I recently found an article that stated that a revised CPR method can help save many more. Luckily this is very fortunate for us, because according to the American Heart Association cardiac arrest is responsible for over 400,000 deaths each year in the United States.
The fact is, if a persons heart stops pumping blood through their body, and one isn't in a hospital there is a 2 percent chance of survival.
However, a newly discovered regimen by paramedics has tripled the success rate.
(Incredible, I know!)
This new method was developed at the University of Arizona's Sarver Heart Center under Dr.Ewy.
Ewy explains that one's body has enough oxygen to feed the brain for several minutes without any additional air being added by rescue breaths or inserting a breathing tube.
Instead paramedics are now encouraged to alternate a compressing the chest 200 times with a shock from a defibrillator.
So if you are in the situation, take charge and compress someone's chest until professional help arrives.
Thank God for medical research!
March 2008 Archives
I recently found an article that stated that a revised CPR method can help save many more. Luckily this is very fortunate for us, because according to the American Heart Association cardiac arrest is responsible for over 400,000 deaths each year in the United States.
The fact is, if a persons heart stops pumping blood through their body, and one isn't in a hospital there is a 2 percent chance of survival.
However, a newly discovered regimen by paramedics has tripled the success rate.
(Incredible, I know!)
This new method was developed at the University of Arizona's Sarver Heart Center under Dr.Ewy.
Ewy explains that one's body has enough oxygen to feed the brain for several minutes without any additional air being added by rescue breaths or inserting a breathing tube.
Instead paramedics are now encouraged to alternate a compressing the chest 200 times with a shock from a defibrillator.
So if you are in the situation, take charge and compress someone's chest until professional help arrives.
Thank God for medical research!
New York Health regulations were supposed to take effect today, but have been pushed back to April 15th. The regulations are making it a rule that all national New York restaurant chains post calorie counts on their menus. The purpose is to help combat obesity by allowing restaurant patrons to be aware of what they are putting into their bodies. However, the New York State Restaurant Association is claiming this new "rule" violates the First Amendment, since it forces restaurants to put a certain "message" on their menus. As of now, Starbucks is the only major chain that has already put the new rule into effect.
I think that this rule will be successful in better communication with restaurant customers the calories that are included in the foods they are ordering, and will help them think twice about what they are putting into their bodies. I also think that this will hurt businesses that have lots of high calorie foods on their menus. It will be interesting to see if they rule date gets pushed back any further, and how restaurant chains are going to continue to react.
Forget everything your mother ever told you. Well, at least when it comes to dairy. We've all been told to drink our milk, however, recently doctors are saying the opposite. Contrary to popular belief milk can cause cancer and food allergies. Apparently everyone should stop milking their diet.
The first problem is that whole milk can cause your cholesterol level to go up because it is so high in saturated fat. Secondly, many adults don't have the enzyme that can successfully digest lactose, which is the sugar found in milk. This intolerance to lactose can eventually cause diarrhea, gas, and bloating. Milk can also cause many food allergies. Not to mention the liquid substance sometimes still has antibiotics that were given to the animal before they were killed for food.
Dr. Robert Kradjian, an M.D. in California, goes so far as to recommend we eliminate dairy from our diets altogether. He believes that milk only hurts our health and the only reason we drink milk is because it has become such a big part of our culture.
Do you remember the Dairy Council's "Milk Your Diet: Lose Weight" campaign? Think about the last time you saw one of those commercials. Exactly. They campaign told everyone to drink 24 ounces of milk every 24 hours as a part of a "your reduced-calorie diet." According to Cancer Causes & Control, not only does drinking milk not help you lose weight, but it has been associated with prostate cancer, Parkinson's disease and acne in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Frank Oski even wrote a book dedicated to the discovery called, "Don't Drink Your Milk!: New Frightening Medical Facts About the World's Most Overrated Nutrient." For more information visit Dr. Kradjian's web site http://notmilk.com/kradjian.html
Yahoo Health recently published an article informing consumers of an over-the-counter paternity test, Identigene. The kit itself costs $30 and contains a swab for collecting a sample of saliva. The swab is then sent to the Identigene DNA testing laboratories, processed for an additional $119 and the results of the paternity test are then mailed, or emailed to the consumer, or located on a secured Web site within 3 to 5 business days.
4,363 Rite Aid drug stores carry this new over-the-counter paternity test. New York is the only state that does not carry Identigene. "The paternity test kit is already a hit in California, Washington and Oregon states, where they have been selling on a trial basis since November, Identigene said." Identigene is popular with women who want to know their child, or children's father and folks seeking their biological parents.
This particular DNA test will not hold up as evidence in a court of law.
This idea is strange to me at first, but I think Identigene will make a lot of money off its product and this this DIY DNA test is just a look into our future of medicine and health care.
For more information visit http://health.yahoo.com/news/afp/ushealthdna_080326224747.html or go to your local Rite Aid and see your parents really are who they say they are :)
The Kansas Jayhawks barely squeak by the Davidson Wildcats, making it the first time ever in NCAA basketball history for four number one teams to make it to the Final Four. Kansas outscored the Wildcats 59 to 57, but came close to loosing that lead or tying it with only a few seconds left. Sasha Kaun and Mario Chalmers led the Jayhawks with both 13 points, whereas Stephen Curry led Davidson with 25 points.
