I went to college in Boston, Massachusetts, so I’m familiar with New England clam chowder. When he went out to dinner, which was not often, he always asked for it. In fact, I was in the mood for clam chowder. Hands down, this buttery, creamy, sticky short rib soup is delicious, especially on a winter’s night.

My love of New England chowder didn’t change my love of Manhattan chowder. I am originally from Long Island, New York, and our family used to go swimming at Jones Beach on the south shore of the island. We stayed for the evening water show and clam chowder. As an elementary school student at the time, I loved the clam chowder and the little round cookie packets that came with it.

Sometimes my mom would make Manhattan clam chowder from scratch and it was delicious. Dad opened the clam shells and scooped out the meat with a stubby little knife. I remember being a little scared as she watched it. But chef and writer James Beard hated Manhattan’s chowder, according to http://www.whatscookingamerica.net. He described it as a vegetable soup with clams in it. With all due respect to James Beard, I love Manhattan chowder for the vegetables and clams.

The wet site http://www.whatscookingamerica.net says that some food historians think Manhattan chowder was also known as Coney Island chowder and Fulton Market chowder, after the famous market Fulton’s Fish Market in New York City. Manhattan clam chowder was also called Connecticut chowder. I found many recipes for tomato based soup in my cookbooks.

A recipe in “The Healthy Cook,” published by “Prevention Magazine,” contains clam juice, reduced-sodium canned tomatoes, garlic, and hot sauce. The original recipe from the book “Joy of Cooking” contains bacon, canned tomatoes, ketchup and butter. Other Manhattan chowder recipes contain green pepper. I didn’t want green pepper, ketchup, hot sauce, or garlic in my soup.

What did he want? She wanted a lot of clam flavor and lots of vegetables. Read my recipe and you will see that it has more vegetables than clams. There is hardly any fat because the fat from the bacon has been cooked through. Canned clams and juice contain salt, so I omitted it from the recipe. Stir up a batch of Manhattan clam chowder today and give it the praise it deserves!

INGREDIENTS

2 14.5-ounce cans whole, unsalted tomatoes and juice

4 6.5-ounce cans chopped clams and juice

1 8-ounce bottle clam juice

2 1/2 cups of water

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped yellow onions

1 cup sweet baby carrots (from a package)

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

3 tablespoons real precooked bacon

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper

METHOD

For canned tomatoes in a cauldron for soup. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears. Chop the celery and onions and add to the soup pot. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for one hour. Or simmer in a slow cooker, over low heat, for four hours. This Manhattan clam chowder tastes even better the next day. Makes 12 one-cup servings.

Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson

When a machine moves, the stress on moving components will deteriorate or wear out the machinery. If the alignment of specific segments or moving parts is not ideal, the machine will eventually break down. In contrast to machinery, tension on the moving segments of the human body is necessary, and graduated tension can improve the strength of the tissues involved, two of the advantageous characteristics of the human body. There are upper and lower limits that determine whether or not it will be beneficial to tissue health. Any loss in precise movement can initiate a process that can induce changes that can cause anything from microtrauma to macrotrauma to the tissues involved. I will try to give you examples of common movement impairment syndromes that will create faulty mechanical wear and tear that will eventually lead to pain or dysfunction.

 

weakness from overstretching

 

Muscles can become weak when held in a lengthened position, especially when stretching occurs during long periods of rest. For example, the development of lengthened dorsiflexor muscles and shortened plantarflexor muscles in the patient confined to supine bed rest with the sheets pulling downward on the feet, causing additional plantarflexion force and thus , lengthening the dorsiflexor muscles. Another example is the prolonged stretching of the posterior gluteus medius that occurs when sleeping on your side. A woman with a wide pelvis with the upper leg positioned in adduction, flexion, and medial rotation will prove weak in hip abduction, extension, and lateral rotation. The resulting lengthening of the muscle may produce postural hip adduction or an apparent standing leg length discrepancy.

