Teen mom glorifies teen pregnancy

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b228489_teen_moms_amber_gary_walk_oscars_red.html?cmpid=sn-000000-twitterfeed-365-2011_oscars

This article that I came across talks about Teen Mom "stars" Amber and Gary from the first season of Teen Mom walking the red carpet the night of the Oscars…but in Indiana, not in Hollywood. According to the article they posed for pictures and spoke with fans of the show. And before their debut, they went shopping to buy jewelry and clothes to look nice in. Teen Mom is a show on MTV that is most likely to prevent teen pregnancy, as it can give teens a look into the difficult lives that can be had after one has a baby at a young age. However, to me, Teen Mom sort of glorifies the lives of these girls and their boyfriends at such a young age. It’s not to say that having a baby as a teenager is a horrifying, terrible thing that should never be done, but when young teens see this show, I believe that it may make them want to have a child without thoroughly thinking it through. To me, part of the problem is that these girls are shown on TV as celebrities and are getting attention in the public eye, like for Amber and Gary at their own little “red carpet”. The couples on Teen Mom are listed as D-list celebrities and when high school or middle school aged students see this, they might wish for their life to be glorified like the lives of the people in this reality show.

Great Places

Today I woke up for breakfast and was very hungry. I’ve always wanted to try this diner on South Campus called LakeAffect, and so I took action and went. When I got there I sat down and looked at the menu. Out of the corner of my eye, I looked up at the wall and saw an air brush sketch of Guy Fieri from Diners Drive-ins and Dives. This got me so excited! Foodnetwork is one of my favorite stations on television, and to know that I was currently sitting in a diner that Guy had once been to put a huge smile on my face. And not only was it exciting to know that, it was just as exciting to eat LakeAffects food. I had gotten an omelet with broccoli and cheese, with a side of home fries and toast. The food was delicious! Do not let the size of this diner fool you! Just because it is not huge, doesn’t change the quality of its food. Another good diner on south campus is Amy’s Place. Amy’s Place has a variety of unique dishes, some including French fries in a wrap! You can taste the love put into the meals at Amy’s Place. Buffalo has a lot to offer in the world of food, you just have to find the right places!

All of the Lights

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This the music video to one of my favorite songs of the past year- "All of the Lights". The track features Kanye West, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Elton John, John Legend, Fergie, The-Dream, Elly Jackson, and my personal favorite artist- Kid Cudi. The beat of the song is so good on its own, that many people probably never really try to listen to the lyrics. I've listened to it probably 100 times, and looked up a bunch of opinions and reviews on the internet, but I still don't really know exactly what Kanye's talking about in the song. The video offers some insight into this, and reinforces what I thought the song was about- a man trying to be a part of his life. The video starts off with the All of the Lights interlude, which shows a little girl walking around an urban enviornment all by her self. The area is actually eerily similar looking to our own UB South campus, and must be what Kanye is referring to when he says can't let her grow up in that ghetto university". In the first verse Kanye talks about how he was taken away for hitting his woman, and has been slapped with a restraining order. Now he can't see his daughter, and he's distraught because he doens't want her to grow up in "that ghetto university". That's basically the plot, but there's a lot more there that's not as easily decipherable. For example what does he even mean by All of the Lights? I have no idea, but I have a theory (probably a wrong one). The night he was arrested for beating his woman, he saw a bunch of lights. First cop lights when they pulled in the driveway. Then, as they get out of the car and come up to the door for him they have flashlights. He then runs which spawns a search for him that requires spot lights. Then strobe lights. I don't really know how this fits in, but maybe he ran downtown or to a club that had strobe lights? Probably not, but whatever. Finally, he's caught and sits in the back of the car where he admires the street lights out the side window as the cops take him away. Rihanna always remarks that Kanye wants you to see all of the lights, maybe this means that Kanye wants his daughter to see what he went through, so she can save herself from it. Another possible meaning of it, is that All of the Lights of the music world are present in the song. Kanye, Rihanna, Cudi, Elton John, Fergie, Alicia Keys, John Legend, etc. In Kanye's mind these could be the lights of the musical world. He's already said that Kid Cudi is his favorite artist of this decade. Other possible meanings even include Kanye's Taylor Swift incident factoring into the song. The video itself is revolutionary. It's very trippy, and very dark, and is a gateway into Kanye's Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (The name of the Album). The video itself is all of those things, and if nothing else, really cool to look at for 5 minutes.

