Cool Music

Paris Wells
Various Small Fires - Illusive Sounds (October 15, 2010)
"No Hard Feelings"


Cool song.

Islamic prayer times into your google calender

Creating the pray calendar: 

1. Go to http://praytimes-ics.appspot.com/
2. Click the settings, and type in your location, example "Sydney Australia", this is a java script,
3. Click done and check the resulting settings,
4. The iCalendar Feed Link points to a created calendar, Copy the link URL example: http://praytimes-ics.appspot.com/praytimes.ics?l=Sydney+Australia&x=-33.767&y=150.729&z=600&s=0&s=0

Inserting the calendar into google calendar:

1. Open your google calendar,
2. Create a new calendar by clicking Add on the left panel under "My calendars",
3. Click Add under the "Other calendars" click on "Add by URL" option,
4. Paste the iCalendar Feed Link into the URL, and click "Add Calendar",
5. You need to wait a few hours for the data to be uploaded and presented in your google calendar.

From here you can further complete this upload into your mobile phone (Like the HTC) by following the instructions provided in an earlier post in this blog.

Knee and Ankle joint problems

I went to see the doctor, described the history of the situation, she diagnosed the ankle problem as inflammation of lower tendon (insertion point). She recommended an ultra sound and some anti-inflammatory tablets/gels.

A little google'n lead to this cool sight and advise:
http://www.tendonitis.net/achilles-tendonitis.html

"Achilles Tendonitis Symptoms

Symptoms can vary from an achy pain and stiffness to the insertion of the Achilles tendon to the heel bone (Calcaneus), to a burning that surrounds the whole joint around the inflamed thick tendon. With this condition, the pain is usually worse during and after activity, and the tendon and joint area can become stiffer the following day.  This is especially true if your sheets are pushing down on your toes and thereby driving your foot into what is termed plantar flexion (downward flexed foot), as this will shorten the tendon all night."  


This sounds FAMILIAR. Reassuring!


I will begin a good stretching regiment for the calf muscle. Consider the use of anti-inflammatory tablets if the pain cycle worsens with the stretches.


Regarding the knee the doctor confirmed my thoughts, after some physical tests she believes that the medial collateral ligaments of the knee have been damaged to some degree.


http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/knee/medialligament.htm

Medial Collateral Ligament

The Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) connects the inner (medial) surfaces of the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). 

Grade 1 symptoms:

• Mild tenderness on the inside of the knee over the ligament.
• Usually no swelling.
• When the knee is bent to 30 degrees and an outward force applied to the lower leg to stress the medial ligament, pain is felt but there is no joint laxity (looseness)

For the knee I'm not sure I can deal with it myself, so I will go to a physiotherapist and seek their advise.

How to set which Google calendar to show on Android - Google Mobile Help

This is sweet --- HTC and google kick'n it together.

On the HTC desire:

1. Enter Calendar
2. View Calendar in 'Agenda' view.
3. Press Menu, select 'More' then 'Calendars'
4. Press Menu again then select 'Add calendars'
5. You should be able to see the new calendar(s) you created
6. Select the calendars you want to add and press okay"

HTC Desire & TASK-KILLER

Android is an "intelligent" OS.  Don't think about Artificial intelligence and such here, it's nothing that complicated.

However it stores what kind of apps you use most, and keeps those running in the background longer.

Basically it's the loading of tasks into memory which requires CPU usage and consumes lots of energy.  Keeping the already loaded ones doesn't require much power really.

By default Android will try to keep everything running, but if it needs memory it will kill processes on it's own.  At first it will kill them at random, but as it logs which ones you use how often, it'll "learn" which ones to kill and which ones to keep.  That way it won't have to load processes/tasks as often, which greatly increases battery life.

When using a task killer, you basically kill tasks before Android can decide what to do with them.  As a result it will load them again at some point ... only to have them killed again by the taskkiller.  Needless to say, this way Android can't learn how to conserve power on it's own.  So while the taskkiller does kill processes, it usually kills the ones you need as well.  

Or to make a long story short : Android has a built-in taskkiller already, and one that adjusts itself to optimize it for how you use your phone.  

Unfortunately it needs a few days before it works properly, and most people don't waith that long while looking for a solution.  They find a quick fix in the form of ATK or similar taskkillers and never realize that the OS can take care of itself better than the taskkiller can.

So DON'T Use Task Killer. Trust the ANDROID :-D.

Knee and Achilles Problems

My Achilles both left and right have now been giving problems for about 5-6 months, without any let up. They are very painful at times. They get tired quickly. After a bout of running or basketball they really flare up. Sitting for a long time then trying to walk is always associated with pain, and stiffness.

The problem started about 6 months ago when I started to play some semi-serious basketball with my brothers team "INVICTUS". I hadn't played any serious sport since I retired from Volleyball in 2008. I went at the basketball with quite a bit of vigor, and within 1-2 months the achilles issue started to flare up. I stopped playing for a good 1 month, but it didn't really settle. So I just went back to playing, thinking I could play through it, and actively treat it with stretching and strengthening. It didn't go as planned really. Then about 1 month ago I went for a loose ball as did a team mate and it led to an incident were my out stretched right leg was forced through the knee in a medial direction. It hurt at the time. One week later though the real problems started as the knee pains and slight instability began.

So know I struggle with both achilles tendon tightness and medial knee looseness.

These problems have really caused me some distress. I fear that my activity levels may be permanently reduced. Any thoughts of really improving my basketball, or restarting a veteran volleyball career, or table tennis, have really been put on ice.

My energy input and output balance has been put at risk.

I even wonder if I can actively cycle anymore. Leaving swimming as my only real option at the moment.

I'll have to seek some advice from some health professionals, doctor/specialist/physiotherapists.

We'll see.
  

Cool basketball shoes.

Nike Air Uptempo Pro Low


Richard (Rip) Hamilton sports these bad boys.
Very appealing to me, low cuts (sweet for my active ankles), with some RIP factor to boot, can not complain about these.

Can be found at http://www.sneakerhead.com/313481-103.html#top