I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving this year.  I could go on forever about how wonderful my life has been over the last year and everything I have to be thankful for.  I am most thankful for my family and friends.  There is nothing in life better than love and there is a lot of love between my friends and family.

Back to the basics….

• We were barefoot, we made shoes with wood soles, we make shoes with rubber soles, we add air to those soles, we add gel to those soles, we add “shocks” to  those soles… what’s next?
• we used the outdoors, bicycles, our bodies, odd objects and kettle bells and we were healthy; some geniuses invented stationary machines for exercises and we are now 66% overweight… what’s next?
• we used to eat our own food that we gardened and we were healthy; now we eat everything that is pre-made or from a drive thru window… what’s next?

There is a wonderful cycle happening to us as a human race.  Everything we were doing 100’s of years ago when we were vibrant, healthy, hard working people was right!  We don’t need fast food, we don’t need machines to perform our exercises for us, we don’t need fancy 100 dollar t-shirts and 150 dollar shoes.  All science has been showing us over the last few years is that we are going back to the basics.  Join the movement people! 

What’s Next?

1. In five years or so we will be training in bare feet! (Some of my clients and I have already started)
2. We will never use machines to improve our functionality or improve our movement or improve our performance.  Balls, bells, bands and bodyweight only!  That is already happening as we speak!
3. We will begin to take time out of our “self made hectic days” to be less hectic and actually prepare healthy foods that are fun and easy to eat.  We will actually begin taking care of ourselves!

Don’t waste anymore time!  Improve your life at Performance Playground.

Zach Williams: Owner of Performance Playground (www.theperformanceplayground.com coming soon)

Here’s another preview of a proof page from the Functional Maths spreads in the Longman GCSE books. In this activity, the intrepid Carlos is planning to equip himself as cheaply as possible for a night out on the Carpathian mountains, with a bunch of slavering wolves. Go Carlos!

Image links to a bigger version, we’ll get the link to a hi-res PDF version sorted soon.

Also, here’s a sneak preview of the cover artwork for Longman’s dedicated Functional Maths textbook.

You can sign up for e-news updates on this series here.

While I was enjoying reading the series of articles and discussions around the subject, some points of concern questions were crystallizing in my mind, and now I feel ready to join the discussion by asking them.

Part I – Overview

What’s it about?

In the nutshell (in my humble opinion), a dire need in terms separation was inspired by highly analytical nature of authors on the one side, and a serious misunderstanding of the subject (Software Testing) by business (and I mean Sr. Management and all kinds of recruiters here) on the other side.

Long time ago

Historically testing derived from debugging. Since programs that times didn’t have much of “User Interface”, testing was closely involving looking at the source code and tracing it. Once program functionalities were wrapped around with user interface, functional testing (“Black Box”) arose. With years, bad coding practices were identified, good coding practices were proven, and code testing (“White Box”) separated from debugging. In the mean time, functional testing was growing mature on its own, no longer requiring programming knowledge and skills, but indistinctly separating to functionality-oriented testing and defect-oriented testing.

Added 11/25/2009

“With years, bad coding practices were identified, good coding practices were proven”

Coding, i.e. creation of program code, could be done in a variety of ways, utilizing different logic and following different patterns.

Programming language (compiler or interpreter) looks after syntax but not the logic. Some logics may seem to be working but not for the all user scenarios. Some other logics work perfectly but they are hardly maintainable or they may impact other areas, security, for example.

 
Creation of code that is defect-prone, hardly maintainable, or may impose other issues is a bad coding practice.
Following coding standards and using right programming patterns is good coding practice.

Please refer to “Making Wrong Code Look Wrong” article by Joel Spolsky for detailed examples. 

Added 11/25/2009

“indistinctly separating to functionality-oriented testing and defect-oriented testing”

Functionality-oriented testing is not a new definition or type of testing but is about verification and validation testing types, like User Acceptance Testing and Business Acceptance Testing processes used in Waterfall software development model.

On the other hand, User Story Testing in Agile methodology, is also a process of verification of implemented functionalities, allowing to confirm that it works as expected.

Defect-oriented testing is an exploratory process targeting any unwanted (defective, inconsistent, unsafe, etc.) functionalities, side effects, any other behavior of an application. That involves “improper” interaction with the application-under-test (Negative Testing, Stress Testing, etc.), or putting the application-under-test into “improper” conditions (Disk Failure, Low Memory, Network Timeout, etc.), or “hacking” the application (Security Testing, DB Attacks, etc.).
“Improper” is quoted because it’s not a regular interaction way or environment state but most likely may accidentally happen or be created on purpose with harmful intensions and thus have to be tried.

