Aaron Rodgers is a two-time MVP and a Super Bowl champion. He helped guide the Green Bay Packers to the NFC title game a year ago, and he hasnt shown any signs of slowing down. The Packers quarterback has been very sharp during the early part of training camp, and without getting into specifics, he says he knows why.

RELATED: Before Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, There Was Don Majkowski Green Bays Majik Man

The Green Bay Packers were one game away from a Super Bowl appearance last season. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers again threw for more than 4,000 yards. He tossed 26 touchdown passes and had just four interceptions. His receiving corps consists of Davante Adams and not a whole lot more.

So when the 2020 draft rolled around, it was expected the Packers might provide Rodgers with some receiving help. Instead, they immediately drafted Rodgers future replacement. The Packers drafted Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in the first round and traded up to do so. In seven rounds, Green Bay never drafted a wide receiver.

According to The New York Post, Rodgers said when the Packers traded up, he felt it might be to grab a receiver. Instead, they took his backup. When they traded up, I definitely perked up a little bit, Rodgers said. And then I got a text because everything is so delayed. I got a text from my agent, my marketing agent who I love and he just texted quarterback. I was like, Oh, wow. OK.

Aaron Rodgers has been there before. Jordan Love didnt ask to be a member of the Green Bay Packers. The team is simply taking a quarterback they love and building for the future. Its a baffling move since the Packers were one game away from a Super Bowl berth and chose to build for the future instead of plugging up a few holes.

Rodgers was in Loves shoes before. In 2005, the Green Bay Packers selected Rodgers in the first round when they have three-time MVP quarterback Brett Favre. Favre was still playing at a high level, but the Packers saw the potential in Rodgers and snagged him. The move was repeated when they drafted Love.

Like I said, I wasnt elated by the pick especially being one game away from the Super Bowl and feeling like were a couple players away, but at the same time I understand its a business, Rodgers said, according to The New York Post. I know thats the reality.

According to various reports, Aaron Rodgers has been extremely effective in camp. Is it because he has something to prove to the team? That doesnt appear to be the case. According to Packers.com digital reporter Wes Hodkiewicz, Rodgers looked back at some of his own film and found something. Without getting into specifics, Rodgers said he saw something from 10 years ago that has helped him.

Actually, its interesting, Rodgers said. We were watching some old film of some of the cutups. As we do the installs, well put some film alongside it. I just noticed something from a clip from 2010, actually. It kind of hit me. And I know it was 10 years ago but the next day I went out to practice and started working on what I saw on the film, and the last couple of days kind of happened.

In 2011, Rodgers won the first of his two MVPs. If he can put up a third this year, the Packers might get that Super Bowl berth they fell short of last season.

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Aaron Rodgers Has Been Sharp in Camp and He Explains Why Sort Of - Sportscasting

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotions will take over, and your temper will flare up if you jump to conclusions regarding a situation with someone you love or work alongside. Take a moment to think matters through before you say or do something you'll regret. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Get involved in a project that moves you. Use your imagination, and you will discover new ways to use your skills, knowledge and intelligence. Romance is on the rise, and discussing plans with someone you love will lead to a positive change. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Set your sights on self-improvement projects that will make you feel good and look spectacular. Take the initiative to do something physical; it will pump you up and encourage you to make positive adjustments to the way you live. 5 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use discretion when discussing personal matters. Listen attentively to what others have to contribute; it will give you a sense of what's doable. You'll be offered information that can help you make a profitable decision. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Look for the positive in whatever situation you face. How you handle sensitive issues will make a difference in the way things unfold. Put your time and energy where it counts. Establish what you want to achieve, and prioritize your day. 4 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Go over any changes you want to make, and size up the expense involved before proceeding. Sticking to a tight budget will put your mind at ease and gauge the best way to get the most for your money. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don't give in to manipulative people. Spend less time bickering and more time engaging in pastimes that are energetic and competitive. Keeping busy will help you avoid letting others take advantage of your kindness and propensity to give in to maintain peace. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your secretive nature will pay off. Make changes discreetly, and you will avoid interference. Make plans with someone you love, and focus on romance and the lifestyle changes you want to make. A physical improvement will boost your confidence. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You'll face opposition if you are too vocal about your likes and dislikes. Don't expect someone to play fair or give you an honest opinion. Stick close to home, and make adjustments that will add to your comfort and convenience. 4 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Discuss the changes you want to make, the cost involved and the help you will need with someone who plays a significant role in your life. The response you receive will encourage you to collaborate and spend more time together. 2 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Check personal papers, and update any documents that are about to lapse. Putting your finances in order will give you a better understanding of how best to spend and save your money. Aggressive action regarding such matters will pay off. 5 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pay more attention to the way you look and feel and to the people you care about and want to help. A change of attitude regarding work will encourage better relationships with the people who mean the most to you. 3 stars

Continued here:
Your stars August 22 - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com

This article is part of a series highlighting the lives and perspectives of trans people in rugby, in partnership with International Gay Rugby.

Captain Shoshauna Gauvin has served her country in the Canadian Armed Forces since she was 16. Next week she officially becomes a veteran, having served nearly half her life in the military, as she is leaving her post as an engineering officer and looking forward to life as a full-time civilian again.

Shes been playing rugby for about as long. And if the rumblings coming from World Rugby are any indication, her rugby career could be headed in the same direction. Gauvin is a trans woman, and as many policy makers in the sports world find ways to build trans inclusion, her sports international governing body may ban her and other trans women from playing the sport she loves.

