelmingly white. Record companies wouldn't budget for videos by their black artists since they didn't think MTV would play them, so the network could make the argument that they simply didn't have any good videos by black artists that were worthy. That argument went out the window when Jackson made the "Billie Jean" video, which was startlingly innovative, and a precursor to the video game Dance Dance Revolution, as some scenes showed Jackson performing his dance moves by stepping on squares as they would light up.

Despite the production value and Jackson's star quality, MTV didn't play the video until the song was already a #1 hit. Les Garland, who ran the network at the time, claims that they loved the video and played it as soon as they could, but interviews with executives at Jackson's record company and with others familiar with the matter suggest otherwise. In the book I Want My MTV, multiple sources who worked at MTV claimed that the network wanted to air the "Beat It" video first, because Eddie Van Halen played on it and the song fit their format. Walter Yetnikoff, who was head of CBS Records (Jackson's was signed to its subsidiary, Epic), recalls threatening to pull all CBS videos from MTV if they didn't play "Billie Jean." He says he threatened to bring Jackson's producer Quincy Jones in on it as well, and the network acquiesced. When MTV started playing the clip, it was first put in medium rotation, then promoted to heavy rotation when viewers loved it. When the video for "Beat It" was delivered, that one also went into hot rotation. For a two month stretch in the summer of 1983, both videos were getting constant airplay, establishing Jackson as a video star. His next video effort was for "Thriller," which revolutionized music videos.
This was the second of 7 US top 10 hits from the Thriller album. "The Girl Is Mine" was released before this.
The video showcased Jackson's signature dance moves that he became famous for. His talents as a dancer helped make him a huge concert draw and a star on MTV. High-energy dancing was a huge part of his act, and artists like New Kids on the Block and his sister Janet followed his lead and made dance moves as big a part of their shows as singing. This trend continued as groups like *NSYNC and The Backstreet boys followed suit. Jackson choreographed the dance moves himself.
On the 1983 TV special 25 Years Of Motown, Jackson did The Moonwalk for the first time while performing this song. This was also the first time Jackson wore his famous white glove on stage - at the time it was a modified golf glove.
Jackson shot a Pepsi commercial in 1984 performing this with the lyrics altered to sing the praises of the soda. During the shoot, his hair caught fire from the pyrotechnics and he was rushed to the hospital. The commercial aired on the Grammy awards.
The UPC code on the album cover contained 7 digits that were rumored to be Jackson's telephone number. People with that number in many different area codes got swamped with annoying calls.
This inspired an "answer song" - Lydia Murdock's 1983 disco hit "Superstar." In "Superstar," Murdock adopts the persona of Billie Jean, telling her side of the story. No word on if Jackson ever heard it. (thanks, Adam - Dewsbury, England)
According to Q magazine, March 2008, Michael Jackson wrote this in his home studio in Encino. He worked for 3 weeks on the bass line alone.
Producer and record mogul Antonio "LA" Reid told Rolling Stone magazine April 15, 2004: "Billie Jean is the most important record he's made, not only because of its commercial success but because of the musical depth of the record. It has more hooks in it than anything I've ever heard. Everything in that song was catchy, and every instrument was playing a different hook. You could separate it into 12 different musical pieces and I think you'd have 12 different hits. Every day, I look for that kind of song." (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)
Former Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell recorded a stripped-down, emotional version of this song for his 2007 solo album Carry On. In March, 2008, David Cook performed a similar version on American Idol, drawing rave reviews from the judges and some criticism from viewers who felt he ripped off Cornell's version. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)
Quincy Jones discussed this song in a radio interview printed in Radio Times. The Thriller producer recalled: "The intro to 'Billie Jean' was so long you could shave during it. I said we had to get to the melody sooner…but Michael said that was what made him want to dance. And when Michael Jackson says something makes him want to dance, you don't argue, so he won."
In the first chart week following Jackson's death, he placed a record 21 entries on the Hot Digital Songs chart, including this song. The late singer thus overtook the mark of 14 charted titles established by David Cook on the June 7, 2008, chart. One of Cook's cuts that week was his cover of this tune.
During an interview in Thailand, Jackson was asked about the inspiration behind this song. He replied: "There is a girl named Billie Jean, but it's not about that Billie Jean. Billie Jean is kind of anonymous. It represents a lot of girls. They used to call them groupies in the '60s. They would hang around backstage doors, and any band that would come to town they would have a relationship with, and I think I wrote this out of experience with my brothers when I was little. There were a lot of Billie Jeans out there. Every girl claimed that their son was related to one of my brothers."
The music video was directed by Steve Barron, who was chosen because Jackson and Quincy Jones likes his work on the Human League video for "Don't You Want Me." Barron's original idea was more complex and involved a group of dancers. With budget a factor, they simplified the concept and went with the idea of Jackson having a Midas Touch, with the squares he stepped on lighting up. To save on set design, they used a technique where painted glass was placed in front of the camera to fill in the wide shots without building actual set pieces. You can see this on some shots where Jackson is on a sidewalk with a city landscape behind him.

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Anthony Shaffer Is A Con Artist

The guy that built his career telling lies about Able Danger is trying to make a comeback by telling lies about the Administration. He says that the Obama Administration invented the Iranians suspected of plotting to assassinate the ambassadors of Israel and Saudi Arabia.



This same guy, who claims to be up to his eyeballs in "FBI informants," also claimed he was a key founding member on a secret project where his entire real contribution seemed to be carrying documents to meetings. 