Sleeping lying on the side with the bottom of the shoulder pushed forward pushes the scapula into abduction and leans forward. This position can stretch the lower trapezius and possibly the rhomboids. The upper shoulder may also be susceptible to pulling the scapula forward in abduction position, especially if the thorax is large. This sleeping position can cause the humeral head in the glenoid to migrate to an forward position.

Characteristics of muscles with overstretch weakness include:

 

1. Muscle-controlled postural alignment indicates that the muscle is longer than ideal.

 

2. The muscle tests weak throughout its range of motion and not just in its shortened position.

 

An overstretch weakness can also be caused by straining from trying to lift a heavy object. Remember, strain is a minor form of tear in which the muscle filaments have been stretched or taut beyond their physiologic limit, causing disruption of the Z lines to which the actin filaments attach. These disruptions alter the alignment of the myofilaments, interfering with the tension-generating ability of the contractile elements. Muscle weakness and, in many cases, pain occurs when the muscle is palpated or when resistance is applied during muscle contractions. For example, if the upper trapezius is strained, the weight of the shoulder girdle itself could be too much for the muscle. Pulling the shoulder on the muscle causes it to lengthen and the muscle is unable to heal. A strained muscle may actually be under constant tension, even when it appears to be at its normal resting length. Usually, a strained muscle cannot hold up against gravity when it is placed at the end of its range. Also, the muscle cannot maintain its tension at any point in the range when resistance is applied.

When a muscle lengthens and weakens, its contribution or tension-generating capabilities will change and another muscle will have to take over, creating a compensatory movement pattern. This will eventually become the normal pattern which will then cause future health problems. Therefore, stretching may not always be optimal for relieving pain or muscle spasm. Stretching and applying excessive force to the muscle if it is strained is contraindicated. It is the length of the muscle and the presence of pain that act as a guide to whether the muscle is simply weak from atrophy or from weak tension.

Traditionally, the emphasis is placed on stretching muscles that have become short, but the same emphasis has not been placed on correcting muscles that have become long. Lengthened muscles will not automatically shorten when stretching the antagonist. A client demonstrating Lower Withers Syndrome may have an exercise program that stretches the hamstrings, however this does not simultaneously shorten elongated muscles such as the lumbar extensors of the back. It would be prudent to shorten the lengthened muscle while simultaneously stretching the shortened muscle. This is especially important when the lengthened muscle controls the joint that becomes the site of compensatory movement as a result of the limited movement caused by the shortened muscles. For example, during forward bending, excessive lumbar flexion may occur as a compensatory movement due to shortening of the hamstrings. The best intervention would be to stretch the tight hamstrings but also shorten the back extensors.

 

Altered recruitment patterns

A person with shoulder pain has excessive shoulder elevation during 90 degree shoulder flexion compared to a person without shoulder pain. The elevation is present even after the patient is no longer experiencing pain. Runners who tend to keep their rear weight closer to the rear foot than to the front of the foot show that they use the hip flexion strategy, which also involves overuse of the tibialis anterior muscle, leading to leg cramps. Conversely, runners who keep their line of weight forward can be seen to use more push with their ankle plantar flexor muscles.

The upper trapezius muscle, which is the upper force-torque component that controls upward rotation of the scapula, may be more dominant than the lower trapezius. Muscle testing may show weakness of the lower trapezius or serratus anterior. One might notice excessive shoulder elevation when abducting the arm. Muscle strengthening might not necessarily change the recruitment pattern. Instructing the client in the correct execution of the shoulder movement using a mirror is just as important as the strengthening exercises you might prescribe.

An individual with an exaggerated back posture who is standing in hip-joint extension has diminished contour of the gluteal muscles, suggesting gluteal muscle weakness. The hamstrings will generally take up the slack in hip extension. The hamstrings are extremely susceptible to an overuse syndrome when they are dominant due to inappropriate involvement of the abdominal muscle, gluteus maximus, or even rectus femoris, as well as the hip lateral rotators.