Gauvins experience through the sport before, during and after transition speaks to the very heart of why banning trans women from sports does not make sense on issues of safety, fairness, science and so many other arguments people use to attack trans women.

Gauvin entered the military and rugby before she ever imagined transitioning. She made her way onto the mens rugby team at St. Marys Univ. in Nova Scotia, where she said she played in every match and started in most of them.

As her need to transition grew, it was in rugby that she realized she was playing the right sport, wrong team. She just shouldnt be on the mens team. She was a woman.

As she transitioned, she wasnt sure she had a future on any pitch. Yet after several years away from the sport, rugby called to her again, and playing on a womens team post-transition became a dream. When she landed at Queens Univ. in Ontario, she charted a course back into the game.

She called the teams coach and got a tryout. A conversation with the director of athletics explained why the St. Marys mens rugby team was on her athletic records. While policies werent clear, Gauvin knew she met the International Olympic Committees trans policies to compete. With some hard work she earned a roster spot and was finally in the right sport and on the right team. When inclusive policies from Rugby Canada and U Sports followed, she began competing again.

Yet her transition had effected her game. One of the hallmarks of her pre-transition reputation both in the military and in sports had been her strength. Now post-transition, this was a whole different ballgame.

I was very strong as a soldier, Gauvin told Outsports. During my deployment I was routinely bench pressing upward of 315 pounds. Very few could match what I lifted. Now as a woman athlete, I have had to rebuild a ton of strength. I came into tryouts after transition underpowered. Even now after two years of training I am not the strongest woman on my team, I struggle to lift half the weight I used to. Ive been benched this past year for several games, simply because there are more skilled, fitter, stronger women than me.

Half the weight. Its an anecdotal observation weve heard from many trans women, that their loss of strength isnt just measurable, its impactful.

While she played in every match and started most of them on her mens team, she now has to fight to earn playing time on the womens team. Shes been benched for several matches.

If I had some distinct advantage, I would have at minimum retained my positional equivalent and not gone down. And in many ways, Ive been spending the last two years working to fill the gaps.

Gauvin looks at the proposed trans-women-ban policy currently being considered at World Rugby as misguided and destructive.

There are plenty of trans women who are 145 pounds and can only lift 85 pounds. By being trans, it doesnt make you automatically stronger.

Gauvin also points to measurable differences within mens sports that are heralded, while differences in womens sports are looked at with suspicion.

In mens sports nobody questions when a linebacker lines up a wide receiver, despite there being a huge difference in height, weight and strength, she said. We put those hits on a highlight reel. To now claim that these differences when involving a trans athlete are somehow unique is disingenuous.

Gauvin said she has never been the cause of any serious injury in womens rugby.

Still, she acknowledges that a transition period for trans women is justified before participating in womens sports.

Given the social landscape, I am in favor of reasonable restrictions for competition, particularly around contact sports, she said. I have relied on these guidelines to help dispel myths about the safety and fairness around trans inclusion. Trans women should be able to train without restriction and compete, without the need for disclosure, in competitive contact womens sports after a reasonable period of taking hormone replacement therapy.

On the verge of retirement from the Armed Forces, Gauvin now hopes to lean on the sport of rugby to continue to build community and a sense of place. These avenues can be difficult for LGBTQ people to identify, and in particular trans women in the midst a worldwide cultural battle over their belonging.

What is the point of sport? To me, its not just to win a championship. Self-improvement, community building and other purposes are all important. For me, mental health is significant particularly as a soon-to-be veteran. Its problematic to remove those benefits from someone based on faulty evidence.

You can follow Shoshauna Gauvin on Instagram @shoshigauvin.

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This trans woman served her country. Now she may be banned from rugby - Outsports

Pleasanton-based green energy startup NDB, Inc. has reached a key milestone today with the completion of two proof of concept tests of its nano diamond battery (NDB). One of these tests took place at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the other at the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University, and both saw NDBs battery tech manage a 40% charge, which is a big improvement over the 15% charge collection efficiency (effectively energy lossiness relative to maximum total possible charge) of standard commercial diamond.

NDBs innovation is in creating a new, proprietary nano diamond treatment that allows for more efficient extraction of electric charge from the diamond used in the creation of the battery. Their goal is to ultimately commercialize a version of their battery that can self-charge for up to a maximum lifespan of 28,000 years, created from artificial diamond-encased carbon-14 nuclear waste.

This battery doesnt generate any carbon emissions in operation, and only requires access to open air to work. And while theyre technically batteries, because they contain a charge which will eventually be expended, they provide their own charge for much longer than the lifetime of any specific device or individual user, making them effectively a charge-free solution.

NDB ultimately hopes to turn their battery into a viable source of power for just about anything that consumes it including aircraft, EVs, trains and more, all the way down to smartphones, wearables and tiny industrial sensors. The company is currently now at work creating a prototype of its first commercial battery in order to make that available sometime later this year.

It has also just signed its first beta customers, who will actually be receiving and making use of those first prototypes. While it hasnt named them specifically, it did say that one is a leader in nuclear fuel cycle products and services, and the other is a leading global aerospace, defense and security manufacturing company. Obviously, this kind of tech has appeal in just about every sector, but defense and power concerns are likely among the deepest-pocketed.