New branches on a tree

Certain types of tests were impossible to conduct purely manually  sapiently, and they were called “non-functional” (load/performance testing, security testing, etc.). However, those tests are generally conducted NOT on development team’s side.
Certain testing activities (i.e. GUI and non-GUI interaction, data entry, verification, reporting, etc.) became possible to conduct with help of other programs, and this is how computer-aided testing appeared. In turn, it could be separated to manual sapient testing with help of a tool, and automatic test case execution by a tool.
Certain managers found out that when requirements are clearly documented, and the all possible “needed” test cases are created, test execution tasks do not require much of tough testing skills. Testing becomes simple data entry task which can be done by virtually anyone.

Automation of “Black Box” testing activities

Creation of automatically executable test cases requires programming skills; the more comprehensive tests are, the more powerful test automation framework should be, and the more skilled and experienced developer is required to create the framework. Note that it is still about testing activities automation with test results as an output, and the final judgment is still on human. Anyway, here’s how we got automated testers (obviously, oxymoron, but look how many positions are named so), and automation developers (ironically, hands-on testing skills very often are not considered mandatory, while they should be critical in automation skillset).

Automation of “White Box” testing activities

Apart from code reviews conducted by a human being, isolated pieces of code (functions, procedures) could be verified by calling and executing them. The core idea here that for a call with particular arguments a function is expected to return specified value. If the value is wrong then the test is failed. This is how automatic unit testing appeared. Once test rules were created (either manually by programmer or by using code-generator), tests could be run by a person without programming skills. Note that even if “right” result was returned by a function-under-test, it does not 100% guarantee that the functionality is always correct, or even the function will work the same way in production environment.

“Data entry testing”

Degradation of testing to data entry opens wide saving opportunities for business. Surprisingly, some managers also find it beneficial because they get more [junior] people to manage. All kinds of outsourcing perfectly fit here too, from summer students to off-shore companies. However, down this road company will face two types of critical issues. First of all, “data entry testing” is purely verification-oriented; except of trivial ones, defects won’t be revealed. Second, as automatic test execution requires final human judgment, “data entry testers” are incapable of qualified analysis and investigation of defects they may encounter. Outsourced teams require heavy coaching and support. As a result, either somebody has to do re-testing, or software product’s quality degrades. 

Why separate?

From a hiring perspective, job requirements for QA/testing positions are total mess. Irrelevant subjects are often thrown in, and mandatory skills are overlooked. Separation and, more importantly, clear description of the each role in testing world might help in getting higher quality candidates. That in turn will benefit teams with higher quality resources, and companies – with higher quality of testing.
Clear distinction will benefit professionals too. At the end, 10 years of “data entry testing” are not nearly equal to 1 year of sapient testing, and such experiences must be treated differently. 

Conclusion

I strongly support the initiative of distinction and clarification. However, looking on how it evolves so far I see that it becomes unclear itself. Certain subjects and concepts that are distinct by nature are now mixed up.

I hope my questions will be considered by authors. (I don’t put any obligation to reply, of course). 

Part II – Questions

1. Code Testing vs. Product Testing – why mixing up?

Any program code becomes a software product after the build. Before that happens, code modules and atomic functions also can be (and should be) tested. This phase of testing does not substitute Functional Testing in any manner. Code testing is not meant to be only function checks. Primarily, it is code review, which is purely sapient activity.
The original article, however, fully disregards the sapient part of code testing, and also sets code testing as opposite to functional testing. Why?

Added 11/25/2009

Testing vs. Checking, “Testing Is Not Quality Assurance, But Checking Might Be”

“Checking, when done by a programmer, is mostly a quality assurance practice. When an programmer writes code, he checks his work. He might do this by running it directly and observing the results, or observing the behaviour of the code under the debugger, but often he writes a set of routines that exercise the code and perform some assertions on it. We call these unit “tests”, but they’re really checks, since the idea is to confirm existing knowledge. In this context, finding new information would be considered a surprise, and typically an unpleasant one. A failing check prompts the programmer to change the code to make it work the way he expects. That’s the quality assurance angle: a programmer helps to assure the quality of his work by checking it.”

The whole chapter and the quoted block put label “checking” on programmer’s part of testing – the code testing. Since “checking” is posed as non-sapient, and code testing is checking only, does it mean programmers don’t do any sapient testing as opposite to software testers?

In fact, when a programmer writes code, he reviews every created block. Before code is checked-in to the code base it has to be reviewed.

In the article I see “compliant” examples were elaborated (e.g. Automated Unit Testing) but “non-compliant” (what about Pair Programming ?)  were omitted.