It goes without saying that he invented his claims whole cloth: The FBI was a key part of the the case. Robert Woloszyn, an FBI agent, filed the actual charges on behalf of the FBI team that lead the investigation. Shaffer's claims about what his "insiders" are saying reads like the unfounded speculation of a tabloid magazine. "Sources close to the victim say..." "The craziest thing happened to a friend of a friend..."

His claims would also imply some very interesting things about the U.S.-Iran relationship. Given that most conspiracy theorists believe the Administration is looking for an excuse to go to war, wouldn't the Presidents of Iran and the U.S. need to be pretty damn buddy-buddy for Ahmadinejad to come along and offer up a few of his elite special forces for a foiled terror plot that would result in retaliation against his own government? Come on, guys. Conspiracies have an end-stage, but they have a beginning, too, and this one doesn't quite pan out.

Shaffer is a career con who hits his conspiracy theorist mark every time. Everyone who has ever worked in the public sector is evil, but every two-bit half-wit with a rumor to peddle gets vaulted to the front stage. Impeccable logic, guys. Impeccable.

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Songfacts : Hotel CaliforniabyEagles

Written by Don Felder, Glenn Frey and Don Henley, this song is about materialism and excess. California is used as the setting, but it could relate to anywhere in America. Don Henley in the London Daily Mail November 9, 2007 said: "Some of the wilder interpretations of that song have been amazing. It was really about the excesses of American culture and certain girls we knew. But it was also about the uneasy balance between art and commerce."

On November 25, 2007 Henley appeared on the TV news show 60 Minutes, where he was told, "everyone wants to know what this song means." Henley replied: "I know, it's so boring. It's a song about the dark underbelly of the American Dream, and about excess in America which was something we knew about."
California is seen from the perspective of an outsider here. Only Bernie Leadon and Timothy B. Schmit were from the state: Joe Walsh came from New Jersey, Don Henley was from Texas, Glenn Frey was from Detroit, and Don Felder was from Florida. In our interview with Don Felder, he explained: "As you're driving in Los Angeles at night, you can see the glow of the energy and the lights of Hollywood and Los Angeles for 100 miles out in the desert. And on the horizon, as you're driving in, all of these images start coming into your mind of the propaganda and advertisement you've experienced about California. In other words, the movie stars, the stars on Hollywood Boulevard, the beaches, bikinis, palm trees, all those images that you see and that people think of when they think of California start running through your mind. You're anticipating that. That's all you know of California."

Don Henley put it this way: "We were all middle-class kids from the Midwest. Hotel California was our interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles."
This won the 1977 Grammy for Record Of The Year. The band did not show up to accept the award, as Don Henley did not believe in contests. Timothy B. Schmit had just joined the band, and he says they watched the ceremony on TV while they were rehearsing.
Don Felder came up with the musical idea for this song. According to his book Heaven and Hell: My Life in The Eagles, he came up with the idea while playing on the beach. He had the chord progressions and basic guitar tracks, which he played for Don Henley and Glenn Frey, who helped finish the song, with Henley adding the lyrics. Felder says they recorded the song about a year after he did the original demo, and in the session, he started to improvise the guitar part at the end. Henley stopped him and demanded that he do it exactly like the demo, so he had to call his housekeeper and have her play the cassette demo over the phone so Felder could remember what he played.
The lyric, "Warm smell of colitas," is often interpreted as sexual slang or a reference to marijuana. When we asked Don Felder about the term, he said: "The colitas is a plant that grows in the desert that blooms at night, and it has this kind of pungent, almost funky smell. Don Henley came up with a lot of the lyrics for that song, and he came up with colitas."

The Eagles aimed for a full sensory experience in their songwriting. Felder adds, "When we try to write lyrics, we try to write lyrics that touch multiple senses, things you can see, smell, taste, hear. 'I heard the mission bell,' you know, or 'the warm smell of colitas,' talking about being able to relate something through your sense of smell. Just those sort of things. So that's kind of where 'colitas' came from."
This was recorded at three different sessions before the Eagles got the version they wanted. The biggest problem was finding the right key for Henley's vocal.
Glenn Frey compares this to an episode of The Twilight Zone, where it jumps from one scene to the next and doesn't necessarily make sense. He says the success of the song comes from the audience creating stories in their minds based on the images.
The line "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" is a reference to Steely Dan. The bands shared the same manager and had a friendly rivalry. The year before, Steely Dan included the line "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" on their song "Everything You Did."
Don Felder and Joe Walsh played together on the guitar solos, creating the textured sound.
The lyrics for the song came with the album. Some listeners thought the line "She's got the Mercedes Bends" was a misspelling of "Mercedes Benz," not realizing the line was a play on words.
Glenn Frey: "That record explores the under belly of success, the darker side of Paradise. Which was sort of what we were experiencing in Los Angeles at that time. So that just sort of became a metaphor for the whole world and for everything you know. And we just decided to make it Hotel California. So with a microcosm of everything else going on around us." (thanks, Moomin - London, England)
When the Eagles got back together in 1994, they recorded a live, acoustic version of this song for an MTV special that was included on their album Hell Freezes Over. Don Felder came up with a new guitar intro for this version the day they recorded it, and while it was not released as a single, it got a lot of airplay, helped the album top the charts the first week it was released, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, a category introduced in 1980 when the Eagles won with "Heartache Tonight."