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Self-charging, thousand-year battery startup NDB aces key tests and lands first beta customers - TechCrunch

Steve Cotterill has five promotions on his managerial CV, but there is still one he craves to complete the set.

Neil Warnock has eight and Id like to equal that, he says with unflinching self-belief.

He also has the one from the Championship that I havent yet.

Cotterills desire to reach the Premier League remains as strong as it was when he was transforming home club Cheltenham Town with three promotions in his early 30s.

He has subsequently taken charge of Stoke City, Burnley, Notts County, Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Birmingham City.

He has dedicated his time since leaving St Andrews preparing for his return to the dugout.

The focus has been self-improvement, learning and investing in himself, but also on giving something back to the community.

Chatting in the Clubroom at the David Lloyd Leisure Club in Long Ashton, Bristol, Cotterill is in relaxed mood after an intensive two-hour gym session.

I am here three times a week because I very much believe in healthy body, healthy mind, he says.

Cotterill is known for his high standards and meticulous attention to detail through more than 700 games on the touchline.

Beneath the tough and sometimes intimidating exterior there is a softer, compassionate side to his personality and this is clearly on show midway through the interview.

It becomes evident that he has used his motivational skills at the gym, where he is well known among members and 68-year-old Tony Green has been taken under Cotterills wing.

Green was on the books of Bristol City as a young left winger, playing with Ray Cashley, who went on to play in goal for the senior side throughout the 1970s.

We dont talk much about football because Im more interested in Steve Cotterill the man and we get on really well, Green says.

He is as hard as nails on the outside, but on the inside hes a softy and hes looked after me, big time.

Hes bought me trainers, T-shirts, even this Adidas hoodie I am wearing now.

He found out when my birthday is and there is always a present then and at Christmas.

I remember walking through town one day and I bumped into Steve and started chatting.

My trainers were ripped and he took me straight into a sports shop and bought me a new pair thats the kind of person that he is he cant do enough for people.

He even took the coat off his back on a cold day and gave it to a guy sleeping on the street in Bristol.

It transpires that Cotterill is on first name terms with several of central Bristols homeless population, regularly providing them with hot meals and drinks.

Green, who lives near the Downs in Bristol, is full of praise for Cotterills generous nature and has also greatly benefited from his encouragement in the gym.

We have some good banter and last week was my first day back since lockdown and it was like I hadnt been away, he says.

Hes so encouraging and will say things like come on, one more, one more and hes improved my fitness no end.

I never used to do any upper body work, but hes added different exercises into the circuit we do and he was on the phone telling me I needed to get myself back into the gym.

One day we were walking up and down the pool and being Steve he kept saying just 10 more and we got to 75 before he let me stop, but he does it in a kind way and doesnt get irate or try to humiliate you.

He gently pushes you, which you need with your training sometimes and I really enjoy training with him he even shares his shaving foam with me!

Cotterill and Green are regularly joined by Brislington-based City supporter Rich Gunningham, the newest member of their gang.

Ive been a City fan all my life so I knew of Steve and wed be in the gym at the same time so it started from there last October, the retired 58-year-old said.

We had some great times at Ashton Gate under his management so it was good to chat about those, but blimey he knows how to train!

There is no hiding place with Steve and the intensity is unbelievable. He has his Pro Licence coaching qualification and you can see why.

I was very heavy, but I started with him three times a week and it makes you discipline yourself.

Gunningham, who lives in Brislington, lost 12kg before lockdown.

Its been a life changer for me and I am the fittest Ive been since I was about 20, he says.

You know who is boss and he keeps you on your toes. If you are not doing something right, hell let you know, but he wont ask you to do anything he wouldnt do so hes fantastic.

We have a laugh as well, which definitely makes time at the gym more enjoyable.

When Steve returns to management, Tony and I will carry on doing the things hes taught us.

Hes shown me that if you do things properly you can do less, but achieve more so I really appreciate all hes done and weve got to know each other well along the way.

Even outside of his training group, Cotterill makes time to help out other gym goers.

Every other passer-by stops to say hello and ask how he is doing and one of them is Jo Bartlam, a great grandmother who has been a regular since David Lloyd opened 25 years ago.

She was persuaded by Cotterill not to cancel due to concerns over post-lockdown safety.

I first chatted to Steve about four years ago, she says.

I asked his opinion about a particular piece of machinery and he was happy to show me.

I also mentioned Id been getting cramps in my legs at night for years and he sorted that out, showing me the foam roller he uses.

You can tell how disciplined he is during his training, but he is always willing to help anyone who asks.

I came back to resign, but I saw Steve who took the time to walk me around the gym and go through any safety concerns I had I must admit I wondered if he had gone onto the payroll!

But hes just a good ambassador for the club and I am still a member here thanks to him.

Cotterills own regime was disrupted last year by a neck operation to repair a ruptured disc an old battle wound from his playing days with Wimbledon, Bournemouth and Brighton.

The surgery was a success and his recovery smooth, meaning he has long since regained fitness levels at 56 that would put many two decades younger to shame.

His eyes light up when the conversation moves to football, which is what he loves and what his world revolves around.

There wont be many teams I dont see live at least once throughout the season, he says.

I watch all levels from Premier League to League Two and take the opportunity to watch games abroad when I am not working because European football in particular interests me.

Cotterills first experience on the continent was with Irish club Sligo Rovers, who he led to the Uefa Intertoto Cup in 1995/96.