Utica Police Department: Two Death's in a Little Over a Year

Many people do not realize how important today’s police officers are, until they are gone. Five years ago today (Feb 27^th) Officer Joseph Corr was shot in the line of duty as he was chasing burglary suspects. Officer Thomas Lindsay was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop at 9:30pm in April of 2007. Both of these officers were doing their job’s to ensure safety in their surrounding area. Both of these Officers served on the Utica Police Department. Three of the men that were involved in the shooting of Officer Joseph Corr were all found guilty on counts of interstate robbery, armed robbery and murder. The man who shot Officer Corr was killed the day after the shooting of Officer Corr during a shoot out with the police. The man that was involved in the shooting of Officer Thomas Lindsay, was arrested shortly after the incident. Officials later found out that this suspect had planned to shoot a police officer. The suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Senator Joe Griffo has stated that “The Death’s of Officers Thomas Lindsey and Joeseph Corr cannot be ignored.” Griffo also stated “After sitting through the funerals of two police officers in our community in a little over a year, it is clear we need action now to make sure there are repercussions for those who would take the life of another in cold blood…”. Lawmakers are now pushing for the death penalty to go back into affect.

Facebook can cause stress. http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/new-study-does-facebook-cause-stress-2455708/

This article has really caught my attention because of its question that's asked in the title"Does facebook stress you out?" I think it's really worth to contemplate on the issue and analyze it since using facebook is just one of the essential aspects in our lives. Facebook is abnormally popular among teenagers and younger adults, and they are just so busy posting status, photo albums, links and ect onto their account. The article has mentioned some of the worst scenarios that facebook can have on its users as well as its pros and cons. People can make new connections or keep in touch with old friends so easily by using this convenient social tool, but why would it also stress people out? According to the study that's stated in the article, 12% said facebook made them feel anxious, 10% said they don't like getting new friends requests, and 63% said they put off accpeting new friends requests. The article even points out that the more friends you have on your account, the more pressure it will impose on you to stay active and to post new status. In my opinion, facebook does have the effect to generate stress on its users. It gives rise to social pressure and uneasiness sometimes. Let's say you have added all your friends on your account(that's what most people will do), the intention you may have at first is to stay connceted with your friends. But gradually, it seems like you are obliged to comment on whatever that's posted by your friends in order to show your attention to them and the activenss, but rather than you truely enjoy staying connected.
J. Lu

Controversy of Anti-Abortion Ad

Early this week while I was browsing through my normal Internet websites, I saw a controversial anti-abortion ad. The ad read, “The Most Dangerous Place For An African American Is In The Womb.” I understand that the creators for this ad was trying to promote anti-abortion, but I found it to be very cruel because the ad targets a certain race and I do not think that it is fair that they are doing that. Some people may look at the ad and say, “Yes! Abortion is wrong.” However, the meaning of the ad to me was do not have sex with a black woman because she will abort your baby. Other people in the black community felt this way also because the anti-abortion ad was quickly covered up once people spoke up about it. I am glad this was taken down because even though black women have the higher statistical rates for abortion, it does not represent black women as a whole. Not every African American woman is going to have an abortion, and I feel that is what this anti-abortion ad was portraying. On the contrary, I am against abortion. I feel that abortion is wrong because there are women around the world who want to have a child and are not able to because of fertility reasons or because the mothers lost their child. Next time anti-abortion activists should be mindful of an entire group of people before plastering up a gigantic ad on one of New York City’s busiest streets. Also, they should not single out a particular race but talk about abortion as a whole.

Driving

Sometimes, there is nothing better than just getting in your car and taking it out on the open road. I was always fascinated with cars growing up, as my dad was outside in the driveway everyday repairing something. My dad always had a nice sports car and cycled through many different ones. As early as I can remember, he started with a white '65 chevy impala. The next car he had gotten was a 1970s chevrolet chevelle. After selling that, he purchased a black '66 Chevrolet Caprice supersport. This was probably the best restored car he owned and it was a very cool car. He owned this car fora very long time, but then he finally wished to sell it. The host of the Motor Trend TV show had come to buy it, bringing a huge trailer to take it away. After this sale, my dad switched paths from American muscle to German engineering as he came across a 1980 Porsche 911sc. This was the car I first learned to drive standard on and we still own the car today. My dad and I are now involved with the Porsche Club of America and we have driven Watkins Glen with the 911. My first time driving the track, I was fascinated. There is nothing better. I love the feeling, adrenaline constantly rushing through your veins. I now have my own 1988 Porsche 944. It's nothing special, but nothing is more soothing than just getting into a car and driving for no reason at all.

