text:
(When RA updated message board software it messed up any paragraphs anyone ever created prior to the update. So the above Boilerplate post is a mess)
Just to add to this most awesome informational thread:My Take On The THE MAFFETONE METHOD
(updated text and links on 8-2-15)
--It's all about developing aerobic speed (pace at MAF), balancing the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, and remaining healthy while doing so.Resources:www.philmaffetone.com has lots of info as well. Sign-up is free. He's also a musician! His books are an invaluable addition to any training library
What exactly is the Maffetone Method?
MAF Methodology
180 Formula
MAF test
Books by Dr. Phil Maffetone (Amazon)
Mark Allen Interview: A Look Back At Training With Phil MaffetoneMark Allen's article on MAF training
excerpt on Mark Allen's training from the Lore Of Running (good read)Working out at your calculated MAF thread with Dr. Phil participation - About running at your MAF for a good portion of your workout for best aerobic development.Reaching your potential in endurance events is all about developing your aerobic system and aerobic speed. I'm going to warn you up front that there is a chance you are going to hate this method at first. The reason being that you will suddenly be running (and probably walking a little) paces that are not only slower than you ever imagined, but also uncomfortable and ego-shattering. The good news is that if you do the training properly, the slowness is temporary. The method is about creating a healthy, fit athlete. Being healthy means not running yourself into over-training, injury, and a weakened immune system (colds, flu, etc.). Dr. Phil wants to see you achieve your potential, but in a way that doesn't over-stress your body. He made a name for himself taking broken down athletes and getting them back to not only health, but also their best performances. Mark Allen (6-time Iron Man Champ) and Mike Pigg being two of the most successful on the elite level.The following page is perfect description of what happens (how the slowness is temporary) if the program is done correctly:Mark Allen on Maffetone TrainingHere's a case study of someone who had to walk in the beginning in order to stay under MAF. It illustrates how it works and what can happen when you overstress the body: Case StudyTHE MAF TEST
~good with all phases and types of training~
click here to read bout The MAF Test at Dr. Phil's Website
The heart of this method is managing stress through monitoring of the Maximal Aerobic Function Test, or MAF Test. Whether you are in either the aerobic or anaerobic phase (see below) or a racing season, this test is good way to monitor whether or not your aerobic system is progressing or regressing. Your pace at MAF is called aerobic speed. First, you have to figure out your MAF. It also discusses the MAF test. To do an MAF test, first take 15-20 minutes to warm-up to MAF-10. Then run a speed that gets your HR up to your MAF. For example, If your MAF is 130, then keep your HR there, allowing only brief blips of 131. If you see 132, slow down. If you see anything below 129, speed up. Do that for 3-5 miles. Even a one mile test can provide information. During the test you should see a progressive overall slowing from the first to the last mile. If you are speeding up, you need to warm up more. Do these tests every 2-4 weeks. If the overall pace and times are progressing, then that shows your current training load (along with the load of stress from your life) is not too much. Your aerobic system is still improving. If the overall pace and time is regressing, then something needs to change. It might be time to go back to the aerobic base phase. If you are already in that phase, then reduced time on your feet might help. Other things come into play including lack of sleep, job stress, family stress, and diet.You can also make your MAF tests time based. For example, after your warm-up, you can run a 45 minute test. You can still take mile or kilometer splits. In the beginning, you might cover 3.5 miles. A year later, you might be covering 5 miles in the same time.
Some people just use the same training run done on the same course to monitor aerobic speed.
Keep track of variables in your running log.
Whether you are doing your MAF tests inside on the treadmill or outside, keep track of as many variables as possible. If doing the test outside, try to use the same course for each test. Keep track of:
--relative humidity
--wind speed
--sun, overcast, or rain (even in the same temperature, a sunny day contributes to core heat build-up more than an overcast one)
--time of day (some people have higher heart rates at the same effort at one time of day as opposed to another)
--weight (% fat isn't bad to know. the more fat, the harder it is for your body to dissipate heat)
You can use weather.com to get the temp, RH, and wind speed.
*******************************3 Phases of MAF Training***********************************My take on MAF training is that there are three phases, which can be entered anytime when needed, or when prepared to do so:1. Aerobic2. Anaerobic/racing3. Rest, Recovery, Vacation********************************Aerobic Base Phase****************************************6-time Ironman Tri Champ, Mark Allen, calls this the PATIENCE phase ***. This is an aerobic base-training phase run at or under a heart rate of 180-age (MAF) with adjustments for current health and fitness. Why patience? Because 99% of the runners who first do this will be training slower than they ever have in their life, and it defies the current logic and beliefs of "no pain, no gain." It can be ego-busting and maddening at first, producing much whining in the threads in which I've been involved. Just run all your miles at a pace that keeps your heart rate at or below your MAF (180-age). Spending at least some portion of your longer duration runs (hard day) at your MAF. This will work your slow-twitch, aerobic endurance fibers almost exclusively, and keep your body in a fat-as-fuel mode. It'll be slow in the beginning because your body has not learned to process oxygen well using fat. As your slow twitch fibers develop, your body will get better at processing oxygen using fat, and you will eventually have to speed up in order to maintain the same heart rate. This is your AEROBIC SPEED developing.It's not a bad idea to do your recovery runs at MAF -10 or lower. It's not required, but it can make the recovery day a little less stressful.This phase is not about running slow, but about running faster and faster at MAF--becoming a fat-fueled runner. The slowness is temporary. Just keep raising your base mileage a little each week. Don't overdo it. Keep track of your MAF tests, and listen to how your body feels. The tests will let you know if you are over-training, and your body will let you know as well. If you are a walking, breathing sore spot, tired all the time, cranky, and your MAF tests and MAF training times are slowing, you need to make adjustments in your volume, and perhaps a long rest may be in order.Dr. Maffetone, as well as Jack Daniels, suggests that you run by time not distance. For example, do 2 hour long runs, and let the mileage be whatever it ends up being. The body doesn't know miles, it knows duration. A professional runner might be able to run 20 miles in two hours at MAF, and an age-grouper might only be able to run 13 miles in the same time at MAF. The training load is the same for each runner. Studies show there are no real aerobic benefits after 2-2.5 hours on your feet. Anything over that, might toughen you mentally, but might just be beating yourself up--depending on who you are and what you can handle. An aerobic phase of 12-16 weeks at the beginning of the year is suggested. If you are a beginner, or are trying to rebuild a shot aerobic system and body, then a longer period might be needed. According to a blurb in the Lore Of Running, Mark Allen would do this phase the first 12 weeks of every new year as a base-training phase, and did it each year of each Ironman win, taking time off at the end of each year to rest. He would return to the patience phase when his MAF tests showed regression in pace. ( "Lore of Running, Fourth Edition" by Timothy D. Noakes, MD, DSc (p.454-460) )
*********************Anaerobic, Tempo, Speedwork Phase************************Yes. The Maffetone Method includes anaerobic training. You have to race some time! In this phase, the idea is to sharpen up the fast-twitch fibers and balance your energy systems. It is important to do regular MAF tests throughout all phases of training and racing. The tests will help to let you know if the anaerobic training is creating a balance, or an imbalance. If your body needs anaerobic work to balance out the aerobic work you've done, your MAF tests should improve. If they get worse as a result of this work, or during racing season, this can be a sign that you need to return to base training, as your aerobic system is beginning to deteriorate.Here are a few quotes from Training For Endurance by Dr. Philip Maffetone Chapter 12 (2nd revised Edition, David Barmore Productions, ©2000):(please note that the above book is currently out of print, but the same info can be found in The Maffetone Method by Dr. Phil Maffetone and in The Big Book Of Endurance Training And Racing--"once you've built sufficient aerobic function, your body may be ready to add anaerobic work. I say 'may' because many endurance athletes can often bypass this part of training, and rely instead on racing to get all the anaerobic stimulation necessary... ....The main purpose of anaerobic training is to build the fast-twitch muscle fibers. For endurance athletes, maximum benefits can be achieved easily in as short a time as 3-4 weeks......anaerobic workouts can be treacherous domain. This risky training is frequently the cause of injuries, fatigue and poor performance....including races, do not exceed 2-3 anaerobic workouts per week. For many athletes, one is sufficient.."**********************Rest, Recovery, Vacation***************************In the different phases of this training, remember to always follow the rules of recovery as close as possible.Suggestions:-- follow a hard day (long distance or time, speed, race) with an easy day (short distance or time, sub-MAF, total rest). After a hard race take it easy the following week. Depending on the distance, you might take anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks total rest from running, or keeping whatever running you do to a brief amount of time and under MAF.--increase weekly amount of time on your feet by no more than 5-10% per week on average. Cut back your time on feet every 3rd or 4th week, resuming where you left off, or at a higher level after the recovery week. Be careful. The natural tendency is to think running more and getting to higher volumes as quickly as possible is better. Keep track of your MAF tests.--1 day complete rest per week isn't a bad idea.--it doesn't hurt to take a few weeks or months off from running every year.Mark Allen would take two months off in November and December after the Ironman and not begin training until the aerobic base phase in January. ***"Lore of Running, Fourth Edition" by Timothy D. Noakes, MD, DSc (p.454-460)*************Monitoring Resting Heart Rate**********************Keeping track of resting heart rate (RHR) can be very helpful with training. It's an added tool in managing stress and monitoring fitness. Take your resting RHR when you wake up in the morning while still in bed. After a week, you'll get a good idea of what the average is. If you wake up one morning and it is 5 beats or more over your normal RHR, it's an indicator that your body is stressed. It could be stressed because it is fighting a bug, tired from too much running, dehydrated, etc. It's a good idea to do a very easy run that day or rest. Don't do any hard or long runs, or rest, until it returns to normal. As you get fitter, there is a high probability your RHR will get lower. So, if the overall average keeps dropping, then that's a good sign.A lower than normal heart rate can also be a sign of over-training. If your RHR is normally 55 bpm, and suddenly it is 48 bpm, this might indicate your body needs recovery. I've seen this phenomenon the day after very long (duration) runs. I've also read posts of runners having lower than normal heart rates the day after their long run, and they end up running faster at the same HR, thinking it is in increase in fitness, when it is really the heart being in a state of recovery. Rest or a brief recovery run is the best thing the day after a long run.********************************Life Stress and Overtraining********************* The heart of Dr. Phil's books is "be healthy." The number one element to staying healthy is to avoid over-training. He has some excellent information on over-training in his books. He writes about three different levels, each progressively worse than the other.The MAF test is the best training tool in avoiding this condition. If you are not seeing any progress in your pace time, or if is regressing, then you might be on the borderline. There are many physical symptoms that will clue you in as well. Exhaustion, raised resting heart rate, and pain are just a few. Increased life stress outside of running can adversely affect the aerobic system.Read the excellent article on over training at Dr. Phil Maffetone's Sports Page *************************************Runner's Obsession*************************"Runner's Obsession" is one of the biggest obstacles from getting to a healthy state, and also your goals. I really should call this section MY runner's obsession. It rears its ugly head with thinking like this:--my body is aching, I'm tired, but if I miss a day, I'll only have 49 miles for the week, and I was supposed to run 60.--my resting heart rate is 8 beats above normal, but if I take time off, I'll lose fitness.--I have to spend the day digging a ditch and dealing with stressful business, but I can't miss that run.--I was supposed to run 5 hours three weeks in a row, but my legs are sore and I'm tired, but still, I have to keep on track, keep on schedule. I'll tag today's time on to the rest day at the end of the week, and just run 13 days in a row.--it's the taper for the marathon, and I'm feeling beat up. My resting heart rate is high. I feel off, I might be coming down with something. I feel like I need a week off. But I might lose fitness. Be tough. Get out there. Run through it!--MUST NOT GO OFF SCHEDULE!--I'll never be great if I don't run the same amount as THAT great runner. I'm going to do what he does, and exceed it, no matter how hard it is.--I ran the Boston Marathon yesterday as a training run. I'm feeling so good, I'm going to run 80 miles this week. Even though I feel like I just ran a marathon. I can barely walk down the stairs, but it was only a training run. Get out there! This sort of thinking has not served me well. I imagine other runners deal with this. This idea that I can't miss a day or a week is obsession, and perhaps addiction. Many times, I haven't listened to my body because the goal, the schedule, and my fitness was all-important. The few injuries that I have had, and the state of over-training and aerobic deficiency in which I found myself at the end of 2008, were a direct result of this thinking. I still battle with it, but more and more I find it easier to take days off. This past year has proved to me that sometimes less is more in training; it is sometimes necessary to rest or cut-back in order NOT to lose fitness and health. Rest and recovery are not the enemy of performance.