They claimed creditable draws at home to FC Nantes and SC Heerenveen, also making trips to Lillestrom in Norway and Lithuanian side Kaunas.

Those early European adventures lit a spark that remains 24 years on.

Some of their passing and movements were real eye openers, he recalls.

I regularly use the Eurotunnel, base myself in Lille and from there drive to watch games all over.

Football is not a job for me, its a career and a passion and by going abroad and watching games and training you definitely learn more because there are always modern and new ways of playing going on.

Cotterill was able to discuss tactics and formations with former France international Rene Girard, who led Montpellier to their first Ligue 1 title in 2011/12 and is now in charge of Paris FC.

Back home, name any player in any of the four professional divisions of the English game and Cotterill will be able to list their position, former clubs, strengths and weaknesses without hesitation.

Cotterill became one of the youngest holders of the Uefa Pro Licence in 2000/01.

He has also kept all his qualifications up to date through the League Managers Association.

But he has been happy to bide his time before accepting his next job.

One of the benefits of not being a first time manager is that when you are not working, you dont need to jump into anything.

Thats why when I am out, it can be for quite a while because I put a lot of thought into job vacancies.

I have to feel as though there is a connection and that I am going to be successful with that club.

Thats what I want to be: successful. Once youve had success and you know what it feels like, you want more of it. I have a great thirst for that and a great thirst for learning.

Cotterill was offered a top six League One job three weeks after leaving Birmingham.

Sometimes jumping back in that quickly if your last one has not gone as well as you anticipated or wanted, you need time to reflect and I wanted time to reflect so I turned the job down.

I needed more time and I wanted to think about what went on at Birmingham.

Early in the 2018/19 season, Cotterill was in dialogue with a club awaiting a takeover.

I wasted eight months with that one. I knew about the budgets and the players and thought it was going to materialise.

Other jobs came up during that period that I didnt apply for because I was waiting for another one and didnt want to pull the rug from under them, but in the end it didnt happen.

Since then Cotterill has been in the final two and the final three for two separate jobs in the Championship.

He was then forced to take some time out due to the neck injury, giving him a chance to take stock and plot his next move.

Thats all fine now and there have been two or three job offers, but not what Ive wanted.

I can take my time, but I want something to come up soon hopefully.

I want to get back on the grass and improve players and teams, which is what I believe Ive done at every job Ive been in and I am looking forward to the one and I am excited by it.

Cotterill has spent the majority of his managerial career in the Championship, firstly with Stoke City in 2002.

He was then offered a chance to join Howard Wilkinson at Sunderland in the top flight, with the plan for him to become manager the following year as Wilkinson moved upstairs to become director of football.

I wasnt fortunate enough to have Peter Coates as my chairman at Stoke, he says.

The Icelandic owners were a completely different kettle of fish to having Peter and if his takeover had been completed I was signing a new contract there.

I still speak to Peter, who is a gentleman and that was an extremely tough period for me in my life because during my time at Stoke my mother was dying. She eventually died when I was at Sunderland.

He regrouped and bounced back at Burnley, putting in place nine out of the 11 players that eventually secured a first promotion to the Premier League under Owen Coyle 18 months later.

He then dragged an underachieving Notts County side that were 14 points adrift of the top of the table to the League Two title in 2010, winning 14 out of 18 games in charge, with three draws and one defeat. They went on to win the league by 10 points.

Cotterill had three job offers that summer and chose Portsmouth in the Championship, but his reign there was littered with off-field instability.

The club were relegated three years out of four and the only year they didnt go down was my year there. I didnt realise that until a sports journalist in Pompey told me during lockdown, he recalls.

Its a great club with passionate fans, but we had three different owners and two lots of administration in under two years, so I am not sure what you can really build in that time.

Every time I plugged a hole in the boat, another one would appear.

He was offered the chance to take over from Steve McClaren at Nottingham Forest in October 2011.

I really thought that was going to be the break to get into the Premier League, he says ruefully.

To get them into just below mid-table from being at the bottom was a real hard graft because I didnt have Dexter Blackstock due to an ACL injury.

We also lost one of the best young strikers coming through in Patrick Bamford, who I watched playing for the youth team and gave him his first team debut before he moved on during the transfer window.

We had to sell Wes Morgan, who had been missing for the first time in his Forest career for about three months with knee and ankle injuries. For me he was the best defender in the Championship for a decade.

The sudden death of owner Nigel Doughty was a devastating blow for Forest and spelled the beginning of the end for Cotterills time at the City Ground.

There were two consortiums, one was Saudi Arabian and they wanted me to stay.

With the consortium that did take over - the Kuwaitis - I was the first of many managers they changed in their short time there.

It was an incredible club, walking past the bust of Brian Clough in reception. I remember watching him on TV as a kid and you could still feel his presence around the ground.

I have a great relationship with Nigel (Clough) and theres great respect there.

One of the highlights of Cotterills reign was a 7-3 victory at Leeds Uniteds Elland Road in March 2012, less than four months after losing 4-0 to them at home.

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Former Robins boss giving back to the community and helping the homeless - Gloucestershire Live

Wellness August 21, 2020 2:44 PM ByBrittany Vincent Parade More by Brittany

In the world of fitness, the craze of the summer is the #75HardChallenge, or #75Hard, which is particularly popular among TikTok users. If youve never heard of it, it may sound like gibberishand if you have, were going to guess youre nodding along knowingly.

