Neutral-Grip Pullup Work Out

STEP 1. Hang from the parallel chinup bars using an overhand grip, with your palms facing each other. Cross your ankles behind you. Then, pull yourself up until your chest is as close to your hands as possible.

STEP 2. Pause, then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.

Sumo Squat

STEP 1. Stand with your feet roughly twice shoulder-width apart and point your toes outward. With that stance, pick up a fairly heavy dumbbell and hold one end at arm's length with both hands firmly gripping to the inner portion of the upper weight, as shown.
STEP 2. Pull your shoulder blades back and lift your torso upward. Bend your knees and slowly lower until the top portion of your thigh is parallel to the floor.
STEP 3. Pause, and slowly return to the starting position while making sure that your knees are pointing in the same direction as your toes throughout the movement.

Irene cleanup could take days along East Coast

With Irene gone, cleanup crews began pumping water out of soggy subway tunnels, fixing traffic lights in the nation's capital and clearing debris from hundreds of roads as the East Coast readied for the workweek. While early indications were that the damage was not as bad as feared, it will be days before things get back to normal in many places.
More than 4 million homes and businesses along the coast still did not have power Sunday. Roads were impassable because of high water, fallen trees and downed power lines. And while the full extent of the damage was not known, early estimates put it in the billions of dollars.
Up and down the coast, the images were the same: Siding peeled from houses; boats torn from moorings and thrown ashore; massive trees ripped from the ground; and cars submerged beneath flood waters. In the hardest-hit areas, pockets of about 20 homes were destroyed.
For many, though, the storm was more inconvenience than calamity.
In Ocean City, Md., Charlie Koetzle ignored evacuation orders and went to the boardwalk before dawn in his swim trunks and flip-flops, saying he always wanted to see a hurricane. Asked about damage, he mentioned a sign that blew down.
"The beach is still here, and there is lots of it," he said. "I don't think it was as bad as they said it was going to be."
Some cell phone networks were knocked out in coastal North Carolina and Virginia, and regulators warned more towers could go silent as backup batteries and generators run dry. At least 125,000 people were without landline service.
Irene bruised the Caribbean and touched nearly every state on the Eastern Seaboard as it moved toward Canada. The storm brought torrential rains and powerful winds, stretching 300 miles from the center at one point.
Irene made landfall in the U.S. on Saturday morning over North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane. By Sunday, it was reduced to a tropical storm near New York.
In the Northeast, flooding was still a major threat after a rainy August soaked the ground. Rivers swelled over banks, and forecasters warned it could be days before rivers crest as runoff makes its way into creeks and streams.
Flood waters were rising across New Jersey, closing side streets and major highways including the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 295. In Essex County, authorities used a five-ton truck to ferry people away from their homes as the Passaic River neared its expected crest Sunday night. In Massachusetts, the National Guard was helping people evacuate from low-lying areas.
The Monday morning commute into Manhattan and Washington promised to be a headache. It wasn't clear when the New York subways — which carry 5 million people on an average weekday — would be running again after an unprecedented shutdown. And in Washington, the Metro was running but outages knocked more than 150 stoplights out in the Baltimore-Washington area. There was so much confusion that Maryland State Police declared it the most serious hazard of the day.
Irene brought six inches to a foot of rain to many places along the East Coast. In one eastern North Carolina neighborhood, two dozen homes were destroyed by flooding, and officials feared more damage could be uncovered there. Along the shore of Long Island Sound in East Haven, Conn., another 20 homes were destroyed by the Irene's surf, many reduced to a pile of rubble.
The lone road connecting the remote North Carolina barrier islands known as the Outer Banks to the mainland was washed out, making it difficult for emergency crews to know exactly what happened there. About 2,500 people on Hatteras Island were cut off, and authorities sent a ferry Sunday full of supply trucks carrying food, water and generators. Cell service was spotty, and cars were out on the roads, making it tough for highway crews.
The possibility of days or even weeks without electricity was a dangerous prospect for some.
Pat Dillon, who lives in a nursing home in Milford, Conn., was scared about what would happen if the power didn't come back on soon. Dillon is a diabetic who uses an electric wheelchair. Her insulin will spoil without refrigeration and she won't be able to get around if she can't charge the wheelchair soon.
"What if we're without power for days?" she said.

World stocks recover after Bernanke comments

European and U.S. stocks recovered earlier losses Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled no new steps to boost the U.S. economy, but urged the government to help out.

In a highly anticipated speech at a conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Bernanke did not suggest that the Fed might embark on a new round of bond-buying to increase money supply in the economy.

He did, however, suggest that the central bank would keep its options open and indicated the U.S. government may need to act to stimulate hiring and growth.

The Fed has already pledged low interest rates through to 2013. Some central bank watchers say the Fed has reached the limits of what a central bank can do to aid an economy that is beleaguered by problems that monetary policy can't fix - high unemployment and massive government debt.

