Bad Posture?

This week I read a blog by Julianne Hough, that was about improving the way people sit while on the computer. Also the way people slouch over while looking at a phone.  A lot of us have terrible posture when it comes to those things. The reason for the author of posting this blog was because her friend was experiencing neck and back pain. Her friend found out it was due to years of sitting hunched over the laptop. It changed her posture and caused all kinds of problems. Isn't that scary to think about? I know it is for me because I sit like that all of the time and I even try to sit up straight if I pay enough attention to it.

Apparently your head weighs eight pounds and when you're slouched over, that can create 18 pounds of pressure coming down on your neck and shoulders. Her friend was given these three options: 1) Visit the doctor regularly to correct her body. 2) Take prescription medicine to heal the discomfort. 3) Create a better working environment and to train her body to self correct. She chose the third one.

In this article, it included helpful tips of how to prevent this from happening to you. Which are:

• When looking at your phone, hold it at eye level rather than holding it down towards your lap.

• Invest in a Stand Desk
• Which is a desk for people who spend a lot of time on the computer. These desks allow you to a sitting position as well. But standing allows your body to be in its natural state.

• Get an Anti Fatigue Mat
• These are helpful for people standing in one place for an extended time. They are a soft and squishy mat that relieves pressure on your heels, back legs, and shoulders.

                                       

• An Adjustable Monitor Mount
• This lets you adjust your monitor so it'll force you to sit in a better position because you'll be looking eye to eye (screen) with the monitor, instead of looking down at it.

• A Kneeling Chair
• These chairs promote good posture and relieve existing back pain

I thought the author made very valid points and they were helpful. When I sit in a chair, a lot of times I don't use the chair's back to my advantage. What I mean is, most chairs are made to help your back stand straight while sitting, but I lean forward a lot of time, especially if the work I'm doing is frustrating, what I'm reading is boring or I'm tired. I know that can't be good because sometimes after doing homework, my back hurts. So I'm glad I found this blog because I'll think more about my posture than before and I hope this blog can help others as well.

With that being said, I feel the author used enlightenment and education. I think she used enlightenment because she brought awareness to an important issue and made me think more about it. She used education by backing up her information. She provided facts about a heads weight, how much pounds of pressure it will be when sitting incorrectly, and the items that we can use to help our posture problems and habits.

Check out this article at:

http://juliannehough.com/stand-up-for-your-health/





"Did Too Many Energy Drinks Trigger Man's Liver Problems?"

This article was about a 50 year old man that "developed a condition called acute hepatitis after consuming energy drinks regularly for three weeks." The author mentions an Acute Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and can be caused by a wide range of things. It's so serious that it can lead to liver failure, which can lead to death.



The man went into the hospital in the first place because he had been feeling sick for a couple of weeks, dealing with abdominal pain, no appetite, nausea and vomiting. He also developed dark urine and yellowing of the skin. This all was because the man "had been drinking four to five energy drinks a day for the past three weeks." Along with acute hepatitis, he also had chronic Hepatitis C, which is a different type of liver infection.



The energy drinks contain an ingredient, Vitamin B3. The particular one he was drinking had 40 milligrams of Vitamin B3, which is double the amount people are recommended to get daily. So with him having this drink four to five a day, "his total daily intake of Vitamin B3 was between 160 mg and 200 mg."


After being treated, he had to stay in the hospital for six days but his symptoms went away the third day. He plans to see a liver doctor for his Hepatitis C treatment.



I found this article interesting, informing, and alarming. I drink energy drinks sometimes but not nearly as much as he did. I notice a speed in my heart rate sometimes, depending on the ones I drink, so that's one main reason why I limit myself to them. But I thought it could be helpful for others to read on and know about because as college students, I see a lot drinking things that can help keep them awake. I know someone personally that drinks an energy drink everyday. Not sure how many a day, but I just want people to be aware of the serious harmful affects energy drinks can have.



I think the author used enlightenment, education and even emotion. She used all three in one to me because she wrote this to inform people of what could happen and listed facts about what the drink contains and what it can do to your body. She used emotion, to me, through education and enlightenment. I feel that way because she evoked emotion out of me through the whole article. She didn't show any of her emotions or her intake on the topic but it made me feel aware and it was an eye opener. I couldn't see myself drinking that many a day but it definitely does make me think more than twice about how often I may drink them. Just by having one is a little too much because it can contain more of the milligrams you're supposed to receive a day.