So what is the #75HardChallenge, exactly, why does it appear to be taking over the internet? Whats more, is it a legitimate fitness endeavor thats worth undertaking, or is it just another fad with potentially dangerous implications?

Before you set out to conquer this challenge, its important to make sure youre armed with knowledge first. Not every workout or fitness plan is right for everyoneand according to experts, this particular challenge may actually be detrimental to the health of its participants.

The 75 Hard Challenge is a mental toughness program and a 75-day plan created by author, speaker, supplement company owner, and podcaster Andy Frisella. Frisella introduced the 75 Hard Challenge in March 2019 by way of a lengthy blog post on his website that claims his challenge is not simply a fitness program, but a way to change your life starting from the inside.

The lengthy doctrine lining out the 75 Hard Challenge asks readers to think of the plan as an Ironman for your brain, as its riddled with self-improvement mantras and imperatives to believe in oneself, persevere, and develop traits such as confidence, self-with, fortitude, and grittiness in ones everyday life. It urges you to challenge yourself and the way you think and feel.

The basic principles are innocuous enough:

Follow a diet.

Frisella does not indicate that you must eat specific foods, but does prohibit alcohol and cheat meals. There is no definition of what constitutes a cheat meal nor any other limits on what you may consume on the diet of your choice. Later on in the document, Frisella indicates that the 75 Hard Challenge was developed to run in-line with your current diet program no matter what it is.

Work out twice a day for at least 45 minutes.

Frisella notes that at least one of these workouts must be outside, though he gives no reasoning for the requirement aside from suggesting it can take place in your backyard or even the park.

Drink 4 liters of water per day.

Read 10 pages of nonfiction a day.

Take a five-minute cold shower.

Take progress photos every day.

Perform other unrelated tasks like a random act of kindness or talk to someone in person daily.

Its important to note that Frisella is not a licensed dietitian, certified trainer, or fitness expert. His qualifications include 20 years of intensive study and real-life experience. He offers before-and-after shots of individuals who have supposedly taken part in the challenge as well as testimonials from the people who have tried the plan and found it beneficial.

Related: Yoga Poses for Two People

Determining whether following the 75 Hard Challenge is appropriate for you depends on multiple factors, such as the diet you choose to follow, whether youre in good enough physical condition to work out twice a day for the required 45 minutes (with one outside), as well as your overall health.

Additionally, Frisellas plan does not account for the minute details that a fitness plan developed for you by a clinical therapist, dietitian, or doctor and as such youre left to make your own decisionsand those may not be the right ones, even if you mean well.

Related: Jillian Michael On How To Get Six Pack Abs

Keep in mind that the titular 75 refers to following a diet and adhering to these principles for that exact length of time. This time period alone makes the challenge a potentially harmful path to follow, as there are too many unknown variables here to properly track, and so many elements of it are vague.

Hannah Daugherty, CPT-NASM, ACE, who serves on the advisory board for Fitter Living, believes the plan is anything but healthy. This challenge can lead to disordered eating, unsafe exercise routines, and is not sustainable for a long period of time. It is very unstructured, with many details left open-ended. For instance, what exactly is a diet? This word canand willmean something different to everyone.

Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Jillian Warwick at Back 2 Normal has similar concerns. The inherently vague principle to follow a diet leaves the nutritional basis as lacking in both specifics and substance, and begs the question, whats the point of including any dietary component at all? Warwick expresses similar concerns with the plans other important tenets, such as the need for exercising outside and taking regular cold showers.

Some of the other main principles in the challenge are seemingly random and have potential adverse effects in regards to improving overall health, such as the potentially excessive amount of water which could result in mineral depletion, the unnecessary and likely unhealthy amount of physical activity (especially if performed outside in the heat), or the possible risks associated with cold showers for those with weakened immune systems or serious heart conditions.

There are also potential issues with the sustainability of the plan, especially the ideology that you need to start all the way over if you happen to fail.

This plan is an example of letting perfection be the enemy of the good, adds Rachel MacPherson, ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Exercise Nutrition Coach. If you fail one small aspect of the plan you need to start back at ground zero. This is overkill. Its much better to accept that some days wont be perfect but as long as you are making strides towards your goals, you are on the right track.

Though certified trainers and fitness experts do agree that the 75 Hard Challenge can be harmful, it can also be beneficialat least, portions of it used in moderation and in the context of your own personal fitness regime.

If you commit to the program for the full 75 days, you will almost certainly see results, says Glen Wilde, CEO of personal training and nutrition coaching company Diet to Success. The two daily workouts will result in more calorie expenditure, as will refraining from even a single cheat day. After the 75 days, though, any weight you lose will likely return if there is no maintenance plan in place.

Its all about sticking to your plan, which the 75 Hard Challenge admittedly can make difficult.

This plan basically recommends keeping active, sticking to something for the long term and not switching diets every few days as many people do, says MacPherson. Theres a lot to be said for consistency, it just doesnt have to be so rigid in my opinion.

Related: 75+ Free Streaming Workouts

If youve determined that the 75 Hard Challenge isnt for you and youre still looking for a plan to follow toward self-improvement and a healthier you, there are plenty of options out there you can pursue instead.

If youre up for a health-related challenge, try setting reasonable, attainable goals, and track your progress using something more definitive than progress pictures, advises Warwick. Consider following the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Of course, as with starting any potential new fitness regimen or diet plan, be sure to consult your doctor, dietitian, nutritionist, or health support team first. And if youre still dead set on trying the 75 Hard Challenge, at least consider making some alterations.

