CM Punk Returning to WWE

CM Punk's retirement from the WWE scene left a lot of fans shocked at first. An explanation as to why he left the ring though let fans breathe a little easier. What fans would like to know next is will Punk ever return to the ring?

There have been occasions when fans prepared for Punk's return. One such occasion was a match for RAW in Chicago but he never showed up. Still, fans were still hopeful that he would show up for Wrestlemania 30. Punk however, did not turn up once again.

It is at this point that it was unclear on whether Punk would still reconsider going back to wrestling. On July 21, he had hosted the first annual Gibson Brands AP Music Awards and this has been his first non-wrestling gig he had done in his entire career.

The only hope for his return lies with his wife, AJ Lee, a WWE Diva. Lee was a former championship title holder of the WWE Diva's Championship before it was taken away by newcomer Paige. She took a few months break after that in order to get married to CM Punk. She eventually returned to the ring to take back her championship title from Paige. Hopefully Punk will follow suit.

Her sudden and unexpected return to the ring surprised a lot of fans. The reason for this was there were rumors circulating back then that Lee was pregnant. The rumor was backed up by two tweets that Lee made regarding children and parenthood.

One of the tweets stated, "Just saw a toddler proudly scream in his mother's face 'I POOPED!'….So basically my ovaries are glowing now."

The other one was Lee re-tweeting a picture with the caption, "15 years MAX….@WWEAJLee as parent."

Of course this has been proven false by her return to WWE.

The Most Heated Training Camp Battles Yet to Be Decided

The Hall of Fame Game gave us our first taste of NFL action since the Super Bowl, and it's only whetted our appetite. The full spread of Week 1 preseason games hits our tables onThursday, Aug. 7. We'll have meaningful NFL football on Friday and Saturday, too.

Wait, "meaningful"? Preseason games? Yes: For rookies and veterans, newcomers and stalwarts, free agents and players in contract years, preseason games mean the world.

Training-camp battles have a huge impact on the final roster, from the final 53 to the starting lineup. Across the NFL, players are using precious practice reps to win a bigger role in the real thing.

With every passing day, team fans and fantasy football players have more anxiously awaited the daily reports. Soon, though, the preseason games will settle the scores, and spots on the depth chart will be written in ink. Some, like the New York Jets quarterback spot, are already settled, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Others are only now heating up—and won't be finalized until they face off against other teams' defenses.

As we tuck into the first feast of pigskin this weekend, we should be keeping an eye on the crucial competitions.

Minnesota Vikings Quarterback: Matt Cassel vs. TeddyBridgewater

When a team trades up into the first round to snag a highly touted quarterback prospect, it's taken for granted that quarterback has the inside track on the starting gig.

Not so in Minnesota, where rookie Teddy Bridgewater's falling stock was one of the biggest stories of the draft cycle. Long assumed to be the top quarterback prospect in the draft, if not the top prospect overall, Bridgewater's stock suffered a death of 1,000 cuts after an unimpressive pro day.

Bridgewater entered training camp firmly behind veteran Matt Cassel. In fact, the Star Tribune's Chip Scoggins said he thought Cassel was a "slam dunk" to start the season. Instead of battling 2011 first-round pick Christian Ponder for the backup gig, though, Bridgewater has been giving Cassel all he can handle.

"Teddy's been really, really impressive," offensive coordinator Norv Turner told Mike Wobschall of the Vikings' official site before training camp, "and a lot further along than I expected him to be." National reporters like Fox Sports' Jay Glazer and NFL Media's Albert Breerhave come away with the same feeling.

"My sense for it is Cassel still leads," Breer tweeted on July 30, "but Teddy's closed the gap."

At the time of this writing, Scoggins says he "won't be surprised ifBridgewater is the starter in Week 1." Whether Bridgewater can limit his mistakes in preseason and Cassel can make positive plays downfield should determine which of these two quarterbacks starts the games that count.

Friday, Aug. 8, both quarterbacks will take their opening shots against the reloaded Oakland Raiders defense.

Indianapolis Colts Wide Receivers: Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton,Hakeem Nicks, Donte Moncrief, Da'Rick Rogers, Griff Whalen

In Indianapolis, quarterback is the only offensive position without questions.