To check this article out, go to:
http://www.livescience.com/56730-energy-drinks-hepatitis.html

"Parenting: When to Cut Off Adult Children"

This article was about millenials still living with their parents and also living off of them. The article mentions, "Nearly half of American Millenials have received some kind of financial assistance from their parents since leaving home, according to a study released last month by Fidelity Investments." It also says the most commonly bill paid by mom and dad is the cellphone and clothing. The parents may feel it's their "parent duty" but it's also disabling themselves and their pockets. So much money is going towards their "adult children", the parents aren't able to save for retirement. In a Merrill Lynch survey, it found that 60% of parents say they would continue to work longer to support their adult children. This article says parents should at least give their kids a time period of how long it'll last. Such as cutting them off, when they graduate or get a new job. Even though cutting off financial ties with their adult kids will save them money, it can help the parents at the same time. It can help because a family plan on a phone bill is cheaper than an individual plan.


The author used enlightenment and education. The author enlightened me because I am one of those "adult children" that still lives at home and still receive money from my parents. I have a job but I only work seasonally, so when I'm not taking classes. But before reading this article, I already planned on getting an on campus job in between while I'm not working at my other job. So this article was confirmation and will make me really think and consider spending my own money from now on. The author used education because there was a lot of facts thrown in there that I definitely didn't know before.


To check out this article:
The Week Magazine
Volume 16 Number 796
November 11, 2016
Page 33.

"Kill Chivalry, not Kindness"

This article was about the difference between chivalry and the act of kindness. The author expressed how today, women expect guys to pay their dinner bill and open the door and guys also believe that's their responsibility. She said the reason why we think that is because historically, women didn't work a lot and men were considered the breadwinner, so they bought women drinks and dinner. With that being said, the author feels that the people who think that way should get out of that mind frame because it's pretty selfish and inconsiderate. She says that her and her boyfriend run a cycle where he pays, then she pays, then they split. When the guy is always paying, he's most likely taking a chance on going broke. This doesn't have to go for just couples, this goes for anyone encountering these situations. If you're out to eat with a friend, you can offer to pay for both or even hold the door for strangers, men and women.

I feel the author used enlightenment in this article. I felt enlightened after reading it because it made sense and she made a point. She's basically saying, do things out of kindness, because you want to, not because you feel it's right because of the "gender roles". I haven't put too much thought in this topic before I read this but I do things out of kindness from habit. Yeah my boyfriend opens the door for me but we take turns with the bill. I don't expect him to pay for everything all of the time and I understand there will be times one of us is short that day. So I thought this was a pretty interesting article to read about because it gives you something to think about.

It's interesting to know how some people think.

To check this article out:
The Clarion
Volume 40 Issue 11 November 15-21, 2016
Page 5
By: Hannah Hamlin

Forgetting Things Quickly?

The article starts by saying, "We all experience occasional mental blips. The brain's wires cross and drop a name or forget a detail." Reading that definitely caught my attention because I certainly have dealt with that, so I wanted to know why that was and to find out what I can do about it. A lot of us had the situations this article listed happen to us before such as; walking into the kitchen forgetting what you needed once you got there, you forget a persons name, or even leaving your phone at home. In the, How The Brain Ages section it says, "Memory relies on our capacity to sustain attention and acquire and process information." So even though some of us have these forgetful situations at our ages now, it's not until 40 that we notice the impact on our ability to recall conversations or remember names. When we get older, our brain is still able to get "fixed." In the, Why You Forget Things section, I learned we forget things because a lack of sleep, because sleep deprivation and disrupted sleep "tends to impair normal memory consolidation."  Multitasking plays a part too, because by trying to remember multiple things at once, can "weaken our ability to retain information." Technology too, because looking at a screen for too long, "becomes a distraction that interferes with focus, attention, and ability to remember." Last but not least, Alcohol. Having too many drinks can affect your memory as you get older. In the section, What Helps Boosts The Brain, having a healthy diet such as, eating vegetables including green varieties, beans, whole grains, mixed nuts, omega 3 containing seafood, poultry, extra-virgin olive oil, and one daily glass of wine. Also by taking out red meat, cheese, butter and stick margarine, sweets, fried and fast foods. Another tip is to exercise. Exercising "is a proven way to boost brain health." I learned that if you do an intense workout four hours after learning something, it'll help you remember it more likely. Yoga is another way and by staying busy. "Researchers at the University of Texas Center for Vital Longevity discovered that busyness was associated with better processing speed, working memory, episodic memory, reasoning and crystallized knowledge."

I clearly learned a lot from reading this article and I hope the same for you. I thought this author used education and enlightenment. She educated me by mentioning facts and quotes from people that understood the healthy and unhealthy habits we create for the brain. She also enlightened me by writing this article as a whole. Without it, besides if I wanted to randomly look up the causes on Google one day, I wouldn't have the knowledge I now have on this topic.