If people are looking to follow this challenge anyways, I recommend making some alterations, suggests Forristall. When choosing a diet to follow, dont choose something restrictive or extreme. Instead, choose a sustainable habit that will benefit you in the long run such as including a vegetable with every meal. These changes can help you make it a more palatable and healthier experience in the long run.

Celebrity interviews, recipes and health tips delivered to yourinbox.

The best element of a good fitness and nutrition plan is something that is sustainable for you individually. The changes you make should be changes that you are able to continue with long-term and that direct you towards your goals.

Next, here are the 20 best workout apps of 2020.

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75 Hard Challenge: Is It Healthy?All About 75 Hard Rules by Andy Frisella - Parade

Joe Biden began his speech to accept the Democratic Partys nomination with a quote from the civil-rights radical and Black revolutionary Ella Baker: Give people light and they will find a way. Though Baker may have been commenting on her particular approach to organizing, Biden used the line as an analogy for his campaign to replace Donald Trump. Bidens reference to Baker did not surprise so much as it confirmed that Party leaders have a central fear about his candidacy: that Biden, like Hillary Clinton, fails to excite young Black voters in ways necessary to insure victory against Donald Trump. In the 2016 Presidential election, Black voter turnout declined for the first time in twenty years, dropping from sixty-seven to sixty per cent. But, in his speech, Biden recognized Bakers person while ignoring her anti-capitalist politics. That choice only accentuated his selection of a Black woman, Kamala Harris, as a running mate without offering an explanation of how such gestures toward change will turn into the material goods that millions of Black women desperately need.

Bidens selection of Harris is, in many ways, quite remarkable. Black women are, in general, one of the most oppressed and marginalized groups in the United States. The median wealth of a single Black woman in this country is a mere two hundred dollars. Black women are overrepresented in the ranks of the poor, in part because they make only sixty-two cents to every dollar made by white men. Nearly a quarter of Black women live under the official poverty line. If the well-being of Black children may be taken as a barometer of their mothers, then the facts that twenty-nine per cent of Black children live under the poverty line and that another fifty-seven per cent are classified as low-income are dark reminders that inequality in this country is deeply bound up with race and gender. For any Black woman to rise to become a major partys nominee for Vice-President of the United States is certainly evidence that some things, indeed, have changed in this country.

But it is surprising, if not ironic, that Biden was the candidate to make this selection. For decades, as Democrats beat a race-baiting retreat from the explosion of civil-rights legislation in the nineteen-sixties, Biden, as a senator from the countrys second-smallest state, Delaware, carved out a space for himself as a cultural warrior who was particularly adept at exploiting racial resentment for political gain. In the eighties, as political winds were blowing to the right, Biden staked out his opposition to welfare as an entitlement. In 1988, he remarked about public assistance in the United States, Unfortunately, our current system of welfare has failed to meet the goal of self-improvement and has relieved the recipients of the incentive to take control of their future. By 1996, when then President Bill Clinton signed landmark legislation that ended welfare as a public entitlement, Biden was one of twenty-four Democratic senators who voted for the regressive legislation. The attack on welfare in the nineteen-eighties and nineties used poor Black women as fodder to dismantle the countrys barely existent welfare state. White women were the majority of welfare recipients in 1996, yet when Clinton signed the legislation, he had two Black women who had been recipients standing beside him.

Bidens role as the architect of the 1994 Crime Bill has been well interrogated, but his rhetoric painting Black communities as nests of crime has not been properly acknowledged, as part of a pattern of demonizing poor Black women and mothers for political gain. In 1993, as Biden drummed up support for his crime bill, he described Black juvenile offendersotherwise known as childrenas predators on our streets. He went on to describe a cadre of young people, tens of thousands of them, born out of wedlock, without parents, without supervision, without any structure, without any conscience developing, because they literally... have not been socialized, they literally have not had an opportunity. He added, It doesnt matter whether or not they were deprived as a youth. It doesnt matter whether or not they had no background that enabled them to become socialized into the fabric of society. It doesnt matter whether or not theyre the victims of society. The end result is theyre about to knock my mother on the head with a lead pipe, shoot my sister, beat up my wife, take on my sons.

This, of course, was not only about supposedly out-of-control youngsters; it was also an indictment of Black families and Black mothers as a source of disorder that, if unchecked, threatened to undermine white families as well. Biden has never taken responsibility for his overheated rhetoric and its role in demonizing Black families and thoroughly racializing crime. Unlike Bill and Hillary Clinton, who both accepted some modicum of responsibility for their role in promoting racist narratives about African-Americans and crime, Biden has blithely offered that, I havent always been right. I know we havent always gotten things right, but Ive always tried.

Finally, consider Bidens performance at the congressional hearing to adjudicate Anita Hills charges of sexual harassment against Clarence Thomas. At the hearing, in 1991, Biden, then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, would not allow three women to testify in corroboration of Hills version of events; he also stood by as white men from the Republican Party verbally pummelled Hill in an effort to discredit and undermine her claims. Last year, in response to renewed criticism of his passivity in the face of the Republicans orchestrated harassment of Hill, Biden once again averted responsibility. Im sorry for the way she got treated, he said. Look at what I said and didnt say; I dont think I treated her badly.

Given this history, it is, as Kamala Harris has said, absolutely audacious that Biden has selected her, a Black woman, as his running mate.