There, Andrew Luck is firmly installed as the starter, leader, captain and franchise.

Injuries and performance have thrown monkey wrenches into the works at running back, tight end and offensive line, but no group is in wilder flux than wide receiver.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

T.Y. Hilton's breakout season was hampered by the loss of Reggie Wayne and the flameout of veteran free agent Darrius Heyward-Bey. Firmly established as a weapon and field-stretcher, Hilton has to prove he's a complete No. 1 receiver. That means regularly beating press coverage and double coverage and running the whole route tree well.

To that end, according to Craig Kelley of the Colts' official site, offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has "challenged" Hilton to master "all four spots."

The Colts' incumbent No. 1 receiver, Reggie Wayne, hasn't yet ridden off into the sunset—despite suffering an ACL tear just weeks before his 35th birthday. Wayne's already full-go after a rehab and recovery head coach Chuck Pagano called "incredible," per Mike Chappell of The Indianapolis Star.

"I haven't had any pain. Nothing has set me back," Wayne toldChappell. "Just go out there and be the Reggie of old."

Still, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, Wayne will be held out of the Colts preseason opener as a precaution. That leaves plenty of reps up for grabs, but it looks like free-agent signee Hakeem Nicks won't get many of them.

Tom James of the Tribune-Star tweeted out Hamilton's pessimistic outlook on Nicks:

What about Da'Rick Rogers, the talented-but-troubled undrafted prospect for whom NFL fans everywhere have been rooting? Wells wrote Rogers is off to a "slow start" in camp, and Griff Whalen has "definitely outplayed" him.

That leaves the door wide open for third-round rookie pick DonteMoncrief to make noise against the New York Jets on Thursday, Aug. 7.Moncrief has been "very impressive" in camp so far, per Josh Wilson of the Colts blog Stampede Blue, and has a chance to challenge Nicks for the third receiver spot.

Baltimore Ravens Inside Linebacker: C.J. Mosley vs. Arthur Brown

It's no surprise that Ray Lewis' shoes have been hard to fill, but the Baltimore Ravens have had a lot more turnover at his old position than anyone expected. 

When his presumed replacement, Dannell Ellerbe, left as a free agent and Rolando McClain's career began imploding, the Ravens drafted Arthur Brown in the second round of 2013. Brown, McClain, 2011 fifth-round pick Pernell McPhee, longtime backup Jameel McClain and free-agent transplant Daryl Smith were all thought to be in the mix at inside linebacker, yet undrafted third-year veteran Josh Bynes ended up with the second-most snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Smith had a strong first season in Baltimore, per Pro Football Focus, grading 14th overall out of 55 qualifying inside linebackers. As per his minus-11.2 run-stuffing grade, though, Smith wasn't the thumper the Ravens usually have at the spot. With both McClains off the roster andMcPhee transitioned to outside linebacker, the Ravens needed even more reinforcements inside.

Enter C.J. Mosley, a 6'2", 234-pound rookie taken No. 17 overall in the 2014 draft. Mosley opened training camp next to Smith at the top of the depth chart, per Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun, with Brown behind him. Mosley might have the early advantage, but if the second-year veteran outplays Mosley during preseason action, it wouldn't be the first time a pencilled-in rookie doesn't hang on to the job in camp.

Throughout all this, Bynes still hasn't gone away. Per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Bynes got first-team reps when Smith picked up a groin injury, and Bynes has made a habit of succeeding when everyone else assumes he'll fail.

New England Patriots Running Backs: Stevan Ridley vs. ShaneVereen vs. James White

The Patriots are synonymous with consistency: Consistency at coach, consistency at quarterback and consistency on defense.

At running back? The only thing consistent is inconsistency.

The Patriots have had 18 different rushers rack up at least 50 carries in a season since Bill Belichick took over in 2000, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. Only the Denver Broncos have had more contributors, with 21.

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Talented tailback Stevan Ridleyhas averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his first three seasons on the Patriots squad and racked up 20 touchdowns in the process. Yet, his ball-security issues kept forcing Belichick to bench him. With LeGarrette Blount gone, the job was supposed to be Ridley's, but fourth-round rookie James White is mounting a challenge.