Felder had some beef with how the credits were listed on this new version - the original single had the composers as "Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey," implying that Felder wrote most of the song and Frey the least. The new version was credited to "Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Don Felder." Felder claims that Henley and Frey added nothing original to the new version, and that this was simply a power play. Felder was fired from the band in 2001 after disputing payments and royalties.
All 7 past and present members of the Eagles performed this in 1998 when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
The hotel on the album cover is the Beverly Hills Hotel, known as the Pink Palace. It is often frequented by Hollywood stars. The photo was taken by photographers David Alexander and John Kosh, who sat in a cherry-picker about 60 feet above Sunset Boulevard to get the shot of the hotel at sunset from above the trees. The rush-hour traffic made it a harrowing experience. Check out the hotel.
Although it is well known that Hotel California is actually a metaphor, there are several strange Internet theories and urban legends about the "real" Hotel California. Some include suggestions that it was an old church taken over by devil worshippers, a psychiatric hospital, an inn run by cannibals or Aleister Crowley's mansion in Scotland. It's even been suggested that the "Hotel California" is the Playboy Mansion. (thanks, Adam - Dewsbury, England)
The music may have been inspired by the 1969 Jethro Tull song "We Used to Know," from their album Stand up. The chord progressions are nearly identical, and the bands toured together before the Eagles recorded "Hotel California." In a BBC radio interview, Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson said laughingly that he was still waiting for the royalties. In Ian Anderson's interview with Songfacts, he makes it clear that he doesn't consider "Hotel California" to be borrowing anything from his song: "It's difficult to find a chord sequence that hasn't been used, and hasn't been the focus of lots of pieces of music. It's harmonic progression is almost a mathematical certainty you're gonna crop up with the same thing sooner or later if you sit strumming a few chords on a guitar. There's certainly no bitterness or any sense of plagiarism attached to my view on it, although I do sometimes allude, in a joking way, to accepting it as a kind of tribute."
After Don Henley came up with the title, a theme developed for the album. Don Felder told us how some of the other songs fit in: "Once you arrive in LA and you have your first couple of hits, you become the 'New Kid In Town,' and then with greater success, you live 'Life In The Fast Lane,' and you start wondering if all that time you've spent in the bars was just 'Wasted Time.' So all of these other song ideas kind of came out of that concept once the foundation was laid for 'Hotel California.' It was a really insightful title."
Don Felder: "I had just leased this house out on the beach at Malibu, I guess it was around '74 or '75. I remember sitting in the living room, with all the doors wide open on a spectacular July day. I had this acoustic 12-string and I started tinkling around with it, and those Hotel California chords just kind of oozed out. Every once in a while it seems like the cosmos part and something great just plops in your lap." (thanks, Stone - Libertyville, IL)
An alternative interpretation of the meaning of the lyrics is that the song is a description of the journey from Need to Love and Marriage to Divorce and ultimately to the impossibility of regaining the life and happiness of the pre-divorce state.
Initially the traveler is feeling the need of a relationship ("My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night"). The traveler meets his love and gets married ("There she stood in the doorway. I heard the mission bell"). A marriage commitment opens up the possibility of happiness but also the traveler is aware and vulnerable to the possibility of intense unhappiness ("And I was thinking to myself, this could be heaven or this could be hell")
Unfortunately the marriage dissolves and his love becomes obsessed with money ("Her mind is Tiffany-twisted") where Tiffany" refers to the very expensive jewelry store, Tiffany & Co. With the divorce there is the division of property - she got the Mercedes Benz. After the breakup when he sees her with any guys she reassures him that the pretty, pretty boys" are just friends." In this new world of being single the other singles he meets do their dance in the courtyard" of life. They generally fall into two groups: There are those who can't stop talking about their Ex ("Some dance to remember") and there are those who don't what to say anything at all about their past marriage ("some dance to forget").
Now in this world of being divorced he longs to return the pre-divorced state of happiness ("So I called up the captain, please bring me my wine"), but he finds that his happiness is now irrevocably in the past ("We haven't had that spirit here since 1969").
Deep into the post-divorce single's scene with "mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice" he is reminded that "we are all just prisoners here, of our own device." He and others want this divorce nightmare to be over, yet - "they stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast." Now frustrated, he panics and is "running for the door. I had to find the passage back to the place I was before" But he is brought up short when the night man informs him that "You can checkout any time you like (commit suicide), but you can never leave" (become pre-divorced).
There are two choruses in the song and each mention the "Hotel California." Around the time the song was written, California was experiencing the highest divorce rate in the nation. Each chorus has lines that remember his past marriage ("Such a lovely place") and his past lover ("Such a lovely face"). The first chorus indicates that there can always be more divorces ("Plenty of room at the Hotel California, any time of year, you can find it here"). The second chorus points out that as a part of divorce you will always "bring your alibis." (thanks, David - Redwood City, CA)
The Hotel California album is #37 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Albums of all time. According to the magazine, Don Henley said that the band was in pursuit of a note perfect song. The Eagles spent 8 months in the studio polishing take after take after take. Henley also said, "We just locked ourselves in. We had a refrigerator, a ping pong table, roller skates and a couple cots. We would go in and stay for 2 or 3 days at a time." (thanks, Ray - Stockton, NJ)
According to a reader-submitted poll for Guitar World magazine, the guitar solo for this song is ranked #8 out of 100. (thanks, Romeo - Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Don Felder told Gibson.com about his contribution to this track. "I thought it was really unique and different to anything ever written. The Eagles had been heading in a conventional country-rock direction. I was added to the band for my electric guitar, slide-electric ability and to help turn them into more of a rock and roll band. I was writing stronger guitar tracks that used electric guitar like 'Victim of Love' and 'Hotel California.' When I came up with the 'Hotel California' progression, I knew it was unique but didn't know if it was appropriate for the Eagles. It was kind of reggae, almost an abstract guitar part for what was on the radio back then.
When I was writing for the Hotel California album, I was working on a TEAC 4-track in a beach house in Malibu and I was putting down ideas on tape. Then I made cassette copies and gave them to [Don] Henley, [Glenn] Frey, Walsh and [Randy] Meisner. Henley called me to say he really like the Mexican bolero, Mexican reggae song. I knew exactly which track he meant. Don came up with a great lyric concept for the song."
This followed "New Kid in Town" as the second single released from the album. There was no doubt about the song's merits as an album track, but issuing it as a single defied convention. Don Felder told us: "when we finally finished that whole album, the record company had been pounding on the door trying to get in and get this record, because they wanted to release it. We were about four months overdue on delivering our record per our contract. So we finally let the record company in. The execs come in and we had this playback party for them at the record plant here in Los Angeles. And after the song 'Hotel California' played, Henley turned around and said, 'That's going to be our single.'