Piracy in the 21st century

With the number of pirate hijackings on the rise from year to year not many people seem to take the growing threat seriously. So far there have been more than 50 hijackings in 2011. According to the International Maritime Bureau as of February 15th pirates were holding 33 ships and 712 hostages. Countries have naval ships out patrolling the waters looking for pirates but the oceans are just to large to be able to find them. With the recent hijacking and murder of 4 Americans aboard their ship I feel that changes should be made to prevent something like this from happening again. I believe that cargo ships which seem to be a favorite for these pirates should be allowed to have a cache of guns onboard so that they could fend off the attack from the pirates. The ships that are hijacked are usually a lot taller than the ships the pirates use. This would mean that the pirates have to climb up the side putting them at a very vulnerable position. A ship could be easily defended by a few people with guns on higher ground. As for smaller vessels I feel that the United Nations should create some sort of organization whose sole purpose would be finding and eliminating these pirates in what ever way necessary. Each ship that passes through the waters where the pirates hijack ships, off the coast of Somalia, should have some sort of beacon that the crew activates to alert the organization that pirates are attacking their ship. This could help save lives of countless people in future hijackings.

Bieber Fever

They are the two words that are plastered everywhere and constantly being talked about. They are all over internet news and gossip websites. Those two words are: Justin Bieber. The superstar is everywhere. People of all ages just can’t get enough of him. What I don’t understand is what the big deal about him is.

Justin Bieber is the new obsession. When I went onto Yahoo to check my e-mail account, one of the main headlines on the homepage was how Justin Bieber recently got a new haircut. I saw the same headline when I went onto People.com. I get it, he got a haircut. But what is the big deal? Why is everybody so concerned that he cut a few inches of his shaggy hair off? I just don’t understand the craze with Justin Bieber.

My two friends recently went and saw Never Say Never, a recently released documentary of Justin Bieber. Seeing the movie pretty much made both of them fall in love with the freshly turned 17-year-old. Oh, and the movie is shown in 3D. To me that was the thing that would slightly interest me to see the movie.

Maybe I just have to see Never Say Never and I will magically be graced with his charm, but I just do not see myself actually going to the movie theater and paying ten dollars to see a documentary of a boy who is two years younger than me. Do not get me wrong, he has a good voice and all, but what is it that is causing people to go completely nuts over him?

Do People Really Go Crazy On Spring Break?

Beaches. Tanning. Partying. Drinking. Hot people. Drunk college kids. All of this is associated with Spring Break, but is that what all college kids really do? Movies and television shows are always referring to spring break as the time when college kids go crazy in Cancun, Miami or some other hot destination. This is when they are partying all the time and the girls are loose and ready to do anything. I must be a really boring child, which I don’t think is true but maybe in this case it is, but I just go home for break and annoy my parents. Instead of going to the beach to stare at some hot guy, I’m going to the beach to make sandcastles with my brothers. Instead of tanning, I hide from the sun like I’m a Cullen and watch tv. Partying would consist of playing Just Dance on the Wii. Drinking would be iced tea or if I’m feeling wild some Mountain Dew Code Red. Hot people would be my model cousin who practically lives at my house and drunk college kids would be my sister after a family party. I know I’m just one person but even my friends who are in college don’t go all out like they say you do for Spring Break.

Then there is this other option that is given instead of the partying, something completely different and selfless, community service. You would be going to another country and building houses or something similar. This option is really great and people should do it, but the college only gives us a week. I like relaxing during this week and I have never heard of anyone taking this option though I’m sure people do and applaud them for it. I would just like to know how many people actually go wild, go Mother Teresa or go lazy for spring break.

4 American Hostage Killed By Pirates

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/piracy

As I was searching the yahoo engine, I came across this article. The article main focus was about how four Americans were kidnapped and killed by Somali pirates by the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. While reading this article I was extremely shock at the situation that took place. When I think of pirates, I do not associate them into reality but something that I would see or hear about in a movie. This was a major concern for me and kind of frightened me to travel across seas. These innocent people were just trying to enjoy a mini vacation and out of nowhere, they are kidnap by people from East Africa. It brings a major awareness as to what is going on around the world. Even though many people may not know but pirate attacks has occur multiple times within the past 50 years. There are also warnings on what areas to be cautious of the number of pirates. It goes to show that research should be made before attempting t take a trip on the sea. Not only should the area be researched but also the route in which the ship is going to take.

