http://blog.derekawesome.com Lalalalala Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:37:45 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Tendonosis is misnamed tendonitis (an inflammation of the tendon) when in reality the tendon has suffered chronic injury, often from when your body has tried to reverse a moving load. This time when injuries are most common is the "eccentric" phase of muscle contraction, as compared to the "concentric" phase ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/massage-therapy/treating-tendinosis-tennis-elbow-with-science/ We've all heard of "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" -- that pain or numbness going down the wrist and into the fingers. However, there are many similar symptomologies. This is a quick guide to figuring out exactly which pathology may be causing pain in the arm. Many times, the ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/massage-therapy/massage-therapy-assessing-carpal-tunnel/ A friend gave me the following advice for answering hard questions: Avoid AdjectivesDon't make judgments one way or the other. State FactsMake simple, declarative statements. Stick to the QuestionDon't answer other questions that you want them to ask, just the questions they ask. To summarize: don't embellish. Talking too much will get you ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/how-to/answer-difficult-questions/ My mom and I just made up this reasonably low-carb, high-protein cookie recipe. The cookies are a bit gooey inside and delicious! 1 cup coconut flour 3/4 cup agave nectar 1/4 cup sliced almonds 1/4 cup ground flax 3/8 cup cocoa powder 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup cottage cheese 1/2 cup erythritol 2 eggs 1+ tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/recipes/chocolate-coconut-almond-cookies-gluten-free/ I've done a lot of amazing things while living in Europe, and I feel that I've matured emotionally and grown as a person. I've already written about how to volunteer in Amsterdam, but I haven't discussed what may be my favorite study abroad experience. With the school year ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/misc/volunteering-at-guus-kieft-school/ Read and view these in order: Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby a very readable webcomic that teaches & is totally free (Attribution-ShareAlike) Programming Ruby - The Pragmatic Programmer's Guide This will take you from newbie to expert Ruby programmer Getting Real by 37 Signals This is a fantastic free-to-read-online book about design principles of web development ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/how-to/how-to-learn-ruby-on-rails-in-one-week/ I wrote this to a friend -- it's mental vomit of the best things to do in two days in Amsterdam. FYI for anyone who might ever be attending the VU!! And I apologize for the spelling mistakes and writing style. I call this "don't worry, everyone ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/misc/dereks-stream-of-consciousness-guide-to-amsterdam/ Queen's Day is my new favorite holiday. Taking place annually on April 30, everyone in the Netherlands parties outside to celebrate the Queen's birthday. In a typically Dutch twist, they actually celebrate on the old Queen's birthday since it generally has wonderful weather. To celebrate the House of Orange, ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/misc/koninginnedag-2008-queens-day/ I've recently been amazed by the incredible differences between urban sprawl outside of Richmond, VA (i.e. in suburbs like those I am from) and outside of Amsterdam. Compare these two maps, both about 10km away from the downtowns of their respective cities: 10km south of Amsterdam, in Amstelveen View Larger Map 10km ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/misc/suburbia-in-the-us-and-the-netherlands/ I like living in the Guesthouse. Sure, the bathrooms smell like piss, it's apparently more expensive than comparable rooms for Dutch people, and I'm living in Amstelveen with a view of a giant, empty field. But other than that, I like living among only international students -- who ... http://blog.derekawesome.com/misc/2nd-floor-chili-cook-off/