The TFL (tensor fascia lata) and rectus femoris muscles are more dominant than the hip flexion iliopsoas muscle. In this situation, the client will exhibit excessive medial rotation of the hip. The person usually has a leaning back posture.

The TFL, gluteus medius anterior, and gluteus minimus muscles are more dominant than the gluteus posterior muscle in the hip abduction action. When abducting, the client will substitute with medial rotation and flexion of the hip.

The extensor digitorum longus muscle is more dominant than the tibialis anterior muscle for the ankle dorsiflexion action. The client will extend the toes as the initial movement of dorsiflexion rather than movement of the ankle.

 

The hamstring muscles are more dominant for the extension action of the knee. When walking or running, once the foot is grounded, the hip extension action of the hamstrings contributes to knee extension. Hip extension to assist in knee extension is commonly used by the person who has weak quadriceps muscles. To reinforce the extension action of the knee, the person slightly flexes the trunk to use gravity to further assist the extension movement of the knee. A similar pattern is seen in the runner who uses the hamstrings to control knee extension. You will bring your knee back toward your body, instead of bringing your body up to your knee as you do when climbing stairs.

When asked to extend the fingers, many people will demonstrate a small degree of flexion at the wrist. This type of compensatory movement pattern occurs most often in people who do a lot of repetitive bending of the wrist, such as typing. As a result of this position of the wrist flexion movement, the flexed joint position and the anterior position of the flexor tendons reduce the carpal tunnel space, which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

In summary, mechanical stress on tissues from movement impairment syndromes can cause a wide variety of injuries. The various injuries involved can be degenerative changes in cartilage and joints, ligament strains, joint inflammation, myofascial strains, myofascial tears, tendonitis, bursitis, neuropathic entrapment and compression pain, and adhesions, are some examples. The better you muscle test and identify these compensatory movement patterns, the better you can prevent your clients from getting injured.

Many landlords wonder if there is some kind of legal form they can use to make the tenant pay their monthly rent. There is nothing of this kind, especially pre-made forms, but the landlord can have a lawyer make one according to what the landlord needs. By law, any agreement can be a legal document as long as it is signed by both parties. Or anyone can make any type of agreement as long as it is fair and protects the best interests of all.

What happens if the tenant does not pay the rent and violates the rules and regulations? He won’t know how hard it is to get someone to pay the rent when he puts the rent on the least-need budget. It’s very hard to collect, especially when the tenant doesn’t care about paying you first. The tenant must pay their monthly rent in accordance with the written lease.

Any problem can be solved with a soft and gentle conversation. It is most likely the tenants who are not responsive to their landlord. No landlord can force a tenant to pay if he knows the tenant will pay on time. But it cannot be avoided, just as in any business there are barriers to its success. Since renting is known to be one of the most profitable businesses out there, many try to become homeowners without thinking about any of the financial circumstances.

Before you decide to lease your rental property, you should be aware of these consequences. Be sure to be proactive so that you can protect yourself from certain problems that you will eventually have with your tenants. Have them sign legal forms that protect you from any potential conflicts in the lease. It’s also common to ask for some sort of security deposit, usually one or two months’ rent, to protect you from the lazy and obnoxious tenant.

When building the property, consider the size of the lot, the style and size of the house, the capital to spend and the type of appliances to include in the contract. The type of agreement that you are going to use and what are the terms and conditions that you are going to implement to have a better way of living. So be sure to do your research first before you jump into this business head first. Good luck! You’re going to need it.

The recession has affected almost every other industry and many people experienced pay cuts and layoffs, much to their dismay as they have been hard working and conscientious workers. It’s not your fault, but feeling down, anxious, or panicked is counterproductive.

The natural reaction of these people is to worry about the future. This can cause them to adopt knee-jerk reactions about their finances that are detrimental to their retirement goals. The practical way to survive a recession is to calmly assess your financial situation and act accordingly.

