Jump-Start Your Productivity with the "Path of Highest Enjoyment"

Staring at a daunting list of tasks is rough, but staring at that first item can be just as bad. If that first task is just too unnerving to start, Lifehack.org recommends switching to a task that you find more enjoyable.

Lifehack calls this the "path of highest enjoyment:"

I found one of the easiest and most effortless ways to complete my projects is to be flexible in my project management approach. For example, most people will finish the tasks in their to-do list in sequential order. Task 1 comes first, followed by Task 2, then Task 3, etc. Sounds straight forward and easy, doesn?t it?

I did this for a long time until I realized it wasn?t the most effective method. For example, some days I would procrastinate on a project because I felt like doing Task 3 rather than Task 1. Yet by the project management rule, I needed to do Task 1 first before I could do Task 3.

On the other hand, when I give myself flexibility over what to do (while maintaining within the confines of the project), working on the project becomes like a big adventure. This approach makes me feel like I?m in a candy store and I get to pick whatever candy I want.

Sometimes, this isn't an option, and you need to get things done in sequence (or in order of importance and urgency). But when a project is feeling a bit slow, this (like structured procrastination) can at least help jump-start your productivity. Hit the link for more tips on finishing what you start.

10 Essential Tips to Finish What You Start | Lifehack

Photo by Justin See.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/WmnJMd2Ak_o/jump-start-your-productivity-with-the-path-of-highest-476967006

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PFT: S. Jones forsees 'significant improvement' for 'Boys

Getty Images

Last week, when the Jets pressed ?pause? on the Darrelle Revis trade talks, some thought that another team or two could try to jump into the fray.

It didn?t happen.

In fact, it never happened.? Per a source with knowledge of the process, it was always Tampa ? and only Tampa.

That reality kept the Jets from getting more than a first-round pick in 2013 and a fourth-round pick in 2014 (which will become a third-round pick if he?s on the Tampa Bay offseason roster next year).? It also kept Revis from getting anything more finite than a pay-as-you-go contract that promises him annual compensation of $16 million, with nothing guaranteed.

In the end, it was the best deal the Jets and Revis could get, because it was the only deal they could get.

?If we had the luxury of time, if we had the luxury of Darrelle not having been injured, not having gone through rehab, then I think things would be a lot clearer both from our standpoint and in the case of potential trade suitors,? G.M. John Idzik told reporters on Sunday.

He?s right.? Only one team was willing to give up a first-round pick plus a 2014 selection for the hope that Revis will be back to his old self after ACL replacement.? Only one team was willing to commit $16 million to him for 2013.? (Though it?s not actually guaranteed, there?s no way he?ll be cut before Week One, when his $13 million base salary becomes guaranteed as a practical matter by the labor deal.)

Perhaps most importantly, only one team was willing to do a deal that, if Revis goes back to being Revis, will necessitate an adjustment or risk his third career holdout.

The thinking was that the next contract for Revis would have to carry enough guaranteed money to make him or his agents never complain again about his compensation.? The Bucs instead have created a situation in which it?s highly unlikely that both sides consistently will be content with Revis earning total compensation that equates to $1 million per game.

If he plays poorly, the Buccaneers eventually will have to explore paying him less, or possibly moving on.? If he plays well, the Bucs will have to brace for Revis wanting more.

Still, after blowing a first-round pick in 2008 on Aqib Talib and a third-round pick in 2010 on Myron Lewis, the Bucs will now gamble those same two picks on the chance that Revis will get back to form.? If he does, and if he wants more money because of that, it?ll be a very good problem for the Buccaneers to have.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/20/stephen-jones-sees-significant-improvements-for-cowboys/related/

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Moon May Outshine Meteor Shower This Weekend

One of the "Old Faithful" meteor showers of the year will be at its best this weekend, but the moon may interfere with the celestial display.

The annual Lyrid meteor shower will peak in the eastern night sky on late Sunday and in the wee hours of Monday (April 21 and 22). The bright moon, which is in its gibbous phase, may wash out all but the brightest of the "shooting stars."