2. Why checking is a confirmation?

As per suggested definition, checking is rule-based, while the rule itself is comparison-based. It is also assumed that the comparison rule returns either “TRUE” or “FALSE”. But that’s not the end! Any verification (or checking) also needs to be validated. Validation is a context-specific rule, outside-of-the-box rule, which is applied with sapience.
Example: “Check if the door is open”. Both TRUE and FALSE could be VALID, depending on the context. Without validation, checking results are useless.

3. Why testing must be done only through exploration and investigation?

Any sapient investigation, broken down to atomic steps, involves obtaining actual results, defining or retrieving expected results, defining or retrieving a comparison rule, applying the rule, and finally validating the check performed, based on the context.

5. Testing programs do not create new rules. Testers do. Why didn’t you clearly state that? 

Added 11/25/2009

Regular computer programs may strictly follow the predefined rules, may come up with one of the predefined rules, even may build-up a new statement from the predefined blocks, but they do not learn and do not create.

The whole idea of “Testing vs. Checking” is in “Testing is a sapient activity”. Large part of the article is dedicated to proving of that with examples and logical chains. Did it have to be so complicated?  

Testing programs do not create new checking rules. Testers do.

What could be more sapient than the act of creation of something new?  

6. What is the value of testing if it doesn’t help improving the quality?

Added 11/25/2009

  

If a tester finds a lot of defects and throws reports via email or into ticketing system is it the end of tester’s job? Developers may reject them [defect reports]; sales people may urge with the release; PM may not realize severity of issues…

  

Bug fixing improves the quality. Bug finding without hunting them down until they’re fixed has zero business value. That’s useless (no profit, no saving and minus tester’s paycheck) gathering of information.

 

Testers should not and don’t have to be able forcing bug fixing through management or business power. They have other means to do it. Communication, first of all.

 

Not having power is not an excuse. It’s just stepping back from quality.

I don’t know what business would hire people interested in “gathering of information” only, and careless about product’s quality.

 

Hello fellow restauranteurs! Restaurant City has been updated with an array of new items as well as limited dishes!

Autumn is a beautiful and warm coloured season. We have added an array of new items to Restaurant City this week so you can bring autumn into your restaurant. And at what better time to introduce the autumn items to Restaurant City, it coincides perfectly with Thanksgiving!

We have  added two new limited dishes, Roast Turkey for Main Course and the new Pilgrim´s Harvest Drink! Remember Turkey is a brand new ingredient that was just introduced to the game, so you need to go and do some ingredient hunting. Good Luck!

Roast Turkey		Pilgrim´s Harvest

You can unlock both these dishes until Midnight December 1st. If you have not unlocked the dishes before that time, the dishes will dissapear from your menu, so you need to hurry and collect those ingredients.

Once you have unlocked any of the two dishes, you can upgrade them to a level higher than level 1 at any time. You can upgrade them also after the limited time period, but you need to remember to learn the dish you want to keep in your menu. If you haven´t learned the dishes (got them to at least level 1) before the period is over, they will dissapear from your menu, however you may be able to buy these recipes in future.

For the inside of your restaurant we have all you  need to create that perfect Autumn Restaurant. The Bunch of Leaves is a functional item, it creates leafy footprints for all your customers! Note also the new Pet Society Claw Machine – this is also a functional item and it will make you money, 1 coin for each customer that uses it.

Autumn Table	Autumn Chair	Fall Wreath
Chestnut Picture	Turkey Decor	Autumn Wallpaper
Autumn Floor	Classy Double Doors	Pet Society Claw Machine (functional)
	Bunch of Leaves (functional, leaves leafy footprints)

No theme is complete without a matching restaurant front, so we have also added items for your building! The Stack of leaves is a functional item, it will blow leaves around your bulling, pure magic!

Autumn Roof	Autumn Banner	Stack of leaves (functional, blows leaves)
Autumn Leaf Green	Autumn Leaf Red	Autumn Leaf Orange
Autum Tree Yellow	Autumn Tree Orange	Autumn Tree Red
Autumn Door		Autumn Window

And as if all that was not enough: You know those Retro Arcade Machines you have in your restaurant? Well, if you don´t have one, you better get one!  Because now you can play snake on the Retro Arcade Machine! Simply click on the Retro Arcade Machine in your restaurant and you will get a screen up so you can play the snake game. To start the game you click on the arrow buttons on your keyboard. You can move your snake up, down, left and right, and make sure you avoid the obstacles! You can view your friends high scores by playing on the machine in their restaurant.

Make sure you let us know what you think about our latest addition of items, limited dishes and lastly but not least the new mini-game! Our players opinions are always very important to us.