Virtual Games

Gaming is a craze in almost every single country. I know that the place i come from, people just love playing games on their consoles and some who are still lagging behind in this technologically advanced world, love gaming in their computers. I have a PS3 back home and i simply enjoy playing different types of games in it. FIFA 2011 being the recent one which i simply can't get enough of. And as the PS3 games back in my country are a bit costly, i buy all of the new ones from here before returning back in the breaks. That's one of the factors that make my vacation so fun. I don't know about others but for me, its a fun way to pass time with or without your friends. Sometimes my friends come over and we have tournaments and mini competitions. When playing an adventure game like Unchartered, staying up really late at night just to finish that last part of the game is the thrill of a gamer. And then there are other games such as Civilizations Revolution which takes up days just to create a settlement and establish a commanding civilization. And for me the most interesting games are the ones where you can play two players, so that i challenge my brother in those. I have a younger brother who is equally interested in playing console games which makes the enjoyment double. We compete in games such as NFS, WWE and FIFAs, spending quality brotherly time. So yes, i think video games are awesome, and would love to play it whenever i get the chance.

http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_ferriss_smash_fear_learn_anything.html

Tim Ferriss is a productivity guru. Through his self-experimentation and determination he has discovered his limits. His two books The Four Hour Work-Week and The Four-Hour Body demonstrate his ability--through analysis--to break down goals into efficient experiments. The concept behind his experimentation is Parkinson’s law--work expands so as to fill the time for its completion. Thus, if only give four hours to complete a task then it would be possible to get all the work done in four hours, but the challenge is figuring out how. In Tim’s TED lecture, he discusses his techniques for completing goals within a timeframe.

His first goal was to swim better (first conquering his fear of water). He challenged traditional methods of swimming by instead observing the swim techniques of effective swimmers. He disregarded the methods instructors said were right but did not work and, instead, experimented to find what worked for him. By analyzing the himself he become more efficient. Instruction is useless without analysis of methods.

He then became a world class tango dancer within a couple months of learning tango by applying an implicit approach rather than an explicit one. Tim observed other tango dancers to determine the techniques that made tango dancers great. He found that implicit instruction of the methods (the style and technique of individual tango dancers) was more enhancing than the explicit (textbook approach to methods). Thus, we learn that learn something new requires us to know ourselves. We must approach a new task with style as well as with analysis.

Internet Safety

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/technology/personaltech/17basics.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

The youth and people of today have become so dependent on technology and the Internet. We have been dependent on the Internet for communication, entertainment, work, etc. It has become a daily necessity in a lot of people’s lives, yet it is so unsafe. Because of newly developed programs, hacking into your personal information and accounts is easier than you’d imagine. There are programs now that can hack into accounts, networks, and Wi-Fi. Depending on the level of how the data is encrypted, it is easier for hackers to get into your private information and your online activity. It’s scary to think that a place in which you spend so much time is so unsafe and can be so dangerous. Not only are there people out there that can be trying to steal your identity, but also there are predators that can get personal information that can put you in harms way. Everything you put on the Internet stays there forever. It’s not erasable and can be accessed so easily by other people. The Internet and computers were invented to make life easier and advance our technology, yet they have turned into such dangerous means of hurting other people. What was meant to be something evolutionarily good has become a host for such evil behaviors. People need to take more precaution to what they do and post on the Internet, and websites need to take extra steps to make sure their users are as safe as possible.

Just Go With It

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/10/MV0M1HLB6V.DTL

This weekend I went to see this movie with my boyfriend. He was reluctant at first because it seemed like a "chick flick" and didn't want to have to sit through it. Which yes i admit it was somewhat of a girlie movie but it was an Adam Sandler produced movie and ended up being very funny and had both of us laughing throughout the entire movie. I love both Aniston and Sandler and I think the acting was great in this movie. Aniston was a down to earth women who was divorced with two kids and knew how the real world worked whereas, Adam Sandler's character Danny was the rich guy that had too much money and too many hot young girls that he didn't know how to settle down. The movie was great because of the continuous laughs, the fact that the movie was shot in Hawaii (beautiful!) and the romance seemed real, not just some random guy that a girl meets on a whim and falls "deeply in love" with the snap of your fingers. This is what real life is like, getting to know someone and realizing " hey, i like being around this person." This movie is worth the $10 to see and go to regal cinemas at the galleria mall and youll even have comfy chairs to sit in while enjoying a few laughs.