ESPN.com's Mike Reiss noted White's been getting a "notable" number of practice reps, "especially on the goal line." Together with 2011 second-round pick Shane Vereen, who's averaged 53 attempts over the past two seasons, Ridley will have stiff competition for carries.

If Ridley fumbles against Washington on Thursday, Aug. 7—or White dominates—he could lose his grip on the starting job.

Keypoints for writing statement of purpose

If you are applying for a postgraduate degree in the US you will usually be required to write a statement of purpose (SOP). The SOP is a fairly long essay (600-1000 words), in which you give an honest and carefully considered presentation of your goals. You also need to show that you have an aptitude for the subject you have chosen, and have a background that fits you for the subject and level you are applying for. The statement of purpose should also give a good indication of the type of person you are.

In all SOPs the way you analyze your experiences is more important than the experiences themselves � you don't need to invent exciting experiences. You just need to show that you have introspected about the events in your own life, and know how you have been shaped by them. You should cover something of your educational experience and interest in the subject. You might choose to write about a particular project, internship, book, etc. that reveals your passion for your area of study. You should explain the reasons behind the choices you have made, especially the choices that have led you to the decision to pursue a Master's degree.

Students often make the mistake of writing too much about the past. The 'purpose' in statement of purpose refers to your goals. Why do you want the course you are applying for? Why now? What will you do after the course? What do you want to do in the long term? These questions must be answered clearly. If you cannot explain how the course of study will help you get closer to your goals, then you have probably chosen the wrong course. The admissions committee wants to know that their college or university will be the right place for you and will be able to help you achieve your purpose.

While you will want to show that you know all about the course and college you are applying to, resist the temptation to tell them what they already know. Try to show what particular courses, clubs, and other experiences you are looking forward to, but avoid general statements such as "your university is renowned for the quality of its teaching and facilities". In general, things that everyone could write have no place in your own SOP.

Finally, remember that a statement of purpose is not an exercise in creative writing - stylistic tricks such as direct speech or dramatic openings annoy the reader. The admissions committee will want to see that you can put your ideas forward in a logical manner without wasting words. They have many applications to go through and appreciate short, well-expressed essays.

Why choosing engineering ?

Why choose engineering – how about the diversity, the income, the lifestyle and people working in engineering get to do cool stuff?
To ‘engineer’ literally means to “make things happen”. Engineering is about the design and production of useful products and services. Engineering know-how converts scientific knowledge into technology and then technology into successful innovation. Many seemingly simple aspects of our daily lives have been conceptualised, designed and developed by an engineer.
Here are just a few reasons why you should consider a career in engineering.
• Engineers have diverse careers
• Engineers are in demand
• Engineers get to do cool stuff
• Engineers work everywhere
• Engineers get to travel
• Engineers work on interesting projects
• Engineers have a good work/life balance
• Engineers can earn good money
• Engineers have a great lifestyle
Engineers have diverse careers
Engineering is an exciting career. Engineers achieve great things. Throughout history, people working in engineering have contributed to their communities, countries, colleagues and civilisations by making tools, machines and countless other things to help people improve their lives and progress onto better things.
The diversity of engineering means that whatever your interest, there is probably a place for you working in engineering. From information technology to medical science and mining, from building roads to space travel, engineers are working to make things happen.
Engineers are in demand
There is growing skill shortage of trained engineering workers across all engineering sectors. are the number one barrier to business growth and delivery., technology Current workforce projections show that Australia needs more engineers (TAFE and university graduates) to maintain the level of growth in the Australian economy.
We need more engineering personnel to build roads, support hospitals, staff climate change projects, modernise Australia’s Defence Force and the list goes on.
What does a skills shortage mean for people considering engineering as a career choice – job security. It is that simple.
Engineers get to do cool stuff
Being an engineer means you get to be the first to develop or try out new technologies like artificial hearts, developing and delivering better constructed environmentally sustainable buildings like the first undersea house! Engineers design and build virtual reality worlds, soccer fields or new planets. Engineers discover and patent new materials that can cure cancer or cure the common cold. Engineers are involved in making the future a reality.
Engineers work everywhere
Engineers work everywhere: in cities, regional and rural communities, even remote wilderness areas.
Some engineers work business offices, classrooms, others in factories or research labs; some work outdoors or even in outer space.
Some engineers undertaken double degrees and go into medicine, law, business management, or policy. An engineering education will prepare you for many different careers.
Engineers get to travel
Just think that right after graduation from TAFE or university you might be earning a relatively good income and/or be offered work on interesting and challenging projects in interesting parts of Australia or the world.
An engineering career offers the opportunity to travel around the world making a difference and contributing to communities. It is a versatile and rewarding career which can take students anywhere they want to go – either with companies, governments, aid organisations, or as your own boss.
Engineers work on interesting projects
Engineers usually work in project teams made up of people with expertise in different areas such as accounting, law, project management, surveying, drafting to name a few.
Engineers have a good work/life balance
Flexibility and effective time management skills are key skills engineers need to manage and work.
Engineers can earn good money
The growing skill shortages across many fields of engineering are generating higher graduate salaries and other benefits for engineering graduates  between engineers and other disciples.
Additionally, there is plenty of work for engineering graduates with full-time employment percentages ranging from 86.2 per cent to 98.7 per cent.
Engineers have a great lifestyle
Because engineers have good incomes and have a good work/life balance, engineers get to enjoy their many different hobbies and interests. An engineering career is very well paid which means engineers have the financial security that allows you to really enjoy life.

