CNN.com posted a story regarding Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and their recent jump in suicide rates. Since the begining of the fall semester, there have been 3 confirmed suicides and 3 more suspected suicides. From 2005 to 2008, there were no reported suicides at the school, so officials are tackling the issue head on to try and resolve it. In an attempt to dissuade anyone from jumping off a bridge into a gorge, as some of the students had, Cornell has placed guards at the bridges to monitor them.
As I read this story, I was saddened by the cold hard facts and I feel badly for the students that could not find help in time. I have lost a very dear friend to suicide and I know how it feels to be left without answers.
I can only imagine the pain the friends and family of those people must be going through. It's possible that some of those friends knew more than one of the victims, and that pain must be paramount. Suicide is a very sensitive subject, and I believe part of the reason why is that speculation plays such a big role in it. No one can ever really know the suffering a person feels when the only way out seems to be ending it all. How could you? Even if they left a note, the anguish can never be truly realized. The president of Cornell, David Skorton, said "If you learn anything at Cornell, please learn to ask for help. It is a sign of wisdom and strength" I hope that not only students at this particular University, but people everywhere can heed this message. After my friend died, I was angry at him for not reaching out and guilty that I didn't recognize the signs before hand.
I hope this story can somehow shed light onto the stress college students can feel overwhelmed by. Sometimes just calling a friend who can be there to listen is a way to relieve stress. Or taking the time to be that kind of friend to someone else who needs it can have a positive impact.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Going to D-Day for the weekend
We are going to an army themed adventure park called D-Day for the weekend. It is a Jeep/4 wheel rally where there will be mud boggs, camping, trails riding and a live band. We have gone once before but it was almost winter and it was very cold already. I enjoy being outdoors and this will be the perfect weekend to break the winter haze that has been over me. My boyfriend, Ryan, has a jeep that we will be taking with us. He has done a lot of work to make his jeep trail ready, and he is a very good driver, so I don't worry even when we are climbing almost vertical trails. For safety, we always wear our seat belts and there are extra roll bars on the roof.
The owners have separated the near 1,000 acre property into trails and paintball scenarios, so while you are riding around you can see planes, army tanks, and old school buses all over the place. It almost feels as if you are in a different time. There is even an open church building that has platforms on different levels you can shoot from.
Our boxer pup, Remy, will be going with us this time and he must be able to sense the excitement in the air because he has been running around like crazy every time we open the front door to load more things into the camper. I think this will be an awesome weekend and I will take a lot of photos to share.
The owners have separated the near 1,000 acre property into trails and paintball scenarios, so while you are riding around you can see planes, army tanks, and old school buses all over the place. It almost feels as if you are in a different time. There is even an open church building that has platforms on different levels you can shoot from.
Our boxer pup, Remy, will be going with us this time and he must be able to sense the excitement in the air because he has been running around like crazy every time we open the front door to load more things into the camper. I think this will be an awesome weekend and I will take a lot of photos to share.
Woman aspires to beat Guinness record
In an article I recently read on Fox News.com, a 42 year old woman is hoping to be in the Guinness Book or Records. Not an uncommon goal, a lot of people aspire to beat records. Her goal, however, is to become the fattest woman ever. Her name is Donna Simpson and she is the mother of two children and is currently 600 pounds and to beat the record she must be over 1,000 pounds. She insists that she is healthy, while eating around 12,000 calories of food a day at a cost of about $750 a week. She has a boyfriend who is supportive of her goal and even admits that he likes her weight. She cannot get around unless aided by a scooter and says she earns the money to feed by being a part of a web site where people pay to watch her eat fatty foods.
I am sickened, repulsed, and totally grossed out by this story. My thoughts did not change one bit as I read it and after browsing through some of the comments others have left regarding it, I feel even more strongly about my initial feelings toward the story.
How could anyone be so selfish that they would put their life at risk in such a way? I do not understand why she would ever want to leave her children motherless, especially for something that is so meaningless. For people out there that have serious psychological problems that lead to food dependency or eating disorders, this is like a serious slap in the face. It is sickening to think about because all my life I have heard of the starving people in other countries who don't have even one meal a day to live on, and here this lady is stuffing her face shamelessly for personal gain. I have nothing but contempt for someone who is so self serving that she would purposefully eat till she can't even walk around by herself. She even says "she tries to stay sedentary, so she burns as few calories as necessary". I seriously had to read that sentence three times because I could not believe what I was reading.