This one is more mysterious than other findings.  It’s a “cellular accent” in a cellophane wrapper.

I mean seriously people, what the hell is a cellular accent?  Is it to add emphasis to a vowel?  Is it a fancy word for accessory?  Well shit, I’m sold.

Let’s brainstorm all the possibilities it could be: A Miley Cyrus Hannah Montana Cell Phone Wig.  A Halloween Toy that some somali pirate felt needed to be left on my lawn?  Glenn Beck’s anti-tear cover for the Iphone?  A hello kitty bobble?

The possibilities boggle the mind…

So I thought I would share the first page on my iPhone with everyone because I think it really says a lot about a person’s likes, dislikes and interests.

The obvious apps to have on the 1st page are “messages,” “contacts,” “calendar,” “photos,” “maps,” “notes,” “camera,” clock,” “app store,” “calculator,” and “settings.” I definitely recommend having “Maps” on the first page because you should be able to access it without any problems, especially if you are lost and everyone in the car is getting frustrated with one another!

Having already expressed my love for WhatsApp and Twitterrific, I have these apps on my first page.

I pushed the default Weather app to one of the latter pages because I definitely prefer using the Weather Channel app. It allows you to check the weather hourly, for 10 days or for the next 36 hours. It also tells you what the weather “feels like” as opposed to the actual weather. As a person who only checks the weather to decide  how I need to dress, knowing what the weather “feels like” is definitely more useful.

I am unable to delete the default apps on my phone, which is one of the only problems I have with the iPhone. I don’t want the weather app, nor do I want the stocks app. Does anyone know a way to delete these apps?Also, for some reason I have some words on my Weather app showing up in a foreign language. Notice the “Bedeckt” on the screen? I have no idea why the language suddenly changed, does anyone know how to change this back?

The Facebook app on the iPhone is pretty decent. It allows me to access all the information I regularly see on my computer. One of the only problems is the lack of access to Facebook applications. I do not really use these applications too much but for someone who is addicted to apps like “Farmville,’ this may pose a problem. Other than this, I like the app because it customizes the font size to the iPhone so that it is a comfortable view.

I get most of my information from Twitter, especially news stories, by following sources like CNN, NYTimes etc. However, I really like the NYTimes app, as well. You can classify the stories according to the different news categories. It also classifies stories in terms of the latest news stories. It also allows you to change the font size easily and makes articles comfortable to read.

Even though I have a ton of games on my iPhone, I stick to functional apps for my first page. These are apps I “need” to access regularly, as opposed to those I just like to. I definitely recommend organizing the apps on your phone because it makes access easier over time. It is also easier to position your app as soon as you download it, rather than trying to organize 5 pages of apps at the same time.

What are the apps on your 1st page?

Till next time!

Friday’s 11/20/09 WOD

Deadlifts (aka healthlifts aka lifts you need to live!)

1-1-1-1-1-1-1

This was basically 7 workups or attempts at my 1RM (one rep max) deadlift.  A deadlift is a technique that basically uses the same mechanics every human being needs to pick up an object off the ground.

My results: 225, 275, 285 (new personal record), 285, 285(failed attempt), 275(fail), 245.

After sucessfully completing the second attempt at 285, I started fatiguing and had to cut my break times short as I was running late.

Felt pretty good on these, especially after improving my form and technique.  A milestone for myself is to lift 305lbs, which would be double my bodyweight right now.  A double bodyweight deadlift is considered to be just a standard starting point for true fitness development, what!? =)

For time:

100 Push Ups
100 Pull Ups (modified to your ability)
100 Sit Ups
100 Squats

Post your time to comments.

www.corefitnesssolution.com

This is a hard one! There are so many Twitter apps available for the iPhone.

First of all, if you don’t already have Twitter, I completely advocate opening an account. Ever since I started using Twitter, I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge. Instead of being overwhelmed with information, I find myself thirsty for more in a completely healthy way. I always followed the news but my NEED to know what is going on in the world has been created by Twitter. I absolutely love it and I would suggest that you try it for at least a month before completely disregarding it. The power of Twitter is truly limitless.

Getting back to the main subject, there are several Twitter apps that are available for all devices. Personally, I use TweetDeck for my laptop (Macbook Pro) and Twitterrific on my iPhone. I am by no means an expert on the subject but both apps serve my purpose and I am very comfortable with them. Also, I refuse to pay for Twitter apps because I think there are good free ones out there already. Therefore, I am only reviewing the free Twitter apps that are available.