If you would like to check this article out:
Martha Stewarts: Living Magazine No.269 Nov.2016 Pg.62
Health: Good Living
By: Sally Wadyka

Top Teamwork Tips

This article's title was self explanatory for what it was about. It listed 5 great tips to have in mind when you're working with a group. Ellen Sarkisian of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Howard University mentioned, that working in groups was meant to, "[allow] students with different backgrounds to bring their special knowledge, experience, or skills to a project, and to explain their orientation to others." "Group projects are intended to develop your leadership abilities while also providing an opportunity to show you are capable of working part as a team."

The 5 tips that were listed are:
1) You're probably not the only one not happy about working with a group. So remember that you're all in the same boat and the easier you make it, the faster it will get done.
2) Set ground rules. Make sure everyone is aware of due dates.
3) Be patient with your group members.
4) Be fair. Make sure everyone gets the chance to do things within their talents.
5) Respect others needs for responsibility. Being in a group is a chance for people to grow as a leader, follower and collaborator.

With all that being said, I thought this was a great article to write about because in English, we're currently working in groups for our argument essay. So I figured for anyone that reads this, can benefit a little from it. Maybe not even for this class, could be for another because I'm also in a group for another class.

I felt the author used enlightenment. It put things into prospective reading and learning about the ways I can help and contribute to my current group projects. Some of them can be common sense, but not everyone automatically keeps these tips in mind when their put in that position. So it's okay for a small reminder.

If you would like to check this article out:
The Clarion
Volume 40 Issue 90
October 25-31, 2016
Page 2
By: Meggan Lanahan

A Special Pizza Delivery

By: WFTV

On October 11, there was an article posted about an older woman's grandson that was checking up on her after Hurricane Matthew in Palm Coast, Florida.

Apparently, after the hurricane, Clair Olsen's phone was disconnected and her family had been waiting to hear from her. They couldn't wait any longer so her grandson called the nearest Papa John's to deliver her a pizza. Along with the pizza, there were instructions on the receipt. So when the delivery man, Lance Tyler, knocked on Clair's door, she thought it was a scam because she didn't order a pizza. Lance told her the pizza was ordered by her grandson and he called the number placed on the receipt. It was her grandson so he put the phone up to her ear and he said, "Grandma, I haven't talked to you in two days. I got worried about you. You must be hungry by now."

Ever since then, her phone has been reconnected and she let a lot of people know she was okay.

I thought the author used emotion and a little entertainment. I feel they evoked emotion because I thought it was very sweet and thoughtful of her grandson. This story put a smile on my face. I thought the article was entertaining because it was a happy story. It was clever and it made me want the story to go on.

You can check this article at:
http://www.wftv.com/news/local/driver-her-face-was-priceless-when-man-has-pizza-delivered-to-check-on-grandma-after-hurricane/456128755

Coffee Written In Your Genes?

Apparently according to the article, the amount of coffee you drink a day relates to your genes. This is found to be possible because the people who carry a gene called PDSS2 tend to drink less cups of coffee than the ones who don't. It says the gene reduces cells' ability to break down caffeine, which causes it to stay in the body longer.

The author ended the article with saying, "So the next time someone judges you for that fourth cup of coffee, just blame it on your genes."

The article was pretty short so that's why my summary is as short as it is. But, this article caught my eye because I am a coffee drinker and I have classes with people who have a cup every class. I'm probably one of those people who carry that gene because even though I like coffee, I may drink it once a week and one cup in that same day. So going by this article, it would be cool to find out if I actually carry that gene.

The author used education and entertainment. She used education because I definitely learned some things I had never even heard of and it was very interesting. She included facts and quotes. The way the article was ended, I thought that was pretty entertaining in itself.

If you would like to read the article yourself, check out:

http://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/121284/coffee-gene-inherited-traits-pdss2-studyV

In Life and Liberty, Law and Order

By: Laina Yost


This article was about the new law that passed in North Carolina October 1, along with the death of Keith Lamont Scott September 20 in Charlotte, who was shot by a police officer.


Two months before the shooting, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed the bill that blocks the public from getting or viewing recordings from body cameras and dashboard cameras. Even though a judge can order for the videos to be released, it still isn't fair for the community and people around the world in general. I'm sure they feel as though it leads people into having bad judgment on the ones whose job is to protect us, but I feel we should still know. Know what's going on around us, how to be more cautious and aware of who you trust. With those cameras, it shouldn't only be for the judge's eyes or whomever, but for everyone.