**************************Heart Rate Monitor Troubleshooting**************************
Long-time heartrate trainers will tell you that theses contraptions are not perfect, and sometimes readings aren't what they should be. You'll be warming up and you'll see a reading of "167 bpm" or something , when your HR should be 105. Often we call this spiking.
These are some possible reasons for abnormal readings:
--strap/transmitter battery getting low
--Strap is slipping and isn't on tight enough. This could do it. If you can't get it tight enough, bunch it with a safety pin.
--running with a cel phone on the side of your body where you wear your watch.
--dirty transmitter. Make sure you wash the transmitter and strap once in awhile.
--running under high tension power lines
--not wetting the strap when you start
--having other hrm transmitters too close to you, or certain electrical appliances.
--certain fabrics in shirts will cause static electricity buildup on the transmitter
-- dry winter air can give you those spikes in the first mile. Putting the strap on a half hour early can help.
It also has been discussed in the past here how for a few people (in the heart rate threads over the years) those spikes were actually real, and they were having heart problems. One a racing heart, and the other ended up with a bypass. So when it happens, if you can't get it back down, take your pulse to make sure it's erratica and not reality.
*********Old LHRT/Basebuilding/Maffetone Threads On the Old Coolrunning******* For one of those rainy nights...I compiled links to all the old LHR/Maffetone threads created by Jesse (Formationflier, Lietnerj). Most migrated here after Active took over and changed it into something else. Enjoy.May 2005-March 2006 (page 1 has been deleted) http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/Forum6/HTML/014522-2.shtmlMarch-Nov 2006 (page 1 has been deleted)http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/Forum6/HTML/018553-2.shtml Nov 2006-June 2007 (page 1 has been deleted)http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/Forum6/HTML/022020-2.shtmlJune-Oct 2007http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/Forum6/HTML/024412-48.shtmlOct 2007-til Armegeddonhttp://www.coolrunning.com/forums/Forum6/HTML/025568.shtml Dec 2007-til January 2008http://community.active.com/thread/20939/basebuilding-low-heart-rate-training-via-maffetone-mark-allen-hadd-mittleman/0/0
***************************FInally**************************That's it. Take it or leave it, of course. It's a radical change in thinking, but it works, and it increases the probability that you will stay healthy. When beginning the base phase, I always think of Mark Allen saying how he was always training hard at 5:00 miles, and how when he put the HRM on, he suddenly was running 8 minute miles (like walking to an elite), after awhile he was back to 5:00 miles but at a very low level of exertion and heart rate, burning mostly fat as fuel, feeling healthy, and winning! That helps me keep going. Take care. Feel free to ask any questions. And if you happen to commit to a base phase using this method, you get three whiny posts about how slow you're going, and after that you'll be bombarded with suck-it-up posts. Keep going!
Log PRs
Really glad to see both Jesse and Jimmy over here.
Jesse, would be interesting to see your training log from your 8 months when you started the MAF (where you saw your dramatic improvements - would be good inspiration.
how do I sticky-ize it?
When it's all said and done, will you have said more than you've done?
I think my training log is all in now. It wasn't completely compatible with the old CR log, so it may
be tough to sift through, but if you start in around May of 2005, you can work your way through
and see what went on.
Wasatch Speedgoat
Life is short, play hard!
Yes, I did start this group last Spring when we were a much smaller group. Let me see how to make others admins and I'll do it. I'm also on the 2000 mile group and they made a bunch of us admins on there early in the year.
I know Jesse should be an admin....anyone else?
Jesse, I think you need to make your log public in the options for us to see. Thanks.
What is the 2000 mile group?! Sounds fun.


text:
Trending Searches: FY2016 Budget | Taxes | Parks | Library
July 11 - Composting - Learn how to make "black gold" by turning grass, leaves and clippings into dark brown, crumbly, sweet-smelling soil conditioner. Compost also holds moisture and nutrients for the garden so flowers and vegetables are more beautiful and abundant. Join Joe and the Master Gardener Compost team for the full story on compost. Starting Fall Vegetable Garden – Now is the time to plan to have fall salad greens and sweet root crops growing for weeks beyond the first frost. Get tips from Cooks' Garden Master Gardener Volunteers to help you extend your vegetable season long beyond the heat of summer.
August 8 - What's that Weed? Get help for identifying those troublesome weeds in your lawn and garden. Sniff your way through the Fragrance garden with wise, Ruth Johnston as she shares wisdom and experiences with plant selection and care in this beautiful garden bed.
September 12 - Fall chores in the garden – Join Master Gardener Volunteers as they prepare for fall and winter in the garden. Topics for discussion include clean up, plant division, soil preparation. Fall Cover Crops in the Cooks Garden – Cover crops protect soil from erosion and enhance soil productivity and health, yielding better vegetables. Cooks' Garden Master Gardeners show you how. MGPW Plant Sale – Add some new plants to your fall garden! Proceeds support the Teaching Garden
October 10 - Living Soil - Healthy soil is a web, retaining and cycling nutrients into the right forms at the right rates, building soil structure, suppressing disease-causing organisms, protecting plants, and decomposing toxic compounds. Learn about the necessary elements of a healthy soil web. Join the Cooks' Garden team and learn seed saving tips.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Partly Cloudy
Wind: 0 mph
Clarification of middle school math changes
By Tom Drake (Crossett Brook Middle School), Lisa Atwood (Harwood Union), Sheila Rivers, Brigid Scheffert (Washington West Supervisory Union)
To the WWSU community:
Many of you have most likely heard about change coming to the eighth-grade math program at Crossett Brook Middle School and Harwood Union Middle School, and we would like to take this opportunity to clarify what these changes entail.
The changes that we announced in mid-March included all eighth-graders taking the Connected Math 2 (CMP2) class. Additionally, for those who qualified for and chose to take the class, algebra 1 would be offered via an online format through the Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative. The online algebra 1 class work would mostly be completed outside the school day, with support by school staff in regularly scheduled meetings within the school day.
Our current offerings for eighth-grade math include face-to-face classes for algebra 1, for those who qualify and choose to take this class, or CMP2 for those who do not. The CMP2 curriculum was adopted into our supervisory union beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, and our desire to have all eighth-graders take the CMP2 class stems directly from our experience with this rich and engaging curriculum that truly brings solid context and depth to mathematics.
We never considered doing away with the algebra option for those eighth-graders who proved ready for this content, and the combination of CMP2 for all and additional e-learning for some seemed to be a good combination that would help to make smarter mathematicians across the eighth grade. Indeed, we felt very strongly that offering the e-learning option was an exciting opportunity to further this growing mode of learning in a sensible and supported manner.
The depth and breadth of the reaction to the news of this change from parents has been significant, with themes surfacing regarding the perceived unreasonableness in asking the algebra 1 students to double-up in math and the time constraints involved with this, and the perceived unrealistic expectation that eighth-graders would be able to learn independently in an e-learning format.
Input has been offered via numerous emails, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, letters to the editor and most recently a Facebook page focused on this topic. We have thoughtfully considered the feedback that has come directly or indirectly to us, and we have considered a revised program change, with the hope of satisfying these four goals: 1) Give all eighth-graders the opportunity to take CMP2; 2) Continue to offer the opportunity to complete algebra 1 in eighth grade for those who qualify; 3) Keep the math work, with the exception of homework, largely within the school day; and 4) Avoid scheduling conflicts with math and other classes, meaning that all students should be able to take advantage of all other classes including band, chorus, art, etc. With a set school day and full plate of course offerings, constructing a change that would meet all four of these parameters has proven challenging.
After much concerted effort, with a primary focus on what is best for student learning while also being responsive to community feedback, we think we have found a viable solution.