There is no reason someone who can help themselves shouldn't be doing everything they possibly can to be healthy so their children don't have to suffer the burden of their death at such a young age. No one will ever be able to explain why Donna Simpson would rather eat a doughnut than be there to see her children grow up.
I am sickened, repulsed, and totally grossed out by this story. My thoughts did not change one bit as I read it and after browsing through some of the comments others have left regarding it, I feel even more strongly about my initial feelings toward the story.
How could anyone be so selfish that they would put their life at risk in such a way? I do not understand why she would ever want to leave her children motherless, especially for something that is so meaningless. For people out there that have serious psychological problems that lead to food dependency or eating disorders, this is like a serious slap in the face. It is sickening to think about because all my life I have heard of the starving people in other countries who don't have even one meal a day to live on, and here this lady is stuffing her face shamelessly for personal gain. I have nothing but contempt for someone who is so self serving that she would purposefully eat till she can't even walk around by herself. She even says "she tries to stay sedentary, so she burns as few calories as necessary". I seriously had to read that sentence three times because I could not believe what I was reading.
There is no reason someone who can help themselves shouldn't be doing everything they possibly can to be healthy so their children don't have to suffer the burden of their death at such a young age. No one will ever be able to explain why Donna Simpson would rather eat a doughnut than be there to see her children grow up.
Friday, March 12, 2010
SENSITIVE SUBJECT ALERT!! Mississippi school sued for cancelling prom
In a shocking story brought to us by Cnn.com, Constance McMillen, a senior from Fulton, Mississippi, is making waves at her high school after being told she would be ejected from her prom, along with her date if any other students complained. Constance is an open lesbian who wished to accompany her girlfriend (who is also a student) and wear a tuxedo. She was told by school officials that her date must be of the opposite sex and that only male students would be allowed to wear tuxedos. After the issue gained notice, the school board voted to cancel the prom altogether due to the fact that it was interfering with the education process and that they hoped students would still have their prom by other means. The school is being sued by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) on the basis of violating Constance's First Amendment right to freedom of expression.
I am angry that a school would retaliate against a student in such a way for being gay. I am also shocked that they would blatantly violate a students rights just because they would rather not have to see her at a school function in pants rather than a dress.
My personal opinion is that the school board is a biased group that should all be booted for their old fashioned mind sets. People like that shouldn't be in charge of molding the minds of the next generation. Living in the bible belt, I have grown up with closed minds all of my life and I hate it. Everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe and practice whatever religion they choose in the U.S., but why are they not allowed to pick their own prom date in Mississippi? I am saddened that a student has to face such animosity from other students and school officials because she wanted to be like everyone else and go to her prom.
This is like a huge step back in equality for all from the article I wrote about an hour ago. And here I though we were making progress!
I am angry that a school would retaliate against a student in such a way for being gay. I am also shocked that they would blatantly violate a students rights just because they would rather not have to see her at a school function in pants rather than a dress.
My personal opinion is that the school board is a biased group that should all be booted for their old fashioned mind sets. People like that shouldn't be in charge of molding the minds of the next generation. Living in the bible belt, I have grown up with closed minds all of my life and I hate it. Everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe and practice whatever religion they choose in the U.S., but why are they not allowed to pick their own prom date in Mississippi? I am saddened that a student has to face such animosity from other students and school officials because she wanted to be like everyone else and go to her prom.
This is like a huge step back in equality for all from the article I wrote about an hour ago. And here I though we were making progress!
Greek Yogurt...Delicious AND nutritious!
In my never-ending quest for super food that will be great tasting AND good for me, I believe I have found a winner!! After learning how to really read food labels and decipher hidden lingo, I think the newest yogurt by Dannon, Greek 0% fat free is the best. There are only 80 calories in a 6 ounce serving and no fat calories (which are the bad dudes) and also there is no fat and most importantly there is no trans fats or saturated fats (which are the reeeeeally bad dudes).