Kansas will play against former Kansas head coach, Roy Williams and his Tar Heels to advance on to the championship game. This is definately history to me, not only for the top four teams in the tournament to be in the Final Four, but for the Jayhawks to play against North Carolina. Personally, Kansas is going to have to play a much better, and smarter game against Carolina. Especially against Tyler Hansbrough, who happens to be one of the top scorers in the nation.
"This is Kansas' Jayhawks' 13th trip to the Final Four, but its first since 2003," the Associated Press stated. Now Kansas head coach, Bill Self, has been relieved of his rank of good coach who never made it to the big time, and will have the opportunity to coach against Williams and try to surpass North Carolina and its basketball team.
For more information on the ballgame look at:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=284000015
When I heard that Bodies was coming to Kansas City, I was excited because I had heard so much talk about the exhibit. Now at Union Station in Kansas City, Bodies Revealed fascinating + real, is earning a lot of hype, but I'm not sure if I'm all that interested in attending.
I have asked a few people if they are going to attend the exhibit and all of them but one has enthusiastically replied. My sister, who apparently attended the exhibit in Denver, enlightened me of some startling findings about the popular exhibit. Not only is the exhibit making mass profits off tickets that are $25 a pop, but many of the bodies have not be voluntarily donated, and some are speculated to be executed prisoners from China. Furthermore, the way in which the bodies are preserved and shipped seems highly unethical.
20/20 aired a feature earlier this month that has left me with unsettling feelings about whether or not I will choose to make the trip to Union Station to see the plasticized bodies.
I urge everyone to watch the 20/20 feature. It is in two parts, each of them ethically alarming. It will take 20 minutes of your time, but it is fascinating!
Clickhere to see for yourself.
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Becky Thomas with her 5-foot-9-inch journalism professor Grace Lim. (Photo by Megan Sheridan)
You can find the article at http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/life-as-a-tall-girl/.
We have all recently noticed that McDonald's is now entering into the specialty coffee business. Along with your Big Mac you can now order a vanilla latte or cappuccino. This proves one more way this colossal company is reaching to new markets.
McDonald's prices for a cup of joe are considerably cheaper than it's veteran competitors, which not only makes McDonald's coffee more convenient while grabbing lunch, but also more economical. I think that with this fast food chain's dabble into this new market it can expect to see large interest.
In Pennsylvania, a judge sentenced three hispanics to learn English or go to jail. The men were on trail for robbery. Right now they are on parole and during this time they have to learn English, get their GED and a full-time job. If they don't follow these roles they would receive four to twenty four months in jail. I feel this decision the judge is making is very mean and unconstitutional. I do agree when you do speak to non english speakers, who live in this country, it is annoying that they still don't know the simple words of the language. They expect us to know their language and cater to them. What the judge is doing is to make a point about language barriers, but he took it too far. Issuing a jail sentence shouldn't be the option. I know that they committed a crime and need to be punished but don't force them to go to jail. Try community service as an option. Maybe in their minds learning English is punishment enough and they might actually want to go to jail, so they won't have to learn English. Here is the link to the story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23831149/
In a recent article called Generation Squid, by Rolling Stone writer, Matt Taibbi, he talks about the American electorate's inability to be rational. The story focuses of Barack Obama and the recent controversy pertaining to Pastor Jeremiah Wright. Taibbi explains calls panicky American voters "squeebs," an adorable mutant love-child of a squid and a dweeb. He opines as the election is dragging on from scandal to scandal the race for the nomination and the election at large are turing into "a Darwinian contest — survival of the Squeebiest."
Obama responded to the Wright controversy swift and aggressively. He spoke about how his campaign has been seen as "an exercise in affirmative action." He later said that Wright's comments, punctuated with Wright chanting, "God Damn America," would "denegrate the greatness and goodness of our nation."
He went on to say that Wright's comments "expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country. A view that sees white racism as endemic and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know that is right with America."
Obama later explained how he could disown Wright just as easily as he could disown the black population. A statement that Jon Stewart mocked later that night saying that at that instant, a politician talked about race with Americans as though they were adults.
Stewart's joke cuts back to the heart of Taibbi's point, that Americans are spineless and malleable when it comes to their media consciousness. They both might be right, but the only way to know is if we're talking about an equally insignificant episode next week, and the smart money says we will be.
I came across an article in the Dallas Morning News during spring break. In fact, my dad put it in front of my face. The article, "Raunch veiled as confidence", described the preparation and actual activity that many spring breaks have to offer.
The columnist began by describing how many college age women prepare by starving themselves, make frequent visits to the cancer booth (I mean tanning booth) and spend a ton of money at body wax salons.
Once these women arrive at their destination, they immediately begin binge drinking. After they feel sufficiently intoxicated, they enter themselves in wet t-shirt contests and other silly activities that seem to exploit women.
The columnist found that a majority of these women found confidence by participating and receiving plenty of attention from equally as intoxicated men.
Ultimately through ethnographic research the columnist found that these girls felt that their sexuality and appeal what was made them successful and worthy.
Unfortunately, it is not only spring break, where girls act and feel like this. It is all the time, but for some reason spring break is put under a microscope.