In any recession, cash is king, as the economy tends to spiral into deflation due to a lack of consumer demand. For families in unstable financial conditions or with uncertain employment, it is wise to put more money away in emergency savings. The more hectic your job, the more conservative you need to be about your finances.

If your paycheck is steady and secure, then pay off your credit card debt. Try to use less credit whenever possible. If you’re shopping and have enough cash to pay, stick with that. Don’t open a store account just to get a discount. When your monthly credit card bills are due, pay them on time, rather than making only the minimum payments. You will only dig a deeper debt hole by increasing your debts.

Manage your credit wisely and check your credit report often. You should try to keep your credit score high to get better interest rates for new credit in the future. More importantly, this is the time when credit card companies unleash their predatory claws. Those with low credit scores are especially vulnerable and have to struggle harder to deal with their financial problems.

But even if your credit score is respectable, you can expect credit card issuers to raise your rates and lower your credit limit. If this happens to you, file a formal complaint with the credit card company and let them know that you plan to close the account if the rate is not reduced. They usually give way if your account is in good standing for a long period of time.

In general, I am not against the use of credit cards. They offer solid protection on online transactions and credit cards with their cash back bonuses and reward points are a great way to save some money. Just make sure the card doesn’t charge you any annual fees.

You can continue spending and investing, but they need to be re-evaluated to take up a smaller proportion of your income. I am not suggesting that you get rid of all your investments, regardless of the fundamentals. Changing your mix of investments and making sure they are right for the times will do the trick.

Never put all your eggs in one basket. That’s a basic investing rule for a bull or bear market. Diversify your investments between sectors and also different asset classes such as stocks, bonds, gold, funds, fixed income and cash.

Next, review your Individual Retirement Account or your company’s 401(k) investment plan. There are Ponzi schemes (look no further than the trusty Bernard Madoff) that may have offered you consistently high returns in good times, but are likely to go bust in a market downturn. Your retirement account should be conservative. I don’t know about you, but I can accept zero returns but not zero principal for my retirement fund.

To help you make the right financial decisions, you should also closely monitor financial news to keep up with the latest developments in the economy. Pay attention to any new tax laws that may help or affect you. Be adaptable as change often comes with hard times.

The more you stay in touch with the news and information around you, the easier it will be. Lastly, have a solid backup plan with an emergency fund to support 6-8 months of expenses. You can’t go wrong with this adage in life: “Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare today.”

Some of you may wonder why learning how to become a party and event planner would be of interest to anyone. But, if you have always dreamed of owning your own business and having the freedom that comes with it, then you will definitely be interested in the event planning industry. Worldwide, annual sales generated in the party, business and event planning industry exceed $500 billion (Source: International Society for Special Events). Anyone entering this industry has a wide range of options available to them and a huge market to tap into.

Estimated start-up costs:
Start-up costs to become a party and event planner are relatively low, but will depend on the services you intend to offer. For most, essential equipment includes: cell phone, laptop, business cards, yellow pages ads, and a good organizer of some sort. If you intend to cater as one of your event planning jobs, then clearly you will need a fully equipped kitchen, but it is possible to outsource this function if you are coordinating the entire event. Basic start-up costs, including a rough estimate for liability insurance, would be less than $2500 if you did your homework and found a few deals along the way.

Recommended experience, skills and training:
Although college degrees are available for an event planner, most entrepreneurs within the industry do not have one. Most business owners started out in business meeting planning or catering and expanded into event planning. However, many owners have attended classes and become certified. In addition to education, learning to become a party and event planner includes experience in the following areas: marketing, accounting, management, and sales.

Marketing tip:
To gain credibility as a competent event planner, it is imperative that you present a professional image at all times. All your invoices, emails, business cards and correspondence must bear your company logo and have continuity in visual presentation. You will probably see good results by joining networking groups and your local chamber of commerce. Word of mouth will be essential in the early phases while working with the public, but you will need a completely professional image and marketing strategy to land corporate accounts.