In the '70s, the AM format, which was what we were really aiming for, had a specific formula; your song had to be between three minutes and three minutes and thirty seconds long, and it had to be a dance track, a rock track, or a trippy ballad. The introduction could only be 30 seconds long before the singer started, so the disc jockey didn't have to speak so long.

'Hotel California' is six and a half minutes long. The introduction to it is a minute long. You can't really dance to it. It stops in the middle when the drums stop: 'mirrors on the ceiling,' that section, and it's got a two minute guitar solo on the end. It's the complete wrong format.

So I said, 'Don, I think you're wrong. I think that's a mistake. I don't think we should put that out as the single. Maybe an FM cut, but not a single.' And he said, 'Nope, that's going to be our single.' And I've never been so delighted to have been so wrong in my life. You just don't know."
In Chicago at the time of this song's popularity many people called the Cook County jail "Hotel California" because it is on California street. The name stuck and now people of all ages and races refer to the jail by this nickname. (thanks, Jesse - Chicago, IL)

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Life of the Prophet Muhammad

Early Life of the Prophet

Muhammad (whose name means "highly praised") was born in Mecca in 570 AD. His father died shortly before his birth, and he lost his mother at the age of six. The young orphan was then raised primarily by his uncle, for whom he worked as a shepherd. At age 9 (some sources say 12), he joined his uncle on a caravan to Syria.  

As a young man, Muhammad worked as a camel driver between Syria and Arabia. Soon he established a career managing caravans on behalf of merchants. Through his travel first with his uncle and later in his career,Muhammad came into contact with people of many nationalities and faiths, including Jews, Christians and pagans.

At age 25, Muhammad was employed by Khadija, a wealthy Meccan widow 15 years his senior. The two were married, and by all accounts enjoyed a loving and happy marriage. Early records report that "God comforted him through her, for she made his burden light." Although polygamy was common practice at the time, Muhammad took no other wife than Khadija until her death 24 years later.

Divine Revelation

In his late 30s Muhammad took to regularly visiting a cave in Mount Hira, on the outskirts of Mecca, to seek solitude and contemplation. In 610, at the age of 40, Muhammad returned from one such visit telling his wife he had either gone mad or become a prophet, for he had been visited by an angel. The initially startled Khadija became his first convert.

Muhammad reported that while in a trance-like state, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and said "Proclaim!" But like Moses, Muhammed was a reluctant prophet. He replied, "I am not a proclaimer." The angel persisted, and the Prophet repeatedly resisted, until the angel finally overwhelmed Muhammad and commanded him:

Proclaim in the name of your Lord who created!
Created man from a clot of blood.
Proclaim: Your Lord is the Most Generous,
Who teaches by the pen;
Teaches man what he knew not. (Qur'an 96:1-3)

After receiving Khadija's support, and additional angelic visits, Muhammad became confident he had indeed been chosen as the messenger of God and began to proclaim as he had been commanded.

Muhammad's message to his countrymen was to convert from pagan polytheism, immorality and materialism, repent from evil and worship Allah, the only true God. He was always careful to clarify his role in God's work - he was only a prophet. He was not an angel, he did not know the mind of God, he did not work miracles. He simply preached what he had received.

In the first three years of his ministry, Muhammad gained only 40 followers. And as his teachings threatened the Meccan way of life, both moral and economic, he and his followers experienced heavy persecution. It first took the form of mockery, but soon turned into open violence. Members of the small movement were stoned, covered in dirt as they prayed, beat with sticks, thrown into prison and refused service by merchants.  

Hijira

Persecution continued to increase until Muhammad received some welcome news: he had gained followers in the city of Yathrib, 280 miles north of Mecca. The city was in need of a strong leader, and a delegation from Yathrib proposed that Muhammad take the job. In return, they pledged to worship Allah only, obey Muhammad and defend him and his followers to the death. Allah revealed to Muhammed his approval of this arrangement, and Muhammadmade plans to escape to Yathrib.

The leaders in Mecca heard of the planned escape, and attempted to prevent it. But Muhammad and his close friend Abu Bakr managed to make a narrow escape north out of the city, evading a Meccan search party and arriving safely in Yathrib. This event is celebrated by Muslims as the Hijira. The year in which it occurred, 622, is the date at which the Muslim calendar begins. Yathrib was renamed Medinat al-Nabi, "the City of the Prophet," and is now known simply as Medina, "the City."