Twitterrific is a basic app that allows me to read tweets in an appropriate font size. It updates only when I log into the app, which I like because I do not want my phone to be buzzing every single time someone posts a tweet, especially since I follow over a hundred people!

It is also very easy to tweet from Twitterrific. You can easily  mention people in your tweets, re-tweet, add media and maps, search on the twitterverse and browse all the people who follow you and all those you follow. While going browsing the app right now, I also discovered the filter function. It allows you to filter tweets according to your tweets, mentions and personal messages. You can also mark tweets or choose favorites, which can show up in your filters. I use Twitterrific mainly to stay in touch to the twitterverse on the go and it more than fulfills my needs.

I have tried using TweetDeck for my iPhone but I just did not enjoy the interface on my mobile device.

Does anyone have a Twitter app that they prefer? Definitely let me know because I would love to try out some more.

Check out TweetDeck here http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/

Check out Twitterrific here http://twitterrific.com/

Check out some more opinions on the best Twitter app at Mashable and Gizmodo

Till next time!

Finally! You can now connect with iPhone users all over the world, just like all those Blackberry lovers!

WhatsApp is a free (only for a limited time, so download NOW) app for iPhone users, which allows you to message other iPhone users for free by using 3G or Wi-fi. The best part about WhatsApp is that you have the option of receiving push notifications so you don’t have to keep entering the app like a crazy person to see if you have any new messages. WhatsApp notifies you just like a text message does, down to having the same ringtone. If you put your phone on silent, WhatsApp notifies you of new messages just like your text message app does. I absolutely love it!

Plus, you do not have to go through the hassle of manually adding people to your “chat list.” WhatsApp automatically searched your address book, finds the people who have WhatsApp and then adds them to your list. I didn’t even know some people had iPhones until I saw their name on my list. iTouch users can also use WhatsApp, which is very cool!

I downloaded a competitor iPhone app called “Ping” a few weeks ago. It was free when I downloaded it but it was nowhere near as user-friendly. I definitely like What’sApp a lot more. WhatsApp also gives you the opportunity to ask your friends to download the app through a text or email. Remember, the person you message needs to have WhatsApp to receive your message.

I have been using WhatsApp for only a couple of days now but I am absolutely loving it! It’s an app that the iPhone really required. With this app, the iPhone can finally compete with the Blackberry in terms of “BBMing.” The app also connects to Facebook so that you can update your status through WhatsApp. I haven’t really found it super useful yet because I have the Facebook app but it does not hurt to have this feature available.

I also read on a forum that WhatsApp is planning to enable a feature, which allows Blackberry users and iPhone users to connect through WhatsApp. I think this would be a great feature and will really help bring smartphone users together from all over the world!

Download WhatsApp now before it becomes a paid app!!

Are there any other apps out there that you think function better than What’sApp?

Check out WhatsApp at  http://www.whatsapp.com/

Join the conversation on WhatsApp VS Ping here

Till next time!

What is a Negative Calorie?

• Negative calorie foods are foods, which use more calories to digest than the calories the foods actually contain!
• Calories from these foods are much harder for the body to breakdown and process. In other words, the body has to work harder in order to extract calories from these foods. This gives these foods a tremendous natural fat-burning advantage.

How Does It Work?

“A piece of dessert consisting of 400 calories may require only 150 calories to be digested by our body, resulting in a net gain of 250 calories which is added to our body fat! According to this theory, for example, if you eat 100 calories of a food that requires 150 calories to digest, then you’ve burnt an additional 50 calories simply by eating that food.”Typically, a 25 calorie piece of broccoli (100 gram) requires 80 calories to digest, resulting in a net loss of 55 calories from the body fat!! Thus, the more you eat, the more you lose weight!!!
”

Digestive Process

From ingestion to excretion:

The digestive system must break down vitamins and minerals in the foods we eat. This process asks our digestive system to produce enzymes. Enzymes are a catalyst to speed up the process of digestion.

Junk Foods

Have no essential vitamins and minerals. Therefore these foods require no enzymes to break them down. We can term these food “empty calories”. They consist of high calories and require little or no caloric output to digest.

Negative Calorie Foods

Vegetables

Asparagus,Beets,Broccoli, Cabbage(green),Carrots,Cauliflower,Celery, Chili Peppers,Cucumbers,Garlic, Onions,Spinach,Zucchini.

Fruits

Apples,Cranberries,Grapefruit,Lemons,Mangos, Oranges,Pineapple,Raspberries strawberries,tangerines.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in phyto-nutrients. Phyto-nutrients are plant compounds that give fruits and vegetables their color and protect them from harm caused by insects and the sun. “This appears to give the same effect in people: They act as antioxidants in the body suppressing free radicals and preventing cell damage”. The recommended serving of fruits and vegetables is 7-9 daily.