If there was some wrong doing, we all should have the right to know. Without that kind of information, it keeps us in the dark and to assume. Assume based upon the little information released. I feel that makes a story/situation worse. Say another situation like this happens and the victim was actually found 100% innocent but the story sounds pretty different and in the end, a police officer gets off the hook. We can only assume the officer deserved to be okay in this one. So we would we wouldn't really know that the real story says otherwise.


My point is, whoever is at fault, without the proof and evidence..it will be harder for everyone to trust. That goes for anyone and anywhere.


So for myself, I do not agree with the new law that was passed and with that, I won't feel comfortable going to Charlotte or having anyone I care about being there either.


I think the author used emotion, enlightenment and education.


I think emotion was used because she expressed a few opinions which was clear to see how she felt about this topic. But she also evoked emotion out of me because it made me feel upset and concerned. She used enlightenment because she made me more aware of the new law. I also think she used education because with her facts, she showed me that she was knowledgeable about what was going on.


To check out this article:
The Clarion
Volume 40
Issue 6
October 4-10, 2016

'Matlida', 'Doubtfire' Star Mara Wilson Pens Child Stardom Book

By: Jason Fraley


This article was about Mara Wilson, who some may know her as Matilda. She recently wrote a memoir called "Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame"


This particular article caught my eye because I do love the movie Matilda, and I haven't heard anything about Mara since. So I thought this article would be interesting to read about.


Which it was, because I learned a few things about her that I didn't know. She mentioned that the actors who played her mother, father, and teacher, were all nice to her and felt like family, especially due to her mother being sick. It was really cool to know, Pam Farris, who played Miss Trunchbull, was one of the kindest, nicest, gentlest people she had ever met. So if you've seen the movie before, you should understand where I'm coming from!


I also learned that she had to grow up fast because of her mother's sickness. Her mother passed before the movie released. It affected her acting because she didn't think it was fun anymore. She had a love/hate relationship for it because she felt she needed it but just wasn't feeling it anymore.


Eventually she came to realize she didn't fit Hollywood's standards because she wasn't "cute enough" anymore. So since then, she graduated from Idyllwild School of Music & Arts in 2005 and will be graduating from New York University's Tisch school of the arts.


I feel the author used a little of enlightenment and emotion. I think enlightenment was used by sharing cool and interesting facts throughout the article about her, the movies she was in, and even the actors she worked with. I think emotion was used because it was sad to know about her mother and how that and Hollywood are the reasons why she isn't really acting anymore. But it wasn't all sad, I got happiness out of it too. Despite of her struggles, she seems to be doing well with her life and doing things she really enjoys.




To check out this article visit: http://wtop.com/entertainment/2016/09/matilda-doubtfire-star-mara-wilson-pens-child-stardom-book/slide/1/


To keep up with Mara Wilson, visit her blog: http://marawilsonwritesstuff.com/

The Willis Family, A Reality Clan's Shocking Scandal

By: Emily Strohm with additional reporting by Jeff Truesdell

Apparently the Willis family is a close knit, religion based family that performs together in a country band called The Willis Clan. The mother, Brenda and her husband, Toby, have 12 children together.

As a band, they performed for America's Got Talent in 2014 and landed a TV show about their lives on TLC.

On Sept. 9, their world came crashing down. The father, Toby Willis, 46, "Was arrested for child rape. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the charges stem from an alleged sexual encounter with an underage girl between the ages of 3 and 13 in Nashville 12 years ago.

I think the author used Emotion for this article. Reading this article made me feel bad for the family and disappointed in the father. I felt bad because they have so many children and they're a close family. So for the father to get accused for "child rape" and the ages of their kids range from 5 to 24...I think that makes the situation worse. I can't even imagine how the family feels. I've never watched their show but I'm pretty sure if they were a relatable family to their audience/fans, people are probably extremely sad for them.

I just hope for the best for the family. I hope they keep each other strong and continue to live their lives like they were before it happened.


If you would like to check out this article:
People Magazine
V. 36 No. 13
September 26, 2016
Pages 23 & 24

Is #TeacherBae's Dress Too Tight for School?

Yahoo.com


By: Kristine Solomon


This article was about a fourth grade teacher in Georgia named Paris Monroe. Apparently, she dresses inappropriately to be a teacher. The way my mind is set up, I typically see both sides of a story. So in this case, there's no different.


Half of me agrees that the way she looks at work can be distracting. Someone made a good point saying, fourth graders are approaching stages that involve their hormones. So when she is writing on the board, some of the kids could be looking at her more than what she's writing.