This solution lies in the fact that the eighth-grade CMP2 is very heavy in algebra 1 concepts. We will shortly be undertaking what educators call a "vertical curriculum alignment" between CMP2 and algebra 1, in order to determine which algebra 1 concepts are not covered in the CMP2 content.
Once we have determined the gaps, we will fill these gaps through a combination of weekly "Algebra Seminars" facilitated by school staff, together with online resources through sites such as the Khan Academy. The seminars will happen during the school day, which will cause a once-a-week conflict with another class. There will be work expected outside the school day, but not nearly to the extent that there would be with a complete algebra 1 class completed outside of school hours. The conflict with one class per week, while not ideal, is a relatively small compromise within the larger picture. Lastly, the online content allows us to follow through on the goal of increased e-learning opportunities.
We have been highly engaged over the past few years in strengthening mathematics instruction in all grades throughout the WWSU. These programmatic adjustments will further this goal. There are other flexible options in grades 9 through 12 that allow students to complete calculus by graduation. The administrative team remains open to all parent feedback and we will continue to bring understanding and flexibility to finding solutions as we progress in developing more rigorous, standards-based learning opportunities for our students.
On May 3, from 6 to 7 p.m., in the Harwood Union High School library, we will be hosting a public meeting to further outline the eighth-grade math program. We welcome all interested community members to this meeting.
With thanks for your continued support of our public schools,
Lisa Atwood (HUMS/HUHS principal), Tom Drake (CBMS principal), Sheila Rivers (WWSU director of curriculum, assessment and instruction), Brigid Scheffert (WWSU superintendent).


text:
Herd takes on C-USA co-leader
HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University forward Rob Goff had practically no practice time last week for the Thundering Herd men's basketball team.
Goff needed some time to rest an ailing right knee that flared up the previous weekend in a seat too cramped for his 6-foot-9 body during a long flight for a game at UTEP. Then he produced six points and six rebounds from off the bench Saturday in Marshall's 77-56 victory over East Carolina.
"It's just something I have to deal with," Goff said before boarding another flight for a Wednesday game at Southern Miss.
Marshall took it inside against East Carolina and whipped the Pirates on points in the paint, 52-30.
The 240-pound senior executed a power move on the left baseline for an early basket in the Herd's 12-0 spurt to open the game.
He made a layup off Dre Kane's feed, then when Kane missed a 3-point attempt Goff wrestled the rebound away from an East Carolina player and scored.
Goff scored all six of his points and grabbed four rebounds in the first half when Marshall ran away from its opponent.
He smiled at the suggestion that maybe he plays better without practice.
Marshall takes a 9-9 season record and 2-1 mark in Conference USA into a Wednesday, 7 p.m., contest at Southern Miss (15-4, 4-0) in Reed Green Coliseum where the Herd will need production from Goff and everyone else.
Southern Miss has won 22 consecutive home games -- the fifth-longest active streak in the nation.
The game is televised on CSS (Huntington cable Ch. 68).
A few weeks ago the Marshall team wasn't having any fun, especially following a two-point loss at home to Delaware State and a 37-point drubbing at Ohio.
But, players kept the faith and have won two of three since.
"It was more frustration than anything," Goff said. "Winning makes everything better."
Goff came to Marshall last season as a transfer from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College after first committing to the Oklahoma Sooners and was in the starting lineup for 33 of the 35 games. He was a starter for the first three games this season, but has come off the bench since.
The Indianapolis native provides post defense and an element of toughness in his 16.7 minutes per game while averaging 3.9 points and 3.5 rebounds with 10 blocked shots.
"I know I'm a senior and have to go out there to be a source of energy in this new role coach (Tom Herrion) has for me," Goff said.
Marshall takes on a Southern Miss team that conquered its last 10 conference opponents at home.
Southern Miss is doing it with a half-court zone defense that ranks first in C-USA and 22nd in the nation allowing just 58.1 points per game.
No Southern Miss opponent this season scored more than 70 and 11 foes didn't break 60.
"It's not a pure zone, it's more aggressive," Herrion said. "You have to be patient (against the zone). You have to find spots and holes. You have to attack it. We want our shooters to take shots."
The Golden Eagles led by former Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall also rank fourth in C-USA scoring with a balanced attack generating 73.2 a game. They pack a lot of punch in a relatively small lineup led by 6-5 forward Dwayne Davis with a 12.9 average.
Six-foot junior Jerrold Brooks, 6-5 junior Michael Craig, 6-5 senior Jonathan Mills and 5-11 junior Neil Watson all score about nine a game while 6-7 junior Daveon Boardingham averages 7.4.
Mills, an all-conference third team player last season adds 6.7 rebounds a game.
Southern Miss makes shots (48.4 percent) and free throws (70.5 percent) while its pressure defense creates 19.5 turnovers a game.
Marshall is seventh in C-USA scoring 69.7 on average and ninth defensively giving up 69.2.
Junior forward Elijah Pittman (14.7), Kane (14.6), junior guard D.D. Scarver (13.8) and senior forward Dennis Tinnon (10.9) do most of the Herd's scoring.
Kane, a preseason all-conference selection, leads the league and is fifth nationally with a 7.6 assist average.
Tinnon (9.2) and senior center Nigel Spikes (8.5) are fifth and sixth respectively in the C-USA rebounding statistics.
The Herd is shooting 42.2 percent from the field and is listed 345th out of 347 teams in NCAA Division I for free throw shooting at 58.1 percent. The only teams shooting lower from the foul line are Vanderbilt (57.2) and UC Riverside (56.9).
The Herald-Dispatch welcomes your comments on this article, but please be civil. Avoid profanity, obscenity, personal attacks, accusations of criminal activity, name-calling or insults to the other posters. Herald-dispatch.com does not control or monitor comments as they are posted, but if you find a comment offensive or uncivil, hover your mouse over the comment and click the X that appears in the upper right of the comment. If you do not want your comment to post to your personal Facebook page, uncheck the box below the comment.


text:
Once upon a time, we were poor as the proverbial church mouse, yet living quite happily and abundantly in our frugality. We marketed together, eyeing prices, buying seasonally and planning out our meals. We loved to cook and did so in our little kitchen whose wide French windows opened out onto a tiny stretch of lawn, a handkerchief-sized garden. The sun would flood in through those windows as we stood and chopped, minced, breaded, stirred and simmered. Our few cookbooks, our past travels and my days spent working as an interpreter in a cooking school, listening and watching a series of chef-instructors, were a constant source of inspiration and recipes. We went out for the occasional couscous at the neighborhood Moroccan restaurant, but we were more than content, actually quite tickled pink to play house in that little doll-sized abode on the outskirts of Paris. Not only did we stay within our meager budget, but we were well fed and satisfied.
When we met, he was working part time in order to allow himself a few days a week to devote to his photography. He lived in a communal house in the outskirts of Paris and owned exactly one mattress tossed on the floor, a worktable and chair, his camera and darkroom equipment. I moved in with my two battered suitcases and between the two of us we had all that we needed to be happy. A few months later, we were married, expecting our first child and had moved into our tiny dream house. We both worked part time yet the money was enough for our needs. We each left for work in the morning, or I saw him off to spend the day shooting, the evening in our livingroom-converted-darkroom. A day off, we took the train into the city to visit a museum or the gardens or drove further out for a jaunt in the woods and then back again. And we cooked.
Food has always been a necessary part of our life together in more ways than one: nourishment, yes; a connection to our past, our separate cultures and heritages, indeed; but it has always been a great pleasure for us to cook as well as eat, to cook for each other and for friends and family and cook together side by side. Food and cooking as love, the heart and soul of our home.
As humble as our beginnings, the food we cook has never had to be fancy to be special. Big one-pot stick-to-your-rib stews of inexpensive cuts of meat, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and carrots simmered until fork tender, tagines, crêpes or savory tarts, frugal yet scrumptious and filling dishes, leftovers that taste better than the day they were made. It is true that at times our grocery bills have gotten out of hand, our food budget exploding like a crazed, fiery asteroid; we give in to temptation or allow a lazy complaisance to set in and we turn to restaurants, take-out or ready-made. And then we look at that big, bad, glowing black hole in the budget (or so it seems) and the numbers scream at us to slow down and rethink the whole thing, reign it in and start all over from the beginning. Channel that couple who slept on a mattress in that big old run-down house in the 'burbs or that snug little three-room doll's house on that narrow strip of a street.
Rice pudding is nursery food in old English novels. Riz au lait is the sweet, frugal treat my mother-in-law made for her children to satisfy their sweet tooth as much as fill their tummies. Riz au lait, the Frenchman's rice pudding, simply milk, rice and sugar, stirred long on the stove and spooned into bowls, is comfort food at its finest. We decided to kick it up a bit by cooking in rum-soaked raisins and more rum, the perfect mate to vanilla.
You will also love:
2 Tbs raisins
3 Tbs dark rum
7 oz (200 g) uncooked (round) rice for risotto or pudding
3 ¼ cups (750 ml) whole milk + ¼ cup more if needed to think the pudding
6 –7 Tbs (90 - 100) sugar or to taste
1 vanilla bean
Pinch salt
1 Tbs (15 g) unsalted butter
Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with the rum for about an hour before making the pudding so the raisins are softened and soaked with rum.
Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer or colander (so as not to lose any rice out the bottom!) and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. Drain.
Put the rinsed rice in a saucepan and cover with water; bring the water to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Drain the rice.
Return the drained rice to a medium-sized saucepan with 3 ¼ cups of the whole milk, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and a pinch of salt. Using a small, sharp knife split the vanilla bean down the center and scrape out all of the seeds. Add both the seeds and the pod to the other ingredients in the saucepan. Bring it just up to the boil and then immediately turn the heat down to very low and, placing a cover atop the saucepan but leaving it ajar, allow the pudding to simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 35 minutes or until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid. The rice should be very soft almost melting in the mouth. It should not be al dente. The pudding should be creamy, neither runny nor dry. Add the raisins and the rum about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking. Add more milk if the rice becomes too thick and gluey rather than smooth and creamy and heat through.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and remove and discard the vanilla bean pod. Stir in the tablespoon of butter and only half of the remaining sugar. Taste and add as much of the remaining sugar until desired sweetness. Spoon into individual serving dishes, glasses or bowls.
