Hasta La Gadget!

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to approve strong net neutrality rules in a stunning decision that defies vocal, months-long opposition by telecom and cable companies and Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Democratic Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn joined Chairman Tom Wheeler to approve a rule that reclassifies consumer broadband as a utility under Title II of the Communications Act.

The FCC intends to use this new authority to ban “paid prioritization,” a practice whereby Internet service providers can charge content producers a premium for giving users more reliable access to that content. The FCC also intends to ban blocking and throttling of lawful content and services. These regulations also apply to mobile access. More details about the plan are expected after vote.

“The Internet is simply too important to allow broadband providers to be the ones making the rules,” Wheeler said prior to the vote.

At the vote, Clyburn pointed out that “absent the rules we adopt today,” ISPs would be “free to block, throttle, favor or discriminate … for any user, for any reason, or for no reason at all.”

A few months ago, such rules were considered a pipe dream of net neutrality advocates. Last fall, Wheeler was reportedly still considering a “hybrid” approach to net neutrality that would have made major concessions to telecom and cable companies, who contend that strong regulations will hinder investment and innovation.

But President Barack Obama came out in support of Title II and tough net neutrality rules in November, and Wheeler had to contend with that position as well as millions of comments from the general public in support of net neutrality. Tech start-ups like Tumblr, as well as Silicon Valley giants like Google, also advocated for strong net neutrality rules.

The FCC decision is a major loss for Verizon, the company that initially sued the FCC in 2011 over rules that were considerably weaker than the new regulations. The new rules are also likely to be challenged in court.

Michael Powell, president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, a trade association, said in a statement that, “The FCC has taken us in a distressing direction. We must now look to other branches of government for a more balanced resolution.”

The FCC’s two Republican commissioners attacked the vote. Commissioner Ajit Pai called the decision an “about-face” and stoked conservative fears by claiming, “We are flip-flopping for one reason and one reason only: President Obama told us to do so.”

Those gathered in one FCC viewing room gasped and burst into laughter upon hearing Pai’s remark.

Republicans have launched investigations into whether the White House unfairly influenced the FCC’s decision, and are expected to pursue legislation, already introduced, that would gut the FCC’s new authority. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has said he plans to hold off-the-record meetings with stakeholders in early March in an attempt to drum up support from Democrats for his bill.

“Popular victories like today’s are so unusual that three Congressional committees are investigating how this happened,” said David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress, a group that supports net neutrality. He added in a statement, “If the net neutrality effort had followed the usual playbook, if Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T had defeated the American people, nobody would be wondering why.”

Wheeler denounced as “nonsense” the claims that the FCC has a secret plan to regulate the Internet. He added, “This is no more a plan to regulate the Internet than the First Amendment is a plan to regulate free speech. They both stand for the same concept.”

Nothing ends an otherwise good date faster than saying something stupid.

Constantly updating your dream wedding Pinterest board? Don’t reveal that. Have very strong feelings about your ex-wife? If you want a second date, it’s best to keep that information to yourself.

We’re just scratching the surface here. Below, HuffPost Divorce readers share the one sentence that would kill the mood instantly if said on a first date. Read them but please don’t repeat them.

1. “Wow, you have a good appetite.”

2. “It’s just ridiculous, the wage gap isn’t even REAL.“

3. “‘I don’t like kids’… when I have kids.”

4. You remind me so much of my dad!”

5. ‘I Googled you.’ Even if you totally did, don’t say it. It’s creepy.”

6. “Unless we’re having a discussion about biology, any use of the word ‘females’ to describe women and girls is a no-no.”

7. “Can we talk about the Lord?”

8. “‘I don’t like dogs…’ Is that so? This isn’t going to work — and by the way, you have no soul.”

9. “Him: ‘I’m really into true murder mystery books’ (said creepily while browsing at a bookstore) Me: ‘I need to go.’ True story.”

10. “‘My marriage ended because of my ex. I was a great spouse and parent and she was just bad at both.’ Blame is not sexy.”

11. “‘Our kids are going to be really good looking.’ True story.”

12. “So yeah, my apartment has two bedrooms. My mother lives in the second bedroom, but she won’t mind hearing us.”

13. “‘My favorite restaurants are McDonalds and Subway.’ After he told me that, I blinked slowly and said ‘…Okayyyy.'”

14. “Like to see some pics of my taxidermy collection?“

15. “‘I don’t usually date black women…’ Oh, really? Well, I’m not about to be your experiment.”

16. “‘We’re going Dutch tonight!’ #DateKiller.”

17. “Then my parole officer says…”

18. “Let’s take a selfie!“

19. “I don’t find you sexually attractive in any way.”

20. “No, I don’t have a gun… I always carry a knife.”

21. “My husband will be home shortly.”

22. “Don’t tell me ‘I’m not attracted to women with short hair’ when I have short hair. Why in the $&@# did you ask me out in the first place?!”

23. “So how much do you earn?”

24. “So this is just not working out.”

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Divorce on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our newsletter here.

The cleats were still warm as a feeding frenzy of sports news reporters quickly digested and revealed NFL Combine results for some of college football’s biggest stars. There were surprises, such as Marcus Mariota’s 40-yard-dash time of 4.52 seconds, and multiple 300-pound linemen with vertical jumps over 30 inches. But now that the initial stand-outs have been noted, the teams will delve deeper into the players’ physical performances, appearance and, of course, countless hours of game film to select their draft choices. Media interest will taper off until draft day, and players will hope for the best with either a sigh of relief or bated breath. What they do just after the NFL Combine, however, may play a larger role in success than some suspect.