"He appears to be saying that the politicians need to start pulling their weight," said Paul Dales, Senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

After being sharply lower in the afternoon in Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 ended the day flat at 5,129.92 while Germany's DAX shed 0.8 percent to 5,537.48. France's CAC-40 closed 1.0 percent lower at 3,087.64.

Wall Street recovered from losses to trade higher, with the Dow industrials up 1.1 percent at 11,270.35 and the S&P 500 up 1.3 percent at 1,173.90.

Market sentiment had been hurt earlier by figures showing the slowdown in the U.S. is occurring faster than predicted.

The Commerce Department said the U.S. economy grew in the April-June quarter at a 1 percent annual rate, down from an earlier estimate of 1.3 percent and below analyst expectations for a 1.1 percent reading. The data renewed concerns that the U.S. might be headed for another recession.

By Bernanke's suggestion that the U.S. government might provide economic support restored traders' confidence.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 swung between gains and losses throughout the day before closing with a 0.3 percent gain at 8,797.78. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.8 percent after a volatile morning to 1,778.95.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave up early gains and fell 0.9 percent to 19,582.88. Benchmarks in Australia, Singapore and the Philippines were also lower while stocks in mainland China were mixed.

Worries that the U.S. could be headed for another recession have in recent weeks caused huge volatility in equities, bonds and foreign exchange.

On Thursday, Germany's main index suffered a flash slide - about 4 percent in 15 minutes - that analysts and traders were at a loss to explain but which dented investor confidence in other global markets.

Bank stocks, meanwhile, got some support from news that billionaire investor Warren Buffett will invest $5 billion in troubled Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank. Those gains, however, did not last long as the wider market fell.

Mainland Chinese shares were mixed with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index edging 0.1 percent lower to 2,612.19, after dipping almost 1 percent earlier in the day. The smaller Shenzhen Composite Index gained 0.3 percent to 1,169.95.

In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.4464 from $1.4368 late in New York on Thursday. The dollar slipped to 76.62 yen from 77.55 yen.

Benchmark oil for October delivery was down 36 cents at $84.94 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude rose 14 cents to finish at $85.30 on Thursday. In London, Brent crude for October delivery was up 10 cents to $110.72 on the ICE Futures exchange.

Traders were watching the violence in Libya for any signs that the country might stabilize and start working on restoring some of the 1.6 million barrels of oil it used to produce before its civil war erupted.

That and fears of a global economic slowdown have weighed on oil prices in recent days.

Asian stocks unsteady ahead of Bernanke speech

Asian stock markets were unsteady Friday as investors waited to see whether Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would promise new steps to help the U.S. economy ward off another recession.

Oil prices lingered above $85 a barrel while the dollar was down against the yen and the euro.

Japan's Nikkei 225 swung between gains and losses before hitting a plateau at 8,769.77. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave up early gains and dipped 0.2 percent to 19,710.07 while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was 0.2 percent lower at 4,204.80. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.3 percent after a volatile morning to 1,770.03.

Trading was jittery as investors waited to see if Bernanke offered more support for the U.S. economy when he delivers a highly anticipated speech at a conference later Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The Fed has already pledged low interest rates through to 2013. Some central bank watchers say the Fed has already reached the limits of what a central bank should do to aid an economy that is beleaguered by problems that monetary policy can't fix - high unemployment and massive government debt.

"The market is very volatile on low trading volume. Any news can be a big thing," said Jackson Wong, vice president at Tanrich Securities in Hong Kong.

Worries that the U.S. could be headed for another recession have in recent weeks caused huge volatility in equities, bonds and foreign exchange.

Some shares weakened on the heels of disappointing earnings reports. Air China Ltd. slid 3.1 percent after the company on Friday announced its first-half profit fell 12 percent as soaring fuel costs offset strong revenue growth.

PetroChina Ltd., China's biggest oil and gas company, dropped 1.8 percent, a day after the company said its first-half profit was nearly flat as losses in its refining business eroded gains from higher oil and gas output.

But bank stocks got a boost after billionaire investor Warren Buffett said he would invest $5 billion in troubled Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank.

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, the world's biggest bank by market value, jumped 3.5 percent. Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group gained 0.3 percent.

In Europe on Thursday, debate continued about the best way to resolve severe debt problems in several countries. Germany's main stock index, the DAX, plummeted 4 percent within 20 minutes before paring its losses and closing down 1.7 percent.

The sudden move in one of Europe's major markets - apparently due to unfounded rumors that Germany was about to ban short-selling - rattled investors and prompted some to buy gold, causing prices of the metal to rebound.

As a result, gold-related shares saw their prices rise. Australia's biggest gold miner, Newcrest Mining Ltd., rose 0.4 percent.