As for nutrient content there is 150mg of Potassium, which I was told by my doctor I am lacking. There are only 6 carbs and 6 grams of sugar, which comes for the lactose (think naturally occuring milk sugars) and a whopping 16 grams of protein. I have heard about the benefits of Greek yogurt before and was prepared to buy the original flavor to save myslef from all those extrea calories (versus Vanilla, Blueberry, or Strawberry which taste amazing by the way) but I was not prepared for the taste. I was very surprised by the tangy tartness and thickness of the yogurt. After so many years of weak yogurt, the custard-like thickness was a welcome change. The tartness however will take some serious getting used to.
My first thought was that it reminded me a lot of sour cream and how I should swap them the next time I make burrito's and whether or not Ryan would notice. I will let you all know his reaction.
My plan is to have one of the 6 ounce cups every morning, and I will experiment with different flavor combinations such as sprinkling cinnamon over it or adding some natural vanilla flavor. Hopefully I will see some positive changes due to my new breakfast find.
As for nutrient content there is 150mg of Potassium, which I was told by my doctor I am lacking. There are only 6 carbs and 6 grams of sugar, which comes for the lactose (think naturally occuring milk sugars) and a whopping 16 grams of protein. I have heard about the benefits of Greek yogurt before and was prepared to buy the original flavor to save myslef from all those extrea calories (versus Vanilla, Blueberry, or Strawberry which taste amazing by the way) but I was not prepared for the taste. I was very surprised by the tangy tartness and thickness of the yogurt. After so many years of weak yogurt, the custard-like thickness was a welcome change. The tartness however will take some serious getting used to.
My first thought was that it reminded me a lot of sour cream and how I should swap them the next time I make burrito's and whether or not Ryan would notice. I will let you all know his reaction.
My plan is to have one of the 6 ounce cups every morning, and I will experiment with different flavor combinations such as sprinkling cinnamon over it or adding some natural vanilla flavor. Hopefully I will see some positive changes due to my new breakfast find.
First Female Head Football Coach at Washington D.C. School
I recently read a story on CNN.com about a woman named Natalie Randolph, who has been named her High School's new Varsity Head Coach. Natalie is a former wide receiver for the women's pro team, The D.C. Divas, and has a lot of experience with the sport as well as coaching boys in the sport, and she is also a science teacher at the school where she is to coach. The Mayor of Washington D.C. has also named March 12th, 2010 as "Natalie Randolph Day".
The photo shown in the article is of Natalie and her late father, Nate Randolph hugging and smiling the biggest smiles possible after one of Natalie's games.
I really liked this article, especially the photo that accompanied it. I felt the author presented it in a way that flattered Natalie and showed her in the best light possible. I was surprised that the Mayor would giver her an honorary day but I thought that was very cool. I also thought it was awesome that no one touched on the fact that Natalie is African American. The article had so much other great info presented in it that for once race wasn't an issue. Hooray!!!
I felt very happy for Natalie that she was honored in such a way and I'm sure her father would have been very proud of her had he been there to see it. She is undoubtedly qualified for the position and hopefully she will not have to face any adversity. Not very many High School teams can say that their head coach is a former professional football player, whether they are male or female. Rich Daniel, the general manager of the Divas, said she will face questions regarding her abilities but said "People will have that initial reaction, but they'll realize...she really knows what she's talking about." That sort of praise doesn't come easily.
It seems as though history is being made every day in the U.S. and I am proud that we have taken one more step towards equality for all.
The photo shown in the article is of Natalie and her late father, Nate Randolph hugging and smiling the biggest smiles possible after one of Natalie's games.
I really liked this article, especially the photo that accompanied it. I felt the author presented it in a way that flattered Natalie and showed her in the best light possible. I was surprised that the Mayor would giver her an honorary day but I thought that was very cool. I also thought it was awesome that no one touched on the fact that Natalie is African American. The article had so much other great info presented in it that for once race wasn't an issue. Hooray!!!
I felt very happy for Natalie that she was honored in such a way and I'm sure her father would have been very proud of her had he been there to see it. She is undoubtedly qualified for the position and hopefully she will not have to face any adversity. Not very many High School teams can say that their head coach is a former professional football player, whether they are male or female. Rich Daniel, the general manager of the Divas, said she will face questions regarding her abilities but said "People will have that initial reaction, but they'll realize...she really knows what she's talking about." That sort of praise doesn't come easily.