Technology

Thinking about the 21^st century I would feel as though there were many changes. One main change being the advancement of technology. What was the world like without cell phones or computers? Many who weren’t alive in that time seem to wonder. Most people nowadays communicate more through technology than they do in person. Without blackberry bbm, iphone texting, macbook video chatting, facebook, twitter, myspace, email etc, the world today would be lost. Personally I feel as though I spend more time virtually talking to my friends and family than I do in person. Whether it is texting someone for plans or meeting new people on facebook, technology has changed the world for the better. The biggest question I have is how was it possible to live without these technologies? If I need to find one of my friends or family members, all I have to do is pick up my phone and press a couple of buttons. Although texting in my eyes is a very convenient, useful thing in a way it could be a negative problem. It causes families to talk less, why get up and ask your parents a question when all you have to do is press a couple of buttons? Instead of going to your friend’s house to hang out, all you have to do is video chat. These technologies will just keep getting more advanced and keep changing the world for the better, I mean who said change was bad? Change could be a very good thing but we can’t forget how life was without it.

Smart phones doing laundry?

http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/17/technology/connected_everything_mwc/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

I found this article that is talking about how by 2020 companies are expecting to have developed the technology to be able to do your own laundry with your smart phone. Electronic devices, like washing machines, are going to have electronic chips in them that can connect to wireless internet, and then you can use the phone to do the laundry.

I don't really understand the purpose or even the possibility of doing your laundry with your phone. Your phone isn't going to be able to load your clothes into the machine, add detergent, bleach, or fabric softener and then be able to transfer the load to the dryer. It might be able to start and run the machine, but if you have to do everything else whats the point on even having this technology? It's amazing how many different things can be done with cell phones these days but there is a point where it's just too much. I applaud companies for finding new ways we can use technology to better our lives but there are somethings that are just better off left alone.

Another function of smart phones described in the article was that chips are being placed in medicine containers that can detect whether or not you took your pills and your phone can receive messages that remind you to take your pills in case you forgot. This technology on the other hand it quite useful and could help save lives.

Teenage Obesity

Obesity in the United States has been a major issue over the past decade. The rise of fast food and the "junk food" craze has caused this issue to be a never ending concern. Children as young as two years old have been dealing with such weight issues and this issue will continue as they grow older. Many individuals have blamed the issue of obesity for teenagers and young adults on the lack of physical exercise. They believe that their has been a decrease in the amount of exercise due to the new technology such as computers, video games ,TV etc. Although the rise of these new technologies influences young adults, lack of physical exercise is not the main and only cause of obesity. Diet is the main concern and a lack of nutrients and healthy foods can lead to sickness and diseases. The rise of obesity has also caused a rise of type II diabetes. I believe that we need to do something about the obesity issue. Schools around the country have been passing stricter food guidelines for their snacks and cafeteria foods. I believe that this is a great start but maybe the schools can provide more awareness about the long term effects that poor eating can have on your future. I think that if students learned more about how their diet will effect their future, that they would be more willing to change some bad habits as well as try to exercise more often. Will the U.S. ever be able to put a stop to the rise of obesity or is it already too late?

Best Cities to Move to in America

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/best-cities-to-move-to-in-america.html

My 2 favorite cities in the US finished 1 and 2. Let's start with Pittsburgh. I have a lot of family that live about an hour from Pittsburgh. In 2005 my Grandpa took me to see a University of Pittsburgh football game. It was my first time ever going to Pittsburgh, and I was so impressed. The city is absolutely beautiful. It's in a valley with mountainous hills surrounding the entire place, and has three rivers that perfectly section the city into its respective regions. The Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins stadiums are all state of the art. The Pirates stadium specifically has a beautiful view of the entire city and the Susquehanna river. The city has so much going on downtown and it really reminds me of what Buffalo could be. They've really utilized their waterfront properties, having two football stadiums, and all sorts of restaraunts and concert venues along there. Pirates games are unbeatable at about 10 bucks a ticket. The city also has a magnificent arts scene, characterized by the Andy Warhol museum and the Carnegie Science Museum. The Southside of Pittsburgh has about 15 blocks worth of local bussiness of all diferent sorts and is a really cool place to walk around at. Pittsubrgh is also a hub for medicine. The university of Pittsburgh is a a top 5 medical school in the country, and UPMC is a world-renowned orginization of hospitals, especially for transplants. There are also about a dozen colleges right downtown which further stimulates their economy. Pitt, Dusquense, Carnegie Mellon, Robert Morris, the Art Inistitute, Point Park, etc. All of these are located right downtown or with in 5 minutes of the city. Between the sports, arts, education, and beauty of the city its really a magical city.