I found it embarrassing to tell my dad that this stuff does really occur.
You would think in this day and age where woman have more equality they would pride themselves on more respectable things.
Some of the initial criticisms of the iPhone revolved around the device's lack of corporate-integration features and standards. Initially the phone was more suitable as an executive toy, a device that people managing their own schedules would be able to use, but was unsuitable for general standard issue within an infrastructure.
Apple has demonstrated its willingness to adapt and evolve its existing products by working with corporate customers on needed improvements to make the device more suitable for larger scale implementation on the employee level.
At the iPhone software development roadmap event, Apple unveiled its changes that stand to make all the difference, and likely propel past Blackberry as the ultimate business communications tool.
Push email has been integrated- previously, the device was only capable of receiving new emails from a periodically updating server, that would scan and retrieve emails over periods of 15 minutes or so. While this is perfectly functional for most everyday people, it fails to take into account the extremely time-sensitive nature of corporate communications.
With the new firmware update, the device will use a form of push email that immediately delivers messages straight from the email servers- and they have added support for Microsoft exchange, which is widely used for office email.
Push technology has also been expanded to the contacts and calendar, enabling organizations to instantly configure the data which it needs on its employee's devices. Employees will benefit from having everything they need to know automatically sent to their phones, no matter where they are.
There is also a critical security feature that allows the adminstrative utility to remotely wipe and disable a specific iPhone if it is lost or stolen. This is critical for corporations that have extremely sensitive internal information stored on the device.
Personally, I could see these improvements propelling the iPhone to its intended place as the quintessential smartphone and integrated communications device.
Look for Karl Rovian political attack squads wielding them when election season hits full swing.
A 19 year old Iranian student studying abroad in London received a disturbing phone call from his parents last year. His former lover, under persecution for sodomy in Iran, named him as a partner, leading to a warrant for his arrest. Mehdi Kazemi's parents also informed him that they were disowning him and did not disapprove of the fate that awaits him in Iran.
Personally, I find the most outrageous thing about this ugly situation to bethe position of the UK Government. Iran's position on this and other abuses of human rights is nothing new. A country that hosts Holocaust denial forums and claims that homosexuality doesn't exist within their borders (as though it is magically extinguishable) is going to have to do a lot to actually shock me at this point. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a caricature of himself, evoking Bond villains every time he spews his rhetoric through his interpreters.
However, the United Kingdom, widely considered a first world liberated society, and asylum to many persecuted refugees has inexplicably decided to consider sending this young man (barely old enough to be described as such) to the gallows of Iran.
Kazemi has sunk his case into a sea of red tape by attempting to apply for asylum in Holland after being refused asylum by the UK Home Office. Applicants are forbidden from applying for asylum in more than one European country.
I was initially frustrated and confused about the entire situation- is this not a textbook case of an individual facing violation of human rights and execution due to his being part of a persecuted segment of society?
Then I realized the implications of possible precedents that would follow if Kazemi is granted asylum. Gay Iranian men and women will all have a similar case, since they are all equally at risk. While one could argue that only those actually marked by the government should receive asylum, it is highly likely that Iranian homosexuals will take the risk of coming out in order to find rescue from the hell they live in. Furthermore, non homosexuals could claim to be gay, which will automatically put them on the government's lynch list, thereby making them equally eligible. Such a situation seems eerily and depressingly plausible.
It is a sad situation, and a wake up call to the fact that barbarism and savageness still run rampant in our world- and that the liberated, progressive first world may not have an effective solution to handle the situation, and perhaps will not before many innocent people are tortured and killed.
Google Street ViewPhoto from Wikipedia
Recently I found out about a new feature of Google maps, Google Street View. This tool allows users to see 360 degree panoramic street-level views of certain major U.S. cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas. When the tool was launched in May 2007 it only offered images of 5 U.S. cities; now it shows more than 30. The pictures for Google Street View were taken from a camera on an automobile.
Out of curiosity I went to check out this new feature. I was surprised to find that Lawrence is one of the cities you can see. Almost the entire city is shown. In fact it was kind of disturbing that when I looked up my apartment complex I could even see my car.
Seeing my car initially made me feel like this new tool was a violation of privacy. I found an article in The New York Times expressing the same concerns. The woman featured in the article was disturbed when she could zoom into her second story apartment and see her cat sitting in the window.
The fact that you can zoom in was really what bothered me, but once I tried it I realized that even when you do zoom in the camera gets really blurry anyway. Also, as that article stated Google said, "Street View only features imagery taken on public property." So really anyone on a public street could see the content shown in the pictures on Google Street View anyway. Plus the pictures are only taken once, so it's not like someone could "spy" on you.
Now I think Google Street View is really kind of amazing. It's better than Google Earth because instead of just an aerial view of a city you can look at the actual streets in more detail. I could see the way Times Square in New York looks on a regular day, or even look at the shops on Mass Street. In a way Google Street View does waver on a violation of privacy, but ultimately I think it's just a handy new addition to maps.