In Medina, Muhammad proved himself an able politician and statesman as well as a prophet.

Exercising superb statecraft, he welded the five heterogenous and conflicting tribes of the city, three of which were Jewish, into an orderly confederation.... His reputation spread and people began to flock from every part of Arabia to see the man who had wrought this 'miracle.' (Smith, 230).

Battle for Mecca

After establishing himself in Medina and accomplishing the job he had been invited to do, the people of Medina began several years of battle with Muhammad's former home city. In 624, the Muslims won their first battle against the Meccans. As the latter had a much larger army, the former took the victory as a sign that God was on their side. However, a subsequent battle was not victorious, and Muhammad himself was wounded. But in 627, the Meccans attacked Medina, and Medina came out on top. The Prophet was not to lose again.

In 630, Muhammad and his forces marched to Mecca and defeated it. The Prophet rededicated the Ka'ba temple to Allah, witnessed the conversion to Islam of nearly the entire Meccan population, then returned to Medina.Muhammad died in 632, having conquered nearly all of Arabia for Islam.

Spread of Islam

By 634, Islam had taken over the entire Arabian peninsula. Within 100 years of Muhammad's death, it had reached the Atlantic in one direction and borders of China in the other. This success was due in large part to the military and political abilities of Muhammad's successors, the caliphs.

Sources

1. " Muhammad." Encyclopedia Britannica (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2004).
2. "The Islamic world: Muhammad's years in Mecca." Encyclopaedia Britannica (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2004).
3. "The Life of the Prophet Muhammad." Islam Online, August 14, 2003.
4. "The Prophet of Islam." Muhammad.net
5. Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq, "Biography of Prophet Muhammad." Cyberistan.org.
6. Huston Smith, The World's Religions.

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Best of 2013

From touch-enabled devices and ultra-thin PCs to connected cameras and smarter televisions, 2013 has been an exciting year. Izwan Ismail and Nicholas King check out some significant innovations

THERE’S never been a boring year in tech or one without great innovations. For the past 365 days, we’ve seen hundreds of new products — some were great, some were just updates while a few failed to shine.

The year started with expectations of big hits. Segments that were hot in the consumer tech industry were smartphones, cameras, tablets, portable PCs and TVs.

SMARTPHONE

This is the most happening segment. Who’s without a smartphone nowadays?

As devices get cheaper, the Internet becomes more ubiquitous and social networks the extensions of our lives, smartphones are must-haves.

Based on a Gartner report, worldwide smartphone sales to end-users reached 250.2 million units, up 45.8 per cent from the third quarter of 2012. Asia Pacific led the growth in smartphone and mobile phone markets at 77.3 per cent and 11.9 per cent growth respectively.

The year has seen quite a number of new launches in this segment, led by South Korean tech giant Samsung, followed by Apple and Nokia.

Samsung showed its dominance with the most number of launches, especially in the bigger screen segment with models like Galaxy S4, S4 Zoom, Note 3, Galaxy Grand, etc. The company managed to delight consumers by marrying the phone and camera in the likes of Galaxy S4 Zoom or pairing a wearable with its smartphone like the Galaxy Note 3 with the Galaxy Gear.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s greatest competitor, Apple, broke the tradition of launching one phone a year by rolling out iPhone 5s and 5c. The 5s comes with a more powerful processor and touch ID features, while the 5c is more of a repackaged iPhone 5 in a colourful plastic casing.

Nokia made a better comeback this year with its line of colourful Lumia Windows phones such as 41MP Lumia 1020, Lumia 925, Lumia 525 as well as the affordable Asha series. This could be due to the better apps ecosystem in the Windows marketplace which has totalled more than 125,000 towards the end of 2013.

While the majority of smartphone makers registered good sales, the same couldn’t be said of BlackBerry.

2013 was truly a do-or-die year for the Canadian smartphone maker, formerly known as Research In Motion. When it announced the release of BlackBerry 10 and devices based on the OS, it hoped to bring BlackBerry back to the black but it just didn’t meet expectations. Revenues dropped 56 per cent in the latest quarter as business continued to shrink.

Another interesting development was that even though purely mobile phone makers still dominated the smartphone market, computer makers like Lenovo, Acer and Asus were slowly introducing their versions of Android phones like the Lenovo K900 and P780, Acer Liquid E1, S1 and Z3, and Asus Padfone 2.

SNAP IT

Almost every major vendor introduced cameras with wireless connectivity, allowing pictures or videos to be shared almost instantly on social network sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Although not a traditional camera vendor, Samsung started the trend with its full Android-based camera like the Galaxy NX Camera, which evolved from the 2012 Galaxy camera. It’s more like a hybrid device which combined an interchangeable lens camera with a smartphone, resulting in a device that looks like a big Android smartphone from the back and a camera on the front. No other vendor has yet to come out with a similar device.

Beside the Android camera, smart cameras — ones with WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC — are almost everywhere. These are not just cameras with connection capability but also built-in filters and smart modes to make images look more professional and creative.

The dSLR segment also got hit with the WiFi trend when Canon unveiled the first WiFi capable fullframe camera, the EOS 6D.

With this capability, users can shoot objects from a distance via their mobile devices like smartphones and tablets when paired with the camera.

There are a number of functions that one can do with the WiFi functions, transfer images between cameras, connect to smartphones, remote control via PC or Mac, print from WiFi-enabled printer, upload to social media sites like FB, Twitter via computer and also view images on smart TV with WiFi function.