Biden has avoided any clear apology for his role in deepening the systemic racism in public policy that he now pledges to oppose. Nonetheless, his defenders dismiss his critics on the left as puerile and pedantic for rehashing this history. Dont let perfect be the enemy of good, they hector. But Bidens failure to meaningfully acknowledge his role in constructing the color-blind racial regime of the post-civil-rights era, structured around calls for law and order and the coded deprecation of poor Black women, has clouded his newfound epiphany concerning racial justice. It has obscured the credibility of his claims that, as President, he would essentially abandon the most notable feature of his political past: weaponizing reactionary thinking about poor Black women in order to curry favor with white voters, during a period when Democrats felt compelled to prove that they could hate Black people, too.

Biden has pointed to his selection as Barack Obamas Vice-President, and his dutiful embrace of the role, as evidence that he has abandoned his provocative past positions. Now he has chosen Kamala Harris to perform the same perfuming role. There is an assumption that the selection of Harris means that her racial and gender identities will guide the policymaking of a Biden-Harris White House. This is the heralded power of representation in politics, and it is a powerful corral for the hopes of many Black Americans. The rise of Barack Obama convinced many Black voters that they might finally get a fair shake.

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Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the Limits of Representation - The New Yorker

Radical extremists, displaying ignorance of history, tear down monuments; reminders of political conflict, violence and inequality; the unflattering history of the Democrat party: also found in old movie scripts; claimed to harm the psyche of viewers.

Rewriting the history of the Democrat Party; a cover up; simply adds another sordid chapter. Is the destruction of all history books next? They certainly dont wish to repeat that embarrassing history. We should learn from, not stumble over what is behind us.

Strange, superficial and hypocritical; a cohort, for years claimed routine exposure to violent video games had no impact on users violent behaviors, but now a passing glance at a statue (in their midst for years) must be eradicated for their inner peace. Seeking equality, but accepting marginalization, (the bigotry of low expectations) with handouts or reparations, rather than a hand up is self defeating; Rev. Sharpton, et al.

Pursuing superficial change of street decor and old movie scripts; when the greater need is in improving living conditions, family cohesion, education, job opportunities and healthcare; the means by which all Americans attain success; especially crucial for those facing inequality; doesnt advance their cause; especially when accompanied by violence, looting and arson.

Black lives, et al, can take positive steps following this unrest; (when all of the non-conforming statues and scripts have been removed) by addressing issues with significant meaning; ie, what really matters: restored families, excellent education, (the best schools and teachers in the places of greatest need) personal improvement, self sufficiency, job opportunities; working to become model citizens.

Both Democrats and Republicans have failed to provide these life necessities and neither has protected minorities from the disadvantage they face because of open borders. Hopefully, the current divide hasnt caused unfixable damage to our country.

Melvin Pete Snyder, West Donegal Township

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Both Republicans and Democrats have failed to address racism | PennLive letters - pennlive.com

Heres something to think about: When theres no consequence for poor work ethic and no reward for good work ethic, theres no motivation for your self-storage staff. An employee-performance review is a formal assessment of work performance. It fosters open communication between supervisors and team members and, hopefully, improves employees work going forward.

The fact is, hourly workers are the backbone of our self-storage organizations, but theyre often the most neglected staffers on the payroll and often overlooked when it comes to training and professional development. I once heard an owner say that giving performance reviews to hourly employees is a colossal waste of time and resources. In reality, every member of your team is valuable and does his part to enhance the company.

Whats your current practice? Do you review all employees, hourly and salaried alike? Do you evaluate employees after 90 days and never again? Maybe once per year? Its important to engage all workers who are at the front line of your customer experience. A good way to do this is with consistent performance evaluations.

Hourly workers typically represent the highest turnover in any company, and turnover is costly. The Center for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organization, puts the cost of replacing an employee who earns less than $30,000 per year at 16 percent of his annual earnings. In other words, to replace a $10-per-hour worker will cost you more than $3,000.

Workplace policies that address the concerns of hourly employees can help reduce turnover. Some states have mandated predictive scheduling laws for these staffers, while other states (and some companies) are increasing their minimum wage. In addition to financial security, these employees want to be valued in the workplace and know their employer is aware of the contributions they make in maintaining market share and customer satisfaction.

Performance evaluations can be key to retention and engagement for staff, particularly those with lower financial incentive. Employees want to know how theyre doing, and reviewing performance is a way to keep an open line of communication, which is key not only when things are going poorly, but when the site is achieving great success.

If an employee is taken by surprise at something revealed to him in a review, his supervisor isnt doing his job effectively. Reviews don't just clarify goals and reinforce positive behaviors, they help adjust behaviors that arent so positive. They assist in building the employee-manager relationship. They also serve as the foundation for career development. That recognition can turn into engagement and retention.

Skipping a performance review, or being late with one, sends a negative message, even if that wasnt the supervisors intention. The time a supervisor spends with each employee is meaningful and could make the difference between the team member staying and thriving with an organization or becoming dissatisfied and perhaps even walking away.

According to analytics and advisory firm Gallup, companies that implement regular employee feedback have turnover rates of up to 15 percent lower than those that dont. Productive employees who do good work want their work to be evaluated, so they can be recognized. In addition to raising engagement and customer satisfaction, what begins with simple recognition can develop into savings and positive outcomes for the employee and the company in the short- and long-term.

