Day: April 18, 2011

For best exercise, don’t be lonely or bored

weirdjennyLeave a comment

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In the modern era, more and more people are aware of their own health. We have developed the habit to exercise regularly. People go for a jog in the morning, go to gym after work, or watch exercising DVDs at home.

However, most of the people forget to enjoy the moment when they are exercising. Instead, they put more focus on the result.

“When picking an exercise, choose maximum enjoyment over maximum results, and the positive reinforcement will help you stick with it, and exercising alone doesn’t work for the majority of people.” said Bert Carron, a professor of kinesiology.

For example, studies show that running is the best way to stay in shape. However, I feel that running is kind of boring, because it is the same action repeated and repeated, and it is all by myself. So after 15 minutes of running, I feel really tired. However, if I played my favorite sports, basketball, I can play for 4 or 5 hours without feeling tired, and I also feel joyful. So we should focus on enjoying the sports more not on the result, because it can help us mentally and physically.

Don’t Fear X-rays from Airport Scanners

weirdjennyLeave a comment

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We all know that radiation is bad for our health. People usually don’t want to get too many x-rays in their lifetime, or they don’t want to live next to any nuclear power plants.

However, The Transportation Security Administration began installing full-body scanners in American airports. Since passengers have noticed this device, they are very concern about their privacy and health, because under the x-ray, everything is visible.

For privacy concerns, it is true that the machine is able to see the image of our body. However, for health concerns, according to an article published online Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, there’s no significant threat from the full-body scanners. Although they use ionizing radiation, which is known to cause cancer, the amount is so low. It is less than 1% of the additional radiation a person gets from flying in an airplane and the same we received through 3 to 9 minutes of daily life on the ground.

“If individuals feel vulnerable and are worried about the radiation emitted by the scans, they might reconsider flying altogether since most of the small, but real, radiation risk they will receive will come from the flight and not from the exceedingly small exposures from the scans,” wrote the authors, Pratik Mehta of UC Berkeley and Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman of UC San Francisco.

“SHORT SLEEPERS” DO EXIST!

Paloma SpencerLeave a comment

I have to admit that as a person with strange sleeping hours, I am extremely jealous of those who can get so little sleep but yet still function so well.

Turns out there are actually people that acquire this condition as a young age; they are called “short sleepers.” They are naturally early risers and late sleepers.

In contrast to people who simply sleep less than the recommended 7 hours, this rare species can actually continue their day without endless cups of coffee or countless 5-minute naps. Instead, they feel perfectly normal and healthy, and continue their day with optimism, an outgoing personality, and tons and tons of energy.

But how could this be possible? I mean, they have to be tired, right?

Scientists have determined that this type of sleeping pattern usually develops during childhood and simply continues into adulthood. I assume it is comparable to nail biting, not only can it be a natural habit but it is also an easily developed and continuous tendency.

But at least this habit has it’s perks. While some people may believe that sleep is the best part of their days, these people believe quite the opposite.

“Sleep is a waste of time.”

Yep, that’s right. The main personal reason they do not sleep is usually because they find better things to do, and thus began multitasking away.

As much as I would like to say that I acquired these “short sleeper” genes, I know I have not.

But at least its an excuse to sleep more!

The Trials of Adoption

Paloma SpencerLeave a comment

This may sound petty, but I have always wanted an adorable little Asian baby.

Similar to the one in the upper left picture, he/she will speak 3 languages and of course maintain the most cutest and stylish of haircuts.

He/she will attend New York’s best preparatory schools beginning at the age of  3 and will attend one of the 8 Ivy League colleges.

Hey, its possible. : )

So lately I have wondered exactly how this could happen.

Due to the fact that one cannot tell who their lifelong soul mate may be, I have realized how much I would love to adopt a child from Asia.

Curious about the procedures of adoption I did some research and discovered an article posted in “Psychology Today.”

Unfortunately, adoption isn’t so simple these days.

Today, the cost of agency and private adoptions ranges at a price of $5,000 to $40,000 while international adoptions can range from $7,000 to $30,000. As one could understand, this is the major barrier that disables people from adopting children. In addition, the delays to receive a child internationally are immense. Commonly, the adoptive parents must wait a near 2 years in order to hold their child for the first time. This is caused by the required “home study” as well as regulating whether all necessary requirements are met by the adopters.

In addition, international adoptions are “legal midfields” in such countries as Belarus, Guatemala, Nepal, and Vietnam. Harvard Law School Professor of Child Advocacy stated that international children are being “denied their fundamental human right to be ‘nurtured in their formative years by permanent parents in real families.’” Personally, I believe that families who are inclined to adopt a child should be thanked for their generosity and their ability to stop the world’s exceeding population. I do understand the cost for the international transportation, but should they really have to pay thousands upon thousands?

Honestly, believing that I would be in a well off financial state, I would not mind the costs for adopting a child, however this price range can easily halt an excited adopter’s future prospects.

In order to help the children and our nation, the government should make it more affordable for able parents to adopt, while maintaining the required regulations.

I really do hope to adopt a child one day and hold one of these most adorable little babies in my own arms.

The Aftermath

yourgingerkidLeave a comment

I’m not going to lie. In the end, prom was amazing.

It pretty much started like this.

And then ended like this.