On Thursday, the U.S. government reported an increase in the number of people applying for unemployment benefits last week. The Labor Department said applications rose to 417,000, the highest in five weeks.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down or 1.5 percent at 11,149.82. The S&P 500 fell 1.6 percent to 1,159.27. The Nasdaq fell 1.9 percent to 2,419.63.

In currency trade, the euro rose to $1.4416 from $1.4368 late in New York on Thursday. The dollar slipped to 77.27 yen from 77.55 yen.

Benchmark oil for October delivery was down 21 cents to $85.09 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude rose 14 cents to finish at $85.30 on Thursday. In London, Brent crude for October delivery was up 7 cents to $110.69 on the ICE Futures exchange.

Pentagon warns of potential problems with militarily strong China [reship]

The Pentagon issued fresh warnings Wednesday that China's military expansion could stir up new tensions and provoke dangerous misunderstandings
"The pace and scope of China's sustained military investment have allowed China to pursue capabilities we believe are potentially destabilizing to regional military balances, increase the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation and may contribute to regional tensions and anxieties," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Michael Schiffer said.
"Such capabilities could increase Beijing's options to use military force to gain diplomatic advantage, advance its interests or resolve military disputes in its favor."
The annual survey of defense and security issues involving China has produced a litany of short-term and ongoing concerns in recent years. Past reports have focused on increased overall spending on the military; the enhanced range of ballistic and anti-ship missiles; the military's lack of transparency and expanded power-projection capability; and increased spending on efforts to break into U.S. military computers.
A consistent theme in the reports has been the potential threat the Communist nation's military growth poses to regional stability and to Taiwan in particular.


A classified report was presented to Congress and an 83-page version was made public.
U.S. Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Congress "will review this assessment in greater detail" in the coming weeks but noted two things that stood out in the report:
"First, Beijing's increasing assertiveness and military capabilities, particularly China's ability to deny access to the western Pacific, is of growing concern not only to the United States but to China's neighbors, leading to changes in the military posture of regional actors," the California Republican said in a statement. "This has significant consequences for the security and stability of the region.
"Second, China clearly believes that it can capitalize on the global financial crisis, using the United States' economic uncertainty as a window of opportunity to strengthen China's economic, diplomatic, and security interests," he said.
"Therefore, security in the Pacific could be further jeopardized if our regional allies also come to believe that the United States will sacrifice the presence and capability of the U.S. military in an attempt to control spending," McKeon said. "This is an unacceptable outcome in such a vital region of the globe."
The Pentagon report called for new efforts to share military information with Beijing, and it praised China for international involvement in such areas as humanitarian and disaster relief and countering pirates.
But the U.S. continues to voice its concerns about a steady Chinese military buildup, including testing of a stealth fighter jet, sea trials of an aircraft carrier it purchased and rebuilt and development of new capabilities under the seas, in space and online.
"There are very real questions, given the overall trends and trajectory in the scope and the scale of China's military modernization efforts," Schiffer said at the Pentagon. "I wouldn't put it on any one particular platform or any one particular system."
He predicted that China would continue to develop the aircraft carrier it bought from Ukraine in 1998 and its combat capability, as well as build new ships.
"We do think China is undertaking an effort to build its own indigenous aircraft carriers," Schiffer said. "I won't speculate on the number, but likely more than one, being developed in the future."
The report said China's economic development and expanding scientific and technology base "facilitated a comprehensive and ongoing military modernization program."
And that larger, newer military could change China's role. "China's modernized military could be put to use in ways that increase China's ability to gain diplomatic advantage to resolve disputes in its favor," the report said.
U.S. support for Taiwan continues to be a source of tension between the U.S. and China. "Beijing is developing capabilities intended to deter, delay or deny possible U.S. support for the island in the event of conflict," the report said. "The balance of cross-(Taiwan) Strait military forces and capabilities continues to shift in the Mainland's favor."
Schiffer would not say whether a copy of the report had been sent to Chinese leaders. He also would not comment on whether Pakistan had given Chinese officials access to wreckage of a super-secret helicopter left behind after the raid on the Osama bin Laden compound.

Tips For Buying The Best Basketball Shoes

When looking for basketball shoes, one needs to first understand some basic info. Basketball players need ankle support, that does not give way. Looking for proper high-top basketball shoes will allow you or your child to pivot, jerk and fake out opponents without risking a chance of a broken ankle.

The next tip would be proper landing on the souls. When jumping and running, your souls will be damaged if you do not have the proper shoes on. When looking for basketball shoes, one needs to ensure that the soul of the shoe is thick enough and will not hurt after multiple drops. If you find a pair of Nike basketball shoes that you bought and start having discomfort,please try some in souls to help relieve the discomfort.

Last but not least, color of the shoe is big. Often times teams will try to obtain shoes that are the same color as the school colors. If you find a Nike Air or a Air Jordan that's not the color of your team search around. Try putting the color in with the search.