Building a website and filling it with lots of useful content will earn you high search engine rankings and give you a powerful marketing tool to help promote your business. Be sure to include a link to this website in all your emails and correspondence as a cheap but effective way to drive traffic to your site. Finally, use direct mail campaigns to local businesses that include some type of promotion or discount for using your services.

Funding sources:
Learning how to become a party and event planner takes years of experience and a swipe of organization, but it doesn’t require a lot of start-up capital. This is very lucky because most banks won’t lend you the money anyway if it’s a new business. But, if you already own a catering business and are simply looking to diversify your services, then your local bank is definitely an option. For everyone else, consider your friends and family if you don’t already own a computer or don’t have the cash.

Income Potential:
The income potential of learning for an event planner is only limited by your ability to sell yourself and your services to clients. With over $500 billion dollars at stake, there’s no reason you can’t see six figures in your first three years. However, like any business, you will only succeed if you provide unparalleled service time and time again. But, if you love planning an event and seeing people happy, then becoming a party and event planner is for you and a path to financial independence.

I had searched the internet for more than 4 hours. I was looking for some easy weight loss tips but believe me; I found nothing but spam. The same junk content is repeated over and over again.

I’m sick of that repetition.

Finally, I decided that I would never read a single article on weight loss.

No more reading about weight loss!

What good is all that reading? Not all those informative weight loss articles can help me achieve my goals. It was enough. I thought that I should accept myself as I was.

I gave up!

It was my experience when I was trying to lose my first five pounds. Nothing worked for me and I gave up.

Guess what?

It worked for me. I became my guardian. I planned my diet plans. I wrote my exercise routines. I began to love myself in the true sense of the word. Being overweight doesn’t mean you should hate yourself.

I followed some simple fitness tips and in 6 months; I lost 8 pounds. Within a year my BMI score became 19.3 and I am still maintaining my weight.

It is important!

Try to maintain your weight once you have reached your weight loss goals. I know you are not looking to lose 8 pounds in 6 months. You want fast results. But it’s hard to maintain your weight.

In my 2 year experience with the weight loss industry, I have encountered two problems.

• It promises too much. They claim that you can lose 3 pounds with one body wrap session or lose 10 pounds with a 3-day diet plan. It is obvious that this is spam. It is impossible to lose 10 pounds in 3 days and if you can do it; it is dangerous for your health

• It is impossible to follow the advice. You may read information like “follow this 3 day diet plan, walk for 40 minutes and do cardio for 1 hour.” By following this advice, you can easily lose 2-3 pounds in a day, but what about your health? You will regain these kilos in a week.

You can see that the information presented is not practical. We are dealing with our physical body.

What’s the use of all those quick diet plans and fancy promises?

If you are facing these problems like I am, I want to share some simple health tips with you. These are easy tips. I have used them and you are well aware of the results I got.

3 simple health tips

Take it easy

Stop being overwhelmed. Take it easy, friend. Weight loss is a problem, but don’t get tense about it. Love yourself. Stop worrying about those extra kilos. I encourage you to stop reading weight loss articles and other health information.

design your own path

Be creative. You’ve read enough about weight loss. Trust me, you are now a weight loss expert. Follow your own advice and see the results for yourself.

love yourself

Stop being hard on yourself. It’s not your fault you’re fat. Trust me, emotional shame is a major weight loss problem for most people. Please love yourself. Try to understand yourself and your uniqueness.

Use these 3 simple health tips. Take off the emotional burden, stop traditional diets, walk a little and be happy. You are on a very good path to a long and healthy life.

According to Investopedia Inc., the penny stock market has experienced phenomenal growth in the past decade. From ’94 to ’03, OTC bulletin board trading volume increased by a staggering 8900%, equaling a total of 63% of NASDAQ and 78% of NYSE stock volumes. Many investors have succumbed to its siren songs.