Placed convienently at the Mandalay Beach Resort, it was a night that I don’t think any one of us seniors will forget. But I can really only speak for myself.

It’s scary to think that last Thursday night was the last OVS dance we will all ever attend together. We’ve all spent a minimum of seven months together and I can’t imagine not seeing all these lovely faces again.

What will become of us when we all leave? Will we all remember how we felt that night? I can only hope so. I just really hope that everyone found that night as memorable as I did.

Okay, time to think for real

shredicusmaximusLeave a comment

It’s official. With the warmth of the April sun came the arrival of my long awaited letters from the various institutions I had hoped would see enough light and potential to accept me into their ranks as an admitted student. Three places received my applications, Chapman University, Bard College, and (as referred to in one of my previous blogs) The University of San Francisco. All three of them have since sent packages back informing me of my admission. I looked through the packets from each different place and thought “oh —-, now what do I do?”

How do I make a decision that affects possibly the next four years of my life? A commitment to an institution for the best is what is required of me to make come the first of May. A first rate education, and a great time with many different opportunities presenting themselves. Who could I meet at these places? how were the dorms? where are they located? Questions of “where do you want to go?” and “what do you want to study?” have now transformed into “where are you going to call home for the next four years, out of these three?” So with all these thoughts in mind, now I really have to consider what options I have upon my table. All these places I have applied to because I liked each of them and what they could offer me as a perspective student. Now, here I sit, amidst all these new pressures. Pressures of “where do we go from here?” have replaced the ones of old regarding “what do I need to do to get there and how am I doing?” All I know is for the next week or so, I might lose some sleep at night. Bags may form under my eyes and I may feel much lighter on my feet but why worry? After all, I know I’m going somewhere. (:

Misfits.

Yourcupatea1 Comment

Misfits. Misfits is a television series based on a group of young offenders who gain superpowers after a freak storm. Coming together each day to work off their community service the group faces a series of challenging obstacles as a result of  their new found powers.

Now creating a third series the comedy drama has been a roaring success among viewers. In 2010 the show won a BAFTA Television Award for the Best Drama Series, an award they definitely deserved.

In the show we witness the characters struggle to come to terms with their powers. We also see how although the characters may look like a group of useless teens, they ultimately come together and solve livesaving challenges. The show explores strange but great themes through conundrums the group face.

Although at many times serious, the show is guaranteed to cheer you up. With characters who are both comical and entertaining paired with story lines that are absorbing and dramatic, the two combine to make the perfect recipe for a TV show.

Misfits is full of great plots that will make you laugh, cry and smile.  With witty characters and entertaining scenarios, it is definitely a series to get watching. I must warn you though, it is rather addictive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODl-kAhVsXY

FAT TALK

vabenissimoLeave a comment

“Ew. I am so fat.”
“OMG. Stop it. You are so skinny.”

A rally of nonsense complaints between females, this is called FAT TALK.

Teenage girls, especially, behave such for the following reasons:
To draw an attention,
To express their discomforting body shape,
To make their “friends” uncomfortable,
etc

Every girl experiences Fat Talk.

However in the midst of this prom season, the complaints get worse, much worse. I frequently catch girls in their prom dresses or in front of mirrors spill their words casually, “I am fat.” Gosh. Yes, you are fat, if and only if you fall for the media that purports extreme thinness and gross starvation.

If obesity is the concern, try to be healthy—exercise, eat balanced meal, do not binge eat, and sleep well. But, do not starve.

Hunger is a disease. It leads to starvation, then to death.

And, this Fat Talk is also a disease. Once a girl speaks of her “fatness,” her listener goes on to another to complain, and the cycle runs on and on until the girls runs out of their self-esteem.

So, next time when a friend say, “OMG. I am so fat,” be ready to shush her.

Home Stretch

therightliberalLeave a comment

For most football teams, the year is almost over. For Manchester United, there is still far to go.

United is still in the FA Cup, the Champions League and at the top of the Premier League. United still have to play both Chelsea and Arsenal in the Premier League as well as having to play Man City and Chelsea in the FA Cup and Champions League second leg respectively.

United has faced some injuries but they have such a deep squad they should be ok on that front. The suspension of Wayne Rooney could potentially be damaging but they were able to easily beat Fulham 2-0 without him.

Carlos Salcido, Antonio Valencia, Aaron Hughes

I really cannot make up my mind on whether United can win the treble. I have no doubt that they have the talent but they can be so inconsistent.

For United, the FA Cup is the least important, but after making it this far and getting lined up to play Manchester City, United will undoubtedly push to the final.

United have an advantage going into the second leg against Chelsea at Old Trafford after a good 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge. If United can make it past the semi finals I think they will win but the semi will be their real challenge.

Manchester United vs Fulham

United are currently 10 points clear of Arsenal in the Premier League but Arsenal do have two games in hand. If United can get a win and a draw out of their back-to-back games against Arsenal and Chelsea, they should be able to win the Premier League.

This is all speculation but I have confidence in the talent that Untied has. Although I do not think they have played the best football in United history, they have been able to win and that is all that matters. Hopefully their dreams of a treble comes to fruition.

P.S. For a little humorous reading that involves Sir Alex Ferguson I would highly suggest this article. It has possibly the best insult I have ever heard come out of Fergie.