This year, the Lyrid meteor shower runs from April 16 to 25 but will be the most plentiful during the two days of their peak weekend. Weather permitting, stargazers with clear dark skies, well away from city lights, could see between 15 and 20 meteors per hour. ?[Amazing Lyrid meteor shower photos of 2012]

The Lyrid meteors appear to radiate out from in the small constellation Lyra (hence their name), which can be found about 7 degrees southwest (to the lower right) of the brilliant blue-white star Vega. For reference, your clenched fist held at arm's length covers roughly 10 degrees of the night sky. For the more precise stargazers, the actual radiant point of the Lyrid meteor shower is on the border between the Lyra star patter and the dimmer Hercules constellation.

Moon Muscles In

The Lyrid meteor shower is hardly a rich celestial display like those created by the August Perseid shower or December's Geminids display. But April's Lyrids have been described at times as "occasionally spectacularly bright and swift." About 20 to 25 percent of the shower's meteors tend to leave shining trails in their wake that persist for a few moments.?

The orbit of the Lyrid meteors strongly resembles that of Thatcher's Comet, which swung by Earth during the spring of 1861 and has an orbital period of approximately 415 years. In 1867, astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle confirmed the link between this comet and the Lyrids. That means the meteors that you may see from this display are actually tiny particles shed by Comet Thatcher during its previous visits through the inner solar system.

Unfortunately, this year the moon is going to be a problem for prospective Lyrid meteor hunters.

On Sunday night, the moon will be in its waxing gibbous phase. Its disk will be 85 percent illuminated and already high in the southern sky as darkness falls and thus will spoil much of the overnight hours. It will likely to squelch all but the brightest Lyrid streaks.?

Your best chance of seeing any will come in the half-hour between the times that bright moon sets and dawn breaks: 4 to 4:30 a.m. local daylight time on Monday morning. That's when the sky will finally provide a dark backdrop to watch for meteors, and it ?will also be about the time that the Lyrid radiant ? where the meteors will appear to diverge ? will be almost directly overhead from the southern United States, and not far off it for observers in the mid-Northern Hemisphere.

Lyrid meteor surprises

The Lyrid meteor shower is thought to be responsible for events witnessed in a number of accounts throughout ancient history. Perhaps most notable are accounts from 687 B.C. and 15 B.C. in China, and A.D. 1136 in Korea "when many stars flew from the northeast," according to descriptions. ?

On April 20, 1803, many townspeople in Richmond, Va., were apparently awoken by a reported fire, and were able to observe a very rich display between 1 and 3 o'clock in the morning. Those meteors "seemed to fall from every point in the heavens, in such numbers as to resemble a shower of skyrockets," according to accounts.

In 1922, an unexpected Lyrid rate of 96 meteors an hour was recorded, and on April 22, 1982, some observers in Florida and Colorado recorded rates of between 90 to 100 meteors. As British meteor expert Alastair McBeath writes in the 2013 Astronomical Calendar: "Lyrids give no clues as to when another such outburst might happen, hence the shower is always one to watch."

So if the skies are clear early Monday before sunrise, and if you're in a sporting mood, why not head outside and try to catch a few "falling stars?" Good luck!

Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo or shoot some incredible video of the Lyrids or any other celestial object or event, and you'd like to share it for a possible story or image?galleryplease send images and comments, including location information, to Managing Editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow us?@Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on SPACE.com.

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/moon-may-outshine-meteor-shower-weekend-130202037.html

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China's Sichuan hit by earthquake

BEIJING (AP) ? A powerful earthquake jolted China's Sichuan province on Saturday, in the same area where a devastating quake struck five years ago.

The Chinese government's seismological bureau and state-run television said there were no initial reports of casualties in the quake, which hit shortly after 8 a.m. near the town of Linqiong.

The bureau initially measured the quake at magnitude-7, while the U.S. Geological Survey recorded it at 6.6-magnitude, powerful enough to cause severe damage. Its depth was shallow, less than 13 kilometers or 8 miles, which could magnify the impact.

The Xinhua News Agency said that the quake rattled buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu 115 kilometers, or 70 miles, to the east.

The epicenter lies along the same Longmenshan fault where the devastating 7.9-magnitude quake struck in May 2008, leaving more than 90,000 people dead or missing and presumed dead.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-19-China-Earthquake/id-7990c07d3ad2465fad3504eba0575d07

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Wieters' grand slam in 10th lifts O's over Rays

By DAVID GINSBURG

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:56 p.m. ET April 18, 2013

BALTIMORE (AP) - The Baltimore Orioles evidently figure if they're going to work overtime, they might as well make the most of it.