The riz au lait is best eaten warm. If refrigerated, simply reheat for a very short amount of time in a microwave.


text:
Absolutely. The device design and fit/finish is amazing. Its the software that has lagged behind in the innovation. Going to be interesting how they address that. Let the user use the device how he/she wants. Apple has a fantastic platform but it would be nice to be able to tailor/tweak it like other platforms have done!
Never mind iPhone 6 and iPads next, in 2013 it's all about iOS 7 and iCloud
There'll be an iPhone 5s and iPhone 6. There'll be a Retina iPad mini. There'll be a thinner, lighter iPad 5. There'll be an Apple A7 system-on-a-chip. There'll be an LTE radio that can do simultaneous voice and data, and eventually voice over LTE. There may be curved displays, biometric sensors and security, 4K AirPlay, onboard voice parsing, in-air gesture and face recognition, and much, much more. Apple's hardware will continue to tick tock its way towards the future, but for mainstream users, most of the time, the devices we hold in our hands today are more than good enough. And it's the stuff inside and around them that's become far, far more important.
iOS 6 was prep work, a way for Apple to get Google off their platform, fully outsource social, and better approach China. It prepared Apple for the future, but it didn't take them there. Likewise, iOS 5 introduced iCloud and Siri, but to this day Apple's online services are still unreliable, with the potential of tomorrow but mired in the problems of yesterday.
When BlackBerry 10 launches at the end of this month, iOS will become the oldest major operation system in mobile. Windows Phone still hasn't found feature parity or market traction, but Microsoft can throw Windows and Office money at it in perpetuity, and their phone division is perhaps the only part of the company that has shown any real, transformative forward thinking. They'll get there. Android still hasn't caught up on interface or overall experience, but their feature set has leap-frogged ahead, and Samsung is now interesting and competitive all on their own. Then there's Amazon, Facebook, Intel, NVIDIA, and who knows what else 2013 will bring.
All of them will throw more and more varied hardware, more often, at the market than Apple. But it's not Samsung's or LG's or HTC's or Nokia's or BlackBerry's hardware that Apple will face in the market. It's Google Now and BlackBerry Balance and whatever Facebook does with their social graph, and SDKs that let developers create compelling apps to leverage them.
It's not about outdated concepts like widgets or settings toggles, or inconsequential interface trends like skeuomorphism. it's about software and services that don't force us to hunt for data or controls, no matter how they're painted up, but that bring data and controls to us, flat or textured. It's about actionable notifications powered by headless apps and seamless inter-app communication. It's about predictive data assistance with multi-layer natural language interfaces. It's about data moving from cloud to device, or vice versa, transparently, in the background, so we have what we need, when and where we need it, without having to manage or store it. It's about all our stuff working together directly, device to device, so using one of them is akin to using any one of them. It's about an app ecosystem that pushes rather than than waits for us to pull, with demos and refunds, and analytics that delight developers and users alike. It's about the brilliant interaction of software and services both on-device and in the clouds.
Over the coming weeks and months, we're going to be seeing a ton of rumors and leaks, real and fake, about the new iPhones and iPads and other devices Apple is thinking about for this spring and fall. None of them will be as important to Apple, to us, or to the future of Apple's mobile platforms as iOS 7 and iCloud this summer.
Have something to say about this story? Leave a comment! Need help with something else? Ask in our forums!
Reader comments
Never mind iPhone 6 and iPads next, in 2013 it's all about iOS 7 and iCloud
I think that stuff is all in the past. Tweaking skins and widgets don't matter in a post Google Now and Siri universe.
Sort of like who has the best hardware keyboard, for most people, doesn't matter in a post-iPhone world.
How Apple addresses their services infrastructure, for me, is a far more urgent consideration.
Wow. You have become the best writer on the subject of Apple. I use dictation constantly.
The article does sound like the end of Apple, since they depend on us upgrading our iPhones and iPads regularly. They'll have to find a way to make money off of services.
I agree there. My gf #1 complain about her iPhone is that she can no longer swype.
Hey Rene, how about an article with a schedule for this 2013, like when we expect hardware and software releases (ios and mac) to come out.
Very nice article, I agree on the boring aspects of hardware and widgets. I feel that the carriers really need to step their game up though. I believe that carriers hamper the users experience with lies about the true nature of their networks. And I hope Apple or Google do have your insight and vision to take us to a new level of user experience. For right now I just want my iphone 5 to work the same at home, work or on the go.
Totally agree, and Google is tearing it up right now.
It has nothing to do with your article, but where were you when you took this picture? A French Movie Poster? :) I'm proud cause I live in Québec, Canada… Were you here or were in Europe :) Cheers Rene!
See I kind of think the opposite. After years with Android iOS 6.0 (and 5.0 before it) was like a giant breath of fresh air. It just works. I really don't think Apple is falling behind on iOS more of just making an already good mobile OS even better. I agree with Rene that Siri needs some work as it has great potential and I hope to see some more design on the iOS side, but I'm really happy with iOS right now. Thats not to say that it is perfect though and I look forward to seeing what Jony Ive will do to the software side as I've never been a fan of skeumorphism.
"it's about software and services that don't force us to hunt for data or controls, no matter how they're painted up, but that bring data and controls to us,"
You do know it already exists, do you?
(not trying to troll)
It'd be marvelous if once and a while the "my platform already has everything ever" point of view was suppressed in favor of people who just love technology and want to see more and better from everyone.
Because no, it doesn't. Everyone is doing a little bit, and Google and perhaps BlackBerry are doing more, but it's early days still and it's not the mature, dominant interaction it needs to be.
Ok, so I have just happened upon this site, having frequented various tech-orientated pages around the web for many years... and I can't believe it - lucid, insightful writing, and comments which actually further understanding and discussion.
I am never going back to engadget again.
Thank you.
I agree with you that Google and Blackberry are doing more, but innovation has always been what they do best. Apple has another issue they need to figure out besides the old OS. Keeping their customer base is going to be a very big challenge. Sure the ecosystem has most users stuck and afraid to leave, but they also are now aware that Apple has become one of the richest companies based on revenue from services, and upgrades every 6 months on hardware. (52% profit margins) ?
Without apps, itunes, and external developers apple has no real function as a business phone.
Then you have the Blackberry, Android, Microsoft users who can't stand apple users because of the lack of knowledge they have in the smartphone space(not all users, but you know what i mean). The term "It just works" has become a joke in most of the blogs, because of all the issues the Iphone5 just had. The peer pressure Apple users are going to get to switch platforms is huge right now. Just like the parents who got an iphone because there kids did, they will be the same ones to leave when their kids do.
The stock price is dropping which shows you that the interest is gone. I only say this because the majority of iphone/ipad sales where made in the U.S, which would also make me believe most of the money invested is also coming from the wealthy in the U.S., and if they are pulling out their money that means they know something we don't. If you lost $250 a share since the launch of the greatest ipad/iphone would you still have faith? I watched your video as well explaining the entire Wall Street bashing, but this is no different from what the media did to RIM, and while that was happening iphone users everywhere were mocking BB users. My favorite is RIP RIM. Can't wait for BB10 and I'm sure most IT departments can't wait to have the iphone players getting back to productivity. Your video also made me nervous because you sounded like you were making up excuses and weren't sure of yourself. Your body language screamed "this is how kevin must have felt during the bad times at RIM". One more thing, once you leave an ecosystem like apples you probably won't return, but Blackberry has the opportunity to get their customers back....i'm thinking the grass wasn't so green on the other side....that would also explain all the users going to android.
It's going to be interesting to see what the new version of iOS will be like coming from Apple post-shakeup. With people like Jony Ives taking an active part in the design of the software as well as the hardware, I think we can expect to see something different with iOS 7. Because, lets face it...the current UI is tired and needs a refresh.
I highly doubt it will be a total reramp on iOS7. I think we will probably see bits and pieces of the changes until we hit iOS8
The "Cloud" is over rated. It's no use to you when you don't have a internet connection which some of us don't always have in the middle of nowhere.
Re: "When BlackBerry 10 launches at the end of this month, iOS will become the oldest major operation system in mobile."
Just FYI: iOS is based on OS X, which is based on BSD + Mach, which are based on UNIX, which dates back to 1969. All of which is why iOS is rock solid now. Because hundreds of thousands of eyes have gone over that kernel code. (Same with Linux and its derivatives too, but with a more recent provenance than 1969.)
Re: "None of them [the devices] will be as important to Apple, to us, or to the future of Apple's mobile platforms as iOS 7 and iCloud this summer."
Bingo. Yes, Apple's devices are currently their major source of revenue. But they're just windows into the Apple infrastructure. They're just the boxes the software ships in. iPhone and iPad are literally featureless until the screen is turned on. And when the screen is on, iOS puts as little as possible between you and your stuff.
I keep saying this over and over, but iCloud is as important to Apple's next decade or so as iTunes was in the past decade or so. Apple leveraged iTunes to make iPod wildly successful. Then they leveraged iTunes and its store ecosystem to make iPhone and iPad wildly successful. Not to mention wildly profitable.
Of course, Wall Street focuses on device sales. Because that's what contributes to the "bottom line" and "earnings numbers." But the hardware is the easy part. It's an order of magnitude harder to create an OS that works seamlessly with the hardware. And it's two orders of magnitude harder to design and implement an app and content store ecosystem like iTunes. Which works to Apple's advantage, because it's impossible to copy overnight. It takes years, which gives Apple years of lead time.
Finally, it's at least three orders of magnitude harder (i.e. at least 1000 times harder) to design, implement, and expand an infrastructure like iCloud. I'm talking man-years here, not calendar time or lines of code. So yeah, the whole man-year concept is oh so late-mid 20th century (as in "The Mythical Man Month," Frederick Brooks, ISBN 0-201-83595-9). But needing many people, in all disciplines, working for years to build out a complex and robust hardware + software cloud infrastructure, is a painful and expensive reality.
