Being Fired Hurts More, Has Longer Recovery Time Than Break Up

In a perfect world, we’d never be fired nor dumped. No one likes to feel unwanted, under-appreciated and overlooked. But, those two things are inevitable in the game of life; both real life and the board game.
But according to a study conducting in the U.K., we care more about being fired than enduring a break up, and it takes longer to recover from the loss of a job than the loss of an intimate relationship.

      The study, conducted by the What Works Center for Wellbeing and the University of East Anglia, says it hits men harder than it does women. They cite data they recovered that found that it takes British men about two years to be fully recovered from breakups, while it takes them about four years to fully recover from the loss of a job.
      “After someone loses a partner, [well-being will] take a big dip and then, on average, it’ll get back to previous levels,” said Tricia Curmi, of the What Works Center for Wellbeing, via Bloomberg. “But with unemployment, we just don’t see that happening.”
      This news is timely after the high profile lay-offs of on-air talent from ESPN, especially considering an odd number of people seemed to take joy in the sudden, earth-shattering event for the many men and women who were let go of what many consider to be a dream job. “To have meaning in your life in this society means to be working, contributing, and to have that status,” Curmi said.

5 Signs You're Having a Boy, If That's Something You Want to Know

Finding out the sex of your baby is often one of the most fun parts of pregnancy (that is, if you want to find out the sex). Although some people prefer the gender reveal to occur during birth, others will want to know sooner so they can make important medical decisions ahead of time. And even those who want to know don't want to wait till the 20-week ultrasound to learn. So, rather than rely on accuracy, they turn to the signs you're having a boy.

If you just can't wait to find out if you're having a boy or a girl through medical tests, there may be some clues to help you figure it out. Here are five signs you may be having a boy, not all of which are scientific, but are simply a lot of fun.

1. You're Carrying Low

The saying goes like this: carrying high means a girl and carrying low means a boy. If you believe in old wives tales then by all means use this sign as a gender indicator for your baby. But according to Healthline, how you carry during your pregnancy has more to do with the shape of your uterus, your unique body type, and your abdominal muscles.

2. Your Morning Sickness Isn't That Bad Or Non-Existent

According to Web MD, a study done by researchers in Sweden found that women suffering from severe morning sickness, including the condition hyperemesis gravidarum, were more likely to be pregnant with girls than with boys. That being said, morning sickness is thought to be caused by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), or the hormone present in pregnancy as further explained by Web MD. Researchers in the study claimed that the hCG levels for a girl fetus versus a boy fetus were different.

3. Your Skin Is Unaffected By Pregnancy

The old wives tale says that if your skin is suffering during pregnancy, it's because a baby girl is stealing your beauty. But, according to the aforementioned Healthline article, how your skin looks is just a matter or hormones in general. You can't blame it on a boy or a girl.

4. You're Craving Salty And Sour Foods

The thought is that pregnant women who crave sweets are having a girl and those wanting salty or sour foods are having a boy. Anecdotally speaking, I have two girls, and while pregnant with them I craved both sweet and sour stuff — sometimes at the same time. "People think their cravings are significant, but studies show no link between cravings and nutritional requirements," Judith Brown, a nutrition author said in a Baby Center article. "If people craved what the body needs, we would all eat more broccoli and less chocolate." Brown said in some cases there may be a biological reason for cravings. For example, if a pregnant woman is having a bizarre craving for laundry starch, dirt, or clay (a condition called pica), this may indicate an iron deficiency. But mostly cravings and aversions seem to be anecdotal.

5. Your Baby's Heartbeat Is Below 140 BPMs

Next time your provider pulls out the fetal Doppler ask what the heartbeat is. According to Parenting, the legend is that if your baby's heartbeat is below 140 beats per minute (BPM) then it's a boy. "I don’t think to my knowledge they’ve proven any of these are accurate signs to determine gender," Ross says. She points to the blood tests and sonograms as the surefire ways to figure out if you're having a boy or a girl. How much weight you give to gender in your planning depends on your personal preferences. In the end, it's a 50-50 chance either way.

You Gotta Be Kidding!