Which brings me to #2 on Yahoo's list- Buffalo! I was a little shocked to see it on here, but the low housing prices in Buffalo, and low cost of living overall, make it a very desirable place to live. Buffalo seems to get nicer and nicer every day, and I'm really starting to love it. If we would have built UB downtown originally as well as the Bills Stadium I think our city would be on Pittsburgh's level. Those things just drive people to the city and stimulate the downtown economy. However, we've really come on strong and I think we are basically some waterfront development away from really being a world class city again. Really working in our favor is Niagaara Falls. With in the next 30 years, clean, pure water is going to become harder and harder to find, but we won't have to worry about that. Eventually people are going to be relying on Buffalo again, and that could really help us. Either way, I love this city, and I'm glad Yahoo recognized what a great place it is.

http://vlaze.com/20898
SNL Digital Short- Dear Sister

This is one of my all time favorite SNL skits. Doesn't get much better than Andy Samber, Bill Hader, and Shia Lebouf getting shot. The skit is mocking an episode of "The OC" that aired the week before this SNL episode. In the episode, Mischa Barton walks in on her boyfriend (I think?) and her friend in a brawl. The one is on the verge of asphyxiating the other when Mischa finds a gun on the ground and decides to shoot her friend that is strangling her boyfriend. This isn't the first time there was a gun involved in the show, either. In season one, a character got shot and later in the season there was a hostage situation. For a show that's supposed to be about going to high school in California, that's a bit ridiculous. That doesn't mean it's not a highly entertaining show, because it is, but the premises of several episodes are ridiculous. SNL does a great job making fun of the absurdity that the show's writers have come up with. In the skit Bill Hader writes a letter to his sister, that says "by the time you read this, i will be dead". He then goes on to spell out exactly how he thinks it will happen. His friend will shoot him, he will shoot his friend, another friend will walk in and they will both shoot him, then his sister will walk in and got shot by all of them, finally two cops will walk in, read the letter, and shoot eachother. Sure enough all of this happens, and as you listen to the same Imogen Heap song that was played in the OC, you can't help but laugh, and think- that's brilliant.

WBC

The Westboro Baptist church is a hate group based in Kansas and although they may not be extremely well known, they create intense anger for those who know of them. The WBC travels place to place, anywhere and everywhere in America, picketing with hateful signs and yelling their hypocritical thoughts. They picket at funerals, carnivals, parades, in front of schools, museums, and churches. But why does this hate group like to terrorize others? Last year in an interview between Stanford University and Shirley Phelps-Roper, a member of the WBC and daughter of Fred Phelps (leader of the WBC), Phelps-Roper justified their hate as being “what God wants” and that they are trying to spread the concept of obeying God and not committing sins. Phelps-Roper stated that the WBC wants people to “put away their idols, their false gods and their filthy manner of life and obey their God. It is life and health and peace and happiness”. One thing about the WBC that angers the public, is that the adult members of the church like to pass their hateful feelings down to their children, who when interviewed various times, could not explain to reporters what the word “gay” meant, even though they hold signs that state that being gay is a sin. Last year I heard about the WBC after a friend of mine who goes to school at Virginia Tech told me about this group that picketed in front of a ceremony remembering those who were killed during the shooting at VT in 2007.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/04/02/853386/-The-Westboro-Baptist-Church-is-coming-to-Virginia-Tech

He'll Do Anything for a Buck

I was listening to NPR the other day on the way to the grocery store. All Things Considered was on, which is one of my favorite programs on the station. That day they were talking about a guy, Travis Broyles, created a Craigslist ad avertising his willingness to do 'anything' for a set price. He'd found himself in some tough financial times and was in between jobs. So obviously offering to write people theme songs, only $20 a pop was the best solution. He had some suggestions for things you can have him do: for only $100 he will tell your children who is the favorite and how the less-favorite child can improve their standing, for $1,000 he will give you the 'star treatment' for a month (which is hiding in the bushes taking photos of you)

While this is a very humorous and weird report, showing how Craigslist has changed our current lifestyles (How about Congressmen Chris Lee and his beefcake photos?) it is a sad commentary on the economic times today. Broyles at one point had a full-time job as a copywriter in his home city of Atlanta. But the current job market is so horrid now he has decided his best bet to escape the overdraft alerts from his bank is to offer services on Craigslist. As a junior in college with graduation and the 'real world' looming ahead in just a year all of this is pretty terrifying. I just hope that upon graduation I am not destined to a "I'll Do Anything" post on Craigslist.