A couple who had been living together for 16 years had a normal relationship, besides the fact that for the last 2 years, it took place in a bathroom. Pam Babcock, 35 had a phobia about leaving the bathroom and her boyfriend called the police when he found her to be acting groggy one day. The police said she was not stuck by glue, or tied or anything to the toilet, her legs were just physically stuck to the toilet. The police also said that she had to have slept sitting on the toilet. The sheriff of the investigation said that he believes the boyfriend should be charged with neglect because he let her go on living in the bathroom. He fed her and took her water and carried on conversations and a relationship with her instead of doing something about it. The sheriff also stated that when they entered the trailer house, it smelled and the smell was coming from her.
What is wrong with the world? It is obvious that this woman had a mental condition, that according to her, started with some type of abuse when she was little, that caused her to form a phobia of leaving the bathroom. But what kind of person believes it's ok to let her live like that? Like it's normal to have to bring her food and water because she won't leave. And then, even after it's impossible for her to get off of the toilet seat, to think it's all fine,... until she seems groggy!!
This story was just ridiculous to me! First of all, it was really hard for me to believe and second of all I don't know whether to feel more sorry for her because she has issues from her past or because she's living with a moron!
The woman has ended up with an infection on her legs that has damaged her nerves and was taken to a hospital in Wichita, but continues to refuse cooperating with medical providers and law enforcements.
I would hope that if I ever had an issue and thought that I would be better off sitting on a toilet, then someone would love me enough to get me some help and point out the fact that it's not right!!... Before I'm stuck!
According to a story by CBSnews.com, Alton Logan was arrested and charged for the murder of a late night McDonald's security guard in 1982. CBSnews.com says Logan couldn't believe the accusations and felt they were all "crazy" for arresting him. Logan, his mom and brother all testified that he was at home asleep the night of the murder but the jury found him guilty anyways of first degree murder.
Two attorneys, Dale Coventry and Jamie Kunz, say they knew about Logan's innocents the whole time. The two men were defending Andrew Wilson for the murder of two police officers at the time of Logan's case. Wilson admitted to the attorneys that he was the one who had killed the security guard at McDonalds which Logan was currently being tried for. Coventry and Kunz felt they could not share this new knowledge with anyone because of the client confidentiality agreement between them and Wilson. Logan was charged with murder and sentenced to life in prison. He spent 26 years in prison before the two lawyers finally spoke to authorities of his innocence.
To me, this just shows that something needs to be changed in the education system for law students. Something should be done so that lawyers can feel its ok to speak up for the innocent in such extreme cases as this one. It makes me rethink parts of the client confidentiality law. Indeed, suspects for a crime should be able to argue their side justly, in front of a jury of their peers and with the assistance of a lawyer. However, does that mean helping self-proclaimed killers lie under oath or keeping silent when innocent men are charged with their client's crime?
The big topic this week is how a new study shows that one in four teen girls have an STD. These numbers are staggering and disturbing. One of the most disturbing things about them is that not everyone has an STD so the number of teen girls have sex would be even larger and just means that the number of teen girls that has an STD could continue to rise. This is something that I am not really suprised about at least the sex part more and more teens act like they are adults and it only seems to get worse every year. The STD part is what disturbs me because I know in middle school and high school I saw more than enough pictures of different STDs and none of them looked appealing. I really do not know what would connect with teens and make them understand. I know that I didn't need anything more than the pictures to be convinced. It all comes from the mentality that they are invincible and that mentality seems to be getting stronger and stronger.
The only problem I have with this study is that it includes HPV. Everyone freaks out about HPV when in most cases its not that bad. If we separate the HPV that cause warts and only focus on the one that can cause cancer which is the higher percentage than you will see that HPV is not a super scary thing. When you are diagnosed with HPV they do not give you any kind of medicine they just tell you to live as healthy as possible. Your body does not have a hard time killing the virus. It takes some time but that is all. HPV is also something that you would never know you had unless it was found during a pap smear. That being said if you do not get pap smears very often you could get HPV and your body could get rid of it before you ever know that you had it. It still is important to have safe sex and go to the doctor for check ups but also important to know that not all STDs are the same and the same stigma should not get attached to all of them. This stigma that you are bad or dirty because you get them will make you less likely to go see a doctor. So while this article is disturbing you have to look at it from different angles.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/11/teen.std.ap/index.html?iref=werecommend
I ran across an article on cnn.com that was a follow-up to a story that was ran last year. There is a disabled girl in Washington and last year her parents had doctors give her a hysterectomy, breast surgery and drugs to keep the girl forever small. Her type of disablility makes it so she can not walk or talk. She is going to have to be taken care of for the rest of her life so her parents thought it would be best if she remained small and never entered puberty. Today they still believe that this was a good idea and they say that their daughter is healthy and has adjusted fine. This family continues to remain anonymous. As you would expect there was a lot of tension over this decision. What the hospital did was technically illegal because this is suppose to be presented to a board before the procedure can go ahead. The hospital accepts that the law was broken and the doctor that treated this girl has since commited suicide.
My issue is that the parents seem to be playing God and that is not right. Their persistence led the hospital to do some things that it should not have done and unfortunately the doctor paid the ultimate price with his life. I know it is not just the parent's fault but they were the ones who ultimately pushed for it to happen. They did this to make their live's easier. They took the human aspect away from their child. Now she is like a doll since she will never grow any taller or gain weight. This is a hard case because you do not know how much the child really understands with their disability but it just does not seem right.