Man, I was ticked last night. I was on my way home from emceeing an event at the La Crosse Center. I had parked on Level 4 of the parking ramp across from the Center, and when I had arrived at 4pm I had to stop for the gate and get a ticket. Knowing I was going to be there for about 6 hours, I really didn't mind paying a few bucks for parking. So when I backed out of stall at the end of the night, around 10pm, I was not happy to find it was bumper-to-bumper waiting to get out. I figured there wasn't much I could do about it since everyone had to stop and pay on the way out, right? And after all, I had parked on the 4th level. Imagine my surprise when I got to the gate, put my ticket in, and the machine said I didn't owe a dime, lifted the gate and out I went. Now, I'm not griping because I didn't have to pay. After all, that was nice. But there's a sign right on the machine that says "If Gate Is Up, No Payment Is Due", so clearly they can set the gates to stay open. So why then, did they make everyone stop at the gate, put our ticket in, and then let us go for free? You see what I'm saying? I sat in line for nearly a half hour while everyone had to stop when the gates could have just been left up and we all could have been out of there in half the time. Again, thanks for not charging me, but when you have to get up at 4 in the morning, it's no fun sitting in the ramp for a half hour. What do you think, should I have just been thankful I didn't get charged? What are your parking pet peeves/
Drop me a line: john@kicks1063.com

Perfect Little League Sign Gives 5 Reminders for Obnoxious Parents at the Game

You hear it at ballparks all summer long: “Aw come on, ump, open your eyes!” “Unbelievable!” “Really, Blue!? You got to be kidding me.” Such insults are commonly hurled at Miller Park and other major league fields across the country. Professional umpires know it comes with the job. But on other ball fields, such shouts can trigger tears.As spring comes again and with it little league baseball, hoards of screaming parents return to the bleachers ready to shout insults, lose their cool, and humiliate their children in the name of competition. One little league in Glendale Wisconsin puts up a sign each year to remind parents to act civilized, and to remember that a little league game is not as high stakes as it might feel in the moment. Here's the five simple rules and reminders the post:

1) These are KIDS.
2) This is a GAME.
3) Coaches are VOLUNTEERS.
4) Umpires are HUMAN.
5) Your child is NOT being scouted by the Brewers today.

The relatable post went viral when a parent posted it on Reddit, with parents everywhere commiserating over that one mom or dad who always shows up with a creative new obscenity to hurl at the ump. As the post went viral, John Diedrich, the little league president, reflected on his league's sign—why it's so popular and why it's so necessary.
      "I know our league is not alone in having such parents get out of hand. It’s a well-documented problem. And it is not just spectators. I have also seen parents volunteering as coaches lose their cool. As these ugly scenes play out, the players - the kids - are watching. The result can be players themselves becoming poor sports. But just as many players turn away from the sport, embarrassed or just burned out by the intensity of their parents."

Planning A Wedding? "Vogue" Says Don't You Dare Go Rustic!

I'm a guy, which means that automatically I know nothing about planning a wedding. But I DJ at plenty of them during the wedding season, so I've had the opportunity to see a lot of changing fashions over the years. ONe theme I've seen a lot is the ":rustic" look, what the experts call "Bohemian" or just "BoHo", and being a country guy, I like that look. But now, the pros at Vogue magazine say put down that burlap-tied napkin and step away from the Pinterest board because the boho wedding has finally had its day.
      Flower crowns are officially out and it seems the humble chalkboard sign has had it's day too. But it's not just an unoffensive strip of blooms and a friendly framed run down of proceedings that one is to avoid when pulling off a 'trendy' wedding in 2017, plenty more unassuming additions to one's Big Day are also in the firing line.
      Rustic has become "an almost taboo word" for weddings according to Virginia Edelson, founder of event planning firm Bluebird Productions, who names burlap-tied napkins, cocktail tables, wood slices and twine-tied favors among her particular bugbears. Noting that items like dreamcatchers, fathers and arrow are "merely seen as kitschy," she adds that "moving forward, we want to see people moving more toward a mountain-elegant vibe."
      According to Los Angeles and New York City–based event producer Yifat Oren, 'family-style' dinners are out, while celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss is bored of the all-white wedding.
      The 'archaic practice' of the bride's family footing the bill for the affair is a definite no-no for one wedding planner. "The idea no longer makes sense," notes David Stark, Brooklyn-based wedding and event planner who says to "Go Dutch or go home!"
      "People should be really careful with fashion trends," advised Alison Laesser-Keck and Bryan Keck, founders of VLD Events, and those found on image sharing site Pinterest are some of the ones to particularly steer clear of. “Pinterest can be an excellent tool for brides-to-be to find inspiration and get their visions in motion, but the home page–of–Pinterest wedding look is well overdone. I’m talking about chalkboard signs, bohemian naked cakes, and geode everything. We thought that boho chic was on its way out last year, but somehow it stuck around for 2016. Let’s hope 2017 can finally ditch the trend," says Colin Cowie, wedding and event planner.