The other half of me is on her side. I feel like with anything else, people love to say, "It's 2016." So with that being said, teachers now aren't going to look like the teachers your parents or grandparents had. Especially if the teacher is pretty young. While they're young, they're most likely wearing cute and trendy clothes that are covering. Which in all of the pictures I have seen of her, she was fully covered. She didn't have any cleavage out and her dresses that were fitting went to the knees. She even wore long sweaters with some of the dresses.


I will say, people with certain body shapes can't wear the same thing other sizes are wearing but I think her case is pretty innocent. She wasn't showing any skin inappropriately, so I don't think she meant anything by it. Instead of bashing her and putting her on blast for what people think are wrong, at least say it to her privately or congratulate her about what she has accomplished. Some people may have been so worried about the negative, they probably didn't even know she won "Teacher of the Month." I also feel, if the parents of the students, faculty and board haven't said anything to her, than everyone else can mind their business.


I feel the author  didn't use the E's as noticeably as the authors of the other articles I have read, but if I had to choose, I would say emotion. I think she evoked her audiences emotions by mentioning a few peoples opinions and reactions to the teacher's appearance. Some were clearly angry about her dressing that way in front of kids and others are angry because they feel it's not fair to judge a woman with curves of wearing that rather than someone wearing the same outfits with a different shape.






If you would like to visit this article, here's the link:
https://www.yahoo.com/style/is-teacherbaes-dress-too-tight-for-school-122657231.html

Turning Bronze Into Gold

Dayton City Paper
Volume 13, Number 35, August 30-September 5, 2016


By: Marilynn Preston


http://www.daytoncitypaper.com/archives/2016/08/30/flipviewerxpress.html 
Pg. 29


This was an inspiring article to read. It was about a few people who competed in the Olympics and how they over came their losses, like a winner. Also about ones who think about others while competing.


The author had a couple of bold sections of her article called: Learn To Lose, Winning Isn't Everything, and Changing Lives is also an Olympic Sport. With those being highlighted, it makes you want to know what she's mentioning because it seems so positive.


Here are a few quotes and moments that I enjoyed from this article:


Learn to Lose
Kerri Walsh Jennings, a professional beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist, and April Ross, also a professional beach volleyball player and Olympic silver medalist, lost to a Brazilian women's beach volleyball team. It was Kerri's first defeat and felt very devastated and took it very hard. According to The Los Angeles Times, "Jennings spent a sleepless night cursing and crying, beating herself up for playing poorly. Less than 24 hours later, she was back on the beach at Copacabana, playing another Brazilian team for the bronze." Keri and April ended up winning the game. "Walsh Jennings and Ross were ecstatic-hugging, kissing, reminding us all that winning third place is still winning," says Preston.


Winning Isn't Everything
James Chiengjiek is a refugee member that is living his dream. He fled his home in South Sudan so he wouldn't get recruited as a child soldier. So now he has won eighth in his heat for the men's 400-meter. He says, "My dream is to get good results at the Olympics and also to help people. Because I have been supported by someone, I also want to support someone."


Changing Lives is also an Olympic Sport
Simone Manuel is the first black woman to win a gold in swimming. She says, "For all the people after me who believe they can't do it, I want to be an inspiration to them that they can do it."


I believe the author used Enlightenment and Emotion. I think she enlightened the reader by giving real examples of how a winner can still lose like a winner. She showed us that it's okay to lose no matter how much of a winner you are. There's nothing worse than a sore loser, so for someone to get back up and try again is inspiring. Also, wanting to win to help others is so much more amazing. The author evoked emotion with simply quotes from the Olympic medalists. It's one thing to just mention someone may have said something, but to have direct quotes from them and to see how they reacted is also inspiring and makes me want to do better at what I do and to continue, no matter what.


Very encouraging.      

Teen Escapee Has No Chill, Asks For a Better Mugshot on Facebook

Yahoo News

By: Johnny Lieu

https://www.yahoo.com/news/teen-escapee-no-chill-asks-010954243.html

The title of the article is very self explanatory! It's literally about an 18 year old girl named Amy Sharp that escaped from corrective service officers on Aug. 19 in Sydney, Australia. While in hiding, she posted a picture of herself on Facebook asking the police to use that photo as her mugshot. The post didn't only catch more than 50,000 people's attention, but also directed the police to her location.

The author of this article used two E's; Enlightenment and Entertainment. The author enlightened his audience by letting people aware (if they didn't already know) that by posting things on social media, it can give away your location, especially by the law.

The author entertained his audience by first, saying the teen had no chill and second, the article itself. You can't help but to not take this seriously because it literally made me laugh and ask "Really?" when I read this.

Who does that?

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