But, of course, you'll need a cloud infrastructure to have any chance of succeeding as a technology company in the 21st century. A real one. Not just a Microsoftian check-box-marketing cloud. A serious, usable, interoperable, scalable, battle-tested, industrial-strength cloud infrastructure. Apple has been working hard on that for years now, and they're buying up more real estate to keep expanding it.
Come to think of it, maybe "the cloud" is why Amazon is considered to be part of the tech sector, and not just another e-tailer. Isn't it? Because they've created a cloud infrastructure to support the Kindle Fire. Just a thought.
"Not just a Microsoftian check box marketing cloud"
You know of course, the iCloud is based on Azure, right?
And iTunes runs on Windows. It's all about leverage. Apple leverages their iTunes store and content delivery through iCloud. What cloud-based store and content delivery does Microsoft still have?
Oh, and don't get too excited about Xbox Live. Legacy game consoles, even with internet connections, are dead-end technology. Xbox won't keep Microsoft relevant.
Inspiring article Rene! Makes me excited to be part of all this.
So my phone has GPS, Internet, hooks in to various parts of my life and can talk to me. It makes me wonder why it doesn't know to be quiet when I'm in a meeting, to have my saver card and grocery list ready for my when I'm at the store and why it doesn't just start playing my death metal when I'm at the gym and pull up my workout sheet.
You'd think if it was confused about these, that it could just speak up, ask me and learn.
Apps. Settings. Tweaks. Widgets. I really don't want to bother myself with it. What we need is some smart folks to connect all of these sensors, data repositories and interfaces to do something truly compelling. It seems almost within reach.
Couldn't agree more. The interface with the system must improve and have the device become a true "personal assistant". I think we should see thing along these lines. I would like to have the phone sense it is moving in the mornings after my alam goes off or offer me the following or by my voice command. I would like the voice activation to be possible by merely speaking and not having to press anything. The phone would know I was talking to it. I would like to ask for a "report or update " and the phone would do the following:
Your Morning Report
You can choose the wake up information that you would like to receive.
At night you set the Siri wake up call.
After your alarm goes off to either an alarm or music goes off after a predetermined amount of time from zero to up to 10 minutes. You would also select what you would like Siri to call you. The app would say something like this "Good Morning Rick here's your morning report.
I would like to see this information in a short report form
Time ( this would be a reminder of what time it is in the morning)
Current weather and weather for the day according to your location
Top three news headlines (selected from your choice of CNN, Fox News, USA Today, or BBC.)
Events on your calendar for the day
Events on your calendar for tomorrow
It would read your new emails you received during the night( and send your reply if desired)
It would your new texts you received during tonight (reply if you desire)
You would also have the option to play all of these at your command any time throughout the day. This would be especially useful if say having this played to you while you fix breakfast. It would also be useful when getting off the airplane it could update you with this information of things that happened while you were on flight. Everything would also be adjusted to your time zone.
So my custom report would be something like this:
Good morning Rick here's your morning report it's Monday, October 29 at 7:55 AM it's 45°F outside today's high should be 55° today's low 34° with winds gusting up to 20 mph. There is little chance of rain today with 20% being the highest.
In the news CNN reports Mitt Romney gained slightly in the polls on Barack Obama during last nights debate. Observers report several people were killed during protests in Syria, and the San Francisco Giants took a three games to zero lead over the Detroit Tigers.
You have a 3:00 PM appointment at the dentist office today. Tomorrow you have 11 AM meeting with Terry Collins regarding retirement status.
You have three new emails and four new texts, would you like me to read them to you?
Excellent article Rene, I think Apple is crossing this "innovation crisis"; with iOS 6 they introduced some awesome features for iOS such as Shared Photo Streams and Facebook integration which makes it a very complete operating system in terms of specific features, the only one that's perfectly integrated to the cloud in my opinion. Apple services aren't perfect but I think they work well to get things done. They're not introducing groundbreaking features into iOS and there's where the problem relies, most of the people who updated to iOS 6 don't know or use Shared Photo Streams or other features like iCloud tabs and I think there's where Apple needs to focus their marketing. iOS 6 is the version of improving previous features but now if iOS 7 is not groundbreaking in terms of services and/or features I think Apple would be on a big trouble with their costumers, investors and the media.
Google Picasa has been around for 2 years, and is being phased into Google+. Why would I use Photo Streams, if I can only use them on Apple devices? Also, when I use my Android phone, any application that is installed has the potential to be used as a sharing method, with Google's sharing APIs. That means that if I install facebook, I can share my photos in the gallery to facebook. If twitter is installed, I can share to twitter, and the same is applied with applications like instagram, pocket, youtube, and many other social applications. To top it all off, if you have Google Chrome on iOS or Android, you could sync tabs with the desktop version long before Safari introduced it. My point is that the main advantage that Android has over Apple is its flexibility in software and hardware, and the fact that Android is far more feature-rich anf forward-thinking than Apple's iOS. Another disturbing trend that I see with Apple, is that Mac OSX is becoming more like iOS, with the advent of Mountain Lion and its Notification center and Launchpad. I cannot begin to tell you how much those two features from iOS frustrate me. For starters, Launchpad behaves awkwardly and doesn't transfer the Application folder correctly, so I ended up with uninstallers and glitched folders all over the place. I had to install a separate third-party service called QuickPick to get peace of mind. Also, Notification center is hopelessly useless. I barely get any notifications from it, so why is it there? To be fair, Apple makes amazing hardware, however the fact that you said that Photo Streams, iCloud tab syncing, and Facebook Integration are "awesome" features only makes me cringe at what else Apple shall call "innovative" at the next release of iOS.
:It's not about outdated concepts like widgets or settings toggles, or inconsequential interface trends like skeuomorphism. it's about software and services that don't force us to hunt for data or controls, no matter how they're painted up, but that bring data and controls to us, flat or textured."
The second sentence perfectly describes widgets and settings toggles. It shouldn't take users the 4 or 5 steps in iOS to turn on Bluetooth or Wifi. Or to see their to do list.
"It's about an app ecosystem that pushes rather than than waits for us to pull, with demos and refunds, and analytics that delight developers and users alike."
I don't remember whether iOS has a feature to automatically download app updates, but Google Play does. And if you don't like the app you just purchased, you have 15 minutes to get your refund.
And Android absolutely trumps iOS when it comes to user interface. There are some apps (games in particular) that I don't use often. I don't want to see them on my homescreen, so I just leave them tucked in the app drawer until I decide to use them. Meanwhile, my iPhone using friends can't hide Newstand, Stocks, and all the other useless (to them) apps that Apple shipped on the device.
If Apple can't (or just won't) add in the simple things like widgets, or at least give users the option to hide certain apps, how are they going to do the big, "innovative" things mentioned in the article?
And I'm honestly not trying to be "that guy" or a troll by saying that Android has all these things before iOS, but it's a simple truth. iOS hasn't been truly innovative in years. Apple is now playing catch up to the other ecosystems.
If you really think the biggest innovation is turning Bluetooth on and off you are completely missing the point of this article. Just not getting it.
It would be better if My phone knew I was home and connected to My network on its own then disconnect and wifi turns off and does not search until I'm stationary for a set amount of time before looking for and connecting to known networks with the option to ask if you want to connect to unknown networks.
"And Android absolutely trumps iOS when it comes to user interface. There are some apps (games in particular) that I don't use often. I don't want to see them on my homescreen, so I just leave them tucked in the app drawer until I decide to use them. Meanwhile, my iPhone using friends can't hide Newstand, Stocks, and all the other useless (to them) apps that Apple shipped on the device.
If Apple can't (or just won't) add in the simple things like widgets, or at least give users the option to hide certain apps, how are they going to do the big, "innovative" things mentioned in the article?"
Don't give up your day job. If you believe widgets are good UI design, you're wrong.
"Android still hasn't caught up on interface or overall experience"
What in the world is this guy talking about???
Caught up with who? Android is the most modern os in the planet
Try out a GS3, the most refined and user friendly android-based interface and tell me if the overall experience is not 10 better than ios.
are you kidding? it's awful. the menus meld together and are confusing, the user flow is terrible, the icons are bland and generic, widgets are boring.
yea, thats great...I used to have a theme program for my mac that I could change everything and the icons, gets boring after 2 weeks since all the themes are amatuerish. Widgets came on OSX tiger, I use 1, weather widget...widgets are boring and useless. Just like androids stock UI...thats why they had to add customization because its so boring and generic. I'm sure youve got a PC with windows XP installed also how old is that? which is the epitome of boring.
iOS is used for helping through the day and making things easier, not playing with it all day like android users think a phone is for which is why youre bored with iOS.
WTF does OSX, and Windows XP have ANYTHING to do with Android being a bad OS?
the thing about android, is that if there is part of the UI that you dont like, you CAN change it. unlike iOS.
"widgets are Boring and useless"
Right, being able to see all my volume levels , seeing the temperature and weather forcast, pausing/playing/thumb up-ing pandora or Google music (or any music player i use) seeing my calendar events for the day....all without opening up an app sure seems useless to me. not to mention breaking up a 4x5 grid of app icons with something nice looking isn't really boring.
Just because android has bit of a learning curve, doesn't mean the UI isn't great. I actually prefer android, but that is just because i have been using it for the past 3 years. i am comfortable with it, which is why i think Rene thinks the android UI is lacking.
well if you read the post you would understand I was comparing the customizing features...I used it on mac osx, and found customizing got old just as fast as you say iOS got old and boring. Maybe next time read the post instead of instantly thinking, OMG HOW CAN I DEFEND ANDROID TO THE EXTREME. If android can't come up with their own useful, non generic ugly UI, why should I bother with it? if I bought a android, the first thing I have to do is change the UI because I think it's completely horrible? no thanks, and as pointed out by other users there's some things you can't change so you can never get it 100% how you want.
Good, you like widgets. I prefer opening the app and having no clutter on the screen. You also don't need each page to be a full 4x5 grid of icons on iOS.