So here's a handy run-down of wedding no-nos for 2017...

1. Witty bar menus/drink names
2. 'Family style' dinners
3. Boho/Rustic style weddings
4. Garland centrepieces
5. Huge bridal parties
6. Oversized bridal bouquets
7. The bride's family picking up the tab
8. The 'all white' wedding
9. Long, formal meals
10. Runners/cowboy boots
11. Incompatible color palettes
12. Flower crowns
13. "The Pinterest Wedding"
14. Food trucks

Some Believe Aaron Hernandez Died to Protect His Estate

By committing suicide inside his prison cell early Wednesday morning, Aaron Hernandez died an innocent man. At least, that is how the state of Massachusetts will view it. Martin W. Healy, chief legal counsel to the Massachusetts Bar Association, told Evan Allen of The Boston Globe about a legal principle called “abatement ab initio,” which in layman’s terms means “from the beginning.” What that means is that if a person dies before exhausting all possible legal appeals in a case, the case reverts to its earliest stage.

In other words, Hernandez was never convicted of murdering Odin Lloyd in 2013.

“Unfortunately, in the Odin Lloyd matter, for the family, there won’t be any real closure,” Healy explained. “Aaron Hernandez will go to his death an innocent man.”

Massachusetts is one of several states that still observes the abatement ab initio principle. Perhaps more importantly, it could now help protect Hernandez’s family against civil litigation going forward. Now that Hernandez has not technically been tried for the murder of Lloyd, no evidence established during the Lloyd trial can be used in civil court. Other states have abandoned abatement ab initio after high-profile murderers had their convictions wiped clean because of their deaths, according to Healy.

Department of Correction officials say Hernandez gave no indication that he was suicidal and did not leave a note in his cell, so we may never know why the former NFL star decided to take his own life. In fact, some people close to Hernandez believe he was murdered. Hernandez’s attorney is launching an investigation into the ex-New England Patriot’s death.

The details surrounding Hernandez’s death make it seem impossible that someone else could have been in the cell with him. In reality, the people who refuse to believe Hernandez could take his own life are probably the same ones who did not believe he could take another man’s.

Source: larrybrownsports.com

Top 10 Most Popular Wedding First Dance Songs

With wedding season on the horizon, couples are starting to think about their first dance, which of course includes choosing a song that they can dance to together for years to come! For couples seeking some inspiration, here are the Top 10 Most Popular First Dance Songs in 2016 according to wedding site The Knot.

1. "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran

2. "From the Ground Up" by Dan + Shay

3. "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley

4. "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett

5. "All of Me" by John Legend

6. "You are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne

7. "At Last" by Etta James

8. "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri

9. "I Don't Dance" by Lee Brice

10. "Then" by Brad Paisley

And while some of these songs won't be going away anytime soon, the editors at The Knot have a few predictions for new songs that will be popular for 2017:

· "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran

· "Remedy" by Adele

· "Yours" by Russell Dickerson

· "Greatest Love Story" by LANCO

· "In Case You Didn't Know" by Brett Young

Good to see so many country songs in the list, right? Is there one of your favorites that didn't make this list? What was your First Dance tune? Drop me a line: john@kicks1073.com.