Here is more infomation about this story: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/12/pillow.angel/index.html
It seems like lately i've been feeling the "not sure what to do with my life" sophomore blues. Maybe this is because I desperately want summer to be here, or maybe it's because everytime I look at any list of jobs needed for the future... I see nothing that has to do with my majors. As a Journalism/Philosophy major it seems like the most practical thing for me to do when I grow up is become a bum. I'm definitely no computer saavant and my success as an adult could be hindered by it.After reading just a few top ten lists I was depressed to realize that thinking isn't enough anymore. I get the impression that if I don't know how to reprogram Windows or explain the systematcial, informational whatever of anything, i'm bound to be in the poor house. Every "Top 10 Up and Coming Careers" list is the same: network analyst, medical this, computer that, etc.But fact of the matter is not everyone is meant to be a software know-it-all. I sure as hell don't know very much...but isn't that the reason colleges have so many differing degrees, so that we can find our niche and do what we love? I could go to school for four years, work my tail off, graduate with a philosophy degree, not to mention insight into the world... and then be stuck in my parents basement till 30 because no ones going to hire people who would rather talk then email. Where's the love for the out-of-the-box thinkers of our generation? Is there no place left for the Socrates' and Plato's of our day? Hell, do we even have any great thinkers of our own? It surprises me that although as a society we've "evolved," I mean we have a gidget or gadget for everything imaginable, but at what expense? Sure we can mold plastic and put buttons on it to communicate globally, which don't get me wrong is an incredible invention, but what have we really leanred about mankind itself in the past half a century? In the whirlwind of technology that has become the norm, philosophers and metaphysics have all too nearly lost their place in society. I'm not saying there isn't a need for those incredibly whizzy kids who can take apart and put back together computers in 30 seconds flat; all i'm saying is that maybe we should direct a little more attention to human kind. In a thousand years, will our generation be remembered for owning iphones or will we leave a bigger mark in the history of the human mind? I guess it's up to us, right?
//
Here's Career Exploreres Hottest Top Ten to see what I mean:
http://www.careerexplorer.net/ten-hottest-careers.asp?affiliateid=4085&type=&adgroup=&kw=&acctid=&ovkey=
Photo retrieved from NYDailyNews.com
My friends and I have been waiting for the season premiere of WE's High School Confidential for months, and it is finally here! Tonight, the show will premiere for the first time on WE. For those of you who haven't heard about this, it is a show that follows 12 high schooler girls from freshman to senior year. It follows them through the ups and downs of high school. The craziest part about it is that it is taped at Blue Valley Northwest in Johnson County. With so many people at our university, including myself, that are from this area, I could imagine that many people will be watching this.
Although I do know the sisters of some of these girls, I don't know them personally. I can't imagine how any of them are feeling right now with the show about to premiere. Since WE is a national network, people from across the nation are going to be able to watch their high school experiences.
I would imagine that some of the girls might not be ready for what they are about to experience. I know that all of these girls are currently sophomores in college. When I was a sophomore, I would consider myself pretty different from who I was in high school. I fear that the problems that these girls faced in high school are now going to continue to follow them in college. The website for the show http://highschool.wetv.com/ gives bios for each of the 12 girls. They have also coined each girl for having a specific "niche." While some of the girls are coined as "the best friend" or "the party girl," some of the girls are coined as "suicidal thoughts" and "anorexic wrist cutter." I really hope that any problems that these girls faced in high school are over and dealt with, but I fear that some of the wounds may still be fresh.
The creator of the show, a mother herself, says that she did this to explore what happens to girls during the years of high school. I think that this show will really help other high school girls that are going through these same problems. Many TV shows seem to show unrealistic aspects of highschool from each side side (example: Full House to The O.C.) I think that this show will prove that teenagers, especially girls, go through a tough transition in high school.
This lawsuit is absolutely absurd to me. I don't understand how this woman genuinely believes that her gambling issues lie with anyone but herself. If she was conscientious of her gambling problem, it's her responsibility to stay away from casinos.
It seems like an increasing trend in today's "sue or be sued" world to place blame on anyone but yourself. It is not up to the casino managers and dealers to evaluate each gambler's mental state. If someone from the casino had tried to get her or anyone else to leave when they were simply wealthy and out having a good time, the casino would inevitable get sued for that as well.
People need to start taking responsibility for their own actions. I feel like this was something my mom ingrained in my head at an early age. Is this an idea that people are growing out of with age or is not embedded as deeply in some people? I have no doubt that the judge and jury will side with the casinos, and hopefully it will discourage other people who will experience her loss to place blame where it belongs.
It is my favorite time of the year, March Madness. Soon will I be able to sit on my couch and watch the upsets and my bracket slowly drown as KU has another year of high expectations. What's even better about this year is that I will be celebrating my 21st birthday during the sweet sixteen. However, not everyone can celebrate march madness.
According to an article on foxnews.com, "American companies could lose up to $3.8 billion in lost wages and productivity due to the men's NCAA basketball tournament." This number is absolutely shocking at first, but think about it. I'll admit it I missed class one day last year because I wanted to stay home and watch the games. Another article states that more that 37 million americans will participate each year in "March Madness." Imagine how many people in America will miss work or just watch the live updates on their computers.