I hear everyone talking about how iOS's UI looks so much better than Android's UI. I would just like to say that I prefer Android's UI to iOS's. It looks cleaner, it's out of your way, and the stock version of it (the one that ships on the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10) has a nice, monochrome, minimal tone with hints of blue that are visually pleasing to me. And, Android applications that follow the Holo UI guidelines, which include the majority of popular Android apps, have the same qualities. Now as for iOS, my main peeves with it is the pasty white UI that came from the iMac to haunt me on my iPod touch, and the rounded square icons that plague me when I come to homescreen. Also, the Notification Center and Siri UI are ugly as sin. I will not lie, the cloth background is disgusting and you could not pay me to say that it is better than Android's notification bar, which is composed of a pure black bar and a equally black shade, with expandable notifications and a quick link to my phone settings.
That being stated, if you used Android before version 4.0, or if you were using a manufacturer-customized UI like samsung touchwiz, htc sense, or another mutation of Android 4.0 and above, then I could see what you're talking about. In fact, the only manufacturer UI that I can stomach is LG's Optimus UI, and it also suffers from some ugly and unecessary additions to Android.
first, know this: a theme is not the same as a launcher on Android, with a Lanucher you can change the whole interface on an Android phone, you can make it the way YOU want it to look, feel and work, something impossible to do with ios, cuz Apple think their users like easy-dumb-boring interfaces and wont let you change that.
widgets are great, is better to have them that not having them, it shows how modern and powerful is your phoneis.
i use a Windows 7 PC for work, and a Galaxy Note 10.1 for content consumption and creative stuff, my phones are Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5, so no, i'm not using XP, and yes, i know what i'm talking about.
WTF??!!?!? "widgets are great, is better to have them that not having them, it shows how modern and powerful is your phoneis." Are you serious?? So bc my placing a widget on one of the homescreens of those cheaper Android devices (pretty much anything not "flagship" from an OEM) means it powerful/modern?? You, my friend, are a moron.
re: "widgets are great"
You seem like a real young fellow so you are probably unaware, but if you look into the history of "widgets" on *any* OS, you will find that they simply aren't that popular. They have been put forward on OSX, Windows, Linux, and a whole host of other OS's and they have *never* been popular beyond a small minority of users relative to the size of the user base of the OS in question.
You may find this fact awkward, but it's a fact all the same. Your opinion does not trump the facts.
its true that widgets on desktop and laptop computers are not popular at all but they actually are a big part of the android os which is a mobile os and wouldnt really fall into the majority where mobile is concerned and i think thats where this whole "widgets" argument was going. The only thing is.. on this forum yeah that would be true as its for mainly ios users which dont care for widgets.. go to androidcentral.com and you will find a completely different mindset about widgets as that is one of the biggest draws of android which would fall under the customization factor that ios doesnt offer. just my 2cents
ok.. you guys need to let up a bit.. if the guy likes his widgets let him have them. .if he thinks it makes his phone more modern and powerful. so be it. ive actually had iphone 4 and 4s.. i use a mac and an ipad but i did recently switch to the galaxy s3 for my phone. not because of "Widgets" lol but because the phone is a great device. specs wise its pretty high on the food chain and the screen is amazing on par with the iphone if you ask me the camera and video recorder.."ditto".
But one of things that made me switch was the larger screen. yes i know it may be over kill but i like it. i wanted something with a bigger screen since i cant really take my ipad to work with me and other than work im mostly at home. when i happen to have some free time and im out and about i love having my bigger screen so can actually see things on my phone such as videos and text when looking at websites. i actually do a lot of the things i did with my iphone on my ipad so it wasnt a hard move for me..
both android and ios are great OS' and both have much to offer any user but both are also lacking in one form or another. i know plenty of people that use both platforms and love the combo for one reason or another. I am mainly an apple advocate as i have mentioned but i even have a boot camp partition on my mac because unfortunately no one likes to program games for mac as much as for pc so until everyone starts to design games for mac os its still a windows gaming world and i am a gamer lol. sort of lost my way here.. guess i was just trying to say that for me both android and ios have alot to offer. Windows on phones.. not so much. and im actually excited to see what rim has done with blackberry 10.
The Android UI is awful. Loading wheels between photos, messy widgets and gadgets, different looking home screens, and app drawers. The whole thing is a UI nightmare. After using a Nexus 7 and an S III, coming back to my iPhone and iPad was a genuine relief.
Android proves that more is not more. Above all else, what Apple has going for itself is a lone wolf restraint, and a religious reverence for simplicity. Is iOS perfect? Definitely not. But in the UI department it's a philosophy ahead. Apple's strength is how important it values simplicity. Microsoft are the next down from Apple in terms of how much they value simplicity, lately. Microsoft's weakness is the don't understand it.
Go to ubuntu's web site and look at how their OS is for Phone/Computer/TV
This is how iOS should have been improved.
Instead, Apple focused on Siri and iOS maps, both of which are cool, but get boring fast.
Apple is gonna need to revamp their OS user interface to cater to both old and new users.
Because theres only two places, your either in first place, or last.
they really need to do this, but i just dont see it happening in such a drastic way. Apple needs to ease into a new UI. maybe add widgets this time, easier way to toggle wifi,BT,GPS ect next time, getting rid of the app after app after app home screens the following time.
people dont like change, that is why iOS is still so popular. they are all comfortable using iOS and they are sticking with it because they fear the change to something different.
Thankfully I don't need to waste a moment looking up that new Ubuntu phone OS, because I did that homework 2 weeks ago. It's terrible beyond belief, once you really examine it.
Rene. Great article, thanks. So two questions. First, do you believe that IOS7 will be available to the same versions of the iphone as IOS6? Can the 4 and 4S handle a big step forward in terms of a more advanced operating system or will it be designed for the 5 and 5S leaving those of us with older models in need of an upgrade?
Second, do you think Google will release a more complete public version of Google Now for IOS? Obviously we got some of it with the new google voice app and the new maps app but is Google likely to advanced the full, intuitive application?
Good article. Apple is going to have to be very careful to NOT change the main feature that people like about iOS - that it works out of the box. Context sensitive applications are great as long as they aren't confusing to set up. I would think that at least 50% of smartphone owners (no matter the OS) do anything more than change ringtones, backgrounds, and add apps. Heck, I'm a computer guy in my 30s, but I'm not interested in HAVING to modify my OS to make it work.
I have tried pretty much every OS out there: I am a former webOS user that has a Blackberry for work; tried Windows Phone 8 and several Android devices before settling on an iPhone 5 for personal use (came from iPhone 4). It's in the little details, such as being able to hit a single physical button to activate voice control (so you dont have to look at the screen); or having an alarm app (out of the box) that you wont accidently turn off instead of snooze (looking at you, Samsung). Sure, a simple fix, but it shouldnt be necessary for the device to work well.
Keep it simple. Make it "just work" first, then worry about customization.
What happens when there is some type of Siri enabled set-up questions. She asks things like, what is your favourite band? TV shows, Movies, etc. Doing this without voice would be tedious, but it would be very natural to do with voice. Have a 10 minute conversation with your phone when you set up and then it would know some of your personal preferences.
This is how I feel too.
If I had to think of new additions to iOS they'd be practical ones, like these:
Up-to-date app icons (not "live") for weather, clock and calendar apps, only.
A dedicated dictionary app.
A dedicated weather app, on iPad.
Quick access to brightness on iPhone, i.e. a better toggle bar left of mutil-task bar.
Quick reply for texts.
Scrollable folders (what comes to mind is one big gaming folder, woo!)
Reliable iMessage sending and syncing infrastructure.
Clear all button in NC.
X dismiss button on the right on notification banners (yes, I know the gesture).
Per-app password option (not different passwords, but on/off option).
OS settings Siri commands.
B&W edit option for both photos and videos when editing them.
Ability to copy part of a text message.
Ability to cancel outgoing text. And to cancel a-yet-to-read-"Delivered" iMessage.
App direct-dev feedback: users can report a bug and dev sees it in iTunes connect.
Silent ringer glyph in status bar.
Auto-merge iMessage convos for same person.
And a general OS spit-shine!
Theses types of practical changes.
I just have to say, Rene, that as good as this article is, whether you're an Apple fan or not (which I am) you write very well. I was intrigued by the article, but more than that I was immersed in your writing style. Well done.
I'm not really a fan of Apple, but I am of Rene Ritchie.
This article here is brilliantly written.
Rene is the ONLY reason why I come to iMore.
BlackBerry 10 is the future.
Not big fan of Apple, reads Apple-only blog. Makes excuse saying likes blogger, secretly likes Apple.
I like reading about technology and the latest/newest stuff. I'm a bigger fan of people who know what they're talking about... like Rene Ritchie. I'm entitled to like what I wish... I don't secretly like Apple. I own a mac desktop but a blackberry phone.
I'm the same. I mean I love my iPod Touch 5 and my iPad 3, and my 2 Apple TV's. But that's only because they're fantastic devices for me. Not just because they're Apple products. I've never owned a Mac computer. Too expensive. I've never owned an iPhone. I have an LG phone (just a cheap one) running Android. But I just love technology of all kinds. I don't slam Samsung, or other companies running Android. I don't claim that Android is better, or that iOS is better. I happen to prefer the iOS system and ecosystem. And that's not to say there's anything wrong with Android. iOS is just my preference.
It IS expensive... lol but that's great Paul. Sometimes it's challenging to go on sites and read/engage about technology and trends without getting criticized, attacked, made fun of etc. because you're apparently not loyal to a particular company or device. I'm loyal to my family, friends and the United States. Apple, Samsung, BlackBerry, Google nor Microsoft is taking care of me or paying my bills. They're all fighting for my dollar... and I will gladly watch:)
Here's to 2013 bringing in some cool new devices and OS's!!
Here here.
I get that someone has tipped you off on the sly to the fact that iOS 7 will be amazing and that you are passing this on to us, and I do appreciate that. However some of your statements are so hyperbolic as to be simple nonsense.
Devices that manage themselves for example? Futurist claptrap.
It's a nice vision you present, but Apple is so far from this goal at the moment that to suggest it's all going to come together next year with iOS 7 is total BS. It is currently impossible for example, even to get all one's email to stay in sync on all iOS and OSX devices and to be present on all devices at the same time. Apps cannot even update themselves without you opening them up and forcing it to. Most of this stuff is years off, even optimistically.