“The Dirty Dozen”

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) there are 12 Fruits and vegetables you should buy organic. These 12 are the most contaminated with pesticides: Nectarines, Celery, Strawberries, Apples, Potatoes, Cherries, Lettuce, Spinach, Bell Peppers, Pears, Imported Grapes, and Peaches. The least likely to be contaminated are: Avocado, Sweet Corn, Broccoli, Asparagus, Bananas, Pineapple, and Mango. In any case still thoroughly wash all fruits & vegetables. This list is periodically updated at ewg.org.

References

Weil, Dr. Andrew. “Eating Organic; The Healthier Option”. Dr. Andrew Weil’s Guide to Healthy Eating 4 January 2009

http://www.healthrecipes.com/negative_calorie_foods.htm

http://www.negativecaloriefoods.com/index1.html?hop=lager

From Revolutions

There’s been a lot of buzz recently around the MapReduce algorithm and its famous open-source implementation, Hadoop. It’s the go-to algorithm for performing any kind of analytical computation on very large data sets. But what is, the MapReduce algorithm, exactly? Well, if you’re an R programmer, you’ve probably been using it routinely without even knowing it. As a functional language, R has a whole class of functions — the “apply” functions — designed to evaluate a function over a series of data values (the “map” step) and collate and condense the results (the “reduce” step).

In fact, you can almost boil it down to a single line of R code:

sapply(map(data), reduce)

where map is a function, which when applied to a data set data, splits the data into a list with each list element collecting values with a common key assignment, and reduce is a function that processes each element of the list to create a single value from all the data mapped to each key value.

It’s not quite that simple, of course: one of the strengths of Hadoop is that it provides the infrastructure for distributing these map and reduce computations across a vast cluster of networked machines. But R has parallel programming tools too, and the Open Data Group has created a package to implement the MapReduce algorithm in parallel in R. The MapReduce package is available from any CRAN mirror.

Double Kettlebell Press

I have been a personal trainer, coach, and instructor for 15 years. I fell in love with training myself when I was 14 and never looked back. During all these years I have been studying the health & fitness industry. From the body building era to the evolution of “FUNCTIONAL” training. I have learned from the top Health Professionals in the industry from Juan Carlos Santana, Paul Chek, Michael Boyle, Pavel Tsatsouline, Valery Fedorenko, Scott Sonnen and my brother Rick Carranza. Needless to say I love all types of training. I feel they all have their specific purpose and we all should be open-minded to them.

It was about 8 years ago when I decided to become certified and 6 years ago when I knew I wanted to help people achieve their goals and dreams in health & fitness for the rest of my life. It was 3 years ago when I was training one of my clients at Equinox-Roslyn that I decided I was going to further my education and enroll back to school to get my Bachelors’s in Science for Nutrition. Which I am currently pursuing at the present time.

My mission is to infect as many people as possible with the knowledge, enthusiasm, passion, and motivation that I have in me to be HEALTHY. This is a journey that has no end, just a beginning.

When you hit my blog you will read on Facts, Myths, Training routines, Training tips, Healthy Food Recipes, Nutrition Advise, Physical Therapy for injuries or how to avoid them and a lot more. I welcome feedback that’s both constructive and respectful. I know that there are many ideas, beliefs, and values when it comes to training and nutrition and if your own ideas don’t coincide with mine feel free to express them constructively and productively. If you have any questions that you feel you might want to ask please do. If I don’t know the answer I will do the research and get back to you.

Train with purpose.

Thank You

Joseph Carranza

3216704    ความผิดปกติในการทำหน้าที่ของระบบการบดเคี้ยว 1    Functional Disturbances of the Masticatory System I

กายวิภาคศาสตร์ด้านการทำหน้าที่ของอวัยวะต่างๆ ในระบบการบดเคี้ยว โรคและความผิดปกติในการทำหน้าที่ ภยันตรายจากการบดเคี้ยว การนอนกัดฟัน หลักการตรวจพิเคราะห์ ปละการนำไปใช้บำบัดรักษา

(The functional anatomy of the masticatory organs; diseases and functional disturbances; trauma from occlusion; bruxism; principles of diagnosis and treatment modalities.)

(3216704 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3216705    ความผิดปกติในการทำหน้าที่ของระบบการบดเคี้ยว 2    Functional Disturbances of the Masticatory System II

การศึกษาเชิงวิเคราะห์เกี่ยวกับการทำหน้าที่ของระบบการบดเคี้ยว การจัดจำแนกกลุ่มของความผิดปกติที่เกิดขึ้นในระบบการบดเคี้ยว การประยุกต์เทคโนโลยีกับการวิจัยและงานคลินิกทันตกรรม

(Analytical study of functions of the masticatory system, categorization of dysfunction; application of technology for the purpose of research and clinical dentistry.)