It seems as though history is being made every day in the U.S. and I am proud that we have taken one more step towards equality for all.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Trip to Oregon
I recently took a much needed trip to a seafood and wine festival on the Oregon coast. I met up with eight of my friends in Portland and we drove three hours to the Newport Beach area. I have worked with several of the girls on board various cruise ships and the other girls were friends of my former boss.
We have all been looking forward to this trip for months and I was so glad to finally be there. We rented a house to be more cost effective, and after arriving we all unloaded our belongings and the mayhem began with picking out our rooms. The house was rather large and boasted accommodations for twenty-one, which included several futons and various sized beds. My two closest friends and I got put in the basement and rather than sleeping in the bedrooms, we pushed three futon beds together to create one mega bed. The other girls laughed so hard when they saw it and I think some of them were secretly jealous because they hadn't thought of it first.
I had a wonderful time catching up with everyone, because we are all from different states and don't get the chance to speak regularly. The first night I don't think anyone could sleep due to the giddiness of being together in one place for the firs time in a very long time. Morning came too soon and after a Starbucks run, we were off to the festival. But being the fun loving girls we are, we stopped off for beads and fun hats to wear first. After arriving at the festival grounds, the excitement mounted and everyone had their cameras ready to catch all the funny moments that we had waited so long to enjoy together. It was not a disappointment. About two hours later than we should have stayed and a few hundred photos later, we all piled back into our vehicles and headed to the beach for some more fun. I don't think we could have had a bad time if we had tried. The weather was perfect and the sun showed up to make our day even better. The Pacific was more beautiful as I remembered it, and I could not believe it has been two years since I saw it.
As good times always do, the weekend was over seemingly before it had even started and it was time to say goodbye. It was almost harder leaving the girls I have grown to love now than it was when we all left the cruise ship. We have plans on making this an annual girls weekend trip, so hopefully we will all be able to see eachother atleast once a year.
We have all been looking forward to this trip for months and I was so glad to finally be there. We rented a house to be more cost effective, and after arriving we all unloaded our belongings and the mayhem began with picking out our rooms. The house was rather large and boasted accommodations for twenty-one, which included several futons and various sized beds. My two closest friends and I got put in the basement and rather than sleeping in the bedrooms, we pushed three futon beds together to create one mega bed. The other girls laughed so hard when they saw it and I think some of them were secretly jealous because they hadn't thought of it first.
I had a wonderful time catching up with everyone, because we are all from different states and don't get the chance to speak regularly. The first night I don't think anyone could sleep due to the giddiness of being together in one place for the firs time in a very long time. Morning came too soon and after a Starbucks run, we were off to the festival. But being the fun loving girls we are, we stopped off for beads and fun hats to wear first. After arriving at the festival grounds, the excitement mounted and everyone had their cameras ready to catch all the funny moments that we had waited so long to enjoy together. It was not a disappointment. About two hours later than we should have stayed and a few hundred photos later, we all piled back into our vehicles and headed to the beach for some more fun. I don't think we could have had a bad time if we had tried. The weather was perfect and the sun showed up to make our day even better. The Pacific was more beautiful as I remembered it, and I could not believe it has been two years since I saw it.
As good times always do, the weekend was over seemingly before it had even started and it was time to say goodbye. It was almost harder leaving the girls I have grown to love now than it was when we all left the cruise ship. We have plans on making this an annual girls weekend trip, so hopefully we will all be able to see eachother atleast once a year.
Couple starves real baby, nourishes virtual child
In a short but startling story on CNN.com, a South Korean couple starves their 3 month old baby to death while simultaneously raising a healthy "virtual" child in an online role playing game called "Prius Online". The facts of the story presented a couple who had become so engrossed in their online fantasy that they neglected to feed their real life baby who had been born prematurely.
I am in absolute shock after reading this story. I have heard of people getting lost in the virtual world before, but for both of them to be so out of it that their child would starve to death is beyond torture for that little baby. Upon further thinking of this story my stomach became sick at the thought of an innocent child being so neglected by parents who were lucky to receive such a precious gift.
According to Chung Jin-won, a police officer in South Korea, "They indulged themselves in the online game of raising a virtual character so as to escape from reality, which led to the death of their real baby" To be so deluded that a defenseless child would die has got to be to pit below rock bottom. It is not hard to imagine that pity will not be shown for the couple. I wonder if they even grasp the magnitude of their actions, or if they are more upset by not being able to play their virtual game than by losing their real daughter.