Why Your Conversational IQ Matters and How to Boost Your Score

Confidence and good decision-making have always been prized in the workplace. Having stellar conversation skills, not so much.

For most of her 30-year career, executive coach and Benchmark Communications CEO Judith Glaser says having "conversation intelligence" was considered a lesser priority for leaders. It was a skill employers saw as too girly, too emotional, too unreliable and too detached from quantifiable results.

That attitude, she says, is finally shifting in a big way. Thanks to developments in neuroscience and new approaches to evaluating effective leadership, employers are realizing that conversations matter. A lot.

Case in point: The financial industry. Testosterone saturated, data obsessed, "let’s-talk-about-our-feelings" resistant, the finance world has traditionally been a place where conversation intelligence was dismissed out of hand. But Glaser is currently working with Bank of America to break this pattern. She teaches teams the dangers of defending one’s own position at the sake of all else and the importance of building relationships built on trust and the exchange of personal information (rather than simply the exchange of data points).

We sat down with Glaser at the C-Suite Network conference in Dallas, Texas, today to get the rundown on why conversational IQ matters.

Note: Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

Entrepreneur: First off, why is conversation so important? Why have you made it your career’s work?

Glaser: People used to think that conversations were simply about sharing information with each other, but after studying the brain and how it works we now understand that conversations help us connect, navigate and grow. When your umbilical cord is cut, the first thing a parent does is look you in the eyes and connect with you -- that’s part of the conversation space. When two people are living together and one of them dies, the other tends to die around the same time. That shows how important conversation is to each of us. It’s really the golden thread that holds human beings together.

Entrepreneur: Why do you think communication skills, especially in leadership positions, have traditionally been undervalued? Do you think it’s because they are hard to quantify?

Glaser: Yes – We get so excited by the end game that we forget conversation is what makes it possible to get there. I think leaders are starting to realize this. There’s an ongoing discussion that conversation is disappearing as an art, and we have to bring it back.

Related: 7 Things You Should Never Say to Your Employees

Entrepreneur: What caused this shift?

Glaser: The first reason is that in the late '90s, emotional intelligence became a word that was suddenly backed by science. And secondly, the concept of humility was introduced to leadership. You used to have to be tough, strong, smart and all the things that went with it…it was a ‘beat your chest’ [leadership] mentality. That’s flipping, as humility becomes part of the equation: it means I need to sit back and listen instead of pressing my imprint on you.

Entrepreneur: Can you explain some of the neurological science behind emotional intelligence and trust?