(3216705 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3216706    หลักการสบฟัน    Principles of Functional Occlusion

ทฤษฎีและแนวคิดเกี่ยวกับการสบฟันและการประยุกต์ใช้ หลักการตรวจ การบันทึกความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างขากรรไกรและการปรับการสบฟัน การใช้อาร์ติคูเลเตอร์ชนิดต่างๆ

(Theories and concepts in occlusion including clinical application; clinical examination; Jaw record; occlusal addjustment; usage of various types of articulators.)

(3216706 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3216714    ความผิดปกติในการทำหน้าที่ของระบบบดเคี้ยว 1    Functional Disturbances of the Masticatory System I

กายวิภาคศาสตร์ และการทำหน้าที่ของอวัยวะในระบบบดเคี้ยว พยาธิสภาพและความผิดปกติในการทำหน้าที่ อาการและอาการแสดง สาเหตุและปัจจัยที่เกี่ยวข้อง หลักการตรวจ วินิจฉัย และ(หลักการ)บำบัดรักษา

(Functional anatomy of the masticatogy system; pathology and dysfunction; signs and symptoms; etiology and contributing factors; clinical examination; diagnosis and management principles.)

(3216714 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3216715    ความผิดปกติในการทำหน้าที่ของระบบบดเคี้ยว 2    Functional Disturbances of the Masticatory system II

การจัดความสำคัญของปัญหาที่เกิดขึ้นในระบบบดเคี้ยว การวางแผนขั้นตอนการรักษา การบำบัดรักษาด้วยวิธีต่างๆ รวมทั้งการบำบัดรักษาแบบสหสาขา ข้อโต้แย้งของวิธีการบำบัดรักษาและประสิทธิผลการรักษาของแต่ละวิธี

(Problem lists; treatment sequencing; methods and modalities in clinical management of poromandibular disorders (TMD) and interdisciplinary management; controversies in TMD management and treatment outcome.)

(3216715 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

3305559    โภชนเภสัชภัณฑ์และอาหารฟังก์ชัน    Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods

ความสัมพันธ์ของโภชนวิทยา เภสัชวิทยา พิษวิทยา กับสุขภาพและโรค โภชนเภสัชภัณฑ์ อาหารฟังก์ชัน และผลิตภัณฑ์เสริมอาหาร การทบทวนวรรณกรรมและอภิปรายเกี่ยวกับผลิตภัณฑ์กลุ่มนี้ บทบาทของเภสัชกรในการให้ข้อมูลการใช้โภชนเภสัชภัณฑ์ และอาหารฟังก์ชันแก่ผู้บริโภคอย่างถูกต้องเหมาะสม การประยุกต์ใช้โภชนเภสัชภัณฑ์และอาหารฟังก์ชันจากแหล่งธรรมชาติมาเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของอาหารที่บริโภคในชีวิตประจำวัน

(Relation of threpsology, pharmacology and toxicology to health and diseases; nutraceuticals, functional foods and dietary supplements; literature review and discussion on these products; role of pharmacists in providing the information regarding the appropriate use of nutraceuticals and functional foods; the application of nutraceuticals and functional foods from natural sources as part of the usual dietary pattern or daily foods.)

(3305559 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

Being a Protestant and a Particular Baptist, I don’t go much for the building as far as it being essential for worship. Don’t get me wrong, having a dedicated building to meet in is very helpful and useful, but if you are to have a building it needs to lend itself for the purpose, being completely functional as such and efficient in terms of the funding for it (it is far more profitable to use what money you have in carrying out the mission, than building a facade of religion).

Having said all that, the building in this picture is certainly an impressive one. It is a grand old building (as far as ‘old’ goes in relatively young Australia), rich in history, as it contains many historical items of interest.

The building pictured is that of the Newcastle Cathedral (Church of England). As grand as it looks, it is hardly the bastion of Evangelical Protestantism that one would have hoped for. Any true semblance of Evangelical Christianity that it may have borne witness to has long gone from its walls.

This app is absolutely wonderful! I have used this app so many times and each time, I am so glad I have it. Some of the features on this app include a currency converting calculator, unit convertors, a clinometer (like spirit levels), a tip calculator, loan calculator, “days until” and more!