What’s led them here is a rigorous training regimen that likely began last spring, at the latest. The strength training and field conditioning work continued throughout the summer and into training camp, throughout the season, bowl games and then in the weeks leading up to the Combine. Some players have been prepared by their collegiate strength and conditioning coaches, while others were directed to individual coaches or camps by their newly signed agents.

Now that they have completed the NFL Combine, a short rest is in order for most players, allowing them to recover physically and psychologically and/or heal mild injuries. Those who opted out of certain Combine tests or skill demonstrations will continue their training regimen for the opportunity to showcase themselves during “Pro Days” at select universities. The teams that have interest in looking at these players will send scouts to time the athletes in sprints or drills, or watch skill performances as a last chance to assess performance.

Regretfully, however, some players will stop training entirely after the Combine, believing they have accomplished all they need to accomplish and can relax until rookie camp in mid July. Even though very few will become first-round draft picks, a solid Combine performance may create a false sense of security that they’re “in,” and all training abruptly halts.

A college player’s Combine performance and draft day signing do not guarantee a professional football career. Each team is already full of players who have made the roster, so you may be drafted and never make it past training camp. This is precisely why players should start a new cycle of training just after the Combine to properly prepare for professional football.

Provided they do make a team, they’ll be surrounded by players who are faster, quicker, stronger and with more football experience overall. A four-month, post-Combine layoff from training can have a major impact, causing recently drafted collegiate players to lose a great deal of strength, fitness, speed and explosiveness, and possibly changing their body composition.

When I have provided Combine strength training to first-round draft choice defensive players, I always explain that they should continue to train. They will face guards who are 6’6,” weigh 320 pounds, run the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds, squat 800 pounds and bench press 500. These guards are capable of inflicting much bodily damage when they pull around end on a play and target a defensive end or linebacker. And if such a guard wants to “test” the rookie, the impact can be terrible — a substantial reason on its own for any rookie to keep training.

College players should train to both survive and thrive in professional football, not just perform well in sprints, jumps, drills and bench presses at the Combine. It’s a point I’ve stressed repeatedly to players, and yet some of what I thought were very persuasive conversations were to no avail. The players stopped training and would not continue with their track coaches (for speed), strength coaches or position coaches.

Those who continue to prepare will likely carry this work ethic throughout their careers. And, for the players who simply stop after the Combine, how many underperform, underachieve or don’t make the team?

BY LISA RAPAPORT
Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:11pm EST

(Reuters Health) – Phone support can help ease postpartum depression, a small study suggests, offering an option for mothers who are unable or unwilling to seek therapy in person.

In the study, women with postpartum depression received telephone counseling from other women who had previously suffered from the disorder and recovered. The new moms found that the conversations helped relieve symptoms.

“Postpartum depression is a problem for one in seven women, and many of them don’t get help because there’s a stigma and they don’t have time and it’s expensive,” said study leader Dr. Nicole Letourneau, a professor and research chair in parent-infant mental health at the University of Calgary. “Training peer counselors to do phone counseling is an effective, low-cost and non-stigmatizing way for new moms to get the help they need.”

Particularly for first-time mothers, postpartum depression can be hard to distinguish from the stress and fatigue that come with caring for a new infant around the clock, Letourneau said. Symptoms can include sadness, insomnia, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, feelings of shame or guilt, as well as difficulty bonding with the baby or thoughts about harming the baby.

To assess the effectiveness of phone counseling for easing these symptoms, Letourneau and colleagues identified 64 mothers with symptoms of major depression within 24 months after delivery and offered them up to 12 weekly peer support calls.

The average mom with depression was about 26 years old. Most had symptoms of depression before they got pregnant, and many had previously been treated with medication or professional counseling.

The women who volunteered as peer counselors attended an eight-hour training course and received reference materials about postpartum depression. They also had nurses available for phone consults if they had concerns about anything the moms said during their conversations.

By midway through the study, 37 new moms had received at least one call from a peer counsellor. On average, the women spoke more than eight times and the calls typically lasted about 38 minutes, the researchers reported in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Over the second half of the study, 34 mothers had at least one phone conversation with a peer counsellor. On average, they spoke about three times.

Mothers who left the study said they no longer needed support, sought counseling from mental health professionals, or didn’t have time for the phone calls.

While all of the mothers were depressed at the start of the study, at mid-point only 32 percent were at risk for depression, and this declined to 15 percent at the end. Furthermore, at mid-point, 60 percent of the mothers had low depression scores; this percentage rose to 75 percent at end.

Even though the small study had several women drop out and lacked a control group of moms who received different treatment, the results are consistent with previous research that has proven peer counseling works, said Dr. Ruta Nonacs, a psychiatrist at the Center for Women’s Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“It is a very powerful experience to be able to talk to a woman who has gone through the same thing and come out the other side,” said Nonacs, who wasn’t involved in the study. “A lot of first-time moms wonder what’s normal, what’s depression, and what to do with the fact that they feel overwhelmed and alone and like their experience looks nothing like the happy moms they see smiling in all of the baby food and diaper commercials.”

Because postpartum depression is the most common complication of childbirth, it makes sense to explore peer counseling and other interventions that can reach women in rural or suburban areas where access to mental health professionals may be limited, said Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, director of the perinatal psychiatry program at the Center for Women’s Mood Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“Most people in the world have access to a telephone,” said Meltzer-Brody, who wasn’t involved in the study. “This study, while small, suggests that peer phone counseling could be a very effective, widespread public health intervention.”

SOURCE: bit.ly/1MPlxUu Journal of Advanced Nursing, online February 23, 2015.

It’s a good day for proponents of an open internet: the Federal Communications Commission just approved its long-awaited network neutrality plan, which reclassifies broadband internet as a Title II public utility and gives the agency more regulatory …