If you would like to listen to the report on NPR.com, check it out here: NPR.com: Craigslist Poster Will 'Do Anything' For a Price

A Lack Of Sleep May Be the Reason Why You're Depressed

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/sleep-disorders/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100269580&gt1=31036

http://health.msn.com/mens-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100257553&gt1=31060

Sleep is a very important and necessary part of everyday life. Not getting enough or even getting too much could effect how you are able to function mentally and physically. Most of us need between seven to nine hours of sleep each night. How about many of us who get five hours of sleep every night and try to stay up by drinking cup after cup of coffee? A British study found that people who are consistently sleep deprived are at greater risk for developing high blood pressure or cardiovascular disorder.

In addition, people who consistently lose hours of sleep are at higher risk for diseases such as obesity, diabetes, depression, and alcoholism. These same people are also at a higher risk for automobile accidents.

Do you feel like you try to get enough sleep every night but you are just never able to wake up well rested? There are quite a few factors that may be preventing you from getting a restful night’s sleep. Light could be a major attributing factor. Even in the smallest amounts, light tricks your brain into thinking that it’s morning time. When your brain thinks that it is morning time, you begin to emerge out of deep sleep. A lack of deep sleep is what leaves you not feeling rested the next day.

Additionally, disrupted breathing could be keeping you up at night. When you are unable to breathe regularly, your oxygen flow to your brain is interrupted. When this happens, your brain sends a warning signal that results in you partially waking up. If this happens throughout the night, then you are never able to achieve a deep, restful sleep.

Although many of us may not think of sleep as much more than an everyday activity, it is important to make sure that you get enough sleep to function properly not and even later on in life.

The New Four Loko

Last semester, I remember hearing a lot of buzz about the alcoholic beverage Four Loko. There was even a news reporter on campus interviewing students about its dangerous effects. They were calling it ‘Blackout in a Can’ because students did not feel the effect of the drink until they had too much and were in the hospital. Though this did not happen to everyone that consumed the beverage, it happened enough to cause a major stir. Universities were warning students about its negative effects until it became banned in areas like New York. Also, the Food and Drug Administration did not approve of this drink because of the combination of alcohol and caffeine.

Students were drawn to Four Loko because it was cheap, accessible, and they received a quick buzz. I never personally had the drink but I know a few people who did and they found it disgusting. I feel that the major draw was how cheap it was, especially for college students who just wanted a buzz before going out.

For the New Year, they brought out a new Four Loko. This new version does not have caffeine or other stimulants and are following the Food and Drug Administration’s regulations. I have not heard any government complaints against it so I guess it is not as bad as it was before. I am pretty sure it is having the same effect on people because they are still buying and drinking it. Maybe it even tastes better with their new flavors, at least I would hope so since it is such a big drink.

MEGABUS

This weekend I went to Washington DC to visit my boyfriend Jordan. He’s in DC because he attends The George Washington University. I immediately booked my bus ticket about two months ago for Valentines Day weekend. When I went onto Megabus’ website, I saw that the fare was only two dollars and 50 cents! I couldn’t turn down such an opportunity like this one, even if the travel duration was a little over nine hours. Megabus is a great means of transportation; there were outlets and wifi, which contributed in making my ride a very comfortable one. During the trip, I made friends with a couple interesting people. I got along with one girl in particular. The bus had departed at 11:45 Thursday morning, but after being on the road for fifteen minutes, we had to turn around because we had left without one of the passengers. When the girl stepped on the bus, I said that she was very lucky that the bus driver had turned around. Unexpectedly she replied with her hands and mouthed out that she was deaf. The whole bus ride her and me conversed through texts about the little vacation we both were embarking on and what we were doing for the weekend. When I was in a taxi yesterday, it amazed me how my ten-minute cab ride was more expensive than my nine-hour bus ride! Megabus is a great means of transportation

http://us.megabus.com/Default.aspx