INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Most cases of adult scoliosis are idiopathic, meaning there is no known reason why the person developed it. Other potential causes include:  Congenital curve — This means you were born with scoliosis. It may have been overlooked when you were a child, but may have worsened over time. Paralytic curve — If the muscles surrounding your spine begin to fail, the spine may slowly begin to curve out of place, leading to scoliosis. This is often caused by a spinal cord injury and may eventually cause paralysis. Secondary causes — Scoliosis may occur due to a different spinal condition, such as degeneration, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, or following spinal surgery. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to prevent scoliosis in adults; instead, focus is placed on relieving pain associated with scoliosis. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary, but otherwise you will likely focus on strengthening your spine and managing pain. There are some things you can do to strengthen your muscles and possibly prevent scoliosis from worsening or from increased pain. Physical therapy and water therapy can be helpful, and chiropractic treatment may improve pain.  Speak with a licensed physical therapist to develop a program tailored to strengthening your muscles and keeping your back flexible.  Water or pool therapy can take some of the stress off your joints, allowing you to focus on strengthening the muscles in your back without the limitations of gravity.  A chiropractor can help keep your facet joints supple and help with pain. In order to maintain strong, straight and healthy vertebrae and other bones of the body, you need to regularly eat foods rich in certain minerals and vitamins. More specifically, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus form the mineral matrix of your bones (spine too), and a dietary deficiency in any of these can lead to weak and brittle bones (osteoporosis) that are susceptible to breaking. Once the vertebrae start to fracture and degrade, the spine can list to one side and develop into what's called degenerative adult scoliosis. Vitamin D is also an important nutrient for strong bones because it's needed for calcium absorption in the intestines. Not enough vitamin D leads to "soft" bones (called rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults) that are easily deformed or unnaturally curved.  Rich food sources of calcium include: collard greens, kale, spinach, sardines, tofu, dairy products, almonds and sesame seeds.  Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to intense sunshine, although many people try to avoid the sun. Vitamin D isn't found in many foods, but the best sources are: fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), fish oils, beef liver, hard cheese and egg yolks.

SUMMARY: Understand the causes of adult scoliosis. Understand the limitations of preventing scoliosis. Increase strength, flexibility, and range of motion with exercise. Eat nutritious foods.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This water gun is made by converting a sports ball air pump into a water gun. These are the small air pumps that are used to refill the air in basketballs, soccer balls, and footballs. To make it, you will need a hand operated sports ball air pump, plumbers tape, a drill, and a pair of scissors. You may also be able to use a small hand operated bicycle tire pump as well if you want a slightly larger gun. Take the air pump and remove the nozzle at the end, putting it aside. Find a drill bit that fits into the hole in the top of the pump. Take the drill and drill through the metal area on the inside of the pump. Make sure you don't strip the sides of the hole. The nozzle needs to be able to screw back in there. Make sure the handle lever is pulled out. You don't want to accidentally puncture that part of the pump. The nozzle of the air pump should have multiple holes along the needle and one on the end. Using a long piece of the plumbers tape, cover up all the holes except the one at the end of the needle. You want to make sure you wrap it around the area where the hole is as well as the surrounding areas. You don't want any water to leak out of those areas once you start shooting your gun. If you want, you can paint the outside of the pump in a fun color or in a cool design. Using outdoor spray paint or some other waterproof paint, paint the pump and let it dry before you assemble it. Take the pump and stick it in water with the lever all the way in. Once the end is submerged in water, pull back the lever to fill the pump with water. Next, screw the nozzle back on the gun. To release the water, just push in the pump lever.

SUMMARY: Collect your materials. Drill a hole in the pump. Tape the nozzle needle. Assemble your gun.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You’ll need to show what you’re capable of doing before you’re hired to write anything. This means that you’ll need a portfolio of your work. A portfolio should showcase your best pieces of work, and will usually be between 3-5 songs. If the songs have already been recorded, you should still include a copy of the written lyrics.  You’ll want to make sure that you can easily share your portfolio online by putting all of your song lyrics into a single PDF or Word document. You can use anything that you’ve written in your portfolio. It doesn’t need to contain songs that you’ve already created for clients. Just be honest about your work experience when discussing your songs. Consider making a personal website to showcase your work to potential employers. Search around job sites and message boards to try and find any potential openings for a lyricist. Since most songwriting jobs can be completed at home, you won’t need to worry about applying for specific jobs in your area.  The most commonly-used job sites for freelance writers are FlexJobs, SolidGigs, Upwork, and Fiverr.  Most freelance websites require you to create an online profile and upload a portfolio. Always upload a friendly picture of yourself to make you seem more personable! When looking at prospective jobs, consider whether you have the necessary time and level of expertise that the job is calling for. Pay close attention to each job posting’s goal or required outcome, since that will tell you what you need to create. Once you apply, prospective employers will reach out and either hire you to work remotely or request additional information.  When looking for opportunities, try searching by using keywords that relate to your specialty. For example, if you focus entirely on writing folk ballads, try entering “folk” or “love songs” in your searches. Working from home can be quite enjoyable, but make sure that you don’t get distracted and take too long to complete your work! Payment is usually received through the platform that you got hired on, and most websites will either ask you to link a bank account or PayPal account to send you your earnings. Building strong relationships with your peers is a good way to get a head start on jobs for lyricists. Reach out to other songwriters on social media and connect with local writers by inviting them out for coffee or lunch. Many job opportunities can be found before they’re even available to the public if a colleague tells you about it well in advance. Songwriting is a difficult field to get into if you don’t have any experience. Don’t get too down on yourself if you’re struggling to find work immediately. Every lyricist started somewhere!  If you’re being turned down frequently, consider looking for opportunities that explicitly don’t require experience in your field. Consider revising your portfolio if you aren’t getting a lot of offers. It may be that you’re choosing to show work that doesn’t demonstrate your skills!

SUMMARY:
Create a portfolio of your work to show potential employers. Look for openings online to see what opportunities exist. Assess freelance writing opportunities to see if they’re a good fit. Network with musicians and artists to find possible openings. Don’t get discouraged if you’re struggling to find work.