It’s not hard to see why. Penny stocks are typically traded in lots of 1,000 and, as the name suggests, are bought (and sold) at incredibly low prices. There is no official price limit, and differences of opinion range from stocks trading below $1.00 to as high as $5.00. Others distinguish according to the market in which they are listed (the OTCBB, OTC or “Pink Sheets”, for example). However, others designate stocks as penny stocks based on their market capitalization, or the value of each share multiplied by the total number of shares outstanding. Regardless of the details, a general rule of thumb applies to all penny stocks: They are a very high-risk investment. Conversely, there is also the potential for amazing rewards.

But for every pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there are thousands of cliffs and traps along the way. The risks and dangers of penny stocks are many. On the stock market, “best price” priority is given to orders at a higher price than yours if you are buying or a lower price if you are selling. The combination of this priority with what is very often low volume trading means that there will be times when you find that your orders cannot be filled. Also, there will be cases where you will have to settle for partial fulfillment of the order. And these are just dangers you face when your stock is performing well.

Penny stocks come from companies that are often less than credible and, unlike some of their more expensive cousins, can be swayed by the power of rumors. Press releases, the news, widespread whispers, and even online forums and chat rooms can be responsible for drastically influencing your performance. This volatility creates two considerable challenges: 1) a high potential for schemes and scammers; and 2) the inability to use traditional stock charting methods with any real effectiveness. It goes without saying that this is not a market for the faint of heart.

These mistakes may be innocent enough, but they can have substantial financial repercussions and unwanted brand erosion. Understanding cultural differences from both a business standpoint and a social standpoint is critical to succeeding in global waters. If you are new to the challenge of conducting business in foreign territories, keep in mind that the American style is not the only way, and in some cases it can be avoided.

Example: An American executive who moved to London for a Branding role was new to British culture. He was a brilliant, headstrong, opinionated American who constantly multitasked, he had a work ethic that got everything right and would happily stay up all night to complete a project. However, he was not being well received. He quickly learned that from a personal branding, likability and efficiency perspective, it was up to him to rehabilitate his professional personality. To fit in, he needed to adjust to the place if he was to be welcomed by his British colleagues. He started with simple measures, lowering his voice as he spoke several octaves. He then synchronized himself with the speed and efficiency of his colleagues. He refrained from commenting on the British aristocracy. Ultimately, he became much less overtly assertive. He happened to be a quick learner, so his challenges were overcome considerably in a short period of time and it made a substantial difference. He was still an American, but he was no longer the stereotypical, over-the-top, unintentionally offensive American.

This lesson was repeated (albeit abbreviated) when he made brand tours in Central and Eastern Europe, Spain, France, Australia, Germany, and other territories. Each country has its own set of commercial, cultural and social attributes. It is imperative to develop some cultural sensitivity and personal branding acumen before attempting to launch your brand, sell products, or increase awareness of a brand, product, or service across different cultures.

Advice from a public relations expert:

1) Invest in due diligence. Research the country’s cultural history.

2) Research the company you want to do business with. Understand your past failures and successes. What are your goals? What can you offer them?

3) Research the people you will be meeting with. Are they married? Are they single? What was your previous position? How long have they been in that position? This information can serve you well.

4) If you can, determine your perspective on that of Americans in advance.

5) Work hard, but smart. Be careful not to alienate colleagues or discourage superiors from him.

6) Understand currency and the exchange rate so you can calculate quickly and efficiently, demonstrating (on some level) your understanding of your global trading system.

7) Research the global shipping and customs guidelines for that territory.

8) Become your own Public Relations Consultant and mark yourself as someone interested and understanding of your social and business culture.

In summary, and above all, listen, contain, adjust, assimilate and communicate the best practices for that specific international territory. Demonstrating and communicating your understanding and respect for their business culture and methodology is key to success! If they don’t connect with you, they won’t connect with your brand.