Two years ago cbssportsline.com institued the "Boss Button" on the link that updates the scores in realtime. The pictures below demonstrate exactly what the boss button does. At the bottom of the update screen when you click the link for the boss button, it automatically brings up a bar graph so when your boss walks by it looks as if you're being productive.
Picture from www.prilliman.com/blog
Picture from moneyplayers.typepad.com/blog/images
The start of "Championship week" this week is starting to get me excited and next Thursday I know where I'll be. I now know where a lot of business managers and owners will be, sitting in their offices pulling their hair out and probably watching the game updates as well.
A wise looking woman wearing sunglasses inside Spencer Art Museum takes her place behind the podium. Flowing black clothes drape her body, hiding her tiny frame. She looks fragile, even more so when her high-pitched voice quivers into the microphone. She clears her throat and takes in her audience that can't be contained in the chairs set up for the reading. People of all ages spill onto the floor around her, and after she begins reading her first poetry, coincidentally called "The Beginner", it is clear that she may look frail but her poetry is strong. I loved her idea that everything in life eventually starts over again.
I had never heard of Lyn Hejinian until I heard the words "extra credit." I must admit that is that was my main motivation to see her speak at first. After hearing her one of her poems I was intrigued. What she wrote about just so unexpected for an older woman. I was waiting for poems about flowers or the good old days. Instead she read from poetry called "The Fatalist" and became the first to ever attempt to sing American Philosophical poetry.
The ADD in me started to kick in but I remember snapping back to reality when she read the words "I, too, am an asshole." I'm almost positive she also dropped an F-bomb at some point. Obviously in a college environment cussing is nothing new but I was just not ready to hear it come from Lyn. It is probably for this reason that her works are so popular: her words are unpredictable. Part of this is because of her style of writing poetry. After you hear her read her first poem it's apparent that the standard rhyming poem is not going to cut it with her.
"It's ok if you laugh but you don't have to," these are the Lyn's opening lines as she dives into sharing some of her current work with us. She talks about the defiance of death and how death has no logic. Both of which are the two main themes of her new poems. Because as Lyn puts it "death has not logic," she figures that her poetry shouldn't either. Therefore no two lines in this set of works are the same. None of them even follow any of the same patterns, which as she expressed to us, is very difficult.
Lyn told us about how one of her friends died from heroin and all these experts were talking about how she needed closure. She tells us how she was disgusted by this idea; she feels that death should not bring closure it should bring pain. She also states how acceptance and closure are two very different concepts that are often used interchangeably. "I didn't want death to get the last word," Lyn said that her was her motive for writing the poems are such a morbid topic.
I thought the most interesting part was at the end of the reading when people from the audience questioned her. At one point she said something along the lines of "I am a big fan of thinking." I also found it interesting that she doesn't think about the readers at all when she writes her poems. My favorite quote from her, though, had to have been when she said, "For me poetry has been a median for staying conscious," Lyn said. I found this reason so fascinating and yet so brilliant. Poetry is a safe, peaceful and satisfying outlet that is often overlooked. Our world wouldn't be half as violent if people followed in Lyn's footsteps.
What is considered crossing the line in internet gossip, or is there even a line? Should people's reputations, lives and families be ruined due to internet gossip? Websites like postsecret.com, where "bloggers" send in their deepest secret written on a postcard prove that anonymous gossip is okay, since it is one of the top ten visited websites by college aged females. The creator of the site also publishes books with the same concept. Postsecret.com does not post the person's name who submits the postcard, and postcards with names on them are not posted online or published in the book.
But a new wave of internet gossip is hitting the internet, especially for college aged students. Recently CNN.com posted an article about juicycampus.com; a college Web site that enables students to blog about sex, drugs and gossip. While postsecret.com is completely anonymous, juicycampus.com is not. After visiting the website I was able to facebook search one of the names featured in a title of a blog on the homepage of the website. Is this considered an invasion of privacy, to have embarrassing information posted on a website devoted to campus gossip? Duke, UCLA and Loyola Marymount are just a few of the schools involved. Normally, students fight for internet freedom but in this case student editorials, student leaders, newspaper editorials and posters on the site are fighting against it. Administrators are appalled by the site but can do nothing about it, since it can be viewed outside the student computer network. If employers, siblings or parents were to read the information posted, futures could be ruined and reputations demolished. Besides damaging a student's reputation the site enables dangerous threats to become more widely known. A now former Loyola Marymount student was arrested after allegedly posting a school wide shooting threat on Juicycampus.com. Student leaders and administrators believe the website will die down after the shock value is gone. Is there a line that can be crossed when dealing with internet privacy and gossip and is Juicycampus.com crossing it?
Waterboarding, as you all probably know, is an interrogation method used by the United States government on terrorist in an attempt to get them to talk. What they do is place a cloth over the face of terrorist suspects and pour water over their faces, which simulate drowning.
Weather this interrogation method is torture or not has been a hot topic for some time. I myself have always thought that the interrogation method is not torture. To me, it's not like we're pulling suspects fingernails off; we're simply scarring them. An article on foxnews.com has brought a lot of important points to my attention, for either side, which I had not thought of before.
First of all the Army and CIA banned the use of Waterboarding in 2006. The technique can currently be used only with the permission of the attorney general and president. Bush wants to keep the option open to use Waterboarding in extreme circumstances.