I'm sure iOS 7 will indeed be exciting but I think you've gone off the deep end here.
I really hope Apple can bring in some new customizable options with ios 7. we already know apple is capable of widgets, live wallpapers, and themes because of jailbreaking. but if apple actually supported them so that everyone didn't have to go through the effort of jailbreaking devices, that'd be amazing. sometimes my display just gets boring to look at, and yeah, however petty this may seem, I'd still like to have these features. Compared to android, apple is so far behind. ios needs to be more flexible.
I disagree that Apple is "so far behind". Their development tools are much better than Android's and iOS apps are typically more efficient with the CPU, battery and other resources. The iOS kernel is based on OS X which is Apple's version of Unix and Android's is Linux which is Linus' version of Unix. They are quite similar. Malware is much less of a problem and they have the best customer retention of any smartphone platform.
What is limiting their market share is the amount they charge for their phones. Its the same thing limiting them in the laptop & desktop market.
I would like to say that the "malware" problem with Android is non-existent if you only shop in Google's Play Store. The truth is, that when you own a computer, be it a PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android, you have to be responsible for what you download, and if you install malware on it in exchange for free smileys, then its your own fault. Also, the reason why Android has a security problem is because of the insistence of Manufacturers to include heavy custom UI's and useless bloatware from carriers. If every Android phone used stock Android OS, then security updates could be pushed over the air whenever the need arises.
Oh, and about iOS's development tools, Android has better, and easier tools to accomodate developers, and do not force you to pay 100 dollars every year to publish to their app market, unlike Apple's App Store. For me, as a small developer, Android is the best place to post my applications.
Where they have the ability to improve on the "at-a-glance" information is in the notifications section. The app grid area is what it is and serves it's function well. There are already mechanisms to put up widgets in the notifications area (stocks and weather), and it is the part of the phone that should be more emphasized.
In fact, I would propose to you that the primary interface of the phone should be an improved notifications section. This is usually the area that you would want to see first, as it has all of the things you want to be notified with. You know, unlock the screen and the notifications and widgets pop up. The App Grid will become available when you want to find a specific app.
I think that this is the way to go with the iPhone, because it is primarily a communications device. The iPad is a different story.
I really thought a lot about the comments that were being posted here; the one thing that I came up with is that the toggle switches that everyone's yearning for shouldn't be an issue if a phone is designed correctly. Why turn off Bluetooth if it's such a power-saver that it's not worth it to turn it off at the end of the day? Why turn off WiFi if it's engineered in such a way that leaving it on 24/7 has minimal impact on battery? Why the need to turn GPS on/off if it isn't impacting your battery because it's designed well?
At the end of the day, it's about design and reliability. Provide a capable, solid OS for a phone that is fantastic at power management and has a suitable battery to match, and there's no need to provide widgets for people to manage their power. The same is true about other extraneous widgets.
Where I think Apple could improve, however, is in their at-a-glance presentation of information. A live representation of weather on the weather icon, accurate time on the clock icon, and other small tweaks would definitely keep the signature iOS look while providing much more basic information that would be relevant. And hey, it wouldn't hurt to throw more customizable widgets into the Notification Center pull-down. Clean, simple, organized.
At the end of the day, I want the Apple experience - simplicity that just works. And I want it all in a package that is great a presenting information at-a-glance so that my interactions and effort required are minimal, and I can get on with my day.
My iPhone 5 seems to be more sensitive to light conditions, that is one toggle I wish they made it easier to access. With a volume rocker, why not put brightness in the application tray? I agree with your other toggle points.
Only wish for notification screen, is to have some notifications remain listed. My work email account contains important emails left unread, flagged emails (in my system) are less urgent. I'd love to have the option to have my work email continuously listed on my lock screen. Or any other notification I find important enough, like a medication reminder for example. Long time iOS users can unlock their phone without looking at it, missing the notifications.
Ritchie, please learn how to use commas.
Well said Rene...exactly why what I've seen about BB10 is making me considering a switch from iPhone. I had a Palm Pre+ in the past, and still miss the better integration and overall usability of it. BB10 looks great, and my first thought was that it is going to force Apple to do some significant changes to iOS7. Not enough to add some 'cute' features...we need better, actionable notifications, better integrations, use of gestures for enhanced interface controls, etc. Hopefully they'll move rather quickly, and not wait until October.
Thoughtful prediction. One issue I see is that Apple needs to get a whole lot better at services and iCloud functionality. iCloud file management is astoundingly awful, and service competitors like Google have some great products. For example Google Now is has a leg up on Siri. Apple is a hardware company who can put out some darn good software. To do what Rene expects will require Apple to up their game in new ways.
With iOS7 the first thing I want to see is better integration across apps, and not just Apple apps. The second thing I want to see is the ability to select alternative defaults for "core" features like maps and web. Finally, I want what Rene describes. I want to tell Siri to do things like automatically put the phone in silent mode when a calendar entry is tagged as busy, but to ring if a call comes in from my wife, but all of that only when I'm at the office. And so on.
Agreed. iCloudius should at least stop wiping out my Safari bookmarks. Annoying! And barriers to being a fully fledged OS should be removed. Networking? User accounts? File system? How about something simple, like Print to PDF?
Apple's problem isn't what color a background is, if it's leather or abstract.
Sit at a Mac, open a finder window. Resize the window. Note the folders in it stay as they are and get hidden as you make the window smaller. It's insane.
Try to name a photograph on an iPad or iPhone. You can't. It's insane.
Apple is the most counter intuitive platform out there today, it is so old fashioned.
Good post. Apple should be very careful to NOT change the main feature that will people like about iOS - which this works out of the box. Context sensitive applications are great as long as they aren't confusing to put upward. I would believe that at least 50% out of smartphone owners (no matter the OS) do anything over change ringtones, backgrounds, and add apps. Heck, I'm a computer guy in my 30s, however I'm never interested in HAVING to modify my OS in order to create it efforts. -Dario


text:
Yeah, I just bought a Surface and have had an Android phone for over a year. I will say both are far from perfect and although they work best for my needs they aren't for everybody. But the interfaces on both are leaps and bounds better than iOS in my opinion. iOS looks like an old feature phone in comparison.
It will be interesting to see how Apple responds. The simplicity of iOS was what the market needed at the time and Apple's iron grip over the entire experience made for quality products and big profits for them. But I don't think they can go another year without a major revamp. They certainly have the resources to come back with something much better.


text:
Ok this may be a dumb question, but if Apple decided to use an HSPA+ radio, why didnt they enable it to use the full speed that HSPA+ is capable of? Maybe im misunderstanding something but if the radio is there, and the cell tower can handle the signal, why the lower speed? Doesnt make sense...
Yes, iPhone 4S is HSPA+
There were rumors the 2011 GSM/AT&T iPhone would have an HSPA+ radio for faster download speeds but when Apple announced the iPhone 4S, while they said it would do 14.4 mbps, they only listed it as an HSPA device.
Now, some are of the opinion that anything under 21 mbps should qualify as HSPA+, so iPhone 4S with only 14.4 mbps speed shouldn't qualify. However, 3GPP release 7 doesn't mandate that faster speeds are necessary to qualify as HSPA+ -- a device can support any 3GPP release 7 feature and still be classified as HSPA+. The Qualcomm chipset in iPhone 4S uses 3GPP features, and so it's an HSPA+ radio, speed be damned.
So while iPhone 4S did indeed get its HSPA+, it didn't get the 21 mbps or 42 mbps speed to go with it that many were hoping for. Also, Apple chose to neatly sidestep the whole 4G/fake 4G issue, so we won't open that can of worms here either.
Note: This applies only to the GSM/AT&T iPhone 4S. The CDMA/Verizon/Sprint iPhone 4S retains the same EV-DO rev A
More: AnandTech
Thanks: @nerdtalker, @justin_horn, @varek, @shuxley
Have something to say about this story? Leave a comment! Need help with something else? Ask in our forums!
Reader comments
Yes, iPhone 4S is HSPA+
I don't know if you missed his post warlord but vareck said it about as clear as possible it's all about the chip and modulation
21 mbps requires a higher order modulation (64QAM) than the 14.4 mbps (category 10 devices) require, and not all HSPA+ chipsets support that. The first HSPA+ devices in the US (tmobile G2 and my touch 4G for example) were also category 10, 14.4 mbps HSPA+ devices.
Pardon my ignorance, doesn't HSPA+ (3GPP Rel.7) warrant HSDPA Cat.13 minimum? HSDPA Cat.13 can do up to 17.6 Mbit/s.
little confused. does this mean the cdma iphone 4s gets 14mbs down?
No, because those speeds are theoretical, I don't know anyone on AT&T/T-Mobile "4G" enhanced backhaul stuff getting more than 6-7Mb on a really really REALLY good day.
What's in a jargon - A 14.4 is a 14.4 is a 14.4. Calling it a HSPA or HSPA+ makes no difference to users.
No... If you ARE holding the ATT tower!!! LOL
Too bad Apple had to jack around. I'm switching from my iPhone to the Galaxy S2.
thinking about getting a GS2, how are you liking it compared to ios?
It is appropriate time to make a few plans for the long run and it is time to be happy. I've read this post and if I could I want to recommend you few attention-grabbing things or tips. Perhaps you could write subsequent articles relating to this article. I want to learn more things about it!


text:
Learn how to use WordPress to build a beautiful and accessible website that can be used by people with all different types of abilities.
Write simpler, smarter CSS for your WordPress themes and plugins with Sass and Grunt.js.
Learn how to move a WordPress site to a new location, with WP Migrate DB and WP Migrate DB Pro.
Create a promotional, animated marquee for the homepage of your WordPress website. The exercise files and code snippets for this course are free to all members.
Learn how to use SharePoint Designer 2013 to alter the default appearance of SharePoint websites and brand them for your business.
Use the Advanced Custom Fields plugin to add new fields to posts, pages, and custom post types in WordPress.
Install and run WordPress on your computer with DesktopServer.
Elevate your WordPress site with Dreamweaver's sophisticated coding tools. Learn how to customize the CSS, add Spry widgets, and make responsive, category-driven layouts.
Explore how to integrate WordPress into a Dreamweaver site to make for efficient editing of your code.