2013 was also a year where many camera makers decided to go retro with design and colour schemes that mimiced the old film-camera, but packed with modern tech.

FujiFilm, which had been coming out with retro-looking cameras over the years, came out with the X100s and X-E2.

Nikon meanwhile launched its retro-design fullframe Df camera, which looked just like a Nikon from the film era. The camera comes with dials that control shutter speed, exposure compensation, and sensitivity and exposure mode on the top of the camera. But inside is the same 16.2 million pixel full-frame sensor and processing engine as the flagship Nikon D4.
Such high-end retro-style cameras are expected to be the trend next year.

SMART and curvy

3D didn’t quite make it this year despite much publicity and coverage probably due to the lack of 3D content. Smart LED TVs, however, fared better, as well as larger sizes TVs, 40-inch and above.

Smart TV platforms will continue to evolve with faster Internet services. Advanced features like TV-human interaction and free online TV content enjoyed by users of smart TVs could further drive up the demand for this type of TV.

2013 was also the year where new types of TVs made their debut like the ultra-HD 4K TV and curved TVs. The Ultra-HD 4K TVs delivers four times the picture resolution of 1080p Full HD or eight million pixels compared to the usual two million pixels. This means finer details, greater texture and real-life image quality.

Curved TVs, meanwhile, gave a wider field of view than its flat-screen counterpart and improved brightness uniformity.

LG, Samsung and Sony are among the top players in this area, but these two technologies are still in the early stage and would probably take a few more years to mature.

PORTABLE PCs

It has been a tough year for PC makers with plunging sales and still no surefire way to make a comeback since the advent of tablets and more advance smartphones.

In 2013, the segment saw its largest drop in recent years. Research firm International Data Corporation Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker estimated that worldwide PC shipments fell by 10 per cent from 2012 which was also said to be by far the worse annual drop on record.

The report highlighted the reasons for this: Low demand for replacing PCs and the emergence of more tablets and smartphone. Nonetheless, the segment wasn’t being replaced but merely in need for more innovation. One such innovation was the PC-tablet hybrids or 2-in-1 devices, with increased number of launches this year.

Another report by research company GfK said portable PCs, particularly affordable ultra-thin and 15.6 inch ones, make up the bulk of the market.

It is also no surprise why current market leader Lenovo is pushing their Yoga and S series laptops. Just before the closing of the year, the company focused on launching ThinkPad Yoga, Yoga 2 Pro, Yoga Y410p Flex 20, S210 Touch, and Tablet Miix 10: All feature either 2-in-1, slim or lightweight as their selling point on top of other standard products.

We have also seen many companies doing the same: Asus with its Transformer Book T100T, Dell’s new XPS11 2-in-1 Ultrabook and, Sony with its VAIO Fit multi-flip and VAIO Tap 11.

Addressing the need to upgrade your PCs, Intel recently launched its Trade-Up My PC programme offering customers the option to trade in their old PCs for cashback rebates of up to RM650 when they purchase selected Intel PC models.

There was an increasing need to feel or deliver premium performance as a product to cope with new market expectations. Dell’s new range of Inspiron 7000 series and HP’s Envy Touchsmart all sported aluminium finish.

Dell’s new XPS 15 and Samsung’s Ativ Book 9 Plus, from built to performance, were designed to compete with Apple’s ever popular MacBook Pro series.

A surprise was the year’s push for gaming laptops such as MSI notebooks and Razer’s Blade and Blade Pro.

Were these innovations enough? GfK’s report pointed out that the portable PC market was still strong here, valued at over US$478 million (RM1.5 billion) in January to October for the year.

TABLETS

The rage behind the tablet market can only be described in one word: Explosive. Research company GfK reported that nearly 450,000 tablets were sold here from January to May this year, 61 per cent more compared to the first five months of 2012.

The findings also showed at least 78,000 tablets were sold each month since the beginning of the year, with the highest sales of 97,000 in May alone.

The latest GfK report indicated that in May, there were 142 tablet models in the market launched across 44 local and international brands.

Tablets may also be the most influential segment right now with each smartphone company having a phablet (a combination between smartphone and tablet due to its screen size) in their line up and PC companies churning out more 2-in-1 PCs.

In fact PC companies have created enough competition in the market with their own tablets: Lenovo’s Idea Tab A3000 and Yoga Tablet, Asus’ Nexus 7, Acer’s Iconia W-4 and Dell’s to-be-launced Dell Venue tablets.

The market is still dominated by Samsung and Apple. Samsung launched a slew of Galaxy Tab 3 models with an utterly cute Galaxy Tab 3 Kids. A follow-up to the original Galaxy Note 10.1 was the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition which greatly improved on the S-Pen stylus functionality.

Apple launched lighter and sleeker looking iPad models: iPad Air and iPad Mini.

The rate at which the market moves begs the question: How different are the products from one another? Ingenuity and innovation may be a struggle for the market but as tablets become ever more affordable and come off more of a necessity than option, they are expected to dominate the connected device market sometime soon.

Read more: Best of 2013 - Tech - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/tech/best-of-2013-1.450058?cache=03D163D03edding-pred-1.1176%2F%3FpFpentwage63Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Frea-rti3D19.3D163D03edding-pred-1.1176%2F%3FpFpentwage63Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Frea-rti3D19.111w5ii%2Fed-1.117%2F7.18410%2F7.186966%3Fpage%3D0%3Fpage%3D0%2F7.267328%2F7.576528%2F7.576528%2F7.576528#ixzz2pGEfBKQt

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Resolve to change

Ever been guilty of abandoning your New Year resolutions? Kasmiah Mustapha has some tips that may help you stick to them

BECOMING healthier — whether by eating better, losing weight or exercising more — is one of the top resolutions people make as a new year approaches.