Glaser: We used to think that trust was a continuum. Nobody knew where it lived in the brain, but now we know that distrust resides in the amygdala where fear also resides; it’s the reptilian brain that’s responsible for our fight, flight or freeze reactions. Trust resides in the prefrontal cortex. When you get frightened, cortisol spews into that part of the brain and shuts it down. I often hear leaders say: ‘I thought I hired really smart people, but they got dumber.’ It’s because they are scaring their employees, which lowers their ability to think creatively, innovatively, and strategically.

Entrepreneur: I feel like – particularly in the tech industry, with the idolization of Steve Jobs – there’s been a tendency to equate prickly, emotionally difficult leadership with good leadership.

Glaser: Right. We used to think that if a boss said ‘Of you don’t get this done you are going to be fired!’ that it was a motivator. But we’re finding out that it’s not a motivator…it’ a frightener. Our basic instinct is to withdraw. It shuts us down.

Related: 6 Keys to Developing Millennials Into Managers

Entrepreneur: Why do we struggle so much to effectively communicate in the workplace?

Glaser: We pick up in .07 seconds if somebody is dislikes us. It’s that guttural, it’s that fast. But most of us haven’t learned to address the issue, to check-in and say, wait a minute! Something is not right here.

Entrepreneur: So we recognize on a primal level that something is wrong, but most of the time our reaction is to ignore it? And this is true of both employees and managers?

Glaser: Oh yes. An employee can walk out of a meeting and think, that was weird! But instead of going to your boss and asking, ‘Do you want to talk about something else? I feel like we’re not on the same page’ you tell a friend instead. And as a boss, you usually have a lot of things on your mind.

Entrepreneur: So what are strategies for both employees and leaders to increase their conversational IQs?

Glaser: The first step is becoming aware of the impact you have on others. There are two common syndromes that happen at work: the first is called tell, tell, sell, yell. I tell you, you don’t get it. I tell you again, you still don’t get it. I try to sell the idea to you, but it seems to go over your head, so start I start to yell at you. It’s a very ineffective and unhealthy routine.

The second syndrome is an addiction to being right: I’m defending my point of view, to the point where my only goal is to make sure that you get what I get. It eliminates any give or take in a conversation.

Either syndrome will make you look egocentric. Strive instead for sharing and discovering. Ask non-judgmental questions. Ask more questions than you answer. Discover everything you can about the person you are speaking with.

Robot Self Defense by Yahmez

Robots or biomorphs (robots modeled after living creatures) are commonly fragile especially as you move to a smaller scale. Roboticist Mark Tilden's 1st law of robotics states: "A robot must protect its existence at all costs." In the case of typical BEAM bots the small scale and freeformed circuits make them very fragile. One's natural instinct to protect one's existence is the basis of life as we know it... How can we enable robots to protect their own existence? I believe this applies to many robots beyond BEAM bots. If a robot is about to be destroyed, damaged, or stepped on and it knows as much, shouldn't it try and save it's self? Fight or flight! The flight bit is fairly simple, just have the bot take off as fast as possible and avoid obstacles... maybe move in a zig zag fashion. But what about the fight bit? I have one type of self defense built into a bot I am currently working on and I am considering adding another. But I am interested in other builders' ideas. What would you provide your bot with to enable a method of self defense. In total disregard of Asimov's laws,

-James

Dark Soul 2 : PC (REVIEW)

During my 54 hours with Dark Souls 2, I died 226 times. I know this courtesy of a worldwide death counter. But every time I took an axe to the face, or got murdered by somersaulting zombies, or mistakenly cartwheeled off a cliff, I learned something of value: that patience, as always, yields the greatest rewards. That bipedal hippos are really fucking deadly. That circle-strafing is not a one-size-fits-all tactic. But most importantly, that death is a great teacher.

As a newly branded undead in the kingdom of Drangleic, your goal is simple: gather as many souls as possible in the hopes of breaking your curse. In practice, this means exploring every bit of the vast world and fighting its many enemies and bosses. This process is a battle of inches, as enemy encounters are frequent and difficult, and the setting itself is no less threatening. Learning the attack patterns of foes, the locations of cleverly hidden traps, whether or not that gaping hole in the ground leads to treasure or will simply kill you should you step in it--all of this is accomplished through trial and error.