Matt Wieters hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning and Baltimore withstood four solo homers by the Tampa Bay Rays in a 10-6 victory Thursday night.

Nolan Reimold and Steve Pearce also homered for the Orioles, who have won 17 straight in extra innings, including 16 last season. It's the longest such streak since the Pittsburgh Pirates won 21 in a row from June 1959 to July 1960.

"It's huge for us to get the feel for it, how we did it last year," third baseman Manny Machado said.

Nick Markakis led off the 10th with a single against Jamey Wright (0-1). Brandon Gomes came in to face Machado, who reached on a bunt single that hugged the first base line. Adam Jones followed with a long single to the warning track that eluded right fielder Ben Zobrist, but Markakis held up initially and could only make it to third.

Wieters drove Gomes' next pitch over the right-field wall. It was Baltimore's first game-ending grand slam since Harold Baines did it against the Chicago White Sox on May 4, 1999.

"I felt like it was going to go," Wieters said. "I knew it was going to get a run in, whether it went out or not. I knew the game was going to be over. That was a good feeling."

Asked if he'd ever finished a game with a grand slam, Wieters replied, "I don't think a grand slam. Anytime you get a walk-off and get to celebrate with your teammates, it's a good day."

Troy Patton (1-0) worked the 10th for the Orioles, who took two of three from their AL East rivals.

Desmond Jennings and Evan Longoria homered for the Rays in the first inning, Jose Molina connected in the sixth and James Loney went deep in the eighth against Darren O'Day to knot the score at 6.

"Offense was fantastic," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "We did a lot of good things, but Baltimore outplayed us in this series."

Tampa Bay starter David Price, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, walked off the mound with the lead but remained winless in four starts this season.

The Rays were ahead 5-4 when Price gave up a leadoff double to J.J. Hardy in the seventh inning. Jake McGee then served up a 3-2 pitch that Pearce drove over the left-field wall - his first hit in 16 at-bats this season.

Price gave up five runs and eight hits, striking out six. The left-hander is 0-1 with an uncharacteristic 6.26 ERA.

"It's a frustrating time for myself and this team right now," Price said. "I play this game to win, and most importantly, I want our team to win every fifth day when it's my time to pitch. I'm not helping the team right now so I'll have to make some adjustments and find what works."

Maddon, who used 13 different lineups in the Rays' first 14 games, stayed with the same batting order he used Wednesday night against Orioles starter Chris Tillman.

"I liked our approach against Tillman, so why not run the same group back out there against a very similar pitcher?" Maddon said before the game, referring to Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez.

The Rays scored six runs on 11 hits Wednesday, and they put up those same exact numbers on Thursday - but lost.

Jennings got the Rays started with his second leadoff homer of the series, a drive to left on a 1-2 pitch. Two outs later, Longoria hit his third home run in four games.

A sacrifice fly by Jennings made it 3-0 in the second before Zobrist fouled out with three runners on, leaving the Rays 0 for 12 this season with the bases loaded.

In the bottom half, Chris Davis singled in a run and Reimold homered to tie the score.

A throwing error by Hardy provided the Rays an unearned run and a 4-3 lead in the third.

After Baltimore put runners on the corners with two outs in the fifth, Machado hit an RBI double off the left-field wall. But Markakis overran third base and was tagged out to end the inning with the score tied at 4.

NOTES: The Orioles open a three-game interleague series Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who make their first visit to Camden Yards since 2002. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter is looking forward to being reunited with Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly, who played for Showalter on the Yankees in the 1990s. "It's not surprising he's managing, and he's a good one," Showalter said. ... After going 2-7 on a trip through Texas, Boston and Baltimore, the Rays begin a six-game homestand Friday night against the Oakland Athletics. "Yeah, we're ready to get back. It will be nice to get home and get things back in order," Maddon said. ... Orioles RHP Steve Johnson (strained back muscle) threw four innings in an extended spring training game and will next be sent on a rehabilitation assignment at an affiliate yet to be determined. ... Baltimore did not allow a first-inning run until Tampa Bay came to town and scored four runs on four homers over three games.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Jeter suffers another setback

HBT:?Derek Jeter?made an unscheduled trip?to the ankle surgeon and has a "small crack" in his ankle that will keep him out for the first half of the season.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51591777/ns/sports-baseball/

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Science surprise: Toxic protein made in unusual way may explain brain disorder

Friday, April 19, 2013

A bizarre twist on the usual way proteins are made may explain mysterious symptoms in the grandparents of some children with mental disabilities.