The unit convertor is one of my favorite functions. As an Indian going to college in the US, I still think of units in terms of celsius, kilograms and kilometers. While I know most phones have unit convertors, this one is fast and very easy to use. It is classified into the different types of measurements like area, length, pressure etc. and you can choose from these to find the most accurate unit. Going over all the possible units, I am pretty sure that it surpasses the capability of phones that have the unit convertors pre-programmed.

The currency convertor is also great because it updates it the moment you open up the function and makes it faster and easier to find how much Rs.10,000 is equal to in US dollars, which is $215 approximately, by the way. However, a warning in advance, the currency convertor can only be applied to India, US, Europe, Canada, England, Japan, Mexico, China, Australia, Switzerland and South Korea. AppBox also has a pro version but I am not sure if that has more countries under the currency convertor.

Although it is easy to use the pre-existing calculator for tips, this function is easier because all you have to do is input your final bill amount and it will calculate the tip, in accordance with you pre-programmed preferences. You can also quickly input the number of people splitting the bill to calculate how much each person owes and how much tip they need to add. All just by putting in the bill amount- pretty cool! I find it especially useful after a great late night meal when everyone is way too tired to even think.

There are more functions in AppBox and you can definitely spend time checking it out. I have the free version but I have put in a picture of the pro version so that you know exactly what you can get from the app. AppBox Pro costs 99 cents and you can get a detailed review of it here before you go out and buy it.

I know there are some other tools out there but the issue is that each function comes as a separate iPhone app. Is there an app you prefer to AppBox?

Till next time!

Of all the movie apps I have come across, I have grown the fondest of Flixster. When you start the app, it automatically informs you of the theaters near you. If you click on the theater, it gives you several options by giving you show times, the phone number of the theater and even restaurants nearby! My favorite features of flixster show up once you click on the movie you are interested in. The options it gives you includes adding your own ratings for the movie, getting showtimes, viewing related photos and even watching the trailer!!

I know the YouTube app on the iPhone provides the same trailers; however, having all the relevant information in one place is what makes flixster so awesome! It allows you to plan your whole day without having to go on any other resource. It fascinates me that it even gives you a list of restaurants that are close to the movie hall. I logged into my app right now and I couldn’t help clicking on the “2012″ trailer. This trailer really shows off the quality of the trailer because of the graphics involved and I am very impressed with the quality! It is almost as good as watching movies you buy for your iPod.

Whenever I have used this app though, I have the unrealistic desire to watch almost every movie playing in the hall. Even though this app is supposed to help me choose a movie, it makes it confusing at times because it provides you with the resources to check out every movie’s trailers and decide for yourself. It is very difficult to log out of the app too because I always get tempted to watch more trailers!  

Other features on the Flixster app are lists of upcoming movies and upcoming dvd releases. There is also a feature for you to make lists of the movies you want to see, the movies you have rated and the ones your friends have rated. You can also sync this with your Facebook, Flixster or Netflix accounts. This is particularly helpful if you are like me and always have a long long list of movies to watch!

Moreover, guess what, it’s FREE. So even if you like watching movies once in a while or even just watch movies at home, flixster is a great iPhone app to have. It is wonderfully functional and provides you with all the resources you need to make a decision.

Check out Flixster online to get a feel of what the app may be like at  http://www.flixster.com/

Does anyone have an app they prefer to use? Let me know because I will love to check it out!

Till next time!

Pre-Exercise
Well, you’re body needs fuel to function. It needs this all day long, you need to eat all of your meals (five to six), every couple hours with proper macronutrients (protein, carb, fat) and hydration in order to keep energy, strength, stamina and brain function up.
If you are doing exactly this, you really have no need to eat any differently before a workout. This would mean you would have fueled at least 2 hours ago if you are eating every 2 to 3 hours. The only reasons for change with this is if;
a. You have stomach problems from eating too close to exercise, you may want to schedule some space for meal before you begin.
b. If you want to gain more muscle mass (be more anabolic), you may supplement with a whey protein shake (roughly 1/4th your bodyweight in grams) 30 minutes before.
*If energy is low, or you feel you need more fuel than this (especially carbs), you need to reevaluate your diet.

During Exercise
There is really no need to fuel during exercise (if under 90 min). Again, if you feel this need, you are missing something in your regular diet and it needs to be re-addressed. You should only need to be focused on staying hydrated and working hard.

Post Exercise
I recommend that you quickly, before the sweat dries on your forehead, eat an easily mixed and digestible whey protein shake (1/4th your bodyweight in grams) that you have readily available. Then just continue with your regular schedule of meals, hydration, supplements.

Lastly, realize that this is not gold standard for every person training for every goal and that it is your job to listen to your body and understand what is right or wrong for it.