But those who have successfully made changes in their lives and those who have maintained the changes know that January alone does not determine if you will succeed.

Congratulations if you have realised that you need to make these changes. Pack some determination and hard work and you are on your way to success. It is important to focus on a long-term goal rather than think you can achieve everything in a short time.

Don’t make resolutions just because it’s a New Year. Follow your resolutions through. Here are some popular resolutions and suggestions on how to stick to your aims.

1. I want to quit smoking.
This needs strong willpower, physically and mentally. Some people can quit cold turkey while others may need some assistance. Nicotine replacement therapy is a popular method for the latter. Clinical trials have shown that NRT can increase the chances of quitting by 50-70 per cent.

According to WebMD, nicotine replacement therapies deliver the potent drug in ways that are far healthier and safer than cigarettes. Talk to a doctor to find out which is the best method for you, especially if you have other health issues.

To deal with withdrawal symptoms, chew sugarless gum, munch on carrots and celery sticks, eat mixed nuts and drink lots of water.

Studies have found that when people quit smoking, after just 20 minutes, their blood pressure and pulse return to normal. After 24 hours, their lungs start to clear and after two days, their bodies are nicotine-free and their sense of taste and smell improves. After one year, their heart attack risk is half than that of a smoker. Most importantly, five years after quitting, the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus and bladder are cut in half.

2. I want to be free of stress.
This may sound completely impossible. Modern living opens up a lot of opportunities and with it comes stress. According to WebMD, some stress is normal, even useful. Stress can help if you need to work hard or react quickly. But if stress happens too often or lasts too long, it can have bad effects. It weakens the immune system, making it harder to fight diseases. It can lead to obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems and asthma.

The best way to handle stress is to manage it better. Time management allows you to focus on handling things that are important first so you will be less stressed to handle other things. Set aside some “me” time and spend it by reading your favourite book or listening to music. If you can afford it, take a holiday break from the monotony of your routine. Confiding in someone you trust may help ease the burden.

3. I want to exercise more.
You promised yourself you would start exercising to become healthy and fit. That was two years ago. This year, you’re making that same promise.

It is a good idea to start small and not jump into high intensity physical activity immediately. The easiest and simplest way to start is brisk walking for 30 minutes every day. Once you have gained the strength and stamina, move to other forms of exercise such as running, cycling, aerobics or weight lifting.

To achieve health benefits, experts recommend that you do between 20 and 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. However, if you are unable to do this, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.

If you hate doing it alone, get someone to become your exercise partner. By doing it with a friend or in a group, you will be more motivated.

4. I want to eat healthy.
Taking the first step towards living healthy means eating healthy. Avoid food high in salt and sugar. Eat a variety of food and include vegetables, whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds every day. Choose healthier fats and oils. Make sure half your plate is made up of fruit and vegetables. Switch from full cream to skim milk which has less fat. Make at least half your grains choices whole, not white and vary your protein food choices from lean chicken to beans and nuts.

5. I want to be more aware of my health risks.
Prevention is better than cure. It is important to go for regular health screening. Some feel it is unnecessary since they don’t feel ill. But regular screening can help with early detection. Some conditions that doctors commonly screen for are breast and cervical cancer in women, colorectal cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

It is recommended to have a comprehensive physical exam between the ages of 35 and 40. Between the ages of 40 and 50, you should receive an exam every 12-18 months depending on risk and ongoing health or behaviour issues. Annual exams should begin at 50.

Waiting to see a doctor only when there is something wrong may be too late, so take control of your health by being proactive with screening.

6. I want to go on a diet to lose weight.
You cannot go on a diet to lose weight, because when that programme stops, your old habits creep back and your weight increases. You need to change your food composition and reduce your portion.

Reducing portion does not mean skipping meals. According to MayoClinic.com, skipping meals occasionally may not derail your health, but when done regularly, can have detrimental effects on body weight. When your body believes that it is starving, it craves foods which pack more calories per volume. If you regularly skip meals, the resulting hunger and cravings may cause you to eat unhealthy foods you might otherwise avoid. This pattern, over time, could result in weight gain.

Instead, keep a food journal to know the food you have eaten that day. Use the calorie counter app to know your intake for that day.

Make a conscious choice to eat better — opt for skinless chicken, grilled meat and raw vegetables. Make lunch your main meal and if you are going for a party or kenduri, focus on meeting friends and relatives, not eating.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR RESOLUTIONS STICK

1. DREAM BIG
Audacious goals are compelling. Want to compete in a marathon or triathlon? Lose 20kg or just enough to fit into clothes you once loved. With perseverance, encouragement and support, you can do it. An ambitious aim often inspires others around you. Many will cheer you on. Some will be happy to help in practical ways, such as by training with you or taking on tasks you normally handle, to free up your time.

2. BREAK DREAMS INTO SMALL STEPS
Now think tiny. Small steps move you forward to your ultimate goal. Just getting to first base can build your confidence to tackle — and succeed at — more difficult tasks. Don’t disdain easy choices. Break hard jobs down into smaller items, and enjoy breezing through the easy tasks first.