The discovery, made by a team of scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School, may lead to better treatments for older adults with a recently discovered genetic condition.

The condition, called Fragile X-associated Tremor Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS), causes shakiness and balance problems and is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease. The grandchildren of people with the disease have a separate disorder called Fragile X syndrome, caused by problems in the same gene. The new discovery may also help shine light on that disease, though indirectly.

In a new paper published in the journal Neuron, the U-M-led team presents evidence that a toxic protein they've named FMRpolyG contributes to the death of nerve cells in FXTAS ? and that this protein is made in a very unusual way.

Normally, DNA is transcribed into RNA, and then a part of the RNA is translated into a protein that performs its function in cells. Where this translation process starts on the RNA is usually determined by a specific sequence called a start codon.

The gene mutation that causes FXTAS is a repeated DNA sequence that is made into RNA but normally is not made into protein because it lacks a start codon. However, the investigators discovered that when this repeat expands, it can trigger protein production by a new mechanism known as RAN translation.

Corresponding author Peter Todd, M.D., Ph.D., notes that this unusual translation process appears to stem from a long chain of repeated DNA "letters" found in the genes of both grandparents and kids with Fragile X mutations. Todd is the Bucky and Patti Harris Professor in the U-M Department of Neurology

"Essentially, we've found that a sequence of DNA which shouldn't be made into protein is being made into protein ? and that this causes a toxicity in nerve cells," he explains. "We believe that the protein forms aggregates, and that this is a major contributor to toxicity and symptoms in FXTAS."

The U-M group went on to show how this RAN translation occurs in FXTAS and demonstrated that blocking it prevents the repeat mutation from being toxic, suggesting a new target for future treatments.

Fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome or FXTAS was only discovered a decade ago. It may affect as many as one in every 3,000 men and one in 20,000 women, who have a repeat mutation in the gene known as FMR1. However, these patients don't usually develop symptoms until late middle age, allowing them to pass the mutation on to their daughters, who can then have children where the DNA repeat that has grown much longer. In those children, especially in boys, it can cause severe intellectual disability and autism-like symptoms as the FMR1 gene shuts down and none of the normal protein is produced.

In fact, says Todd, it's often only after a child is diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome through genetic testing that their grandfather or grandmother finds out that their own symptoms stem from FXTAS. Doctors in U-M's Neurogenetics clinic for adults, and the Pediatric Genetics Clinic at U-M's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, routinely work together to address the needs of Fragile X families.

"We have some treatments for the symptoms that FXTAS patients have, but we do not yet have a cure," says Todd, who regularly sees patients with FXTAS and related disorders. "Better treatments are needed ? and this new discovery might help lead to novel strategies for clearing away or preventing the buildup of this toxic protein."

In addition, he says, the discovery that Fragile X ataxia results in part from RAN translation could have significance both for other diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease) and certain forms of dementia that are caused by DNA repeats. It can also aid our understanding of basic biology. "This may represent a new way in which translational initiation events occur, and may have importance beyond this one disease," he notes. Further research on how RAN translation occurs, and why, is needed.

The idea that proteins can be created without a "start site" flies in the face of what most students of biology have learned in the last century. "In biology, we're finding that the rules we once thought were hard and fast have some wiggle room," Todd says.

###

University of Michigan Health System: http://www.med.umich.edu

Thanks to University of Michigan Health System for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127821/Science_surprise__Toxic_protein_made_in_unusual_way_may_explain_brain_disorder

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Tom Cruise's Love Life in Photos

U.S. audiences will get their first look at Tom Cruise in Oblivion on April 19 -- the film which, you may recall, was the movie he was off shooting when Katie Holmes secretly filed for divorce. For Cruise, fame has always come easy, but true love has been a different story. Since he's been single for nearly a year -- a personal Cruise record! -- maybe he's holding out for the love of a lifetime. While he's weighing his options, let's look back at all the women Cruise has dated: from the glamorous, high-profile relationships (Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz) to the surprising secret flings (Cher and Heather Locklear!).

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/tom-cruises-love-life-photos/1-a-533264?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Atom-cruises-love-life-photos-533264

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