"I cannot sign into law a bill that would prevent me, and future presidents, from authorizing the CIA to conduct a separate, lawful intelligence program, and from taking all lawful actions necessary to protect Americans from attack," Bush said, according to foxnews.com.
Something brought up by foxnews.com that I had not considered, however, is the idea that keeping waterboarding an option, for the United States, could be seen as torture by other countries; thus put Americans at greater risk of also being tortured if they are captured abroad.
It seems to me like the program in place is an acceptable one, but I hadn't really thought about what we look like to other countries. Is it worth our reputation to keep waterboarding an option? And is it actually more dangerous to Americans to keep the waterboarding policy? Could we be at a greater terrorist threat because of poor relations and reputation with the rest of the world?
My boyfriend, Tyler, and I submitted our applications for the Peace Corps weeks before the early admission deadline and yet we found out that we would not leave until April, 2009!
The Peace Corps has always been associated with young people who are either running away from their problems or searching for meaning in their lives. I have talked to many friends who have said they would consider going if a tragic event occurred, such as the death of a loved one. They would use the Peace Corps experience to get away from their problems or to "find" themselves.
Family Guy, for example, had an episode where Chris was unhappy with his home life and so spontaneously joined the Peace Corps. In the cartoon he flew to Africa the very same day he signed up. The truth is, however, the Peace Corps is not a spontaneous decision. In reality, joining the Peace Corps is a very long slow process. To get accepted and depart, it takes anywhere from six months to a year or more. Unfortunately for us, it is going to be a year or more.
We are highly disappointed with the outcome of our application. Not only is a year a very long time to idly wait for our departure, but on top of that our preferences of what we would like to do and where we would like to go are not at all reflect in our nomination.
There are eight regions of the world that volunteers can be assigned. On the application and in the face to face interview we had the opportunity to rank the different regions in the order of our preference. Yet we were assigned our least favorite choice, Eastern Europe.
In addition Tyler and I stated we were business and marketing majors and thus wanted to do business related work but were assigned to youth development. And finally Tyler made it clear that his only concern with going was with issues of safety. He wanted to be in an environment where he did not have to worry about me being on my own. Our job is not only youth development but youth development among 18 to 21 year olds dealing with issues of prostitution, gangs and drug use.
Needless to say we felt less than safe with this offer. We declined the nomination. I want to request another nomination and hope we get luckier with the next time around, but Tyler sees it as a sign that maybe we shouldn't be going. I feel you only live once and this is something that I really want to do in my life. So I want to at least keep that door open as a possibility.
What do you guys think? Should we give up the idea all together or does it not hurt anything to put in another request and see what they nominate us for next?
The iPhone is unsurpassed in its media functions (surfing the Web, watching videos and listening to music) due to its sleek design; which includes a large viewing screen and devoid of an ugly key board. This design works great for most individuals but isn't great for the average business person who needs the full keyboard for composing quick emails and other messages, says Forbs reporter Brian Caulfield.
Caulfield says Apple is attempting to better appeal to the corporate world with new software. The software will allow businesses to, "pour calendar information and e-mail directly into iPhones," via Microsoft Exchange. Businesses that use other email servers, however, will not be able to utilize these features.
The new software is not going to be enough to win over Corporate America, however, says Caulfield. The iPhone suffers from limitations in design, in software options, cost, and limited carriers.
The iPhone runs 400 dollars for eight gigs and 500 dollars for 16 gigs. This can be pricy for companies when purchase numerous devices. Additionally the only carrier for the I-phone is AT&T. For these reasons Caulfield says the Black Berry devices beat the I-phone in the corporate world.
As a student, I too feel the black berry is better. For me, I have to have the actual keyboard to be able to text and email efficiently. Also I like the fact that my emails come to my phone at the same time they are sent to my computer. The I-phone pulls emails from an account every 15 or 30 minutes. The calendar on the blackberry is better too, I think. What do you think works best for the corporate world and what works best for students?
Video retrieved from Adweek Web site.
In class we talked about events from the 1990s that affected us as young adults. There was a bit of a debate going on about whether Columbine and events like it affected our generation.
Today, I opened up the University Daily Kansan to yet another tragic event that occurred at a university.
Yesterday, The University of North Carolina's student body president, Eve Carson, was found shot to death in a city street.
Police said the crime appeared to be random.
While not a mass shooting like the event at Virginia Tech last year or the shooting at Northern Illinois University in February, the death of this girl still hits home because it's relatable, it happened at a university just like ours.
In this same newspaper was an opinion column about how the author thinks we can "stop" these events from happening. I don't want to go into his proposed method; I just want to call attention to one sentence. His lead was, "After finding my seat in Budig Hall for the first time, I realized that the scene was probably very similar to the one that preceded Seung-Hui Cho's rampage at Virginia Tech last year, and I resolved to find a seat closer to an exit."
Do these events really affect us this much?
I could of course be completely wrong, but part of me thinks that he was just saying this to grab our attention, not because he actually did it.
I for one have never walked into a classroom wondering where I could hide if someone were to walk in with a gun.
It's scary, but I don't live my life thinking about it everyday.
If it's more personal, such as if you knew someone in the shootings, I could see how these events could affect you.