3. COMMIT YOURSELF
Make yourself accountable through a written or verbal promise to people you don’t want to let down. That will encourage you to slog through tough spots. One intrepid soul created a Facebook page devoted to her goals for weight loss. You can make a less public promise to your partner or child, a teacher, doctor, boss, or friends. Want more support? Post your promise on Facebook, tweet it to your followers, or seek out folks with like-minded goals online.

4. GIVE YOURSELF A MEDAL
Don’t wait to call yourself a winner until you’ve pounded through the last kilometre of your big dream marathon or lost every unwanted ounce. Health changes are often incremental. Encourage yourself to keep at it by pausing to acknowledge success as you tick off small and big steps en route to a goal.

5. LEARN FROM THE PAST
Any time you fail to make a change, consider it a step toward your goal. When you hit a snag, take a moment to think about what did and didn’t work. Maybe you took on too big a challenge? If so, scale back to a less ambitious challenge, or break the big one into tinier steps. If nailing down 30 consecutive minutes to exercise never seems to work on busy days, break that down by aiming for three 10-minute walks — one before work, one during lunch, one after work — or a 20-minute walk at lunch plus a 10-minute mix of marching, stair climbing, and jumping rope or similar activities slipped into your TV schedule.

6. GIVE THANKS TO YOUR EFFORTS
Forget perfection. Set your sights on finishing that marathon, not on running it. If you compete to complete, you’ll be a winner even if you wind up walking as much as you run. With exercise — and so many other goals we set — you’ll benefit even when doing less than you’d like to do. Any activity is always better than none. If your goal for Tuesday is a 30-minute workout at the gym, but you only squeeze in 10 minutes, feel grateful for that. It’s enough. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Source: www.health.harvard.edu

Read more: Resolve to change - Health - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/health/resolve-to-change-1.451192?cache=03D163D03edding-pred-1.1176%2F%3FpFpentwage63Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Frea-rti3D19.3D163D03edding-pred-1.1176%2F%3FpFpentwage63Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Frea-rti3D19.111w5ii%2Fed-1.117%2F7.18410%2F7.186966%3Fpage%3D0%3Fpage%3D0%2F7.267328%2F7.576528%2F7.576528%2F7.576528#ixzz2pGEN48Ni

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Indian teenager gang-raped and burned alive: police

KOLKATA: An Indian teenager was gang-raped in two separate attacks and then died after being set on fire, sparking protests in the eastern city of Kolkata, police said on Thursday.

The 16-year-old was assaulted first on October 26 and then again the day  after by a group of more than six men near her family’s home in Madhyagram  town, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of Kolkata.

The second rape occurred as she was returning home after reporting the  first attack at a police station. 

She was then set on fire on December 23 and died in a state-run hospital  late on New Year’s Eve, police said.

“She gave us a dying declaration in front of the health officials that she  was set on fire by two persons close to the accused when she was alone at home  on December 23,” local policeman Nimbala Santosh Uttamrao told AFP.

Police made their first arrests on Wednesday, two months after the initial  crime, local police chief Rajiv Kumar told AFP.

“The accused tried to kill my daughter by setting her on fire to hush up  their crimes,” the victim’s father, a migrant taxi driver from India’s poorest  state Bihar, told AFP. 

Neither he nor the victim can be named for legal reasons.

Several hundred activists on Wednesday protested in Kolkata over the crime,  which was shocking in its brutality, even after a year when sex crimes have been widely reported in India.

Rampant rape, assault and harassment of women in India was in the spotlight  in the past 12 months after the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in December 2012 sparked nationwide outrage.

The parliament has since passed tougher laws to punish rapists.

Activists say rape victims in India often face severe threats and  intimidation from their attackers after the assault, while police often  discourage them from lodging complaints. AFP

Read more: Indian teenager gang-raped and burned alive: police - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/indian-teenager-gang-raped-and-burned-alive-police-1.453308#ixzz2pGDh9NgF

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Cardiff hires Solskjaer as new manager

CARDIFF, Wales: Cardiff hired former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the Premier League club’s new manager on Thursday.

The 40-year-old Solskjaer left Molde in his native Norway to take over at Cardiff, which is 17th in the 20-team Premier League — a point and a place above the relegation zone.  

 

Solskjaer replaced Malky Mackay, who was fired last week after losing a power struggle with the Welsh club’s Malaysian owner, Vincent Tan. Mackay had guided Cardiff into English football’s top division for the first time in 51 years, and also to the 2012 League Cup final.  

 

“Cardiff City Football Club are delighted to announce that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has joined the club as first-team manager,” the club said in a short statement on its website.  

 

“Following discussions with Tan Sri Vincent Tan and club chairman Mehmet Dalman, Ole, joining Cardiff City from Molde FK, today met with his new squad at the Vale training ground.”  

 

No details were given on the length of Solskjaer’s contract.  

 

He is scheduled to attend a news conference later Thursday.  

 

Solskjaer spent 11 years at United from 1996-2007, capturing six league titles and famously scoring the winning goal in injury time in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.  

 

He retired in 2007 after failing to recover from a serious knee injury, but remained at United in a coaching and ambassadorial role and went on to become the club’s reserve-team manager.  

 

He coached Molde from 2011, winning back-to-back titles in his first two seasons and then the Norwegian Cup in his third.  

 

Solskjaer was linked to jobs in the Premier League at Aston Villa and Blackburn last year, but stayed in Norway for family reasons.  

 

However, he was immediately installed as favorite to succeed Malkay after the Scot was fired on Friday and held talks with Tan and Dalman at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Wednesday before the team’s match against the Premier League leaders. AP

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