Takes you through the process of making a Drupal website that automatically tailors and sizes content for a wide range of displays, from desktops to mobile devices.
Build a custom Joomla! 3 template that automatically tailors and sizes content for a wide range of displays, from desktops to mobile devices, leveraging Bootstrap, which ships with Joomla! 3.
Manage your Drupal sites even more efficiently with Drush, the shell interface for managing and scripting Drupal site development.
Create a child theme based on an existing parent theme in WordPress and change the functionality, presentation, or styling of a site.
Shows how to combine the utility of WordPress and the power of Dreamweaver to transition existing websites to the WordPress platform.
Demonstrates different design strategies, best practices, and actual code examples for creating a web site that can adapt to multiple devices, screen sizes, and browsers.
Teaches web site designers how to take their sites to the next level with a few advanced techniques and the free and open-source Drupal software.
Shows how to build a WordPress theme in Dreamweaver from the ground up.
Shows how to build a mobile WordPress site in Dreamweaver.
Shows how to create a robust WordPress-based site using Dreamweaver.
Create and edit custom themes in Drupal 7 and migrate existing themes built in Drupal 6.
Specifies user permissions on a Joomla web site using access control lists.
Shows how to install and customize two free WordPress themes designed to create online photo portfolios.
Shows how to use the Views module and other add-ons in Drupal to present dynamic, data-rich content.
Create and publish a complete web site with the powerful tools in Acquia's hosted service, Drupal Gardens.
Illustrates various techniques for securing self-hosted WordPress sites.
Shows how to create online businesses by leveraging the integration of Business Catalyst and Dreamweaver CS5.
Teaches PHP developers how to create custom functionality for WordPress using widgets and plugins.
Shows how to build a custom theme from scratch in WordPress 3.
Demonstrates changes to the administrative interface and other Drupal 7 feature enhancements.
Shows how to create a web site design that integrates with a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla!, using open-source software.
Shows how to manage the look and feel of a web site via Drupal's themes.
Shows how a data-driven website can improve its interactivity by building out tables or connecting to real-world maps.
"The tutorials are so clear, precise, and extremely professional. This is definitely my preferred learning style. It makes learning a pleasure." —Margaret L.
more from our members »


text:
These days, it's normal to work long hours and feel constantly strapped for time. So it's no wonder so many of us hit the drive-thru for dinner. However, most fast food meals are lacking in the nutrition department.
With proper planning, it is possible serve healthy, satisfying meals at home in a matter of minutes.
Healthy Meal Basics
For a well-balanced dinner, fill half of your plate with fruits and/or veggies, a quarter of your plate with whole grains(like 100% whole grain bread or pasta) and the other quarter with a lean source of protein, like fish or chicken. A nonfat or low-fat source of dairy, like a glass of skim milk, should also be part of your meal.
Planning is Key
The secret to serving a healthy, homemade meal each night is preparation. On the weekends, take the time to plan out that week's meals. Head to the grocery store armed with a list of all the ingredients you'll need. Once you get home, start prepping parts of the week's dinners. Dice up the veggies, shred the cheese, and cook the rice,storing it in the fridge until you need it. Thorough meal preparation is a major time-saver. It's also helpful to have some ready-to-eat foods on hand; try pre-washed salad greens or a rotisserie chicken.
Dinner is Ready
Here are some healthy meal ideas that require minimal prep time:
1. Bean burritos: Heat canned, low-fat refried beans, a can of chopped green chilies, and a packet of chili seasoning on the stovetop. Place the bean mixture into whole wheat or corn tortillas, and top with light sour cream and reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Add lettuce, tomato, onion, salsa or cilantro for an extra punch of flavor and nutrition.
2. Stir-fry: Fry frozen carrots, broccoli, snap peas, peanuts and kidney beans in a tablespoon of olive oil. Add soy sauce and serve over instant brown rice.
3. Omelet: Omelets aren't just for breakfast! Scramble a couple of eggs, cook over medium heat and add your favorite omelet toppings, like bell pepper strips, mushrooms, tomatoes, and reduced-fat cheddar cheese.
4. Taco soup: On the stovetop, heat up a can of pinto beans, 1-2 cans of water, frozen corn, canned tomatoes, canned chopped green chilies, and chili seasoning. Top the soup with low-fat cheddar cheese and plain yogurt.
5. Salad bar: Let everyone in your family throw together their favorite salads. Build individual, entrée-size salads out of leafy greens (arugula, spinach, napa cabbage), chopped vegetables (carrots, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, peppers, peas), fruits (berries, raisins), a source of protein (shredded rotisserie chicken, black beans, hard-boiled egg), and small portions of extra toppings (sunflower seeds, cashews, reduced-fat cheese, avocado, croutons).
6. Pizza: Buy a plain or veggie frozen pizza, and top it with extra vegetables.
7. Veggie spaghetti: Broil some veggies and then throw them on prepared whole wheat, thin spaghetti. Top with heated marinara sauce.
8. Baked chicken or fish: Bake a piece of chicken or fish in the oven, and top it with a healthy pre-made sauce. Serve with a side of instant brown rice and heated frozen vegetables.
9. Pasta salad: Take cooked whole grain pasta and mix it with a can of rinsed black beans and your favorite raw veggies. Top with a small amount of low-fat salad dressing and parmesan cheese.
10. Rice and beans: Heat and mix together rinsed canned black beans, tomatoes, and canned corn. Serve over instant brown rice and top with shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese.
What's your go-to quick and healthy quick meal? I'm a child at heart and cannot resist a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich!


text:
Belk Bowl
Cincinnati 48, Duke 34
CHARLOTTE, N.C. Brendon Kay threw for 332 yards and a Belk Bowl-record four touchdowns, and Cincinnati capitalized on Dukes inept play in the closing minutes to beat the Blue Devils.
Duke appeared to have the game in hand and was driving for the go-ahead score and its first bowl victory since 1961 but the final 80 seconds proved disastrous. With the game tied at 34 and the Blue Devils positioning themselves for a winning field goal, running back Josh Snead fumbled at the Cincinnati 5-yard line with 1:20 left and Bearcats defensive lineman John Williams recovered.
Kay then connected with tight end Travis Kelce on an 83-yard touchdown strike down the middle with 44 seconds left for the go-ahead score.
Cincinnati (10-3) sealed it on the next series when Maalik Bomar came crashing into Duke quarterback Sean Renfree, forcing a deflection that Nick Temple returned 55 yards for a touchdown. Renfree threw for 358 yards another Belk Bowl record for the Blue Devils (6-7).
Military Bowl
No. 24 San Jose State 29, Bowling Green 20
WASHINGTON, D.C. David Fales completed 33 of 43 passes for 395 yards and two touchdowns as No. 24 San Jose State completed a comeback season with a win over Bowling Green in the Military Bowl.
Fales led the drive that set up Austin Lopezs 27-yard field goal with 4:43 remaining, and DeLeon Eskridges 1-yard run with 2:34 left provided the insurance.
The Spartans finished 11-2 and are in the national rankings for the first time since 1975. They capped the year with a seven-game winning streak for their first 11-win season since 1940. Bowling Green finished 8-5.
Notice about comments:
Aiken Standard is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point.
We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click the X that appears in the upper right corner when you hover over a comment. This will send the comment to Facebook for review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.


text:
CONCORD, N.C. – On the heels of Michael Davis's induction into the World Karting Association Hall of Fame last month during the Road Race Grand Nationals at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, another longtime karting supporter was enshrined during the MKP Nationals this past weekend at Michiana Raceway Park as South Bend, Indiana's Norm DeBoever joined a long list of illustrious figures who have spent the better part of their life supporting the sport they so dearly treasure.
With his wife, Pat, as well as many members of his family joining the surprise announcement during the Saturday morning drivers meeting for the MKP Nationals, WKA President Rick Dresang and MRP's Garry Lobaugh noted the list of key achievements that accompanied DeBoever, dating back to 1959.
At that time, Norm was the first employee hired by Lloyd Milliken, working for a company known as Michiana Midget Motors. For the next two decades, Norm won many championships in a variety of karting categories, many times racing six nights a week.
Some 20 years following his hire in 1959, the company started a business known as Target Distributing, a company which DeBoever would later purchase in 1989.
Norm has been an importer/distributor, as well as a manufacturer of karts, mini-bikes and plastic products such as seats and karting bodyworks. From 1959 to the very present, Norm DeBoever has continued to be a strong advocate of the karting industry, through sponsorships, providing product to WKA for year-end awards banquets, not to mention his annual barbecue, which again will be held this Friday evening at MRP during the Animal Heavy Money Race for the RLV Tuned Exhaust Products Gold Cup Series as part of the kickoff to the Baker Racing Engines Nationals, stop No. 3 on the five-race schedule for the Gold Cup Series.
WKA salutes both Michael Davis and his 2012 fellow inductee Norm DeBoever, two very special people whose names now adorn the walls of WKA with the many other recipients of this great award.


text:
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's soccer team has worked hard in the preseason to prep for the 2013 schedule that features 10 Southern Conference matches, nine home contests and a tournament at Gardner-Webb. Today we are featuring the midfielders.
There is nothing flashy about the Mocs soccer program in the forward position, but there is a variety of abilities and solid play that could lead the program in a new direction.
Junior Andi Argueta (Clarksville, Tenn.) along with sophomores Melanie Arredondo (Tampico, Mexico), Skylar Brewer (Farragut, Tenn.) Loryn Queen (Lanesville, Ind.) and Hannah Wyatt (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) will be joined by freshman Monica Speth (Janesville, Wisc.) along the front line.
Wyatt, the top returning scorer from last year's squad can move from midfield to striker as needed while newcomer Speth has strength and an ability to attack. Brewer and Arrendondo also have the talents to play multiple positions and provide a much needed depth to the squad.
The Mocs host Austin Peay Friday, August 23 to open the 2013-14 season of athletics for Chattanooga. This will be the eighth meeting between the two schools with the Lady Govs holding a 4-3 advantage. APSU won the last meeting 4-1 on the road. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. at Finley Stadium. Admission is free and concessions will be