Yet, as a generation, while these events make us sad when we read about them in the newspaper, after we put that newspaper in the recycle bin, I don't think these events continue affecting us.
I am an animal lover and everything but I think it may have been taken a little too far! Tripp Isenhour has been charged with cruelty towards animals for hitting a hawk with a golf ball and killing it. Supposedly he was on the golf course and was being filmed for "Shoot like a Pro" and there was an extremely loud hawk 300 yards away and he tried to scare it off. 300 yards was too far but as soon as it got to around 75 yards away he tried again and got lucky. They found the bird dead with blood coming out of it's nose.
Isenhour said that he never thought he could actually hit it and was just trying to scare it, so that it would fly away and they could tape. He said that it was basically like a joke. He also stated that he is a huge animal lover and his family has adopted three cats in the past. He apologized and stated that he never intended to harm the bird.
So should he be punished? The maximum penalty can be up to 14 months in jail and $1500 in fines. I think that this is going over the limit. I believe there is a big difference in cruelty to animals, in which you torture or abuse helpless animals, and hitting a bird with a golf ball, with quite a bit of luck. I seriously wonder if he ever thought he could hit it in the first place and he obviously stated that he didn't think he could.
Some will feel very strongly about this opinion and believe that if he killed the bird that he should be punished but I personally feel that it's a stretch on animal cruelty. I feel as though, as long as he realizes that what he did was wrong and he won't do it in the future then he should be able to donate money to PITA and move on. People should realize that he wasn't torturing a helpless animal, he was trying to scare it away and instead got a terrible dose of bad luck.
Pharrell WilliamsPhoto: Evan Agostini
Alright, so we all know who the famous French designer, Louis Vuitton, is. And most of us know of top music producer and singer Pharrell Williams. But do we ever think of the two together? Probably not.
Recently, however, the two did collaborate on a collection of jewelry called Blason, named after 18th century aristocrats. Many people also do not know that Pharrell and Vuitton collaborated a few years ago on a collection of eyewear. The jewelry is fashioned for mainly women but also for men, including necklaces, bracelets, rings, cufflinks, and belt buckles. Most of the pieces use multi-colored diamonds and feature the letters L.V. and the emblem of a shamrock associated with Vuitton's other pieces.
Pharrell worked with co-designer Camile Miceli for Louis Vuitton to complete this collection, and describes his work as "fanciful" and "fun" in this video interview with "The International Herald Tribune's" Jessica Michault. You can also check out some of the jewelry here.
Have you or anyone you know ever ran up a huge tab at a bar or restaurant and then bolted before paying it?
Okay, so I know this topic is not a current event, but I feel that it is definitely relevant for our age group. I know I am probably not the only server in our class, and any of my fellow servers know the consequences of dining-and-dashing: the server pays for the ticket. I feel that this fact must be shared with everyone.
I work at an upscale restaurant/bar in Omaha, and I experienced this funny little prank first hand. I had been cocktailing...in heels...from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. and I ended up making less than half of the tips I had earned that night. A foursome ended up in my section and ran up a $45 tab of wine, jack, and scotch. Apparently, the oldies either couldn't handle their liquor or they were just mean-spirited devils, but they definitely up and left before I could even give them their ticket. I informed the doormen, but it was to no avail. They had gotten away. Jerks. I had to pick up the entire ticket...and at the $2.13 I get an hour...$45 is a huge chunk of change. I am actually lucky that their ticket was relatively small, considering I had a number of $300-$400 tickets.
So, the next time you contemplate leaving your waiter or waitress with the tab...regardless of how terrible their service was...just man up and pay it. Karma will definitely repay you.
Photo retrieved by http://www.latimerwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/evacuating_columbine.jpg
After our discussion about Columbine in yesturday's class, I went home thinking a lot about it. I even discussed the topic with some of my roomates. I really started to think about how that one school shooting has really shaped our generation. Yes, there are have been many more public and school shootings before this one. For some reason, this shooting hit my friends and me harder then any other shooting. I remember being in 7th grade at the time. I also remember that it was the first of many days that I would be scared at my own school. Before the shooting I trusted everyone in my school, even the people that I didn't know. After the shooting, that trust was gone. I have never felt so betrayed by something that did not happen to me personally. We were always taught to be careful on the street, or don't talk to strangers. We were never taught to fear the people in our own schools! I honestly feel that our generation majorly changed after Columbine.
I found a really interesting article online at http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20080220/school-shootings-the-columbine-generation-copes about the topic. Scott Poland, who has been involved in crisis work with 11 school shootings including Columbine, said that "Columbine sent shock waves through every school in America." People have proposed that our generation has had more exposure to violence (television, music, movies, actual exposure) then any other generation. I'm not sure if its true, but it sure feels this way. It has changed the way that our generation looks at violence. Its almost expected that a school shooting will happen at least once a year.
Since Columbine more than 20 school shootings have occured in America, some more horrific then others. But like someone said, when we see a new school shooting we think about Columbine. It's like everything goes back to that day. It is sad that we can't feel safe in our own classrooms. It's sad that we feel uneasy when someone dressed in a black trenchcoat on campus. In my opinion, Columbine majorly affected our generation, and will continue to affect us forever. I will truely never forget where I was and the way that I felt on April 20th, 19