Performance reviews serve many purposes. The top ones are:

The first step in conducting a successful employee review is preparation. You should establish a system and process and follow it consistently. It might include things like:

Note: Performance reviews should be separate from any discussion about promotions or pay increases. When employees think the conversation will affect their pay, they may speak more cautiously and avoid sharing information to protect themselves. Consider a performance review a place to encourage professional development, and create a separate review for promotions and raises, even if the latter is held just a few days later.

During each review, use thoughtful communication thatll build the employee up, not tear him down. Performance evaluations shouldnt be all negative or all positive. Being overcritical will likely demotivate the employee, and yet theres almost always something that could be improved. Tactfully sharing positive attributes alongside the items that need work will help the conversation feel more balanced and ensure employees dont feel attacked.

Its also helpful to provide concrete examples for both achievements and areas of improvement. Share them throughout the review. Being able to cite specific instances of behavior to employees proves youve truly done your homework as a supervisor. This type of communication is much more effective than simply saying what your team member has done right or wrong. It shows youve been paying attention and gives your feedback more credibility.

Your company handbook should be clear about how your employee-review program works and whats expected of each team member regarding performance, attitude, attendance, sales and so on. It should explain:

Its important to lay out your entire program in the handbook and go over it with each new hire. Making this clear reduces fear and dread. It also helps protect you legally, which is why you should work with your legal counsel when developing policies relating to employee termination.

Look back on the goals you established for your employee-performance reviews. Ask yourself:

If your evaluations leave things worse than when you started, its time to change your process.

Employee-performance reviews arent there to weed out bad employees. Instead, theyre critical to determining wage increases, promotions, corrections and an overall sense of whats happening in your workforce. By providing regular reviews, youll treat your employees as what they really areyour most valuable assetand encourage and engage all of them.

Susan Haviland is the owner of Haviland Storage Services, which specializes in auditing, manager training, market studies and operational reviews. She has more than 32 years of industry experience, from serving as a site manager to acting as vice president of operations at Extra Space Storage Inc. and Price Self Storage. She's a frequent speaker at industry conferences and tradeshows. For more information, call 760.401.0297; visit http://www.havilandstorageservices.com.

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Performing Successful Staff Evaluations in Self-Storage: Why and How - Inside Self-Storage

Australian ecommerce grew more than 80 per cent year on year (YOY) in the 8 weeks after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation.

The figures are contained in a new report from Australia Post called Inside Australian Online Shopping 2020 eCommerce Industry Report.

According to report author Ben Franzi, General Manager, Parcel and Express Services Australia Post, Though its still too early to say how the industry will look post-pandemic, its clear this crisis has set a new baseline. We had predicted that by 2025 online shopping would account for 1618% of total retail spend, but the recent growth weve seen suggests the pandemic has brought this forward. Were anticipating that by the end of 2020, online spend will hold a 15 per cent share of the total retail market.

However while COVID-19 supercharged online sales, other data from the report suggests growth was already strong before the virus sent the population into lockdown.

For instance, the Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2019 sales was a record-breaker, according to the report up more than 31 per cent compared to 2018, with the authors noting, As shoppers become more accustomed to this event, so to do retailers and in 2019 this shopping festival spanned more of the industry than previous years.

The report benchmarked the 30 days from Black Friday onward against the Month of April and found that online purchases were up 7 per cent higher in April compared to the 30 days to 18 December 2019 which encompassed Black Friday and the Christmas rush.

For context, the authors also say that April is traditionally a quiet month for eCommerce, as shoppers recover from their Christmas profligacy.

The report says, This influx of purchasing in April 2020 brought the number of households shopping online for the month to a massive 5.2 million, an increase of 31 per cent when compared to the average in 2019. Consequently, online goods spend grew by 95 per cent year on year in the same month. This industry-wide shift has been as dramatic as it has been swift and will no doubt alter future buying behaviour. While the current acceleration were seeing may begin to steady, many of the changes weve seen are likely here to stay through the rest of 2020 and beyond.

As to what we were wasting our money on in between oom meetings and overeating, the report provides some interesting insights.

Booze!

Wine and liquor has been a hot favourite for Australians during the pandemic, with online purchases peaking during March and April, and reaching highs of over 160 per cent YOY, say the authors.

Initially, however, shoppers were hunting for essential items Panic buying leading to stores rationing which meant customers shifted online to buy groceries, pharmaceuticals, hygiene items, alcohol, and toilet paper.

As government messaging on restrictions became clearer, understanding grew of what could and couldnt be obtained easily, leading to a more measured consumer approach towards buying essentials.

Overtime spending shifted to entertainment, self-improvement, DIY, comfortable and casual clothing.

Fashion demand softened initially, but soon rebounded recovering to single-digit growth rates before reaching highs of 100 YOY, as more active and leisurewear was purchased (or as buyers felt the impact of all those extra home-cooked meals on their expanding waistlines.

Media, which includes books and stationery, bounced around a bit as back to school and university sales were hit by the shutdown but improved as the year went on and everyone had finished watching reruns of Kolchak the Night Stalker, and the Tiger King (Carole definitely fed him to the Tigers, come on, youre all thinking it!) and people turned back to books.

Finally, the authors say Department store purchases also grew by whopping 400 per cent YOY over the Easter week, presumably because you are more likely to find a sales assistant lurking in your own home than on the shop floor of David Jones or Myers.

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Huge spike in ecommerce once COVID-19 hit - Which-50