It is a sad and strange world that we live in where stories such as this are not make believe. This sort of torturous neglect is more appropriate for a Stephen King novel than an actual event.
I am in absolute shock after reading this story. I have heard of people getting lost in the virtual world before, but for both of them to be so out of it that their child would starve to death is beyond torture for that little baby. Upon further thinking of this story my stomach became sick at the thought of an innocent child being so neglected by parents who were lucky to receive such a precious gift.
According to Chung Jin-won, a police officer in South Korea, "They indulged themselves in the online game of raising a virtual character so as to escape from reality, which led to the death of their real baby" To be so deluded that a defenseless child would die has got to be to pit below rock bottom. It is not hard to imagine that pity will not be shown for the couple. I wonder if they even grasp the magnitude of their actions, or if they are more upset by not being able to play their virtual game than by losing their real daughter.
It is a sad and strange world that we live in where stories such as this are not make believe. This sort of torturous neglect is more appropriate for a Stephen King novel than an actual event.
Fake newspaper controversy
Sometimes the news cannot be trusted...Such is the case for the March 5th Los Angeles Times front page. On the fake front page today, The Mad Hatter's face is emblazoned over news stories. The background stories are only part of the reason for a lot of people to be frustrated with the decision for Disney to advertise their new adaptation of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland"in such a way. It came to light that the stories in question were not fake stories, but were actually printed on February 18th and 19th. The titles or other details of the original articles were altered to appear real. The other aspect is that the front page was essentially sold for advertising purposes which represented a breakdown in ethical behavior by blurring the lines of traditional front page news with advertisements.
My thoughts on this article were first of confusion and second of irritation. My thoughts did not change very much as the article went on, although I did feel somewhat more irritated afterward than I did at the beginning. I think the idea to advertise this way is hilarious and I just wish The Joplin Globe had done it too.
It seems as though if there is nothing newsworthy, there is always something someone can twist into a news story. Just like this story. The confusion came first as to why the LA Times couldn't just make up some articles to place behind The Mad Hatter's head. Surely the advertising department could come up with some funny what not's to throw behind it, like something "Alice in Wonderland" related perhaps. The use of a real story being altered in any way and then re-printed sounds an awful lot like plagiarism to me. Secondly, I was irritated because I don't understand how this article is actually newsworthy. According to the report, "Several (un named) journalists from CNN's Los Angeles bureau did not immediately realize that the real front page was inside". To this all I have to say is I bet they realized as soon as they opened the newspaper. Does anyone really care that a newspaper sold advertising space to make money? I don't care because there are more important things going on in the world.
I wonder how my grades would be if I slightly altered someone else's articles and turned them in as my own as long as I purchased their work first. Would it really be mine to mess with? My thoughts are the same with the altered stories. Yes they were purchased by the author or written for the newspaper, but is it right to attach an author's name to something that has been changed? Or to reprint an article and not pay the author anything for reproducing their work?
My thoughts on this article were first of confusion and second of irritation. My thoughts did not change very much as the article went on, although I did feel somewhat more irritated afterward than I did at the beginning. I think the idea to advertise this way is hilarious and I just wish The Joplin Globe had done it too.
It seems as though if there is nothing newsworthy, there is always something someone can twist into a news story. Just like this story. The confusion came first as to why the LA Times couldn't just make up some articles to place behind The Mad Hatter's head. Surely the advertising department could come up with some funny what not's to throw behind it, like something "Alice in Wonderland" related perhaps. The use of a real story being altered in any way and then re-printed sounds an awful lot like plagiarism to me. Secondly, I was irritated because I don't understand how this article is actually newsworthy. According to the report, "Several (un named) journalists from CNN's Los Angeles bureau did not immediately realize that the real front page was inside". To this all I have to say is I bet they realized as soon as they opened the newspaper. Does anyone really care that a newspaper sold advertising space to make money? I don't care because there are more important things going on in the world.
I wonder how my grades would be if I slightly altered someone else's articles and turned them in as my own as long as I purchased their work first. Would it really be mine to mess with? My thoughts are the same with the altered stories. Yes they were purchased by the author or written for the newspaper, but is it right to attach an author's name to something that has been changed? Or to reprint an article and not pay the author anything for reproducing their work?
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